Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sean Bean tirade
A foul-mouthed tirade from Hollywood actor and Bramall Lane director Sean Bean proved to be the final straw for Neil Warnock.“Twenty minutes or so after the game had ended, Sharon and William were sitting in my office when the film actor, Sean Bean, who is a Sheffield United board director, burst in with his girlfriend." said Warnock.
“He was obviously the worse for wear. He wanted to know where I was. Sharon told him I was doing a Press conference and I’d be back soon.
“So Sean Bean started swearing at her and my five-year-old son. ‘It’s your f****** husband that got us relegated,’ he said, pointing at her. ‘He’s a f****** w*****’.
“That’s Sean Bean, the tough guy actor. Some kind of tough guy, eh, reducing a five-year-old kid and his mum to tears.
Kaka joined by his brother
Kaka's younger brother has joined AC Milan's first-team for the coming season.
Rodrigo Leite - or Digao in Brazilian footballer nickname lingo - was signed by the Italian giants in 2005, but immediately loaned out to Rimini. But Digao - a 6ft 4in defender - has now been drafted into the reigning European Champions' first team plans for next season.
He trained with the senior squad for the first time yesterday.
Kaka has made no secret of his desire to play alongside his brother, and some believe this is one of the main reasons Digao is in the squad.
Rodrigo Leite - or Digao in Brazilian footballer nickname lingo - was signed by the Italian giants in 2005, but immediately loaned out to Rimini. But Digao - a 6ft 4in defender - has now been drafted into the reigning European Champions' first team plans for next season.
He trained with the senior squad for the first time yesterday.
Kaka has made no secret of his desire to play alongside his brother, and some believe this is one of the main reasons Digao is in the squad.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Bergkamp to join Beckham ?
The latest ageing star linked with a move to join David Beckham in Los Angeles is Dennis Bergkamp.
He spent time with Galaxy chief Alexei Lalas on Thursday, though the ex-Arsenal star's agent, Rob Jansen, has rejected suggestions he was discussing a move.
However, the fact that Bergkamp doesn't fly might well squash these rumours ... the distance between teams in the States means that travelling to away games involves a substantial number of flights.
He spent time with Galaxy chief Alexei Lalas on Thursday, though the ex-Arsenal star's agent, Rob Jansen, has rejected suggestions he was discussing a move.
However, the fact that Bergkamp doesn't fly might well squash these rumours ... the distance between teams in the States means that travelling to away games involves a substantial number of flights.
Refs argue over fees
Referee chiefs almost pulled the plug on Celtic's glamour friendly with Parma in a row over match fees.
The Scottish Senior Referees Association claim the Parkhead club reneged on a "gentleman's agreement" to pay match officials the same fees for top friendly matches as they receive for SPL games.
Celtic have told the association that match ref for the Parma game, Iain Brines, his assistants Martin Cryans and Willie Dishington, and fourth official AlanMuir will receive only 50 percent of the SPL fees.
Referees are paid £550 for an SPL match while linesmen receive £250.
The Scottish Senior Referees Association claim the Parkhead club reneged on a "gentleman's agreement" to pay match officials the same fees for top friendly matches as they receive for SPL games.
Celtic have told the association that match ref for the Parma game, Iain Brines, his assistants Martin Cryans and Willie Dishington, and fourth official AlanMuir will receive only 50 percent of the SPL fees.
Referees are paid £550 for an SPL match while linesmen receive £250.
Giggs to get job for life
Ryan Giggs will be offered a job for life with Manchester United.
The long-serving Wales winger will be handed a new one-year contract when his current deal runs out at the end of next season.
And when Giggs, 33, finally decides to retire, United will ask him to become an ambassador for the club. In that role he would travel around the world promoting United's image and business brand.
Former United great Sir Bobby Charlton, a club director, is already employed in that capacity. Giggs is the longest-serving player in United's squad, having made his debut in 1991, and has won more medals than anyone in the club's history.
Giggs is also just 43 appearances shy of equalling Charlton's club record of 759 - which he is set to pass if he agrees to United's offer of a one-year contract extension.
The long-serving Wales winger will be handed a new one-year contract when his current deal runs out at the end of next season.
And when Giggs, 33, finally decides to retire, United will ask him to become an ambassador for the club. In that role he would travel around the world promoting United's image and business brand.
Former United great Sir Bobby Charlton, a club director, is already employed in that capacity. Giggs is the longest-serving player in United's squad, having made his debut in 1991, and has won more medals than anyone in the club's history.
Giggs is also just 43 appearances shy of equalling Charlton's club record of 759 - which he is set to pass if he agrees to United's offer of a one-year contract extension.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Bobby Charlton helps the Spirit of Soccer
In the 1990s, Scott Lee worked as a volunteer, driving trucks and taking food parcels in and out of Croatia and Bosnia. One day in 1995, he was near by when three boys playing football were killed by a landmine blast. He was staggered to discover that there was no landmine awareness education programme, so he put football and landmine education together and came up with Spirit of Soccer.After Bosnia and Kosovo, Cambodia is Spirit of Soccer’s third programme. In Bosnia, Lee trained 20 coaches, here so far he has a mobile unit of five, all Cambodians, two of them women, a nonstop road trip taking their expertise to 120 schools in the area and, in the past year, getting their message to 25,000 children.
Bobby Charlton is currently in Cambodia alongside skateboarder Tony Hawk helping out the programme.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Cole's cars repossessed
West Ham United star Carlton Cole has had all four of his cars repossessed."Carlton loves cars but he has had trouble making sure he's on top of the financial paperwork once he's got the keys," an insider said.
"He got the cars for members of his family including his mum who's been seen driving one of them around town and in London. Losing the Bentley has been particularly annoying. It was the car he drove to training each morning to impress the other players."
Bolton to undergo hypnotherapy
Jamil Qureshi, one of the UK 's foremost practitioners of performance-enhancing psychology, hypnotherapy and Neural Linguistic Programming, has signed an exclusive 12-month deal with Bolton Wanderers to provide his services for the Premier League team.
Jamil, with his company JQED, will work with Sammy Lee's side using his revolutionary process called 'mind-shaping'. This approach aims to remove factors that inhibit success and reprogrammes the mind to encourage positivity.
Jamil believes that by helping people to focus on working to their strengths, rather than dwelling on weaknesses, he can enable them to achieve both personally and professionally.
Jamil will travel to South Korea on Friday with chairman Phil Gartside and general manager Frank McParland to meet the players on an individual basis through the duration of the team's stay in Seoul for the Peace Cup pre-season friendly tournament.
Jamil, with his company JQED, will work with Sammy Lee's side using his revolutionary process called 'mind-shaping'. This approach aims to remove factors that inhibit success and reprogrammes the mind to encourage positivity.
Jamil believes that by helping people to focus on working to their strengths, rather than dwelling on weaknesses, he can enable them to achieve both personally and professionally.
Jamil will travel to South Korea on Friday with chairman Phil Gartside and general manager Frank McParland to meet the players on an individual basis through the duration of the team's stay in Seoul for the Peace Cup pre-season friendly tournament.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Ljungberg's £15,000 a week image rights
Freddie Ljungberg has image rights of £15,000 a week at West Ham, which is in addition to his £60,000-a-week wages at Upton Park.Ljungberg, 30, has already made a fortune as a clothes horse advertising Calvin Klein underwear, but this extra makes him the highest-paid player at Upton Park.
It is understood Arsenal waived their right to a transfer fee as a gesture of goodwill towards Ljungberg for nearly nine years’ service.
Harper plays outfield
Newcastle United were reduced to ten men in their friendly against Celtic last night, with all outfield substitutes utilised.
The situation was rectified as goalkeeper Steve Harper emerged clad in outfield kit and his own squad number 13, to join Andy Carroll upfield amid much applause.
The lack of depth was then exacerbated in the dying moments as Steven Taylor picked up a knock and was beckoned off the field by manager Sam Allardyce. The chance to see three goalkeepers on the field was denied however, as Tim Krul remained on the bench.
The situation was rectified as goalkeeper Steve Harper emerged clad in outfield kit and his own squad number 13, to join Andy Carroll upfield amid much applause.
The lack of depth was then exacerbated in the dying moments as Steven Taylor picked up a knock and was beckoned off the field by manager Sam Allardyce. The chance to see three goalkeepers on the field was denied however, as Tim Krul remained on the bench.
Man City to produce electricity
By October 2007, Manchester City will be producing its own energy.
City is building a wind turbine to provide all the electricity for Eastlands, with a further 20% sold on, though the club will still run the floodlights from generators.
"We will be the first stadium of any kind in the world to have its own turbine," City's social responsibility manager, Pete Bradshaw
City is building a wind turbine to provide all the electricity for Eastlands, with a further 20% sold on, though the club will still run the floodlights from generators.
"We will be the first stadium of any kind in the world to have its own turbine," City's social responsibility manager, Pete Bradshaw
Saha buys van Nistelrooy's old house
Louis Saha has been pulling out all the stops to become an Old Trafford legend.
After three injury-hit seasons, he's bought Ruud van Nistelrooy's old house, maybe in the hope that some of the goalscoring aura rubs off on him in the 7-bedroom pad.
After three injury-hit seasons, he's bought Ruud van Nistelrooy's old house, maybe in the hope that some of the goalscoring aura rubs off on him in the 7-bedroom pad.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Water covering the pitch at Abingdon Town FC in Oxfordshire
Rafa Benitez walks through the night
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez did not have a bed in the Liverpool team hotel on the night of the Champions League Final.
It seems the UEFA allocation of hotel room for Liverpool (in addition to the problems with tickets for fans) also went wrong.
When Liverpool got to the hotel they found there were not enough rooms and Benitez had to give up his room so that his wife and the wife of a club official could share a room and get some sleep.
He and that official spent part of the night, some five hours or so, walking in Athens.
It seems the UEFA allocation of hotel room for Liverpool (in addition to the problems with tickets for fans) also went wrong.
When Liverpool got to the hotel they found there were not enough rooms and Benitez had to give up his room so that his wife and the wife of a club official could share a room and get some sleep.
He and that official spent part of the night, some five hours or so, walking in Athens.
Coleen McLoughlin keen to become an actress
Wayne Rooney's fiancee Coleen McLoughlin wants to lose her "super shopper" image by becoming an actress. She's keen to get a part on Coronation Street.First club to become carbon neutral
In May, Ipswich Town became the first football club in the UK to become carbon neutral. The club worked out it produced 3,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide a season and successfully off-set this by asking supporters to make specific pledges to save energy.
The incentive was based on football; when the club hit their target - with 14,000 pledges made - manager Jim Magilton was rewarded with a five-figure sum towards transfers by main sponser E.ON.
"It has never been done before," said Ipswich captain Jason de Vos, who encouraged fans to take public transport, use high-efficiency lightbulbs and turn down their boilers
The incentive was based on football; when the club hit their target - with 14,000 pledges made - manager Jim Magilton was rewarded with a five-figure sum towards transfers by main sponser E.ON.
"It has never been done before," said Ipswich captain Jason de Vos, who encouraged fans to take public transport, use high-efficiency lightbulbs and turn down their boilers
Ferguson cracks down on MySpace
Sir Alex Ferguson has ordered a crackdown on his young stars use of their MySpace sites after learning that the likes of Jonny Evans, Kieran Richardson, and Danny Simpson were revealing rather too much about their private lives on the site.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Paris Hilton wants to meet Beckham
Paris Hilton professed to having attended a Chelsea party in the U.S. in the hopes of meeting new LA golden boy David Beckham, who recently joined the LA Galaxy.Unfortunately for the blonde socialite, the Beckhams did not attend the party thrown by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Footballers arrested over stolen limo
Ex-Newcastle stars Rob Lee and Warren Barton were held by police after a Mercedes E220 saloon was taken from Hackney Road, east London, on Tuesday night.
The car later collided with a van and was abandoned.
The two were later arrested at two addressesand taken to an east London police station for questioning.
The car later collided with a van and was abandoned.
The two were later arrested at two addressesand taken to an east London police station for questioning.
Mellberg interested in Toronto
Aston Villa's centre back Olof Mellberg may have more than just a passing interest in making an impression at BMO Field tonight when his English Premier club plays a friendly against Toronto FC.
Yesterday he expressed interest in playing in North America and it appears that TFC would have the inside track in signing the international soccer star because of his close ties to Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin.
Mellberg, who until last season was captain of Sweden's national soccer team, said he has been friends with Sundin since the two became national icons in their respective sports.
Yesterday he expressed interest in playing in North America and it appears that TFC would have the inside track in signing the international soccer star because of his close ties to Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin.
Mellberg, who until last season was captain of Sweden's national soccer team, said he has been friends with Sundin since the two became national icons in their respective sports.
Assistant referee to appear in Playboy
Being an assistant referee is bad enough ... having to run up and down that line in front of the very fans who will be loudly disagreeing with most of your decisions, so imagine what it's like if you are an attractive Brazilian lady doing the job.Considering the kind of comments you'd no doubt get from leering football fans, would you then agree to pose nude in Playboy magazine? Ana Paula Oliveira would and indeed, will.
She has already caused plenty of controversy in her time, having served a three-match ban for wrongly-disallowing a goal in a Copa Brasil game last month, and this latest news has not been met with much enthusiasm by her bosses at the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). A spokesman for referee's chief Edson Rezende said:
"If she took that decision, it's because she must have other career thoughts."
Scientology head at Beckham's party
One person who kept to himself and silently surveyed the crowd at the "Welcome to L.A." party given to David and Victoria Beckham was Scientology head David Miscavige, who "just kept looking at people and spoke quietly with Tom's mom."
2018 World Cup bid for England ?
An England bid to host the 2018 World Cup may be launched early next year if, as expected, Fifa change their rules to allow European bidders.
World football's governing body is poised to abandon the concept of 'rotation' which many feared could torpedo England's hopes of staging football's showpiece tournament for the first time in more than half a century.
Instead, new rules paving the way for 2018 bids by countries from at least three different continents, including Europe, could be approved as soon as October.
A senior Fifa figure is expected to propose a new formula under which any country be allowed to bid except those situated in the last two continents to stage the competition. With Africa and South America set to host the 2010 and 2014 events, this would clear European countries to bid.
World football's governing body is poised to abandon the concept of 'rotation' which many feared could torpedo England's hopes of staging football's showpiece tournament for the first time in more than half a century.
Instead, new rules paving the way for 2018 bids by countries from at least three different continents, including Europe, could be approved as soon as October.
A senior Fifa figure is expected to propose a new formula under which any country be allowed to bid except those situated in the last two continents to stage the competition. With Africa and South America set to host the 2010 and 2014 events, this would clear European countries to bid.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Hollywood welcomes the Beckhams
Hollywood has rolled out the red carpet with an official party to welcome David and Victoria Beckham to Los Angeles.Actors Tom Cruise and Will Smith were co-hosts for the glitzy invitation-only bash at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary gallery. Director Ron Howard, actress Brooke Shields and Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria were among the guests.
Wesley Snipes and Quincy Jones came to welcome the football star, as did Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and husband Ashton Kutcher.
Portsmouth to part-own local radio
Portsmouth Football Club is to acquire a 50% share in three local radio stations on the south coast.
The club has entered into a heads of agreement with The Local Radio Company to form a joint venture to run The Quay in Portsmouth, Spirit FM in Chichester and Isle of Wight Radio.
Portsmouth FC said it aimed to "strengthen its ongoing two-way relationship with fans and the local community".
Quay FM is already a commercial partner of PFC, transmitting live coverage of the Premiership club's games.
The club has entered into a heads of agreement with The Local Radio Company to form a joint venture to run The Quay in Portsmouth, Spirit FM in Chichester and Isle of Wight Radio.
Portsmouth FC said it aimed to "strengthen its ongoing two-way relationship with fans and the local community".
Quay FM is already a commercial partner of PFC, transmitting live coverage of the Premiership club's games.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Neil Warnock approached to star in Strictly Come Dancing
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has been approached by the BBC to take part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing."I cannot dance so I'll probably look like a plonker, but I never say never - I'm game for anything," said Warnock.
League to benefit by £100million
The Football League's coffers will be swelled by £100million over the next three years... thanks to a handout from Big Brother.
Premier League chairmen have agreed a solidarity package with their Football League counterparts worth more than £30m a season to the latter's 72 clubs.
The extra funding includes £16.2m over three years which must be spent on youth development.
Premier League chairmen have agreed a solidarity package with their Football League counterparts worth more than £30m a season to the latter's 72 clubs.
The extra funding includes £16.2m over three years which must be spent on youth development.
Beckham documentary
Music television mogul Simon Fuller’s company “19 Entertainment” is to produce a 30-minute show that follows David Beckham’s first season with the major league soccer team LA Galaxy.
The show, called “David Beckham’s Soccer USA,” will be hosted by U.K. TV personality Natalie Pinkham. “David Beckham’s Soccer USA” airs worldwide Wednesday July 25 on the Fox Soccer Channel.
The show, called “David Beckham’s Soccer USA,” will be hosted by U.K. TV personality Natalie Pinkham. “David Beckham’s Soccer USA” airs worldwide Wednesday July 25 on the Fox Soccer Channel.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Ginola makes his big-screen debut
Having started his acting career on the pitch, and starring in L'Oreal's anti-dandruff commercials, former Newcastle and Spurs winger David Ginola is finally making his big-screen debut."Rosbeef", set in 1950's rural France, tells the story of a gruff, but ruggedly handsome butcher who unexpectedly arrives in a sleepy village, sending the local women into a tizzy.
The tagline is "A tale of love, lust, and a kilo of sausages"
David Beckham from Essex
After winning a football skills competition, David Beckham appeared at Old Trafford aged 11 during a game against Spurs.
Introduced as "David Beckham from Essex", the Spurs fans cheered their local boy, but jeered him when it was revealed that he was a red.
Introduced as "David Beckham from Essex", the Spurs fans cheered their local boy, but jeered him when it was revealed that he was a red.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Pantsil destroys passport
John Pantsil missed West Ham's pre-season tour of Austria because he destroyed his passport by leaving it in his trousers when they went through washing machine.Leeds United players unpaid
Leeds United players have not been paid for nearly six weeks because of the saga surrounding the club's ownership, according to the Professional Footballers' Association.
''Players can't be expected to represent the club while training and playing for nothing," a PFA spokesman said.
''Players can't be expected to represent the club while training and playing for nothing," a PFA spokesman said.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Barton looking for MLS move
Warren Barton is hoping to follow David Beckham into Major League Soccer.ex-Newcastle defender Barton wants to try his luck overseas after picking up his UEFA Pro Coaching Licence.
Barton, 38, said: "America is certainly somewhere that's very appealing considering everything going on with Becks at the moment.
"It's taken about six years from start to finish to get my licence and, like a few people now, I'm looking to the States.
"I've got quite a few contacts over there so I'm going to start sending my CV out.
"I'm currently waiting for my work permit and I've already been out to California."
Chelsea and Hollywood stars mingle
Chelsea stars Frank Lampard and John Terry chatted with Paris Hilton, Serena Williams and actress Tara Reid at a team party in Los Angeles on Thursday.
