Robson: 'Gazza Needs Games'
'I'm Just A Pawn,' Says Sheringham
Will We? Won't We? Banks On 2002 Bid
Morocco v England:
Gazza Starts
Tino Boosts Calderwood
Gallacher Back After Dodgy Sarnie
World Cup
Countdown
Charlton Look To The Future
What Now For Sunderland?
Today's News Round-Up
Scottish News
TV And Radio
The Knowledge
Today's Trivia
Bollocks!
|
|
    
|
Wednesday 27 May 1998
|
 News 5 
|
FOOTBALL SHORTS
All The News From Your Club
PREMIERSHIP
LAUDRUP: 'DON'T WORRY CHELSEA, I'M COMING'
Denmark's World Cup winger Brian Laudrup claims he will join Chelsea despite Rangers chairman David Murray's attempts to thwart the move. Murray is demanding compensation for Laudrup but the player is convinced the move will go ahead as planned without a fee.
"Let me make it clear; my contract with Rangers expires on Sunday night at midnight, and the club after that time has definitely no rights or claims on me," he said yesterday. "This dispute is apparently the gratitude for giving Rangers four of my best footballing years. I must say that I feel surprised and deeply disappointed - I don't think I deserve this."
Laudrup says he was taken aback by Murray's reaction to his request for a move: "When I said goodbye after the Cup Final, I did not so much as receive one flower as thanks from the powers at the club. During the farewell party, I did not exchange a word with David Murray. He stayed away from me even though in my years in Glasgow I considered him a personal friend. That treatment has given me an ache in the heart especially when I think about how much me and my family gave to Rangers."
MANCHESTER UNITED
Teddy Sheringham yesterday revealed just how drained he has felt by the sheer pressure of playing for United. When Sheringham headed to Old Trafford last summer in a £3.5m deal, angering the Spurs fans to an extreme, he was desperate for honours, intending to end the long wait for major medals in a tremndous career. But it has gone horribly wrong in that department and as his own form has suffered since the turn of the year, the United fans have shown a decided lack of appreciation for Eric Cantona's replacement.
United's failure has brought glee in the capital, with Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea fans more than keen to remind Sheringham of the blank space on his sideboard he had left for his expected medal collection and he concedes the pressure at Old Trafford has got to him. ''It's been a new experience for me,'' he admitted. ''Just playing for United is something that's totally different from playing for anybody else. I'd heard people say that before, of course, but until you've been there and been involved you don't really realise just what it's like.
''But you do when you go to Bolton; there's ten minutes left, it's 0-0 and all they're doing is defending but their crowd's going mad about them getting that result, they're ecstatic. That's a real eye-opener, something I've never encountered before, and when you're expected to win every single game, it takes a lot out of you."
SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton captain Jason Dodd is facing a month on the sidelines after being told he needs a double hernia operation. The 27-year-old, who signed a new three-year contract at the Dell earlier this year, needs the operation in an attempt to rid himself of the injury which forced him to struggle towards the end of last season.
The former England under-21 defender, who played a key role in Southampton finishing 12th in the Premiership last season, is confident of being fit to return for the start of next season: ''It bugged me for the last few games, but I played through it. Although it feels a little better now that I have rested it for a couple of weeks it is probably best to have the operation while there is no rush to get back.
''Our physio thinks there would be a problem with it next season if I did not have the operation and the last thing I want is to leave it and for it to go as soon as I start playing again. It's a safety-first option. The left side has been worse than the right, but I am having both done at the same time.''
CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Charlton assistant manager Les Reed has passed up the chance to help their Premiership campaign next season by taking up a post as England's new director of technical development and co-manager of the England Under-15 team.
Reed, who has played a key role in the Addicks' youth programme, coached Charlton to glory but will step away to handle England's kids with a school teacher as his co-manager. Next season, the FA take over the running of the team from the English Schools FA as part of the FA's Charter for Quality, which was unveiled by FA technical director Howard Wilkinson last year.
Reed, who was the FA's technical advisor with the Under-15 team prior to joining the Addicks, said: ''I've thoroughly enjoyed my three years at Charlton which have ended on such a high and I'll be sad to leave them. But I'm thrilled to have the opportunity of working alongside Howard Wilkinson with the England Youth teams and the football academies.''
Ironically, the Under-15s played their last match under the ESFA's auspices last night, against Germany in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
|
DIVISIONS ONE AND TWO
DIVISION ONE
PORT VALE
Andy Hill has become the second Port Vale veteran to search for pastures new after failing to attract a fresh deal from manager John Rudge. The 33-year-old defender joins Dean Glover, 34, in looking for a new club as Rudge keeps his options open because of the Bosman ruling. Hill said: ''I can understand the boss' predicament, but feel I've got at least another two years left in me at First Division level.''
DIVISION TWO
STOKE CITY
Centre half Steven Tweed aims to be fit for pre-season training after undergoing a double hernia operation. The 25-year-old former Scotland Under-21 international delayed surgery to aid City's unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation.
Tweed said: ''The operation went well and I'm very determined to report back for work with the rest of the lads on July 1.''
MILLWALL
Millwall have arranged three big pre-season games at The Den. They play QPR on Friday July 24, Portsmouth on Wednesday July 29 (both games kick-off at 7.45pm) and a local derby with Crystal Palace on Saturday August 1, kick-off 3pm. The Lions also play at Slough on July 18, Stevenage on July 21 and Walton & Hersham on August 4.
PRESTON NORTH END
North End fan favourite Lee Ashcroft is ready to sign a one-year contract extension to keep him at Deepdale into the next century. Ashcroft was offered the deal after his vital goals played a major role in Preston's fight for Second Division survival. We are 99% there with him and the player is also keen to tie up the deal," said deputy chairman Derek Shaw. He is a cracking footballer who scored several vital goals for us last season. I think this deal will send the clear message out that we do not want to sell Lee Ashcroft."
Ashcroft twice rejected £330,000 moves to Wigan this season and a move to Scottish Premier Division club St Johnstone to stay at his hometown club. We truly believe that with an injury-free season Lee could be a 30-goal a season man and we are delighted that he wants to help us win a place in the First Division, added Shaw.
DIVISION
THREE NEWS
TORQUAY UNITED
Teenagers Leon Hapgood and Steve Tully have signed one-year deals to turn pro at Plainmoor. Midfielder Hapgood and wing back Tully both figured in the first-team last season in their second year as apprentices at the club. Fellow youngsters Shaun Hadley and Justin Newell have agreed to return on monthly contracts next season.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Midfielder Mark Saunders is poised to complete his transfer to Second Division Gillingham within the next 24 hours. The former Tiverton Town man is expected to complete a medical at Priestfield and then sign a three-year deal for the Gills, where he will team up with former teammate Mark Patterson. Meanwhile, Argyle left back Paul Williams' move to Gillingham seems to have fallen through after failing to agree terms.
|
SCOTTISH NEWS
ANGER AT 'NO' TO TV DEAL
Members of the new Scottish Premiership have angered the smaller clubs they are leaving behind by rejecting a new four-year deal to televise the League Cup.
With Coca-Cola dithering over whether to renew its four-year sponsorship of the competition, Sky offered £5.4m to show three live games a season, including the final. Despite the agreement of the six lower division representatives on the Scottish League Management, the Premier Division clubs are understood to have rejected the deal. They felt the games in the latter stages of the competition could be sold for more money on an individual basis.
HIBERNIAN
ALEX McLeish has set a June 5 deadline to resolve the uncertainty over the future of Bryan Gunn and Grant Brebner. The Hibs manager, who agreed a new two-year contract with Justin Skinner yesterday, said that the signing of all three players was crucial to the club's hopes of immediate promotion back to the Premier Division. With Chris Reid already told he can leave the club, and Icelander Olafur Gottskalksson thought not to feature in McLeish's plans, Gunn's departure would leave Hibs searching for a new goalkeeper.
WHILE contract talks continue with defender Darren Dods, Hibs will not be offering midfielder Chris Jackson a new deal.
FALKIRK
Falkirk will continue to play at Brockville next season. Suggestions of ground-sharing were set aside at a meeting between manager Alex Totten and the consortium which has bought the club.
LIVINGSTON
Lawyers representing Clydebank and Livingston are continuing discussions over a possible merger, which would see a new team play in the First Division at Almondvale. "It is in the hands of the lawyers," said Livingston manager Jim Leishman, whose side would benefit by moving up a division if a deal is struck. However, Sandy Moffat, the chairman of homeless Clydebank, said there were still some obstacles to relocating the club in West Lothian instead of their highly-publicised proposal to play Scottish League games in Dublin.
|
      
|
