Man. City: Villa Park to stage Community Shield
Villa Park will host this season’s FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea, it has been confirmed.The curtain-raiser for the new season will take place at Aston Villa’s ground the day after the Olympic football final at Wembley – which is the reason the national stadium is not being used.Alex Horne, FA general secretary, said: “Villa Park is one of English football’s most iconic grounds and has a wonderful tradition of hosting some of the game’s biggest matches.”He went on: “Once we knew the Olympic football schedule, we worked hard to secure a suitable alternative venue for The FA Community Shield 2012 and are delighted that Aston Villa have agreed to host the season’s traditional curtain-raiser.” Source: PA
Man. City: Villa Park to stage Community Shield
West Ham Utd.: Allardyce- Final is no grudge match
West Ham Utd.: Allardyce- Final is no grudge match
Sam Allardyce insists he has no axe to grind with Blackpool ahead of West Ham’s Wembley encounter with his former club.Standing in his way of promotion back to the Premier League on Saturday are the Seasiders, the club where Allardyce cut his managerial teeth before he was also ruthlessly shown the door after narrowly missing out on promotion to Division One in 1996.But the 57-year-old insists he bears no grudges ahead of the £90million promotion shoot-out, saying: “It’s long gone, water under the bridge.”He added: “At the time it was devastating because I thought I might have been lost to football, I thought I might not get back into the game.”Luckily that wasn’t the case but the experience I gained as a manager has stood me in good stead to go on and do better things, so I have no axe to grind with Blackpool.”Allardyce is halfway through a two-year contract at Upton Park but knows questions will be raised about his position if, just as with Blackpool, his current team falter in the play-offs.The Hammers, relegated 12 months ago, were pre-season favourites for promotion but were edged into third by Reading and Southampton.Allardyce promised to take them back up within a year and is well aware of the price of failure – for both himself and the club.”I would have thought that come Saturday we won’t be talking my job, apart from taking the club back into the Premier League,” he added.”But if it is not the case for whatever reason, somebody will say, ‘will your job be safe?’ When that comes around I can answer it. For now, my focus is on the team and getting the best out of the team to try and win the most important game for this club since the last time Alan Pardew took them up through the play-offs.” Source: PA
Wigan Ath.: McArthur extends Wigan stay
Wigan Ath.: McArthur extends Wigan stay
Wigan midfielder James McArthur has signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the DW Stadium until 2016.The Scotland international enjoyed an improved second season with the club, linking up well with James McCarthy in central midfield, and played a key part in the Latics’ top-flight survival.”I’m delighted to extend my stay at the club after what has been a fantastic season for Wigan and for me personally,” said the 24-year-old.Manager Roberto Martinez, whose own future remains unclear after he was given permission to speak to Liverpool about succeeding Kenny Dalglish at Anfield, paid tribute to the progress McArthur has made.”James has grown since the day he arrived at Wigan,” said the Spaniard.”His attitude, desire and daily standards make him an example for any young professional footballer.”This season he has managed to put all the hard work in the training ground into effective performances on the pitch, helping the team to achieve outstanding results against the best sides in European football.”We are all very proud of James at this moment but still very aware that at his age the best footballing years are still to come.” Source: PA
Liverpool: Rodgers rejects Liverpool approach
Liverpool: Rodgers rejects Liverpool approach
Swansea have confirmed that manager Brendan Rodgers has rejected an approach from Liverpool to discuss the managerial vacancy at Anfield.Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are searching for a new manager after sacking Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday, and have already had an approach to speak to Wigan manager Roberto Martinez accepted.FSG were also known to be keen to speak to Rodgers, but a Swansea statement read: “Swansea City can confirm that an approach from Liverpool FC to speak to manager Brendan Rodgers was officially received by chairman Huw Jenkins this morning. The club is pleased to confirm that Brendan has declined the current opportunity to speak to the Anfield club about the vacant position.”The statement continued: “The Swansea manager is currently working hard to strengthen the squad in readiness for the new Barclays Premier League campaign.”The club will make no further comment at this stage.”Rodgers, who signed a new three-and-half-year deal in February, has previously been linked with Chelsea and Tottenham after making a huge impression by guiding Swansea to an 11th-place finish in their maiden Premier League campaign.The Welsh club rounded off their season by beating Liverpool 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium, a fixture which proved to be Dalglish’s last in charge of the Reds.Swansea’s attractive possession style of play also won former Reading and Watford manager Rodgers plenty of admirers, and chairman Huw Jenkins has admitted the Swans will have to become used to their boss being linked with other clubs.And it says much about the Northern Irishman’s burgeoning reputation that he was among the bookmakers’ favourites to take over at Anfield, along with the likes of former Swans’ boss Martinez, Andre Villas-Boas, Frank Rijkaard and Didier Deschamps.But the decision to reject an approach from one of the British game’s traditional powers represents a major boost to the Welsh side as they look to build on a promising start to life in the top flight. Source: PA
England: Pick me for Games on merit – Beckham
England: Pick me for Games on merit – Beckham
David Beckham wants to compete at the Olympics on merit and nothing else.The LA Galaxy star feels suggestions that he would get a place in the Team GB football squad because of glamour, newspaper sales or because he is a bigger commercial hitter is “a bit disrespectful”.”Any time I have been asked about shirt sales and filling stadiums, I’ve never said it is disrespectful but it’s the kind of question I have felt is,” he said.The 37-year-old was a key member of London’s winning bid to host the London 2012 Games and has always said he will fight for a place to compete at the Olympics.He is proud of his career, proud of being part of the London bid and would be proud to play at the Olympics.He said: “Throughout my career I’ve been pretty successful. I’ve played for some pretty big teams. I’ve played for my country quite a few times and for managers without sentiment.”That’s one of the things when you play for Sir Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello and Sven Goran Eriksson, the managers I have played under – they don’t pick players because they want to fill a stadium with people or to sell shirts.”I’m very proud of the fact and I have always found it an honour that people want to buy my shirt, that fans turn up to watch the team I am playing in or to see myself. I’ve always found that a huge honour.”No, I don’t want to be picked on a shirt sale or a stadium filler. I want to be picked because of what I can bring to the team. It’s a thing that has happened all the way through my career and I don’t want that to change.” Source: PA
Q.P.R.: QPR offer new deals to rising stars
Q.P.R.: QPR offer new deals to rising stars
QPR have offered several of their young players extended stays at Loftus Road.Angelo Balanta, Michael Harriman, Aaron Lennox and Taylor Parmenter have all been offered new contracts by the west Londoners.There is also a new deal on the table for Bruno Andrade, who has been offered a one-year extension to his existing agreement.Hoops goalkeeper Elvijs Putnins, who was on the bench for a handful of Barclays Premier League games this season, has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent, while young professional Luke Olley will not be offered a new deal. Source: PA
Hearts: Sergio calm over Scottish Cup final
Hearts: Sergio calm over Scottish Cup final
Paulo Sergio insists the result of Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup final will have no bearing on his future as Hearts manager.Sergio is out of contract after the clash with Hibernian, the first all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final since 1896.Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov and director Sergejus Fedotovas will be at Hampden, before discussions with Sergio over his future next week, and the Poruguese said: “I haven’t spoken to Mr Romanov for three or four months. I miss him. Nothing, the cup or whatever, is going to influence how much I want to stay or not.”He continued: “It’s about what we’re going to do. What is the project? What can we do? And see if that is good for me and for the club.”That’s the main decision we have to take and we have meetings to make that kind of decision.”After if we’re going to have an agreement, common interest, very good. If not, okay I have to find another job. That’s life. That’s normal.”With the job I have, I shouldn’t be emotional, because when you are emotional sometimes maybe you are not focused the way you should be to do the correct things, to take the correct decisions.”Hearts won the trophy in 1998 and 2006, but Hibs last triumphed in the competition in 1902.Sergio places no additional emphasis on the contest because it is a derby.He said: “This is a statistic. That doesn’t make the game different for me. We understand for supporters, for the media it’s a different game, but for us, if we are really great professionals, we should be doing every single game – it doesn’t matter against who – the things we should do.” Source: PA
Arsenal: Vieira- Gunners need to act fast
Arsenal: Vieira- Gunners need to act fast
Arsenal should have tied up Robin van Persie on a new deal long ago but do still have time to keep the sought-after forward, according to former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira.Van Persie’s 30 Barclays Premier League goals helped propel the Gunners back up into third place and secure Champions League football but the 28-year-old Dutchman has not yet signed a contract extension to a deal which runs out in 12 months’ time.Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were both sold last summer, and Vieira, speaking at the launch of ITV Sport’s coverage of Euro 2012, said: “Losing Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas last year was a big shock for Arsenal. If they lose Robin Van Persie this year it will be a drama.”He went on: “With Samir and Cesc you can say ‘okay those two are gone’, but behind you know that there is Jack Wilshere and Van Persie still at the club – but if Robin comes to leave, that means next year it may be Theo Walcott, then the next year is it going to be Wilshere? It is going to be difficult for Arsenal to keep the top players.”On the other side if they keep Robin they are going to send a positive message to all the clubs and to all the people around and I think it’s really important to keep him.”Vieira, who won three Premier League titles and the FA Cup four times while at Arsenal and is now football development executive at Manchester City, continued: “From Arsenal’s point of view, I think that is something they should have closed a long time ago, but Arsenal don’t need me to tell them that.”That is the way it is and they will have to deal with it.”It is a big risk because they lost Samir and Cesc last year. You never know and will have to wait and see what happens.” Source: PA
Chelsea: Ribery relishing special day
Chelsea: Ribery relishing special day
Franck Ribery ranks Saturday’s Champions League final against Chelsea alongside the 2006 World Cup final as one of the biggest games of his life.The France international was on the losing side in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium six years ago when Italy were crowned World Champions and he is desperate to be on the winning team this time.”I would say it is the same as the World Cup final against Italy in 2006,” he said. “That is the best thing in international football, but this is the best in club football and of course it is worth as much.”Saturday’s final is even more important for Ribery given he was suspended two years ago when Bayern last reached the Champions League final against Inter Milan in Madrid.With no guarantee that he will ever get another chance to appear in such an important fixture, he is fully focused.”It is not every year that you get to play in a Champions League final,” he said.”I am now 29 and I don’t know when my next chance will be, or if I will even get one.”Maybe I can win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal again in future, but it is harder to win the Champions League.”Therefore, it is very, very important.” Source: PA
Chelsea: Cahill looking forward to final
Chelsea: Cahill looking forward to final
Gary Cahill’s last cup final was so long ago, he cannot even remember it.But the Chelsea defender will certainly have no problem recalling his first as a professional after he lines up against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on Saturday night.Cahill has already missed the FA Cup final with a hamstring injury, and said: “I was sick when I got the injury because I knew that was going to be the case straight away, although I tried to get back. But there was never any chance of that. That was a sickener for me because it would have been a big part in my career. So for me to make this one is a huge moment.”It is exactly the sort of moment for which Cahill left Bolton during the January transfer window, having never managed to reach a major final. Indeed, he admitted he did not know when he was last within touching distance of silverware.”I couldn’t tell you, probably in youth-team football,” Cahill said.”It’s my first final and it’s in the biggest competition – sink or swim. You come here to play in these competitions and be a part of this. We’ve got a great chance now to lift the best trophy in club football.”I did win a few things as a kid, but nothing since. I can’t remember what I did last week, never mind 10 years ago.”A Champions League final looked a million miles away when Cahill made his debut in the competition in February’s 3-1 last-16 defeat at Napoli.But the turnaround since could not have been more dramatic.”It’s been a mad season and a fantastic season for me,” Cahill said. “Making a move here has obviously worked out really well. First to win the FA Cup and now to go into this huge game in my first six months here is really crazy.” Source: PA
