title: Villa Park

text: Much of the credit for the design of Villa Park must to go to Villa Chairman Frederick Rinder, who as a trained Surveyor, is said to have laid down every ‘level and line’ of the ground himself before construction began. The committee immediately engaged an architect who began preparing plans for the site, which included construction of a new cement cycle track to replace the existing cinder one. The main stand was to be built to the east on the Witton Lane side, with the track and pitch fully enclosed by banking. Construction of the final phase of the stadium began in late 1896 after negotiations with contractors over the price. Several months behind schedule, the almost-complete stadium opened with a friendly against Blackburn Rovers on 17 April 1897, which ended as a 3-0 win, one week after Aston Villa had completed the League and FA Cup 'Double'. The process of fixing issues with the building work continued for several months. As built, the stadium could house 40,000 spectators, most of whom stood in the open on the banking.


title: Villa Park

text: After winning the league championship in 1899, Villa's record-breaking average crowd of 21,000 allowed the club to invest in a two-stage ground improvement programme. The first stage extended the terrace covering on the Trinity Road side at the cost of £887; the second cost £1,300 and involved re-laying all terracing around the track to remedy a design flaw that caused poor sightlines for the majority of the crowd. In 1911, Villa bought the freehold of the ground for £8,250, the office buildings in the old aquarium and car park area for £1,500 and the carriage drive and bowling green for £2,000. This was the first stage in plans drawn up by Villa director Frederick Rinder that saw the capacity of Villa Park increased to 104,000.


title: Villa Park

text: In June 1914, another phase of enhancements began at Villa Park to compete with improvements at other grounds around the country, including Everton's Goodison Park, where a new two-tiered stand had just been completed. The first stage of improvements saw the cycling track removed, new banking at the Holte Hotel End (Holte End), and a re-profiling of all the terracing to bring it closer to the newly squared-off pitch. Rinder turned to the renowned architect Archibald Leitch to design a new Villa Park. Their joint plans included large banked end stands at the Holte and Witton ends and the incorporation of the original Victorian Lower Grounds buildings, including the aquarium and the newly acquired bowling greens. The outbreak of the First World War severely hampered design and construction efforts.


title: Villa Park

text: As a result of inflation, 1919 quotes for the implementation of the pre-war construction plans came to £66,000, compared to the 1914 quote of £27,000. By March 1922 this price had reduced to £41,775, and the directors pushed ahead with the plans for the new Trinity Road Stand. Construction began in April 1922 with the stand partially opened in August. Construction continued throughout the 1922–1923 season, with the stand officially opened on 26 January 1924 by the then Duke of York, later King George VI. He commented to Rinder that he had "no idea that a ground so finely equipped in every way—and devoted to football—existed."


title: Villa Park

text: On completion the Trinity Road Stand was considered one of the grandest in Britain, complete with stained glass windows, Italian mosaics, Dutch gables in the style of Aston Hall and a sweeping staircase. The Oak Room in the Trinity Road stand was the first restaurant at a British football ground. Several commentators including Simon Inglis consider it to be Leitch's masterpiece; a "Sunday Times" reporter described it in 1960 as the "St Pancras of football." The final cost of the stand and associated 1922–1924 ground developments was calculated at £89,000, a sum that enraged the club's directors who ordered an investigation into cost and in 1925 forced Rinder's resignation.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park remained in much the same state for another 30 years, with no major developments until the late 1950s. During the 1930s the earth and timber terraces with wooden crash barriers were completely replaced by concrete terracing and metal barriers, a process first begun by Rinder. In 1936 he was voted back onto the board at the age of 78 after the club were relegated to the Second Division. Nearly 25 years after he had created his 1914 masterplan, Rinder resurrected it and looked to carry out the third phase of his developments. He died in December 1938 (Leitch had died in April), leaving his construction business to his son, Archibald Junior.


title: Villa Park

text: The complete redevelopment and extension of the Holte End began in early 1939, supervised by Archibald Junior. When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, all construction across the country stopped. Unusually, given the austerity measures in place at the time, Villa acquired a special permit to continue construction of the Holte End; Simon Inglis notes "How they achieved this is not recorded." Work on the ground was completed by April 1940, and the stand was immediately mothballed as Villa Park switched to its wartime role. The Trinity Road Stand became an air-raid shelter and ammunition store while the home dressing room became the temporary home of a rifle company from the 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. German bombs caused £20,000 worth of damage to the Witton Lane Stand, which was remedied by 1954.


title: Villa Park

text: In the late 1950s, four projects were announced. The old Bowling Green pavilion on the Trinity Road became a medical centre, the basement of the aquarium building was converted into a gym, four large floodlight pylons were installed, and a training ground was purchased from Villa Park. The floodlights were first used in November 1958 for a friendly match against the Scottish side Heart of Midlothian.


title: Villa Park

text: In mid-1962, £40,000 was spent on a roof for the Holte End, the first to provide cover for the ordinary terrace fans at Villa Park since 1922. The old barrel-shaped roof on the Witton Lane Stand, the only remaining feature of the 1897 Villa Park, was removed in the summer of 1963 and replaced with a plain sloping roof in the same style as the Holte End. Villa Park was chosen by FIFA to host three matches for the 1966 World Cup on the condition that the Witton Lane Stand became all-seater. The players' tunnel had to be covered with a cage while the pitch was widened by .


title: Villa Park

text: Regular ground developments and innovations began from 1969 under the direction of the new chairman, Doug Ellis, who set about redeveloping Villa Park for the modern era. Much of the stadium had fallen into disrepair and was in need of modernisation; Villa's attendances and financial situation had also declined as a result of losing their First Division status in 1967 and going down to the Third Division for the first time in 1970. Ellis updated the infrastructure, installed a new public address system, carried out plumbing work which included installing new toilets, resurfaced the terraces, and built a new ticket office. His tenure saw executive lounges replace the old offices in the Trinity Road Stand.


title: Villa Park

text: Redevelopment of the Witton End stand began in the summer of 1976, a year after Villa returned to the First Division after eight years away. The stand had not seen any major work since 1924, and its rear remained a mound of earth. Initial renovations saw the levelling of the earth and new concrete terraces constructed on the lower tier in preparation for the construction of an upper tier. Stage two began in February 1977 and was officially opened in late October. The stand's design and fittings were impressive for the time, including novelties such as an 'AV' logo spelled out in coloured seats and a double row of executive boxes.


title: Villa Park

text: As well as the new Witton End stand, renamed the North Stand, Villa Park went through further renovations throughout the ground. The cost of the work was £1.3 million. As a result, and as with the construction of the Trinity Road Stand fifty years earlier, Villa were again burdened with debt. An internal investigation found that £700,000 of the £1.3 million worth of bills were unaccounted for. A later report by accountants Deloitte Haskins & Sells found that the bills were inflated by only 10% but that there were "serious breaches of recommended codes of practice and poor site supervision."


title: Villa Park

text: In response to the Hillsborough disaster which resulted in 96 fatalities, the Taylor Report of January 1990 recommended that all major grounds be converted to become all-seater as a safety measure by August 1994. Within a few months of the Taylor Report being published, the first changes were made in line with the report. The North Stand saw the addition of 2,900 seats to the lower tier of the stand in place of terracing, the Holte End's roof was extended in preparation for more seats, the Trinity Road Stand had its roof replaced, and the Witton Lane Stand had more corporate boxes added. By that time, all four floodlight pylons had been removed to make way for boxes or in preparation for seating, and new floodlights were installed on new gantries on the Trinity and Witton stands.


title: Villa Park

text: In February 1992, the club's application to the Council for permission to demolish the Holte Hotel was rejected. After several months of negotiations, Villa gained permission for a new stand to replace the Witton Lane Stand. The new design meant that the club had to realign Witton Lane and, as a condition of the planning permission, pay £600,000 to compulsory purchase the houses along Witton Lane and upgrade the road from a B to an A road, as well as moving its utilities. The stand was fully operational by January 1994 at the cost of £5 million with 4,686 seats, which brought Villa Park up to a capacity of 46,005. It was announced at the 70th birthday gala of chairman Doug Ellis that the stand was to be renamed the "Doug Ellis Stand", a move that caused some controversy among Villa fans with some still referring to it as the Witton Lane Stand. Nevertheless, during the 1993–94 season, the newly rebuilt Witton Lane Stand became the Doug Ellis Stand.


title: Villa Park

text: The Holte End was the only remaining stand that did not meet the Taylor Report requirements, and a structural survey revealed that putting seats onto the existing terracing would be uneconomical. Instead, the decision was taken to build a new stand consisting of two tiers, just four years after construction of the new roof. The demolition of the stand began on the last day of the 1993–94 season. Its replacement began to open in August 1994 with 3,000 seats in the lower tier occupied for the first seating-only game at Villa Park. By December it was fully operational and had a capacity of 13,501 seats, bringing the Villa Park capacity to 40,310. Upon completion, the Holte was the largest single end stand in Britain.


title: Villa Park

text: The next development at Villa Park was the Trinity Road Stand in 2000. It had stood since 1922 and seen several renovations and additions. The demolition of the old stand began after the last game of the 1999–2000 season, an event met with an element of sadness from observers such as Simon Inglis who stated that "the landscape of English football will never be the same." The new stand was larger than the old one, taking Villa's capacity from 39,399 to its present 42,682. It was officially opened in November 2001 by Prince Charles; his grandfather George VI had opened the old stand, 77 years earlier, when he was still the Duke of York.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park has 42,682 seats split between four stands. These four stands are the Holte End to the south, the Trinity Road Stand to the west, the Doug Ellis Stand opposite the Trinity Road Stand, and the North Stand behind the northern goal. All of the stands have two tiers except the Trinity Road Stand, which has three.


title: Villa Park

text: The Holte End is a large two-tiered stand at the south end of the stadium. Originally a large terraced banking with accommodation for more than 20,000 spectators, the current stand was constructed in 1994–1995 and consists of two tiers with no executive boxes. The two tiers are slightly curved in a parabola to provide good sightlines from all seats. Inside there are three levels of concourse and the Holte Suite, a large hospitality room for supporters. The roof is a variant of the "King Truss" system and the front third slopes slightly forward. Two large staircases, pediments, Dutch gables and a mosaic introduced in the 2007 season in the style of the old Trinity Road Stand make up the facade, itself inspired by Aston Hall. The Holte End is the most renowned stand at Villa Park amongst home and away team supporters. Traditionally Villa's most vocal and passionate supporters gather here, including some Aston Villa hooligan firms.


title: Villa Park

text: Built in 2000, the main Trinity Road Stand is the most recently completed at Villa Park and houses the dressing rooms, club offices and director's boxes. The stand is composed of three tiers with a row of executive boxes between the second and third tiers. Although much larger than the other stands, the stand has roughly the same roof level as the other three sides. The players' tunnel and the technical area where the managers and substitutes sit during the match are in the middle of the stand at pitch level. The press and the directors' VIP area are situated in the centre of the middle tier. The upper tiers of the stand extend over Trinity Road, the street that cuts behind the ground. Trinity Road passes through a tunnel formed by the Trinity Road Stand.


title: Villa Park

text: The oldest stand at Villa Park is the North Stand, formerly known as the Witton End, completed in 1977. It is a two-tiered stand, with a double row of 39 executive boxes running between the two tiers. Upper tier seats are claret with "AV" written in blue; the lower tier consists of sky blue seats. The North Stand was "the first major stand in Britain to use what is now broadly termed the 'goalpost' structure." The facade of the stand is a "textured concrete render" typical of the time.


title: Villa Park

text: Since the segregation of supporters in the 1970s, away fans had been situated in the lower tier of the North Stand. Former manager Martin O'Neill expressed his desire to have Villa fans seated in the North Stand to improve the atmosphere at Villa Park. For the start of the 2007–2008 season the club released cut-price season tickets for the lower tier of the stand. This meant moving the away fans to the northern end of the Doug Ellis Stand across both tiers.


title: Villa Park

text: The Doug Ellis Stand, formerly known as the Witton Lane Stand, is a two-tiered stand with a row of executive boxes between the tiers. The roof was originally planned to be a goalpost structure, the same as the Holte End and North Stand, but the plans were changed to a simpler cantilever design. It saw slight refurbishment before the 1996 European Championships to join the corners with the lower tier of the North Stand, improve legroom and increase the curve of the terracing to improve sightlines. The main television camera viewpoint is on the half-way line in the Doug Ellis Stand.


title: Villa Park

text: In the south-west corner, between the Holte End and the Trinity Road Stand, there is a three-storey pavilion-like structure, which is used for corporate hospitality. There is a large television screen. On 28 November 2009, a bronze statue of former Villa chairman and Football League founder William McGregor was unveiled outside the stadium. Behind the North Stand is the "Villa Village" made up of club and ticket offices as well as a club shop. The club bought the buildings from British Telecom in the 1990s. Under current redevelopment plans, the "Villa Village" is set to be demolished, in favour of a significantly larger retail venue called "Villa Live".


title: Villa Park

text: Future redevelopment of Villa Park has been an ever-present topic, with previous owners of Aston Villa: notably Randy Lerner and Tony Xia, expressing support to increase capacity. However, no definitive redevelopment occurred in either case.


title: Villa Park

text: Under the current ownership of Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, there has been concrete support for a long-term redevelopment of Villa Park. In December 2021, CEO Christian Purslow announced that redevelopment plans were forecasted to take "two to ten years".


title: Villa Park

text: Preliminary plans to construct a new North Stand were announced in March 2022. Following a consultation process between June and September 2022, Aston Villa formally submitted plans to fully demolish and rebuild the North Stand, alongside developments to the Trinity Road Stand. The plans would see the construction of a new 13,074 capacity stand. Alongside minor seating adjustments to the Trinity Road Stand and Doug Ellis Stand, this would increase Villa Park's capacity to approximately 50,065. Alongside these featured plans to develop a large indoor entertainment and retail venue called "Villa Live", replacing the car park, academy building, and the current on-site retail store. This followed initial planning permission granted in 2019 to demolish the car park and academy building behind the North Stand.


title: Villa Park

text: Within the aforementioned planning documents, Aston Villa alluded to potential further redevelopment via 'configuration of the stands', including the Doug Ellis Stand and the Holte End, to increase Villa Park's capacity to between 52,000 and 53,000. This was referred to as 'Phase 2': with the North Stand redevelopment considered 'Phase 1'.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park was the first English ground to stage international football in three centuries and has hosted matches in several international tournaments. Three 1966 World Cup matches were played at the ground and four matches during Euro '96. The ground has hosted England internationals, the first in 1899 and the most recent in 2005. Sixteen international matches have been hosted at the stadium in total.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park has been the venue for several Cup competitions. It has hosted 55 FA Cup semi-finals, more than any other stadium. The club hosted the League Cup Final in 1980–1981 when Liverpool beat West Ham 2–1 in a replay. In 1999, the stadium hosted the last final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in which Lazio beat Real Mallorca 2–1. During the construction of the new Wembley Stadium between 2001 and 2005, the FA Trophy Final was held at Villa Park. The 2012 Community Shield was held at Villa Park instead of Wembley due to Olympic Games at the stadium.


title: Villa Park

text: The venue has also hosted two first-class cricket matches. The first was the United North of England Eleven's final first-class match against a London United Eleven in June 1879. The second was tour match played between Australia and an England XI side in May 1884. The ground also hosted a 1897 Minor Counties Championship match between Staffordshire and Northamptonshire and was the home ground for Aston Unity in the Birmingham and District Premier League from 1889 to 1954.


title: Villa Park

text: Many athletics and cycle events took place at the ground before the First World War, and boxing has been hosted on several occasions. On 28 June 1948, Dick Turpin, brother of Randolph Turpin, became the first non-white boxer to win a British title in a fight against Vince Hawkins in front of 40,000 spectators after the British Boxing Board of Control lifted their ban on non-whites challenging for titles. On 21 June 1972 Danny McAlinden defeated Jack Bodell in a British and Empire Heavyweight title fight.


title: Villa Park

text: Great Britain secured the first ever rugby league test series at the ground when they defeated the touring Australian Kangaroos side 6–5 on 14 February 1909 in front of a crowd of 9,000. A second rugby league game followed three years later on New Year's Day 1912 when 4,000 people turned up to see Australia beat Great Britain 33–8. The stadium has seen several international rugby union tour matches. On 8 October 1924, a North Midlands XV lost 40–3 to the New Zealand side touring Europe and Canada at the time. The second game took place on 30 December 1953 when Midlands Counties played another New Zealand side on their 1953–1954 tour of United Kingdom, Ireland, France and North America. The Midlands side lost 18–3. On 26 August 1985, it played host to the first ever American football "Summerbowl," intended to be the English equivalent to the Super Bowl. The game was played between the London Ravens and the Streatham Olympians, and the low attendance of 8,000 meant that the Summerbowl was not repeated in subsequent years.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park was originally listed as one of the six stadiums that would hold Olympic football matches in the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2009 it was announced that the organising committee for the games and the football club had decided that uncertainty around expansion plans meant that the club were "unable to commit fully to hosting matches."


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park was chosen as the venue for two pool matches in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The first was a Pool B match between South Africa and Samoa on 26 September 2015 with South Africa winning 46–6 with 39,526 in attendance. The second was a Pool A match between Australia and Uruguay the next day with Australia winning 65–3 in front of 39,605 spectators.


title: Villa Park

text: Birmingham is the host city of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Though Villa Park was originally chosen to host the Rugby Sevens competition, the event will now be held at the Ricoh Arena. This is due to the Premier League season starting in July in order to accommodate the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar taking place in November and December, rather than June and July.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park has been a venue for musicians from multiple genres as well as preachers. The stadium has hosted several rock concerts, including Bruce Springsteen who played two concerts in June 1988 as part of his Tunnel of Love Tour, and most recently Bon Jovi, who played the stadium in 2013 as part of . Duran Duran held a charity concert in 1983 to raise money for MENCAP. Other singers who have played at the ground include Belinda Carlisle, Rod Stewart and Robert Palmer. The American evangelist Billy Graham attracted 257,181 people to a series of prayer meetings held at the stadium in mid-1984. Archbishop Desmond Tutu held a religious gathering at the stadium in 1989.


title: Villa Park

text: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that midwives from Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust would host maternity clinics at the ground, for expectant parents anxious about going into hospitals.


title: Villa Park

text: On 2 February 2021, it was announced that Villa Park will be used as a regional COVID-19 vaccination centre by the NHS.


title: Villa Park

text: The first patients were vaccinated at Villa Park on 4 February 2021. The vaccination centre has been set up in the Holte End stand and it is hoped to play a pivotal role in vaccinating people in the Birmingham area.


title: Villa Park

text: The highest attendance recorded at Villa Park was 76,588, on 2 March 1946 in an FA Cup 6th round tie against Derby County. The highest attendance in the all-seater era was 42,788 on 29 December 2009 in a Premier League game against Liverpool. The highest average post-Second World War attendance at Villa Park was 47,168 in the 1948–1949 season; the lowest average post-war attendance was 15,237 in the 1985–1986 season.


title: Villa Park

text: Villa Park is within a short distance of two mainline railway stations. Witton railway station is approximately from Villa Park, and Aston railway station is approximately . Under former owner Randy Lerner, there have been discussions on changing the name of Witton Station to Villa Park as is the case with West Bromwich Albion's local railway station, The Hawthorns. Aston Villa's former CEO, Bruce Langham, has said that the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro) are amenable to the idea as long as it is done at the expense of the club. No action has yet been taken.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse is an American animated anthropomorphic superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. The character was originally called Super Mouse, and made his debut in the 1942 short "The Mouse of Tomorrow". The name was changed to Mighty Mouse in his eighth film, 1944's "The Wreck of the Hesperus", and the character went on to star in 80 theatrical shorts, concluding in 1961 with "Cat Alarm".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1955, "Mighty Mouse Playhouse" debuted as a Saturday morning cartoon show on the CBS television network, which popularized the character far more than the original theatrical run. The show lasted until 1967. Filmation revived the character in "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle", which ran from 1979 to 1980, and animation director Ralph Bakshi revived the concept again in "", from 1987 to 1988.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse also appeared in comic books by several publishers, including his own series, "Mighty Mouse" and "The Adventures of Mighty Mouse", which ran from 1946 to 1968.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse is known for his catchy theme song, "Mighty Mouse Theme (Here I Come to Save the Day)", written by composer Marshall Barer.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The character originated in 1942 from an idea by animator Isidore Klein at the Terrytoons studio, who suggested a parody/homage to the popular "Superman" character, making some sketches of a superhero fly. Paul Terry, the head of the studio, liked the idea but suggested a mouse rather than an insect.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The character was dubbed "Super Mouse", and his first theatrical short, "The Mouse of Tomorrow", debuted on October 16, 1942.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The trade journal "Variety" said "The Mouse of Tomorrow" "just misses being outstanding, mainly because of faulty narration and too much kidding of Superman. Idea of super-rat conquering prowling beasts of feline world is good, but too closely follows pattern of that super hero."


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Super Mouse (and his later alias, Mighty Mouse) was originally voiced by Roy Halee Sr., a tenor who often sang on radio and first started doing cartoon voices for J. R. Bray's studio. In the operatic melodramas to follow, Halee and his quartet provided all of the vocals.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In Super Mouse's next film, he spoofed the popular Universal Monsters films ("Frankenstein's Cat", 1942). In "Pandora's Box" (1943), he battled bat-winged cat demons, and his origin story was changed: now he becomes Super Mouse by eating vitamins A through Z. The hero made seven films in 1942–1943 before his name was changed.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1944, Paul Terry learned that another character named "Super Mouse" was to be published in Standard Comics' "Coo-Coo Comics", so his character's name was changed to Mighty Mouse. The first short under the character's new name was "The Wreck of the Hesperus", released February 11, 1944, adapting the celebrated poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with the addition of a superhero mouse. A couple months later, the studio spoofed another classic, Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", under the title "Mighty Mouse Meets Jeckyll and Hyde Cat".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: By summer, Mighty Mouse's costume got an overhaul as well. Until this point, he'd been wearing Superman's colors—a blue costume with a red cape—but in the June 16, 1944, cartoon "Eliza on the Ice", Mighty Mouse appears for the first time in a red costume, with a yellow cape. This is also the first time that the character was portrayed as living among the stars, hurtling down from the heavens to save the day.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The final design of the character debuted in the 15th cartoon, "The Sultan's Birthday", released on October 13, 1944. In this cartoon, redesigned by animator Connie Rasinski, Mighty Mouse has a fuller figure with an exaggerated upper body, and is clad in a yellow outfit, with a red cape and trunks.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Like his inspiration, Superman, Mighty Mouse's superpowers are vast and sometimes appear limitless. His main powers include flight, super-strength and invulnerability. The early cartoons often portray him as a ruthless fighter; one of his most frequent tactics is to fly under an enemy's chin and let loose a volley of blows, subduing the opponent through sheer physical punishment.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: However, his powers can vary, depending on the demands of the story; he is sometimes knocked unconscious or rendered temporarily immobile by the villain, only to rise again by the end of the cartoon and save the day. In some films, he uses X-ray vision and psychokinesis. He was also able to turn back time in 1946's "The Johnstown Flood". Other cartoons, like 1945's "Krakatoa", show him leaving a red contrail during flight that he can manipulate like a band of solid, flexible matter. In several of the cartoons, when Mighty Mouse achieves the impossible feats, the narrator exclaims, first in a normal voice: " What A Mouse!!!!!", followed by his louder triumphant voice: "WHAT A MOUSE!!!!!"


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In a 1969 interview, Terry said that Mighty Mouse's power had a religious aspect: "When a man is sick, or down, or hurt, you say, 'There's nothing more we can do. It's in God's hand.' And he either survives or he doesn't according to God's plan. Right? So, 'Man's extremity is God's opportunity.' So, taking that as a basis, I'd only have to get the mice in a tough spot and then say, 'Isn't there someone who can help?' 'Yes, there is someone; it's Mighty Mouse!' So, down from the heavens he'd come sailing down and lick the evil spirit, or whatever it was. And everything would be serene again." Biographer W. Gerald Harmonic notes that as of the mid 40s, Mighty Mouse would be pictured living on a star or a cloud, up in the heavens, and that he became "a Christ-like figure, a savior of all 'mouse-kind'."


title: Mighty Mouse

text: While his typical opponents are nondescript cats, Mighty Mouse occasionally battles specific villains, though most appear in only one or two films. Several of the earliest "Super Mouse" films (having been made during World War II), feature the cats as thinly veiled caricatures of the Nazis, hunting down mice and marching them into concentration camp–like traps to what would otherwise be their doom. The Bat-cats, alien cats with bat wings and wheels for feet, appeared in two cartoons; in two others between 1949 and 1950 he faces a huge, dim-witted, but super-strong cat named Julius "Pinhead" Schlabotka (voiced by Dayton Allen) whose strength rivals Mighty Mouse's. In rare moments, he confronts non-feline adversaries such as human villain Bad Bill Bunion and his horse, or the Automatic Mouse Trap, a brontosaur-shaped robotic monster. In "The Green Line" (1944), the cats and the mice live on either side of a green dividing line down the middle of their town's main street. They agree to keep the peace as long as no one crosses it. An evil entity, a Satan cat, starts the cats and mice fighting. At the end, Mighty Mouse is cheered by mice and cats alike.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1945, "Mighty Mouse and the Pirates" was the first Mighty Mouse cartoon to feature sung dialogue, in the operetta style. "Gypsy Life" (1945) and "The Crackpot King" (1946) followed in the same style. "Gypsy Life" was particularly successful, earning Terry his third nomination for an Academy Award for Short Subjects (Cartoon).


title: Mighty Mouse

text: There was a romantic, damsel in distress element in these cartoons—in each one, Mighty Mouse saves a dark-haired beauty from terrible trouble, and in the latter two, the camera fades out on the hero and the girl in a romantic clinch. While these were very similar to the musical melodrama spoofs that were soon to emerge, they didn't have an overwrought narrator, or the suggestion that the cartoon is an episode of a continuing story.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In November 1947, "A Fight to the Finish" was the first in a series of musical melodrama spoofs, with Mighty Mouse saving damsel in distress Pearl Pureheart (sometimes "Little Nell") from the villainous, mustache-twirling cat Oil Can Harry. Terrytoons revived the concept from their earlier Fanny Zilch series, a melodrama spoof that ran for seven cartoons from 1933 to 1937. Fanny was constantly tormented by a human version of Oil Can Harry, and protected by her lover, J. Leffingwell Strongheart.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: "A Fight to the Finish" begins with a snatch of Cole Porter's song "And The Villain Still Pursued Her", which had also been used as the theme for the Fanny Zilch cartoons. The narrator opens with an urgent recap of the (nonexistent) previous episode: "In our last episode, we left Mighty Mouse at the old Beaver River station. As you remember, folks, he was locked in a desperate struggle with a villain. But on with the story..." Mighty Mouse is engaging in "a fight to the finish" with Oil Can Harry, now a villainous cat with a mustache, a top hat and a big black cloak, voiced by Tom Morrison. The blonde heroine, Pearl Pureheart, is tied up in the other room, but refuses to give up hope. Harry manages to knock out Mighty Mouse, and leaves him tied to the railroad track with a bomb on his head, and the 5:15 train due to pass by. Harry drives Pearl away to his home, where he woos her in song, to no avail. Mighty Mouse manages to blow out the fuse, stop the train and escape from his bonds, and rushes to Pearl's rescue. At Harry's house, they fight with fists, guns and swords, as Pearl slips out the window and onto a passing log which is floating down the river into a mill. Mighty Mouse throws Harry into the river and rushes to rescue Pearl, who's heading for the buzzsaw. The narrator asks, "Is our little heroine doomed to destruction in the sawmill? Will Mighty Mouse arrive in time? See the following episode, next week!" The camera starts to iris out, but then stops, as the narrator relents, "Stop! Gosh, we can't wait until next week. Please, show us what happens, won't you?" Mighty Mouse grabs Pearl in time, and the pair have a brief romantic chorus together as the cartoon delivers a happy ending.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The melodrama spoofs continued as an occasional series over the next six years, with Oil Can Harry and Pearl Pureheart returning in thirteen more cartoons. Another memorable short was 1949's "The Perils of Pearl Pureheart", in which Oil Can Harry hypnotizes Pearl into singing "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" on stage at an old saloon, where he vacuums up the tips thrown by the audience. Hypnotized for three and a half minutes of the six-minute cartoon, Pearl continues to sing as the battle between Harry and Mighty Mouse rages around her, even underwater.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: To vary the formula, the melodramas started traveling to exotic locales, including Italy ("Sunny Italy", 1951), Switzerland ("Swiss Miss", 1951), Holland ("Happy Holland", 1952) and even prehistoric times ("Prehistoric Perils", 1952) and medieval times ("When Mousehood Was in Flower", 1953).


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse had little theatrical impact, but became Terrytoons' most popular character and a cultural icon on television. In 1955, Paul Terry sold the Terrytoons studio to CBS, which repackaged the theatrical cartoons as a popular Saturday morning show, "Mighty Mouse Playhouse". The show aired from December 1955 through September 1967, using the existing film library. Only three new cartoons were produced after the sale. The final season also included a new feature, entitled "The Mighty Heroes."


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Tom Morrison of Terrytoons provided the speaking voice of Mighty Mouse in the show's new framing sequences.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The show's theme song was credited on some early records to "The Terrytooners, Mitch Miller and Orchestra". However, writer Mark Evanier credits a group called The Sandpipers (not the 1960s easy listening group of the same name).


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1979–1980, Filmation made television cartoons starring Mighty Mouse and fellow Terrytoon characters Heckle and Jeckle in a show called "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle". The show introduced two new characters: a vampire duck named Quacula (not to be confused with Count Duckula), and Oil Can Harry's bumbling, large, but swift-running, henchman Swifty. The show premiered in 1979 and lasted two seasons. In the Filmation series and movie, Mighty Mouse and Oil Can Harry were performed by veteran voice artist Alan Oppenheimer, and Pearl Pureheart was voiced by Diane Pershing. Frank Welker played Heckle, Jeckle and Quacula, and Norm Prescott played Theodore H. Bear.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Each episode included two traditional "Mighty Mouse" cartoons, as well as an episode of a Mighty Mouse science-fiction serial, "The Great Space Chase". The hour was rounded out with two "Heckle & Jeckle" cartoons and one "Quacula" cartoon, plus short bumpers with tips about safety and the environment. The total cartoons produced for the series were 32 "Mighty Mouse" cartoons, 32 "Heckle & Jeckle" cartoons, 16 episodes of "The Great Space Chase" and 16 "Quacula" cartoons.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The "Space Chase" episodes were edited together into a theatrical matinee movie, "Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase", which was released on December 10, 1982.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1987 and 1988, animation producer Ralph Bakshi (who began his career at Terrytoons in the late 1950s and worked on the last Mighty Mouse shorts filmed by that company) created a new series of Mighty Mouse cartoons entitled "" for the CBS Saturday morning children's lineup. In this series, Mighty Mouse has a real identity, Mike Mouse (both identities voiced by Patrick Pinney), and a sidekick, (voiced by actress Dana Hill), the little orphan. Though a children's cartoon, its heavy satirical tone, risqué humor and adult jokes made the Bakshi Mighty Mouse series a collector's item for collectors of older television series.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The best-remembered episode of this series featured a crossover with Mighty Mouse and another Bakshi creation, the Mighty Heroes (Strong Man, Tornado Man, Rope Man, Cuckoo Man and Diaper Man). In the 1988 episode "Heroes and Zeroes", the Mighty Heroes were middle-aged men (except for Diaper Man, who was 36) and were all accountants with the firm of Man, Man, Man, Man, and Man.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Marvel Comics produced a 10-issue comic book series (set in the "New Adventures" continuity) in 1990 and 1991. Nothing new has been produced using the Mighty Mouse character except for an arcade game by Atari and a 2001 "The power of cheese" television commercial. That commercial shows Mighty Mouse dining calmly on cheese in a restaurant, utterly unconcerned with a scene of chaos and terror visibly unfolding in the street outside. The commercial was hastily withdrawn in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Until 2019, the rights to Mighty Mouse were divided as a result of the 2006 corporate split of Viacom (the former owner of the Terrytoons franchise) into two separate companies. CBS Operations (a unit of the CBS Corporation) owns the ancillary rights and trademarks to the character, while Paramount Home Entertainment/CBS Home Entertainment holds home video rights. The first official release of Mighty Mouse material has been announced and what is now CBS Media Ventures has television syndication rights (the shorts are currently out of circulation). On December 4, 2019, CBS Corporation and Viacom re-merged into a single entity, ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global), officially reuniting the rights to Mighty Mouse under the same company.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: As early as 2004, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies announced their intention to bring Mighty Mouse back to the motion picture screen with a CGI Mighty Mouse feature film that was tentatively scheduled to be released some time in 2013.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In April 2019, Jon and Erich Hoeber signed on to script the film for Paramount Animation while Karen Rosenfelt ("Wonder Park") and Robert Cort ("Terminator Genisys") are set to produce. The film will be in live action/animated.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The first seven films starred the character named Super Mouse. In these early films the character's costume is much closer in design to that of Superman (blue tunic and tights with red trunks and cape).


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse's first comic book appearance was in "Terry-Toons Comics" #38 (November 1945), published by Timely Comics. Mighty Mouse was featured in:


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse was also featured in two main titles by several different publishers: "Mighty Mouse" and "The Adventures of Mighty Mouse".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1953, Mighty Mouse was featured in "Three Dimension Comics" #1, the first three-dimensional comics publication, produced by St. John Publications. According to co-creator Joe Kubert, the 3-D issue sold an extraordinary 1.2 million copies at 25 cents each, more than twice the standard comic price of 10 cents.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: At least one episode, "Wolf! Wolf!", has fallen into the public domain and is available at the Internet Archive.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In 1988, "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures" was the subject of media controversy when one scene was interpreted as a depiction of cocaine use. In the episode "The Littlest Tramp" a poor mouse girl attempts to sell flowers, and is repeatedly harassed by a rich man who crushes her flowers. She runs out of flowers and makes new ones from sundry items she finds, such as tomato slices, but the man crushes these too. Mighty Mouse attempts to purchase the flowers with his chunk of cheese, and to avenge the girl, but she gives Mighty Mouse the crushed flowers and insists that others need help more than she does. After successfully saving several different characters, he is reminded of the girl, and attempts to smell the flowers she gave him (now a pink powder), inhaling them in the process. He then finds the man that has been harassing the girl, and spanks him. The girl is sympathetic to the man, and he is so moved that the two are married.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: A family in Kentucky saw the episode and reportedly interpreted the scene as Mighty Mouse snorting cocaine. The family called the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi. The group demanded Bakshi be removed from production of the series. Bakshi and CBS denied the allegations, Bakshi stating the whole incident "smacks of McCarthyism. I'm not going to get into who sniffs what. This is lunacy." To defuse the controversy, Bakshi agreed to cut the 3.5 seconds from the episode. Rev. Donald Wildmon claimed that the editing was a "de facto admission" of cocaine use, though Bakshi maintained that the episode was "totally innocent".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: In the book "Astro Boy Essays", author Frederik L. Schodt quotes Japanese animator Osamu Tezuka as saying that Mighty Mouse was the influence that inspired him to name his well-known character Mighty Atom (also known as Astro Boy). He also chose to imitate Mighty Mouse's signature flying pose with one arm stretched ahead with a clenched fist.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse was planned to make a cameo in the deleted scene "Acme's Funeral" from the 1988 film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: The song "Astro Man" by Jimi Hendrix, a part of the "Black Gold" session, includes a version of the 'Here I come to save the day!' fanfare.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: As part of Andy Kaufman's act, he would play the Mighty Mouse theme while standing perfectly still and lip-sync only the line "Here I come to save the day" with great enthusiasm; a 1975 performance of this act on "Saturday Night Live" is recreated in the 1999 biopic "Man on the Moon".


title: Mighty Mouse

text: Mighty Mouse was on the uniform of NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki and on the front end of his #7 Hooters "Underbird" during the final race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway's 1992 Hooters 500.


title: Mighty Mouse

text: On August 2, 2005, Apple released the company's first multi-control USB computer mouse. The product was designed by Mitsumi Electric and premiered under the name Apple Mighty Mouse. Apple continued to use the name when the product was redesigned as a Bluetooth device in 2006. Prior to its release, CBS licensed the right to use the Mighty Mouse name to Apple. In 2008, Man and Machine, Inc., a company that produces medical grade, chemical-resistant, mice and keyboards, sued both Apple and CBS for trademark infringement. Man and Machine claimed that it had used the name since 2004 and that CBS did not have the right to license the name for computer peripherals. In 2009, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled in favor of Man and Machine and Apple changed the name of its product to the "Apple Mouse".


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: The 2011–12 season was the 108th season in Real Madrid Club de Fútbol's history and their 81st consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football. It covered a period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid began the season finishing runners-up in the Supercopa de España to Barcelona, losing 5–4 on aggregate. The team then went on to produce a magnificent season, winning a record 32nd La Liga title and setting a number of league records, including 100 points amassed in a single season, a total of 121 goals scored, a goal difference of +89, 16 away games won, and 32 wins overall. They also competed in the UEFA Champions League for the 15th successive season, losing in the semi-finals to Bayern Munich on penalties (after a 3–3 aggregate tie) in heartbreaking fashion. Madrid entered the Copa del Rey as the defending champions, but lost 3–4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to Barcelona. In the same season, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fastest player to reach 100 goals scored in Spanish league history. In reaching 101 goals in 92 games, Ronaldo surpassed Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskás, who scored 100 goals in 105 matches. Ronaldo set a new club mark for individual goals scored in one year (60) and became the first player ever to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single season.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: The season has been often termed by some newspapers as ""La Liga de los Récords"" (Spanish for "The League of the Records") as Real Madrid broke several long-standing La Liga records, the most prominent being the highest number of points in a single La Liga season. Their total of 100 was one point better than the previous record set by Barcelona in the 2009–10 season. Real Madrid also recorded the most goals in a league season with 121, surpassing the previous record held by the Real Madrid side that scored 107 goals during the 1989–90 season.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid commenced their summer transfer activity on 9 May, signing Turkish central midfielder Nuri Şahin for six seasons from Borussia Dortmund on a transfer reported to be worth €10 million. Versatile Turkish midfielder Hamit Altıntop was signed for four seasons on a free transfer from Bayern Munich on 19 May, but was discovered to have a prolapsed disc on 23 June, undergoing a successful operation four days later. The club announced on 21 May that veteran Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's contract would not be renewed; he subsequently retired. Former Castilla winger José Callejón was brought back after three seasons at Espanyol for a reported fee of €5 million on 23 May.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid fired Director General Jorge Valdano on 25 May after a strained relationship over sporting decisions between him and manager José Mourinho. President Florentino Pérez supported Mourinho's request to "be able to manage the team with autonomy" in response to tensions during the previous season's winter transfer window and a public feud regarding Karim Benzema following a 1–1 draw against Almería. Valdano was reported to be paid €3.5 million to release him from the remaining two years on his contract and was replaced by José Ángel Sánchez. Mourinho subsequently became head of football operations in addition to his role as head coach with former player and special adviser to Pérez Zinedine Zidane as the new director of football for the first team.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid continued their transfer activity on 27 June, signing teenage French central defender Raphaël Varane from Lens for six seasons on a reported €10 million transfer. On 1 July, Royston Drenthe and David Mateos returned from their loan spells at Hércules and AEK Athens, respectively, while Emmanuel Adebayor returned to Manchester City following a six-month loan. Mateos was loaned out ten days later to Real Zaragoza with Zaragoza having an option to purchase the player permanently at the end of the season, and Drenthe was loaned to Everton late on the final day of the transfer window. Portuguese wingback Fábio Coentrão transferred from Benfica for €30 million on 5 July and signed a six-year contract.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid traveled to the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, California, on 11 July to prepare for friendlies against the LA Galaxy, Guadalajara and Philadelphia Union in the World Football Challenge. Castilla players Jesús Fernández, Tomás Mejías, Jorge Casado, Nacho, Jesé and Joselu accompanied the first team to the United States. On 12 July, the contracts of Pepe and Sergio Ramos were extended to 2016 and 2017, respectively, and Nuri Şahin suffered a Grade I sprain on the internal lateral ligament in his left knee during the first day of training, causing him to miss the entire pre-season. On 17 July, defender Ezequiel Garay transferred to Benfica for an undisclosed fee. Real Madrid's pre-season began with a 4–1 victory over Major League Soccer (MLS) team LA Galaxy, with goals from Callejón, Joselu, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema. Four days later in San Diego against Mexican Primera División side Guadalajara, Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick over a nine-minute span for a 3–0 victory. Real Madrid completed the World Football Challenge atop the table following a 2–1 win over Philadelphia Union, with early goals from Callejón and Mesut Özil. They officially won the tournament via goal differential when Manchester United defeated Barcelona 2–1 on 30 July. Ronaldo finished as the tournament's top scorer with four goals.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid started the European leg of their pre-season world tour with a triumph over newly promoted Bundesliga team Hertha BSC on 27 July in front of a sold out Olympiastadion. Patrick Ebert opened the scoring for Hertha, but Ronaldo equalized from a long-range free kick and Benzema added two goals for a 3–1 victory. Three days later Real Madrid defeated Championship side Leicester City 2–1 to win the npower Challenge Cup. Callejón scored the opening goal and Benzema converted a rebound following a shot off the goalpost by Marcelo before Lloyd Dyer added a late consolation goal.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: José Mourinho's five-game touchline ban in the UEFA Champions League due to accusatory statements following the first leg of the previous season's Champions League semi-final was partially upheld following an appeal to UEFA on 29 July. He was originally suspended for five matches, with the final game suspended for a probational period of three years, and fined €50,000 for accusing Barcelona of receiving favorable treatment from UEFA and for severely criticizing German referee Wolfgang Stark. After serving the first game of his suspension in the second leg, Mourinho had the remaining four matches of his ban reduced to a two-game suspension with a potential two further games over a three-year probationary period. The original fine to Mourinho was upheld along with a €20,000 fine assessed to Real Madrid for crowd trouble.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: The club traveled to Guangzhou, China, directly from Leicester on 1 August, and signed a letter of intent the following day with Guangzhou Evergrande involving club cooperation, potential player exchanges, and the opening of the largest football academy in China. On 3 August, Real Madrid defeated Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande 7–1, with goals from Sami Khedira, Özil, Benzema twice, Ronaldo, Jesé, and Ángel Di María. The following day, attacking midfielder Sergio Canales joined Valencia on loan for two seasons with Valencia retaining a purchase option of €12 million at the end of each season. Real Madrid concluded their pre-season world tour with all victories on 6 August, defeating Tianjin Teda 6–0 with goals from Kaká, Di María, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ronaldo and a double by Benzema.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid opened their competitive season with a 2–2 draw at home in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España against Barcelona on 14 August. Özil scored after 13 minutes following an assist from Benzema, but goals from David Villa and Lionel Messi against the run of play gave Barcelona the lead at halftime. Xabi Alonso shot through traffic during a corner sequence for the equalizer nine minutes into the second half. Three days later in the return leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–2 to win 5–4 on aggregate. Andrés Iniesta beat the offside trap and scored first for Barcelona, but Ronaldo redirected a cross to equalize five minutes later. Messi scored just before halftime following a failed clearance of a corner kick by Real Madrid and a subsequent backheel assist from Gerard Piqué to give Barcelona a 2–1 lead at halftime. Benzema leveled the score late in the second half following a scramble from a corner kick, but an Adriano cross allowed Messi to score the winning goal in the 88th minute. Marcelo received a straight red card in stoppage time for a tackle on Cesc Fàbregas, creating an ensuing scuffle between the two sides that led to Mourinho confronting Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova with a poke in the eye and expulsions of Villa and Özil. Six days later, the Royal Spanish Football Federation opened disciplinary investigations against both Mourinho and Vilanova that could have potentially resulted in a 12-game suspension for Mourinho but instead suspended him for two future Supercopa de España matches and fined €600. Real Madrid was additionally fined €180.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid's La Liga campaign was scheduled to begin on 21 August at home against Athletic Bilbao, but the Spanish Footballers' Association, with representation from all 42 teams in the top two divisions, unanimously elected to strike after failing to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, causing the postponement of the first weekend of fixtures. The team won their seventh consecutive Santiago Bernabéu Trophy, defeating Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray on 24 August. Before the match, Real Madrid officially presented their five new summer signings and honored their three youth team players on the Spanish under-19 squad that won the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Selçuk İnan scored early for Galatasaray from close range, but a pair of assists from man of the match Xabi Alonso to Sergio Ramos and Benzema led Real Madrid to a 2–1 victory in the annual friendly. Real Madrid's La Liga season began with a 0–6 win at Real Zaragoza on 28 August, with goals from Marcelo, Alonso, Kaká and a hat-trick by Ronaldo, including his 100th goal as a Real Madrid player. The win was the most lopsided away victory on opening day in Spanish top flight history.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: On 31 August, the final day of the summer transfer window, Real Madrid loaned out midfielders Pedro León, Fernando Gago and Royston Drenthe. Pedro León joined Getafe, the team he was purchased from a year ago, and Gago joined Roma, with both Getafe and Roma retaining the option to acquire their respective player for €6 million at the end of the season. Drenthe joined Everton for a season-long loan in a deal that was finalized late on deadline day.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid's first La Liga home match resulted in a 4–2 victory over local rivals Getafe on 10 September. Benzema scored his first two goals in La Liga while Ronaldo converted a penalty and Higuaín added a late goal. The victory boosted Real Madrid to a two-point advantage over Barcelona, as Barcelona drew 2–2 earlier in the day at Real Sociedad. Four days later, Real Madrid defeated Dinamo Zagreb 1–0 in on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League despite Mourinho serving his second of three touchline bans in the competition and a second yellow card to Marcelo for diving in the penalty area. Di María scored the lone goal early in the second half, while Ronaldo received stitches to his right ankle after the match. The injury forced Ronaldo out of the starting lineup against Levante on 18 September, a match Real Madrid lost 1–0 on a second half counterattack goal from Arouna Koné. Real Madrid played with a man down when Khedira received his second yellow card in the 40th minute for defending Di María from Sergio Ballesteros during a fracas; Mourinho later commented Khedira "fell for the trap." Three days later Real Madrid again failed to score, drawing 0–0 at Racing Santander in a match in which Varane made his official debut. On 24 September, the team defeated Rayo Vallecano 6–2 at home. Michu scored for the visitors 17 seconds into the match following an intercepted backpass from Lassana Diarra, but goals from Ronaldo and Higuaín lifted Real Madrid to a 2–1 halftime lead. Ronaldo and Michu scored again early in the second half shortly before a second yellow card to Di María for an intentional handball. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ronaldo completed his hat-trick and Varane and Benzema added goals in the victory. Varane, at 18 years and 152 days, became the youngest foreign player to score in a competitive match for Real Madrid. Hamit Altıntop made his official debut in a 3–0 victory over Ajax on Matchday 2 of the Champions League on 27 September. Ronaldo, Kaká, and Benzema each scored a goal and provided an assist.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid defeated Espanyol away 0–4 on 2 October. Higuaín scored a hat-trick and Callejón scored his first official goal for Real Madrid. Higuaín added another hat-trick, his third in two weeks including one for Argentina, and Kaká scored a goal on 15 October in a 4–1 victory over Real Betis. Despite his recent goalscoring form, Higuaín was dropped from the starting lineup in favor of Benzema for the Champions League match against Olympique Lyonnais three days later. Mourinho returned from suspension and guided Real Madrid to a 4–0 victory, inflicting Lyon with their largest ever defeat in the Champions League. Benzema finished Ronaldo's flick from an Özil corner and then assisted Khedira for his first competitive goal at Real Madrid. Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris redirected a cross by Özil for an own goal, and Sergio Ramos completed the scoring from a Kaká corner. The win lifted Real Madrid five points clear atop Group D.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid defeated Málaga away on 22 October and moved one point ahead of Barcelona after they were held to a scoreless draw by Sevilla. Higuaín opened the scoring and Ronaldo scored his third hat-trick in La Liga this season for a 0–4 win. This was the first time in club history Real Madrid scored at least four goals in four successive La Liga matches. Four days later Real Madrid blanked Villarreal 3–0 at home with three first half goals. Di María assisted early goals by Benzema and Kaká and then scored one himself on a counterattack. Real Madrid completed the month of October with all victories after defeating Real Sociedad away 0–1 on 29 October with an early goal from Higuaín. The clean sheet also equaled a club record of four consecutive away games in La Liga without conceding a goal. They reclaimed the La Liga lead after Levante lost the following day. IFFHS recognized Real Madrid as "The World's Club Team of the Month" for October.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid clinched a spot in the Champions League knockout phase on 2 November when they defeated Lyon away 0–2. Ronaldo scored both goals to reach 100 competitive goals for Real Madrid in 105 matches. He beat Lloris with a powerful free kick in the first half, which was Real Madrid's 900th goal in European competition, and a penalty kick in the second half. Four days later, Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 7–1 in their first ever noon kickoff, scheduled to cater to Asian audiences. Sixty million people watched the match from China as a result. Prior to kickoff, Ronaldo presented his 2010–11 European Golden Shoe award and the team supported former player Antonio Cassano, who recently suffered a stroke and underwent heart surgery, by wearing "Forza Cassano" shirts. Ronaldo scored his fourth hat-trick in La Liga, Benzema netted two goals, and Pepe and Higuaín scored one each in the victory. Di María served three assists in the first half before tearing his hamstring early in the second half, and Şahin made his Real Madrid debut as a substitute following six months of injury. Real Madrid defeated Valencia away 2–3 on 19 November for their 11th consecutive victory, the longest in Mourinho's managerial career. Nicolás Terol, champion of the 2011 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 125cc class, ceremonially kicked off the match. Benzema opened the scoring in the first half from a quickly taken Alonso free kick, and Sergio Ramos doubled the lead from a corner in the second half. Roberto Soldado pulled a goal back for Valencia before Ronaldo avoided onrushing goalkeeper Diego Alves to restore a two-goal advantage. Soldado scored again four minutes later, but Valencia had an appeal for a handball in the penalty area turned down in stoppage time. Three days later Real Madrid defeated Dinamo Zagreb 6–2 in their 1,500th official match at the Santiago Bernabéu to clinch top spot in their Champions League group. Despite resting Ronaldo, Iker Casillas and Pepe, Real Madrid scored four goals in the opening 20 minutes through Benzema, Callejón, Özil and Higuaín. Callejón and Benzema scored again after halftime before Fatos Bećiraj and Ivan Tomečak added late consolation goals. The win was also their 250th in UEFA competitions. On 26 November, Real Madrid stretched their unbeaten streak against Atlético Madrid to 22 matches after a 4–1 home victory in the Madrid Derby. Prior to kickoff, Casillas was presented with a commemorative ball by Florentino Pérez for recently becoming the most capped Spanish international of all time. Atlético struck first through Adrián, but shortly afterward goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was sent off while conceding a penalty, converted by Ronaldo. Di María finished a low cross from Ronaldo early in the second half, and then Higuaín extended the lead by capitalizing on a defensive error from Diego Godín. Godín was later sent off for denying Higuaín a clear goalscoring opportunity in the box and Ronaldo converted another penalty. The victory coupled with Barcelona's loss at Gefate boosted Real Madrid's lead in La Liga to six points. Real Madrid were again recognized by IFFHS as "The World's Club Team of the Month" after completing November with all victories.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid started the month of December with a 0–3 away victory against Sporting de Gijón on 3 December, their 14th consecutive win. Fitness coach Rui Faria was sent off early in the match for protesting a refereeing decision and was subsequently suspended for two matches and fined €600. Di María opened the scoring from a tight angle and then assisted Ronaldo for his 17th La Liga goal before Marcelo completed the scoring in stoppage time. Four days later, they defeated Ajax with a weakened lineup and concluded the Champions League group stage with a maximum 18 points, becoming the fifth team in Champions League history to accomplish the feat. Callejón scored two goals and Higuaín added one for a 3–0 win, although Ajax had two goals questionably disallowed for offside. Castilla loanee Pedro Mendes made his first team debut in the second half. The victory was the team's 15th consecutive win to equal a club record set in 1961. On 10 December, Real Madrid were defeated at home by Barcelona. Benzema scored 21 seconds after kickoff, the fastest goal in El Clásico history, following a Víctor Valdés giveaway, but an Alexis Sánchez strike, a deflected goal by Xavi, and a Cesc Fàbregas header condemned Real Madrid to a 1–3 defeat. Three days later, Real Madrid began their defense of the Copa del Rey with a 0–2 victory at Segunda División B side Ponferradina in the first leg of the round of 32. Callejón and Ronaldo scored the goals and youth team player Jesé officially debuted, but Raúl Albiol was sent off for committing two bookable offences. Real Madrid finished the calendar year as La Liga leaders by three points after a 2–6 away win against Sevilla on 17 December. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the tenth minute from a through ball by Di María. Two minutes later, Casillas made a diving save on a close-range shot from Manu. Di María then assisted Callejón for the second before Ronaldo blasted a long shot into the upper corner, but Pepe earned a second yellow card and was sent off shortly before halftime. Di María scored in the second half and dedicated the goal to his late father-in-law. Jesús Navas pulled a goal back for Sevilla, but soon afterward Manu was shown a straight red card. Ronaldo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot and substitute Altıntop scored his first goal for Real Madrid before Álvaro Negredo added a consolation goal in stoppage time. Real Madrid defeated Ponferradina 5–1 in the return leg of the Copa del Rey on 20 December to advance 7–1 on aggregate. Callejón scored twice, Şahin scored his first goal for Real Madrid, and Varane and Castilla member Joselu each scored once, while Acorán scored the lone goal for Ponferradina. His goal ended Real Madrid's Copa del Rey clean sheet streak at a club record of 616 minutes that began during the previous season. Youth team members Jorge Casado and Fernando Pacheco made their official debuts in the match.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: Real Madrid rallied to defeat Málaga at home 3–2 in the first leg of the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey on 3 January. Defenders Sergio Sánchez and Martín Demichelis converted headers from corners to give Málaga a 2–0 lead, prompting Mourinho to bring on Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira and Karim Benzema at half-time. Madrid then scored three goals through Khedira, Gonzalo Higuaín and Benzema over a ten-minute period for the victory. Rui Faria was again dismissed for protesting a refereeing decision. On 7 January, Real Madrid won their first La Liga game of the year 5–1 against Granada at home. Prior to kickoff, Iker Casillas received an award from medical supplier Sanitas for being the healthiest squad member during the past year as voted by fans. Benzema opened the scoring following an Özil backheel pass, one of his three assists in the match, but Granada equalized three minutes later through Mikel Rico. Sergio Ramos, Higuaín, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo added further goals in the victory. Real Madrid extended their La Liga lead to five points after Barcelona drew against Espanyol the following day. On 10 January, Real Madrid defeated Málaga 0–1 in the second leg of the Copa del Rey and progressed to the quarter-finals 4–2 on aggregate. An error by Málaga keeper Willy Caballero allowed Benzema to score the winning goal in the 72nd minute. Álvaro Arbeloa made his 100th appearance for Real Madrid but was sent off late in the match. Real Madrid staged another comeback win on 14 January, defeating Mallorca away 1–2. Tomer Hemed scored with a header in the 39th minute for Mallorca before Higuaín and José Callejón scored second half goals to give Madrid the win. Real Madrid lost to Barcelona at home in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on 18 January. Ronaldo scored early, but second half goals from defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal resulted in a 1–2 defeat. On 22 January, Real Madrid ended the first half of the season as league leaders with a five-point advantage after beating Athletic Bilbao at home 4–1. Fernando Llorente scored early for the visitors but Real Madrid eventually raced to clear 4–1 victory with two penalties from Ronaldo and goals from Marcelo and Callejón. On 25 January, Madrid was eliminated from Copa del Rey by Barcelona after a 2–2 draw at Camp Nou; Barcelona qualified 4–3 on aggregate. The home side was leading after the first half 2–0 with the goals from Pedro and Dani Alves, despite Real Madrid being the dominating side. In the second half, Real Madrid leveled Barcelona with the goals from Ronaldo and Benzema. On 28 January, Real Madrid extended their lead in La Liga to seven points after beating Real Zaragoza home 3–1 while Barcelona could only conjure up a goalless draw away to Villarreal. Zaragoza took the lead in the 11th minute when Ángel Lafita scored for the visitors. Real Madrid, however, once again came from behind to finish with a comfortable win with goals from Kaká, Ronaldo and Özil.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: On 4 February, Real Madrid started the month with a 0–1 away win over Getafe. The lone goal, a header, was scored by Sergio Ramos in the first half. On 12 February, Madrid extended their lead in La Liga to ten points after winning 4–2 at home to Levante, while Barcelona had lost the day before to Osasuna in Pamplona. Levante opened the scoring with a header from Gustavo Cabral. The turning point came after a red card to Vicente Iborra, giving away a penalty which was scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo then added two more goals, including a sumptuous third, before Levante pulled another back through Arouna Koné. Karim Benzema then curled home a fourth for Real to finish the scoring. On 18 February, Real Madrid continued their good form in La Liga by beating Racing de Santander at the Bernabéu 4–0. Benzema netted a brace and Ronaldo and Ángel Di María each scored one goal in the comfortable win. Racing played over half of the game with only ten men after Domingo Cisma received a second yellow card for his second handball of the game and was sent off. On 21 February, Real Madrid drew 1–1 with CSKA Moscow in the away leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. The game, played in snowy conditions in Moscow, was led by Madrid for the majority of the match with a goal from Ronaldo, but a last-minute equalizer by Pontus Wernbloom denied the victory for the visitors. On 26 February, Real Madrid defeated city rival Rayo Vallecano at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas by a score of 0–1. The only goal of the game, a back-heel effort by Cristiano Ronaldo, was eventually enough for the visitors to go home with the three points in their pocket.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: On 4 March, Real Madrid extended their streak of wins in La Liga to ten games by beating Espanyol at home 5–0. Cristiano Ronaldo, Sami Khedira and Kaká all scored in the impressive win, as did Gonzalo Higuaín, who scored twice. On 10 March, Real Madrid became the first team in the history of La Liga to win ten consecutive away games after beating Real Betis 2–3 at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. The home team started well after Jorge Molina scored early, but Higuaín equalized just over ten minutes later. In the second half, Madrid took the lead with a Ronaldo goal, but Betis equalized only a few minutes later with a strike from Jefferson Montero. Ronaldo, however, scored his second of the night later on which turned out to be the winning goal and guaranteed the full three points for the whites. Real Madrid qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on 14 March by beating CSKA Moscow at home by a score of 4–1, progressing 5–2 on aggregate. Ronaldo netted a brace while Higuaín and Karim Benzema both scored one in the victory, while the lone goal from CSKA was scored by Zoran Tošić. On 18 March, Real Madrid tied against Málaga at the Bernabéu 1–1 after an injury time free kick by Santi Cazorla. Real Madrid's only goal was scored by Benzema. On 21 March, Real Madrid drew again 1–1, this time against Villarreal on the road, with Ronaldo and Marcos Senna scoring the goals. After back-to-back draws, Real Madrid was on an advantage of just six points ahead of rivals Barcelona. In the controversial game, Mourinho was expelled from the match as was fitness trainer Rui Faria for the third time in his season. The referee gave Sergio Ramos a second yellow card for a tough challenge on Nilmar and gave direct red to Özil for sarcastically applauding his decision. Pepe was also booked after the game for insulting the referee, which led to a two-game suspension for him. On 24 March, Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 5–1, with two goals each from Ronaldo and Benzema and a single goal for Higuaín. Ronaldo averaged 1.01 goals per game by having 100 goals scored in La Liga that day. On the following week, on 27 March, Real Madrid continued their good form in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg by defeating opponent APOEL in Cyprus 0–3. Benzema scored a header from a pass from Kaká, who then scored the second one; Benzema closed the game by scoring the third goal from an Özil assist. On the last day of the month, Real Madrid beat Osasuna away, 1–5. Benzema scored a stupendous volley goal and Ronaldo equally great 36-yard long range shot at goal. It was overall Ronaldo's night, since he also scored another goal, a free kick that was deflected, and assisted two other goals. Higuaín was the third player who got his name on the scoresheet, scoring twice. His last goal was the 100th goal for Madrid in La Liga this season.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: The month started with a 5–2 victory over APOEL in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on 4 April, giving an aggregate score 8–2 as "Los Blancos" advanced to the semi-finals against final hosts Bayern Munich. Real Madrid was resting some of their usual starters, but still managed to score five goals overall. Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace and Kaká, José Callejón and Ángel Di María each scored one in the victory, while APOEL's goals were scored by Gustavo Manduca and Esteban Solari, the latter scoring a penalty given to the Cypriots after Hamit Altıntop's foul in the penalty area. On 8 April, Real Madrid had a goalless draw against Valencia in La Liga, leaving them only four points ahead of Barcelona. Three days later, on 11 April, Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid in an away game 1–4. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two astonishing goals, and assisted Callejón to score the fourth goal to close the game. Atlético's only goal was netted by Radamel Falcao. On 14 April, Real Madrid beat Sporting de Gijón home 3–1 with goals from Higuaín, Ronaldo and Benzema. Sporting's only goal was a penalty given to them after a handball from Sergio Ramos in the box, which was scored by Miguel de las Cuevas. On 17 April, Real Madrid lost to Bayern Munich away at the Allianz Arena 2–1 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Franck Ribéry and Mario Gómez scored for Bayern (the latter in the closing moments of the game), while Mesut Özil netted Madrid's lone goal. On 21 April, Real Madrid defeated Barcelona in "El Clásico" at Camp Nou 1–2, extending their lead in La Liga to seven points with only four matches left, which all but decided the league title. Sami Khedira opened the scoring from a corner kick in the 17th minute which broke the world record for the most goals scored in a single domestic league season, with 107. Alexis Sánchez equalized in the second half in the 70th minute, but only a few minutes later, Özil assisted and Ronaldo scored the winning goal of the game by shooting the ball over Víctor Valdés into the net. Madrid completely outplayed Barça's "unbeatable" dream team, neutralizing their tiki-taka style, and put out a statement victory which was widely viewed as a sign of changes in the existing football hierarchy, with "Los Blancos" overtaking Barcelona as a pre-eminent power both in Spain and Europe. On 25 April, in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo initially put Madrid up 2–0, but former Madrid player Arjen Robben netted an away goal back for Bayern with a penalty. The match ended 2–1 after extra time and as both sides were tied 3–3, it went to a shootout. During penalties, Iker Casillas made two saves but Ronaldo, Kaká and Ramos failed to convert their spot kicks and Madrid lost 3–1, bowing out of the Champions League in a heartbreaking fashion. The Champions League setback did not break Madrid's spirit, however, as the team went on to crush Sevilla 3–0 just four days after the UCL semi-finals heartbreak. Ronaldo opened the scoring and Benzema then added a brace.


title: 2011–12 Real Madrid CF season

text: On 2 May 2012, "Los Blancos" defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–0 in an away game to be crowned champions of Spain after a four-year wait. Higuaín, Özil, and Ronaldo scored as Madrid won La Liga with two games to spare. That wasn't it however, as the team clearly targeted to achieve a record 100 points in a season. Madrid went on to beat Granada away three days later in a dramatic game that saw the home team score early, with Ronaldo equalizing on the 81th minute through a penalty, and Real clinching the victory in injury time, courtesy of an own goal. Two Granada players were sent off after the final whistle after a brawl involving the teams. The final game of the season was against Mallorca at the Bernabéu. Prior to that game, "Madridistas" had 97 points, meaning that they had to win to become the "Centurions". Real did just that by triumphing 4–1 with goals coming from Ronaldo, Benzema, and Özil (2). The team reached the 100-point mark and set numerous records in the process. Overall, La Liga title was a sufficient consolation for a heartbreak in the Champions League semi-finals against Bayern and earlier defeats to Barça in the Supercopa and Copa del Rey.


title: Ayça Ayşin Turan

text: Ayça Ayşin Turan (born 25 October 1992; ) is a Turkish actress. She is known for her role as Meryem in "Meryem ", as Leyla Sancak in the Netflix series "The Protector " opposite Çağatay Ulusoy and Haziran Sedefli Özgür in the Star TV series "Ada Masali alongside Alp Navruz."


title: Ayça Ayşin Turan

text: Her mother is from the city of Sinop. Her maternal family is of Turkish descent, all of whom immigrated from Thessaloniki, Greece to mainland Turkey after the Greek conquest of the city when the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Her father is from Kastamonu.


title: Ayça Ayşin Turan

text: Turan became interested in acting and violin at a young age. She later studied film at the Department of Radio, TV and Cinema, Faculty of Communication, Istanbul University.


title: Suriname national football team

text: The Suriname national football team (; Sranan Tongo: ) represents Suriname in international football. The team is controlled by the Surinamese Football Association, which is a member of CONCACAF.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Although the former Dutch colony is located in South America, it competes in CONCACAF, together with Guyana and French Guiana. Suriname was one of the founding members of CONCACAF in 1961. Suriname won the CFU Championship in 1978, were runners-up in 1979 and have achieved three fourth-place finishes in the CFU Championship/Caribbean Cup.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Suriname discourages dual citizenship and Surinamese-Dutch players who have picked up a Netherlands passport – which, crucially, offers legal work status in almost any European league – are barred from selection to the national team. Many Suriname-born players and Dutch-born players of Surinamese descent, like Gerald Vanenburg, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Aron Winter, Georginio Wijnaldum, Virgil van Dijk and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have turned out to play for the Dutch national team. In 1999, Humphrey Mijnals, who played for both Suriname and the Netherlands, was elected Surinamese footballer of the century. Another famous player is André Kamperveen, who captained Suriname in the 1940s and was the first Surinamese to play professionally in the Netherlands.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Suriname has participated in the qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup since 1962, but has never qualified for the finals. Suriname's strongest showing in World Cup qualification was the campaign for the 1978 finals, when the national team reached the final group stage.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Suriname also came second in CONCACAF qualifying for the 1964 Olympics, behind qualifiers Mexico and third in qualifying for the 1980 Olympics, behind qualifiers Costa Rica and United States. The US then boycotted the Moscow Olympics, and were replaced by Cuba in the football tournament, after Suriname opted to boycott the games as well.


title: Suriname national football team

text: In 2008 Suriname advanced to the group stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying despite using only local players. With their two-leg victory over neighbours Guyana, Suriname moved on to face Haiti, Costa Rica, and El Salvador in the third round.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Inspired by the success of teams with dual nationals, especially Algeria, SVB president John Krishnadath submitted a proposal to the national assembly to allow dual citizenship for athletes with the then-goal of reaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals. In order to support this project, a team with professional players of Surinamese origin was assembled and played an exhibition match on 26 December 2014 at the Andre Kamperveen Stadion. The project is managed by Nordin Wooter and David Endt, who have set up a presentation and sent invitations to 100 players of Surinamese origin, receiving 85 positive answers. Dean Gorré was named to coach this special selection. FIFA supported the project and granted insurance for the players and clubs despite the match being unofficial.


title: Suriname national football team

text: As of May 2015, Gorré was the national team coach who oversaw both the official and unofficial teams. The professional team consisted of players willing to commit to Suriname if the dual-citizenship bill was approved, and played two international matches. In 2016, Roberto Gödeken became the head coach once again. In qualification for the 2017 Caribbean Cup, Suriname secured a spot in the third round, but finished second behind Jamaica in their group. However, as one of the three best second-place finishers, Suriname advanced to face Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in the 5th place play-off. Suriname won the match against Trinidad and Tobago, but lost against Haiti, and therefore once again failed to make an appearance in the Concacaf Gold Cup.


title: Suriname national football team

text: In 2018 Dean Gorré signed a new 2 year contract with the SVB to manage Natio once more. His first game ended in a draw against Dominica in Nations League qualifiers. Gorré became not only the head coach of the senior team, but also overseas the youth teams and also has a helping hand in the introduction of a professional league in the country. Gorré also managed to arrange trainingcamps for the national team in the Netherlands, where Natio have tested their strength against professional and amateur football clubs.


title: Suriname national football team

text: Suriname qualified for the CONCACAF Nations League B after wins against Saint Kitts and Nevis and British Virgin Islands, draw against Dominica and a loss against Jamaica. Suriname got to share a group with Nicaragua, SVG and Dominica. After a narrow away win against Dominica, Suriname got to bag a massive 6–0 win at home against Nicaragua.


title: Suriname national football team

text: In November 2019, it was announced that a so-called sports passport would allow Dutch professional footballers from the Surinamese diaspora to represent Suriname. On 19 November, Suriname qualified for the 2021 Gold Cup with 2–1 CONCACAF Nations League win over Nicaragua. It will be their debut in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and their first appearance in a CONCACAF tournament since 1985.


title: Suriname national football team

text: In the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Suriname played against Costa Rica, Jamaica and Guadeloupe in Group C. Suriname lost its first two matches against Jamaica and Costa Rica, but ended third in the group following a 2-1 win against Guadeloupe.


title: Suriname national football team

text: In late July, the Surinamese Football Association terminated the contract of Dean Gorré after failing to reach Natio's objectives.


title: Suriname national football team

text: After the termination of Gorré, SVB announced that they have hired the services of Brian Tevreden's Tevreden Group. The Tevreden Group are involved in the search for a new national coach and the recruitment and selection of Surinamese-Dutch professionals who want to play for Natio.


title: Suriname national football team

text: The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.


title: Suriname national football team

text: The following 22 players were selected for the friendly matches against Nicaragua and PEC Zwolle scheduled from 22 to 26 September 2022.


title: Julian Brandt

text: Julian Brandt (; born 2 May 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.


title: Julian Brandt

text: Brandt made over 55 combined appearances for Germany's youth teams, playing at every level from U15 to U21. He was a member of the squad that won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2014.


title: Julian Brandt

text: Julian Brandt was born and raised in Bremen. In his youth, he played in his hometown at SC Borgfeld and then at FC Oberneuland before he joined the youth academy ("Nachwuchsleistungszentrum") of VfL Wolfsburg.


title: Julian Brandt

text: In January 2014, Brandt moved to Bayer Leverkusen during the January transfer window for a fee of €350,000, where he signed a professional contract until 2019. He made his professional debut on 15 February 2014 in the Bundesliga against Schalke 04. He replaced Son Heung-min after 82 minutes in a 1–2 home defeat. Three days later he made his debut in the European Cup when he came on in the first knockout round first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. On 4 April 2014, he scored his first goal for Bayer Leverkusen, as he equalized in the 1–2 defeat against Hamburger SV.


title: Julian Brandt

text: On 15 August 2015, Brandt scored the winning goal after appearing as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat of 1899 Hoffenheim in Bayer's opening match of the 2015–16 Bundesliga season. Between 20 March and 30 April 2016, he scored in six consecutive Bundesliga matches, becoming the youngest player since Gerd Müller to achieve this by scoring 72 seconds into a 2–1 home win over Hertha BSC.


title: Julian Brandt

text: On 26 August 2017, Brandt became the youngest-ever Leverkusen player to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances, doing so at the age 21 years, three months and 25 days during a 2–2 draw against Hoffenheim.


title: Julian Brandt

text: During the second half of the 2018–19 Bundesliga campaign, Brandt was re-positioned by new club manager Peter Bosz, shifting from his natural wide position to a more central role in midfield alongside Kai Havertz. His goal contribution increased as a result of the positional change and in February 2019, after scoring twice and assisting a further four goals, he was nominated for the Player of the Month award. He ultimately won the award and in doing so became the first Leverkusen player to claim the accolade. His brace against Mainz 05 at the start of the month also came on the occasion of his 200th appearance for the club across all competitions.


title: Julian Brandt

text: Brandt was Dortmund's transfer target after the 23-year-old scored seven league goals, provided eleven assists and subsequently helped Leverkusen to finish fourth in Bundesliga and secure a Champions League third qualifying round spot for next season. On 22 May 2019, Brandt completed a transfer to Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal for a reported €25 million after Dortmund activated a release clause in his contract.


title: Julian Brandt

text: Brandt scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund in his first match, a 5–1 against FC Augsburg on the first matchday, coming on as substitute for Thorgan Hazard.


title: Julian Brandt

text: On 4 June 2018, Brandt was included in Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On 17 June, Brandt made his first World Cup appearance as a substitute by replacing Timo Werner in the 86th minute in the opening match against Mexico in which they lost 1–0.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Stanley Freeman Druckenmiller (born June 14, 1953) is an American investor, hedge fund manager and philanthropist. He is the former chairman and president of Duquesne Capital, which he founded in 1981. He closed the fund in August 2010. At the time of closing, Duquesne Capital had over $12 billion in assets.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: From 1988 to 2000, he managed money for George Soros as the lead portfolio manager for Quantum Fund. He is reported to have made $260 million in 2008.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anne and Stanley Thomas Druckenmiller, a chemical engineer. He grew up in a middle-class household in the suburbs of Philadelphia. His parents divorced when he was in elementary school and he went to live with his father in Gibbstown, New Jersey (a section of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey) and then in Richmond, Virginia (his sisters, Helen and Salley, would stay with their mother in Philadelphia). Druckenmiller is a graduate of Collegiate School, Richmond, Virginia. In 1975, he received a BA in English and economics from Bowdoin College (where he opened a hot dog stand with Lawrence B. Lindsey, who later became economic policy adviser to President George W. Bush). He dropped out of a Ph.D. program in economics at the University of Michigan in the middle of the second semester to accept a position as an oil analyst for Pittsburgh National Bank.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller began his financial career in 1977 as a management trainee at Pittsburgh National Bank. He became head of the bank's equity research group after one year. In 1981, he founded his own firm, Duquesne Capital Management.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: In 1985, he became a consultant to Dreyfus, splitting his time between Pittsburgh and New York, where he lived two days each week. He moved to Pittsburgh full-time in 1986, when he was named head of the Dreyfus Fund. As part of his agreement with Dreyfus, he also maintained management of Duquesne. In 1988, he was hired by George Soros to replace Victor Niederhoffer at Quantum Fund. He and Soros famously "broke the Bank of England" when they shorted British pound sterling in 1992, reputedly making more than $1 billion in profits, in an event known as Black Wednesday. They calculated that the Bank of England did not have enough foreign currency reserves with which to buy enough sterling to prop up the currency and that raising interest rates would be politically unsustainable. He left Soros in 2000 after taking large losses in technology stocks. Since then, he has concentrated full-time on Duquesne Capital. He is profiled in the book "The New Market Wizards" by Jack D. Schwager. According to Bloomberg News, on August 18, 2010, Druckenmiller announced the closing of his hedge fund "telling investors he'd been worn down by the stress of trying to maintain one of the best trading records in the industry while managing an 'enormous amount of capital.'" Duquesne Capital Management posts an average annual return of 30 percent without any money-losing year. His funds were down for about 5 percent when he announced his retirement in August. However, they had since erased the losses and closed with a small gain through successful bets that the market would rally in anticipation that the Federal Reserve would announce further "Quantitative Easing" to assist in reducing unemployment and avoid deflation.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: According to "The Wall Street Journal", on August 18, 2010, Druckenmiller "told clients that he's returning their money and ending his firm's 30-year run, citing the 'high emotional toll' of not performing up to his own expectations." He indicated it was not easy to make big profits while handling very large sums of money. His biggest investments are Microsoft and Amazon in 2020.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller is a top-down investor who adopts a similar trading style as George Soros by holding a group of stocks long, a group of stocks short, and uses leverage to trade futures and currency. In early 2019 he held large positions in Microsoft, Abbott Laboratories, Salesforce.com, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines. In November 2020, he stated that he owned both gold and bitcoin.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller has been married twice. In 1976, he married his high school sweetheart; they divorced in 1980. In 1988, Druckenmiller married Fiona Katharine Biggs, a Barnard College graduate and niece of investor Barton Biggs, in an Episcopalian ceremony. Druckenmiller has three daughters with Biggs: Sarah, Tess, and Hannah.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller advocates reducing spending on entitlement programs such as Social Security. Druckenmiller was a major supporter of Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey. In 2015, Druckenmiller donated $300,000 total to the presidential candidacies of Christie, Jeb Bush, and John Kasich.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: In 2020, after the stock market crash and subsequent rally above pre-crash levels, Druckenmiller said he expects inflation in the US economy due to actions taken by the Federal Reserve. He made a similar warning in 2013 during an address at Bowdoin College in which he noted that, since 1994, he has been concerned that spending on government entitlement programs would lead to an economic crisis worse than the financial collapse of 2008.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: In 2009, Druckenmiller donated $705 million to foundations that support medical research, education, and anti-poverty, including a $100 million gift to found a Neuroscience Institute at the NYU School of Medicine.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller is also Chairman of the Board of Harlem Children's Zone, a multi-faceted, community-based project. Harlem Children's Zone was founded by Druckenmiller's college friend and fellow Bowdoin College alumnus Geoffrey Canada. In 2006, Druckenmiller gave $25 million to the organization. In 2013, Druckenmiller and Canada toured college campuses urging reform in taxation, health care, and Social Security to ensure intergenerational equity.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Druckenmiller and his wife are also principal sponsors of the New York City AIDS walk. The Stanley F. Druckenmiller Hall, built in 1997 at Bowdoin College, is named after Druckenmiller's grandfather and was dedicated to Bowdoin by Druckenmiller himself.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: In July 2008, Druckenmiller emerged as a potential investor in the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise of the National Football League. The five sons of Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. were working to restructure ownership of the team, and Druckenmiller was contacted by a member or representative of the Rooney family about buying the shares of several of the Rooney brothers. On September 18, Druckenmiller withdrew his bid to purchase the team.


title: Stanley Druckenmiller

text: Former Steelers President Dan Rooney stated that he has no ill will toward Druckenmiller, mentioning that he hopes the financier remains a great Steelers fan.


title: Orrery

text: An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons, usually according to the heliocentric model. It may also represent the relative sizes of these bodies; however, since accurate scaling is often not practical due to the actual large ratio differences, a subdued approximation may be used instead. Though the Greeks had working planetaria, the first orrery that was a planetarium of the modern era was produced in 1704, and one was presented to Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery – hence the name. They are typically driven by a clockwork mechanism with a globe representing the Sun at the centre, and with a planet at the end of each of the arms.


title: Orrery

text: The Antikythera mechanism, discovered in 1901 in a wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in the Mediterranean Sea, (it now resides in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens) and extensively studied, exhibited the diurnal motions of the Sun, Moon, and the five known planets. It has been dated between 150 and 100 BC. The Antikythera hand-driven mechanism is now considered one of the first orreries, but for many decades was ignored as it was thought to be far too complex to be genuine. It was geocentric and used as a mechanical calculator designed to calculate astronomical positions.


title: Orrery

text: According to Cicero, the Roman philosopher who was writing in the first century BC, the Greek polymath Posidonius constructed a planetary model.