Mon, April 10th 2006
The increase in the number of televised games is causing increasing problems with the scheduling of games at the weekend. With Sky showing matches at Saturday lunchtime and evening, and 2 games on Sunday it leaves the Saturday 3pm slot bare at the best of times.
Fri, April 7th 2006
Brighton’s bid to build a new stadium is in doubt after it was revealed Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott made a mistake in his approval letter.
On Thursday, Prescott’s office quashed last October’s ‘Yes’ verdict on a stadium at Falmer after realising an error was made describing the site.
England manager front-runner and Newcastle Utd target Martin O’Neill is not qualified for Newcastle job, but he is for England.
FA Premier League rules state that should Martin O’Neill be offered the Newcastle Utd job he would be required to complete a Uefa pro licence course. The England post, however, requires no such qualification
FA Premier League rules require all managers taking jobs in the top division to hold the Uefa pro licence but those already occupying such posts have until 2010. If they fail to obtain the licence within four years they will be dismissed but would then, theoretically, be free to manage England, as that position requires no qualifications.
From: Guardian
Thu, April 6th 2006
The England shortlist whittled to “three or four” - believed to be taken from Martin O’Neill, Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren.
Steve McClaren is reportedly emerging as the favourite.
Tue, April 4th 2006
Fifa today refused to heed lobbying from the Football Association after ruling out the use of video evidence to retrospectively punish players who dive.
From: The Guardian
Related: FA’s war on divers to fail
Fri, March 31st 2006
New delays will mean that England will not play at the new £757million Wembley stadium until 2007.
The Football Association’s campaign to have diving punished retrospectively seems doomed.
The main problem in punishing simulation - attempting to deceive the referee - is that it comes under unsporting behaviour and is therefore punishable by a yellow card.
Fifa sources indicated yesterday they would change regulations only if the majority of the 203 national associations report similar problems [as the English FA].
From: The Telegraph
Tue, March 28th 2006
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes football’s rules are loaded in favour of divers (BBC).
FIFA introduced rules to punish ‘professional’ fouls with a red card to introduce more exciting games (ie, more goals), but surely diving to gain penalties and to get opposition defenders sent-off is a worse offence.
Which is the more ‘professional’ foul - a defender who mistimes a last gasp tackle, or the attacker who dives to gain a goal scoring chance or to give his team a one-man advantage?
The winners of the LDV Vans Trophy final will lose out on £50,000 in prize money because the competition has lost its sponsor.
From: BBC
On top of the £50,000 prize money for winning the trophy, it seems like the clubs will also lose the money they would have expected for progressing through the previous rounds. Swansea have estimated this at around another £25,000.
The sponsor-less competition will be known as the Football League Trophy.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, along with Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho, Liverpool’s Rafael Benitez and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger are on the shortlist of manager’s wanted by Real Madrid.
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