Other Stuff

[White Noise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/mar/16/liverpool-andy-carroll-newcastle-united-agent


So did Andy Carroll use an agent to sign for Liverpool?


The £35m striker Andy Carroll is in dispute with his former agent but one was involved in January's record-breaking transfer from Newcastle


Share3  Comments (13) 


David Conn The Guardian, Wednesday 16 March 2011



Andy Carroll takes a look inside the boot room at Melwood the day after he signed for Liverpool. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

John Henry, the Moneyball-reading US student of sports, made it clear when his Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool that he wanted to spend time learning how English football works before making any major strategic decisions. The 31 January frenzy, when Liverpool signed Newcastle United's Andy Carroll for a record £35m fee, must have been like a crash course for him.

The Guardian understands that in Carroll's contract with Liverpool, signed in the final hours of the transfer window, the player stated that he did not use an agent; a solicitor, Richard Green, said he had advised him. Liverpool did use an agent. They employed David Bromley, whose name is noted in the contract below that of Damien Comolli, the man Henry hired in November as the director of football strategy and who is in charge of signing players.

Bromley is not a well-known agent. He does hold a Fifa licence and is authorised by the Football Association, giving the name of his company, Centurion Sports Management, registered in Maidstone, Kent. The company has no website and no telephone number is listed on Bromley's Fifa entry, nor in directory enquiries. The contact detail provided in the Fifa agents' list is a hotmail address. Bromley has not responded to a series of questions sent to that address asking what his role was in the Carroll transfer.

Carroll is reported to be in a dispute with his former agent, Peter Harrison, who claims he has a two-year written contract with the player to represent him, running from March 2009 into this month – so covering the move to Liverpool. Reports of Harrison's claim against Carroll for allegedly breaking that deal have said the striker wanted to be represented instead by Mark Curtis, an agent with long involvement at Bolton Wanderers, where he began acting for Kevin Nolan, who became Carroll's mentor at Newcastle.

Curtis also represented Sam Allardyce for years and is said to have been at odds with Harrison since the BBC's 2006 Panorama programme on transfers. In it Harrison was filmed telling an undercover reporter he did deals at Bolton by paying Craig Allardyce, son of Sam, who was then their manager. Allardyce Jnr had worked for Curtis's company, Sports Player Management, until 2003, when the Bolton chairman, the Football Association board member Phil Gartside, responding to concerns about possible conflicts of interest, prohibited Craig Allardyce from doing deals at Bolton while working for Curtis.

The programme reported that Harrison had paid Craig Allardyce for working on the signing of two players by his father at Bolton, the midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata and goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi. Harrison subsequently said Craig Allardyce had worked legitimately on the deals. Neither the FA nor Fifa has ever charged Harrison, Allardyce or anybody else with any breach.

In English football, if a player leaves his agent part way through a contract he cannot be represented by another for two years. The FA, which regulates agents in England, will interpret it as poaching by the second agent, a serious breach of the rules. Carroll, looking at a five-year deal at Liverpool on a reported £80,000 per week, could not be represented by an agent if indeed he had a contract with Harrison at the time.

Several prominent agents who have worked for years in English football told the Guardian they had never heard of or come across David Bromley in any deal. An analysis of Bromley's records at Companies House shows that nine firms of which he has been a director have been struck off the register and dissolved. The one he lists at Fifa, Centurion Sports Management, was formed 15 months ago and has not yet been required to file accounts.

His only other company is Direct Sports Management, which has been proposed by Companies House for striking off the register and has not filed accounts since those to 31 May 2007. Bromley is still registered as the secretary of the company – and the sole director is Mark Curtis.

In two other companies, both now dissolved and struck off the register, Bromley and Curtis were co-directors. In one, Property Hunter, registered at the same Maidstone address as Centurion Sports Management, Bromley and Curtis, both 48, were the only directors and shareholders. Curtis cited his occupation as "sports agent" while Bromley is listed as "IT director". The company last filed accounts two years ago and in April last year Bromley and Curtis applied to have the firm dissolved.

The other company in which they were co-directors was the football agency, Sports Player Management, for which Craig Allardyce worked. Bromley was a director for three years, resigning in April 2002. That was when Curtis made around £1m by selling the company to another agency, Premier Management Holdings plc. In April 2006, Premier Management revealed that Sports Player Management was to be wound up after it was hit with a petition from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for "unpaid arrears of taxes" dating back to before Curtis had sold it and when Bromley was still the secretary – the financial year to 28 February, 2002. The company's most recent accounts show that by May 2005 it owed £250,000 in corporation tax.

Curtis left Premier Management in 2004, the company saying he was going to "concentrate on other business areas that are incompatible with his working full-time as a football agent".

Curtis has, though, continued to work as a football agent. He is licensed by Fifa, now giving his address as a company, Select Sports Management, in Gibraltar, an offshore tax haven. He did not reply to a series of questions about whether he was involved in the Carroll transfer in any capacity. Harrison's claim against Carroll has gone to arbitration, where proceedings are confidential, so Harrison declined to comment on the revelation that Bromley, a partner of Curtis's, acted for Liverpool. Newcastle refused to answer any questions about how the deal worked.

Liverpool declined to say in detail why they needed an agent to help sign Newcastle's centre-forward; why, if they did need one, they chose Bromley; what Bromley did exactly and how much they paid for his services. A spokesman said: "The club did use the services of an agent on the transfer. This was a high-value deal, concluded within very tight timescales and we had some external support on it."

To sum up, the 22-year-old recently capped England centre-forward did not use an agent to negotiate his terms in moving to Liverpool for a British record fee. Liverpool did employ an agent: David Bromley, a close associate of Mark Curtis, whom Carroll's former agent, Peter Harrison, has accused of acting for the player.

Curtis and Harrison are reported to have fallen out after the BBC's Panorama alleged Harrison paid Craig Allardyce, who had worked for Curtis, on transfer deals at Bolton when the club was managed by his father, Sam Allardyce, who Curtis represented.

And John Henry, who arrived from US baseball, a sport in which agents can act only for players, has learned that no rules have been broken, that this is the way the biggest ever deal between two English clubs had to be done.

[email protected]

[White Noise]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15032011/58/world-football-bath-city-offer-discount-polish-people.html


World Football - Bath City offer discount to Polish people


Tue, 15 Mar 14:04:00 2011




Bath City Football Club have come up with a novel yet controversial scheme to try and boost support at their matches.


The Blue Square Premier club have offered the city's Polish community an 80 per cent discount to attend this weekend's clash against Grimsby Town.

On production of a Polish ID card, fans can watch the game for as little as £2.50, instead of the usual £13 to stand on the terraces and £14 for a seat.

The club have cleared the move with the Equality and Human Rights Commission but not everyone is happy with the decision.

Dr David Green, director of social think-tank Civitas, said: "It's going to upset people. It's obviously discriminatory on grounds of nationality.

"I can't understand why this is in the interests of the football club. Imagine M&S wanting to make a pitch for the Polish market (along the lines of) if you could prove that you were Polish you would get a 10 per cent discount."

Meanwhile, some Bath City fans voiced their displeasure at the decision on a club fan forum.

"The people who have loyally supported City through the lean years, and the regulars who have come back, are the ones who should be rewarded, not one small community, the majority of whom will not return in the future," wrote one fan.

"This is another kick in the teeth for City's full-paying English supporters and I don't want to stand next to anybody who's bought a ticket cheaper than mine because they are Polish," wrote another.

However, acclaimed film director and Bath City supporter Ken Loach said he welcomed the decision.

"It is a good idea - I hope they will chant in Polish. There is a fantastic opportunity on the playing side and we just want to boost the attendance," he said.

Bath City have launched the scheme as part of 'Campaign 3,000' which the club have set up to try and attract their first 3,000-plus crowd at a regular league match since 1978.

The club, who lie 14th in the table, have been averaging crowds of around 1,300 so far this season.

Ned Vaught, the club's communications and enterprise manager, said the move was anything but discriminatory.

"The EHRC said the Polish discount was allowed because it is a one-off and for a 'laudable' cause. The aim is to get Polish people to integrate," he said.

Eurosport

[White Noise]

The Russian sports company tracking Portsmouth Football Club have demonstrated their intention to make British purchases by buying the Leaders in Football conference brand.

The Convers Group, run by oligarchs Vladimir Antonov and Roman Dubov, spent a seven-figure sum on a 65 per cent controlling stake in the business, which has become a high-profile name in the three years since it was created by former FA commercial executive James Worrell.

Former FA chairman Lord Triesman's incendiary comments about the debts of Premier League clubs were made at a Leaders conference, where Jack Warner also made his most ferocious attacks on the England 2018 bid.

As well as tracking troubled club Pompey, the Russians, who are advised by former Leeds United chairman Chris Akers, have also been linked with buying Rangers and Bournemouth.

With the backing of their own Moscow Bank, Convers have sports interests in ice hockey, basketball,
golf and rally car racing and now want a foothold in the British market.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1366675/Charles-Sale-Pompeys-pursuers-gain-British-foothold.html#ixzz1GkxQbxBo

[White Noise]

http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/health/psychology/big-sams-guide-to-man-management

Big Sam's guide to man management

http://cdn.performance.fourfourtwo.com/contentimages/articles/big-sam-man-management.jpg?width=620&height=350
Having problems getting the best out of your players? Lend an ear to former Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce and he'll explain the secret to dealing with the changing room characters

Big Sam on....

... helping a young player deal with rejection
There are disappointments right the way through life. The most important thing is to not think that that is the end; there's so much time from the age of 10 to make it, and some grow a lot in that time. Make sure you enjoy your football wherever you can play it – for your school, with small-sided games... play as much football as possible. It happened to me – from the age of 12, I had trials with Wolves, West Brom and Aston Villa and they all said no. When I was 15 I got picked up by Bolton, and moving at such a young age it might as well have been to New Zealand – but that's professional football, you have to go wherever the opportunity takes you.

... dealing with a slacker in a hard working team
If he's not your best player, drop him until he conforms to what you and the rest of the team want him to do. If he's a player you can't do without, and he's not listening to you, ask his team-mates to have a word. Sometimes, the type of person that reacts badly to authority (like disobeying the manager or the coach) will react quite differently to his mates. So ask the captain and the more senior players to find a solution. It won't undermine or divide the squad; if he's not pulling his weight, they should encourage him to be a team player and to work more. But if it's a continuous problem, you'll have to find someone to replace him.

... replacing fringe players when the star is ready to return
The question is what the results have been like while your star player has been out. If the run has been exceptionally good, it makes it even harder to replace the lad that stood in for your top man. On occasion the star man can come back via the subs bench like everyone else because it's important to show that no one is bigger than the team. If the results haven't gone so well it's an easier choice because the team has missed him and everybody will accept changes, but what you really want is the harder choice. That's a decision you have to make as manager and the player, if he's a real team player, has to accept it.

... keeping your goalkeepers happy
It is difficult, but my view is that the man in possession of the shirt stays in the shirt. He'll get rested occasionally to make sure the other lad gets a top-level game in, maybe in a cup, to keep him sharp. But other than that, the only time I'd change is if the No.1 loses his form, you use the No.2 – and if he plays well, he keeps the shirt. But all the time the other's banging on the door and he knows there's no margin for error – and of course, the goalkeeper is the one who can make the fewest errors of all so we get a broader base of consistency. When would I swap? Depends how bad the bad game was. You wouldn't drop him if it's a slight slip that costs a goal after he's been playing consistently well, but if he has a few shaky games then a howler, you'd change then.

... dealing with a hot head
There's only one thing to do in that situation – stop playing him. If he's so disruptive, the team will be looking to the manager to make an example of him. So you've got to discipline him. You've got to warn him, you've got to give him some ultimatums. If he doesn't improve then, you've got to get rid of him because the rest of the team will lose respect for their manager. Whatever team you run, amateur, semi-pro or professional, you have to have a certain level of discipline and relevant set of rules, be it fines or being dropped; remember that his red cards mean he's going to be missing games anyway. If he keeps getting sent off then it could be an anger management problem. Whether he's a man or a schoolboy, something in his life is causing these problems on the field; there's probably some aspect of his life that he's not happy with and he's taking it onto the pitch and releasing his frustrations the wrong way.

... getting the best out of a captain who is a leader off the pitch but quiet on it
It sounds like a split personality. He's being portrayed as a good leader but once he gets on the pitch he clams up. There are two types of captain. One is your best player, who leads by example in the way he plays. The other type organises the team on-and-off the field, encouraging team-mates – he doesn't necessarily have to be your best player, but he can be very valuable. A quiet player who is the best in the team can still lead by example by being consistent. You won't get him to talk if he's not a talker – whether he's nine, 16 or 36, you can't change his character, he'd have to change it himself.

... restoring confidence in a misfiring striker
Players can suffer from a lack of confidence but often that can return as quickly as it leaves you. It may only take one to go in off his knee to get him back on track. You should keep encouraging him, telling him to take on shots as early as possible. If he's lacking confidence he may be taking extra touches, but in those split seconds defenders have the chance to make the opportunity harder for him to score from. After that he should also concentrate on practicing finishing and technique. It's also important to remind him that he's still contributing to a winning side.

... strikers who can't replicate their training form in a game
Rather than doing shooting practise with little pressure, do game-related practices – get defenders around him so he's under the same sort of pressure as he is in matches. The more he gets used to it, the better he'll get. You've got to be relaxed and fluent taking a shot to score a goal – in training he's relaxed, but he's more uptight and tense in a game. He has the technique to score but the anxiety makes him lose the composure he needs. Constant repetition of the same situation that you get in a match will help him to relax more and take the chances that come his way

[White Noise]

Arsenal face fan fury over rise in ticket price

Published 23:00 15/03/11


By John Cross



Arsenal fans are being hit with big ticket price increases - even though the club still refuse to splash out on players.

Seven thousand club-level supporters at the Emirates, who already pay some of the most expensive prices in the Premier League, have been told there will be a 6.5 per cent increase for next season.

It is now feared that the club will impose an across-the-board rise when the rest of the ticket prices are announced in April and May. Supporters' groups have criticised the club's decision to take such a step in tough economic times.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who is set to re-sign veteran keeper Jens Lehmann, 41, as emergency cover, has steadfastly refused to pay big fees for players and yet the club has among the highest priced tickets in England.

Club-level ticket holder Pete Wood has seen his pair of seats rise from £5,200 to £5,540 and claimed it is bad timing for Arsenal to be putting up prices after going out of three competitions in just over a fortnight.

"It just seems a bit rich," said Wood, who runs Le Grove fans' website. "When you look at the cost of tickets compared to the number of trophies, then we must be the most expensive club in the world.

"It's a slap in the face for supporters. We would like to see a few more signings and yet they take the easiest, most unimaginative way of trying to make ends meet - just put up prices and make their supporters pay."

Tim Payton, of the Arsenal Shareholders' Trust, added: "The AST is very concerned at the impact a price rise will have on fans in these tough economic times. We have urged the club to focus on raising revenue from other sources such as overseas tours and new commercial deals.

"The wider football community also has a responsibility as the continuing spiraling upwards of players' wages is ultimately paid for by supporters."

Arsenal insisted yesterday that the rise was just four per cent, but was made bigger by the rise in VAT. They also said it was the first increase since the 2008-09 season.

"No decision has been taken on the other prices across the board for tickets next year," said a spokesman. "But our pricing structure is always done with a lot of thought."

Meanwhile, Arsenal's Johan Djourou was yesterday at the centre of a bizarre club versus country row which ended with the Swiss FA issuing an apology.

Swiss FA chiefs claimed the defender could even be fit for their Euro 2012 qualifier with Bulgaria on March 26 and his shoulder injury - suffered at Manchester United on Saturday - was not as bad as first feared.

But Djourou is out for at least three months, may undergo surgery later this week and the Swiss FA contacted Arsenal last night to apologise for suggesting otherwise.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Furious-Arsenal-fans-are-being-hit-with-big-ticket-price-increases-even-though-the-club-still-refuse-to-pay-top-fees-for-players-article714097.html#ixzz1Gl1IaRjC

[White Noise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/15/blizzard-football-download-launched?CMP=twt_gu


The Blizzard digital football magazine kicks off on 'pay what you want' basis


Journalists' collective follows Radiohead's financial model with low-key launch of 'in-depth' quarterly download


Comments (4) Mark Sweney guardian.co.uk,

Tuesday 15 March 2011 15.35 GMT


The Blizzard's article about Turkey's manager, Guus Hiddink, above, has already been picked up by the Turkish press despite the publication's under-the-radar launch. Photograph: Alastair Grant/AP

A group of well-known sports writers keen to "break the shackles" of national newspaper journalism have launched a digital magazine on football, The Blizzard, and have taken a leaf from Radiohead's launch of its In Rainbows album by asking readers to pay what they think each issue is worth.


The co-operative includes well-known sports writers and authors such as Jonathan Wilson, a writer for the Guardian, Uli Hesse, author of Tor! The Story of German Football, and Gabriele Marcotti, who writes for titles including the Times and has written books on Fabio Capello and Paolo Di Canio.


Their new quarterly digital publication aims to be "somewhere in between" a book and a magazine and offer "more in-depth pieces, detailed reportage, history and analysis".


The first issue (officially "issue zero") went on sale with little fanfare – and no publicity – recently but nevertheless managed to drum up "a few thousand" pounds in sales of downloads of the pdf in the first hour alone.


"I became aware there were other writers so keen to break the shackles of search engine optimisation and the culture of quotes for quotes' sake that they were prepared to write for a share of potential profit, that the joy of writing what they wanted and felt was important outweighed the desire to be paid," said Wilson, who edits and is an investor in The Blizzard.


Although the collective has not revealed how well sales have done in total since launch, the initial demand has led to an expansion of the business model to include publication of the next issue of The Blizzard as a print edition, at about £5, which will appear in June. The Blizzard collective suggests a price of £10 for pre-ordering the pdf version, but again readers can pay what they think it is worth.


Kevin Miles, a director of the Football Supporters' Federation and investor in the Blizzard parent company, A19Ltd, said the writers get paid on a notional "points" system based on how many words they contribute and then if there are any profits - after overheads and print costs - these are distributed proportionately.


"We're not interested in any drive for profit, we're more concerned about giving people access to the content, wherever in the world they are and related to what they can afford and the value they put on it," said Miles.


Miles added that an article on Guus Hiddink, the current manager of the Turkish national football team, has already been reprinted by the press in Turkey despite the under-the-radar launch of The Blizzard.


The name of the magazine has been taken from a Sunderland newspaper launched by an eccentric businessman called Sidney Duncan in 1893. The title only published 12 times, with Duncan doubling the cover price in an attempt to cut circulation because "he found the effort of handling all the money he was making so tiresome".

[White Noise]