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		<title>ESPNFC.com - thetoepoke</title>
		<link>http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke</link>
		<description>ESPNFC.com presents thetoepoke</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright><![CDATA[Copyright &copy; ESPN Internet Ventures]]></copyright>
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			<title><![CDATA[Queretaro relegated from Liga MX, owner buys another team, plans move to Queretaro]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 21 May 2013 14:57:12 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3179]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[The upper echelons of the Mexican football pyramid can be a hectic place at the best of times but recent developments at Queretaro FC -- or "Gallos Blancos de Queretaro" (The White Roosters of Queretaro) if you prefer -- are nothing short of maddening.  Following a pretty drab old season, Queretaro FC were relegated from Liga MX (the Mexican first division) back May 4. Upset at not having any top-flight football to look forward to next season, club owner Amado Omar Yanez duly set about taking drastic measures to ensure the city of Queretaro would be represented by a first division side in 2013-14.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Video: Livid Argentinos Juniors fan throws dentures at manager in fit of rage]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 21 May 2013 13:58:27 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3176]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Firmly rooted to the bottom of the Argentina Primera table and without a win in their last seven games, Argentinos Juniors found themselves in desperate need of a victory over mid-table Belgrano on Monday night.  Instead they lost 3-1 at home, a result which angered one (presumably fairly elderly) Argentinos fan so much that he ejected his dentures from his mouth and hurled them at manager Ricardo Caruso Lombardi in pure disgust...    We're sure there's a "biting criticism" pun in there somewhere.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Sir Alex's last piece of managerial gum appears on Ebay]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 16:18:59 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3166]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Quite how or indeed why it has made its way onto Ebay is open for debate, but what is purported to be the very last piece of gum chewed by masticator supreme Sir Alex Ferguson before his retirement from managing could very soon be yours if you're willing to stump up the cash.  Apparently, Fergie's chewing gum was somehow retrieved from The Hawthorns after being spat out by United's outgoing overlord following his final game before retirement against West Brom on Sunday.  The gum, now proudly sat atop a velvet cushion and housed in a plush perspex presentation case, has been placed on the online auction site.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Single fan spends 2,800 pounds on match programmes for Fergie's farewell game]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 14:48:13 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3154]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[It would appear the money being shelled out on matchday programmes was equal to, if not entirely more batchy than the scoreline at The Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon, where West Brom and Manchester United played out a bizarre 5-5 draw in Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,500th and final game in charge.  To mark the occasion, West Brom produced a special 144-page programme featuring a 40-page tribute to Sir Alex, which supporters -- in fact, just one in particular -- went completely goo-goo for.  According to the papers, one fan purchased 700 programmes from a vendor outside the ground at a cost of four pounds each, meaning he (or she - but let's face it, it's probably a "he") shoveled about 2,800 pounds (that's approximately 4,254 US dollars) into the programme seller's cash tin in one fell swoop!]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Video: Alex Song makes whole world cringe in unison during Barca trophy presentation]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 14:10:25 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3150]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[This one's guaranteed to make you cringe. Guaran-damn-teed, we say!  Upon retrieving the La Liga trophy from its podium on Sunday and turning back to the rest of the group, Barcelona captain Carles Puyol began looking for two suitable candidates to share the hoisting duties with.  For some reason, Alex Song -- who made just 16 starts this season -- assumed it was he who Puyol wished to lift the trophy alongside. Sadly, the Barca skipper was actually a little more keen to have Eric Abidal and Tito Vilanova do the honours in front of the Camp Nou crowd, for obvious reasons.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Beckham leaves pitch in tears after being substituted for final time]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 19 May 2013 14:22:40 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3145]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[After 20 years in the business, David Beckham made the final appearance of his career at the Parc des Princes Saturday, as freshly-crowned Ligue 1 champions PSG sent the 38-year-old veteran off into retirement with a 3-1 victory over Brest in their penultimate game of the season.  With coach Carlo Ancelotti already stating that Beckham probably won't be featuring for PSG against Lorient next weekend as his geriatric ankles won't be able to cope with the plastic pitch at the Stade du Moustoir, Becks was given the hero's sendoff when his number came up in the 82nd minute of the win over Brest.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Toe Poke's 10 most disappointing Premier League players 2012/13 ]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 17 May 2013 08:41:40 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3128]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Having already outlined the ten players who have impressed us the most this season, it's only right that we provide a companion piece - a little shade for the light; a little to for the fro; a little ying for the yang, by proffering forth the ten risible individuals who have done nothing but get our goat this campaign.  Here we go...  10. Nikica Jelavic, Everton: A rollicking start to his time at Goodison after arriving from Rangers in January of 2011/12 had people murmuring that Everton, after over a decade of trying, may have finally procured themselves a proper, 20-goal-a-season striker.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Toe Poke's 10 most impressive Premier League players 2012-13]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 16:42:22 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/2970]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[With the 2012-13 Premier League season all but at an end, we at The Toe Poke thought it high time to shine a light on those players who have really impressed us this campaign.  - Toe Poke's 10 most disappointing players 2012/13  It's perhaps worth noting that, rather than cobbling together a list of the ten best players (wherein the likes of Gareth Bale, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata would all surely feature), we're specifically talking about the players who have performed above and beyond our expectations this term.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Video: Dutch midfielder hacks down referee with stealthy two-footed tackle from behind]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 14 May 2013 19:31:23 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3089]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[Presumably as retribution for a couple of iffy decisions, RKC Waalwijk midfielder Jeff Stan took his opportunity to hack down the referee from behind with a picture-perfect, double-footed tackle against NEC Nijmegen on Sunday afternoon and make it all look like a completely innocent accident!  With Stan haring toward a pass from a teammate, the ref unwittingly wandered straight into the RKC midfielder's path and, as he attempted to change direction, duly slipped and proceeded to absolutely nobble the unsuspecting official with the kind of challenge that usually results in a three-match ban.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Video: Palace manager Holloway busts out serious 'rubber legs' dance moves after playoff win]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 14 May 2013 19:27:17 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3087]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[A couple of late(ish) goals from Wilfried Zaha saw Crystal Palace beat Brighton 2-0 at the AMEX Stadium Monday night to book themselves a berth in the Championship play-off final alongside Watford at Wembley in a fortnight or so.  As well as celebrating each of Zaha's strikes like a whirling dervish, Eagles boss Ian Holloway carried on the madness in the dressing room after the game where, as captured on camera by Yannick Bolasie, fleet-footed Ollie got stuck into some serious quick-steppin' dance moves as the Palace boys were momentarily struck silent by what they saw before them.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Fitting farewell: van Bommel sent off for ugly lunge in career finale]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 13 May 2013 15:04:50 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3071]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[As it was written in the stars, PSV Eindhoven hatchet man Mark van Bommel graced his final career appearance with a bit of the old magic -- shredding his studs down Dusan Tadic's ankle and duly being administered with a second yellow card as his side went down 3-1 to FC Twente in the Eredivisie on Sunday afternoon...    Van Bommel, 36, announced his decision to retire immediately after the game having sat out its final 19 minutes, telling reporters: "I had expected the referee to be more lenient, considering it was the last game in my career.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Video: Confused Coentrao has trouble grasping 'off-day' concept]]></title>
			<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 13 May 2013 14:16:33 PDT]]></pubDate>
			<author><![CDATA[Chris Wright]]></author>
			<link><![CDATA[http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thetoepoke/id/3052]]></link>
			<description><![CDATA[With their good buddies over at Barcelona waltzing to the title this year and with the Copa Del Rey Final coming up on the horizon, Real Madrid rested most of their big names for Saturday's game against Espanyol.  Fabio Coentrao was one of those players given the day off, though a bit of miscommunication saw the Portuguese left-back trot out with the subs and take a place on the bench before kick-off, despite him not being actually being selected in the matchday squad.  As the rest of the bench (including Jose Mourinho) tittered away, Iker Casillas gently broke the news to Coentrao, who just couldn't seem to get his head around what was going on -- sitting in confused silence as Casillas explained the situation several times.]]></description>
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