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Downing's fake skills video impressed Liverpool's owners

2012-01-30T01:41:00.004Z

Liverpool's American chairman Tom Werner first admired Stewart Downing after seeing this video of the winger kicking ball into bins at Aston Villa's training ground.

Werner and owner John W Henry were so impressed by YouTube clips of the England international slotting balls into five wheelie bins from long range that they decided to make an offer to Villa for the left-footed midfielder. They later found out the video was doctored.

"There was some footage of Stewart where he was, from 30 yards away, kicking a football into five different trash cans and it was brilliant," said Werner.

"John and I said: 'Oh my God, this player is brilliant, we've got to figure out a way to make a deal with him'."

It was only later that Werner and Henry realised the footage had been digitally enhanced as part of a campaign to boost season ticket sales at Villa.

Kevin-Prince Boateng injured from 'too much sex', says girlfriend

2012-01-27T01:54:00.003Z

Former Spurs and Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng's injury problems stem from the amount of sex he has, according to his girlfriend Melissa Satta.

Despite becoming an integral part of AC Milan's midfield, the 24-year-old has only started 15 games for the side this season due to a succession of minor injury problems.

He is also set to miss the next month with a thigh injury, and his model girlfriend Melissa believes their active love life is to blame.

The 25-year-old told Vanity Fair: 'The reason why he is always injured is because we have sex seven to ten times a week.

'I hate foreplay, I want to get straight to the point. My favourite position is on top so I can take control.'

Wayne Rooney 'to buy classic Oasis drum kit'

2012-01-27T01:49:00.001Z

It seems Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has a new passion for musical instruments and is prepared to roll with it by purchasing a classic Oasis drum kit.

Former Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll is selling off the drums he used on the classic Definitely Maybe album and apparently Rooney is interested.

'I heard a rumour Wayne Rooney was interested in buying the drum kit and thought that might be better than leaving it in storage,' McCarroll told the Sun newspaper.

The drummer left Oasis in 1995 after appearing on the iconic album.

He then took his former band mates to court in 1999 over lost profits but settled out of court for £600,000.

Bury penalty bust-up

2012-01-24T16:13:00.003Z

Bury players Giles Coke and Steve Schumacher were involved in a wrestling match over who should take a spot-kick against Yeovil.

Coke, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, won a 35th-minute penalty and wanted to take it himself.

He scored from the spot at the end of his previous Shakers stint in October.

But skipper and normal penalty-taker Schumacher tried to grapple the ball off him.

It took several team-mates to pull them apart and both were booked before Schumacher converted to make it 3-1.

Schumacher admitted: "At the moment it's still tender. Hopefully, we'll sort it out on Monday.

Maradona's a City fan

2012-01-24T16:10:00.001Z

Diego Maradona has found time to keep tabs on Manchester City’s pursuit of the Barclays Premier League title.

Maradona has developed an affinity for big-spending City since his son-in-law Sergio Aguero signed for them.

‘He follows me pretty closely,’ said Aguero after Sunday’s victory against Tottenham. ‘He always wants to know how we are getting on, and we keep in regular contact through text messages.'

Balotelli's car in egg-throwing prank

2012-01-23T15:53:00.004Z

Mario Balotelli was left red-faced after his £120,000 car was reportedly targeted by egg-throwing United fans while he enjoyed dinner at a Manchester restaurant.

'He'd parked down a side street but unfortunately it was parked right next door to a well-known Man United pub,' a source is quoted.

'Loads of fans were in there watching the later Arsenal game and they must have come out and seen his car.

'They pelted his roof with eggs. The yolk was dripping down all one side. It was pretty disgusting.'

Beer must be sold at Brazil 2014 World Cup, says Fifa

2012-01-23T15:05:00.002Z

Beer must be sold at the 12 venues of the 2014 World Cup, according to Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke, who has been involved in a dispute with lawmakers in Brazil over the sale of alcohol.

Valcke considers the issue so important that he has said the country should make a law that allows alcohol to be sold during the World Cup.

Alcoholic drinks have been banned in Brazil's stadiums since 2003 as part of the Supporters' Statutes, aimed at preventing violence among hardcore fans at football matches.

Fifa is growing impatient because the passing of World Cup legislation has been held up over the alcohol dispute.

Fifa has a key sponsorship deal with US brewer Budweiser, which belongs to the world's biggest beer-selling group Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Ex-Liverpool star Hamann's £288,000 gambling loss

2012-01-20T15:21:00.003Z

Former Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has revealed how he once lost an incredible £288,400 on a single bet.

'I was spread betting because it requires more thought, and the more my brain was engaged the less I thought about the devastation I was feeling inside,' Hamann said, writing in his autobiography 'The Didi Man'.

'That night I bought Australia for £2,800 at 340 runs. That meant for every run over 340 you win £2,800, but for every run under you lose the same amount.'

'Australia collapsed for 237. It is a score I remember well. It cost me £288,400.'

Twitter boots

2012-01-20T15:14:00.002Z

Rio Ferdinand and Wojciech Szczesny won't just be battling it on the pitch when Manchester United face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday - they'll also be competing for Twitter followers by sporting personalised football boots with their account handles embossed on them.

The two Premier League stars are regular tweeters, although Ferdinand currently dwarfs The Arsenal goalkeeper's number of followers with 1.8m compared to Szczesny's 334,807.

The special boots, which will also have #makeitcount embroidered on them, are part of Nike's 'Make It Count' campaign, which was launched on Twitter on New Year's Eve.

Romeo Beckham prefers Arsenal over Manchester United

2012-01-18T01:43:00.002Z

Player sacked over Gareth Thomas homophobic tweet

2012-01-18T01:36:00.004Z

Oxford City have sacked striker Lee Steele after he made a homophobic Twitter comment about Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas.

Thomas is currently taking part in Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 and, passing comment on the show, Steele tweeted: 'I wouldn't fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockmya**e'.

Members of the Oxford City board were made aware of the 38-year-old forward's comment, and have decided to sack the player.

Seven say no to GB Olympic football team

2012-01-17T19:23:00.002Z

Seven footballers from across the four home nations have turned down invitations to play in the Team GB Olympic football team.

The greatest objections to the Team GB union have come from the football associations of Scotland and Wales. They are concerned, despite FIFA guarantees, about losing their independent status.

But there looks to be sporadic opposition throughout the home nations, rather than it being concentrated in Cardiff and Glasgow.

No 10 at No 10

2012-01-17T02:43:00.004Z

Arsenal captain Robin van Persie put Sunday's defeat to Swansea behind him as he made a trip to see the Prime Minister.

The striker swapped his Arsenal No 10 shirt for No 10 Downing Street as he attended a reception marking the one-year anniversary of the Government's partnership with football youth charity Street League of which the striker is the new ambassador.

Van Persie tweeted: 'It was a real honour to meet the Prime Minister tonight (even though he is a Villa fan!) Great night and great cause.'

Paul Scholes buys boots from JJB for Manchester United comeback

2012-01-17T02:06:00.005Z

The 37-year-old has only just made his return to football but is already proving why he was so sorely missed.

When the veteran midfielder decided to come out of retirement and play for the Red Devils again, he could have envisaged several problems.

He must have wondered whether he was going to be fit enough, or whether he would ruin his great reputation.

One problem that did arise, which he probably didn't see coming, was whether he would have a pair of football boots to play in.

He had a pair he used when coaching United's youngsters, but didn't feel these were suitable.

Instead of doing what any other player would do (calling his sponsor to supply him with new ones!), Scholes decided to pop into his local sports shop and buy a pair for £40

Real top rich list again

2010-03-02T20:20:00.002Z

1) Real Madrid: 401.4m euros

2) Barcelona: 365.9m euros

3) Man Utd: 327m euros

4) Bayern Munich: 289.5m euros

5) Arsenal: 263m euros

6) Chelsea: 242.3m

7) Liverpool: 217m euros

8) Juventus: 202.3m euros

9) Inter Milan 196.5m euros

10) AC Milan: 196.5.m euros

Shola jewellery found

2010-03-02T02:27:00.002Z

A soccer star who once reported a burglary only to discover his house was just untidy has been reunited with a gold chain - days after he reported it stolen.

Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi feared his jewellery, worth £3,000, had been taken from the dressing room at St James' Park after a match.

Nigerian-born Shola could not find the chain following the 5-1 win over Cardiff City on February 5.

But police who investigated were puzzled when no other players reported anything missing.

Now they confirm the chain has been found.

A United source said: "It is a bizarre set of circumstances to say the least."

Last year Shola reported the theft of personal belongings from his "ransacked" home only to explain later it was just incredibly messy.

Man City fan blue

2010-02-01T19:47:00.002Z

Robinho's departure from Manchester has left one man feeling particularly blue - die-hard fan Chris Atkinson has the Brazilian's name tattooed on his chest.

And to make matters worse the tribute is etched next to another Samba star who never even signed for the club.

Mr Atkinson, 26, of Altrincham, got a Kaka tattoo soon after the Blues lodged a £100m bid - only for him to sign for Real Madrid.

"I got the Kaka tattoo and got quoted saying I'd get Robinho done next," said Mr Atkinson.

"My mate had a bet with me that I wouldn't get it done - so I did it."

Maradona earring sold at auction

2010-01-14T14:52:00.002Z

A diamond earring that used to belong to Diego Maradona has been sold for 25,000 euros (£22,000) - five times its asking price - at auction in Italy.

The unidentified woman who bought the item at the sale in the northern city of Bolzano said simply that she was satisfied with her purchase.

The money will go towards paying off some of the Argentine football legend's 37m-euro (£33m) Italian tax debt.

The debt was built up from his days as a player for Napoli from 1984-1991.

Togo footballers shot in ambush

2010-01-08T23:01:00.001Z

Gunmen have fired on a bus carrying Togo's football team to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, wounding players and reportedly killing the driver.

The attackers machine-gunned the vehicle after it crossed from the Republic of Congo into Angola's oil-rich territory of Cabinda.

The government called the incident an "act of terrorism".

Rebels who have been fighting for the region's independence later said they had carried out the attack.

The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (Flec) has fought for independence for several decades, but entered a ceasefire in 2006.

Fan invades pitch to try and score

2010-01-07T14:27:00.002Z

An Indonesia football fan became so fed up with his national team's lacklustre performance that he invaded the pitch and tried to score a goal.

Hendri Mulyadi, 25, took matters into his own hands as his team were heading for a 1-2 defeat against Oman.

He sprinted onto the pitch, got control of the ball and ran down the wing, but his attempt to score ended in failure after Oman's keeper blocked the shot.

Police eventually overpowered him and he later apologised on a website.

Footballers to help S Africa police get fit

2009-12-31T14:21:00.002Z

Sports stars such as ex-footballer Lucas Radebe are to help South Africa's police officers get fit, the police chief has said.

Police Commissioner Bheki Cele admitted that some serving officers are overweight and even obese.

He said that all senior police managers would have to start going to gym sessions in January 2010.

South Africa hosts the World Cup next year and the authorities have sought to reassure visitors about crime.

SJP hostile takeover

2009-12-30T22:18:00.002Z

A UK-flagged chemical tanker has been hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, maritime officials have confirmed.

The St James Park, which had been sailing to Thailand from Spain, was seized on Monday, Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa Seafarers' Association said.

Just call him Dave

2009-12-28T20:13:00.001Z

South Korean playmaker Ki Sung Yueng has told his new Celtic team-mates to just call him Dave to avoid confusion.

"Communication is so important if players are to be comfortable with each other," the 20-year-old said

Ferguson to "outlast 20 City managers"

2009-12-26T23:18:00.002Z

Sir Alex Ferguson has turned up the heat on Roberto Mancini by saying that he believes he will be in charge at Old Trafford by the time Manchester City have gone through a further six managers.

The Manchester United manager has condemned as "unacceptable" City’s treatment of Mark Hughes, who was sacked last Saturday after only 18 months in charge, but he sees no end to the club’s revolving-door policy.

Mancini became the fourteenth permanent manager to be appointed by City during Ferguson’s 23-year tenure at United and the Scot, who turns 68 on Thursday, mischievously suggested that he expects to be around by the time that number hits 20, even though he has hinted that he will retire before his 70th birthday.

2009-11-23T20:32:00.002Z

Wigan Athletic's playing staff have offered to reimburse the entrance fees for all supporters who travelled to White Hart Lane to witness their 9-1 destruction at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Spurs equalled the record for goals scored in a Premier League game when producing a ruthless second-half performance, with Jermain Defoe scoring five.

After suffering such acute embarrassment, Wigan's players will now personally refund the admission price paid by every Latics supporter who attended the game in North London.

Van Persie to have horse placenta treatment

2009-11-17T22:43:00.002Z

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has flown to Serbia for a novel form of treatment - placenta fluid is to be dripped on his injured ankle.

The 26-year-old hurt his ankle while playing for the Dutch national side in a match against Italy.

He was left with torn ankle ligaments after a challenge 10 minutes into the contest.

Scans revealed a partial tear would keep him out of action for six weeks.

But a Dutch journalist close to the national squad said he could be back in as little as four weeks if the treatment works.

Van Persie, speaking before travelling out to eastern Europe on Monday, was hopeful despite being unsure what to expect.

He said: "She is vague about her methods but I know she massages you using fluid from a placenta.

"I am going to try.

"It cannot hurt and, if it helps, it helps.

"I have been in contact with Arsenal physiotherapists and they have let me do it."

Algeria footballers hurt in Cairo

2009-11-13T14:26:00.001Z

Four Algerian football players were injured when their team bus came under attack from stone throwers as it arrived in Cairo.

Algeria and Egypt play a World Cup qualifying match in Cairo on Saturday.

None of those injured has been named, but one player was sent to hospital for treatment, Algerian radio reported.

A reporter for Algerian radio said that about 200 young people appeared just as the team arrived at a Cairo hotel, and launched a hail of stones at the bus.

Hachemi Djiar, the Algerian sports minister is reported to have described the incident as "very regrettable".

He said officials from Fifa, international football's governing body, were aware of the incident and were meeting to decide what action to take.

Egyptian and Algerian officials have been trying to calm tension ahead of the match.

The teams have an intense rivalry that goes back decades.

The last time they met in a major tournament in 1989, the match was followed by riots.

Keeper badly hurt in bike smash

2009-11-12T21:09:00.001Z

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini has suffered "potentially life-changing injuries" in a motorbike accident in east London, police said.

He was taken to hospital after his BMW bike was involved in a collision with a car in Walthamstow at about 1030 GMT.

He has fractured his wrists and injured his pelvis but a spokesman for the north London club said they were still waiting for hospital test results.

The Italian, 36, signed from London rivals Chelsea in January this year.

The female driver and a child passenger walked away from the Ford Fiesta Cudicini was in collision with and did not need hospital treatment.

Germany keeper dies in 'suicide'

2009-11-11T04:05:00.002Z

Germany and Hannover 96 goalkeeper Robert Enke has died after being hit by a train in an apparent suicide, police have confirmed.

Enke, 32, was fatally injured at a level crossing northwest of Hannover.

The German football federation (DFB) said in a statement: "The German team has learned of the death of Robert Enke with great shock."

Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff added: "We are in a state of shock. It is beyond words."

Enke's daughter Lara died in 2006 of a rare heart condition when she was just two. He leaves behind his wife, Teresa, and an eight-month-old daughter the couple had adopted in May.

German police released a statement saying: "The victim is apparently national team goalkeeper Robert Enke from Hannover 96. The first police indications are that it was a suicide."

Player denies assaulting sister

2009-11-10T22:49:00.002Z

West Ham United footballer Calum Davenport has pleaded not guilty to attacking his sister.Mr Davenport, 26, of Greenfield, Flitton, Bedfordshire, is accused of assaulting Cara Davenport, occasioning actual bodily harm, on 22 August.

Bedford magistrates granted him bail on the condition he has no contact with 28-year-old Ms Davenport.

He is due back before the court in January, when the case is expected to be committed to crown court for trial.

The assault is alleged to have taken place at an address in Kempston, near Bedford.

Ms Davenport's boyfriend Worrell Whitehurst, 25, of Finsley Walk, Derby, has already appeared in court charged with attacking the central defender as well as his mother, 49-year-old Kim Stupple, in the driveway of her home in Springfield Avenue, later that day.

Baby Rooney

2009-11-04T03:35:00.002Z

The unusual name given to the newborn son of Wayne Rooney was picked by the Manchester United striker's wife Coleen.

Kai, the 68th most popular name for baby boys in the UK, has several different meanings around the world.

In Burma it means unbreakable, in Nigeria it can mean love, in Japan it translates as the ocean and in Chinese Mandarin it means victory.

In ancient Persian it means Great King and in Scandinavia it can mean keeper of the keys.

Lions to ban yob

2009-10-27T01:14:00.002Z

Millwall have vowed to ban for life the fan who taunted Leeds by wearing a Galatasaray shirt.

The Lions are trying to find the yob who also made stabbing gestures to visiting fans during Millwall's 2-1 win on Saturday.

Millwall chief executive Andy Ambler said: "Another fan was ejected and arrested for waving a Turkish flag."

Leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were knifed to death before a European tie at Galatasaray in 2000.

Despite the sick taunts by a small minority of Millwall fans and a couple of seats thrown by Leeds fans, the powderkeg match at The Den passed off relatively peacefully.

Bees stop play

2009-10-12T01:01:00.002+01:00

The World Cup qualifier between Mexico and El Salvador had to be temporarily halted when a swarm of bees invaded a goalmouth at the Azteca Stadium.

The match was barely three minutes old when the bees took refuge inside the goalposts at the EL Salvador end.

Play was held up for around six minutes as officials used fire extinguishers to clear the insects.

Mexico went on to win the match 4-1 to secure a place in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

Maradona calls on God to save Argentina

2009-10-01T18:29:00.001+01:00

Argentina coach Diego Maradona has called on God's hand to shield the South American country from World Cup elimination.

'The Beard (God) saved me many times, I hope he saves me this time too,' said Maradona.

Argentina are fifth in the South American group, in the berth for a playoff against the team finishing fourth in the CONCACAF region. The top four go through automatically.

They face Peru and Uruguay in their final qualifiers next month, looking to at least remain where they are as they try to avoid missing the finals for the first time since 1970.

Oktoberfest visit costs Lehmann first team spot

2009-09-21T20:31:00.002+01:00

Stuttgart's former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped from the first-team squad for paying a visit to Oktoberfest.

The 39-year-old was spotted at Munich's beer festival only hours after his side had been beaten 2-0 by Cologne in the Bundesliga, although he had not been given permission to attend.

Stuttgart confirmed Lehmann would not be part of the squad which travels to face Lubeck in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

The keeper had gifted Cologne their second goal when he raced out of his area only to lose possession and allow Wilfried Sanou to shoot into an empty net from 45 yards out.

Lehmann apologised for breaking club rules, accepted the suspension, but claimed his motives were good.

''The visit to [Oktoberfest] was part of a charity event and it had been planned for a long time,'' he said. ''However, it was not agreed with the club. Of course I accept the measures taken by the sporting management.''

Police seize Maradona's earrings

2009-09-19T04:08:00.001+01:00

Italian police have seized earrings from Argentina's football coach Diego Maradona in an effort to recover unpaid taxes from his playing days at Napoli.

Maradona handed over the earrings, worth some 4,000 euros (£3,600), at a health clinic in northern Italy.

Italian news agency Ansa said Maradona faced a bill of 37m euros from his time at Napoli, where he played a starring role between 1984 and 1991.

His trip to the health clinic follows a string of defeats for Argentina.

The results, for which Maradona has taken much of the blame, have left the team in danger of not qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1970.

The Argentina coach, a regular visitor to the health clinic, was reportedly being treated for weight problems and stress.

Three years ago, police took two Rolex watches worth an estimated 10,000 euros from Maradona during a visit to Naples.

At the time, the tax police said it was acting on a judicial order authorising the seizure of anything of value "within plain sight".

Players chosen based on computer games

2009-09-10T17:45:00.003+01:00

The 1988 Soviet Union European Championship team was selected on the basis of players' results in a number of computer games or tests created by the Kiev scientist Anatoly Zelentsov.

"There were 40 candidates [for the squad]," said Zelentsov, "and with these tests we selected the first 20."

The games, also used to deduce prospective signings' suitability for the Dynamo Kiev side of the time, tested a range of attributes from nerve and endurance to reaction times and memory.

"There are lots of ways of testing," said Zelentsov. "But I prefer the computer."

With some justification - the Soviet side reached the Euro 88 final before losing to the Dutch.

Footballer loses leg after lightning strike

2009-09-03T01:00:00.002+01:00

A Danish footballer has been forced to have his leg amputated six weeks after being struck by lightning during a friendly.

Jonathan Richter, 24, was playing for his club FC Nordsjaelland at second-tier Hvidovre on July 20 when he was struck.

Medics restarted his heart, but he was placed in an induced coma and doctors decided that the damage to his leg was so severe they needed to amputate the lower portion of it.

A message on the club's website read: "Jonathan's progress means a lot to the Richter family, friends and all involved with FC Nordsjaelland, but the family now request that all continue to respect the peace that Jonathan needs in the future as he faces tough rehabilitation."

He was reportedly recovering well from the operation and was expected to be moved out of intensive care shortly.

Croatian FA president hints at conspiracy

2009-09-01T15:42:00.001+01:00

The president of the Croatian federation says the injury suffered by his country's star playmaker Luka Modric has left him wondering whether Croatia's top stars are being deliberately targeted for rough treatment in the Premier League.

Vlatko Markovic spoke out after Modric suffered a broken leg playing for Tottenham against Birmingham at the weekend which will sideline him for around two months, with Croatia set to face England in a crucial World Cup qualifier at Wembley on September 9.

It follows on from an even more severe injury suffered by Arsenal striker Eduardo - also against Birmingham - in February 2008 which meant he was unavailable when the sides met in the reverse fixture in Zagreb last September.

Markovic said: "First Eduardo, now Luka Modric. This is horrible. I can only ask myself if it was really an accident.

"I'm close to thinking it was done to us deliberately before the England match. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what happened to Luka. He is irreplaceable."

Toon fans cycle as Batman and Robin

2009-08-28T02:54:00.003+01:00

Newcastle fans Jonathan Heron and Kyle Stubbs, dressed as Batman and Robin, set out from John O'Groats a week last Sunday, aiming to cycle to Lands End by bike in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

They were sighted on Wednesday afternoon near Bristol - still on track.

If you'd like to support them by making a donation, click here

Chewing gum and kicking a ball at the same time

2009-08-27T03:14:00.003+01:00

Chewing gum and playing soccer proved a dangerous mix for one Brazilian player.

Aloisio, a striker for Vasco da Gama, wound up in the hospital after colliding with an opponent and choking on his gum during a second-division game Tuesday.

He was released from the hospital and avoided serious injury.

Doctors said he injured his head and stopped breathing momentarily, the gum obstructing his airway.

"It was a very serious situation," Vasco doctor Paulo Cesar Rocha said Wednesday. "Luckily, we identified the problem quickly and took the gum out to help him breathe again."

Aloisio, making his debut as a starter for Vasco, was struck hard in the head while challenging for a high ball near midfield during the second half. He collapsed and lost consciousness for a few moments.

Doctors rushed to him and an ambulance came on the field at Boca do Jacare Stadium in Brasilia.

"I don't remember a lot," Aloisio told local media Wednesday. "I only remember the doctor taking the gum out. I have never been scared like this - no more chewing gum for me."

Aloisio was released from the hospital hours after he was admitted. He is barred from physical activity for at least a week as a precaution. More tests will be done next week to determine when he can play again.

Duff's loyalty

2009-08-21T14:39:00.003+01:00

25 May 2009

"I'm as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I'd love to try to get Newcastle back up."

"It's got to be an honour to play for Newcastle United Football Club. I know there will be changes but I don't know what's going to happen. As players, we haven't got a clue but I'd just ask the fans to stick with us next year."

18 August 2009

Fulham completed the signing of Newcastle's Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff for an undisclosed fee.

"I know that having spoken to the manager in recent days that the club's ambitions remain high and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead."

Tevez offers dance classes

2009-08-18T03:36:00.005+01:00

Manchester City's new signing Carlos Tevez has offered Liam and Noel Gallagher a deal.

The Argentinian has promised Latin dance classes in exchange for a music masterclass for his band Piola Vago from City's most famous fans.

Tevez and his brother Diego are Buenos Aires' answer to The Gallaghers, notching up a bit of chart success in their homeland with hit single Lose Your Control a few years ago.

Footballer tackles player rip-offs

2009-08-10T15:14:00.002+01:00

Middlesbrough defender Andrew Taylor is launching a website aimed at helping fellow players avoid being ripped off or getting bad service.

He came up with the idea after being dissatisfied with a company that installed an audio system in his home.

Platinum Players will feature companies that offer "luxury lifestyle products" - from cars and gadgets to hotels and restaurants - which have been vetted and deemed "trustworthy" for the stars.

The UK's 4,000 professional footballers will be sent log-in details for the invitation-only site.

Striker fined for drinking beer during a game

2009-08-07T14:37:00.003+01:00

Burnley striker Steven Thompson has been fined a weeks' wages for having a beer during a game.

Unable to curtail his sprint at Portland Timbers PGE Park in the final game of the Clarets’ tour of America, the front man gatecrashed a pitchside beer garden.

"I kind of fell over the billboards at the side of the pitch and there was a cafe right on the side," Thompson explained.

"I landed on this person’s table and I don’t know what happened, I just instinctively grabbed this guy’s pint and had a drink.

"It shows you how bad a game it was that it got the biggest cheer of the night.

"It was just a bit of fun and it went down well, it was a bit of light-hearted banter, and the guy was really decent about it. He was laughing.

"The manager did say I was fined a week’s wages though for being the first player he’s ever seen drinking during a match.

"I think that will be a first and last and one and only!"

18,000 turn up for practice

2009-08-07T14:21:00.006+01:00

The megastars of Real Madrid play MLS team Toronto FC in a friendly game tonight.

Temporary grass has been installed on top of the usual artificial surface for the game, which was a demand from Real before they would agree to play.

They trained on the field yesterday for 50 minutes in an open session offered to fans for $15, and 18,000 people turned up.

Toronto's ground, BMO Field, only holds around 20,000 people.

West Brom back 2018 World Cup bid

2009-08-06T18:46:00.002+01:00

West Brom will show their backing for England's 2018 World Cup bid by wearing "England 2018" logos on their shirts for Saturday's game with Newcastle.

"It would be a dream come true for every fan in this country if we earned the right to stage the World Cup," said West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace.

"This is a great opportunity for us, as a club, to play our part."

West Brom normally play without a sponsors' name on their shirts.

Easter Island's football debut

2009-08-06T18:40:00.002+01:00

Easter Island, the tiny South Pacific territory administered by Chile, has staged its first ever officially sanctioned football match.

The islanders played their first competitive fixture in the Chilean Cup.

The game ended in a 4-0 defeat at the hands of 28-time Chilean champions Colo Colo.

The game was played on an atrocious, bumpy pitch just yards from the beach, where virtually the entire population of 4,000 islanders turned out to watch.

Voles threaten Everton stadium

2009-08-06T16:03:00.003+01:00

Everton's plans to build a new 50,000-seater stadium have been jeopardised by a colony of water voles.

The Merseyside club want to move from their present Goodison Park home to a state-of-the-art arena in Kirkby, a northern suburb of Liverpool, but the protected species has been discovered on the prospective construction site.

The rodents live on the banks of Kirkby Brook, which crosses the site, and must be moved before building work can take place.

Developers must complete the relocation before autumn, when the animals hibernate, as it is illegal to disturb a sleeping vole.

A spokesman for Knowsley council, which has backed the move, said: "As landowners, we have granted a licence for our land to be accessed in order for ecological works to be undertaken.

"These works will ensure the safe translocation of a protected water vole habitat in Kirkby Brook.

"The work will include the erection of safety hoardings, systematic clearing of overgrown vegetation and vole assessment."

Everton's Kirkby project is still awaiting final approval pending a public inquiry, the outcome of which is expected by November. If the stadium gets the green light, the Toffees will move there in 2012.

Argentine football halted by debt

2009-08-05T15:46:00.001+01:00

The start of the football season in Argentina has been delayed indefinitely because many of the clubs involved are heavily in debt.

The season had been due to kick off on 14 August, but the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said some clubs did not have enough money to pay players.

AFA President Julio Grondona said the situation was "very difficult".

Last week, clubs in the second division had the start of their season postponed for similar reasons.

Russian fans told to drink whiskey

2009-08-04T17:24:00.003+01:00

Russian fans have been told to drink whisky on their trip to Wales for next month’s World Cup qualifier to avoid swine flu.

"We urge our fans to drink a lot of Welsh whisky as a form of disinfection," said Alexander Shprygin, head of the country’s supporter association.

"That should cure all symptoms of the disease."

Russia’s Health Ministry has warned against travelling to Britain but Shprygin said he expected several hundred fans to go to Cardiff.

Ronaldo's legs insured for £90 million

2009-08-04T17:19:00.002+01:00

Cristiano Ronaldo's legs have been insured for £90MILLION by Real Madrid.

The Spanish club - which bought Ronaldo for a record £80million in June - want to protect their money if he picks up a long-term injury.

Bosses got nervous after Ronaldo, 24, knocked his knee recently, but Real's doctors have since given him the all-clear.

The ace has already been fouled 34 times in three pre-season games.

Bent apologises for his Twitter blast

2009-07-31T18:23:00.001+01:00

Tottenham striker Darren Bent has apologised for posting "inappropriate comments'' about club chairman Daniel Levy on his Twitter page.

The England man criticised Levy on the social networking site on Thursday night, accusing him of holding up his proposed move to Sunderland.

Bent, who was pulled off Tottenham's trip to China at the last minute on Monday, said in a statement on the Spurs official website: "I appreciate that transfers are seldom straightforward and are often complex.

"However, after a long period of waiting following my withdrawal from the plane to China, I had become incredibly frustrated by the time these things take and I posted inappropriate comments on my Twitter site.'

"I allowed my emotions to get in the way of my better judgment. I regret my actions and did not intend to offend Daniel Levy or anyone with the nature or the content of my posting.''

Tevez welcomed to Manchester

2009-07-27T19:44:00.001+01:00

Berbatov is a Beatle

2009-07-23T22:49:00.002+01:00

Dimitar Berbatov reckons Manchester United's fanatical Far East supporters make him feel like a member of The Beatles.

But the United striker admitted he must score more goals and have more of an impact next season if he is to keep his place in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI.

"This is my first pre-season with the team," said Berbatov. "I've never been on a tour like this. It's like being in The Beatles.

"Everybody's screaming and chanting our names. I'm very happy to be part of it and it makes you feel good that so many people want to come and see you.

Man United to open Indian cafes

2009-07-18T00:46:00.002+01:00

Manchester United are to open their first cafe in the western Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) later this year.

The venture is the first of several the club plans for Indian cities

Earlier this year, the country's telecoms giant, Bharti Airtel, became the first Indian company to strike a sponsorship deal with the club.

Now Manchester United Food and Beverage, the club's hospitality arm, has announced it is rolling out upmarket bar restaurants in several Indian cities, and Mumbai's famed nightlife makes it the obvious first choice.

The cafes will feature large video screens on the walls to screen matches, and booths selling players' shirts and club memorabilia.

Father Rooney

2009-07-16T02:37:00.001+01:00

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says if he had not become a footballer he may have become a priest.

Asked what he would have done if he could not play football, the 23-year-old said:

"I haven't a clue what else I could have done, I wasn't really the best in school. I always enjoyed religious studies - so maybe a priest."

S. Africa strike threatens World Cup

2009-07-08T18:58:00.000+01:00

Some 70,000 construction workers in South Africa have gone on strike, halting work on stadiums being built for the 2010 World Cup.

Unions are threatening to wreck the tournament if their demands for a 13% wage increase are not met.

Organisers say they are confident the grounds will still be ready, unless the strike continues for months.

Union organiser Patrick Geqeza blamed management inflexibility for precipitating the strike.

"We feel bad about going on strike. [But] they don't want to meet us half way," he told AP news agency.

At present most of the workers are being paid 2,500 rand ($310; £192) a month

Zidane's charity match in doubt after freak injury

2009-07-02T23:47:00.002+01:00

Zinedine Zidane's charity soccer match Saturday in Vancouver is in danger of being cancelled after the former French star suffered a freak injury.

Organizers said Zidane injured his back while bending down to pick up his child Wednesday night as he was watching Vancouver's Canada Day fireworks display.

The game at B.C. Place is the finale in the three-game "Friends of Zidane" tour that has already staged events in Toronto and Montreal.

The former FIFA World Player of the Year underwent physiotherapy Thursday, but may have pulled a tendon in his back and recovery usually takes a week.

The games pit Zidane and other current and retired international soccer stars against local select sides with proceeds going to UNICEF and other causes.

Pastry promotion for Burnley boss

2009-06-21T00:56:00.002+01:00

A pie firm has proved it is not bitter over the end of its Burnley Football Club sponsor deal by immortalising the manager in pastry.

Baxenden-based Holland Pies pulled out of its partnership with the club when the team had a run of bad luck, early in the season.

Holland's has now commissioned a pastry bust of Burnley manager Owen Coyle.

It was made by a food artist to celebrate the club's success and will be presented to Mr Coyle.

Michael Owen for sale

2009-06-15T03:09:00.002+01:00

Michael Owen has sent a glossy 34- page brochure about himself to eight Premier League clubs in a desperate attempt to find a new team for next season.

It is believed to be the first time in Premier League history that a player has produced his own prospectus to prompt a transfer.

The one-time golden boy of English football and former European Footballer of the Year has been reduced to hawking himself around after suffering the ignominy of relegation with Newcastle.

The brochure - circulated by Owen's management company Wasserman Media Group - has been sent to eight top-flight clubs.

In it, WMG boast about the benefits of signing the ex-England striker, his clean-cut image, commercial value and goalscoring prowess and include a medical report.

Ronaldo is Picasso

2009-06-13T18:55:00.001+01:00

Sepp Blatter has backed Cristiano Ronaldo's £80million move to Real Madrid, claiming: He is football's Picasso.

The outspoken FIFA president insists no one should be shocked by the world record move for the Manchester United ace.

He believes that, despite the financial meltdown, Ronaldo's price-tag is acceptable.

Blatter said: "We are in a sensitive market at the moment and there is an economic crisis.

"But football is a good product and we are giving people what they want.

"It is the game of the people and full of emotions. Football needs to have stars like Ronaldo.

Magic charms wreck Swazi stadium

2009-06-09T02:41:00.001+01:00

Players have wrecked artificial turf at Swaziland's main football stadium by putting magic charms, or "muti" underneath it, say furious officials.

The damage was worst near the goals and centre circle at the Somhlolo National Stadium in the capital Mbabane.

The muti, which some believe will help teams win games, has been stuffed under the turf over the last month.

Officials say they may ban any teams responsible for damage to the $600,000 (£375,000) turf.

"Maybe we have to consider banning one big team because whenever that team would be playing at the stadium, something strange would happen," government sports officer Sipho Magagula said.

The country's sports minister has reportedly filed a formal criminal complaint over the damage, which has been noticed before and after national league games.

Walcott not a "little boy"

2009-06-07T02:49:00.002+01:00

Theo Walcott has confessed he grew a moustache and a designer beard because he was sick of Arsenal players calling him "Sweet Little Boy". Walcott, who joined the club at 16 and was in England's World Cup squad at 17, was taunted for his baby-faced looks.

But he insists he has grown up now.

Walcott said: "They used to call me Sweet Little Boy. That's why I grew the beard and 'tache. They can't use that any more."

He admits he is a goody two-shoes but cringes when recalling one incident at school.

The forward, now 20, said: "It's not like me but there was this boy who took our ball and had me in a headlock.

"So I punched him and made his nose bleed. I had to stand by a wall for 10 minutes.

"My family kept my feet on the ground. If I'd done anything wrong they would have got to know about it. But I was a good little boy."

Schwarzenegger joins US World Cup team

2009-06-03T03:06:00.004+01:00

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted an invitation on Tuesday to join the Board of Directors for the USA Bid Committee in its endeavor to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022.

As governor of California, the most populous state in the U.S. with a significant history of playing host to FIFA World Cup men's and women's matches, Schwarzenegger will play an influential role as a member of the Board of Directors as the USA Bid Committee prepares its application and campaign to bring the world's largest sporting event to the United States.

"Soccer is the world's most popular sport and California has been home to some of its most exciting games, and I am proud to be a part of bringing the World Cup back to the United States," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "The millions of fans from around the globe that will travel to the United States to cheer their teams will prove a great benefit for our state, our nation and the world of soccer."

FA Cup stuffed in a bin liner

2009-06-02T03:39:00.002+01:00

The FA Cup normally travels the country in a velvet-lined security case, with two commissionaires who wear white gloves to touch it, but not on Saturday night.

The Cup was taken back to Stamford Bridge by a senior Chelsea security officer in his car after a party.

The bag was a precautionary measure so as not to scratch it

Player attacked at Fluminense training ground

2009-05-28T03:56:00.001+01:00

A player was attacked as furious Fluminense fans invaded a training session on Tuesday.

Media reports said that shots were fired into the air by security guards and the club said it would investigate, although it added that none of its employees carried guns.

The protest followed back-to-back home defeats, and television pictures showed around 30 supporters running onto the field as the players were training.

One man was seen to aim a punch at midfielder Diguinho who hit back and tried to escape through a side door.

Reports said fans retreated after a security guard fired two shots into the air.

Rome brings in two-day alcohol ban

2009-05-26T15:45:00.002+01:00

An alcohol ban will come into force in Rome tonight as 30,000 Manchester United fans head to the city for the Champions League final against Barcelona.

The ban, from 11pm right through until 6am on Thursday morning, will cover the Italian capital's centre and the area surrounding the stadium.

Officials said that they expected 30,000 fans from Britain - 10,000 without tickets, and 20,000 from Spain.

Security for the final will be unprecedented with more than 1,500 police and paramilitary carabinieri on duty around the Italian capital and the Stadio Olimpico.

Tickets for the final are electronic chip and are credit card style as opposed to the traditional paper tickets and official ones give access to Rome museums and public transport.

Police officers from Britain will be on patrol in uniform as well as undercover but they will have no powers of arrest and will simply be a point of recognition.

Relegation-threatened trio dismiss suit

2009-05-20T14:43:00.002+01:00

Relegation-haunted north-east trio Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Sunderland have dismissed claims they could sue Manchester United if they field a weakened team this weekend.

Reports today suggested the three clubs had held discussions as they prepare for a decisive final round of Premier League fixtures on Sunday with the highest of stakes.

Sir Alex Ferguson has already indicated he will use the depth of his squad with nothing but pride at stake for his club.

Barton team picture

2009-05-20T14:41:00.003+01:00

Stoke fans have it licked

2009-05-15T14:32:00.001+01:00

Stoke fans will be getting free ice cream tomorrow from the bookmakers who wrote off the club’s chances of staying in the Premier League.

Bookies Paddy Power decided Stoke were relegation fodder after Bolton beat them 3-1 on the opening day of the season and paid out on them going down.

Now, with Stoke safe two games from the end of the season, they have offered their apologies and will provide free ice cream for the final home game against Wigan.

Defender hurt by exploding egg

2009-05-15T14:27:00.002+01:00

Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot was taken to hospital after an egg he was microwaving exploded in his face.

The 25-year-old Scotland international was poaching the egg at his home near Mauchline, Ayrshire, when the accident happened.

It is understood hot liquid squirted onto his face and scalded his cheek when he opened the microwave door.

The footballer was treated in hospital, before being allowed to go home following the incident on Sunday.

Redknapp plans Spurs alcohol ban

2009-05-13T00:45:00.002+01:00

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has vowed to introduce an alcohol ban after Ledley King was arrested for an alleged assault outside a London nightclub.

Club captain King was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning and questioned on suspicion of assaulting another man in Soho.

"I'll implement a strong rule next season that drinking is a no-no here," Redknapp said.

"Footballers should dedicate their lives to playing."

"There's still too much of a drinking culture in English football but it's not as bad as it used to be.

"At Tottenham we do a lot with kids, a lot of them underprivileged.

"We have to set an example. Too much drinking goes on in this country. Too many people are not happy unless they have had a drink."

Ronaldo Facebook page 'closed'

2009-05-05T23:18:00.002+01:00

The biggest unofficial Cristiano Ronaldo Facebook page has been shut down by the site despite having almost three million fans and getting half a million hits every month.

The man behind the page, 25-year-old Kunwar Ali who lives in Pakistan, said that he was devastated at what had happened.

"I used to spend six or seven hours on Facebook every day posting updates about Cristiano and have done for the last year.

"Everything is gone and I now have nothing."

The first Kunwar knew about his page behind shut down was on Monday when a friend told him he couldn't log on.

"I don't know why it was removed. It could be a lot of reasons," he said.

Part of the terms and conditions of signing up to Facebook is that unofficial fan pages aren't allowed.

They read: "Fake Pages and unofficial 'fan pages' are a violation of our terms of use. If you create an unauthorized page or violate our terms in any way, your Facebook account may be disabled."

Otherwise there could have been a problem with copyright issues.

Kunwar posted lots of updates about Ronaldo, especially during his on/off transfer to Real Madrid last summer.

While there were no issues with any text he put on the page, Facebook is strict about rights when it comes to video.

But as soon as Kunwar realised this he removed any videos that were on his page.

"I spoke to a copyright lawyer and he said that I should not share video content, that I should take the videos down. So that is what I did."

He also said he'd been in touch with Ronaldo's representatives in the past.

"I even offered them the chance to take it over, for it to become an official page but they said it wasn't something they were looking at."

There are still dozens of pages set up as a tribute to Ronaldo on Facebook with tens of thousands of fans.

Kunwar added: "I spent one full year of my life on this page and if someone asks me what I did with myself I have nothing. Everything is gone."

Swine flu outbreak delays CONCACAF final

2009-04-28T03:18:00.002+01:00

CONCACAF have rescheduled the second leg of the Champions League final between Mexican duo Atlante and Cruz Azul and cancelled the remainder of the confederation's Under-17 Championship.

Due to the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, the general secretary of the confederation, Chuck Blazer, announced earlier the Champions League final that was due to take place on Wednesday will be delayed until May 12.

CONCACAF have also terminated the Under-17 Championship that served as a qualifier to the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria.

However, as the tournament's regulations state the semi-finalists qualify for the World Cup, the governing body decided to stop the championship, which was being played in Tijuana.

The CONCACAF Beach Championship in Puerto Vallarta, which was scheduled to be played from Wednesday to Sunday, is under review, with a final decision expected on Tuesday.

Rio Ferdinand awe-struck

2009-04-25T00:53:00.001+01:00

Rio Ferdinand was left a quivering wreck after talking to his all-time music hero Michael Jackson this week.

Ferdinand took a trans-Atlantic call from Jackson at the launch of his online magazine when the King of Pop rang up to wish him luck for his new venture.

"That surprised even myself! Michael Jackson on the other end of the line, telling me that he can't wait to meet me and inviting me to one of his shows," said Rio.

"I was shaking afterwards, I couldn't believe it - he's always been a hero of mine.

"A friend of mine helps manage him in England and it's been set up through that. He signed a shirt for me the other day, he's invited me to come and meet him backstage after a show. It's mind boggling.

China school admits football scam

2009-04-25T00:47:00.000+01:00

A Chinese principal has admitted that the school football team which won an international contest was stuffed with national squad players.

Only three of the players actually attended Daping high school for girls in the south-western city of Chongqing, Chinese media said.

Principal Zhang Jianling has now made a public apology for the scandal.

The team won the trophy 12 days ago, beating a German team in the final. Officials say they will hand it back.

According to International School Sport Federation rules, all players taking part in the tournament must be enrolled at the school they are representing.

Reports said the team had been stacked with players from the national youth team and other top teams.

Gazza returns to help ailing club

2009-04-08T18:21:00.002+01:00

Football legend Paul Gascoigne is to take to the pitch to help raise funds for cash-strapped Darlington Football Club.

The former Newcastle and England star has agreed to take part in a match to support the League Two club, which went into administration in February.

Gascoigne will join former stars from Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough on 3 May.

Fans will also be given the chance play alongside the stars, with five places being sold to the highest bidder.

S. Korea accused over 'poisoning'

2009-04-06T14:38:00.002+01:00

North Korea has accused South Korea of poisoning its football players with "adulterated foodstuff" ahead of last week's World Cup qualifier match.

North Korea coach Kim Jong Hun made the allegation after his team lost 1-0 to South Korea on 1 April. Seoul has denied the claim.

The North's football association said the act was part of Seoul's "moves for confrontation" with Pyongyang.

In a statement about the match, the North's football association said:

"It was beyond all doubt that the incident was a product of a deliberate act perpetrated by adulterated foodstuff as [the players] could not get up all of a sudden just before the match."

Yellow card for farting

2009-04-05T20:03:00.002+01:00

A referee ordered a penalty to be retaken in a Sunday league football game when an opposition player broke wind as the ball was kicked.

The Chorlton Villa player got a yellow card for the noise which was classed as "ungentlemanly conduct".

The team, who conceded a goal on the second take, went on to win the match 6-4 against International Manchester FC at Turn Moss in Stretford, Manchester.

Villa manager Ian Treadwell said their conduct was "normally exemplary".

"One of our players 'broke wind' and only the referee heard it and he booked the player," he said.

"The other player had the penalty saved because it was a bad penalty; it was nothing to do with any noise. They were as shocked as we were as to why."

Mr Treadwell said he was waiting for the Football Association to contact them after it had received a report.

John Terry's mother arrested

2009-04-03T17:42:00.004+01:00

England and Chelsea captain John Terry's mother and mother-in-law were both arrested last week for shoplifting.

Sue Terry, 50, and Sue Poole, 54, were held on suspicion of theft, accused of stealing food and clothing worth £800 from Tesco and Marks and Spencer.

The pair were caught loading the goods into a car at the Brooklands shopping centre in Weybridge.

Security guards called police at 3pm on Wednesday and the women were taken to Staines police station where they accepted a police caution - meaning they formally acknowledged their guilt but that no further action was taken against them.

The incident is hugely embarrassing for the footballer, who earns £135,000 a week and has bought detached homes for both his mother and mother-in-law in the same street in which he also lives.

"Pull the rope" goal celebration

2009-04-03T16:09:00.002+01:00

Peter Crouch says Rio Ferdinand was the reason behind his robotic goal celebration during England's 2-1 win over Ukraine at Wembley.

The Portsmouth striker vowed never to perform the dance at Wembley again, but did when Ferdinand shouted at him "to pull the rope".

He was apeing a spoof sketch on Comic Relief by actor James Corden, who played a football-mad plumber.

In the sketch, Cordon's plumber stumbled upon a group of England players at their pre-match training camp and dishes out advice to all and sundry.

He told Crouch to abandon the robot move and do a "pull-the-rope" mime dance instead.

Spain unbeaten in 31 games

2009-04-01T21:33:00.001+01:00

Spain's win over Turkey today means they have now gone 31 consecutive games without defeat.

That equals a European record as Hungary went that number without defeat between 1950 and 1954.

Player forced to wear a dress

2009-03-31T15:47:00.003+01:00

Brazilian midfielder Jairo, who plays for Figueirense, was made to wear a fetching little number as part of a new forfeit scheme to punish out-of-form players.

Apparently the ploy worked and Jairo had his best game for ages in the club's next fixture.

Betting firm drops Merson from ad campaign

2009-03-26T13:57:00.002Z

A bookmaker has dropped gambling addict and former Arsenal star Paul Merson from its advertising campaign.

Ian Hogg, managing director of Better, said the decision was made after the firm received "lots" of complaints.

Merson, 41, has fought a well-documented gambling addiction.

Mr Hogg told the show that he had responded to criticism of the move.

"We've received lots of complaints," he said.

But Mr Hogg stressed that he retained a good relationship with Merson.

"We like Paul a lot," he said. "I wouldn't want it to be seen in any way that we didn't want to work with Paul."

He said it was possible the firm would work with Merson over publicising an "anti problem-gambling message".

Kenya's kits stolen

2009-03-26T13:53:00.001Z

Nairobi's Standard newspaper reported on Thursday that officials will have to go out and purchase replica jerseys from the shops after three sets of uniforms and 2,000 soccer balls went missing from the Kenyan soccer association's stock.

Kenya host Tunisia in Nairobi on Saturday as the final phase of Africa's qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup finals begins.

Football Kenya's technical director Patrick Naggi told the newspaper there was no time to order a new set of kit from the team's sponsors and there was no option but to buy from the shops.

Streaker shrinkage

2009-03-23T22:20:00.003Z

Shocked football fans got more than they bargained for at Gigg Lane recently when a male streaker charged on to the pitch during Bury’s home game against local rivals Rochdale.

The naked fan only made it a couple of yards on to the pitch when he was tackled by a female steward, who grabbed hold of him by the neck and led him away.

The man’s modesty was then covered up and he was carted off by police.

Rochdale fan, Jan Harwood, said: "He was the worst streaker ever.

"It was hilarious, but I felt a bit sorry for him. It was a very cold day."

This guy must be huge

2009-03-20T03:16:00.003Z

Fan shoots player dead

2009-03-19T19:27:00.000Z

An Iraqi soccer fan shot dead a player of the opposing team as he tried to score an equalizing goal in the final minutes of a match.

The shooting on Saturday in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, during a match between local teams, underscored the country's propensity to lawlessness even as violence by militant groups falls to lows not seen since mid-2003.

Anichebe targeted by police

2009-03-12T14:41:00.002Z

Everton striker Victor Anichebe was challenged by police looking for a gang of robbers, as he looked in a jeweller's window with a friend.

The innocent Everton player, who was wearing a leg cast after surgery, is now demanding an apology.

Cheshire police said they acted because there had been a series of violent robberies in the area.

During a "heated dialogue" between the two men and officers in Knutsford, Anichebe's friend was handcuffed.

Ronaldo struck by bizarre injury

2009-03-05T15:40:00.001Z

Brazilian striker Ronaldo came through his first competitive game for 13 months in one piece, but was injured by a microphone as he left the pitch.

The 32-year-old made his debut for Corinthians as a 68th-minute substitute in the 2-0 win over Itumbiara.

But Ronaldo was left with a badly bruised and swollen right eye after being struck by a microphone when a post-match media scrum surrounded him.

iPod helps to win Carling Cup

2009-03-02T14:28:00.002Z

Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster watched images of Tottenham players taking penalties on an iPod just before the shoot-out that decided Sunday's Carling Cup final.

Foster then saved Jamie O'Hara's spot-kick to help United triumph 4-1 on penalties.

"We have done a lot of research into the way each player is going to put their penalty," said Foster.

"We went into the shoot-out as well prepared as possible.

"We have had things to look at over the last couple of days and before the shoot-out, you can see me looking at an iPod with Eric Steele.

"It had actual video on it and showed where players put things."

He added: "Eric brought it when he came to the club. I have never seen anything like it. It is a fantastic tool for us."

The FA said it had no problem with the use of such technology and the laws of the game.

Fan creates Wembley in his front room

2009-03-01T00:52:00.003Z

A Manchester United fan has recreated Wembley Stadium in his front room because he failed to get tickets to see the team in the Carling Cup final.

Phil Spark's Didsbury home now has a turnstile on the door, fake turf on the floor, stadium seats, crowd pictures on the walls and a pie heater.

The 25-year-old and his friends will watch Sunday's game against Tottenham on a big screen in the mock stadium.

He said: "This is the next best thing to being there.

"I was gutted when I couldn't get a ticket for the game but I've spent the last few weeks making sure I won't miss any of the action or atmosphere," Mr Sparks, a surveyor, said.

"I may even charge my mates to come round for the best view in Didsbury."

FIFA considers changes

2009-02-27T14:25:00.001Z

FIFA's lawmakers meet on Saturday to discuss changes to soccer's rulebook including extra referees, sin-bins for yellow card offences and increasing the number of substitutions during a match.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) - which sets the rules for the world's most popular sport - will assess whether extra linesmen monitoring penalty areas at the end of each pitch can help alert referees to fouls or diving, while avoiding the need to introduce potentially disruptive video replays.

The IFAB will also consider a plan to extend halftime from 15 to 20 minutes and a clarification of the wording of the offside law.

Ronaldo faces £20,000 claim from crash

2009-02-20T17:29:00.001Z

Manchester Airport is pursuing an insurance claim against Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo for the damage he caused when he crashed his Ferrari in a tunnel, airport bosses confirmed on Friday.

The Portuguese winger walked away uninjured after he wrote off his sports car in the collision last month.

His vehicle bounced off the walls of the tunnel on the A538 near the airport which takes traffic under the runways between Wilmslow and Hale.

His £200,000 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Spider then struck a metal handrail which guarded an emergency exit door and came to a halt when one of the wheels came off.

It is understood Ronaldo faces a £20,000 bill to pay for repairs to damaged brickwork, buckled railings and the smashed exit door.

Seven sent off in Brazilian brawl

2009-02-20T17:25:00.002Z

Seven players were sentoff after a ferocious brawl sparked by a goal celebration in a Brazilian match.

The fight held up play for a quarter of an hour at the end of Thursday night's game between Brasil and Ulbra in the Rio Grande do Sul championship, one of the regional tournaments which kick off the Brazilian season.

Brasil president Elder Lopes was also involved.

Television pictures showed that trouble broke out when Rogerio Pereira scored the final goal in Ulbra's 5-2 away win and went to celebrate in front of the Brasil supporters.

Pereira was attacked by several Brasil players, leading to a fight near the corner flag in which players punched and kicked each other and tripped over the advertising hoardings.

Several players were seen to kick or punch rivals from behind, then run off.

Reserve players and team officials also joined in while riot police moved onto the field but kept out of the fighting.

At one stage, Brasil president Lopes ran onto the field and was seen aiming a kick at a player.

Weymouth reveal 50p plan

2009-02-14T21:56:00.002Z

The owners of Weymouth Football Club have revealed plans to issue a million shares to help save the club after the collapse of takeover talks this week.

Chief executive Gary Calder said: "The talking's got to stop, if they don't we'll have to make a tough decision early next week.

"The players have not been paid in 2009 and the club owes around £300,000. A million shares, worth fifty pence each, will now be sold in an effort to raise funds.

If the move is unsuccessful the club could face administration or liquidation.

Lovenkradns

2009-02-10T02:57:00.001Z

Everton players pelted with socks

2009-02-05T14:47:00.005Z

Liverpool fans targeted the Everton players with rolled-up socks at Goodison Park on Wednesday night in their FA Cup fixture.

It was a dig at Everton’s proposed move to a new stadium in Kirkby on the outskirts of Liverpool.

Residents of Kirkby, a mainly working class area, are sometimes derided as "sock-robbers."

This is a rather cruel reference to the way that burglars from the area allegedly put socks over their hands to avoid leaving behind finger-prints.

What started as a joke on a Liverpool supporters’ internet forum mushroomed into Wednesday night’s carefully-organised stunt, which was embellished with a raucous chant of "sock-robbers."

FA wants answers over missed goal

2009-02-05T14:36:00.001Z

The Football Association is demanding "a full explanation" into how viewers missed a crucial FA Cup goal due to a technical hitch.

Everton's winning strike in extra time happened as ITV1's coverage abruptly went to an advert break.

ITV boss Michael Grade has said the glitch, which has prompted 1,000 complaints, was "inexcusable".

An automated system for screening adverts was still in place during the extended Liverpool v Everton match.

It is used when schedules are running normally, and fails to take overruns into account.

In a statement, ITV called the occurence an "unprecedented transmission error".

But the FA has called for a fuller explanation, saying the mistake was "very disappointing".