Albion Road | world football clubs

The summer – or the brief snaps of sunshine amidst the overcast and rainy Scottish days – seems to be dragging and dragging.

We're stuck in that strange period when the World Cup seems a distant memory (actually, that maybe not a bad thing) and the start of the SPL doesn't seem to be getting any closer.

I've been ruminating on this in between becoming embroiled in a copyright farrago with the SPL and their mysterious agents. Sometimes I wonder why I bother!

Full Name: Società Sportiva Lazio
City: Rome
Country: Italy
League: Serie A
Founded: 1902
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico (82,307)
Colors: Blue, White
Previous: Società Podistica Lazio (1902-25)
Nicknames: Biancocelesti
Rival: Roma

Lazio is named for the Italian province of the same name, the province in which Rome is located. Lazio's blue and white colors are taken from the Greek flag, Greece being the country in which the Olympic sporting tradition began. The nickname Biancocelesti means The White and Sky Blue. The eagle on the club's emblem is a nod to the Roman Empire as the eagle was a traditional symbol of the Empire. Lazio was founded in 1900, a football section being launched two years later. The original name meant Lazio Athletics Club while the current name (changed in 1925) means the virtually-identical Lazio Sports Club. It was only due to the political connections of their president that the club avoided the 1920s merger into the pan-Rome club AS Roma. During this time the Fascist government pressured many clubs from the center and south of Italy to merger into single city super clubs to compete on a more even footing with the clubs from the north. The derby with Roma is regarded as the fiercest in Italian soccer. Lazio's supporters are predominantly from northern Rome and the interior regions of the province of Lazio.

Full Name: Kansas City Wizards
City: Kansas City, MO
Country: United States
League: Major League Soccer
Founded: 1996
Stadium: Community America Ballpark (12,000)
Colors: Blue, White
Previous Names: Kansas City Wiz (1996)

The team's original name - The Wiz - originally came to life following a month-long campaign in the Kansas City Star, asking fans to submit names for the new MLS franchise. Over 3,200 entries were received. (ed. - not sure if that means 3200 votes or 3200 different names!) A change to the Wizards was made for the 1997 season. The lower-division Delaware Wizards previously owned exclusive rights to the Wizards name, but allowed Kansas City to use the name starting with the 1997 season.

Full Name: Juventus Football Club
City: Turin
Founded: 1897
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico (27,128)
Colors: Black, White
Previous: Sport Club Juventus (1897-99)
Nicknames: Juve, La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady), Bianconeri (The Black and White)
Rivals: Torino, Inter, Milan

Juventus = youth in Latin. Formed on November 1, 1897 by students of the Liceo Massimo d'Azeglio at their regular meeting place on a bench on Corso Re Umberto. Juve is pronounced YOU-vay. Juventus has been owned for years by the Agnelli family, who also own Fiat, although technically Juventus is a now a publicly-traded company. The black and white striped jerseys are actually taken from English club Notts County. An early club member visited England and, liking the jerseys, brought back a set for the club. The club are relegated to Serie B for the first time in their history for the 2006-07 season as punishment for their involvement in the recent match-fixing scandal. The 2005 and 2006 titles were also revoked.

Will this be the shirt of a World Cup winner?

That question will soon be answered. In the interim I can tell you about one of these exquistive Spanish World Cup jerseys I recently received to review from Soccer Pro, my favorite home for World Cup apparel and soccer gear.

The shirt is a bright, radiant red with tiny blue trim on the neck and sleeve ends and, being an adidas brand, the ubiquitous three stripes in gold on the sleeves. The full, deep red and brilliant gold make a nice combination, one of the great color pairings in the color wheel. Besides the great colors of the shirt there's the emblem on the chest, a classic elaborate beauty full of Spanish political symbolism. In fact it closely mirrors the coat of arms of the Spanish republic.