Sullivan reveals Old Town interest

October 18, 2009


Former Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan has revealed he came close to buying Ipswich two years ago.

Sullivan, who left his role at Birmingham earlier this month after finally agreeing a deal with Carson Yeung, is keen to get involved with a new football venture.

The 60-year-old claims he has been approached by 14 clubs about investing in them and has also admitted he almost took control at Portman Road when Yeung first tried to gain control at St Andrews two years ago.

Sullivan had to pull out when Yeung failed to buy Birmingham at the first attempt when he could not raise the necessary funding to complete the deal.

“I was very close to buying Ipswich Town,” Sullivan told the Sunday Mirror.

“I had a two-week window of opportunity but had to pull out because Yeung didn’t come up with the money and the rules prevent me from having financial interest in two clubs.”

Sullivan has been linked with moves for West Ham and Charlton, but insists he will take his time before deciding what presents the best option for himself.

“It’s my intention to take some time off and then I will look around and see what is available,” added Sullivan

“Although I have been approached by a lot of clubs, any investment has to be right for me.

“The criteria I’m looking at are a club with a decent ground, good fan base and in easy travelling distance from my home.

“The major obstacles are the over-inflated prices clubs are attempting to charge and in most cases the significant debt that comes with that club.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

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Newcastle ownership announcement set for Monday

August 21, 2009


Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will make an announcement next Monday on whether he intends to sell the Championship club or hold onto it for another season, media reports said Friday.

Sports retailer Ashley bought the club for 134.4 million pounds (155 million euros) in 2007 but following the club’s relegation from the Premiership he has been seeking a deal to sell on for 100 million pounds as local businessman Barry Moat and two other consortia jockey for position.

With Newcastle having offloaded ten players in a bid to trim a squad on bloated Premiership wages while signing just one new face it appears increasingly likely Ashley will remain at the helm with the end of the month being transfer deadline day.

Most of the club’s fans are keen to see the back of Ashley, who initially won support by bringing in popular former player and coach Kevin Keegan.

But the latter’s resignation early last season – citing a lack of a say on transfer policy – presaged a disastrous campaign culminating in the drop and second tier football for the first time since 1993.

Many fans want to see new locally-based owners and former striker Alan Shearer installed as manager.

Shearer was in charge for the final eight games of the season but could not prevent the club sliding out of the Premiership at the end of an abysmal campaign.

On the plus side for potential new owners the fan base remains one of the country’s highest at around 45,000 per home game and Newcastle have garnered two wins and a draw from their opening three matches ahead of a Saturday trip to Crystal Palace.

Despite professing his admiration for Shearer, Ashley is believed to favour a more experienced figurehead.

However, temporary stand-in caretaker Chris Hughton is winning the backing of the playing staff increasingly after he oversaw their bright start to the league campaign.

Hughton said after the 1-0 midweek win over Sheffield Wednesday: “Nothing has changed, if the club is sold at any stage, then possibly I might get a knock on the door and be told that things will change.

“I have very much enjoyed the challenge so far and I am very happy to continue until told otherwise.”

Regarding potential further transfers in or out Hughton said: “I am very hopeful that what we have here at the moment will remain at the club.

“I am also very hopeful that come the end of the transfer window, we have got a squad that is able to compete in this division and a squad that is able to compete at the right end of the table.”

Danny Simpson, who joined on loan from Manchester United last week, is the only arrival to date, although there speculation that former England defender Sol Campbell may also soon arrive on Tyneside.

NEWCASTLE, England (AFP)

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Evra in awe of ´Korea´s Beckham´

July 24, 2009


Patrice Evra counts Park Ji-Sung as a close friend but even he has been amazed at the fanatical support the midfielder gets on home turf, calling him “the David Beckham of Korea”.

The France left-back has accompanied Park on some promotional events on the Korean leg of their pre-season tour of Asia and said he was in awe.

“When Ji first arrived in Manchester he never talked and people didn’t know much about him. But when we arrive in Seoul you can see he is the King of Korea,” he told the club website.

“They shake, they cry, they scream when they see him. It’s amazing. He’s like the David Beckham of Korea.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s a really good friend and on the pitch he always gives 100 percent for the team. That’s why people love him.”

Park’s enthusiasm and ability have endeared him to Sir Alex Ferguson with the club to offer him a new contract.

Britain’s Daily Express said it would see Park’s current 30,000 pounds (49,500 dollars) a week deal doubled to 60,000 pounds.

Ferguson, meanwhile, has paid tribute to the welcome the team have received in Asia, saying the support they have in the region never ceases to amaze him.

“I’m still amazed sometimes when we arrive at hotels and there are thousands of fans hanging about. Then they’re in the corridors and in the lifts,” he said.

“You have to admire that love of the club. We experienced it here in Seoul two years ago and it’s just as good this time.

“In fact, it’s typical of the whole Far East — we have a terrific fan base and there’s a great fanaticism here.”

United play FC Seoul later Friday before heading to China to take on Hangzhou Greentown on Sunday.

SEOUL (AFP)

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We´re not just here to cash in, say Liverpool

July 21, 2009


Liverpool insist they are not just in Asia to cash in on the lucrative commercial opportunities the region offers, but to give their fanatical fans a chance to see them in the flesh.

The Reds arrived here Monday, minus Steven Gerrard who is embroiled in a court case back home, to play Thailand on Wednesday before jetting to Singapore for the second leg of their Southeast Asian visit.

Clubs in the past, notably Real Madrid, have been criticised for planning worldwide tours purely for the financial reward.

But Liverpool commercial director Ian Ayre insists his team wants to leave behind a legacy.

“We have a duty to contribute to these football markets and to our supporters over here,” he said on the club website.

“We have in place a strong legacy programme encompassing many different initiatives and which can be broken down into different areas.

“For example, we have a knowledge transfer programme at which Rafa will meet coaches from Thailand and Singapore, I will be meeting representatives from the local businesses and the medical team will also be having sessions.

“We will be running a kids programme with open training sessions to try and show people what we do and how we do it.

“The important thing is that when our plane lands back in Liverpool there will still be things going on in our name over here which we can continue to support.”

Like Manchester United, who are also touring Asia, Liverpool has a huge fan base in a region which provides lucrative television revenues from screening live English Premier League matches.

Ayre said it had been tough picking which countries to tour.

“It’s always difficult deciding where to go on tour because we have so many fans all over the world,” he said.

“But we feel by choosing Thailand and Singapore we are capturing most of Southeast Asia and making it possible for fans from other countries to come and see the team.

“Both countries are traditional hot-beds of support for Liverpool and I know from speaking to our partners out here how excited everyone has been waiting for us to arrive.”

Manchester United have visited Malaysia and are also due in South Korea and China. Their first-ever visit to Indonesia was cancelled last week twin bomb blasts in Jakarta last Friday.

BANGKOK (AFP)

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Park to join Man Utd in Seoul

July 20, 2009


Park Ji-Sung will join his Manchester United teammates in Seoul later this week after his no-show in Malaysia on the first leg of their pre-season Asian tour, the club said.

The South Korean is an icon in his home country and has been crucial to United building a huge fan base there since his move to the club in 2005 from PSV Eindhoven.

He missed a similar tour two years ago with a cruciate knee ligament injury and his failure to arrive with the rest of the squad in Kuala Lumpur last Friday raised fears that he may be injured again.

But the club has clarified that he was given a few extra days off due to his role in South Korea’s international fixtures last month and will join the team on Wednesday ahead of their match with FC Seoul on Friday.

The 28-year-old is one of the few Asians to have made it big in England and Sir Alex Ferguson said he hoped the region would produce more top class players soon.

“There are very few Asian players currently making it in the Premier League and also across Europe. I hope to see more from Asia soon,” he said, pointing to the Japanese and Korean leagues as having the best prospects.

United play a Malaysian XI later Monday in the second match of their tour, after beating the same Malaysian side 3-2 on Saturday.

The Jakarta leg was cancelled after bomb blasts in the Indonesian capital on Friday.

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)

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Man Utd cancel Indonesia trip after bomb blasts

July 17, 2009


Manchester United cancelled the Indonesian leg of their pre-season tour to Asia after a bomb exploded at the Jakarta hotel where they were due to stay next week.

“Following the explosions in Jakarta — one of which was at the hotel the team were due to stay in — and based on advice received, the directors have informed the Indonesian FA that the club cannot fulfil the fixture in Jakarta on the 2009 Asia tour,” the club said in a statement.

They were due to fly to Jakarta after their match in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday evening and play an Indonesia XI in front of a sell-out 100,000 crowd.

The club said it was trying to reorganise that leg of the tour, which also includes matches in South Korea and China.

“We are working on a revised itinerary outside Indonesia with the promoters and we will make a further announcement when these decisions have been made,” the statement added.

“We are deeply disappointed at not being able to visit Indonesia and thank the Indonesian FA and our fans for their support. Our thoughts go to all those affected by the blasts.”

It would have been the first ever trip to the sprawling country by the team which was booked into the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

But the hotel, along with the JW Marriott, was hit by explosions that have left at least nine people dead and more than 40 injured, many of them foreigners, police said.

Two blasts shook the Ritz-Carlton and the nearby Marriott in the upscale Mega Kuningan business district in the centre of the city around 8:00 am (0100 GMT), sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky.

A third explosion was reported near a shopping complex in the north of the Indonesian capital several hours later, but police later denied initial reports that it was also caused by a bomb.

The team have a huge following in Asia, with everyone from poor street vendors to wealthy businessmen donning Red Devils shirts.

The huge fan base and the commercial opportunities it offers makes their visit as much about business as football, and a chance to play in Indonesia for the first time was earlier cited by Ferguson as important for the club.

“Our fans in Asia generate money for the club, there are no two ways about it,” said United chief executive David Gill before they left Manchester.

Ferguson has brought a 22-man squad, but a glaring omission was Park Ji-Sung.

The South Korean was not on the team list on United’s website and was not seen arriving in Kuala Lumpur. No reason was given for his absence.

Also missing was defender Nemanja Vidic. Again, United gave no reason for the Serbia international’s absence although an ankle injury forced him out of a World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands last month.

The only other familiar face not to travel was Brazilian full-back Rafael Da Silva, although he too was suffering with an ankle problem.

Other than that United has a strong squad, with Michael Owen set to make his debut after his shock move from Newcastle earlier this month.

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)

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Brazil: the land of the bullyboys

June 5, 2009

I
Sao Paulo have won the Brazilian championship for the last three years but their style of play is far removed from their country’s fine footballing traditions.

Defensive, physical, brutally efficient in attack and often destructive, Muricy Ramalho’s team have made few friends outside their own fan base.

Their 3-0 win over Cruzeiro on Sunday caused an outcry after they committed 14 fouls — against the same player.

The victim was striker Kleber, who said: “The fouls were not violent, they didn’t injure me. But how can anyone play football if they receive 14 fouls in a game.”

His club added in a statement: “Nobody has witnessed so much cowardice in a football match in the recent history of Brazilian football. We demand that the authorities take action to stop this persecution…”

Sao Paulo, who committed a total of 30 fouls on Sunday, are not the only culprits in this depressing scenario. Many other teams use similar tactics.

Brazilian domestic football bears almost no resemblance to the version played by the national side or by the big-name players in Europe.  Sixty-foul games are common and the tactic of taking it in turns to foul the opposition’s best player is widely used.

This is what veteran Brazilian columnist, Fernando Calazans of O Globo, had to say on the matter.

“So this is where Brazilian football is heading? Not even Pele nor Garrincha could have played if they suffered 14 fouls. It’s the so-called rotation of fouls, prohibited under the rules but permitted by weak referees.

“It’s put into practice by the majority of Brazilian coaches, among them the widely-admired and widely-praised Professor Doctor Muricy Ramalho.

“If Sao Paulo can commit 30 fouls in a game and their opponents also commit 30 fouls, that makes 60 fouls. And what sort of spectacle do you get when a game is paralysed 60 times by fouls?

“The violence against those who want and know how to play football, and against those who go onto the pitch to do this, is increasing every year.

“The football pitch, today, is the land of the bullyboys.”

Dagoberto (R) of Brazil’s Sao Paulo battles for the ball with Royer Canas (C) of Colombia’s Independiente Medellin during their Copa Libertadores soccer match in Medellin April 15, 2009. REUTERS/Fredy Amariles

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Moyes wins recordbreaking third manager of the year award

May 27, 2009


LONDON (AFP) – Everton manager David Moyes received the perfect boost ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final with Chelsea when he was awarded the League Managers’ Association’s (LMA) manager of the Year award on Tuesday for a record third time.

The 46-year-old Scotsman has worked wonders on a relatively limited budget to take Everton not only to the FA Cup final but also to fifth place in the Premier League and a place in the new Europa Cup next season.

“Since joining Everton, David has not only transformed the club’s fortunes, he has also created a huge fan base, including many of his fellow managers,” said LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson.

“With only modest financial backing he has shown what can be achieved through discipline, dedication and an innate ability to get the best out of every player.”

Moyes, who made his name as a manager at Preston North End before leaving for Everton in 2002, won the award previously in 2003 and 2005.

Manchester United manager and fellow Scot Sir Alex Ferguson won the LMA Special Merit Award for his success this season which has seen him guide United to the Premier League title and the League Cup.

On Wednesday United could become the first team to successfully defend their Champions League title when they play Barcelona in Rome.

It was a good night for the Ferguson family as his son Darren picked up the League One award for taking Peterborough up to the Championship while former Republic of Ireland handler Mick McCarthy won the Championship award for his stewardship of Wolves, who have been promoted to the Premier League.

Brentford’s Andy Scott was named as the League Two manager of the year after guiding the club to promotion.

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Man Utd to tour Malaysia

April 29, 2009

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Manchester United will play against the Malaysian national team on July 18 as part their pre-season Asian tour, organisers confirmed Tuesday.

“The team will arrive in Kuala Lumpur one day before the match,” San Boon Wah, managing director of Proevents, the match promoter, was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

San said Kuala Lumpur would be the first destination for the Red Devils in their Asian Tour 2009 before the team heads to Indonesia on July 20, South Korea (July 24) and China (July 26).

Manchester United has a huge fan base in Malaysia.

Azzuddin Ahmad, general secretary of the Football Association of Malaysia, said the Malaysian team would put on their best performance against Manchester United.

“We are looking forward to the match because it will be one of the best exposures for the national team against a quality team such as MU,” he said.

It will be the Red Devils fourth tour to Malaysia since 1991. In 2001, they hammered the Malaysia selection 6-0.

The national side has fallen a long way since the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s when they regularly beat Japan and South Korea and reached two Olympics.

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