Andy Carroll says that his return to this blogger's beloved (though, tragically unsellable) Newcastle United eight years after he left was 'what dreams were made of.' The thirty-year-old, released by West Hamsters United this summer following a six-year spell blighted by numerous injuries, signed a one-year contract with The Magpies on transfer deadline day. 'I enjoyed the time I spent here, and hopefully I can carry on where I left off,' said Carroll, who made his Newcastle debut in 2006 as sixteen year old. Where he left off, incidentally, was being injured for the last few weeks of his time at The Magpies during January 2011, his last appearance actually having come in a three-one defeat at Sheikh Yer Man City on Boxing Day 2010. 'For me to get back to where I was, I think this is the only place for me.' And, just to repeat, where he was, was injured. Carroll scored thirty three goals during his five years on Tyneside and helped the club win promotion to the top flight in 2009-10. And, when he was fit he was bloody good let it be noted, even at that early stage of a career which promised so much. He told Sky Sports News: 'When I put the shirt back on it will probably be a better feeling that it was the first time. It's something I wanted for a long time and now it's here. Playing for your boyhood team and going away, you realise what you had and missed. Coming back it's something only dreams are made of."' The former England striker moved to Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws for a club-record thirty five million knicker in 2011, but scored only six goals in forty four league games at Anfield before he was loaned to The Hamsters for the 2012-13 season. Although he experienced knee and hamstring problems during that campaign, The Hamsters still took a punt and signed Carroll on a permanent deal for fifteen million quid in the summer of 2013. However his injury record at The Hamsters makes for sobering reading; ankle, foot, groin, pelvis, neck, knee, hamstring and thigh issues all severely restricting his pitch time. Of the two hundred and sixty four Premier League games The Hamsters played during the time Andy was at the club, he started just eighty four of them and managed another forty two appearances from the bench. Scoring thirty three times, his most recent competitive appearance came against Sheikh Yer Man City in February 2019. Having completed ninety minutes in just four Premier League matches over the past two seasons, the fear is the Carroll will not be fit enough regularly to make a significant impact at his boyhood club. Should he manage to make it off the treatment table and onto the pitch, Carroll will join Tommy Wright, Robbie Elliott, Lee Clark, Nolberto Solano and the late Pavel Srnicek in playing for United in the Premier League era during two separate spells. Newcastle manager Steve Brucie (nasty to see him to see him, nasty) said: 'To bring a local hero like Andy back to Newcastle United is fantastic. He is very excited to be home. He is a big, physical threat in the opposition box and another great option for us at the top end of the pitch. He gives us something different to what we already have and we'll do our best to get him flying again.' Reports that the biggest betting currently going on in the Newcastle area is on exactly how many minutes of Premier League action Carroll will see this season cannot at this time be confirmed or denied.
Carroll became Newcastle's fifth signing of the summer following the arrival of forward Joelinton, winger Allan Saint-Maximin, left-back Jetro Willems and right-back Emil Krafth. The latter signed earlier on Transfer Deadline Day from Ligue 1 side Amiens for a reported five million smackers on a four-year contract. The Sweden right-back only joined Amiens on a permanent deal earlier this summer after a season on loan. 'When a Premier League team wants to sign you, of course you are happy,' said the twenty five-year-old whose arrival potentially signals the end of their time at St James' Park for at least one and possibly two of the three right-backs already at the club, DeAndre Yedlin, Javier Manquillo and Jamie Sterry. 'I know Newcastle is a big club, so I'm very happy to sign here and to be here right now,' said Krafth. 'It's a good moment in my career to take a step forward. The plans Newcastle had for me, I felt like they were fitting me perfectly, so that was why I chose Newcastle.' Krafth made thirty five appearances in the French top flight while on loan at Amiens last season from Bologna. He has won twenty caps for Sweden thus far in his career and played at last year's World Cup in Russia.
A late flurry of deadline-day signings took Premier League spending for the summer up to 1.41 billion knicker, just short of the 1.43 billion notes record set in 2017, according to Deloitte. Deadline Day spending alone by English top-flight clubs was one hundred and seventy million smackers - but on just eighteen deals, the joint fewest number of transfers on the last day of the summer window since 2009. Everton's thirty four million quid signing of forward Alex Iwobi from The Arse was the biggest incoming Premier League deal, while the largest transfer saw Romelu Lukaku leave The Scum for Inter Milan for seventy four million knicker - a loss of a million quid on the fee they paid Everton. The Arse were the biggest spenders in England during the window, splashing out one hundred and fifty five million smackers. On Deadline Day, they spent twenty five million quid on Glasgow Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney and eight million wonga on Moscow Chelski FC centre-back David Luiz. Stottingtot Hotshots recruited Real Betis midfielder Giovani lo Celso on loan and signed Poor Bloody Fulham Haven't Got A Chance winger Ryan Sessegnon for twenty five million wonga. Their pursuit of Juventus forward Paulo Dybala was one of the big stories earlier in the day but any potential deal fell through. Watford spent a club record, reported to be twenty five million smackers, on Rennes winger Ismaila Sarr and Leicester City bought Sampdoria's attacking midfielder Dennis Praet for a reported eighteen million knicker. Three former England internationals made moves - Burnley signing Moscow Chelski FC midfielder Danny Drinkwater and Sheikh Yer Man City bringing in Derby goalkeeper Scott Carson, both on loan, in addition to this blogger's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle re-signed free agent striker Andy Carroll. A busy day in the Championship was headlined by West Bromwich Albinos spending four million notes on Southampton striker Charlie Austin. This was the second year in a row when Premier League clubs could only sign players until the day before the season started, instead of the end of August. The deadline has also now passed for Championship clubs, but teams from Scotland, Leagues One and Two and all of Europe's major leagues can bring in players until 2 September. The total number of Premier League signings in the summer fell for the sixth year in a row. Eleven of the twenty Premier League clubs broke their existing transfer record this summer, with Sheffield United smashing theirs four times. The Arse, Aston Villains, Leicester (twice), Sheikh Yer Man City, Newcastle, Southampton, Stottingtot Hotshots, Watford - on deadline day - West Hamsters United and Wolverhampton Wanderings are the other ten. Harry Maguire's eighty million knicker switch from Leicester to The Scum was the biggest Premier League signing of the summer, followed by The Arse's seventy two million quid purchase of Lille winger Nicolas Pepe. Champions Sheikh Yer Man City bought Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri for sixty two million knicker and Juventus right-back Joao Cancelo for sixty million. Spurs spent over fifty three million quid on Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele - their first first-team signing since January 2018. The Villains spent one hundred and twenty five million, the second promoted club to hit nine figures after Poor Bloody Fulham Haven't Got A Chance, who did so last summer, only to subsequently be relegated in April. The other biggest transfers were The Scum's right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (fifty million from Crystal Palace), West Hamsters United striker Sebastien Haller (forty five million from Eintracht Frankfurt), Newcastle striker Joelinton (forty million from Hoffenheim) and Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans (forty million from Monaco). Moscow Chelski FC also spent forty million notes on Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic despite having a transfer embargo imposed upon them for various naughty shenanigans in relation to Financial Fair Play. The Croat was already at Torpedo Stamford Bridge on loan, so Frank Lampard's side were allowed to sign him permanently as he was already registered with them. Their sale of Eden Hazard to Real for a fee of eighty nine million smackers, which could rise to one hundred and fifty million with add-ons and other under-the-counter malarkey, was one of the biggest deals in the world. This was the second highest total spend since the introduction of the transfer window system in 2003, according to analysis from Deloitte's Sports Business Group. It is the fourth consecutive summer that Premier League clubs have spent over one billion notes. But Premier League clubs' net expenditure (purchases minus sales) was six hundred and twenty five million knicker - the lowest in a summer since 2015, helped by Hazard and Lukaku's big-money moves. Dan Jones, a partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: 'With this level of net spend, combined with a more modest increase in Premier League broadcast rights values for the coming season than we have seen previously, we would expect wages to increase at a greater rate than revenue, returning to a wages to revenue ratio of over sixty per cent. However, this does not signal major financial concerns as Premier League clubs collectively generated pre-tax profits of four hundred and twenty six million pounds in 2017-18, while net spend as a proportion of revenue of twelve per cent is at its lowest since 2012.' La Liga clubs could still overtake the Premier League's total. Spain's top-flight clubs have spent 1.1 billion quid, with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona accounting for two thirds of that alone. That number will increase with their deadline not until 2 September. Championship clubs spent one hundred and sixty million snots on transfers, an increase from the one hundred and fifty five spent last summer. Moscow Chelski FC (who, of course, have a transfer embargo), Crystal Palace and Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws were the only three clubs to make a profit on transfers this summer. Benfica (one hundred and seventy million quid) and Ajax (one hundred and sixty five million) were among the sides in Europe to make the most in player sales this summer. The deadline for La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and other European leagues is on 2 September so their clubs can sign Premier League players until then. Real Madrid have been linked with The Scum's midfielder Paul Pogba all summer, but it seems unlikely The Scum would let the French international go now without being able to bring in a replacement. Stotingtot Hotshots playmaker Christian Eriksen is another who could leave the Premier League. The Danish international, who has one year left on his Spurs contract, is reported to be interested in a move abroad. But Spurs's failure to sign Dybala this summer may make a move for Eriksen less likely. Sheikh Yer Man City winger Leroy Sane is a long-term Fußball-Club Bayern München target but the cruciate ligament damage suffered in Sunday's Community Shield could see Sane stay at Etihad Stadium. Real Madrid's sulky Gareth Bale was never credibly linked to a move to any English clubs before the deadline. He has got three-and-a-half weeks to find a European club to take him off Real's hands or else face a season playing for their reserves, with the Welshman seemingly not in coach Zinedine Zidane's plans. Paris St-Germain forward Neymar continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid or former to his club Barcelona, while Real attacking midfielder James Rodriguez - like Bale - may have to move away for first-team football. The Premier League deadline closing could spark a flurry of signings elsewhere. Some managers in Leagues One and Two have been waiting for this stage, with Premier League and Championship clubs now more likely to know who they will be willing to sell or to offer on loan.
Liverpool Alabam Yee-Haws scored four first-half goals as they started the new Premier League season with a blistering performance to demolish newly-promoted Norwich City at Anfield on Friday evening. Norwich captain Grant Hanley scored the opening goal of the top-flight season when he sliced Divock Origi's cross into his own net before Mohamed Salah opened his account after a pass by Roberto Firmino. German midfielder Marco Stipermann forced a fine save by Reds keeper Alisson before an unmarked Virgil van Dijk headed the third from Salah's corner, Origi added the fourth after a stunning pass by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Teemu Pukki's composed finish reduced the deficit after Liverpool lost Alisson to injury, the Brazilian keeper replaced by new signing Adrian after slipping while taking a first-half goal-kick.
Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Sheikh Yer Man City got their title defence off to a winning start with five-nil victory at West Hamsters United in a game which saw the video assistant referee play a significant role for the first time in the Premier League. Harry Kane twice struck late as Stottingtot Hotshots overcame Aston Villa three-one. Spurs, who finished fourth last season, fell behind to a ninth-minute John McGinn goal before they equalised courtesy of a brilliant strike from their club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele. Kane fired two goals in the final four minutes. The highlight of the game, however, came when thirty five million quid midfield flop Moussa Sisoko had a shot for Spurs. And, it went out for a throw-in! Sheffield United, who were playing in League One as recently as 2017, marked their return to the Premier League after a twelve-year absence with a spirited draw at Bournemouth, Billy Sharp scoring an eighty eighth-minute equaliser for The Blades to cancel out Chris Mepham's first goal for The Cherries. Everton Toffeemen were held to a goalless draw at Crystal Palace. Everton's Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off, while Wilfried Zaha started on Palace's bench after missing out on a move before the summer transfer deadline and sulking about it like a big girl. Brighton & Hove Albinos got off to a flying start under new boss Graham Potter. They won three-nil at last season's FA Cup runners-up Watford - an own goal by Abdoulaye Doucoure, plus strikes by Florin Andone and new signing Neal Maupay sealing the points for The Seagulls. Burnley also won three-nil at home to Southampton, Ashley Barnes with two goals and Johann Berg Gudmundsson the other. Leicester and Wolverhampton Wanderings shared a goalless draw in one of Sunday's early kick-offs. And, The Scum gave Moscow Chelski FC a damned good four-nil hiding in Frank Lampard's first game in charge of The Blues.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang punished somewhat expected slack defending by this blogger's beloved (though unsellable) Magpies to give The Arse victory at a rain-drenched, gloomy and rather deflated St James' Park on Sunday. Starting with many of their one hundred and twenty five million knicker's worth of signings on the bench and without midfielders Mesut Özil and Sead Kolašinac (see below), The Arse's boss Unai Emery watched his side struggle to cut through their opponents in the first half. That all changed just before the hour mark when Gabon international Aubameyang collected Ainsley Maitland-Niles' cross from the right and fired past Martin Dubravka after Newcastle had, needlessly, surrendered possession in midfield. As for Steve Brucie (nasty to see him, to see him, nasty), his Newcastle managerial debut pretty much went to the expectations of many in Newcastle's thoroughly cheesed-off fanbase. Workmanlike, one-paced, pedestrian and lacking in much flair or imagination. Not bad, just dull. The managerial career of Brucie (nasty to see him, to see him, nasty) in a nutshell. Still, bright-side, at this stage in the season, The Magpies are currently only one win off a Champions League place. Laugh, dear blog reader? Laugh? This blogger nearly did. The Magpies' record signing Joelinton Apolinário de Lira went close with a shot blocked by Bernd Leno, before Jonjo Shelvey saw his drive crash off the woodwork. The home side were flat for much of the second half, although another new recruit, Allan Saint-Maximin, tested German Leno with a near-post drive. But, he also tripped over his own feet a couple of times. Miguel Almirón was mostly anonymous after a bright opening twenty minutes. And whilst The Magpies never looked in too much trouble before they committed defensive suicide, following The Arse's goal, they never remotely looked like threatening an equaliser and ended the game with most of the team looking worryingly weary and heavy-legged. Looks like another season-long relegation battle, dear blog reader. Newcastle United claimed that forty seven thousand six hundred and thirty five tickets were sold for the opening game, but inside St James' Park, the number of empty seats was clearly visible and it looked more than around four thousand. The attendances for United's opening fixture of last season, against Stottingtot Hotshots, was fifty one thousand seven hundred and forty nine. The year before that - also against Spurs - opening day saw a capacity crowd of fifty two thousand and seventy seven.
Two men have been charged with a public order offence connected to a Premier League footballer, police have said. Ferhat Ercan and Salaman Ekinci were very arrested on Thursday outside the North London home of The Arse star Mesut Özil. Özil and Sead Kolašinac were not in The Arse's squad for Sunday's Premier League opener at this blogger's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle due to 'further security incidents.' Both players were targeted by carjackers in North London last month, an incident which attracted widespread publicity at the time. According to reports, the men were arrested after 'becoming involved in an altercation' with security staff outside Özil's home. 'Two men have been charged under Section 4A of the Public Order Act following an incident in Camden on Thursday 8 August,' the Met said. Ercan and Ekinci are due to appear up a'fore The Beat at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on 6 September. Police said they were treating the public order offence and the attempted car-jacking as separate incidents. Midfielder Özil and defender Kolašinac were left out of a friendly against Lyon following the attempted car-jacking in Golders Green in July. After the attack, Kolašinac posted a picture of himself and Ozil on social media and added: 'Think we're fine.' The Arse said on Friday the players had been left out of Sunday's squad following 'further security incidents which are being investigated by the police. The welfare of our players and their families is always a top priority and we have taken this decision following discussion with the players and their representatives,' the club said.
Dirty Stoke have released twelve million knicker alleged striker Saido Berahino. The Burundi international Berahino joined the Championship side from West Bromwich Albions in January 2017. The twenty six-year-old scored just five goals in fifty six appearances and last played for Dirty Stoke in February. He was extremely convicted of drinking and driving in May and was fined seventy five thousand smackers and banned from driving for thirty months at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court. In a one-line statement The Potters said: 'Stoke City can confirm that Saido Berahino has today left the club by mutual agreement.' The former England Under-Twenty One international had three years left on his five-and-a-half-year deal. He was almost three times over the alcohol limit when his Range Rover was stopped in London's West End in February. Berahino was arrested minutes after being robbed and while the court heard there was 'no dispute' that the robbery had taken place, magistrates found he 'was not in fear of death or fear of serious injury.' It was also heard that Berahino had previous convictions of drinking and driving in 2015 and being drunk in charge of a vehicle in 2012.
Huddersfield Town have been charged by the Football Association with breaking kit and advertising rules. It comes after a controversial shirt was worn in pre-season as part of a sponsorship deal with Paddy Power. The bookmaker's name was displayed in a sash across the club's shirt in a pre-season friendly at Rochdale, which the FA say was in breach of regulations. The club is accused of breaking the rules surrounding the size of slogan allowed on a player's shirt. The shirt was a spoof, with the deal actually seeing the club remove their sponsor's name from the front of their kit as part of a campaign by the Irish bookmaker. 'When we announced the kit, we knew the design would cause quite a negative stir and that was part of the campaign,' Huddersfield's commercial director Sean Jarvis told BBC Radio Leeds after the club's real kit was unveiled last month. The FA asked The Terriers for the their 'observations' about the shirts, which have since been auctioned and raised more than thirty grand for charity. Paddy Power have agreed similar deals to 'unsponsor' the shirts of Newport County, Motherwell, Macclesfield Town and Southend United.
Bury are reported to be 'confident' of remaining in the Football League despite being threatened with expulsion over their ongoing financial problems. The League One club have been given until 23 August to show the EFL their plan to pay off outstanding creditors. Bury's first three games have all been suspended because they have so far not provided 'the clarity required.' 'If we stand united we can get through this difficult spell for our historic club,' Bury said in a statement. 'In the last six months, we have come a long way together. Once we have supplied the EFL with the recently requested additional information, we are confident that our embargo will be lifted. In anticipation of this, we would expect that the EFL will not remove us from the Football League. A lot of people are working very hard to get this over the line. As a club, we would like to thank the players who are currently training at Carrington with a view to signing for our brilliant football club. Thank you for standing by us, even though the situation we find ourselves in is very difficult. There is a lot of uncertainty in the Football League with other clubs outside Bury. Everyone at the club wishes them all the best with their own circumstances.' The EFL have said they would 'continue to work constructively with the club' to obtain the details required to avoid calling off further fixtures. The Shakers have already been given a twelve-point deduction for the season after entering into a company voluntary arrangement, which is classed as an insolvency event by the EFL - to try to clear some of their debts. Bury, who won promotion from League Two last season, had a winding-up petition against them dismissed by the High Court on 31 July.
The Football League has grovellingly apologised to a Hull City fan who claimed he was asked to stop texting or face ejection from a game. Daniel Mawer tweeted a lengthy thread after Hull's win against Reading on Saturday after an alleged 'undercover security guard' approached him at half-time. He was, he claimed, 'spoken to' as part of 'spot checks into unauthorised data gathering at EFL matches.' Mawer told BBC Sport that he was 'shocked' (and stunned) by the initial approach. Hull City are now liaising with both Mawer, the club's own security company Superstadium Management and Comsec, a company hired by Football Data Co to monitor the collection and distribution of official match data. 'The Comsec scout spotting programme is managed by Football Data Co in collaboration with the league and its clubs,' said an EFL spokesman. 'Access is provided at matches for Comsec representatives to operate and identify potential infringements. On initial review of this particular incident all procedures and protocols were followed, but clearly there is still some work to be done to ensure these checks are conducted appropriately and sensitively. It's never the intention to offend and for that Football Data Co and the League offer its apologies to the supporter affected by this random spot check.' In a statement, Hull City also said that they would investigate 'how the check was handled' and how the scout spotting programme 'could be improved' at the KCOM Stadium. Unauthorised data gathering - or 'courtsiding' as it is known in other sports - is the practice of transmitting information from sporting events for the purpose of gambling or of placing bets directly from a sporting event. Daniel's experience was widely shared on social media, including by Match Of The Day Presenter Gary Lineker on Saturday, who tweeted: 'This is nuts.' Oh, do Walker's do nuts? Yes, apparently, they do. 'I've had quite a lot of messages of support since it happened,' said the Hull season ticket holder. 'I feel it's something that needed highlighting as I wasn't sure how widespread these checks are. I was just texting a few friends and relatives who can't make it to games these days, just the odd update on how the game was going. I was mainly telling my girlfriend what I thought of Hull forward Tom Eaves' haircut.' The Football Supporters' Association were among those to tweet support to Daniel. 'It's not that people are being asked at grounds about potential suspicious activity; it's how they're being approached that concerns us,' director of case work Amanda Jacks told BBC Sport. 'It's also a bit disappointing Hull's response doesn't included the word "alleged" when speaking about Daniel's experience. We understand people have a job to do and some people unfortunately do go to games with the intention of manipulating betting markets. But we believe this is a very small minority of the hundreds of thousands who attend matches across the country every weekend.'
Brazil's Gabriel Jesus has received a two-month international ban for his naughty behaviour after he was sent off during the Copa America final last month. The Sheikh Yer Man City forward, who scored in the three-one win over Peru, remonstrated with referee Roberto Tobar, kicked a water bottle and then pushed the VAR monitor as he left the pitch in a geet stroppy childish huff. Jesus, also fined thirty thousand dollars, has seven days to appeal. The striker is set to miss September's friendlies against Colombia and Peru. A statement from governing body CONMEBOL said: 'Gabriel Jesus is suspended for two months from the day following the notification of this decision. Consequently, the player is suspended to play official and friendly matches with his national team in that period of time.'
Fußball-Club Bayern München warmed-up for the start of the Bundesliga season with a twenty three-nil win over amateur side FC Rottach-Egern. The German champions averaged a goal just under every four minutes as Corentin Tolisso scored four and Robert Lewandowski hit a hat-trick. Lucas Hernandez made his first appearance since his club record eighty million Euros move from Atletico Madrid. Bayern get their league campaign under way against Hertha Berlin on Friday 16 August. Before that, Bayern begin their defence of the German Cup on Monday when they travel to FC Energie Cottbus. While Borussia Dortmund beat the five-time European champions to win the German Supercup in the annual Bundesliga curtain-raiser, this was a much more comfortable outing for Bayern. Otschi Wriedt also grabbed a hat-trick while Thomas Müller and New Zealand international Sarpreet Singh both scored twice. Coach Niko Kovac made ten changes at half-time against opponents they defeated twenty-two in 2018.
An investigation into the identity of a Gambian player at Hamburg has been started by German football's governing body. It follows a complaint from Nuremburg about the true name and age of midfielder Bakery Jatta, who played against them in a four-nil defeat on Monday. His club's records say Jatta is twenty one, but there are claims in the German media he is older and called Bakery Daffeh. Hamburg, who play in Germany's second tier, 'stand completely behind' Jatta. The DFB, Germany's football association, said it has 'already written to' Hamburg and 'asked for an opinion on the allegations. The panel will then have the appeal in due course,' it added. Hamburg head of sport Jonas Boldt has said he is 'amazed' by the complaint and expects 'an unambiguous response' about Jatta's eligibility. Records say that Jatta has been at Hamburg since 2016 and was born in June 1998, with no evidence of a club prior to that. On the other hand, there is evidence that a Bakery Daffeh played for Brikama United in The Gambia, as well as Casa Sport in Senegal. Daffeh also scored for The Gambia under-twenty team in a one-nil win over Liberia in 2014. A report in German newspaper Bild states: 'Nach einem Hinweis recherchierte SPORT BILD in den vergangenen Wochen über die Vergangenheit Jattas. Und die Indizien häuften sich massiv, dass Bakery Jatta in Wahrheit Bakary Daffeh heißt und nicht am 6 Juni 1998, sondern am 6 November 1995 geboren ist. Er wäre also rund zweieinhalb Jahre älter - und damit bei der Einreise nach Deutschland schon volljährig gewesen, was das Verfahren einer Aufenthaltsgenehmigung erschwert hätte. Alleinreisende minderjährige Flüchtlinge erhalten in der Regel eine Duldung und dürfen im.' Unfortunately, they didn't say it in English. Bild claims that any trace of Daffeh ends in August 2015, at precisely the same time as 'Jatta' turned up in Germany. Boldt said: 'We expect in return an unambiguous response from the DFB and DFL about Bakery Jatta's eligibility as soon as possible, so that appearances in cup and league matches are still possible. Ultimately, our player has had a valid passport and has been eligible to play for us for the past three years. For us, it isn't acceptable that this eligibility to play is brought into question by assumptions and conjecture. We stand completely behind Bakery and will carry on to completely include him in training and our matchday squads, as he is a valuable player for us and an integrated, valued member of our team. I personally find it unbelievable and distressing that our player is attacked from all sides in public, purely because of presumptions and suspicion. Baka has once again proved the correctness of his passport and right to work in this country to us.'
Football fans caught feeding seagulls have been warned they will be removed from a Scottish Championship stadium. Dumfries side Queen of the South issued the message before their first home league game at Palmerston Park. It comes after complaints about the 'mess and nuisance' caused by birds at the ground at a cup clash with Motherwell last month. Now the club has appealed to fans to help tackle the issue by putting any waste food in bins provided. The Doonhamers have said they face a 'pretty much impossible task' in dealing with the problem having tried 'various things' to tackle it. Their efforts have included playing 'bird of prey noises' over the sound system and flying red kites, a widespread bird of prey in Dumfries and Galloway, above their ground. However, the gulls have continued to cause problems, with staff forced to stay out on the pitch late at night to try to stop them roosting on the playing surface. Supporters have been asked to play their part in dealing with the issue. 'If you are seen to be deliberately feeding the seagulls you will be removed from the ground,' the club warned on its Facebook page. 'In order to minimise the impact of the seagulls on everyone's enjoyment of the game, please do not feed them and please use the bins provided for all waste food. Please consider your fellow supporters.'
A 'loophole' in the regulations protecting children from being targeted by betting firms has alleged been exploited by Wayne Rooney wearing the number thirty two when he joins Derby County, according to a gambling industry expert. If not anyone you've actually heard of. The Rams have secured 'a record-breaking sponsorship' deal with their shirt sponsor, online casino 32Red, 'off the back of' the former England captain joining the Championship side. Rooney's squad number at Pride Park will be thirty two when he joins Derby in January, but the company denies it has anything to do with their sponsorship arrangement. One or two people even believed them. Although 32Red will not appear on any replica children's shirts, as prohibited by regulations, they can have Rooney's name and number thirty two printed on the back of their kit. The betting company said their agreement 'complies with FA regulations.' However, Professor Jim Orford - a psychologist from Birmingham University who 'studies gambling', nice work if you can get it - said: 'It's obvious what it is there for, isn't it? It won't say 32Red, it will just be thirty two, but it clearly is meant to be a link to 32Red and people will start to associate the number thirty two with gambling and gambling on 32Red. It is a loophole in the law. A lot of children won't understand it to start with but advertising is like that. A lot of people will understand it, while for others it will just be in the back of their minds and be subliminal. They are trying to just slip it in and get around that very sensible aspect of the regulations.' A spokesperson for 32Red said that it 'wouldn't matter what number' Rooney plays in at Derby. 'As Wayne Rooney said himself during his press conference, the squad number means nothing. The number is a separate issue to the logo,' the 32Red spokesperson added. Again, one or two people even believed them. 'The number is not important. Other players also wear the number in the Championship - 32Red don't have a trademark on the number thirty two.' The betting firm also rejected the notion that they have taken advantage of an alleged loophole. 'Responsible gambling is at the heart of our business,' the spokesperson said. 'We will next week talk further details about the deal that will have a wider impact on the Derby community, with Wayne Rooney involved in community initiatives. Our additional investment will also include responsible gambling initiatives.' The Football Association declined to comment as Rooney is yet to come under their jurisdiction because England and The Scum's all-time leading scorer does not move back to the English game from Major League Soccer side DC United until January. Orford, who runs Gamble Watch UK - an 'independent organisation' that 'questions gambling policy in Britain' - said that the FA and Gambling Commission should both look at the arrangement and whether the number on the shirt is a breach of regulations. 'One of the basic principles of the Gambling Commission is that they protect children and young people,' he said. 'It should be making a fuss about this, to the FA in particular.' Yes, but they're not going to because, as previously noted on this blog, the Football Association seem to have no problem whatsoever with paying lip-service to gambling awareness whilst, simultaneously, having their second, third and fourth tier league competitions sponsored by SkyBet. Conflict of interest, you say? This blogger couldn't possibly comment. In a statement, the Gambling Commission said 'sponsorship arrangements must be undertaken in a socially responsible manner,' with its rules adding that deals should not 'be likely to be of particular appeal to under-eighteens' or 'associated with youth culture.' Doctor Alan Smith, the bishop of St Albans and the church's gambling spokesman, told BBC 5Live that he 'hopes' Rooney adds gambling awareness work to his charitable causes. Though, what the Hell any of this had to do with the church is another matter entirely.
