Reds re-building

Liverpool announces new stadium plans

The club, which finished second to Arsenal this season in the Premier League, announced its plan Friday. It said the new stadium would be located adjacent to Anfield at a cost of 70 million pounds (US$101 million).

The 45,000-seat capacity Anfield is insufficient to satisfy ticket demand.

Original plans for a 70,000-seat stadium were canceled with costs estimated at 120 million pounds (US$175 million).

"What we don't want to do, and what we won't ever do, is lose the focus that the team comes first," said Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry. "We always want to ensure revenue is available for the manager to strengthen his squad.

"That is one reason why we haven't pressed ahead with our original plan for a 70,000-seater stadium. We don't want to have a huge financial millstone hanging around our necks."

Anfield was originally the home of Liverpool's rivals Everton, which began playing there in 1882 but left in 1892 in a dispute over rents. Liverpool took over in 1892.

London's Arsenal is also planning a new 60,000-seat stadium just down the road from Highbury.

"There is still a lot of work to do though and a number of obstacles to overcome yet," Parry said. "It will take time but I hope all of the fans are excited by what they can see."

UEFA: Old Firm switch must include all Scottish clubs

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- English soccer could not restrict entry to just Celtic and Rangers if it decided to allow the Old Firm clubs to join, UEFA said Friday.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson said access to move to an English league would have to be granted to every Scottish club, not just the two Glasgow giants.

He said any move would also have to be supported by the English and Scottish Football Associations and the leagues.

"If it is going to be a national league then it has to be available to every club in the country," Johansson said after a UEFA executive committee meeting in Glasgow.

"For us, it is a must that the Scottish FA, the FA and the Premier League are in agreement for any such arrangements. Only then will we start to discuss it."

The English FA, the 72-club Football League and Premier League have all ruled out Celtic and Rangers joining an English league.

Powerhouses in Scotland to the extent that no other team has won the league title in the past 17 years, the owners of Celtic and Rangers have been trying to find a way into the more competitive and lucrative English leagues.

Johansson said he could understand the support for the clubs to move south.

"If I was responsible for Celtic or Glasgow Rangers I would see opportunities that do not presently exist by going into the Premier League," Johansson said.

"But for others who are also playing in the Scottish Premier League the participation of Celtic and Rangers is very important for them. The Premier League may also be unhappy if English clubs have to be pulled out because two Scottish clubs are coming in."

Union to fight Bradford's efforts to release players

LONDON (AP) -- England's players' union said Friday it would fight any attempts by Bradford City to release players because of its financial difficulties.

Bradford was placed in administration Thursday, a year after being relegated from the Premier League. It's the highest-profile club so far threatened with closure following the collapse of broadcaster ITV Digital.

The Bantams are more than 13 million pounds (US$18.2 million) in debt. The problems are due largely to the club's failure to sell expensive Italian striker Benito Carbone and the demise of ITV Digital, whose television rights fees provided much of its income.

The financial administrators who took over the club Thursday said they may be forced to terminate players' contracts if new owners cannot be found quickly.

But Professional Footballers' Association spokesman Mick McGuire said the union would not allow players' contracts to be affected.

"Our stance is simple -- players contracts are to be honored. We shall be looking to protect our members' positions as we always do," McGuire, head of the PFA's commercial division, said.

"We have the protection of collective bargaining, supported by regulations that players contracts are adhered to by all league club members.

"As far as we are concerned the players contracts are there to be honored and under no circumstances will we allow them to be terminated without the agreement of the players concerned."

Other first division clubs are also affected by the uncertain lack of income from the ITV Digital crisis.

Coventry, relegated from the Premier League last season, is reported to be 30 million pounds (US$42 million) in debt; while Sheffield Wednesday is believed to be 16 million pounds (US$22.4 million) in debt, and Nottingham Forest 10 million pounds (US$14 million) in the red.

Other clubs threatened are first division Norwich, second division Queens Park Rangers, Notts County, Bury, Swindon and Chesterfield and third division clubs Swansea, Halifax and Lincoln.

Scottish soccer has also been affected by problems with its television deal, dwindling gate receipts and lack of sponsorship. In the past two months, Scottish Premier League club Motherwell was put up for sale and first division club Airdrie was shut down after losing a two-year battle to find a buyer.

Former Bradford manager Chris Kamara, who was in charge of the club between 1995 and 1998, said English soccer's financial gulf was widening.

"There's the haves and the have nots, and nothing in the middle," Kamara said. "We always had a happy medium. Now the big boys are doing unbelievable, better than ever, while everyone else is struggling.

"There's a lot of clubs in a terrible state at the moment and they're all wondering what's going to happen with the ITV Digital situation."

City suffered after spending heavily following the club's promotion to the Premier League in 1999. The Bantams signed Carbone and Dan Petrescu, while Stan Collymore also spent a brief time there -- and their wage bill contributed to the financial problems.

"It's not a surprise because once they brought in big-money players they knew something like this could happen," Kamara said. "Bradford wasn't a club which could go into the Premier League and spend that amount of money on wages. It's just not done."

Cardiff fined for FA Cup crowd trouble

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Cardiff City was fined 20,000 pounds (US$28,000) by the Football Association of Wales for the crowd trouble that marred its upset of Leeds in the FA Cup in January.

The FAW found the second division club guilty of misconduct at a disciplinary hearing, but the club was cleared of a further charge relating to missile throwing.

Cardiff beat Leeds 2-1 in the Jan. 6 third-round match at Ninian Park.

Objects were thrown during the game and fans invaded the pitch afterward.

"The club respect the decision of the FAW commission, which it believes was given under extreme pressure from the Football Association and the London media," the club said in a statement.

"The level of fine, below the protocol level, demonstrates the value the commission must have put on Cardiff City Football Club and especially their stewards' actions, both before and on the day."

FAW secretary general David Collins said the organization acknowledged the efforts Cardiff had made to rid the club of its hooligan supporters.

"However, the panel in considering the evidence have found Cardiff City guilty of misconduct with regard to encroachment and violence by a number of fans," Collins.

League granted speedy hearing for ITV Digital case

LONDON (AP) -- England's 72-club Football League was granted a speedy hearing Friday of its multi-million-pound (dollar) claim against the owners of broadcaster ITV Digital.

The Football League, made up of England's first, second and third divisions, is seeking 178.5 million pounds (US$258.8 million) that ITV Digital still owes for broadcasting rights.

The league claims company owners Carlton Communications PLC and Granada Media PLC are liable for the broadcaster's debts.

Justice Roger Thomas granted the application at the High Court in London after hearing that several clubs faced financial hardship because the television contract had been withdrawn.

A trial will now be heard in July, before the Aug. 1 date when the next installment of the contract money was due to be paid by ITV Digital.

"The clubs were expecting to receive 89 million pounds (US$124.6 million) on Aug. 1 but now that Carlton and Granada have withdrawn support for ITV Digital, rendering it insolvent, that sum will not be paid," Football League lawyer Charles Flint told the court.

"The sum is vital to the Football League. A number of clubs face financial hardship if it is not paid."

ITV Digital agreed in 2000 to pay the league 315 million pounds (US$456.8 million) for the rights to show its clubs' games for three years. However, it ran out of cash and ceased most of its operations May 1. The league is suing for the amount that remains to be paid under the original contract.