AHEAD OF THE GAME
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007. 1600 GMT
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The news in 60 seconds
EVANS QUESTIONED
Jonny Evans, the 19-year-old Manchester United defender, has been released on bail after he was questioned by police today over allegations that a woman was raped at the club's Christmas party. Evans volunteered for questioning after a 26-year-old woman claimed she had been the victim of a sex attack. United have declined to comment.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3073171.ece
£4,000 A HEAD FOR TAINTED PARTY
United players forked out £4,000 a head for their ill-fated Christmas party. The players booked the hotel for their exclusive use, hired security guards, ordered the WAGs to stay away and partied through the night with 100 models and dancers.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3071119.ece
FESTIVITIES MUST BE SCRAPPED
"The festive footie knees-up may be traditional, like turkey and mince pies, but it has to end. I may sound like Scrooge with all his humbug, but I cannot see any other solution." Tony Cascarino calls time on the seasonal festivities after yet another scandal.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3071041.ece
TORRES THE KOP IDOL
Fernando Torres may be the fastest thing on Merseyside since Michael Owen, but he still can't escape comparisons with King Kenny. "Many years down the line when I eventually leave Liverpool I would like to be held in the same affection as these players [Dalglish and Robbie Fowler], but I've got a long way to go, so I'll leave them on their pedestal at the moment," Torres said diplomatically.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3074439.ece
SPURS APPEAL
It seems as though no one was happy with Steve Bennett's performance in the Carling Cup quarter-final last night. Tottenham Hotspur have launched an appeal over Didier Zokora's red card while Richard Dunne, the City midfielder, has launched a tirade about the official after he was denied a penalty.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3074146.ece
CHILD'S PLAY FOR WENGER
Arsene Wenger says that the latest crop from the Arsenal nursery are good enough to win the Carling Cup after they beat Blackburn Rovers in extra time last night to reach the semi-finals. "We want to finish the job now," Wenger said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article3074451.ece
DJOUR OUT OF HERE
Johan Djourou will return to Arsenal at the end of his loan spell at Birmingham City. The Switzerland defender is wanted as cover for Kolo Toure, who will join up with Ivory Coast for the African Cup of Nations. "He will be a loss, for sure," Alex McLeish said. "It is disappointing that he is not going to be with us for much longer." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3074086.ece
HOPE FOR BANGURA
Al Bangura has been handed a lifeline to stay in the UK after the Government agreed to allow Watford to apply for a work permit. Bangura would not normally be eligible because Sierra Leone are outside the world top 70 and the midfielder has yet to earn a cap, but Liam Byrne, the Home Office minister, has made an exception.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3074231.ece
COPPELL TO SPEND
Steve Coppell, whose idea of extravagance is probably an extra mince pie, will be given money to spend in the transfer window. "With the January window less than a fortnight away, we have started to home in on specific targets and conversations with clubs are progressing," Nick Hammond, the club's director of football, said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/reading/article3073913.ece
SWEET NFA
The FA will decide tomorrow whether to proceed with the National Football Academy (NFA) at Burton or continue with the same ramshackle coaching and management structure that has proved so successful over the past 41 years. Nick Szczepanik looks at the options.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3071107.ece
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>>>>>FANTASY FOOTBALL WITH BRAINS<<<<<
* Register today for PlayTheGame - and don't wait 'til January to start trading
* It's free and you can still enter
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* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/playthegame
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If you've got another couple of minutes
SENSITIVE SOL
Sol Campbell is outraged by the verbal and psychological abuse that he suffers from Spurs fans and claims it amounts to a violation of his "human rights". The Portsmouth player, who was last seen not wearing an orange jumpsuit and not being bundled on to a plane with his hands tied behind his back at a remote airfield in Scotland, was so upset that he rang the BBC today to complain about his treatment at Fratton Park on Saturday.
"I think the FA, PFA and even the Government should get involved because these situations are happening at sporting arenas," Campbell said in a phone call not from his cell in Guantanamo Bay. "If this happened on the street, you would be arrested. This is the 21st century and this is a human rights situation where sportsmen and managers are trying to do their job professionally and people are abusing them verbally. It has gone too far."
It is unknown whether he has brought his case to the attention of Amnesty International, who will surely take up the millionaire's cause once they have sorted out child soldiers, secret executions in Nigeria and the whole messy business of the worldwide arms trade. They have already rushed T-shirts into production with the slogan "Sol-idarity for footballers".
His lawyer is also understood to have flown to Brussels to discuss how European constitutional law can be used to ban fans at footie matches from shouting nasty things at former players, although he has yet to explain how banning fans from expressing themselves would be reconciled with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. That's the right to freedom of expression.
Harsh or fair? Send your views to: sport@timesonline.co.uk
LEFT BACK IN CHANGING-ROOM
AOTG thought Steve McClaren's decision to play Joleon Lescott at left back was the most bizarre decision in history, but it turns out that was just the beginning of the wally with the brolly's folly, at least according to Robert Green. Not only did McClaren struggle to tell the difference between a (limited) centre back and Nicky Shorey, he couldn't distinguish between a right-footed goalkeeper and a left back.
"I have, somewhat bizarrely, played more training sessions with England as a left back than in goal," Green wrote in his newspaper column today. "Many an hour has been spent with me petrified of making one of my trademark clumsy challenges on David Beckham or Shaun Wright-Phillips and being hounded out of the country for ruining England's chances of progressing."
Like Scott Carson and Paul Robinson, perhaps? Maybe McClaren should have tried one of the left backs in goal. Maybe he did.
THEGAME DEBATE: LIVERPOOL NOT A BIG CLUB
Martin Samuel has been called xenophobic, blamed for the demise of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and attacked for the shortcomings of his argument. In fact, his only supporter seems to be a Reading fan. Our Chief Football Correspondent replies to your comments - but prepare for a shock. He seems to have been overtaken by seasonal cheer.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/the-debate-ma-2.html
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>>>>>THE TABLOID SCANDAL<<<<<
BECKS AD PANTASTIC - The Sun
What you need to know: 1) Goldenballs David Beckham really does have the Midas touch. 2) A week after he got his tackle out for the Armani ads, boxer shorts have been relegated to the subs' bench. 3) The £15 briefs have sold a whopping 260 per cent more than usual. 4) Which is appropriate, because the pants in question seemed to have doubled in size for the photoshoot, too.
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A quickie before you go, sir?
FIVE-A-SIDE LESSON
It just goes to show, even Premier League stars can learn something from your average five-a-side league. Mark Noble and Anton Ferdinand are meant to be coaching the two teams but scroll forward to 1min 08sec and there's a nifty bit of skill that leaves the West Ham players dumbstruck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OXSR3Aa06Q
RONALDO SKILL-FEST
But it doesn't compare to this ... Cristiano Ronaldo showing the skills that pay the bills. What's more, he's only the second best in the studio...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbqUl8XseC8
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70
Number of red cards at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger after his team's latest off night.
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In TheGame
A few of our brave readers have tried to placate Gabriele Marcotti, but it hasn't worked. He explains why he's still getting worked up about Don Fabio and other Mafia jokes as he responds to your comments on TheGame Podcast blog.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/grand-slam-sund.html
As the Tottenham vultures hover over the Riverside, Stuart Young, our Middlesbrough fan, tells Fanzine Fanzone why it could be time to cash in on Stewart Downing - it's that or risk losing an even more exciting young talent. Elsewhere, Wyart Lane , our Tottenham man, explains how Christmas came early for his team.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/
Did you know? Bill Edgar on one-season wonders, a statistic that proves Wigan Athletic are as bad as Watford and the bizarre case of Manchester City's home comforts.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2007/12/did-you-know-2.html
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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
* Carragher snubs Capello call - Daily Mail
* I've nicked Nic: Avram's £10m claim - The Sun
* Brown + Saha + £6m = Berbatov - Daily Mirror< /EM >
* Saha swap for Berbatov - Daily Express
* Carragher snubs Capello - The Daily Telegraph
* Eduardo's extra class shoots young Gunners into last four - The Independent
* Eduardo strikes to send 10-man Arsenal through - The Guardian
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox
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My XI would be:
GK: Robinson
DL: Cole
DC: Terry
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Richards
ML: Rooney
MC: Hargreaves
MC: Joe Cole
MR: Wright-Phillips
FC: Owen
FC: Crouch
Bit controversial with rooney playing wide left, but i think it suits him much more than playing as a forward. and i'd love to see joe cole reprising the paul scholes role playing behind the front 2.
Nathan Caplan offers up an England XI without Lampard or Gerrard. We know we asked you to pretend to be England manager but it seems you've gone the full nine yards and lost the plot....
Send your mail to: sport@timesonline.co.uk
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Tomorrow's news today
- Matt Hughes reports from Chelsea's Carling Cup showdown with Liverpool
- Watford put case against Bangura deportation
And expect...
AOTG to be arrested after chaining itself to a fence outside Fratton Park in solidarity with Sol.
The new registration process is up and running, so it's like pyramid selling once again. Spread the word.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/subscriptions/e-mail_bulletins/
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Anonymous tips, suggestions, funnies, fan mail and complaints: sport@timesonline.co.uk
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