TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Everton 2 Burnley 0: match report Forgotten man James Vaughan earns Everton three vital points against Burnley at Goodison Park. telegraph.co.uk |
Alan Smith: Premier League big boys on easy street in FA Cup third round Scanning this weekend's FA Cup fixtures, it's not easy to pick out upsets, particularly when it comes to Premier League sides. telegraph.co.uk |
Portsmouth made to wait again for Premier League transfer verdict • Portsmouth under embargo because of debts to clubs• League asked to allow loans and free transfersPortsmouth will have to wait at least another day to discover if their player registration embargo is to be lifted after the Premier League continued to consider the financial information supplied by the club during the two sides' meeting yesterday.The league's bottom team owe £10m to various English clubs for missed transfer instalments. A £7m payment of television money is now due from the Premier League, and it seems almost certain that it will choose to pay this directly to those football creditors.If Portsmouth cannot make up the £3m shortfall to clear the debt, various options are available to the league. It is thought that one Portsmouth may have asked it to explore is to allow Avram Grant the opportunity of completing free-transfer and loan deals until the £3m is cleared.The league is thought to be losing patience with the club, so it is not clear how amenable it would be to shifting away from the blanket ban it imposed in mid-October, to allow Grant some leeway to sign new players during the current transfer window.The Premier League may simply decide to maintain the embargo but it will also be conscious that Grant was able to name only 17 players for Tuesday's FA Cup third-round replay at Coventry City, one short of a full squad. While Grant's team offered a spirited display to force extra-time through a late equaliser, before claiming a last-gasp victory through Aaron Mokoena's winner, the Israeli desperately requires new faces.Grant's lack of playing options is limiting his tactical options, ahead of Saturday's visit to the south coast of Birmingham City, who are unbeaten in 13. Grant, though, was happy with the contribution of Mokoena, whom he was forced to field in central defence against Coventry. "I think Mokoena was great," he said. "Firstly he was playing in a position that was not his familiar one, but we needed him. Mokoena is one of the most Âprofessional players I have ever met."PortsmouthBusinessAvram GrantPremier LeagueJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
I'll never walk away: Benitez Rafael Benitez has apologised to Liverpool fans for his side's woeful season but the under-pressure Reds boss insists he has no intention of quitting. foxsports.com.au |
Today in Sport - live! Discuss the day's big issues, send us your favourite links, follow us on Twitter and take a look at our 2010 sport calendar4.59pm: Nearly time to wrap up for the day, which means that today's Fiver is out now and the Football Weekly podcast, with the team discussing the Manchester derby and the Villa thriller (thrilla?), will be also be live in a short while. GSR 3.44pm: It's sudden death time for Cameroon and Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations, with both sides needing to win to go through to the last eight. Join Paul Doyle for all the action and updates from Gabon v Zambia in our minute-by-minute report. GSR2.36pm: It's all gone quiet on the news front. So anyway, here's some video clips. Who says Roberto Carlos doesn't have the hunger for it anymore? At his new club Corinthians, he appears so keen to prove his worth that he takes out an opposing player and two of his team-mates in one slide tackle. Not bad for a 36 year-old, even if he does look like a pensioner as he is helped to his feet. Oh, and here's a clip of David Beckham having his 'Goldenballs' groped by a TV presenter. GR2.06pm: There's been a bit of funny business in the Xiamen International marathon in China. Apparently, over 30 runners have been disqualified for hiring impostors, using vehicles and attaching time-recording microchips to other competitors. GR1.47pm: DavidHay86, thanks for the UFC update and the Brock Lesnar-bashing-Canadian-Healthcare link. On the subject of medical care, it seems doctors haven't been able to help John O'Shea to recover as quickly from a blood clot in his leg as United would have liked. In fact, he may now miss the rest of the season. GR12.14pm: To answer s2goon's question, we will indeed have a Football Weekly Extra podcast later on this afternoon. James Richardson, Barry Glendenning and Raphael Honigstein are off to the studio to record it shortly. Elswhere, the FA want to make the second leg of the Madchester derby a bit milder and will speak to both clubs in order to avoid any flashpoints, finger gestures, Rod Hull impressions and any of the other stuff that made the game exciting. And, the will-it-ever-happen bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr may take place in the summer according to the Philipino boxer. He reckons Mayweather Jr is "scared" of losing his unbeaten record and eventually the superfight will happen. Is he right about Mayweather being "scared"? Who do you think is doing most of the stalling? GR11.50am: The Football Association have said they will not take any action against the Arsenal defender William Gallas following his late tackle on Bolton's Mark Davies in last night's Premier League match.Kevin Mitchell has blogged on why the Russian Nikolay Davydenko is the scariest man in tennis and for a ripping bobsleigh laugh, make sure you take a look at Classic YouTube. MR10.30am: Good morning and a belated welcome to our daily sports news blog. We're a little understaffed today so we'll do our best to update this page with news, links, and what's expected to happen in the hours ahead when we can. Time permitting, we'll try to wade in below the line, answering your questions and comments.What's coming up todayWe've just had the morning meeting. Here's what to expect in sports news today ...• There'll be more reaction to William Gallas's tackle on Mark Davies which the Bolton manager Owen Coyle describes as "akin to assault". Davies is expected to undergo a scan on his injured ankle which should reveal the extent of the damage• We'll have more on the financial mess at Portsmouth • The Madchester row rumbles on and on and on and on. There may be some news on Gary Neville after he flipped Carlos Tevez the finger on Tuesday night• Michael Essien will undergo a scan on his injured knee to find out whether he will play any part for Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations or even whether he'll be fit for Chelsea's title push• And at 4pm we will have minute-by-minute coverage of Gabon v Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations with Gabon hoping to qualify after causing a shock in their opening match by beating CameroonGregg RoughleyMartin RoseGiles Richardsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |