Premier League - News and Rumors

[rizluq]

Players union PFA plans roadshow to wipe out football's racism blight






James Riach
The Guardian


Players and coaches in England will be given "cultural awareness lessons" next year to try to rid football of the racist incidents that have blighted the professional game over the past 14 months.

Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers' Association chief executive, has confirmed that a number of high-profile former players and people experienced in equality issues will be involved in the programme, which will start in January and visit clubs individually.

The idea was first put forward after the Luis Suárez-Patrice Evra altercation in October 2011. The Liverpool forward Suárez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing the Manchester United defender, despite the argument that it is common to call people "negrito" in his home country, Uruguay.

Awareness lessons already take place for young footballers but Taylor feels they are necessary across the board. "We don't want any ambiguity," he said. "We've had Ofsted top marks for our programme with the apprentices and youngsters but we were concerned that we have players coming here from overseas that may not be aware.

"I think it's important that we speak to all players and also, with approval from the League Managers Association, with coaches, management and staff. We're rolling out a programme in January with people experienced in equality issues, putting a network of people together. We want all clubs sign into it and I hope there won't be a problem with it.

"It's about the use of language that is not appropriate. It's in order to avoid ambiguity at all. We want to make sure there is no misunderstanding with regards to the rules and regulations on discrimination."

The PFA is also in favour of contracts for players and managers containing clauses warning that discriminatory language will be considered serious gross misconduct, but the proposals still need to be signed off by the Football Association board.

Taylor hopes clubs in the Premier League and the Football League will embrace the awareness plans after what he described as "a bad 12 months" for racial equality. "In particular it would be aimed at players coming in from overseas, but it's in general as well," he said. "If anything, these days the youngsters are more attuned to equality issues than perhaps some of the more senior people."

The revelation comes after Lord Ouseley, the chairman of the anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out, launched a damning indictment of how the FA, Premier League, Liverpool and Chelsea have dealt with racist incidents this year.

The Chelsea captain, John Terry, was found guilty by an FA commission in September 2012 of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match.

"There is very little morality in football among the top clubs," said Ouseley. "Leadership is so important; you have to send a powerful message that racism is completely unacceptable. But there is a moral vacuum. The big clubs look after their players as assets."

[rizluq]

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes brands season 'nothing short of a disaster'






Press Association
The Guardian


The Queens Park Rangers chairman, Tony Fernandes, has admitted this season has been "nothing short of a disaster" for the west London club and pledged to do his utmost to turn things around.

QPR's 2-2 draw at Wigan Athletic on Saturday set an unwanted Premier League record for the longest winless start to the season. They have gone 16 games without a victory and will be hoping to break their duck when their London neighbours Fulham come to Loftus Road on Saturday.

Fernandes will be at the match and on Tuesday urged fans to remain upbeat. He wrote on Twitter: "Holiday today in malaysia. Went early xmas shopping. But all I want is 3 points. Hehehehe. Its been nothing short of a disaster. Its not where we are. But boy we put so much effort into this. Good honest effort. Keep your spirits up. Laughing smiling and being positive helps. Won't leave any stone unturned to try fix this. tough as it is. Hopefully santa gives us some early presents."

Fernandes appointed Harry Redknapp to replace Mark Hughes as manager last month to try to spark a revival.

[rizluq]

Fulham drop Clint Dempsey transfer complaint after Liverpool say sorry





Press Association
guardian.co.uk


Fulham have withdrawn their complaint over Liverpool's pursuit of Clint Dempsey after revealing the Merseyside club have sent them a letter of apology.

Fulham reported Liverpool to the Premier League this summer after becoming annoyed by their attempts to sign Dempsey. The row began when a story appeared on the Fenway Sports Group website, claiming the United States international had joined Liverpool.

Brendan Rodgers then admitted enquiring about the forward, but failed to follow it up with a concrete bid, much to the annoyance of Martin Jol, who claimed Liverpool had unsettled the forward with their "embarrassing" conduct.

Fulham initially decided to press ahead with their complaint to the Premier League despite the fact that Dempsey eventually joined Tottenham, but they have now decided to forget the matter after the Liverpool chairman Tom Werner apologised to his Fulham counterpart Mohamed Al Fayed.

A statement on Fulham's website read: "Fulham can confirm that it has today withdrawn the complaint made against Liverpool FC in regard to the Merseyside club's inappropriate actions surrounding interest in Clint Dempsey over the summer.

"Liverpool's chairman Tom Werner apologised personally to Mohamed Al Fayed, stating that his club were wholly responsible for unprofessional behaviour toward Fulham and emphasised his regret for the entire episode.

"In a letter from Liverpool to Fulham's CEO Alistair Mackintosh, Tom Werner's praise of the magnanimous gesture from the chairman was reiterated, as was the club's assurance that the conduct of Liverpool was simply not acceptable.

"The chairman decided that this sincere action was enough, and as a gesture of goodwill, instructed that all complaints against them be dropped."

[rizluq]

Tony Pulis claims referees' bias puts Stoke bottom of fair play table






Press Association
The Guardian


Tony Pulis has held talks with Mike Riley, manager of the Professional Game Match officials board, after claiming that Stoke City players are treated differently by officials from the opposition. The Stoke manager feels too many referees are going into games involving his side with preconceived ideas about their style of play. He believes this is why Stoke are bottom of the Premier League fair play table with 32 yellow and three red cards this season.

Pulis claims Ciaran Clark's challenge on the Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan at the weekend would have resulted in a red card had it been committed by one of his players. In the event the Aston Villa defender was not punished.

Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel: "I have spoken to Mike Riley this week. I find the whole situation disappointing week after week. Look at the incidents where our players are being booked or sent off, then compare them with similar incidents involving others that are going unpunished. There was the Clark one on Glenn at Villa.

"All we have ever asked is to be treated the same as everyone else but there are preconceptions about us that are unfair."

Pulis also wants high-profile football managers such as Arsenal's Arsène Wenger to lead the fight against players diving.

Pulis said: "It won't come from Tony Pulis or Steve Clarke [West Bromwich Albion manager]. It will be interesting to see what Arsène Wenger and others will make of it because they are the ones who have power in football. You have to ban these players for three games; they will soon stop diving."

[zudomiriku]

Boy held over United racism tweet

Police investigating a racist tweet sent during Sunday's stormy Manchester derby have arrested a 15-year-old boy.


The teenager was held on Monday night on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and has been bailed pending further inquiries, Greater Manchester Police said.

An investigation was launched after a message was directed at a Manchester United player.

United and England defender Rio Ferdinand was left with a cut to his left eyebrow after being hit by a 2p coin while celebrating his team's last-gasp winning goal at the Etihad Stadium.

City fan Matthew Stott, 21, had to be restrained by goalkeeper Joe Hart as he tried to confront Ferdinand, and was arrested.

Police made nine arrests in all - with those men to appear in court in January - as tempers among rival fans boiled over and officers have appealed for anyone with information about hooligans throwing coins to get in touch.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1259842/15-year-old-boy-held-over-united-racism-tweet?cc=4716

[rondwisan]

The 2012 Barclays Global Fans Survey is the third of its kind

PremierLeague.com - 12 December 2012
Rooney voted number one in fans survey
Striker comes out on top in Barclays Global Fans Survey which involved over 30,000 supporters






Over 30,000 Barclays Premier League fans from nearly 200 territories have taken part in the 2012 Barclays Global Fans Survey.

The poll asked fans through a dedicated website* to give their opinions on the Barclays Premier League such as their favourite players, how they follow the league, providing insight into the lifestyle and views of fans across six continents.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney topped the vote with one in five fans voting him as the best current player in the Barclays Premier League.

A similar proportion of fans named Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the most exciting new prospect over the next five years with the young England star claiming 17% of the vote.

"It's great to be recognised by the fans in this survey"
Wayne Rooney

England and Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney said: "It's great to be recognised by the fans in this survey. I get messages from fans all over the world so I know how popular the Barclays Premier League is outside of the UK."

The fans poll, published by Barclays, title sponsor of the Barclays Premier League, highlights for the first time the impact of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter on the way people support football.

They are now cited as the third and fourth most popular online platforms for fans to follow their team (67% and 31%), behind club websites (79%) and football/sports news websites (77%).

The 2012 Barclays Global Fans Survey is the third of its kind after the 2005 and 2008 polls. As well as revealing favourite teams, players and managers, it also provides a definitive portrait of how fans follow and support the most exciting league in the world:

1.*From the current Barclays Premier League players; Wayne Rooney (20%) would be first name on the fans’ team sheet, followed by Robin van Persie (14%) and Steven Gerrard (10%).

2.*Wayne Rooney takes over from Chelsea striker Fernando Torres who was the favourite player in 2008.

3. Ryan Giggs is the best Barclays Premier League player of all time, according to supporters, overtaking Eric Cantona who topped the poll in the 2008 survey. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry (12%) and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard (10%) make up the top three.

4. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once again topped the poll as the fans' favourite manager, with 41% of the vote.

5. However, the 'Special One', Jose Mourinho, is the manager fans are keen to welcome back with open arms as 38% voted him the manager they would most like to see in the Barclays Premier League.

6.*The young players that fans felt will have the biggest impact on the Barclays Premier League over the next five years - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (17%), Jack Wilshere (13%) and Tom Cleverley (8%).

7.*Rio Ferdinand has the accolade of top Tweeter, followed by Wayne Rooney.

David Wheldon, Barclays Managing Director of Brand, Reputation and Citizenship said: "It is fascinating to get fan views on the Barclays Premier League. With more than 30,000 fans from nearly 200 territories taking part in the poll we are able to show some genuine insights into who fans follow, their favourite players and how they enjoy keeping up with the Barclays Premier League.

"Social media is having a real impact allowing fans to debate and interact with other fans, something that has grown hugely since the last survey in 2008 when channels such as Twitter and Facebook were still in their infancy."

The increasing popularity of Facebook and Twitter for fans lies in the fact that the majority (72%) claim it has made them feel closer and more connected to their team, with a further 82% thinking it has had a positive impact on the game.

When it comes to following with the Barclays Premier League in general, fans still opt for more traditional channels.* Of those surveyed, 91% rely on TV as the number one channel, followed by the internet (78% via PC and 39% via mobile) and reading newspapers as the third choice at 43%.

Although a new channel to the survey, more than one in three fans (39%) around the world are using social media to follow their favourite League, coming in ahead of radio (20%).

The analysis was carried out as part of ongoing research by Barclays into the attitudes and lifestyles of football fans around the world.

Barclays Global Fans Report - additional findings

League appeal

- The second most popular League to the Barclays Premier League is the UEFA Champions League (90%), with La Liga (48%), Europa League (16%) and Serie A (10%) also proving popular.

- Style of football is the most appealing aspect of Barclays Premier League football (52%). However, atmosphere and passion (49%), competitiveness (48%) and talent (47%) play their part.

Team support

- Style of football (31%), history of success (15%) and family tradition (12%) were the main reasons for supporting a team.

- ·The average length of time that fans have supported their team is 14.5 years

Viewing habits

- Although fans are increasingly using the internet to follow the Barclays Premier League, TV is still the preferred choice, with 61% of fans choosing to watch the League at home with friends or family.

- The average number of hours spent following the League per week is 4.5.

- When attending a live football match, burger and chips is the most popular food choice for match goers, followed by hot dogs, pizza and the traditional pie.

Fan spending

- Barclays Premier League players are most likely to influence fans choices of sports kit (48%), football boots (28%) and clothes (18%).

[rizluq]

Newcastle's Cheik Tioté to suspend friendship with City's Yaya Touré




Louise Taylor
guardian.co.uk


When Cheik Tioté and Yaya Touré are paired together for Ivory Coast they form one of the most formidable central midfield partnerships in African football. They see themselves as brothers in arms but a strong friendship will be suspended at lunchtime on Saturday when the players aim to out-tackle each other.

Tioté knows that putting Touré and his Manchester City team-mates in their places at St James' Park could change the entire dynamic of a hitherto immensely disappointing season for Newcastle United. With Alan Pardew's side struggling towards the bottom of the table and City striving to retain their title it will not be easy but Tioté is not the type to surrender easily.

"I spoke to Yaya just last week, we talk on a regular basis, he's very humble, a nice person," said Tioté. "I grew up with him in Ivory Coast and I know him very well. I prefer playing with Yaya but I'm very excited to be coming up against him.

"It's very difficult to play against Yaya. He's tall, broad and very powerful but I'm looking forward to tackling him. I always do everything I can to win and I will battle with Yaya."

Tioté must simultaneously fight his own, somewhat impetuous, nature. A penchant for diving into unwise challenges has left Pardew's enforcer with the unenviable record of collecting a yellow card in almost every other game he plays. A booking on Saturday would mean yet another suspension.

"I have to be a lot more careful," acknowledged Tioté. "I have to play with more control. When I go for the ball I have to be certain I can win it cleanly, otherwise I'll get booked. The manager has told me not to tackle if I'm not 100% certain about a challenge."

It is all quite a change from the Netherlands and life under Steve McClaren at FC Twente. "It was different in Holland," said Tioté. "There is nowhere near as much physical contact. It's a different style but I prefer the Premier League. For me it's the best because it's more aggressive."

Pardew's challenge is to teach Tioté how to channel his natural aggression. "The manager has told me we need 11 players on the pitch if we are going to win," said the Ivorian. "But it's definitely easier for me to get booked because the referees now know my style. They know I play hard so they watch me more than most. For me that makes it difficult. I've found this season much more difficult than last year."

The word "difficult" sums up Newcastle's campaign. "It's been bad for myself and for the team," said Tioté. "We started the season well by beating Spurs but in the past few weeks we've lost far too many games. We've had far too many injuries and suspensions and it's made it hard."

After winning only one of their last 10 games in all competitions Newcastle are now contemplating a daunting festive fixture list. After City's visit they are at home to QPR and then away at Manchester United and Arsenal before Everton visit St James' Park on 2 January. Without an imminent improvement in results, Pardew's team could be struggling against relegation by the time Tioté joins Touré for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa next month.

"We have some very important games coming up," said Tioté. "But, if we can win against the champions, it will give us so much confidence." Much may hinge on his potentially bruising duel with an old friend

[rizluq]

Everton's Marouane Fellaini apologises for headbutt on Ryan Shawcross




Press Association
The Observer


The Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has apologised after admitting he headbutted Ryan Shawcross during the 1-1 draw at Stoke.

While Fellaini went unpunished by the match officials, replays showed him making contact with Shawcross as they jostled for position in the area for a second-half corner.

After the match, the Everton manager David Moyes admitted the incident was "not acceptable" and Fellaini issued an apology on the club's website. "I apologise completely to Ryan Shawcross, my team-mates and to our fans at the game," he said.

Despite his apology, the incident is likely to come under FA scrutiny and the influential player may miss key games for high-flying Everton.

[rizluq]

QPR manager Harry Redknapp sees cause for hope after win over Fulham




Anna Kessel at Loftus Road
The Observer


Queens Park Rangers' first victory of the season after 17 games led Harry Redknapp to liken his new charges to his Portsmouth side, who escaped relegation from the Premier League in 2006. Two goals from Adel Taarabt ended a dismal winless run, the club's worst start, and lifts them off the bottom of the table.

"It was great," Redknapp said, "the lads are delighted and it's good for them to get that win. It reminded me a little bit of when I went back to Portsmouth. I'll never forget we were dead and buried, and we played Man City at home. It was 1-1 and Pedro Mendes hit one from 30 yards into the top corner in the 92nd minute. It was like we'd won the Cup and we went on from there, had a run of 20 points from the next 10 games. So hopefully that can kickstart our season now and keep us going."

The former Tottenham manager admitted that the three points could prove to be a lifeline in a campaign that the QPR board recently called a "disaster". "At least it keeps us in there – if we hadn't won today it would have been absolutely desperate.

"It's going to be tough, we're not kidding ourselves, we've had one win. But we're on a good run. We've had four games, we've took six points. If we can take six points out of every four games, we'll stay up."

Tony Fernandes, the Malaysia-based chairman, was in the stands. With fans crowding him for photographs after the final whistle he described the result as "the best Christmas present ever".

"I met him today for the first time," Redknapp said. "He came down to the little office there and he was delighted. They deserve it, the people here deserve it. I've said it a million times, they're nice people."

"I am a very relieved man," said Fernandes, who confirmed that he is pleased with Redknapp's appointment. "That is all I wanted for Christmas – three points. I think Fulham only had one shot and they scored that goal.

"It was a great team effort, they deserved it. We've been threatening for a while and what a way to get the winning goal. Adel was awesome, the defence played well and everyone put their heart into it. It is looking good and we're undefeated under Harry. I feel like I have won the championship."

Taarabt was inspirational for most of the game and Redknapp enthused about his match-winning contribution. "[He has] fantastic ability, he was amazing today. He is an amazing talent, we all know that and we have all seen it since I went to Tottenham. No one ever doubted his ability or his talent.

"I decided I had to get him in a position where he wants to play. He has been playing off the left but today I played him in the hole, off the front man and tried to get him between the lines – play little balls in those holes to him and every time he got the ball they were in trouble."

[rizluq]

Swansea's Michael Laudrup feared serious injury for Michu at Tottenham



David Hytner at White Hart Lane
guardian.co.uk


Michael Laudrup admitted that he feared his Swansea City top scorer, Michu, had been badly hurt when the Spaniard was poleaxed by Hugo Lloris in an injury-time flashpoint at White Hart Lane, and he made reference to the infamous Toni Schumacher-Patrick Battiston clash from the 1982 World Cup.

As Tottenham closed in on a 1-0 victory, Laudrup watched the Tottenham goalkeeper punch clear ahead of Michu and lay his player out with the follow-through, dumping him on to the ground. Michu appeared to have been knocked out but Tottenham played on, going up to the other end and almost scoring through the substitute Andros Townsend.

It led to fury among the Swansea players, with the defender Chico Flores pushing and shoving with Kyle Walker, and heated discussion on the benches.

André Villas-Boas, the Tottenham manager, walked on to the pitch in an attempt to restore calm. Laudrup vented his anger at the referee, Mike Dean, and one of Dean's assistants for failing to stop the game. Fortunately, Michu escaped injury.

"When I saw Michu like this, I said: '****ing hell, he's unconscious,'" Laudrup said. "You can't fake a reaction like that. I am really surprised the referee didn't stop play more quickly. When I saw it, I remembered '82 with Battiston [when he was flattened by the goalkeeper Schumacher]. I really would like to hear the explanation from the referee and the linesman. They both have to be blamed for this one."

Villas-Boas said: "I was expecting the referee to stop the game instantly. The health of a player is more important. The referee has to stop the game."