The Fan

My mates who are City fans are right browned off about Sven’s sacking; in fact it’s taken this for them to register even a smithereen of disdain for Thaksin Shinawatra. “He may be an abuser of human rights you know,” I’d say. “Who cares? We’ve got Elano,” came the reply. “Here, he’s sacked Sven...” “What?!?!?!?! Someone call Geneva - you can’t treat people like that.”

Russell Brand - Enthralled by a giddy mist of climactic hysteria - The Guardian

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Lincoln City’s climb away from the foot of League Two has brought an unusual reward. Manager Peter Jackson asked for the office to be redecorated when he joined the club last year. Chairman Steff Wright suggested an incentive scheme, providing carpet tiles for every point the Imps won.

“We’ve gradually been putting the tiles down”, said Wright, “and over the past couple months the colour of the floor has changed from worn-out green to bright blue tiles.”

From: BBC

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From: The Guardian - Sid Lowe finds the Spanish media desperate to put some kind of gloss on the unthinkable - that their rivals across the Med play better football

Over here, people think Italian football is dirty, cynical, talentless and boring. Few Italians have succeeded in Spain because they are rubbish, they say, while few Spaniards have succeeded in Italy because the football is rubbish - and full of cheats.

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The Magic of the Cup

Minnows prove that game is not all about money

Conference South side Havant and Waterlooville show the FA Cup is still alive

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...this week, 16 Scotsmen played in the Champions League. Only 14 Englishmen could say the same. And three of those - Peter Crouch, Owen Hargreaves and Theo Walcott - were substitutes.

From: Guardian Unlimited: Sport blog: The killer stat that demands a response

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England cruise to second win

England 3 - Russia 0

England continued against Russia where they left off against Israel, cruising to another 3-nil victory.

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England prosper without big names

England 3 - Israel 0

Despite injuries to star name players England cruised past a standoff-ish Israel. 

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Referees’ chief Keith Hackett says Rob Styles will not take charge of a match next weekend following his performance during the game between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.

You can have sympathy for officials who fail to see a offence, but when they see the incident and get it wrong it is probably time for them to have a rest. Maybe we need substitutions for referees…

From: The Telegraph

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In a bizarre mix of football and politics, Diego Maradona admitted cheating to beat England in the 1986 World Cup.

In an interview with Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, he says:

“It was too high for me and I stuck out my fist.

However, rather than cheating, it seems it was a statement in the fight against imperialism.

From: Maradona and Chávez laugh over ‘hand of god’ goal on chat show

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Cardiff City’s main financial backers have initiated legal proceedings against the club over claims they have not repaid more than £30m in debts.

The Cardiff board has been accused of financial mismanagement, and of misleading the public to the extent of the debt. The £30m sum is the combination of the original £24m loan, plus £6m in interest. The club had indicated that the £24m debt, which was raised when Ridsdale took over from Sam Hamman, had been written off for equity in the club.

Ridsdale has said:

“The statements released… seem to be an ill-informed mixture of fiction and general confusion.”

Ridsdale also claims that the club have been unable to speak to their creditors as they do not know who they are, and that previous chairman Hammam acted as go-between, refusing to reveal their identity.

See: BBC - Cardiff facing court over £30m and Guardian - Ridsdale fights back as Cardiff are hit by writ over £30m debt

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