History.

The White Star Line originally planned for its three Olympic-class liners, "Olympic", "Titanic" and "Britannic", to operate a weekly transatlantic express service. However "Titanic" was lost on her maiden voyage after striking an iceberg in 1912, and "Britannic" was lost in the First World War after striking a mine in the Aegean in 1916. Another of the line’s express ships, the 17,000-ton "Oceanic" of 1899, was also lost during war service in 1914. When "Olympic" re-entered civilian service in 1920, she lacked any suitable running mates. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which entitled Britain to war reparations, White Star looked to obtain some large German liners which had been under construction during the war but were left unfinished. One was the 56,000-ton "Bismarck", third and largest of Albert Ballin’s great "Imperator"-class trio, left unfinished at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard. This was ceded to the White Star Line and renamed "Majestic". Another was the 34,000-ton "Columbus" at F. Schicau in Danzig.  Launched on 17 December 1913, "Columbus" was the first of two of vessels ordered by Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd) for their Bremerhaven to New York service. At 34,000 tons, "Columbus" was, at the time, the largest twin-screw ship powered by reciprocating engines in the world. She was built for a relatively modest service speed of just a shade over. White Star Line purchased the unfinished "Columbus" in 1920, and renamed her "Homeric". The ship was completed and entered service two years later.  In 1920 construction was resumed under the watchful eye of officials sent down from Harland and Wolff, but work was slow, plagued by material shortages and a workforce that had no ambition to finish the ship only to hand it over to the British. Finally completed in late 1921, the "Homeric" was handed over by a reluctant builder. The new liner performed remarkably well on her trials; she was noted for her stability in rough weather, a characteristic that would earn her many loyal passengers.

Atlantic service.

Resplendent in her White Star livery, the newly completed "Homeric" arrived in Southampton 21 January 1922, and on 15 February 1922, "Homeric" departed Southampton on her maiden voyage to New York. She joined the venerable old "Olympic", still one of the most stylish ships on the Atlantic, and in May, "Bismarck" successfully transformed into the flagship "Majestic" would arrive and complete the three-ship express service, operating in direct competition against the rival Cunard Line's trio of "Mauretania", "Aquitania", and "Berengaria" (the former German "Imperator").  Settling quickly into her Atlantic routine, the "Homeric" proved to be a popular ship for White Star, although her speed became a major concern for the line, for at, the "Homeric" could not keep pace with her fleet-mates, "Olympic" and "Majestic", both of which had a service speed above making it difficult to maintain a weekly schedule. At the conclusion of her second season, in October 1923, "Homeric" was removed from service for an extended winter overhaul, and her boilers were converted to burn fuel oil instead of coal, this allowed the number of engine room staff to be reduced from 300 to around 100. The extensive re-working would require a full eight months at the shipyard, but on 19 April 1924, she was returned to service, proving to be slightly faster, averaging. Still, even at 19.5 knots she could not be successfully matched with the "Olympic" and "Majestic". Nevertheless, the increase did reduce one day from her average transatlantic voyage.  On one voyage in August 1924 "Homeric" arrived in New York late after steaming through a hurricane off the United States East Coast; She had been hit by an rogue wave which injured seven people, smashed numerous windows and portholes, carried away one of the lifeboats, and snapped chairs and other fittings from their fastenings.  On 19 April 1925 "Homeric" received the distress call 'Now very danger. Come quick' from the Japanese freighter which was listing dangerously in heavy seas and taking on water. "Homeric" was away and sped to "Raifuku Maru"s position at 20 knots. However when she arrived, "Raifuku Maru" was listing at a 30 degree angle, and the rough seas prevented "Homeric" from getting close enough to rescue any of the stricken ship's crew, who had attempted unsuccessfully to get away in their lifeboats, which were smashed by the rough seas. "Homeric"s crew and passengers watched helplessly as the Japanese freighter sank with all thirty eight of her crew. This incident became controversial at the time: When "Homeric" reached New York, several passengers spoke to the press accusing "Homeric"s crew of not making enough effort to rescue the crew of the stricken ship. The Japanese press even accused the "Homeric"s crew of racism. These accusations were strenuously denied.  Built with the steerage trade in mind, "Homeric" had a huge portion of her accommodations devoted to immigrants, and when the United States curtailed the flow of foreign settlers in the mid-1920s the "Homeric" was particularly hard hit. Her original passenger capacity was given as 529 First class, 487 Second class and 1,750 Third class. Some of her transatlantic crossings began to lose money as early as 1926, during which year some of her better third-class accommodation was regraded as the newly introduced Tourist class. From 1927 the ship was sent on cruises around the Mediterranean and Caribbean during the slack season. In 1930, second class was abolished and renamed Tourist class; effectively the second class and the best third class cabins had been renamed in an attempt to make the ship's accommodation more appealing to potential clientele. From 1930 her capacity was given as 523 First class, 841 Tourist class, and 314 Third class, reflecting the decline of the steerage trade.  By the early 1930s the Great Depression was hitting the Atlantic trade hard, with passenger numbers well down, there were no longer enough passengers to support a three-ship express service, and so it was decided to remove "Homeric" from the Atlantic service altogether and devote her to cruising full time. On 10 June 1932 "Homeric" departed New York for Southampton for the last time. Her career on the Atlantic was indeed short-lived, as she only provided transatlantic service for ten years.

Cruising service.

Cruising from British ports to the Mediterranean, the "Homeric" was one of the first liners to be used exclusively as a cruise ship, she handled this position brilliantly, and soon was well established in the cruising industry. To make her better suited to her new role "Homeric" was refitted with an outdoor swimming pool and lido deck. Although the "Homeric" never succumbed to any great disaster, she was involved in one minor incident while at anchor off Tenerife on 28 September 1932. Cia Transmediterrania’s small "Isla de Tenerife" failed to steer while circling the "Homeric", slamming into the side of the ship near the bow. Luckily, the larger ship was not badly damaged and her cruise continued.

Demise.

Despite "Homeric"s success as a cruise ship, White Star’s financial situation worsened in the early 1930s, and the "Homeric’s" future became increasingly grim. In 1934 White Star merged with their rival Cunard, and the merged company began rationalising their fleet and disposing of surplus ships, "Homeric" was earmarked for disposal, however she was given a reprieve due to a well booked cruising season. In July 1935, "Homeric" participated in King George V's Silver Jubilee fleet review, a prestigious honour. Her final voyage as a cruise ship came to an end on 25 September 1935, after which she was laid up at Ryde, Isle of Wight pending disposal. There was some talk of her original German owners Norddeutscher Lloyd purchasing her in order to run alongside her sister, the renamed "Columbus" which was still in German ownership. However this came to nothing when in February 1936 she was sold for scrapping. The following month "Homeric" sailed for the last time to Inverkeithing for breaking up.

Remains.

Despite her scrapping, many of her interior furnishings survive to this day. The former Rex Cinema in Stonehouse, Scotland preserves some of the "Homeric"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s grand interior. Although the building is not generally open to the public as it is now used at a storage facility on some occasions visitors are allowed in by the owners. It was recently featured on episode 2, series 9 of the BBC program "Timeshift" about the Golden Age of Liners.

RMS "Homeric, originally launched as Columbus", was built for Norddeutscher Lloyd and launched in 1913 at the F. Schichau yard in Danzig, Germany (now Gdańsk, Poland). "Columbus" was ceded to Great Britain in 1919 as part of German war reparations. She was sold to the White Star Line in 1920, which named her "Homeric". Her sister ship "Hindenburg" remained in German ownership and was renamed "Columbus". "Homeric" was operated by White Star from 1922 to 1935.

RMS "Homeric byl parník postavený v roce 1913 jako Columbus" pro německé rejdařství Norddeutscher Lloyd v loděnicích Schichau-Werke v Gdaňsku. V roce 1919 byl předán do Velké Británie jako jedna z německých válečných náhrad za 1. světovou válku. V roce 1920 byl prodán White Star Line, která ho přejmenovala na "Homeric". Jeho sesterská loď "Hindenburg" zůstala německým vlastníkům, ale byla přejmenována na "Columbus". "Homeric" sloužil White Star Line v letech 1922 - 1935.


Origins.

According to their family legend, the Orsini are descended from the Julio-Claudian dynasty of ancient Rome. The Orsini carried on a political feud with the Colonna family for centuries in Rome, until it was stopped by Papal Bull in 1511. In 1571, the heads of both families married nieces of Pope Sixtus V.  The Orsini were related to the Bobone family existing in Rome in the 11th century. The first members used the surname of Bobone-Orsini. The first known family member is one Bobone, in the early 11th century, father of Pietro, in turn father of Giacinto Bobone (1110–1198), who in 1191 became pope as Celestine III. One of the first great nepotist popes, he made two of his nephews cardinals and allowed his cousin Giovanni Gaetano (Giangaetano, died 1232) to buy the fiefs of Vicovaro, Licenza, Roccagiovine and Nettuno, which formed the nucleus of the future territorial power of the family.  The Bobone surname was lost with his children, who were called "de domo filiorum Ursi". Two of them, Napoleone and Matteo Rosso the Great (1178–1246), considerably increased the prestige of the family. The former was the founder of the first southern line, which disappeared with Camillo Pardo in 1553. He obtained the city of Manoppello, later a countship, and was "gonfaloniere" of the Papal States. Matteo Rosso, called the Great, was the effective lord of Rome from 1241, when he defeated the Imperial troops, to 1243, holding the title of Senator. Two of his sons, and Napoleone, were also Senators. Matteo ousted the traditional rivals, the Colonna family, from Rome and extended the Orsini territories southwards up to Avellino and northwards to Pitigliano. During his life, the family entered firmly in the Guelph party. He had some ten sons, who divided the fiefs after his deaths: Gentile (died 1246) originated the Pitigliano line and the second southern line, Rinaldo that of Monterotondo, Napoleone (died 1267) that of Bracciano, and another Matteo Rosso that of Montegiordano, from the name of the district in Rome housing the family's fortress. The most distinguished of his sons was Giovanni Gaetano (died 1280): elected pope as Nicholas III, he named his nephew Bertoldo (d. 1289) as count of Romagna, and had two nephews and a brother created cardinals.

The second southern line.

The rise of the Orsini did not stop after Nicholas' death. Bertoldo's son, Gentile II (1250–1318), was two times Senator of Rome, podestà of Viterbo and, from 1314, "Gran Giustiziere" ("Great Justicer") of the Kingdom of Naples. He married Clarice Ruffo, daughter of the counts of Catanzaro, forming an alliance of the most powerful Calabrian dynasty. His son Romano (1268–1327), called Romanello, was Royal Vicar of Rome in 1326, and inherited the countship of Soana through his marriage with Anastasia de Montfort, Countess of Nola. Romano's stance was markedly Guelph. After his death, his two sons divided his fiefs, forming the Pitigliano and the second southern line.  Roberto (1295–1345), Gentile II's grandson, married Sibilla del Balzo, daughter of the Great Senechal of the Kingdom of Naples. Among his sons, Giacomo (died 13 August 1379; Dean of Salisbury, Archdeacon of Leicester and Archdeacon of Durham) was created cardinal by Gregory XI in 1371, while Nicola (August 27, 1331 – February 14, 1399) obtained the counties of Ariano and Celano. The latter was also Senator of Rome and enlarged the family territories in Lazio and Tuscany.  His second son, Raimondello Orsini del Balzo, supported Charles III' "coup d'état" in Naples against Queen Joan I. Under king Ladislaus he was among the few Neapolitan feudataries who were able to maintain their territorial power after the royal war against them. However, at his death in 1406 the southern Orsini fiefs were confiscated. Relationships with the royal family remained cold under Joan II; However, when Raimondello's son Giannantonio (1386–1453) sent his troops to help her against the usurpation attempt of James of Bourbon, he received in exchange the Principality of Taranto.  The links with the court increased further under Sergianni Caracciolo, Joan's lover and Great Senechal. A younger brother of Giannantonio married one of Sergianni's daughters. However, the Orsini changed side when Alfonso V of Aragon started his conquest of the Kingdom of Naples. Giannantonio was awarded with the duchy of Bari, the position of Great Connestable and an appanage of 100,000 "ducati". Giannantonio remained faithful to Alfonso's heir, Ferdinand I, but was killed during a revolt of nobles. Having died without legitimate sons, much of his possessions were absorbed into the Royal Chamber.

Pitigliano line.

This line was initiated by Guido Orsini, second son of Romano, who inherited the county of Soana, on the western side of Lake Bolsena in southern Tuscany. He and his descendants ruled over the fiefs of Soana, Pitigliano and Nola, but in the early 15th century wars against the Republic of Siena and the Colonnas caused the loss of several territories. Bertoldo (died 1417) managed to keep only Pitigliano, while his grandson Orso (died July 5, 1479) was count of Nola and fought as condottiere under the Duke of Milan and the Republic of Venice. Later he entered the service of Ferdinand I of Naples, but, not having taken part in the Barons' conspiracy, he was rewarded with the fiefs of Ascoli and Atripalda. He took part in the Aragonese campaign in Tuscany and was killed at the siege of Viterbo. The most outstanding member of the Pitigliano line was Niccolò, one of the major condottiere of the time. His son Ludovico (died January 27, 1534) and his nephew Enrico (died 1528) participated in the Italian Wars at the service of both France and Spain, often changing side with the typical ease of the Italian military leaders of the time. Two of Ludovico's daughters married relevant figures: Geronima to Pier Luigi Farnese, illegitimate son of Pope Paul III and Marzia to Gian Giacomo Medici of Marignano, an important general of the Spanish army.  The line started to decay after the loss of Nola by Ludovico, who was also forced to accept the Sienese suzerainty over Pitigliano. Under his son Giovan Francesco (died May 8, 1567) the county entered the orbit of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Later, the attempt of Alessandro (died February 9, 1604) to obtain the title of Monterotondo was thwarted by Pope Gregory XIII. His son Giannantonio (March 25, 1569 – 1613) sold Pitigliano to Tuscany, in exchange for the marquisate of Monte San Savino.  The line became extinct in 1640 with the death of Alessandro.

Monterotondo line.

This line was founded by Rinaldo, third son of Matteo Rosso the Great. His son, Napoleone, became a cardinal in 1288 and remained a prominent member of the Curia until his death at Avignon in 1342.  This branch of the family was often involved in the baronial struggles of the Late Middle Ages Rome, at least three members of the family being elected as Senators, while others fought as condottieri. Francesco in 1370 took part to the war of Florence against the Visconti of Milan. Orso (died July 24, 1424) died fighting for the king of Naples in the Battle of Zagonara against the Milanese. His sons Giacomo (died 1482) and Lorenzo (1452) battled for the Papal States, Naples and Florence. One of Giacomo's daughters, Clarice (1453–July 30, 1488) became Lorenzo de' Medici's wife. Franciotto Orsini was created cardinal by Leo X in 1517.  The most important member of the Monterotondo Orsinis was Giovani Battista Orsini, who became cardinal under Sixtus IV (1483). He was probably among the promoters of the failed plot against Cesare Borgia in 1502, being assassinated on February 22 of 1503 as retaliation, together with other members of the family : Giulio survived captivity under Cesare, and Paolo and Francesco 4th Duke of Gravina were strangled to death on the 18th of January 1503.  The line decayed from the late 16th century, when several members were assassinated or lost their lands for various reasons. Its last representatives Enrico (died September 12, 1643) and Francesco (1592 - September 21, 1650) sold Monterotondo to the Barberini in 1641.

Bracciano line.

Napoleone, another son of Matteo Rosso the Great, received Bracciano, Nerola and other lands in what is now northern Lazio. In 1259 he was Senator of Rome. Thanks to the strategic positions of their fiefs, and to their famous castle built in Bracciano in 1426, they were the most powerful Orsini line in the Lazio. Count Carlo (died after 1485), son of another Napoleone (died October 3, 1480), was Papal Gonfaloniere. By his marriage with a Francesca Orsini of Monterotondo was born Gentile Virginio Orsini, one of the most prominent figures of Italian politics in the late 15th century. After Carlo's death, he enlarged the family's tenure with lands inherited by his wife, another Orsini from Salerno, and most of all he was amongst the favourites of Ferdinand I of Naples, who appointed him as Great Constable of Naples. Together with his cousin, the Cardinal Giovanni Battista, he was among the fiercest opponents of popes Innocent VIII and Alexander VI. In 1492 Gentile Virginio bought the county of Anguillara from Franceschetto Cybo.  During Charles VIII of France's descent into Italy, he managed to keep Bracciano. Ferdinand II had his fiefs confiscated and imprisoned him in Castel dell'Ovo, where he was poisoned in 1497. The family recovered this setback under the more friendly Medici popes of the early 16th century. His son Giangiordano was Prince Assistant to the Papal Throne. His nephew Virginio was a famous admiral for the Papal States and France, but in 1539 he had his fiefs confiscated under the charge of treason.  Paolo Giordano was created first Duke of Bracciano in 1560. The son of Girolamo Orsini and Francesca Sforza, he was grandson, on his father’s side, of Felice della Rovere (illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II) and Gian Giordano Orsini and, on his mother’s side, of Count Bosio Sforza and Costanza Farnese, an illegitimate daughter of Pope Paul III. An accomplished condottiero, he was however also a ruthless figure who had his wife Isabella de' Medici murdered. For this and other homicides he had to flee to northern Italy. He was succeeded by Virginio, whose heir Paolo Giordano II married the princess of Piombino and was created Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. His brother Alessandro was cardinal and Papal legate, and another brother, Ferdinando (died March 4, 1660) acquired the assets of the other line of San Gemini. In the 17th century the Dukes of Bracciano moved their residence to Rome. This, along with a general economical decadence, damaged the dukedom, and last Duke and Prince, Flavio (March 4, 1620 – April 5, 1698) was forced by the huge debts to sell it to Livio Odescalchi.

Gravina line.

The line of Gravina, from the name of the eponymous city in Apulia, is the only existing line of the Orsini. It descends from Francesco (died 1456), a son of Count Carlo of Bracciano. Most of his fief were located in northern Lazio, but he entered in the Neapolitan orbit when in 1418 he was called by Sergianni Caracciolo to fight against the Angevine troops, which he defeated. By marriage, he obtained the title of count of Gravina. He was made Duke of Gravina by King Alfonso, title definitely assigned to his son Giacomo (died 1472), to which had been added the counties of Conversano, Campagna and Copertino. Two of Francesco's son, Marino (died 1471) and Giovanni Battista (died June 8, 1476), were respectively archbishop of Taranto and Grand Master of Knights of Rhodes.  The fourth duke, Francesco, was part of a conspiracy along with his brothers Giulio and Paolo against Cesare Borgia but were found out and Francesco was strangled to death on 18 January 1503 along with his brother Paolo. One of Francesco's nephews, Flavio Orsini, was created cardinal in 1565. The fifth duke, Ferdinando (died December 6, 1549) had all his fiefs confiscated by the Spaniards, but regained it after a 40,000 scudi payment.  After the heirless death of Duke Michele Antonio (January 26, 1627), his lands passed to his cousin Pietro Orsini, count of Muro Lucano (died 1641). The latter's nephew Pier Francesco, who had renounced the succession in favour of his brother Domenico to become a Dominican, was later elected pope with the name of Benedict XIII.  His successor raised Benedict XIII's nephew, Prince Beroaldo Orsini, to the dignity of Prince Assistants to the Papal Throne (title held until 1958), after the emperor Charles VI had already, in 1724, made him a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. The last cardinal from the family was Domenico.  The family moved to Rome in the 18th century, where Duke Domenico (November 23, 1790 – April 28, 1874), married Maria Luisa Torlonia in 1823. In 1850 he was Minister of War and General Lieutenant of the Papal Armies, and, also, Senator of Rome.  The remaining princely family is represented by Prince Domenico Napoleone Orsini, Duke of Gravina (b. 1948). With no sons or male-line descendants, the heir to the dukedom of Gravina is his unmarried brother Don Benedetto Orsini (b. 1956), followed by his cousin Prince Raimondo Orsini d'Aragona (b. 1931), who is married to Princess Khetevan Bagration-Mukhransky.

Notable members.

Others.

Fellipi Orsini

Notable buildings.

Apart from the Bracciano castle, other notable buildings and structures associated with the Orsini include:

Orsinis in literature.

The Orsini family was briefly mentioned in Boccaccio's book "The Decameron" in the 5th day, 3rd story. In the woods, it is described that soldiers from a rival family's soldiers attacked a fictional character in the book named Pietro while they had become lost in the woods about eight miles from Rome. Boccaccio describes the soldiers acting to spite of the Orsini's. Furthermore, a castle named Campo de' Fiori, was included in the text.

The Orsini family is an Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include three popes: Celestine III (1191–1198), Nicholas III (1277–1280), and Benedict XIII (1724–1730). In addition, the family membership includes 34 cardinals, numerous "condottieri", and other significant political and religious figures.

Orsiniové (italsky "Orsini") jsou římská šlechtická rodina, jež vzešla z římského rodu Bobonů a v létech 1100 až 1900 hrála výraznou roli v italských dějinách. Roku 1629 se stali říšskými knížaty, roku 1724 pak papežskými knížaty a roku 1854 získali primogeniturně dědičný titul knížete římského (Principe romano). Dodnes pokračující větev Orsini-Gravina získala roku 1560 papežský vévodský titul. V důsledku čtvrté křížové výpravy získali Orsiniové majetky i v Řecku.


Association team allocation.

A total of 76 teams participated in the 2010–11 Champions League, from 52 UEFA associations (Liechtenstein organises no domestic league competition). Associations were allocated places according to their 2009 UEFA country coefficient, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2004–05 to 2008–09.  Below is the qualification scheme for the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League:

Distribution.

Since the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, Internazionale, obtained a place in the group stage through their domestic league placing, the reserved title holder spot in the group stage was effectively vacated. To compensate:

Teams.

League positions of the previous season shown in parentheses.

Round and draw dates.

All draws held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland unless stated otherwise.

Seeding.

The draws for the qualifying rounds, the play-off round and the group stage are all seeded based on the 2010 UEFA club coefficients. The coefficients are calculated on the basis of a combination of 20% of the value of the respective national association's coefficient for the period from 2005–06 to 2009–10 inclusive and the clubs' individual performances in the UEFA club competitions during the same period. Clubs are ordered by their coefficients and then divided into pots as required.  In the draws for the qualifying rounds and the play-off round, the teams are divided evenly into one seeded and one unseeded pot, based on their club coefficients. A seeded team is drawn against an unseeded team, with the order of legs in each tie also being decided randomly. Due to the limited time between matches, the draws for the second and third qualifying rounds take place before the results of the previous round are known. The seeding in each draw is carried out under the assumption that all of the highest-ranked clubs of the previous round are victorious. If a lower-ranked club is victorious, it simply takes the place of its defeated opponent in the next round. Moreover, in the third qualifying round and play-off round, champion clubs and non-champion clubs are kept separated. Prior to these draws, UEFA may form "groups" in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee, but they are purely for convenience of the draw and do not resemble any real groupings in the sense of the competition, while ensuring that teams from the same association not drawn against each other.  In the draw for the group stage, the 32 teams are split into four pots of eight teams, based on their club coefficients, with the title holder automatically placed into Pot 1. Each group contains one team from each pot, but teams from the same association cannot be drawn into the same group. The draw is controlled in order to split teams of the same national association evenly between Groups A-D and Groups E-H, where the two sets of groups alternate between playing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for each matchday.  In the draw for the first knockout stage, the eight group winners are seeded, and the eight group runners-up are unseeded. A seeded team is drawn against an unseeded team, with the seeded team hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association cannot be drawn against each other.  In the draws for the quarter-finals onwards, there are no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association may be drawn with each other.

Qualifying rounds.

In the qualifying and play-off rounds, teams play against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis.  The draws for the first two qualifying rounds were held on 21 June 2010 by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and Michael Heselschwerdt, Head of Club Competitions, while the draw for the third qualifying round was held on 16 July 2010 by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and Giorgio Marchetti, Competitions Director.

First qualifying round.

The first legs were planned to be played on 29 and 30 June, and the second legs were played on 6 and 7 July 2010. However, the first match (29 June – FC Santa Coloma vs. Birkirkara) of the entire competition was cancelled due to the pitch being declared unfit.

Second qualifying round.

The first legs were played on 13 and 14 July, and the second legs were played on 20 and 21 July 2010.

Third qualifying round.

The third qualifying round were split into two separate sections: one for champions and one for non-champions. The losing teams in both sections entered the play-off round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. The first legs were played on 27 and 28 July, and the second legs were played on 3 and 4 August 2010.

Play-off round.

The draw for the play-off round was held on 6 August 2010 by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and UEFA Competitions Director Giorgio Marchetti. The play-off round was split into two separate sections: one for champions and one for non-champions. The losing teams in both sections entered the group stage of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. The first legs were played on 17 and 18 August, and the second legs were played on 24 and 25 August 2010.  Following a trial at the previous year's UEFA Europa League, UEFA announced that in both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 competitions, two extra officials would be used – with one on each goal line.

Group stage.

The 32 clubs were drawn into eight groups of four on 26 August 2010 in Monaco. In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The matchdays are 14–15 September, 28–29 September, 19–20 October, 2–3 November, 23–24 November, and 7–8 December 2010. The group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16, while the third-placed teams enter the round of 32 of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.  If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings (in descending order):  Bursaspor, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Braga, Tottenham Hotspur, Twente and Žilina made their debut in the group stage. Bursaspor, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Žilina came last in their respective groups, Twente and Braga came third in their respective groups and dropped into the knockout stages of the Europa League, and Tottenham Hotspur came first in their group and continued to play in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Knockout phase.

In the knockout phase, teams play against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final.  The draw for the round of 16 was held on 17 December 2010. The draws for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final (to determine the "home" team) was held on 18 March 2011.

Round of 16.

The first legs of the round of 16 were played on 15, 16, 22 and 23 February, and the second legs were played on 8, 9, 15 and 16 March 2011.

Quarter-finals.

The first legs were played on 5 and 6 April, and the second legs were played on 12 and 13 April 2011.

Semi-finals.

The first legs were played on 26 and 27 April, and the second legs were played on 3 and 4 May 2011.

Final.

The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Statistics.

Statistics exclude qualifying rounds and play-off round.

Prize money.

Just for being in the group stage, each club received €3.9 million (compared with €3.8 million last season 2009-2010), followed by €550,000 for each group match they played, or €3.3 million for the whole group stage, giving them each a total of €7.2m in participation bonuses. In addition, each club had the possibility of netting up to €4.8m in group stage performance bonuses (€800,000 for a win; €400,000 for a draw). Real Madrid CF took the most from this pot, with a near-maximum €4.4m. A place in the round of 16 was worth €3 million, in the quarter-finals €3.3 million and in the semi-finals €4.2 million. The overall winners, FC Barcelona, received an additional €9 million, bringing their fixed sumbonuses to €30.7m (out of a maximum €31.5m). Manchester United FC, the runners-up, received a final match bonus of €5.6 million. The second payments category, the market pool, depends primarily on the value of the clubs' domestic markets. If an association is represented by more than one club, however, the clubs' shares are calculated, first, on the basis of their position in the previous season's domestic championship and, second, on the basis of the number of matches they play in the competition (group stage onwards). With €27.023m, Chelsea FC received the largest market pool share of all the clubs in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League. In addition, the clubs all keep their own gate receipts.

The 2010–11 UEFA Champions League was the 56th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 19th under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 28 May 2011, where Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3–1. Internazionale were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Schalke 04 in the quarter-finals. As winners, Barcelona earned berths in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup and the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.

Sezóna 2010/11 Ligy mistrů byla 56. ročníkem klubové soutěže pro nejlepší evropské fotbalové týmy a druhý ročník v tomto kvalifikačním formátu. Finále tohoto ročníku se odehrálo 28. května 2011 ve Stadion Wembley, v Anglii. Obhájcem titulu byl italský klub Inter Milán. Vítěz soutěže se kvalifikoval na Mistrovství světa ve fotbale klubů 2011, stejně jako do UEFA Super Cupu 2011.


History.

Pre-development.

By the late 1960s, both Volkswagen and Porsche were in need of new models; Porsche was looking for a replacement for their entry-level 912, and Volkswagen wanted a new range-topping sports coupé to replace the Volkswagen Type 34 Karmann Ghia coupé. At the time the majority of Volkswagen's development work was handled by Porsche as part of an agreement that dated back to Porsche's founding. Volkswagen needed to contract out one last project to Porsche to fulfill the contract, and decided to make the 914 that project. Ferdinand Piëch, who was in charge of research and development at Porsche, was put in charge of the 914 project.  In 1966 and 1967, German company Gugelot Design GmbH began showing a proposed design for a sports coupe built with technology developed in partnership with Bayer to several major car builders, including Volkswagen and Porsche. Some sources have suggested that the Gugelot proposal, suitably adapted, was the origin of the design of the 914. The rationale is that an outside design would be able to please both Volkswagen and Porsche without appearing too similar to either of the partners' existing products. Later sources have rejected this idea. While acknowledging that Porsche was aware of the Gugelot design, they assert that the 914 design was done in-house at Porsche, and is primarily the work of body engineer Heinrich Klie.

Joint venture.

Originally intending to sell the vehicle with a flat four-cylinder engine as a Volkswagen and with a flat six-cylinder engine as a Porsche, Porsche decided during development that having Volkswagen and Porsche models sharing the same body would be risky for business in the American market, and convinced Volkswagen to allow them to sell both versions as Porsches in North America.  On March 1, 1968, the first 914 prototype was presented. However, development became complicated after the death of Volkswagen's chairman, Heinrich Nordhoff, on April 12, 1968. His successor, Kurt Lotz, was not connected with the Porsche dynasty and the verbal agreement between Volkswagen and Porsche fell apart.  In Lotz's opinion, Volkswagen had all rights to the model, and no incentive to share it with Porsche if they would not share in tooling expenses. With this decision, the price and marketing concept for the 914 had failed before series production had begun. As a result, the price of the chassis went up considerably, and the 914/6 ended up costing only a bit less than the 911T, Porsche's next lowest priced car.  The 914 was "Motor Trend"'s Import Car of the Year for 1970.  Slow sales and rising costs prompted Porsche to discontinue the 914/6 variant in 1972 after producing 3,351 of them.  Production of the 914 ended in 1976. The 2.0 L flat-4 engine continued to be used in the 912E, introduced that year as an entry-level model until the front-engined four-cylinder 924 was introduced the following model year.  The 914/4 became Porsche's top seller during its model run, outselling the Porsche 911 by a wide margin with over 118,000 units sold worldwide.

Features.

Volkswagen versions originally featured the fuel-injected 1.7 L flat-four engine producing.  Porsche's 914/6 variant featured the 2.0 L air-cooled Type 901/3 flat-six engine from the 1967–1969 911T model. This was the least powerful flat-six in Porsche's lineup. This engine had revised pistons that reduced the compression ratio to 8.6:1. The cylinder barrels were entirely made of iron, in contrast to the iron and aluminum "Biral" barrels in the engines in the 911S and 911L. New camshafts had less lift, and relaxed timing characteristics. The venturis in the Weber 40IDT3C carburetors were, smaller than the other 911 engines, and the exhaust pipe diameter was also reduced in size. Power output was. When the 911T got a 2.2 L engine in 1970, the engine in the 914/6 remained at 2.0 L.  All engines were placed amidships in front of a version of the 1969 911's "901" gearbox configured for a mid-engined sports car. Karmann manufactured the rolling chassis at their plant, completing Volkswagen production in-house or delivering versions to Porsche for their final assembly.  The 914/6 models came with lower gear ratios and larger brakes to compensate for the greater weight and higher power output of the six-cylinder model. They also featured five lug wheels and an ignition on the left side of the steering wheel. Suspension and handling were otherwise mostly the same. A Volkswagen-Porsche joint venture, Volkswagen of America, handled export to the U.S., where both versions were badged and sold as Porsches. The four-cylinder cars were sold as Volkswagen-Porsches at European Volkswagen dealerships.  For 1973 the discontinued 914/6 was replaced in the lineup by a variant powered by a new 2.0 L, fuel-injected version of Volkswagen's Type 4 engine.  For 1974, the 1.7 L engine was replaced by an 1.8 L, and the new Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection system was added to American units to help with emissions control.

Model year changes.

Over the seven model years, Porsche made a number of changes to the 914. Some of these changes were cosmetic and others were in response to changing crash protection standards. From 1970 to 1974, the 914 was offered with chrome or painted bumpers. In early 1970, rear bumpers were produced with a straight crease on either side of the license plate indent. Between 1970 and 1972, both front and rear bumpers were smooth without bumper guards. In 1973, bumper guards were added to the front of the car. In 1974, guards were also added to the rear bumper. In 1975 and 1976, the chrome or painted bumpers were replaced with heavy, rubber-covered units which actually made the cars more stable at high speeds.  The headlight surrounds were white from the first 914s to mid-production of 73 and subsequently black. Cars produced up to early 1972 had a fixed passenger seat and a removable passenger footrest. Later cars featured a movable passenger seat. Other interior differences included changing vinyl designs, gauge appearance, and air vent configurations in the dash.  The most significant performance upgrade during the vehicle's lifespan was the introduction of anti-roll bars, significantly improving the handling, and a change from the "tail shifter" to the "side shifter" gearbox for 1973, improving the otherwise vague long linkage.

Technical summaries.

Technical specifications of the standard versions.

The Porsche 914 was produced from 1969 to 1976 in the following models:

Concept cars, prototypes, and factory specials.

Porsche 914/6 GT, 914/6 R.

On 1 March 1970 the 914/6 was homologated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for Group 4, Special Grand Touring cars. That same month two cars were sent to the Targa Florio for testing, not as competitors. These were the first two 914/6 GT cars built. Externally the cars were distinguished by squared fender flares that were the full depth permitted by FIA rules. The chassis was reinforced with three welded plates on each side. For rally applications a stone guard protected the power-train and a stone shield did the same for the front of the car.  The GT cars received stronger lower front A-arms, and anti-roll bars were fitted front and rear. Ground clearance was reduced to. Brakes front and rear were upgraded to the same components used on the racing 911S model.  Fiberglass panels for the front and rear bumpers, front and rear deck lids, and left and right rocker panels replaced the original steel parts. The rear air intake grille was doubled in size. An inlet in the front bumper admitted air to a new supplementary oil cooler in the nose. The car's nose compartment was nearly filled by a fuel tank. The car weighed ready to race.  The engine remained at 2.0 litres displacement with Weber carburetor induction, but was extensively upgraded otherwise. New cylinder heads with larger valves topped aluminum cylinder barrels with chrome-plated bores. A dual-ignition system fired two sparkplugs per cylinder. High compression pistons and forged steel piston rods were borrowed from the 911S. A special crankshaft was added. Camshafts and rocker arms came from the 901/20 in the Carrera 6. Power output was up to at 8000 rpm.  Although the factory campaigned the car in rallying, it was more successful in road racing.  In the United States the Porsche+Audi distributor called the car the 914/6R.

M471, kits.

To qualify for SCCA homologation, 500 copies of a car had to be built. It is estimated that Porsche built fewer than 40 GTs with the full race engine. To add to the total, an additional 11 cars were equipped with the Competition Option Group M471 package that included the GT's steel fender flares, rocker panels and nose piece as well as wheel spacers, a set of 6-inch wide Fuchs wheels, and 185/70VR15 tires, but did not include the enhanced engine from the GT. Similar appearance-only kits were also supplied to dealers, totaling about 400 units.  Porsche's application for homologation was successful, but instead of being added to the C Production class, the SCCA put the 914/6 GT into the more competitive B Production class.

914/8.

Two prototype 914s, dubbed "914/8" generally and called "914/S" by Porsche, were built during 1969. An orange 914/8 was the first constructed, at the instigation of Ferdinand Piëch (then head of the racing department), to prove the concept. Powered by a Type 908 flat-eight racing engine, it was built using a surplus handbuilt 914 development prototype bodyshell, chassis No. 914111, and included many differences from the standard vehicle, such as quad headlamps. The second 914/8, a silver, road-registered car powered by a carburetted and detuned 908 race engine making, was prepared as a gift to Ferry Porsche on his 60th birthday. Also based on a spare prototype shell (chassis No. 914006), it was much closer to the standard car in detail. By all accounts Ferry didn't like the car very much and it is now in the Porsche Museum. Neither car saw a racetrack except for the purposes of testing. The 914/8 was not considered for production as a regular model.

Porsche Tapiro.

The Porsche Tapiro was a concept car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio and built on a 914/6 platform. The car had gullwing doors and two centrally-hinged covers over the rear engine and storage compartments. The Tapiro debuted at the 1970 Turin Auto Show. Sold to Argentine composer Waldo de los Ríos, the car was extensively damaged in a fire. It was later bought by Italdesign.

Goertz/Eurostyle 914/6R.

This car was a custom-bodied 914/6R that was first shown at the 1970 Turin Auto Show. The design was done by Count Albrecht von Goertz, and was built by the Turinese carrozzeria Eurostyle. Goertz, who had also done the design for the BMW 507 roadster, produced a body with a tapered nose and a roofline that extended straight back, ending with sloping sail panels that gave the car the appearance of a shooting-brake.

Gerber/Sbarro rotary 914.

In 1970 Swiss Industrialist Dr. Alfred Gerber contracted compatriot car designer Franco Sbarro to build a customized 914. Sbarro installed the 2-rotor Wankel engine and semi-automatic transaxle from Gerber's NSU Ro80 in the mid-engined Porsche. The transaxle's inboard disc brakes were retained, and special halfshafts and shift-linkage were fabricated. A radiator was installed in the nose of the car, with fans sourced from a Renault R16. The engine produced, and in the 914 returned while allowing the car to reach a top speed of.

Heuliez Murène.

In 1969 designer Jacques Cooper drew an interpretation of the 914 that he presented to his employer, Brissonneau and Lotz. The French company, a supplier of auto bodies and railcars, approved the project and obtained one of the first 914/6 models built, chassis 1300005, to serve as a basis for the redesigned car. Shortly after this Brissonneau encountered financial difficulties. Cooper, hoping to get the car into production, arranged, with Brissonneau's approval, for the Heuliez company to take on responsibility for development. A running prototype was completed in just two and one half months. The car was displayed at the 1970 Paris Auto Show on the Heuliez stand as the Heuliez Murène. It did not reach production. Heuliez bought the Murène from Brissonneau in 1971 for ₣24,250. In 2012 the car was sold at auction for 42,889 €.

Hispano Alemán Vizcaya.

Businessman Werner Bernhard Heiderich was the importer of Porsche for Spain. He established a company named Hispano Alemán to build and sell customized cars. Heiderich contracted with Pietro Frua to produce a new body on a Porsche 914 platform. The car, named the Vizcaya, was first shown at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. Swiss authorities seized the car owing to a dispute over it between Heiderich and Frua. Heiderich eventually prevailed, and the car next appeared at the 1972 Barcelona Motor Show. The Vizcaya did not go into production.

Porsche 916.

Planned for the 1972 model year, the Porsche 916 program was cancelled after eleven prototypes were built. The car came with aerodynamic front and rear bumpers and either the 2.4 L engine from the 911S, or the 2.7 L from the Carrera. It was also to have a fixed steel roof, wider wheels, double grilled engine lid, and flared fenders as styled from the 914-6 GT cars. Ventilated disc brakes were fitted to all four wheels. The 916 also used a "mid-engined" version of the then-new 915 transmission, giving a conventional shift pattern with one to four in an H and fifth out on a limb. One 916 was built to US specs and on delivery to the US was fitted with air conditioning by the dealer (Brumos) and has been housed at the Automobile Atlanta 914 museum since 1990.

Nordstadt Carrera Käfer (Nordstadt Carrera Beetle).

Günter Artz was director of the Hannover Volkswagen dealer Autohaus Nordstadt. In 1973 Artz and Nordstadt unveiled a custom car called the Carrera Käfer that mounted a modified Volkswagen Beetle 1303 body on a Porsche 914/6 chassis. The engine was upgraded to a flat-six from a Porsche 911 Carrera that produced.

GM XP-897GT.

First shown in 1973, General Motors (GM) built the Corvette XP-897GT concept car to showcase their rotary engine technology. Lacking a suitable mid-engined platform, GM bought a 914/6 and shortened the wheelbase by. The body was designed and built by Pininfarina. A GM two-rotor Wankel engine powered the car through a new transaxle. The engine displaced and produced. When the rotary engine project was cancelled, GM stored the car at the Vauxhall Design Centre in England. The car was rescued from the crusher by an English enthusiast, who also managed to obtain an original GM rotary engine. The car was scheduled to appear at Amelia Island in 2019.

914 Limited Edition.

In 1974, Porsche produced a series of Limited Edition cars for the North American market to commemorate Porsche's victories in the Can Am racing series. They were equipped with individual color schemes and came standard with otherwise optional equipment. The factory is said to have produced about 1,000 of these vehicles, about 50% Bumblebee and 50% Creamsicle. Variants of this series were manufactured and distributed in very limited numbers to European markets and Japan. Along with the regular Appearance Group option (fog lamps and center console with clock and additional gauges) at $300, the LE package set buyers back another $320. All Limited Editions models came with the 2.0 L (1,971 cc) flat four engine, which was otherwise optional in the standard 914, that produced 91 hp in U.S. trim.  The Creamsicle: With a cream color exterior (paint code U2V9), these cars sported Phoenix red trim, including color matched lower valences and bumpers. This light ivory color scheme concept carried over from the 1973 911 Carrera RS series.  The Bumblebee: Featuring a black exterior (paint code L041), these cars sported a Sunflower yellow trim (paint code L13K). Black body paint color was always an additional cost special option on standard 914 Porsche cars, but was included as a standard component on the black 914 LE cars. Like the Creamsicle All but one photo of the 914 Porsche Can Am prototype cars are Bumblebee cars. The black-based 914 LE color scheme is specific to the 914 LE cars and has no precedent with the Can Am race cars or the 1973 911 Carrera RS series cars. The majority of 914 Limited Editions seem to be Bumblebees.  All 914 LE cars featured a specially designed front spoiler and negative side stripes. Additionally, all Limited Editions were equipped with front and rear anti-roll bars, dual horns, leather covered steering wheel, driving lights, painted rear roll bar trim (as opposed to vinyl clad), Mahle cast aluminum wheels and a center console with an oil temperature gauge, clock, and voltmeter.

Other.

A factory prototype 914/6, (chassis no. 914114), surfaced in the US in 2001. Together with a surviving prototype Sportomatic 914/6 (chassis No. 914120), reputedly in Southern Germany, they are a special part of Porsche history.

Motorsport.

A 914/6 GT driven by Frenchmen Claude Ballot-Léna and Guy Chasseuil won the GTS class and finished sixth overall at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Brian Redman used a 914/6 to scout the course in practice runs for the 1970 Targa Florio.

F1 Safety Car.

The Porsche 914 is renowned for having been Formula One's first Safety Car following its deployment at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix to help manage the race, which had seen various incidents due to treacherous weather conditions.

Media appearances.

According to Internet Movie Cars Database, the 914 has made over 150 film and television appearances so far. These include the prominent car chase where the car is piloted by Deborah Grant in the "UFO" episode "The Psychobombs" from 1971. On the television series "The Rockford Files" (1974–1980), Gretchen Corbett, who played James Garner's attorney, drove an orange Porsche 914 from 1974 until 1978.  In the 1981 film "Thief", starring James Caan and Tuesday Weld, an Arctic Blue 1974 914 is used.

The Porsche 914 or VW-Porsche 914 is a mid-engined sports car designed, manufactured and marketed collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 to 1976. It was only available as a targa-topped two-seat roadster powered by either a or flat-6 engine.

Porsche 914 je jednoduchý dvoumístný sportovní automobil s motorem uprostřed. Vyráběn byl v létech 1969–1975 ve spolupráci firem Volkswagen a Porsche. Typ 914 není vnímám jako „pravé Porsche“, ale vysloužil si nelichotivou přezdívku „Volks-Porsche“. Vyráběly se verze s motorem 1700, 1800 a 2000 (4-válec a 6-válec) s výkonem 76–110 koní. Z výrobní linky sjelo na 119 000 ks tohoto typu, motor Porsche byl však jen v 2,8 % vyrobených vozů (cca 3300 ks).


Early life.

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Denílson is the second of four sons born to José Neves and Luciene Pereira. His father José is a former midfielder at Botafogo-PB in Northeast Brazil. However, he was forced to quit football in order to support his family. Denílson and his family survived extreme poverty as his parents struggled to raise him and his brothers in the dangerous favelas of São Paulo. Many of Denílson's childhood friends have since died due to their involvement in the drug trade.

Club career.

São Paulo.

He started his career at São Paulo, where he was part of the side that won the 2005 Copa Libertadores and the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup. However, he was underutilized for São Paulo FC, having only made twelve appearances for the club, eight of those coming off the substitutes' bench.

Arsenal.

2006–07 season.

On 31 August 2006, Denílson joined English club Arsenal for a fee of £3.4 million, choosing 15 as his shirt number. Many were surprised by his transfer to Arsenal because of his lack of experience in club football. He was described as "a little bit in between Tomáš Rosický and Gilberto" by Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. Denílson was included in Arsenal's 19-man squad that travelled to face CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on 17 October 2006; he was named on the substitutes bench for the match, but did not play. He had to wait until 24 October 2006 for his first-team debut, when he started a League Cup third round match against West Bromwich Albion. He was ever-present in Arsenal's 2006–07 League Cup campaign.  He made his Premier League debut for Arsenal on 30 December 2006, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

2007–08 season.

His first goal for Arsenal came in the League Cup Third Round fixture against Newcastle United on 25 September 2007, sealing a 2–0 win. The good performance and goal seemed to have secured him a long-term place at Arsenal after it was announced that he had awarded a new contract with the club on 18 October 2007. Denílson scored another long-range shot in a League Cup match against Sheffield United on 31 October 2007, netting the final goal in Arsenal's 3–0 win. Denílson's first league start came on 24 November 2007 in a match against Wigan Athletic and the young Brazilian once again impressed, with Arsenal eventually winning the match 2–0 thanks to late goals from William Gallas and Tomáš Rosický. He received his first red card at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup Quarter-Finals, where he was sent off moments before extra time.

2008–09 season.

Due to the departure of many experienced players such as Mathieu Flamini, Gilberto Silva and Aliaksandr Hleb, Denílson received more playing time and partnered Cesc Fàbregas in central midfield on many occasions. He was named in the starting line-up for all of Arsenal's five competitive matches in August 2008, scoring his first Premier League goal on 30 August 2008 in their 3–0 win at home to Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium. On 13 September 2008, he started and played the full 90 minutes against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in a 4–0 victory for the Gunners and also got booked. He continued to play as a regular for Arsenal through December and scored his second Premier League goal in their 3–1 away win at Bolton Wanderers on 20 September 2008. With Fàbregas out for the last remaining months of 2008, he did well to fill in for the captain and was rewarded with more playing time. Denílson added a third Premier League goal of the campaign vs. Aston Villa at Villa Park in a 2–2 draw on 26 December 2008. On 11 March 2009, he converted his penalty to seal a 7–6 shoot-out victory over A.S. Roma in the Champions League Round of 16 second-leg match.

2009–10 season.

Denílson started the first match of the 2009–10 season with a powerful strike from 25 yards out to beat Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, leading to Arsenal winning the match 6–1 at Goodison Park. A month later he signed a new five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium. However, he was then diagnosed with a seemingly innocuous back injury. This, though, was not the case and he was sidelined for two months at a crucial stage of the season. Denílson came back to action against Standard Liège on 23 November where he scored Arsenal's second goal with a long-range effort in their 2–0 home win. This was Denílson's 100th appearance for the club. He afterward went on to score again for Arsenal against Hull City, Everton, Stoke City and West Ham United. Denílson altogether netted a sum of 6 times during that season with all these goals being long range strikes, as in the instance of a free kick upon Hull City. In the club's league campaign, Denílson was capped 28 times, with him making starts in 25 of those games. He in all scored 5 league goals for the Gunners in an eventful season where they finished third within the Premier League.

2010–11 season.

Due to the emergence of teenage sensation Jack Wilshere and his own injury concerns, Denílson appeared less often in the 2010–11 season, being used mostly as a substitute starting only six Barclays Premier League matches and featuring in just 16 in total. Overall, he made 32 appearances in all competitions, 20 starts and 12 from the bench. On 19 May 2011, Denílson announced that he was set to leave Arsenal in the summer and it was reported that he wanted to return to Brazil. Arsenal finished in fourth place that season leaving them behind Manchester City in the places for automatic Champions League Qualifying.

São Paulo loan.

Denílson returned to former club São Paulo on loan for the 2011–12 season after confirming he was to leave Arsenal earlier in the summer. His number 15 squad number at Arsenal was given to new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the 2011–12 season.  Denílson was sent off twice in his first three matches, with the latter of the red cards coming after he swore at a referee. Denílson thereafter received a number of angry messages in response to his playing upon Twitter. He then in response described the fans of whom spoke adversely about then São Paulo head coach Adílson Batista as being'very, very annoying'. Denílson also claimed that he did not mean for his comments to be taken in a negative way towards all of the fans of the club. This was followed by a row of which ensued to such a level that several supporters demanded that Denílson was never to play for São Paulo again.  On 6 October, he scored his first goal whilst upon loan, a long range strike for São Paulo against Palmeiras in a Brazilian Serie A game. Denilson was instrumental in Sao Paulo getting to the final of 2012's Copa Sudamericana where in the second leg of such Club Atlético Tigre refused to play the match in its entirety. As so Sao Paulo went on to victoriously lift the trophy with Denilson copping a winners medal altogether.  On 3 June 2013, Denílson's agent confirmed that both Arsenal and Denílson had agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent.

São Paulo.

On 14 June 2013, Denílson signed a four-year contract with São Paulo. His transfer was praised by Ney Franco.

Al Wahda.

He moved to Al Wahda during the summer of 2015. Whilst at Al Wahda, Denilson won the UAE League Cup of 2016.

Cruzeiro.

On 19 July 2016, Cruzeiro announced that they signed Denílson on loan until the end of the year. After only five league matches in his spell, the club stated that they would not exercise their option of buying the player.

Return to Al Wahda and release.

After surgery in his right knee in 2017, Denílson agreed his contract termination with Al Wahda on July of the same year.

Botafogo-SP.

After more than two years from his last professional match and a total of three knee surgeries, Denílson was signed by Brazilian Série B club Botafogo-SP for the 2019 season. He made his debut for the club as a substitute in the 2019 Campeonato Paulista loss against Red Bull Brasil. He was released in April having made no further appearances, due to fitness issues.

International career.

Denílson has played for and captained Brazil at every junior level since he was a member of the under-15 squad. He captained the U17s to a runners-up spot at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship. In November 2006, Denílson was called up to the Brazilian national side for a friendly match against Switzerland to replace his Arsenal team mate Gilberto Silva who pulled out for personal reasons. However, he did not make his debut, as he was an unused substitute in the match.

Personal life.

Denílson is described as "very quiet and polite" and is often compared to Gilberto Silva, his former teammate at Arsenal. Denílson often credits Gilberto Silva with his current success as he acted as a "father" to him when he first moved from Brazil to London.  Denílson is fond of Brazilian music and the samba—he can even be found on YouTube singing and dancing with his former Brazilian Arsenal teammates Gilberto Silva and Júlio Baptista. He typically celebrates his goals by going to the corner flag and dancing a samba in front of fans, which he did when he scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal.  He is also married and has a son from such as well.  Denilson is also a fan of Arsenal football club.

Denílson Pereira Neves (born 16 February 1988), known as Denílson, is a Brazilian footballer who last played for Botafogo-SP. Denilson mainly features as a central midfielder who at times can also play in the role of defensive midfielder. He is also a former youth captain of Brazil.

Denílson Pereira Neves (* 16. února 1988), jednoduše znám jako Denílson, je brazilský fotbalista, který v současné době hraje jako záložník v brazilském týmu São Paulo. Je to bývalý kapitán brazilského U20 národního týmu.


Background.

Song was born in Douala, Cameroon, and lost his father at the age of three. Since then, his uncle Rigobert Song has been like a second father and was a major influence in choosing football as a career. Unable to find a club or academy where he could hone his skills, Petit Song (as he is known in the Cameroon side) opted to move to France, joining Bastia at age 16. One of the players who inspired Song the most when he was young was Michael Essien.  In 2011, Song became an ambassador for Grassroot Soccer, an international non-profit organisation working through football to stop the spread of HIV.

Club career.

Bastia.

Song joined the Bastia youth team in 2003–04 and became a part of the first team the following season with 31 appearances. Bastia were playing in Ligue 1 during the time Song had a stint there. Song was noted for his high versatility  While playing for Bastia, he was selected as a part of France under-16 national team. He later chose to represent Cameroon, his country of birth. He played as a centre-back but later made several appearances as a defensive midfielder. He was highly regarded in this position by numerous coaches and supporters of Bastia. During his time at Bastia, he attracted attention from numerous clubs, including Internazionale, Juventus, Manchester United, Lyon and Middlesbrough. Unwilling to sell their prized asset, Bastia agreed to loan him to the Gunners for one season only in 2005. Despite being linked heavily with Lyon, he was sold to Arsenal for a £1 million transfer fee. During his time at Bastia, Song made a total of 32 league appearances.

Arsenal.

Song impressed Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger as a trialist during Arsenal's pre-season training camp in Austria, and Arsenal secured his services on loan for the 2005–06 season on 11 August 2005. Arsenal agreed to a £1 million fee in June 2006 and signed him to a four-year contract. Song made his Premier League debut during Arsenal's 2–0 win against Everton on 19 September 2005 as a substitute. He played in several UEFA Champions League matches and made several Premier League starts near the end of the season, when first team players were injured or being rested.  Song scored his first goal for Arsenal against Liverpool in Arsenal's 6–3 win at Anfield in the League Cup quarterfinals on 9 January 2007.  On 30 January 2007, it was confirmed that Charlton Athletic had signed Song on loan until the end of the 2006–07 season. Although he impressed, Charlton were relegated and Song returned to Arsenal.  Over the 2007–08 season, Song started at centre back for Arsenal's League Cup matches, but missed their semi-final elimination by Tottenham Hotspur while away with Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations. He also started at centre-back in Premier League matches towards the end of the season, most notably in Arsenal's crucial visit to Old Trafford against Manchester United, while regular starter Kolo Touré filled in for Bacary Sagna at right-back.

2008–09 season.

The 2008–09 season was Song's breakthrough year with Arsenal. The then 21-year-old established himself as a key member of Arsène Wenger's squad, making 48 appearances in all competitions. He enjoyed his most productive and eye-catching campaign yet as he emerged as a forte and powerhouse of Arsenal's midfield being the perfect partner for Cesc Fàbregas in Arsenal's centre. Of the Cameroonian, Wenger remarked, "I brought him here aged 17 and worked very hard with him, we worked hard because I felt he had the talent to become a good player. I know that the opinions are changing about him now."  On 21 October 2008, Song scored his first goal in European competition for Arsenal against Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League. Song's first league goal, and third in all competitions for the Gunners, was scored against Wigan Athletic on 11 April 2009 in which he took on several players and then coolly finished in the bottom corner. Arsenal won the match 4–1.

2009–10 season.

Song began the season well, playing in all but one of Arsenal's first 12 league games. He was voted third in the Arsenal.com player of the month award for October, behind winner Cesc Fàbregas and runner-up Robin van Persie. After putting in consistently commanding performances at the heart of midfield, allowing Arsenal's creative attackers to operate effectively, Song established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet. On 25 November 2009, Song signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, lasting until 2014. On 30 December 2009, he scored his second goal in the league for Arsenal when he completed the scoring in a 4–1 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

2010–11 season.

Song continued to be one of the first names on the team sheet, as he made a superb start to the 2010–11 season, establishing himself in front of the back four. He scored the 1,000th Arsenal Premier League goal under Arsène Wenger in a 4–1 win against Bolton Wanderers on 11 September 2010. On the downside, the following game he was sent off for two bookable offences. The strong midfielder has become a more adventurous element in the Arsenal midfield, helping the forward line with his movement. On 28 August 2010, Song completed the full 90 minutes in the game against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–1 win at Ewood Park. On 19 October 2010, he scored the first goal of the match for Arsenal against the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in a 5–1 win for Arsenal. On 24 October 2010, Song scored his third goal of the season, the second goal at Eastlands against Manchester City in a 3–0 Arsenal victory. On 30 October 2010, he scored a vital 88th minute diving header for Arsenal from a cross by Gaël Clichy at the Emirates Stadium against West Ham United in the league, leading to an important 1–0 victory for Arsenal. In February 2012, Song had his car impounded by Hertfordshire Police after he was caught speeding and failed to provide relevant documentation. On 27 December 2010, Song scored the first goal in a 3–1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates. During the 2010–11 season, he made 42 appearances in total, scored five goals and contributed three assists in all competitions for the Gunners.

2011–12 season.

With the departure of Cesc Fàbregas to Barcelona, Song was assigned to provide the assists for the club alongside Aaron Ramsey. During a league match at Newcastle United, Song stamped on Joey Barton, resulting in him being charged with improper conduct and given a three-match ban. On 24 September 2011, Song scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 home victory against Bolton. He provided an assist to Robin van Persie following a dribble for the first goal in a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on 23 November to secure a place for Arsenal in the last 16. Wenger said in November:  I thought about that Fulham game recently, It shows that players need to be given time and confidence. Unfortunately at the big clubs you cannot always do it. He is one of the players who surprised everybody. You wouldn't expect what he delivers at the moment.  Song again assisted Van Persie – who scored a volley – during a match against Everton which also proved to be the only goal as the 125th anniversary game ended 1–0 to Arsenal. Song also showed his assisting skills in the following matches: in an FA Cup match against Leeds United, Song played a through ball past four Leeds players to the returning legend, Thierry Henry. The game ended 1–0, sending Arsenal into the fourth round of the FA Cup. He then provided two assists in back to back matches against Tottenham at home for Theo Walcott and also the winning goal for Van Persie against Liverpool at Anfield with a delightful long-ball in the dying minutes of the match. The matches ended in 5–2 and 2–1 victories respectively, highlighting the importance of Song's presence in the team not only as an anchorman in the middle but as a playmaking midfielder. Song played an overhead pass to Theo Walcott and claimed an assist against Aston Villa on 24 March 2012. Arsenal went on to win the game 3–0. His partnership with striker Van Persie was enhanced in a match on 5 May 2012 as he performed his seemingly trademark chip to assist the Dutchman in netting the equaliser against Norwich City. The game ended 3–3 and it was his 12th assist of the season. He was voted in second place as the Arsenal player of the season by the fans.

Barcelona.

On 20 August 2012, Song signed a five-year contract with Barcelona for a £15 million transfer fee. He made his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid in the 2012 Supercopa de España on 29 August 2012 as a substitute for the last 15 minutes, finishing the match with a perfect passing statistic. He played 20 matches in Barcelona's La Liga-winning campaign in his first season, and scored one goal, in a 3–1 home win against Real Zaragoza on 17 November 2012.  Song was an unused substitute in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final, which Barcelona lost 2–1 to Real Madrid at the Mestalla Stadium.  In August 2014, Song was subject to transfer speculation linking him with a season long loan deal to Liverpool.

West Ham United on loan.

On 30 August 2014, Song joined West Ham United on a season-long loan. He was unveiled to the fans on the same day before their home game against Southampton. Song made his debut against Hull City as a second-half substitute on 15 September 2014 in a 2–2 draw. He played 31 games for West Ham including three in the FA Cup. Praised for his early season form, his performances deteriorated towards the end of the season as West Ham's form also slumped. In August 2015, West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan, announced an agreement with Barcelona to sign Song on a three-year permanent contract subject to a medical. His season-long loan to West Ham was confirmed on 1 September with West Ham having the option to extend the loan for a further season.

Rubin Kazan.

On 21 July 2016, Rubin Kazan reached an agreement to sign Song from Barcelona, subject to a medical. On 1 August 2016, Song officially joined the Russian side on a free transfer after his contract with Barcelona had been terminated.  In January 2018, Song trained with his old club Arsenal after being allowed to find a new club by Rubin, but was still registered with Rubin when the Russian Premier League continued on 2 March 2018 after their winter break. He was removed from their league registration list on 13 March 2018. It was reported on 2 April 2018 that Rubin sent a complaint to the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber, demanding 40 million euros from Song for breach of contract.

Sion.

Song signed with Swiss Super League club Sion on a free transfer on 14 August 2018. In March 2020, Song was one of nine players sacked by Sion for refusing to take a pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic.

International career.

Song was first capped by Cameroon in 2005. He was named in the Cameroon squad for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. He played for Cameroon in their first group match, a 4–2 defeat against holders Egypt; he replaced Stéphane Mbia at half time, joining his uncle Rigobert on the pitch. For the duration of the tournament he was a revelation in defence for Cameroon, earning a Man of the Match award in Cameroon's semi-final, but then going off injured in the final against Egypt. He was nonetheless named in the Tournament Best XI, alongside compatriot Geremi.  Song was called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and was the only Cameroonian named in the Team of the Tournament.  Song was included in the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He did not appear in his side's opening loss to Japan, but played the full 90 in Cameroon's disappointing 2–1 loss to Denmark. The result ensured that "Les Lions Indomptables" were the first country eliminated from the World Cup. He was an unused substitute in Cameroon's final group stage match against the Netherlands, a 2–1 loss, but his uncle Rigobert made his final national team appearance in the match.  Song participated in his second FIFA World Cup at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. In the team's second group match, Song was sent off for violent conduct after striking Mario Mandžukić as Cameroon were knocked out, losing 4–0 to Croatia. Song later apologized to Mandžukić, and to the people of Cameroon for being sent off. FIFA punished Song with a three-match ban from competitive internationals, as well as fining him US$22,300. The match is being investigated for possible match-fixing after allegations in a German newspaper. In December 2014, despite being in-form for his club West Ham United, he was omitted by Cameroon coach Volker Finke from the squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.  On 6 January 2015, Song announced his international retirement, aged 27 and earning 49 caps, citing his wish to focus on rebuilding his domestic career with West Ham.

Style of play.

He has been described by former Cameroon coach Javier Clemente as a "much better player in attack than he is defensively".

Career statistics.

Club.

Notes

Honours.

Barcelona  Cameroon  Individual

Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (born 9 September 1987), better known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who last played for Swiss side Sion as a central or defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender.

Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (* 9. září 1987, Douala, Kamerun), zkráceně znám jako Alex Song, je kamerunský fotbalista, který v současné době hraje jako defenzivní záložník v klubu FK Rubin Kazaň. V mládežnických kategoriích reprezentoval Francii a Kamerun, na seniorské úrovni obléká reprezentační dres Kamerunu.


Additional Sherlock Holmes stories.

Adrian Doyle produced additional Sherlock Holmes stories, some with the assistance of John Dickson Carr. The basis of his production was to complete those tales referenced in his father's stories, which his father had never written. (Carr had published an "authorized" biography of Sir Arthur in 1949.) These additional Sherlock Holmes tales were written in 1952 and 1953, and a hardcover collection of the stories was published as "The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes" in 1954. They have been reissued subsequently, while other authors have also written Sherlock Holmes stories based on the same references within the original tales.

Discovery of unpublished Holmes story.

On 12 September 1942, the Associated Press announced that an authentic, unpublished Sherlock Holmes story had been found by Adrian Conan Doyle. Supposedly written in his father's uniquely neat handwriting, the story was buried in a chest that contained family documents. (Actually, Jon Lellenberg reported in 1990, the manuscript was not in Sir Arthur's handwriting but typewritten.) Sir Arthur's daughter Jean said she knew the manuscript was not written by her father. Adrian Conan Doyle refused to publish it. A month later, The Baker Street Irregulars wrote a letter to the "Saturday Review of Literature", insisting that the story be published.  In the United States, "Cosmopolitan" magazine obtained it and published it in their August 1948 issue under the uncharacteristic title "The Case of the Man who was Wanted". It was also published in London's "Sunday Dispatch" magazine the following January. Sherlock Holmes expert Vincent Starrett doubted that the story was written by the elder Doyle and suggested that Adrian was the author.  In September 1945, a letter was received by Hesketh Pearson, a biographer of Sir Arthur. The letter stated, "My pride is not unduly hurt by your remark that 'The Man who was Wanted' is certainly not up to scratch for the sting is much mitigated by your going on to remark that it carries the authentic trade–mark! This, I feel, is a great compliment to my one and only effort at plagiarism." The letter was written by an architect named Arthur Whitaker who had sent the story to Arthur Conan Doyle in 1911 with a suggestion that they publish it as a joint collaboration. Doyle refused, but sent Whitaker a "cheque for ten guineas" in payment for the story. After seeing it attributed to Sir Arthur in the "Sunday Dispatch", Whitaker wrote a letter to Denis Conan Doyle explaining the true authorship. Denis forwarded the letter to his brother Adrian, who became angry, demanded proof, and threatened legal action. Whitaker had retained a carbon copy and the Doyles admitted in 1949, after seeing the carbon copy and listening to people who had read it in 1911, that Whitaker was the author. The story that many people had accepted as the work of Sir Arthur has since been published as "The Adventure of the Sheffield Banker" in the collection "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes".

Works about his father.

Sir Arthur's widow Jean chose a spiritualist, the Rev. John Lamond, to write an authorised life of him, "Arthur Conan Doyle: A Memoir" (John Murray, 1931). The memoir emphasised his paranormal interests but was not what readers wanted, so after their mother's death Adrian and Denis grudgingly allowed Hesketh Pearson to write "Conan Doyle: His Life and Art" (Methuen, 1943). But Pearson's book offended Adrian and Denis by saying that the secret of their father's success was that he was the "common man". Adrian threatened criminal proceedings against Pearson's "fakeography", and wrote an article in protest, and later, a book: "The True Conan Doyle" (John Murray, 1945).  According to Lycett, "When the BBC commissioned an anniversary talk from Hesketh Pearson, Adrian announced that if it went ahead it would never broadcast another Sherlock Holmes story. The Corporation caved in."

Bibliography.

Sherlock Holmes stories.

These stories were written by Adrian Doyle and John Dickson Carr except as stated. A number (at least six) of the Holmes stories were written by Adrian solely.

Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle (19 November 19103 June 1970) was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his second wife Jean, Lady Doyle or Lady Conan Doyle. He had two siblings, sister Jean Conan Doyle and brother Denis, as well as two half-siblings, sister Mary and brother Kingsley.

Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle (19. listopadu 1910, Crowborough, Sussex, Spojené království – 3. června 1970, Ženeva, Švýcarsko) byl britský spisovatel, nejmladší syn spisovatele sira Arthura Conana Doylea, autor hororových povídek, pastišů o Sherlocku Holmesovi, z nichž některé napsal společně s Johnem Dicksonem Carrem, a biografie o svém otci A. Conanovi Doyleovi.


Playing career.

Regier began his professional career with the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Hockey League in 1974. After two seasons with the Broncos he was drafted by the California Seals of the NHL and made the NHL in 1977–78 with the Cleveland Barons, who had moved from California the season he was drafted. He played 15 games with the Barons before being sent down to the minors. He was traded on January 10, 1978, to the New York Islanders with Wayne Merrick for J. P. Parisé and Jean Potvin.  Regier stayed in the minors until 1982–83, when he was called up to the Islanders. He played in only 11 NHL games during the next two seasons and then retired as a player to join the Isles' front office.

Administrative career.

From 1984-91, Regier served in various capacities with the Islanders, under coach Al Arbour and general manager Bill Torrey. He left to take a position as assistant coach with the Hartford Whalers for the 1991–92 season. He then returned to the Islanders, serving as assistant GM to Don Maloney and as interim GM when Maloney was fired during the 1995–96 season. Regier was fired by the Islanders in 1997, then hired as GM of the Buffalo Sabres in the summer of the same year.  In Regier’s second season as GM (1998–99), the Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Dallas Stars in six games. Game six of that series ended with a controversial overtime goal scored by Brett Hull.  The Sabres finished the post-lockout 2005-06 season with a 52-24-6 record. That year, they reached the conference finals of the playoffs, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup.  The Sabres won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular season record the next year (2006-07). They again reached the conference finals, losing to the Ottawa Senators in five games.  Co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Brière did not re-sign with the Sabres in the summer of 2007. In February 2008, Regier also traded All-Star defenceman Brian Campbell at the trade deadline.  During the 2007–08 NHL season, the Sabres went 39-31-12, missing the playoffs for the first time since the NHL lockout. Over the next five seasons, the Sabres reached the playoffs twice, in 2009-10 and 2010-11, losing out both times in the conference quarterfinals.  On November 13, 2013, Regier was fired from the Buffalo Sabres after sixteen full seasons.  Regier’s tenure with the Sabres was marked by three ownership changes and periods of economic hardship, particularly in 2003 when the team filed for bankruptcy protection. Regier was frequently praised for creating results despite severe budget restrictions. He and head coach Lindy Ruff were for several years the longest GM-coach tandem in the NHL. Regier’s style of trading players was known as patient and was at times criticized as overly cautious. He is recognized as an NHL pioneer in video scouting and analytics. The Corsi number, a widely used advanced statistic, was originally to be named the "Regier number" by blogger Vic Ferrari, who first heard Regier discussing the principle (in the end, Ferrari preferred the sound of "Corsi number").  During his years as GM, the Sabres drafted and developed such players as Maxim Afinogenov, Henrik Tallinder, Aleš Kotalík, Ryan Miller, Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. Regier also made important acquisitions, trading for Chris Drury, Tim Connolly, Daniel Brière and Jean-Pierre Dumont while maintaining a strict budget.  Out of the 149 players Regier has drafted, four of them have been chosen as all-stars. These players are Brian Campbell, Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, and Thomas Vanek.  At the end of his tenure with Buffalo, Regier began an extensive rebuild of the team, trading longtime stars Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller.  In July 2014, Regier was hired as a senior vice president of the Arizona Coyotes. In June 2015, his duties were extended to include serving as the general manager of the Coyotes' AHL-affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.  In February 2016, Regier left the Arizona Coyotes for personal reasons.

Darcy John Regier (born November 27, 1956) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Regier was general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League from 1997 until 2013. He was the longest-serving and winningest GM in Sabres history. In 2014, he became a senior vice president and assistant general manager with the Arizona Coyotes, ending his tenure with Arizona in 2016. Regier played 26 games in the NHL for the Cleveland Barons and New York Islanders as a defenceman.

Darcy John Regier (* 27. listopadu 1956, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Kanada) je generální manažer týmu NHL Buffalo Sabres. Ve své hráčské kariéře odehrál jako obránce 26 zápasů v NHL za New York Islanders a Cleveland Barons. V roce 1997 se stal manažerem Sabres a nyní je nejdéle sloužícím manažerem v historii týmu.


History.

Some of the first sex dolls were created by French ("dame de voyage") and Spanish ("dama de viaje") sailors in the sixteenth century who would be isolated during long voyages. These masturbatory dolls were often made of sewn cloth or old clothes and were a direct predecessor to today's sex dolls. Later, the Dutch sold some of these dolls to Japanese people during the Rangaku period, and the term "Dutch wives" is still sometimes used in Japan to refer to sex dolls.  One of the earliest recorded appearances of "manufactured" sex dolls dates to 1908, in Iwan Bloch's "The Sexual Life of Our Time". Bloch wrote:  In 1918, Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka commissioned a life-sized doll of Alma Mahler (who Kokoschka was in love with) to German puppet maker Hermine Moos, while he was in Dresden. Although intended to simulate Alma and receive his affection, the "Alma doll" did not satisfy Kokoschka and he destroyed it during a party.  German surrealist artist Hans Bellmer has been described as “the father figure of the modern sex doll” for his sex puppets in the 1930s whose more realistic models moved sex dolls further into the future. Bellmer made three dolls, increasingly sophisticated in design, which also made waves in the international art community.  A report that, as part of the Borghild Project, Nazi Germany made sex dolls for soldiers during World War II has not been verified by reliable sources and is now considered to be a hoax. It is however said that the commercial sex doll has its origins in Germany, especially since the creation of the Bild Lilli doll in the 1950s, which was in turn the inspiration for creating the famous Barbie doll.  The production of human simulacra to substitute for human sexual partners took several technological leaps forward in the late twentieth century. By the 1970s, vinyl, latex and silicone had become the materials most frequently used in the manufacture of sex dolls; silicone in particular allowed a greater degree of realism.  A 1982 attempt to import a consignment of sex dolls into Britain had the unintended consequence of ending the law against importing "obscene or indecent" items that were not illegal to sell within the UK. Having had the dolls seized by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise officers, David Sullivan's Conegate Ltd. took the case all the way to the European Court of Justice, and won in 1987. Britain was forced to lift its stringent import prohibitions dating from 1876, because for imports from within the European Community they constituted a barrier to free trade under the terms of the Treaty of Rome.  Shin Takagi, founder of the company Trottla, manufactures lifelike child sex dolls in the belief that doing so provides a safe and legal outlet for men expressing pedophilic desires. This has been disputed by paraphilia researcher Dr. Peter J. Fagan, who argues that contact with the products would likely have a reinforcing effect, increasing the risk of pedophilic action being taken. Since 2013, Australian officials have confiscated imported shipments of juvenile sex dolls legally classified as child exploitation material.

Commercial forms.

Cheaper sex dolls are inflatable, using air. These dolls, representing the lowest price-range (less than US$75), are usually made of welded vinyl and bear only a passing resemblance to actual people. They have an artificial and typically crudely designed vagina or penis, but due to their affordability many users are willing to overlook their shortcomings. They often burst at the seams after a few uses, although they are commonly given as gag gifts and therefore many may not be used at all. In Russia for some years the Bubble Baba Challenge humorously featured participants river rafting on blowup dolls as a matter of entertainment but in 2013 the race was cancelled on "health and safety" grounds.  At the middle market price-range ($100 to approximately $1,000), dolls are made of thicker vinyl or heavy latex without welded seams or a polyurethane and silicone mixture, typically surrounding a foam core. Most have plastic mannequin-style heads and styled wigs, plastic or glass eyes, and occasionally properly moulded hands and feet. Some vinyl dolls can contain water-filled body areas such as the breasts or buttocks. Latex dolls were made in Hungary, China and France but only the French manufacturer Domax now remains in production.  The manufacturing process causes most latex dolls to be delivered with a fine coating of zinc oxide covering the skin, which is usually removed by the consumer by placing the doll under the shower. Otherwise, latex is an inert and non-toxic natural material; although a small percentage of users may discover a latex allergy.  The most expensive sex dolls (approximately $1,200 and up) are usually made from silicone (usually above $3,000 at 2016 prices) or thermoplastic elastomer known as TPE (below $3,000). Dolls made of either material can be very lifelike, with faces and bodies modeled on real people in some instances, with realistic skin material (similar to that used for movie special effects), and with realistic (or even real) hair. These dolls usually have an articulated PVC or metal skeleton with flexible joints that allows them to be positioned in a variety of positions for display and for sexual acts. Silicone or TPE dolls are much heavier than vinyl or latex inflatable ones (which consist mostly of air), but are roughly half the weight of a real human being of comparable size.  Because of their ability to be posed in different positions silicone dolls are popular with artists and photographers as models.  In Japan, sex dolls are known as, which now refers to relatively inexpensive dolls. Their name originates from the term, possibly English, for the thick rattan or bamboo bolster, used to aid sleep in humid countries by keeping one's limbs lifted above sweaty sheets. Orient Industry is considered to be the leading manufacturer of high-end silicone dolls in Japan, which started using another term around 1998 to distinguish their dolls from the image of inflatable dolls associated with the term "Dutch wife". The term has stuck and is now used generally to refer to any high-end product. There is a business, Doru no Mori (Doll Forest) in Tokyo, that rents love dolls and rooms to male customers. In March 2007 the Japanese daily "Mainichi Shimbun" newspaper reported that there are also rental businesses that bring the dolls to the customer's home, and that the specialist love-doll magazine "i-doloid" has a print-run of 10,000 copies per issue.  The middle market and high-end market emerged in the USA around 1992. The market has grown for two main reasons. Firstly, the last twenty years have seen huge improvements over earlier types of sex dolls, and customers come to realize this through using the web. Secondly, the method of retail purchase has also improved, now showing customers what the actual doll, seams, hair, and even orifices look like.  In China the market has mushroomed on account of the demographic effects of the one child policy and accordingly numerous new Chinese manufacturers have appeared in recent years.

Non-standard forms.

In Japan one can purchase inflatable love pillows or "dakimakura" that are printed with a life-size picture of a porn star or anime character. Other less common novelty love dolls include overweight, intersex, elderly and alien dolls, which are usable for pleasure but also tend to be given as gag gifts. Some inflatable dolls even have the form of children.  Some companies manufacture cloth sex dolls using the same technology that is used to create plush toys. With widespread cultural use of the internet amongst younger generations, numerous forums exist for amateurs who create their own sex dolls from fabric or other materials. There are even mailing lists for discussing techniques and experiences with "MLDs" (material love dolls).  Some inflatable sex dolls are made in the form of animals, most notably sheep and cows. These dolls are more of a joke gift or party novelty, and are often not suitable for sexual use.

New materials and technologies.

Silicone dolls were at first made from tin-cure silicone but platinum technology has better longevity, less prone to tears and compression marks. For this reason the "RealDoll" manufacturer reported switching from the tin to the platinum material in June 2009 and all other manufacturers have followed suit.  Since 2012 or so a thermoplastic elastomer alternative known as TPE has come into common use particularly by Chinese manufacturers which has enabled realistic dolls to be made which are cheaper than those composed of the high quality expensive platinum cure silicone.  CybOrgasMatrix dolls used an elastic gel, which they claimed to be superior to silicone in elasticity, shape memory, and durability. Both this company and the company "First Androids" once offered pelvic thruster motor, audio capability and heated orifices, though these options are no longer available. Several modern doll manufacturers now offer the last option on their silicone dolls, with the addition of an internal heating system.

Legal restrictions and issues.

General.

In 2019, the Israeli media reported on an incident where a European sex dolls company created a sex doll that is based on the Israeli model Yael YC Cohen without her permission. In 2020, the same story was further investigated and reported by "Playboy", and was mentioned in relation to Deepfake.  The importation of sex dolls for men has been banned in Botswana according to Section 178 of the Botswana Penal Code. The law further abolishes the right to "possess, lend, trade in, export, import, and or exhibit obscene objects or any objects tending to corrupt morals in Botswana", which includes sex dolls.

Austria.

As prostitution is legalized and regulated, there are no legal restrictions concerning sex dolls in Austria and numerous brothels are offering sex dolls for clients. Although sex dolls originally started appearing in Austria around 1980, they gained popularity in 2017 when a brothel started offering sex doll services to clients. This can be contributed to the fact that the dolls have become more realistic in recent years.  In addition to being able to have intercourse with the sex doll, some places allow clients to purchase sex dolls for themselves. One of the biggest laufhauses in Vienna offers sex in the laufhaus with dolls alongside real women.  According to brothel owners who offer sex dolls, the dolls are being properly cleaned after every session. Unprotected sex with sex dolls is also allowed, but it is not advised as there is no guarantee that the dolls are being cleaned after each client.

South Korea.

In 2019 the South Korean Supreme Court ruled to legalize the sale of sex dolls. The issue still remains controversial in the country.

Sex robots.

In June 2006, Henrik Christensen of the European Robotics Research Network told the UK's "Sunday Times" that "people are going to be having sex with robots within five years."  Reacting to the ongoing development of "sex robots" or "sexbots", in September 2015, Kathleen Richardson of De Montfort University and Erik Billing of the University of Skövde created the "Campaign Against Sex Robots", calling for a ban on the creation of anthropomorphic sex robots. They argue that the introduction of such devices would be socially harmful, and demeaning to women and children.

References.

Notes Further reading

A sex doll (also love doll or blowup doll) is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation. The sex doll may consist of an entire body with face, or just a head, pelvis or other partial body, with the accessories (vagina, anus, mouth, penis) for sexual stimulation. The parts are sometimes vibrating and may be removable or interchangeable. Sex dolls exist in many forms, but are distinguished from sex robots, which are anthropomorphic creations designed to be able to exhibit more complex interactions.

Nafukovací panna (také umělá panna) je erotická pomůcka znázorňující (velmi schematicky) ženskou postavu. Na rozdíl od ostatních pomůcek typu dildo, umělé vagíny aj. jde o znázornění celé postavy (hlava, ruce, nohy, trup). Před užitím je nutno použít lubrikační krém.