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- Spain 1-0 Italy
- Australia give up three-goal lead against Ecuador to leave Postecoglou puzzling
- Poland 0-1 Scotland | Friendly international match report
- England 1-0 Denmark
- Austria 1-1 Uruguay | International friendly match report
- Australia v Ecuador – live!
- England v Denmark – as it happened | Jacob Steinberg
- Wales 3-1 Iceland
- International football friendlies clockwatch – as they happened | Tom Bryant
- Rep of Ireland 1-2 Serbia
- Ukraine 2-0 USA – as it happened
- Charlie Adam's hall of shame: the fouls, the red cards, the bans
- Football: England v Denmark – in pictures
- Liverpool in clear for Champions League over financial fair play rules
- Shrovetide football game: world's oldest, largest and maddest game of footy? - video
- Yannick Noah enlists other French celebrities to release anti far right song
- Instead of bullying Tom Cleverley, what petitions should football fans support?
- Hull City owners renew threat to quit if fans resist name change to Tigers
- England's new psychologist will not help us score goals, says Roy Hodgson
- The Fiver: Wedged Between Geena Davis And Susan Sarandon | Michael Butler
- Stoke accuse FA of double-standards after Charlie Adam loses appeal
- Wage bills result in big losses at Leicester and Forest
- Leeds takeover in the balance
- England's Toni Duggan apologises for Whoopi Goldberg outfit
- Glen Johnson reflects on career, first goal and 50th England cap – video
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:55 PM PST Pedro scored for Spain to inflict a narrow defeat on England's opening World Cup opponents Italy at the Vicente Calderón stadium  |
| Australia give up three-goal lead against Ecuador to leave Postecoglou puzzling Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:46 PM PST Plenty of positive signs but also some horror defending for new Socceroos coach to ponder  |
| Poland 0-1 Scotland | Friendly international match report Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:23 PM PST Scotland beat Poland 1-0 in Warsaw in a very impressive result for Gordon Strachan and his team, with Scott Brown scoring the only goal after 77 minutes. The home side, who were without the Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski because of a knee injury, started with the Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny as the former Celtic player Artur Boruc sat on the bench. Strachan sprang a surprise by employing a 4-4-2 formation, with Ross McCormack up front alongside Steven Fletcher. Poland were first to threaten after an even opening 10 minutes when Ludovic Obraniak sidestepped James Morrison and curled a shot that David Marshall tipped over. McCormack almost released Ikechi Anya after good skill midway inside the Polish half but his through ball was intercepted. Marshall made another save when Arkadiusz Milik was afforded too much space 28 yards out, the Cardiff goalkeeper diving to his left to push wide the bouncing shot. Gordon Greer then charged out to meet the Poland right-back Lukasz Piszczek, after the Brighton defender's headed clearance, to help force the skipper to blaze wide from 18 yards. Scotland had their first chance in the closing seconds of the half when Brown committed a defender in the box and played Alan Hutton in through the right channel. The right-back had three team-mates closing in on goal but could not find a pass and elected to shoot from a tight angle, with Szczesny blocking at his near post. The Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher came on at half-time for Morrison, while Steven Naismith replaced Fletcher. The visitors were soon under pressure from Obraniak's deep left-wing cross but Piszczek volleyed well over. The game was opening up and Slawomir Peszko shot straight at Marshall before Charlie Mulgrew released Anya down the wing but the Watford player crossed behind the well-placed Naismith. Scotland soon carved a better chance when Barry Bannan's pass allowed Naismith to run at the outnumbered home defence. The Everton player laid the ball off for McCormack 18 yards out but Piszczek threw himself in front of the shot and blocked. Poland should have scored in the 58th minute after Hutton was booked for bringing down Peszko. Obraniak's free-kick handed Kamil Glik a free header eight yards out but the centre-back sent it a yard wide. Scotland were cut open following a quick move as Obraniak lifted the ball over the Scotland defence for Milik to run on to but he shot over under pressure. The Dundee United teenager Andy Robertson came on for his debut midway through the half along with fellow full-back Phil Bardsley. Strachan then switched to a 4-2-3-1 line-up by sending on Charlie Adam for McCormack and the substitute was quickly involved in the goal. Naismith held up a throw-in before laying it off to Anya, whose right-wing cross found Charlie Adam. The Stoke player's header was half-cleared and Brown ran in to power a shot into the roof of the net from 18 yards. Marshall made injury-time saves from Michal Maslowski and Lukasz Teodorczyk before the final whistle to spark jeers around the stadium. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:07 PM PST • Tom Jenkins' best images from Wembley Shortly before Daniel Sturridge headed in for the game's decisive moment, a Mexican wave had been circling its way around Wembley. It is never good when the crowd have to make their own entertainment but it had been that kind of night until Sturridge, with a precision header, brought in the Liverpool factor and reminded us of his growing importance to Roy Hodgson's team. Denmark had not shown enough adventure to explore whether England might be vulnerable to a third successive defeat at Wembley and this time the only boos could be heard, cruelly, when Tom Cleverley's name was read out beforehand among the list of substitutes. England certainly had the better of it, but Kasper Schmeichel made some excellent saves, twice keeping out Sturridge before the goal arrived eight minutes from the end. Schmeichel also had to produce two fine saves to deny Danny Welbeck after he had replaced Wayne Rooney on the hour and England, though plodding through some stages, will reflect on more good than bad in their last friendly before Hodgson names his squad for the World Cup. That squad will clearly have a strong Liverpool influence judging by the fact this was the first time since 1977 there were five players from Anfield in the starting line-up. Raheem Sterling played as though immune to nerves and a beautifully weighted through ball for Wayne Rooney was one of the few moments of high quality in the first half. Jordan Henderson had a satisfactory night alongside Steven Gerrard and perhaps the biggest challenge for Hodgson is to coax more of Daniel Sturridge's Liverpool form out of him. So prolific for his club, he took his goal expertly, but there have been only flashes of that penetrative brilliance for England. Sturridge clung to the right touchline at times and the distance between him and Rooney was much greater than it generally is with Luis Suárez at Anfield. A Rooney-Sturridge combination will always worry opponents but they should really be a more threatening double act than has been evident so far. England had control of the ball in the first half without really doing a great deal with it. Rooney went round Denmark's goalkeeper, Schmeichel, after Sterling's pass, but was stretching to the shot and could not direct it towards goal. Sturridge eluded the left-back, Peter Ankersen, and flashed a cross across the six-yard area but the team's attacking was generally risk-free until Ashley Cole broke forward just before the interval, overlapping on the left, and turned Rooney's layoff across the goalmouth. Sterling was sliding in but the ball thudded off a post. Soon afterwards, Gary Cahill headed on a corner and Schmeichel had to save at the feet of Sturridge, but almost everything else was in front of Denmark. England had good structure and organisation but the tempo was slow and Morten Olsen's side held out fairly comfortably. There was also a considerable scare for Hodgson in that period and a reminder that England will need some good fortune with injuries in the next few months. At one point Jack Wilshere looked close to tears, covering his face and in obvious agony, after a clattering 50-50 with Daniel Agger. Wembley watched in near silence, anticipating the worst, and it was difficult not to fear that Agger's studs on the top of Wilshere's foot might have brought about another case of the dreaded metatarsal. The Arsenal man's distress appeared so extreme it was a shock that he eventually carried on. Cole made way at half-time so Luke Shaw could take over at left-back and Denmark, rarely attacking with any real ambition, were obliging opponents for an 18-year-old making his debut. Shaw quickly settled into the occasion, confident enough to break forward as well as defending with an assurance beyond his years. Yet Cole, winning his 107th cap, could also reflect on a decent night's work, showing no obvious indication that his lack of games at Chelsea has affected him. England were only sporadically troubled in defence and Nicklas Bendtner could not capitalise when Cahill's slip presented him with the ball. Glen Johnson was seldom troubled on the night of his 50th cap and Denmark did not do enough to examine whether Chris Smalling's erratic form for Manchester United might have followed him into the England camp. There were, however, still some anxious moments for England. Midway through the second half Morten Rasmussen ran beyond Cahill and Smalling, both of whom were struggling for position, and was suddenly clear on goal. Joe Hart was quickly off his line and spread himself well to spare England from going behind. England, though, merited the win on the balance of play and their moment arrived after a short corner on the left. Adam Lallana, a substitute, delivered the ball on to Sturridge's head and the chance was too good for a player of this quality to pass up. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Austria 1-1 Uruguay | International friendly match report Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:02 PM PST It was yet another night when it was impossible to take your eyes off Luis Suárez and Uruguay's star turn will wonder how he did not add to his national team record tally of 39 goals on the occasion of his 77th cap. The striker rattled the crossbar with a sumptuous 22nd-minute free-kick and he generally did what he has done all season in Liverpool's colours – twist the blood of opposition defenders. It remains a mystery how he did not score when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Robert Almer, in the second half while he flashed another free-kick inches wide. But Uruguay were good value for the draw on the back of an imposing second-half performance, and the equaliser owed everything to the touch and awareness of the Espanyol attacker Christian Stuani. It was debatable whether his back-heeled shot had crossed the line but the substitute Alvaro Pereira made sure by crashing home. The positives for Uruguay came in an attacking sense yet the negatives were at the back, and not only because of an injury to the captain, Diego Lugano. Austria created opportunities in the first half and whenever they ran hard at Uruguay's central defence, there was the sound of creaking. Uruguay's World Cup focus has narrowed. They have only two more friendlies, on the eve of the tournament against Northern Ireland and Slovenia, and the mission here felt like a key staging post. England were watching – and so were Italy and Costa Rica, who comprise Uruguay's group phase opposition in Brazil – and all eyes were on how Oscar Tabárez set up his in-form team. Uruguay had entered having lost only once this season, to Ecuador, and they had beaten everybody else, most notably Argentina in the final tie of the South American qualification round-robin. They advanced via a play-off drubbing of Jordan. In the absence of Edinson Cavani, who was not risked after only just shaking off a thigh injury, Tabárez started with Diego Forlan up front alongside Suárez in an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation. Cavani tends to play a little deeper. Uruguay looked to be compact, with Diego Pérez and Egidio Arévalo Ríos stationed in front of the back four at the outset. The defensive midfielders are the definition of uncompromising and what they might lack in ability on the ball they compensate for in commitment. When Austria had possession, Pérez was rarely more than a couple of yards from David Alaba, the creative star from Bayern Munich. Alaba was outstanding, pulling the strings with a wonderful weight of pass and working Fernando Muslera in the Uruguay goal. Alaba saw a 16th minute free-kick from 25 yards tipped on to the crossbar by Muslera. Marko Arnautovic flashed the rebound narrowly wide. By then, Uruguay trailed and the goal was a disaster for the right-back Maxi Pereira, who allowed the ball to become caught in his studs as he tried to repel a slick Austrian move. When it broke, Marc Janko lashed low and first-time into the bottom corner. There was niggle on both sides. Suárez bubbled with frustration at repeated trips on him, which fractured his rhythm while Cristian Rodríguez, the left-winger, who was bloodied in a clash of heads with Zlatko Junuzovic, was booked for catching Almer. Lugano, though, was the casualty. The West Bromwich Albion centre-back took a heavy kick from Janko and was forced off on the half hour. He remonstrated with Janko on his way off. Tempers also flared after Jorge Fucile's scything second-half tackle on Christoph Leitgeb. Fucile, the left-back, was booked. Uruguay are happy to leave their imprint. Apart from the Suárez free-kick, Uruguay also threatened in the first-half when Suárez flicked on and the substitute José Giménez somehow lifted over the crossbar from close-range. Tabárez twisted tactically in the second-half, switching to a 4-1-4-1 formation, with only Ríos in front of the defence and Walter Gargano, on for Pérez, slightly further forward in midfield, alongside Gastón Ramírez, who replaced Forlan. Uruguay looked more menacing after the interval; there was greater attacking cohesion about their play. Suárez became more involved and, from Ramírez's through-ball, he found himself one-on-one with Almer. That normally means only one thing but, surprisingly, Almer stood tall to block. Suárez howled with frustration, as he would when his 75th minute free-kick went just past the post. The equaliser came when Diego Godin headed a corner to Giménez and he nodded across for Stuani, whose touch and subsequent back-heeled effort was excellent. Almer got something on it but Alvaro Pereira tapped home on the line. Stuani might have had a penalty for a trip by Markus Suttner but the German referee Deniz Aytekin was unmoved. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:01 PM PST It's the last chance for Ange Postecoglou to experiment before naming his World Cup squad, as Australia take on Ecuador at the New Den in London. Follow live with Paul Connolly  |
| England v Denmark – as it happened | Jacob Steinberg Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:59 PM PST Minute-by-minute report: Daniel Sturridge's late goal was enough to see off Denmark but England failed to convince for long periods  |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:59 PM PST It was one of those nights when everyone in the stadium knew that they were witnessing something truly special. Not many turned up but those that did were treated to a Gareth Bale masterclass, as the world's most expensive footballer produced an outstanding individual performance that included two assists and a sensational goal that will played time and time again. Picking up the ball midway inside his own half, Bale showed an incredible change of pace to sprint around the outside of Solvi Ottesen – at one point he ran off the pitch to avoid the substitute's attempt to bring him down – before cutting inside Kari Arnason and curling a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net. It was a breathtaking goal rounding off a brilliant display and ended with Bale leaving the pitch to a standing ovation when he was substituted 18 minutes from time. Earlier in the evening Bale set up James Collins's first goal for his country since 2009, and it was more superb play from the Real Madrid forward that led to Sam Vokes putting Wales 2-1 up in the second half, after Ashley Williams deflected a shot from Johann Berg Gudmundsson which was goal-bound anyway. All in all it was a highly satisfactory evening for Wales, with this being their penultimate game before their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign starts. Bale had made it clear from the outset that he had no intention of going through the motions here. At one point he sprinted back towards his own goal to rob the Icelandic left-back of the ball by the corner flag and, with a lovely piece of skill, then managed to wriggle clear and play Wales out of trouble. At the other end of the pitch Bale tormented the Iceland defence whenever he picked up the ball. At times it was like an exhibition match for the former Tottenham Hotspur winger as he went through his full repertoire of skills. Oozing confidence, he struck a wonderful, raking diagonal pass from one side of the pitch to the other at one point, brilliantly picking out Neil Taylor's run on the opposite flank. Two minutes earlier he had thumped a 30-yard shot that Hannes Thor Halldorsson, the Icelandic goalkeeper, knew better than to try to hold. Bale, quite simply, was everywhere. He produced an exquisite cross with the outside of his boot to set up Hal Robson-Kanu for a header that drifted wide, intercepted a pass that led to Joe Allen shooting over and made several of those famous driving, penetrative runs from deep that leave a trail of defenders in his wake as he goes through the gears. It was a joy to watch. Against that backdrop it will come as no surprise that Bale also set up the opening goal. A Cruyff turn close to the touchline drew a foul from Aron Gunnarrsson, the Icelandic captain, and Bale picked himself up to take the free-kick – something he rarely gets the chance to do when Cristiano Ronaldo is on the same pitch. Collins, with a glancing header from about six yards, nodded Bale's superb delivery beyond Halldorsson. Wales were playing with confidence and fully deserved their lead but some desperately poor defending allowed Iceland to equalise in the 26th minute. Teed up by Alfred Finnbogason, Gudmundsson was given far too much time and space in the Wales area to stroke a left-footed shot that Williams deflected into his own net. Having regained control of the game at the start of the second half, Wales had a decent chance to go back in front when the ball dropped kindly to Emyr Huws on the edge of the penalty area but the 20-year-old Manchester City midfielder squandered a chance to mark a promising international debut with a goal. Not that Wales had to wait long to retake the lead. Williams picked out Bale on the right with a glorious diagonal pass, the winger ghosted past Skulasson on the outside and, with the outside of his boot, flicked a left-footed shot that beat Halldorsson but was blocked on the line by Arnason. Vokes had the simple task of heading in the loose ball from a couple of yards out. Then came Bale's memorable coup de grace. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| International football friendlies clockwatch – as they happened | Tom Bryant Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:55 PM PST Scotland pulled off an impressive win over Poland, while Gareth Bale was dominant in Wales's victory over Iceland  |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:54 PM PST Martin O'Neill said he wanted an exhibition for the fans; instead he got an illustration of just how much work lies ahead as the new regime suffered a first defeat. There were positive early signs for Ireland, but the eventual manner of this defeat flagged up more than a few concerns. O'Neill's instructions to attack had clearly made an impression because Ireland went at Serbia immediately. Within 100 seconds the home side had the ball in the net. Glenn Whelan struck a half-volley towards goal from the right and Wes Hoolahan diverted it home. The assistant referee immediately raised his flag, although replays showed that the Norwich forward had been played onside by a very loose Serbian line. That may have been unfortunate for Ireland, but luck was very much with them for the opening goal on eight minutes. To give Shane Long credit, however, he more than made that luck. As a long ball was played up the left, the Hull forward chased down the right-back, Antonio Rukavina. Sensing danger, Branislav Ivanovic attempted to intercept and play the ball back to his goalkeeper, Vladimir Stojkovic, only for his underhit pass to set up Long perfectly and the No9 slotted it in. If that was extremely uncharacteristic of Ivanovic, after a fine season at Chelsea, the goal bore all the hallmarks of O'Neill's approach: high intensity, lots of running, heavy use of the wings and the occasional opportunistic long ball. Although it was only his third game in charge, this team are already very identifiably an O'Neill side. It would be unfair, however, to say the new regime offered only old-fashioned values. One of the reasons why this game was always going to be instructive for O'Neill was that Serbia are precisely the kind of mid-ranking technical side who used to outpass Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland, but are also similar in overall standard to their Euro 2016 rivals Scotland and Poland. The home side did attempt to maintain possession in a manner not often seen under the Italian, with those passages also allowing the sudden surges of intensity in attack. However, it was a measure of how much O'Neill has to do that, on the first occasion where the home side loosened up, Serbia seamlessly played their way through. Just after half-time, Ljubinko Drulovic's side worked a passage up to the Irish goal, with Aleksandar Kolarov's pass eventually forcing James McCarthy to tackle the ball into his own net. That occasional laxness is something O'Neill is going to have sort out, but it was not just evident in defence. Just minutes after that Serbian equaliser, Long was put clean through on goal. Rather than simply finishing or rounding the keeper, the 27-year-old self-indulgently tried to chip it. The ball landed limply wide. It proved costly as, on the hour, Ireland were behind. From another slick Serbian attack, Filip Dordevic managed to turn the ball past David Forde. By that point, the away side were in complete control, a possible consequence of O'Neill's insistence on going so intensely, so early. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Ukraine 2-0 USA – as it happened Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:04 PM PST Ukraine 2-0 USA: As it happened coverage of the pre-World Cup friendly in Cyprus  |
| Charlie Adam's hall of shame: the fouls, the red cards, the bans Posted: 05 Mar 2014 12:40 PM PST The Stoke City midfielder's clash with Arsenal's Olivier Giroud is only the latest in a series of challenging encounters  |
| Football: England v Denmark – in pictures Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:54 AM PST With just 99 days to go until the World Cup in Brazil, England are in action in a friendly at Wembley. Here, we bring you the best pictures from the match  |
| Liverpool in clear for Champions League over financial fair play rules Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:37 AM PST • Clubs out of Europe this season will not have to break even Liverpool and other clubs such as Monaco who are not playing in Europe this season will not have to pass Uefa's break-even rule in order to take part in the next Champions League campaign, it has been confirmed. Only the 237 clubs who took part in this season's Champions League and Europa League are currently being assessed. Uefa has revealed 76 of these are being investigated and face sanctions this summer – including possible disqualification from next season's competitions – if they fail to comply with financial fair play. Clubs such as Liverpool and Monaco who have not been in Europe face no threat of sanctions this summer for failing to break even. They would be assessed next autumn – along with all the other clubs in Uefa competitions next season – with any sanctions applicable in 2015. Liverpool this week announced losses of £49.8m up to the end of May 2013, and a further £40.5m over the previous 10 months leading to some concern over whether the club would comply with Uefa's FFP rules. A Uefa spokesman confirmed to Press Association Sport that clubs not involved in Europe this season will not be assessed until next season. Liverpool remain hopeful that they will comply despite their losses. The club may be able to write off a loan made by their owners Fenway Sports Group to repay a £38m loan taken out to develop stadium plans by the former proprietors Tom Hicks and George Gillett. The autumn financial review by Uefa will look at clubs' finances over the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, plus an estimate of the position over the two years to come. That means the impact of the new bumper Premier League TV deal would be reflected in the English clubs' accounts. Manchester City, who have lost £149m in the past two seasons, have the most to fear among Premier League clubs, while on the continent Paris Saint-Germain are also in the spotlight. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Shrovetide football game: world's oldest, largest and maddest game of footy? - video Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:09 AM PST Residents of Ashbourne in Derbyshire take part in the annual Shrovetide football game, said to be world's oldest, largest, longest and maddest game of footy  |
| Yannick Noah enlists other French celebrities to release anti far right song Posted: 05 Mar 2014 09:03 AM PST Eric Cantona and Bruno Caliciuri also involved in gesture timed for three weeks before local elections A French former tennis star turned musician, Yannick Noah, has enlisted the services of two other national heroes to release a song aimed against the far-right Front National (FN). Noah, who is regularly voted France's favourite famous person, has released the song Ma Colère (my anger) accompanied by a video featuring former footballer turned actor and photographer Eric "The King" Cantona and singer-songwriter Bruno Caliciuri (known as Cali), whose Italian grandfather fought with the international brigades against Franco The clip for Ma Colère, the second track on Noah's album to be released in June, shows the former sportsman dancing barefoot and bare-chested under his white suit, to flashes of the red, white and blue of the French Tricolore. "My anger is not a front, my anger is not national because my anger is honoured to fight theirs," he sings. The centre-right Le Figaro newspaper said the timing, just three weeks from local elections, was no mistake. "The former king of the smash has gathered the trademarked big mouths of the media bandwagon," it wrote, describing the clip's release in the middle of the election campaign as a "song pamphlet". "Yannick Noah has never hidden his penchant for socialist ideas," added Le Figaro. It pointed out that Noah had publicly declared his support for France's Socialist leader François Hollande during the 2012 presidential campaign. "His [Noah's] attachment to the ideology of the left is such that he was one of the rare 'rich and famous' personalities to defend the 75% tax rate," Le Figaro added. FN leader Marine Le Pen described the song as being in poor taste. "The words are pretty bad. As for this elevator music … I'm not sure it will sell," she told French journalists during a visit to Angers in western France. "The system is trying to revive the old methods it used against the Front National in the 80s. Mr Noah is a bit old to be playing this game. I don't know. What's the next step? A new album: Billy and Buddy fight the extremes? Or perhaps Bécassine (a comic strip heroine) does antifascism? It doesn't strike me as very serious." Noah, 53, won 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles during a career in which he rose to No3 in the world singles ranking and No1 in the doubles ranking. He has since founded a charity for underprivileged children and is the father of Joakim Noah who plays for the NBA Chicago Bulls. Fans of King Eric are advised not to blink or they will miss Cantona, filmed glaring into the middle distance, for all of two seconds. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Instead of bullying Tom Cleverley, what petitions should football fans support? Posted: 05 Mar 2014 09:00 AM PST Over 12,500 people have signed a petition calling for Roy Hodgson to ban the 'inept' Cleverley from England's World Cup squad, but what issues in the game should fans get behind? When Wayne Rooney stropped off the pitch after England's dire goalless draw against Algeria at the last World Cup, he took exception to the way the travelling supporters reacted: "Nice to see your own fans booing you. If that's what loyal support is... for fuck's sake." It wasn't the most articulate phrase ever uttered and Rooney later apologised, but the way he scrunched up his face and spat out his anger said a lot about the pressure facing England players at a World Cup. Rooney was angry as he had played badly in a team that was stuttering towards an early exit. He didn't need to be booed from the stands to realise he had underperformed. Professional footballers tend to be more aware of their own failings than the crowds who watch them. England struggled at the last World Cup and are unlikely to do much better at this one. If they click, they could make the quarter-finals, but without a bit of luck they could go out at the group stage. That's their level. Perhaps no one sums up the England team better than Tom Cleverley. He's workaday but unspectacular. On his day, he looks like a classy and controlled footballer. And on his bad days – many of which have occurred this season – he can look annoyingly ineffective. He's not going to win the World Cup for England, but he's not "inept" and "without any genuine qualities whatsoever", as alleged by the writer of an online petition that has been signed by 12,500 people. Why so many football fans have supported a petition that asks the FA to "ban" Cleverley from the World Cup squad is anyone's guess. Maybe it sounded like a funny idea at the time. But it is unnecessarily cruel. As Roy Hodgson suggested on Tuesday, Cleverley knows his form has dipped and is trying to play his way out of a rough patch. "That petition does not impress me, I must admit," said Hodgson, sounding a little like Shania Twain. "I'm disappointed that Tom, as a sensitive young man, has got to bear that burden, but I know one thing – he will come through it and when he does come through it and Manchester United start winning again, and he's starting to get praise for his performances, he'll be stronger for it." Cleverley may take home a substantial wage packet, but he's just a 24-year-old trying to learn his trade in a very public setting. He's going through a run of poor form, but doesn't deserve to be cyberbullied by his own supporters. England fans can do better than this. Are football supporters not famed for their wit and humour? If fans are going to write petitions to the FA, what subjects should they be backing? What subjects should football fans petition about? theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Hull City owners renew threat to quit if fans resist name change to Tigers Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:45 AM PST • Allam family remain committed to changing playing name Hull City's owners remain committed to changing the name of the club to Hull Tigers despite stiff opposition from fans' groups, and have reiterated their threat to walk away from the club if their plans are blocked. In an open letter published in the Hull Daily Mail, the vice-president Ehab Allam said the Premier League club needed to become financially self-sustainable as his family had "nothing left to give" in terms of future financial investment. Hull's owners, headed by the chairman Assem Allam, have ploughed £74m into the club since 2010 – an investment that almost certainly warded off a Portsmouth-style meltdown following their relegation from the Premier League in that same year. The Allams have already changed the company name to Hull City Tigers but they need the permission of the FA Council to change the club's playing name. A formal application was submitted to the Football Association in December but the high-profile City Till We Die supporters' group is vehemently opposing the plans, and it is far from certain the governing body will sign off on the proposal. Ehab Allam's open letter strikes a far more conciliatory tone than some of the past pronouncement of his father – who famously said the City Till We Die members could "die as soon as they want" – but nevertheless underlines the continuing determination of the family. "We feel that now is the right time to reassure our fans of the reason for the application," the letter read. "With our family having lived in the area for 40 years, we decided to invest £24m of our own money to save the club from liquidation, and probable extinction, in 2010. Since this point we have invested a further £50m to get the club into the Premier League. "We have nothing left to give, and this is the reason why the club has to become financially self-sustainable. "For the club to become sustainable we need further investment in the form of increased sponsorships and partnerships, and by utilising the global pull of the Premier League this is possible." Assem Allam previously said he considers a Tigers brand to be more marketable, and the word "City" to be "lousy" and "common". The letter continued: "Currently there are six teams in the Premier League with 'City' in their name, and, with the exception of Manchester City, all of those clubs are in a similar league position to us, and playing to similar-sized crowds. "We need something that makes us stand out from the pool of teams we find ourselves in when it comes to attracting potential international sponsors, who are simply hoping to use the Premier League, and its global audience, to advertise. "We feel the Hull Tigers brand would give us an edge in any negotiations." The letter signed off with another warning that the Allam family is prepared to walk away should the name change be blocked. "We hope the fans understand that we cannot own or run a club where we cannot make the right decisions," it read. "If we were denied the chance to operate the business in the way we feel fit, and that we firmly believe is in the long-term interests of the club and the fans, then we would have no alternative but to offer the club for sale." theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| England's new psychologist will not help us score goals, says Roy Hodgson Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:21 AM PST England coach Roy Hodgson says the team's new psychologist can help with mental preparation  |
| The Fiver: Wedged Between Geena Davis And Susan Sarandon | Michael Butler Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:07 AM PST NO MORE MISTER NICE GUYWhenever The Fiver's up-talking, didgeridoo-playing, shrimp-throwing, galah-torching Australian cousin That's Not A Knife This Is A Knife Alf Stewart Fair Dinkum ..... Maaaaaaaaiiiiite Fiver gets arrested, he never goes quietly; often chaining itself to whatever toilet u-bend he can find, claiming police harassment, and blaming everyone but himself for his current state of inebriation. Despite the ass-whippin' the Fiver received at the hands of it's cousin's faux-crocodile belt over the years, there is a begrudging respect for our Antipodean relative predilection for sticking it to the man. It's more fun watching somebody burn their bridges without so much of a look over the shoulder and marching relentlessly forward into the sun, than someone performing a calculated exercise in damage limitation: a carefully worded press release for example, in which poisonous praise is lavished in every direction. When The Fiver woke up and heard Nemanja Vidic is leaving Manchester United for Internazionale, we were excited. The last time somebody swapped Manchester for Inter – Paul Ince – there were fireworks. The Guv'nor! Big-time Charlie! Lord Ferg! Loggerheads! Even when Jaap Stam and Paul Pogba left Manchester Airport for Italy, they did so under a cloud of smoke; outrageous talent cast-off, booted out to a country shaped like a boot. Seeya! Pangs of regret later perhaps, but outwardly, good riddance! Alas, no such excitement now. Just pitiful, nice, kind bile: words that resemble a patronising pat on the head and a one-armed hug to all Manchester United fans ... and a spiky reminder that once upon a time, everything used to be alright. It's better than the realisation that the club's captain is being pinched on a free transfer by a mid-table side from a worse league. "Nemanja is excited about the choice he's made. Nemanja loved everything about Inter's project and hopes to carry the club forward," the 32-year-old's Mr 15% said, while last month the Serb himself schmoozed that he had "eight wonderful years at Manchester United. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career. I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever," he simpered. The big difference between Ince or Stam and now, of course, is that Vidic is jumping, rather than being pushed, eager to become "another pillar for the construction of a great Inter", as his future club's president, Erick Thohir, put it. How the Fiver longs for the days of Manchester United easing to victories on a weekly basis, when any high-profile departures always came with vindictive rhetoric and no references to masonry. So keep talking Vidic. We hoped you'd go out with more of an uncompromising bang. All the Fiver knows now is that when we get tired of writing unfunny tea-time emails, and decide to depart this cruel world, we will do so on our own terms, probably by driving over a cliff in a 1966 Thunderbird convertible wedged between Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, listening to a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, high on a cocktail of Keith Moon Mood-Enhancers and a couple of quarts of amber Fist-Fight. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHTMore pointless international friendlies than you can shake a rolled-up copy of one of Weird Uncle Fiver's special interest mags at: Clockwatch with Tom Bryant, England v Denmark with Jacob Steinberg, Spain v Italy with Ian McCourt. And while those Guardian heroes are watching so you don't have to bother, they can at least console themselves with the fact they're missing our live-feed of France v Germany from Stade de France. QUOTE OF THE DAY"That petition does not impress me, I must admit ... I would like to think that I'm not going to have the England team selected in the future by petitions from various people who are holding it against one person for a team's lack of success. You can't expect a football coach to have any sympathy with it" - Mr Roy takes a swipe at over 10,000 bullies who signed an online petition calling for Tom Cleverley to be "banned" from England's World Cup squad. FIVER LETTERS"Carles. Carles Puyol. Flaxen-haired head-banging symbol of the Catalan nation. Proud wearer of the red and gold-striped captain's armband of FC Barcelona, which is mes que un club, it's a symbol of regional pride and independence. And you spell his name with a Castilian 'O' (yesterday's Bits and Bobs). Looking forward to Sid Lowe's anguished howl of despair, printed above 1,056 others. By the way, Jamie Carragher is the Matalan Carles Puyol" - Rhidan Williams (and no others). "Can we put this 1,057 business to bed and learn how many emails you actually received chiding Phillipa 'two ells and one pee' Suarez for leaving the accent out of Ribéry (yesterday's Fiver Letters)? I'm going for 19, on the assumption that the other half of your readership are just sick and tired of it all" - Ben Jones (and no others). "Only one 'P' in Phillipa? Really?" - Kieran Bell (and 1,056 others). "In yesterday's Fiver you described FA disciplinary staff as 'paper-pushers'. Curiously, if they hand Alan Pardew an unprecedented punishment later this week, they'll also be 'pushing the envelope'. This feels to me like a chance for The Fiver to impress The Man by describing all types of FA activity in terms of stationery-shoving. So can I suggest, for when they selectively implement a report's recommendations, 'highlighter hustle'? Or, in the case of a cover-up, 'thrusting the Tipp-Ex'?" - Olly Wicken. "The reference to Cillit Bang (yesterday's Fiver) was incredibly apt, reminding me of the daily arrival of your email in my inbox: ping, and the humour's gone" - James Wallis. So Nicklas Bendtner reckons his party animal reputation is entirely undeserved, and that his one and only misdemeanour was the drink driving incident in Copenhagen (yesterday's Quote of the Day)? Hmmm. What about this? Or this? Or this? Evidently his memory is on a par with his finishing ability" - Nick Payne. "If England's tactics include 'relentlessly bashing the ball up the field to an increasingly exasperated and red-faced Wayne Rooney' and 'struggling to string two passes together' (yesterday's Fiver Letters), surely any prospective World Cup spies would need go no further than Carrington?" - Christopher Smith. Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Christopher Smith. JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATESChances are that if you're reading this tea-timely football email, you're almost certainly single. But fear not - if you'd like to find companionship or love, sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly folk who would never normally dream of going out with you. And don't forget, it's not the rejection that kills you, it's the hope. BITS AND BOBSThe proposed takeover of Dirty Leeds by the Cagliari chairman Massimo Cellino could collapse this month and proper journalism's David Conn can tell you why. Click here to read his big "EXCLUSIVE!!!" Darren Fletcher is poised to make his first appearance for Scotland since November 2012 in Poland tonight, as he continues his recovery from surgery for a chronic bowel condition. In financial-knack news, Nottingham Forest have announced losses of more than £17m for the 2012-13 season, the final campaign in which clubs that make losses of over £8m will not be subjected to Football League Financial Fair Play sanctions. Andy Thorn has been sacked as manager of Kidderminster Harriers after just two months in charge at Aggborough. ""The club feels that by making a change now, the team will have a better opportunity to not only finish the current season strongly but, equally as importantly, will also be able to carry momentum forward into the start of a new season - whichever division that may be in," harrumphed a club statement. And pressure from people desperate to be offended over very little means England international and Kick It Out anti-racism ambassador Toni Duggan has apologised for blacking up and dressing as Whoopi Goldberg's character in Sister Act for a squad fancy dress party. "I am very sorry for my actions and for any offence," she said, promising not to make a habit of dressing as a pretend nun. STILL WANT MORE?Barney Ronay stopped taking his trademark sideways looks and wry glances at various things for long enough to go online and answer your questions in a live webchat. Revisit his dirty talk. At a loss for things to look out for in tonight's international friendlies? Paul Doyle and Jacob Steinberg have cobbled together 10 of them, none of which are pertinent to Burundi's big match against Rwanda. In attempting to defend Charlie Adam's latest act of as yet unpunished violence , Stoke chairman Peter Coates is stamping his foot in protest over the wrong incident, says Paul Wilson. You can take the man out of eastern Europe, but you can't take eastern Europe out of the man. Still buzzing from his stint covering the Winter Olympics, Owen Gibson previews Kosovo's maiden international football voyage. Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. SIGN UP TO THE FIVERWant your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEANIEtheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Stoke accuse FA of double-standards after Charlie Adam loses appeal Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:52 AM PST • Scottish midfielder's three-match ban stands Stoke's chief executive, Tony Scholes, has accused the Football Association of double-standards after their midfielder Charlie Adam's three-game ban for stamping was upheld. The Scotland international was found guilty of violent conduct after his tangle with Arsenal's Olivier Giroud during Stoke's 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium was missed by the referee Mike Jones but picked up by television footage. Stoke contested the FA's decision to charge the player but an independent panel upheld the charge against the 28-year-old. Adam will miss league matches against Norwich, West Ham and Aston Villa. "I am extremely disappointed for the effect that this is going to have on Charlie and on the football club," Scholes said. "However, I am not surprised because clubs like ours very rarely succeed in appeals to the FA. We put together a strong defence which was based upon the facts, which were that Charlie needed to plant his foot, and in changing direction his eyes followed the ball at all times. "How can anybody other than Charlie say what intent was there? How can the FA possibly justify this decision in the light of recent incidents which were far worse at other clubs which have gone unpunished?" he claimed. Last month Manchester City's Yaya Touré escaped being punished after appearing to aim a kick at Norwich's Ricky van Wolfswinkel, leading the Chelsea manager, José Mourinho, to state: "The message is clear – the players can do what they want if the referee doesn't see." theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Wage bills result in big losses at Leicester and Forest Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:42 AM PST • Both Championship clubs opposed to financial fair play Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, two of the clubs understood to be opposed to the Football League's financial fair play rules in the Championship, have reported heavy losses for the 2012-13 financial year. Leicester, owned by the King Power duty free company of Thailand and current leaders of the Championship, made a loss of £34m, according to their accounts just published, which follows £30m in 2011-12. Forest, owned by the Kuwaiti brothers Fawaz and Omar Al-Hasawi following the death of the previous owner, Nigel Doughty, in 2012, made a loss of £17m in 2012-13. Both clubs, which spent more on wages than their entire turnover, are heavily subsidised by their owners in the push to win promotion to the Premier League. Leicester's owners converted almost £120m of loans into equity in November. Doughty's estate converted £65m of their loans into equity in 2012, and the Al-Hasawis have loaned £35m, partly to pay off a remaining £20m owed to Doughty's estate. Leicester are understood to have been one of the clubs instructing the solicitors Brabners to ask for substantial changes to be made to the FFP rules backed by a threat of legal action. The rules were approved by an overwhelming majority of Championship clubs in 2012, and limit losses in the current year to £8m. Clubs losing more than £8m in 2013-14 face a transfer embargo, enforceable from January 2015, or if they have won promotion to the Premier League at the end of this season, a fine proportionate to the amount they lost. On the pitch, Forest remain in the Championship play-off places in fifth, despite successive losses. Jim Price, the Forest manager Billy Davies' relative and agent, and a suspended solicitor following the closure of his firm in Scotland, has been working at Forest and last year criticised FFP, claiming it is "illegal and unworkable". The league's chief-executive, Shaun Harvey, has pledged that the FFP rules will be "vigorously defended". theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:19 AM PST • Italian denies failing to pay €400,000 duty on yacht The proposed takeover of Leeds United by the Cagliari owner Massimo Cellino could collapse this month if Cellino is found guilty in a Sardinian court of failing to pay tax which prosecutors allege was due on a yacht he took to Italy from the US. Cellino, who has a 2001 conviction for false accounting and is under investigation for alleged misuse of public funds relating to work on Cagliari's Quartu Sant'Elena stadium, is accused of illegally evading paying €400,000 import duty on the yacht, which was seized in Cagliari in 2010. At a court hearing in Cagliari last week, the Sardinian public prosecutor, Andrea Massidda, argued for a €1.165m fine to be imposed on Cellino, and for the yacht to be confiscated. The case is due to be heard on Tuesday 18 March, five days after the Football League board is due to meet to consider Cellino's Leeds takeover. It is now assumed the League will await the outcome of the tax evasion case against Cellino before making any decision. If Cellino is convicted, it is almost certain he will be barred from completing his purchase of a 75% stake in Leeds, which has been agreed, subject to Football League approval, with the club's current owners, Gulf Finance House, an investment bank in Bahrain. The League's rules on having "fit and proper persons" in charge of its clubs prohibit people with unspent convictions for dishonesty offences from being directors, 30% owners or from exercising control over one of its clubs. Cellino, according to sources close to the deal, is understood to be proposing to have a 10% stake in the company, Eleonora Sports, being used to buy Leeds, and the money to be coming via a family trust, of which the League has been seeking more detail in recent weeks. Cellino has not suggested in his public statements that his involvement will fall short of being in control, as evidenced by his UK lawyer's purported sacking of the manager, Brian McDermott, before Cellino had even exchanged contracts with GFH. McDermott was subsequently reinstated. Cellino, however the deal is structured, is considered certain to be subject to the League's rules, and the League has been seeking details, including Italian translations of original documentation, of Cellino's past record. Cellino's lawyer in Sardinia, Giovanni Cocco, told the Guardian that Cellino is intending to plead not guilty to the tax evasion charge in court on 18 March. Cocco explained Cellino's defence is that the yacht was owned by a US company and that Cellino was not bound to pay tax on it. According to Sardinian media reports of last week's court proceedings, the prosecution alleges that the US company was formed only a month before Cellino took the yacht to Italy and was a device to evade tax. "The accusation is completely unfounded," Cocco said. "It is a vessel flying the flag of the United States owned by a US company, which did not have to pay tax in Italy according to European and international law." Cocco added that while the alleged offence is "formally criminal", it is "an administrative matter" and confirmed that the public prosecutor has asked for a fine to be imposed. Cellino, an agriculture magnate, was previously convicted of fraud in 1996, which Cocco says has been expunged following appeals. In 2001, Cellino was given a suspended 15-month prison sentence for false accounting at Cagliari, the football club he has owned for 22 years. Both of those convictions are thought certain to be considered "spent" according to English law, as they are more than 10 years old, so not caught by the League's rules. Cellino is also under investigation for the alleged misuse of public funds for works at Cagliari's stadium, for which he was held on remand for 16 days last year. Cocco has dismissed the investigation as "completely irrelevant" and said Cellino "rejects any involvement in unlawful acts". Cocco added: "He will firmly defend himself from accusations, if and when those accusations will be formalised." GFH, which bought Leeds from Ken Bates in 2012, agreed last month to sell a 75% stake to Cellino, after deciding it no longer wants to fund the club's approximately £1m per month losses. The League, which is examining all aspects of the proposed takeover, is understood to have asked GFH how it can sell 75% when it reported last June that it had sold "a majority stake" in Leeds. GFH is understood to have told the League it did sell a majority stake to Salah Nooruddin, the club's Bahrain-based chairman, then bought it back to consolidate the holding so it could negotiate a 75% sale. The League is understood to have asked for further details of these transactions. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| England's Toni Duggan apologises for Whoopi Goldberg outfit Posted: 05 Mar 2014 06:54 AM PST • Kick It Out stands by race ambassador despite stunt Football's anti-racism group Kick It Out will keep England women's international Toni Duggan as an ambassador despite the player issuing an apology over a fancy dress outfit. Duggan, who plays for Manchester City Ladies, painted her face black and dressed up as a nun in imitation of film star Whoopi Goldberg from the film Sister Act. Duggan has issued an apology and the Football Association has asked for photos of the party to be removed from players' social media accounts. Kick It Out, however, is understood to believe the incident has been blown out of proportion and is retaining Duggan as an ambassador. Duggan, 22, said in a statement: "I am very sorry for my actions and for any offence I may have caused. I would like to apologise wholeheartedly to England, my club and anyone else that I may have offended. "I am proud to be a Next 20 ambassador for Kick It Out and take this role very seriously for an organisation that does such good work." The photos were taken during a party for players on England duty for the Cyprus Cup, which is taking place on the Mediterranean island over the next week. An England spokesperson said: "We are aware of the images. We have asked for the photos to be removed and are dealing with the matter internally." theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds  |
| Glen Johnson reflects on career, first goal and 50th England cap – video Posted: 05 Mar 2014 06:54 AM PST Liverpool defender Glen Johnson, who on Wednesday plays his 50th match for England, reflects on his career to date  |
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