Tag Archives: premier-league

Le Havre settle dispute over Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester United

Posted on June 17, 2010 by | Leave a comment

• Le Havre had accused Manchester United of poaching player • Ligue two club said they have ‘reached an agreement’ Le Havre have settled their dispute with Manchester United over Paul Pogba’s controversial move to Old Trafford. “Le Havre and Manchester United are satisfied to have reached an agreement regarding Paul Pogba’s integration to the Manchester United squad,” the Ligue two side said yesterday. Le Havre had accused the Premier League club of illegally poaching the 17-year-old Frenchman from their academy last August while United said they had not broken any rules. Le Havre had asked the world governing body Fifa to investigate the case of Pogba, who they said had agreed to join them only to leave for United. The case was similar to that of league rivals Chelsea, who were banned by Fifa from signing players until January 2011 for improper conduct when they acquired Gaël Kakuta from the French Ligue 1 club Lens in 2007. The ban was later lifted after the two clubs reached an agreement. Manchester United Le Havre guardian.co.uk

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Yorkshire 155-6 Lancashire 138 | Friends Provident t20 match report

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• Yorkshire 155-6, Lancashire 138 • Yorkshire won by 17 runs Somewhere in Friends Provident t20, there is a great tournament waiting to get out. More than 10,000 turned up at Headingley tonight in glorious sunshine to celebrate a Yorkshire victory in the Roses match, a win that owed much to the nous of their former captain Anthony McGrath and the reawakening of the leg‑spin of Adil Rashid. When Lalit Modi, the Indian Premier League commissioner at the time, but about to be suspended because of suspected financial irregularities, was asked in Delhi by Yorkshire’s chief executive, Stewart Regan, what English T20 most needed, one of his three answers was “England players”. In English cricket’s suffocating calendar, they have been conspicuous by their absence. There was no Jimmy Anderson, Tim Bresnan nor Ajmal Shahzad. If T20’s future must embrace all 18 counties then the presence of England’s best is essential. On the day that Kevin Pietersen’s announcement that he was leaving Hampshire underlined what little benefit he has brought them, the self-inflicted damage could not be clearer. An English summer, though, is about making the best of it. T20 is reviving Rashid’s season. He has cut an uncertain figure in the championship, but when he completed his stint of two for 22, the Australian Simon Katich tricked into chipping a return catch, his 11 wickets made him the leading wicket-taker in the competition. Richard Pyrah caught exceptionally in the deep as Lancashire collapsed. McGrath’s unbeaten 73 from 50 balls was as methodical as t20 can get, restraint followed by judicious late hitting. The Headingley pitch was inhibiting and Lancashire’s bowling attack had been mean-spirited all season, a class above their batting. Top side of 150 was competitive. From the moment that Herschelle Gibbs popped a return catch to Tom Smith and Sajid Mahmood bamboozled Jacques Rudolph with a slower ball, McGrath cut his cloth as tightly as a canny Leeds tailor. Yorkshire were almost halfway through their overs when Andrew Gale’s mistimed pull to deep square left them 60 for three. Crucially, they rallied with 52 from the last five overs. McGrath struck 36 of them, the outstanding moments two sixes off Glen Chapple, a slice over point (fast becoming the most popular get-out shot off the summer), followed by a hook. McGrath, a former captain who found it too much, is a good pro who has had a tough couple of years. He deserved a happy night. Friends Provident t20 Yorkshire Lancashire Twenty20 Cricket David Hopps guardian.co.uk

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Portsmouth creditors accept deal and give the club a brighter future

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• Proposal offering 20p in the pound on debts approved • HMRC has 28 days to appeal Portsmouth appeared to move a significant step closer to achieving long-awaited financial stability today when the company voluntary arrangement to take the club out of administration was voted through by its creditors. The decision also clears the way for David Lampitt, the Portsmouth chief executive, to appoint a new manager, with whom he is “currently negotiating a contract”. The only obstacle to the CVA being officially approved is the possibility of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs raising a legal challenge. HMRC voted against Portsmouth’s proposal of 20p in the pound over the next five years, which was approved by 81.3% of the creditors, and has 28 days to raise an objection. The Revenue was allowed voting rights of only £24m by the administrators rather than its claim of £37m, which would have given it more than the 25% required to block the CVA. HMRC voted against because it is challenging the Premier League and Football League rule which states that football creditors must have priority and their debts paid off in full when a club enters administration. A statement released by the Revenue said: “HMRC notes that the result of today’s vote was to accept the CVA proposals. HMRC stands by the full amount of its claim. We will now carefully consider our position following the decision to reduce the amount of our claim for voting purposes. “HMRC believes the so‑called football creditors rule is unfair, unlawful and unacceptable. It cannot be right for millions of pounds worth of assets and income of Portsmouth FC to be earmarked for payment of football debts in full while other creditors – including the public purse – have been offered a mere 20p in the pound over five years.” Whether HMRC mounts a legal challenge remains to be seen, though it is thought to be unlikely. What the CVA’s acceptance means is that control of Portsmouth’s day-to-day operations will be now completely ceded to Lampitt, although until a new buyer is found for the club he will still report to the administrators. Andrew Andronikou, the chief administrator, told the Guardian: “We are now in a transitional period where we hand over the club’s daily business more fully to David Lampitt.” The chief executive praised the CVA’s authorisation and told Portsmouth’s website: “This is a hugely significant day – I’m very pleased the vote has gone through. The deal reached between the administrators and the creditors provides us with the first step towards the rebuilding of the club. One of my tasks is to bring stability to the club so that it has a long-term future. This should make it a more attractive proposition for new investment. I believe this has to the best way to bring long-term success.” Andronikou confirmed Lampitt is close to appointing Avram Grant’s successor. “He is past interviewing candidates and is negotiating a contract with the new manager.” Steve Coterill, the former Notts County manager, is thought to be in line to take over but Andronikou refused to comment. Portsmouth Jamie Jackson guardian.co.uk

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Strikeforce: Los Angeles Results – Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral Outlasts Robbie Lawler

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In the Strikeforce: Los Angeles main event Renato “Babalu” Sobral was able to outwork Robbie Lawler over three rounds to take a unanimous decision win. Coming into the fight if one was told that the bout would be contested almost entirely standing it would have to be Lawler that would be favored to win the bout.

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Real Madrid to sign £21m Angel Di María – reports

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• Winger’s move from Benfica to be confirmed next week • Argentina international had interested Premier League clubs Real Madrid are poised to sign Argentina’s Angel Di María for about €25m (£21m), according to reports in the Spanish press. The deal to bring the winger from the Portuguese champions, Benfica, was agreed in a meeting between the two club presidents yesterday and is expected to be confirmed early next week. Benfica had initially insisted on the €40m fee specified in the player’s buyout clause but after Di María lobbied hard for a move to the Spanish club, Benfica’s president, Luis Felipe Vieira, agreed to settle for a lower amount. The Argentina international will sign a five-year contract worth about €2m a year, making him one of Madrid’s more modestly rewarded first-team players. Di María is currently with the Argentina squad in South Africa and played in their opening World Cup victory over Nigeria on Saturday. Di María had attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs including Manchester City. In April Roberto Mancini confirmed that Di María was a player he was studying: “Di María is a good player and, in the future, we’ll see.” Real Madrid Benfica Transfer window Chris Taylor guardian.co.uk

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Opening Football League fixtures see Portsmouth face Coventry

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• The full Championship fixture list 2010-11 • Burnley handed first day tie with Nottingham Forest • Sheffield Wednesday welcome Dagenham and Redbridge Portsmouth will begin life back in the Championship with an opening day visit to Coventry City, Burnley welcome beaten play-off semi-finalists Nottingham Forest to Turf Moor and Hull City will face Swansea City at the KC Stadium. The Football League fixtures for the 2010-11 season were announced this morning, with the fixture computer throwing up a few intriguing ties. Newly-promoted Leeds United will take on Nigel Clough’s Derby County at Elland Road, while Cardiff City, who were just 90 minutes away from the Premier League before being beaten by Blackpool in the play-off final, face Sheffield United. Millwall’s first fixture at the Championship level since 2005-06 is away at Bristol City. The pick of the opening day fixtures in League One is Dagenham and Redbridge’s visit to Sheffield Wednesday, while there is a south coast-derby at St Mary’s for Plymouth Argyle and Southampton. In League Two Stevenage Borough begin life in the Football League by welcoming Macclesfield Town to the Lamex Stadium, while last season’s Blue Square Premier play-off winners, Oxford United, go to Burton Albion. In the Scottish Premier League, Rangers face Kilmarnock at Ibrox, while Celtic visit Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The Football League fixtures kick off on Saturday 7 August, while the SPL begin a week later on 14 August. Championship League One League Two Football fixtures 2010-11 John Ashdown guardian.co.uk

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2012 Olympic ceremony goes to Danny Boyle and Stephen Daldry

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Two British directors named as the creative bosses of the London 2012 opening ceremony Two of Britain’s most respected directors – Stephen Daldry and Danny Boyle – were today named as the creative bosses of the London 2012 opening ceremony. Daldry will be in overall creative charge of ceremonies while Boyle will be artistic director of the opening ceremony itself. Oscar-winner Boyle said he was honoured: “It’s a completely unique opportunity to contribute to what I’m sure are going to be a fantastic games. I’m really excited to be involved.” Four executive producers will oversee the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic games. As well as Daldry, Hamish Hamilton – best known for his direction of live TV events – will be executive producer, broadcast; Mark Fisher – who has staged every Rolling Stones show since 1989 – will be executive producer, design; and Catherine Ugwu, producer of the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth games, will be executive producer, production. Daldry said: “Myself and my co-executive producers will ensure there is creative continuity across all four ceremonies, that the public have real engagement and that we continue to attract into the key roles the best talent in the world. I’m delighted to be part of the team.” The team was unveiled at 3 Mills Studios in east London this morning. Lancashire-born Boyle, who returns to theatre direction this year with a new version of Frankenstein at the National Theatre, is currently working on his film 127 Hours, the true story of mountaineer Aron Ralston who amputated his own arm after it was trapped by a boulder. Daldry has been busy with Billy Elliot the Musical, opening a new stage version in Chicago. This will be followed by versions in Korea, Japan, Germany and Holland. He has also been in talks with Disney about a stage version of Dumbo. Unlike the £70m budget granted to the Chinese film director Zhang Yimou for the 2008 Beijing games, the London team will have a total of £40m for all four ceremonies. Yimou’s four-hour peace and harmony ceremony was largely judged a success, apart from a rumpus over a little girl miming. Boyle and Daldry are starting from a blank slate although they will, presumably, look back on the best and worst of previous ceremonies. It’s a safe bet to assume they will steer clear of the military-style pageant of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, where even the boys in togas marched. And there won’t be any need to deploy the rocket man in a jet pack which wowed audiences during the 1984 Los Angeles games. Sydney’s use of Kylie Minogue in 2000 singing Dancing Queen in a pink, spangly leotard is an idea; as is the Hello Kitty routines from Seoul in 1988. The 1936 ceremony, meanwhile, is probably one to skip over altogether. Olympic games 2012 Danny Boyle Stephen Daldry London Mark Brown guardian.co.uk

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Premier League fixtures 2010-11

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Full fixture list for the Premier League season starting 14 August 2010

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Premier League fixtures 2010-11

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Premier League fixtures 2010-11: Liverpool host Arsenal on opening day

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• The full Premier League fixture list 2010-11 • Chelsea and Manchester United open against promoted sides • Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester City at White Hart Lane Chelsea begin the defence of their Premier League title with a home match against newly promoted West Bromwich Albion. The 14 August match means a return to Stamford Bridge for the former Blues midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, now manager of West Brom. Next up for the champions will be a trip to Wigan Athletic, where they were beaten last season, before Stoke City visit Stamford Bridge on 28 August. The title holders have to wait until 2 October for their first match against one of the big four clubs, when they face Arsenal at home, with the return fixture on Boxing Day. Carlo Ancelotti’s side first face Manchester United on 18 December, with the two playing at Old Trafford on 7 May – the Blues’ penultimate away fixture. United, runners-up in 2009-10, also start with a home match against a newly promoted team. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side take on Newcastle United on the first day. Blackpool, the third of the sides promoted from the Championship, provide the Old Trafford opposition on the last day of the season, 22 May. There are two intriguing matches between top-four hopefuls on the opening day. Liverpool start the post-Rafael Benítez era with a home match against Arsenal, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City meet at White Hart Lane. Aston Villa face West Ham United and Everton travel to Blackburn Rovers, while Blackpool’s first match in the Premier League is at home, to local rivals Wigan. Elsewhere on the opening day, Steve Bruce’s Sunderland are at home to Birmingham City, one of the clubs he previously managed. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City play at Molineux, while Bolton Wanderers and Europa League runners-up Fulham meet in the north-west. Newcastle’s manager, Chris Hughton, admitted he had been hoping for an easier start after seeing his side given a trip to Old Trafford on the opening day. “It’s a tough start for us, we would have preferred a home game to kick the season off but you take what you get,” he said. “We can take heart and confidence from the 1-1 draw we earned at Old Trafford two years ago on the opening day of the 2008-09 season. Villa at home the following week is another tough one but a great game to begin our home campaign. You tend to look at the number of back-to-back games you have against the top six/eight teams and our fixture list looks to be fairly balanced in that respect.” The Blackpool manager, Ian Holloway, welcomed the news his side will play their first game at home followed by a visit from Arsenal. “It is nice to kick off with a home game and with Wigan up the road it will be nice for us,” he told Sky Sports News. On the trip to north London to face Arsène Wenger’s men, he added: “That’s fantastic, that’s exactly what I wanted. It will be a new experience for all of us going to the Emirates. Hopefully all the butterflies will be out of the way and we can see what we can do against Arsenal.” Blackpool also face a tricky finish when they meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on the final day. “That will be nice if we could celebrate staying up,” said Holloway. “I am sure Sir Alex (Ferguson) has already sent me a letter telling me to bring some good red wine.” Premier League Football fixtures 2010-11 guardian.co.uk

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Yaya Touré likely to leave Barcelona ‘this week’, says agent

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

• Manchester City thought to be likely destination for midfielder • ‘I think we will probably close his departure very soon’ The Barcelona and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré could leave the club in the coming days, his agent has revealed. Touré is widely expected to move to the Premier League, with Manchester City the favourites to land the player who is currently on World Cup duty with his country in South Africa. Dimitri Seluk claims the Camp Nou exit door is moving ever closer for the 27-year-old, although he confirmed he would nevertheless seek talks with the new Barcelona president Sandro Rosell in the coming days. “I think we will probably close his departure very soon. It is likely to be this week, but at the moment we can’t announce anything,” Seluk told Com Radio. “I haven’t spoken to Rosell, but out of respect of course I will speak to him before anything is closed. “[Joan] Laporta is the president until June 30, but I have to speak to Rosell and know his opinion because he is the new president.” Seluk insists most of the key figures at Barça want Touré to stay but he admits his client’s lack of playing time under Pep Guardiola last season remains a concern. “Laporta, Rosell, Guardiola, myself, Touré … we all want him to stay at Barcelona – it’s one of the greatest clubs in the world,” Seluk said. “Everything is perfect except for one thing: playing 65% of the minutes is not sufficient for a player like Yaya, but that’s the only reason we want to go.” Barcelona Transfer window European football guardian.co.uk

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