As part of my summer project to follow Chicago Fire I will be posting periodically about their progress and any notable achievements and such.
The Fire’s season is five games old and after a rocky start (lost two of first three games) we have pulled back to a 2-1-2 (wins – draws – losses) record and seem to be finding the net pretty regularly. Back to back 2-0 wins over D.C. United then Hosuton Dynamo have given us some great momentum for our next few matches – Toronto FC, Kansa City Wizards and FC Dallas.
Brian Mcride is leading from the front, scoring 2 of our 7 goals to date. I always had a lot of time for McBride at Fulham and think that he is probably going to end up top scorer for the Fire this season if he can stay fit and healthy. He really is going to be the key to any success this season.
Following a conversation with Andrew I have decided to make a concerted effort to show some support to an MLS team this season. With Andrew picking New England Revolution and Matt picking the team from Philly, I decided to stick to my curreny US sports city allegiance and pick Chicago Fire.
The team was founded in 1997 and entered the MLS in 1998 with immediate success winning the MLS Cup and US Open Cup double in their first season. The team followed up this success by reaching the MLS Cup final in 2000, losing to DC United, and also winning the US Open Cup that year. This initial success was attributed to a squad with the ideal mix of experience and youth.
Notable players in the club’s history include Hristo Stoitchkov, Paulo Wanchope, Piotr Nowak, DaMarcus Beasley, Jorge Campos, Josh Wolff and Eric Wynalda. The club’s first coach was Bob Bradley.
The current squad is coached by Carlos de los Cobos and captained by former Fulham ace Brian McBride, it also includes players such as former Premier League striker Collins John.
That’s right folks, it is that time of year again. The name might have changed and the tent might be in a different place to previous years, but Reason Week 2010 is going to be as epic as its predecessors!
Reason Week 2010 is going to focus its theme on science and ethics with talks on homeopathy (given by yours truly), freedom of expression and whether vitamin supplements do more harm than good. As usual there will be a plethora of debates, with the CU and new for this year AbSoc (a sect of Islam).
RW2010 kicks off in just over a week (17th April) and if you want more info then drop me a line or leave a comment. Alternatively, visit the Leeds Atheist Society’s web site for details.
Community groups across Leeds have come together to unite behind a campaign to save an openly atheist doctor from being deported to Pakistan where he faces persecution for his beliefs. The campaign is designed to raise awareness via the media as well as social networking sites and an online petition.
Dr. Shaukat Aman Ullah became heavily involved with local atheist and humanist groups while studying for his doctorate at the University of Leeds. Dr. Ullah was in the UK on a student visa and applied for asylum on the completion of his Ph.D. His application was rejected in March; he is currently appealing the ruling.
Chris Worfolk, trustee of the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist & Secular Student Societies said:
This is exactly what our asylum laws were set up for. Here is an individual who faces genuine persecution for his beliefs in his own country. If we truly value freedom of expression and the right to your own beliefs we must grant asylum.
Sophie Stringfellow, president of Leeds Atheist Society said:
Being part of the Atheist Society has really opened my eyes as to how some people view non-belivers, even in modern society. If we encounter this attitude in a secular country such as the UK, I fear what attitudes may be encountered in Parkistan.
Parkistan has no separation of church and state and 95% of the population are Muslim. Apostasy is punishable by death, as is speaking out against Islam (as this is considered blasphemy).
Since the decision a coalition of Leeds community groups, led by Leeds Atheist Society have come together in order to raise awareness of Dr. Ullah’s case. Dr. Richard Parker of the Leeds-based Humanist Action Group commented:
It’s amazing to see how many people have volunteered to help spread the word. I would strongly urge everyone to sign the petition and show their support.
Arslan is a personal friend of mine and is already receiving death threats from people who wish to punish him for his decision to reject Islam. Support this campaign and sign the petition. If you have any messages of support or would like to get involved with the campiagn then either contact me or join the Facebook group and leave a message there.
could this spell the end of my #
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