Essex Eagles set to join West Ham in swoop for Olympic Stadium
April 15 – Essex County Cricket Club have announced ambitious plans to share the London 2012 Olympic Stadium with Premier League West Ham United and Newham Council.
Exclusive: Hiddink hoping to persuade Chung to vote for Dutch and Belgian World Cup bid
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By David Owen
April 15 - Guus Hiddink (pictured), the internationally renowned Dutch football manager, is to go to Korea at the end of this month as part of his efforts to help the Dutch/Belgian World Cup bid.
Singapore sets goal of being among top 10 Asian nations
April 15 – Singapore have unveiled a new six-year strategic plan which has set the target of the national team being ranked among the top 10 nations in Asia by 2015.
Exclusive: Turkey set to bid for 2026 World Cup
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 14 – Turkey may bid to stage the 2026 World Cup. Orhan Gorbon, manager of Turkey’s current bid for the 2016 European Football Championship, told insideworldfootball exclusively that a campaign for the 2026 tournament was part of a personal “10-year plan”.
Usmanov is keeping his options for Arsenal open
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April 14 - Alisher Usmanov (pictured), one of Arsenal’s largest shareholders, is keeping all his options open as speculation over the ownership of the club intensifies.
Clubs should not spend more than they earn, warns Platini
April 14 – UEFA President Michel Platini today renewed his attack on the Premier League when he claimed that the massive debt being carried by clubs was destroying the sport.
Brazilian food supplier signs up as latest World Cup sponsor
April 14 – Global food supplier Seara, part of the Marfrig Group, has signed up as a sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup, it was announced today.
Exclusive: We want paradise in stadiums, not hell, says Turkish Euro 2016 bid leader
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 14 – Coaches call it a winning habit. Usually it refers to events on the field of play. But Turkey is starting to develop a winning habit when it comes to bids to host international sports events.
Chelsea squad paid more, worth less, new accounts reveal
April 13 – Chelsea’s wage bill in the last financial year was £142.6 million ($219.3 million) while the value of the club’s squad, including John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack (pictured), dropped by nearly £40 million ($61 million).
Olympic Stadium is for future, avoid relegation first, Brooking warns West Ham
April 13 – West Ham United need to make sure they avoid relegation from the Premier League first before they start thinking about plans to move into the Olympic Stadium, Sir Trevor Brooking (pictured) has warned.
Italy confident after UEFA complete Euro 2016 inspection visit
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April 13 – A UEFA delegation has completed its two-day inspection of Italy’s bid to host the 2016 European Championships.
Kroenke bid for Arsenal in doubt after he lodges bid for NFL side
April 13 – Stan Kroenke (pictured), the single largest shareholder in Arsenal, has decided to buy the 60 per cent of the NFL team St Louis Rams he does not already own which puts a big question mark over whether he plans to bid for the Premier League club.
David Owen: In the court of Guus Hiddink
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“Why are we so enthusiastic about Barcelona and Lionel Messi?
“[It’s] because he is playing like a kid.
“It’s like he is leaving his house and saying to his mum, ‘I’m going to play football, I’ll be back at 9 o’clock.’”
Turkey has confidence in UEFA that Euro 2016 contest will be fair
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 12 – Mahmut Özgener (pictured), President of the Turkish Football Federation, today expressed confidence in the integrity of the Euro 2016 bidding process, as the body unveiled a new four-year strategic plan.
Beckham absence will not stop MLS becoming one of world’s top leagues claims Commissioner
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 12 – David Beckham’s injury will have a big negative impact on Major League Soccer (MLS) this season but will not prevent it from continuing to pursue its ambition of becoming one of the major competitions in world football, its head promised today.