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http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2155420,00.html Cup winners to qualify for Champions League England will keep four places under Platini plan Uefa proposals to breathe new life into FA's flagship Paul Kelso Friday August 24, 2007 Guardian Future FA Cup winners will automatically receive a place in the Champions League under proposals for the fundamental reform of the competition due to be considered by Uefa next week. The move, which would provide a huge boost to the FA Cup and revolutionise the status of domestic knockout competitions across Europe, is part of a proposal to be unveiled by the Uefa president Michel Platini prior to the Champions League group stage draw next week. Platini was elected Uefa president last year, promising to reduce the maximum number of Champions League entrants from a single country from four to three, a pledge that won him support from many of Europe's smaller national associations. That proposal was opposed by the most powerful leagues and clubs in Europe however, and Platini is understood to have revised his proposals, with the domestic cup option being offered as a compromise. Currently the top four clubs in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League, with two progressing straight to the group stage and two entering the third and final qualifying round. By granting a place to the FA Cup winners from the 2009-2010 season England would retain four entrants but it is hoped that the pool of competitors will spread beyond the predictable "big four" clubs. Platini is keen to widen the Champions League pool; currently the champions from only nine countries are guaranteed a place in the group stage, with the runners-up from six of those also qualifying directly for the latter stages and the remaining 43 national champions having to play qualifying rounds. By allowing the Cup winners to enter, possibly in a qualifying competition, Platini believes Europe's elite competition will become less predictable and open to a wider spread of clubs. Along with England, the Spanish and Italian leagues also receive the maximum four entrants; France, Germany and Portugal have three, two of which go straight to the group stage, while Holland, Greece and Russia have two. Liverpool and Arsenal play the second legs of their qualifying matches next week. Under Platini's proposal the three leading nations will retain four entrants, with three based on league position and the fourth coming from the FA Cup. The proposal has the support of national associations including the FA, who would benefit from having a Champions League place effectively in their gift. Clubs and leagues are less well disposed to the idea and that opposition is likely to be aired next week at a meeting of Uefa's Professional Football Strategy Council. The PFSC includes representatives from national associations, professional leagues, clubs and the players' unions. The FA chairman Geoff Thompson, his Premier League counterpart Sir Dave Richards and Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon are all members of the committee. Last month the European Professional Leagues umbrella group, of which Richards is chairman, registered its opposition, stating "anything which could affect negatively the league's competitions would be detrimental to the whole of European football." The issue was discussed at last week's Premier League shareholders' meeting, where the FA chief executive, Brian Barwick, suggested the proposal was in the best interests of many clubs. There was opposition however, with Kenyon and the Manchester United chief executive, David Gill, maintaining that the clubs had the power to prevent the changes. Uefa insiders insist the PFSC does not have the power to overturn the proposal, and that it will be approved before being rubber-stamped at Uefa's executive committee meeting next month. The evidence from recent seasons, however, suggests there would be little change in the English entrants. Since the European Cup brought in clubs other than the champions in 1992, only Everton, in 1995, have disturbed the Cup-winning cartel of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. It is thought that if the Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League via their league position, the fourth place would revert to the club that came fourth in the league. Among the losing clubs that might have been a game away from a place at Europe's elite table were Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Southampton, Millwall and West Ham. The prospects of Champions League wealth being spread ought to excite chairmen. A good run is worth over £20m and finalists earn close to £30m.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/calendar2007.html

Matthew Taylor was mentioned elsewhere yesterday.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/seedcl2007.html

More details can be found here: >uefadirect - Number 63 - July 2007 >This issue looks back at the UEFA club competition finals and explains how the revenue from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup is distributed. http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/555726.pdf

Basel

Only this from Parry in the BBC Sportsweek interview: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/6696155.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/inside_sport/

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/liverpoolecho/sport/columnists/tm_method=full%26objectid=19046374%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Last season's figures are included in UEFA's Financial Report (page 39): http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/502225.pdf More from the Telegraph about this season: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/04/13/sfnbon13.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/04/12/sfnfro12.xml Elite clubs move to help England By Henry Winter Last Updated: 8:54am BST 12/04/2007 England will play all their internationals in two three-week blocks after Christmas and at the end of the season under radical plans being proposed by the elite clubs, according to the chief executive of the Premier League, Richard Scudamore. After proudly watching English clubs progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League this week, Scudamore is keen to find some "practical" ways of helping the disappointing national side. "It would be nice to reproduce some of this excitement at international level," he said. "I don't think football fans in this country will ever be entirely satisfied until we have some international success. "It is unfathomable. You look at English talent on display in the quarter-finals. There is enough English talent on display to beat the world. I don't think this idea is right that we don't technically measure up against these other nations. English talent has held us in good stead in the quarter-finals - but somehow it doesn't get reproduced at international level. "I do believe we should try and rationalise the calendar further to give the England manager blocks of time with the players, rather than smatterings of two and three days here and there, at a time when it is frustrating for clubs to let them go, certainly in key parts of the season," Scudamore said. advertisement "We have that international friendly at the start of the season - that needs rationalising. I would like to see the double-header weeks extended, so all internationals are played in blocks of two or three weeks. It is an issue we have to take up with Fifa to co-ordinate the international calendar, then the England manager has got a chance, working with the players on an extended basis to recreate a club feel. Look at Manchester United and Chelsea on Tuesday - they were a huge team effort. Every player knew what he was about. "If we look at something practical we can do for the England manager, we have to rationalise the fixture calendar. It is just too staccato. So you have blocks: one around Christmas and one at the end of the season." The Premier League's proposal would require extensive dialogue with Fifa, and other continents, to synchronise all international football, although the powerful European leagues would be in favour. "In fairness to our Southern Hemisphere colleagues, it is no point doing it for just the Northern Hemisphere," continued Scudamore. "That's where we fall down now with the African Nations' Cup and the South American equivalent (the Copa America) butting into our season. We should sit down and do it on a worldwide basis and get it sorted. The African Nations' Cup is going to come around next January for four or five weeks, taking players out of our league."

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2052056,00.html

Try this one as well: http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/527313.pdf

http://www.arsenal.com/fixtures.asp?thisNav=Fixtures&clid=4437&Title=Arsenal+Youth+Team+Fixtures 2 Mon FA Youth Cup A Manchester United 7.30pm 16 Mon FA Youth Cup A Final 1L 7.45pm 19 Thu FA Youth Cup H Final 2L 7.45pm

Rubbish - the BBC usually only cut off non-British ips during matches. However, Radio City and other commercial stations are no longer allowed to stream to listeners abroad: http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk/

http://www.liverpoolvision.co.uk/actionareas/kingswaterfront.asp http://www.accliverpool.co.uk/

http://forum.raotl.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=46779

Bookings from the group stage can be found here: http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/492035.pdf Alonso, Finnan, Pennant, Zeden, Agger and Bellamy have 1 yellow card (after last night's match). Kuyt and Sissoko 2 cards - you are only suspended after three yellow cards.

The piece IS in today's paper.

Bascombe match report: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_headline=liverpool-0--everton-0--echo-%26method=full%26objectid=18578116%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=433202&in_page_id=1779&ct=5 Mascherano deal under spotlight as clubs accuse Premier League of cover-up EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION By MATT LAWTON The Premier League were facing a revolt among their own members last night amid growing suspicion that West Ham and Portsmouth have fielded ineligible players this season. Prompted by a private Premier League document obtained by Sportsmail, Wigan and a number of other top flight clubs are now questioning whether the appearances of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, for West Ham, and Manuel Fernandes, for Portsmouth, were in breach of Premier League rules. Breaking Rule U18 can result in a points reduction because the League will not allow England's top-flight clubs to sign players who are owned by a "third party" who would have the "ability materially to influence its policies or the performance of its teams". While Kia Joorabchian has a 50 per cent stake in Mascherano and Tevez, Fernandes is owned 50-50 by Benfica and a private company called the Global Sports Agency. There could be significant ramifications. Clubs currently fighting alongside West Ham to avoid relegation are prepared to launch legal challenges if they believe they have been unfairly disadvantaged, while at the top end, it could damage Pompey's European chances. Complications have arisen now Mascherano is trying to complete a move to Liverpool and Fernandes has gone on "loan" to Everton. When Everton first attempted to secure the services of Fernandes, they informed the Premier League of their wish to sign the player on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal. The Premier League refused to authorise the deal because of Everton's desire to make it permanent, which came as a surprise to the Merseyside club when it was their understanding that the deal between Fernandes and Portsmouth was similar. There was a clause in the contract, Sportsmail understands, that stated that Portsmouth would have to sign Fernandes on a permanent deal if he made three successive first-team appearances. Everton told the Premier League they would simply demand the points from their game with Portsmouth - a match in which Fernandes played. The Premier League responded by asking Everton to re-submit their forms, stating a desire to take Fernandes only on loan even though they were aware of the club's ambition to sign Fernandes permanently. A Premier League meeting last night failed to reach a conclusion in relation to Mascherano. Another meeting will take place today, but even then Liverpool could be left sweating on whether he will be able to move. The delay has been caused by a failure to provide the right paperwork and there has been real drama behind the scenes to try to ensure that the deal goes through. The Premier League insisted that they were not aware of a breach of their rules. "With what has been presented to us we haven't allowed anything that would transgress our rules," said a spokesman. And they said the documents presented by Portsmouth and West Ham last summer satisfied their rules. What was less clear, however, was when the Premier League received all the necessary documentation. Sportsmail has been told that West Ham received a letter from the Premier League warning them they could risk a points deduction if they failed to provide documentation. Aware the situation was in danger of escalating, the Premier League moved this week to privately contact the 20 top-flight chairmen. The document, from Premier League general secretary Mike Foster, appears to offer an amnesty to clubs that may have broken the rules. It reminds clubs of Rule U18 which states: "No Club shall enter into a contract which enables any other party to that contract to acquire the ability materially to influence its policies or the performance of its teams." Such contracts include those which allow the third party to control or influence the employment relationship between club and player, or give the third party the right to request or require a transfer of the player, a right to a share of the financial or economic rights. But the Premier League then adopts a non-confrontational tone by simply "giving clubs the opportunity" within 14 days of producing details of any such contracts that were not disclosed when players were registered. Foster's letter ends: "Once we have your responses, the board will consider relevant disclosures and then decide on appropriate action, if any." The letter, however, has succeeded only in fuelling the suspicion among clubs fighting alongside West Ham to avoid relegation that a breach has already occurred.

Doesn't stop the BBC from interviewing him... on BBC4 late tonight: 1:00 am Kelvin Mckenzie Talks to Kirsty Wark The former editor of the Sun speaks frankly, strongly and hilariously about his life, career and the state of the tabloid world. Contains Some strong language.

http://www.sportbox.tv/photos/imagepopup.php?direction=n&sport_id=1&team_id=11&image_time=19:21:35&image_date=2006-10-14

Last season's results can be found here: http://www.soccer-stats.com/divisions/results_window.asp?divno=1 Should be easy to count the clean sheets. PS: just noticed that some results are missing. :-(

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22669-2274527.html