The story of footballers, their wives and girlfriends and what they get up to is always news and can have dramatic impact, as the following story illustrates. It is the night before a crucial England World Cup match. An England player has been told stories of his wife’s antics and he is quite frantic to know whether these stories are true.
By Duncan Mackay
January 31 – Egypt’s 1-0 victory over Ghana in Luanda to win the African Cup of Nations for a third consecutive time today has been overshadowed by the anger of Togo at the decision to ban them from the next two editions of the tournament following their withdrawal after the terrorist attack on them before the event starts.
Whatever happened to compassion, understanding and taking each case on its merits?
The recent decision by the Africa’s football confederation to ban Togo from the next two editions of the African Nations Cup following their withdrawal from the tournament in Angola was so mean-spirited it bordered on the immoral.
By Duncan Mackay
January 31 – Australia are still serious contenders to host the 2018 World Cup after FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) claimed he had never said that only European bidders will be considered for the tournament with the other contenders left to battle for 2022, officials there claimed today.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Bora Milutinović, the only man to have coached five different teams at the World Cup, is the latest high-profile ambassador to join Qatar’s bid to stage the 2022 tournament.
By Steven Downes
January 29 – David Beckham (pictured) will not retire after this summer’s World Cup finals, according to one of his most recent club managers.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 - UEFA’s general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) has painted a grim picture of the state of European football, revealing that 50 per cent of the biggest clubs are losing money.
By David Owen
January 29 – The Turkish Government has announced plans for a colossal €27 billion (£23 billion) infrastructure upgrade, as the country vies for the right to stage the Euro 2016 football tournament.
As a long-time West Ham fan – I hesitate to say supporter because I am no longer a regular at Upton Park, but still cherish and relish the memories the halcyon days of Moore, Hurst, Peters and the cultured stewardship of Ron Greenwood – the recent appointment of Karren Brady as vice-chairman has me blowing bubbles again.
By Steven Downes
January 28 – John Armitt (pictured left), the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), tonight gave a green light to the possibility of Premiership football club West Ham United moving in to London’s Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games, while fulfilling the venue’s brief to deliver a lasting legacy as a national athletics stadium.
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January 27 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) is coming under pressure to backtrack on his claim that only European nations may be considered as hosts for the 2018 World Cup.
We all know that the two great certainties of life are taxes and death. But in football there is a third: bungs.
The earliest formal form of football dates back 3,000 years to Ancient China.
Priorities, priorities. Is Arsene Wenger beginning to trust his own judgement to the point of becoming self-delusional? And more alarmingly, are Arsenal fans beginning to lose faith in their beloved manager?
Not for the first time, Wenger’s decision to send out a weakened team to play Stoke City in the FA Cup at the weekend came back to bite him on the backside.
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By Duncan Mackay
January 26 – Only European nations should be considered to host the 2018 World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) has claimed in a move which would leave Australia and the United States battling for the right to host the 2022 tournament.