'I almost cried I was so upset with myself' – Samir Nasri hard on himself this season

Samir Nasri has admitted some of his performances for Manchester City have not been good enough, with certain moments making him want to cry.
The French midfielder has often struggled for the form he showed at Arsenal since moving to City nearly two years ago, and was heavily criticised by manager Roberto Mancini earlier this year.

It was initially suggested Nasri had disagreed with the Italian's assessment of him, but in the build-up to todays FA Cup Final - which a now-on-song Nasri is expected to be involved in - the 25-year-old claims he understood Mancinis comments.

Speaking to The Times he said: "I didn't take it the wrong way. I agreed with him. I knew. Sometimes I don't need him to tell me because I'm professional. When I go home, I watch the games again.

"I know if I've played well or if I've played s*** and for eight months I wasn't good. I understand what the manager was saying, because it must be frustrating when you have a quality player and he doesn't perform and you don't know why because you try to play him there, play him there, but he still doesn't perform.

"So at some point you have no choice but to put him on the bench and you go to the press to try to get a reaction. And it worked.

"Before, I wasn't very good at accepting public criticism. But he (Mancini) just wants the best from his players on the pitch because he has to win. If he doesn't, he gets fired."

One particular incident which drew criticism was Nasri`s decision to turn his back on a Robin van Persie free-kick during December's Manchester derby.

City had recovered from 2-0 to be level but, as Nasri turned away, the ball went where he would have been and on into the goal.

"I don't know what went through my head," Nasri said of that moment. "I don't know how many times I was thinking about it afterwards. Eventually I had to turn off the TV. My dad said, 'Why are you scared of the ball, do you think it's going to burn you or something?'

"At the time I almost cried I was so upset with myself. How could you do that? It was a derby and with a draw we'd have stayed a few points behind them but they won it and it was a big moment in the title race."

Man United's Scholes to follow Ferguson into retirement

Man United will bid farewell not only to their iconic manager next week, but also one of their most iconic modern day footballers as Paul Scholes is expected to retire for the second time, reports The Mirror.

Jose Mourinho rejected Manchester United offer

Portuguese press say Jose Mourinho rejected Manchester United five-year deal due to family reasons

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, David Moyes was only the Old Trafford club’s second choice after the Real Madrid manager declined an offer.

It claims Manchester United officials had a five-year contract ready to offer to Mourinho but he declined for family reasons, so the Premier League champions then turned to their next choice in David Moyes.

Mourinho has been heavily linked with a return to his old club Chelsea this summer and the report claims his desire to relocate his family to London was behind turning down the offer from Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson announced he would be retiring from his post after 26 years on Wednesday, with both Mourinho and Moyes cited as possible candidates to succeed him in the immediate aftermath.

The Everton boss was eventually announced as the next Manchester United manager on Thursday afternoon, with the club and Ferguson claiming he was their number one choice.

Chelsea Closest to Signing Wayne Rooney

With the appointment of Everton boss David Moyes at Manchester United, Red Devils are in danger of losing one of their stars in Wayne Rooney. Numerous clubs are interested in signing the ex Evertonian forward and it seems that Chelsea are perhaps the closest to sign the England International.

Tensions between Rooney and his former boss are inevitable and Abramovich is ready to pounce on the opportunity of signing one of the best players in the league. Rumors suggest that Arsenal have shown interest as well but Rooney will most likely prefer a move to Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho is expected to leave Real Madrid and take over at Chelsea once the season ends. The Portuguese tactician is a long term admirer of Wayne Rooney and will be granted funds to lure the United forward much to the delight of Chelsea faithful if the deal goes through.

The only dilemma for Chelsea which is not a bad one is that they have so many play makers around such as the likes of Mata, Oscar, Hazard etc. and what they actually need is an out and out striker. Adding to that, the blues are also close to signing Leverkusen forward Andre Schurrle.

Having so many stars at disposal, Abramovich may still be ready to sanction a deal for Rooney as the owner and fans are desperate to snatch the premier league title from the grabs of Manchester clubs.

Rooney has enjoyed his best days in the red shirt of Manchester United having won it all. United must do all to persuade him to stay but working with his ex-manager after the controversial remarks he made about him plus the different proposals in front of him are likely to weigh more.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also reportedly keen on signing the England forward but staying in his homeland may as well be Rooney’s priority and thus Chelsea appear as leading the race to sign him.

Mourinho and Rooney at Chelsea will be an exciting prospect for the club and its supporters and it might just be the combination that will help the blues win the title next season.

For Manchester United, they will have to sign a world class replacement if Rooney does depart. A potential return for Cristiano Ronaldo seems unlikely for now. Nevertheless, they will have enough funds from Rooney’s sale to sign a top quality forward.

http://soccerisma.com/2013/05/chelsea-closest-to-signing-wayne-rooney/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chelsea-closest-to-signing-wayne-rooney

Benzema's anthem snub riles National Front

France’s far-right National Front party have demanded French international striker Karim Benzema be barred from playing for the national team after he insisted he would not sing the French national anthem before matches.

 The far right National Front party has demanded that Benzema, 25, who plays for Real Madrid in Spain, be sacked from the French national team for declaring he had never sung the French national anthem - the Marseillaise before an international game, and would continue not to.

Eric  Domard – sporting advisor to National Front leader Marine LePen – said in a statement on Tuesday that “[Benzema] shows an inconceivable and unacceptable contempt for the jersey he has the fortune to be able to wear.”

Labeling him a “footballing mercenary paid €1484 an hour,” Domard further declared that “since Karim Benzema sees no problem with not singing the Marseillaise, the French people should have no problem with him not playing for France anymore.”

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Hero or Villain: Greg Dyke

Ex-BBC TV DG to FA. Lovers of acronyms across the country will no doubt be cheering the news that Greg Dyke is to be the next chairman of the Football Association.

As for the rest of us? Surely Joseph Barton, that great sage of the modern game, summed up popular opinion when he offered via Twitter, "What the fuck does Greg Dyke know about football? Yet, another bureaucrat, placed in a position way to [sic] large for his domain expertise ... Football needs football people right now." Well, quite.

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Mourinho hints at stunning Chelsea return as Madrid boss ponders next move

Jose Mourinho has hinted he may return to one of his former clubs, claiming his next move could be to "somewhere I've already been".

The Portuguese's future has been the subject of speculation despite leading Real Madrid to the Primera Division title last term and the fact they are still going strong in the Champions League this season.

Mourinho won two Premier League crowns in three years with Chelsea before leaving in 2007 and has often been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge, where there will be a vacancy in the summer when interim boss Rafael Benitez departs.

And, speaking at the opening of an exhibition in Setubal, Mourinho did little to dampen such talk.

The former Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan coach was quoted by Football Italia as saying: "I have an adventurous spirit and do not know what will happen next season.

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Manchester City fan banned for using electronic cigarette

Football stewards are renowned for being a touch heavy-handed and pedantic

However, stewards at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium have surpassed themselves for taking away the season ticket of a fan they believed to be smoking, when the guy was simply chuffing on a perfectly legal electronic cigarette.

The fan explains the story below:

    I was on the concourse at half-time having a drink with a few mates. I took a drag of it and was asked by security to come into a room. I just thought I was going to be asked to explain what it was.

    I was told they were banned and asked for my season card which I handed over. I was then escorted out of the ground by police.

However, it appears that City offer warnings that e-cigarettes should also not be smoked in the ground. So despite there being no evident reason for such a rule, that might be that. With only a few games left and the title race over, maybe it was a deliberate ploy?

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Plans at exhibition show how landscape would radically alter

The pictures show that the scheme, which could potentially have ten tall towers the tallest of which would be 14 storeys high, would radically alter the landscape for residents in Chiswick. 

The Football Club is planning to move from its existing stadium at Griffin Park to a new purpose built ground close by. The plans being developed will provide a modern 20,000 capacity stadium and they hope to have it completed by 2015. According to Saturday's Daily Telegraph, London Wasps are in discussing with the Brentford F.C. about a ground share at the stadium. 

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NEW GLASSES SHOW HOW GOOD A FOOTBALL FAN YOU ARE

Scientists have invented glasses which show how good a football fan you are. We sent STEVE HUGHES to the Championship clash between Charlton and Millwall – with former England boss Graham Taylor in tow – to investigate.

Wearing a massive pair of specs ­attached to a laptop, while sitting next to one of the most ­famous faces in football in a ­stadium of 18,000 fans, I felt a tad self-conscious.

But however silly the equipment I was wearing looked, there can be no denying its technological brilliance.

The glasses track tiny movements in your cornea – the part of the eye which does the focusing – and records on to the laptop, inset, exactly where your eyes are looking.

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Olympics deal ‘is a pig’s ear’

A DEAL to allow West Ham Football Club to move into the Olympic Stadium should be ripped up because taxpayers will be paying for it for years to come, it was claimed last night. 

 The Hammers are set to move into the east London venue after it was agreed the club would pay just £15million towards the estimated cost of £190million to refurbish the stadium, making it a suitable venue for football matches and athletics.

The rest of the bill will be met by taxpayers.

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England fan in coma after bar fight in Italy

An England football fan has been arrested in connection with a fight outside an Italian pub ahead of the match against San Marino that left another England fan in a coma.

Police said a 65-year-old man defended himself with a bar stool in a fight, was punched, fell and hit his head. He is now in an induced coma and his condition was described as “very serious”.

A 21-year-old man was arrested. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm the arrest of a British national in Italy on 21 March.”

Best News I have had in a long time

Chelsea transfers: Atlético’s Simeone hints at summer move for Torres

 

Chelsea transfers: Atlético boss Diego Simeone hints at a summer move to bring Fernando Torres back to the Vicente Calderón

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Club statement on recent events

Statement on behalf of Coventry City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd
 

As fans will know, Coventry City Football Club Limited was placed into administration on Thursday.

This subsidiary of the Club held the lease and licence for the Ricoh Arena. This covered the permission to play home matches at the stadium as well as the rental of the Club shop and the Club offices.

Given this subsidiary is now in administration, the Club has taken the decision to protect its staff by moving them from the stadium to the training ground at Ryton, before finding a more permanent base.

 

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David Beckham dodges China corruption questions

David Beckham continued his tour of China in his role of “global ambassador” for the country’s youth football and Super League in Qingdao insisting he was not there to help clean up the sport in the country. 


After arriving flanked by suited officials, the former England captain signed autographs and had a brief kickabout – still wearing his shirt, tie and shiny formal shoes – with students at Qingdao Jonoon football club in a brief appearance attended by a large crowd of fans.

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Football world focuses on Istanbul draw

This coming Monday evening, the focus of attention for the global footballing family turns to Istanbul, as the Turkish metropolis hosts the eagerly-awaited group stage draw for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2013. Exactly 88 days before the tournament kicks off, and after the ceremony at 19.00 local time (18.00 CET) in the banqueting hall of the Grand Tarabya Hotel, the competing teams will finally learn who they must overcome in their quest to claim the most prestigious prize in youth football.

Eager anticipation, mounting tension
The 19th edition of the highly anticipated FIFA tournament takes place between 21 June and 13 July this summer. A starting field of 24 teams will contest a total of 52 matches in the seven host cities of Antalya, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Kayseri, Rize and Trabzon. The eventual winners will succeed Brazil as world champions, as the winners of the last FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia two years ago surprisingly failed to qualify for this summer's showdown in Turkey.

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I was a football thug.

“I was a football thug. Some people are murderers and rapists, but they don’t admit it. I am not ashamed of what I did."

Former Blues hooligan Barrington Patterson reveals the story of his battles with life in new book 


 Former Blues hooligan Barrington Patterson lifts the lid on his extraordinary life in a new biography. The Brummie hardman talked about his colourful past of soccer violence, boxing champions and the Gladiators to MIKE LOCKLEY.

“I was born to fight,” growled Birmingham’s most notorious soccer hooligan, Barrington ‘One-Eyed Baz’ Patterson, his gold tooth glinting as the scowl succumbed to a smirk.

“I came out of my mother’s womb fighting,” the Handsworth hardman insisted, stretching his bulky, 18 stone frame in a show of indifference.

“I’m not the kind of person who walks away. If you don’t want trouble, don’t lay it on me.”

The 47-year-old former leading light in Birmingham City’s feared Zulu hooligan crew has paid for his penchant for punch-ups, with a record so crammed with violent offences it’s a veritable criminal double album.

“I’ve lost count, to be honest,” the nightclub bouncer muttered with a shrug of his broad shoulders. “Maybe 20 - all for violence, but none football related.”

He stared into space for a second, wringing his shovel-sized hands for inspiration before apologising. “Oh yeah - there’s one robbery... and a burglary.”

“Am I violent?” he hissed, stung by the enquiry, his heavy gold chain swaying in a show of disapproval. “Don’t ask other people what I’m like, ask me what I’m like.”

I pointed out, diplomatically, I was asking him.

Barrington slumped back in his chair and mulled over the question. “I am what I am.

“But I don’t regret anything. The only thing I regret in life is having five kids by five different women.”

The bonds that tie thrice-wed Barrington to his extended family are loose. “Am I a grandfather?” he mused. “Not to my knowledge.”

Barrington, who channelled his blood-lust into a highly successful kickboxing and cage-fighting career - he held world titles in both, has paid for the self-imposed stains on his character. 

The man who bared his soul on TV hoodlum series, Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men was within a whisker of exploding on our screens as a Gladiator: one of the muscle-bound, leotard clad athletes who pummelled contestants in the popular 90s show of the same name.

Possibly for the best. Get clobbered with one of those oversized cottonbuds by Barrington and you’d have ringing in your ears for a year.

“Your past always catches up with you,” he sighed. “I went to the Gladiators audition and they said I was ideal, the right build and everything. It was done and dusted, they said. All they had to do was a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.

“I knew that was it straight away.” It was.

The one-man army has again been thrust into the limelight, thanks to his new autobiography, One Eyed Baz. It has been penned by reformed West Ham hooligan Cass Pennant.

The tome is launched at Birmingham’s Irish Centre on Saturday night.

“It doesn’t glorify what I did,” he was at pains to point out. “It’s my journey.”

Stubbing a finger in my direction he announced: “I did what I did with one eye - that’s the story.

“I was a football thug. Some people are murderers and rapists, but they don’t admit it. I am not ashamed of what I did, but I have a story to tell. There is more to life than being a football thug.”

Contrary to Second City folklore, Barrington did not lose his optic on the terraces or in the street. It’s a war-wound received when, as a seven-year-old, his sister threw a can at him.

Yet despite the handicap, he fought around the globe in martial arts tournaments, facing the very best - including current world heavyweight boxing champ Vitali Klitschko - and lifting a raft of titles.

It’s the handicap that shaped this brutal being. “It made we what I am today,” he said. “At school they called me cyclops, stuff like that, and I’d do battle with them.”

Barrington simply never stopped battling. The self-styled Handsworth ‘rude boy’ so impressed a band of Birmingham City skinheads called the Apex crew, they invited him to a match. A clear case of, if you can’t beat ‘em, ask them to join you’.

“The first time I went to Blues - 1982 or 83 - I didn’t know anyone. I was looking around thinking, where are the brothers?’’

Barrington’s thirst for violent action soon earned him admirers. “The size of me,” he put forward as a probable reason for his popularity, “people do feel intimidated by me. I stand out a mile.”

He speaks matter-of-factly about those shameful years of soccer mob rule. “We earned our reputation. There were people like Millwall, they thought they were top, but we wanted to be the top hooligans. You are there with your friends and you are outnumbered 20 to one and you think, ‘I ain’t running nowhere’.

“You get up in the morning, you want to go to that town and you want to take the p*** for the day. You want to take over that town for the day. But we didn’t just beat anyone with a Liverpool scarf - the lads know who the lads are.

“At the time, it was all about Saturday, Saturday, Saturday.”

“I got done a couple of times,” he conceded.

Leeds and Millwall’s thugs provided particularly tough competition, though Barrington singled out West Ham’s infamous Inter City Firm as, in his words, the best: in the eyes of the general public, the worst.

Scuffles? There were more than a few, though the mid-80s St Andrew’s pitch invasions that marred matches against Leeds and West Ham stand out.

Barrington clings to a perceived code of conduct among thugs and laments the behaviour of the new breed of bad boys. “There are young people calling themselves Zulus who are tarnishing the name. They are ruthless young ****ers. Years ago, you saw an old person, you stopped what you were doing and let them go past.”

At the end of our interview, he encased my limp hand in a vice-like grip, looked deep into my frightened eyes and demanded: “I didn’t sound like a t**t, did I?”

That’s a question linked to diet. Say ‘yes’ and you’ll be tucking into hospital food for the forseeable future.

 

sites down for the moment

will be back up in two weeks

posted 26/2/13

Uefa reduce 2013 Champions League final ticket prices

 Uefa has responded to growing concerns over the high cost of watching football in England by reducing the cheapest ticket for this year's Champions League final at Wembley to £68.

European football's governing body was accused of exploiting supporters when the match was last staged in London two years ago - Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 - by charging £176 for the cheapest ticket.

Uefa will announce later on Friday that it has listened to that criticism and lowered prices for the showpiece match, which takes place on 25 May, after consulting football fans across Europe.

 "It is correct we should give the opportunity to everyone to go to the match irrespective of their financial conditions," a spokesman said.

But many supporters may still view the entry level price of almost £70 as too high - even for what is arguably the biggest game of the season.

Only 13,000 of the 59,000 tickets on general sale will be priced in this new low category. The rest will be sold at much higher prices ranging from £140 to £330.

This year's competition resumes next week with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Celtic, Arsenal, AC Milan and Bayern Munich all involved in the last 16 ties.

And some fans may still question why 20,000 seats are not being put on sale to the general public. Uefa hold back these tickets for sponsors, commercial partners and officials and administrators from European and world football.

Uefa's response is nevertheless a sign that football's authorities may be aware of the increased sensitivity around the cost of watching football - particularly in England where some Premier League clubs have been accused of ripping off away supporters.

In January, Manchester City fans returned nearly a third of the ticket allocation for their game at Arsenal, saying the £62 price was too high.

Supporters groups have warned the Premier League it risks alienating a generation of fans by charging too much to watch games.

The Premier League says it cannot tell clubs to reduce prices but argues many have become more sophisticated over the past decade, introducing stretched ticketing policies where higher-priced tickets help subsidise more cheaper tickets for fans on lower incomes.

Despite that, some campaigners want to see a greater commitment to reduce prices especially at a time when Premier League clubs are poised to see a huge increase in income thanks to the competition's new improved TV rights deals, which take effect from this August.

Four arrested as police attempt to curb football disorder during Leyton Orient match

At least four people were arrested inside and outside of a football stadium last night.

Two were detained on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and two more on suspicion of public order offences as police attempted to prevent trouble during Leyton Orient’s home match against Southend United at Brisbane Road Stadium.

Police have not yet provided the ages and sexes of the four but confirmed three were arrested outside the stadium and one inside.

The news comes after nine pubs in Leyton and Leytonstone agreed with the Met’s request to close at 9pm yesterday in an attempt to prevent public disorder related to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first leg tie, which the Os lost 1-0.

The Red Lion in High Road, Leytonstone, shut its doors at 4pm.

Police took the measures after two drinkers at the Walnut Tree in Leytonstone High Road were attacked by a group of 10 to 15 men on January 26 at 10pm, following an O's match with Notts County.

A 44-year-old man and a 26-year-old man suffered head injuries.

No-one has been arrested.

The football club would only accept tickets booked online or in person from the ticket office prior to the game.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AND BRIGHTON BOSSES CHARGED WITH IMPROPER CONDUCT

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY manager Dave Jones and Brighton’s first-team coach Charlie Oatway have been charged with improper conduct by the FA following a fiery Championship fixture on Saturday.

The incident occurred following Wednesday midfielder Danny Pugh’s heavy challenge on Albion’s Inigo Calderon in the second half of the game at Hillsborough.

Pugh’s booking sparked a furious reaction from the visiting bench and the ensuing bust-up, which involved players and staff from both benches, saw Jones and Oatway sent to the stands as stewards and police tried to restore order.

FA unaware of match-fixing probe following Europol investigation

How can they say they are unaware of match-fixing probe it's been in the news and all over the web

 Neither the FA nor UEFA was made aware of a police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England.

The mystery surrounding a European police match-fixing investigation into a Champions League game in England has deepened after it emerged neither the Football Association nor UEFA were aware of any such probe.

Rob Wainwright, director of Europol - the European Union's law enforcement agency, told a news conference on Monday that the match which took place "in the last three to four years" was one of 380 under investigation.

Europol said a total of 425 match officials, club officials, players, and serious criminals, from more than 15 countries, are suspected of being involved in attempts to fix matches.

Wainwright refused to name which English Champions League match in particular due to "ongoing judicial proceedings" - and the FA, which as the governing body in the country should be alerted, is also at a loss to know which one.

A spokesman for The Football Association said: "The FA are not aware of any credible reports into suspicious Champions League fixtures in England, nor has any information been shared with us.

"While the Champions League comes under UEFA jurisdiction, The FA, alongside the Premier League, Football League and Conference, monitor markets for the top seven leagues and three major cup competitions in England and take matters of integrity in football extremely seriously."

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Match-fixing probe: 680 suspicious games worldwide

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Investigators expose global soccer fixing scam

Hundreds of soccer matches have been fixed in a global betting scam run from Singapore, police said on Monday, in a blow to the image of the world's most popular sport and a multi-billion dollar industry.

About 680 suspicious matches including qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championships, and the Champions League for top European club sides, have been identified in an inquiry by European police forces, the European anti-crime agency Europol, and national prosecutors.

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Expert calls for arrest of well-known "fixer"

ROME (Reuters) - Assertions by authorities that tackling match-fixing in football will be a long and complex process have been rejected by a leading expert on corruption in the game, who says the arrest of one person will make a difference.

Declan Hill, an author and investigative journalist who believes gangs avoid detection by fixing the betting exchanges as well as matches, has called on authorities to arrest Dan Tan, who he says is an alleged major "fixer" in Singapore.

"There's an effort to say that taking on match-fixing is a complicated, sophisticated activity that involves taking on dark, mysterious figures," Hill, the author of The Fix: Soccer and Organised Crime, told Reuters in an interview.

"We know the fixer. There's one guy who helped fix games in over 50 countries in the world. This is Finnish police, the Hungarian police, the German police, the Italian police saying this.

"This is over 800 pages of the Cremona public prosecutor's report (from the most recent Italian match-fixing scandal) that not only names the man and gives his birth date, it has his phone records, it talks about where he was, it talks about everything."

Singapore police said in a statement: "The authorities in Singapore are assisting the Italian authorities through Interpol in their investigations into an international match-fixing syndicate that purportedly involves a Singaporean, Dan Tan Seet Eng, and have provided information requested by the National Central Bureau (NCB) Rome.

"So far, Dan Tan Seet Eng has not been arrested or charged with any offence in Singapore.

"We wish to reiterate that Singapore takes a strong stance against match-fixing and is committed to working with international enforcement agencies to bring down transnational criminal syndicates, including those that involve the acts of Singaporeans overseas, and protect the integrity of the sport."

Dan Tan could not be reached for comment.

Hill appeared this month at a match-fixing conference in Rome attended by international football and police representatives as well as gambling experts.

"You have the biggest sporting organisations in the world and some of the biggest police agencies across Europe saying this is the man who has fixed games in dozens of different countries, including Singapore. You'd think that would be enough," Hill said.

"Next year FIFA is opening up a $20 million anti-match-fixing education centre (in Interpol's new Global Complex) in Singapore. I'm boggled that anyone would think about doing that in a jurisdiction...(with possibly the) central international match fixer of our time."

"NOBODY NOTICES"

European football's governing body UEFA says its early warning system to combat match-fixing shows only 0.7 percent of the 32,000 matches monitored per year are fixed and they are almost exclusively lower-division matches.

However, Hill argues the systems used by FIFA and UEFA to track suspicious activity on the betting markets would not detect scams by Asian gangs that operate across Europe.

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said at the Rome conference that his organisation was "not geared up to fight criminality" but FIFA counterpart Jerome Valcke said no Champions League or World Cup matches were fixed.

Hill said: "Early warning systems are based on the premise that the fixers are stupid. They're not. The fixers spend as much time working out how to fix the gambling markets - so that nobody notices what they're doing - as they do fixing the actual games.

"The bigger the game, the easier it is to fix the gambling market.

"Ninety to 95 percent of the money laid on a fix by any professional fixer is on the Asian market and it's with a series of agents who are essentially local and regional bookies that go all the way to a couple of really big companies. And they're not providing information to the warning system.

"Everyone inside football knows there's a massive problem in June, July and August in the Champions League (qualifying rounds).

"July is a peak season for fixers because you have a market that is betting 365 (days of the year), 24 hours a day, but from June to early August there's very little European football."

The big tournaments could also be affected.

"They don't know based on their early warning system whether there's fixing in the World Cup or the Champions League, because there's too much liquidity - too much money being placed on a game," Hill said.

"Betfair (an internet betting exchange based in London) for last year's Champions League final had a liquidity of one billion pounds ($1.58 billion). Multiply Betfair by 60 or 80 and you've got tens of billions on one game.

"The only thing they (UEFA) have is a system that doesn't collect information effectively for the big games and doesn't take any information if the fixers are intelligent.

"So to suggest that there's only less than one percent of European matches across UEFA being fixed is a total fantasy."

Shoot underway on Jason Maza spoof Hooligan Factory

Nick Nevern directs and has co-written the football hooliganism spoof shooting in London.

Shooting has commenced in London on football hooligan spoof The Hooligan Factory.

Nick Nevern directs and has co-written the film with Michael Lindley, with Jason Maza starring

Maza produces with Will Clarke’s Altitude Film Sales, which also handles sales. The film charts the encounter between a young man and a notorious football hooligan.

Tom Burke and Josef Altin star alongside Maza, with cameos from Leo Gregory, Tony Denham, Dexter Fletcher, and former football hooligan Cass Pennant

The Fyzz Facility is co-financing the project; Think Big Productions and Marshall Leviten are co-producing partners. Shooting will take place at 3 Mills and Elstree. 

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http://screenbase.screendaily.com/films/3605-the-hooligan-factory

Sunderland-shot film to shine light on female football hooliganism

A FILM is throwing the spotlight upon the secret world of female football hooliganism.

Director Garry Moore, from Red House, hopes to tackle the subject in his first feature film which will be shot in Sunderland, though based in London.



First he is trying to attract investors who will fund the £200,000 needed for the movie, which will be called Hard.

{>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|>>CLICK HERE to view a trailer for the film|http://www.indiegogo.com/hard-themovie?c=home}

Garry, who has won a number of awards in the past for his short films, says it would be a great opportunity to tell an unusual story in a compelling way.

“I’ve been trying to get a feature film off the ground for a number of years,” he said.

“I’ve made 39 short films, but these are often a calling card and stepping stone into making a feature film and I’m at the stage where I need to step up and progress my career.”

Hard focuses on 16-year-old Beki Knight, who joins a female gang after her sister is left brain-damaged in a fight.

A trailer for the film has already been shot on the banks of the River Wear and at other settings around the city.

“I’ve done some research into football hooliganism and come across a few female hooligans,” said Garry. “But they are mostly part of male-dominated firms.

“In London, however, there is a big problem with girl gangs and I thought it would be interesting to combine the two.

“When you look at films such as Green Street and Football Factory they are quite generic streets that could be in any city. There are lots of places in Sunderland that would be perfect for the film.

“It also keeps costs down to shoot here.”

Many of the actors cast in the film hail from the North East, such as Gauri Vedhara who was in Byker Grove for seven years and more recently appeared in the CBBC series Wolf Blood.

A crew is also in place which has worked on a number of high-profile films such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Interview with a Hitman.

Garry has set up a fund-raising page on crowd-funding website Indiegogo which allows people to make donations to fund the film from as little as £1.

He is also planning to approach investors who can plough in more substantial funds.

He said: “It is notoriously difficult to find anyone to back you when you don’t have a track record in feature film making.

“So I made a concept trailer for the film with backing from two small investors who saw the potential in the film, to be able to show other investors, sales agents and distributors what the film would look like in terms of style, content and quality.

“I’m in talks with a number of investors to raise the £200,000 needed, but it was always the intention to run a funding campaign on Indiegogo, to allow ordinary people who can’t afford to make large investments the opportunity to get involved in the glamorous world of film making.”

People who donate to the making of the film can receive a perk or reward in exchange.

These can vary, from a personal thank-you message from the director to signed scripts to days on set shadowing the director or as an extra or attending a cast read through.

l To learn more about the film and to link through to the Indiegogo page, visit www.shamfilms.co.uk.

Moyes to put Lambert to the sword? Everton v Aston Villa

Two teams in contrasting form clash at Goodison Park this weekend, with valuable points at stake. Everton are looking to maintain their push for a European position, while Aston Villa are desperately seeking to end a dismal run of form.

Both sides had tough midweek fixtures, which ultimately epitomised their seasons so far. The Toffees continued their excellent home form with a fine victory over West Brom, while Villa’s shocking first half display against Newcastle contributed to their downfall as they lost yet another home game.

Everton’s three points were all the more valuable as all the sides around them dropped points – leaving them in 5th, and just one point behind Spurs in the lucrative Champions League qualifying spot. With tough visits to Old Trafford and Carrow Road next up, Everton will be looking to secure another 3 points at fortress Goodison.

The Toffees have proved very hard to beat this season, and had they turned a few more draws into wins, they could easily be challenging Chelsea for 3rd. The undoubted stars of the season are Baines, Fellaini, and the rejuvenated Steven Pienaar. If their key players stay fit, a Champions League place is not beyond them.

Everton will be hoping that Nikica Jelavic can rediscover his scoring boots to help boost these chances.

There have been countless column inches written about Aston Villa in recent weeks. Paul Lambert’s side have been dragged into a relegation dogfight, as well as having their Wembley dream dashed by lowly Bradford. Their inept first half display against Newcastle must have worried the most optimistic of Villa supporters, but some heart must be taken from a positive second half display.

Lambert will seek inspiration from those 45 minutes, and his tactics will be under close scrutiny at Goodison Park. The flat back 5 employed against the Magpies invited pressure and stifled their attack. In stark contrast, the second half saw them use the width and pace that could be the key to their survival.

Christian Benteke has shouldered immense responsibility this year, and it is time for some of the more experienced players to help their young squad. Charles N’Zogbia and Gabriel Agbonlahor must start to lead by example – in work rate and quality. They are international-quality players on their day, but their form has been mediocre in the last year. Villa need them at their best more than ever in the coming months.

On paper, there is only one outcome this weekend: a resounding Everton victory. However, the Premier League is full of surprises, and this would ruin many accumulators if Villa can snatch something out of this game. Lambert’s side may benefit from playing away from the pressure-cooker environment that is Villa Park at present, but one would think Everton just have too many match-winners on this occasion.

Do me a favour: Wayne Rooney ASKED Fergie to stop him taking Man United's penalties

Striker insists he held his hands up after ninth miss from the spot in 28 tries for the club and stepped aside rather being stripped of the role

Wayne Rooney has revealed he ASKED to be taken off penalty-taking duty for Manchester United.

After England striker Rooney missed from the spot in the Reds' FA Cup win over West Ham, he told manager Alex Ferguson to hand the responsibility on to Robin van Persie.

In his meeting with Ferguson, Rooney, who has missed nine of the 28 penalties he has taken for United, acknowledged his record from 12 yards left plenty to be desired.

Seven of Rooney's penalty misses have come since the start of 2010, including two - against West Ham and Arsenal - this season.

"To be honest, it was my choice," said Rooney. "It wasn't good enough. I went in to speak with the manager and said I'd spoken with Robin [van Persie] and told him he could take them.

"At a club like this, to miss two penalties like I did and not hit the target, it wasn't good enough."

United were awarded a penalty against Fulham in the FA Cup's fourth round, but Van Persie was on the subs' bench, so Ryan Giggs stepped in and scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win.

Balotelli blasts English life

Mario Balotelli has slammed England's press, weather, food and drivers at his official unveiling as an AC Milan player.

The 22-year-old striker has joined AC Milan from Manchester City after a frustrating period in the English Premier League and claims he wants to 'be centre stage' for the Italian giants.

Having been regularly consigned to the bench with both Manchester City and Inter Milan, in his previous stint in Serie A, Balotelli hopes to 'play a leading role' in any AC Milan success.

"Four years have passed (since I played with Inter), I've grown," Balotelli said on Friday.

"I'm here to win and be centre stage.

"When I played for Inter I won but not always played, while here at Milan I hope I can win and play a leading role, that's the difference."

The tempestuous Italian added he has no regrets about leaving England and when asked what he disliked about the country, he answered: "The press first, the weather, the food, the way they drive and that's it," Balotelli said.

Balotelli claimed the move to AC Milan was 'a dream come true' but despite that, he did not rule out a return to England.

"To be honest the Premier League is an amazing league and I think it's the best," Balotelli said.

"The crowd and the pitches make it a really amazing league.

"I don't know in the future if I could go back or not but for the moment I'm happy to be here (in Milan) and I want to play here."

Balotelli could play his first game for AC Milan on Sunday when they host Udinese at the San Siro.

Thirteen cities to host UEFA EURO 2020

The UEFA Executive Committee has decided the key principles governing the "EURO for Europe", with the 2020 final tournament to be staged in 13 cities across the continent. 

The UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament will be staged in 13 cities across Europe, following a decision taken today by the UEFA Executive Committee at its first meeting of 2013 at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

The UEFA Executive Committee, chaired by UEFA President Michel Platini, approved the key event and football principles for the "EURO for Europe", which include:

• The matches will be split into 13 different packages, with 12 ordinary packages including three group matches and one knockout round (round of 16 or quarter-final), and one package for the semi-finals and the final;
• There will only be a maximum of one venue per country, meaning one stadium for each of the available 13 packages. Both semi-finals and the final will be played in one stadium; and
• Each association will be allowed to present up to two bids, one for the ordinary package and one for the semi-finals/final package. Each national association can decide to present the same city for these two bids or two different cities.

Projected stadiums will be admitted in the bidding process, with a deadline set in 2016 for the construction of any new stadium to start, failing which the decision on such a host city could be reviewed.

The required minimum net stadiums capacities should be:

• 70,000 for semi-finals/final;
• 60,000 for quarter-finals;
• 50,000 for round of 16 and group matches; and
• Up to two exceptions would be allowed for stadiums of a net minimum capacity of 30,000 seats, limited to group matches and a round of 16 match.

All teams will participate in the qualifying competition and the 13 countries staging matches will therefore not be automatically qualified.

A maximum of two host teams would be drawn into each of the six final tournament groups, with each qualified host being guaranteed two home matches in the group phase. There would not be any such guarantee for the knockout stages.

For the group stage, the group composition would remain subject to seeding and to a draw. However, the allocation of hosting teams to the groups would also take travel distances into account (for example, and if feasible, flights would not exceed two hours' duration between host cities to allow easy access to travelling fans).

The participating teams will be free to choose where to set up their base camp, without the obligation to stay in one of the host countries.

The timeline for the bidding process has been approved by the UEFA Executive Committee:

• 28 March 2013: Approval of the bidding requirements and bid regulations
• April 2013: Publication of the bid requirements and launch of the bidding phase
• September 2013: Formal confirmation of their bid by the candidates
• April/May 2014: Submission of bid dossiers and start of the evaluation phase
• September 2014: Appointment of the host cities by the UEFA Executive Committee

A video news recording of the UEFA Executive Committee press conference will be made available today on the Eurovision worldfeed service at 20.00CET.

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Ahly Club Ultras gather to march to massacre trial venue

Ahly Club Ultras (hardcore football fans) are organising on Saturday a mass protest to head to the Police Academy in Cairo's Fifth Compound in conjunction with the court ruling expected to be announced in the Port Said football tragedy of last year.

Thousands of al-Masry football club Ultras "Masrawy" and "Green Eagles" have started a sit-in in front of Port Said Prison since last Thursday in preparation for today's ruling.

A number of defendants are on trial for killing 74 people during riots that followed a football match between al-Ahly and al-Masry clubs in Port Said last February.

Chief prosecutor General Talaat Abdallah presented last Monday a memorandum to Port Said Criminal Court to reopen the proceedings of the case in light of new evidence.

Why Asian fans don't watch live football

By: Saqib Khan

A brief introduction: I am in my late thirties, was brought up in Ilford and have supported Liverpool - mainly from my sofa - since the early '80s because they were the glory team and my immigrant father (from Pakistan) followed no particular team. I went to watch football matches the moment I was on my own at university and past the age of being prevented to travel by a fearful mum, scared by the hooliganism she saw on TV at the time.
I have been going to Anfield every other season or so since my early twenties. Now I'm settled in Wanstead with my family and am going to be here for the long haul.

When it came to raising my young son, I wanted to have an enduring, shared interest that would give us both time and space to develop a real relationship. It made so much sense to raise him to follow a London team and I made the decision for us to actively support West Ham United (more than I'd ever supported Liverpool) by becoming Academy members. By the time this season is done, I'll have been to eight home games in 12/13.

I think when there are so many Asians and East Europeans on West Ham's doorstep, it would be a mistake not to actively target them with introductory offers in the hope of hooking them into the fold. I've spent in excess of £500 this year already and still have at least two more games to go to, taking into account business travel commitments. As time goes on, that yearly spend will only increase with another child on the way and, quite likely, more frequent attendance in the coming seasons.

The introductory offers that might attract new fans make financial sense and West Ham United, to their credit, are doing more than most Premier League clubs are (other than those in parts of the country where the local economy is really at rock-bottom).

I’ve read how a few people on the KUMB.com Forum wonder and presume why Asians don’t follow West Ham at Upton Park in any great number. Here is my tuppence:

Immigrant parents having a ‘save’ rather than ‘spend’ mentality
Many of the first generation immigrants like my father also sent money back home to support extended families. Leisure spend was - and still is for many - deemed a luxury. Our cultural relationship with money was about building security and not frittering it away on intangibles. My father for example worked near seven-day weeks and apart from going to Pakistan in an emergency when his parents died, went through the 11-year period of 1986-1997 without a holiday. I'm not sure that I, as a born and bred Brit, could now go more than a year without one.

A legacy from a time when Asians often feared feeling out of place or worse - be made to feel unwelcome
Prior to this season, I'd been to 19 football matches in total yet I still googled 'Asians at West Ham' and found this forum thread and read all the posts before feeling comfortable in committing to West Ham United. There was a fear that it might be a dicier club for an Asian to follow than Arsenal or Spurs (Chelsea was NEVER an option).

Asians tend to have more family commitments on a weekly basis
Looking around at most of my married Asian friends, we often meet with both partner’s families every week, that generally takes away one day in the weekend and one night in the week. Taking an afternoon for football puts time with immediate family (wife and kids) even more at a premium. Luckily, my wife sees it as me giving her a chance for a much needed break from looking after our son when I take him with me and he loves it too. If however, she was to feel that we needed to be spending together what's left of the weekend not consumed by extended families as so many of my mate's weekends are, then would be a different story.

No historical tradition of going to the footy
Asians in general have not been taken to the football by their dad or grandad like most of my (white English) university mates were. So those that are going are starting their own traditions that in time, through generations will multiply, but is in generational terms, still in its infancy.

As for West Ham, only those who wish to go regularly are likely to get off the glory-train
As the majority of Asians in the area came in the late '60s, '70s and early '80s, Manchester United and Liverpool have a big stronghold within the community. As their children have grown, they've continued following those teams and their children are doing the same because it doesn’t make a difference where a team is in the country if you only ever watch them on TV. Even those who might go to the odd game once a season don't mind making a once-in-a-blue-moon trip to Anfield or Old Trafford and following them on Sky the rest of the time.

It's those that want to go regularly and are aware of the football and its presence in the greater community and want to really be a part of all that, that are re-thinking their allegiances. I'm more than a little embarrassed now of ever having supported anyone other than my local West Ham who I’m prouder to call my club than I ever was to follow Liverpool remotely. I love the fact that regardless of whether it's Upton Park or Stratford, that taking my kid(s) for a midweek evening game after work will be a normal thing without the crappy hassle of an eight-hour round trip.

A minor point, but still one worth making: no breakout Asian football star yet
Yes, there is the odd person with an Asian connection – only Michael Chopra and Zesh Rehman come to mind; hardly household names. A big star might have the same attention that lead to Irishmen in the '70s supporting Arsenal with Jennings, Brady and O’Leary in the team.

After being born and bred here, I want for me and my family to be rooted and invested in our local community (I'm a member of my local Wanstead Society). Ive set up not just my home but also my new business in Wanstead - employing local people - and supporting our local team is just an extension of that.

I just hope drawing attention to some of the factors above make people understand it's more than a simple yes/no, like/dislike thing about Asians going or wanting to go to watch football.

I understand the sentiment with those fed up at segmenting fans into ethnicities and feel that on match day, we are all simply West Ham fans. However, to those tired of such discussions, please bear with the others as I think there is a genuine desire to try and understand why such a large local demographic might not be engaged with West Ham and what can be done to increase participation - especially when we might have another 20,000 seats to fill in a few years.

Journalists who want to believe it's mainly because of some inherent racial indifference from clubs may be missing the point. The truth is there are quicker wins to be made from Sky and other corporates than the slow, long-term recruitment of new fans with a much longer pay-off of return on investment - and it’s a lack of real insight into the underlying factors of non-attendance of the Asian communities.

My apologies to have gone on so long - but I wanted this to be a considered answer from a fan with an insight (though not the only one) into the Asian community on football.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to

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Three-year ban for hooligan tackled by Joe Hart

A football hooligan who stormed on to the pitch to confront Rio Ferdinand –- only to be stopped by Shropshire-born England goalkeeper Joe Hart – has been banned from attending football matches for three years.

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