All posts by h716a5.icu

The European Commission is poised to close the Kolpak loophole and allow the ECB to block non-European players from taking part in county cricket

Cricinfo staff12-Jun-2008The European Commission is poised to close the Kolpak loophole and allow the ECB to limit the number of non-European players taking part in county cricket.At present, several countries, most notably South Africa and some in the Caribbean, are signatories to the Cotonou treaty with the European Union, which was agreed in 2000. This has, until now, been interpreted as allowing freedom of labour for people from those countries inside the EU, and that has led to an explosion in the number of Kolpak players in county cricket. At present, there are approximately 64 on contract.At a conference this week, Michal Krejza, the head of the commission’s sports unit, said: “It is the decision of individual member states to admit Cotonou players, not the European Union.”This will give an opening for the ECB to take action and it may well be that it will now dip a toe in the water and start refusing Kolpak registrations, although it will not invalidate any existing contracts.”The Kolpak issue is an interesting one; our players are all on contracts that take them to at least 2010 so any change in the ruling I guess would have to be phased in,” David Smith, Leicestershire’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “But it would have an impact on all sports in the longer term. I believe Kolpaks have added value to the county game.”

SYDNEY, Dec 1 AAP – Michael Bevan scored 75 runs to guide New South Wales to an eight wicket win over Victoria in today’s ING Cup cricket match at the SCG and to the top of the table.

Valkerie Mangnall01-Dec-2002SYDNEY, Dec 1 AAP – Michael Bevan scored 75 runs to guide New South Wales to an eight wicket win over Victoria in today’s ING Cup cricket match at the SCG and to the top of the table.The one-day international batsman showed timely form in the lead-up to the tri-series with England and Sri Lanka which starts at the same ground on December 13, with the Australian team to be picked this week.The Bushrangers faced a tough task defending a paltry 175 after being bowled out in 49.2 overs.Bevan’s one-day expertise shone as he reached 75 off 94 balls in an unbroken partnership of 121 with Michael Clarke (61 off 88 balls) to lead the Blues to 2-176 in 39.1 overs and a bonus point.NSW skipper Simon Katich said his side had batted with the bonus in mind.”We thought about that … you want to make sure that you start off your innings and focus on the process rather than worrying about targets down the track,” Katich said.”So there was no actual talk about it, but as soon as we got a good start, it was mentioned at the drinks break.”We wanted to make sure that we put in a workman-like performance and the guys certainly did that today.”After winning the toss and sending the visitors in to bat on a difficult strip, the home side struck early.NSW paceman Stuart Clark tempted Nick Jewell (six), who swatted a ball outside off stump to be caught behind by Brad Haddin in the fifth over.While former NSW opener Jason Arnberger was contained early, No.3 Brad Hodge looked dangerous, smacking seven fours on his way to 41 off 67 deliveries.But, in just his second over, Dominic Thornely put paid to Hodge’s attack, trapping him lbw.Arnberger cut loose, smashing Stuart MacGill for six with a straight drive that hit the sightscreen, and edging Shawn Bradstreet just wide of Haddin to bring up his half century with a four.Arnberger topscored with 53 but was run out when Matthew Elliott hit a Thornely delivery towards Haddin, the ‘keeper throwing to the bowler, who removed the bails with Arnberger unable to back up in time.Arnberger’s dismissal sparked a collapse as Victoria lost its last six wickets for 46.Thornely bowled Elliott for 13 to finish with 2-29 from his 10 overs and earn man of the match honours.Bradstreet took two wickets in two balls to finish with 3-40 while legspinner MacGill claimed 3-50.He took a sharp catch off his own bowling to dismiss Cameron White (two) and almost repeated the effort to get rid of Andrew McDonald in extraordinary circumstances on the next delivery.McDonald eged Bradstreet and the ball shot into the air while Bradstreet dived forward and got a hand to the ball as he went to ground next to the batsman.The ball then appeared to bounce off Bradstreet’s boot before eventually finding Haddin’s gloves.Berry acknowledged the importance of the toss.”Whoever won the toss was going to have the best of the conditions,” he said.”But that’s not an excuse at all, we were poor … we lost our way in the last 20 overs with the bat when the wicket was probably getting better.”NSW tops the ladder on 13 points, four clear of nearest rival Tasmania, which has a game in hand.

Leeds United fans have been handed an encouraging update on Marcelo Bielsa’s potential new contract at the club.

What’s the story?

Whites supporters are no doubt all waiting for confirmation of the Argentine’s new deal at Elland Road, and during a Q&A session for Leeds Live, journalist Beren Cross delivered an update that should have fans resting easy.

In response to a question about Bielsa’s new contract, he said: “We are all waiting with bated breath on that glorious announcement to drop. Details like that aren’t clear, all we know is he’s staying and there is zero concern about his commitment to the club going into next season at the very least.”

Fans surely thrilled

When news emerged a couple of months ago that Bielsa was on course to land himself a new contract at Elland Road, several Leeds fans took to Twitter to make it clear just how delighted they were – a real snapshot of the kind of love that supporters have for the manager.

The kind of affinity and love Leeds fans have for Bielsa is unquestionable, with the Argentine a firm favourite in Yorkshire for the way he has embraced the city and restored the club to its Premier League status.

The future of the 65-year-old is something from which fans will have been desperate to hear some good news, and Cross’ latest update that “he is staying” and there is “zero concern” about his commitment to the club over taking charge ahead of the new Premier League season, will have them absolutely thrilled.

Meanwhile, Leeds facing major transfer blow as fresh twist emerges…

DISCOVERY BAY – Even amidst the euphoria of winning the Red Stripe Bowl, the top brass of the Barbados team was dishing out suggestions towards ensuring that the island builds on its first regional limited-overs title in 14 years

04-Sep-2002DISCOVERY BAY – Even amidst the euphoria of winning the Red Stripe Bowl, the top brass of the Barbados team was dishing out suggestions towards ensuring that the island builds on its first regional limited-overs title in 14 years.Among them was a call by captain Courtney Browne and coach Hendy Springer for coloured clothing, white balls and black sightscreens to be introduced at domestic level.Another was for better preparation of the team and the desire to see the younger players coming under the wings of seasoned players."We need to maintain these standards," Springer told NATIONSPORT after Barbados defeated Jamaica by 33 runs in an absorbing final at the Kaiser Sports Club on Sunday."I hope that the guys go back to Barbados and fit into their respective teams and give them some good stories and some things to think about as far as general development of cricketers and cricket is concerned."Winning a title is not all. If you get one or two younger players coming through, I think you have done your job. This will serve in good stead. We’ve won and we’ve got to maintain and build."It was Barbados’ first capture of the crystal Bowl and their first success in a Caribbean limited-overs championship since Malcolm Marshall’s team beat Jamaica at Sabina Park in 1988 when Springer was a player.Apart from calling for better preparation of the team in light of this season’s last-minute build-up, skipper Browne wants to see more encouragement for younger players to rub shoulders with seasoned campaigners."I know there has been a lot of talk about playing the youngsters, but at the end of the day young players will only learn quicker if they are playing with the old boys," Browne said.The suggestion for the facelift in Barbados’ club limited-overs matches was first mooted by Springer and supported by Browne."We’ve been playing one-day cricket in Barbados long enough and we don’t play anything that is remotely related to what happens at the international level. Yet we are expecting our guys to go to the international level and play and perform," Springer said."We should get out black sightscreens, white balls, coloured clothing, coloured pads, if we can afford it, or come as close to it as possible."We need to familiarise those guys at that lower level with what is happening at this level."The white ball does a lot more and it deteriorates a lot quicker than the red ball does," Springer added."If you play with it a couple of seasons, you get accustomed to it and when you get to this level and beyond, you know what to expect."Browne saw no reason why the recent changes to Barbados’ club season couldn’t be taken a step further."It might be a little difficult in the first year, but all the players will get accustomed to it," he said.

Jim Davidson, one of the country’s most popular entertainers, will be providing the entertainment and cabaret at a charity dinner being held at The Rose Bowl on Tuesday, 26th November

Press Release17-Oct-2002Jim Davidson, one of the country’s most popular entertainers, will be providing the entertainment and cabaret at a charity dinner being held at The Rose Bowl on Tuesday, 26th November. SOLD OUTBilled as `An Evening for Grown Ups’, the evening, which includes a four course dinner, is in aid of the Hampshire County Cricket Youth Trust and the British Forces Foundation, a charity closely associated with and supported by Jim.
Jim DavidsonWell known for his love of sport, and particularly cricket, Jim Davidson will be entertaining the celebrity-packed dinner with his own individual brand of humour plus anecdotes on his life, loves and memorable sporting moments.Recent winner of three `Showbusiness Personality of The Year’ awards – from the Variety Club of Great Britain, the Grand Order of Water Rats and Comic Heritage – Jim Davidson is also well-known for hosting the popular and long-running television shows Generation Game and Big Break. This year (2002) his television projects also include the BBC Falklands special `Jim Davidson Falklands Bound’ and a TV sitcom.Tickets for the dinner are available from The Rose Bowl, telephone 023 8047 2002 and cost £60 each or £550 for a table of ten. SOLD OUTIssued by: Hampshire CricketMedia contacts: Sue Walsh 023 8047 2002Jane Kerr, press officer 07976 549705

Sheffield Wednesday have suffered a blow in their quest to sign Jayden Stockley, with a report claiming he is off to Charlton Athletic.

The Lowdown: Sheff Wed linked with Stockley move

Darren Moore is in the process of looking for new signings, as he and his Owls side prepare for life in League One.

On Monday, it was claimed that Stockley is seen as a transfer target for Wednesday, with the striker expected to leave Preston North End this summer.

Moore’s side are thought to be one of a number of clubs eyeing up a move for the 27-year-old.

The Latest: Owls suffer possible blow

There has been a twist in the saga, however, with Hampshire Live reporting that Charlton are set to sign him, following a loan spell there last season.

The Addicks are described as the ‘frontrunners’, with Stockley changing his mind after looking like heading to Portsmouth initially.

Either way, it looks like Moore and Sheffield Wednesday are going to miss out.

The Verdict: Other options out there

Wednesday missing out on Stockley is a blow – former Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes once hailed him for having ‘great feet’ despite his physical presence as a classic number nine, standing at 6 foot 2 and winning nearly ten aerial duels per game in League One last term.

That said, he isn’t necessarily someone who would bang in the goals next season, having scored only eight times in 22 appearances for Charlton in 2020/21.

It looks as though Moore will now have to focus on other attacking targets, as he looks to make his team a potent force next season, and perhaps he will turn his attentions to someone with a more clinical track record in front of goal.

In other news, Sheff Wed reportedly face competition for the signing of one player this summer. Find out who it is here. 

Liverpool could form their perfect midfield partnership by signing Lille star Renato Sanches this summer.

What’s the story?

The Reds are in the market for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement after the Dutch international departed Anfield, and they could pick up his ideal successor in the shape of Sanches.

With French football’s finances in a far from healthy state, the Ligue 1 champions have already sold two of their title-winning talents, meaning the Stade Pierre Mauroy may be the perfect place to look in order to pick up a bargain over the coming months.

Whilst the Reds have not been linked with making a move for the Portuguese star at this stage, The Athletic have touted him as a player who Liverpool should be looking to sign and they are absolutely right to do so.

Imagine him and Thiago

Fans of the Anfield outfit may hold a negative view of the 23-year-old after his dismal loan spell at Swansea City back in 2017/18.

However, the Portugal international has kicked on considerably since his nightmare 12-month period at the Liberty Stadium.

A lot was expected of the youngster after he won the Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016 as Portugal shocked the continent, securing the title for the first time in their history.

Just a few months prior, Sanches had move from his boyhood club Benfica to Bayern Munich in a £35 million deal. His arrival at the Allianz Arena led to Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge lauding the then-teenager with praise.

“Renato is a dynamic, combative and technically gifted midfielder who will strengthen our team further,” he said.

“We are delighted to have completed the signing despite notable interest from other big-name international clubs. Renato has been on our radar for a long time now,” Rummenigge added.

Despite his early promise, Sanches struggled to replicate his standout displays in Bavaria, or with the Swans, and it seemed as though he would be remembered as another over-hyped talent who would fail to live up to expectations.

That was until a move to Lille materialised in 2019. With Les Dogues, Sanches has gone from strength to strength, rediscovering his confidence and performing to the levels that were previously expected.

He featured 23 times in the league as Christophe Galtier’s men toppled Paris Saint-Germain to end their domestic dominance and re-established his status as one of Europe’s most promising midfielders.

Although he’s far from a like-for-like swap for Wijnaldum, his skillset may perfectly lend itself to a fruitful partnership with Thiago.

Liverpool’s deep-lying playmaker excels at passing, playing through balls and dictating the tempo of the game, whereas Sanches progresses the ball forwards through his dribbling ability and would provide a dynamism and energy to the Anfield outfit’s engine room that Thiago simply cannot bring.

The two contrasting sets of attributes would make the perfect midfield marriage, and it’s a combination that director of football Michael Edwards must try to create.

And, in other news…Edwards could seal Liverpool’s next Firmino with swoop for “complete number nine” 

Norwich City will know that they must prepare for some of their top players leaving this summer while also adding strength in depth ahead of next season, and despite him just being relegated Adam Reach would love to join the Canaries, according to former Canary Jon Newsome.

Following Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation into League One, several high profile players were released and Reach was one of them and despite being there since 2016, the winger and club felt it was best for them to go their separate ways.

Norwich may well be able to splash some cash this summer if they do end up selling Emiliano Buendia but before that happens, a free transfer signing of Reach which has been touted could be a smart piece of business if he was to be a squad player.

Daniel Farke will be looking to make some smart signings who are both willing to buy into his philosophy and also have Premier League quality, something Reach has never been able to showcase and that could be a concern for Norwich, according to Newsome who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“Is he good enough for the Premier League? I’m not sure about that and I know he would be a free transfer, but as you said before, no transfers are actually free.

“After just leaving Sheffield Wednesday I can’t imagine that he would be commanding a massive salary and if he gets the opportunity to go to Norwich and play in the Premier League, I think he’d snap their hand off.”

It is likely that Norwich may be able to attract some higher quality players compared to their last season in the Premier League because they bounced straight back and some of their younger stars are proving to have matured and the Canaries appear to be a better-suited side to life in the Premier League this time around.

Ahead of the 2019/20 season, Norwich made very few additions to their threadbare Championship squad with the additions of Sam Byram, Ralf Fahrmann and Josip Drmic the high profile ones and the latter managed just one goal in 18 appearances during his sole season in England.

According to a report by Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, writing on his website, West Ham United are now eyeing Sassuolo attacker Filip Djuricic.

The Lowdown: West Ham on the market…

Booking their spot in the Europa League group stage for 2021/2022 after a surprising season, West Ham have turned their attention to the transfer market.

As per Claret & Hugh, manager David Moyes has set out his priorities for the summer in a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard, a new striker and top class centre-half.

However, alternative sources claim West Ham are eyeing players in other positions too, like between the sticks for instance, with Sky reporter Di Marzio now coming out with his information on the Hammers’ summer plans.

The Latest: West Ham now eyeing Djuricic…

As per the Italian, West Ham have now set their sets on the 31-cap Serbia international alongside Southampton.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It is also stated that the Serie A side have ‘received offers from England’ for the player as the Irons and the Saints both hold an interest.

However, as explained, the attacking midfielder would ‘prefer’ to stay in Italy despite interest from the Premier League.

The Verdict: Look elsewhere…

Djuricic seemed destined for greatness at the start of his career, regarded as one of Serbia’s finest talents and dubbed the ‘Balkan Cruyff” (Goal).

However, it is arguable he hasn’t exactly lived up to that tag given he is plying his trade with Sassuolo, with the 29-year-old also approaching his twilight years.

Scoring just five goals and assisting four others in 27 league starts last season (WhoScored), we believe Djuricic should be a hard pass with plenty of better targets in his position out there for the Hammers to pursue.

In other news: West Ham gifted possible Lingard boost as behind the scenes claim emerges, find out more here.

Rangers’ hopes of signing Carlos Mendes Gomes this summer have taken a blow after Morecambe earned promotion to League One on Bank Holiday Monday, which will surely decrease the chances of him joining up with Steven Gerrard at Ibrox ahead of next season.

The Light Blues have been linked with a move for the Spanish winger ahead of the summer after his impressive performances in League Two for the Lancashire side, although a number of English Championship clubs were also said to be interested.

It had initially seemed as if he would be able to join Rangers on a free transfer as his contract is set to expire in the summer, but Morecambe boss Derek Adams confirmed that the club holds an option to extend his contract by another year, which they will surely exercise.

Mendes Gomes was the hero for the Shrimps once again on Monday as his penalty in extra time earned them a 1-0 win against Newport County and ensured that they would be promoted to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.

This took his tally for the season to 16, whilst he also managed five assists, so he was clearly a key factor in Morecambe’s promotion and one of the standout performers in League Two this season.

Now that they have been promoted, and his contract will likely be extended by another year, it seems unlikely that Mendes Gomes will leave the Mazuma Stadium this summer unless an interested club makes an offer that Morecambe simply cannot refuse.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Rangers transfer rumours and news!”]

It is a shame for Rangers that he seemingly won’t be making the move to Ibrox, as his performances this season have been superb, and he could’ve been an excellent addition to Gerrard’s squad ahead of their return to Champions League football next season.

Given that the “fantastic” Mendes Gomes predominantly features from the left as a right-footed winger who contributes effectively in the final third, he could’ve been the man to step up at Ibrox should Ryan Kent depart this summer.

The former Liverpool winger has unsurprisingly once again been linked with a move to Leeds United after his superb performances in the Premiership, and the prospect of Premier League football might be enough to tempt him away from Ibrox.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Unfortunately, if the 24-year-old does move on, then it seems that Gerrard and Ross Wilson will have to turn their attentions away from Mendes Gomes as his potential replacement.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge boost with “outstanding” 23 G/A dynamo, Wilson must deliver