Archive for August, 2009

Digger: Fahim is no doctor, admits spokesman

• Peter Kenyon’s future dilemma
• Michael Owen’s unrequited love

Portsmouth’s Sulaiman al-Fahim era began with a glaring error of fact in an official filing to Companies House, an inaccuracy that Pompey fans must hope is not repeated during Fahim’s “Ten-year plan” for the club. The document, a 288a form for new company directors, related to Fahim’s appointment as Fratton Park chairman in July. In the entry for “Style/Title”, someone has mistakenly penned the letters Dr.

It is a remarkable error given that only a month before the filing, Fahim’s own official spokesman informed journalists in June that “Dr” is not a title he goes by. “He does not have the title of doctor,” Ivo Ilic Gabara said. “He does not call himself a doctor, no. Others may have misconstrued his dual MBA into a doctor’s title. But not him.”

It is all the more remarkable given that alongside the signature of Tanya Robins, Portsmouth’s company secretary, is that of Fahim himself, as viewers of his Hydra Executives show will recall (Fahim’s signing of a contract formed the basis of the opening sequence).

What may be more intriguing still is the entry under “Honours etc”, where the letters “H.E.” (for “His Excellency”) appear. Then, under “Business Occupation” comes the highfalutin term “Goodwill Ambassador”. These apparently relate to Fahim’s donor’s role with IIMSAM, a campaign for algae to be used to combat malnutrition, which unilaterally confers the “ambassador” title to several of those with whom it is associated.

Apart from Portsmouth, perhaps this was the only occupation Fahim had left after being replaced as Hydra Properties’ chief executive and the axing of his Apprentice-style television show.

Kenyon’s future dilemma

Peter Kenyon has dismissed the notion of a European super league, saying on Sunday: “The only person I’ve heard speak about a [breakaway] super league is [Arsène] Wenger and I don’t know where he got it from.” For one who sits on Uefa’s highest authority, the strategic council, Kenyon clearly does not keep his ear very close to the ground.

First there was Florentino Pérez, who said on his return as Real Madrid president in June: “We have to agree a new European super league which guarantees that the best always play the best – something that does not happen in the Champions League.” Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, said of the Champions League: “I think it is the best system. But in the future, who knows?”

Who indeed? But there are clues.If Uefa is serious about the austerity plans it set out last week, clubs who do not break even within three years will be expelled from the Champions League – and Chelsea’s most recent accounts showed that 81% of group turnover is spent on salaries. And if Chelsea face the prospect of being expelled, Kenyon might start speaking about a breakaway league himself.

Owen’s unrequited love

When Michael Owen left the pitch after England’s defeat in France 18 months ago, he said: “In terms of what he is trying to do, you’d best ask the manager.” He later explained that his comments had been “misconstrued”, adding: “I have nothing but positive things to say about the manager.”

By now, perhaps, he might just have the feeling that Fabio Capello sees things differently. Having again been omitted from the squad to face Slovenia and Croatia, at least 15 matches will have passed before he next has a chance.

Pundit Poll hit in pocket

The collapse of Setanta’s UK operations has left a litany of minor creditors. There are the studio anchors such as Tim Sherwood (owed £19,167) and Steve McManaman (£14,375), as well as pundits such as Alan Curbishley (£5,068) and Terry Venables (£4,600). There are Jason McAteer (£2,588), Paul Parker (£1,706), Frank Stapleton and Ossie Ardiles (£1,000 each) and there is £400 owed to Graeme Sharp, Lawrie Sanchez and Neville Southall among many more. Yet since the subsidiary that dealt with contributor payments alone owes £258.9m in debts secured by floating charges, such unsecured creditors are unlikely to receive a penny. So fans might find some schadenfreude in the fact that one former football-match participant owed £3,643 is a certain Graham Poll.

Moyes’s double transfer plan hits snag

• Johnny Heitinga still to agree personal terms with Everton
• Valencia reluctant to allow Ever Banega to leave on loan

David Moyes, the Everton manager, faces a fraught final day in the transfer window after his attempts to bring both Johnny Heitinga and Ever Banega to Goodison Park hit complications.

Everton have agreed a £5.7m fee with Atlético Madrid for Heitinga, the Holland international whose ability to operate at right-back and in central defence would answer Moyes’s defensive needs following the departure of Joleon Lescott to Manchester City. Personal terms with the 25-year-old, however, have not been resolved despite negotiations opening between the respective parties on Friday, although Everton are hopeful of concluding a deal ahead of tomorrow’s 5pm deadline.

Moyes’s hopes of reinforcing Everton’s central midfield with Banega, meanwhile, have been held up due to Valencia’s reluctance to allow the Argentinian to leave on a season-long loan deal. Everton believed they had a deal in place for the 21-year-old last week only for the Spanish club to demand a permanent transfer for their £15m signing from Boca Juniors. Stuttgart are also interested in the combative midfielder and Moyes may be forced to look elsewhere at the 11th hour should Valencia’s stance continue.

Flag-waving Tyson did nothing wrong, says Davies

• ‘Flashpoint came from Derby players,’ says manager
• FA expected to charge both clubs and Tyson over incident

The Nottingham Forest manager, Billy Davies, has insisted that Nathan Tyson did “nothing wrong” in waving a corner flag in front of Derby County supporters on Saturday and said he would not fine the striker over the incident, which sparked a brawl.

Davies claims it was Derby’s players who provoked the post-match melee involving both teams and has pleaded with the Football Association not to charge Tyson for his behaviour.

The FA is expected to charge both clubs tomorrow with failing to control their players and issue Tyson with a separate misconduct charge after he ran past the 4,000 visiting Derby fans holding a corner flag above his head after Forest’s 3–2 victory at the City Ground.

But Davies, a former Derby manager, has reviewed the flashpoint on video and is adamant that Tyson was guilty of no more than over-exuberance.

“Nathan will absolutely not be fined, in my opinion he has done nothing wrong,” he said. “The flashpoint came from the Derby players and their coaching staff. If he had been left alone to celebrate nothing would have happened.

“I would never condone Tyson if he was trying to inflame the situation but I simply feel he was celebrating a win over our bitter rivals. There were Forest fans in the upper tier of the stand where Derby’s fans were sat and Tyson was looking at them.

“All we ask is that the FA watch the last two games with Derby and look at all the actions of the players that took part.”

It is understood Forest are still unhappy that the midfielder Robbie Savage waved a Derby scarf to celebrate his team’s win at Forest last season. Savage was not punished for that but has dismissed comparisons. “Last season, I waved a scarf about here in front of our fans – Derby supporters. I’ve not gone over to any Forest fans,” he said. He described Tyson’s behaviour as “mindless incitement”.

The FA said that the ugly scenes at the City Ground on Saturday, which came four days after there was trouble involving West Ham United and Millwall supporters at a Carling Cup tie, would be investigated “as a matter of urgency”.

The Derby winger Gary Teale grabbed the flag from Tyson in an effort to calm the situation. “I don’t know what Tyson thought he was doing,” Teale said. “OK, it wasn’t as serious as what happened at West Ham but it could have turned out as serious as that. If Derby fans had run on the pitch, it could have all kicked off.”

Guthrie takes Newcastle to top of Championship

It sounded a little plaintive, failed to really catch on and did not last long but for the first time a few of the Newcastle United faithful chanted “There’s only one Chris Hughton” last night. And about time too. Although the majority of the 38,000 strong crowd still preferred to chorus “Shearer, Shearer,” Hughton has, against all odds, guided their team to the Championship summit.

A significantly weakened but slick and well organised Newcastle extended their unbeaten start to the season by registering a fourth successive league win thanks to Danny Guthrie’s fine second-half strike. Even more creditably, Hughton appears to have charmed Joey Barton into submission, the controversial midfielder turning in a cleanly effective performance here.

With Newcastle’s long mooted take-over seemingly no closer, Mike Ashley remains the club’s owner and the sports retail magnate took his seat in the director’s box last night wearing a wide grin.

Some distance away, in a private box, Alan Shearer looked slightly less amused as he prepared to see exactly how Hughton, still in caretaker charge, coped with the injuries to Shola Ameobi and Andy Carroll in attack and the gaps left by Fabricio Coloccini’s and Jonás Gutiérrez’s departure for international duty.

Hughton’s team began brightly enough although Kevin Nolan, operating up front alongside league debutant Nile Ranger, will surely regret permitting Chris Weale to make quite such a easy save from his shot unleashed after he had been cleverly played in by Barton’s pass.

Leicester’s Geordie striker Steve Howard did rather better at the other end when he muscled in front of Steven Taylor and powered a header goalwards. It took an excellent stop from Steve Harper to keep it out as Leicester, managed by the former St James’ Park assistant and caretaker manager Nigel Pearson, showed why they had enjoyed an unbeaten start to their Championship campaign.

Yet while Harper also did well to save a curling 25-yard free kick from Paul Gallagher – an attacking threat down the left as Leicester alternated between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 – Pearson’s players did, however, enjoy a little luck when the referee failed to spot Gallagher and then Wayne Brown apparently handling a Ryan Taylor free-kick in quick succession.

It took until early in the second half for Ranger to direct a shot on goal, the youngster’s strike swerving fractionally off target. If it was asking an awful lot to expect him to step into Ameobi’s shooting boots – he showed off a decent touch – Ranger at least had the satisfaction of creating Guthrie’s goal courtesy of an adroit little pass. Seizing possession, Guthrie proceeded to slalom round his marker before sending a rising shot curving beyond Weale and towards the top corner from the edge of the area.

Arsenal fight to clear Eduardo’s name

• Uefa report damns Croatia forward for diving against Celtic
• Arsenal submit strident 19-page defence ahead of hearing

Arsenal have submitted a strident defence of Eduardo da Silva to Uefa ahead of the striker’s disciplinary hearing tomorrow and they hope it can persuade the governing body to spare him a suspension of two European matches.

The London club believe that Uefa’s process in arriving at the decision to charge Eduardo with “deceiving the referee” after his tumble earned a penalty against Celtic in the Champions League play-off last Wednesday has been flawed.

Arsenal were stunned to learn of the charge on Friday and were left to digest the wording of a fax from the Uefa general inspector, Gerhard Kapl, which appeared to point to conclusions already formed. In the fax outlining the charge and the surrounding circumstances, Eduardo is said to have “succeeded in deceiving the referee, who was influenced by the player’s gross unsporting behaviour”. It added: “There are no exceptional circumstances that would justify a plea for mercy.”

Eduardo is also said to have won the penalty with an “obvious dive” and “through the act of cheating”, while the referee’s observer is quoted as saying that there was “not the slightest interference with the player”, with regard to the Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc’s challenge. It is implied that Eduardo ought to have immediately told the referee, Manuel Mejuto González, that he did not feel a penalty should have been awarded.

One of Arsenal’s complaints, in their 19-page submission, is that, having also studied the video evidence, they feel that there was some element of contact from Boruc. They believe that this is shown in the footage that Uefa has sent them and, therefore, there is inaccuracy in the governing body’s analysis. They have urged Uefa to scrutinise the flashpoint again.

Moreover, Arsenal contend it is impossible for Uefa or anybody to read any intention to deceive into Eduardo’s tumble. They have pointed out he did not appeal for a foul and they have also stressed Eduardo’s blemish-free disciplinary previous and the fact that, following his horrific leg break at Birmingham City in February 2008, he is generally mindful of the need to pull out of potential collisions.

Arsenal have drawn attention to what they believe is inconsistency in Uefa’s application of Article 10 (1) (c), which gives them the opportunity to revisit incidents containing alleged deceptions, even if the referee has seen and acted upon them. Even though the article entered the rules in 2006, Uefa’s retrospective charging of Eduardo has been the first time that it has applied it and Arsenal argue that there have been countless other occasions when it could have been employed.

Notwithstanding the potential to set a dangerous precedent, Arsenal are perplexed that Uefa has effectively condemned Eduardo with video evidence while it continues to refuse to use it to help referees to arrive at their decisions. The case will be judged on the basis of written submissions from both sides. Eduardo is on international duty with Croatia.