TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| FA Cup and Football League matches postponed The opening match of FA Cup round three between Bristol City and Cardiff City was one of the fixtures to fall victim to the weather. Refresh this page for the latest news of postponements. telegraph.co.uk |
Whitecaps sell Canadian striker to West Brom Marcus Haber is on his way to England after the Vancouver Whitecaps confirmed Wednesday they have sold the Canadian striker to West Bromwich Albion. cbc.ca |
Newcastle United renew sponsorship deal with Northern Rock • Nationalised bank pays £10m for four-year tie-up• Agreement replaces former £25m five-year dealNewcastle United have signed a new four-year sponsorship deal with Northern Rock plc which could earn the club £10m.It had been thought that the government-owned company, which under its former ownership structure had paid £25m for a five-year sponsorship deal from 2005-10, would not be renewing the deal but the new bank, formed after the recent restructuring of Northern Rock business, will continue to be the club's main sponsor until the end of the 2013-14 season.Newcastle's managing director, Derek Llambias, said: "We are naturally absolutely delighted to have signed a new deal with Northern Rock plc and to have their logo adorn one of the most famous and iconic jerseys in world football from the start of the 2010-11 season."This alliance underpins the desire of two of the region's most well-known names to continue to work together over the next four years."Newcastle United's aim is to return to the Premier League next season and we believe that collaboration will help both companies achieve our respective goals in the local, national and international market place."The nationalised bank said it believed the sponsorship contract fitted in with its responsibilities under government ownership."We remain mindful of our responsibilities under government ownership and only consider those advertising and promotion channels that deliver a high return on investment and good strategic fit," the Northern Rock chief executive, Gary Hoffman, said."We believe that the sponsorship deal with Newcastle United provides both of these."Newcastle UnitedChampionshipguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cook fans flames as Mancini calls for calm • Manchester City manager sees no cause for alarm in return• FA issues warning as police guard against crowd troubleRoberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, has promised that Carlos Tevez will be "calm" when he returns to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Wednesday in a Carling Cup semi-final laced with enough bad feeling for the Football Association to contact both clubs to remind the Argentinian and Gary Neville to act responsibly and make it clear they are on their final warnings.The FA has become increasingly alarmed about the potential for flashpoints, specifically after Tevez's withering attack on Neville as a "boot-licking moron", and that was reflected yesterday when the two managers, Sir Alex Ferguson and Mancini, tried to play down the prospect of the rancour boiling over.Greater Manchester police has already expressed its concerns to the FA about the players' behaviour potentially inciting crowd problems. The FA has specifically told City that it will take a dim view of Tevez making any more derogatory comments in the media.Ferguson, who revealed that Rio Ferdinand would make his first appearance since late October when United play Hull City in the Premier League's only game tomorrow, said he was "not interested" in Tevez's behaviour as "he's not our player any more". Claiming that he had not seen Neville flash his middle finger towards Tevez after the striker had scored the first of his two goals in a 2-1 first-leg win, Ferguson added: "Players argue with each other and have a go at each time and time again. It's not an issue for us."Mancini's response was also in keeping with the FA's request for both clubs not to inflame the situation, explaining that Tevez may have been "tired" when he castigated Neville during an interview with an Argentinian radio station. "It's important that it is finished now, and it is," Mancini said. "I am sure Carlos will be calm and think only of playing. We all have to be calm."However, the message did not appear to have reached City's chief executive, Garry Cook, who was filmed telling supporters over a microphone that the club were on course to overtake United and become "without doubt the biggest and best football club in the world". Cook was at a New York pub named the Mad Hatter and he went on to say it was a case of "not if but when we are at Wembley having beaten Man United yet again". Despite the presence of television cameras Cook had been under the impression it was a closed event for him and the supporters.Tevez has been nursing a slight hamstring problem and will be rested when Mancini takes his side to Scunthorpe United on Sunday in the FA Cup. There is no sense, however, that he is in danger of missing the trip to Old Trafford, while Mancini will also have Emmanuel Adebayor available on Wednesday for the first time since the terrorist attack in Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations. Mancini said it would be "difficult" to imagine the Togo international starting but that he would probably be on the bench.Robinho could have left the club by then, with City said to be willing to strike a deal to send the forward on loan to the Brazilian club Santos.Ferguson again intends to play his strongest possible team, which could now include the fit-again Ferdinand. "He's been training very well for the last three weeks and this is the time to bring him back," Ferguson . "It's a big boost because it's been a rough time for us with injuries to so many defenders."Ferguson, though, still has no return date for Owen Hargreaves, having initially said the midfielder would return from his knee operations in early November. "We are trying to get to the point where he feels confident about playing." the United manager explained.Manchester UnitedManchester CitySir Alex FergusonCarlos TevezPremier LeagueDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Paddy Agnew: Never a dull moment with Mourinho So what does the above sound like? Yet another coach willing to blame the referee for his side's shortcomings? No, no, the above speaker is none other than the Special One, Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho and, remarkably, he was speaking just minutes after his side had run out utterly convincing 2-0 winners of last weekend's Milan derby. cbc.ca |