Footiemad news item

October 31/03

Liverpool have agreed extended contracts with Jamie Carragher and Chris Kirkland. Carragher, currently out with a broken leg, has signed to 2007, while Kirkland, widely tipped as a future England goalkeeper, has committed to the club until 2009. Houllier hopes that Michael Owen and Steve Gerrard will do likewise before too long.


West Ham have signed 35 year old Brian Deane on a free transfer from Leicester. He scored 13 goals in 33 appearances last season, as the Foxes won promotion from Div 1. The Hammers will be hoping for something similar.

Fabien Barthez, hoping for a move to Marseille, has had the proposed loan agreement vetoed by FIFA. This was in response to the French club's request to complete the deal outside of the transfer window. It now appears that January will be the earliest the French international, out of favour at Old Trafford, can join his old club.


Sheffield Utd. have signed Alan Wright on a one month loan from Middlesborough. The 32 year old defender moved to the north east during the summer, after leaving Aston Villa. If the arrangement works out, Wright could stay at Bramall Lane for an additional two months.

The winners of the Nationwide Managers of the Month award for October were:- Div 1: Joe Royle, Ipswich: Div 2: Paul Sturrock, Plymouth: Div 3: Dave Penney, Doncaster. All three had their clubs firing on all cylinders during the month.

In Scotland, tickets for the Euro 2004 play-off with Holland go on sale at 8 a.m. tomorrow at Hampden and 48 Safeway supermarkets. It is expected the ducats will be sold out in a matter of hours, ensuring Scotland good support for the November 15 match.

The draw for the fourth round of the CIS Insurance Cup is:-
Aberdeen v Livingston
Hibs v Partick Thistle or Celtic
Rangers v St. Johnstone
Dundee v Hearts.
The games are to be played on December 2 or 3, with the exception of the Easter Road match, as the opponents don't play until December 4, because of a live television transmission.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 30/03

As a result of the unpleasantness at Old Trafford last month, Arsenal have been fined 175,000 pounds for failing to control their players. Individual punishments handed out were:- Lauren; 4 game suspension plus 40,000 fine, Keown; 3 game suspension plus 20,000 fine, Vieira; 1 game suspension plus 20,000 fine, Parlour; 1 game suspension plus 10,000 fine, Cole; 10,000 fine plus warned as to his future conduct. Giggs and Ronaldo, also charged in that game, will be dealt with later. The suspensions start from Monday, November 17th.

The F.A. has been fined 4,500 pounds by UEFA for the England part in the tunnel fracas in Istanbul on October 11. The Turkish F.A. has been fined 13,300 for the incident. So far, no word on whether the penalty to Turkey includes the other charges against them.



Footiemad news item

October 30/03


Rio Ferdinand has been charged with misconduct by the F.A. This keeps the door unlocked for the 'memory challenged' player to be found guilty of deliberately missing his drug test, which carries a maximum two year ban. Gordon Taylor, the PFA head, thought the news was good from Ferdinand's perspective, although he felt that, in this case, he could be made a high profile example. Let's not forget that FIFA is monitoring the case very carefully. If he can remember, Ferdinand has 14 days to respond to the charge.

Arsenal and the five players charged after the unpleasant scenes at the conclusion of the game with Manchester Utd. at Old Trafford last month, will learn their punishments today. Lauren could miss up to five games, while Martin Keown may be banned up to three games. It is thought that Ashley Cole, Ray Parlour and Patrick Vieira may escape with a fine. The club also faces a hefty fine as a result of the incident.

Still on the disciplinary front, both the English and Turkish F.A.s will attend a UEFA hearing today, resulting from the unseemly get together of the two sides at half time on October 11. Turkey also faces seperate charges regarding flares being lit and missiles being thrown on the pitch. A fine is expected to be handed to both associations.

The draw for the fourth round of the Carling Cup was made yesterday and is as follows:-
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Reading v Chelsea
Tottenham v Manchester City
Southampton v Portsmouth
Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers
West Brom v Manchester United
Arsenal v Wolves
Middlesbrough v Everton
The games are to be played the week of December 1.


Tottenham defender Christian Ziege, starting his first game for the senior side in nearly a year, was forced to limp off after 61 minutes of the cup tie with West Ham last night. It is hoped that the German international will not need another operation. Spurs won the game 1-0 aet.


Manchester City defender Michael Tarnat is ready to extend his one year deal with the Premiership club.The 34 year old, former Bayern Munich player, has become a regular in Kevin Keegan's side, feared around the league for his thunderous long range free kicks.


Paul Gascoigne played the full 90 minutes for Wolves reserves last night. Although beaten 3-1 by Sunderland, he said he was thrilled to be back in competitive action. The 36 year old has been training with the Molineux club and manager Dave Jones has not ruled out the possibility of a contract for the former England midfielder.

Leeds are hoping a fan of some 20 years can help them financially. Oil rich Bahraini sheikh Mubarek al-Khalifa regularly attends games at Elland Road and is believed to be the man behind investment company ARM, which has already pledged 4.5 million pounds to the cash strapped club.


Former England U-21 midfielder Michael Brown is being linked with a possible move to Rangers. His contract with Sheffield Utd. expires at the end of the season. Blades boss Neil Warnock is planning further talks with the 26 year old regarding a contract extension offer, already on the table. The manager accepted, however, that Brown, who cost the club 400,000 in January 2000, could attract interest from several top clubs when the transfer window opens.

Finally, another sour note from last night! 93 West Ham fans were arrested for violence before and after the Carling Cup tie at White Hart Lane. Police were called to the Tottenham supporter's pub 'The Cockerel' on Tottenham High Road. The pub suffered extensive damage and West Ham fans were later arrested. Two other pubs were damaged as skirmishes continued through the afternoon and evening. There could be more arrests as police are studying CCTV footage "to find any other perpetrators"
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 29/03


It was announced yesterday afternoon that Paul Scholes is going to miss up to four weeks after undergoing operations on both groins on Tuesday. It is not a hernia condition, as was previously thought, but the Manchester Utd. midfielder will almost certainly miss the England friendly with Denmark on November 16. He had been plagued with the problem earlier in the season, but the condition appeared to have settled with rest and treatment.


Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has dismissed newspaper reports that Michael Owen could be leaving the club at the end of the season. The England striker has been linked with a 30 million pound move to Juventus. The beleaguered Houllier said he has spoken with Owen and he wants to stay at Anfield, as does club captain Steve Gerrard.


Apparently Thaksin Shinawatra, above, is seriously considering making a bid for Fulham. Thailand's prime minister was in England for four days and watched the Cottagers win at Old Trafford. The club, currently owned by Harrods' Mohamed Al-Fayed, announced a loss for the year of 33.6 million on April 28. The telecommunications billionaire said he should make a decision quickly. Fayed insists the club is not for sale, but admits talking to Shinawatra, and does not rule out some kind of partnership.


The F.A. is going to be looking at video tape of Leeds striker Alan Smith throwing a bottle into the crowd yesterday at Elland Road. The bottle was thrown on the pitch from the stands in the last few minutes of the Carling Cup game, won by Manchester Utd. 3-2 A.E.T.. Smith picked it up and hurled it back into the crowd, apparently striking a female supporter on the head. ( In bad taste, but was that the first time he'd hit the target all night?). The F.A. will decide, after viewing the tape, whether any action against Smith is warranted.

In a strange finish to the game at Highbury, Arsenal beat Rotherham on penalty kicks. The Gunners had seven players, including two 16 year olds, making their first team debut. The game was tied 1-1 and in the penalty shoot out, each side had 12 (twelve) kicks before the home side won 9-8. Wiltord, who missed his first time, scored the winner with his second.


Huddersfield Town, recently out of administration, have turned down a million pound bid for striker Jon Stead, above. The 20 year old, who has scored 11 times in 17 appearances, was the subject of a bid by Sunderland, who are reported to have offered an up front 500,000, with a further half mill, dependant on appearances. The Huddersfield born youngster could be the target of more interest when the transfer window opens in January.

The Ferdinand affair continues and Beckham doesn't get any brighter. Ferdinand, not a candidate for the Mensa Society, is expected to be charged by the F.A. today, for failing to attend a drugs test. Beckham insists he will support the Man. U. defender. He then went on to defend the England squad's shameful behaviour in the aftermath of Ferdinand's omission from the team to meet Turkey. It seems increasingly likely that the 'forgetful one' will face the more serious charge of deliberately missing the test. As for Beckham, thankfully he can kick a ball with a degree of accuracy, because if he had to rely on his brain, he'd be up the proverbial creek with the paddles still in the boathouse.

Manchester Utd. have reported Chelsea to the Premier League, amid speculation that Peter Kenyon has started in his new role as the chief executive at Stamford Bridge. He left the same position at Old Trafford in September, but is still under contract to United. No agreement has been reached as to when Kenyon can commence with his duties for his new employer.


Former Aston Villa, Manchester Utd. and Chelsea goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, was arrested yesterday after an alleged assault on ex-girlfriend, model Sophie Anderton. The 31 year old Australian international was later released on bail, to appear in court on December 4. He had just finished, in September, a nine month suspension for cocaine use and is, to date, without a club. (Hopefully, he is not wondering why). Another slap in the mouth for the game. Story from BBC News World edition.
With the exception of the above, stories are from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 28/03

Results announced to the Stock Exchange this morning by Leeds reveal pre-tax losses of 49.5 million pounds. The club were already 78 million in debt and the current year's losses are the highest ever announced by a British football club. As expected, Trevor Birch has been appointed chief executive at Elland Road, the first since 1999.

Arsene Wenger has defended his squad selection for tonight's Carling Cup game against Rotherham, saying he is serious about the competition despite having named what is virtually a reserve side. None ot the starters on Saturday are present, although , with Wiltord, Edu, Kanu and Cygan in the squad , there is considerable first team experience.
Should he play, Francesc Fabregas, above, would become the youngest ever player to represent Arsenal in a first team game, at 16 years 177 days.


Edgar Davids, whose contract with Juventus expires at the end of the season, has failed to come to terms on a new one that would keep him in Turin. Chelsea will, reportedly, renew their interest in the 30 year old Dutch international. The Blues had tried to bring him to Stamford Bridge with a 10 million bid last summer, which was turned down by the Italian giants, who stand to get nothing for the midfielder in June. Dundee are also linked to a possible move to Dens Park for the talented Dutchman, with negotiations scheduled for January, to try to sign a short term loan deal.


Notts Forest, in Div 1, have suffered an injury blow, as central defender Michael Dawson, above, faces a month on the sideline after tearing a hamstring in the 2-1 win over Bradford on Saturday. The 20 year old, who is liked by several premiership clubs, is obviously disappointed, but manager Paul Hart thinks it may be a blessing in disguise, in that the youngster, crucial to Forest's promotion ambitions, should be rested and in the best possible shape for the second half of the season.


Rushden and Diamonds chairman Max Griggs has decided to step down after leading the club for 11 years. The 65 year old Griggs merged two local sides, Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds, in 1992, in an effort to get them beyond non league football. The club is currently in 16th place in the Second Division, having been Third Division champions last year. Griggs stresses the decision hasn't been taken with a view to financial gain.


Former Millwall boss Mark McGhee has been confirmed as the new Brighton manager, taking over from Steve Coppell, who moved to Reading. McGhee has a two year contract with the Seagulls, currently second in Div 2, despite three consecutive losses.

In Scotland, Hibs have announced they intend to stay at Easter Road, their home since 1893. After a summer of considering possible alternatives, including a move to Straiton on the outskirts of the Scottish capital, and a ground share proposal with arch rivals Hearts, the club's chief executive Rod Petrie said "this is the news supporters have been waiting for" The club believe they can stay in the central part of the city and still address their financial future, as they struggle with a debt of 15 million.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 27/03

The English and Turkish F.A.s have both been charged with improper conduct by UEFA, following the fracas in the tunnel at half time of their Euro 2004 qualifier on October 11. No individual players have been charged and the incident will not affect further participation in the competition. The hearing will take place on October 30.

In the EPL yesterday, Arsenal went back to the top after a 1-1 draw with Charlton, while Spurs and Middlesborough proved to be a cure for insomnia, playing to a scoreless draw at White Hart Lane.


Tottenham caretaker manager David Pleat, in a thinly veiled swipe at Glenn Hoddle, said that a month ago Spurs would have lost that game. Pleat praised the back four and the team's work ethic. He added that the game was exciting, if not of the highest quality. (50% right there, the game was a snore)


Arsenal have announced that skipper Patrick Vieira will be out for another three weeks after tests revealed a second tear in his thigh muscle, just above the first. He is now thought to be unavailable until, at least, the November 22 game at Birmingham. He will miss Premiership games with Leeds and Spurs plus the Champions League 'must win' return against Dynamo Kiev.

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness was incensed with Saints assistant coach Dennis Rofe and his part in the dismissal of Andy Cole on Saturday. The Rovers striker was sent off in the 65th minute, after appearing to punch Michael Svensson, causing an ugly melee to break out on the pitch. Souness claimed Rofe was encouraging referee Steve Bennett to issue the red card to Cole and had to be seperated from the Southampton coach in the tunnel after the game, which Blackburn lost 2-0.

Leeds are expected to announce more losses, amounting to between 45 - 50 million pounds, when the annual results are made public, according to reports. The club is also expected to appoint former Chelsea chief executive Trevor

Birch to a similar position at Elland Road. It is thought that Birch, picture above, would look after the day-to-day running of the club, while chairman McKenzie concentrates on the resolution of the long term financial problems facing Leeds. David Bicks, on behalf of the club, said a statement would be issued to the Stock Exchange at 0700(GMT) on Tuesday.

Manchester Utd. boss Alex Ferguson has vowed that any of his players caught taking drugs would immediately be looking for other employment. Ferguson, who has stood by Rio Ferdinand during the storm over his failure to take a drug test, made the statement in an interview with the News of the World. He further added that there is no problem of that nature at Old Trafford.

Russian billionaire industrialist, Vladimir Potanin, has denied a story in The Independent on Sunday newspaper, that he is considering a 120 million investment in Arsenal's new stadium in return for a piece of the club. A spokeswoman for his company said Potanin has no plans to buy any sports clubs whatsoever.

Up in Scotland the Dundee derby ended in a 1-1 draw. Dundee scored after 19 minutes, from the spot, and United evened the game in the 56th minute. Both sides had plenty of chances in a well played, fast paced match.


Inverness Caledonian Thistle, above, claimed their first silverware since their formation 10 years ago. They scored twice in the last 11 minutes to beat Airdrie Utd. 2-0 and take home the Bell's Challenge Cup. Substitute Steve Hislop was instrumental in the win, setting up the first with a pin point cross for David Bingham to head home and scoring the second himself in the final minute. Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 26/03

First, a reminder. The clocks went back an hour this morning.

Two games are on tap today in the EPL. Charlton face Arsenal at the Valley and Spurs are at home to Middlesborough.

Yesterday was a treat. Fulham beat Manchester Utd. 3-1 at Old Trafford, a well deserved victory and something that last happened before Neil Armstrong took a stroll on the moon or colour TV was available, forty years ago, in 1963. The score did not flatter the Cottagers, clearly the better side, who got goals from Lee Clark, Steed Malbranque, the man of the match, and Junichi Inamoto, below.

It was the first home defeat for United in more than a year.

In a really entertaining game at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea edged Manchester City 1-0, on the strength of a goal that

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, above, knew nothing about and a spectacular save by Carlo Cudicini from a Robbie Fowler header, pushed on to the post and back out to safety. Both sides played good football and the crowd would have left happy. The Blues move to the top of the table, at least temporarily, on the strength of goals scored.

Leicester went to Molineux and grabbed a 3-0 halftime lead, only to be stunned by one of the comebacks of the season, as Wolves replied with four in the second half to run out winners. Colin Cameron, picture below, got a pair

for the home side, as did Les Ferdinand for the Foxes.

Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton were the other winners, while Aston Villa and Everton drew 0-0 in an unspectacular encounter. With the loss at Anfield, troubled Leeds drop into the bottom three.

West Brom moved back into top spot in Div 1, winning 3-0 at Rotherham. Wigan are second despite a 2-0 loss at Walsall and Norwich, with their seventh consecutive home win, 1-0 over Sunderland, have moved into third. West Ham and Ipswich were both held to draws.

Plymouth increased their lead in Div 2 to three points, beating Blackpool 1-0 at Home Park. Second place Brighton were shocked, losing 1-0 to Stockport, the Seagulls' first home loss in more than six months, while the other contenders, Barnsley, Bournemouth, QPR and Port Vale were all held to draws.

Div 3 leaders Hull City beat Lincoln 3-0 and are now four points clear. Newly promoted Doncaster move into second place with a 2-0 win at Kidderminster, while Oxford slip to third after being held to a scoreless draw at home to Bristol Rovers. Doncaster's win was their sixth in a row. Carlisle continue to languish at the bottom, dropping a 2-1 result at Huddersfield.

There were no games in the Conference as the F.A. Cup Fourth Qualifying Round was taking place. The draw for the First Round, games to be played November 8/9 is :-

Lincoln v Brighton
Peterborough v Hereford
Oldham v Carlisle
Cheltenham v Hull City
Yeovil v Wrexham
Macclesfield v Boston United
Grays or Margate v Aldershot
Scarborough v Doncaster Rovers
Barnet v Stalybridge Celtic
Blackpool v Boreham Wood
Wycombe v Swindon
Lancaster City v Cambridge United
East Thurrock or Woking v Histon
Bournemouth v Bristol Rovers
Eastbourne or Stevenage v Stockport County
Grantham v Leyton Orient
Thurrock v Luton
Northampton v Plymouth
Tranmere v Chesterfield
Hornchurch v Darlington
Scunthorpe v Shrewsbury
Torquay v Burton
Accrington Stanley v Huddersfield
Grimsby Town v QPR
Notts County v Shildon
Brentford v Farsley Celtic or Gainsborough
Kidderminster v Northwich or Halifax
Southend v Mangotsfield or Canvey Island
York City v Barnsley
Port Vale v Ford United
Mansfield Town v Bishop Stortford
Sheffield Wednesday v Salisbury City
Farnborough v Weston Super Mare
Chester City v Exeter City or Gravesend
Telford or Tamworth v Crawley Town
Colchester v Oxford United
Bradford Park Avenue v Bristol City
Bury v Rochdale
Swansea v Rushden & Diamonds
Hartlepool v Bromsgrove or Whitby

North of the border, Celtic, with a hat trick from Henrik Larsson, below, thrashed Aberdeen 4-0 and increased

their lead in the SPL to five points. Rangers dropped points for the third consecutive game, being held to a scoreless draw at Livingston, who missed a first half penalty, sparing the Gers even more blushes. Hearts hammered Partick Thistle 4-1 to move back into third and Hibs blanked Kilmarnock 3-0 at Easter Road. The Dundee derby goes today.

The Bell's Challenge Cup final, for non SPL teams, is being played today at McDiarmid Park. First division Inverness Caledonian Thistle play Div 2 Airdrie Utd. for the season's first trophy.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 25/03

Football has been hit again. It was revealed by UK Sport, the government's anti-doping agency, that two players had tested positive in the last three months, one for cocaine and one for ecstasy The, as yet, unnamed players were among 272 tested from the Premiership, the Football League and the Conference, between July 1 and September 30

Last night in Div 1 Reading beat Sheffield Utd., 2-1, at Bramall Lane, on a superb goal from 25 yards out by Nicky Forster. The win moves Reading up to eighth, while the Blades drop to fourth. Both clubs were in last year's play-offs and will be striving to be in contention again this time around.


Former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has finally completed his takeover of Div 2 Barnsley, formally signing the deal early this morning. Negotiations had been going on for some time and Ridsdale, who takes over as chairman immediately, paid tribute to Patrick Cryne, a lifelong Tykes fan, who was instrumental in the saving of the club.

64 non-league clubs take part in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the F.A. Cup this weekend. The winners, in addition to going into the First Round Proper draw later today, will receive 10,000 pounds in prize money from the F.A.. The First Round ties are to be played on November 8/9.

Up in Scotland, Celtic are home to Aberdeen, while Rangers travel to Livingston, both being played today. The Dundee derby goes tomorrow, with Dundee crossing the street to Tannadice. Midfielder Craig Burley could make his debut for the visitors. Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 24/03


Though choruses of "Happy birthday to you" ring in his ears, Wayne Rooney, who turns 18 today, has had only one good outing for Everton this year, according to his boss, David Moyes. With the exception of the game at Charlton, Moyes thinks the youngster's performances have been sub par, however, the manager is confident that Rooney will emerge from this difficult spell a much stronger player and will improve further in the future. "Nobody has had a talent like Wayne Rooney in this country for a long, long time" said the Scot. To his credit, the young England striker agrees with Moyes' assessment, vowing to curb his aggressive side a little (five bookings this season) and recapture his eye for goal.

Alpay, the Turkey and former Aston Villa defender, has blamed England captain David Beckham for his departure from the Midlands club. He believes the media, and its coverage of all things Beckham, has blown the whole situation out of proportion, saying had it involved anyone else on the England team, there would have been no problem. (Is he just missing something, or is he totally brain dead?).


England defender Danny Mills, currently on a one year loan at Middlesborough, would prefer not to return to Leeds while Peter Reid is in charge. 26 year old Mills believes he would not fit into any of the manager's plans. He made 141 appearances for Leeds since his move from Charlton in 1999.

Tottenham finance director and company secretary, Paul Viner, has left the club, another mutual agreement. This comes after the club delayed publication of their annual figures for the third time, causing fears that results are worse than expected and a new 50 million pound share issue has been unsuccessful. The North London club has until next Friday to announce the numbers to the Stock Exchange. Failure to comply would see the stock delisted, at least temporarily.


Wolves defender Ivar Ingimarsson has moved to Reading for 100,000 pounds, which could climb by another 75,000, depending on appearances. He rejoins former boss Steve Coppell, now in charge at Reading, on a two and a half year deal. Also included is a sell on fee to the Molyneux outfit. The Berkshire club are currently missing centre backs Steve Brown and John Mackie, both of whom are likely to be out for lengthy spells. The Iceland international previously played for Coppell at Brentford and Brighton.


French midfielder Steed Malbranque, whose form has been pivotal to Fulham's great start to the season, has extended his contract with the Cottagers for another year, taking him through to 2007. His commitment to the club will be cause for celebration, both for rookie manager Chris Coleman and the fans. Many pundits had predicted a season long fight against relegation.

In the most intriguing EPL match up of the weekend, Liverpool and Leeds, both flying high less than three years ago, clash at Anfield. The Reds are currently in 11th place, having lost three league games in a row, while Leeds are one point out of the relegation zone in 17th place. Defeat for either team will auger a tough time ahead and could also spell trouble for the beleaguered managers, Gerard Houllier and Peter Reid, neither of whom can feel totally confident of their continued employment.

The rumour mill continues to grind. The Independent has one that won't go away, that being Chelsea are ready to dump Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink when the January transfer window opens. I have a hard time seeing a queue forming in this instance. Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 23/03 (Late edition)


Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira will miss at least two weeks after aggravating his thigh muscle injury in the 30 minutes of action he saw in Kiev.He will definitely miss the games with Charlton and Leeds, plus, possibly, the return match against Dynamo and the London derby with Spurs. Arsene Wenger admits he may have been overly optimistic and brought the midfielder back too early. Martin Keown is also out for another two weeks, but, happily, Freddie Ljunberg is OK again after an ankle injury, which has sidelined him for a couple of weeks.

Tottenham striker Freddie Kanoute will likely be out of action for two months, after suffering ligament damage and severe bruising in the win over Leicester on Sunday.


Still in the sick bay, Sunderland midfielders Sean Thornton, above, and Matt Piper are both unavailable for what could be lengthy periods. Thornton was carried off in the Black Cats' reserve game on Wednesday with suspected ankle ligament damage, while Piper has torn his knee cartilage. The injury prone Piper had only just returned to action following a year of fitness problems.


Still sick, but not physically.........Turkish defender Alpay and Aston Villa have parted company, using the old stand by "mutual consent". The Midlands club have cancelled the contract, effectively immediately, of the 30 year old lunatic, citing intense media pressure and the increasingly difficult life he and his family were experiencing, in the aftermath of his performance against England in the recent Euro 2004 qualifying game. "In light of recent events, it would have been difficult for Alpay to represent Aston Villa again in the future" said Villa chairman Doug Ellis. (Having the idiot play a couple of games may have had its merits)


Brazilian striker Mario Jardel, twice winner of the European golden boot, is set to get his first start for Bolton on the weekend, against Birmingham. He has been scoring freely in reserve team outings and manager Sam Allardyce hopes he can duplicate at the higher level.

In Scotland, Hearts fans are a tad unhappy with the SPL, accusing the league of a "total lack of respect" for not postponing the Remembrance Day meeting with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. The Haymarket service is one of the most important dates on the Edinburgh club's calendar. Both clubs had agreed to a change of date, but in their wisdom, the SPL moved the kick off back an hour. All of the Hearts players and staff will attend the service, then, immediately after, make the coach trip north. (I assume the service will commence before 11.00 A.M. and would last maybe an hour. I am not familiar with the road or the distance between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, or the time by road to make the trip. I hope the coach does not get a puncture or mechanical problems. I'm thinking the SPL has blown this one, big time).



Footiemad news item

October 23/03

It is now unlikely that the F.A. will deliver a verdict in the Ferdinand affair until next week. The compliance unit is still examining evidence, according to the latest word from F.A. headquarters.

Leeds' Jody Morris, along with another man, was released on bail yesterday, after being questioned on a second serious sexual assault allegation.

Champions League action continued yesterday. The game billed as the "Battle of Britain" ended with Manchester Utd. edging Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox. The Glasgow side had a host of chances, but could not capitalize, although they went close a few times. All in all, a decent game. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea came from a goal down at the break to beat Lazio 2-1 and move to the top of Group G. Last years winners, AC Milan, were stunned at the San Siro, losing 1-0 to Club Brugge, in the big upset of the day. In other games, VFB Stuttgart got by Panathinaikos 2-0, Porto beat Marseille 3-2, Real Madrid won 1-0 against Partizan Belgrade, Sparta Prague were 2-1 winners over Besiktas and Ajax beat Celta Vigo 1-0.

In Div 1, West Ham and Notts Forest drew 1-1 in Alan Pardew's debut at Upton Park. Earlier, the new manager had made his first signing, Hayden Mullins, picture below, from Crystal Palace. It is initially a loan deal, to enable the

versatile midfielder to play in last night's game, however, it is expected to become a permanent move in due course.

Plymouth moved to the top of Div 2, on goal difference, with a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.


Oxford Utd. chairman Firoz Kassam, above, has said he is considering selling the third division club for one pound. He cites frustration and lack of support and trust as reasons for his decision. Kassam paid a pound for the club four years ago, before paying off its debts and completing the new stadium. Oxford are currently second in the division.


Leeds striker Mark Viduka is not leaving the club, according to his agent Andrea D'Amico. The Australian international has recently been linked to PSG, in the French press, but D'Amico denies any contact with the Paris club. Speculation was rife over the summer that all Viduka wanted was the way out of town, but he is, apparently, happy to stay at Elland Road.


Tottenham defender Christian Ziege is expected to return to the side to face Middlesborough on Sunday. The German international has not seen first team action this season, due to a thigh injury, but has had three outings with the reserves. Stories from BBC Sports site.
Footiemad news item

October 22/03


In today's top story, the state of English football continues to wallow at the bottom of the barrel. Leeds United midfielder Jody Morris, pictured above, has been arrested again and is being questioned by West Yorkshire police, along with a second man, in connection with a second alleged serious sexual assault, according to a report in the Yorkshire Post. The two men are being held in custody after their arrest yesterday. This alleged incident occurred some time ago, but only came to light during the investigation of a separate matter, for which Morris was arrested earlier this month. So far, there is no comment from Leeds.

Still with the seedy side of the game, the F.A. is believed to have completed its investigation in the Ferdinand affair and is set to reveal, on Thursday, the punishment that the Manchester Utd. defender will receive. (It should be remembered that FIFA have announced a definite interest in the severity of same). An announcement of its findings today is thought to be unlikely, with United in Glasgow for the game against Rangers.


Alex Ferguson believes that tonight's meeting, between Manchester Utd. and Rangers, is the biggest match played in Scotland "for a long, long time". The two meet in Round 3 of the group stage at Ibrox and the United manager says his side will be ready, after their defeat at the hands of Stuttgart.


In the EPL last night, Fulham led 2-0 eight minutes into the game, only to be overhauled by Newcastle, who ran out 3-2 winners. Alan Shearer, above, scored two and set up the other in another stellar performance for the Geordies. Sir Bobby Robson was not exactly stinting in praise of his skipper, saying "Alan was awesome, he was marvellous and quite magnificent" The game was delayed for 30 minutes while police blew up a suspicious car outside the ground.


Craig Bellamy will be lost to Newcastle until February, according to manager Bobby Robson. He had an operation in the U.S. to clear up his knee problem. Now there is the possibility of a compensation row between the club and the Welsh F.A., as Bellamy has, twice this season , returned injured from international duty.

In Div 1 last night, a huge upset came at the Hawthorns, where bottom of the table Wimbledon surprised second place West Brom, winning 1-0. Gary Megson, picture below, blamed his strikers for a hatful of missed chances.

This is the Baggies second loss in three games, during which they have found the net once.

Top place Wigan played to a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Utd, in third spot, and Sunderland could only manage a scoreless draw with Rotherham at the Stadium of Light.

In Div 2, Brighton stay top despite crashing 4-0 at Brentford, in a performance caretaker manager Bob Booker described as being "not good enough". The Seagulls gave up three penalties in this one. Bournemouth moved into second place with a convincing 6-3 win over Luton at Dean Court, while Port Vale ended a four game losing streak, beating QPR 2-0, to move into third spot.

Hull City retain the lead in Div 3, despite being held to a 0-0 draw at Bury. Doncaster continue their good start, moving into third place, with a well deserved win over Rochdale. Stories are from BBC Sports site



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October 21/03 (not a red letter day)

In Champions League play today, British teams fared badly. Arsenal dropped a 2-1 result to Dynamo Kiev and now really have a mountain to climb to reach the knockout stage. Celtic went down 1-0 in Anderlecht, who were down to 10 men after 25 minutes. Lokomotiv Moscow, in something of a big upset, beat Inter Milan 3-0. In other games, Lyon and Bayern Munich played to a 1-1 draw, AEK Athens went down 1-0 to PSV Eindhoven, Deportivo beat Monaco by the same 1-0 score, likewise Galatasaray over Olympiakos 1-0. Juventus lead 3-0 at the half and ran out 4-2 winners over Real Sociedad.

Wednesday sees Rangers take on Manchester Utd. at Ibrox, in a much anticipated encounter. The other British side, Chelsea, host Lazio. Other games have VFB Stuttgart playing Panathinaikos, Marseille meet FC Porto, Real Madrid host Partizan Belgrade at the Bernabeu, Sparta Prague face Besiktas, Ajax take on Club Brugge and holders AC Milan meet Celta Vigo at the San Siro.



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October 21/03

The Ferdinand saga - day whatever. It is now patently obvious that the mobile phone, which the Man. U. defender claimed had been accidentally switched off, was ON. The phone records being sent by the club to the F.A. on Monday, were published in two Sunday newspapers. Why the delay in sending them to the governing body? What can of worms is being opened? Did Neville, Beckham and , in fact, the entire England squad know that the defender had been less than truthful, or were they hoodwinked by their colleague? The strike threat and the squad's reaction seems even more insane after these latest revelations. This matter is becoming more distasteful daily! Quite clearly it is a matter of A) Something to hide, so I won't take the test, or B) Who the hell do these people think they are, interrupting my social plans? Quite frankly, it stinks!!!

Manchester Utd. will not appeal the two match touchline ban and 10,000 pound fine imposed on manager Alex Ferguson, found guilty on Monday, by the F.A., of misconduct.

Champions League play resumes today, with Arsenal in Kiev, looking for a win against Dynamo, and Celtic face a tough match in Belgium, taking on Anderlecht. In other games, Inter Milan are at Lokomotiv Moscow, Lyon face Bayern Munich, Monaco host Deportivo la Coruna, AEK Athens welcome PSV Eindhoven to the Greek capital, Juventus go against Real Sociedad and Galatasary entertain Olympiakos.


In the EPL yesterday, Charlton took three points, courtesy of a Hermann Hreidarsson goal, from their visit to Ewood Park, beating Blackburn 1-0. Graeme Souness, the Rover's manager, is frustrated at their inability to get a result, but still feels the club will finish high up in the table.

Fulham take on Newcastle at Loftus Road this evening. The Cottagers will be without John Harley and Facundo Sava, while Luis Boa-Morte faces a late fitness test. The Magpies will be missing Craig Bellamy, Keiron Dyer, Jonathan Woodgate and Andy Griffin. Nolberto Solano, who walked out on the team on the weekend, is also omitted from the squad.

Spurs injured striker, Freddie Kanoute, faces a two month lay off, following the last minute tackle by Muzzy Izzet in Sunday's 2-1 win at Leicester. Kanoute has sprained ankle ligaments and his agent is calling for an F.A. ban on the Foxes midfielder.

Still with Spurs, David Pleat, caretaker manager at White Hart Lane, has commented for the first time on the departure of Glenn Hoddle. Pleat said that, at age 46, the former England midfielder was intent on using training to show he was still the best player at the club. He was also obsessed with a system the players were uncomfortable using, showing no flexibility. Pleat also said the next manager, when appointed, would have to work with what they have.

Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL, has upped his stake in Manchester United to nearly 10%. In the last month he has nearly doubled his holding in the club and is one of the names being bandied about as possibly looking to take over the Old Trafford outfit.

Derby County, currently 18th in Div 1, has been bought by a consortium led by barrister John Sleightholme. The club was acquired from its parent, Derby County Ltd, which went into receivership on Monday. The new board has raised 15 million pounds in financing, much of which will be lost to debt repayments. More details are to be announced at a news conference later today.

Eight games are on tap in Div 1, with the top of the table tilt between Wigan and Sheffield Utd. looking to be the pick of them. Alan Pardew makes his West Ham managerial debut tomorrow, at home to Notts Forest.


Jason Koumas, seen above in the game against Norwich, is ready to commit to West Brom, providing the terms are right. The 24 year old Welsh international midfielder was one of the bright spots in the Baggies season in the top flight and is confident the Midlands club can get back up into the Premiership. Stories from BBC Sports site.

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October 20/03


The Ferdinand saga continues. The F.A., having demanded the Manchester Utd. defender's phone records in order to help them determine the severity of the charge, are reported to be furious because the player has yet to comply, almost a week later. Is this just more arrogance, or should one assume that the records will contradict his flimsy story of the said cellular device being turned off? A story in the Daily Mail claims the records reveal he could have been contacted during the crucial time period. The F.A. investigators are meeting again today, when the scale of the charges may become clearer. Unquestionably "there is something rotten in the State of Denmark"


Spurs striker Freddie Kanoute will be having X-rays today, to determine the extent of the ankle injury he suffered, shortly after scoring the winner, against Leicester yesterday. The oft injured former Hammer had to be stretchered off and left Walker's Stadium on crutches. Tottenham won the game 2-1. Both of the other EPL games on Sunday ended in 0-0 draws, the Birmingham v Aston Villa derby and Southampton v Everton at Goodison Park.


Alex McLeish, manager of Glasgow Rangers, admitted after Sunday's rather fortunate draw at Fir Park, 1-1 with Motherwell, that Alex Ferguson will be relishing the thought of a similar showing in midweek. The Manchester Utd. boss was watching his Champions League opponents, ahead of Wednesday's group stage, 3rd round game, which takes place at Ibrox. McLeish, who played under Ferguson at Aberdeen, insists it will be a different performance for the visit of the Old Trafford club, nothing less will be acceptable.

Trevor Brooking has stepped down as caretaker manager at Upton Park, making way for new boss, Alan Pardew, to assume his duties. Brooking is disappointed not to have gone out on a higher note, with the Hammers needing a late goal from Don Hutchison to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Burnley, in a game where many chances went begging. Pardew watched the game from the stands.


Newcastle's Peruvian winger, Nolberto Solano, has reportedly walked out on the club. He was not happy at being left off the squad for Saturday's clash with Middlesborough. He responded by driving away from the Riverside Stadium prior to kick-off and not watching the 1-0 Newcastle win. The 28 year old Solano and manager Bobby Robson have clashed previously, but this may end his five year spell at St. James' Park, when the transfer window reopens in January.


Manchester Utd. striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will apparently not be facing the Scots in next month's Euro 2004 play off. Dutch boss Dick Advocaat, who dropped the high scoring forward for the game against Moldova, has been quoted as saying that van Nistelrooy and Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert cannot play in the same side, and that their partnership has not worked out at all. The former Rangers boss said that he would go with Kluivert.

School football is the centre of some controversy in "bonnie Scotland", where SPL clubs have been accused of trying to prevent talented players from representing their school. The clubs claim they don't want the kids to be injured or burned out by playing too much football, whereas the SFA take the position that kids will be kids and the decision on when and where they play should be left to the youngsters and their parents. Apparently schools are refusing free tickets from one SPL club, because of the policy. It is to be hoped that talks between the schools football association, the SFA and the SPL will resolve this dispute. Stories from BBC Sports site



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October 19/03


In the top game yesterday, Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling encounter at Highbury, in which the Blues showed they are for real. The winner, scored by Thierry Henry, picture above, came from Carlo Cudicini's only mistake of the game. It was an extremely entertaining match and the visitors performed very creditably. Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri refused to blame his keeper, as the Italian made some key saves to keep the Gunners at bay in the second half. The only blot on an otherwise superb game came when Blues sub, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, was given only a yellow by referee Paul Durkin, after a challenge on Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann, which under any circumstances should have been an automatic red. Lehmann is still pulling the Dutchman's studs from his chest. A fair result and an excellent game.

Manchester Utd. kept pace with a 1-0 victory at Leeds, with a workmanlike performance, in another great match. The winner came from a Roy Keane header, late in the game. Young Ronaldo, who could easily have won a legitimate penalty earlier, was booked for an obvious dive by referee Graham Poll. These theatrics are not needed in the game.


Ex Liverpool star, Patrick Berger, scored after three minutes to give Portsmouth the win at Fratton Park. It is the first time that the Anfield side have lost three league games in a row under Gerard Houllier. In describing the game, Harry Redknapp was "not sure it was as good as the draw at Highbury"

In other games, Newcastle won 1-0 at the Riverside, Fulham were held to a scoreless draw by Wolves and Manchester City thrashed Bolton 6-2.

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness denies any contact with Spurs and insists all that is on his mind is Monday's game against Charlton. Time will tell on this one.

Div 1 is still a seesaw with Wigan, 1-0 winners over Gillingham, taking top spot. Sheffield Utd. went down 2-0 at Millwall and West Ham were held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley at Upton Park. Notts Forest hammered hapless Wimbledon 6-0.

Brighton retain the lead in Div 2, despite losing 1-0 to Bournemouth. Early pacemakers Port Vale were thrashed 5-1, at home, by Plymouth Argyle, who move into second place in the table.

Div 3 leaders Hull City got a late goal from Stuart Elliott to get a 1-1 draw at Torquay. New boys Doncaster had a good 4-2 home win over Mansfield to maintain fifth place. At the other end of the table, Carlisle, losers at home to Macclesfield 1-0, are losing sight of the rest of the pack.

Bobby Gould resigned as manager of Cheltenham, following a 2-0 loss to Rochdale. In accepting Gould's resignation, the board of the third division club were extremely generous in their praise of the former Wales boss, showing class in the handling of the matter, so often badly mishandled by the bigger clubs.

Up in the land of the thistle, Celtic whipped Hearts 5-0, with Liam Millar getting a pair. Rangers play today. Dundee move into third place, edging Partick Thistle 1-0 at Dens Park.

In our Scottish "match of the day", St. Mirren were 2-0 winners at Somerset Park. Midfielder Kirk Broadfoot scored both for the Buddies against Ayr Utd. (Murren, old mate, you must be ecstatic with the win and more so being featured in the news)

Inter Milan have fired Hector Cuper after an unimpressive start to the season. Inter are currently seven points behind Serie A leader, Juventus, in sixth place>



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October 18/03

The big game today has Chelsea making the arduous trip across the capital to face Arsenal. The Blues have not enjoyed this visit, losing eight of eleven and drawing three, since the inception of the Premiership. It should, however, be an interesting meeting between the current top two, after the spending binge at the Bridge, and should be a yardstick of where Chelsea are. The Gunners are without Vieira, Ljunberg and Keown, while Parlour , although in the squad, may be struggling with an ankle injury. Chelsea have Gallas doubtful with an ankle injury and Desailly out with a back problem.


Manchester Utd. travel to Leeds, where the main focus of the fans' attention is likely to be "the memory man", or should that be "Piltdown man", pictured above. The Elland Road faithful have not forgiven Ferdinand for moving to the other side of the Pennines in July 2002, or for the manner of the move. Now, with the drug test fiasco, it is very likely that he'll receive quite a bit of verbal stick. (What a shame!)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has called for more drug testing. He would like both the F.A. and UEFA to be far tougher in this regard, revealing that some of his players have not been tested in six or seven years. The F.A. has increased the number of tests carried out over the years and is committed to testing each Premiership club at least six times this season, either at training or after a game.


Graeme Souness is apparently Spurs' top target to replace Glenn Hoddle, fired in September. Reports suggest the White Hart Lane club are ready to make their interest in the Blackburn boss official. Should this be the case, together with the Scot's wishes, the Ewood Park brass may be reluctant to let their manager go, setting the stage for another interesting scenario.

North of the border, Celtic face Hearts today, while Rangers go to Motherwell on Sunday. In what may be a titanic clash in Div 1, St. Mirren, the only club named after a Dalriadac Scottish king, travel to Ayr Utd. Both clubs have seven points, but the Paisley side have the superior goal difference, minus 4 against minus 6. Stories from BBC Sports site.



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October 17/03
The draw for the second round of the UEFA Cup is taking place at this time. The games are scheduled for November 6 and November 27.

Dinamo Zagreb v Dnipro
Borussia Dortmund v Socheaux
Manchester City v Groclin
Barcelona v Panionios
Benfica v Molde
Slavia Prague v Levski Sofia
Rosenborg v Crvena Zvedzda
Valencia v Maccabi Haifa
Spartak Moscow v Dinamo Bucharest
Gaziantepspor v Lens
Brondby v Schalke 04
Aris v Perugia
Utrecht v Auxerre
Steaua Bucharest v Liverpool
Valerenga v Wisla Kracow
PAOK Salonika v Debrecen
FC Copenhagen v Real Mallorca
Parma v Austria Vienna
Basle v Newcastle United
Hadjuk Split v AS Roma
Genclerbirligi v Sporting Lisbon
Torpedo Moscow v Villareal
Feyenoord v Teplice
Bordeaux v Hearts

The F.A. is to interview English players involved in the halftime tunnel incident in Istanbul a week ago. The report will then be sent to UEFA and will form part of the official investigation. It is thought this must be completed by the end of next week. Brendon Batson, former deputy chief executive of the P.F.A., has been asked to co-ordinate the response of the England players, believed to include Beckham, Campbell, Cole and Heskey.

North of the Wall, this past week's story of stupidity, hopefully, is put to rest. The S.F.A. has reaffirmed it will be taking no action against Everton striker James McFadden, following the idiotic reaction of a steward and the Strathclyde police force on Saturday at Hampden, when he tried to give his jersey to a young fan, stricken with Cerebral Palsey. The Scottish gestapo even wrote a letter of complaint to Hampden Park chief executive, David Taylor, criticizing the player. It seems there are nut bars everywhere!


Will the lunacy at Stamford Bridge never end? Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved confirmed, in an interview with the Daily Sport newspaper, that he has been approached by Chelsea. The figure being bandied about for the Czech Republic international, who cost Juve 25 million pounds when he moved from Lazio in 2001, is 28 million. The 31 year old has not ruled out a move. The Serie A club's general manager, Luciano Moggi, also told the paper that Chelsea had made an excellent bid for Nedved. Stories of a future deluge of roubles falling on Goodison Park in exchange for Wayne Rooney, currently rated at between 30 and 35 mill, have not been dismissed by the Bridge brass.


Div 1 Coventry City are unsure when player-manager Gary McAllister will be returning to the club. He missed the midweek win over Wimbledon for "personal reasons" and his assistant, Eric Black, has no idea when he'll be back. The Sky-Blues are looking to make it two in row, at home to Cardiff on Saturday.


Manchester Utd. and France goalkeeper, Fabien Barthez, is apparently about to join Marseille on loan. While the French club say an agreement has been reached with United for their out of favour netminder, the Old Trafford slde deny the deal is complete at this point. Barthez previously played with Olympique in the early nineties, helping them to the European Cup in 1993.


Lawrie Sanchez, fired by Wycombe last month, is very interested in the now vacant manager's job with Northern Ireland. The former Wimbledon player, who scored the goal that beat Liverpool in the 1988 Cup Final upset, has also applied for the hot seat at Millwall. Sanchez won three caps for N. Ireland as a player.


West Brom striker Danny Dichio has joined injury hit Derby County on an initial one month loan. He goes straight into the Rams squad for the trip to Crewe on Saturday. George Burley, the Derby manager, is without four of his forwards and had approached Baggies boss Gary Megson for some help in that regard. The 6' 3" striker cannot be guaranteed a starting job at the Hawthorns and has yet to score this season in nine appearances.

Exeter City, of the Nationwide Conference, haved been saved from going under, creditors having voted to go into a Corporate Voluntary Agreement. The necessary 75% creditor approval for the plan was received, which means the club will only have to pay 10% of its debt, reducing the figure to 480,000 pounds from 4.8 million. A proposed winding-up order has been suspended. Chairman Ian Huxham said "this gives us a real chance now to take the club forward"


Much travelled, former England midfielder, Paul Gascoigne is training with Wolves, in an effort to get back into shape. He is considering resuming his career at Third Division Darlington.
Stories from BBC Sports site.



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October 16/03
In yesterday's UEFA Cup action Newcastle, Manchester City, Liverpool and Hearts all qualified for Round 2. Unfortunately, Blackburn, Southampton and Dundee fell short and are eliminated. Before Newcastle's game in Breda, Dutch police report that 87 English fans were arrested. Commentator John Anderson, a former Newcastle player, said the trouble was caused by Chelsea and Feyenoord fans, but the police deny this.
More on the Ferdinand affair. The F.A. have demanded the player's mobile phone records as evidence. These could be a determining factor in the severity of the charges he faces. FIFA has warned it could launch it's own investigation of the Manchester Utd. defender, if it feels the F.A. are too lenient in their handling of the matter. They certainly regard Ferdinand's "memory failure" as pretty serious. (Will a combination of arrogance, disrespect and negligence become known as "Ferdinanditis" in medical circles?)

Still with United, Sir Alex Ferguson will face an F.A. hearing on Monday, to respond to misconduct charges, following his outburst at an official during the Newcastle/Man U. game at St. James' Park in August.
Millwall and manager Mark McGhee parted company, by mutual consent, after the home loss to Preston, 1-0, on Tuesday evening. Dennis Wise, below, has been named caretaker player-manager while a search goes on for a

permanent replacement. Former Lion Steve Claridge, currently in charge at non-league Weymouth, has ruled himself out of the running.
Birmingham and Wimbledon will learn today whether or not they will be punished for causing Michael Hughes, below, to miss the whole of last season.

The Northern Ireland midfielder, now with Crystal Palace, was the subject of a transfer deal between the two clubs that fell through and Wimbledon refused to pay the player his wages during the dispute.
Glenn Hoddle, fired as Spurs manager a few weeks ago, is raring to get back into management and prove the North London club were wrong to let him go. He certainly does not lack self confidence, citing his success with Swindon, Chelsea, England, Southampton and given time, Tottenham. (I would think that the England and Tottenham stops would not be regarded as unqualified golden eras by everyone!)

As speculated earlier, former N. Ireland boss Sammy McIlroy, above, has signed a three year deal with Stockport, in Div 2. Apart from his stint with the national squad, he has always managed out of the spotlight, with Northwich Victoria, Ashton Utd. and Macclesfield.
Sunderland have agreed a compensation package from Manchester Utd. for French striker David Bellion, following the out-of-contract player's move to Old Trafford. The deal is reported to be for two million pounds up front, going as high as three million, dependant upon appearances and international call-ups. It is also thought there is a move-on clause included, which would not hurt the Black Cats. Stories from BBC Sports site.



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Still October 15/03
Arsenal and five of their players have admitted to nine misconduct charges brought against them by the F.A., however, Manchester Utd. have denied the two allegations against Giggs and Ronaldo. The improper conduct charge against goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was dropped, but he has been warned as to his future conduct. It is thought that United's decision to fight these charges may get them into a head butting contest with the F.A., following the Ferdinand indiscretion. Cole has admitted an improper conduct charge, while Vieira was punished for not leaving the pitch immediately upon his dismissal. Parlour has admitted two improper conduct charges. Keown's two improper conduct and violent behaviour charges will now be dealt with as one charge of violent behaviour. Lauren has admitted a charge of violent behaviour and two of improper conduct. One improper conduct charge was dropped. The F.A. will announce the dates for the hearings in due course, but it is understood they will be sooner rather than later.
The UEFA Cup games today are as follows:- Blackburn, trailing 3-1, entertain Genclerbirligi; Liverpool take on Olimpija, tied 1-1; Manchester City visit Lokeren, with a 3-2 lead; Newcastle are at NAC Breda, ahead comfortably 5-0; Southampton go to Bucharest to face Steaua, even at 1-1; Dundee go into Perugia down 2-1; Hearts have a 2-0 cushion to travel to Zeljeznicar. We wish them all good luck.
Gerard Houllier, in a shock move, has taken the armband from Sami Hyypia and made Steve Gerrard skipper. The England midfielder will lead the team for the first time tonight.



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October 15/03
There is still nothing from the F.A. on the Ferdinand affair. An announcement from Soho Square was expected yesterday. Come on gentlemen, what's the hold up here?

Still not getting it. Gary Neville blasts the F.A. in his column in the Times. He believes Ferdinand was "hung out to dry" by the F.A., after failing to attend a drug test. Neville argues that, by delaying team selection, the F.A. compromised Ferdinand's anonymity. Who cares? Why they didn't announce the squad, omitting Ferdinand, on the Sunday, as planned, is the only thing I don't understand. (Would that have been better, Gary?). The defender continues on until he concludes, "None of us condone drugs, none of us believes drug tests should be taken lightly etc, etc." in defence of his team mate, for both Manchester Utd. and England, who has shown, quite obviously, that he doesn't give a tinker's toss about taking the test. As for poor old Rio being hung out to dry, I'm for putting him in the stocks for a week at Tower Hill, before being dragged off to the Tower for beheading.Whichever way you slice it, Ferdinand is GUILTY of missing the test and the England squad were totally wrong in their reaction.
Stories in the press have FIFA insisting on a minimum three month ban on Ferdinand, for his "forgetfulness". (Mirror/Mail/Express/ Sun)
Turkey's Hasan Sas is now being blamed as, at least, part of the cause of the "fracas in the tunnel". He is alleged to have spat on Ashley Cole and got a swift reprisal from, among others, Cole, Emile Heskey and Sol Campbell.

David Beckham has announced he is turning down personal commercials to concentrate on playing football, (nothing wrong with that, considering his weekly stipend for doing just that) and confirms he has parted company with the SFX sports group.
Turkish defender Alpay has failed to report to Villa Park, as of Tuesday, for training, in preparation for Sunday's Birmingham derby against City. His international future is also a touch cloudy. Alpay has been dubbed the villain of the piece in Turkey, as well as in England, and Senol Gunes, the Turkish coach, has suggested he will not be called upon for the play off against Latvia. He is rumoured to be going back to his homeland when the transfer window opens in January.
Clarence Acuna and Newcastle have, by mutual consent, parted company, after three disappointing years. The Chilean international has returned to South America, where he has family health problems.

Fulham striker Luis Boa-Morte has been charged with improper conduct by the F.A. The Portuguese international is alleged to have stamped on Leicester defender Frank Sinclair in the recent game between the clubs. I am thinking there should be some consistency shown by the F.A., as in a similar incident, Middlesborough defender Franck Quedrue was charged with the more serious violent conduct. Quedrue has recently served a five match ban, while Boa-Morte picked up 12 yellows last season and has two this.
Chelsea sit atop the Premiership, at least until Saturday, following a 0-0 stalemate last night at St. Andrew's. The Blues are 1 ahead in goal difference and visit Highbury on the weekend. Looking forward to this one!
Sheffield Utd. went top of Div 1, with a 2-0 win over West Brom at the Hawthorns. Wigan, also winners yesterday, are second, level on points, with the Blades having a slightly better goal difference.
The UEFA Cup continues today, with seven British clubs hoping to advance.
Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy is being tipped to become the boss at Stockport County today. He resigned from the Irish post this morning, news that was not well received in Belfast, and is expected to sign a three year deal with the Div 2 club.
North of the border, Livingston manager Marcio Maximo has resigned after only four months for "personal reasons", but no details are given. He is heading back to Brazil today. (Perhaps he wasn't overly fond of haggis and mushy peas).

In an incredible story from Hampden Park, it is revealed that Scotland's James McFadden is facing an investigation into his bust up with a steward, following Saturday's game. Strathclyde Police have reported the Everton man to the Scottish F.A.. It seems that McFadden, who had a fine game and was receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, was trying to give his jersey to a nine year old cerebral palsey victim, when he was marched off the pitch. The steward and the local gendarmerie were apparently fearful that this gesture might start a riot. Right on!!!! The S.F.A. later said the matter had been dealt with internally.
Stories from the BBC Sports site, at least for the most part.



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October 14/03

The melee in the tunnel at halftime in Saturday's game in Istanbul could land a number of both England and Turkey players in hot water with UEFA. Video footage of the incident shows about 50 people involved and is thought to have been sparked by the confrontation of Beckham by Alpay after the missed penalty, together with the Turkish defender poking the England captain in the face as the teams were going off. Subsequent to receiving the referee's report, UEFA have decided to investigate the matter and the videotape will be used in evidence. Pierluigi Collina played a major role in calming down a potentially explosive situation, by talking privately to both players during the interval. It should be said, a lesser referee may well have lost control of the game, however, Collina kept the lid on in his usual inimitable way.
Chelsea's John Terry has lambasted Alpay for being totally unprofessional and says he deserves "any stick he gets". The Turk was further criticized by by former manager John Gregory, who has suggested that Alpay apologize to Beckham, his family and the whole England team. Even goalkeeper Rustu, his team mate, was critical, saying "As a result of his stupid behaviour, we did no talking about tactics at halftime". The jury should not be out for long on this matter.
UEFA has already started disciplinary proceedings against the Turkish F.A., after flares were lit in the stadium and missiles were thrown on to the pitch.
Wonderkid Wayne Rooney, who turns 18 on October 24, is set to open talks, sometime between now and christmas, on a new deal with Everton. His current deal, only signed in February, takes him to the end of the 2005/06 season and is reported to be for 13,000 pounds per week. The negotiations will be about extending the contract at, what would be assumed, a far higher weekly stipend. The youngster, rated at 30 million, is going nowhere, according to Toffees owner Bill Kenwright, even though the sale of the striker would wipe out the club's debt.
Chelsea are reported to be upping their spending, already outrageous, when the transfer window opens in January. Scott Parker, Charlton's talented midfielder, is said to be the target of a 5 million bid. Where does this nonsense end?
Arsenal are due to give their response to the F.A. regarding the charges against them, and six players, sometime today.
Franck Quedrue, the Middlesborough defender who was involved in the Kevin Phillips dismissal, when Southampton entertained Boro' last month, by stamping on the former England striker, has been charged with violent conduct by the F.A. He has 14 days to respond. Quedrue was only playing his third game of the season, following a five game ban. Phillips has already received a three game suspension for his reaction.
Birmingham and Chelsea square off this evening at St. Andrew's. Both sides have a couple of their squad missing, but it should be an intriguing game.
There are 10 games in the Nationwide Div 1 today, plus the LDV Vans Trophy has plenty of action slated.
There should be an announcement from the F.A. later today, on the Ferdinand affair. We'll keep you posted! Stories from BBC Sports site.



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October 13/03
The draw for the Euro 2004 play off games is :-
Latvia v Turkey
Scotland v Holland
Croatia v Slovenia
Russia v Wales
Spain v Norway
Games to be played Nov 15/16 and Nov 18/19



Aston Villa's Turkish defender Alpay is worried he will face a backlash when he returns to the EPL, following his confrontation with David Beckham after the penalty miss on Saturday and the scenes both on the pitch, when he poked the England captain in the face, and in the tunnel at halftime. Alpay claims to be a gentleman and only reacted to Beckham swearing at him.His picture, however, is not in the dictionary next to the word "gentleman".
Rio Ferdinand's initial meeting with the F.A. takes place today, regarding the now infamous "memory loss" on September 23 when he failed to show up for a mandatory drug test. This omission has caused incredible damage and embarassment to England and shown his team mates to be brain dead in certain of their reasoning skills. Manchester Utd., even after Alex Ferguson's admission that the player was wrong, continue to act as if they and their playing staff are the victims of the F.A. in this matter.
Brazilian Rivaldo, excess baggage these days at AC Milan, is hoping that Tottenham will resurrect their interest in him.He turned down Spurs' overtures little more than a year ago, preferring northern Italy.
Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann is planning to resume training later this month and to play in early November. He is recovering from surgery on an injured shin.
Tranmere have appointed Brian Little as their new manager, following the firing two weeks ago of Ray Mathias. Little, who managed Premier League Aston Villa in the mid 1990's, has his first game in charge of the Div 2 club on Tuesday, when they visit Blackpool in the first round of the LDV Vans Trophy.
Scotland boss Berti Vogts is not ecstatic about the play off draw, describing Holland as one of the best teams in Europe, or with the fact that the first game will be played at Hampden
Wales manager Mark Hughes was somewhat more upbeat, despite getting a tough draw against Russia. The Welsh get to play the second leg at home, viewed by most as an advantage. Stories from BBC Sports site.



October 12/03
Group action in qualifying for Euro 2004 was completed yesterday. Joining hosts Portugal for next year's extravaganza are France, Denmark, Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, Greece, England, Bulgaria, Italy and Switzerland. The teams to make the play off for the remaining five places in the competition are Slovenia, Norway, Holland, Latvia, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Wales and Russia. The draw for the play off will be made on Monday, with the games taking place on November 15/16 and November 18/19.

Scotland got the goal they needed in the 70th minute, from substitute Darren Fletcher, at left above, in the 1-0 win over Lithuania. The Manchester Utd. teenager had a dream debut, coming on midway through the second half and his goal, shortly after, put the Tartan Army in party mode.
The Republic of Ireland dropped a 2-0 result to Switzerland, a game they had to win in order to qualify, with a somewhat tame performance in Basel.
Wales, who were already assured of a play off berth, lost 3-2 at home to Serbia and Montenegro.
England won their group with a gritty display in Turkey, to earn a scoreless draw. David Beckham missed a first half penalty, slipping as he kicked the ball, in what was, at times, a very niggly game. Aston Villa defender Alpay was less than a gentleman after the miss, apparently making offensive remarks about Beckham's mother, and was the focal point of an ugly confrontation in the tunnel at half time. The England skipper put the ball in the net, a header from a Keiron Dyer cross with about 10 minutes to go, only for Dyer to have been adjudged offside. It was a good defensive display from England, in an always hostile atmosphere.
In the euphoria of clinching top spot, however, the nonsense of the days preceding the game should not be forgotten. They behaved like men on the pitch, let them do the same off. A public apology from the entire squad to the F.A. would be in order after the embarassment of last week, before they should warrant even consideration for future representative appearances. Without it, club football should be all they could expect and that, I believe, is being generous.
In Div 1, West Brom remain top, with only three games being played due to the internationals.
Brighton had a comfortable 3-0 win over Grimsby, to keep top spot in Div 2. Plymouth beat Tranmere 6-0, scoring three in each half, in the highest scoring game of the weekend.
Hull City still lead Div 3, despite being idle yesterday. Mansfield, Swansea and Oxford, all winners, closed the gap, at least temporarily, while new boys Doncaster had a good win at Macclesfield to move into fifth place.
Still keeping tabs on Accrington in the Conference, Stanley won 3-1 at home to Farnborough and are sixth. Stories are from the BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 11/03 (D-Day)
In the U-21 games yesterday, N. Ireland, Scotland and the Republic ran out winners. Wales and England finished on the wrong end of 1-0 scores.
Today, in the senior games, we have Wales, already assured of a play off berth, looking to finish the group stage in style, with a win over Serbia and Montenegro in Cardiff.. Only a miracle could get the Welsh automatic qualification, as Italy are at home to Azerbaijan
Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are both in must win situations and will need help from other teams within their group.
We are very aware of what is needed by England, in that a draw is enough. More importantly, following this week of ignomony and embarassment, England need to play with cool heads and nerves of steel against a very good Turkish side. Pride is at stake here, after a week during which that commodity has taken a proverbial kick in the teeth. Every man on the park wearing an England jersey should be acutely aware of that.
Newcastle and England midfielder Keiron Dyer has, through his lawyer, issued a statement denying any part in the alleged gang rape of a 17 year old girl, at the Grosvenor House hotel. Four men, including two Premiership players, have been arrested so far in this distasteful attack.
Let's hope that the week goes out in better fashion than the preceeding days. Come on Ireland, both of them, Scotland, Wales and, yes, even England.



Footiemad news item

October 10/03
Further to the earlier "will they - won't they" play against Turkey tactics used by the England squad, it is now reported that this incredibly moronic bunch are planning a vote of no confidence against F.A. chief executive Mark Palios, picture below, after the game on Saturday.

They still don't get the picture. This pathetic group of multi millionaires continue to ignore the fact that Rio Ferdinand singlehandedly put England's qualifying chances at risk, for Euro 2004. It was Ferdinand, not Palios, that arrogantly "forgot" the drug test. It was Manchester United, not the F.A., that made the situation one of public domain. I fail to see where the F.A. or Palios, have erred. They had no choice but to drop Ferdinand, or risk sanction from the governing body, which would have been extremely severe. I have yet to speak to anyone who has less than disgust for the players' actions. They are supposed to be professional footballers, at least their pay packets would indicate they are, and yet they continue behaving like a group of five year olds who can't get their own way. In a nutshell, after Saturday's game, they should be informed that their services are no longer required at the national level. Win, lose or draw, England should go into the next, and ensuing games, with an entirely new squad, one that would, hopefully, wear the jersey with pride.
The nomadic Stan Collymore, currently serving a 30 month FIFA ban, has come up with a solution, so bizarre, that I won't give it space. What is the game coming to?
On the BBC World News site, Leeds United have suspended Jody Morris, the club's summer signing from Chelsea, while it conducts an internal investigation into an alleged sexual assault. Police are still investigating and Morris, together with a man not connected to the club, are free on bail.
Robbie Savage has been forced to withdraw from the Welsh squad prior to Saturday's game with Serbia and Montenegro. His injury has kept him from training and will not be healed in time.
Scotland got good news, in that both Colin Cameron and Steven Pressley are expected to be ready for the vital game against Lithuania. The Scots will be seeking revenge for the earlier 1-0 loss to the Baltic nation when the two sides face off at Hampden. As importantly, the Germans must beat Iceland for the dark blues to have a chance to advance to a play off position.
The other meaningful game, as far as the British Isles is concerned, sees the Republic of Ireland in a must win situation against the Swiss, in Basel. A good result, combined with Russia not beating Georgia, would see the Irish top Group 10, but an Irish tie, matched by Russia, would see them eliminated.
By the way, Wayne Rooney is expected to start up front with Emile Heskey, when the CLOWNS take on Turkey, although Eriksson will not announce his starting line up until an hour before kick off.



Footiemad news item

October 9/03

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has backed the F.A.'s stance over the Ferdinand affair. The players had reportedly threatened strike action, although this was later denied. "Had the game not gone ahead, the consequences would have been very serious for English football". In agreeing with Blatter and the F.A., I would say the players should feel let down by Ferdinand. The England squad, however, do not come out of this episode smelling like a rose. While being chosen to represent the country used to be considered an honour, this group of overpaid and underachieving cretins have chosen the moment to hold, not only the F.A., but the entire country, hostage to their incredible egos. In the words of the immortal bard, Ferdinand "screwed up big time" and deserves the maximum punishment allowable. The squad, as a whole, have disgraced themselves and, more importantly, the game which gives them their living, together with the elevated status they enjoy. In better times, many of the current squad would be lucky to be watching from the stands. Quite frankly, if the entire squad, together with Ferdinand, were never again allowed to wear the England jersey, I would not be disappointed.
Michael Owen is out of the game. His shin injury has not responded to treatment and he has returned to Anfield. Darius Vassell has been called up as a replacement.
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has been fined 20,000 pounds for his reaction to a challenge by Eric Djemba-Djemba during the Community Shield match with Manchester United back in August. Hopefully, that matter is put to bed now.
West Ham's Rufus Brevett has been fined 1,000 pounds and warned as to his future conduct following an F.A. hearing over three cases of improper conduct The defender was not banned for his part in the "mass confrontation" at the end of a stormy game last April, in which the Hammers were beaten by Bolton. (I don't recall, but I'm guessing the game was not on TV). Chelsea's Joe Cole will face the same charges, arising from the same game, in a few weeks.
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has been fined 3,000 pounds and given a two match touchline ban for verbally abusing a referee. Redknapp found Andy D'Urso's handling of the game against Wolves left something to be desired..
Steve Coppell has finally been confirmed as the new manager of Reading on Thursday morning. The former Brighton and Crystal Palace boss has signed a contract to the end of the 2004/05 season and will have his first game in charge next Tuesday, at home to Gillingham.
Middlesborough have received a boost as Massimo Maccarone scored two goals for the reserves against Leeds. The striker is coming back from an injury sustained in pre season.
Wales are giving Birmingham midfielder Robbie Savage as long as possible to prove his fitness prior to the vital game against Serbia and Montenegro on Saturday. Savage has not trained for over a week, due to an achilles injury.
The Leeds player arrested on Tuesday, regarding a serious sexual assault, has been released on bail, along with another man, pending "forensic and other enquiries". The stories are from the BBC Sports site, the opinions aren't.



Footiemad news item

October 8/03

The Rio Ferdinand controversy looms very large, causing a major distraction in the build up to Saturday's crucial game with Turkey. The F.A. are set to meet with senior England players in an effort to thwart the threat of strike action. All 24 players in the squad are reported to have voted for a strike, in support of the Manchester United defender. Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the P.F.A., said strike action is a possibility, though he did suggest the game would go ahead. Paul Barber, director of marketing and communications for the F.A., however, denies the players are going to take any action, but rather it was an expression of opinion. He further added that England skipper David Beckham had asked that it be made clear that at no time during the meeting did any player threaten to walk out of the squad.
Predictably, Manchester United are outraged that Ferdinand could be treated in this manner. David Gill, United's chief executive, said the club are deeply troubled by the F.A.'s handling of the situation. The club also claim that Ferdinand, who will likely be charged with misconduct after an interview next week, has been put under "unfair pressure". United are also suggesting that his confidentiality has been compromised etc, etc.
Canadian Dick Pound, of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has little sympathy for the argument. "All he had to do to avoid all this was to turn up for the test", said Pound. He added that this was not a 30 times a day request, where he may be inclined to forget one, but it happens once every six months to a year.
Ferdinand has denied ever using drugs and, indeed, that may be the case. At the very least, and to be charitable, he has shown total arrogance, total disregard for the rules, and also his England team mates, and neglect in not making himself available at the pre-arranged time for the test.
The BBC World News reports that a Leeds United player was arrested at the club's training ground yesterday, in connection with an alleged serious sexual assault on a 20 year old woman in the city. Two men remain in custody. It is understood that a second player was interviewed, but not arrested. Leeds have pledged full support and co-operation in the investigation.
Tottenham midfielder Gus Poyet, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, has said this could be his last year in football as a player. The 36 year old Uruguayan, who was previously with Chelsea in the EPL, has also played in Argentina, France and Spain.
Former England captain Bryan Robson looks set to become Nigeria's new coach. The 46 year old is believed to be ready to take charge for next January's African Nation's Cup in Tunisia, and has been offered an initial six month contract, renewable dependant on results. Formerly with Manchester Utd., Robson played in three World Cups, 1982, 1986 and 1990.
George Best, former Man. U. and Northern Ireland legend, is likely to receive about 400,000 pounds from the sale of his 1968 European Footballer of the Year and England Footballer of the Year trophies, at auction in Chester today. He is hoping they will be bought by friends, so that he can still see them. He has had replicas made. Stories from BBC Sports site, unless indicated otherwise.



Footiemad news item

October 7/03
The England squad to face Turkey.

James (West Ham), Robinson (Leeds), Walker (Leicester).

P. Neville, G. Neville (Man U), Campbell, Ash. Cole (Arsenal), Bridge, Terry (Chelsea), Mills (Leeds/Middlesborough), Upson (Birmingham).

Beckham (Real Madrid), Lampard, J. Cole (Chelsea), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Butt, Scholes (Man U), Dyer (Newcastle), Gerrard (Liverpool).

Owen, Heskey (Liverpool), Beattie (Southampton), Rooney (Everton)



Footiemad news item

October 7/03

Former England striker Joe Baker, seen right above, in action for Hibs against Rangers in the 1972/73 season, has died of a suspected heart attack, suffered during a celebrity golf tournament in Lanark. He was the first non Football League player to be capped by England. The Englishman, with a broad Scottish accent, enjoyed success at Hibs, Torino, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, another spell at Easter Road and Raith Rovers. He was a prolific goal scorer and won eight England caps.
Celtic striker John Hartson has been named Wales Player of the Year for the second time in three years and third overall. The 28 year old Swansea man is an integral part of the squad that has performed so well during the qualifying stages of Euro 2004.
Manchester Utd. and England defender Rio Ferdinand is reported to be omitted from the squad to face Turkey on the weekend. He failed to attend a routine drug test on September 23 at Utd.'s training ground. This is now thought to be the reason Sven-Goran Eriksson has delayed naming the squad. Ferdinand has been asked to attend a "personal interview" on October 13, to explain his failure to attend the pre-arranged test. Following this, there will be a decision on whether or not charges will be laid. The 24 year old could face a ban of up to two years.
Further to yesterday's speculation, Pierluigi Collina has been named to take charge of England's game with Turkey, replacing the injured Dane, Kim Milton Nielsen.
The BBC World News Service reports that BSkyB has sold its 10% stake in Manchester United, fuelling further speculation of a takeover of the club. The satellite broadcaster said it sold 25 million shares at 2.39 pounds each. The company had acquired the holding as part of its own aborted bid to buy the club in 1999. The block has been purchased by Cubic Expression, a company owned by Irish racehorse owners and entrepreneurs J.P.McManus and John Magnier. The deal increases their stake in the club to 23.15%. The club's stock has risen in value by more than two thirds in the last three months and by 20% in the past two weeks.
Oldham have been given yet another reprieve in their continuing battle against being wound up. Two U.S. based business men have paid 200,000 pounds, allowing the administrator to keep the club running into November. The pair have been granted a period of exclusivity to formulate a takeover of the financially troubled club. Another half million pounds has to be found to see the Latics through the season.
The loan deal between Spurs and Charlton, whereby defender Paul Konchesky went to White Hart Lane and Chris Perry, also a defender, went to the Valley, has been extended for another month. Both players are thought to want the moves to become permanent.
Bournemouth defender Warren Cummings has had his appeal against a red card turned down. He was sent off for stamping on Colchester Utd.'s Karl Duguid last month and will begin a three game suspension this weekend. Stories are from BBC Sports unless stated otherwise.



Footiemad news item

October 6/03
Michael Owen will join the England squad tomorrow, even though he is currently rated only 50-50 to be fit for the weekend, due to the leg injury suffered on Saturday. He is said to be "desperate" to play, which is the attitude necessary to get the job done.
Following the speculation surrounding his tenure at Elland Road, prior to last week's board meeting, and the manner in which the entire episode was handled by Leeds, Peter Reid is reported to be furious. Unless he receives public long-term support from McKenzie, chairman of the board, he may "fire" Leeds.

Roman Abramovich has Claudio Ranieri, above, brief him on tactics before every game, it is revealed. The head honcho is, apparently, getting more interested with every game. Chelsea chief executive Paul Smith says nothing should be read into this and that there are no plans to remove the manager. Smith is quoted, "Roman has full confidence in Claudio". Maybe Claudio should be a little concerned.
The Republic of Ireland's squad came through the weekend games unscathed, so Brian Kerr's side travels to Basel with no injury worries. The Irish must beat Switzerland if their hopes for Portugal are to be kept alive.
In Scotland, John Hartson has now been credited with the goal that gave Celtic the victory at Ibrox on Saturday. Small consolation to the home fans.
The Scotland squad to face Lithuania on Saturday will have to be revamped. Paul Dickov has pulled out after getting a knock on the weekend, while Paul Devlin and Neil McCann are both very doubtful. Berti Vogts will now have to call up replacements, with Don Hutchison and Kevin Kyle being mentioned in that regard.
The Daily Mail writes that Pierluigi Collina could be named to replace Kim Milton Nielsen as man in the middle for the England game with Turkey on Saturday. So could a whole lot of others, but we'll have to wait for the UEFA announcement. Nielsen was injured during a Danish League game on Sunday.
The big game in Serie A saw AC Milan "travel" to the San Siro and beat Inter 3-1. Juventus beat Bologna 2-1 to share the lead in the Italian top flight with AC Milan.
In the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen, both winners yeterday, top the table ahead of Stuttgart, who drew with FC Koln, and Bayern Munich, also winners on Saturday. Bayern's Michael Ballack has denied there is a rift between him and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge over the latter's remarks about Ballack playing for his country on the weekend against Iceland. Ballack is troubled by a sore ankle.
In La Liga, Valencia, who beat Barcelona 1-0 at the Nou Camp, lead the way, followed by Deportivo and Real Madrid. Deportivo romped to a 5-1 win over Atletico Madrid and Real beat Espanyol 2-1.



Footiemad news item

October 5/03
First off, I must mention yesterday's lunchtime debacle, for which, for once, I can't lay the blame on footiemad Andy, although I'd like to. Our pay TV company, Rogers, who shall remain nameless, were advertising, at least until after 1.00PM, when the rounders started, that at 12.30 they would be showing the Liverpool/Arsenal game on Sportsnet Pacific. I can tell you that there was more than one person just a little steamed. Way to go, Rogers.
In the loss to Arsenal, Liverpool's Michael Owen had to leave the field with a leg injury. It was feared he had broken his ankle, but proven not so, thankfully, after X-rays. He is, however, doubtful for next Saturday's vital game against Turkey. More should be known later today.
In the EPL, we are now down to only two unbeaten teams, as Manchester Utd. beat Birmingham 3-0 to keep pace with league leading Arsenal. One of them is in action today at the Riverside.Wolves and Newcastle got their first wins yesterday, both 1-0, over Manchester City and Southampton respectively. Fulham moved up to fourth place with a 2-0 win over Leicester. Luis Boa-Morte got both goals and Steed Malbranque missed a first half penalty. (Riccardo, when your feet touch the ground again, way to go mate)
In Div 1, Sunderland came away from Bramall Lane with a good 1-0 win, to knock the Blades off the top spot. West Brom now lead the pack after beating Gillingham 2-0 in Kent. Wimbledon's fortunes have not changed since their move, still at the bottom and losing ground, going down 1-0 at Preston yesterday.
Brighton moved to the top of Div 2 with a convincing 3-0 win over Blackpool. QPR, who got by Grimsby 1-0, keep pace, while previous leaders Port Vale lost 2-1 at Wrexham. Oldham, who drew 2-2 at Peterborough and are now unbeaten in eight games, will hopefully be around to try to extend the run against Port Vale.
Hull City are on a tear in Div 3, four points clear now after hammering Northampton 5-1, to lead Mansfield and Swansea. Doncaster also had a 5-1 victory over Bristol Rovers, with striker Michael McIndoe, below, bagging a hat trick. Rovers move up to eighth place..

North of Hadrian's, as mentioned yesterday, Celtic take over the lead, ahead of previously 100% Rangers. The rest of the pack are now way off the pace, as Hearts and Dunfermline could only manage draws against Dundee and Livingston respectively. In other Scottish games, Alloa got by the Accies 4-3 in Hamilton, English side, Berwick Rangers, went to Greenock and beat top of the table Morton 3-1 and Albion Rovers posted the biggest win of the day, 5-0, over East Stirlingshire.
A story in the Sunday Mirror has Manchester City going after Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnson when the transfer window opens. Kevin Keegan has apparently had it with the less than prolific Robbie Fowler.
The Barmaid's Gazette (News of the World) reports that Chelsea have made a bid to take Ronaldo off of Real Madrid's hands
The Mail on Sunday has Liverpool approaching Peter Schmeichel, to stave off a potential goalkeeping crisis. (Dudek and Kirkland aren't enough).
In the often very funny Robbo column, I was happy to see the old man has been watching Manchester Utd. and has arrived at the conclusion that the art of diving has been taken to a new level at Old Trafford. It must be very frustrating to the other teams since the introduction of the rule that United must be awarded at least one penalty per game. Stories from BBC Sports site unless stated otherwise.



Footiemad news item

October 4/03
I'm going to try something a little different today, firstly because there's not much to write about at this point, and secondly, and more importantly, the Liverpool/Arsenal game kicks off in 20 minutes. So I'll leave this open for a while and update when there's a break in the action.
Gerard Houllier has done an about face and now says today's game is not make-or-break for either club. I wonder will he start Michael Owen in goal? If Liverpool lose, they will be nine points back, which is a lot to make up at any stage of the season.
In another unusual situation, Alex Ferguson is going to let the decision over Rio Ferdinand's fitness be made by Sven-Goran Eriksson. The England defender picked up an ankle injury during the midweek loss in Stuttgart.
In the early games today, Arsenal take three points at Anfield and Celtic do the same at Ibrox. Kewell put Liverpool ahead early on, but an own goal by Hyypia and a second half strike by Robert Pires ensured the Gunners stay on top.
In Glasgow, an own goal by Zurab Khizanishvili, just five seconds after the break, gave Celtic the points and top spot.
Forest Green Rovers, third from bottom in the Conference, have released defender Scott Morgan for head butting his skipper Martin Foster during last Saturday's game against Halifax. Foster had criticized Morgan for conceding a penalty. Halifax went on to win 2-1. Will the "Glasgow handshake" be henceforth known as the "Forest Green farewell"?
I'm now going to watch a repeat of the early game, so more later, or maybe in the morning.



Footiemad news item

October 3/03
England captain David Beckham has resumed training with Real Madrid after missing the midweek win over FC Porto. He apparently has acute inflammation of the sole of the right foot, but it is hoped he will be ready for the vital England game in Istanbul on October 11. A draw will see England through to Portugal next year.

Southampton midfielder Matt Oakley will miss up to six weeks with a knee injury he picked up against Middlesborough last weekend. This is a blow for the Saints, who will also be without Graeme Le Saux for the tilt at St. James' Park . Manager Gordon Strachan said Oakley and Fabrice Fernandes had been the club's top midfielders so far. Good news at St. Mary's is that Marian Pahars has resumed running after missing the better part of a year with various injuries.
Injuries will also be a factor in the big game at Anfield on Saturday. Liverpool will be missing Murphy, Kirkland, Hamann, Baros, Carragher and Cheyrou, but Stephane Henchoz could be back in the line up. The Gunners will be without Vieira, Ljunberg and Bergkamp, while Sol Campbell could return to the defence.
North of the border, the Old Firm go at it again at Ibrox on Saturday. Rangers 100% SPL record will be tested by Celtic, currently two points adrift, in their first clash of the season. Take your heart pills before heading to the ground!
Middlesborough and England defender Gareth Southgate has criticized the technique of the country's international defenders. In a book, co-written with former Crystal Palace team mate Andy Woodman, he blames coaching methods for not getting the best out of players. The book may not endear him to many, including team mates and national coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. Probably better written after retirement!
Still at the Riverside, Middlesborough striker Joseph Desire Job, the 26 year old Cameroon international, will be out for four months, following knee ligament damage suffered in training during the week.
Brighton manager Steve Coppell has strongly hinted that the home game against Blackpool tomorrow will be his last in charge of the Seagulls. He is believed to be headed to Div 1 Reading, after meeting John Madejski on Wednesday.
In Div 2, ex Spurs number two man John Gorman has made a quick return to the game, being named caretaker manager at Wycombe Wanderers. He will be in charge for Saturday's game with Plymouth. The deal is for one month.
Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has been ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's crucial Euro 2004 qualifier on October 11 against Switzerland. Kenny Cunningham is also lost to the Irish due to suspension. The good news, however, is that both Robbie Keane and Gary Breen have recovered from injuries and are likely to play.
Al-Saadi Gadaffi, 30 year old son of Libyan HEAD man Muammar, has resigned from the board of Juventus. His company had held a 7.5% stake in the Turin giants since October 2002. This move will enable him to possibly make his Serie A debut with Perugia. He had also been rumoured to have had an interest in buying cash strapped Lazio earlier this year. ( Andy, mate, if we win the lottery, maybe we can buy a game or two)
Alessandro Del Piero has signed a new deal with Juventus, taking him through to 2008, at 5.7 million pounds a year. He hopes to return from injury early next month. Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 2/03
Yesterday saw the second half of the round 2 Champions League group stage games being played. Rangers drew with Panathinaikos 1-1 in Athens. The Greek side were down to 10 men for the last 25 minutes, but equalized a 35th minute goal by the visitors with an 87th minute strike to deny the Ibrox club all three points. Manchester Utd. went down 2-1 in Stuttgart, with Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring from the spot after what was described as "a dubious, at best" penalty. Tim Howard saved a VFB penalty late in the game.Alex Ferguson blamed "terrible defending" for the defeat. Chelsea lost at home to Besiktas, 2-0, with both goals coming in the first half hour. Claudio Ranieri also cites defensive shortcomings for the setback. In other games, Real Madrid came from a goal down to beat FC Porto 3-1 in Portugal, a Didier Drogba hat trick enabled Marseille to beat Partizan Belgrade 3-0, Ajax got by Club Brugge 2-0, Lazio came back from a two goal deficit to draw with Sparta Prague 2-2 and AC Milan played a scoreless draw with Celta Vigo.

Coming off the bench and scoring the opening goal in Celtic's win over Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday could net Cork-born Liam Miller a healthy new contract at Parkhead. Martin O'Neill is keen to give the 22 year old a new deal, "for 35 years if I can manage it" and enthusiastically forecast greatness in the Green and White for the youngster.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has been dropped from the Dutch squad for the Euro 2004 qualifier against Moldova. This comes after an angry reaction to being substituted in last month's 3-1 loss to the Czech Republic.
Peter Reid has been confirmed as staying with Leeds, despite newspaper reports and speculation to the contrary, after an emergency board meeting yesterday. The Elland Road club made the announcement to the Stock Exchange this morning.
Peterborough have announced that manager Barry Fry has raised the necessary financing and has bought the club. Fry, who has been at London Road since 1996, assumed control of the Div 2 outfit on Wednesday. As a self-employed manager, his job should be safe for a while.
Still in Div 2, Oldham have warned that they could fold as early as Monday, if a buyer has not come forward. So far, about 550,000 pounds has been raised, but a "cornerstone investor" is required. The administrator, John Newell, said a number of possibilities exist and that talks are going in a positive way, but a commitment from one of them must be forthcoming, or the club will be closed down on or shortly after October 6.
Exeter City, in the Conference, face an uncertain future, which will be decided at a make-or-break creditors meeting later this month. The club will be looking to go into a Corporate Voluntary Agreement, which needs 75% backing from the creditors. The club would then only have to pay out 10P on the pound. City chairman Ian Huxham describes the October 16 date as one of the most crucial in the club's history. Stories from BBC Sports site.



Footiemad news item

October 1/03
In yesterday's round 2 action in the Champions League Celtic had a good win over Lyon, 2-0, on second half goals from Liam Millar and Chris Sutton. Alan Thompson had missed from the spot in the first half. In Moscow, Arsenal were held to a scoreless draw, but missed several chances to win, the best going to Robert Pires in the second half. The Gunners are not taking the easy road to get through! In other games, Inter Milan beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1, Anderlecht and Bayern Munich drew 1-1, Deportivo bested PSV Eindhoven 2-0, Monaco slammed AEK Athens 4-0, Real Sociedad won 2-1 at Galatasary and Juventus won by the same score over Olympiakos.
Today Rangers hope to keep up their winning ways in Greece against Panathinaikos, while Manchester Utd. travel to Stuttgart looking for win number two. Chelsea are at the Bridge, hoping to follow up on their success in Prague, with a visit from Turkish side Besiktas. Other games today are FC Porto at home to Real Madrid,, Marseille play Partizan Belgrade, Lazio host Sparta Prague, Ajax take on Club Brugge and Celta Vigo welcome current champs AC Milan.

Former football nomad Stan Collymore is looking to resurrect his career, after a 30 month FIFA ban expires in January 2004. Collymore had walked out on a contract with Ovieda, prompting the Spanish side to seek the ban. Prior to his exile, he had been with 11 clubs. The striker, now 32, still feels he can perform, however, he may get some divergent opinions on that!
The Daily Mirror reports that Sir Alex Ferguson is extending his contract at Old Trafford for another four years, becoming the highest paid manager in the world at 3.5 million pounds per year. Not bad for a guy who announced his retirement a couple of years back.
On the other side of the coin, the problems continue at Leeds, where manager Peter Reid's future may have been decided at an emergency board meeting today. The Elland Road club, in the bottom three in the EPL, have had their worst start in 22 years and Reid could be the scapegoat. The club are currently valued at less than 10 million and are believed to have debts of over 70 million. Relegation would almost certainly put the club into administration. The Champions League success three years back is a very distant memory.
Newcastle have dismissed rumours that Sir Bobby Robson is on his way out at St. James' Park. The club has had a slow start to the season, sitting in 19th place with three points and have yet to win a game.Last year they also took a while to get into gear, but ended up with a Champions League spot.
In Div 1 George Graham is now among those rumoured to take over as manager at Reading. He has been working as a TV pundit and has not managed a club since being fired by Spurs three years ago. He has previously enjoyed huge success, most notably as Arsenal's boss in the 80's and 90's.
Wycombe Wanderers fired manager Lawrie Sanchez following their 2-1 defeat at Tranmere on Tuesday. He had been with the club since 1999 and had guided them to the F.A. Cup semi final in 2000/01. They finished, however, 18th in Div 2 last term and are currently third from bottom, without a win since opening day.
Div 3 Cheltenham boss Bobby Gould has stated his intention to remain in charge, despite a 5-2 loss at Scunthorpe yesterday and 19th place in the division.
Still on the managing front, up in Scotland, Aberdeen boss Steve Patterson insists his job is safe, at least until Christmas, despite newspaper reports to the contrary. Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness moved quickly to quash the speculation. Unless stated otherwise, stories are from BBC Sports site.