Four arrested after firework explodes during cup tie

FOUR men have been arrested after two people were injured when a firework was set off at a Leeds United football game.

An investigation was launched after a loud bang was heard coming from the section of away supporters, in the John Charles West Stand at Elland Road, at half-time of United’s Capital One Cup match with Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, which the home side eventually won 4-0.

Attendance at the game was recorded at 18,194.

A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “It is believed that a firework had been set off, injuring two people who suffered minor burns.”

The men, aged 18, 20, 26 and 43, were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firework or flare at a sporting event. They were bailed pending further enquiries.

Leeds United has confirmed away fans arriving for the club’s opening game in the Championship against Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday will be searched as a consequence.
A spokesman said: “This follows the incident at the Shrewsbury game last weekend when a smoke bomb was let off inside the visiting concourse during the half-time interval causing discomfort to a number of visiting fans.”

In a separate development, new turnstile assistants will be on hand to offer help and answer questions from fans arriving at the stadium.

FA warn Team GB's footballers unlikely to appear at another Olympics

The FA have warned that Team GB’s appearance at London 2012 was their last at an Olympics, despite Tom Cleverley stating his desire to see the side compete at Rio in 2016.

Alex Horne, the FA’s general secretary, has admitted the FA don’t want to risk the status of the four home nations by continuing with the combined side.
‘Within the men’s game, it is not going to happen again – and on the women’s side I’m going to say it’s unlikely,’ he said, despite admitting that ‘you can understand why it is more compelling. ‘Olympic football for women is the pinnacle.’

Roll on Rio: Cleverley hopes Team GB reunite in Brazil for the next Olympics 

The stance will come as a blow for Hope Powell’s women’s side, who reached the quarter-finals and were watched by 70,584 at Wembley when they beat Brazil in their final group game.


But it will disappoint the men too. Manchester United midfielder Cleverley said earlier:

‘The way sport was showcased in the Olympics was an example for everyone in every sport. It was unbelievable, something I look back on, even now, as being just amazing.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2188001/Team-GB-football-unlikely-appear-Olympics-says-FAs-Alex-Horne.html#ixzz23UojPHdV

GOVERNING BODIES GIVE CHELSEA A LIFT

CHELSEA received a double dose of good news on the disciplinary front yesterday.

John Terry’s European ban was reduced by one game on appeal and fellow defender Branislav Ivanovic will escape a suspension following his red card in the Community Shield.

Terry was sent off in last season’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona at the Nou Camp for an off-the-ball clash with Alexis Sanchez. The offence saw Terry handed an automatic three-match suspension for violent conduct – the first game of which was the final against Bayern Munich.

He will still miss the European Super Cup clash against Atletico Madrid in Monaco later this month but will be available for the opening Champions League group game in September.

A statement from UEFA read: “The UEFA appeals committee decided to partially uphold Terry’s appeal against the three-match suspension handed down to him on May 31.

“The third game of the ban has now been deferred for a probationary period of three years.”

Ivanovic, who like Terry also missed the Champions League final because of a ban, will be free to start the Premier League despite his ugly tackle on Manchester City’s Aleksandar Kolarov.

The FA have changed the rules about red cards in pre-season friendlies.

CARLOS TEVEZ REVIVAL CASTS DOUBTS ON VAN PERSIE

YAYA TOURE is certain that Manchester City can prosper without their top transfer target Robin van Persie.

The reason? The “perfect partnership” between rejuvenated Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.

Toure says the return to form, fitness and favour of Tevez means that even if City fail – as seems likely – to land Van Persie, they will not be short of goals in their defence of the Premier League title.

Tevez has lost a stone after a rigorous fitness programme designed to return him to peak condition after he missed most of last season following his bust-up with manager Roberto Mancini and going AWOL to Argentina.

His intuitive understanding with compatriot Aguero has been a feature of City’s pre-season matches, while his superb strike in the Community Shield win over Chelsea on Sunday indicated he has not lost his eye for goal.

Midfielder Toure said: “We have a lot of fantastic players but Carlos is one of the best. He is one of our most important players. He was very dangerous against Chelsea. He and Aguero are the perfect partnership. They have played for Argentina before. Now they play for Manchester City and I am sure they will score a lot of goals for the club.

“We have some fantastic strikers. We also have Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli. They are all so sharp and clever. We put Carlos and Aguero there against Chelsea but it could have been Edin and Mario. The most important thing is that, no matter what team the boss picks, it plays well.

“Do we need Van Persie? That is not a problem for me. It is a problem for the club. My job is to make my way and help the team to win.”

Toure says once Tevez had apologised for walking out on the team last season he was welcomed back into the fold and has been a revelation in training.

He added: “Carlos made a mistake. But the most important thing when you make a mistake is to apologise. He done that to everyone. He has come back and wants to show he will give everything for the team.

Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Mexes/Bendtner swap deal??

The latest Arsenal-related transfer rumour (which apparently started in Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport) suggests that Philippe Mexes could be heading to the Emirates in a straight swap deal for Nicklas Bendtner.

Mexes has struggled with several injuries over the last few seasons and AC Milan are said to be looking to get rid of him because he has a costly £4.5m-a-year contract and is causing problems at the club. Milan are even said to be close to releasing the French international on a free, but will first see if they can swap him for somebody else. Mexes has been training on his own for the past few weeks; he did not go on the club tour of the USA because he had a bust-up with some of the other squad members and wanted to be with his pregnant wife.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of France’s friendly with Uruguay, France boss Didier Deschamps confirmed that there is a “situation” going on between Mexes and Milan. However, he did not go into further detail.

“I know Philippe well and he is part of the wider France squad.
“What is happening to him? I don’t know if he will leave Milan, as there is a particular situation going on with his club.”

Mexes to Arsenal does make some sense. He would add a lot of experience to the team and, as a seasoned French international, he is already familiar with two of our first-choice defenders. One big issue, however, is that Arsenal already have 4 centre-backs. Wenger has already made reference to a large squad size, so does he really need to add another centre-back unnecessarily? The obvious problem is that Nicklas Bendtner has been fantastically average during his time in the Premier League, which would suggest that this is probably just a fabricated story. Surely no club in their right mind would want to take Bendtner??

Milan have lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so it is understandable if they are looking to cut lose a veteran defender and bring in a new striker. Maybe the Rossoneri think that Bendtner’s luck will change at the San Siro? He certainly has the physical qualities needed to play in Italy and I guess he had an okay season on loan at Sunderland. He is only 24 and he has a lot to learn, so maybe he is worth a gamble.

Bendtner himself has confirmed that he will be leaving Arsenal this summer. Speaking to sporten.dk, St Nick said:

“Arsenal is not an option and that is something both the club and I agree on.
“I expect to have found a solution to my situation before the window closes. There are concrete negotiations in the works.

Let’s face it. This one is probably not going to happen. That said, I thought it was worth a mention and we will see what happens. Nothing it impossible.

Cech warns Terry to expect abuse from fans

John Terry has been warned by team-mate Petr Cech to expect jeers every time Chelsea play away from Stamford Bridge this season.

Terry was targeted by Manchester City's fans at Villa Park during the Charity Shield on Sunday as a legacy of his recent court case. However, Cech believes Terry has the experience to deal with the abuse and focus on performing for the Blues.

"He is a strong player," said Cech. "He knows that this will go on every time he plays away from home.
"It won't affect him. All I need is for to be JT and to play well. If he does that everybody will be happy."
Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League fixture last October due to doubt over the incident.

Cech, meanwhile, insists Chelsea should not abandon the tactics that took them to Champions League and FA Cup glory last term following the departure of striker Didier Drogba to China.

Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo has brought in diminutive midfielders Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar to support the likes of Fernando Torres, but Cech says there is no need to abandon their existing game plan.
"We will play a slightly different way but we still want to keep our way of playing which has been very successful over the last eight years," he said.

"You know you have to change players because they are ageing and it is sad to see players leave the club, especially someone like Didier who was a legend here. But that's the way it is.
"We have one or two new players with a lot of hunger and they are about to show they want to win things with us as well."

"We are a changing team but still the targets are the same - we want to win as many trophies as possible. If you don't win you have to be competitive.

"We want to win the Premier League for sure. This (top four) is the aim at the start. But we are ready for the challenge and it's only up to us how we are going to cope with it."

Zola: 'We need to move the ball faster'

Watford boss Gianfranco Zola pulled no punches in his post-match assessment following a hard-fought 1-0 win in extra-time over Wycombe Wanderers in the Capital One Cup.

Missing several of their new faces as well as Sean Murray due to a family bereavement, Watford were still able to include new faces in Manuel Almunia, Matej Vydra and Almen Abdi.

After a bright start the 'Orns went off the boil and allowed the visitors a foothold in the game.

Afterwords, Zola acknowledged that his side didn't move the ball as he'd hoped:

'We will need to be moving the ball a lot faster than we did today, that's for certain,' Zola told watfordfc.com

The boss continued:

'Sure we have one or two players that we're missing right now but we should have had enough without those names.

'It was good to have this game before the league starts. I know this game will be good for us in the long run; getting a chance to assess certain situations before we start playing for League points.'

Hard to disagree with that assessment, it was afterall, never going to be the finished article on the first day of the season. Some players - Abdi & Lloyd Doyley, are still not 100 per cent fit, whilst the unit is still gelling and learning the game and system that Zola preaches. The real test comes at Crystal Palace next Saturday.

Read more: http://www.watford.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=289709#ixzz23JwzTogb