What do soccer balls and prison breaks have in common? In 2006 soccer balls were used to create digging tools to build a 40 meter tunnel under the prison. Four soccer balls, a broomstick and some fan parts were used to create the tunnel that led 23 people to freedom.
The report said the tunnel went down 3 meters below the prison cell in the Political Security Headquarters in San’a, Yemen, and then continued for 44 meters before ending in the women’s bathroom of the nearby al-Awaqaf Mosque.
The Yemeni government report said digging tools included four soccer balls and shovels made from broomsticks and fan parts.
The prisoners made mud from the dirt, and hid it in different ways throughout their cells.
“One of the inmate bathrooms was filled with dirt to the ceiling,” the report said. “The accumulation of dirt in the prisoners’ cells demonstrated the negligence and disregard of some of the detention center officials, because they failed to routinely search the prison cells.”
Filed under: Soccer Balls: The Facts | Tags: Adidas, Adidas Fevernova, soccer balls, soccer history
In 1970 Adidas began supplying official soccer balls starting with the World Cup in Mexico. The Adidas ball for that World Cup game was the classic black and white pentagon / hexagon pattern. That Telstar soccer ball was innovative and thought groundbreaking at the time, but since then, Adidas has pushed the envelope of soccer ball desighn further and further.
The Adidas Telstar soccer ball became the basis for many recreational balls that followed and Adidas kept improving upon its design. Adidas followed with the first waterproof synthetic-leather Soccer ball in 1986 and the Questra in 1994.
In 1998, Adidas introduced the Tricolore in France. The soccer ball used a gas-filled synthetic foam under the covering. The new design delivered a more responsive surface and added stability.
In 2002, Adidas used that same technology in the Adidas Fevernova ball. The Adidas Fevernova was the official ball of the 2002 Japan / Korea finals. The Adidas Fevernova, abandoned the ball design that was used for over 2 decades and replaced it with a more colorful design
The Adidas Fevernova went on to become one of the most popular balls in play for many years to come. Up untill 2006, the Fevernova was the Adis premier ball.
pictures of the Adidas Fevernova and other Adidas balls
Adidas Fevernova
Adidas Euro 2008
Euro Italia
Filed under: Soccer Balls: The Facts, Soccer Trivia | Tags: buckminster, buckyball, soccer balls, soccer history, Soccer Trivia
So how did the modern design of a soccer ball come about? well check this out…
It seems an American architect named Richard Buckminster Fuller came up with the soccer ball design when he was trying to find a way for constructing buildings. How do buildings end up soccer balls? Seems it’s all about the shape.
Buckminster Soccer Ball or BuckyBall as it is also called is a ball exterior that is made up of a series of hexagons, pentagons and triangles. These Buckyball Geometric shapes can actually be sewn together to make a round surface when inflated. The modern football is essentially a Buckminster Ball consisting of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal surfaces. After the geometric shapes get sewn together and the inside inflated, we get the round soccer ball we are so used to.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bayern Munich, Juergen Klinsmann, rafael benitez, soccer, soccer balls, soccer news, youssi benayoun
Bayern Munich trainer Juergen Klinsmann is absolutely thrilled that his team got their biggest Champions League win, I am talking about the 5-0 total annihilation of Sporting Lisboa.
Juergen Klinsmann of Bayern Munich had this to say…
“That was an impressive performance and nice to watch, but I am sure we will keep our feet on the ground and not over-estimate this result”.
From Soccernews.com we get this piece of soccer ball excitement
Rafael Benitez enjoyed an unforgettable Madrid homecoming as a late Youssi Benayoun header helped Liverpool defeat Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League duel at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Filed under: Soccer Balls: The Facts | Tags: soccer ball stars, soccer balls, world cup
The Soccer ball stars of the world don’t just kick around any old soccer ball. The top stars use Professional Match Soccer Balls made of various types of synthetic leather. Professional soccer balls usually have four layers of lining that help the ball retain it’s shape under the hardest use. The best soccer balls are made of Ducksung, AI-2000, Cordley, Mircofiber or other varieties of synthetic leather-type materials.
The pros use balls that are hand-sewn for stronger, tougher seams. They are commonly stitched with 5-ply twisted polyester thread although some top soccer ball brands also use Kevlar® reinforced polyester stitching.
(more…)
