February 24th, 2010 by admin
A UEFA reports states that English Premier League clubs owe more money than all the other clubs in Europes top divisions put together. The report calculates the total debts of just 18 Premier League clubs at just under 3.5 billion dollars, around four times the figure for the next most indebted top division, Spain’s La Liga.
The Premier League generates much more money from television and other commercial income than any of it’s rivals, 122 million euros on average at the 18 clubs, with the next wealthiest being the German Bundesliga, whose clubs made an average 79 million euros.
Yet despite a great commercial advantage, the 18 English clubs were hugely more reliant on borrowed money from banks and club owners than the 714 other clubs combined.
“English clubs contain on their balance sheets an estimated 56 percent of Europe-wide commercial debt,” the report says.
February 23rd, 2010 by admin
Fergie will not panic after his side’s 3-1 defeat to Everton and Chelsea’s 2-0 win against Wolves saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side open up a four-point lead over Fergie’s men at the top of the table.
“The Premier League has been wide open this season. It’s been funny like that. Teams have dropped points you don’t expect them to drop, but the very nature of the league suggests we still have a good chance. We’ve got a big match on Tuesday night. It’s a massive game for this club and hopefully we can get the result we need,” The Mirror quoted Ferguson, as saying.
“I hope we remain consistent. That’s the key to it. Consistency will give us a big, big chance. Whoever is the most consistent from now on in will win the league, there’s no question about that. The players sense that now is the time to start making sure they’re performing right, and we have the players to do that,” he added.
February 22nd, 2010 by admin
TV pundits has voiced their concern on the over-reliance on Manchester United on Wayne Rooney. BBC footbal analyst, Alan Hansen hinted at an over-reliance on the star striker, and voiced the fear that Rooney could be buckling under too heavy a workload.
“He’s had a lot of matches and it has taken its toll. The danger is he’s played so many matches at full throttle he could be facing burn out by the end of the season,” Hansen warned.I don’t think it will happen, but Fabio Capello will be worried because he is so important to England. There were signs against Everton that the season is catching up with him, because he plays at full throttle in every game, with so much passion.
“I think Sir Alex will look at resting him, because United need him at his best, but he seemed out of sorts at Everton,” The Mirror quoted Hansen, as saying.
February 21st, 2010 by admin
Oh dear I seemed to have become addicted to the sport of Curling. Perhaps this could simply be due not being able to take my eyes off the stunning Eve Muirhead who is trying to lead the British team to Olympic gold. The British team saw their medal hopes take a severe knock last night as they let threw away victory to the Americans as for once Eve seemed out of form.
February 19th, 2010 by admin
Amy Williams won Britain’s first solo Winter Olympic Gold for 30 years with a superb victory in the women’s skeleton. Amy 27, from Bath, smashed her own track record on the way to Team GB’s first medal of the Vancouver Games in a time of three minutes 35.64 seconds.
“It’s crazy,” Williams told BBC Sport.
“I didn’t think I’d be standing here, it’s all such a blur, I can’t remember most of the last run.
“I came out at the bottom and saw our performance director Andi Schmid smiling, so I thought it must be good.
“Before the race I was OK, it was a bit weird as I was on my own in the changing room and didn’t know when to go out.
“I was a bit nervous before it but I thought I’ve got nothing to lose so I thought I’d just go out and enjoy it and it was great.”
February 18th, 2010 by admin
With the smartphone boom in full swing in the UK the the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has said it will launch new sports and news applications to satisfy mobile phone user and football fan demand. From as soon as April this year the BBC will start to offer Live Sport free video-on-demand applications.
The BBC’s new service will mean that football fans will be able to watch every England game live on their smartphone, as well as clips of every goal scored in this summer’s tournament in South Africa.
“It’s been 12 years since the launch of BBC Online, but as media converges and technology accelerates, licence fee payers are increasingly using sophisticated handheld devices to access information,” The Telegraph quoted Erik Huggers, BBC’s director of future technology, as saying.
“They tell us that they want to access the digital services that they have paid for at a time and place that suits them,” he added.
He added the BBC is “catching up” with its audience and the new technology will offer “greater public value” to licence fee payers.
February 17th, 2010 by admin
Reports suggest that Chelsea are targeting 4 top young European stars for a total outlay of over 70 million. Borussia Dortmund’s Serbia centre-back Neven Subotic, winger Angel Di Maria, of Benfica, Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and Bayern Munich schemer Bastian Schweinsteiger are Chelsea’s main targets, reports the Daily Express.
Roman Abramovich has authorisedthe mega spending spree after Chelsea had their worldwide FIFA transfer ban lifted earlier this month.
February 16th, 2010 by admin
The green cap worn by former Australian Test captain Greg Chappell just before he defected to World Series Cricket in the 1970s has sold for more than 16,000 dollars at a Melbourne auction.
The auction’s spokeswoman said that the cap, worn by Chappell during 1977, was sold to an Australian private collector by Charles Leski Auctions for 16,310 dollars,which included the auctioneer’s commission.
During the last 9 years the cap has been in private hands since it was last sold by rival auction house Christies Australia in 2001.
February 15th, 2010 by admin
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has stated that his latest ODI century at the Gabba was down to extra time in the nets correcting technical glitches and flaws that had undermined his one-day batting performances. Ponting hit 106 from 112 balls to set up a series-securing victory over the West Indies to show he was back near his best after a poor summer.
Ponting said he had worked hard with head coach Tim Nielsen in ironing out some technical issues, making him feel more comfortable at the crease.
“I have been working pretty hard with the coaching staff on a few little things. It was my turn that I made sure I got us through and we got a big score and we didn’t let an opportunity slip,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.
February 14th, 2010 by admin
Deperate Portsmouth could be sold for as little as one pound in what could be last attempt to save the club. Before you start dreaming of owning you own clubs there are a few clauses to consider. The club’s owner Chainrai would also want the 17 million pound he is owed, and other debts totalling more than 60 million pound would have to be met.
On the positive side if Pompey stay up, and yes of course that is still slightly possible the new owner could collect more than 30 million pounds in TV money in the autumn or a minimum of 11 million pounds in parachute payments if they are relegated.
I think I will hang on to my pound!
