Very few of us look forward to Mondays, so instead of wallowing in the depression of going back to work, here are several Premier League-related stories I handpicked for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.
  • “Acorns Children’s Hospice will sponsor Aston Villa’s shirts next season” (Aston Villa). Congratulations to Aston Villa for deciding to allow Acorns to be the shirt sponsors for the second year in a row. Pure class.
  • “History of the Premier League Sleeve Badge” (The Onion Bag). Very interesting glimpse of the history of the Premier League sleeve badges and how they’ve morphed over times. Some of the older ones are horrendous. The new one is much classier in my opinion.
  • “Man United v Inter Milan will now be shown live on ESPN Classic” (Soccer By Ives). The Man United game is being moved from ESPN2 to ESPN Classic because of bloody baseball back on ESPN2 again, so be sure to check your DVR’s this week so you’re not disappointed. While you’re at it, be sure to allow for the possibility of the game going into extra time.
  • “Lovejoy’s Job “At Risk” At The Sunday Times” (Sports Journalists’ Association). It isn’t just the average fan who’s suffering from the credit crunch. It appears likely that The Sunday Times will be cutting back severely on their sports desk staff including football correspondent Joe Lovejoy.
  • “Liverpool FC and Everton FC’s Early Story Is To Be Told” (Liverpool Echo). Excellent news for Liverpool and Everton fans — and soccer historians. The Liverpool Record Office at Liverpool Central Library have amassed an incredible collection of early souvenirs from the history of both clubs. The items will be digitized and released online later this year.
  • “Memorabilia Sport Guests” (Sporting Memorabilia). There are plenty of comic book conventions and collector conventions in the United States, but you’ll have to visit England to see soccer legends being hired to sign autographs. The guests include Bryan Robson (I guess he’s kissed his chances of being a top manager again), Paolo Di Canio (how do you say “don’t do it” in Italian?), Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and many more.

And lastly, here’s Umbro’s brand new redesigned website which includes a great Flash interface, a history of England’s home shirt and be adding new videos in the coming weeks.