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Posts Tagged ‘Sports’

Apart from the well known sports teams that play in the city, there are few cities in Europe that can lay claim to having hosted such a wide variety of European and International sports championships that Birmingham can. From Show Jumping to Table-Tennis and Motor Racing to Badminton, Birmingham has been thehost in recent years.

A major reason for so many championship events being held in Birmingham is the presence of the National Indoor Arena (The NIA) in King Edwards Road, behind the International Convention Centre. It is used to host a wide variety of championship events including; Martial Arts, Athletics, Trampolining and Davies Cup Tennis to name but a few. The NIA is part of the NEC group, the National Exhibition Centre. The NEC is owned by Birmingham City Council, but is actually located in Solihull to the east of the city. The NEC Arena is now the home of the Horse of the Year show.

Birmingham has two football teams playing in the Premiership of the English Football Leagues. The senior of the two clubs is Aston Villa FC, known locally as ‘The Villa’. Their ground ‘Villa Park’ is in the suburb of Aston and was regularly used for FA Cup semi-finals. Formed in 1874 from a cricket club in pursuit of “…something to do during the winter months”, they are one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888. Villa are one of only three English clubs to have won the European Cup, in 1982, beating Bayern Munich 1-0. Since then, apart from winning the League Cup a couple of times, they have failed to win any major trophies but remain one of the countries best known clubs. Many famous footballers have played for and managed Aston Villa, but the name of Peter Withe is probably the most memorable for scoring the winning goal in the European Cup, along with a prolific 90 goals in total in 232 games.

Birmingham City FC, also known as ‘The Blues’, play at St Andrews in Small Heath. Formed in 1875, it was in 1945 that they became Birmingham City FC, having started out playing under the name of Small Heath Alliance. Despite having never won a major trophy The Blues have a consistently large and loyal set of fans. Technically just outside the boundaries of the city is West Bromwich Albion FC. Despite the fact that their ground, The Hawthorns – which is the most elevated in the country at 168 metres above sea level, is actually a few metres inside Sandwell, they still have many followers who are resident in Birmingham.  Read more...

Sport and activity holidays are hugely popular nowadays, as people look to practice their skills in a new environment or even learn an entirely new sport as part of their holiday. Many sports and activities, like skydiving and scuba diving, can be much cheaper to do abroad than in the UK. But despite all the dangers associated with extreme sports, insurance for dangerous activities abroad usually isn’t researched as carefully as it should be. Many people assume that their cheap travel insurance covers any and every sport or activity that they may decide to try while on holiday. This is not so – you have to read the small print!

The sports and activities covered by your insurance will vary from policy to policy, but specialised sports travel insurance will undoubtedly be necessary to cover the higher risk activities. For these more dangerous activities, you are likely to face higher costs for the insurance itself and larger premiums if you do make a claim. For many of the riskier activities, Personal Accident and Personal Liability cover is not included.

Every sports travel insurance provider will have a different way of grading various activities; I’ve always split sports into two main categories…

Moderate Risk

Moderate risk activities include many common sports, such as basketball, football, baseball, squash, tennis and cricket. It also includes activities like mountain biking, amateur marathon running, cycling and low altitude trekking.

High Risk

Obviously enough, this kind of sports insurance covers activities that present a much higher risk of injury. This includes contact sports like American Football and Rugby, as well as horse riding, motorcycling, bungee jumping, kite surfing, and other risky activities.

Be aware that activities may change categories depending on the conditions. For example, inland kayaking is often classed as moderate risk, whereas coastal kayaking can be considered high risk. Many sports insurance policies will only cover scuba diving down to a certain depth, for example, or trekking up to a certain altitude. Even if your activity of choice is mentioned in your insurance, make sure you double check the details of what you are doing to be certain that you will be covered.  Read more...

Designer bag suppliers: Laptop bag & iPod Cases, Camera & Sports bags

Designer bag manufacturers, supplying exclusive laptop bag

& ipod cases. Stylish and functional designs for travel bag, camera & sports bag lifestyle, work & play. Everkistyle UK offers designer bags suitable for every lifestyle activity, including sports, outdoor orienteering, surfing, skiing, jogging, all tailored to suit.

When you choose a designer bag from Everkistyle uk you can be sure that every aspect has been considered in the manufacture to guarantee a product that will be stylish, versatile and long-lasting. Our top branded designs include: Core, Edge, Elite and Function. Dedicated research ensures your designer bag is built to be ergonomic, comfortable, distinctive, rugged, durable, practical, useful and secure.

Laptop Bag

Every laptop bag from Everkistyle is purpose-built to defend your expensive gadgets, laptops, MP3players, phones etc. A good laptop bag is essential for professionals who travel. Since the laptop bag is part of your trip it makes sense to choose one designed for safety & comfort whilst you travel.

Everkistyle UK incorporates all the necessary features to protect your equipment and includes all the handy features and styling options essential for a smart, reliable laptop bag.

iPod Cases

Everkistyle’s iPod cases are a must for protecting your equipment. Every iPod case in our range is designed to protect your iPod from all the elements.

Everki iPod cases are water-proof tested to 3 meters below sea level, allowing you to listen to your favorite music whilst beneath the waves, but please be aware in shark-infested waters!

Our iPod cases also protect from sand, dust, water and shock. A major benefit is the supporting strap that allows you to jog with your iPod strapped to your arm, don’t forget to watch for traffic though!

Everkistyle includes a set of waterproof headphones in all of its MP3 and iPod cases.

Travel Cases

Holiday travel cases need to withstand a multitude of conditions. Today travel is a major part of lifestyle. Only the strongest materials are used in the manufacture of Everkistyles travel cases, with lightweight, waterproof, maintainable, stylish durable ballistic nylon.

Everkistyle considers all aspects of safety and ease of handling, incorporating secure locking mechanisms and the need for wheels on our larger travel cases.  Read more...

There’s no city in the world like New York City if you want to see what a sports vacation feels like.  No matter which time of the world you decided to visit, there’s always some kind of game or sporting event going on, whether it’s professional or college.

Everything starts and ends with Madison Square Garden.  This is the home of the New York Knicks basketball team, the New York Rangers hockey team the St. John’s College basketball team, and many professional boxing matches.  It’s located right in the heart of Manhattan on 7th Avenue, known as the Fashion District, and is surrounded by stores, restaurants, bars, and within a short walking distance to both Broadway and off-Broadway shows.  Even on days when there’s no game going on, you’re apt to see a professional athlete hanging around the Garden.

Once you decide to leave the middle of the city, there’s so much more.  There’s obviously the new Yankee Stadium, which is close to the original Yankee Stadium, and it’s a $1.5 billion dollar masterpiece that was properly inaugurated in its first season of existence by bringing a world championship in baseball for the New York Yankees.  And when you’re ready to leave the Bronx, it’s a relatively short drive by distance, if not by time, across the city to Queens and Citi Field, home of the Amazin’ New York Mets.

Maybe you want football instead.  You can decide go to Shea Stadium to see the New York Jets, or head through the tunnel or across the ferry into Bergan County, NJ, to see the New York Giants play at Giants Stadium.  We’re also not through with hockey, as you can head out to Long Island to see the New York Islanders have a go at the Stanley Cup.

There’s more, of course.  Every year there’s the New York City Marathon.  There’s the Belmont, one of the Triple Crown horse races.  There’s the New York Red Bulls soccer team, which also plays at Giants Stadium.  There’s the annual Big East Basketball Championships and the National Invitational Basketball tournament.  There’s the U.S. Open tennis tournament held every late summer.  There’s the annual Millrose Games, indoor track and field held at Madison Square Garden, and the Golden Gloves Championships, also held at MSG.  Read more...

Water sports are becoming increasingly popular as family vacations. Boating, parasailing, skiing, surfing and diving are promoted by many of the most popular tourism destinations in the world. Aside from fun water sports and activities, some areas hold competitions with amazing prize possibilities.

The Balearic Island of Majorca holds several sailing and yachting competitions throughout the year, primarily from March to October. The 25th Annual King’s Cup will be held in August 2008. Spain’s King and Prince will be taking part in the competition to help celebrate the 25th anniversary.

The Canary Islands are also popular water sports destinations. The volcanic origin of the Canaries enhances the beauty and appeal. The unusual beauty of the islands doesn’t end where the sand meets the water. Divers quickly learn that there is much more to the Canary Islands than meets the eye.

Boating and Hired Boat Rides

Many forms of boating are enjoyed as a summer vacation all around the world. Sailing is very popular in the Balearic and Canary Islands as well as other destinations. Several favorite tourist destinations offer boating tours as well as glass-bottom boat excursions. Glass-bottom boats are most popular in areas with crystal clear waters and an abundance of marine life. Some areas allow tourists to feed the fish or other marine life.

August is a very busy sailing month in Majorca due to popularity of the King’s Cup. Majorca holds several other sailing competitions throughout the year. Yachting is also very popular, especially during the summer months when the vast majority of tourists plan their vacations. Along with boating usually comes skiing and parasailing.

Parasailing

Parasailing or parascending is increasingly popular among college students and families with teens. The thrill of being lifted into the air high above the waters is an adrenaline rush many in their teens and twenties can’t pass up. Some of the most popular parasailing destinations are the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Menorca, the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, Florida and Puerto Rico. Parasailing associations in different regions of the world govern any rules parasailing enthusiasts must follow in their jurisdiction. Most areas allow 500-1,000ft ascensions while others may allow up to 2,000ft.

Skiing and Jet Skiing  Read more...