---------------------------------
[31] what a massive buy
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
On this day ten years ago...
Manchester City paid Wimbledon £2.3million for Keith Curle, making him the most
expensive defender in the Football League.
Move over Juan!
---------------------------------
[30] Fergie on Veron
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
"But it is nice that Veron can give us something different. He is a good player. He is
intelligent and understands the game, so there is no problem with him fitting in. We
gave him a full game at Wrexham because he misses the Charity Shield. He will be on
international duty so he won't have another full game until a week on Wednesday."
---------------------------------
[29] a world of city pubs?
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
'I found this website and wondered if the pubs listed were those where
City fans consoled themselves.
www.massivepub.com
Cheers, Geoff'
---------------------------------
[28] Reds against Scousers, part 958752
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From Ananova
'Maccabi Haifa's appeal to save their Champions League life is being handled in Geneva
by a Manchester United director.
The Israeli champions have employed the services of Maurice Watkins, who is considered
to be one of the best sports lawyers in the country.
Watkins, who is a senior partner of Manchester based company James Chapman and Co,
flew to Geneva last night.
A spokesman for the firm said: "Mr Watkins is representing Maccabi Haifa, it is
nothing to do with Manchester United but a private engagement for the company."
Spokesmen for both Manchester United and Liverpool both declined to comment today, but
the upshot of the engagement - if Watkins wins the case - is that a Manchester United
director will have made Liverpool's progress into the Champions League group stages
more difficult.
Facing Haifa would be more of a problem for Gerard Houllier's team because they are
clearly tougher opposition that Finnish side FC Haka and if Liverpool were to fail to
qualify for the group stages, it would cost them millions.
Haifa were thrown out of the competition last week by a Uefa disciplinary hearing for
fielding a suspended player in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie
with Haka.
There also remains an outside possibility that Uefa may order a replay - throwing
Liverpool's early season campaign into complete chaos.
Haifa, who estimate the loss of such a high-profile two-legged tie will cost them in
excess of £1million, sought top legal support in Europe, and have also received advice
from top agent Pinhas Zahavi, who represents Rio Ferdinand and Eyal Berkovic.'
---------------------------------
[27] Victoria Beckham's site
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
www.victoriabeckham.mu
.mu!!
---------------------------------
[26] First player to be charged over here over passport 'scams'
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Everyone seems to suggest that Nolberto Solano of the Cry Babies could be charged.
He said: "I know nothing about it. As far as I’m concerned, everything is in order."
---------------------------------
[25] Barthez on life, the universe and everything
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
The SUN has some quotes from Fabien, most of you would have seen these on this site
over the past year as they happened.
"Strikers? I never stop telling myself I'm going to guzzle them up."
"One day when I was not playing for United, I went to watch the match from the corner
post. The speed of the game was incredible.
"When I am playing, I have the impression of seeing the ball or the player coming
towards me in slow motion.
"It reminds me of the first time I saw myself on TV. Everything was going on a great
deal more quickly than what I had personally felt on the pitch."
"Remaining concentrated for all that time is exhausting.
"I just have to get away right in the thick of the match — when the ball is nowhere
near me, obviously.
"I have 30 seconds, maybe a minute to make my escape. I look around me and think about
what I would like to do in the rest of the game.
"At the same time, I imagine the possible counter-attack. That is why I play fairly
high.
"In relation to a lot of other goalkeepers, I started really young in a big club. I
won the Champions League at 21 with Marseille against the AC Milan of Van Basten.
"Almost two years earlier, I had been told by Joel Bats, the former French
international keeper, that the hardest thing would be playing for a major team.
"He said I would have just two or three ticklish things to handle in a game without
having the right to the least mistake.
"Making 10 saves in a match will never make a great keeper of you. I know I still have
progress to make in terms of concentration."
"What gives me true satisfaction is this was the first year in which I did not make
any great blunder. In general, I used to make one or two real big ones a season.
"But a huge error has never changed the way I play. I can have a bad bounce at any
time.
"It has always p****d me off to let in a goal but it has never got me down. I consider
each goal is my own fault.
"Afterwards, I think it over, look for an answer to stop the same thing happening
again and I have always found it. This is how I have developed."
"In contrast to Monaco, I have discovered what a relationship of trust is. Alex
Ferguson told me one day when speaking of his players 'They pay taxes, have children
at home and are big lads. I am there only to direct them on the field. It is their
life after that.' Even so, the club does everything imaginable to take away your least
worry.
"It is easy to adapt when Sir Alex himself asks you every week: 'Fabien, you have no
need of anything, do you?'"
"Last season at Leeds, I hacked a player down. I got a yellow card that could have
been red and a penalty against me. The player chose to take it himself. People shouted
he was going to shoot to my left. I went right and saved it. I did what was required
by instinct."
"I am a realist and know where I come from. My values have always remained the same
whether I am talking about human relationships, trust, friendship or money. But,
outside of football, I have trust in no one. Or rather, I trust only myself."
"I am more of a player than I was in my last two seasons with Monaco. I get more
touches of the ball. I am really the sweeper — often beyond my penalty box. I do no
specific work with the ball at my feet but I've made a lot of progress playing
five-a-sides with David Beckham and the others. Obviously, I'm not at their level. I'd
be out of my league on a big pitch but get away with it on a small one."
---------------------------------
[24] Ruud for free?
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
As Darren Ferguson recommended Ruud to Dad while on loan in Holland.
Darren said: "They could have had him for nothing."
---------------------------------
[23] Chris Sutton gets gobby
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
"We were up for the game because of the way they played last time. We went out that
night at Parkhead to play it as a friendly but they were putting the foot in all over
the shop. That annoyed us and we decided at Old Trafford we would be putting it about.
"A lot of guys were playing for pride and we got it back. To go there and win 4-3
shows we can handle ourselves."
---------------------------------
[22] NOT WENGER!
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Mirror go with the it looks like Wenger story again. The good thing about this is they
were quite off target during the 'Fergie will leave this season' episode so hopefully
their snouts are off target again.
>From the Mirror
'MANCHESTER United have narrowed down the short list to replace Sir Alex Ferguson to
just three names. Mirror Sport can reveal that Louis Van Gaal, Fabio Cappello and
Arsene Wenger are their top targets.
Bayern Munich chief Ottmar Hitzfeld was their preferred choice to
replace Fergie, but he has ruled himself out of the race. Hitzfeld has always insisted
he will stay in Germany, but United believed they could still land their man.
Now though, United chief executive Peter Kenyon has reluctantly accepted he is
unlikely to get his man and he has narrowed down his list of options. Celtic's Martin
O'Neill and Leeds' David O'Leary were on the original short list but they have now
also been taken off.
United want an experienced manager to replace Ferguson with a proven track record in
Europe. As Mirror Sport revealed last week, the Arsenal board have offered Wenger a
four-year deal worth more than £8 million to stay at Highbury, and gave him until last
night to agree to it or admit he will leave.
Wenger is out of contract in the summer and will be free to speak with
other clubs from January. Last night Dein and chairman Peter Hill-Wood
were still locked in negotiations with their manager.
A year ago, Kenyon met Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer for permission to
approach Hitzfeld about the possibility of taking over from Ferguson. Beckenbauer told
Kenyon to stay away from their manager and, seeing the danger signs, Bayern quickly
offered Hitzfeld a new deal which extended his contract until 2004. Kenyon has now
turned his attentions to Roma boss Capello, Holland coach Van Gaal, and Wenger.
The trio are all proven winners and have a great record working with young players.
Van Gaal bought Ajax back from the wilderness, restoring their status as one of
Europe's greatest teams in the 90s. During his six years at the club he captured the
Dutch league three times in a row, the Dutch FA Cup, the Dutch Supercup three years in
a row, the UEFA Cup, the European Cup, the World Club Cup and the European Supercup.
They almost retained the European Cup in 1996 but lost out to Juventus
on penalties. Capello is ranked alongside Ferguson and Italy boss Giovanni Trapattoni
as Europe's leading coaches of the last decade.
His amazing record includes five Italian championships (four with Milan, and last
season with Roma), a Spanish League title with Real Madrid, the Champions League (with
Milan), the European Super Cup and
three Italian Super Cups. But it is the possibility of luring Wenger to Old Trafford -
and subsequently Patrick Vieira - that excites United fans most.'
I'm sorry we're just not having that - quick straw poll here (let us know on the
forum) would you be excited by Wenger coming here?
---------------------------------
[21] Red News info, Fergie special, et al
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
The remaining copies of the Fergie Special will now be sold on a
first-come-first-served-basis. We will have a limited supply to sell at our
forthcoming home games where each seller will have some copies with them - starting
with the home game against Fulham. The only way to guarantee that you will get a copy
is to order one through the post, cost £2.50 including postage and packing.
Cheques made payable to Red News, send orders to Red News, P.O.Box 176, Manchester,
M16 8LG and if you e.mail us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] we will save a copy for you.
Just a few e.mails we have had from you after selling copies at the Celtic game
"...outstanding"
"great colour centre spread"
"is that the programme?"
RED NEWS DEADLINE
The deadline for issue 79 is this coming Friday (10th), if you have any articles,
letters, graphics, etc - and send them into the usual. Anything is much appreciated.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
We're also on the look out for new sellers of Red News this season at home games. Let
us know if you fancy being waved at by Fergie (as one RN seller was at the Celtic game
as he sold the Fergie special).
For those of you interested in joining the Football Fantasy League for this coming
season, a Red News League is now available at www.cyki.com.
And free too! Once you have entered your team, simply click on My Leagues and in the
Join box, type the following (might be easier to cut and paste).
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------
[20] Sunderland home end tickets go on sale
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
For info only of course!
It's still on a Saturday
(link:http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/cgi/asp_events/subcategory.asp?category=SPORT)
http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/cgi/asp_events/subcategory.asp?category=SPORT
---------------------------------
[19] Former Red on the move
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Ben Thornley at Aberdeen.
---------------------------------
[18] everything but massive
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Thanks to Sean for this
'Listened to the Keegan interview on msn at the end of last week and heard him use
every word bar "massive" after the first minute of the interview when he says he's not
allowed to use it...'
But they are a big club now.
---------------------------------
[17] Fabien's new address
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From one of our snouts
'Fabien and Linda turned up on Friday to give the okay to purchasing not one but two
of the last remaining apartments on the top floor of the newly refurbished mill, at
the back end of Deansgate. 500k apiece with an instruction to the site surveyor to
knock the adjoining wall down.'
---------------------------------
[16] Get your Blackburn tickets today if you already haven't!
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United
Ewood Park, Wednesday 22 August 2001, kick off 8pm.
(NB this is a Sky Premiership Plus Pay Per View game).
Further to the deadline of Monday 30th July all applications received have been
processed and approximately 1,300 tickets remain priced £20 adults £12 over 65s and £8
under 16s. Season Ticket Holders Only can purchase a ticket from the Ticket Office on
production of voucher 21 from this seasons book on Monday 6th August from 9am until
5pm (subject to availability).
DUE TO THE LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS AVAILABLE WE REGRET THAT NO POSTAL APPLICATIONS
CAN BE ACCEPTED.
---------------------------------
[15] Veron to miss Charity Shield
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From official site
'Juan Veron has been called into Argentina's squad for their World Cup qualifier
against Ecuador in Quito on 15 August, and will miss the Charity Shield. Argentina
currently head their qualifying group by six points and face five more matches before
the 2002 finals in South Korea and Japan, the next being against Brazil on 5
September.'
---------------------------------
[14] McClaren on leaving United
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
"After a conversation with the gaffer, and, after he pointed out that I only had a
year left on my contract, he didn't exactly advise me, but gave me his blessing to
look elsewhere. He said: "If the board can't offer you anything here beyond that, you
have to look after yourself and your family and think about the future. That really
sums up the close relationship we had built up. For him to do that was looking after
me more than himself. I felt it was the right time to start looking elsewhere. Yet
without hesitation I would have stayed on another year at Manchester United and seen
it out with the gaffer. But I just felt I had to exercise my rights to look around."
---------------------------------
[13] More on Utd fans standing ban
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From yesterday's Sunday Mirror
'MANCHESTER United fans could be banned from receiving tickets to away games this
season unless they heed warnings to stay seated. And parts of grounds where supporters
insist on remaining on their feet could be shut down.
Football chiefs and safety officials have decided to get tough with all clubs to stop
fans being hurt or even killed. They are concerned by the growing practice at many
clubs of mass standing in seated areas.
The champions' fans are the worst offenders. Thousands regularly ignore warnings to
sit down both at Old Trafford and at away games.
The Football Licensing Authority admits the threat of action is "draconian" but chief
executive John de Quidt said: "Standing in seated areas creates safety problems."
---------------------------------
[12] Further to Villa application details
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Ticket details
'Aston Villa v Manchester United Villa Park, Sunday 26 August 2001, kick off 2pm.
(Please note this fixture has been rearranged from
Saturday 25th August and is a Sky Premiership Plus Pay Per View game).
We will receive an overall allocation of approximately 2,700 tickets the majority of
which are priced £20 adults and £10 under
16s /over 65s, however 146 tickets are priced £18 adults and £9 under
16s/over 65s.'
And this in from RN reader Mark
'What happened to the minimum 3,000 tickets for away matches rule? Does this not apply
when the team plays us? Incidentally they gave several clubs 4500 tickets last season
(not us of course). Tickets will go on general sale at villa park at some stage, the
only way to stop clubs treating us like this is if we pack the home sections with
reds.'
---------------------------------
[11] No to second string Euro league
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Ajax Chairman Arie van Eijden:
"In my opinion there will not be a EuroLeague. In Nyon (at July's Champions League
draw) we had some small discussions and said: 'Let's be honest with each other. Can we
get it or can't we get it?' I think the majority thought: 'Can't'. That's more or less
the situation and there are no more meetings planned."
---------------------------------
[10] Here he goes again
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Kevin Keegan:
"The expectations at this club are very high but I don't want anyone to start
believing success will come overnight. I have set myself targets which I believe are
realistic. The first target is the obvious one - to take Manchester City back into the
Premiership as quickly as possible. That is a realistic goal."
(if that wasn't bad enough)
"The second target is to make City a top-six Premiership club within the five years of
my contract. That is also realistic, although it won't be easy.
The gap between the top clubs in the Premier League and the rest is widening all the
time and to break into that league-within-a-league will be very difficult. I am going
to need help from my board to achieve my targets and by that I mean financial support.
We will have to develop and grow as a club to the point where we can spend £25m on a
single player. That is the only way we are going to compete on level terms with the
likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. You have to remember
United have spent close to £50m this summer acquiring just two new players. That is
what we are up against if we want to become a major Premiership club. We are not even
close to reaching that stage yet but this club has the potential to reach that level
over the next five years"
dodgy fact - city are 4/6 favourites for the 1st division title. And they say bookies
know the score!
---------------------------------
[9] Reds - did you lose anything on the pre-season tour
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
For those of the RN team that made the trip to the Far East, have a check.
>From Ananova
'Severed male genitals have been found in a rubbish bin in Bangkok. A cleaner found a
penis and testicles in the bin at Siam Square railway station. Police are asking
hospitals and police stations if anyone has shown up missing their genitals. Captain
Sanya Sukudom, of Pathumwan police station, says the organs were wrapped in a paper
napkin, inside a clear plastic wrapper, and placed in a plastic bag.
He told the Bangkok Post: "They were still cold. It looks like they had been frozen."
The cleaner, who works for the Bangkok Transit System Company, says she looked in the
plastic bag and was shocked. "I ran to security staff to alert the police," she says.
The severed organs have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for
examination.'
---------------------------------
[8] Sergeant Wilko hits back!
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
"The comments made by David Batty are extremely disappointing. I particularly resent
and completely deny allegations made regarding alleged comments made about Billy
Bremner's management. I wish to make it public that at no time whatsoever have I
either written or spoken any implied criticism of Billy's managerial skills at Leeds
United or anywhere else. It is alarming that David Batty has chosen to make these
public allegations he wrongly claims I've made about a man sadly no longer with us.
Therefore I am considering my legal position on this matter."
---------------------------------
[7] Who cares?
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Steven Gerrard, Dietmar Hamann and Jamie Carragher have all signed 4 year deals with
the Scousers. Watch those pens...
---------------------------------
[6] Latest transfer gossip
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From wrldcup.com
'United hope to sign Sorin this week. First Published: Aug 05, 2001 . Manchester
United have had a £6.5 million offer accepted by Brazilian club Cruzeiro for
Argentine defender Juan Pablo Sorin. Sorin operates on the left wing but has also has
experience throughout the defence. Sorin is expected in Manchester next week to have
medical checks and finalise a four year contract. Completion of the transfer will
take United's summer spending beyond £55 million as Sir Alex Ferguson prepares for
his last season as team coach.'
We shall see.
---------------------------------
[5] Sunday gossip
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
Sunday Mirror yesterday reported that Giggs 'splashed out £150,000' on watches for his
friends'.
---------------------------------
[4] Fergie - two bright futures
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
"We are fortunate enough to have so many midfielders, and players like Stewart and
Fletcher are coming through. I believe they will be really top drawer...there's a
chance I will register them for the Champions League"
---------------------------------
[3] A tale of two United teams
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
at Wrexham
Carroll (Rachubka), Gary Nev (Wallwork), May, Stam (O'Shea), Silvestre, Chadwick
(Williams), Veron, Scholes (Davis), Giggs (Muirhead), Ruud (Nardiello), Ole (Rankin)
Hereford
Raimond, Phil Nev, Irwin, Brown, Johnsen (Tierney), Butt, Fortune, Keane, Yorke, Cole,
Stewart (Lynch).
Wow.
Hereford boss Graham Turner: "I can't thank United enough for the team they sent. It
was a wonderful experience for our players to play against some of the best in the
world"
---------------------------------
[2] Red News comment - do they learn nothing
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
So the FLA chief admits that it's 'draconian' yet hints that we could face a complete
blanket ban on away match ticket allocations. We've mentioned before how we feel
paranoid how Utd fans seem to be the ones that the FLA have it in for - in this case
the report says that we are the worst even though the safety officers at grounds we
have spoken to say that a number of clubs act - stand - as United fans do, most
notably Leeds.
We will wait until crucial meetings between FLA, Trafford Council and the club take
place this week and next but this is no solution.
We are not the only ones.
This is not going to go away.
Listen to us, rather than a step back in time by treating us like 1980s fodder where
we could face complete bans, causing greater chaos. This is 2001 FLA, start acting
like it.
---------------------------------
[1] Here we go again
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, August 6, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From yesterday's Observer
'Man Utd fans banned from away games
Denis Campbell, sports news correspondent
Fans of top football teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool will be banned from
receiving tickets for away games this season to prevent a potential disaster caused by
supporters standing up in all-seater stadia. Parts of grounds in which thousands of
fans ignore pleas from stewards to sit down will also be shut, in a crackdown on the
'highly dangerous' growing practice of mass standing in areas designed for seated
fans.
Safety officials and Premiership clubs bodies say they have decided to take tough
action to stop fans being killed or injured in the dangerous conditions caused by
large groups of spectators insisting on standing up. Fans' groups have reacted with
fury to the plans and predicted that they will not stop supporters from continuing to
stand, despite its being illegal. A significant minority of fans back the introduction
of small terraced areas, which operate without problems at many clubs in Germany. The
Government has rejected this.
The measures have been drawn up by the Football Licensing Authority, the statutory
safety watchdog set up in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster which killed 96
fans and led to all top football grounds becomingall-seater. The Premier League,
Football Association, police chiefs, local authority safety officers and the
Government have approved the plans.
The FLA admits the imminent offensive against standing is 'draconian'. Its chief
executive John De Quidt told The Observer: 'It would be preferable if persuasion and
education stopped this practice rather than having to take a big stick. We could be
cutting capacities. If you cut the capacity at somewhere like Old Trafford by 5,000,
that's 5,000 people that can't get in and people will be unhappy.'
A partial or even blanket ban on visiting fans will also be used 'as a coercive
measure' if supporters do not respond to warnings to keep seated, De Quidt confirmed.
Clubs told to limit or ban opposing fans by their local council would sell those seats
to home fans to avoid suffering huge losses as a result of the FLA's initiative.
De Quidt continued: 'There have already been a couple of cases of people falling over
the front barrier of the upper tier of a stand and landing on someone else below
because of crowd movements caused by mass standing. The people underneath were fairly
unpleasantly injured.'
Fans of the Premier League champions, Manchester United, are the worst
offenders. Thousands of them regularly ignore warnings to stay seated and they will be
the first to be hit by the new approach.
Trafford council, which monitors safety at Old Trafford, warned last spring that it
would close a section of the ground as a safety measure. Misbehaviour by United fans
led to Premier League club Middlesbrough limiting tickets given to visiting United
fans last season.
The FLA will unveil a 20-page action plan on Friday at a meeting with fans' groups,
which have reacted furiously to the crackdown. Malcolm Clarke of the Football
Supporters Association said: 'Clubs should provide the small, well-controlled safe
standing areas which a significant minority of fans wants, and not threaten us.'
