New race row as ex-Gillingham striker sues club
By David Gold
March 12 – Mark McCammon is suing his former club Gillingham for race discrimination after claiming he and other black players have been mistreated by the League Two club.
World Football
Craig Bellamy to set up Sierra Leone women’s league
By David Gold
March 12 – Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy is launching a 12 team football league in Sierra Leone to promote the women’s game in the country.
Egyptian Premier League cancelled in aftermath of Port Said tragedy
By David Gold
March 12 – The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has officially decided to cancel the country’s Premier League following the disaster last month which left dozens dead after a match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly.
FIFA promotes women’s football in Azerbaijan ahead of Under-17 Women’s World Cup
By David Gold
March 11 – FIFA has launched two women’s football projects in Azerbaijan, where the Under-17 Women’s World Cup takes place later this year.
India planning bids for Club World Cup and Under-17 World Cup
By Duncan Mackay
March 10 – India is planning to bid for the 2015 Club World Cup and the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, it has been revealed.
Women’s football strengthened by its social dimension, says Blatter
By David Gold
March 9 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that women’s football has a stronger social dimension than the men’s game.
British MP calls for transparency in football club ownership in Parliamentary bill
By David Gold
March 9 – British MP Damian Collins (pictured) has tabled a Parliamentary bill which would require football clubs to reveal the identity of their owners, as well as putting an end to the football creditors’ rule.
United States can win World Cup in 20 years, says Cantona
By Tom Degun at the Global Sports Forum Barcelona in Barcelona
March 8 – Manchester United legend Eric Cantona (pictured) has predicted that the United States can win the World Cup in 20 years by building on the system he is introducing at New York Cosmos, where he is Director of Soccer.
FIFA hit back at Council of Europe report with claims of inaccuracies
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – FIFA has wasted no time defending its position by hitting back at a critical Council of Europe report by declaring there were “certain inaccuracies” in a recommendation calling for an internal investigation of Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) re-election as President last year.
ICSS announce new partnership with IfF
By David Gold
March 8 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has announced a partnership with the Institute for Fan Culture (IfF) in Germany.
Council of Europe watchdog calls for investigation into FIFA President Blatter’s re-election
By Andrew Warshaw
March 8 – A key Council of Europe watchdog has questioned FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) election victory last year and says more assurances need to be given that it was clean.
European Parliament urges UEFA to stamp out club sponsorship by organisations linked to owners
By David Gold
March 8 – A European Parliament report today called on UEFA to ensure that football clubs cannot be sponsored by organisations closely related to their owners, thus circumventing the new Financial Fair Play rules (FFP).
FIFA send stark warning to Gambia after Government disbands GFA
By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – Gambia is the latest country to risk being kicked out of world football after FIFA warned that the tiny West African country faces “severe sanctions” as a punishment for the Government dissolving the Gambia Football Association (GFA) following a 2013 African Nations Cup qualifying defeat to Algeria.
Qatari firm QSI buys remaining PSG shares from Colony
By David Gold
March 7 – Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), who bought 70 per cent of Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain last summer, has purchased the remaining shares in the company from Colony Capital.
Egyptian Professional Footballers’ Association President to speak at ICSS conference
By David Gold
March 6 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has confirmed that Egyptian Professional Footballers’ Association President Magdy Abdel Ghany (pictured left) will be speaking at their annual conference in Doha on March 14 and 15.