By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
April 19 – Jack Warner (right) and Chuck Blazer (left), the one-time double act who fell out spectacularly and ended up as bitter foes, were denounced as “fraudulent in their management” of CONCACAF by an official report today.
The most recent spell of hooliganism in England (Millwall-Wigan and Newcastle-Sunderland matches) appears to have rung in a renewed era of primitive and vulgar fan behavior that had led to the ban of English clubs and the England team from international football in the 80s. Hooliganism defaced the English game throughout the 1970s and 1980s: in 1974, a Blackpool fan was stabbed to death at Blackpool’s home match with Bolton Wanderers. In 1985, after vile hooliganism of Liverpool fans led to the deaths of 39 Juventus supporters before the European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium,
In Britain this has been a great week for turning the clock back promoted by the death of Lady Thatcher and a necessary look back at her legacy.
Yet it is too simplistic to see the riots by Millwall fans at the Wembley semi-final as a return to the old spectre of football hooligan. There is, of course a historical twist to this. With the riots coming just days before Thatcher was laid to rest it was natural to reflect that it was Millwall and their riotous fans back in 1985 filling British television screens with violence which first prompted the Lady to think that the only solution for such behaviour was more stringent police control.
April 19 – Bahrain Football Association President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has issued the following statement regarding an article published by Insideworldfootball April 16.
By Tom Parsons
April 19 – Local Welsh footballers and clubs are being warned that they could face disciplinary action if they send abusive messages through social media and websites to their opponents.
19 April – Security fears surrounding next year’s World Cup have increased after two fans were shot dead near one of the new stadia being used for the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 19 – AEK Athens are set to be relegated from the top flight of Greek football for the first time in their 89-year history after a points deduction handed down for crowd violence left them stranded near the bottom with one match remaining.
April 19 – ‘Global Transfer Market 2012’ report from FIFA’s new transfer company, FIFA Transfer Matching System GmbH, gives insight into global transfer trends across borders.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 19 – Three Lebanese officials who were suddenly pulled out of an Asian Football Confederation game in Singapore for alleged match-fixing will go on trial in June, it was reported today.
April 19 – Europe’s biggest insurer Allianz is reportedly in talks to buy the naming rights for a new stadium in Sao Paulo.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
April 19 – A year after the most blood-letting and bitter summit in its history, a detailed report into serious financial mismanagement within CONCACAF will be presented to members at their Congress in Panama today.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – The decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup has once again been called into question, this time by international trades unions across the world who have denounced the Gulf state’s record over the rights of migrant workers.
By Mark Baber
April 18 – Real Madrid has displaced Manchester United as the world’s most valuable soccer club in the new Forbes list.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – Kuwait has wasted no time in publicly announcing that it will back Asian Football Confederation presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain in next month’s election.
