Foxes in adminstration

Former star Lineker plans Leicester rescue bid

LONDON (AP) -- Leicester City was placed in financial administration Tuesday, giving time for a rescue bid by former England striker Gary Lineker to be considered.

The Foxes, who moved into a new stadium in the summer despite losing their place in the Premier League, had applied to the High Court to have someone else sort out 30 million pounds (US$47 million) in debts.

Justice Andrew Park granted the application, saying the alternative of putting the club companies into liquidation would be "a disaster". Administration is a step short of bankruptcy.

"I am sure everybody hopes that Leicester City keeps playing," he said.

The move comes a week after players agreed to a wage deferment package with the side lodged in third place in the first division.

Lineker, a popular TV soccer commentator, is part of a group that wants to take over the club. The 41-year-old played for Leicester for seven years from 1978-85.

"If there is anything I can do to help then I'll do it," Lineker told The Sun newspaper. "As a former player and lifelong fan, I'm worried about what's been going on."

Lineker, who scored 48 goals for England, moved on to Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham. He never received a yellow card in his 12-year professional career.

Arsenal admits stadium will run millions over budget

LONDON (AP) -- Defending Premier League champion Arsenal said Tuesday its new 60,000-seat stadium is likely to run 100 million pounds (US$154 million) over budget.

Gunners director Danny Fiszman said complications over planning permission meant the total cost was likely to be 300 million (US$462 million).

The north London club plans to move from Highbury, Arsenal's home since 1913, to nearby Ashburton Grove by the start of the 2005 season.

"It is more expensive than we originally anticipated," Fiszman told the London Evening Standard. "Part of it has been the obligations which will add 100 million (US$154 million) to the bill. (Without them) we would not receive planning consent."

The new stadium is only half a mile from Highbury, but the project also involves assistance with public transport links and regeneration of the area, which Fiszman said the extra money would go toward.

"They are our obligations to the environment," Fiszman said.

However Fiszman -- who is also the club's largest stockholder with 26.6 percent -- said the budget of manager Arsene Wenger would not be affected.

"I want to stress that Arsene's budget will not be affected in any way by this project," he said.

"The new stadium will create sufficient extra income to pay the debt and put substantial ammunition in Arsene's pocket.

"Our intention has always been to stay competitive with our wages and in the transfer market. We will not have to change that."

Arsenal, which is currently second in the league, is also the defending FA Cup champion.

Van Nistelrooy aims to return on Saturday

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy said Tuesday he will miss the club's Champions League match with Olympiakos and aim instead for Saturday's league match with Aston Villa.

Van Nistelrooy has been troubled by a hamstring strain all season, particularly this month. He missed United's 1-1 draw with Fulham last Saturday, the Netherlands' 3-0 win over Austria in Euro 2004 qualifying on Oct. 16 and United's 4-0 defeat of Olympiakos at Old Trafford on Oct. 1.

United plays in Greece on Wednesday.

"Obviously I want to play as soon as I can but I spoke to the doctor, the medical staff and the manager and they all say they want me fit for the rest of the season," van Nistelrooy told MUTV.

"They do not want 90 percent but 100 percent and I think that is a good point.

"I'm doing my work in the gym and hope to build it up and soon go outside and run. Then I will build it up to team training and hopefully I will be able to play in the next game."

Villa won't appeal red card against Enckelman

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -- Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor said Tuesday the club wouldn't appeal the red card shown to goalkeeper Peter Enckelman because it was a waste of time.

Enckelman was sent off in the 46th minute in Aston Villa's 1-0 loss to Southampton Monday night after he collided with Saints striker Brett Ormerod in the box.

However television replays suggested it was Villa's Turkish defender Alpay Ozalan who was responsible for any foul. Referee Steve Bennett sent off Enckelman, a Finnish international, and James Beattie scored past replacement 'keeper Stefan Postma.

"The referee has looked at the video and decided that he has got no reason to change his mind," Taylor said.

"As a result there is no point in us wasting our time in appealing. We will just get on with things, knowing that Peter misses the (Nov. 9) game with Fulham."

However Enckelman will be available for Villa's next two games -- at Manchester United on Saturday and Blackburn on Nov. 3.

The Finn hit the headlines a month ago when he accidentally let a throw in from Swedish teammate Olof Mellberg roll under his foot for Birmingham City's second goal in a 3-0 Aston Villa loss to its neighbor.

Arsenal can fire me into France team -- Cygan

PARIS (Reuters) -- Arsenal defender Pascal Cygan feels playing in the English Premier League has transformed his chances of being selected by France.

"I think I'm only one step short of Les Bleus," he told sports daily L'Equipe.

"I believe I'm getting closer to that goal. By staying at Lille I would not have dreamt of playing for France. "Now I do."

The 28-year-old Cygan joined a strong contingent of French players at Arsenal and he would be the fifth in the Gunners current squad to play for France after Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires.

Cygan, who was playing in the French second division only three seasons ago, said he had settled in London after an unimpressive debut.

"I knew one good game would be enough to erase doubts. That's what happened against Eindhoven.

"Everybody came to congratulate me that day and I knew I had really made it into the team."

He said he had needed time to prove himself.

"At the club, nobody really knew me, nobody really knew Lille. They were all wondering who was this player bought for only 3 million euros (US$2.93 million).

"Everybody wanted to know whether I had the potential to play for such a great team."

Cygan said he also had problems adapting to Arsenal's style, saying: "We defend much higher up so you have to be very fast.

"You touch fewer balls but there's no time to get bored. I'm playing alongside stars. Something I would have never imagined four years ago."

Premier League wants more control from FA

LONDON (AP) -- There's a new matchup on England's crowded soccer fixture list -- the Football Association vs. the Premier League.

The Premier League -- made up of the 20 clubs in the top flight of English soccer -- wants to review its position with the FA, the governing body of soccer which has ruled the domestic game since 1871.

This week, representatives of the Premier League have given the FA a series of proposals to increase its influence in the game.

If successful, the Premier League, formed in 1992, would effectively take control of professional soccer, with the Football League, which comprises the 72 teams in the first, second and third divisions, as its junior partner.

The Premier League wants to set up a Professional Game Board, which would not have FA representation.

It also wants revenue generated from the FA Cup, England's most prestigious knockout competition, to be equally split between the professional game and the FA and full consultation on all commercial matters.

Commentators predict the changes could seriously change the way English soccer is run and administered.

"The FA's 139-year rule over all aspects of the English game is about to end," said The Daily Mail. "Premiership launches FA revolt," said The Daily Telegraph.

On Monday, Premier League representatives -- chairman David Richards, chief executive Richard Scudamore and members from Leeds, Blackburn and Manchester United -- met with the FA, including its chief executive Adam Crozier.

Tuesday, the FA was holding its executive board meeting. The FA board includes four Premier League representatives, two from the Football League and six from the amateur game.

The latest disagreement is at the way the FA has treated clubs who have England internationals.

The issue came to a head last week when the FA announced the agreement of a lucrative bonus deal with England players for their share of commercial revenues, with the clubs claiming they were not properly consulted in advance.

"For example, what would happen if Manchester United needed David Beckham, but under the England deal he is obliged to go to a function organized by a FA sponsor on the same day?" asked The Daily Telegraph. "This takes the long-running club-versus-country argument to a new level."

Threats also include boycotting or fielding weak teams in the FA Cup.

"The main elements are the distribution of profits from the FA Cup itself, whether clubs should be paid for the release of players for international duty -- for which there are arguments on both sides -- and players' image rights," said Arsenal vice chairman David Dein, who is also a Premier League representative on the FA board.

"There is no doubt that the FA are becoming more commercial, but it is a not-for-profit organization which plows the money back into the game for the benefit of everybody.

"The delicate area is whether they are cutting across the clubs' commercial interests and that has to be addressed. Now football has reached such a level of interest and the salaries clubs are paying are at their height, so obviously they are looking to recoup as much as they can."

The issues were not set for formal discussion by the FA Tuesday but Scudamore said the Premier League's four FA board members had been in a "very constructive dialogue".

"Recent events have resulted in ideas being put forward to improve the running of the game and to ensure we can all unite behind the common purpose of promoting FA competitions and the success of the national team, as well as league and club interests," Scudamore said.

"This issue starts and ends on how best the game can be managed, ensuring decisions are made with full transparency and best information.

"We clearly want to achieve this within the auspices of the FA. This is the structure which has enabled football to be so successful and any speculation that our motives are anything other than this are simply inaccurate."

 

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