text:
Ali Karimi

Mohammad Ali Karimi (born 8 November 1978) is an Iranian football coach and former professional footballer. During his professional football career, he has played as a playmaker in the Iran Pro League, UAE Pro League, Qatar Stars League and Bundesliga. Karimi has scored 38 goals in 127 matches for the Iran national team. In 2004, he was recognized as the best scorer of the AFC Asian Cup and received the Asian Footballer of the Year award in the same year. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2013–14 season and, on 11 April 2014, played the final game of his 18-year career.

Karimi's professional career began with Fath Tehran, where he made his first-team debut in 1996, aged 18. He then played three seasons with Persepolis, winning the Iranian league twice and the Hazfi Cup once with the club. In July 2001, Karimi signed a two-year contract with UAE Pro League club Al-Ahli Dubai. While an Al-Ahli player, Karimi won two cup titles, and was the top goalscorer in the 2003–04 season, an impressive feat for a midfielder. After leaving the club in 2005 aged 26, Karimi made a long-awaited move to Europe to play for Bayern Munich. At the club, he had relative success, winning both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in 2005–06 season. Later in his career, he rejoined former coach Felix Magath and won a second German Cup with Schalke 04. Karimi ended his playing career in Iran with Persepolis and Tractor Sazi, and with the latter won the Hazfi Cup in the final season of his career.

In international football, Karimi made his Iran debut on 13 October 1998 at the age of 19. He made 127 career appearances in total, appearing at five major tournaments, including 1998 Asian Games, 2000, 2004, and 2007 Asian Cups and 2006 FIFA World Cup. Renowned for his on-the-ball skill, dribbling runs and playmaking ability, he was often referred to as the Asian Maradona and The Magician. In the video introducing Iran's national football team in the 2018 World Cup, by FIFA, he was described as "One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history". He is regarded as one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time. In 2017, AFC named Karimi as "one of the icons of Asian football history".

Karimi is known as one of the most popular athletes in the history of Iran. In April 2015, he was recognized as Iran's most popular football player (from 1991 to 2015) in a poll by Navad television program.

Club career
Karimi started his professional career with second-division side Fath Football Club in 1997 where training was conducted on the streets with a plastic ball.

Persepolis
In 1998, Karimi joined Persepolis football club, which won the domestic double in 1999 and the championship again in 2000. He attended a trial with Perugia Calcio, but the transfer was aborted when Perugia deemed the transfer fee too high. There was also reportedly an offer from Spain's Atlético Madrid who were willing to pay Karimi £4.3 million in a four-year contract. Still, Karimi opted for United Arab Emirates side Al-Ahli because he wanted to stay close to home.

Al-Ahli
Karimi signed with Al Ahli in the United Arab Emirates in 2001 for a reported salary of $1.3 million for two years. In that season, Al-Ahli managed to win its first trophy, when they became the Winners of the President Cup in 2001–02 season.

He scored a league-high 14 goals for Al Ahli in 2004. In June 2020, he was named the best foreign player in the UAE League as well.

Bayern Munich

On 3 May 2005, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich's website announced that as its first new player for the 2005–06 season, it signed Karimi with a one-year contract, as the third Iranian player of this team, after Ali Daei (1998–99) and Vahid Hashemian (2004–05). After the friendly match between Iran and Germany in October 2004, Karimi was noticed by the Bayern Munich club. He received the best score in kicker magazine after Jens Lehmann.

Karimi entered the field in the second half of the first week of the Bundesliga against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the second week's 5–2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen, he was recognized as the second best player of the match by scoring a goal and providing an assist. Six weeks into the league, Karimi scored his second goal assist in the Bundesliga, setting the stage for a 1–0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt and was recognized as the man of the match. In week 16 of the Bundesliga, he provided his third assist against Kaiserslautern. At the end of the half-season of the Bundesliga, which was accompanied by Bayern's 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, Karimi scored again. He was also recognized as Bayern Munich's best player by scoring 2.5 points from kicker magazine in the 22nd Bundesliga match, which ended with a 1–1 draw against Hannover.

Karimi made his 25th appearance for Bayern on 4 March 2006 against Hamburg, which resulted in an automatic 12-month extension to his one-year contract that expired on 30 June 2007. But Karimi was injured in the same game and missed all Bayern Munich matches until the end of the 2005-2006 season.

He played 3 times in the UEFA Champions League before getting injured, scoring in his first game against Rapid Vienna. By scoring against Rapid Vienna, Karimi became the only Iranian Bayern Munich player to score in the UEFA Champions League. Before the injury, Karimi played in 20 Bundesliga games, two DFB-Pokal games, one DFL-Ligapokal game and three UEFA Champions League games.

Karimi's average scores in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League in the 2005–06 season are the best among the three Iranian players in the kicker magazine.

Karimi, who was still suffering from the previous season's injury, was injured again before the start of the 2006-2007 season and missed the season's opening games. By the end of the 2006–07 season, he played 16 games (13 Bundesliga games - two UEFA Champions League games and one DFL-Ligapokal game).

In the 32nd week of the Bundesliga, Karimi became the foundation for Bayern's 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach by sending a goal assist. In week 34 of the Bundesliga, he played his last game for Bayern in a 5–2 win against Mainz and scored for the last time in Bayern Munich. In this competition after Mehmet Scholl; Karimi was recognized as the second-best player of Bayern together with Hasan Salihamidžić by scoring 2.5 from kicker magazine.

In two seasons in Bayern Munich, Karimi played 42 games (33 Bundesliga games, 5 UEFA Champions League games, 2 DFB-Pokal games and 2 DFL-Ligapokal games) and became the record holder for the most number of games among the three Iranian players of this team. Karimi ended his career in Bayern Munich by scoring four goals and sending four assists. In 2017, the Transfermarkt website named Karimi among the best players who joined Bayern Munich from 1998 to 2017 as a free agent (a player who is eligible to sign a contract with any team and whose contract has expired with his previous team) and performed well. In this team have been placed.

After Karimi's position in support of the 2022 Iranian protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, FC Bayern Munich announced on 5 November 2022 that "due to concerns regarding the health condition of Ali Karimi and other Iranian players of Bayern Munich, we have long since been in touch with the German ambassador to Tehran. The club is aware of the current critical situation in Iran and is ready to provide any assistance in this matter".

Qatar SC
On 3 July 2007, Karimi announced that he had signed a two-year deal with Qatar Sports Club. Karimi was believed to have signed a contract worth around £3.2 million, with a clause allowing him to return to Europe anytime.

On 13 July 2008, Karimi signed a two-year contract with Al-Sailiya that is said to be worth around £4.7 million.

Persepolis
Persepolis' then chairman, Dariush Mostafavi, reached an agreement with Karimi after a one-hour-long telephone conversation. Persepolis had to pay Al-Sailiyah to release Karimi from his contract. Mostafavi claimed the release fee was around US$310,000. Karimi joined Persepolis on loan, and signed with Persepolis on a one-year contract on 6 September 2008.

Karimi scored his first goal since his return to Persepolis in the Tehran derby. With Esteghlal leading 1–0, Karimi equalized for Persepolis two minutes from time. On 9 October 2008, Karimi scored a hat trick against Abumoslem but could not prevent Persepolis losing 4–3.

However, Karimi's contract was not extended, reportedly because of a strained relationship with Persepolis chief executive Abbas Ansarifard. While Ansarifard claimed that the club offered Karimi a contract, but he did not show up, Karimi claimed that Persepolis kept him waiting for four weeks for nothing.

Steel Azin
Karimi joined newly promoted Steel Azin on 29 July 2009 on a one-year deal. He was reported to be paid US$400,000 for the season.

After joining Steel Azin, Karimi scored for four consecutive matches at the start of the season. On 14 August 2009, he scored the second goal in Steel Azin's 4–3 win over Saba. He scored a brace against Shahin in Steel Azin's 2–1 victory. On 4 December 2009, Karimi converted a penalty in the 52nd minute against Pas FC to score his 11th goal of the season. On 6 March 2010, during his team's match against Saipa, Karimi was sent off for pushing Majid Ayoubi after Ayoubi had fouled him.

In January 2010, it was reported that Al-Ahli made an offer of US$500,000 to sign Karimi on a loan deal until the end of the 2009–10 season, which Steel Azin rejected.

Karimi was sacked by the club in August 2010 for failing to observe the fast requirement during Ramadan, but was reinstated a few days later after paying a fine. The player maintained that he had not shown disrespect to Islam.

Schalke 04
Karimi signed a five-month deal for Schalke on 31 January 2011 upon passing a medical examination. He made his first appearance for the German club on 5 April 2011, coming on for Raúl in the second half in a Champions League quarter-final match against Inter Milan before coming on as a substitute against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the German Bundesliga in his second and final match for Schalke. He won the German Cup for the second time before the end of his contract.

Persepolis
On 15 June 2011, Persepolis chairman Habib Kashani announced that they had reached an agreement with Karimi. He played for Persepolis in the 2011–12 Persian Gulf Cup and the 2011–12 Hazfi Cup. This was the second time that Karimi returned to his native club, Persepolis. Karimi was also appointed as Club captain. He made his debut in a match against Malavan and scored his first goal in the season for Persepolis in a match against Shahrdari Tabriz. He extended his contract with Persepolis for another season on 18 June 2012. He was injured a few times during the season and was unable to perform very well and at the end of the season, he announced his retirement from football.

Tractor Sazi
On 13 June 2013, Karimi returned from retirement and joined Tractor Sazi, signing a one-year contract with Tractor Sazi. He made his first appearance for Tractor Sazi in Iran Pro League against his former club Persepolis. Karimi scored his first goal in the Iran Pro League in Tractor's 4–2 win over Zob Ahan. He helped Tractor to win the season's Hazfi Cup, his first title in Iranian football after his return from European Football.

On 20 July 2014, Karimi announced his retirement by publishing a letter on his YouTube account. At the time, Karimi was aged 35 and played professional football for 18 years.

International career
Karimi made his debut for Iran national team in October 1998 in a match against Kuwait. That same year, he won the Gold Medal with Iran at the 1998 Asian Games. Karimi scored one of Iran's two goals in the final against Kuwait.

He was also one of Iran's main players in its 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. In 2001, after losing to Bahrain and drawing with Thailand, Iran finished second in their qualifying group. It had to play a home-and-away play-off with the Republic of Ireland for a spot at the 2002 World Cup. Karimi started as an attacking midfielder in the first game in Dublin and used his acceleration on the break and his dribbling to attack Ireland's defense. However, he was also off target on a number of occasions, and Iran lost the match 2–0. They won the return leg 1–0 but missed the final.

At the 2004 Asian Cup, Karimi scored five goals, making him joint top scorer. Iran finished third in the overall tournament, behind Japan and China. In the quarter-final, Karimi scored a hat trick in Iran's 4–3 win over South Korea. Karimi was given the prestigious Asian Player of the Year award in 2004, joining his fellow Iranians, Mahdavikia in 2003, Ali Daei in 1999, and Khodadad Azizi in 1996. He also won the 2004 West Asian Football Federation Championship with Team Melli.

His performance in the Iran–Germany friendly game for Bam victims held in Azadi Stadium in Tehran in October 2004 was said to be the reason behind Bayern's interest in the player.

Coming off a serious ankle injury, Karimi had a poor World Cup finals at Germany 2006. He was unable to exert much influence on proceedings as the Iranians lost 3–1 to Mexico and 2–0 to Portugal. He was substituted in the 65th minute of the Portugal game and kicked the team's sports bags by the dugout. Iran's then manager Branko Ivankovic said he may drop Karimi in the upcoming game due to disciplinary reasons. Karimi did not play in the 1–1 draw against Angola, but Ivankovic attributed Karimi's omission to his refusal to play because of an injury.

Karimi played in the 2007 Asian Cup. In May 2008, Karimi was banned from playing in the national team after he made criticisms towards the IRIFF in the Ardebil training ground, but was reinstated in the national squad after intervention from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In October 2008, Karimi retired from Team Melli. Ali Daei, the then-Iran football coach, said Karimi would never be called up again. In April 2009, Karimi announced that he was ready again to serve his country if he was to be picked by Team Melli coach, Afshin Ghotbi.

He played in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification for Iran and on 10 June 2009, Karimi scored in a 1–0 victory over U.A.E. to keep Iran's 2010 World Cup qualifying hopes alive. On 17 June 2009, he played in Iran's 1–1 draw with South Korea, which eliminated Iran from the 2010 World Cup finals. During the match, a number of Iranian players, including Karimi, wore green wristbands, which were interpreted to be a show of support for Iranian opposition leader Hossein Mousavi, who accused the Iranian government of vote rigging the election on 12 June. Western media reported after the game that the players who wore the green wristbands had been banned lifetime to play in national team, while a newspaper in Iran reported that the players concerned had retired. On 24 June 2009, FIFA wrote to Iran's football federation asking for clarification on the situation. The Iranian football federation replied that no disciplinary action had been taken against any player. On 3 March 2010, he returned for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Thailand.

He was invited to the national football team again by Carlos Queiroz in 2011 to play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification and played for the team until his retirement in 2013. Queiroz later announced that Karimi was one of his best players during his coaching times. He is currently the third most-capped player and the third-highest scorer of Iran.

Style of play
Karimi's most famous football feature is his dribbling skills. In 2003, World Soccer described him as a player with "hypnotic movements and ball work". In 2004, kicker magazine called Karimi the "Maradona of Asia" in a report: "He shoots well with both feet, changes direction very quickly and is a player who makes the opposing team dizzy."

During the coaching of Branko Ivankovic, when the Iran national team usually played with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Karimi played mostly in the attacking midfield position. FIFA magazine described Karimi as a professional playmaker in the April 2006 issue.

According to FIFA in 2009, Karimi's "stunning dribbles" are one of the characteristics of Karimi's game, and because of this, he is known as "Magician".

In a report in 2017, AFC called Karimi the "Maradona of Asia" and introduced him as "one of the Icons of Asian football history". In the continuation of this report, "magical dribbling skills" and "a knack for the unpredictable" are mentioned as characteristics of Karimi's game.

Managerial career
On 25 September 2014, Karimi was named as the assistant coach by Carlos Queiroz in the Iranian national team. However, he stepped down from his role shortly before the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Later in June 2017, he was appointed Naft Tehran manager but has not signed a contract with the team and left the team before the start of the league. However, Karimi resigned with Naft in September. On 1 January 2018, he became the head coach of Sepidrood while Sepidrood was in the bottom two, but he kept this team in the Persian Gulf Pro League.

Personal life
Ali Karimi married Sahar Davari in 1999, at the age of 21. The couple has a daughter named Hima and two sons named Havash and Hirsa.

Karimi publicly supported the Mahsa Amini protests against the government of Iran in late 2022. He posted on Instagram that not even holy water could "wash away this disgrace" of Amini's death. In addition to his criticism of the government, he used his platform of 14+ million followers to advise Iranians on how to bypass Internet censorship in their country. Based in Dubai, he was charged in absentia by Iran with "encouraging riots", and his house in Lavasan was seized by the Iranian state.

On 21 December 2022, after Karimi's meeting with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president, Steinmeier, emphasized his support for the Iranian protesters.

On 18 January 2023, Karimi publicly tweeted his support for exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi to assume a role as representative of the Iranian people pending a national referendum.

International

 * Scores and results list Iran's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Karimi goal.

Honours
Persepolis
 * Iranian Football League: 1998–99, 1999–2000
 * Hazfi Cup: 1998–99
 * Asian Club Championship: third place 1999–2000, third place 2000–01

Al-Ahli
 * UAE Cup: 2001–02, 2003–04

Bayern Munich
 * Bundesliga: 2005–06
 * DFB-Pokal: 2005–06

Schalke 04
 * DFB-Pokal: 2010–11

Tractor Sazi
 * Hazfi Cup: 2013–14

Iran
 * Asian Games Gold Medal: 1998
 * West Asian Football Federation Championship: 2000, 2004
 * AFC/OFC Cup Challenge: 2003
 * Asian Cup: third place 2004

Individual
 * Asian Footballer of the Year: 2004; runner-up: 2012
 * West Asian Football Federation Championship MVP: 2000
 * UAE Pro League best foreign player: 2002–03
 * UAE Pro League best player: 2003–04
 * UAE Pro League top scorer: 2003–04
 * Best foreign player in UAE Pro League's history (based on a poll run by Al Bayan newspaper in 2020)
 * Asian Cup top scorer: 2004
 * Asian Cup All-Star Team: 2004
 * AFC/OFC Cup Challenge MVP: 2003
 * AFC Asian Player of the Month: 2000 (June), 2001 (October), 2003 (October)
 * iran Pro League top scoring midfielder: 2009–10 (14 goals), 2011–12 (12 goals)
 * Top scoring midfielder of Persepolis F.C. in AFC Champions League (ten goals)
 * One of the top 2 players of Iran's football history chosen by FIFA (Iran national football team's introduction Video for 2018 FIFA World Cup)
 * AFC Asian Cup Fans' All-time Best XI: 2018
 * Marca Fans' Top Iranian footballer of all time: 2019

title: Ali Karimi


text:
Chinese mountain cat

The Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti), also known as Chinese desert cat and Chinese steppe cat, is a small wild Felis species with sand-coloured fur, faint dark stripes on the face and legs and black tipped ears. It is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau of western China, where it lives in grassland above elevations of 2500 m. It has been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2002.

Taxonomy and phylogeny
The scientific name Felis bieti was proposed by Alphonse Milne-Edwards in 1892 who described the Chinese mountain cat based on a skin collected in Sichuan Province. He named it Felis Bieti in honour of the French missionary Félix Biet.

In 2007, it was provisionally classified as a wildcat subspecies under the name F. silvestris bieti. It has been recognised as a valid species since 2017, as it is morphologically distinct from wildcats.

The Chinese mountain cat belongs to an evolutionary Felis lineage that is estimated to have had a common ancestor with the Asiatic wildcat (F. lybica ornata) around during the Middle Pleistocene. Gene flow from Chinese mountain cats to domestic cats (F. catus) in a few areas of the Tibetan Plateau is estimated to have happened between the 1960s and 2000s.

Characteristics
The Chinese mountain cat has sand-coloured fur with dark guard hairs. Faint dark horizontal stripes on the face and legs are hardly visible. Its ears have black tips. It has a relatively broad skull, and long hair growing between the pads of their feet. It is whitish on the belly, and its legs and tail bear black rings. The tip of the tail is black. It is 69 – long in head and body with a 29 – long tail. Adults weigh from 6.5 - 9 kg.

Distribution and habitat
The Chinese mountain cat is endemic to China and lives on the north-eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It was recorded only in eastern Qinghai and north-western Sichuan. It inhabits high-elevation steppe grassland, alpine meadow, alpine shrubland and coniferous forest edges between 2500 and 5000 m elevation. It has not been confirmed in true desert or heavily forested mountains.

The first photographs of a wild Chinese mountain cat were taken in 2007. One individual was observed and photographed in May 2015 in the Ruoergai grasslands. Between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, Chinese mountain cats were documented in an alpine meadow in the southeastern Sanjiangyuan region.

Ecology and behaviour
The Chinese mountain cat is active at night and preys on pikas, rodents and birds. It breeds between January and March. Females give birth to two to four kittens in a secluded burrow.

Until 2007, the Chinese mountain cat was known only from six individuals, all living in Chinese zoos, and a handful of skins in museums.

Threats
The Chinese mountain cat is threatened due to the organised poisoning of pikas. The poison used diminishes prey species and also kills cats unintentionally.

Conservation
Felis bieti is listed on CITES Appendix II. It is protected in China by laws such as the Animal Protection Law and the Forestry Law. It has been listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2002 and is included in the list of National First-Class Protected Animals under the Law of the People’s Republic on the Conservation of Wild Animals since February 2021.

In July 2023, a Chinese mountain cat was fitted with a GPS collar and released into the wild by the Qinghai Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center. A five-year-old male was caught in a mouse trap when trying to hunt in a chicken pen. He was sent to the Center in June 2023 to be treated for a leg wound and for rehabilitation.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Chinese mountain cat


text:
Market cross

A market cross, or in Scots, a mercat cross, is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, where historically the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by the monarch, a bishop or a baron.

History
Market crosses were originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in many market towns in Britain. British emigrants often installed such crosses in their new cities, and several can be found in Canada and Australia.

The market cross could be representing the official site for a medieval town or village market, granted by a charter, or it could have once represented a traditional religious marking at a crossroads.

Design
These structures range from carved stone spires, obelisks or crosses, common to small market towns such as that in Stalbridge, Dorset, to large, ornate covered structures, such as the Chichester Cross, or Malmesbury Market Cross. They can also be constructed from wood; an example is at Wymondham, Norfolk.

A

 * Aberdeen
 * Aberford
 * Abbots Bromley
 * Aldbourne
 * Alfriston
 * Alnwick
 * Alston
 * Ambleside
 * Ashbourne
 * Austwick (Base and pillar remaining)
 * Askrigg
 * Austwick
 * Aylburton

B

 * Banbury
 * Barnard Castle
 * Barrow upon Humber
 * Bawtry
 * Bedale
 * Belford
 * Beverley
 * Billesdon (x2)
 * Bingham
 * Bingley
 * Binham
 * Bishops Lydeard
 * Bodenham
 * Bonsall
 * Boroughbridge
 * Bottesford, Leicestershire
 * Bourton, Vale of White Horse
 * Bovey Tracey
 * Brandesburton
 * Brigstock
 * Bromborough
 * Brough (Original block and socket remaining)
 * Buckingham
 * Bungay
 * Burnley
 * Bedlington
 * Bury St. Edmunds
 * Burton-in-Kendal
 * Buxton

C

 * Caldbeck
 * Carlisle
 * Castle Combe
 * Castle Rising
 * Chapel-en-le-Frith
 * Cheadle, Staffordshire
 * Cheddar
 * Chester
 * Chichester
 * Chipping Sodbury
 * Chipping Warden
 * Colne
 * Clowne
 * Corbridge (x2)
 * Corby Glen
 * Corfe Castle
 * Coventry
 * Crich
 * Cricklade
 * Culross
 * Culworth

D

 * Dalton-in-Furness
 * Darlington
 * Devizes
 * Dunchurch
 * Dunkeld
 * Dunstable
 * Yarn Market, Dunster

E

 * Edinburgh
 * Easingwold
 * East Hagbourne
 * Elstow
 * Emley, West Yorkshire
 * Enfield Town
 * Epworth
 * Eynsham

F

 * Frome

G

 * Garstang
 * Giggleswick
 * Glasgow
 * Glastonbury
 * Glossop
 * Grampound with Creed
 * Grantham
 * Guisborough

H

 * Harringworth
 * Helmsley
 * Helpston
 * Henley-in-Arden
 * Hereford
 * Higham Ferrers
 * Highburton
 * Hillmorton
 * Hooton Pagnell
 * Howden
 * Holsworthy
 * Holt
 * Huddersfield
 * Hunmanby

I

 * Ilchester
 * Irthlingborough

K

 * Keighley
 * King Sterndale
 * King's Cliffe
 * Kirkby in Ashfield
 * Kirkby Lonsdale (x2)
 * Kirkby Malzeard
 * Kirkbymoorside
 * Knaresborough

L

 * Lambourn
 * Launceston, Cornwall
 * Lavenham
 * Leek
 * Leicester
 * Leigh, Greater Manchester
 * Leighton–Linslade
 * Leighton Buzzard
 * Lerwick
 * Lower Holker
 * Lund, East Riding of Yorkshire
 * Lydney
 * Lyneham, Wiltshire

M

 * Maiden Newton
 * Maltby, South Yorkshire
 * Mark, Somerset
 * Market Deeping
 * Malmesbury
 * Mansfield
 * Mansfield Woodhouse
 * Martock
 * Masham
 * Maybole
 * Melbourne, Derbyshire
 * Metheringham
 * Middleham
 * Middleton-in-Teesdale
 * Mildenhall
 * Milnthorpe
 * Minchinhampton
 * Minehead
 * Monk Bretton
 * Mountsorrel

N

 * Newcastle-under-Lyme
 * Newport, Wales
 * Newport, Shropshire
 * Newsham, Richmondshire
 * Newton Abbot
 * North Frodingham
 * North Kyme
 * North Turton
 * North Tawton
 * North Walsham
 * New Buckenham
 * Northallerton
 * Nunney

O

 * Oakenshaw
 * Oakham Market Cross
 * Old Cross, Old Glossop
 * Overthorpe, West Yorkshire

P

 * Pembroke
 * Penryn, Cornwall
 * Pontefract
 * Poulton-le-Fylde

Q

 * Quainton

R

 * Reach, Cambridgeshire
 * Repton
 * Ripley, North Yorkshire
 * Ripon
 * Rochdale
 * Rockingham, Northamptonshire
 * Rothesay
 * Rutherglen

S

 * Saffron Walden
 * Salisbury
 * Sedgemoor
 * Selby
 * Shap
 * Shepton Mallet
 * Somerton
 * Spilsby
 * St Albans
 * Stalbridge
 * Stamfordham
 * Standish, Greater Manchester
 * Stanhope, County Durham (x2)
 * Steeple Ashton
 * Stockton-on-Tees
 * Stow-on-the-Wold
 * Stretham
 * Sturminster Newton
 * Swaffham
 * Swineshead, Lincolnshire
 * Swinton (Berwickshire)

T

 * Tattershall
 * Thornton-le-Dale
 * Tickhill

U

 * Uttoxeter

W

 * Wainfleet All Saints
 * Wantage
 * Warkworth, Northumberland
 * Wedmore
 * Wells
 * West Bedlington
 * West Burton
 * West Malling, Kent
 * Weston, Runcorn
 * Whittlesey
 * Wigtown (x2)
 * Williton (x2)
 * Winchester
 * Witney
 * Woodhouse, South Yorkshire
 * Wymondham

title: Market cross


text:
Foolad F.C.

Foolad Khuzestan Football Club (, Bāshgāh-e Futbāl-e Fulād-e Khuzestān) is an Iranian professional football club based in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, that plays in Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1971 and is owned by Foolad Khuzestan Company.

The club has won Iran Pro League twice, including a championship in the lower division, Azadegan League. In the 2004–05 season, Foolad became the champion of the fourth newly founded Iran Pro League (IPL), gaining a total of 64 points over 30 league matches. After several seasons, Foolad lost many of its key players through transfers and internal problems and also displayed a poor performance in the 2006 AFC Champions League. The club was subsequently relegated to the Azadegan League, second highest division in Iran at the end of 2006–07. However, Foolad was able to return to the IPL starting from the next season, 2008–09 Iran Pro League. Foolad won its second championship in 2013–14 season. The club also won their first Hazfi Cup title in the 2020–21 season.

Foolad's home kit is red and yellow shirts, with the same color for shorts, accompanied by red socks. The colors used in clothing are derived from the symbol of the club.

Establishment and first years (1971–1995)
Foolad Khuzestan Football Club was founded on 2 March 1971 in Ahwaz, Iran by at that time, President of the Foolad Khuzestan Company Ali Akbar Davar. Foolad was a team that no one knew anything about until the dissolution of Jonoub Ahwaz in 1996. Foolad won the Ahwaz City Championship in 1991 and entered the 2nd division of the Khuzestan football league two years later. Foolad won the first group in its debut season and was promoted to the Ahwaz's first league which they won in their debut season as well. This meant they would be promoted to the Khuzestan Provincial Leagues.

Road to the Highest Division (1995–2001)
In 1995, which was Foolad's second year in the Khuzestan's Second Division, they became provincial champions. That same year Jonoub Ahvaz, was contracted and Foolad took their place in Iran Football's 2nd Division. In 1996, with Homayoun Shahrokhinejad as manager, the team was promoted to the 1st division.

Frančić era (2004–2006)
The team was eventually bought by the Ahwaz Steel Mill. The team was finally able to win the IPL in the 2004–05 season but due to some ensuing internal problems and coaching difficulties could not perform well in the 2006 Asian Champions League.

ACL and relegation (2006–2007)
After a mediocre 2005–06, Foolad started the 2006–07 season with former Iranian national team coach Mohammad Mayeli Kohan, but he resigned halfway through the season as Foolad had achieved poor results. Youth club coach Nenad Nikolić temporarily replaced him and soon after Portuguese manager Augusto Inácio was named head coach. Foolad went through a terrible 2006–07 season finishing 15th and being relegated to the lower Azadegan League.

Return to First Division and Jalali years (2007–2012)
Foolad start the 2007–08 season at Azadegan League and won the playoff spot despite their strong leadership until the last weeks. In the playoff, they drew with Payam Mashhad in a two-leg matches and missed the promotion via away goal. A few weeks later they bought the right to play in Persian Gulf Cup from Sepahan Novin and promoted to IPL. Then Majid Jalali was announced as the club's head coach with signing a three years contract where they had an average season with ending the season in the 7th place.

On September 1, 2009, Seifollah Dehkordi was elected as the club's president after previous president Masoud Rezaeian resigned from his position. After the election of Dehkordi, Majid Jalali left the club despite good results. Luka Bonačić was named as Jalali's successor but he could not please the club as he was not able to win a single match in first eight weeks and the club decided to bring Majid Jalali back where they finished the league 10th. At the Jalali's final year as Foolad manager, the club ended the season at the 14th place, the worst since their promotion back to the league.

League success under Faraki (2012–2014)
After Jalali's contract was not renewed, Naft Tehran manager Hossein Faraki was named as the club's new head coach. He led Foolad to the 4th rank in his first season as the club's manager, gaining an AFC Champions League spot for the second time in the Foolad's history. In the 2013–14 Iran Pro League season, Faraki led the club to their second Iran Pro League title, his team finished with 57 points. They finished 2 points clear of second place Persepolis. Five days later, Foolad advanced to the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League for the first time after they defeated El-Jaish of Qatar. Foolad lost to Al Sadd on away goals.

On 23 May 2014, Faraki resigned as the manager of the club, due to knee problems, despite two good seasons with Foolad. Dragan Skočić was named as his successor.

Reserve team
Foolad Novin is the reserve side of Foolad. In 2014 they were promoted to the Azadegan League for the second time in their history. Foolad Yazd is not Foolad's reserve team, but is a feeder club, they also compete in the Azadegan League.

Youth academy
In April 1999, Foolad formed a youth academy.

Kit
The name and symbol of the club adapted from its founder and owner company, Foolad. Its symbol means that is related to steel production process. The club's logo repeatedly changed but the overall layout is preserved. After Foolad's league title in 2006, club added a golden star above the team logo etched into the club's shirt, but this was not accepted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation. So there is not any star on the club's official logo.

Foolad began playing in red, yellow and black, but then changed the yellow to white since 1999. The kit has been made by Nike until 2002. Then Merooj and Daei Sport were the club's kit manufacturers. Uhlsport is the current kit manufacturers, made the kits from past four years. The club currently doesn't have any official sponsor as the club's company name is inserted on the shirts.

 * – Tefal was the sponsor of the team in only some matches not full season.

Rivals
The team competes in Ahvaz derby against Esteghlal Khuzestan which is a new born club. The first time the teams met each other was in season 2013–14 which Esteghlal Khuzestan lost that game.

First-team squad
For recent transfers, see List of Iranian football transfers summer 2023.

Players on international cups
 2002 Asian Games
 * 🇮🇷 Yahya Golmohammadi
 * 🇮🇷 Jalal Kameli-Mofrad
 * 🇮🇷 Iman Mobali
 * 🇮🇷 Ali Badavi
 * 🇮🇷 Ebrahim Mirzapour

 2004 AFC Asian Cup
 * 🇮🇷 Hossein Kaebi
 * 🇮🇷 Jalal Kameli-Mofrad
 * 🇮🇷 Iman Mobali
 * 🇮🇷 Ali Badavi
 * 🇮🇷 Ebrahim Mirzapour
 * 🇮🇷 Mohammad Alavi

🇩🇪 2006 FIFA World Cup
 * 🇮🇷 Hossein Kaebi
 * 🇮🇷 Ebrahim Mirzapour

🇶🇦 2006 Asian Games
 * 🇮🇷 Pejman Montazeri
 * 🇮🇷 Adel Kolahkaj

 2010 Asian Games
 * 🇮🇷 Arash Afshin

🇶🇦 2011 AFC Asian Cup
 * 🇮🇷 Arash Afshin
 * 🇮🇷 Reza Norouzi

🇧🇷 2014 FIFA World Cup
 * 🇮🇷 Bakhtiar Rahmani

 2014 Asian Games
 * 🇮🇷 Yousef Vakia

🇦🇺 2015 AFC Asian Cup
 * 🇮🇷 Soroush Rafiei

Current technical staff

 * Last updated: 11 August 2022
 * Source: Coaching staff

Management

 * Last updated: 15 March 2023
 * Source: Board of Directors

Recent seasons
The table below chronicles the achievements of Foolad in various competitions since 1990.

Stadium information
The club plays their home games at the newly built 30,655-seat Foolad Arena in northern Ahvaz since 2019. Before this, the club played originally at the Takhti Stadium until 2012 and Ghadir Stadium from 2012 until 2019.

Domestic

 * Persian Gulf Pro League:
 * Winners (2): 2004–05, 2013–14
 * Hazfi Cup:
 * Winners (1): 2020–21
 * Iranian Super Cup:
 * Winners (1): 2021

All Top scorers
As of 14 NOVEMBER 2023

title: Foolad F.C.


text:
Tusk

Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share common features such as extra-oral position, growth pattern, composition and structure, and lack of contribution to ingestion. Tusks are thought to have adapted to the extra-oral environments, like dry or aquatic or arctic. In most tusked species both the males and the females have tusks although the males' are larger. Most mammals with tusks have a pair of them growing out from either side of the mouth. Tusks are generally curved and have a smooth, continuous surface. The male narwhal's straight single helical tusk, which usually grows out from the left of the mouth, is an exception to the typical features of tusks described above. Continuous growth of tusks is enabled by formative tissues in the apical openings of the roots of the teeth.

Other than mammals, dicynodonts are the only known vertebrates to have true tusks.

Function
Tusks have a variety of uses depending on the animal. Social displays of dominance, particularly among males, are common, as is their use in defense against attackers. Elephants use their tusks as digging and boring tools. Walruses use their tusks to grip and haul out on ice. It has been suggested that tusks' structure has evolved to be compatible with extra-oral environments.

Size
Elephant tusks are sexually dimorphic, being on average larger in males than in females, and entirely absent in female Asian elephants. Elephants with large tusks each at least 45 kg in weight are known as "tuskers", sometimes also called "big tuskers" or "great tuskers". While tuskers are rare today, it is thought that they were more common in the past, prior to human impact on elephant populations. The two record holders for longest and heaviest recorded African bush elephant tusks are around 3.49 m long measured along the outside curve, and 107 kg in weight respectively, while the longest and heaviest Asian elephant tusks are 3.26 m long and 73 kg respectively. Even larger tusks are known from some extinct proboscideans, such as species of Stegodon, Palaeoloxodon, and mammoths, with the longest tusk ever definitively recorded being that of a specimen of "Mammut" borsoni from Greece, which measures 5.02 m in length, estimated to have weighed 137 kg when fresh, with some mammoth tusks exceeding 4 m (and possibly 5 m in the case of the Columbian mammoth) in length and probably 200 kg in weight. The largest walrus tusks can reach lengths of over 95 cm. The longest narwhal tusks reach 3 m. The upward curving maxillary tusks of babirusa can reach lengths of over 20 cm.

Evolution
The ancestral arrangement of mammalian teeth is considered the most derived among vertebrates. Mammalian teeth features include crown morphology specialization (heterodonty), enamel, tooth-to-tooth occlusion, a single replacement event (diphyodonty), and a soft-tissue attachment between the teeth and the jaw. From this arrangement, mammals have evolved numerous morphological novelties like tusks. Tusk is often used to describe the enlarged, paired maxillary caniniform teeth. For a tooth to be a tusk it must extend out from the mouth, be made solely of dentine, and grow continuously so it would regenerate if damaged or broken. Tusks can function in many ways including defense, competition, burrowing, sexual selection, and locomotion. A continuously growing tusk may have allowed dicynodonts to overcome the challenge of having one set of replacement teeth throughout their lives. The first tusks are described in an earlier branching of non-mammalian synapsids known as the Dicynodonts. This clade diverged during the Permian Period and persisted until the Late Triassic. Dicynodont tusks exemplify the earliest known iteration of this morphological novelty, evolving well before the typical mammalian patterns of tooth attachment and replacement were established. Dental examinations of fossils dating more than 200 million years ago support that the first tusks belonged to dicynodonts. Dicynodonts were distant relatives of mammals and were a very abundant and diverse group of vertebrates. Tusks, in particular, have evolved convergently in multiple lineages of mammals and can be found today in many species. Dicynodonts characteristically had beaks, composed of keratin, and a pair of “tusk-like teeth” protruding from their heads. Most dicynodonts had two upper tusks that came down from the canine position and rarely any additional teeth. However, based on the criteria for a tooth to be considered a tusk, some dicynodont “tusks” were coated in enamel instead of dentin thus they didn't have tusks, just large teeth. The earliest recognized ancestors of modern mammals with tusks had the second incisors of both upper and lower jaws enlarged to form small tusks. The lateral incisors, lower canines, and first premolars were already lost. The molars were low crowned, and their four cusps were united to form two prominent cross ridges.

Dicynodont tusks are largely regarded as enamel-less and ever-growing, although there are a few reports of tusk replacement in some early dicynodonts. It is widely thought that Triassic dicynodonts acquired ever-growing tusks whereas earlier Permian-aged tusks were not ever-growing. In contrast, regular mammalian teeth are also made of dentine but are coated in hard enamel, which precludes continuous growth. Enamel-covered teeth are more durable but irreplaceable; tusks can be used for fighting or digging because if they are damaged they can repair themselves and keep growing. The structure for tusks started emerging about halfway through the evolution of the dicynodont clade when some dicynodonts started developing soft tissue ligaments that connected the tooth to the jaw. Tusks then developed because of the reduced rates of tooth replacement that came from mandibular soft tissue ligaments. With these two main developments, an ever-growing tooth allows an animal to get around the fact that it cannot replace the tooth. So, they evolved to deposit the same tooth tissue continuously, and as more tissue is deposited, the tooth begins to move outside of the mouth becoming a functional tusk.

The earliest recognized ancestors of modern mammals with tusks had second incisors of both upper and lower jaws enlarged forming small tusks. It was observed that the lateral incisors, lower canines, and first premolars were already lost. The most refined evolutionary scenario explaining tusk evolution exists for proboscideans. Early proboscideans had enlarged incisors that retained the plesiomorphic condition of being entirely capped with enamel. This enamel was restricted to a longitudinal band in more derived proboscidean taxa, suggesting a developmental shift towards continuous growth similar to modern rodent incisors. Multiple species derived from proboscideans are documented as independently losing enamel, resulting in the dentine-only tusk recognized in modern African and Asian elephants. This trend towards enamel reduction and continuous growth in the tusks of proboscideans represents one well-known possible evolutionary pathway.

Use by humans
Tusks are used by humans to produce ivory, which is used in artifacts and jewelry, and formerly in other items such as piano keys. Consequently, many tusk-bearing species have been hunted commercially and several are endangered. The ivory trade has been severely restricted by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Tusked animals in human care may undergo tusk trimming or removal for health and safety concerns. Furthermore, surgical veterinary procedures to remove tusks have been explored to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.

title: Tusk


text:
Football in Iran

Football is the most popular sport in Iran, with wrestling and volleyball as close contenders. Football has been a part of life for Iranians for many decades now and is played in schools, streets, and football clubs nationwide.

For political and social reasons, women's football grew little from the 1980s to 2020, and clubs such as Persepolis and Esteghlal did not even have a women's football team in these years.

Early days
Football was played in Iran as early as 1898, when a team of British residents of Esfahan played a team of Armenians. In south western Iran the game was introduced in 1907 by British sailors and workers. At that time they were working at port cities Bushehr, Khorramshahr, Bandar Abbas and major oil refineries such as Abadan and Masjed Soleiman in the province of Khuzestan, the latter area even boasting a football league. The local Iranian employees of the company first looked on, and then began replacing individual players on the teams, until they formed their own teams.

In 1907, the British Ambassador in Tehran Cecil Spring Rice founded Iran's first Football Tournament which had only 3 teams: Embassy of Great Britain, Imperial Bank of Persia and Indo-European Telegraph Company.

In the same year, the Tehran Football Association Club, an organising body for arranging football matches, was established. All teams were made up of British residents of Tehran, although when teams didn't have enough players they sometimes chose Iranian bystanders to come on the field and play. The matches were played at or around Mashq Square. The first Iranian player was Karim Zandi who played from 1908 to 1916. This period saw increasing interest in the game among Iranians.

In 1910, Samuel M. Jordan, the principal of the American School (currently known as Alborz High School) in Tehran, introduced football as part of the school's curriculum. Four years later 1914, the start of World War I put an end to these football matches and programs.

In other parts of southern Iran, (e.g. cities such as Shiraz) football was introduced by the British officers of the South Persia Rifles (1916–1921) to the Iranian troops they commanded, who then spread the game among the civilian population. The period following World War 1 saw football matches recommence in Tehran. Then two years later, in 1920, a number of Iranian and British football enthusiasts founded the Iranian Football Association (Majmaa-i Football-i Iran) to encourage Iranian players and to popularize the game. The director of the Imperial Bank of Persia, James McMurray, became its president, and he was assisted by the legation doctor, A.R. Neligan; they each donated a cup to be awarded to winning teams.

1920 also saw the establishment of Iran's first football club called Iran Club. Soon after the alumni of American College and the students of School of Political Science also formed teams. The Iran Club squad consisted of Karim Zandi, Khan Sardar brothers, Amir-Aslani brothers, Mohammad Ali Shokooh, Azizollah Afkkhami, Reza Kalantar, Sheybani, Hasan Meftah, Herand, Galustyan, Khajeh-Noori, Reza Rabizadeh, Hambarson, Ashrafi. This group of players won the Tehran Association Cup in 1923. In the same year a new club was established called Tehran Club, followed by the creation of the Armenian Sports Club and the Toofan Club, and in 1925 the Tehran Club reached the final and defeated the British Select Team of Tehran 2–1.

In this period a number of footballers who had played abroad, such as Hossein Sadaghiani and the Khan-Sardar brothers, who played in the Belgian Football Leagues, returned to Iran. Hossein Sadaghiani for instance after returning to Iran temporarily from Europe, helped to establish the first football club (Ferdowsi Club) in Mashhad. During his one-year stay in Mashhad, he arranged football matches between the club and the British Consulate-General. Before this, football was only played by foreign residents in Mashhad (especially the employees of the Telegraph Office and the British Consulate-General).

In places that had not entertained a significant foreign presence, such as Ardabil, it seems that the game was introduced in the 1920s by young men who had spent some time in the Caucasus.

1950s to 1970s
By the 1950s and early 60s, football had become a popular sport in Iran, and teams from Khuzestan were considered the most successful. Tehran then slowly started becoming the football capital of Iran, and numerous great clubs emerged from there. Shahin FC, Oghab FC, and Taj, were all Tehran teams established in the mid-1940s and are still active. As the number of club teams increased the need for a national league became apparent, and ever since 1960, with the exception of a few years, a nationwide football league has existed in Iran. The Takhte Jamshid Cup, Azadegan League and the IPL being the most important ones.

21st century
On 27 December 2019, Zahra Khajavi broke the clean sheet record of Iranian football by not receiving any goal for 953 minutes. Also, she, along with Alireza Biranvand, are known as the record holders of the longest hand throws in Iranian football. As one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Iranian football, Khajavi was able to once again draw the attention of the domestic media to the Iranian women's national football team. Her achievements played a key role in the progress of the women's national football team in these years.

2020s
In the 2020s, women's football became more popular among young Iranians, both boys and girls. The COVID-19 pandemic in Iran forced the fixtures to be played without spectators, bringing new financial problems that lasted for years for some clubs.

Female spectators
In the AFC Champions League (organised by the Asian Football Confederation, problems on the Iranian sides were attracting media attention. In addition, International Arabic and English-language media reported on the violation of women's rights in Iranian stadiums, and the fact that Iranian women had been banned from football stadiums for about 40 years wince 2019, by the Iranian government. In 2018, FIFA, as the parent of the AFC, pressured Iran to let women into the stadiums in the ACL, but Iran only allowed a limited number of women to watch the 2018 final, which called by the media "a show". In October 2019, Iranian women allowed to watch a 2022 World Cup qualifier, when the men's team beat Cambodian football team 14–0. Up to 3,500 women attended the game in the 80,000-seat Azadi Stadium.

Other challenges
Persepolis and Esteghlal have been challenged by other sides due to direct ownership by the government of the Islamic Republic. In 2021, AFC investigated the matter.

Tehran XI

In 1926 Tehran XI (selected players from Tehran Club, Toofan and Armenian Sports Club) traveled across the border to Baku, USSR, this was the first away football match for an Iranian team. This Tehran Select team is the predecessor of Iran's national football team.

In 1929 it was time for a return visit, and so a team from Baku was invited to play in Tehran in late November. To impress the visitors, grass had been planted on the state-owned football field. The last of the three games, all of which were won by the visitors, was attended by Abdolhossein Teymourtash, the powerful minister of court. The humiliating defeats, suffered on home ground, caused great consternation, so much so that some young men gave up football altogether. In subsequent years the interest in football waned, and newspapers hardly reported on those matches that did take place. However, all this changed with the return of crown prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi from Switzerland in 1936 and arrival of Thomas R Gibson in the 1930s to promote the game.

 * Head Coach:  Mir Mehdi Varzandeh
 * Squad:

The results were as follow:

World War Two period
One man can be remembered, who contributed to Iranian football during the post-World War One period. Hossein Sadaghiani became active in sharing the knowledge of the game and also with growth of football, he became the first head coach of the Iranian national team, who later coached football teams of University of Tehran. The first match that the Iranian national football team played was on August 25, 1941, away at Afghanistan.

In 1942, when the Allied Forces were in Iran, Iran national football team defeated a British Military XI team in a friendly match played in Tehran. Match details as follow:

Iran team lineup were:  Fathollah Minbashian, Mansour Hajian, Abbas Qarib, Aziz Farzanegan, Abbas Tandidehgar, Jamshid Malekshahi, Bakhtiar, Akbar Toofan, Ahmad Izadpanah and 2 more players. The team's head coach was Hossein Sadaghiani.

British Army XI lineup  included players such as Wilf Mannion, Migger and Bick, Bertie Mee, Jimmy McCabe.

Post-World War Two period
In the 1960s and 1970s, Iran established itself as one of Asia's top sides, winning the Asian Cup in 1968, 1972 and 1976, the only team to win the tournament three times in a row. In 1964 Iran qualified for the Olympic Games, but they finished last in their group with one point which came in a 1–1 draw against Mexico. Iran also qualified for the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games. In 1978, Iran qualified for its first FIFA World Cup, held in Argentina. In the 1980s the Iran–Iraq War hindered the development of the national team and Iran missed out on several World Cups due to withdrawing from the qualifying stage. After a twenty-year absence, Iran qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and recorded their first-ever World Cup victory, defeating the United States 2–1. Iran has also more recently qualified for the tournament in 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022, failing to advance past the group stage on each occasion.

Persian lionesses
The Iran women's national football team, nicknamed the Lionesses, represents Iran in international women's football around the world, and is controlled by the Football Federation of Iran. Iran plays their home matches on the Ararat Stadium.

Youth national teams
Iran fields youth national teams in men's and women's sections predominantly at the U17, U20 and U23 levels having enjoyed moderate success.

Men's teams
Iran national futsal team: The Iran national futsal team represents Iran in international futsal competitions and is controlled by the Futsal Commission of the Iranian Football Federation. The "Kings of Asian Futsal" are by far the strongest Asian team and one of the best teams in the world according to the Futsal World Ranking. The Iranians are the regular participants of the FIFA Futsal World Cup reaching the third place in 2016 after eliminating the favorites, Brazil. Iran have won the first Futsal Confederations Cup in 2009 and also reached the second place in the Grand Prix de Futsal known as Futsal Mini-World Cup in multiple editions.

Iran national beach soccer team: Iran has won the AFC Beach Soccer Championship a record two times (2013, 2017) and has placed in the top four in every edition. Iran has also appeared in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup seven times, reaching the quarterfinals on three occasions (2013, 2015, 2017), and finishing in third place once (2017).

Women's teams
The Iran women's national futsal team represents the country in international women's futsal, and is controlled by the Iran Football Federation. The team usually known as one of the "world powers" in futsal.

Iran women's national beach soccer team, is being reviewed by the Iranian Football Federation.

Men's league system
The current structure has been in place since 2001. The Persian Gulf Pro League is the highest level of club football in Iran. Below it is the Azadegan League, also known as the 1st division, which consists of two twelve-team groups. One level further down from that is the 2nd division which is made up of 28 teams evenly distributed into two groups. One step down, and the final nationwide league, is the 3rd division. This level has eight groups and 45 teams. Each groups contains teams that are located in the same area of the nation. The final level of the football system consists of 28 provincial leagues. Local teams from each province participate in these leagues, and some of the leagues are divided into further divisions.

The system works with a promotion-relegation system, meaning that a team from the lowest level of the system can make it to the top level after a number of years. The number of teams in each league often changes from season to season, due to the lack of any professional management in the lower levels of the system. Currently the IPL is the only league that is considered professional, despite many of its rules about club facilities and management being broken. It is not uncommon for teams in the lower levels of the system to change team names because of sponsorship issues or for teams to completely withdraw from a competition.

The top four levels of the men's system are managed by the FFIRI, while the bottom level leagues are managed by their respective provincial football committee. The Kowsar Women Football League is the primary women's football league in Iran.

Women's league system
The Kowsar Women Football League (, Lig-e Kâuser-e Banuan-e Futbal-e Iran) is a women's football league, run by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran. At the top of the Iranian football league system, it is the country's primary competition for the sport. It was established in 2007. There is also a second division for women's.

Major stadiums

 * Azadi Stadium, Tehran
 * Ali Daei Stadium, Ardebil
 * Dr. Azodi Stadium, Rasht
 * Bagh Shomal Stadium, Tabriz
 * Enghelab Stadium, Karaj
 * Foolad Shahr Stadium, Isfahan
 * Ghadir stadim, Ahvaz
 * Hafezieh Stadium, Shiraz
 * Imam Reza Stadium, Mashhad
 * Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Isfahan
 * Pars Shiraz Stadium, Shiraz
 * Rah Ahan Stadium, Tehran
 * Samen Stadium, Mashhad
 * Shahid Bahonar Stadium, Kerman
 * Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium, Tehran
 * Shahid Shiroudi Stadium, Tehran
 * Shohada Stadium, Noshahr
 * Takhti Stadium, Abadan
 * Takhti Stadium, Ahvaz
 * Takhti Stadium, Bandar-e Anzali
 * Takhti Stadium, Mashhad
 * Takhti Stadium, Tehran
 * Yadegar Emam Stadium, Qom
 * Yadegar Emam Stadium, Tabriz
 * Shohada Haft Tir Stadium, Babol
 * Shahid Vatani Stadium, Qaemshahr

title: Football in Iran


text:
Talk:Pashtuns

Pashtuns in india number exaggerated
There are NOT 3.2 million Pashtuns in india and the source is a verbal arbitrary statement by an individual as the source without any actual fact checking. Please correct this section. 2607:FEA8:1323:EC00:4C25:7C29:756A:A32F (talk) 13:38, 11 January 2024 (UTC)

 * Do you have a mire reliable source for it? Afghan.Records (talk) 18:05, 12 January 2024 (UTC)
 * The Indian official census states a far lower lumber, around 27,000 if I recall correctly.
 * The currently cited source (a politician with their own agendas) is not reliable in comparison.
 * However, some people are obsessed with inflating the number of Pashtun living in India. Solblaze (talk) 20:04, 7 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Yes, sadly I have encountered the same issue. The figure is straight up unverifiable. In fact the figure comes from a lady who claims to be the daughter of a man who was allegedly adopted by Frontier Gandhi to continue the Pashtunistan movement from India. Her mission is equally non-sensical, as she is campaigning for citizenship for the said 3.2 million Pashtuns. She also makes other ridcilous claims that the Taliban are "outsiders" to Afghanistan and generally ignorant things, in what is almost certainly a psy-op by some agency. The fact is this "source" would not fly anywhere else on Wikipedia, but it keeps making rounds on here. KamranHassanUK (talk) 18:53, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
 * This 2011 Indian census link can be used if interested. Jammu and Kashmir had around 18,000 Pashto speakers in 2011, Delhi 1,800 and so on. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 19:21, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Pashtuns aren’t nomadic!
Only the ghilzai are and their origins are dubious! Ancestors of Pashtuns are Bactrians and Pactyans who were sedentary people 2607:FEA8:4D60:590:C1B4:3AFD:B8FE:8EFF (talk) 22:35, 9 April 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 28 April 2024
Correcting the Population its 65M — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.91.39.72 (talk) 08:13, 28 April 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 June 2024
Sulimanmuhib (talk) 08:39, 11 June 2024 (UTC) https://www.pashtontimes.com

", Empty request and a WP:SPAM link. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 13:45, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 June 2024
Seaso- nal = Seasonal 2603:8000:D300:3650:547A:A641:DABF:1F02 (talk) 12:15, 22 June 2024 (UTC)

 * ✅. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 12:25, 22 June 2024 (UTC)

July 2024
Stop edit warring and removing sourced content again and again. Seek WP:CONSENSUS here per WP:BRD. You've also deleted the warning message mentioning the same from your talk page. - Fylindfotberserk (talk) 10:41, 10 July 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Pashtuns


text:
Vertical and horizontal (radio propagation)

In radio propagation, horizontal plane is used to plot an antenna's relative field strength in relation to the ground (which directly affects a station's coverage area) on a polar graph. Normally the maximum of 1.000 or 0 dB is at the top, which is labeled 0o, running clockwise back around to the top at 360°. Other field strengths are expressed as a decimal less than 1.000, a percentage less than 100%, or decibels less than 0 dB. If the graph is of an actual or proposed installation, rotation is applied so that the top is 0o true north.

The vertical plane is used to plot an antenna's relative field strength perpendicular to the ground (which directly affects a station's coverage area) on a polar graph.

Normally, the maximum of 1.000 or 0 dB is at the side (unless there is beam tilt), which is labeled 0°, to 90° at the top and −90° at the bottom. Other field strengths are expressed as a decimal less than 1.000, a percentage less than 100%, or decibels less than 0 dB.

Most broadcast antennas use either line-of-sight or ground wave propagation (a slight refraction towards the ground) to reach their nearby listeners, and thus want a low angle in the vertical plane. Short wave transmitters want a somewhat higher elevation angle in the vertical plane to encourage skywave propagation, which would refract or reflect radio waves off the ionosphere and back to the ground at a great distance from the transmitter.

Omnidirectional antennas typically try to limit the range of their vertical plane radiation pattern to concentrate energy over a smaller range and increase gain.


text:
Talk:Tusk

Question
anonymous question in the article, referring to the intro sentence:

[Could this explain what it is about some teeth the gets them classified as "tusks" while some other teeth are not so classified?]

Current event?
What is the current event that relates to tusks? -Harmil 21:47, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Uses
I'd like to see discussion of how animals use their tusks. AThousandYoung (talk) 21:21, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Rewrite
There was an absurd assertion on this page that walruses and warthogs don't "really" have tusks because they are canines rather than incisors. I quote:
 * Tusk-bearing mammals in a strict sense are only elephants, as they are the only animals whose protruding teeth are incisors. The "tusks" of other animals such as warthogs,  wild boar, and walruses are enlarged, tusk-like canine teeth.

This isn't supported by anything I have ever seen, by anything resembling common or biological uses of the world, or even by the existence of narwhals, whose tusks are also incisors. I rewrote the page accordingly, touching on some uses as well. It is not particularly well-referenced, but the term is a generic one and it is difficult to generalize. But for the record, walruses most certainly DO have tusks. Best, Eliezg (talk) 17:43, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Translation into Chinese Wikipedia
The section "Uses" of the 21:06, 23 January 2009 Eliezg version is translated into Chinese Wikipedia.--Wing (talk) 20:20, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

Tusks and gums
I would like to know whether an elephant's tusks are lodged in its gums like its other teeth, or not. Could anyone please elaborate?

tusks / fangs
Could someone make the difference really clear? Are they tusks if they protude out of the mouth, and fangs if they don't? Does it matter if they are upper or lower teeth?85.157.155.247 (talk) 21:22, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

maturity
I would like to see a section added to the page or at least a mention as to how tusks relate to the sexual maturity of some animals such as dugongs.

dominance
The article mentions how some species use tusks as a display of dominance, but I would like some elaboration as to how they are used to display dominance? is it just size of tusks or do certain species fight one another?

evolution
This article needs to have a section added as to how tusks arose through evolution and how the tusks gave species a big enough reproductive advantage to e passed down through the generations.

Hughes.1332 (talk) 17:51, 30 September 2014 (UTC)hughes.1332

Sale of ivory after preventive tusk removal
Preventive tusk removal by park rangers has not been mentioned in this page. This seems a useful technique to discourage poachers and maintain the species and still be able to still sell the natural material.

The question is: what is the best approach then ? Sell those removed tusks instead of destroying them ? Or destroy them (which results in increased prices of ivory on the black market) (see destruction of ivory) ? I seem to think the best approach is to have the wildlife parks sell it, under a CITES certification, to bring in revenue for the wildlife park and help pay park ranger wages (resulting in better protection of the wildlife park).

Perhaps this can be mentioned somehow in the article ? --Genetics4good (talk) 12:15, 16 March 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Tusk


text:
Richard Bentall

Richard Bentall (born 30 September 1956) is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield in the UK.

Early life
Richard Pendrill Bentall was born in Sheffield in the United Kingdom. After attending Uppingham School in Rutland and then High Storrs School in his home town, he attended the University College of North Wales, Bangor as an undergraduate before registering for a PhD in Experimental Psychology at the same institution.

Career
After being awarded his doctorate, he moved to the University of Liverpool to undertake professional training as a clinical psychologist. He later returned to his alma mater of Liverpool to work as a lecturer, after a brief stint working for the National Health Service as a forensic clinical psychologist. Later, he studied for an MA in Philosophy Applied to Healthcare from the University of Wales, Swansea. He was eventually promoted to Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool. In 1999, he accepted a position at the University of Manchester, collaborating with researchers based there who were working in understanding the treatment of psychotic experiences. After returning in 2007 to a professorial position at Bangor University, where he retains an honorary professorship, he returned to the University of Liverpool in 2011, before moving to the University of Sheffield in 2017. His research continues to focus on the psychological mechanisms of severe mental illness and social factors that affect these mechanisms, which has led to a recent interest in public mental health. In 1989, he received the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology 'May Davidson Award', an annual award for outstanding contributions to the field of clinical psychology, in the first ten years after qualifying. In 2014 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy, the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences.

Research
He has previously published research on differences between human and animal operant conditioning and on the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. However, he is best known for his work in psychosis, especially the psychological processes responsible for delusions and hallucinations and has published extensively in these areas. His research on persecutory (paranoid) delusions has explored the idea that these arise from dysfunctional attempts to regulate self-esteem, so that the paranoid patient attributes negative experiences to the deliberate actions of other people. His research on hallucinations has identified a failure of source monitoring (the process by which events are attributed to either the self or external sources) as responsible for hallucinating patients' inability to recognize that their inner speech (verbal thought) belongs to themselves. Along with many other British researchers, he has used these discoveries to inform the development of new psychological interventions for psychosis, based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This work has included randomized controlled trials of CBT for first episode patients and patients experiencing an at risk mental state for psychosis.

In a 1992 thought experiment, Bentall proposed that happiness might be classified as a psychiatric disorder. The purpose of the paper was to demonstrate the impossibility of defining psychiatric disorder without reference to values. The paper was mentioned on the satirical television program Have I Got News for You and quoted by the novelist Philip Roth in his novel Sabbath's Theater.

He has edited and written several books, most notably Madness Explained, which was a winner of the British Psychological Society Book Award in 2004. In this book, he advocates a psychological approach to the psychoses, rejects the concept of schizophrenia and considers symptoms worthwhile investigating in contrast to the Kraepelinian syndromes. (Refuting Kraepelin's big idea that serious mental illness can be divided into discrete types is the starting chapter of the book.) A review by Paul Broks in The Sunday Times summarised its position as: "Like Szasz, Bentall is firmly opposed to the biomedical model, but he also takes issue with extreme social relativists who would deny the reality of madness." In the book, Bentall also argues that no clear distinction exists between those diagnosed with mental illnesses and the "well". While this notion is more widely accepted in psychiatry when it comes to anxiety and depression, Bentall insists that schizotypal experiences are also common.

In 2009 he published Doctoring The Mind: Is Our Current Treatment Of Mental Illness Really Any Good? A review of this book by neuro-scientist Roy Sugarman argued that it allied itself with the anti-psychiatry movement in its critiques of biological psychiatry. The review in PsycCRITIQUES was more nuanced, pointing out that Bentall did not reject psycho-pharmacology, but that he was concerned over its overuse.

In 2010, Bentall and John Read co-authored a literature review on "The effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy" (ECT). It examined placebo-controlled studies and concluded ECT had minimal benefits for people with depression and schizophrenia. The authors said "given the strong evidence of persistent and, for some, permanent brain dysfunction, primarily evidenced in the form of retrograde and anterograde amnesia, and the evidence of a slight but significant increased risk of death, the cost-benefit analysis for ECT is so poor that its use cannot be scientifically justified". Psychiatrists, however, sharply criticized this paper in passing by calling it an "evidence-poor paper with an anti-ECT agenda".

In 2012, Bentall and collaborators in Maastricht published a meta-analysis of the research literature on childhood trauma and psychosis, considering epidemiological, case-control, and prospective studies. This study found that the evidence that childhood trauma confers a risk of adult psychosis is highly consistent, with children who have experienced trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, loss of a parent or bullying) being approximately three times more likely to become psychotic than non-traumatized children; there was a dose-response effect (the most severely traumatized children were even more likely to become psychotic) suggesting that the effect is causal. This finding, and other findings suggesting that there are many social risk factors for severe mental illness, has led to Bentall's current interest in public mental health.

title: Richard Bentall


text:
Beskow

Beskow is a Swedish family of German origin, taking its name from the town of Beeskow in Prussia. The first member to settle in the Swedish realm was the tailor alderman Arendt Beskow (1718–1790) in Stralsund in what was then Swedish Pomerania.

Notable members of this family

 * Bernhard von Beskow (1796–1868), poet, playwright, courtier, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, created a baron in 1843
 * Gustaf Emanuel Beskow (1834–1899), theologian and educator
 * Bernhard August Beskow (1837–1910), engraver
 * Natanael Beskow (1865–1953), theologian
 * Elsa Beskow (1874–1953), author and illustrator of children's books (married to Natanael B.)
 * Bo Beskow (1906–1988), painter (son of Elsa and Natanael B.)
 * Per Beskow (1926−2016), Swedish biblical scholar
 * Katarina Beskow (1867–1939), chess player
 * Emil Beskow (1998 -?), World champion

Other notable individuals with this surname

 * Saskia Beskow, former New York City Ballet dancer

title: Beskow