Fellaini out until 2013 but spared long term ban for losing head December 17, 2012 REFEREE Mark Halsey has saved Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini from an extensive ban following his head-butt on Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross during the heated 1-1 draw on Saturday. Fellaini yesterday accepted a charge of violent conduct for the incident, which officials missed, and was banned retrospectively by the Football Association for three games. But the [...]
City lawyer warns top football clubs December 17, 2012 A LEADING City lawyer and adviser has warned that European chiefs are gearing up to take a hard line on financial fair play (FFP) rules. The warning comes days after Premier League champions Manchester City announced a £97.9m loss for 2011-12, raising fears they could breach governing body Uefa’s regulations. Uefa’s FFP rules allow clubs [...]
Sky to bolster Now TV with Premier League December 17, 2012 SKY is set to bring Premier League football to its nascent Now TV streaming service in the coming weeks, raising the possibility of offering pay-per-view games. The broadcaster quietly began testing Sky Sports on the service last week, inviting customers to trial it ahead of a new year launch. Now TV has been active since [...]
Why football cannot ignore Europe’s new rules December 16, 2012 FOR those who aspire to be the next Sir Alex Ferguson, the Premier League’s fantasy football game offers the chance to build your own squad on a budget of £100m. Each fantasy manager has equally sized pockets, so the playing field is level. Thus, competition is fierce. Compare Premier League reality, where the elite maintain [...]
Mind the gap: AVB urges his team not to blow it again December 16, 2012 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 vs SWANSEA CITY 0 TOTTENHAM boss Andre Villas-Boas has called on his players to cement their position in the top four of the Premier League, after seeing off a stubborn Swansea side at White Hart Lane yesterday. Tottenham blew a 10 point lead over fierce rivals Arsenal last season, and with a [...]
Cahill blasts Corinthians star over red card December 16, 2012 CORINTHIANS 1 vs CHELSEA 0 CHELSEA manager Rafael Benitez insists they will still challenge for four trophies this year despite seeing his side surrender a fourth piece of silverware yesterday in the Club World Cup final. Paolo Guerrero’s 69th-minute header earned Brazil’s Corinthians the title in Yokohama, where a miserable occasion for the Blues was [...]
Allardyce praise for West Ham’s backs to the wall defending December 16, 2012 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0 vs WEST HAM UNITED 0 WEST HAM manager Sam Allardyce hailed his team’s resolute defending as yesterday’s goalless draw at the Hawthorns earned the Hammers their first clean sheet in six games. Allardyce’s men had gone a goal behind in each of their previous five Premier League games, yet managed to [...]
Usmanov bids to bring Henry back to Arsenal in director roles December 13, 2012 BILLIONAIRE Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov has reignited the battle for the club with under-fire owner Stan Kroenke by lining up Gunners hero Thierry Henry for a return in a key boardroom role. Usmanov wants record goalscorer Henry to return to Emirates Stadium and take up an off-field role similar to that of former team-mate Patrick [...]
City set to bounce back from derby disaster against shaky Magpies December 13, 2012 NEWCASTLE MANCHESTER CITY Tomorrow 12.45pm IT WAS always going to be difficult for Manchester United fans to wipe the smile off their local rivals’ faces following the dramatic finale to last season. However, they did a pretty good job of it at the Etihad last Sunday with Robin van Persie’s injury-time winner inflicting Manchester City’s [...]
Wenger is still right man for job – Keown December 12, 2012 UNDER-FIRE manager Arsene Wenger is still the right man to revive Arsenal, despite mounting criticism, insists former Gunners defender Martin Keown. Tuesday’s shock Capital One Cup defeat to League Two Bradford compounded Wenger’s worst start to a Premier League season and increased calls for him to quit. Suggestions of a souring of relations between the [...]