Footiemad news item
January 31/04
Manchester Utd. manager Alex Ferguson has hit out at the club's major shareholders over accusations of possible improper actions by his son Jason. "I find it distressing," said Ferguson. "It is incomprehensible that I would abuse my position at this club." The Irish twosome are said to have sent 99 questions to be answered by the board. Ferguson feels his integrity has been called into question by Magnier and McManus who, through their company Cubic Expression, own 25.49% of the Premiership champions. Among their demands, Magnier and McManus wanted assurances that no relative of any club executive was involved in any transfers. Claims had been made that associates of the Elite Sports Agency, for whom Jason Ferguson works, had profited from some of the deals.
Fulham have signed Liberian born striker Collins John from F.C.Twente for an undisclosed fee. The 18 year old has agreed to a four and a half year deal with the London club. Twente technical director Johan Plageman said: "Looking at the financial situation of FC Twente this transfer is a good thing." He added: "Playing-wise we regret the departure of Collins but we wish him the best of luck in England. We will not say anything about the transfer fee but the figures in the media between five and seven million euros are absolute nonsense. The transfer fee is considerably lower." He appears to be a natural replacement for Saha, equipped with pace, strength and good ability on the ball, and was also reported to have been tracked by Manchester City.
Middlesbrough manager Steve McLaren is hoping to work out a deal with Leeds for striker Mark Viduka, but the clock is not on his side. With the transfer window closing on Monday, McClaren has just three days to finalise any deal. He told the Middlesbrough website: "He's one player I've been interested in since I've been here, but with the situation at Leeds it's going to be difficult to do something so we'll have to wait and see." An added complication is Viduka is in Australia at the bedside of his critically-ill father Joe, although he is expected to return early next week. Goalscoring has been a problem for Middlesbrough this season - McClaren's side have scored just 20 goals in 21 league games. Only Wolves and Leeds have managed to score fewer goals in the Premiership during the current campaign.
Southampton have signed Celtic defender Stephen Crainey for £500,000. The 22 year old Scottish international has agreed to a three and a half year deal with the south coast club. Saints chairman Rupert Lowe said: "We are a little short of left-backs and that is a difficult position to fill. He is the right age and will be a good one for the future. Like a lot of transfers, it went to the eleventh hour and the 59th minute and it took a lot of doing, but we have got there in the end. It is a good move for the player and for the club. " A fee had also been agreed this week with First Division West Ham, but Crainey preferred a move to the Premiership and he and his agent travelled south on Friday for talks. The youngster was a regular with Scotland's Under-21s and won four full caps at a time when national boss Berti Vogts was giving younger players a chance to prove themselves at the top level. He has, however, been unable to cement a regular place at Celtic Park and has only made six first-team appearances this season.
Birmingham have resigned themselves to the fact that Nicky Butt will not be moving to St. Andrews, at least in the immediate future. A fee had been agreed with Manchester United, but Blues co-owner David Sullivan claimed the midfielder needed more time to consider his future. "He wants to stick it out at United until the summer before deciding what he wants to do. I hope he will become a Birmingham City player eventually but it is a non-runner at the moment." Sullivan added: "We were very close to matching the wages he is on at Manchester United and we were offering him a longer contract. I don't think that was the stumbling block. From his point of view, to have been at a club for his whole career and then rush a move through in a few days is very dramatic, and he wants more time to think about it."
Bolton have signed 24 year old Guatemalan striker Dwight Pezzarossi to a deal for the balance of the season. Pezzarossi, who holds an Italian passport, has impressed during a trial period at the Reebok. He previously played for Racing Ferrol in Spain, for whom he scored five goals in 25 appearances last term.
Leicester have taken Steffen Freund on loan until the end of the season from F.C.Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga.The 34 year old midfielder was released by Spurs in August and has recently had a stormy relationship with the German side. Freund leaves Kaiserslautern after being fined following comments in the German press citing "a lack of loyalty, team spirit and respect." Leicester boss Micky Adams said "I am pleased to bring in Steffen, and his signing gives us extra competition for places in midfield."
Italian defender Daniele Chiarini has signed on for a second spell with Partick Thistle in the SPL. He previously left the Jags, having been offered a contract after a successful short term deal, in order to sign with Dundee Utd. Chiarini said: "Things are easy to say in hindsight and perhaps moving to Dundee United turned out to be the wrong thing. But these things happen in football and I am just pleased to be back here where I enjoyed my previous time." He only lasted four months at Tannadice and has been without a club since the summer."I am now hoping to get the chance to get a place in the first team and hold down my place for the rest of the season," said Chiarini, who could make his debut against Rangers."Sunday is a big game for us and hopefully it will prove to be a turning point in the season."
George Best has been charged with drunk driving. The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland player was stopped by police in south-west London in the early hours of Friday morning. Best, 57, from West Ewell, Surrey, was arrested and taken to Wimbledon police station. He is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 30/04
Scott Parker, the South-East London version of Louis Saha, will be announced as a Chelsea player at noon today. The fee for this unpleasant young man is thought to be £10m. plus a one year extension to Carlton Cole's loan spell at the Valley. The sick part of this is he just signed a five year contract in the summer. Chelsea will now be able to register Parker with Uefa before their deadline of 1100 GMT on Monday for playing in the Champions League. The Stamford Bridge club face VFB Stuttgart in next month's Champions League second round. Charlton, themselves pushing for a Champions League place for next season, are furious with the timing of the transfer, and rightly so. Boss Alan Curbishley said: "A lot of footballers these days kiss the badge on their shirts and next week they are kissing someone else's. Over the last three weeks he has made it clear in more ways than 10 that he no longer wanted to play for Charlton. What has happened has left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not happy with the way this thing has been conducted." Chelsea coach Ranieri, in contrast, was delighted but warned he wants more new faces. He said: "I have asked Roman Abramovich to take us to a squad of 22 excellent players. At the moment we have 14 or so." (How long will this individual be content as a small fish in a big pond, as opposed to the star status he enjoyed with Charlton. This, together with the Saha situation, will be the subject of footiemad musings over the next few days).
Newcastle have sold Nolberto Solano to Aston Villa for £1.5m and the Peruvian international has signed a two and a half year deal with the Midlands club. Solano is a popular figure with Magpies fans but has had his share of problems with Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson this season. He was reported to have walked out on the Premiership club after being left out of the squad for the north-east derby against Middlesbrough early this season. Solano and Robson have clashed on previous occasions, with Robson unhappy about him choosing to play for his country ahead of representing Newcastle. However, Robson said he let the player move on reluctantly. "Nobby is a fine player, and I'm sorry to see him leave," Robson told Newcastle's website.
This next item concerns one of the 'brains' of the England team. David James admits he was not aware of the position or form of Manchester City when he signed with them. City have not won in the League since November - but the England keeper is confident Kevin Keegan's men have the necessary quality to avoid relegation. "I didn't realise what position City were in. I was surprised to be honest," James told BBC One's Football Focus. "But having been here, and having seen what the team has got, I don't think relegation battles will be the issue." (This is one of the men involved in planning England's future selection policy. Knowing the basics about a team you sign for would seem to be prudent).
Tottenham's Irish international right back Stephen Carr is reported to be moving to Newcastle. The 27 year old, who has been at White Hart Lane for 12 years, is out of contract at the season's end and has not reached any agreement with the club. He has long been admired by Magpies' boss Bobby Robson, who has money in his jeans from the sale of Solano and Cort.
Leeds appear confident they can avoid the immediate administration option yet again. Their survival hopes got a big boost on Thursday when players agreed to a wage deferral of "more than 20%". The unanimous move by the players to defer a "significant" part of their wages followed agreements with ex-managers Peter Reid, Terry Venables and David O'Leary to defer payments. The trio were owed a total of £1m in severance payments. Manchester United gave Leeds £1.5m as a final settlement on the Rio Ferdinand transfer fee and a further £1.5m is set to come from Middlesbrough as a fee for Danny Mills, although at last report Boro and Mills had not agreed personal terms. But it was the players' decision to defer wages which provided the breakthrough for Leeds chief executive Trevor Birch. "The board understands this has been very difficult for the players and this request was made as an absolute last resort," Birch said. "The players' actions demonstrate their commitment and understanding and gives Leeds United a massive lift as we look towards the rest of the season".
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 29/04
Charlton midfielder Scott Parker is set to move to Chelsea for about £12m. The Blues had an earlier bid, reportedly £7.5m, turned down. The 23 year old is apparently training alone after a bust-up with manager Alan Curbishley over this. Parker has not played for the Addicks since the initial offer by the Blues on 13 January with Curbishley saying the interest had unsettled the player. A statement on the club's website said Charlton will sell "as it became abundantly clear that Scott Parker wishes to leave Charlton. Following a further bid from Chelsea, Charlton now confirm that they are in negotiations with Chelsea with a view to completing the transfer of the England international midfielder."
Premier League chairmen have agreed in principle to a two year experimental 13 day January break, as long as a balanced schedule and other practicalities can be arranged. This would start next season and be reviewed at the conclusion of the 2005/06 campaign. Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said the chairmen, who voted unanimously, were convinced by the persuasion of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. "Sven thinks players should have an absolute break for seven days and then have six days back in training. He thinks that is enough." Scudamore explained that it was "early days" in terms of introducing the measure but that "it is further than this debate has ever gone before." He added: "Now we have to work with our colleagues at the Football League and the Football Association to see what is practical and what would have to give to make it happen." Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger are among those who have voiced their support for a break during January, rather than over the Christmas period.
The same group will be meeting today. On the agenda will be a discussion on a possible nine point penalty for clubs going into administration. Leeds could be the first Premiership club to go into administration if they do not find a solution by Friday..The debt-ridden Elland Road club have until 1700 GMT to raise the £5m needed to stave off the threat of administration.There are concerns among Premiership chairmen that any decisions that are made do not refer specially to Leeds. The Premiership already has the power to suspend or deduct points from clubs who enter administration, but discussions in London are aimed at deciding whether a mandatory penalty should be introduced to send out a warning to clubs who are in financial difficulties. There has been much debate about whether going into administration - effectively wiping out existing debts - is an easier option for clubs than dealing with cash-flow problems..Leicester City were heavily criticised when they entered administration in October 2002 but still managed to win promotion to the top-flight at the end of the season.
Jose Antonio Reyes has passed his medical with the Gunners and now awaits international clearance to resume his career in North London. The 20-year-old winger was signed from Sevilla in a four-and-a-half-year deal worth up to £17.5m. Arsenal revealed on Wednesday they would pay an initial £10.5m, with £7m to follow depending on appearances. Santiago Fuertes, of the Spanish newspaper El Pais, describes the youngster as 'having some of the pace of Marc Overmars and some of the elegance of Dennis Bergkamp'.
Alex Ferguson has signed a new one year rolling contract with Manchester Utd. that will become effective in June 2005 when his current deal expires. This will be seen by some as a win for John Magnier and J.P. McManus, however Ferguson does not appear to have a problem with the arrangement. He said: "I'm very happy with the new contractual arrangements. It gives me strong focus on the short-term challenges in the new season ahead as well as the long-term freedom to look to improve our current squad." The Old Trafford boss added his aim was "to win trophies both domestically and in Europe".
Ex Manchester Utd. chief executive Peter Kenyon will start his tenure in the same role at Stamford Bridge next month He has been on 'gardening leave' since his resignation at Old Trafford. A statement issued on Kenyon's behalf said: "Kenyon will join Chelsea Village plc as chief executive on 1 February. Manchester United and Chelsea have reached a mutually satisfactory settlement regarding his resignation. Peter is pleased that the negotiations have been amicably concluded and greatly looks forward to the challenges that await him at Chelsea." Manchester United decided to keep Kenyon under contract until the summer - unless Chelsea came up with a compensation package. Old Trafford chiefs were partly worried that Kenyon could use his inside knowledge of the club to influence some of Chelsea's transfer activity, but this problem was solved by ensuring that Kenyon could not take up the Chelsea post until after the transfer window has closed.
Juan Sebastian Veron will be sidelined for three months following surgery to repair a back problem. He has only played 11 times for Chelsea since his £15m-move from Manchester United in August. The midfielder has set his sights on returning to full fitness in time for Chelsea's trip to Old Trafford in May. Veron was forced to miss the 1-0 victory over his old club in November after aggravating his back injury during Argentina's 1-1 draw with Colombia in a World Cup qualifier. (He is proving yet again to be a very expensive purchase. Were Manchester Utd. aware of these potential problems when they unloaded him? How thorough was the Chelsea medical?)
Leeds are to accept a reduced payment from Manchester Utd. for the last part of the Rio Ferdinand transfer in return for getting the money in early. The majority of the fee was paid up front, but United still owed Leeds £3.25m which they agreed would be paid in instalments. However, Leeds have accepted the reduced amount, £1.5m, to put towards the £5m they need to save the club from administration. The money from Old Trafford will help ease that process as it should reach Leeds chiefs by Thursday. The deal means Leeds have given up £1.75m on the transfer, which remains a British record fee. (The rich get richer, life ain't easy)
Southampton haved sold goalkeeper Paul Jones to Wolves for £250,000. The Welsh international has signed a two and a half year deal to rejoin the Molineux club. "I'm delighted to be back.You don't spend five years at a club and then forget about it," said the 36 year old. It is the third time Wolves boss Dave Jones has bought the player - who played for Wolves for five years from 1991 - having also signed him for previous clubs Stockport and Southampton. "I've got a lot of fond memories of my time here and it's nice to see a few familiar faces about the place. And, of course, I know the gaffer well from when we were together at Stockport and Southampton," said Jones. Wanderers needed special dispensation to sign Jones before the end of the transfer window on Saturday because technically he was still on loan at Anfield, but Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said: "All of us hold him in the highest regard and we wish him well in the future. He has done a great job for us but we could not stand in the way of this move."
The Scottish Premier League will be giving out some of the end of season prize money early, in order to help clubs with financial problems, a move agreed to by the clubs. The money is awarded for points and final places in the league. SPL secretary Ian Blair told BBC Scotland that at least two clubs are to receive around £120,000. Dundee and Motherwell are both in administration and several other clubs are struggling with massive debts.
Stefan Klos is believed to be close to signing a new contract that would keep him at Ibrox until 2007. The 32 year old German has been in great form and Rangers would like to tie him up beyond his current deal, which expires in 2005.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 28/04
Bolton can prepare for the February 29 Carling Cup Final in Cardiff, despite a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa. Tonight they will learn their opponents after the game at the Riverside. Just announced, tonight's game has been cancelled due to weather conditions. The pitch is playable, but approaches to the stadium are in a dangerous condition because of ice and snow. The decision to call the match off was made following discussions between referee Dermot Gallaghar, the police, the local authority and the Stadium Safety Committee. The match will now be played on 3 February, kick-off at 2000 GMT.
Spanish international Jose Antonio Reyes has joined Arsenal, subject to a medical today, from La Liga side Sevilla. The 20 year old, who can play various attacking roles, is believed to have cost the Gunners in the region of £20m after the dust has settled and has signed a long term deal. Last summer he renewed his contract with the Spanish club until 2010 and it would make sense if his deal in London were of a similar duration. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told the Gunners' official website: "Jose Reyes is a fantastic signing for Arsenal Football Club. He is a very talented young player, who can play in midfield or as a supporting striker. He can play on the left or on the right, in fact, anywhere as an offensive player. Jose will be a great asset to our squad." Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido described the move as "the saddest thing we've ever had to do", but said "this offer was out of this world. We have made a pact of confidentiality on the price and we cannot say. But I can tell you that it is greater than any other offer. It's more than was paid by Bayern for Roy Makaay, more than Barcelona paid for Ronaldinho. It is even more than Real Madrid paid for David Beckham." Reyes added: "I'm the happiest man and the saddest man in the world at the same time. I'm leaving the best team in Spain to join the best team in England. Without a doubt this is a step forward in my career but I'm not forgetting that I'm leaving the club that I love with all my heart." Reyes will be eligible for Champions League football this season.
Blackburn have inked a two and a half year deal with Sunderland defender Michael Gray. The 29 year old had been with the Black Cats since 1990, however was let go on a free transfer as the northeast club were keen to reduce their wage bill. Rovers boss Graeme Souness was pleased to be able sign Gray to bolster his left-sided options. "We have followed Michael with interest for some time and one of the big plusses is his ability to play in all positions down the left," said Souness."He has a good pedigree and we are pleased to welcome him aboard." Sunderland-born Gray was capped three times for England. "We wish Michael all the best for the future," chairman Bob Murray told Sunderland's website. "He has been a loyal servant of this club for many years and this move gives him the opportunity to kick-start his career with a new challenge." Gray, who joined Sunderland as a trainee in 1990 after being released by Manchester United, spent three months on loan at Celtic earlier this season, making 10 appearances for Martin O'Neill's side. He could make his Blackburn debut at home to Chelsea on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Paul Smith has moved from Brentford to Southampton in a £500,000 deal. The 24 year old, who joined the Bees in August 2000, will back up Finnish international Antti Niemi. Spurs and Portsmouth had also shown an interest in him. Smith said: "This was really where I wanted to be. The sheer size of the club is impressive from the stadium to the first-class training ground. I was very impressed by what Southampton had to offer and by their goalkeeping coach David Coles. He had a lot of fresh and different ideas and he is a really nice man too. He worked us hard but I have no problem with that because I am here to learn and improve. There were a few teams watching me but it was not too unsettling even though I knew I wanted to play in the Premiership."
Wolves midfielder Alex Rae, whose contract at Molineux expires in the summer, would certainly consider a move back to Scotland to join Rangers. The 34-year-old was released by the Ibrox club as a teenager without ever playing a game for the first team. "There is a lot to think about," said Rae, "Everyone knows I love Rangers, it is no secret. If they are interested in taking me to Ibrox I am very, very flattered," he told the Daily Record. Rae has been outstanding for Wolves this season in their battle to avoid relegation from the top flight and his performances have attracted interest from Aston Villa, Rangers and Graeme Souness' Blackburn - the manager who ironically let him go from Ibrox. His form has also not gone un-noticed by Scotland manager Berti Vogts, who is considering calling up the veteran despite his age. Wolves, however, remain confident that Rae will sign a new deal that will keep him at Molineux. "We are in talks with him about a new contract and I expect Alex Rae to be here next season," said Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey.
West Ham manager Alan Pardew is a bit ticked off at Spurs' caretaker boss David Pleat, after the latter publicized an enquiry made by Pardew regarding Bobby Zamora. Although it has been reported that Jermain Defoe was mentioned in a swap deal, the Hammers boss insisted it was strictly a matter of finding out if the player, who has not been a regular for the North London club, still figured in their plans.
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 27/04
The first of the Carling Cup Semi Final 2nd legs goes tonight when Aston Villa take on Bolton at Villa Park. The Trotters start with a three goal advantage, having won 5-2 last week at the Reebok. Tomorrow Arsenal visit the Riverside with Middlesbrough holding a one goal edge from the first leg.
Craig Bellamy was back in action last night for Newcastle reserves. After four months on the sidelines with a knee injury, the Welshman played the full 90 minutes against Everton's second string. The 24 year old last played on October 4 in the 1-0 win over Southampton and to date has undergone five knee operations in his career.
Emile Heskey has a slight hamstring pull and will miss the Merseyside derby on the weekend. Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier thinks the England forward will be out for two to three weeks. The Anfield club are facing a striker shortage over the next couple of weeks. Milan Baros has not yet played a game after five months out with a broken leg, while teenager Florent Sinama-Pongolle is another week away from a comeback after a groin injury. Vladmir Smicer is still struggling with an Achilles tendon problem while El-Hadji Diouf is on African Nations Cup duty with Senegal. Heskey's injury also wrecks the prospect of a renewed late transfer move from Middlesbrough, who were willing to pay £5m to take the striker to the Riverside.
Middlesbrough have started talks with Danny Mills about making his move from Leeds to the Riverside a permanent one. The England defender, who is on a season long loan with Boro, has indicated he would like the stay to be extended. "We've had discussions with Danny Mills and his agent this week and those discussions are ongoing," Boro chairman Steve Gibson told the club's website. "We want him to stay, the fans have taken to him and I think he wants to stay." However, Gibson added: "Leeds have got complex difficulties and time is running out. We would hope to sign him permanently before the end of the week but we might not.
Still in the northeast, Middlesbrough are apparently still in the race to sign Manchester Utd. and England midfielder Nicky Butt, although manager Steve McLaren's prority is a striker as his side have not been filling the net.of late. Boro face stiff competition from Everton and Birmingham, who have already made enquiries about signing the £5m-rated player. Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson said: "If we could make it happen, we would like to make it happen. He's a fantastic player and he'd be fantastic for this club." Despite revealing a renewed interest, Gibson admitted the club were not close to signing the player. He said: "Whether it can happen, whether it's realistic, time will tell. If it's right for us, if it's right for the player and it's right for the selling club, there's a possibility that it could happen."
Chelsea's Joe Cole has lost his appeal against a two game suspension, picked up as a result of a game last season while he was still playing for West Ham. Cole was suspended and fined £15,000 for his part in a fracas after the 1-0 Premiership loss at Bolton. The FA confirmed his ban will start with immediate effect, meaning he will miss the Blues' games against Blackburn and Charlton. Players from both West Ham and Bolton squared up at the end of the match in April last year, and Cole was seen to throw punches in the direction of Bernard Mendy.
Portsmouth are hoping to complete a double signing this week, involving USA international Landon Donovan and Croatia striker Ivica Mornar, above. Pompey have clinched a loan agreement with striker Donovan, his German club Bayer Leverkusen and San Jose Earthquakes, where he is on loan. But their hopes of bringing in the 21-year-old could be dented by Fifa's intervention. "The player's anxious and has a big desire to come to Pompey - we're not giving up," said chairman Milan Mandaric. "But it's an unfortunate situation as we've run into problems with Fifa. It's because of the different transfer windows for America and Europe. Landon would not be able to go back before the end of August and the American season starts before then." Pompey must clear that hurdle before the January window shuts on Saturday if they hope to have Donovan for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Fratton Park chief executive Peter Storrie has travelled to Belgium to thrash out a deal with Anderlecht for Mornar. The 29-year-old will be out of contract in the summer and revealed he is keen to quit his club and move to Fratton Park. Mornar, who recently claimed he had received a "verbal offer" from Rangers, said: "I hope both teams come to an agreement this week. "I want to leave because I can earn much more elsewhere - although I still play with my heart in every match for Anderlecht." (Give the man an A for honesty) Mornar's arrival would ease the pressure on Teddy Sheringham, with a rash of injuries and Aiyegbeni Yakubu's departure to the African Nations Cup.
Wolves signing of striker Carl Cort from Newcastle has split the board at Molineux. The oft-injured 26 year old moved to the Midlands in a £2m deal last week. Chairman Rick Hayward revealed his father, former chairman Sir Jack, questioned the deal and said: "We have been watching him for a long time and it was not a unanimous decision by the board. My father and various people were questioning it, but you have to do your homework beforehand. Carl has gone through rigorous testing." The 26-year-old striker made just 23 appearances in four years at Newcastle and scored only eight goals.
Sunderland chairman Bob Murray is playing down earlier reports that he is looking to sell the Wearside club. The club insist Murray is not in a position to say the club is for sale as it is a public limited company. "I have never felt more committed to the club," said Murray, who has been in charge of the Wearsiders for 17 years. "I will do everything I can, without risking the future of the club, to finance the team and strengthen it further, if that is possible."
In bonnie Scotland, Rangers' have signed the second de Boer brother until the end of the season. The 33 year old Frank, twin brother of Ronald, moved from Galatasaray, where he had fallen out of favour and the Turkish club were keen to unload him. "I'm happy to join my brother again. We were together for nine years at Ajax and two at Barcelona," de Boer said. The Dutch international said he hoped the move could help him regain his best form ahead of Euro 2004. "I want to play in Portugal and I want my international career for Holland to end well. To do that, I'll need to be playing and get to the level I'm used to and, hopefully, I can do that at Rangers." De Boer, the most-capped player in Dutch history, added he might stay at Ibrox permanently. "After the four months, I will decide what to do then, but everything is open," the 33-year-old said. But Rangers boss Alex McLeish said a decision on de Boer's future at the club could wait until the end of the season. "That depends on Frank and Rangers," he said.
UEFA has agreed to hear a Welsh plea to have their Euro 2004 play-off result against Russia overturned because of a failed drug test by midfielder Egor Titov. The midfielder tested positive for bromantan after the 0-0 first-leg draw on 15 November and the Welsh believe he was ineligible for the second leg. Russia won that return leg in Cardiff 1-0 four days later, but the Football Association of Wales (FAW) wants the result to be declared a Wales win. Uefa, though, has already said it was "highly unlikely" that Titov's failed test would be grounds for altering the result. But on Tuesday they at least agreed to discuss Wales' plea. A statement read: "The FAW has asked the European governing body to overturn Russia's 1-0 aggregate victory by awarding Wales a 3-0 first-leg win."
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 26/04
The draw for the 5th round of the F.A. Cup
Man Utd v Man City/Spurs
Tranmere v Swansea
Telford/Millwall v
Burnley
Sunderland v Birmingham
Sheff Utd v
Coventry/Colchester
Arsenal v Chelsea
Liverpool v
Portsmouth
Everton/Fulham v West Ham
Manchester Utd. are poised to make a statement clarifying Alex Ferguson's future with the club. The Scot and the club have been in negotiations for months about a contract extension, however, it is now reported that anything longer than a one year deal will be met with a call for an Emergency General Meeting from the joint largest shareholder of the club, John Magnier. The racing magnate is also said to be concerned over some of the fees paid in transfer dealings for the past five years.
Leeds are hopeful they can obtain a further extension of 48 hours from their creditors, to examine a proposal that would stave off their date with the administrator. A group of Yorkshire businessman is said to have tabled an offer of about £20m for the debt-ridden club. Chief executive Trevor Birch is said to be hopeful over the package, but wants more time to examine it. The consortium is said to come from Leeds' Jewish community but is not linked with former deputy chairman Allan Leighton.
Mr. Personality could be looking at a charge of violent conduct after the F.A. examines video of an incident in the 4th round cup tie with Scarborough, whose Mark Hotte was floored after clashing with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in Chelsea's 1-0 victory. Referee Barry Knight missed the incident and the FA's video review panel is set to conduct a review. Knight said: "If I'd seen a deliberate elbow, it would have been violent conduct and a sending off." The FA may also review a similar incident involving Chelsea debutant Alexis Nicolas, who clashed with Scarborough's Stephen Capper. Hotte was also hurt in a clash of heads with Eidur Gudjohnsen. He said: "I got bashed a couple of times but I think I enjoyed it in the end. I get bashed every week, but getting bashed by Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen is a bit different. I got Jimmy's shirt and he said 'you deserved it', but I'm not sure what he meant by that."
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 25/04
In the F.A.Cup 4th round games played yesterday, there were only a couple of surprises. Div 3 Swansea came from behind in the last 10 minutes to beat Preston, pushing for a promotion play-off spot in Div 1, 2-1. Non league Scarborough only lost 1-0 to Chelsea in a game that a couple of decisions could have gone the other way and cup history may have been written. TV replays showed the Blues goal might have been disallowed for offside and a penalty was not given following a William Gallas handball. None-the-less a great try from the Conference side. That is what the cup is all about. Today's pairings allow for only one upset of major proportions, that being at Sixfields Stadium, where Northampton entertain Manchester Utd.
In Div 2, Plymouth beat Stockport 2-0 to increase their lead at the top as QPR went down at Bournemouth 1-0. Bristol City kept up the chase with a 2-1 win at Hartlepool.
Hull stretched the gap in Div 3 beating Cheltenham 2-0 while Doncaster suffered a home defeat on Friday, 2-0 to Lincoln. Third place Oxford did not play because of Scunthorpe's cup commitment.
North of the Wall, the moaninman from Paisley would be smiling as his beloved Buddies clawed their way closer to the middle with a 3-1 victory over Queen of the South in Div 1.
Sunderland chairman Bob Murray, after 17 years in charge, would be happy to sell the club for the right offer. The Black Cats reported pre-tax losses of £20.6m last year in the wake of their relegation from the Premiership, but are pushing for promotion. "If someone came in with serious money, we would sell the club for the right reasons," said Murray, who owns a 37.6% stake in Sunderland plc. "If a Russian billionaire came in I would not only roll out the red carpet, but I would hoist up a red flag." Shares in the company are currently trading at 58.75p - around a tenth of their flotation value in 1996, with overall debts believed to total more than £36m. Murray insisted, however, the club - with its 48,000 capacity Stadium of Light and fervent support - was still an attractive proposition for a potential investor. Sunderland are currently fourth in Division One, five points behind West Brom in the second automatic promotion place.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 24/04
The F.A. Cup 4th round gets underway today. The Telford v Millwall match has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the Buck's Head ground.
The delay in signing the contract extension between Alex Ferguson and Manchester Utd. is apparently a cause for concern for the Old Trafford boss. Ferguson has been in negotiations with United for months but has yet to extend his present deal. He is currently embroiled in legal action against major club shareholder John Magnier, who increased his stake in Manchester United plc to 25.49%, prompting speculation that the new deal for the sour Scot may be in jeopardy. Magnier - together with business partner JP McManus - has slowly built up a large stake in the plc, fuelling rumours of a possible takeover bid. "I understand the fans are concerned, and quite rightly," said Ferguson. "The publicity over the matter does us no good. There are a couple of little things on the contract that we went through on Thursday and Friday. We'd like to put the situation to bed and sign the contract straight away. That's my perspective and the club's perspective." Under Takeover Panel regulations, an investor who takes up a 30% equity stake in a British company is required to make an offer to all other shareholders.
The African Nations Cup kicks off today with hosts Tunisia playing Rwanda. The final will be played on February 14.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 23/04
After all the distasteful Saha nonsense of the last few weeks, we now have a story which, if true, shows the decent side of the football coin. Preston have rejected a Wolves bid of £2m for striker Ricardo Fuller, who has 18 months left on his contract. He has also been linked with Fulham and Portsmouth, although neither has put in a bid to this point. Fuller has 15 league goals this season and was the Player of the Month in Division 1 for December. Nothing unusual so far. However, rather than demanding to be sold to some exotic Premiership locale, it is understood that Fuller is keen to play the remainder of the season with Preston, who are seventh in the table and pushing for a play-off place.The 24 year old suffered a serious knee injury in November 2002, five months after joining the club from Jamaican side Tivoli Gardens. The injury was sustained while playing for Jamaica, who do not insure their players. Preston paid for his operation and long-term recovery - and Fuller is keen to repay his debt to the club. (A very un-Saha-ish attitude)
To quote Frank Barone, (TV's Everybody Loves Raymond), 'Holy crap'. Another example of what is right with the game. I'm going to be looking for two moons tonight. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has donated £25,000 to Saturday's FA Cup opponents Scarborough. The money will fund the Yorkshire minnows' centre of excellence for six months. Seadogs chairman Malcolm Reynolds said: "This is a tremendous shot in the arm for us - absolutely brilliant. I can only say thanks to Mr Abramovich.".The two teams clash in an eagerly-awaited fourth round tie at the McCain Stadium. Chelsea's acting chief executive Paul Smith added: "It is important to recognise our own responsibilities as a big club to try to help smaller clubs like Scarborough survive and flourish." The Conference club are expected to get as much as a £500,000 windfall as a result of the gate and TV money from the game.
Chelsea officials have visited PSV Eindhoven to make enquiries regarding the status of striker Arjen Robben, a target of Manchester Utd., who came in for fierce criticism after Robben was invited to Old Trafford without PSV's permission. "We have spoken to Chelsea about Robben," confirmed PSV president Harry van Raaij. "They wanted to know how the negotiations with Manchester United were. I told them we are waiting for a continuation appointment. We have also had Manchester United on the line but we will not negotiate over the telephone. If United want to talk, they must come to Eindhoven. If they want Robben, they must come over here so we can look at the best solution for all three parties."
The Scottish Premier League has adopted a new rule that will come into effect next season. Any club going into administration will be deducted 10 points and prevented from signing new players. Motherwell and Dundee, who are both in administration, will not be affected by the sanction this term, but if they are not in the process of coming out of administration by 31 May, the ruling will apply for next season. Motherwell have begun that process, but as things stand, Dundee could start next season with minus 10 points. Dundee administrator Tom Burton stressed that he did not agree with the new ruling, and suggested it may not be legal. This may be a long and winding road before acceptance of the change is unanimous.
Controversial lawyer Giovanni di Stefano has stepped down from the board at Dundee ahead of the February 15 Annual General Meeting and has called on Peter and James Marr to follow his lead. Di Stefano appeared as a self-titled saviour of Dundee in August and offered to invest £26m to save the club but his position as a director was never ratified by the Scottish Football Association. The Anglo-Italian businessman helped bring in big-name players Craig Burley and Fabrizio Ravanelli, but they, along with 13 other players, were sacked by the club when they were placed in administration. At the end of December, he offered to buy Dens Park, while he also announced that he had formed Dundee City Football Club Ltd to take the place of Dundee should they become extinct. "I call upon both Peter and James Marr to resign and to assume the liabilities incurred by their management into their own private companies," said Di Stefano. "and allow the club to survive under the management of whoever seeks to advance football at Dundee. It has been stated by both Peter and James Marr that my remaining on the board of directors precluded the club from obtaining short, medium and long-term finance. I have no doubt such is not the case. Nevertheless, no opportunity must be waived in the quest for the club to survive. We shall now indeed see if any other investors truly do come forward."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 22/04
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy says the club has already discussed transfer targets with the prospective new manager. Although it is not yet a 'done deal', Levy is hopeful the individual will be at White Hart Lane in the summer. Meanwhile Spurs are reported to have put in a five million pound bid for Leeds' Paul Robinson, above, and Eirik Bakke. That is the amount the club need to stave off administration until the end of the season.
Charlton chairman Martin Simons has told Chelsea counterpart Roman Abramovich to 'ram his roubles' as far as Scott Parker is concerned. The Blues upped the bid for the midfielder to 7.5 million pounds, but the Addicks have not bitten."We don't want Chelsea's money. I say 'Get lost Abramovich' and I think I speak for the rest of football. Chelsea must be shown they can't just take our best players without us putting up a fight," said Simons. "We are fourth in the league, they are third. In the last few weeks we have been catching them up. So it hurts when a club with their buying power has the ability to see the club beneath them and say 'Oh, let's spend a few million and take their best player'. We are not the Charlton of old, where if someone offered us £1m for a player we would ask for £1.25m." Simons admitted that an extraordinary bid from Chelsea could tempt Charlton. He said: "Obviously, if they were to offer us, say, £25m then that is an offer you can't refuse."
Birmingham have joined the chase for Manchester Utd.'s transfer listed Nicky Butt. The Midlands side is reported to have offered five million for the England midfielder. Manager Steve Bruce is looking to bolster his squad in an effort to possibly secure a spot in Europe for next year.
Nigel Reo-Coker has completed the move to West Ham from Wimbledon. The England U-21 international had attracted interest from several Premiership and First Division clubs. The 19 year old, who is cup-tied for the Hammers game at Molineux on Saturday, said "It is a big club and there is the opportunity to do well and get back in the Premiership, I am delighted to have signed and really looking forward to the chance of playing. There is a lot of potential at West Ham with the players and the manager we have here.I believe that West Ham can definitely get back into the Premiership first time, there are no doubts about it." Dons forward Adam Nowland is also expected to sign for West Ham after a fee was agreed for both players with the club's administrators.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 21/04
Leeds players have agreed to defer a portion of their wages to help the club, after all other avenues have been explored. This could involve the sale of one or two of the more marketable members of the team before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. The club, bottom of the Premiership, need to raise £5m to appease their creditors until the end of the season when they will know what division they will be in next term. It was stressed that there was no possibility of the players agreeing to a wage cut - just that they would consider deferring wages.
Manchester Utd. 'super sub' Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is recovering well from his knee operation and will not miss the rest of the season. This contradicts claims by his agent that he needs a second operation, which could sideline him for a few more months. "Everything is going okay. With the team doing so well at the moment, there is no need for me to rush my recovery plan," said Solskjaer. "I trained with the first team last week and had planned to play against Birmingham for the reserves, but Sir Alex advised me to recharge my batteries and take a week's holiday. It's important for me to follow the advice of the medical staff and I must be patient and not too eager." The Norwegian international has not played for United since September, missing 25 matches in the process.
Petr Cech is confident of becoming Chelsea's number one goalkeeper next season. He is reported to be signing a nine million pound deal with the Blues although he will stay with current club Rennes until the end of this season. Carlo Cudicini is said to be returning to Italy after this campaign. "From what I know I will be the number one goalkeeper at Chelsea," said the 21-year-old Czech international. "But of course I will have to fight for my place and play well when I get there. I have not yet signed a deal because there are still a few details to be solved. I know that the meeting on Tuesday went well and that both clubs plan to meet again and everything should be settled at the end of the week. For me this is all a dream come true."
Fabien Barthez, Manchester Utd.'s goalkeeper on loan with Marseille for the balance of the season, has expressed a desire to finish his career with the south of France club. The 32-year-old re-joined his former club at the start of the month and has no intention of returning to Old Trafford. "I really would like to finish my career in Marseille," he said. "I like the region and the club." Barthez had been training with Marseille since autumn after falling out with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
FIFA and the top three clubs in England could be facing a problematic situation in May. The Centenary Celebration match between France and Brazil is scheduled to take place two days before the F.A. Cup Final. World football's governing body will demand the release of major stars for the Paris showpiece and that could hit some of England's top clubs, who have a strong foreign presence and might be expected to reach the FA Cup final. Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all have players who face the prospect of being called up. FIFA has warned the match will be classed as an A international, the same as a World Cup, European Championship or African Cup of Nations match. That will give France and Brazil the power to force clubs to release players 48 hours before the Paris showpiece. Should any of England's top three clubs reach the FA Cup final, their preparations could be ravaged by the loss of key players in the run-up. Arsenal could lose French trio Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires, as well as Brazilians Gilberto and Edu. Manchester United might lose Mikael Silvestre and Kleberson, while Chelsea's French contingent of William Gallas, Marcel Desailly and Claude Makelele could also be involved. Fifa spokesman John Schumacher said: "This game has been on the international football calendar since December 2001. The national associations of all countries should have amended their fixture lists." If this is the case, the English clubs should lay their grievance at the door of the F.A. This is another example of the right hand being blissfully unaware of the left hand at the governing body. The clubs should rightfully feel that they are the innocent victims of incompetence in Soho Square, however, can probably only hope for the indulgence of the French and Brazilian F.A.'s in not selecting players who would be involved in the England showpiece.
The Scottish F.A. have ruled that clubs in administration will not be in European competition next season. The ban would currently apply to SPL sides Dundee and Motherwell. Uefa's tough new licensing system means clubs must demonstrate fiscal prudence - and teams will be banned if they owe money to players. "Had these rules been in place last year, Dundee would not have been allowed to enter this season's Uefa Cup", said an SFA spokesman. Other criteria that must be met to satisfy Uefa include pitch size and media facilities. One of the reasons Hearts are considering a move away from Tynecastle is their inadequate playing field. "It's up to the national associations to evaluate whether or not the criteria have been fulfilled," a Uefa spokesman told the Daily Telegraph. Both Dundee and Motherwell are still in the Scottish Cup and could reach the Uefa Cup via their final league position. "As things stand, it's quite feasible that neither club would be nominated by us," said SFA press officer Andy Mitchell. "A club whose pitch is not the proper size can always arrange to play home matches at another ground, but transferring debt is not so simple. Uefa have made it quite clear that that these are their competitions and therefore clubs must comply with their rules."
Conference side Accrington Stanley will be a full time professional club after this season. They will report in July for pre-season training as such and will become the 13th Conference club to adopt that status, unless they win promotion to the Third Division this year. "Hopefully it will help us to progress up the leagues," said Reds' chairman Eric Whalley. "If you look at the Conference there are virtually two leagues. There is the top-half who, bar Aldershot and ourselves, are full-time and the bottom-half who are all part-time.I'm not saying you can't get promoted, and hopefully Aldershot and ourselves will get into the play-offs as part-time teams, but it is harder."
Still in the Conference, Barnet become the second club expelled from the F.A. Trophy this season, following another side in that division, Leigh RMI. The FA took the decision after Barnet fielded former Aylesbury winger Adam Campion - who was already cup-tied - in their third-round win over Dover. Dover have now been re-instated and will play Forest Green in the fourth round. Barnet avoided a fine and were not ordered to pay costs after revealing their error to the FA.
Ex Wycombe manager Lawrie Sanchez is something of a surprise choice as the new Northern Ireland boss. The goal scoring hero of the 1988 Cup Final got the nod over hot favourite Jimmy Nicholl and will be given a two year full-time contract.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 20/04
The Carling Cup Semi Final 1st legs' get underway today with Arsenal hosting Middlesbrough and tomorrow Aston Villa travel to the Reebok to play Bolton.
The Saha saga is expected to end today as the miserable Frenchman takes his act to Old Trafford following his medical. The clubs have agreed a fee - now believed to be about £12m - and the player was left out of the squad for Fulham's 3-1 defeat at Newcastle on Monday. Saha arrived at Old Trafford early on Tuesday for his medical and no problems are expected with it. .With luck, he will be lost in the bowels of the stadium and never heard of again.
Czech Republic midfielder Tomas Rosicky claims he has agreed terms with Chelsea. His club, Borussia Dortmund, however, insist there have been no talks between the clubs and Rosicky's agent Pavel Paska said: "It's too early to speak about a transfer". The £10m-rated Rosicky may well be sold by Dortmund as the Bundesliga side struggle with financial problems. He is keen on a Chelsea switch, saying: "I've known about Chelsea's interest for eight or nine days." Borussia need cash quickly and Rosicky added: "It is now down to the clubs to see what happens, but if I was Borussia I would not refuse the offer."
Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann would consider a move back to the Bundesliga if he cannot agree a new deal at Anfied. Stuttgart and Schalke have expressed an interest in the 30 year old German international, who still has 18 months to run on his current contract on Merseyside. Hamann said: "Liverpool will be the first club I speak to, but Stuttgart and Schalke are top addresses." He has already said he wants to extend his Liverpool career, but Stuttgart coach Felix Magath hopes to lure him away.
The possible move of Emile Heskey from Anfield to the Riverside has hit some snags, according to Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb. Boro boss Steve McClaren has admitted that he made enquiries about the Liverpool striker, with whom he worked in the England international set-up. Lamb said: "It's pretty much stalled at the moment. We have spoken as McClaren has said but it seems to have hit difficulties. I don't envisage it going ahead at this stage," he told BBC Radio Five Live."But it's never over until 31 January."
Parma's French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey is being linked in the French press with a seven million pound move to Arsenal. The cash strapped Serie A club could certainly use the money, but it would take a complete about turn from the Gunners and manager Arsene Wenger for it happen at this time. Sources in France claimed a Highbury delegation were locked in talks with Parma to finalise a deal. Chelsea have also been linked, but Frey claimed: "I won't have any trouble with the language. I have already spoken to Arsene Wenger, he's waiting for me.I feel good in Italy, but I can't stay as it would be bad for Parma, who need money and soon. My value is between 10m and 12m Euros. This solution is good for me." While the lad is obviously not short in the self-confidence department, I wouldn't be rushing out to mortgage the house in order to bet on it.
Another story, this time from Holland, has Arsenal chasing Feyenoord winger Robin van Persie. The Dutch club's External Affairs manager Jan D Swart said that Arsenal were keen to sign the 20-year-old during the transfer window. "They have made a serious opening offer and our president, Jorien van den Herik, has responded - it is a base for further negotiations" said Swart. "Robin has informed Feyenoord that he will not extend his contract, which expires in 2005" said Van Persie's advisor and spokesman, Erwin Boonacker. "For Robin it is a dream to continue his career abroad with a top team. In December, Robin was visited by an Arsenal representative and we informed Feyenoord about the interest from London. At the moment we are not negotiating but when Feyenoord and Arsenal reach an agreement, we will start negotiations with Arsenal." Van Persie is a left-sided player, who made his Feyenoord debut in the 2001-02 campaign when he made 10 appearances, before emerging last season with eight goals. As with the Frey rumour, if it happens before the summer it will be a surprise.
The 'forgetful one' has not endeared himself to the F.A., according to the Daily Express. The governing body was less than happy to receive a 125 page document from Rio Ferdinand with regard to his appeal. Will he now try boring them to death in an effort to get his suspension reduced?
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 19/04
The inevitable has reportedly happened. Fulham and Manchester Utd. have finally agreed on a 10.5 million pound fee, although the Daily Express puts it at 12 mill, for the petulant Parisian, Louis Saha. After weeks of negotiation and acrimonious comments, a deal in principle was reached on Sunday. "Fulham can confirm that it has reached an agreement in principle with Manchester United for the transfer of Louis Saha, subject to a number of conditions," said a statement on the Fulham website. United said they expected to resolve those conditions within the next week. Saha said: "I am so happy. I never thought this move would happen but I am so pleased it has. I am the happiest man in England.Old Trafford is a lucky ground for me. It's where I started in the Premiership and scored two goals. Fulham was a fantastic place for me, but I cannot wait for the challenge of proving myself at the biggest club in the world.I want to play in the Champions League and I want to start building up a collection of medals. United was always the choice for me. I have been waiting for this move for more than a month. I knew this was my last chance to sign for United. By June United could have signed another striker." The French international said of his manager's reluctance to sell him in the Evening Standard newspaper: "Coleman's was a sporting opinion and so was mine. I understand absolutely. If I was in the same position, I would do the same thing. He has done a great job as manager and maybe I should thank him for everything before." Quite frankly, if he is a total flop at Old Trafford and reverts back to his form of the two previous seasons, I would not be unhappy. He has been a disgrace to himself and the game.
Manager Alan Curbishley will be talking to Charlton's Scott Parker this week, in an effort to resolve the midfielder's future. Parker was not in the squad that beat Everton 1-0 on Saturday as the boss felt his mindset was not right after Chelsea had put in a bid for him. "Scott has been unsettled, it was all public and I suppose he could see a Champions League club wanting him," said the Addicks boss. "We will have to see what happens now over the next few days." Curbishley is keen to keep the England midfielder and stresses he is under no pressure to cash in on their prize asset."Offers from such clubs do not come along too often," he added. "I cannot stop clubs bidding for our players but we are not in the position we have been in the past when we have had to sell. It was unwelcome, but we made a decision to leave Scott out. Obviously we have got to talk to him but I have a great relationship with Scott, so let's see how we get on from here."
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is still determined to sign Blackburn's versatile defender Martin Taylor despite having had his initial bid rejected. Bruce offered £1.5m for the player a fortnight ago, which was turned down by Rovers boss Graeme Souness. Injuries have left Birmingham's defensive line-up decimated and Bruce believes Taylor is the ideal answer. "Darren Purse has done a fantastic job but Martin can play centre-half, left-back, right-back and I have seen him play in all those positions and do well," said Bruce. "What I am trying to do is protect us if we get six or seven injuries by having players who are versatile, building a squad of players, making sure we don't stand still. We have put in a bid with Blackburn for Martin Taylor, they are considering it and that's their prerogative."
USA international striker Brian McBride had looked set to join Blackburn on Friday, but now Fulham have shown an interest and the Ewood Park club are somewhat in the dark. McBride, who plays for the Columbus Crew in the MLS, has had previous spells with Everton and Preston. "We agreed a deal on Friday, we have spoken with his agent and sorted the necessary paperwork with MLS," Rovers chief executive John Williams told the club's website. "On Saturday, we were notified that there had been an enquiry from Fulham and that the player wanted to speak to the London club. We have heard nothing since then." Fulham see McBride as a replacement for Louis Saha, who is heading to Manchester United.
Lee Bullock, York's 22 year old midfielder who is out of contract at the end of the season, would like to sign for Cardiff. He has impressed the Welsh Div 1 side's boss Lenny Lawrence and a £150,000 deal may go ahead soon. "I could wait until the end of the season but, if its right for everyone, why not do it now?" said Bullock. "I've never been in this situation before and it's difficult for me but it's a nice position to be in." York boss Chris Brass could accept any reasonable offer for the player, rather than get nothing in four or five months.
Auxerre defender Jean-Alain Boumsong will be joining Rangers next season, despite rumours implying the contrary, according to his agent Willie McKay. Newspaper quotes attributed to the Auxerre player had suggested that he needed to be convinced of Rangers' ambition before concluding the deal. However, McKay told BBC Sport: "He has signed a five-year pre-contract agreement. He will be a Rangers player next season, it is as simple as that."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 18/04
The surprise of the day in the EPL was Wolves beating Manchester Utd. 1-0 at Molineux. Arsenal and Chelsea both play today, so there could be change at the top. Wolves move above Leeds at the other end of the table and Leicester, who were 3-1 up until the last minute at the Riverside, had to settle for a 3-3 draw to round out the bottom three.
There were a lot of goals in Div 1 with the highest aggregate coming at Portman Road, Ipswich beating Crewe 6-4.
No change at the top in Div 2 as the three leading clubs, Plymouth, QPR and Bristol City all won.
Hull stay top of Div 3 after beating Oxford 4-2, while Doncaster move into second spot, with a game in hand, getting past Southend 2-0
Rio Ferdinand plans to start his suspension on Tuesday, although he will still lodge his appeal with the F.A. on Monday. There seems to be a difference of opinion as to when it will be heard. Many think it could be late in February or even early in March, however, Alex Ferguson felt it could be within a week to 10 days. The sooner this nonsense is put to bed, the better.
Leeds would consider the sale of their Elland Road stadium, according to chief executive Trevor Birch. The club, currently in last place and facing the possibility of administration, will explore all avenues. The massive debt load they are carrying may force the sale of more players. "Yes, it's true we are exploring every option and the possibility is that one day in the future the site will be redeveloped," said Birch. "We need to have a new stadium, whether it's at Elland Road or elsewhere, to have the revenue needed to compete at the highest level. It's a simple fact of life in the Premiership..Redevelopment for the stadium will, at some stage, be the goal but it's a long way down the line. I think it will happen.It's in a prime industrial area and would be an ideal site for someone like an Asda. It's worth a great deal of money."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 17/04
There's nothing of note so far this morning, other than I'm late getting moving (all the Jock's fault). Houllier prattling on about O'Neill and the Liverpool job, Veron going to Argentina to see a doctor, who cares, and very little else. Maybe later!
Footiemad news item
January 16/04
The terminally disgusting, nausea inducing, excuse for a member of the human race, Louis Saha, is now threatening Fulham that, if he is not sold now to Manchester Utd., he will stay with the club until his contract runs out in 2006 and then leave for nothing. This clubhouse cancer should be ostracized by everybody at the club and United (or any other club that would consider buying him) should realize that this is not the type of individual needed to foster team spirit and harmony. "The club say they would rather sell me in six months' time but I am fed up now," said Saha. "Either I leave now or I am staying at Fulham until the end of my contract which finishes in 2006. If Fulham love me that much they are going to have to cope with me until the end and then I will leave them for zero euros. They have not been honest. The club's managers keep changing their opinion. One day they say yes to a transfer and the next day they say no. They think I am an object. I however feel that the road which leads to Old Trafford is about to open," Saha told French newspaper Le Parisien.
Leeds Utd. could get a two week extension for their bid to find a buyer to stave off administration. The club had originally set Monday, January 19 as its deadline date to come up with potential investors. With the EPL having no set policy as yet, Leeds would not have any points deducted were they to go into administration.
Despite rumours to the contrary, Arsene Wenger insists he has no interest in buying West Ham striker Jermain Defoe. Commenting on reports that Arsenal were preparing a £5m bid, the Gunners boss said. "We've not made an enquiry, we've not made a bid and we have no plans to make one,"
Speculation is mounting that Manchester Utd.'s transfer listed midfielder Nicky Butt is headed to St. James' Park. The England international is believed to have held talks on Tyneside with Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson. The 28-year-old is seen as the ideal replacement for Gary Speed, who at 34 and with one year left on his contract, is near the end of his playing career. Robson refused to be drawn over Butt's future. "Transfers are club business," he said . "I can't talk about other club's players. It would not be right."
Recently retired David Seaman would like to return to Arsenal as goalkeeper coach, a position it is thought was offered to him at the end of last season. "I know that offer may never come and sometimes it is a case of taking an opportunity when it is there," the 40-year-old told the BBC. "I worked with Bob Wilson for 15 years and that was great. I wouldn't want to walk away with all my experience without passing it on to anybody else. But first of all I want to make sure my shoulder is right and then we will see what sorts of offers come in."
Spurs striker Freddie Kanoute made his debut for his adopted country, Mali, as they beat Algeria 2-0 in a warm up for the African Nations Cup, which begins in Tunisia on January 24. Kanoute qualifies for his parents' country of Mali under new Fifa rules, despite having played for France at under-21 level.
Nigeria captain Jay-Jay Okocha, who should have reported to his country's training camp in Portugal to prepare for the Nations Cup, will instead lead Bolton against Portsmouth in the EPL tomorrow. The 30-year-old has stayed in Bolton as he attempts to sort out some financial problems. Okocha has funds trapped in a Nigerian bank that is in fiscal difficulties. He vowed that the situation would not stop him playing for his country at the Nations Cup.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 15/04
Revised F.A. Cup 4th round draw (replays completed)
Man City v Tottenham
Swansea v Preston
Northampton v Man Utd
Wolves v West Ham
Arsenal v Middlesbrough
Coventry v Colchester
Ipswich v Sunderland
Luton v Tranmere
Liverpool v Newcastle
Burnley v Gillingham
Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Utd
Portsmouth v Scunthorpe
Everton v Fulham
Telford v Millwall
Scarborough v Chelsea
Birmingham v Wimbledon
Games to be played January 24/25.
In last night's action, non-league Scarborough beat Third Division Southend 1-0 and are now rewarded with a visit from Chelsea.
Inter Milan are reported to be interested in having former striker Ronaldo back at the San Siro. The Brazilian left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2002 for £29.8m but has revealed his desire to return to his old club and Inter bosses have made clear their desire to bring him back to Serie A. "We are very interested in Ronaldo. We think he has always been the greatest," the club's technical director Marco Branca told the Guardian newspaper. "It is a real possibility. He is the son of Inter."
More Saha nonsense. Fulham have denied reports that they have put an £18m price tag on the 'want away' striker. It was also reported that Chelsea had entered the fray in an attempt to sign the malcontent. The Stamford Bridge club were thought to be keen to sign Saha from under the noses of Manchester United. However, a Fulham spokeswoman told BBC Sport: "There has been no contact from Chelsea for Saha, it is not true.It is also nonsense to suggest Fulham have put a price tag of £18m on Saha. None of these reports are true."
Liverpool's England striker Emile Heskey is the subject of enquiries from both Middlesbrough and AC Milan. Manager Gerard Houllier confirms the enquiries but not the clubs.It is understood Middlesbrough are keen on a permanent deal, with AC Milan interested in a loan arrangement. Heskey's long-term future is in question with Auxerre's Djibril Cisse scheduled to arrive at Anfield in a £14m deal next summer. Middlesbrough would seem a more likely destination, but boss Steve McClaren would have to offer about £6m to tempt Liverpool, with Milan Baros still three weeks away from a return after injury and Michael Owen only just back after a lengthy absence with a thigh injury.
Birmingham's Christophe Dugarry has been handed a three match ban by the F.A. He was found guilty of violent conduct during a game against Blackburn, when an errant elbow broke Rovers' defender Craig Short's nose. The ban is effective immediately.
Claudio Ranieri says Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is not for sale. Rumours have linked the England international with a move to Charlton in a deal to bring Scott Parker to the Bridge. The 22 year old, who cost the Blues £6.6m when he arrived from Upton Park in August, is mostly used coming off the bench, having started just nine times. However, Ranieri said: "Joe is a highly valued member of Chelsea's first team squad and is playing an important role in our exciting season."
Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who has been out with a broken leg since September, has vowed to be back for the Merseyside derby on January 31. The England defender played in the reserve side's 2-0 win over Everton on Tuesday. "I hope to be back for the derby at the end of the month, but I would honestly be disappointed if I am not involved before then," said Carragher. "I would love to be involved at Spurs on Saturday, but maybe the reserve game with Wolves next Monday is more realistic. I think I will be in with a shout in a week to 10 days, but ultimately it is the manager's decision."
Scarborough manager Russell Slade praised his side for reaching the F.A. Cup 4th round for the first time in the 125 year history of the club. They now play host to Chelsea and the financial rewards will be substantial for the Conference team. Scarborough pick up £50,000 in prize money for reaching the fourth round and will be guaranteed £265,000 for live television of the Chelsea tie. Slade said: "It is nice to make a little bit of history for a little seaside town and to be matched with Chelsea is wonderful. I'm going to enjoy the night but it is back down to earth on Thursday."
Irish international Mark Kinsella looks like moving from Villa Park to the Hawthorns. West Brom are keen to strengthen their squad in the effort to get back into the Premiership at the first attempt. The midfielder, who joined Villa from Charlton for a million pounds 18 months ago, has made only two appearances this season. He has been capped 43 times by the Republic of Ireland.
On a sombre note, two Manchester Utd, youngster's were injured in a car crash, one seriously, outside the club's training facility early Wednesday afternoon. The reserve team game against Birmingham was postponed as a result. Phil Marsh was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester with serious injuries, police said. A medical team was called out to treat Marsh, who was trapped in a car for more than an hour. He was flown by air ambulance to Wythenshawe Hospital where he's in a critical condition. His team-mate, Callum Flanagan, was also in the car at the time of the accident but suffered only minor injuries and is recovering at home. A 25-year-old woman has been taken to Trafford General Hospital suffering from back, neck and lower injuries. The accident comes five months after the death of United's Jimmy Davis in a car accident.The 21-year-old United striker, on loan to First Division Watford, died on the M40 last August.
North of the border, St. Mirren have signed Chris McGroarty from Dunfermline. The former Scotland Under-21 international had been on loan to Saints' Division One rivals, Clyde, for the first half of the season, but the league leaders were unable to afford a package to win his signature permanently. St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson has stepped in to take him to Paisley and make McGroarty his first signing since moving from Dunfermline himself. McGroarty, who can play at both left-back and in midfield, had been out of first-team picture with the Pars. He had faced the prospect of being on the sidelines again until the end of his contract in the summer, however, Dunfermline agreed a package that would allow him to terminate his stay early.
Ross County have revealed plans for a new 10,000 seat capacity stadium. The First Division side hope to raise the funds by incorporating a business park and community-related centres in the design and insist they will be able to satisfy Premier League criteria if they win promotion this season. "If we are in a position to go up, the stadium will be built," chairman Roy MacGregor told the Scottish Sun. "We can't plan when we get promotion but I'd like it to be after this season." The Highland side are currently fourth in the table, six points behind leaders Clyde.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 14/04
| FA Cup Third Round Replays tonight | |||||
| Chelsea |  |
v | |
Watford | |
| Leicester City | |
v | |
Man City | |
| Scarborough | |
v | |
Southend Utd | |
'Safe Hands' has announced his retirement. David Seaman called an end to his playing career yesterday after 23 years. A recurring shoulder injury has convinced the former Arsenal and England keeper that this is the end of the line. This season he moved to Manchester City for one last kick of the cat, when he would have been better advised to retire after the cup win last May. His previous clubs were Leeds. Peterborough, Birmingham and QPR. Seaman joined the Gunners in 1990 and made 564 appearances, keeping 235 clean sheets, He also played 75 times for England. Good luck to you in the future, sir.
Stories from West London would indicate that Fulham, Manchester Utd. and the mewling Louis Saha are not on the same book, let alone the same page. Both clubs have refuted the claim by the repugnant striker that a 9.8 million pound move had been agreed. While Saha insisted he was to have a medical on Tuesday at Old Trafford to complete the deal, a Fulham spokesman told BBC Sport: "There has been no fresh bid, so no bid has been accepted and the player does not have permission to hold talks. This obviously means that suggestions that he will have a medical with Manchester United are nonsense." United have also insisted no deal is imminent, leaving Saha again confused about his future.
Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo will be out of action for six weeks with a calf injury. The Argentine, who had declared himself fit to face Liverpool and then limped off after 12 minutes, will not have endeared himself to Claudio Ranieri. The Blues' manager had been willing to rest Crespo, who had the problem prior to that match, in order that he would not be out for a protracted length of time. On the other side of the coin, Damien Duff is expected to be on the bench for today's F.A. Cup replay with Watford after recovering from a dislocated shoulder.
Manchester City and West Ham have agreed on a two million pound fee to take England goalkeeper David James from East London to Lancashire. James is in Manchester for talks with the Premiership club. He will undergo a medical today and could start for City against Blackburn on Saturday.
The PFA has been holding talks with Leeds players to discuss the possibility of administration. The Elland Road outfit has five days to come up with a buyer to stave off the threat. The deferral of players' wages was suggested as a way to keep the club afloat. The PFA's deputy chief executive, Mick McGuire, and newly-appointed executive Richard Jobson spoke at length with the squad after David Batty approached them. PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "We are just keeping the players fully informed and keeping them in the loop. They were apparently excellent in their response. They want to hold the club together and they want to stay together to keep Leeds in the Premiership because they know that would be the best way for somebody to come in and save them. A number of options were discussed with a view to keeping the club alive and to avoid administration, with one of those options being a deferral of wages. The players were very responsive, which was to be expected because that's what we have encountered at other clubs in the past. Sometimes people do not appreciate just what players want to do for their club in terms of staying solid and together and doing it for the fans." (This last sentence was taken from 'The Louis Saha Guide to Fan Appreciation and Team Etiquette')
From Scotland, Rangers have denied reports that Ibrox Stadium is for sale to help reduce the club's massive debt load. Speculation that the stadium would be sold to a company belonging to honorary chairman David Murray has been circulating for some time, but the club insists there are no plans to sell Ibrox to anyone. "Ibrox Stadium is safely in Rangers' ownership and will remain so," said chairman John McClelland. "Reports suggesting that the stadium is being sold or transferred to another party are a total fabrication..We are disappointed that these suggestions have been made without the club being contacted for comment and would question the motives of those initiating these rumours. The club is halfway through a three-year business plan and good financial progress is being made."
Kilmarnock winger Peter Canaro will sign with Leicester today, although the SPL club are not happy with the fee. The club had been pleased with an initial offer of £350,000 for the 22-year-old Scotland U-21 international, who is out of contract in the summer. However, they were forced to accept £100,000 less once agent Raymond Sparkes became involved in negotiations. Kille general manager Dave MacKinnon said: "Kilmarnock are not going to get as much money as we thought." Canero had rejected Killie's offer of a new three-year deal and a 60% pay rise. Instead, he travelled to Leicester with Sparkes for talks and a medical on Wednesday. "Kilmarnock and Leicester City have behaved impeccably, as has the player, who has acted professionally throughout," MacKinnon told the Daily Record. "But, once other parties outwith those three entities became involved, the problems started."
Former Scotland captain Craig Burley is threatening Dundee with legal action if the financially troubled club sign any players. Midfielder Burley was one of a number of players sacked when the club called in the accountancy experts. He said: "If Dundee are bringing in new players, I'll be getting my legal people on to it." Burley was angry to discover that Dundee businessmen were putting together a package to help the Dens Park club's team boss, Jim Duffy, add to his depleted squad. "I have not had a penny from the club since leaving," Burley told the Sun. "I wasn't even paid in full when I was there, so I'm not going to sit here and be a soft touch. The bottom line is the club went into administration and shouldn't be allowed to bring in more players unless someone has bought the club over." A spokesman for Dundee's administrators said: "Although Duffy will be getting the benefit of the player this money will pay to sign, the money is not coming from the club. It is not a case that we are using money to sign one player which could have been used to pay off someone else."
The Dens Park club also face an attack on another front. Partick Thistle chairman Tom Hughes has repeated his suggestion that his rivals ought to have been relegated after going into administration. Bottom-placed Thistle, who face Dundee in a relegation battle this weekend, are likely to see a proposal to have teams in administration docked 15 points rejected at a Scottish Premier League meeting next week. Hughes told the Daily Mail: "It is unacceptable that clubs can rip up contracts and cast out players in the middle of season. If you tried that in any other business, there would be trouble. In other countries, you would be relegated down two or three divisions for what has happened here and that seems like a fair practice to me. At Partick Thistle, we have made it our policy to remain solvent and it seems we are being penalised for that." (Although it might seem like a case of kick them when they are down, it appears to me that the Jags boss has a point. Financial irresponsibility has got to be stamped out, or many clubs will be out of business in the foreseeable future)
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
The dates for the World Cup Group 6 qualifying matches involving the Home Countries appear on the World Cup 2006 page. As more dates are announced, they will be added to that page.
Footiemad news item
January 13/04
| FA Cup Third Round Replays tonight | |||||
| Scunthorpe Utd | |
v | |
Barnsley | |
| Colchester | |
v | |
Accrington | |
| Rotherham Utd | |
v | |
Northampton | |
| Stoke City | |
v | |
Wimbledon | |
| Wolves | |
v | |
Kidderminster | |
| Bolton | |
v | |
Tranmere | |
| Reading | |
v | |
Preston | |
Nicky Butt has put in a transfer request at Old Trafford. The 28 year old midfielder, who has more than two years left on his contract, is looking to find regular first team football. Alex Ferguson told The Sun: "Nicky Butt has asked to leave. It is a very sad situation. With Phil Neville, and the emergence of Darren Fletcher and Kleberson, it has made it difficult to get in the team so he has asked to leave. Nicky has given Manchester United great service but he wants to play first-team football." Tottenham and Middlesbrough have both expressed interest in the England regular, who could cost in the region of £5m. Spurs are thought to be looking for a combative midfielder while Boro boss Steve McClaren worked closely with the player during his own time at United. "If there was any possibility of getting him I would be first on the phone."
Chelsea have approached London rivals Charlton on the availability of midfielder Scott Parker and have been rebuffed. The 23 year old has been vital to the success the Addicks have enjoyed this season, as they currently sit in fourth position in the Premiership.The South-East London club made clear that their star midfielder, who won his first England cap against Denmark in November, was not for sale at any price. Charlton chief executive Peter Varney told the club website: "He is not for sale and we don't welcome the enquiry. We sincerely hope that Chelsea will accept our decision in this matter. Parker signed a new contract in the summer and he is vital to us.". It appears that their London rivals hoped to make Parker a transfer window purchase after suffering a string of injuries in midfield.
Manchester Utd. will up the bid for Saha, according to his agent Branko Stoic. Fulham, meanwhile, insist that the striker is not for sale. Stoic told Belgrade television station RTVBK: "Negotiations are very hard. A new bid is coming, superior to the previous one. Sir Alex Ferguson did not give up on Louis Saha. I believe the transfer will go ahead during this week." Fulham boss Chris Coleman launched a bitter public attack on Saha's agent after claiming Fulham were being "bullied" into selling the £12m-rated star. But Stoic said: "He is a manager for the first time and doesn't know what he is speaking about. It is just a question of price - will Saha stay for six months or leave in the next couple of days? Fulham asked for £12m and that is too high. I brought him to London for £2m. Fulham can make a profit of £8m." What part of this equation is it that the Slav cannot grasp?
Portsmouth have released Croatian defender Boris Zivkovic, above right, whose contract was cancelled by mutual consent. The 28-year-old, who captained his country at the 2002 World Cup, had two-and-a-half years of his deal to run. "Things have not worked out between Boris and the club," Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric told the club's official website. "I'm very disappointed. We'd like to thank him for his efforts and wish him well wherever his future takes him." Zivkovic, who joined the Fratton Park club from German side Bayer Leverkusen, with whom he reached the Champions League final in 2002, made 19 appearances for the club.
Gary McAllister has resigned as Coventry's player-manager, in order to be with his family. He had already stepped down on a temporary basis while his wife Denise undergoes treatment for an illness. Caretaker boss Eric Black is expected to continue in charge of the first team.
Darlington chairman George Reynolds has resigned from the post and also from the board. All links with the club, battling relegation from the Football League and in administration, have been severed. The 67 year old had taken over the club with a view to guiding them to the Premiership and was largely responsible for the building of the 27,000 seat Reynolds Arena. "I've decided that I should take a back seat," Reynolds said in a statement on the club's official website, describing his decision as being in the "best interests of the club and its supporters. I have met with the joint administrators and, having assisted them over the Christmas and New Year period, have decided I should allow them [the administrators] to fulfil their primary objective, which is to return the club to profitability and future success," Reynolds added. "I intend to continue to offer my support to the administrators in respect of any matters which may arise in the future. I would like to take the opportunity to wish the club well and I firmly believe that the new stadium will be an asset for the community for many years to come."
SPL side Hearts have rejected a 12 million pound bid for Tynecastle, their current home. Chief executive Chris Robinson told shareholders at Monday night's annual meeting that the club had no option but to move to Murrayfield. In an announcement to the Stock Exchange, Robinson has revealed that Hearts have already turned down one offer for Tynecastle. Hearts believe it has greater value to the club, presently £17m in debt."The company has received an indicative offer for the Tynecastle site from a major residential and commercial property developer at a minimum cash price of £12m, with the potential for additional consideration depending upon the detailed planning consent achieved," it read. "The board has to date declined to commit to this offer on the premise that a wider marketing exercise might realise additional value for Hearts.The board has estimated an immediate potential financial benefit would be £0.8m in the year ending 31 July 31 2005 as the result of net expenditure and interest savings following a disposal of the stadium for net proceeds of £12m." Manager Craig Levein has been told he must cut the wage bill, currently 5.1 mill, by a million pounds next season.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 12/04
Referee Paul Durkin, after seeing the video, has admitted he should have given a penalty when Tim Howard tripped Alan Shearer during yesterday's goalless draw at Old Trafford. "I was expecting the ball to be played upfield but it was rather a poor passback and I was caught quite a distance from play," said Durkin. The official, who also ruled out a United goal by Mikael Silvrestre, added: "I was just totally uncertain whether there had been any contact. Obviously now I have seen it on television there was a little bit of contact there and Newcastle can count themselves a little bit unlucky." Sir Alex Ferguson also thought it was a penalty - but added that he believed Silvestre's goal should have been allowed. "Having seen the video it was definitely a penalty, but we should have had a goal when Silvestre scored," Ferguson said."But at least Durkin had the courage to come out and say he was wrong. If we had more of that then we'd have better refereeing. For our disallowed goal I think he was probably evening things out to get himself out of a hole."
Raith Rovers striker John Sutton is attracting interest from Europe as well as from England. The 20 year old younger brother of Celtic star Chris has Valencia joining Millwall in the chase for his signature. Sutton's agent Tosh McKinlay confirmed Valencia's interest in taking the player on trial, but insisted a move closer to home remains more likely "John has options and it might be too much of a risk for him to go if clubs at home want him now," McKinlay said. Millwall are believed to be leading the chase to sign him, but Valencia have had Sutton watched in a number of matches and are ready to make a move. Director of football Jesus Garcia Pitarch told the Scottish Sun: "I can confirm we are very interested in John Sutton. He has caught the attention of our scouts and we have had him watched several times He is a young player and we want to sign him before the transfer window closes at the end of this month. If we get him, John will go straight into our B team with the possibility of a quick step up to the top side."
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is 'outraged' by the appointment of Trevor Brooking as the F.A. director of development. Allardyce said Brooking is not qualified and the League Managers' Association had complained to the FA. He said: "When I say that he's not qualified, I mean precisely that. He hasn't got the Uefa Pro Licence or the Uefa Pro Licence Diploma, qualifications that every coach is required to have." The Trotters boss claims Brooking's appointment was made for good publicity and said: "I do feel very strongly - and all the managers I have spoken to feel the same - that he is not qualified to be doing the job he has just started as director of football development for the FA. Like many managers I have spent a lot of time and money over the past five years getting qualified, only for the FA to appoint someone completely unqualified for one of their top jobs. The League Managers' Association is absolutely flabbergasted by this decision and has made representations to the FA about it. Needless to say, there has not been an adequate response as yet. All the FA has said is that Trevor's job is split into three roles and that the technical side is only a third of his mandate The FA might consider that an explanation, but I consider it an even greater outrage."
Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan has the players support according to Nicolas Anelka. This follows a blast from Eyal Berkovic, a former City player now with Portsmouth, who claimed that Keegan should be fired. But Anelka said after City's 4-2 defeat at Fratton Park on Saturday: "I don't know why Eyal says this. It is not true to say that we are not behind the manager. We are all working hard to try and win for the club."
Still at the City of Manchester Stadium, good news came in the form of X-rays revealing that goalkeeper David Seaman has not broken his arm. After it was initially feared the former Arsenal and England keeper would be out for up to eight weeks, it now looks like the time frame is a maximum of four weeks.
Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids has moved from Juventus to Barcelona, at least for the balance of the season. Barca will then have a "preferential" option to make the move more permanent. "We're very happy with the deal. Davids can help us in a lot of ways," said Txiki Begiristain, the director of football at Barcelona. Barcelona said Davids will be unveiled on Monday evening, subject to his passing a medical earlier in the day.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 11/04
Arsenal moved back to the top of the EPL yesterday, at least temporarily, by virtue of A coming before M in the alphabet. This shows great foresight by the club's founders when choosing a name over a hundred years ago. Chelsea visit Leicester and Manchester Utd. host Newcastle today.
The F.A. will investigate the circumstances of goalkeeper Tim Howard's move to Manchester Utd. Documents which allegedly show evidence of a payment to an agent and breaches of FA rules have been passed to the governing body by The Sunday Times. The FA's compliance unit is to look at the deal which saw Howard arrive from US side Metrostars in July. "Various documents are now in our possession," confirmed David Davies, the FA's executive director.. "They will be studied very carefully and any breach of the rules and regulations that they show will then be discussed as a matter of urgency."
Leeds striker Mark Viduka is going to Australia for an indefinite time due to a family illness. The 'down under' international was substituted at half time on Saturday, admitting he was unable to concentrate on the game. The Elland Road club's survival prospects in the top flight will not be improved by his absence.
Manchester City's board of directors survived a scary start to their journey home from Portsmouth. An engine on the plane blew up and an emergency landing was necessary at Farnborough in Surrey. All on board emerged unscathed. The team were on a different flight. Not a good day for the club as they lost yet again, 4-2 to Pompey.
The top of the table in Div 2 remains unchanged. Leaders Plymouth were held to a goalless draw at Grimsby, QPR edged Blackpool 1-0 and Bristol City beat Notts County 2-1. At the bottom, only Chesterfield improved their position, beating Wrexham 2-1.
There is a change at the top in Div 3. Oxford drew 0-0 at home to Lincoln while Hull beat Darlington 1-0 to move to the top on goal difference. Doncaster remain third after hammering Leyton Orient 5-0 at Belle Vue. At the other end of the table the status quo is maintained.
North of the border it was Cup day (for scores, check results page)
The draw for the Scottish Cup 4th round
Clyde v Dunfermline Athletic
Falkirk v Aberdeen or Dundee
Hearts v
Celtic
Kilmarnock v Rangers
Motherwell v Queen of the South
Partick
Thistle v Hamilton Academical
Spartans v Livingston
St Mirren v
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
The games will be played on the weekend of February 7/8
Amateur side Spartans, who produced the shock of the third round with victory
over Arbroath, were rewarded with a home tie against Livingston. Spartans
co-boss Sam Lynch said: "Our stadium is not the best. It is not the
San Siro, but we hope to stage it. We will try our best to make the park
as presentable as possible. We are desperate to have the game at our own
place as it will give us a wee chance as well." Livingston will make
the short trip along the M8 to face the Edinburgh side on 7 or 8 February.
Livi coach Allan Preston said: "We will not treat them lightly and
will have my fellow coach, Paul Hegarty, watching them.
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 10/04
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, above, and Southampton striker Kevin Phillips
have been charged with improper conduct by the F.A. These are both a result
of incidents during and following the game at St. Mary's on December 29.
Lehmann is charged with throwing the ball at the Southampton man's head
at the conclusion of the match, while Phillips is charged with standing
on the Arsenal keeper's foot as a corner was about to be taken. They have
until January 23 to respond.
Spurs striker Freddie Kanoute has denied any rift between himself and the
club over his upcoming appearance for Mali in the African Nations Cup.
Reports from France said he was critical of Tottenham for attempting to
block his participation in the event to be held in Tunisia. "There
have been no problems between me and the club," Kanoute told Tottenham's
website. "I didn't say those things. I'm not happy with the stories."
He added: "I haven't spoken to any journalists in England, only to
one in France. The journalist has said I was upset with the club because
they wanted to prevent me going but this is not true. I have had discussions
with the manager, the board and chairman Daniel Levy and everything was
all right I understand the club's point of view. It's difficult because
they didn't think I could go until FIFA made its late decision. That is
all I've said. It is difficult for me because I didn't want to leave the
club in this situation. That's why I was so happy we won the last game
because I can now go freer in my mind. But for me, it means a lot to play
in this competition. It will be an honour." Kanoute has scored 12
goals for the club this season and Tottenham would rather have had him
miss the tournament, bearing in mind the current standing in the league.
They are still hoping Mali will let him play against Liverpool on 17 January
before leaving on international duty
Further to Gordon Strachan's departure from Southampton, it has been revealed
that the 46 year old Scot is to undergo a hip operation at the end of his
contract. Strachan stressed that he made the decision to have the operation
after consulting his family two years ago. "It is not a football thing
or about money or about the club," he said. "I made the decision
with my family a few weeks after I took the job that I would see out my
contract and then walk away. I am not going anywhere else and I am not
cracking up so people can stop looking too deeply into it. This is probably
the least stressful time of my seven years in management. The only thing
wrong with my health is my hip which needs replacing. The chairman asked
me to sign a new contract in the summer and he asked me again several times
during the last five months.I told him in October I would not be signing.
He asked me several times to reconsider and he has been absolutely fantastic.
We hoped to keep it quiet until the end of the season but it was leaking
out so we have been forced to say something."
The Saha saga continues unabated. Will Fulham's cruel treatment of the
striker never end? That the club might expect him to honour his contract
is malevolence beyond belief. This sorry excuse for a human being has been
warned by manager Chris Coleman that sub par performances will result in
him warming the bench. The sadsack striker is angry because he wants to
move to Manchester Utd. and his employer's haven't made a stretch limo
available to take him to Lancashire, where, presumably, he would spend
a good deal of time riding the pine. "I saw him quoted as saying he
didn't play very well against Middlesbrough and that maybe it was no accident,"
said Coleman. "But if Louis does put in bad performances he'll be
out of the team. That doesn't mean we're selling him, he just has to play
well to stay in the team. If he stays for the rest of the season and is
not playing well, what happens then? I've got Barry Hayles and Facundo
Sava on the bench and if Louis puts in a bad performance then they will
come knocking on the door. I hope it doesn't happen, but if he's not in
the team it will be because he's not performing. He's banging goals in
but I've got an obligation to the team." Coleman is angry at the conduct
of Saha's agent, Branco Stoic, in the whole matter which has dissolved
into a bitter dispute between United and Fulham. "I think his agent
has acted appallingly," said Coleman. "It was blasted all over
the newspapers that I called Alex Ferguson a bully - but I actually meant
Louis' agent was a bully. I had a discussion with him in the morning before
the press conference and he came into my office and tried to tell me that
one of my players would be leaving because it suited him. The day that
happens I think it's time for me to get out of this job because that's
not for me. I'll never allow that. I won't be bullied by agents or anybody
else. I tell you the same thing - he's not for sale and that's the end
of it." These are brave words from the Fulham boss who is currently
standing on the moral high ground. The unfortunate reality is that, should
United's chequebook open widely enough, given the financial climate in
S.W.6, with the impending move back to the Cottage and the expense involved,
the miserable malcontent will probably get his own way. It is indeed a
sad commentary on the game and, more importantly, on the mentality of many
of the already overpaid and pampered performers that ply their trade on
grounds everywhere.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 9/04
Gordon Strachan will leave the Saints at the end of the season. Southampton
issued a statement saying that the Scot had decided not to extend his contract
for 'medical and other personal reasons'. A rift between the manager and
chairman Rupert Lowe was denied. "Gordon and I have fully discussed
the situation and are comfortable with his decision," said Lowe. "Despite
the fact that we may appear an unlikely partnership, I have very much enjoyed
working with Gordon over the past two and a half years. His enthusiasm
and commitment have inspired everybody and the club has moved forward during
a crucial period after leaving The Dell and moving to the Friends Provident
St Mary's Stadium. Gordon has assured me that he will give 110% for the
balance of this season in order to capitalise on our current position in
the league. Our fans will be sad to see a man, whose passion matched theirs,
taking time out of the game." Current Wales manager and former Saint,
Mark Hughes, is one name being bandied about as a replacement.
Manchester Utd. have signed Celtic midfielder Liam Miller to a pre-contract
agreement and the 22 year old will move to Old Trafford on July 1. The
Irish international, who turned down a contract worth £1m a year at Celtic,
said: "As a young boy I only supported two clubs, Glasgow Celtic and
Manchester United. I am honoured to have played for Celtic for six years
and now I look forward to joining Manchester United. It's very exciting
and is going to be a challenge to play for one of the biggest clubs in
the world." United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "We recognised
the potential of Liam, he has had a great season at Celtic. He is very
much part of our progressive thinking of developing a young team over the
next few years." Old Trafford chief executive David Gill added: "I
am pleased to have Liam joining us, it focuses our continued commitment
to bring in young players for the future."
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy confirmed his interest in bringing Italian
national team coach Giovanni Trapattoni to White Hart Lane. Levy, who sacked
Glenn Hoddle in September, said: "Giovanni is one of the greatest
managers working today. We are interested in hearing his point of view."
Levy told the Daily Mirror newspaper he merely wanted to consult Trapattoni,
the most successful coach in Italian football, on how best to take Spurs
forward. But reports now claim the 64-year-old is ready to sign a pre-contract
which would commit him to Tottenham after Euro 2004, when he will be in
charge of the Azzuri. Again the name of Mark Hughes comes up as a possible
right hand man to the Italian.
Manchester Utd. are said to be ready to up the ante to 10 million pounds
to prise Fulham striker Louis Saha from his current employers. While the
club has said that the Frenchman is not for sale at any price, an offer
of that size might just give them room for thought. Does Chris Coleman
want a player on his squad whose only ambition appears to be wanting to
get away? Would his continued presence adversely affect those around him?
10 mill would buy a lot of replacement. The petulant Saha told French sports
daily L'Equipe on Friday that he was ready for another confrontation in
order to get his way. "I won't do just anything, out of respect for
my team-mates whom I adore," he said "But everything I can do
to move, I will. If I have to have a clash, I will." Saha's name and
picture should be included in any compilation denouncing what is wrong
in sport today. Quite frankly, I find his attitude and degenerate mental
outlook disgusting. The Old Trafford club also fail to enhance their image
in these eyes for the manner in which they have undermined Fulham Football
Club's aspirations.
Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri is apparently less than ecstatic with Argentine
striker Hernan Crespo. The £16.8m summer signing from Inter Milan limped
off after only 12 minutes of Wednesday's 1-0 home defeat against Liverpool
Ranieri was angry at having to press substitute striker Eidur Gujohnsen
into early action, having been assured of Crespo's fitness. "I'm very
sad about Crespo because, on Tuesday, I gave him a day's rest after he
told me his calf was not right. On the day of the game, I spoke with him
and he said he was okay. I said 'look Hernan, I don't want to lose you
for a long period, so if you aren't ready yet, I will give you a rest'.
But he said that he was ready to play. Then, after just 12 minutes, he
was injured." Asked if Crespo's fitness pledge had been unprofessional,
Ranieri appeared to agree. He added: "The guy wanted to play and he
was sure that he would stay in the right condition. Of course it is frustrating."
This sort of situation was inevitable given the number of pre-season signings
and the egos involved.
Liverpool have signed a one month loan deal with Southampton goalkeeper
Paul Jones. The Welsh international will ease the Anfield goalkeeping crisis,
as both Chris Kirkland and Jerzy Dudek are injured. The 36 year old has
not started for the Saints since November 1.
Coventry first team coach Gary Mills has been appointed manager of Notts
County. "The board was delighted that Gary had applied for the role,"
County said on their website. "They were impressed with his enthusiasm
for fight for the survival of the club in Division Two, and look forward
to working with him to secure the long-term future of the club." Mills
managed Grantham Town, Kings Lynn and Tamworth before joining Coventry's
coaching staff in July 2002. "We're bitterly disappointed to lose
not only a good coach, but also a good friend," Coventry caretaker-boss
Eric Black told his club's website "Notts County has acquired an excellent,
knowledgeable and ambitious professional, who I have no doubt will take
the club forward."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 8/04
Wales' greatest footballer John Charles underwent emergency surgery after
collapsing on a promotional tour of Italy. The 72-year-old former Leeds
Utd and Juventus player was rushed to hospital after suffering a burst
blood vessel moments before appearing on an Italian television show. "It's
early days but we hope he's going to be fine," said former Welsh rugby
coach and close friend David Williams. "He's come through the operation
and will probably be kept in hospital for about a week. Everyone in Milan
is rallying around him. He is an absolute legend in Italy - the people
here adore him." Charles, who published his autobiography - King John
- in August, was due to be reunited with his former strike partner Sivori
on the sports TV show Domenica Sportiva when he became ill. Doctors in
Italy are hopeful that Charles - who was capped 38 times by Wales - will
make a full recovery. He has had to cope with two serious illnesses over
the last few years: he was diagnosed with blood cancer and in 1997 had
a tumour removed from his bladder. After several years of chemotherapy
he has been in remission for the last two years.He has also had to cope
with Alzheimer's, which has not yet affected his long-term memory
Born in 1931, John Charles was signed by Leeds United as a 15-year-old
and made his Wales debut in 1950 at the age of 18. Standing 6ft 2ins tall
and almost 14 stone, he was the First Division's top marksman in 1957 with
38 goals, and signed for Juventus that August. During his five years in
northern Italy, where he was known as "Il Bon Gigante" or Gentle
Giant, the Turin club won three championships and two Italian cups, with
Charles scoring a remarkable 93 goals in 155 games. Despite his obvious
scoring prowess, the big man was equally at home in the centre of the defence.
John's family in Cardiff are waiting for news on his progress. His daughter-in-law
Tina said: "We received a telephone call in the early hours of the
morning. It was a huge shock - he's never had heart trouble before. We're
upset about it but we think we should be fine." At footiemad, we
join the rest of the world in wishing 'King John' a full and speedy recovery.
The F.A. and current senior England players are to hold talks on selection
criteria for future squads, following the Ferdinand nonsense last year.
It is hoped that agreement in principle, at least, on circumstances that
would make a player ineligible, will be reached before the February 18
friendly with Portugal. It is thought that many former players will get
involved in the consultation process. It is to be hoped that there would
be some input from international bodies as well, just to ensure that all
concerned are on the same page.
Birmingham striker Christophe Dugarry has been charged with violent conduct
by the F.A. The incident occured during the game against Blackburn last
month, when the Frenchman is alleged to have elbowed Craig Short, leaving
the Rovers man with a broken nose. Dugarry was sent off in the game, although
not for his part in that particular clash. Referee Graham Barber did not
see the incident, so it is not in his report, however, the F.A. requested
video evidence. Dugarry has until January 21 to respond and, if found guilty,
could face a three match ban. Manager Steve Bruce is adamant the club will
fight the charge.
The Saha saga continues. The Fulham striker is said to be 'appalled' by
the club's refusal to sell him to Manchester Utd. He is quoted in French
sports daily L'Equipe as saying: "I'm completely gutted, appalled.
A transfer to United was a good deal for everyone. United offered £8m,
which was excellent for Fulham. I'm not Ronaldo! This was a good opportunity
for me to join one the greatest clubs in the world. It was the chance of
my life," he said. "It is obvious that Manchester will not try
to get me again in six months' time, because they will have found another
striker by then. I really don't understand the president's opinion. I gave
a lot to Fulham, they could have done me that favour." The question
here is why sign a long term contract for the security if you still want
the freedom to move on a whim. This is a malaise that affects all sports,
where the grossly overpaid players, for the most part, want to have their
cake and eat it too. In a nutshell, if you sign a contract, honour it.
Celtic and Motherwell, the latter 'very reluctantly', have agreed on a
350,000 pound transfer fee for Scotland midfielder Stephen Pearson. The
21 year old has signed a four and a half year deal with the Glasgow giants
for two million. He told BBC Sport: "I have obviously supported them
all my life. My heart has always been set on Celtic, so it is a dream move
for me." Pearson has yet to pass a medical but has already enjoyed
a champagne celebration with his family at the conclusion of a week of
negotiations between the clubs. "It had dragged on a bit, so I am
very relieved as I did not want to leave on a pre-contract agreement,"
he said. "I wanted Motherwell to get as much money as possible.Now
I can concentrate on my football as I know that Celtic have a team full
of world-class players and I might have to bide my time before breaking
into the first team."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 7/04
Fulham manager Chris Coleman and his boss, Mohamed al Fayed, have joined
an increasingly long list of people who do not include Manchester Utd.
manager Alex Ferguson in their choices as the most likeable man on the
planet. Following a renewed bid, believed to be 8 million pounds, for French
striker Louis Saha, Coleman said "You get that feeling that we are
being bullied into selling one of our players. I don't like bullies and
I don't like being bullied, that is why we are determined to hang on to
Louis Saha." Saha has scored 14 goals this season and has been linked
with a move to Old Trafford since Fulham's 3-1 victory at Old Trafford
in October but his club are desperate to retain the player. "When
someone asks you if a player is available and you say 'no' and they make
a bid and you say 'no' and they keep coming back, and it is in the newspapers
and they come back again, that's disappointing," said Coleman. "He
has two and a half years left on his contract, so if he says 'I'm leaving'
he can't just get up and walk out. Will he put in a request? I hope not."
This follows a scathing attack on Ferguson by the Fulham chairman. "I
am fed up with Sir Alex Ferguson trying to disrupt my club and constantly
try to unsettle my players," said al Fayed."I have a clear message
to Sir Alex and anyone else who is interested: 'Read my lips, Saha is not
for sale'."
On the heels of yesterday's story on Michael Owen, in which his agent was
somewhat negative on his client signing a new contract with Liverpool,
comes a new twist, courtesy the Guardian. The newspaper claims that the
England striker will sever his relationship with the SFX agency when the
current contract expires in July. His father will then take care of Owen's
business affairs. From a Liverpool point of view, any change in Owen's
management would not harm their chances of re-signing their main asset.
Alan Smith will start a two match suspension when Leeds play Newcastle
tonight. He has decided not to appeal the ban, a result of the bottle throwing
incident in October, which led to his arrest and subsequent dismissal from
the England squad. He will also miss Saturday's game against Spurs. Smith's
manager Eddie Gray said: "The incident was in the heat of the moment,
he's a Leeds boy and passionate about the position the club is in. But
he's got to learn to control that. We can't afford to be without players
like Alan."
Blackburn have signed goalkeeper Peter Enckelman after Aston Villa accepted
a renewed offer from Rovers. The Finnish international had been on loan
at Ewood Park since November and has signed a three and a half year deal.
There is a initial fee of 150,000 pounds, plus extra payments based on
first team appearances and Blackburn's league position.
Liverpool have rejected a 2.1 million bid for central defender Stephane
Henchoz from VFB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. The German side is looking
to strengthen its squad for the Champions League knock-out stages. Stuttgart
boss Felix Magath said: "Liverpool were not prepared to talk about
a transfer. We need more than pocket change for a transfer like that."
Magath is keen on Henchoz, having previously worked with him while he was
coaching at Hamburg.
Notts County and manager Bill Dearden have parted company. Dearden had
been in charge at Meadow Lane for two years, including the seventeen months
the club spent in administration, during which period he was unable to
sign any new players. He resigned after yesterday's 5-2 defeat at Peterborough.
A club statement said: "The board wishes to stress that this decision
had been reached mutually and amicably. Over the last few days Billy Dearden
and the board of Notts County Football Club have been in extensive negotiations
concerning his future as manager of the club. He has informed the board
that if it is in the interest of Notts County Football Club then he will
resign.Therefore, by mutual agreement Billy Dearden has ceased to be manager
of Notts County Football Club. We wish Billy Dearden all the best for the
future."
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 6/04
Liverpool have to be concerned about their ability to re-sign Michael Owen.The
striker's agent Jon Holmes has insisted that his client needs to play European
Champions League football to further his career. The message to the Anfield
club and manager Gerard Houllier, if they fail to qualify again this year,
is very clear. "Champions League football is very important to Michael
Owen. For Liverpool not to qualify for the Champions League two years on
the trot would have severe repercussions." And Holmes added: "A
crucial five months await Liverpool. Michael Owen is now 24. He's moving
into his prime and needs to be playing football at the very highest level."
Liverpool boss Houllier, under fire from the club's shareholders and fans,
has always remained confident Owen would sign a new deal at Liverpool.
PSV Eindhoven are unhappy that Manchester Utd. have, apparently, held talks
with Arjen Robben without their permission. President Harry van Raaij launched
a furious verbal assault on Alex Ferguson after the striker visited Old
Trafford and United's training complex. Van Raaij said: "We were very
unhappy when we found our player was visiting another club without permission.
I expected a call from United, but it seems with Ferguson a leopard never
changes its spots." United have already bought Jaap Stam and Ruud
van Nistelrooy from PSV.,who were furious when Stam alleged in his autobiography
that he had been tapped up by Ferguson. Raaij said: "United approached
us some months ago about their interest in Arjen but then I heard that
Robben was in Manchester and I didn't know anything about that. There was
absolutely no contact from any United delegate and we are unhappy that
we did not know one of our players was visiting another club without our
permission. I have spoken to the Manchester United chief executive David
Gill since I learned of the visit and he was a little embarrassed and said
that the initiative was taken by Robben's parents.I have had good relations
with Manchester United in the past over the Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap
Stam transfers but bad relations with Ferguson. I recognise here exactly
the same actions as when he approached them both. It is Ferguson's way
of doing business but it is not my way. You can look back and see similarities
to what happened with Stam and Van Nistelrooy. It just seems that, with
Ferguson, a leopard never loses its spots."
Leeds striker Alan Smith faces an F.A. disciplinary committee today to
answer an improper conduct charge relating to the bottle throwing incident
at last year's Carling Cup match with Manchester Utd. He faces a three
match ban.
Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone, yesterday reported to be looking
to move back to Italy on loan, to resurrect his career after an injury,
has dismissed such stories as untrue. "I am a Middlesbrough player
and I want it to stay that way," he told the club's website. "I
have never said to anybody that I want to go on loan. I am angry that this
is how it has been reported because that is just not true." Maccarone
has been struggling with an ankle injury since pre-season and has only
one goal to his credit in his 11 appearances so far this season "I
want to stay here and fight for my place in the team," he admitted.
"Of course, I would rather be in the team so that I can prove my worth,
but I am confident that I can score goals if I am given the chance."
Celtic's left-side midfielder Alan Thompson could be filling the same role
for England in the February 18 friendly with Portugal and, by extension,
in Euro 2004. England assistant manager Tord Grip was at the Old Firm game
on the weekend and was very impressed with both Thompson and Chris Sutton.
They will be watched again when Celtic play Hearts later this month. "Sven
has been very impressed with them both. They've done very well in Europe,
so they can play at the top," Grip said. "Sven's likely to look
at different players and I think we will do that because we know what we
have got so far."
Wolves striker Dean Sturridge's loan deal with Sheffield Utd. has manager
Neil Warnock delighted. There is now a fight for starting berths throughout
the side. "The players know their places are up for grabs, which is
good for me as a manager," Warnock told the club's official website.
"They know they have to play well or they could miss out to someone
else." He also admitted it was proving difficult to balance resting
players and going all out for victory.
Outgoing UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner would like to see more home
born players on English teams. (I hope he was only using England as an
example, although 'jolly old' is probably the worst 'offender', and meant
every nation. If that is the case, he makes great sense). He also admitted
European football's governing body should have done more to stop the influx
of overseas players. "It doesn't make sense to have no English player
in an English team," Aigner told the BBC. "There must be a rule
that says the English championship should be played by a majority of English
players." He added: "It would help leagues like those in Denmark
and Sweden to keep some of their players on board and strengthen their
league." Aigner also described the Bosman rule, which allows out of
contract players to move without a fee being paid to their club, as a "disaster
for sport and especially for football". "All of the excesses
we know now and many of the problems in the game come back to the decision,"
he admitted. "I think we could have revised the transfer rules in
a coherent way and kept the rule which limits the movement of the players
It is a matter of sport being good or sport going in the wrong way and
it is going in the wrong way due to this decision,"
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 5/04
F.A.Cup 4th Round draw
Man City or Leicester City v Tottenham
Swansea v Preston or
Reading
Northampton or Rotherham v Man Utd
Kidderminster or
Wolves v West Ham
Arsenal v Middlesbrough
Coventry
v Accrington or Colchester
Ipswich v Sunderland
Luton
v Tranmere or Bolton
Liverpool v Newcastle Utd
Burnley
v Gillingham
Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Utd
Portsmouth
v Barnsley or Scunthorpe
Everton v Fulham
Telford v
Millwall
Southend or Scarborough v Watford or Chelsea
Birmingham
v Wimbledon or Stoke City
(Ties to be played 24 and 25 January)
There were no surprise end results in Cup play yesterday, although Fulham
left it late to advance against Cheltenham. The Third Division side took
the lead after five minutes on a nice Grant McCann drive from outside the
box. Louis Saha, above, brought the London club back on even terms with
a clever lob in the 13th minute, however, it wasn't until the final minute
that the French striker headed home from close range to seal the win.
Third Division Yeovil were the better of the two sides in the first half
and might have gone to the break ahead of Premiership opponents Liverpool,
forcing some excellent saves from Jerzy Dudek. The Anfield side were anything
but impressive and El-Hadji Diouf was booked for a dive in the Yeovil penalty
area. The Somerset side continued to take the game to the visitors in the
early second half going, with Liverpool still looking lethargic and uncohesive.
Finally, after 70 minutes, second half substitute Emile Heskey fired the
Reds ahead. The win was assured seven minutes later when Danny Murphy scored
from a very controversial penalty. Australian international Harry Kewell,
above, went down in the box, seemingly from a gust of wind. Yeovil defender
Hugo Rodrigues was incensed and told the Sun newspaper "I spoke with
Kewell at the time and told him I never touched him. He said, 'yeah, I
know you didn't. But this is football, man. I had to dive'." He added:
"I have seen my challenge on Kewell again on the television and it
definitely wasn't a foul. Liverpool tried it at least four times in the
first half and they do it to put pressure on the referee."
At Villa Park, Manchester Utd. survived a first half in which they were
outplayed by Aston Villa and lucky to only be down by one goal, a deflection
off Wes Brown from a Gareth Barry drive. Tim Howard in the Utd. goal made
two or three excellent saves to keep his side in the game. The visitors
picked up their game in the second half, while Villa let their's drop,
and Paul Scholes scored twice to put the Old Trafford side through to Round
Four. "Paul Scholes is a genius," said manager Alex Ferguson
"He just ghosts into those positions and is so difficult to pick up.
The second goal was a tremendous finish."..
Leeds took an early lead against Arsenal when an attempted clearance by
Jens Lehmann was blocked by Mark Viduka and went into the net. For the
first 15 or 20 minutes Leeds were the better side and the Cup holder's
were not passing well and their play was disjointed. As the Gunners appeared
to settle, the balance of play went their way and, after 26 minutes, Thierry
Henry volleyed home a Freddie Ljungberg cross to tie the game. Seven minutes
later Henry turned provider as part of a great passing movement, which
was finished off by Edu. The visitors should have had a couple more shortly
after the break, but Leeds then started to get back into the game more
and forced some good defensive work from Martin Keown and Sol Campbell.
Two late goals from Robert Pires and Kolo Toure put the result beyond doubt.
United Arab Emirates coach Roy Hodgson would be interested in becoming
the new manager at White Hart Lane. He has previously managed Blackburn
in the EPL and has coached in Italy with both Inter Milan and Udinese."Spurs
are a big club," said Hodgson. "It's one of England's top clubs
and if they decide that I'm the man for them then I would be very flattered
At the moment it's only speculation because I have had no contact."
He added: "It's a bit like asking me if I was interested in coaching
Juventus or Barcelona." There is also speculation that Spurs have
contacted Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who is expected to leave
that post at the end of the season. "There are people from England
who have called me to find out about my status," Hitzfeld told the
Daily Express. "But it is too early to comment on that now, it would
be hypothetical."
Poland captain Tomasz Hajto claims he is considering a move from Schalke
04 in the Bundesliga to Everton. The 31 year old defender will be at Goodison
Park on Wednesday to watch the Toffees' game with Arsenal. He said: "I
have had three offers from big clubs, but the most concrete one is from
Everton boss David Moyes I am considering the move but Everton have not
been that strong and have big games coming up. You have to raise your standards
and try your luck elsewhere."
Newcastle have entered into the race to sign Celtic striker Henrik Larsson
after he completes the season with the Glasgow club. The Swede, who has
spent seven years at Parkhead, has announced this will be his last in Scotland.
He has been linked with clubs in Spain and the Middle East. Magpies' boss
Bobby Robson said: "Larsson is someone who could play alongside Alan
Shearer - I've no doubt about that." Robson recognises such quality
and said: "Henrik Larsson may be approaching 33 and has been playing
easy football in Scotland, but when it comes to European football, he has
shown he is still a class act. I understand he is not available until the
end of the season as Celtic are still involved in Europe and will not let
him go, so we will forget all about Larsson until the transfer window opens
again in the summer. He is a player we have continually had watched and
we will know about any move when he finally becomes available on the open
market."
Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed an interest in Celtic's Scotland
U-21 defender Stephen Crainey and may try to get something done during
the transfer window this month. It is speculated that this may involve
a player trade with Argentine defender Julio Arca going to Glasgow.
Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock may be getting a little carried away with
his reaction to his side's thrashing of Chesterfield on Satuirday, claiming
a world-beating first half display. "No team in the world would have
gone out and performed to the same standards we did in the first 45 minutes,"
Sturrock told the club's website "The goals we scored were different
class." Chesterfield remain second from bottom in Div 2.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January 4/04
The 3rd round of the F.A. Cup got underway yesterday and, true to form,
several games went considerably against form.
Non-league Telford got a goal from Lee Mills after 75 seconds at Crewe
and went on to beat the First Division side 1-0. This came on the heels
of their 3-0 victory over Div 2 Brentford in the second round.
Gillingham, after going down 1-0 to an own goal in 34 seconds, came back
with three in the right net inside 35 minutes and deservedly beat Charlton,
currently fourth in the Premier, 3-2, with Cole making it look close, scoring
for the visitors in the 90th minute. Gills' young goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu
kept the Addicks at bay during what could have been a tense finish.
Wolves needed a last gasp equalizer from Alex Rae to earn a replay with
Kidderminster, in the lower half of Div 3. The Harriers had taken the lead
13 minutes from time on a John Williams goal and looked set to advance
to Round 4.
Non-league Accrington Stanley were unhappy to have only got a draw with
Div 2 Colchester, a game they could easily have won. The Conference side
had a host of chances to seal the third-round tie. Manager John Coleman,
a primary school teacher, said: "The lads are bitterly disappointed
and had chances to win the game but it wasn't to be We will be working
hard and we will go down there and give it a really good go in the replay."
Second division Colchester were lucky to earn a replay at all at the Interlink
Express Stadium.
Chelsea should feel relieved to have left Vicarage Road after sharing four
goals with Watford. A controversial goal had given the Hornets an early
lead, a Heidar Helguson header deemed by assistant Dave Bryan to have crossed
the line when TV replays showed very clearly that it hadn't. That mistake
was evened out when referee Alan Wiley failed to award a penalty to the
home side in the second half after Gavin Mahon was brought down in the
box by William Gallas. Watford wingers Lee Cook and, more particularly,
Paul Devlin were causing a creaky Blues rearguard headaches all afternoon.
The remaining four ties will be played today.
In Div 2, leaders Plymouth hammered lowly Chesterfield 7-0, six coming
in the first half, and QPR edged Rushden and Diamonds 1-0 to keep pace.
Bottom of the table Wycombe got a hat trick from on-loan striker Luke Moore
in the 4-1 win over Grimsby, to close the gap a little.
Oxford remain on top in Div 3 depite having the day off. Hull moved into
second spot with a 2-0 win over Cambridge, while Doncaster slip to third
after a 3-1 loss at Huddersfield. At the other end of the table, Carlisle
got a little closer to the rest with a 2-1 win over Boston.
In Scotland, Celtic moved 11 points clear at the top, beating rivals Rangers
3-0, their 18th consecutive league win, an SPL record. John Hartson failed
to find the net in the fifth straight game between the two, missing a
chance to stand alone in the record book.
Manchester Utd. believe they are close to signing striker Arjen Robben
from PSV Eindhoven. "We are interested in him," Alex Ferguson
told the Mail on Sunday newspaper. "Nothing's been finalised but we
are hoping to do business with PSV." The 19-year-old Dutch international,
who is expected to be in Holland's Euro 2004 squad, is ineligible for the
Champions League having featured for PSV this season.
Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item
January3/04
The F.A. Cup 3rd round is the main fare this weekend, with Arsenal trying
to make it three in a row, a feat last accomplished by Blackburn Rovers
in 1884/5/6. There will be the usual upsets on the road to Cardiff and
some smaller clubs will get good pay-days for their efforts. League action
continues in Divisions 2 and 3 for those clubs whose Millenium Stadium
dreams are now of the 2005 variety.
Gerard Houllier says the persistent rumours linking Celtic boss Martin
O'Neill to the Liverpool job don't bother him. The Irishman has declared
the reports "totally and utterly untrue", while Houllier said
neither he, nor the team, take them seriously. "The players are like
me, they do not care what is said," said the Anfield boss. "It
made me laugh, but it is not unsettling. The players just ignore it, but
I joke with them about it all." Liverpool face third division Yeovil
in the FA Cup on Sunday and an upset would put further pressure on Houllier.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has resumed first team training with Manchester Utd.
after a knee operation on September 23. The Norwegian striker is hopeful
of a game for the reserves on January 15 against Birmingham. "Ole
trained with the first team on Friday. He didn't do an awful lot, but at
least he did something," said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "We've
pencilled him in for a comeback game against Birmingham reserves. He'll
be a welcome boost to us all because he is such a fantastic professional."
The big game north of the border goes today at Parkhead. Celtic striker
John Hartson will have a chance at history in the game with Rangers. The
big Welshman has found the net in his last four league outings against
the Ibrox club, a feat accomplished by Jimmy Johnstone between 1971-73
and John Collins 1993-94. No one, however, has managed the trick in five
consecutive meetings. But Hartson insists that establishing an 11-point
gap over the reigning champions would be more important than personal glory.
"Records are there and it would be something nice to get, but I would
sooner take somebody else scoring and us winning the game," he said
"These games are too important to be worrying about records and personal
achievements. "They mean so much to the club and the fans." The
task for Rangers is all the more daunting as Celtic have gone 66 matches
at Celtic Park unbeaten and have won their last 17 league matches, which
is another record. "It is when you look at the calibre of teams we
have beaten here," Hartson added. "It is a great record and it's
something that we want to hold on to. We don't want to give that up."
Finally there is a continuation of an earlier story that would be good
anywhere. Lincoln City manager Keith Alexander has given his first interview
since leaving hospital after collapsing with a double aneurysm in November.
The Imps boss has spoken candidly about his illness, the support he has
received, his recovery, and the future following his illness. I'm feeling
a lot better than than I did a few months ago," he said. "I'm
hoping to be back by the end of January, early February. The sooner I get
back the better." Alexander thanked the fans and his family for their
cards and messages during his hospital stay. He also revealed that among
the wellwishers was Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "The
first card I got was from Sir Alex. I don't even know the man. It's pleasing
to know that people care," said Alexander. The Imps manager also said
that he is a little surprised at how well he is recovering from his November
collapse. "There's a good four to six weeks that I can't remember
anything about. It's only the last couple of weeks my memory's beginning
to come back and I can remember everything. I have to be sensible and be
right when I get back. I'm feeling 100% better - as well as I've felt for
a long time. I'm now getting 10 to 12 hours sleep a day." Alexander
is expected to extend his current contract by a couple of years in the
coming weeks. The Sincil Bank club are currently seventh in Div 3 and in
a good position to challenge for an end-of-season play-off place.
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 2/04
The Rio Ferdinand affair, which has already gone on interminably, looks
set to drag on into March before he finally has to rue the error of his
ways. The current procedure has more holes than a collander and the club
and its advisors are finding them to delay any punishment handed to its
brain dead defenceman. Manchester Utd. and manager Alex Ferguson continue
to make the F.A. and its disciplinary process look stupid. There is a charge,
bringing the game into disrepute, which should be levelled at both the
Old Trafford club and its self aggrandizing boss. An appeal of the eight
month ban handed to the errant defender, a contender for idiot of last,
or any other, year, should unquestionably result in the suspension being
raised to two years. Manchester Utd. should be fined a gargantuan sum to
dissuade them, or any other club, from a repeat of such manipulative nonsense.
Ferguson, who has vowed to keep the neanderthal playing for as long as
he is available, should pay the maximum price for his part in this fiasco,
whether a ban, a major fine or both. The F.A., partly as a result of their
own process and partly due to the manner in which the club has used the
loopholes in the system, has been made to look like a horse's ass and should
set about putting that right in the immediate future.
Leicester have rejected a bid by Blackburn for Turkish international Muzzy
Izzet. Rovers boss Greaeme Souness viewed Izzet, who is out of contract
in the summer, as a replacement fot Barry Ferguson, out for the season
with a broken kneecap. Aston Villa are also interested in the Foxes highly
rated midfielder, whom they were looking to sign two years ago for six
million until Doug Ellis nixed the deal. The Rovers' bid was described
by Leicester manager Micky Adams as 'derogatory'. Souness is also keen
to sign Peter Enckelman, the Aston Villa goalkeeper who has been on loan
with the Lancashire side until today, as a permanent back-up for Brad Friedel
Newcastle's Greek international defender Nikos Dabizas is set to join Leicester
on loan until the end of the season, with a view to the move becoming permanent
if the East Midlands side retains its Premiership status. He has not been
in the first team picture at St. James' Park this year, but Foxes boss
Micky Adams believes his experience will be invaluable in their bid to
stay in the top flight.
Stories from BBC Sports site
Footiemad news item
January 1/04
Tottenham have had a bid for Notts Forest midfielder Andy Reid rejected.
According to the Div 1 club boss Paul Hart, the offer fell decidedly short
of the price they would want for the 21 year old. Reid, who has 10 goals
this season. is understood to have signed a new three year deal at the
City Ground last summer. "Tottenham have made us an offer, but it's
nowhere near the valuation we have of Andy," said Hart. "It's
by no means certain we are going to sell Andy and I'm merely reacting to
questions which are put my way." He added: "I don't know whether
Tottenham will be back, but I'm not interested because we're not actively
trying to encourage bids, set up an auction or anything like that. The
situation is not of our doing, but I am dealing with it."
Spurs striker Freddie Kanoute said on Monday that he has decided to accept
an invitation to play for Mali in the African Nation's Cup. He is eligible
to play under new FIFA rules despite having represented France at the U-21
level. The tournament, to be played in Tunisia, runs from January 24 to
February 14, so the club could lose him for a month, a situation which
does not please Tottenham boss David Pleat, particularly since they are
in the relegation zone and Premiership survival not a sure bet.
Fulham have signed Celtic midfielder Bobby Petta on loan for the balance
of the season. Despite manager Chris Coleman's assertions to the contrary,
he hasn't exactly lit fires during his time in Britain. Coleman has been
promised funds to strengthen his team during the transfer window by chairman
Mohamed al Fayed. "I am happy that we have secured Bobby until the
end of the season," he said, "He has proven ability which will
help give us some important strength and depth in the squad. I have no
doubt he will be an asset in the coming months." The Rotterdam-born
midfielder started his career at Feyenoord and joined Celtic on a free
transfer from Ipswich in 1999, but he has played hardly any first team
football for Martin O'Neill's team this season.
Newcastle got something of a boost with the news that Craig Bellamy could
be back in the side by the end of January. The Welsh international was
expected to be gone for months following knee surgery.
Alexei Smertin will remain at Fratton Park for the rest of the season.
Chelsea will not exercise their right to recall the Russian midfielder
during the transfer window. Smertin, who did not play in the loss to the
Blues on Sunday, will now be available for Portsmouth's F.A. Cup 3rd round
game at home to Blackpool on Saturday The 28 year-old former Lokomotiv
Moscow player was signed by Chelsea from French club Bordeaux for £3.5m,
before signing on loan to Portsmouth at the start of the current campaign.
Smertin has won 32 caps for Russia and is expected to represent his country
at next summer's European Championships in Portugal..
North of the border, Rangers have signed midfielder Gavin Rae from financially
troubled Dundee prior to the official opening of the transfer window. If
the Scotland international can overcome a slight groin injury, he could
make his debut for the Ibrox club in the weekend derby with Celtic. Rangers
boss Alex McLeish, who granted his signing a three-and-a-half year deal,
said: "I'm absolutely delighted we have landed him as we've been keeping
tabs on him for a few years." Dundee risked losing the 26-year-old
for nothing in the summer but were determined to hold out for the £250,000
that administrator Tom Burton believed necessary to prevent further redundancies.
Dundee had rejected three previous bids, with Rangers' initial offer of
£50,000 on Christmas Eve being described by Dundee boss Jim Duffy as "disgusting".
Dundee adminstrator Tom Burton told his club's website: "The club
had a value in mind when we entered negotiations to sell the player and
I am pleased to say that we have achieved this valuation.
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has been awarded an OBE in the New Years
Honours. The Irishman, who has enjoyed great success since moving to Parkhead
in 2000, has dedicated the award to the players and staff that he has worked
with. "This recognition belongs to all those who have made a contribution
to that success," said O'Neill. He added: "I am honoured to accept
it on their behalf. As a club, Celtic has enjoyed success in the past few
years, culminating in the appearance at the Uefa Cup final." O'Neill
has previously won a European Cup winner's medal as a player with Nottingham
Forest and played in the 1982 World Cup finals with Northern Ireland.
Div 3 Peterhead have fired manager Ian Wilson, despite being in fourth
place. The club are fearful of missing promotion again this year after
being nosed out of a place in Div 2 on the final day of last season. A
disappointing 2-0 defeat by Cowdenbeath on Saturday leaves the Grampian
club six points adrift of second-top Stranraer, who also have a game in
hand. It was only Peterhead's second defeat in nine games. Vice-chairman
Roger Morrison said: "I admire Ian Wilson so much, so sacking him
was not easy. But we are not where we want to be, considering our ambitions."
Former Everton, Leicester City and Scotland midfielder Wilson insisted:
"I leave Peterhead with my head held high. I am determined not to
let this destroy my ambition to eventually manage a club at the highest
level. I am proud of my record here and told the vice-chairman that I felt
they were making a big mistake."
A move to Firhill Park has split a Livingston family. John McLaughlan has
revealed that his son is refusing to speak to him after he accepted a coaching
position at Partick Thistle and leave their Lothian utopia. "We are
first and foremost Livingston supporters to the extent that my son, Thomas,
has been crying and has refused to speak to me because I am no longer going
to be working for the team he loves. He has all the strips and has posters
and other merchandise all over his room." said the Jags man, who has
become first-team coach and Under-21 manager with their Scottish Premier
League rivals and the step up from Livi's Under-19s proved too much of
a lure. "I am very sad to be leaving the first SPL club I have ever
worked for," he said "I started nearly seven years ago doing
unpaid work on a Saturday morning and then got the opportunity for part-time
coaching work and then full-time coaching work and, if it was not for Livingston
Football Club, I would not be able to take this chance at first-team football."
McLaughlan has been recruited to help the new Thistle player-management
team of Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte.
There is still some work to be done before Motherwell midfielder Stephen
Pearson can move to Celtic. The 21 year old Scotland international is also
the subject of interest from Blackburn and Everton. A Motherwell source
said: "One of the main issues is loan players for Motherwell, which
has been talked about." Celtic winger Jamie Smith has been touted
for a possible move to Fir Park. Loan deals would assist Motherwell as
they are still officially in administration, leaving manager Terry Butcher
with his hands tied financially when the transfer window reopens."Terry
has been looking at a range of players with a view to one or two being
on loan," said the Motherwell source. However, Butcher himself told
BBC Sport: "It is simply the case that they are not yet offering enough
and there are other clubs interested.". Pearson is out of contract
in the summer, but Motherwell were hoping for a fee of about £300,000 for
the player who has recently moved up from the Scotland Under-21s.
Stories from BBC Sports site
