| Poland Salvages 2-2 Draw With US on Late Goal The U.S. finally played with a lead, only to waste it. feeds.nytimes.com |
Wales poised for return to Millennium Stadium for England fixture • FAW calculate switch will generate more revenue• Decision will upset Wales squad who prefer Cardiff CityWales are set to scrap plans to use the Cardiff City Stadium for their 2012 European Championship qualifier against England in March and move the match to the Millennium Stadium instead. The decision will be welcomed by England but go down badly with the Wales players, who have an awful record at the Millennium Stadium and have made it clear they would prefer to take on Fabio Capello's side at Cardiff's new home.The Football Association of Wales were giving serious consideration to playing the match at the Championship club if it enhanced chances of qualifying for the 2012 finals but those hopes are in tatters after defeat to Bulgaria on Friday night left them without a point from their opening two matches.Resigned to being no more than also-rans in Group G, the FAW have decided the England game is now all about maximising revenue. They have calculated that playing the fixture at the Millennium Stadium, where they would hope to attract a crowd of at least 50,000, will bring in about £1.5m in gate receipts, double the maximum generated at the 27,000-seat Cardiff City Stadium. The news will please England supporters, who will have a better chance of getting a ticket for the game.John Toshack, the former Wales manager, said last month the players were "keener to play away from the Millennium", where they have frequently complained about the pitch and won only eight of their last 26 competitive matches. There was also a feeling among the squad that Cardiff's compact ground, where Wales played their first competitive match away from the Millennium in 10 years yesterday, would have created a much more intimidating atmosphere for the England players.After the Speaking after the 1-0 defeat to Bulgaria, the caretaker manager, Brian Flynn, said he was upset with the performance. "It was painful and it was disappointing. Training has been fantastic but we just didn't match that."Flynn knows the result has not helped his chances of securing the job permanently. "I am caretaker for two matches, and my plan was to get six points, which hasn't happened. I've had a head start [in attempting to secure the job] but I have been reined back a little bit now. Personally, this has dented my chances."Flynn will be forced to make changes for Tuesday's game in Switzerland after Chris Gunter's red card for a professional foul on Dimitar Rangelov, while Sam Ricketts is also suspended. Joe Ledley has returned home because his partner is expecting their first child, and Hal Robson-Kanu has dropped out with a hamstring injury.Euro 2012WalesEnglandStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Roar dare to dream of glory Brisbane's best start to a season has them dreaming about not only making the top six, but winning their maiden Premier's Plate. foxsports.com.au |
Liverpool were not at risk of going under, says Premier League chief • Debt level was not threatening club, says Richard Scudamore• League admits there is nothing to stop leveraged buyoutsThe Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, has said that Liverpool were never at risk of going out of business amidst the financial uncertainty surrounding the recent takeover of the club.Liverpool, whose fans feared they could go into administration and incur a nine-point penalty, were taken over by New England Sports Ventures, which guaranteed to pay off the £237m acquisition loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland which had been taken out by the former owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.Scudamore said: "The club was never at risk. There were bidders for it and the outcome was always what was likely to happen. There is nothing in place per se to stop another Hicks and Gillett happening. When they came along they passed all our tests and they would pass our current tests in terms of them as individuals."Scudamore, however, believes the sort of debt-funded buyout put together by Hicks and Gillett could not take place in the current financial circumstances.He said: "What is different now is the extensive meetings we have with any prospective new owners and the future financial information which is required. The world has moved on. That sort of borrowing against that sort of asset is just not available in the market place anymore."Those were different times. There is no way that sort of borrowing could be obtained now to put that sort of deal together.""They are allowed," Scudamore told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme. "But if we deem the level of leverage to be too high and the business to be unsustainable, then we have much more power as a board to either prevent that from happening or to apply some pretty stringent controls on the club."I am not sure that [the level of debt] was going to threaten the existence of Liverpool Football Club."I would prefer everything to be done in cash. I would prefer everybody to pay their bills on time, but we have to live in the real world and football has always attracted investment."Leveraged debt per se is not bad. It is the level of it, the terms of it, the short-term nature of it. Anybody who borrows that amount of money (£237m) and has to repay or refinance in 12 months is certainly at the risky end of the business."Scudamore said that if he was in charge of a Premier League club he would run it cautiously. He said: "I would not be paying out for the big world super stars. I wouldn't be taking the risks. I am risk-averse."The Premier League is run on a risk-averse basis. We have solid contracts and a very tight budget. We don't spend more than we need to spend. We don't owe a penny, we pay our debts on time."But we don't have to compete in dog-eat-dog across our clubs and across Europe. We're not in the business of putting on a show that is a Premier League match. You can't run a club like I run the Premier League."We generate the money at the Premier League. We distribute it to the clubs, they then put on the fantastic show they put on. But they have to take huge risks."Even if our 20 clubs got it all right, half the clubs would end up in a league position less than they expected to, some would get relegated even if they were all run as perfect businesses."There is an element of football which is irrational. It is the sporting element."LiverpoolPremier LeagueBusinessguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Lazio keeps rolling along: Serie A Lazio extended its surprising run at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 win over Cagliari on Sunday, with Sergio Floccariscoring one goal and setting up another. cbc.ca |