text:
WWE in the United Kingdom
From Wrestle Pedia a free encyclopedia of Wrestlers
History of professional wrestling by American promotion WWE in the United KingdomTemplate:SHORTDESC:History of professional wrestling by American promotion WWE in the United Kingdom
WWE pay-per-view event seriesTemplate:SHORTDESC:WWE pay-per-view event series
Vince McMahon
Promotion(s)
Brand(s)
WWE (formerly World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment), an American professional wrestling promotion based in Stamford, Connecticut in the United States owned by the McMahon family, has been promoting events in the United Kingdom (UK) since 1989. From 1989 to 2001 WWE was promoted under concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith and his brother Martin Goldsmith for UK and European shows.
1 International broadcasts from the UK
1.1 Pay-per-views
2 Mayhem in Manchester
3.2 Storylines
4.1 Preliminary matches
4.2 Main event matches
5.1 Weekly television shows
5.1.1 2004-2010
5.1.2 2011-present
5.2 NXT/NXT UK
6.1 BT Sport
6.2 Channel 5
7 WWE Performance Center
International broadcasts from the UK
Over the years, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment has run several broadcast events based in the UK. In 1989, the WWF held their First WWF UK event, which aired exclusively in the UK.[1] From 1991-1993 similar UK exclusive broadcasts known as UK Rampage.[2][3][4] In 1991 the WWF filmed the supercard event Battle Royal at the Albert Hall, in London.[5]
SummerSlam 1992 was the first WWE pay-per-view broadcast from the UK on August 29 (aired August 31).[6] In 1997 they returned to the UK with WWF One Night Only.[7] In 1998 the WWF returned to the UK for WWF Mayhem in Manchester and WWF Capital Carnage, which aired exclusively in the UK.[8] The following year they returned with No Mercy.[9] From 1999 to 2002 they ran a fall pay-per-view from the UK known as WWE Rebellion.[10][11][12][13] In addition from 2000 to 2003 they ran a spring pay-per-view from the UK known as WWE Insurrextion.[14][15][16][17]
10 October 1989 First WWF UK Event (1989) London Arena London, England Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Randy Savage for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
24 April 1991 UK Rampage (1991) London Arena London, England Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Sgt. Slaughter for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
3 October 1991 Battle Royal at the Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall London, England 20-man battle royal
19 April 1992 UK Rampage (1992) Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England The British Bulldog vs. Irwin R. Schyster
Aired 31 August 1992 SummerSlam (1992) Wembley Stadium London, England Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
11 April 1993 UK Rampage (1993) Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England Lex Luger vs. Jim Duggan
20 September 1997 One Night Only NEC Arena Birmingham, England The British Bulldog (c) vs. Shawn Michaels for the WWF European Championship
4 April, 1998 Mayhem in Manchester NYNEX Arena Manchester, England Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. Triple H for the WWF Championship
The Undertaker vs. Kane
6 December 1998 Capital Carnage London Arena London, England Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane vs. Mankind vs. The Undertaker in a Fatal 4-Way match
16 May 1999 No Mercy Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. Triple H vs. The Undertaker Anything Goes Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship
2 October 1999 Rebellion (1999) National Indoor Arena Birmingham, England Triple H (c) vs. The Rock in a Steel Cage match for the WWF Championship
6 May 2000 Insurrextion (2000) Earls Court London, England The Rock (c) vs. Shane McMahon vs. Triple H in a Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship
2 December 2000 Rebellion (2000) Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England Kurt Angle (c) vs. Rikishi vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock in a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWF Championship
5 May 2001 Insurrextion (2001) Earls Court Exhibition Centre London, England The Two Man Power Trip (Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) and Triple H) vs. The Undertaker in a Handicap match for the WWF Championship
3 November 2001 Rebellion (2001) Manchester Arena Manchester, England Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. The Rock for the WWF Championship
4 May 2002 Insurrextion (2002) Raw Wembley Arena London, England Triple H vs. The Undertaker
26 October 2002 Rebellion (2002) SmackDown! Manchester Arena Manchester, England Brock Lesnar (c) and Paul Heyman vs. Edge in a Handicap match for the WWE Championship
7 June 2003 Insurrextion (2003) Raw Telewest Arena Newcastle, England Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash in a Street Fight match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Mayhem in Manchester
World Wrestling Federation
NYNEX Arena
Mayhem in Manchester was a professional wrestling event exclusively for United Kingdom (UK), produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) that took place on 4 April, 1998 at the Nynex Arena in Manchester, England. The event was released later in an edited form on VHS in North America and in the UK. With the exception of the "Old School" editions of WWE Raw on November 15, 2010, March 4, 2013, and January 6 2014, along with the Raw 25 Years on January 25, 2018 and the Throwback SmackDown edition on May 7, 2021, this was the last ever WWF event to feature the WWF New Generation logo with the posts, ring skirt, floor mats and steps as light blue with the ropes colored red, white and blue.
The event was originally scheduled the be a UK exclusive pay-per-view, as a follow up to the success of One Night Only. As the event drew closer, the WWF cancelled plans to broadcast the event, due to a profit sharing disagreement with the venue. In addition Davey Boy Smith and Shawn Michaels, who the WWF has planned to center the event around, were no longer with the company by the time of the event. The event would later be released on video rather than broadcasting live.
The card consisted of eight matches, that resulted from scripted storylines and had results predetermined by the WWF.
The main event heading into the event was between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H for the WWF Championship. After Austin defeated Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania to win the WWF Championship, Michaels retired from professional wrestling due to back injury (He returned to wrestling in 2002), and then Austin continued his feud with D-Generation X members. It was announced that Austin would face Triple H for the WWF Championship at Mayhem in Manchester.
Another main event heading into the event was between The Undertaker and Kane. After The Undertaker defeated his brother Kane at WrestleMania XIV, it was announced that the two would face each other again at Mayhem in Manchester.
Other on-screen personnel
Commentators Michael Cole
Ring announcer Tony Chimel
Referees Gerald Brisco
Mark Yeaton
Mike Chioda
Preliminary matches
During the opening match of the event Jeff Jarrett defeated Brakkus via submission, when Brakkus tapped out to the figure-4 leglock.
The second match saw The The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeat The Disciples of Apocalypse (Skull and 8-Ball) in a strap match. Henry picked up the pinfall victory after hitting the Slop Drop on Skull.
Prior to the next match, Marc Mero sent Sable to the back, due to a series of issues leading up to the event. Mero however lost the match following Bradshaw hitting him with the lariat.
The following match saw Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart defeated The Nation of Domination (The Rock and D'Lo Brown), after brown tapped out to Shamrock's ankle lock.
The next match was between Cactus Jack and The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust. During the match, as Jack when to suplex Goldust, Luna Vachon tripped Jack. Following this, Goldust covered Jack and picked up the pinfall victory. Following the match, Sable came out to attack Vachon. Continuing with the issues from earlier in the night, Mero followed Sable out and pulled her off of Vachon. As Goldust and Vachon used this opportunity to escape, Sable turned around and attacked Mero, then left with Mero still on the ground in the ring.
The following match saw WWF Tag Team Champions, The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn), defend their titles against LOD 2000 (Road Warrior Animal and Hawk). As LOD attempted to hit the Doomsday Device on Dogg, Chyna entered the ring and hit Animal with a low blow. The referee awarded the victory to LOD via disqualification, allowing The New Age Outlaws to retain the titles.
Main event matches
In the first main event, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H held the WWF Championship and WWF European Championship respectively, however only Austin's title was on the line during the match. At the end of the match, Chyna attempted to interfere, however Austin hit her with the Stunner, followed by hitting Triple H with a Stunner as well, to pick up the pinfall victory. In some areas this turned out to be the final match.
The main event of the evening saw The Undertaker defeat Kane via pinfall, following a Tombstone.
Stipulations
Jeff Jarrett defeated Brakkus Singles match 7:38
The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeated The Disciples of Apocalypse (Skull and 8-Ball) Tag team strap match 13:45
Bradshaw defeated Marc Mero (with Sable Singles match 10:17
Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart defeated The Nation of Domination (The Rock and D'Lo Brown) by submission Tag team match 7:43
The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust defeated Cactus Jack Singles match 13:23
LOD 2000 (Road Warrior Animal and Hawk) with Sunny defeated The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) (c) by disqualification Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship 12:51
Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) defeated Triple H Singles match for the WWF Championship 29:13
The Undertaker defeated Kane Singles match 21:32
(c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
Weekly television shows
Insurrextion in 2003 at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle, England marked the last of WWE's UK exclusive pay-per-views.[18][19] However, WWE started to broadcast Raw and SmackDown! from the UK in 2004. Due to the time change, all broadcasts were recorded and aired on tape delay. The first Raw broadcast from the United Kingdom was October 11, 2004, with a SmackDown! recording the following day. Beginning in 2005 WWE would record twice per year in the United Kingdom, once in the spring and once in the fall. In November 2008, WWE recorded two episodes of SmackDown. As of May 2019[update] all recordings have occurred in England, with the exception of November 2016 which took place at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.[20]
From 2006 to 2009, WWE's recording schedule in the United Kingdom included episodes of ECW.[21]
11 October 2004 Raw Raw Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
Aired 14 October 2004 SmackDown! SmackDown! Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
25 April 2005 Raw Raw NEC Arena Birmingham, England
Aired 28 April 2005 SmackDown! SmackDown! NEC Arena Birmingham, England
21 November 2005 Raw Raw Hallam FM Arena Sheffield, England
Aired 25 November 2005 SmackDown! SmackDown! Hallam FM Arena Sheffield, England
24 April 2006 Raw Raw Wembley Arena London, England
Aired 28 April 2006 SmackDown! SmackDown! Wembley Arena London, England
13 November 2006 Raw Raw Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
14 November 2006 ECW ECW Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
Aired 17 November 2006 SmackDown! SmackDown! Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
23 April 2007 Raw Raw Earls Court London, England
24 April 2007 ECW ECW Earls Court London, England
Aired 27 April 2007 SmackDown! SmackDown! Earls Court London, England
15 October 2007 Raw Raw National Indoor Arena Birmingham, England
16 October 2007 ECW ECW National Indoor Arena Birmingham, England
Aired 19 October 2007 SmackDown! SmackDown! National Indoor Arena Birmingham, England
14 April 2008 Raw Raw The O2 Arena London, England
15 April 2008 ECW ECW The O2 Arena London, England
Aired 18 April 2008 SmackDown SmackDown The O2 Arena London, England
Aired 14 November 2008 SmackDown SmackDown Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
9 November 2009 Raw Raw Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England
10 November 2009 ECW ECW Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England
Aired 13 November 2009 SmackDown SmackDown Sheffield Arena Sheffield, England
8 November 2010 Raw Raw Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, England
7 November 2011 Raw Echo Arena Liverpool, England
Aired 11 November 2011 SmackDown Echo Arena Liverpool, England
16 April 2012 Raw The O2 Arena London, England
Aired 20 April 2012 SmackDown The O2 Arena London, England
5 November 2012 Raw Birmingham LG Arena Birmingham, England
Aired 9 November 2012 SmackDown Birmingham LG Arena Birmingham, England
11 November 2013 Raw Phones 4 U Arena Manchester, England
Aired 15 November 2013 SmackDown Phones 4 U Arena Manchester, England
19 May 2014 Raw The O2 Arena London, England
Aired 23 May 2014 SmackDown The O2 Arena London, England
10 November 2014 Raw Echo Arena Liverpool, England
9 November 2015 Raw Manchester Arena Manchester, England
Aired 12 November 2015 SmackDown Manchester Arena Manchester, England
7 November 2016 Raw Raw SSE Hydro Glasgow, Scotland
8 November 2016 SmackDown SmackDown SSE Hydro Glasgow, Scotland
8 May 2017 Raw Raw The O2 Arena London, England
9 May 2017 SmackDown SmackDown The O2 Arena London, England
6 November 2017 Raw Raw Manchester Arena Manchester, England
7 November 2017 SmackDown SmackDown Manchester Arena Manchester, England
14 May 2018 Raw Raw The O2 Arena London, England
15 May 2018 SmackDown SmackDown The O2 Arena London, England
Aired 11 November 2019 Raw Raw Manchester Arena Manchester, England
NXT/NXT UK
On December 16, 2015, the WWE held their first NXT event in the UK, NXT TakeOver: London.[22] In January 2017, they returned for the first United Kingdom Championship Tournament,[23][24] with the second tournament in June 2018.[25][26] In May 2017 they also hosted a United Kingdom Championship Special from the UK.[27]
In a press conference at The O2 Arena on December 15, 2016, Triple H revealed that there would be a 16-man tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion. The tournament was held over a two-day period, January 14 and 15, 2017, and aired exclusively on the WWE Network. Tyler Bate won the inaugural tournament to become the first WWE United Kingdom Champion.[28] In August 2018 Rhea Ripley became the first NXT UK Women's Champion.[29] In January 2019, James Drake and Zack Gibson became the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions.[30]
When the championship was unveiled in December 2016, it was announced to be the top championship of a new WWE Network show, produced in the United Kingdom.[31][32] However, it was not until mid-2018 when WWE formally established NXT UK as the brand for their United Kingdom division.[33][34] The brand's show, also titled NXT UK, had its first tapings in August, which began airing on October 17.[35] On January 12, 2019 the first live special episode of NXT UK aired, called NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool.[30][36]
16 December 2015 NXT TakeOver: London NXT SSE Arena, Wembley Wembley, London, England Finn Bálor vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship
14 January 2017 United Kingdom Championship Tournament NXT UK Empress Ballroom Blackpool, Lancashire, England Tyler Bate vs. Tucker
15 January 2017 Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
Aired 19 May
United Kingdom Championship Special NXT UK Epic Studios Norwich, Norfolk, England Tyler Bate vs. Mark Andrews for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
Air date 25 June
United Kingdom Championship Tournament NXT Royal Albert Hall Kensington, London, England Zack Gibson vs. Travis Banks
NXT U.K. Championship NXT UK Royal Albert Hall Kensington, London, England Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
12 January 2019 NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool NXT UK Empress Ballroom Blackpool, Lancashire, England Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
31 August 2019 NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff NXT UK Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Cardiff, Wales Walter vs. Tyler Bate for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
12 January 2020 NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II NXT UK Empress Ballroom Blackpool, Lancashire, England Walter vs. Joe Coffey for the WWE United Kingdom Championship
WWE has been broadcast in the United Kingdom on the Sky series of television channels since the 1980s, with a small selection of shows (including Sunday Night Heat and four PPVs a year) briefly being broadcast on Channel 4 in 2000 and 2001.[37][38] In 2014, WWE signed a 5-year renewal deal with Sky, to carry programs through the end of 2019,[39] which included adding WWE Main Event to the line up of shows carried.[40] In June 2019 BT Sport announced that from January 2020 they would be the home of WWE in the UK.[41]
The WWE Network launched in December 2014 in the United Kingdom.[42][43]
Raw Tuesdays BT Sport 1 HD
NXT UK Friday BT Sport 1 HD
NXT Thursdays BT Sport 1 HD
Smackdown Saturdays BT Sport 1 HD
Pay-per-views Mondays BT Sport Box Office HD
WWE is also shown on tape delay on Channel 5 since February 2020.[44] The weekly Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown are shown every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30AM.[45][46] The shows are 1 hour highlights with advertisements. On Channel 5's Paramount Network channel, full episodes of NXT UK are shown every Friday at 12am.[47] On My5, every episode of Total Divas and Miz and Mrs are available to watch with no extra cost.[48][49]
Raw Highlights Sundays Channel 5
NXT UK Fridays Paramount Network
Smackdown Highlights Saturdays Channel 5
Miz and Mrs Online Exclusive My5
Total Divas Online Exclusive My5
WWE Performance Center
The second WWE Performance Center branch opened on 11 January 2019 in Enfield, London.[50][51]
↑ "WWF @ London, England - Arena - October 10, 1989 (sell out)". The History of WWE.
↑ "UK Rampage 91 - London, England - Docklands Arena - April 24, 1991". The History of WWE.
↑ "WWF European Rampage Again Tour « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
↑ "WWF UK Rampage 1993 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
↑ "Mayhem in Manchester". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Card « WWF SummerSlam 1992 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
↑ "WWF One Night Only « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
↑ "Capital Carnage Results". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
↑ "Card « WWF No Mercy 1999 (UK) « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
↑ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (October 2, 1999. Birmingham, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 155. 2007 Edition.
↑ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (December 2, 2000. Sheffield, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 156. 2007 Edition.
↑ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (November 3, 2001. Manchester, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 156. 2007 Edition.
↑ "Historical Cards: Rebellion (October 26, 2002. Manchester, England)". PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. p. 157. 2007 Edition.
↑ "WWF Insurrextion 2000 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
↑ "WWE Insurrextion 2003 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
↑ Linder, Zach (21 December 2012). "WWE.com: Across the pond: The history of United Kingdom-exclusive pay-per-view events". WWE. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
↑ Docking, Neil (9 November 2017). "Is this a clue WWE is bringing a pay-per-view to the UK?". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. Retrieved 11 April 2021. The company hasn't held a PPV of any kind in the UK since Insurrextion at Newcastle's former Telewest Arena in July 2003.
↑ Palmer, Mary (22 April 2016). "Live entertainment that packs a punch as WWE Raw & Smackdown come to Glasgow". GlasgowLive. Reach plc. Retrieved 11 April 2021. It's the first time that WWE has ever been recorded in Scotland and acknowledges the recent wave of popularity that the sport has enjoyed.
↑ Cutting, Devin (31 December 2008). "Full list of upcoming WWE and TNA live events". PWInsider. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
↑ "NXT TakeOver: London Times". Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
↑ "WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament - Tag 1". Cagematch. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
↑ "WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament 2018 - Tag 1". cagematch.net. June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
↑ Csonka, Larry. "Csonka's WWE UK Championship Special Review 5.19.17". 411Mania. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
↑ Soucek, Andrew. "SOUCEK'S WWE UK CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT REPORT 1/15: Ongoing coverage of night two of UK Championship tournament". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
↑ "Major news from Sunday night's NXT UK tapings (CAUTION: SPOILERS)". WWE. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
↑ 30.0 30.1 Powell, Jason. "1/12 Powell's NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool live review – Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm for the NXT UK Women's Championship, Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey for the WWE UK Championship, Trent Seven and Tyler Bate vs. Zack Gibson and James Drake to become the first NXT UK Tag Champions". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
↑ Currier, Joseph (December 15, 2016). "WWE to crown first United Kingdom Champion in January". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
↑ Keller, Wade (December 15, 2016). "WWE announces new UK-based brand, holding tournament to crown UK Champion, Nigel McGuinness on announce team". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
↑ "Johnny Saint named GM of WWE's United Kingdom brand". WWE. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
↑ "WWE announces Johnny Saint as UK brand general manager". 7 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
↑ "NXT UK joins WWE Network's already packed Wednesday line-up". Retrieved 11 October 2018.
↑ Garoon, Brad. "NXT UK 26". Brad Garoon Dot Com. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
↑ Seddon, Dan (21 January 2020). "WWE highlights coming to free UK TV for the first time in almost 20 years". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
↑ "WWE on BT Sport: Sky Sports to lose WWE coverage in the UK". Radio Times. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
↑ "WWE UK TV rights heading to BT Sport - BT Sport". TV Newsroom. 2019-05-18. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
↑ Nissim, Mayer (2014-01-30). "WWE signs new five-year deal with Sky". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
↑ "BT Sport and WWE announce new partnership in multi-year TV deal". BT Sport. 20 June 2019. Archived from the original ([dead link]) on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
↑ Staff, WWE.com (January 4, 2015). "WWE Network coming to the U.K. and Ireland on Jan. 19". WWE. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
↑ Graser, Marc (4 January 2015). "WWE Network to Launch in the U.K., Ireland Jan. 19". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
↑ "Channel 5 and WWE® announce free-to-air broadcast agreement in the UK". WWE. London, England and Stamford, Connecticut. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
↑ Szalai, Georg (21 January 2020). "ViacomCBS Strikes U.K. Deal for WWE Programming". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
↑ @SidScala (18 February 2021). "Catch NXT UK this week! WWE Network – Tonight 8pm UK time / 3pm EST. BT Sport 3 – 10pm Friday. BT Sport 1 – 8am Saturday. Paramount Network – 12am Feb 26th" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 April 2021 – via Twitter.
↑ Kanter, Jake (21 January 2020). "ViacomCBS's UK Network Channel 5 Lands WWE Highlights". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2021. Content will also be made available on Channel 5's streaming service My5, including reality shows Total Divas and Miz & Mrs.
↑ Potts, Michael. "WWE highlights to be shown free on Channel 5". Radio Times. Retrieved 11 April 2021. Both shows will also be available online via Channel 5's online streaming service My5, as well as full seasons of WWE network shows Total Divas and Miz & Mrs.
↑ Jefferson, Lake (11 January 2019). "WWE opens London performance centre as part of international expansion". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
↑ Burdick, Michael (11 January 2019). "WWE ushers in the opening of the state-of-the-art UK Performance Center". WWE. Archived from the original on 12 January 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
1980s boom
Black Saturday
Steroids trial
Monday Night Wars
Montreal Screwjob
Attitude Era
Mankind vs. The Undertaker
Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide
PG Era
Reality Era
Wednesday Night Wars
Fox Season 2 Premiere
Raw Homecoming
Seasons 1–5
Halloween Havoc
New Year's Evil
Wal3ooha
Miz & Mrs.
Tribute to the Troops
Pay-per-view and
WWE Network events
NXT UK TakeOver
NXT TakeOver
Superstar Spectacle
Elimination Chamber
Money in the Bank
Extreme Rules
Hell in a Cell
Super ShowDown
Starrcade
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
Broadcasting rights
Home bases
Yuengling Center
McMahon family
Former personnel
LJN Wrestling Superstars
Mattel WWE Legends
WWF Hasbro action figures
Affiliated properties
WWE 2K
WWE Books
WWE Libraries Inc.
WWE Magazine
WWE Music Group
WWE Studios
WWE Home Video
WWE Podcast Network
Defunct businesses
Florida Championship Wrestling
World Bodybuilding Federation
WWE Classics on Demand
WWE Niagara Falls
Marvel Experience
Drone Racing League
Notable acquisitions
American Wrestling Association
Dragon Gate USA
Extreme Championship Wrestling
WWE revival
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Global Wrestling Federation
Heartland Wrestling Association (video library)
Smoky Mountain Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Wrestling Council (video library)
Insane Championship Wrestling
Progress Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling
Deep South Wrestling
International Wrestling Association
Memphis Championship Wrestling
Michinoku Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Power Pro Wrestling
Super World of Sports
Universal Lucha Libre
Universal Wrestling Association
Universal Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Alliance
Ultimate Pro Wrestling
United States Wrestling Association
Former championships
Types of championships
Diva Search
Tough Enough
Slammys
NXT Year-End
WWE Year-End
Battle royals
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal
Brawl for All
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Mae Young Classic
Sam Muchnick Memorial Tournament
WWE World Cup
The Streak
Titan Towers
Women in WWE
Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom
Major promotions
WWE in UK
World of Sport Wrestling
Irish Whip Wrestling
Over the Top Wrestling
Notable independent promotions
4 Front Wrestling
Attack! Pro Wrestling
Bellatrix Female Warriors
Grand Pro Wrestling
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
Lucha Britannia
New Generation Wrestling
Preston City Wrestling
Pro-Wrestling: EVE
Welsh Wrestling
World Association of Wrestling
Notable promoters
Max Crabtree
Atholl Oakeley
Paul Lincoln
Orig Williams
Jarvis Astaire
Defunct promotions
5 Star Wrestling
British Wrestling Association
British Wrestling Federation (1960s version)
British Wrestling Federation (Orig Williams version)
Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Joint Promotions
One Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling Pride
Defunct governing bodies
United Wrestling Network (2016-2020)
Wrestling Superstars Live
National Wrestling Alliance (1993-2014)
Systems of rules
All-in professional wrestling
Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules
Retrieved from "https://wrestlepedia.org/index.php?title=WWE_in_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=4120"
Articles with dead external links from August 2021
Articles containing potentially dated statements from May 2019
WWE international


text:
Ghislain Maltais, né le , est un courtier d'assurances et homme politique canadien originaire du Québec. Il a été sénateur de 2012 à 2019.

Biographie
Ghislain Maltais est né en 1944 à Sacré-Cœur, comté de Saguenay. Il étudie au cours commercial du collège de Forestville, puis devient associé chez Clément et Bertrand Assurances à La Malbaie en 1968. En 1974 il ouvre son propre cabinet, Maltais Courtiers d'Assurances. À partir de 1967 il s'implique dans les chambres de commerce de sa région, devenant le président fondateur de la Chambre de commerce régionale de Manicouagan en 1971. Il s'intéresse également à l'éducation, étant président de l'Association des commissions scolaires de la Côte-Nord en 1980 et vice-président de la Fédération des commissions scolaires catholiques du Québec en 1982.

Candidat défait aux élections provinciales de 1981 dans Saguenay (arrivé deuxième avec 32 % des voix), il est élu dans une élection partielle deux ans plus tard avec 43 % des voix. Il a été réélu deux fois, en 1985 et en 1989, avec respectivement 48 et 43 % des votes. Durant ses mandats il a été successivement adjoint parlementaire du ministre délégué aux Forêts Albert Côté, et adjoint parlementaire du ministre de l'Environnement, puis de l'Environnement et de la Faune Pierre Paradis. Il ne s'est pas représenté en 1994.

En 1997 il a renoué avec la politique active en étant candidat du Parti libéral du Canada aux élections fédérales dans la circonscription de Charlevoix; il a terminé au deuxième rang, derrière le bloquiste Gérard Asselin, avec 27 % des voix.

De 1994 à 2007 il a été consultant en stratégie et organisation. Il a été président international du Forum francophone des affaires en 2007. En 2006 et 2007 il a été contractuel pour le Parti conservateur du Canada, et en 2007 il était considéré pour prendre en charge une partie de son organisation politique au Québec. Effectivement il est devenu directeur du parti au Québec en 2009.

Le premier ministre Stephen Harper a annoncé le vendredi  en toute fin de journée, par voie de communiqué, la nomination de Ghislain Maltais au poste de sénateur. Il a pris sa retraite du Sénat en 2019 quand il a atteint l'âge prescrit de 75 ans.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Liste des sénateurs canadiens#Québec

Liens externes
Ghislain Maltais — Fiche sur le site du Parlement du Canada
Ghislain Maltais — Biographie sur le site de l'Assemblée nationale du Québec

Sénateur canadien provenant du Québec
Sénateur du Parti conservateur du Canada
Député du Parti libéral du Québec à l'Assemblée nationale
Naissance en avril 1944
Naissance au Québec

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


oldest network of Hostels in the world.
HI currently has more than 60 hostels in Brazil and more than 3,800 in the world.
There are more than 4 million members worldwide. All these faithful associates may be your future guests!
Hostel is the international name of youth hostel. Most of the Hostels have private and collective rooms, living area and kitchen open for guest use.
The Hostel is a practical, fun and safe way to stay around the world. Each facility retains its peculiarities and charm, reflecting the culture of each region, which makes the trips even more interesting and unforgettable.
If you are interested in becoming part of our network, please contact us!


EXCELLENT QUALITY: These flashcards are made of high-quality material. These cards are heavily water-resistant (as far as spilling coffee on them or dropping one into the mud). The thickness of the flashcards is 130 lb and measures 3.5" x 2.5" in size.
WIDE RANGE: This deck of 100 flashcards consists of a wide range of the most fascinating facts, myths, and legends about the United States Military Academy. Explore various West Point topic categories to include Sports, Cadet Life, History, Military, Architecture, Leaders, and Myths (with a touch of Horror).
POCKET SIZE: The USMA Trivia Flashcard deck is designed very carefully so that it travels easy and endures endless hours of fun. The cards are not too big, nor too small and can be easily kept in your pocket. They come in a corrugated cardboard box with a Dreamcoat gloss (think hard gloss shell), meaning they'll hold up anywhere.
EDUCATIONAL AND INSPIRING: Whether you are an Alumni, current cadet, or just a visitor, this flashcard set is sure to enhance your West Point experience. USMA has a rich, awe inspiring history, which can often go unknown unless you seek it out!


text:
Category Archives: Environment
Environment, Pets, Portland, United States
Hiking under and on the autumn leaves
Wildwood Trail, October 2018.
Autumn is upon us in the Pacific Northwest, which means the return of plaid, empty patios, chilly mornings and beautiful, dry fall evenings.
Well, that's what it's felt like this year. And the season feels even more wistful when I think of what's around the corner: rain, rain and more rain.
To fend off thoughts of winter we've hiked, strolled, sat and done just about anything else we can outdoors in recent weeks, before the short nights and soggy mornings arrive.
The highlight this year has been hiking in Forest Park, the 5,000-acre public area minutes from downtown Portland (and one of the largest urban parks in the U.S.) More specifically, hiking the busy Wildwood Trail from Macleay Park up to Pittock Mansion, a five-mile round trip with 300m of elevation.
While the lower part of the hike is populated with runners, dog walkers and families, once you're up in the hills large sections of the trail are empty, save for the shafts of fall light, the sounds of the undergrowth and your year-old miniature dachshund's panting breath.
And leaves, countless leaves, of all depths of burnished yellow and orange and rust and brown, either fallen or falling or else making up part of an astounding seasonal canopy. It's an incredible sight and an incredible landscape to hike in – a transient natural gift which we'll have for another few weeks.
Tagged Autumn Leaves, Cannonball Adderly, Cormac Looney, dachshund, fall, Forest Park, Oregon, Portland
Environment, Music, Portland, United States
My end of the world nightmare sounds like this
"I shuffle along an empty beach…ash in the air". Pic: Cormac Looney
When I picture the aftermath of a catastrophic event – a nuclear attack, the eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, the "Big One" hitting the Pacific Northwest – I'm rarely focused on the soundtrack.
In my mind I picture something not unlike the closing scenes of "The Road", John Hillcoat's movie of Cormac McCarthy's novel: I'm shuffling along an empty beach, polluted waves washing ashore, ash in the air, everything a tundra brown. It's raining, I'm hungry, I'm terrified. I hope my loved ones are safe, if not near. There's an acrid scent on the shoreline breeze.
This is how I think the apocalypse would look, smell and feel. For a while I've wondered what it would sound like – having listened to the new Low album, I think I know.
"Double Negative" sounds like an album recorded in the basement of the last, dilapidated house on that shoreline in my end-of-days nightmare. Huge, static bass, martial drums, vocals half heard, creeping in and out, broken radio transmissions, fragments of melody – it's exactly what I'd expect to hear as I boiled my last leather shoe for soup.
The lyrics may be more personal than 'death of civilization', but the themes of disconnection and doubt fit the vast, jarring eruption beneath them. It's the sound of something gone badly, hugely wrong, and the sound of its fallout.
I try not to think of a slow, tortuous Armageddon. But listening to "Double Negative", challenging and, in equal parts, brutal and beautiful, it's hard not to.
Tagged Cascadia earthquake, Cormac Looney, Cormac McCarthy, Double Negative, Low, Music, natural disaster, The Road, Yellowstone Caldera
Environment, Ireland, Portland
Farewell sun, hello rain
Autumn leaves, Portland
Autumn's arrived in Portland, heralded by a dip in temperatures, the return of the rain and low, gray clouds in the morning.
Perhaps it's the Irish in me but, after a summer of record-breaking heat and smoke, I can't say I'm unhappy. I'm damp, but not unhappy.
If anything, I feel slightly nostalgic. Changeable, sunny/showery weather reminds me of Ireland, and Irish weather year-round. How many soccer games did we abandon at kids when a deluge erupted halfway through, blown in on blustery westerly winds? In July too.
Ask me in November and I'm sure I'll give you a different answer, but for now the coming of Autumn has seen me look indoors and inwards, leading me deeper into my reading pile and back to my guitar, and allowing me to enjoy a cup of hot coffee without sweating (it's the little things).
And forcing me to dig out my raincoat, of course.
Tagged Autumn, Cormac Looney, fall, Ireland, Portland, Summer, The Softies, Weather
Environment, Mind, Portland
Waiting out 'May gray'
Lido, 1917. Pic: Foretpan/Vargha Zsuzsa
Spring is in full swing in Oregon, which means more light and heat and greenery.
The greenery is ever-present here, but the high, diffuse May light is not. The bright gray above reminds me of the Irish Midlands, where whole childhood weeks would pass under the off-white dome.
Back then it usually meant dry weather, which meant football outdoors. Now it's almost oppressive, however, particularly when temperatures warm into the 70s and the heat seems trapped by the uniform sky – or lack of one.
Under the gray this morning my memory – which may or may be accurate – called to mind Thomas Mann's "Death In Venice", and the oppressive skies above the Lido that provide a backdrop for the main character, Aschenbach's, fall.
While the absence, or concealment, of the sun worked as a metaphor for Mann, it's also what's most oppressive about 'May Gray' (as the Californians call it). Without the sun in the sky, there are no shadows, time seems to slip off schedule, there is no clear dawn or sunset.
Nothing to do but wait, of course. Until the end of the hour, or the day, or the week, when the clouds clear and high blue returns. And with it, hopes and memories of summer.
Tagged clouds, Cormac Looney, Death In Venice, Ireland, May gray, Oregon, Thomas Mann, Weather
Dublin, Environment, Ireland, Portland, United States
In praise of rainy afternoons
Saturday afternoon.
Grey and wet and cabin feverish – in my memory all the rainy afternoons of my childhood holidays merge into one.
Waking on a wet Saturday morning, usually at a grandmother's house, we would wait and hope, through breakfast and the drizzly morning, over lunch and on into the afternoon, that the rain would stop. By 3pm, after hours of books and board games, and more than a bit dispirited, we would be dragged from the fireplace and out for a spin in my dad's car.
If we were lucky, the deluge or drizzle would stop. But often it did not, and so another July weekend would be lost to the vagaries of the Irish weather.
The advent of the internet, and a longer concentration span, and my sheer bloody mindedness nowadays when it comes to getting outside and getting soaked, means that a rainy Saturday isn't the complete write-off it once was.
After moving from one rainy city (Dublin – 29 inches per annum) to another (Portland, Oregon – 36 inches), I've finally got used to rain. It's only taken 40 years.
Just as well, as my wife and I woke to hail, rain, thunder, lightning, and 55mph gusting winds last Saturday. We were visiting our friends' beach house in Manzanita, Oregon, a very fine property located all of 200 meters from the (very loud and very windswept) Pacific Ocean.
We were away from home. There were no chores to be done, no emails to be checked, or calls placed. My phone was turned off. For the first time in years, I experienced a rainy Saturday on vacation.
What did we do? Well, the same thing I did with my family 30 years ago. We had breakfast, chatted, ate some more, read a bit, watched the fireplace, and read a little more. And ate a bit more. And then we bundled into the car and headed out to the village for a damp stroll.
Plus ça change, as the French say. And pass the sauvignon blanc. The only difference between a rain-soaked Saturday in 2018 and one in 1988 as the occasional adult refreshment, which eased us into the afternoon and, truth be told, into the early evening as well.
How wonderful it was, to sit and sip and chat and attempt another two pages of the 'Nighttown' chapter, and then nibble and sip and chat some more. On occasion, I'd even forget the raging tumult flinging torrents of water on the windows. Until the next thunderclap.
Could I do it every weekend? The 10-year-old me from 1988 would probably give you a short, sharp answer to that – which I'd agree with today. But once in a soggy blue moon? Let it rain.
Tagged Childhood, Cormac Looney, dublin, Ireland, Manzanita, Pine View Beach House, Portland, Rain, Ulysses, Weather, Wine
Emigration/Immigration, Environment, Ireland, Music, United States
Out of season – and with good reason
Rain in Portland, winter 2016
As an Irishman, winter's here.
It began on November 1, not December 21 – the incomprehensibly late date observed in the United States.
The timing of the seasons is something the Celts got right. The drenching skies, low clouds, and fading daylight of November mean winter, not autumn/fall.
Leaping into the hardest season on the morning after Halloween means that, by the time Christmas arrives, you're halfway through. And the days are getting longer by then, too. How could winter just be starting at that time?
I picked up the 'winter in November' belief at school in Ireland, and I'm fairly sure that it's a commonly-held belief there to this day.
So, it's hard – as someone who now lives in Oregon – to accept that the forthcoming 48 hours of chilly rain is just another fall weekend. And don't get me started on the other cultural divide that pops up at this time of year – the pumpkin spice latte.
Whether I'm living in the right season or not, I'm guaranteed to be doing one thing this weekend – spending too much time sheltering indoors. Which for me, means a lot of time listening to music.
And what better music to listen to in Portland, in November, than an album called 'Winter Light', by an acoustic jazz combo called 'Oregon'.
Who says I'm not in tune with the seasons?
Tagged Cormac Looney, dublin, Jazz, Oregon, Portland, pumpkin spice latte, United States, Weather, Winter, Winter Light
Environment, Mind, Mountains, United States
Hiking the 'geography of hope'
Mount Hood. Pic: Clare Kleinedler
"We simply need wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope."
So wrote the novelist Wallace Stegner in 1960, in an appeal to a U.S. government official involved in a policy review of America's 'Outdoor Recreation Resources'.
Stegner's point seems self-evident 60 years later. In 2017, after hundreds of years of human erosion of natural resources, the wild country in public ownership is clearly worth more than its simple economic value.
While this is clear to many – particularly those who've visited a national park – the country's current president may take some convincing. Meanwhile, hope seems thin on the ground these days.
But, as Stegner argued, it's still there – for now. With this in mind we recently travelled from our home in urban north Portland's to the Mount Hood National Forest, and specifically to the Lolo Pass Trailhead, a waypoint on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
From there, my wife and I hiked the PCT for a couple of hours, before turning off on the Timberline Trail, which we cut away from to ascend Bald Mountain.
In the course of the hike we met a handful of people, who quickly passed with a nod; at times, we seemed to be the only people standing beneath the gargantuan west face of Mount Hood above us. The higher we hiked, the quieter the undergrowth sounded – even the fauna appeared to clear the way.
We felt, to borrow another phrase from Stegner, "single, separate, vertical and individual in the world, part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil, brother to the other animals…"
After months in the cities, and traffic, living with ambient freeway noise outside our home and multiple screens within, the hours also felt like 'sanity restored'.
On Bald Mountain. Pic: Clare Kleinedler
We ate our lunch yards from Bald Mountain's summit, where the only imprint of civilization was the few stone remnants of a 1930s fire lookout, facing the huge hanging glaciers on Mount Hood. The scale of the view was vast and silencing; our meal over, we sat and breathed and just looked on, a part of the landscape ourselves.
Having hiked in Europe, the British Isles, and Ireland, I've long been familiar with the restorative powers of the outdoors – whether in a blizzard on Ben Nevis, crossing a sun-bleached glacier on the Monte Rosa, or on sunny moorland in the Wicklow Mountains.
I still agree with the elderly man I met when descending Croagh Patrick in heavy weather on a November afternoon, who shouted to me above the wind: "It's good for the soul!"
It was, and it still is. The wild places – to borrow a term from Robert Mcfarlane – remain repositories of peace, beauty, and natural communion. But they're also places of hope – regions that remind us that – despite everything else that confronts us in 2017 – we're still part of something awe-inspiring. For now, at least.
Tagged Bald Mountain, Donald Trump, Hiking, Hope, Lolo Pass Trailhead, Mount Hood, Mountains, national forest, national parks, Oregon, Portland, Robert Mcfarlane, The Wild Places, The Wilderness Letter, Wallace Stegner, wilderness
Environment, Music, Portland
Just a little bit of rain
After the ice, the rain. Endless sheets of it, sweeping up the Willamette Valley and over Portland. An occasional break, a lightening of the sky, is just a tease – here comes another chilly band. And the next, and so on, rinsing the city, and repeating.
It's a good thing I'm mentally prepared for rain in February. I was born in this month, and as a child growing up in Ireland I remember birthdays bookended by drenchings, with huge, pregnant rain clouds sweeping on Spring westerlies over east Galway and Roscommon, and down on Athlone.
Oregon is no different at this time of the year. The winds are a little colder, maybe, and the heavy rain lacks the subtlety of the misty, wind-whipped showers that sweep over my home country from the Atlantic, but it's all of a piece.
This morning's early downpour kept me indoors, tinkering with my guitar and staring out the window. And thinking of rain songs. Not the obvious picks, Gene Kelly or Rihanna or Creedence Clearwater Revival, but something a little more blue, something that befitted a cold midwinter morning.
And so I came to a song I hadn't heard in 15 years, when I used to play more acoustic guitar. Back then I learned it off a Fred Neil album, but, after playing his version for a couple of years, I heard Karen Dalton's cover.
Dalton's version of "Little Bit of Rain" (she drops Neil's indefinite article) conjures up a deluge I never want to encounter, a flow of raw regret, the voice of a woman about to quit her lover, desperately trying to comfort him before she walks out. No reason is given for her departure but, like the rain, it's coming, if not today, tomorrow.
Karen Dalton encountered more than a little rain on her life journey. Having recorded one of the folk revival's great records, life and circumstances conspired to ensure that she never fully realized her talent. She did leave behind "Little Bit of Rain" though. Next time you find yourself watching drops slide down the glass, put it on – and be thankful for what you have.
Tagged Athlone, Cormac Looney, Folk music, Fred Neil, Ireland, Karen Dalton, Little Bit of Rain, Music, Oregon, Portland, Rain, spring, Weather, Winter
Environment, Mountains, United States
A winter walk on the Wildwood
Looking north over Willamette River to Mount St Helens (hidden)
I'd like every one of my hikes to be in the Cascades, the Alps or the Adirondacks.
But as a man of finite time and even-more-finite means, that always doesn't happen. In fact, it rarely does.
I still want to hike though, even if it's not an eight-hour day trek or a week's climbing on glaciers.
Luckily I relocated to Portland, Oregon this year, which is where Forest Park comes in. Running for eight miles on hillsides overlooking the Willamette River, and encompassing 5,100 acres of woodland, it's one of the largest municipal parks in the US.
Moving countries, households and jobs takes time. Up to a fortnight ago, with the exception of one early morning hike around Trillium Lake, I hadn't had a decent, muck and sweat-strewn outing since last July.
It was boots on and up to Forest Park then. My wife and I opted for a route running from the Newton Road to the Wildwood trail (#12 here), a loop that ran for 4.4 miles and involved a descent (and subsequent ascent) of 300 meters.
On the Newton Road.
Despite the lateness of the season, early November in the park meant some autumnal color, much slippery windfall underfoot and temperate hiking. Luckily for us the frequent Portland winter rain also held off (allowing us the view above), as did any large groups of fellow hikers.
And so we were granted a quiet, people-free three hours in the hills, a few short miles from downtown Portland but as remote as the wilder parts of the Wicklow Mountains National Park (where I hiked regularly when living in Dublin). Our outing was not quite fauna-free, thankfully: we spotted a woodpecker (the first this Irishman had ever seen) and a fox, two of the 112 bird and 62 mammal species to be encountered in the park.
Much as I'd like to set off on winter outings that involved down jackets, crampons and 4am starts, such expeditions are not always practical – as any city-based hiker will tell you. Hence the importance of outdoor spaces like Forest Park.
I'm lucky that it's all of 20 minutes from my front door – and that there's another 5,000 or so acres of it to explore.
Two roads diverge.
Tagged Adirondacks, Alps, Cascades, Cormac Looney, Forest Park, Hiking, Mountaineering, Mountains, Oregon, outdoors, Portland, Trillium Lake, Wicklow Mountains
Dublin, Environment, Ireland, Music
Half mist, half rain, and warm to the touch
Sigur Ros, Kilmainham, June 2016
A confession – I don't do music outdoors.
Hiking, running, walking – no problem. But not music and certainly not in Ireland. My home country's weather is a perfect disruption to a decent outdoor gig.
First off, it's likely to rain. If not for all of the show then certainly for part of it. Secondly, while the sun may shine and it may be July, the temperature will still be south of 10c and you'll shiver your way through the evening.
The third factor is a hidden one, the element few think of as they hunt for their old wellington boots or under apply sunscreen. And it's the worst.
It's the wind. While it's well known that you enjoy four seasons in a day in Ireland, it's less publicised that every one of them will be windy. And if you're standing in the middle of a field, side-on to an Atlantic westerly as your favourite act steps onto stage, you'll notice it.
You're likely to experience, as I have on many occasions, songs unwittingly deconstructed – the bass one minute, then a snippet of vocal, then what sounds like a cymbal but may be feedback. The song ends when the audience starts clapping, but I've even witnessed 50,000 cheering fans hoodwinked by a stiff June breeze, to the shock of a band launching into another verse.
This amounts to sort of improvised performance – just one improvised by an Atlantic depression and not the E Street Band.
Jónsi Birgisson. Pic: Jose Goulao
And so, when I woke last Sunday and reached to check the weather (a routine as common for today's Irish as the Angelus at noon was for our grandparents), my heart sank. Rain tapering away to dull, depressing mistiness, with a breeze (of course). And we had tickets to Sigur Ros, outdoors, that evening.
While shaking our fist at the weather gods is a national pastime for the Irish so is optimism – a blind faith that flies in the face of all common sense (and underpins most of our international soccer wins).
It was with equal parts dread and optimism then that we headed to Dublin city centre to meet friends for the show. Under grey skies our group drove on to the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, where the Icelandic act had set out their stall.
And then, as I walked onto the sodden grass at the venue/field, the weather didn't matter. Instead it struck me that, in my late 30s now, I attend so few outdoor shows that just hearing music without a roof is a novelty. Who cares if it rains, if the Irish summer dumps its contents down on the city for the evening, if…hold on, is that the sun?
Optimism rewarded, the audience looked over their shoulders to see the light breaking through the clouds beyond the Phoenix Park. At last – a show in the setting sun! Primavera and Coachella be damned!
And then – you guessed it – it started to rain.
Just before Jónsi Birgisson struck the first note we received a gentle drenching – half mist, half rain and warm to the touch – followed by an arching, shimmering rainbow, which framed the stage, the audience and the Royal Hospital itself. Beauty amidst the gloom – just as Sigur Ros began to play.
Tagged Cormac Looney, dublin, Ireland, Jonsi Birgisson, Kilmainham, Music, outdoors, Rain, Sigur Ros, The Royal Hospital, Weather, Wind

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Telanagana Got Talent Title Winners Sanjana Baradwaj, Sandilya, and Alcy.
Hyderabad, October 2, 2016: Sandilya, Violinist from CVSR College in Hyderabad got first prize; Alcy, Dancer from NIT Warangal originally from Mozambique country bagged second prize and Sanjana Bharadwaj, Singer from Bhavans College, Hyderabad third prize are the title winners of Telangana Got Talent.
The Title winners walked away with cash prizes of Rs 50,000/- first prize, Rs 20,000/- second prize and Rs 10,000/- for third prize. The prizes were given away by Dr. Boora Narsaiah Goud, Member of Parliament from Bhongir.
TEDx Hyderabad Co-Organiser Viivek Verma announced that all the two title winners will be given an opportunity to perform at the 2017 flagship event of the TEDx Hyderabad in city. Besides these, Sylvester Stephen, a budding percussionist will also be given an opportunity to perform at next years TEDx Hyderabad event.
First prize winner Sandilya played Nacheli rojave; Jaya ho…song from Slum Dog Millionaire; Manam movie theme song, Nannaku prematho and other.
Alcy, second prize winner is not only a good dancer, but he also give dance coaching to his friends in his college.
Sanjana Bharadwaj sang mere dholna from Bhool Bhulaiyaa song.
The Grand Finale was graced by Dr. B. Narsaiah, MP-Bhongir; Ch. Gopal Reddy, Chairman, CMRTC; Singer Usha, Ramesh Loganathan, Former HYSEA President; Praveena, Choreographers; Telu Vijaya, famous Telangana Singer particularly Bathukamma number, Karthik, producer of Bathukamma film; Rahul of Youtube fame and others.
STUMAGZ, a Digital Magazine Platform(www.stumagz.com) connecting 165 plus colleges across South India online organized a unique Talent Search in the State. Titled Telangana Got Talent, the objective of the search was to showcase hidden talents and in the age groups of 17 to 25 and provide them platform to prove their talent.
The Contest which kicked off on September 10, travelled length and breadth of Telangana, conducted 8 auditions attended by 1000 plus participants.
The Finale was open to one and all. Nearly 1200 gathering witnessed the grand gala show. Some of the performances include Magic, Mimicry, Singing, Dancing and Daredevil acts, Charan added.
Telangana is the home for talent pool of youth. But, unfortunately they lack forums to showcase their talent. Stumagz decided to spot those unsung heroes and give them a chance to prove their mettle in a large gathering.
Some of the highlights of the 8 audition is one student amazed organizers with his floating art in Warangal. Leaf Art and Sand Art were the two other arts performed by some of the students too are highlights of the initial auditions.
Another student performed Hollywood song on traditional Indian Musical Instrument Veena. Our youth don't lag behind even in daredevil acts. They proved that they are not less than any in the country. If given an opportunity they will be on par with the best in the country.
The contest has the blessings of the KT Rama Rao and the Telangana Government. KT Rama Rao has unveiled the poster and website and appreciated the efforts. The Title winner will walk away with a Cash Prize of Rs 50,000 plus many goodies. Runners up will bag Rs 25,000/- plus other goodies.


text:
Paolo Cesare Maldini  (; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer who played primarily as a left back and centre back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. As the Milan and Italy captain for many years he was nicknamed "Il Capitano" ("The Captain"). Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, until 2020, when he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon. He is currently serving as technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC.

Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his playing career in the Serie A with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 26 trophies with Milan: the European Cup/UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles, five European/UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Maldini won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39, as well as the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004. Following his retirement after the 2008–09 season, Milan retired his number 3 shirt.

Maldini made his debut for Italy in 1988, playing for 14 years before retiring in 2002 with 7 goals and 126 caps, an appearance record at the time, which has since been surpassed by Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon. Maldini captained Italy for eight years and held the record for appearances as Italy's captain (75), until he was again overtaken by Cannavaro and Buffon. With Italy, Maldini took part in four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. Although he did not win a tournament with Italy, he reached the final of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, and the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988. He was elected into the all-star teams for each of these tournaments, in addition to Euro 1996.

Maldini came second to George Weah for FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995. He also placed third in the Ballon d'Or in 1994 and 2003. In 2002, he was chosen as a defender on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. He was also selected for the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020. Maldini held the record for most appearances in UEFA Club competitions, with 174, until he was overtaken by Iker Casillas in 2017. He is the record appearance holder for Milan with 902 appearances in all competitions, and is one of the few players to have made over 1,000 career appearances. In December 2012, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.

Club career

1984–1987: Youth career, AC Milan senior debut and early professional career
Originally a AC Milan youth squad product, Maldini also went on to play his entire club career with the senior side. He won the Coppa Italia Primavera with the Milan Youth side during the 1984–85 season, and he made his league debut for Milan under manager Nils Liedholm during the same season on 20 January 1985, replacing the injured Sergio Battistini in a match against Udinese at age 16. It was his only league appearance of the campaign, but he was immediately made a member of the starting eleven the following season, at age 17, at right-back, being handed the number 3 shirt, which had previously also belonged to his father, Cesare. Maldini also made his Coppa Italia debut in 1985, on 21 August, while his debut in European competition also came later that same year, on 18 September. He scored the first of his 29 goals in Serie A on 4 January 1987 in a 1–0 win against Como.

1987–1991: Domestic and international success with The immortals
The 1987–88 Scudetto under Arrigo Sacchi marked Maldini's first trophy, and the first of seven league titles, with the club. Nicknamed "The Immortals", Sacchi's Milan side is remembered for including the Dutch trio of Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, as well as the Italian midfielders Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Donadoni (and later Demetrio Albertini), and a strong defensive lineup. Under Sacchi and later Fabio Capello, Maldini formed with long-timers Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti, as well as Filippo Galli, Stefano Nava and later Christian Panucci, one of football's strongest defensive quartets of all time. During the 1987–88 Serie A season, Milan only conceded 14 goals, finishing with the best defence in Italy, as they went on to win the Serie A title. Maldini went on to win the 1988 Supercoppa Italiana with Milan the following season, and followed up this trophy with back to back European Cup titles in 1988–89 and 1989–90, while Milan finished in third and in second place in Serie A during those respective seasons. On 19 February 1989, Maldini made his 100th appearance in Serie A.

Milan reached the final of the 1989–90 Coppa Italia, losing out to Juventus. Milan also managed to capture successive European Super Cup titles in 1989 and 1990, as well as successive Intercontinental Cup titles, once again 1989 and 1990. The following season, in Sacchi's final season with the club, Milan were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the European Cup by eventual finalists Marseille, and finished second in Serie A, behind Sampdoria, once again with the best defence in the league, conceding only 19 goals. Milan reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, losing out to eventual champions Roma. In 1989, Maldini was awarded the Bravo Award, as the best under-23 player in European Competitions.

1991–1996: Continued success with The invincibles
Under Sacchi's replacement, Fabio Capello, Milan continued to be a dominant force in Italy and in Europe. Maldini was also part of Milan's undefeated Serie A team, which won the championship in the 1991–92 season; in total, Milan went unbeaten for an Italian record of 58 league matches, earning the nickname "The Invincibles". This championship was Milan's first of three consecutive Serie A titles under Capello in the early 1990s. Maldini helped Milan defend the Serie A title the following season, and reach the first of three consecutive UEFA Champions League finals. Milan lost the 1993 Champions League final in a 1–0 defeat to Marseille. That season, Maldini scored his first goal in European Competitions on 21 October 1992 in a 1–0 Champions League win against Slovan Bratislava, and also made his 200th appearance in Serie A on 4 October of the same year. The following season, Milan captured their third consecutive Serie A title, finishing with the best defence in Italy, conceding just 15 goals. Maldini also helped lead Milan to a second consecutive Champions League final, where he helped his team defeat Barcelona. Due to Alessandro Costacurta's suspension and injuries sustained to Franco Baresi, Jean-Pierre Papin and Marco van Basten, Barcelona's "Dream Team", coached by Johan Cruyff, were heavy favourites to win the trophy, with the formidable attacking duo of Romário and Hristo Stoichkov. Despite their key absences, Maldini helped the Milan defence keep a clean sheet and overcome Barcelona 4–0 in the final, with two goals from Daniele Massaro and one each from Dejan Savićević and Marcel Desailly.

After winning his third Champions League title and reaching the 1994 World Cup final, Maldini became the first defender ever to win World Soccer magazine's annual World Player of the Year Award. During his acceptance speech, Maldini called his milestone "a particular matter of pride because defenders generally receive so much less attention from fans and the media than goalscorers. We are more in the engine room rather than taking the glory". He then singled out Milan captain Franco Baresi as a player who "really [deserved] to receive the sort of award I have received". Maldini also placed third in the 1994 Ballon d'Or, behind Stoichkov and compatriot Roberto Baggio, and fifth in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

The following season, Milan and Maldini captured their third consecutive Supercoppa Italiana under Capello, and won the European Super Cup, missing out on the Intercontinental Cup. After three consecutive titles, Milan were unable to retain their Serie A title, although they reached their third consecutive Champions League final, where they were defeated 1–0 by Ajax. Maldini came second behind future teammate George Weah in the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year Award for his performances. On 17 February 1995, he made his 300th appearance in Serie A. Maldini was able to capture his fifth Serie A title, and his fourth under Capello, the following season.

1996–2001: Assuming the captaincy, struggles, and 1999 Serie A title
Following Capello's departure, and the aging and retirement of several key players, Milan suffered disappointing results during the next few seasons, undergoing several managerial changes. Milan lost the Supercoppa Italiana to Fiorentina in 1996, and failed to qualify for European competitions for two consecutive seasons, as well as suffering a group stage elimination in the 1996–97 Champions League. Following Franco Baresi's and Mauro Tassotti's retirement after the 1996–97 season, Maldini was appointed Milan's captain. Despite the difficulties Milan encountered during this period, through Maldini's leadership, they reached the Coppa Italia final in 1998, losing to Lazio, and won the 1998–99 Serie A title under Alberto Zaccheroni, finishing one point ahead of Lazio. He made his 400th Serie A appearance on 25 April 1999. In the 1999–2000 season, Milan lost the Supercoppa Italiana against Parma, finished third in Serie A and finished bottom of their Champions League group. Milan were eliminated in the second round of the Champions League the next season and finished in sixth place in Serie A, failing to qualify for the Champions League, and participated in the UEFA Cup the following season.

2001–2007: New era of success

Milan again became a dominant force in Italy and in Europe under Carlo Ancelotti. In the 2001–02 season, Milan finished in fourth place, qualifying for the Champions League, and also reached their best ever finish in the UEFA Cup, losing in the semi-finals. In 2002, Maldini was awarded the Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea", for his career achievements and personality. The following season, Maldini lined up with Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Costacurta and Cafu, who, along with Jaap Stam during the 2004–05 season, formed a formidable defensive lineup in Italy and in Europe. Milan finished third in Serie A, but Maldini won the first Coppa Italia of his career, defeating Roma in the final. On 15 March 2003, he made his 500th appearance in Serie A.

Milan won the 2002–03 Champions League with Maldini as their captain for the first time in his career, in the first all-Italian final, against Juventus, on 28 May 2003 at Old Trafford. Maldini helped Milan keep a clean sheet, as they defeated Juventus 3–2 on penalties after a 0–0 deadlock following extra time. On that day, it was exactly 40 years since his father, Cesare, had also lifted the European Cup trophy as Milan's captain, also in England. He and his father are only one of three other father-son pairs to have also done so; the others being Manuel and Manolo Sanchís of Real Madrid, and Carles and Sergio Busquets of Barcelona. Maldini was elected Man of the Match and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year for the first time in his career.

The following season, Milan were defeated by Juventus on penalties in the Supercoppa Italiana, and in the Intercontinental Cup final by Boca Juniors, once again on penalties, but managed to defeat Porto to capture yet another UEFA Super Cup. Maldini placed third in the 2003 Ballon d'Or for the second time in his career. Maldini went on to captain Milan to win the Serie A title that season, with a record 82 points, whilst Milan were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia by Lazio, and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Deportivo de La Coruña. In April 2004, Maldini placed tenth on the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, an online UEFA survey, which was organised to commemorate the best European footballers of the past 50 years. Maldini was the second-highest placed Italian after Dino Zoff. Maldini was also included in the FIFA 100 list in 2004, which was a selection of the 125 greatest living footballers, chosen by Pelé. Following his Series A-winning performances, Maldini was elected to be the Serie A Defender of the Year in 2004 at the Italian footballing Awards.

Maldini began the next season by lifting the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana as captain after Milan defeated Lazio. Milan finished second in Serie A to Juventus that season, and reached the Champions League final, only to lose out on penalties to Liverpool, although Maldini opened the scoring in the first minute. In 2005, Maldini was elected to be a part of the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time in his career, and was also elected to be the part of the FIFPro World XI for the first time in his career. The following season, Milan finished second behind Juventus in Serie A once again, and reached the Champions League semi-finals, only to be defeated by eventual champions Barcelona. Both Juventus and Milan were later deducted points for being involved in the 2006 "Calciopoli" matchfixing scandal, and the title was awarded to Internazionale, while Juventus were relegated, with Milan finishing in third place after the point deduction. During the season, Maldini scored his first and only double of his career, against Reggina. On 25 September 2005, Maldini broke Dino Zoff's Serie A appearance record after playing his 571st league match against Treviso; seven days earlier, he had played his 800th game in all competitions for Milan.

The following season, Maldini helped to captain Milan to a fourth-place finish, despite their point deduction, leading them to obtain a crucial Champions League qualifying spot. Maldini played his 600th Serie A match on 13 May 2007 in a 1–1 draw at Catania. That season, Maldini captained Milan to their third Champions League final in six years, leading them to a 2–1 victory over Liverpool in the final on 23 May 2007 in Athens, avenging their defeat from 2005. At age 38, Maldini became the oldest captain to lift the Champions League trophy. Maldini participated in eight Champions League finals during his career, which is equalled only by Francisco Gento of Real Madrid; Maldini lifted the trophy five times, twice as captain. In an interview with ESPN aired prior to the 2007 final, Maldini labeled the 2005 Champions League final as the worst moment of his career. A match where he scored the fastest-ever goal in a European Cup final after 51 seconds and became the oldest player ever to score in a final, Milan lost on penalties to Liverpool after leading 3–0 at half-time. Maldini was elected the UEFA Club Defender of the Year for his 2007 performances.

In 2007, after Milan won the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla (although Maldini did not appear in the match), Maldini became the first European captain to lift the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Boca Juniors on 16 December. He announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2007–08 season, saying that he would do so with "no regrets". Following Milan's elimination from the Champions League by Arsenal in March, however, Maldini stated that he would possibly delay his retirement for at least a further year. He signed an extension on 6 June that kept him at Milan for the 2008–09 season.

2008–2009: Final years and retirement

On 16 February 2008, in the match against Parma at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, Maldini came on for defender Marek Jankulovski to make his 1,000th professional career appearance, of which 861 were with Milan, 12 with the Italy under-21 side, 1 with the Italian Olympic team and 126 with the Italy senior team. In European football, only the English goalkeeper Peter Shilton had collected more appearances at the time: 1,390 between 1966 and 1997. Maldini played his last game in the Champions League on 4 March 2008, a 2–0 loss at the San Siro in the last 16 against Arsenal which eliminated Milan from the 2007–08 Champions League. In 2008, Maldini was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit, as well as the Premio Internazionale Giacinto Facchetti, which is awarded to a player who was demonstrated both skill and fair play throughout his career.

On 18 April 2009, Maldini announced that he would retire at the end of the 2008–09 season. On 17 May 2009, in the Stadio Friuli, Maldini played his 900th official match for Milan in a league game against Udinese. Maldini's last match in San Siro was on 24 May, a 3–2 loss against Roma, and was given a standing ovation by the fans. There was a small controversy, however, when the Milan Ultras fans known as Brigate Rossonere protested against Maldini as he said goodbye. His last appearance for Milan, and his last game as an active player, was a 2–0 win against Fiorentina on 31 May 2009 in the last match of the Serie A season. This win meant Milan finished in third place and qualified for the following season's Champions League. Maldini was once again given a standing ovation by the fans. As they had previously done with Franco Baresi's number 6 shirt, Milan retired Maldini's number 3 shirt, but stated that it will be bequeathed to one of his sons if one of them were to make the club's senior team.

On 28 August 2009 in Monte Carlo, Paolo Maldini was Awarded a prize for his career by UEFA during the draw for the group stage of the 2009–10 Champions League. On 17 November 2009, Spanish sports newspaper Marca awarded Maldini the "Marca Leyenda" prize for his career and achievements.

International career

Early career and 1990 World Cup

In 1986, Maldini was called up by his father Cesare Maldini to the Italian under-21 national team, and made his debut for the team on the 12 November of that year, in a 0–0 draw against Austria; he earned 12 caps and scored five goals in two years with the azzurrini, with his first goal coming on 11 February 1987, in a 2–1 win against Portugal. Maldini was also member of the under-21 team that finished runners-up to Spain in the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Two years later, he also featured for the under-21 team that was eliminated in the first round against eventual winners France in the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Maldini made his senior debut for the Italy senior team at age 19 on 31 March 1988 in a 1–1 friendly draw against Yugoslavia in Split, and made one appearance for the Italy Olympic squad on 28 October 1987, although he was not part of the team that finished in fourth place at the 1988 Olympics. Maldini featured in all four of Italy's games at UEFA Euro 1988, where they reached the semi-finals, losing to the Soviet Union.

Maldini participated in his first World Cup in 1990 on home soil, appearing in all seven Italy matches. He helped Italy to win five consecutive games and was a starting member of the defence that kept a FIFA World Cup record of five consecutive clean sheets. The Italian defence eventually conceded an equalising goal in the semi-final match against Carlos Bilardo's Argentina, after going a World Cup record total of 518 minutes without conceding. Following two periods of extra time, in which neither team was able to score, Italy lost out to Argentina on penalties. Italy eventually placed third after defeating England 2–1 in the third-place final match, and finishing the tournament with the best defence having conceded two goals throughout the entire World Cup. Maldini was elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament.

1994 World Cup Final and appointment to captaincy

Maldini's first international goal came in his 44th career match, in a 2–0 friendly win over Mexico in Florence on 20 January 1993. Maldini was part of the Italy squad that participated in the 1992 U.S. Cup, finishing in second place in the friendly tournament, behind the host nation. Italy failed to qualify for Euro 1992, finishing second in their group, but qualified for the 1994 World Cup, where Maldini was named vice-captain for Italy. During the 1994 World Cup, Maldini played in all seven of Italy's matches, and deputised for the injured Franco Baresi in the matches against Mexico, Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria, keeping a clean sheet in the group match against Norway. Maldini led the Italian defence to the final, playing both as a centre-back and as a full-back, due to the absences of his Milan and Italy defensive teammates Baresi, due to injury, Mauro Tassotti, due to suspension after the quarter-finals, and Alessandro Costacurta, who was suspended for the final. Maldini helped Italy keep a clean sheet in the final against favourites Brazil as the team eventually lost on penalties. As in 1990, Maldini was named in the Team of the Tournament, 32 years after his father Cesare received the same honour at the 1962 World Cup.

After Franco Baresi's international retirement in 1994, Maldini was appointed the team's full-time captain. A disappointing Euro 1996 campaign saw Italy eliminated in the group stage with four points, in a group which contained the two eventual finalists of the tournament, Germany and the Czech Republic. Maldini played in all three of Italy's group matches. The 1998 World Cup in France saw Italy start strongly, topping their group. Maldini played in all five of Italy's matches, and started the play that led to Christian Vieri's opening goal in Italy's first match against Chile, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Maldini, partnering with Alessandro Costacurta, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta and Giuseppe Bergomi, also helped Italy to keep clean sheets in the second group match against Cameroon, the round of 16 match Norway and France in the quarter-finals, but Italy eventually went out of the tournament to the hosts and eventual champions on penalties, for the third consecutive time in a World Cup.

Euro 2000 Final and fourth World Cup
Maldini made his 100th appearance for Italy on 28 April 1999, in a 0–0 friendly away draw against Croatia, under manager Dino Zoff. The following year, Italy reached the final of Euro 2000, but lost once again to defending World Cup champions France in extra time. Maldini played in all six of Italy's matches during the tournament. Italy topped their group, winning every match, and Maldini, starting alongside Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta, helped the Italian defence to concede only two goals en route to the final, keeping clean sheets against co-hosts Belgium in the group stage, Romania in the quarter-finals and co-hosts the Netherlands in the semi-finals. A ten-man Italy advanced to the final on penalties after a 0–0 draw with the Dutch following extra time. Although Maldini missed his penalty, Italy won the shootout 3–1. Italy were leading 1–0 in the final until Wiltord equalised in the final minute of stoppage time. David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute, in extra time. In all of the three UEFA European Championships in which Maldini participated, he was elected to be part of the team of the tournament for his performances.

On 7 October 2000, in a 3–0 win over Romania in Milan in a 2002 World Cup qualifier, Maldini overtook Dino Zoff to become Italy's most capped player of all time with his 113th senior international appearance for Italy. Maldini played in his fourth World Cup, and his second as captain, in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. He helped Italy keep a clean sheet in their opening win against Ecuador, and played in all four of Italy's matches. Italy disappointed in the remaining group matches, but went on to the knockout round as the second placed team of their group. Immediately after a ten-man Italy were controversially eliminated in the round of sixteen, by a golden goal, to co-hosts South Korea, Maldini retired from international football, at the age of 34, as Italy's most capped player. He scored seven international goals, all coming in home games. He spent over half of his 16 years as an international as team captain, wearing the armband a record 74 times, until he was overtaken by Cannavaro, and subsequently Buffon. Despite his performances for his country, Maldini was unable to win a trophy, although he reached the final of both the World Cup and the European Championship. Maldini made 23 appearances in World Cups, the third-highest total after Lothar Matthäus, who appeared in 25 matches and Lionel Messi, who appeared in 26 matches.

In February 2009, Italian head coach Marcello Lippi declared his support for a testimonial match for Maldini, stating that it would give him a chance to play for the Azzurri for a final time. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) offered him a place in the line-up in a friendly match against Northern Ireland. Maldini, however, rejected the offer, saying that he wanted to part with football in an "official" match.

After retirement

Prior to his retirement, Maldini expressed that he would never be moving into a coaching career. He was offered a position that would have reunited him with his former manager Carlo Ancelotti by joining Chelsea as a coach, having reportedly met with Ancelotti and with Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, to discuss such a possibility. Ancelotti later announced that Maldini had turned down his offer to become part of Chelsea's coaching staff.

In 2012, Maldini was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Maldini played in the 11th Match Against Poverty on 4 March 2014, appearing with other star players including Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo and Pavel Nedvěd, which was held in Bern, Switzerland, with proceeds raised helping the recovery efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. On 1 September 2014, Maldini, along with many current and former footballing stars, took part in the "Match for Peace", which was played at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, with the proceeds being donated to charity. In May 2015, it was announced that Maldini became the co-owner of North American Soccer League (NASL) club Miami FC, alongside television rights entrepreneur Riccardo Silva, in hope that the team would be able to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) in future. On 1 May 2016, Maldini became the second player ever after Southampton's Matthew Le Tissier to receive the One Club Man Award from Basque club Athletic Bilbao; he was presented with the prize at half-time, during the club's 2–1 home win over Celta de Vigo, and received a standing ovation from the attending fans.

In June 2017, Maldini qualified for the Aspria Tennis Cup in Milan, a professional tennis tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour, along with his doubles partner Stefano Landonio, after winning a qualifier in Italy. They were defeated in the first round by Tomasz Bednarek and David Pel by a score of 6–1, 6–1. After the defeat, Maldini conceded that it was likely to be his last professional tennis match.

2018-Present: Back to AC Milan

In August 2018, a few weeks after Milan's change of ownership in favour of Elliott Management Corporation, he accepted an offer to become the sporting strategy & development director for the club, working alongside new sporting director Leonardo. This marked his comeback to the club since his retirement from active football. On 14 June 2019, Maldini was promoted to technical director.

After 3 years as a technical director, Milan won 2021-22 Serie A title, the first one in 11 years, with Maldini himself being instrumental in bringing many talents, the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao, Oliver Giroud, Tomori, and Mike Maignan, the latter being named best goalkeeper of the aforementioned season, Leao also was awarded the MVP of the season.

On 1 July 2022, one day after his contract expired with club, it was announced that he renewed his contract with club for additional two years as technical director. On 17 November 2022, he was recognised as Sporting Director of the Year alongside fellow Milan director Frederic Massara at the 2022 Globe Soccer Awards.

Player profile

Style of play

Although he played as a left back for most of his career, Maldini was naturally right footed, and began playing for Milan as a right back. He was switched to the left back position by manager Arrigo Sacchi due to the presence of Mauro Tassotti on the right for Milan. This was made possible due to Maldini's tactical versatility and ability with both feet, which allowed him to play anywhere along the backline, and have a long and successful professional career, both with Milan and Italy.

Maldini was renowned for his technical ability, athleticism, sliding tackles, stamina, composure and fast energetic forward runs as a left-back or wing-back. He was also an excellent crosser of the ball, and was an effective attacking threat, scoring and assisting several goals throughout his career. In the final few years of his career, as he lost speed, he was moved to a centre-back position, where he excelled in relying on his experience, tactical ability, positioning and timing to win the ball.

As a centre-back, Maldini was renowned for his marking, awareness and ability to anticipate a threat from the opposition. Despite being a precise tackler and an imposing defensive presence, he often avoided committing to challenges when he deemed them unnecessary, preferring to restrict the offensive play of his opponents through his positioning and marking. Maldini was also known for his aerial ability, strength, tackling and man-marking, as well as his tactical knowledge. His passing range and ability to begin plays from the backline also allowed him to advance into the midfield and excel in the sweeper or libero position, on the rare occasion that he was deployed in this role.

Legacy

Maldini is considered to have been one of the greatest defenders of all time, and has been described as "an icon and gentleman of the game". He was known for his calm and composed manner on the pitch, as well as his ability to read the game, preferring elegance and intelligence to physicality and aggression when defending; regarded as a correct player, known for his discipline on the pitch, he only received three red cards throughout his entire career. In a 2002 FIFA poll, Maldini was selected as a defender in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.

Maldini was the first defender ever shortlisted for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, finishing second in 1995. He was also twice elected as a finalist for the Ballon d'Or, in 1994 and in 2003, where he finished third on both occasions. In addition to his team success, he also won several individual accolades and awards. He won the UEFA Defender of the year, the Serie A defender of the year, the Bravo Award and the World Soccer Player of the Year Award. He has also been elected as part of the UEFA Team of the Year, the FIFPro World XI, the World Cup Team of the Tournament and the European Championship Team of the Tournament during his career. Maldini was a symbol of his club and the Italy national football team. He was renowned for his consistency, versatility, work-rate, and longevity, breaking into the Milan starting lineup as a teenager and remaining there throughout his career until he retired at the age of 41.

Throughout his career, Maldini was also considered to be a leader, both for Milan and for the Italy national team, earning the nickname "Il Capitano" ("The Captain"). He was renowned for his vocal, commanding presence on the pitch, and for his awareness, communication and organisational skills, helping to motivate his teammates and ensuring they remained in position. He played in over 1,000 professional matches during his 25 seasons at Milan, and was the record appearance holder in Serie A until he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon in 2020, and still is for Milan in all competitions. Maldini also appeared in a record eight UEFA Champions League Finals, and is the record appearance holder in all UEFA club competitions. With 126 caps during the 16 years he played for Italy, he was the record appearance holder for the national team, until he was overtaken by Fabio Cannavaro in 2009 and by Gianluigi Buffon in 2013. He also formerly held the record number of caps for Italy as captain, wearing the armband on 74 occasions, until being overtaken by Cannavaro. Maldini has inspired many defenders like Rio Ferdinand, Rafael Márquez and Carles Puyol.

Media
Maldini has appeared in commercials for the American sportswear company Nike. He wore Nike Tiempo football boots at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In 1996, he starred in a Nike commercial titled "Good vs Evil" in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheatre. Appearing alongside football players from around the world, including Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Luís Figo, Patrick Kluivert and Jorge Campos, they defend "the beautiful game" against a team of demonic warriors, with Maldini stating, "Maybe they're friendly?" before he starts the move which culminates with Cantona striking the ball and "destroying evil".

Maldini features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series; he was on the cover for the Italian edition of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, and was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14.

Personal life
Maldini was born on 26 June 1968 in Milan to Cesare Maldini and Maria Luisa De Mezzi. He has been married to Venezuelan former model  since December 1994. The couple have two sons, Christian (born 14 June 1996) and Daniel (born 11 October 2001), who both have been signed by Maldini's former club Milan and played in the youth teams. His father Cesare was also a footballer who also played as a defender, captained Milan, and represented the Italy national team, later going on to become a coach. Throughout Cesare's managerial career, he coached his son both in the Italy under-21 side and the senior team, as well as at Milan, also managing several other teams. On 3 April 2016, Paolo's father Cesare died at the age of 84; his mother died later that year, on 28 July.

Maldini has his own fashion label – Sweet Years – which he runs with friend and former Italy and Milan teammate Christian Vieri.

Career statistics

Club

European competitions include the European Cup/UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup
Other tournaments include the Supercoppa Italiana, European/UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup
Play-off for UEFA Cup admission
Played in the Torneo Estivo del 1986

International

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Maldini goal.

Honours
AC Milan
Serie A: 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
Coppa Italia: 2002–03
Supercoppa Italiana: 1992, 1993, 2004
European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 2002–03, 2006–07
European/UEFA Super Cup: 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003
Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990
FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Italy
FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994; third place 1990
UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000
UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1986

Individual
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988, 1996, 2000
Bravo Award: 1989
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990, 1994
Ballon d'Or: Third place 1994, 2003
World Soccer Player of the Year: 1994
El País European Player of the Year: 1994
UNICEF European Footballer of the Season: 1993–94
ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2002–03
FIFA World Player of the Year: Silver Award 1995
Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 2002
FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2002
FIFA XI: 2002
UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2003
UEFA Team of the Year: 2003, 2005
UEFA President's Award: 2003
Serie A Defender of the Year: 2004
FIFA 100
UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll: #10
FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2005
UEFA Club Defender of the Year: 2007
Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2008
FIFA Order of Merit: 2008
UEFA Champions League Achievement Award: 2009
Marca Leyenda: 2009
Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009
ESPN World Team of the Decade: 2009
Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2012
World Soccer Greatest XI of all time: 2013
One Club Man Award: 2016
UEFA Euro All-time XI
AC Milan Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Walk of Fame of Italian sport: 2018
Gazzetta Sports Awards – Legend: 2018
Ballon d'Or Dream Team: 2020
IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team: 2021
Globe Soccer Awards Sporting Director of the Year: 2022

Records
 Most appearances in all competitions (Milan): 902
 Second-most Serie A appearances (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647
 Most league appearances for Milan (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647
 Most league appearances for the same club (Milan) (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647
 Most seasons played in Serie A: 25 (shared with Francesco Totti)
 Most seasons played in Serie A for the same club (Milan): 25 (shared with Francesco Totti for Roma)
 Third-most UEFA club competitions appearances: 174
 Most UEFA club competitions appearances for Milan: 174
 Most UEFA club competitions appearances for the same club (Milan): 174
 Most European competitions appearances: 168
 Most European competitions appearances for AC Milan: 168
 Most UEFA Champions League appearances for AC Milan: 139
 Most finals played in UEFA Champions League – 8 (shared with Francisco Gento)
Youngest first-team player (Milan): 16 years and 208 days (against Udinese, 20 January 1985)
Longest-serving player (Milan): 24 years and 132 days (from 20 January 1985 to 31 May 2009)
 Most FIFA World Cup appearances for Italy: 23
 Record of minutes played in the World Cups: 2216
 Fastest goal scored in UEFA Champions League/European Cup final history: 50 seconds, 2005
 Oldest player to score a goal in UEFA Champions League/European Cup final history: aged 36 years and 333 days, playing for Milan against Liverpool, 2005
 Most European/UEFA Super Cup titles: (shared with Dani Alves) (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003)
 Most European/UEFA Super Cup final appearances: (shared with Dani Alves) (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2003)
 Second-most career club appearances by an Italian player: 902
 Most appearances for a single Italian club: 902 (with Milan)

Orders
 4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000
 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991

Notes

See also
 List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
 List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
 List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
 List of one-club men in association football

References

External links

Profile at AIC
Profile at LegaSerieA.it
Hall of Fame Profile at acmilan.com
Profile at FIGC
Profile at Italia1910.com

1968 births
Living people
Italian people of Slovene descent
Footballers from Milan
Italian footballers
Association football defenders
A.C. Milan players
Serie A players
UEFA Champions League winning players
Italy under-21 international footballers
Italy international footballers
UEFA Euro 1988 players
1990 FIFA World Cup players
1994 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 1996 players
1998 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2000 players
2002 FIFA World Cup players
FIFA 100
FIFA Century Club
World Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year winners
Miami FC
North American Soccer League executives
Italian male tennis players
Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Paolo