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--------------------------------- [32] Reserve team from last night --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Scorers: Pugh an one David May Rachubka, Brown, Pugh, Tierney (Sims, 80), May, Fox, Davis (Muirhead, 77), Stewart, Webber, Nardiello, Richardson (Rankin, 70). Subs not used: Williams B., Williams M. --------------------------------- [31] International fixtures tonight --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: England v Italy (20.00) Albania v Azerbaijan (15.00) Austria v Slovakia (19.30) Croatia v Slovenia (17.00) Estonia v Russia (16.00) France v Scotland (19.45) Germany v USA (19.45) Greece v Belgium (18.15) Holland v Spain (19.30) Liechtenstein v N Ireland (18.30) Luxembourg v Latvia (19.00) Moldova v Hungary (16.00) Poland v Japan (15.15) Portugal v Finland (21.00) Rep of Ireland v Denmark (19.30) Romania v Ukraine (16.00) Sweden v Switzerland (18.00) Tunisia v Norway (19.45) Wales v Czech Republic (19.15) --------------------------------- [30] More cuddly Pete --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "We are not sitting here feeling doom and gloom. Are we good value for broadcasters as a product? We believe we are" --------------------------------- [29] Guardian reports that --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: David Gill 'held a friendly meeting with Lazio and Fifa executives on Monday' --------------------------------- [28] Keep your shares say city types --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: >From the Indy Andrew Lee, the leisure analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said he was maintaining his hold recommendation on the shares, which rose a penny to 125p, though there were concerns about player wages and the future of television rights. "The value of domestic rights has probably peaked though there should be some upside in the overseas rights where Manchester United would probably hope to get a larger slice of the proceeds" --------------------------------- [27] Henry gets another dig in --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: On why he didn't appeal on his 3 match ban "I didn't even appeal because that could have made me miss the match at Manchester United and that would have pleased a certain person." --------------------------------- [26] Scouse/Czech bollocks --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: >From Jason Seems the scouse boys are never injured and lets consider how many games the United lads have played for England compared to the ever present Owen, Gerrad not to mention the hopeless efforts of Heskey. Cheeky f*cks.. Smicer said: "We know Manchester United players sometimes don't go for the friendlies, and if you look around you can see there is no Keane, van Nistelrooy or Giggs. Last season everybody was saying Liverpool would struggle because we were still in three cup competitions, but we showed that if you prepare well then you can handle the pressure of all those games." --------------------------------- [25] New United site to check out --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Check out www.4-ever-red.co.uk 4-ever-red is your Internet Portal to all things United. We also have a live chat room, a message forum as well as some unique content which should be of interest to all Reds. Please visit us at http://www.4-ever-red.co.uk --------------------------------- [24] ITV-football row gets nasty --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Football League spokesman John Nagle said: "Why have ITV Digital only chosen to target the Football League's agreement and not their other deals such as that with UEFA for the Champions League? Is it because they thought they would have more luck brow-beating the smaller clubs into taking less money than the bigger clubs? Our position remains unchanged; we have a contract and we will not be bullied out of it." --------------------------------- [23] cuddly Pete - players will be sold --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "The squad we have is world class and it's correct in terms of size. We have the right number of players and it will just be a case of re-jigging what we have. It will not be a case of just bringing players in - we will have to make sure we sell as well. That's not in doubt." --------------------------------- [22] And Nesta happy in Rome --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "I am already here and I feel good in Rome. I have my house, the sun, I have everything. It would please me to play another season with this team and without the problems we have had. I am sure things will go much better for us." --------------------------------- [21] United target gives Italian hint --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Parma's Fabio Cannavaro: "Now I'm thinking only of Parma and escaping relegation. But no one could say no to Juventus. When I was in Naples, Juventus always held a great fascination." --------------------------------- [20] Midani a naughty boy? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Front page of the Mirror reckons that 'Vegas Casion sues Man Utd chief for $1m, that Amer Al Midani - who RN knows to be a prolific gambler - is 'said to have lost the money playing roulette - then handed over a cheque which bounced'. The club have failed to collect the £715,000 owed and the club has begun a bankruptcy action in Britain and a hearing will take place at Stockport next month. Further from the Mirror 'He is a property tycoon and for years has wielded financial power at Manchester United. Beyond that, Amer Al Midani - being pursued by a Las Vegas casino over an alleged $1million debt - is a man of mystery. He is regarded as one of the club's most secretive characters. In fact, the number of words he uttered at the 2001 annual general meeting even formed part of a magazine quiz. The answer? Nine - "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Chairman, I move the motion." According to fans, that's the most he has ever said at a shareholders' meeting - despite being a board member at Old Trafford since the 80s. His wealth puts him in the big league, though, even by the standards of the world's richest football club. He is the son of a millionaire Lebanese property developer, who has made his own fortune out of hotels in Spain. Al Midani, 44, a non-executive director, is said to be the third richest man on the United board with a fortune of more than £20million. Only former chairman Martin Edwards and fellow director Maurice Watkins are ahead of him, both said to be worth in excess of £100million. Al Midani ploughed in a family inheritance to capture a stake in United. Since the club's stock market float of 1991, he has sold off some shares - at one point raising more than £10million in 18 months. He still owns 568,700 shares in the club, valued yesterday at £710,000 as United announced a big rise in profits. Al Midani, an avid soccer fan who attends most United home matches, is also keen on horse racing. He visited the Rio hotel and casino complex last year. It is one of Las Vegas's best known venues. The four-tower complex has 2,550 rooms and the best views of the city's dazzling neon strip. The hotel's wine cellar houses one of the world's largest collections of fine and rare wines, with more than 600 vintages catering for 15 restaurants. Rod Stewart was paid £3million for performing there on Millennium Eve. Al Midani is understood to have lost the million dollars now being sought by the Rio at the roulette tables. The tycoon, who lives in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, wrote a cheque to cover his losses before he returned to Britain, it is thought. But when credit controllers at the Rio tried to cash it, they were told there wasn't enough money in the account. Follow-up letters from the Rio to try to get a settlement of the debt also failed, it is claimed. Earlier this year, the casino instructed lawyers in New York to take action. A bankruptcy petition was lodged with Stockport County Court and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 23. Yesterday officials at the Rio said they were "not at liberty" to discuss the debt or the attempt to recover it via the British courts. But a senior source said: "There is an outstanding debt of over one million US dollars. It has not been settled. "A bankruptcy petition to recover the money has been lodged at the county court in Stockport, England, and has been listed for a direction hearing to be heard next month." Stockport County Court said: "A bankruptcy hearing naming Mr Al Midani is to be heard for direction on April 23." A spokesman for Manchester United declined to comment, saying: "This is a personal matter." --------------------------------- [19] Silly Becks story of the day --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: >From the SUN 'BOOKIES are taking wacky wagers — on how David Beckham’s hair will look for the World Cup. Punters can pick from a string of possible styles — with a patriotic St George’s Cross cut the 9-4 favourite. Other options include a close shave — reckoned ideal for the heat in Japan — and a return of his mohican. SportingOdds.com is also offering odds on a Ravanelli-style bleach blond look, and a lavish Ginola-style cut. England skipper Becks, 26, is renowned for his trendy hair cuts. And SportingOdds boss Wally Pyrah said: “How it looks for the opening match will be big news. “It will set the fashion for thousands of kids and adults.” Punters can get 33-1 on Becks going for a Sven-style cut in tribute to the England coach — and 10-1 on a much-scorned mullet. --------------------------------- [18] Misheard --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: >From the Birdman apparently some pillock misheard this one..... KEEGAN IN FOR SPAM England (Reuters) March 26 th 2002. Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan is reportedly interested in bringing Spam to the Club. The versatile meat is freely available at all good supermarkets and is available to Keegan at 68 pence a tin. Keegan sited Spam's versatility this morning at a press conference at Maine Road. "You can put Spam anywhere and it'll do a good job for you. We are looking here hopefully at a very good acquisition for this club. Whether it be put to use in our Massive banqueting suite or used to fill the butties for the coach journey to away games we know we will be ok here. Ok - so it may be a poor substitute for real meat - but then siddy fans are used to second best and certainly no strangers to poor substitutes. We can't all afford to live on prawns you know. But I tell you this pal I'd love it, just love it if we got some fresh barm cakes and some butter to go with it - Love IT!!!" Spam was born in 1937 as product of Hormel Foods in the US. At the age of 65 its one of Keegan's youngest signings. TheBirdman --------------------------------- [17] There is a joke in here somewhere --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Yorkie, the chocolate that is, is to launch a new ad campaign with the slogan 'not for girls' --------------------------------- [16] Paddy Harverson on Lazio late payment --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "They were late on an instalment and so we have taken it up with FIFA. But we’re confident that Lazio will pay us our money." --------------------------------- [15] United have only got £4m from Lazio --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: for Jaap Stam, out of the £16m due David Gill "We're talking to FIFA about how we get the money back" --------------------------------- [14] cuddly Pete on summer transfers --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "It won't be anywhere near last year's level. The squad size is fixed at 25 players and we have four who will be out of contract at the end of the season - Laurent Blanc, Raimond Van der Gouw, Denis Irwin and Ronny Johnsen." There will be new faces, but don't be fooled, the PLC ARE worried about the spiralling wage bill. --------------------------------- [13] cuddly Pete on Becks deal --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: When signed the backdated dosh will give Becks £3.6m immediately "This isn't any longer about renegotiation, it's really about putting the necessary paperwork in place." --------------------------------- [12] Never trust a Greek bearing stones --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: >From the SUN 'CHRISTIAN KAREMBEU has an arm in a sling after being set upon by an Athens hate mob. The former Middlesbrough star, 31, now with Greek champs Olympiakos, was attacked following Sunday's 1-1 draw away to big rivals Panathinaikos. French midfielder Karembeu said: "When we went to wave to our supporters at the final whistle, opposing supporters came on to the pitch and the police could do nothing. There were punch-ups and lots of injuries. Fans wrecked the stadium. "The referee and two of my team-mates were punched in the face and my left hand got injured. I'm still strapped up, although I can move my fingers and nothing is broken." --------------------------------- [11] cuddly Pete can relate to Ken Bates --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Master Bates "The biggest single problem facing football today is players' wages. Here at Chelsea, it is felt they have peaked. For the 2002/3 season onwards, it is expected they should show a gentle decline." --------------------------------- [10] Puts our figures yesterday in perspective --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Chelsea Village made a pre-tax loss of £4.1million in the six months to the end of December --------------------------------- [9] city, who the .... are city? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Jaap Stam's agent Tom van Dalen: "City made an enquiry two weeks ago but Jaap is not interested in returning to England." --------------------------------- [8] Reserves win --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Sheffield Wednesday 0 United 2 Kids looked very good, some swift, first team like passing. Wes Brown looked steady at the back, and David May started. --------------------------------- [7] Oh, give it a bloody rest --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: Thierry Henry "I have the feeling we are in the way and people want to stop us beating United. "When you see players like United captain Roy Keane screaming at refs and never being hauled up, you have to ask why? I really have the impression that everyone wants to throw spikes in Arsenal's wheels. Sol Campbell never had problems when he was at Tottenham. But now he's at Arsenal he even has trouble when he's playing for England. It's a good thing I like being someone no one likes." Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis said: "If Henry wants to know what it's like to be unpopular, he should come here on loan for the rest of the season!" --------------------------------- [6] Party People on its way --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: PA story 'Comedian and actor Steve Coogan came face to face with the man he plays in his latest film, 24 Hour Party People. The movie tells the story of Manchester's legendary Hacienda club and the Factory Records label. Coogan met Factory's founder Tony Wilson at the movie's world premiere in London. One onlooker said: "Steve must have done a good acting job because the pair ended up kissing each other." Other stars at the premiere included musician Chrissie Hynde, artist Tracey Emin, comedian Keith Allen, actress Jane Horrocks and members of the bands Toploader and Chemical Brothers. Chris Coghill, who plays Bez, Danny Cunningham, who plays Shaun Ryder, and Paul Popplewell, who plays Paul Ryder, also attended the premiere.' --------------------------------- [5] cuddly Pete on next TV deal --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: "Exactly what rights there will be is yet to be finalised, but they will be significantly more than the current deal. There will be more platforms and clubs will get rights back." --------------------------------- [4] Get rid of the rubbish round Merseydive --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: some hope... >From Ananova 'Football fans and residents are being urged to take pride in the streets around England's top football grounds. The hope is that the areas will be much cleaner due to an initiative called "Sweeper Zone". It is being launched at Liverpool Football Club between Coca-Cola and ENCAMS, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. The aim is to encourage football fans and residents to take pride in the streets and the areas surrounding football stadia. Sweeper Zone is being trialled this season at Liverpool and Arsenal football clubs with the active participation of the clubs, community groups and local authorities. Each football ground will be the focus of a "Big Sweep" which kickstarts the activity. Community volunteers in Liverpool are to join members of Weston Spirit, the Liverpool football club youth forum, and representatives from businesses, ENCAMS and Coca-Cola to help clean up the area around the stadium. At the same time banners and posters are being placed in the area to identify the Sweeper Zone. Coca-Cola Great Britain communications manager Emma Wigzell, said "Coca-Cola is committed to conducting his business in ways that protect, preserve and enhance the environment, supporting environmental campaigns since the 1960s. "Sweeper Zone is an exciting new initiative that brings together the passion of football, the youth appeal of "Coca-Cola", the expertise of ENCAMS and the determination of the local community to take pride in the local environment surrounding their football clubs." --------------------------------- [3] Letter to Red News --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: I know Becks is England captain and has to do their stupid press conferences, but I can't help reading these quotes and thinking we wouldn't have to listen to such tripe if Gary Nev was England captain (and he would be if it weren't for the neanderthal Ingerlund fans - he's much more captain material than Becks) . "I voted for Sami (Hyypia) as PFA Player of the Year because he has performed ever so well throughout the season. He is one of the best defenders around but then the whole Liverpool back four have rarely let anyone down" - I can't stomach the thought of a United player voting for a Mickey. "Yes, Arsenal are favourites to win the title but Liverpool are right there." - In case we hadn't noticed? Maybe a bit more effort from Becks in our games against the Scousers might have helped instead of looking out for his England teammates. "It was great to know that when I wanted to come up with something special against Greece I could. It was a massive moment for not just me but the nation as well. In fact, it seemed to make me even more popular." - Not with United fans. And while he was busy coming up with something special for England in the Autumn, he was playing crap for United and was so knackered he had to be dropped. "From England's point of view, it's tremendous. The title race will go to the wire and, with so many England players involved, it will keep us focused and on our toes right through to the World Cup finals." - Who gives a shit if a tight title race helps Ingerlund. I'd rather United won it at a canter like most other years and then the players all went off for a nice long summer rest. "Talks are rolling along nicely. I'd like to think the talks will be sorted out before the World Cup." - He only 'likes to think' it will be sorted, doesn't he know? And is this to secure his and United's future before next season or to tie it up so he can be focussed during the precious World Cup "Jonathan (Woodgate) is a talented footballer, I'm sure everyone knows that. It's unlucky for him because it's at Leeds but that's nothing to do with me. Everyone has to overcome obstacles in their life and I'm sure he will." - Support for the Leeds twat - who's definitely not a racist because everyone said he wasn't at his trial where he was accused of assaulting an Asian man. I know I'm being harsh and really I'm a great fan of Becks, but he's definitely winding me up these days. I wish he'd sign the bleeding contract, then shut-up and start putting United first, with England second (or third, or tenth...). Alison --------------------------------- [2] Another tribute --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by bar-knee: by Gary RIP Kenneth Wolstenholme. The Salford born BBC commentator died yesterday in a private hospital in Torquay, he was aged 81. Truly a gentleman of a long gone era. --------------------------------- [1] THEY THINK IT'S ALL OVER... --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, March 27, 2002 by redend: .. "it's now." Thus spake today's (Tuesday) 5 Live lunchtime frothy-headed bimbette when uttering the `unforgettable' phrase that made Ken Wolstenholme famous. I can only hope that it was someone on the autocue taking the piss, but, somehow, her obituary sounded somewhat hollow after this inexcusable howler. Most people of a certain age recall the Great Man as the Voice of Football (not a plc) - and when The Lone Ranger followed Grandstand - long before parvenus like Brian Moore and Barry Davies came on the scene. Talentless no-marks even made a television series on the strength of the name, rather than their miniscule talent and sense of humour. It is a sad comment on the state of the modern game, when men of his calibre will probably pass on with scarcely a mention. An even sadder aspect of the modern game was the announcement by Paddy Harveson of `marvellous' results this morning. I don't know about anyone else, but I could not give a flying fart about how many zillions are made off the pitch. The only results that matter are those on the pitch - and the last one was absolutely #@*+in` AWFUL! Alex Plypin
