Jimbo

TRANSFER RUMOURS Chelsea will step up their bid for Sevilla right-back Daniel Alves as soon as Arjen Robben completes his move to Real Madrid. (Independent) West Ham could move for Australian midfielder Mark Bresciano after his £4m move to Manchester City broke down. (Independent) Everton are set to sign Manuel Fernandes after Benfica accepted their £6m bid for a 50% stake. (Daily Mail) Arsenal defender Johan Djourou is set to join Birmingham on loan for the season. (Daily Mail) Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is still hoping to tie up a deal for £5m-rated Livorno keeper Marco Amelia. (Daily Express) Middlesbrough are adamant they will not sell Yakubu. (Daily Mirror) Albert Luque has told Newcastle he wants to leave and is set to join Feyenoord or Levante. (Daily Mirror) Eidur Gudjohnsen has rejected a move to West Ham even though Barcelona accepted an £8m bid. (Sun) Manchester City and Newcastle are also after the former Chelsea striker. (Independent) Tottenham have made Portsmouth's Matt Taylor a target but Pompey are asking £8m. (Sun) Tell us your transfer rumours Back to top OTHER GOSSIP F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and Renault chief Flavio Briatore are set to buy QPR for £25m. (Daily Mail, Times) QPR boss John Gregory will get £10m to spend on players in January. (Times) Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn says if manager Roy Keane goes, he will go too. (Daily Mirror) Kasper Schmeichel could make a shock debut for Manchester City on Saturday if the club do not wrap up a deal for Marco Amelia. (Daily Mirror) Tottenham's Aaron Lennon is set to miss England's Euro 2008 qualifiers next month with a knee injury. (Daily Star) Back to top AND FINALLY Former Wimbledon striker John Fashanu is now the host of the Nigerian version of Deal or No Deal. (Daily Express) Fulham defender Moritz Volz almost missed a pre-season trip to Brighton because he got stuck in the toilet for 40 minutes. He was eventually rescued when his cleaner called out a handyman. (Sun) Liverpool players have nicknamed manager Rafael Benitez 'Max' because they reckon his goatee beard makes him look like the character from Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights. (Sun) Manchester United 'rebel' Gabriel Heinze has been told to stay away from Sunday's game against Reading at Old Trafford. (Daily Mirror)

"Nothing like a nice piece of hickory."

Quality film. "She's 13, and if you even look at her funny I'm gonna shove an umbrella up your ass and open it." Bettter than some of the Die Hard movies.

Sorry Oh you mean Magnusson. I thought he was refering to me !

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has criticised Newcastle over the collapsed Kieron Dyer transfer and said the Magpies must have been "embarrassed" at their handling of the deal. Dyer's move fell through after Newcastle, having initially agreed a £6million fee, raised the cost of the player by £2million. Magnusson, who also outlined his ambition for West Ham to break into the top four of the Premier League within four years, said he was amazed at the sudden price increase. He said: "The fact that Newcastle moved the goalposts in the middle of the game is not how to do business. "They had given us permission to speak to the player, he had had a medical and we had agreed a fee when we received a phone call that they wanted £2million more for the player. "We could not believe it and I think some of the people there seem to be a little bit embarrassed. "But I think the deal is now gone and I feel very sorry for the player, he wanted a move, he wanted to come closer to his family in Ipswich and now that has gone. "I think this business with Newcastle has shown that we are not prepared to pay any price that a club puts on a player. If there are perceptions that we will do that, they are not correct." Magnusson did make clear however that other players could be on the way to Upton Park before the transfer window closes as West Ham have their sights set very high. Magnusson added: "The club have ambitions and we want to break into the top four within the next few years and we have to invest money - it doesn't happen otherwise. "Those are our ambitions and that we believe they are entirely realistic otherwise I would not be here. "We are going to have a new stadium and that is something we are going to make happen, hopefully by 2011." The Icelandic businessman said he had complete faith in manager Alan Curbishley being the right man to take West Ham forwar. Magnusson said: "There is no question in my mind that he has got what it takes to get us to where we want to go. "He is West Ham through and through but it's also a big challenge for him. "He has come to a bigger club after many years at Charlton and he now has much more money to spend than ever before." Magnusson admitted that the first season had been a roller-coaster. The Icelander added: "Every morning there seemed to be something new to deal with. "There was the Carlos Tevez business, the fight against relegation, it has been an ongoing battle but we are looking for a fresh new start with a new promising season. "Staying in the Premier League was the best thing about it and the emotions were very special for sure. There is enormous excitement at West Ham now - and also back in Iceland - for the new season."

apparently he's 5" shorter and 10 years younger than Lucan, but they still think it might be him......

Jack Warner, yesterday

Leeds have lost their appeal against their 15-point deduction for an alleged breach of the Football League's insolvency policy on Thursday. The chairmen of the other 71 Football League clubs voted "overwhelmingly" to sanction the club and then again to uphold the original punishment. In both cases, the outcome was higher than a 75% majority vote. Leeds supremo Ken Bates had insisted his club had not broken any rules but he must now accept the decision. Bates had sent a letter to all Football league chairmen, arguing argued in his letter that the punishment was a "breach of natural justice". It was imposed on 4 August, the same day that Leeds were granted their 'golden share' that allowed them to compete in the Football League this coming season. The share had been suspended when Leeds went into administration at the end of last season, a decision that automatically incurred a 10-point penalty and thus sealed their relegation from the Championship. The League want clubs coming out of administration to do so via a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with football creditors paid in full. Leeds' creditors originally opted for the club to be sold back to Bates via a CVA. But HM Revenue & Customs, unhappy at the plans of Bates to pull the club out of administration by paying creditors only eight pence in every £1, mounted a legal challenge. The matter went to a High Court hearing in Leeds. Preliminary hearings were held on 6 July with a date set for the full case to be heard in September - sparking fears the club might not start the season. Administrators KPMG subsequently put the club up for sale. Bates then bought the club back off KPMG in a deal that could eventually be worth more than 50p in every £1 for creditors. But the purchase meant that the club had not come out of administration via a CVA - with the League imposing their subsequent 15-point penalty for the breach of policy. Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney has written to all the chairmen of the 71 clubs outlining the consequences of not upholding the penalty against Leeds. A League statement after the penalty was imposed said: "It is acknowledged the club did go into administration and has been unable to comply with the terms of the League's well-established insolvency policy.

Is it the same with "Bild" owa there Isegrim? My gut instinct this story is true by the way. Maybe to a less extent, but basically yes. And I think this story is coming from a chinese take away at best... Bild is supposed to be like The Sun isn't it. Have you got a Sue Sorts It Out, and Page 3? They put the tits on the front cover, don't know about the rest as I read neither paper. Nadine Jansen? To be fair you'd need more than just page 3 to feature Nadine Jansen's tits.

Looks like we'll be getting the kids a Wii for xmas.

I'm sure it has, and on both occasions he gave the intruder a good shoeing but seriously, who would !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6936010.stm

If you awoke in the night to find an intruder in your home would you be prepared to use force to defend your home or family ? The law suggests you may use reasonable force against an intruder, I have a baseball bat in my bedroom and I would have no hesitation in swinging at an intruder if I felt my family was in danger, yet I may find myself on the wrong side of the law if it was felt my actions were disproportionate, as far as I'm concerned, an intruder forfeits his rights when he enters my home.

EPMD - Strictly Business

Toon in new bid mystery By IAN McGARRY August 09, 2007 NEWCASTLE have been the subject of a takeover bid one month after Mike Ashley’s £131million buy-out. SunSport can reveal a group of Chinese investors negotiated to take over the Toon and hand billionaire Ashley a £20m profit. An American-based investor also declared an interest in rivalling the Chinese bid. A Toon insider confirmed: “Ashley got this club relatively cheaply and is now being offered the chance to make a big profit.” Ashley decided not to sell.

I see that JJ Abrams of Lost/Alias fame has cast Zachary Quinto who plays Sylar in Heroes, as the young Mr Spock in the new Star Trek movie depicting the early years of the original Star Trek gang due out next year.

you mean the "making it up as we go along" theory ? I hope not, but then again, considering that what made Heroes so refreshing was its originality, which makes the prospect of season 2 being at minimum, on par with season one, all the more remote.

From The Times August 9, 2007 Owen and Martins fight for one place Sam Allardyce has served notice on Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins, his two most explosive strikers, that they will be vying for a single place for much of the coming season. Describing Owen’s lingering fitness problems as the “biggest frustration,” of his short spell at Newcastle United, the manager predicted a new phenomenon at St James’ Park: competition. A relentless rash of injuries have undermined Newcastle for the past two years, but having signed Mark Viduka on a free transfer, bought Alan Smith for £6 million and seen Shola Ameobi recover from hip surgery, Allardyce will, luck permitting, have five forwards to select from. Even though Smith will also feature in midfield, it may entail some ruffled egos. Martins mustered 17 goals in his debut season in English football following his £10 million move from Inter Milan, while Owen, in spite of his rare appearances in a Newcastle shirt, remains the club’s record signing. Both are blessed with pace and both require good service; while Allardyce will, on occasions, field a 4-3-3 formation, will the pair form a natural partnership? “I’m very happy with the five strikers I’ve got,” Allardyce said. “I think four is the minimum you go into a new season with and we have got a good variety. We can also use a bit of squad rotation and have competition for places, which is what you need for your frontmen. “Oba was the main man last year because Michael was kept out with injuries, but they will be fighting with each other for a place in the side this season. Perhaps even the pair of them will play together with one of the big men on occasions as well.” Owen’s absence with a thigh tear for much of pre-season is unfortunate. “When I arrived, one of the biggest worries was not knowing about Michael’s future, but since then the biggest frustration has been his niggling injuries,” Allardyce said. “He is still game short, not just in terms of pre-season, but all of last season as well. He has not played much football at all recently. It must be terrible for him.”

I understand that season 2 premieres in the US on September 24th.

23 episodes dude.

Allardyce was appointed by previous chairman Freddy Shepherd at the end of last season but the club have since undergone a regime change. That has led to reports that Allardyce's position has been undermined but Mort insists there are no problems. Mort told BBC Radio Five Live: "Sam and I speak most days, if not every day. "This afternoon we sat down together for an hour or two and went through the squad and players we are looking to add. "That work is continuing and we will carry on going forward. "Our relationship is absolutely fine, we get on very well together." Newcastle recently saw negotiations with West Ham over the sale of England midfielder Kieron Dyer break down. The Magpies initially accepted a bid of £6million but later increased the asking price after feeling the player had been undervalued. Mort added: "We got very uncomfortable with the way they were conducting negotiations and some of the things going on about the deal we wanted to change from our perspective. "They were (then) not prepared to match the valuation we put on him."

Just watched 300 again, a flawed masterpeice in my opinion, if it wasn't for the aweful naration by David Wenham and the blatant Gladiatorisims with the soundtrack and the scenes in the cornfield, a great film but frustratingly could have been SO much better.

Very true Jonny ! Fucking awesome show, thanks to Ritchie (the guru of download tv) I watched it as it was broadcast in the US earlier in the year, fucking brilliant show, can't wait for season 2.

I is in too, respec.