This blogger's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle United's new record signing, Miguel Almiron, finally arrived in the UK this week after his work visa was granted and was photographed sitting on the steps of St James Park. Is it worth pointing out that, with his - one presumably pretty sizeable - singing on payment from the reported twenty one million knicker transfer fee, he'll be able to afford a new pair of jeans? Smarten yerself up a bit, young man, you're not playing in America now!
Newport County's goalkeeper, Joe Day, has said that he did not know his wife had given birth to twins until his team's FA Cup match this week had ended. The twenty eight-year-old was playing against Middlesbrough whilst his wife, Lizzie, was in labour. Day was seen running from the pitch at Rodney Parade to get to the Royal Gwent Hospital as soon as the game ended on Tuesday evening. He said that he and his wife 'always knew there was a chance' she would give birth during the game. He added: 'Lizzie backed me and made it an easy decision for me to play the game. Nothing was really happening at midday on Tuesday, but as I was driving to the game Lizzie called me to say that her waters had gone. I got to the ground when she was being taken to the labour ward but she told me to concentrate on the game. I didn't know the girls had been born when I ran off the pitch at the end.' Speaking to the BBC's Good Evening Wales programme, Day said that they were 'all doing well.' He added: 'There were two precious little girls waiting for me when I got here.' His wife said they were delighted with their newborn daughters: 'Joe turned up for the nice bit, to have cuddles. We're absolutely over the moon and the midwives have been so good with me.' Day explained that he did not know he had become a father until he got into his car to drive to the hospital. 'The whole evening was a bit surreal,' he said. 'To beat Middlesbrough two-nil, to get through to play Manchester City in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, playing the game, winning, two twins being born - I'm feeling very lucky and proud of Lizzie.'
French club Nantes have demanded payment from Cardiff City over the fifteen million knicker transfer of Emiliano Sala, BBC Wales has learned. Sala, along with pilot David Ibbotson, was on board the Piper Malibu N264DB which lost radar contact near Guernsey on 21 January. The Argentine striker was Cardiff's record signing. Cardiff have withheld the first scheduled payment until they are 'satisfied' with the documentation. BBC Wales stated the transfer fee is due to be paid in instalments over three years. It is understood that Nantes are threatening legal action if they do not receive a payment within ten days. An alleged - though anonymous and, therefore, possibly fictitious - 'source' at Cardiff allegedly said that they will honour the contract - which they're legally obligated to do - but not until they have 'clarified all the facts.' Whatever that means. It is unclear whether or not the club have insurance covering the cost of the transfer. And Cardiff are reported to be 'surprised' Nantes have made the demand whilst attempts are being made to recover a body from the plane that was carrying Sala and Ibbotson. The body was recovered from the Piper Malibu on Wednesday, two weeks after the plane vanished near Guernsey and was, eventually, confirmed as having been identified as that of Sala. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said that specialist contractors joined the operation in 'challenging conditions.' It was carried out in 'as dignified a way as possible' and the men's families were kept updated throughout, it added. French club Bordeaux are also entitled to a cut of the fee, thought to be fifty per cent - Sala was on their books from 2012 to 2015 before joining Nantes. The plane carrying Sala and Ibbotson disappeared en route to Cardiff after the footballer returned to Nantes to say goodbye to his former team-mates.
Brighton & Hove Albinos boss Chris Hughton says it is up to the Football Association to take action over an alleged derogatory chant aimed at Gaetan Bong by West Bromwich Albinos fans. Bong was booed after coming on as an extra-time substitute in Wednesday's three-one FA Cup win over The Baggies. Last season Bong accused West Brom's Jay Rodriguez of directing an alleged racist comment towards him, a charge which the FA said 'could not be proven.' Hughton said that it was 'down to the authorities' to 'deal with.' Bong was making his first return to The Hawthorns since he claimed Rodriguez told him: 'You're black and you stink' during a game last season. The Baggies forward strenuously denied making the comment and the FA came to its verdict after employing two lip-reading experts to watch slow-motion footage of the incident. Bong was also booed by Burnley fans last season when he played against Rodriguez's hometown club, with Hughton calling it 'shameful.' He came on to loud boos from the West Brom supporters after one hundred and five minutes in his side's FA Cup fourth round replay. 'It's not nice but the game has done very well in recent years in picking up on anything they need to and the original case was dealt with very well by the FA,' said Hughton. 'You are going to hear things you think are unfair and don't want to hear and that then becomes the responsibility of others. I heard [the boos], it's difficult not to but I prefer to talk about the individual. We have an outstanding individual and our support goes to our players.' When asked by Brighton newspaper, the Argus if he specifically heard the words in the chant, Hughton replied: 'No. I could hear a chant, I couldn't hear what the wording was. I certainly heard lots of boos. When it started I knew that it wasn't going to stop.' Brighton fans also reportedly aimed derogatory chants at Rodriguez, who was substituted after forty five minutes - something which, oddly, Hughton had nothing to say about. Meanwhile, Brighton's forward Florin Andone has been charged with violent conduct after appearing to elbow West Brom's Sam Field during the game. 'The incident was not seen by the match officials but was caught on camera,' the FA said.
An arrest has been made after a man was slashed across the face during a violent brawl between Millwall and Everton fans. The victim has 'a life-changing scar' as a result of the attack, before an FA Cup tie in London on 26 January. A twenty seven-year-old man was very arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of wounding with intent, attempted grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. The Metropolitan Police described the brawl - with kids gettin' sparked and aal sorts - as 'some of the most shocking football violence seen for some time.' Detective Sergeant Matt Simpson said the disorder involved 'dozens' of people and lasted for a number of hours. 'We have hours of CCTV and hundreds of images which we are closely reviewing and we have a team of experts working to identify those involved,' he said. Trouble between fans started in the Hawkstone Road area of Southwark, near Millwall's stadium The Den. A police officer was among the injured and the Met said that a number of coaches carrying Everton fans were damaged. Because the violence happened outside Millwall's stadium the Football Association said it would not be investigating. The match, which Millwall won three-two, was also marred by allegations of racist chanting.
An angry football fan faces reportedly being banned from all football grounds in the country after he threw a pie onto the pitch during a match. Bournemouth supporter Adam Cox launched the pastry onto the pitch during a Carabao Cup match at Moscow Chelski FC's Torpedo Stamford Bridge in December. He was extremely convicted in his absence of one count of throwing a missile (a pie!) onto a football playing area. He had previously served a three-year football banning order, applied in 2012, for a similar offence. City of London Magistrates' Court heard Torpedo Stamford Bridge steward Dominic Agbo 'spotted something being thrown' from the South Stand shortly after kick-off in the Carabao Cup Quarter-Final match on 19 December. In a written statement, he said: 'I saw the Bournemouth fan throw something [onto the pitch] between the corner flag and the goal.' Yes. It was a pie. PC Kerry Jarrett said that Cox initially told security staff he was responsible, but said he thought admitting guilt meant he could 'go home.' He was wrong. She said: 'Initially I thought he was going to be dealt with by way of a community resolution, but he had already been the subject of a football banning order. He continued to say he already admitted it. But then he looked at the statement and said I was writing lies and he wouldn't sign it.' She said Cox 'became agitated' and was handcuffed, taken into custody and driven down the cop shop for a good talking-to. He was convicted in his absence with bench chairman Sarah Houston telling the court that the matter 'had been proved.' A warrant was issued for Cox regarding the imposition of a new football banning order. It is not known what type of pie was thrown, whether it was hot or cold (although, given that it was purchased inside a football ground, it's almost certainly the latter) or if it hit anybody. Moscow Chelski's FC match day menu includes lamb, rosemary and garlic pies. Oooo, get them. Everywhere else you have make do with mince. The match on December 19 ended one-nil to Moscow Chelski, with Eden Hazard scoring a eighty sixth-minute winner.
Players making a 'TV-style gesture' with their hands should be given a yellow card according to UEFA. The guidance has been given to referees ahead of VAR being introduced into the Champions League next week. The gesture is already a bookable offence but the policy was not enforced in the World Cup last summer or in other competitions where VAR is in operation. 'If players make the VAR signal and if they surround the referee, there must be disciplinary action,' UEFA said. At a briefing ahead of UEFA's congress in Rome, UEFA's chief refereeing officer, Roberto Rosetti, used a clip of Harry Maguire during England's World Cup match against Colombia to demonstrate when players should be booked. The Leicester City defender made the sign believing - rightly, as it happened - that Jordan Henderson had been headbutted. 'Where Maguire is standing making the square signal - that is a yellow card,' Rosetti said. 'We want action in these situations, we don't want players interfering with referee on reviews.'
Glasgow Rangers have appealed against Alfredo Morelos' sending off against Aberdeen on Wednesday, the striker's third dismissal against the Pittodrie club this term. Morelos and Scott McKenna, who were involved in an incident in the first game of the season, were both shown red cards by Bobby Madden after appearing to aim kicks at each other. The hearing will be held on Friday, meaning that the Colombian could be available for Saturday's Scottish Cup tie with Kilmarnock. Morelos had an appeal upheld after being sent off at Pittodrie in August when he was deemed to have swung a leg at McKenna. He was then sent off when the sides met at Ibrox in December, after receiving a second booking for throwing an arm at Graeme Shinnie. In the aftermath of Wednesday's four-two win over Aberdeen - in which Morelos scored twice - manager Steven Gerrard said that the Colombian must 'channel his aggression' if he is to 'go to the next level. I haven't had the chance to analyse the incident so I can't tell you if Scott deserved a red or whether Alfredo did,' he said. 'They've had a fantastic battle up until that point. But, if Alfredo is in the wrong, he'll deserve the red card. He'll then be missing for two games and that's how he'll get punished because he hates missing games.'
YouTuber - it's 'a thing', apparently - and Marseille fan Mohamed Henni has told the BBC World Service that he breaks TVs whenever his team loses 'to make people happy' (particularly shops that sell new TVs, one imagines) and 'not for theatre.' One or two people even believed him.
A Briton has been arrested and detained in the United Arab Emirates after reportedly being assaulted when he wore a Qatar football team shirt to a match. Ali Issa Ahmad, from Wolverhampton, is said to have been 'unaware' of a law against 'showing sympathy' for Qatar - brought in amid a diplomatic dispute. His friend claim he was held after telling police that he had been attacked. The UAE embassy in London said Ahmad has been charged with 'wasting police time' and 'making false statements.' And, 'looking at us in a funny way.' Probably. Responding to earlier media reports, a UAE official claimed that Ahmed was 'categorically not arrested for wearing a Qatar football shirt.' The Foreign Office said it is 'providing assistance' to a British man and is 'in touch' with the UAE authorities. Telling them to grow the fek up, one hopes (although, knowing the Foreign Office, almost certainly not). The UAE - and four other countries in the region - are currently engaged in a political and diplomatic tiff with Qatar after they accused the state of supporting radical and Islamist groups. On its website, the Foreign Office warns UK travellers to the UAE of a June 2017 announcement 'that showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or by any other means of communication is an offence. Offenders could be imprisoned and subject to a substantial fine.' Ahmad is said to have travelled to the UAE 'for a holiday.' He was arrested after watching Qatar play Iraq in an Asian Cup match in Abu Dhabi on 22 January. Speaking to the BBC World Service programme Newshour, his friend Amer Lokie said Ahmad had called him from a police station on 30 January to tell him about the arrest. Lokie said: 'After he left the stadium he was followed by a couple of people and they assaulted him.' Ahmad had been wearing a Qatar football shirt and was holding another one in his hands, he said. 'They took away his T-shirt and he went home. Afterwards he went back to police station to report the assault and they held him,' Lokie said. Asked whether Ahmad had indicated whether the people who attacked him were members of the public, police or security officials, Lokie said: 'I was trying to ask him to clarify but he could not clarify because his time was limited. He was just a person who loved sport so much,' Lokie added. 'I don't think he knew he could get into problems for wearing a T-shirt or supporting a particular team.' The UAE embassy in London initially claimed that it was 'unable to comment specifically' on the case, adding 'allegations of human rights violations are taken extremely seriously and will be thoroughly investigated.' In a later statement, issued through the embassy, a UAE official said Ahmad was a dual Sudanese-British citizen. The official said Ahmad had gone to a police station to say he had been 'harassed and beaten up' by local football fans for cheering the Qatar team. 'Police took him to hospital where a doctor who examined him, concluded that his injuries were inconsistent with his account of events and appeared to be self-inflicted,' the official claimed. They said Ahmad was charged on 24 January, adding: 'We are advised that he has since admitted those offences [wasting police time and making false statements] and will now be processed through the UAE courts.' The tiny oil-and-gas-rich Qatar has been cut off by some of its powerful Arab neighbours - including the UAE - over its alleged support for terrorism. The continuing tiff meant there were very few Qatar fans in attendance during its Asian Cup matches. When Qatar knocked the UAE out in the semi-final, objects including shoes were thrown at their players. Which, frankly, isn't very nice. Remember, shoes have soles too. Qatar went on to win the tournament, defeating Japan three-one in the final on 1 February.
