Dan Magness Breaks World Keepy Up Guinness World Record

After about 208,333 touches of the football, Dan Magness became a Guinness world record holder today.

But that was not enough for the 25-year-old from Milton Keynes. He kept the ball in the air with his feet, thighs, chest and head until this afternoon to complete a 24-hour marathon of kick-ups in Central London.

The previous world record, held by the Brazilian Martinho Eduardo Orige, was smashed by over four hours according to clipboard-wielding officials from Guinness World Records.

The self-styled “ginger freestyler” said he had spent months on strength and stamina training. “A millisecond lapse in concentration – all the training [would] count for nothing,” he said.

Magness’s record breaking keepy-up effort took place inside a Perspex box in Covent Garden, reminiscent of the one suspended above the Thames by David Blaine, the attention-seeking magician. This time Londoners did not gather to pelt the world record challenger with eggs.

Gareth Brocklebank, Magness’s manager denied speculation that his star had taken a break when no one was looking in the early hours of this morning. “He has followed the Guinness guidelines to a tee,” he said. “He is as strong as an ox.”

Longest Time Controlling a Football on the Back Record

On Wednesday 30 April 2008, Dan Magness from the United Kingdom achieved the Guinness World Record for the Longest time controlling a football on the back. He smashed the previous record of 27.7 seconds, achieving an impressive 2 minutes 31 seconds during which he bounced the ball 100 times using his back. The event took place at the WOW Hotel and Conference centre in Istanbul, Turkey.

Dan Magness is a football freestyler with skills to amaze and dazzle anybody, he controls the ball as if it were an actual part of his body, making the most difficult of tricks look simple. The record attempt was the grand finale to the Bank Asya press launch for the sponsorship of 1.Lig Turkish football.

The event was attended by Guinness World Records adjudicator Aadil Ahmed, as well as a large amount of Turkish media who witnessed the amazing attempt, which attracted much interest as Turkey is a country where football has a vast following.

Dan was thrilled to have achieved a Guinness World Record and looks forward to attempting many more football related records in the near future.

Source : guinnessworldrecords.com

Guinness Records of Athletes Gathered to Sign Autographs

Samsung Electronics, a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics and telecommunications, and its partners Circuit City and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, have set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of professional athletes assembled for an autograph signing.

A mountain of 4,500 footballs, 18 Hall of Fame football players, and a whirlwind of signatures were on stage Wednesday morning at the famed Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, in an event that Guinness World RecordsTM has certified as the world record for the “Largest Autograph Signing by Professional Athletes.” The event launched the “HD Hero Days” promotion at Circuit City.

Approximately 20 members of the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Club were on-hand and had the opportunity to meet football legends such as Marcus Allen, Michael Irvin, Anthony Munoz, Deacon Jones, Carl Eller, Harry Carson, Fred Belitnikoff, Merlin Olsen and many more. During the event, Samsung formally gave their gift of $10,000 in product to the Las Vegas chapter of the Boys & Girls Club.

This is part of Samsung’s “Leave a Legacy program” in which the company gives back to the host-city of major events such as CES, Super Bowl and more. “Achieving this record with so many great NFL players on-hand is an incredible accomplishment,” said Tim Baxter, executive vice president of Consumer Electronics for Samsung Electronics America. “This record underscores Samsung’s leadership in the consumer electronics industry, and in our support for giving back to local communities.”

“We’re thrilled to see this promotion brought to life with a world record,” said Peter C. Weedfald, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Circuit City. “We believe ‘HD Hero Days’ will give our Circuit City customers an opportunity to obtain a souvenir of a lifetime in addition to supporting charities that help to build strong communities.”

Rob Molloy, the official adjudicator from Guinness World RecordsTM, was on hand to monitor the hundreds of balls being signed and the various pros signing them. At 10:44 a.m., Molloy announced that a new Guinness World RecordTM had been established. “It’s a great achievement,” Molloy said, “and it’s a Guinness World Record any sports fan can appreciate.”

The footballs will be used during a month-long promotion at Circuit City. Until February 2, consumers who purchase a 40” (or larger) 1080p Samsung HDTV plus any firedog home theater service $99 or more are eligible to receive one of these autographed footballs, while supplies last.

In addition to the footballs, the heroes signed 2 HDTVs. These 32 inch LCD HDTVs (LN-T3253H) will be auctioned online at http://www.nflauction.nfl.com/, with the proceeds supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas, Boys & Girls Clubs of a America, the Dan Marino Foundation through Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope and Pro Footballs’ Enshrinee’s Assistance Program.

“We are so thankful that Samsung, Circuit City and the Pro Football Hall of Fame included us in this wonderful program,” said Jim Richards, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Club. “The fact that they included a Las Vegas charity shows they are sincere about making a real difference in the lives of the youngsters living in our community.”

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit http://www.samsung.com/.

Zidane Glorious Career Ended with Red Card

France captain Zidane Zidane was in tears after his glorious career ended with a World Cup final red card for head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest in the second period of extra-time with the score level at 1-1.

The 34-year-old playmaker, who appeared to react to something said by former Everton centre-back Materazzi less than ten minutes from the end of extra-time in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, can have no complaints about Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo's decision in his final game.

Fifa has insisted that video replays played no part in Zidane's sending-off in the off-the-ball incident and Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech, who saw his men lose 5-3 on penalties, said: "It's sad to have a great player leaving the pitch in that way, getting sent-off. He has played a great World Cup. He has been ever-present.

"I would have preferred to have taken him off myself but I did not expect it to end that way. We are all sad that a player like Zinedine has been sent-off.

"I don't know what Materazzi said. All I know is that the man-of-the-match was not (Andrea) Pirlo but Materazzi. He scored the equaliser and had Zidane sent-off. He really put on a great show when he fell down."

Zidane had given France the lead from the penalty spot seven minutes into the 18th World Cup final after Materazzi had tripped Florent Malouda, but the Azzurri defender restored parity 12 minutes later heading home Andrea Pirlo's inviting corner - with no further goals a penalty shoot-out was needed.

This is not the first time Zidane's temper has blown on the pitch - he was sent off in the 1998 World Cup for stamping on a Saudi Arabia player and, as a Juventus player, he was once banned for five Champions League games when he head-butted an opponent.

Zidane's former World Cup-winning team-mate Frank Leboeuf is at a loss to explain what made the France captain commit his shameful World Cup final head-butt.

Former Chelsea defender Leboeuf said: "I cannot accept what he did. I think Materazzi said something very bad to him for him to react like that.

"But it doesn't matter what he said - you cannot agree with what he did. I feel very ashamed - because it is not the kind of thing that this team does."

Zidane will never have the chance to redeem himself, because the final against Italy was his last match before retirement - and that makes the incident even more regrettable for Leboeuf.

He added: "He has been such a great footballer and a wonderful human being ... I don't understand what happened. He has a hot temper; he can react, as we have seen two or three times in his career.

"He is a very shy person, a quiet guy - not the kind of guy to show the image he did yesterday. He should have been focused on the real target - the World Cup. To go out like that, end his great career like that, is a pity."

Despite France's failure to win the World Cup for the second time in eight years striker David Trezeguet, who missed his spot-kick in the shootout, was determined to remain philosophical.

Trezeguet said: "It's true that I know Buffon very well. But I didn't change my style of striking the ball because of that. I didn't think I hit the ball badly.

"I think it's important that one takes responsibility for his acts and I walk with my head held high. We have to accept defeat, look ahead, this is part of football."