Brian Lara and Simon Jones have both been found guilty of breaching LevelOne of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, and have been fined half their match fees.Speaking after the disciplinary hearing, Mike Procter, the match referee,explained that Lara was fined for showing dissent to the umpires on Sundayevening, when the England batsmen were offered the light for the second time,minutes after declining to go off.”Brian was very genuine at the hearing,” said Procter. “He apologised andpleaded not guilty of a level-one [breach of the code], but admitted to having shown dissent.”Jones, on the other hand, pleaded guilty and was punished for bringing thegame into disrepute after his spat with Ramnaresh Sarwan. “I listened toboth sides of the story, and what came out loud and clear was that Jones wasvery apologetic,” said Procter. “The umpires were very complimentary abouthis behaviour – Jones apologised to them straight away, and at the end ofplay.”Procter concluded, “I originally thought it was a more serious charge than level one, but in the end I decided to fine him %50 of his match fee.”
With the new cricket season fast approaching it is looking increasingly likely that the Somerset opening partnership will be Peter Bowler and Matt Wood.Bowler who turns forty in July is the senior professional on the staff, having previously had spells with both Derbyshire and Leicestershire before moving west in 1995, whilst Wood is just twenty two and the youngest member of the first team.Both players have a very strong association with the West Country because they were both born in Devon.Matt Wood was born in Exeter and is well known in Devon cricketing circles, having played for Exmouth Cricket Club where his father Jim Wood is chairman, and Devon County Cricket Club. Peter Bowler was also born in the county at Plymouth, where his father was posted in the Australian Navy, so both players are Devonians.Last season Jamie Cox and Matt Wood were the championship openers for Somerset, but with the Tasmanian announcing that he wants to drop down the order in his final season with the county, Peter Bowler is relishing the opportunity of going back to opening.He told me: " I may be in my fortieth year but I am fitter than ever and I am still hungry for the game. If anything I am even more enthusiastic about the game, and the longer that I play the more I enjoy it .I’m delighted to be back at the top of the order opening the innings again because I think that is where I play my best cricket, going out and facing the new ball."What did he think about opening the innings with a player who was eighteen years his junior. He told me: "I want to finish my career at the top and I think that Wood and Bowler will be a very successful opening partnership for the club. Matt is a very talented young player, and will continue to improve. I expect him to score more centuries in his career than I have and I think that he is someone who could well be looking at an Academy place next winter, I rate him very highly indeed."Matt Wood told me: "I like batting with Peter Bowler. We shared partnerships against Kent both at Canterbury and here at Taunton, when I made my big score and he was a great help with advice and encouragement out in the middle. He has also helped me a great deal technically with my game so I am delighted at the prospect of opening for Somerset with him."Commenting on the prospect of having two Devon born players opening the innings for Somerset, chief executive Peter Anderson said: "Having emigrated to the West Country in 1959 and married locally in Devon I regard myself as a Devonian, although some of the locals in Beer would question that!"He continued: " I know the local cricket scene well, and of course it’s a great fillip for Devon cricket to dine out on the possible Bowler and Wood opening partnership, but it is rather a strange partnership. Mr `Tough Guy’, Peter Bowler who you would always want in your team is totally different from Matt Wood who says nothing but lets his talent do the talking. If they are successful I will win in two ways because I support two teams- Somerset and Devon."
David Acfield has announced his resignation as Chairman of Essex County Cricket Club. David, who is 54, played for the Club between 1966 and 1986 and succeeded Doug Insole as the Club’s chairman in 1993. David has been having increasing difficulty juggling his business and cricketing commitments, and feels the time is right to hand the future direction of the Club over to another.On the announcement of his departure, David Acfield commented: “In the present circumstances it is in the best interest of the Club for someone else to take over the reins. The role of chairman in the modern game has become increasingly time consuming, and for many years I have tried to balance the conflicting demands of my various responsibilities in cricket, whilst holding down a full-time job. Unfortunately the situation has become impossible to sustain.”He continued: “After 35 years involvement with Essex it will be a huge wrench but I will, of course, be available to help the Club in any less demanding role. I would urge all of our members and supporters to get behind the players and committee at this difficult time, so that the Club can prosper once again.”David Acfield will remain on the ECB Management Board, and will continue with his committee responsibilities at both the MCC and ICC.On hearing the news of David’s resignation, Club President Doug Insole said: “David has made a huge contribution to Essex cricket in both playing and administrative capacities. He was an integral part of the great team of the 1980s, and since his retirement has worked tirelessly to further the Club’s cause off the field. We fully respect his decision, but sincerely hope that this will not be the end of David’s involvement with the Club.”The Essex Executive committee will meet in the near future to appoint David Acfield’s successor.David EastChief Executive
Don’t worry Liverpool fans, we’ve got some more news in the Transfer Tavern for you.
After his dreadful display in the Champions League final, it’s safe to say that Loris Karius’ career at Liverpool might just be over. Ever since he joined the club, the German goalkeeper has never cemented himself in the Liverpool side. With that said, following Stoke’s relegation to the Championship, the Merseyside club should target, Jack Butland.
If Liverpool are to win a title this year, Jurgen Klopp must sign a top-class goalkeeper. Loris Karius has had his chance but continually failed to come up with the goods, and as for Simon Mignolet, if he’s second to Karius, then that tells you what Klopp thinks of him.
Although he’s second to Jordan Pickford for England, Jack Butland still remains one of the bets goalkeeping talents in the country.
Butland left Birmingham City’s academy for £3.5 million in 2013 and ever since he has gone to become one of Stoke’s best players.
Valued at £19.8 million by Transfermarkt, the England goalkeeper could well go for even less due to Stoke’s relegation. However, new boss Gary Rowett has confirmed that he will speak to the goalkeeper, whom he is very keen to keep at the club.
“Because Jack is a terrific goalkeeper and obviously with England at the moment everyone will speculate that because you’ve been relegated, of course he’s going to have to go, he’s going to want to go.”
“But the reality is – you’ve seen it with Joe Allen and others – people want to be at this club.”
He’s the ideal candidate to mind the nets at Anfield for years to come. A stoic presence between the sticks, Butland’s shot-stopping abilities and high concentrations levels would stand him in good stead in a team who largely dominate games, not giving him all that much to do until the inevitable defensive lapse.
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Clearly, he’s got a long way to go to wrestle the England No.1 jersey from Pickford, though a move to Liverpool could give him the platform to do exactly that.
As a woman – I am sure all of you with a wife or daughter will know this – I am never wrong. It is simply my prerogative as a woman to be always right. Yet I am about to admit the unthinkable and say I have made a mistake. And no, before the Cult of Messi members get too excited, I still rate Ronaldo more – this is about another Real Madrid player, and one Premier League fans will be very familiar with – Lassana Diarra.
Now at the start of the season, and in fact when the lad was in England I never really paid much attention to him, and certainly did not feel he was worth a place in Los Blancos starting line-up, yet he has proved me wrong, and his sheer versatility alone has made him one of the first names on the team sheet, and close to a Mourinho ‘untouchable.’
With the defensive injury issues at Real Madrid, Ramos has spent most of the season so far at centre half with Pepe, and left the right back spot vacant. Lass when needed has played there and been nothing short of fantastic. Not to gush too much about the player, but he has also put the rest of the defensive midfielders to shame, fitting in wherever he is needed and rarely putting a foot wrong with as stray pass or a mistimed tackle.
Why do I tell you this? Well not to admit I was mistaken – that is not something I do often – but to illustrate how valuable versatile players can be. Now by versatile I do not mean squad players – they too are valuable but not in the same way. I mean a first team player who can slot in a few positions if it is needed throughout the game, and do a stand up job.
It is a common thing these days to see a player who can perhaps play as a full back and also slot in as a centre half – Ivanovic can do this well, as can my defender of the year Sergio Ramos – and this is a key thing to have in your locker especially in a top side where the competition for places is immense.
Now no disrespect to players such as Ivanovic, but there is also a new breed of player who can not only play in the back four, but can anchor the midfield and even have a go up top if things got really desperate. Take Phil Jones, who rightly deserves each and every plaudit coming his way. The youngster can do a stellar job near enough anywhere on the field, and if you wouldn’t have him on your team sheet for this alone you are either roughly as intelligent as Rooney, or you are lying.
Look at how much Chelsea have missed the train himself Michael Essien this season. Whilst Essien is rehabbing by what seems to be watching the darts live on sky sports, the Blues midfield lacks drive and the passion Essien brought. Not to mention he is fully capable of filling in at centre half and could almost certainly do a better job at right back than Ferreira or Boswinga can.
A player like Jones is such a precious commodity, and the thing that makes him all the more special is the fact that he loves the game so much that he will play wherever is asked of him with a smile on his face and give it everything.
In an age with players such as Van Der Vaart who need to be played in what seems the specific inch to which he has requested or all hell breaks loose, this is a welcome sight and one fans love to see.
The games are now coming thick and fast, and injuries and suspensions are beginning to tot up, making the players who possess that little bit of versatility all the more valuable. Managers lucky enough to have such players know how important they are, as do their team mates and it’s about time the media and fans did as well.
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AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes Fiorentina should not be underestimated ahead of their Serie A clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.Galliani acknowledges that his league-leading side are favorites to win the Scudetto after picking up maximum points again their closest rivals Inter and Napoli.
Milan have led Serie A for 21 weeks of the season, but dropped points against Bari and Palermo and could yet slip up away to ninth-placed Fiorentina on Sunday.
“We will face it (the match) with the usual commitment,” Galliani said.
“All matches are difficult, as I told the coach and some players today. Consider this – our last games were against Napoli, Juventus, Bari, Palermo and Inter Milan. We gained nine points against Napoli, Juventus and Inter Milan, while just one against Bari and Palermo.”
“So I never know, the matches are all the same to me, they all count for three points. I don’t know which are the easy ones and which are the difficult ones.”
Milan go into the game safe in the knowledge that even if they lose and Napoli win, Walter Mazzari’s challengers will stay second courtesy of their inferior head-to-head record.
“I know we have been leading the championship for 21 weeks now and I know that we will be leading next week too ? because head-to-head matches are in our favour, so if we and Napoli would have the same points we will be ahead of them,” Galliani said.
“The team gained 12 points against the two main challengers ? Inter Milan and Napoli, so winning this championship is our duty.”
Galliani also moved to play down speculation linking troubled Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli with a return to Italy.
“I repeat, let’s leave Balotelli alone now, Manchester City has just bought him last summer ? so it’s better to talk about our players,” Galliani said.
“Anyway, Balotelli is a friend, he is an AC Milan supporter, but a Manchester City player.”
Premier League managers looking to further their career rarely leave their clubs with the full backing and support of the chairman they leave behind. They are unlikely to be wished ‘all the best’ for the future followed by a warm embrace and a hearty handshake, regardless of their achievements. Some managers are sacked, some resign, while others bring such success to a club they become targets for bigger clubs. Whichever way a manager departs it’s usually a messy affair, where a previously healthy relationship between manager and chairman can turn sour exceedingly quickly.
It was thought Roy Hodgson’s departure from Craven Cottage would be one of the few exceptions to the rule. This was until outspoken chairman Mohamed Al Fayed used a press conference unveiling Mark Hughes as the club’s new manager as an opportunity to take a vicious swipe at his former employee. Al Fayed claims that after giving Hodgson another crack at English football, following a nine year exodus, the experienced coach simply ‘took advantage and left’. The astonishing attack continued, with the former Harrods owner going on to take credit for the revival of Hodgson’s career claiming, ‘we put him where he is now’.
With over 30 years of experience managing at clubs across Europe, including Italian giants Inter Milan, as well as stints with Switzerland and Finland, it is unlikely that Al Fayed’s influence on his career was the reason Liverpool chose to appoint him as their new manager. Al Fayed can certainly take credit for identifying that Hodgson was still good enough to cut it in the Premier League; however the Fulham chairman did not re-ignite a faltering career. Finland were desperate to renew his contract when it had expired in November 2007, yet Hodgson had his heart set on a return to Inter Milan in an ambassadorial role before Fulham made their move. Hodgson was also an outside contender to replace Steve McClaren as England boss.
Al Fayed has every right to be angered and bitterly disappointed after losing his manager to a Premier League rival. His comments have not come in the heat of the moment and the Egyptian clearly feels let down by someone he held a great mutual respect for. Just two weeks before Hodgson’s departure, Al Fayed revealed the pair’s close relationship, before stating he could not see his manager departing for the gates of Anfield. Their close relationship now looks a distant one and Hodgson’s achievements at the club forgotten following Al Fayed’s bitter remarks.
Al Fayed clearly has no problem criticising his former ally in public, yet on this occasion a dignified silence may have been the better option. Fulham fans could argue Hodgson showed a distinct lack of loyalty in leaving southwest London this summer, after the club took a gamble on him following the dire end to his spell at Blackburn Rovers in 1998. In reality, The Cottagers were desperately fighting an anxious relegation battle when Hodgson was appointed and he worked miracles to keep them in the league. He followed this up the following season by leading his side to seventh in the league, the club’s highest ever finish.
Most amazingly of all of course was Fulham’s run to the Europa League final in May after a marathon 63 game season. This was achieved on a minimal budget, playing a patient and attractive passing game along the way. After turning Fulham from relegation contenders to Europa League finalists and bringing them to unprecedented Premier League heights, many fans view the last two seasons under Hodgson as the most illustrious in the club’s history. Al Fayed may not be thankful now, but after dragging the club out of the bottom three and into their first ever European final; Hodgson has left a legacy at the club which can be enjoyed by Fulham fans for years to come. After such an achievement, surely Al Fayed could not begrudge Hodgson his dream to manage one of the biggest clubs in world football before he finally calls it a day and retires.
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– Future remains bright at Arsenal despite Fabregas speculation
– Clubs curb summer transfer spending amid fears over debt
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Bolton defender Gary Cahill has had the red card he received against Tottenham on Saturday rescinded, and will not face a ban after successfully appealing the decision.
The England international was given a straight red for fouling Scott Parker in the first half of The Trotters’ 3-0 defeat at White Hart Lane, as referee Stuart Attwell adjudged him to have denied the hosts a goalscoring opportunity.
Both Owen Coyle and Harry Redknapp admitted that the dismissal was harsh after the result, and the Reebok Stadium outfit chose to appeal the decision.
The FA have confirmed that no ban will be forthcoming, in a boost for relegation candidates Bolton.
“Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill has had his claim for wrongful dismissal upheld,” an official statement reads.
“As a result, the one-match suspension handed to him has been withdrawn.
“Cahill had originally received a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Saturday 3 December 2011.”
The dismissal was deemed as a mistake by many in the game, on the same weekend that Chelsea’s David Luiz was only given a yellow card for blatantly fouling Newcastle forward Demba Ba whilst through on goal.
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The Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers made contrasting starts to life in the MLS as the league swung into full gear on Saturday.The Los Angeles Galaxy’s 1-0 win over Seattle opened the campaign on Wednesday, but all eyes were on Saturday’s packed schedule as Vancouver and Portland made their MLS debuts.A crowd of 22,592 crammed into Vancouver’s Empire Field to see the Whitecaps face Toronto FC in the competition’s first-ever all-Canadian encounter, and the home fans did not leave disappointed when their side ran out 4-2 winners.French striker Eric Hassli scored the Whitecaps’ first MLS goal, getting on the end of a cross from Swiss midfielder Davide Chiumiento to stroke past Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 15th minute.The lead lasted just five minutes before veteran Canada midfielder Dwayne De Rosario capped a Toronto counter-attack with a composed finish, but Vancouver took a 2-1 advantage into the half-time break when midfielder Terry Dunfield struck in the 26th minute.Atiba Harris made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute before designated player Hassli scored his brace to all-but wrap the game up, with Brazilian striker Maicon Santos scoring a consolation goal for Toronto, who are coached by former Ajax star Aron Winter.It was no fairytale start for the Portland Timbers, however, who faced the heady prospect of travelling to reigning title-holders Colorado Rapids in their debut.First-half strikes from midfielder Jeff Larentowicz, Jamaica forward Omar Cummings and former Celtic schemer Jamie Smith had Colorado well in control for much of the game, with target man Kenny Cooper claiming a late strike for the Timbers to ensure they did not go home completely empty handed.Real Salt Lake showed why they conceded just 20 goals last season – breaking an MLS record in the process – in their 1-0 edging of San Jose.San Jose had eight shots on target compared to the visitors’ two, but could not find a way past Nick Rimando in the Real goal.Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman got the only goal of the game with his right-foot drive from outside the area on 64 minutes, with his side able to survive some unsure handling by Rimando as the rain tumbled down in the second half to claim all three points.It was hard not to miss the irony in Omar Bravo’s two-goal debut in Sporting Kansas City’s 3-2 win over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Centre in California.After fellow debutant CJ Sapong scored for Sporting in the first minute, Mexican international striker Bravo struck either side of half-time and was a nuisance to the Chivas defence for much of the match.Midfielder Ben Zemanski added to veteran defender Jimmy Conrad’s goal in the 81st minute to ensure a nervy finish to the encounter. But the real story was Bravo’s double on debut against the sister club of Chivas Guadalaraja – the Mexican side where he made his name, scoring over 100 goals.In his first competitive match in more than a year, Charlie Davies’ second-half brace spurred DC United to a 3-1 win over Columbus Crew at home. Davies had been a passenger in a fatal car accident in October 2009 while on international duty with the US, and has joined United on-loan from French Ligue 1 club Sochaux as he bids to return to full fitness.Thierry Henry’s missed penalty mattered little as 18-year-old striker Juan Agudelo celebrated his call-up to the US team with the New York Red Bulls’ winner in their 1-0 triumph over Seattle, while the Philadelphia Union claimed the same result at Houston Dynamo.Dallas and Chicago shared the points in a 1-1 stalemate at the former’s Pizza Hut Park, with Brek Shea dismissed for the home side in the 55th minute for bringing down Uruguayan striker Gaston Puerari as the last man.
Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is open to a temporary transfer away from Old Trafford if it sees him gain first-team action.
He enjoyed a loan spell at Championship side Preston North End last season and manager Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to farm him out to another top-flight club to further aid his development, a move the 19-year-old would be more than happy to take.
"My main aim is to be part of the first team set-up but I am happy to go on loan if the manager wants me to. I just want to keep playing games and improving," said Welbeck.
"I feel I have improved a lot over the last couple of years in particular. I have learned so much during that time particularly the importance of mental strength on and off the pitch. I just want to keep improving and striving to show everyone what I can do.
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"I am really pleased with how the tour has gone for me so far and I am happy with my performances. I have got to keep going and continue to get my fitness up."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email