Footiemad news item

November 30/03

News will come sporadically today due to games being played and me getting a late start. Some may even be as late as tomorrow!

Draw for Euro 2004, made today:-

Group A Portugal Greece Spain Russia 12th June 1700 Portugal v Greece Porto 12th June 1945 Spain v Russia Faro-Loulé 16th June 1700 Greece v Spain Porto 16th June 1945 Russia v Portugal Lisbon 20th June 1945 Russia v Greece Faro-Loulé 20th June 1945 Spain v Portugal Lisbon

Group B France England Switzerland Croatia 13th June 1700 Switzerland v Croatia Leiria 13th June 1945 France v England Lisbon 17th June 1700 England v Switzerland Coimbra 17th June 1945 Croatia v France Leiria 21st June 1945 Croatia v England Coimbra 21st June 1945 Switzerland v France Lisbon

Group C Sweden Bulgaria Denmark Italy 14th June 1700 Denmark v Italy Guimarães 14th June 1945 Sweden v Bulgaria Lisbon 18th June 1700 Bulgaria v Denmark Braga 18th June 1945 Italy v Sweden Porto 22nd June 1945 Italy v Bulgaria Guimarães 22nd June 1945 Denmark v Sweden Porto

Group D Czech Rep Latvia Germany Holland 15th June 1700 Germany v Holland Aveiro 15th June 1945 Czech Rep v Latvia Porto 19th June 1700 Latvia v Germany Porto 19th June 1945 Holland v Czech Rep Aveiro 23rd June 1945 Holland v Latvia Braga 23rd June 1945 Germany v Czech Rep Lisbon

Quarter-finals 24th June 1945, QF1 Winner A v 2nd B Lisbon 25th June 1945, QF2 Winner B v 2nd A Lisbon 26th June 1945, QF3 Winner C v 2nd D Faro-Loulé 27th June 1945 , QF4 Winner D v 2nd C Porto

Semi-finals 30th June 1945, SF1 QF1 v QF3 José Alvalade, Lisbon 1st July 1945, SF2 QF2 v QF4 Dragão, Porto

FINAL 4th July 1945 SF1 v SF2 Luz, Lisbon All kick-offs shown as British Summer Time

Footiemad news item

November 29/03

In the early EPL game today, Newcastle's Alan Shearer netted his 12th goal of the season, equalizing a Nathan Blake strike four minutes earlier that had given Wolves a first half lead at Molineux. In the second half, despite the Magpies' domination, it was the home side that came closest to breaking the 1-1 deadlock with Joey Gudjonsson and Henri Camara both hitting the woodwork.

Former England international Paul Gascoigne has left Wolves after being told a contract was not forthcoming at Molineux. "Gazza has decided that he cannot cut it at this time" said Wolves boss Dave Jones. The 36 year old is now contemplating his future.

Still at Molineux, a woman was taken to hospital wjth a suspected fractured cheekbone after being hit in the face by a firework. The errant pyrotechnic, part of the pre-game entertainment, skewed sideways from the pitch into the Billy Wright Stand. Other spectators suffered minor injuries from flying sparks. The game went ahead as scheduled.

The new Wembley Stadium, slated to open in the spring of 2006 with the F.A.Cup Final as the inaugural event, may be ready earlier than planned, as building work is about five weeks ahead of schedule. It is now thought it will be possible to open with an England international. Depending on the draw for that year's World Cup finals, should England qualify, Brazil, Argentina and Germany have been touted as prospective opponents. Facts about the new Wembley:-
Total cost: 757 million pounds.
Seating capacity: 90,000.
There will be 500 catering outlets and 2,000 toilets.
It will have double the surface area of Stadium Australia.
There will be a 1km concourse the width of a four lane motorway.
Every seat will have more leg room than the old Royal Box seats.
The four main eateries will be the four biggest restaurants in London.

Former Wimbledon and Wales defender Vinnie Jones has been charged with alleged drunken and violent behaviour on an aeroplane. The 38 year old, one time football idiot turned actor, is accused of being drunk on an aircraft, threatening a crew member and assault on another male passenger, on a flight from Heathrow to Japan. His acting credits include 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch'. Jones, of Tring, Hertfordshire, is due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on December 5.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 28/03

UEFA Cup play yesterday was a mixed bag for the British teams involved. Liverpool and Newcastle advanced to the next round, while Manchester City and Hearts can now concentrate on domestic competition.

Liverpool, on a night they never impressed, got a 49th minute goal from Harry Kewell to edge Steaua Bucharest 1-0, for a 2-1 win on aggregate. Striker Michael Owen left the game after 88 minutes with a slightly strained thigh muscle, but manager Gerard Houllier expects him to be fit for Sunday's game with Birmingham.
Newcastle did enough, after a 14th minute own goal by Basle substitute Boris Smiljanic, to hang on for a 1-0 win on the night and a 4-2 aggregate win over the Swiss side.
Manchester City played to a goalless draw against Groclin, with the Polish side advancing on the strength of the away goal rule, following a 1-1 tie in the first leg in Manchester.
Hearts went into the game with Bordeaux ahead 1-0, but the French side struck back with two unanswered goals in Edinburgh for a 2-1 aggregate win.
Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord were also eliminated.

Sven-Goran Eriksson is reported to have again expressed annoyance with the F.A. This time it is because they revealed a new contract offer had been made to the Swede, that would take him through to the 2008 European Championship. The England manager, who has been linked to a return to club football with Chelsea, has been offered a deal, reportedly worth 14 million pounds, to extend his tenure in the position. His agent, Athole Still, later denied this, saying his client was flattered by the offer and the recognition of the job he has done, but disappointed that a leak had made the offer public. As yet, Eriksson has no plans to discuss the details of the surprise move by the F.A.

Trevor Brooking, a former England captain, has been appointed director of football development by the F.A. It is a new role created for him, involving coaching and development at all levels of the game. The 55 year old former West Ham star will step down as a director at the club to take the position. "It was an opportunity I could not miss" said Brooking, although he admitted it would be a wrench leaving Upton Park. In some quarters it was seen as back-up, should Eriksson decide to leave, with him being able to take over in a caretaker capacity. It is also assumed that Brooking will be heavily involved in picking a long term successor to the Swede at some time in the future.

Gordon Strachan, who was strongly linked to the vacant manager's post at Leeds, has finally spoken on the subject. "I will not walk out on this club to join anyone else" said the Southampton boss. "There is no problem with money or transfer funds or the relationship with the chairman, which is as good as any in the league. I am very happy here"
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 27/03

In Champions League play yesterday, Manchester Utd. and Chelsea both locked up places in the knock-out stage of the competition. Rangers, however, were eliminated after a hard fought 1-0 loss in Stuttgart.

Diego Forlan netted late, in the 84th minute, to give Manchester Utd. a 1-0 victory over Panathinaikos. It was a rather tame game played in front of a crowd of less than 7,000. Even though the striker had missed a couple of chances earlier, manager Alex Ferguson was full of praise for the in form Uruguayan, who now has five goals in six starts. The under strength Old Trafford side were rarely troubled by the Greek team.

Chelsea got the point they needed in a drab goalless draw with Sparta Prague, although they did have a few chances. Hernan Crespo put the ball in after 27 minutes, but was ruled offside. The Argentinian, together with William Gallas and Adrian Mutu, all missed reasonable openings. The Czech side appeared content to defend and the Blues never looked like losing. Manager Claudio Ranieri, above, thought they had created space to score, but luck was not with them.

Rangers put in a good effort against VFB Stuttgart, but fell to a goal on the stroke of half time by the Bundesliga leaders. The Ibrox side threw everything they could muster at the Germans in the second half, but couldn't find a way through the defence. The Scot's must now ensure no slip-ups in Game 6 with Panathinaikos, where a draw would make a UEFA Cup place safe.

In other games FC Porto beat Partizan Belgrade 2-1, Real Madrid defeated Marseille by the same score, Lazio and Besiktas drew 1-1, as did Celta Vigo and Club Brugge, while holders AC Milan edged Ajax 1-0.

UEFA Cup, 2nd round, 2nd leg matches are being played today. Among the games are Groclin v Manchester City (1-1 after 1st leg), Newcastle v Basle (3-2), Hearts v Bordeaux (1-0) and Liverpool v Steaua Bucharest (1-1).

David Beckham will receive an O.B.E. from the Queen at Buckingham Palace today. A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who recommended the award, said "As captain of the England team, David Beckham has performed with great distinction and has been a great ambassador for the country both on and off the field".

Duncan Ferguson is back at Goodison Park, after a meeting with manager David Moyes, at which both men agreed to bury the hatchet following the training ground bust-up 10 days ago. The 31 year old striker returned to training on Wednesday.

Wales manager Mark Hughes has ended speculation about his immediate future, confirming he will lead the Principality into the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. Hughes had appeared hesitant about his plans after the 1-0 loss to Russia, ending Euro 2004 hopes, however, he explained that he needed time to reflect and get over the disappointment. He is under contract to the FAW until the end of the World Cup in Germany.

Thierry Henry, who was once thought to be merely incredible, can now walk from London to Paris without getting his feet wet. Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has deemed the French magician irreplaceable and not for sale at any price. After Tuesday's performance at the San Siro, speculation is likely to be fuelled again on stratospheric bids by the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea, which, according to the Highbury top man, would be rebuffed. (An obscene amount of 100 million pounds had been theorised). "We have no intention of letting him go" he told the London Evening Standard on Wednesday.

The Leeds financial problems take a new turn. If the club is relegated, which looks like a distinct possibility at this time, and then goes into administration, it would face the prospect of a 10 point deduction to start the Div 1 campaign. The Nationwide League has a new rule that punishes any club going into administration with the penalty and the Elland Road club would start the season on MINUS 10 points. This rule does not apply in the Premiership, so D-Day must be addressed before the end of this campaign.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 26/03

In Champions League play last night, Arsenal thrashed Inter Milan 5-1, with goals coming from Henry(2), Ljunberg, Edu and Pires. The spectacular win moved the Gunners into second place in Group B and they are now in the driver's seat, with a home game against Lokomotiv Moscow on December 10. As important, the display and the result did much to erase the memory of the awful defeat at the hands of the Milan side at Highbury in Game 1.

Celtic played a stirling game, no pun intended, in Glasgow last night to get a 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich. Although the Scot's could not break down the Bayern defence, by the end of the game the German side was elated with the draw. The point moved Celtic into first place in Group A, tied with Lyon and Anderlecht on seven points, with Bayern one back. A draw in Lyon on December 10 will put the SPL leaders into the knockout stage.

In other games played yesterday, Anderlecht beat Lyon 1-0, Lokomotiv Moscow edged Dynamo Kiev 3-2, Deportivo la Coruna swept past AEK Athens 3-0, Monaco and PSV Eindhoven drew 1-1 and Olympiakos and Real Sociedad drew 2-2. The Galatasaray v Juventus game will now be played on December 2.

In today's games, Manchester Utd. travel to Panathinaikos needing a point to advance. Chelsea also need a draw and face Sparta Prague at the Bridge. Rangers are away to VFB Stuttgart and only a win will do the Glasgow side any good. In other games, Lazio are at home to Besiktas, Real Madrid are in Marseille, FC Porto host Partizan Belgrade, AC Milan are in Amsterdam against Ajax and Celta Vigo entertain Club Brugge.

No change at the top of Div 1 as a result of matches played last night. Leaders West Brom drew 1-1 in Cardiff and second place Norwich were held, by the same score, at home to Coventry. In other games, Burnley trounced Reading 3-0 for their first win in nine matches, Crystal Palace were 1-0 winners at Stoke and bottom club Wimbledon drew 1-1 with West Ham.

Juan Sebastian Veron will miss Chelsea's game with Manchester Utd. on Sunday, having picked up a back injury after coming on as a substitute for Argentina in the 1-1 draw with Columbia in the World Cup qualifier last week. It is likely the midfielder will be out for a month. The clash at the Bridge would have been Veron's first chance to face his old club since his somewhat acrimonious departure from Old Trafford in the summer.

Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has said he would like to stay at Anfield beyond 2005, although with 18 months left on his current contract, he is content to leave negotiations until later. He would be happy to stay for as long as the club wants him. The German international has missed most of the season with a shin injury, but could make a return in Liverpool's UEFA Cup 2nd leg match with Steaua Bucharest at Anfield on Thursday. He has been training for the past month and has had a few reserve team outings.

Tottenham striker Freddie Kanoute, who was expected to be out for two months following his injury on October 19, has made a rapid recovery and could see some action tonight in the reserve game against his old club, West Ham. If things go well, he could be considered for the first team squad to travel to Blackburn on Saturday.

Portsmouth will be missing Shaka Hislop for two months after he underwent a hernia operation. Although he has some back up, manager Harry Redknapp may look for a replacement in the January transfer window. The Fratton Park club has several injury problems and the situation will be worsened by the loss of Patrick Berger, sent off in Monday's loss to Fulham for swearing at referee Alan Wiley. He will miss two games.

Up in Scotland, Motherwell came back from a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Dunfermline, to remain in fourth place in the SPL, with the Fife club one point and one place behind.

St. Mirren have announced that John Coughlin has stepped down as manager of the club. Player-coach Gus McPherson will assume charge of the first team on a temporary basis. Coughlin will stay with the Buddies in a yet to be determined role.

The crisis at Elland Road continues, as negotiations with creditors have not reached a satisfactory conclusion so far. Leeds have admitted they could be the first Premiership club forced into administration if the talks break down. The club are in debt to the tune of eighty million pounds and recently announced a British club record loss of 50 million for the last financial year.

Manchester Utd.'s Ryan Giggs and Christiano Ronaldo will appear before the F.A, disciplinary panel on Monday, to answer the improper conduct charges against them, stemming from the stormy conclusion to the September match against Arsenal. It is thought that both will receive heavy fines, but will escape suspension. (and justice for all).
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 25/03

In the EPL last night, Fulham rode two Louis Saha strikes to victory over Portsmouth and moved into fifth spot in the table.

Arsenal and Celtic are both in Champions League action today. The Gunners are in a virtual must win situation against Inter Milan at the San Siro. Celtic host Bayern Munich and a win, coupled with Lyon getting something out of their trip to Anderlecht, would see the Glasgow side in the last 16. Other games have Lokomotiv Moscow facing Dynamo Kiev, Monaco are home to PSV Eindhoven, Deportivo la Coruna entertain AEK Athens and Olympiakos take on Real Sociedad. The other game in this section, Galatasaray against Juventus, has been postponed to December 2, as a result of the bombings in Istanbul.

Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn is enjoying a resurgence since his 250,000 pounds move from Leeds on deadline day in August. The England international, who won 23 caps, has kept six clean sheets in the last nine games. Martyn got his chance when Richard Wright was injured against Newcastle and has played well enough for manager David Moyes to suggest that Sven-Goran Eriksson should be paying attention

Liverpool defender Steve Finnan is going to miss four weeks with a calf strain. The Irish international was injured in the 0-0 draw with Middlesborough on Saturday.

West Ham have had a 500,000 pound bid for striker Marlon Harewood accepted by Notts Forest. The 24 year old, who has 12 goals this season, has declined a new contract with Forest and will travel to London for talks with the Hammers. The proposed deal will have a 25% sell-on fee clause. It has also increased speculation that, if it goes through, the Upton Park club will capitalize on its wealth of strikers by selling eight million rated Jermain Defoe. Reports suggest that Arsenal would join Manchester Utd. in the chase for his signature.

Doncaster Rovers, flushed with success on their return to league football, have signed manager Dave Penney to an extended contract at Belle Vue, with a deal taking him through to June 2006. Assistant manager Mickey Walker and players Michael McIndoe and goalie Andy Warrington, have signed for similar terms. Rovers are currently in second place in Div 3.

Leeds striker Alan Smith has been charged by the F.A. with improper conduct, a result of the well known bottle throwing incident last month. He has until December 9 to respond.

In Scotland, Dundee seems to be the focal point these days. In addition to their financial woes, which resulted in the club going into administration yesterday, two of their players were arrested , along with a third man, after an alleged incident in the early hours of Monday morning. Nacho Novo, the club's leading scorer with 14 goals, and Trinidad international defender Brent Sancho will appear in court on Wednesday. On the administration side of things, 20 players and staff were fired this morning. Among the players terminated, were high earners Fabrizio Ravenelli, Craig Burley, Fabian Caballero and Giorgi Nemsadze.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 24/03

In the EPL yesterday, Spurs came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 2-1, both strikes coming in a three minute burst. Fulham are at home to Portsmouth today.

Bryan Robson has been confirmed as the new manager at Bradford City. He is back in the hot seat for the first time since being shown the door by Middlesborough in 2001. He will be assisted in his role by Colin Todd. The club are currently above only Wimbledon in Div 1 and Robson has stated his immediate aim is to survive in the second flight.

West Brom striker Lee Hughes has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stay at the collision scene. The crash, in which one person was killed, happened on Saturday and Hughes turned himself in this morning. He remains in custody and is due to be questioned by police. The club have made no comment on the matter.

Aston Villa manager David O'Leary is asking the fans not to turn on the players and undermine their already fragile confidence. The Villa faithful are planning a mass protest before Saturday's game with Southampton against chairman Doug Ellis' tight hold on the transfer budget. With the loss yesterday, the club slipped into the bottom three and O'Leary said the fans' support is needed now more than ever. The Irishman insists he had only four million pounds to spend all season and used it to buy Thomas Sorensen and Gavin McCann from Sunderland in the summer.

In Edinburgh yesterday, two own goals gave Hearts bragging rights in the city for the next little while and consolidated their hold on third place in the SPL. The win did not come without cost, however, as central defender Steven Pressley, above, who has been battling a groin problem and lost two teeth in the game with Holland, had to leave the game before half time with a thigh injury. This will make the defensive kingpin a virtual certainty to miss Thursday's UEFA Cup 2nd leg game with Bordeaux. The Tynecastle side go into that encounter with a 1-0 lead from the away game.

Crisis looms at Firhill Park. Partick Thistle, the only club in Britain so far winless in the league, will hold a board meeting on Thursday to discuss their dismal record. The Jags have amassed two points from 13 games, but apparently manager Gerry Collins', above, tenure as head thinker is not on the agenda. (Maybe they will up the price of the Dom and caviar at the concession stands)
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 23/03

Arsenal stay top with a great 3-0 win at Birmingham, despite missing six ot their squad, with goals from Freddie Ljunberg, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. The win sets a new Premiership record for games undefeated from the start of a season. Thierry Henry drew praise from the boss for being involved in all three strikes. Vieira, Parlour, Keown, Lauren, Gilberto and Wiltord were all sidelined. It should give them confidence for the trip to the San Siro on Tuesday. Yesterday's game was Arsene Wenger's 400th in charge of the club.

Manchester Utd. went to the top briefly, a result of an early kick-off, with a 2-1 win over Blackburn. The home side looked to be cruising along with first half goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Brazilian World Cup winner Kleberson, above, his first goal in his first start for the club. Rovers got back into the game in the second half and Emerton pulled one back after 62 minutes, but it was not enough, as Blackburn lost for the sixth time in their last seven outings. Alex Ferguson was extremely unhappy with his side's second half performance.

Chelsea kept pace by beating Southampton 1-0, on a goal by Mario Melchiot at the start of the second half. It was a game of few chances and the last five minutes were the liveliest of the match for the Saints. Kevin Phillips, who had let a couple of chances go begging earlier, somehow managed to miss with a header from five yards and moments later, Fabrice Fernandes grazed the bar with a great shot after 88 minutes. After the game, both managers agreed that Chelsea were lucky to get all three points. Saints' boss Gordon Strachan was tight lipped when asked about a possible move.

In other games, Alan Shearer scored two for Newcastle in the 3-0 win over Manchester City, Middlesborough and Liverpool drew 0-0 at the Riverside, Leicester and Charlton drew 1-1, Everton beat fellow strugglers Wolves 2-0 to move out of the relegation zone and at Elland Road, Bolton picked up three welcome points with a 2-0 victory over bottom of the table Leeds.
Today, two teams with relegation concerns, Spurs and Aston Villa, meet at White Hart Lane, while on Monday Fulham entertain Portsmouth.

There is only one change at the top in Div 1. West Brom and Norwich both drew 0-0, with Reading and Preston respectively. Wigan moved into third, getting a late equalizer to draw 2-2 with Notts Forest. Sheffield Utd. and Sunderland dropped identical 3-0 results, the Blades at Ipswich and the Black Cats at Crewe. At the other end of the table, Wimbledon and Bradford both lost while Rotherham picked up a point in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

QPR stay top in Div 2, getting a 1-1 draw at Swindon, with Plymouth moving back up to second after a 2-0 win against Hartlepool and Barnsley slip to third, going down 2-1 at Bristol City. At the bottom, Wycombe and Chesterfield both picked up a point, while Notts County lost at home 2-1 to Brighton.

Oxford move to the top in Div 3 with a come from behind 3-1 win over Macclesfield. Hull were held to a scoreless draw at home to Yeovil and now lead third place Doncaster on goal difference. Rovers won their sixth straight at home, beating Boston 3-0. At the bottom Carlisle, Darlington and Macclesfield all lost, while Southend clobbered Rochdale 4-0 to move out of the bottom three.


In the SPL Celtic and Rangers both won. Celtic hammered Dundee Utd. 5-1 with Chris Sutton bagging a hat trick, while Rangers made heavy work of beating Aberdeen 3-0 at Ibrox. The Dons were down to 10 men after 55 minutes , Zander Diamond being sent off for a professional foul on Michael Mols. The home side finally broke the deadlock with less than 15 minutes remaining, on a Stephen Hughes goal and Peter Lovenkrands added two very late strkes to seal the win. The Edinburgh derby goes today at Tynecastle.

Dundee have confirmed they will go into administration on Monday, in an effort to save the club. Lawyer Giovanni di Stefano, however, has vowed to fight such a move in the courts, making application to have the administraion rescinded. This could prove to be an interesting scenario that will be played out over the next while. To add to the
misery at Dens Park, the club were beaten 2-0 by Dunfermline yesterday, Stevie Crawford, above, bagging a second half brace for the home side.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 22/03

The first order of business today is to congratulate the England rugby team for winning the World Championship. A last minute of extra time Jonny Wilkinson drop goal was the difference. Way to go lads.

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe says that reports of him being in talks with Leeds over compensation for Gordon Strachan are nonsense. He also claims that the Elland Road club is breaking all the rules in their pursuit of the St. Mary's boss. While he insists he has not heard from Leeds, let alone had talks with them, he believes the Yorkshire outfit are trying to unsettle Strachan by putting things out through the media.

Despite the rumours linking him with a non stop circumnavigation of the globe on a surfboard, our intrepid adventurer, footiemadandy, returned home yesterday. Met at the airport by a horde of reporters and photographers, he quickly dispelled stories of a return to the London suburb of Glasgow to recruit the Scottish women's curling team as the new look defence for Scotland after the narrow loss to Holland on Wednesday. "I am happy to throw my support behind the magnificent England squad for the European Championship next summer" he said. "I have always admired their style and regret that I was born about 400 miles too far north. My only immediate plans are to have a Corona or six at the Garry and to put my kilt in the cleaners". With that, the fabled techie stepped into the waiting limo and was whisked away, leaving the assembled press open mouthed at the depth of his wisdom.



Footiemad news item

November 21/03

Manchester Utd. and Scotland legend Denis Law is recovering from prostate cancer surgery. He underwent the operation on Tuesday after the condition was discovered at an early stage. "'The King of the Stretford End' is in good spirits and the family are confident of a full recovery" said his daughter Diana, a press officer at Old Trafford. We at footiemad wish St. Denis a speedy return to good health.

Chelsea have rejected their allocation of tickets for the Champions League game with Besiktas on December 9. Both the club and the Home Office have advised people against travelling to Istanbul. Yesterday's bombing, plus a pair on Saturday, together with the unsettled situation in the Turkish capital, prompted the Blues move. It was reported that UEFA was considering moving the game to a neutral venue and, indeed, it may still do so.

Jermaine Jenas, who moved to Newcastle from Notts Forest 18 months ago for 5 million, has signed a new five year contract with the club. The deal will keep him at St. James' Park until the 2007/08 season. Jenas has been an ever present in the first team this term and manager Bobby Robson predicts great things for the youngster, both at club and international level.

The rumours surrounding Southampton manager Gordon Strachan, above, and a possible move to Elland Road continue. It is reported in the Sun that the only stumbling block is the compensation to the Saints if he moves. Leeds' chief executive Trevor Birch and Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe are believed to be already discussing this, with a 500,000 pound figure being suggested for the deal. To move from the relative serenity of St. Mary's, where he is established as a favourite son, to the turmoil in Yorkshire, would be a gutsy move for the Scot.

Neil Warnock, once one of the favourites for the Leeds post, said he is close to signing a new deal with Sheffield Utd., effectively putting a lid on that rumour. The Blades boss said "I'm staying with Sheffield United. I'm very happy here and loving every minute of it". Warnock added the new contract should be signed within a couple of weeks and would be for two years, with a third added if they get into the Premiership. That's about as close to 'end of story' as you can get.

Dundee's board of directors is meeting today, with administration the only item on the agenda. It is expected that Ernst and Young will be brought in to get the club through its current financial crisis. The move is opposed by controversial lawyer Giovanni di Stefano, who has yet to be approved as a director by the SFA. It certainly makes the future at the club of recent signings Fabrizio Ravanelli and Craig Burley somewhat doubtful, along with several others, including Scottish internationals Gavin Rae and Lee Wilkie, who could be sold to raise money for the club.

Wales manager Mark Hughes pulled out of a meeting with the FAW, increasing speculation that he is considering ending his involvement with the national team. He is being linked with Manchester Utd., in the number two spot, Tottenham and now Southampton, should Gordon Strachan move. Wales would like him to stay on, but he may not want to work within the tighter financial restraints after the loss of an estimated 3.5 million pounds, a result of not qualifying for Euro 2004.

The G-14, a coalition of the most powerful clubs in Europe, has renewed its demands that clubs receive compensation for players participating in major tournaments. It wants FIFA and UEFA to share the profits from the World Cup and European Championship. If the proposal is approved, it could be worth as much as 40 million pounds in club coffers from the 2006 World Cup in Germany
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 20/03

The final five spots in Euro 2004 have been decided, with Holland, Russia, Spain, Croatia and Latvia advancing,

In a total reversal of Saturday's performance, Scotland were hammered 6-0 by the Dutch in 90 minutes of virtual one way traffic. The game was over, for all intents and purposes, long before half time, with Holland ahead 3-0 after 36 minutes. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored three before making way for Kluivert. Even the Tartan Army were leaving the stadium long before the final whistle. Now that Scottish feet are back firmly on the ground, it would appear that it's back to the drawing board for Berti Vogts. With several of the squad probably having played their last representative game for Scotland, it can be said that they had their 90 minutes in the sun, but unfortunately it wasn't last night. It was still a magnificent effort at Hampden. Aggregate Holland 6 - Scotland 1.

It was also a night of disappointment at Millenium Stadium where Wales, needing a win, were beaten 1-0 by Russia. The hero for the winners was Evseev, the same man who was the villain of the piece on Saturday, at least from a Welsh viewpoint, who scored in the 22nd minute. Giggs hit the post just before half time and a couple of other Welsh attempts went close, but this wasn't horseshoes. A superb performance on Saturday was, unfortunately, let go to waste. Aggregate Russia 1 - Wales 0.

In other games, Spain beat Norway 3-0 for a 5-1 aggregate win, Croatia, down to 10 men, beat Slovenia 1-0 for a 2-1 aggregate win and Latvia, in what was the only upset of the five games, came back from two down to tie Turkey 2-2 and a 3-2 aggregate win

Last night's F.A. Cup replays saw Port Vale overcome Ford Utd. 2-1 aet and Southend beat Canvey Island 3-2, the winner coming in the final minute.

Duncan Ferguson's future at Goodison Park is in doubt after being sent from the Bellefield training ground on Monday, following a major bust-up with Everton manager David Moyes. It is believed he failed to show up at the facility on Tuesday or Wednesday and his immediate future will become clearer today, when the players report back after a day off yesterday. The 31 year old Scot, who has 18 months left on his contract and is Everton's highest paid player, is likely to be disciplined. His absence on Tuesday took him out of contention for a reserve team outing in a game against Aston Villa. The often injured striker would have been considered for a first team recall for the home game with Wolves on Saturday, but he must now wait to find out if he is in Moyes' plans at all.

Leeds striker Alan Smith, who learned yesterday that he would not be charged by the police, may still face disciplinary action by the F.A., regarding the bottle throwing incident, who will now look into the matter. If charged and found guilty, Smith faces a three match ban, small potatoes compared to a criminal proceeding.

Blackburn midfielder David Thompson could well be lost to the club for the balance of the season. The 26 year old is in the U.S. recovering from knee surgery. Rovers' chief executive John Williams said that in surgical terms, the operation was relatively minor. He added that, although it was possible Thompson may play a few games at the end of the season, realistically, bearing the player's health in mind, it may well be next season before he returns.

BBC Scotland has revealed that Dundee F.C. are close to going into administration and some sources within SPL boardrooms are predicting other clubs will follow. The Dens Park club, who are due to pay their monthly wage bill next week, admitted on their official website that it was certainly a possibility. Reports suggest Dundee may be up to 13 million pounds in debt. Controversial lawyer Giovanni di Stefano has claimed a willingness to put up to 26 million into the club and was announced as a director several months ago. The SFA has yet to confirm the appointment, citing a need of proof of his suitability as the reason. To add fuel to the fire, Rangers are demanding the return of 37,500 pounds, given as a deposit for the transfer of defender Zura Khizinishvili, for whom Dundee had asked 2 million. The SPL decided he could move for nothing, due to an administrative error.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 19/03

It's that day. By tonight five more sides will be off to Portugal at season's end and five will be cleaning golf clubs.

Scotland are in Amsterdam with a 1-0 lead, against a Dutch side with many question marks. van Nistelrooy has questioned their passion. Advocaat has said the Manchester Utd. striker and Kluivert couldn't play together, but picked them anyway. Players were accused of excessive partying after Saturday's loss. The Dutch F.A. are threatening to sue the media. Advocaat is said to be making as many as five line-up changes for tonight's game, etc,etc. Just maybe, Berti Vogts, above, and his squad can get a result. It will take a herculean effort, but it was shown on Saturday that it can be done.

Wales host Russia at Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, in another potentially great game. Contrary to earlier reports, there seems to be a major concern in the Welsh camp over Ryan Giggs injury and he will face a late fitness test to determine if he can start. Manager Mark Hughes, above, also has problems with the fitness of Robbie Savage, Andy Johnson and Robbie Page. As with Scotland, it will take another magnificent performance from the Welsh, in a game they have to win, to advance to their first major finals since the 1958 World Cup. A score draw would be enough to put the Russians through.

In other games, Spain take a 2-1 edge to Norway, Latvia go to Turkey with a 1-0 lead and Slovenia host Croatia, the first leg having been drawn 1-1.
In all five games there is no more than one goal in it, so we should have five epic encounters, with Latvia looking to make it to their first ever finals. Come on Jock and Taff, more of Saturday's tremendous effort.

In news of a more sombre nature, reported on the BBC World News, Leeds' Jody Morris and a 26 year old London man, Kristofer Dickie, were re-arrested on Tuesday and charged with rape. The two men will appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court today. 24 year old Morris and his co-accused were first arrested in connection with this alleged assault on October 7. A second incident involving the former Chelsea player was also under investigation. Jermaine Pennant, 20, on loan to Leeds from Arsenal, was also questioned by police, but was released on bail without charge.

Leeds striker Alan Smith appears unlikely to be charged after the bottle throwing incident in the Carling Cup match at Elland Road with Manchester Utd., on October 28. The chief crown prosecutor said it had been decided there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of a conviction. Not exactly exonoration, but it will put the matter behind the Leeds forward. Also on BBC World News.

Still with Leeds, caretaker manager Eddie Gray has been given special dispensation, initially for three months, to acquire the necessary qualifications to manage a Premiership side. Rules introduced at the start of the season require a Premiership manager to hold either a management diploma or a UEFA Pro License coaching certificate. Gray has neither, but will be allowed to continue in his role at the club.

Birmingham midfielder Robbie Savage would like to commit to the club by signing a new long term contract. The 29 year old joined the Midlands club two seasons ago, following Leicester's relegation to Div 1, and was the subject of a three million pounds bid from Everton in the summer, which was turned down by the club. The Welsh international, who cost 1.25 million, insists he is happy and wants to stay at St. Andrews for a long time.

In F.A. Cup 1st round replays last night, Barnet won 2-0 at Stalybridge, while Luton beat Thurrock 3-1 at Kenilworth Road. Tonight Canvey Island take on Southend and Ford Utd. host Port Vale.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 18/03

Ryan Giggs seems almost certain to be in the Welsh line up tomorrow evening. The Russian bid to have the winger suspended for the alleged elbow in the face on Evseev may be too late to achieve their aim. UEFA, themselves, say there may not be enough time to study the tape, which had not arrived early this morning, but even if it were possible and a guilty verdict reached, the Welsh still have the right of appeal. So come on Giggsy and the Welsh.

Still with tommorow's game, Russian captain Viktor Onopko, above, has a double agenda going into the clash with Wales at the Millenium Stadium. in which he will win a Russian record 109th cap for his country. The first is, obviously, to win a place in the finals in Portugal next summer. Secondly, the 34 year old central defender has expressed a desire to finish his playing career in England, so will be looking to impress. Apparently, Bolton is one of several clubs interested in Onopko and he held talks with the Reebok side in the summer.

All is not tulips and daffodils in the Dutch camp prior to the second leg against the Scots in Amsterdam. Ruud van Nistelrooy has cast doubts about the character of the team. He has accused some of the side of not playing with passion, not being prepared to go the extra yard and of not wanting to win at all costs. It is possible that manager Dick Advocaat may make changes for Wednesday's game, but he insisted his tactics were right, only the players failed to follow his instructions. Come on Jock, seems like you have them a little rattled.

Alex Ferguson and controversy walk arm in arm. This time it is a dispute over a racehorse and involves a major shareholder in Manchester Utd., John Magnier. The malevolent Manchester manager has started legal proceedings, claiming he was given 50% of a now valuable nag, which the other side considers to be without merit. Magnier and his business partner, J.P.McManus, through their company, now own 23% of the Old Trafford club and it was speculated that a takeover was on the cards. Given the intensity of the dispute, that scenario would cloud the sour Scot's future.

Middlesborough defender Franck Queudrue has been cleared of violent behaviour by the F.A. The Frenchman was charged after video evidence suggested he caught Kevin Phillips of Southampton on the back of the leg. The disciplinary committee, however, felt the charge could not be proven. He had started the season with a five game ban for his third red card of last year. Phillips was suspended for three games as a result of the incident, for a retaliatory kick on Queudrue in the September game, won 1-0 by Boro.

Trouble is brewing at Upton Park. West Ham chairman Terence Brown's position is under threat from a group of dissatisfied shareholders, who will push for his resignation, along with those of managing director Paul Aldridge and finance director Nick Igoe. Brown is widely blamed for the Hammers' debt load, 44 million is the reported number, although he has vigorously defended his record. The group, who call themselves Whistle, if successful, hope to install current director and Hammers' legend Trevor Brooking in Brown's place.Such a move would be very popular with many of the fans.

Exeter City's appeal to the F.A. against a 12 point deduction, imposed by the Nationwide Conference, for operating in administration is set to be heard in December.The club, relegated from Div 3 last season and pushing for an immediate return, recently went into a Corporate Voluntary Agreement to enable them to continue. The Conference is the first British league to implement point deduction for clubs in administration, voted for by the clubs at their summer AGM., with the Nationwide League set to follow suit next season. The move is designed to discourage clubs from spending beyond their means.

Two F.A. Cup, 1st round replays are on the slate tonight, Staleybridge v Barnet and Luton v Thurrock.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 17/03

England 2 - Denmark 3

After the euphoria of Saturday evening and probably most of Sunday for the fans, Scotland and Wales have to get down to the job of consolidating and building on the positions they were able to establish in the first leg games.

Ryan Giggs, a potential match winner for Wales, has declared himself fit for the second leg against Russia in Cardiff. The midfield playmaker was scythed down on Saturday by Russian full back Evseev and was hobbling after the game. Giggs, still seething on Sunday, said "That was one of the worst tackles I have had to contend with in my career". He added that, although bruised, he would be alright to play on Wednesday evening. Manager Mark Hughes could be further boosted by the possible return of midfielder Mark Pembridge, who sat out the first leg with a calf injury. Russia will be without goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov and forward Alexander Mostovoi, both recipients of yellow cards on Saturday and ineligible for the game. The Russian Football Union are now saying that Giggs should be suspended for the second leg because of an alleged retaliatory elbow to the face of their defender, which went unpunished by the referee. They do concede that UEFA does not have a lot of time in which to act, although they have sent a tape of the incident for review. The Welsh camp is incensed over the 'bag of dirty tricks' used by the Russians during the game.

Scotland will be at close to full strength for the return against the Dutch in Amsterdam. Christian Dailly, as a result of a yellow, is ruled out, but will travel with the squad. Paul Devlin, however, has left the team through illness. Steven Pressley, above, did not train because of his groin injury, but is expected to be fit for Wednesday, as is Gary Naysmith, who took a knock in Saturday's match, but was able to train yesterday after treatment. Holland will be without Japp Stam, also yellow carded and subsequently unavailable, while captain Frank deBoer has a slight thigh injury. Arjen Robben and Wilfred Bouma have been drafted into the Dutch squad, who will know they have a fight on their hands from the first whistle.

Kevin Keegan has said that Manchester City striker Darren Huckerby, above, will be sold when the transfer window opens if the price is right. The 27 year old is currently on loan to Norwich, who are keen to make the deal more permanent. Huckerby has 18 months left on his contract with City, but has hinted that he likes the Carrow Road club and his family really like the area."It's up to Norwich" said Keegan, "there are other clubs interested".

Southampton midfielder Matt Oakley is out for the balance of the season. While it was originally thought rest would be sufficient, he will now have an operation on Saturday to repair his left knee, injured in the game with Middlesborough. The loss of the 26 year old will be a blow to the St. Mary's club and manager Gordon Strachan.

Football nomad Stan Collymore has apparently had exploratory talks with Southend about a player-manager position with the club. The 33 year old striker has been out of the game for close to 30 months, due to suspension, but believes he can still play. Such a move would be a gamble for both the Root's Hall club and the player. The Shrimpers are currently 23rd in Division 3.

Windsor Park, Belfast, is in danger of losing international fixtures after a UEFA warning about sub-standard facilities. The Irish F.A. has warned the government that the situation requires immediate action. The doping control room and toilet facilities for players providing urine samples were found to be unsatisfactory. Linfield, who own the stadium and have a long term agreement with the IFA to stage home fixtures, have submitted major plans and funding proposals for stadium costs and future upkeeps. It is believed that some government money could be forthcoming from 8 million pounds allocated to local football, but as yet undistributed.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 16/03

There will be a few hangovers in Scotland and Wales this morning. Magnificent results for both yesterday.

At Hampden, the home side started well and were good value for the 1-0 lead after 21 minutes, McFadden, above, putting it home after a good one/two with Fletcher. From about the 25th minute the Dutch seemed to realize they were in for a battle and started to push. The Scots played a great defensive game and soaked up everything the visitors could throw at them the rest of the way. In fact, with a little luck, it could have been 2-0, after good play between Miller and Pearson, the latter shooting narrowly wide. Holland hit the bar early in the second half with a van der Meyde shot and the dark blues cleared a couple from the goal line. Both Dailly, somewhat iffy, and Stam were among those to pick up yellow cards and neither will be available for the return in Amsterdam. Every Scot on the park did his part in beating the heavily favoured Dutch side in what was, all in all, a well deserved win. A tip of the tam to the kilted horde.

Wales went to Moscow as underdogs, the Russians having scored freely at home in the group stage. The game was played pretty much in the Welsh half early on, however, the defence held firm. The longer the game went, the greater the visitor's confidence grew. While they were rarely a threat to the Russian goal, Wales played a superb away game and got a result that would have the valleys singing in anticipation of the second leg in Cardiff on Wednesday. Every man wearing the red is to be congratulated. The dragon roared in the Russian capital.

Both Scotland and Wales fought gutsy rearguard actions to make anything possible on Wednesday.

In other games, Spain edged Norway 2-1, Latvia upset Turkey 1-0 and Croatia drew 1-1 with Slovenia. The second legs of all five of these match ups are likely to be nail biters, with the fans being the winners.

In the debacle that is the England camp, both Alan Smith, predictably, and Sven-Goran Eriksson, somewhat more surprisingly, were critical of the F.A. for its handling of the 'Smith case'. Eriksson's verbal assault on his employers, in particular, was seen by many observers as the start of the end for the usually extremely diplomatic Swede. Neither the players, off the field, or the F.A. have covered themselves with glory lately! (and the beat goes on).

In Div 1 yesterday there were only four games on the slate. Norwich missed a chance to go top, dropping a 2-1 result to Watford and spoiling their 100% record at Carrow Road. Derby beat Burnley 2-0 at Pride Park, Reading edged Millwall 1-0 and bottom of the table Wimbledon got a good 2-1 win at Gillingham.

QPR moved to the top of Div 2 with a convincing 3-0 win at Loftus Road over previous leaders, Plymouth. Barnsley took second place, beating Tranmere 2-0. Bottom club Wycombe gave up an injury time goal to lose 2-1 to Brentford.

Despite a 3-1 loss at Huddersfield, Div 3 leaders Hull remain in first place. Mansfield moved into second spot with a 2-0 win at Carlisle and Oxford got a late equalizer for a 1-1 draw at Cambridge to stay in third place. Doncaster, who started the day in second, lost 1-0 at York.

North of the border there was no change at the top of any of the divisions (no SPL games scheduled) with games being played on Friday (most of them) and Saturday. Only one game counted in Scotland yesterday.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 15/03 (D-Day)

The contests for the final five Euro 2004 places start today, with the return legs on Wednesday. Besides the Scotland v Holland and Wales v Russia matches, the other games are Spain v Norway, Croatia v Slovenia and Turkey v Latvia. We should expect a 'no quarter asked, no quarter given' mentality in all the games, as a place in the finals in June is of paramount importance in the minds of all concerned.

The nonsense surrounding England continues unabated, turning tomorrow's friendly with Denmark into a joke, (a bad one at that). We all remember last month's final build up to the game with Turkey, England's biggest since the World Cup, when the players behaved like equine rear ends. We now have the F.A. clearly showing, and admitting, that as far as knowing the players and the qualifications for selection, they have as much idea as a lobotomized ant. The following is copied from the BBC site and illustrates the problem perfectly:-

FA under fire after Smith saga

The Football Association's handling of disciplinary affairs has left its relationship with the England squad "extremely difficult", according to chief executive Mark Palios.

The players are unhappy that Alan Smith was banished from the England squad hours after being called up, because he had been arrested for allegedly throwing a bottle at fans during a Leeds match.

The FA was then in the embarrassing situation of having to consider dropping Smith's replacement, James Beattie, because of the Southampton striker's previous drink-driving conviction.

Palios had to make a series of admissions that showed the FA lacked background knowledge on its own players and did not have a clear policy on when players should be made unavailable for England duty.

These admissions included:

• That Palios had no idea about Beattie's past drink-drive conviction and did not even know about the striker's England call-up.
• That there was "unacceptable" and "complete ignorance" at the FA about Nicky Butt's arrest for alleged assault earlier this year or the subsequent end of the case.
• That the policy of whether players should be available for England squads was effectively being made up as the FA went along on an "ad-hoc" basis.
• That it took until 1800 GMT on Thursday for anyone to tell Palios about the communication breakdown that meant Smith was called up to the squad on the same day that he was arrested.

Speaking about the relationship between the players and the FA, Palios said: "I think it's fair to say that it is extremely difficult at the moment.

"Yes the players are angry in terms of their perception of the Alan Smith affair and we are meeting them tonight to discuss it."

But Palios insisted that the FA's decision was correct: "I think the perception of what's best in the long-term interests of the game is that anybody in Alan Smith's position should not have worn an England shirt."

He then revealed that a full-scale review of whether players should be banned after they had been charged or arrested would now be taking place.

He also insisted that Butt would have been banned for four months - including the England qualifier in Turkey - while he went through the police investigation into allegations of assault.

However, Palios was not aware that Beattie had been sentenced to 100 hours community service and a 30-month driving ban after being convicted of drink-driving last year.

And he added: "I wasn't aware that he'd been called up to the squad at this moment in the time, to be honest."

Palios admitted Eriksson was not keen to release Smith from the squad and said the FA could have been "smoother in our communication".

"Mr Eriksson, I think, would have preferred not to send Alan Smith home. He'd have preferred to have him in the squad," he said.

The FA revealed it was "unaware" of Smith's arrest and will be investigating the sequence of events that led to his call-up and then exclusion.

"Following Alan's arrest on Thursday, the FA decided that it would be inappropriate for him to stay with the England squad for this weekend's friendly international with Denmark," said an FA statement.

"The FA was aware of Alan's pre-arranged voluntary interview with the police. This was arranged at a time when Alan did not know he would be called into the England squad.

"Neither the FA nor Sven-Goran Eriksson were aware of any impending arrest.

"Once the police confirmed the arrest on Thursday, the FA discussed the situation with Alan, Leeds United and Alan's advisers."

England coach Eriksson revealed he felt sorry for Smith but said the incident had no bearing on his international future.

"Once the case is concluded, I have told Alan that this will not affect his chances of future selection, said Eriksson"

Quite clearly, the whole process of selection for the national side is in dire need of drastic change. Ground rules have to be laid out, since common sense is obviously not in abundant supply and also selective. The F.A. should spell out to the PFA the circumstances that would render a player unavailable for selection. The F.A. must be more diligent in doing its own homework, thus making a repeat of the fiascos of the past six weeks impossible. A spirit of co-operation between the governing body and the player's association would certainly be a plus in ensuring this. That the country that gave the game to the world can allow itself to be held up to ridicule is totally unacceptable.



Footiemad news item

November 14/03

What a day for Alan Smith! The Leeds striker was called up to the England squad yesterday to replace Darius Vassell, injured in Aston Villa's friendly in Dubai. He had been at the hotel around five hours when he was told he would have to leave. The F.A. learned that he had been arrrested and interviewed by police earlier in the day, regarding the incident in which Smith was caught on T.V. throwing a bottle into the crowd during the October 28 Carling Cup game. The bottle allegedly hit a female fan. Smith was released, without charge, by the Yorkshire police, but the investigation will continue. The F.A. are going to conduct an internal investigation into its procedures, regarding the selection of players facing police action of any kind. That this fiasco ever took place should be grounds for someone's knuckles to be severely rapped. (Please lads, no threats of strike action or other foolishness).

Former England and Manchester Utd. star Bryan Robson has an interest in talking to Bradford City chairman Gordon Gibb about the vacant manager's post with the club. Since Nicky Law was fired last weekend, the Bantams have had a good response from people interested in the job. Robson, whose only managerial experience was with Middlesborough and ended in 2001, may prove expensive for the Yorkshire club, until recently in administration, and that, together with a lack of funds to strengthen the squad, may be big stumbling blocks to overcome.

Portsmouth striker Teddy Sheringham, currently on a one year contract at Fratton Park, is looking to extend his deal with the south coast club for another year. The former England player, an ever present this season, is obviously enjoying his new surroundings and team mates. The 38 year old has hit the net six times for Pompey, who are enjoying 11th place in the table, one third of the way through their inaugural Premiership campaign, with 15 points from 12 games.

Lincoln City boss Keith Alexander is in stable condition in hospital after collapsing at his home. The Imps' manager had a minor operation involving the draining of fluid from his brain. Doctors are waiting for the results of further tests and say there has been little change in his condition in the last 24 hours. We at footiemad join in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Rangers are confident that Ronald deBoer will be back in the side in the New Year. The Dutch international underwent a tidy-up operation on his knee, pronounced a success by the surgeon, and will now face six weeks rehabilitation, after which he should be back in action. He has played in only five games for the Ibrox club this season, following a pivotal role in their success last year.

Rivaldo, the Brazilian World Cup winner, claims to have had talks with Liverpool about a free transfer to Anfield in January. The player has been out of favour with AC Milan and has only had 15 minutes of pre-season action in the Super Cup. The European champions cancelled Rivaldo's contract, at his request it is believed, in September, as he wants first team football somewhere. It would be a big surprise if the Brazilian ends up on Merseyside, as Gerard Houllier has previously turned down the opportunity to sign him.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 13/03

What are the odds on David O'Leary returning to Elland Road as manager, just 17 months after an acrimonious firing? William Hill has slashed them from 66-1 to 10-1, while Ladbrookes are offering as low as 4-1 on the Irishman rejoining the Yorkshire club. Although an unlikely candidate, O'Leary, currently in charge at Aston Villa, is reported to be at odds with chairman Doug Ellis over missed transfer targets and a lack of funds to strengthen the Midlands side. (I'm not quite sure how more available funds would be present at Leeds). His agent said that he could not comment with O'Leary being away in Dubai with Villa. "He is due back on Friday and I would like to think we can say something then". (No sooner had this item gone up on the site, O'Leary has dismissed the reports linking him with his old club. From the Villa training ground in Dubai, he said he would be willing to extend his three year contract with the club and denied any rift with his chairman. He said that his phone hadn't stopped ringing today).

Arsenal could be forced to recall Moritz Volz from his loan spell at Fulham, due to the suspension of Lauren, starting with the November 22 game at Birmingham. The young defender, who has been enjoying life with the Cottagers and gaining valuable first team experience, would step straight into the right back position. Arsene Wenger has Kolo Toure, who he is not keen to move from the central role, or young and promising Justin Hoyte as the alternatives.

Manchester City will honour two former greats by naming sections of the new stadium after them. The West Stand at the City of Manchester Stadium will be renamed the Colin Bell Stand, while the main walkway to the ground will become Joe Mercer Way. A fitting tribute to these legends of the blue half of the city.

Charlton striker Paolo di Canio has tipped his manager Alan Curbishley, both pictured above, as the man to become the next England boss. The Italian, who joined the club on a free transfer during the summer, has been suitably impressed with the way Curbishley handles the South East London side. Saying "he is an amazing motivator and a superb judge of players", he believes the man at the helm of the Addicks for the last 12 years is destined for great things in the future.

Former Wimbledon and Luton boss Joe Kinnear has declared an interest in the vacant post at Crystal Palace. He has experience and has shown the ability to work within a very tight budget, evidenced by keeping Wimbledon in the top flight prior to his heart attack. He then took Luton out of Div 3, before being fired when the Hatters were taken over earlier this year. He is still awaiting compensation in that matter.

Steve Gerrard has been ruled out of England's friendly with Denmark on Sunday with a back injury.The Liverpool captain is the latest in a line of players unavailable for the game.

On the international scene, it is reported that Alpay, the Turkish defender at the centre of the controversy in the game with England in October, has been dropped by manager Senol Gunes from the squad to meet Latvia in the Euro 2004 play-off. The player, who had his contract cancelled by Aston Villa as a result of his Istanbul shenanigans, has cited a cold as the reason for missing the crucial games.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 12/03

Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen has dropped a very broad hint that he may not re-sign with the club. The 23 year old is adamant that he wants Champions League play on his annual agenda and suggested the club must improve if he is to commit to them again. The Merseyside team, currently in eighth place in the Premiership, are 13 points off the pace and four out of the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot. "While it is no problem now" said Owen "It is impossible to say about my future at Liverpool". Despite manager Gerard Houllier's insistence that both Owen and Gerrard would sign new deals at Anfield, the Liverpool brass have a decision to make at some stage. If a deal is not finalized relatively soon, do they sell their goal machine and most prized asset, prior to his contract expiry in 2005, while he would still command a hefty transfer fee, or risk getting nothing for him at that time?
Meanwhile, on the other, and brighter, side of the coin, club captain Steve Gerrard did sign a new deal yesterday that will tie him to Anfield until 2007, a major boost for Liverpool and Houllier. The England midfield dynamo said "There was never a problem and I want to stay for as long as possible, with never a moment of wanting to play elsewhere. Both parties have ended up very happy".

There has been a 180 in the case of Scotland midfielder Colin Cameron. Yesterday it was reported he was definitely out for Saturday's first leg against the Dutch and doubtful for the return. Now the word from the Scotland camp is that manager Berti Vogts is confident the Wolves man will be available for selection. He is the only doubt ahead of the sell-out at Hampden. (Subsequent to the above, Cameron has been sent back to Wolves, as his injury now, once again, rules him out).

Wales are not having such luck. In addition to Simon Davies, Adrian Williams and Robert Page, all out for the first leg of the play-off with Russia and only Page a possibility for the second leg, Fulham midfielder Mark Pembridge is rated extremely doubtful with a calf injury. In addition, neither Robbie Savage nor Nathan Blake have trained since joining the squad. Craig Bellamy and Rhys Weston, both injured, were omitted from the original squad.

Reports suggest that Notts Forest boss, and former Leeds' academy coach, Paul Hart has had preliminary talks with the Elland Road club about the vacant manager's post. The board is said to be split on such a move and a Leeds official insisted the club will take time to make the right appointment. This could mean caretaker manager Eddie Gray will get a chance to stake a claim to the job, plus former boss George Graham has been linked with the position on a short term basis. Neil Warnock of Sheffield Utd. is still one of the favourites for the job, with Paul Sturrock of Plymouth also being mentioned as a possibility. (How long before Glenn Hoddle is added to the frame?).

Barcelona have reiterated their desire to sign Thierry Henry and insist they have the financial backing to make a bid. Chelsea were reported to be lining up a 50 million pound bid for the striker at the start of the season. The Frenchman, who cost Arsenal 10.5 million when he moved from Juventus four years ago and recently signed a new contract to remain at Highbury until 2007, has said "I am still an Arsenal player and, as long as they want me here, I will be an Arsenal player".

Tomorrow is now the deadline for Rio Ferdinand to respond to the F.A. charge over his missed drug test. The defender had asked for a personal hearing. Because the letter outlining the charge did not arrive at Old Trafford until October 30, it is revealed that Ferdinand has until 17.00 GMT on Thursday to respond, not Wednesday as was originally thought. FIFA is not happy at the F.A.'s snail paced handling of this case.

In Div 2 last night, QPR beat Brentford 1-0 to move level on points with Plymouth, although with an inferior goal difference. Wrexham came away from Blackpool with a 1-0 win and three points.

Despite a stormy annual meeting, at which the board remained intact, Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, who had his own business credentials attacked, said he believes the Dons have the 'most potential of all the football clubs in the U.K.'. He added that only a winning team would get the crowds back. Chairman Stewart Milne insisted that manager Steve Patterson has the backing of the board.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

November 11/03

Let us not forget those who gave their all in more than a game of football.

The lone game in the EPL yesterday saw Blackburn move out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win over Everton, who moved into the relegation zone with the loss.

Two more players are definitely out of the the big weekend games for Euro 2004 qualifying. Both Colin Cameron of Scotland, above, and Simon Davies of Wales, below, will miss the first legs on Saturday and are very doubtful for

the return games a week tomorrow. Both squads have injury problems, although the Welsh appear to be the harder hit in that regard. Manager Mark Hughes did get a bit of relief when Birmingham midfielder Robbie Savage joined the squad and expects to be fit for the meetings with Russia. Of lesser importance, Wayne Rooney is doubtful for England's friendly against Denmark on Saturday.

It was confirmed that Peter Reid is Elland Road history, with Eddie Gray taking a caretaker role until someone can be found to fill one of the most precarious jobs in football at the current time, for which, strangely enough, there will be a host of candidates. The two favourites at this juncture, Paul Hart of Notts Forest and Neil Warnock of Sheffield United, insist that they've heard nothing from Leeds to this point.

Millwall have confirmed that Dennis Wise will be their player-manager, after completing a spell in a caretaker capacity. Both Wise and his assistant, former England international Ray Wilkins, have been given contracts to the end of next season. The 36 year old Wise will continue playing for the same term.

French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff is considering another season at the Reebok. The 35 year old says the quality of life for his family has been excellent since he joined Bolton from Kaiserslautern in February 2002. He was crucial to the Trotters' fight against relegation last season.

Liverpool head thinker, Gerard Houllier, admits he is under pressure to quit at Anfield. The Sunday loss to Manchester Utd. prompted fans to call radio phone-in shows looking for his head. He, however, believes the club has turned the corner and he wants to carry on. "I am stubborn. I will keep going because I believe this is the future. This is a watershed, we have changed our style and I want to keep that going". The Frenchman also dismissed rumours linking him with the vacant post at Tottenham.

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has criticized the F.A. for the speed, or lack of, in the handling of the Ferdinand affair. The world governing body wants a decision on this matter. The Manchester Utd. defender has until tomorrow to respond to the F.A.'s misconduct charge. Blatter said he would be watching the case closely and would intervene if he feels the punishment too lenient.

Staying with Manchester Utd., manager Alex 'the mouth' Ferguson must explain, by the end of today, his claims that the F.A, struck a deal with Arsenal over the Old Trafford incident. His remarks on the subject were certainly not an unqualified endorsement of the impartiality and integrity of the English governing body.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 10/03

Yesterday witnessed three EPL games, after which the top of the table had a very familiar look. Manchester Utd. rode two Ryan Giggs goals to a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, while Chelsea hammered Newcastle 5-0 at the Bridge. The other game produced an upset, however, as Leicester stunned Manchester City, winning 3-0 for their first away victory of the season and moving up to 15th spot. Today Everton travel to Blackburn for a bottom of the table (well almost) clash

In the 1st round of the F.A. Cup, Conference side Accrington Stanley, who we have kept an eye on all season, beat Huddersfield 1-0, Ryman League Hornchurch shocked Darlington 2-0 and Canvey Island, also in the Ryman, got a good 1-1 draw at Southend. The biggest win of the day came at Meadow Lane where Notts County put their troubles aside and beat non-league Shildon 7-2. The draw for the 2nd round is:-

Northampton v Weston Super Mare
Rochdale v Thurrock/Luton
Colchester v Aldershot
Macclesfield v Cambridge
Peterborough v Grimsby
Bristol City v Barnsley
Oldham v Blackpool
Burton Albion v Hartlepool
Gravesend v Notts County
Telford v Brentford
Woking v Kidderminster
Hornchurch v Tranmere
Bournemouth v Accrington
Cheltenham v Leyton Orient
Yeovil v Barnet/Stalybridge
Port Vale/Ford Utd v Scarborough
Wycombe v Mansfield
Southend/Canvey Island v Lincoln City
Scunthorpe v Sheff Wed
Swansea v Stevenage
The ties are to be played the weekend of December 6/7

1st round replay dates are:-

Tuesday, 18 November
Stalybridge v Barnet
Luton v Thurrock
Canvey Island v Southend

Wednesday, 19 November
Ford United v Port Vale

North of the Wall, Rangers squeaked past Kilmarnock 3-2 and Hearts came away 1-0 winners at Aberdeen.

A boost for Scotland came when midfielder Gavin Rae insisted he will be ready for next Saturday's 1st leg meeting with Holland in the big Euro 2004 qualifier. He missed Dundee's home loss to Motherwell on the weekend, but returns to training today. Hearts defender Steven Pressley is also expected to overcome a slight groin injury in time for the action.

Albion Rovers manager Peter Hetherston is possibly in trouble with the SFA, after giving a sexist blast to Scotland's first female referee. Morag Pirie was running the line for the Third Division side's 1-0 defeat at Montrose. The forthright, if not politically correct, Hetherston said "She should be at home making the tea or the dinner for her man, who comes in after he has been to the football". He added "every time the ball went forward in the first half, she had her flag up for offside".

It looks like the end of the line at Elland Road for Peter Reid, who has been in charge for 22 games. Leeds board reportedly met yesterday and decided he had to go. He had only recently been given a vote of confidence by the board, usually the kiss of death. New chief executive Trevor Birch was understood to have been meeting with Reid this morning and with the manager not attending training, speculation has been fuelled that Birch would deliver the board's verdict.

In today's Daily Mirror, it is reported that the England players will meet this week, presumably with the F.A., to attempt to agree a pay deal for Euro 2004. They are hoping for a bonus of 250,000 pounds per man should they win the tournament. (If they find the F.A. a little less than receptive, maybe they should be reminded of the week of embarrassment prior to the Turkey game).

Another story in the same newspaper has Gerard Houllier of the opinion that Graham Poll's decision not to award the Anfield side a penalty against Manchester Utd., has cost Liverpool any chance of winning the title. (Add to that their boring play and the fact that they just, maybe, are not good enough).
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 9/03

In the EPL yesterday, Arsenal beat Spurs 2-1, albeit not a pretty win, to move four points clear at the top, at least for a few hours. At the other end of the table, Leeds were hammered 6-1 at Portsmouth and remain rooted. Charlton and Middlesborough were also winners, at the expense of Fulham and Aston Villa respectively. Wolves v Birmingham and Bolton v Southampton both ended in draws.

West Brom moved back to the top of Div 1 with a 4-3 win at West Ham. The Hammers were up 3-0 after 18 minutes, only to let the Baggies come back and take the points. Upton Park boss Alan Pardew was shocked, calling it his "most disappointing day as a manager". Sheffield Utd. beat Burnley 1-0 and Norwich overcame Millwall 3-1, to move into second and third, while Wigan, beaten 1-0 at Reading, drop to fourth. Wimbledon stay at the bottom after losing 3-1 at Rotherham. Bradford, second to bottom in the division, fired manager Nicky Law, picture below, immediately after the game at Walsall, which ended 1-1. Law had been in charge at Valley Parade for 22 months, for what was a very difficult time during which the club had been in administration for a period. He had been unsuspecting of the decision, even at his post game press conference.

No games were scheduled in Divs 2 and 3, with the clubs involved in the 1st round of the F.A. Cup this weekend. The biggest wins of the day were Brentford 7-1 over Gainsborough and Mansfield 6-0 over Bishop's Stortford. In a couple of surprises, Div 2 leaders Plymouth were beaten 3-2 by Northampton who are 18th in Div 3 and Port Vale in Div 2 were held to a 2-2 draw by non-league Ford Utd. Tony Adams, Wycombe's new boss, had a dream start to his managerial career with a 4-1 win over Swindon.

North of the border, Celtic hammered Dunfermline 5-0, four of the goals coming in the final 13 minutes. Motherwell and Livingston were both winners, while Hibs and Dundee Utd. drew 1-1. Today Rangers are at Kilmarnock and Hearts visit Aberdeen, a fixture already controversial before a ball is kicked. The SFA refused a request for a postponement of the game, rather to put the kick off back one hour, to accomodate Hearts traditional Remembrance Day service.

UEFA have suspended Lazio's Yugoslav defender Mihajlovic for eight games, for kicking Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu and then spitting in his face, during the Champions League game on Tuesday.

It appears that Alex Ferguson is ready to sign a new three year deal at Old Trafford, reportedly in the 12 to 16 million pound range. That would make the often controversial Scot the highest paid manager on the planet and tie him to Manchester Utd. until he is 65 years old. He is expected to ink the deal in the next few days.

Leeds manager Peter Reid has refused to quit after his side's humiliating, and biggest ever, Premiership defeat, 6-1 at Fratton Park. He said "that second half was the worst 45 minutes of my managerial career and the players don't deserve to pick up their wage packets after that performance". These are certainly not halcyon days, either for the Elland Road club or its beleaguered boss.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 8/03

In the EPL today, two London derby's are featured. Arsenal entertain Spurs at Highbury in a game the leader's are expected to win, at least by the bookies, while Fulham and Charlton clash at the Valley in the other. Tomorrow sees the always eagerly anticipated match up at Anfield, where Liverpool will be hoping to get something from the visit of Manchester Utd., while Chelsea look to keep on track against a much improved Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

The 1st round of the F.A. Cup gets into full swing today and tomorrow. In the lone match yesterday, Thurrock deservedly held Luton to a 1-1 draw.

Mark Viduka has again been dropped from the Leeds squad travelling to Portsmouth, following yet another bust-up with manager Peter Reid. The Australian's future with the club is very much in doubt after what Reid called a training ground incident. Viduka has scored two goals this term, the last coming on August 30.

Fulham midfielder Sean Davis has withdrawn his transfer request. He had been ready to move to Everton during the summer for 5.5 million pounds, only to fail the medical, due to an injury suffered in a pre-season friendly. The 23 year old, who has been with the club since he was 16, is apparently now ready to negotiate a contract extension, another boost for the south west London outfit. Davis has not played this season as a result of his knee injury.

Wolves have been given permission by the League to look for a goalkeeper, on a 28 day loan deal, due to the injury that will keep reserve goalie Matt Murray on the sidelines for up to five weeks. The club will be looking at possible replacements after the game today with Birmingham.

Peter Whittingham has signed a new contract that will keep him with Aston Villa until 2007. The 19 year old is a regular in the side and has also been picked for England's U21 squad. The youngster, who was taken on by Villa as a trainer after his release by Coventry, has impressed manager David O'Leary since the Irishman arrived at the club.

Scotland boss Berti Vogts has called up much coveted Motherwell midfielder Stephen Pearson, above, for the crucial games with Holland on November 15 and 19. With several injury problems, together with potential card problems for the second leg, Vogts has named a 25 man squad, larger than normal, to ensure he has cover if needed. The 21 year old was both surprised and delighted at his inclusion, saying he thought at first it was a team mate winding him up. He had been expecting to be named to the U21 squad for the friendlies with Croatia. The full squad is:-

Goalkeepers
Neil Alexander (Cardiff City), Robert Douglas (Celtic) , Jonathan Gould (Preston NE)

Defenders
Graham Alexander (Preston North End), Steven Caldwell (Newcastle United) , Christian Dailly (West Ham United) , Jackie McNamara (Celtic), Steven Pressley (Heart of Midlothian), Maurice Ross (Rangers) , Andy Webster (Heart of Midlothian), Lee Wilkie (Dundee)

Midfielders
Colin Cameron (Wolverhampton W.), Paul Devlin (Watford), Barry Ferguson (Blackburn Rovers) , Darren Fletcher (Manchester United), Gary Naysmith (Everton) , Stephen Pearson (Motherwell), Gavin Rae (Dundee)

Forwards
Stephen Crawford (Dunfermline Athletic), Paul Dickov (Leicester City), Andy Gray (Bradford City), Don Hutchison (West Ham United) , Neil McCann (Southampton), James McFadden (Everton), Kenny Miller (Wolverhampton W.)

Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 7/03

In UEFA Cup play yesterday, the British sides met with mixed fortunes. Both Newcastle and Hearts were winners away from home, the Geordies coming from behind to beat Basle 3-2 and Hearts getting the only goal in Bordeaux, two excellent results. Liverpool come home from Bucharest with a 1-1 draw, which would be very satisfying, while Manchester City will be disappointed with their 1-1 draw at home to Groclin.

Sir Bobby Robson has warned his team against complacency despite the 1st leg victory. Newcastle had been in a similar position in the Champions League qualifier against Partizan Belgrade and were beaten in a penalty shoot out.

Craig Gordon, a lifelong Hearts fan, was delighted to be part of the Jambos' upset win over Bordeaux. The 20 year old goalkeeper, now with five first team appearamces under his belt, pulled off a number of fine saves in the game, with the winner coming from Mark de Vries 12 minutes from time. The Edinburgh side's manager, Craig Levein, would have been happy to return home only a goal down and quipped that "his game plan for the second leg had been messed up".

Blackburn have been given special dispensation to sign Aston Villa goalie Peter Enckelman, above, on a one month loan deal. Due to injury, Rovers have no back up for American international Brad Friedel and the Finnish keeper is expected to be on the bench when Everton visit Ewood Park on Monday.

The F.A. Cup 1st Round games are being played on the weekend, with the exception of the tie between Thurrock and Luton, which is being played tonight.

An interesting situation has arisen in the tie at Bloomfield Road tomorrow. Blackpool's visitors, Boreham Wood, had to get special permission for one of their players to participate in the game. Veli Hakki is serving a six year ban, as a spectator, from Football League grounds, after having spent a year in jail for rioting following the Birmingham v Millwall play-off game two seasons ago. Because he is a convicted football hooligan, the Home Office had to give the OK for the 23 year old to play.

Notts County, the world's oldest professional club, has been told that the December 9 deadline is final and failure to get out of administration by then will result in their expulsion from the Football League. Administrator Paul Finnity, who was called to give a progress report on a consortium's proposed takeover of the Meadow Lane club, was told that no further extension will be considered and efforts to save the club should proceed with urgency.

Glenn Hoddle has rejected any possible chance of managing Crystal Palace, according to reports. The former Spurs boss is said to have been a target for Palace chairman Simon Jordan, but is prepared to bide his time after previously being linked with Reading and a lucrative offer from the Middle East.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 6/03

In Champions League play yesterday, Arsenal climbed back into the thick of the chase, beating Dynamo Kiev 1-0. Nothing like leaving it late, Ashley Cole heading the winner in the 88th minute. Celtic continued to show good home form, moving into second place in their group with a 3-1 win over Anderlecht. Monaco hammered Deportivo la Coruna 8-3, breaking the record for goals scored by one side and for the highest aggregate. The previous mark for both was set in 2000, Paris St. Germain beating Rosenborg 7-2. In other games, PSV Eindhoven beat AEK Athens 2-0, Lyon won 2-1 against Bayern Munich, Olympiakos thrashed Galatasaray 3-0, Inter Milan and Lokomotiv Moscow drew 1-1, while Juventus ensured a place in the next round with a 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad.

The four British clubs left in the UEFA Cup continue with second round, first leg action today. Liverpool face Steaua Bucharest away, Newcastle travel to Basle, Manchester City host Poland's Gronclin, while Hearts visit Bordeaux.

Tottenham defender Christian Ziege's run of bad luck continues. After sitting out nearly a year with a serious thigh injury, the German international played his first game in the Carling Cup tie against West Ham last week. He had to leave the match after 62 minutes with knee ligament damage and now looks like he will be out of action until the New Year.


The F.A. are investigating the mouth that won't quit. Alex Ferguson has been asked to explain his comments on the recent punishment handed out to Arsenal and four of their players by the governing body. He has raised issues about the integrity and impartiality of the F.A.'s disciplinary process. Manchester Utd. have also been asked if this is the club's official position on the matter. Both the club and Ferguson have until November 11 to respond. A body is forced to wonder, after these and his other lunatic ravings about the Ferdinand issue, why the Scot does not park his brain immediately a final game whistle is blown. Do the Old Trafford club and it's manager believe they are bigger than the game itself? Do they think they can, or should be able to, dictate to all and sundry the outcome of every issue? It would certainly appear that the answer to both of these questions is YES! I think they would be well advised to take a hard look in the mirror, as in their own closet are a few fairly recent indiscretions that many believe were dealt with too leniently. In a catalogue of violent behaviour, it is difficult to top Eric Cantona's 'flying drop kick' of a Crystal Palace fan, albeit a mouthy one, or Roy Keane's admittedly premeditated 'attack' on Alfe Inge Haaland, which ended the latter's career, dealt with in his book with pride. Both of these incidents could have been, indeed should have been, dealt with more severely. No whining from Ferguson that these punishments were too lenient, or the result of a deal. I suspect that any punishment handed out to Ferdinand will be deemed too harsh by the 'Lord of Stretford Road'. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed concern over the perceived erosion of the authority of the F.A. in such matters and suggests that F.A. chief Mark Palios needs to show a "determined hand"



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November 5/03

In Champions League play yesterday, Manchester Utd. totally dominated Rangers to win 3-0, in a game that ceased to be a contest after the first goal in the sixth minute. Chelsea crushed Lazio 4-0 in Rome, a game in which the Italian side were reduced to 10 men after Yugoslav defender Mihajlovic was sent off for a second yellow in the 52nd minute. UEFA, however, are looking at another incident, missed by the official but not the TV camera, in which the Lazio man appeared to kick Blues striker Adrian Mutu and then spit in his face. In other games VFB Stuttgart came from behind to beat Panathinaikos 3-1, Porto edged Marseille 1-0, Besiktas also won 1-0 against Sparta Prague, Celta Vigo got past Ajax 3-2, AC Milan beat Club Brugge 1-0 and Partizan Belgrade drew 0-0 with Real Madrid. The point clinches a place in the next round for the Spaniards.

In today's games Arsenal are at home to Dynamo Kiev, a match they have to win, while Celtic play host to Anderlecht.The Scot's are currently bottom of their group, but only two points behind leaders Bayern Munich, so a win would put them in a good position from which to advance and they have been strong at home. The other games have Bayern taking on Lyon, Inter Milan play Lokomotiv Moscow, Monaco host Deportivo la Coruna, PSV Eindhoven face AEK Athens, Olympiakos go against Galatasary and Real Sociedad welcome Juventus.

Middlesborough striker Malcolm Christie broke a leg in training yesterday. He now faces possible surgery to repair the broken tibia, depending on the extent of the damage. The Riverside club, who have had an injury riddled start to this campaign, are resigned to to him being sidelined for a lengthy spell.

Tottenham striker Freddie Kanoute is recovering from his ankle injury much faster than was originally hoped. The 26 year old suffered ligament damage in October and was expected to be gone for two months. He has, however, already dispensed with his crutches and protective boot and is running. His agent, who said the Frenchman is desperate to get back to fitness, is talking in terms of playing again in two weeks.

Michael Owen is ruled out of Liverpool's Thursday UEFA Cup game with Steaua Bucharest due to an ankle injury. This would have been a tough match for the Merseysiders, even with the star stiker in the line-up. It is expected that the England hitman will be OK to face Manchester Utd.on Sunday, although manager Gerard Houllier does not expect him to be ready for the friendly international a week later.

It is believed that Mark Viduka has been fined one weeks wages, about 65,000 pounds, by Leeds for his errant behaviour prior to last week's game with Arsenal. This situation is, to say the least, somewhat tenuous.

In Div 1 last night, both Sheffield Utd. and Sunderland were winners, the Blades 2-0 over Crewe and the Black Cats 3-1 at Gillingham, and sit fourth and fifth respectively in the table.

Div 2 cellar dwellers Wycombe have announced that former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams has been appointed manager at the Causeway. 37 year old Adams has been out of the game for 17 months, while taking a sports science degree at university. Caretaker boss John Gorman, a former assistant manager at Spurs under Glenn Hoddle, will stay on as assistant to the Highbury legend.

Scotland and Celtic captain Paul Lambert has ruled himself out of the crucial November 15 Euro 2004 clash with Holland. He has been out of action since sustaining an ankle injury during the game against Germany in September and expects to be out at least another two weeks. Should Scotland fail against the Dutch, Lambert's international career could be over, as he has insisted that the current campaign will be his last in the dark blue.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 4/03

In the EPL yesterday, Charlton beat Birmingham 2-1 at St. Andrew's. Two goals from Matt Holland and a great performance from Dean Kiely were enough to give the Midlands side their first home defeat for nine months, moving the Addicks up to seventh spot. Manager Alan Curbishley was reluctant to pick a man of the match, as he felt everyone had done well. He did add, however, that in the latter stages of the game as his outfield players were tiring, Kiely had earned them the three points.

In Champions League play today Manchester Utd. take on Rangers at Old Trafford, while Chelsea face Lazio in Rome. In other games Sparta Prague visit Besiktas, Real Madrid travel to Belgrade to meet Partizan, Porto are at home to Marseille, Celta Vigo host Ajax, Panathinaikos go against VFB Stuttgart and holders AC Milan visit Club Brugge, looking to avenge the upset in the San Siro two weeks ago.

Manchester Utd. are reported to be ready to extend the contract of Ruud van Nistelrooy, currently only half way through, in order to dampen interest from Real Madrid. The Daily Mail reports that the Spanish club, who were being linked with Michael Owen on the weekend, are also keen on the Dutchman.Talks have hotted up over the last two weeks and a new deal could see the striker making in excess of 60,000 pounds per week.

Sunderland have announced pre-tax losses of 20.6 million pounds for the year ended July 31, 2003. The Black Cats found themselves 36.1 million in debt after last season, at which time they were relegated from the Premiership. Chairman Bryan Sanderson was critical of the players, saying they were totally inadequate on the field, and of ex manager Peter Reid, describing "the management of the team and of the acquisitions in the transfer market was unacceptable". They have since dumped much of the high priced help, slashing their wage bill by 50% and he believes the club has turned the corner, while still having the nucleus of a squad needed to make a quick return to the top flight.


Ex England and Man. U. skipper Bryan Robson is being linked with the vacancy at Crystal Palace. The former Middlesborough manager had been expected to sign on to coach Nigeria, but the deal has hit a roadblock, as the Nigerian F.A. are struggling with Robson's wage demands. The Selhurst Park club fired manager Steve Kember on Monday following a very poor start to the season, 20th in Div 1. Robson, who left the Riverside in 2001 and has not worked since, is believed to be joined in the running for the post by Iain Dowie, Steve Cotterill and Stan Ternent.

Leeds' Australian striker Mark Viduka's future at Elland Road is in doubt after he was dropped from the squad for disciplinary reasons. He is alleged to have turned up late for training on Friday and also for the game on Saturday. He was immediately axed by manager Peter Reid and now faces a fine of two weeks wages, in the neighbourhood of 130,000 pounds. It has been a choppy relationship between the two since Reid arrived late last season. The Independent reports that if Leeds remain at the bottom after the visit to Portsmouth on Saturday, Reid will be shown the door, although they could win and still stay in the cellar, which would seem a bit harsh.



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November 3/03

In the EPL yesterday Liverpool edged past Fulham 2-1, on a late penalty, while Leicester beat Blackburn 2-0 to move off the bottom of the table, above Rovers and Leeds on goal difference.

Amid more speculation about Michael Owen's future, this time it's Real Madrid preparing a 25 million pound bid, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier insists he would not sell the 23 year old striker. "Even if the figures were reversed and the bid was 52 million, we would still want to keep Michael" he said.

Leicester defender Callum Davidson returns from a long spell on the sidelines when he plays in a friendly against Stoke today. The 27 year old has not played since April, after coming down with a pelvic problem for which rest was the only cure. The Scottish international, who has been a regular since he joined the Foxes three years ago, admitted the extended lay-off has been very frustrating for him, particularly as there was no timetable set for his recovery.

Graeme Souness, Blackburn manager, is reported to be at his lowest since taking over at Ewood Park three years ago. The 2-0 loss yesterday was Rovers' fifth in the last six games and they are 19th in the table, courtesy of Leeds having an inferior goal difference. Turkish international Tugay was left out of the squad, but made the trip to Leicester anyway. Assistant manager Tony Parkes played down speculation of a bust up between the player and his boss.

Fulham boss Chris Coleman has said that Luis Boa-Morte, above, will be disciplined by the club. The Portuguese international was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Liverpool's Florent Sinama-Pongelle yesterday. The Cottagers' manager, while praising his player overall, said refreshingly, that the red card was justified. "It was an horrific challenge and it's lucky that their lad wasn't hurt too badly"

On a day where news snippets appear to be at a premium, the dropping of Nicolas Anelka from the Manchester City side at Southampton has sparked speculation that he and Kevin Keegan are at odds, adamantly denied by the manager, who claimed he just wanted to rest the 24 yeat old Frenchman. Now several of the country's newspapers are claiming he was dropped after refusing to go clay pigeon shooting with the team on a 'bonding' day.

Sunderland defender Darren Williams has apologized for kicking a ball into the crowd and injuring a spectator during the 0-0 draw with West Brom on Saturday. A teenage female fan needed hospital treatment for a bloody nose after Williams blasted the ball into the stands, causing Albion fans to react angrily. The defender could face disciplinary action, as the incident was included in the referee's report.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 2/03

In the EPL yesterday the status quo at the top was maintained, the three leaders all winning. Today Fulham host Liverpool, while Leicester and Blackburn lock horns at Walker's Stadium. Tomorrow Charlton travel to St. Andrew's to play Birmingham.

Leeds striker Mark Viduka has been suspended by manager Peter Reid for a couple of disciplinary reasons and did not make the squad for Saturday's game with the Gunners. Arsenal won 4-1, with two goals from Thierry Henry and one from Robert Pires, above, plus a second half strike by Gilberto.

Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa, with Alan Shearer uncharacteristically missing from the penalty spot.

Manchester City beat Southampton 2-0 at St. Mary's, getting a goal in the first five minutes from Robbie Fowler and another in the last five from Paolo Wanchope.
Manchester Utd. beat Portsmouth 3-0, Chelsea got past Everton 1-0 and Bolton got a rare away win, 1-0 at Tottenham

In the other game on the Saturday schedule we had yet another tunnel incident, which will be investigated by the F.A. This time it happened at the end of a bad tempered game at the Riverside, Middlesborough overcoming Wolves 2-0, during which the visitor's midfielder Alex Rae was sent off in the final minute. The opening goal was controversial, Mendietta scoring after a short free kick from Juninho, however, at the same time, Middlesborough's Danny Mills was squaring off with Wolves defender Lee Naylor and that was apparently the focus of some Wolves players' attention.

Wigan regained top spot in Div 1 with a 5-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace. West Brom drew at home to Sunderland and drop to second, while Norwich, 3-1 winners at Walsall, are in third place. Sheffield Utd. and West Ham were both held to draws, at Stoke and Coventry respectively. Ipswich lost at home to Gillingham 4-3 and Millwall beat Notts Forest 1-0 to round out the top eight.At the other end of the table, Wimbledon moved a little closer to the pack with a 2-1 win over Bradford.

Plymouth continue to lead Div 2, despite being held to a draw by Oldham. QPR, 2-1 winners at Stockport, move into third place, three points back, but with a game in hand. Of the other teams in the top third of the division, Colchester were winners at Wrexham on Friday, Brighton were held to a 2-2 draw at Peterborough, while Barnsley, Bournemouth, Port Vale and Hartlepool all lost.

In Div 3, it's getting tighter at the top. Leaders Hull City were held to a draw at home to Macclesfield, while Doncaster, Oxford, Mansfield, Lincoln and Scunthorpe were all winners. Swansea were held to a scoreless draw by Bristol Rovers and Yeovil went down 2-1 at Bury to round out the leading eight. Doncaster and Oxford are now just two points behind Hull, with Rovers' unbeaten run now extended to nine games.

There was no change at the top in the SPL. Celtic thrashed Kilmarnock 5-0, while Rangers struggled to get past Partick Thistle 3-1. Hearts beat Livingston 3-1, Dundee and Hibs drew 1-1, Dunfermline got by Dundee Utd. 2-0 and Aberdeen were beaten at home 3-0 by Motherwell.
In Div 3, East Stirlingshire ended an 18 month winless drought at home, beating Elgin City 3-1.

Everton and England teenage strike sensation, Wayne Rooney, has scoffed at the idea of a move to Stamford Bridge. While there is almost constant speculation that he is a target for the Blues (London variety), the 18 year old insists he will stay at Goodison Park. Rooney was quoted as saying "I am happy to be at Everton", "I have only just signed a new contract, so I'm not interested in any other club". "I am not interested in anything Chelsea have to say".

It must be getting close to Xmas, or is it more gamesmanship? Alex Ferguson, 'the manager who would be king' is either rehearsing for a role as the Grinch or Ebeneezer Scrooge, or is just trying to stir up more controversy around the league. The F.A. is going to look into comments from the Manchester Utd. supremo that they, the governing body, and Arsenal had done a deal regarding the punishment, which was pretty severe, handed out to the league leaders for their part in the unpleasantness at Old Trafford in September. He further claims again that the F.A. is responsible for leaking the name of the amnesiac, Ferdinand, over his failure to attend the now infamous drug test. Surely there are enough people that find the sour Scot manipulative and selective in his self righteous ravings, that he doesn't need to alienate more of us.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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November 1/03

The first item on the agenda today is to direct your attention to the new footiemad books page in
the Products/Shop section. We have a book review page, plus an auction, which runs until November 30 and will interest a lot of you, of an autographed copy of 'THE KING' Denis Law's recently published autobiography, as yet not available in North America.

As is often the case on match days, there is not a great deal to report this morning, however, one event merits the entire space of this day's missive

Yesterday, in Glasgow, Scottish football and broadcast legends gathered to celebrate Hampden Park's 100th anniversary. Queen's Park, Scotland's oldest club, bought the 33 acre site, on the south side of Glasgow, in 1903 and built the largest and, then, most technically advanced stadium in the world.

The first game ever played in the park saw Queen's Park beat Celtic 1-0, on October 31/1903.

It was quickly adopted as Scotland's national stadium and the 149,415 who OFFICIALLY watched the 1937 game against England, won 3-1 by the home side, remains a record for any international in Europe. Scottish Football Museum curator Ged O'Brien pointed out that official attendances were always boosted by spectators gaining entry by unofficial means. "In the 1930's to the 1960's, 185,000 packed into the stadium" he said "You are looking at the entire population of Dundee, plus 40,000 more people"

Former Scotland striker Denis Law, shown above cutting the cake, was on hand for the celebrations and recalled with delight being greeted by the famous 'Hampden Roar' during the 60's and 70's. "Just to come out at Hampden Park and hear this roar, the opposition team must have been having nightmares".

In 1960, the famous stadium was the venue for, arguably the finest game ever played, certainly the most memorable European Cup Final ever, Real Madrid beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3. Bob Crampsey, Scottish football historian and broadcaster, who was born in the shadow of the storied arena, recalls "It was exactly like a theatre, the teams came out and did curtain calls and the crowd would not go away"

Years of neglect, together with modern day safety regulations, forced a major rebuild that saw a new Hampden emerge in the 1990's. Queen's Park, the only amateur club playing in the Scottish Football League, leased the stadium to the Scottish F.A. The new 52,000 seat capacity arena has come in for a lot of criticism, but is one of only two parks in Scotland, Ibrox is the other, to get a five star rating from UEFA and hosted the 2002 Champion's League final.


Crampsey added, "I think the Hampden Roar was much exaggerated. I think, in fact, what was more effective was the total and complete and utter silence when England scored a goal"

As a footnote, the next big occasion at Hampden is the November 15, Euro 2004 qualifier against Holland, for which tickets went on sale this morning. Happily, a despatch from Glasgow revealed that footiemadmarty had two of these ducats in his jacket pocket shortly after 8.00 a.m. His description of these items was "Gold Dust"