UK Roundup

Chelsea takeover under investigation

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's financial markets watchdog said Thursday it was inquiring into the disclosure of some shareholdings in the company that owns Chelsea Football Club, in which a Russian billionaire bought a controlling interest last month.

The Financial Services Authority said it had received information suggesting that the shareholdings of some parties may have been misrepresented. Therefore, the market may have been misled about the actual ownership of Chelsea Village PLC, the authority said.

The FSA inquiry will not affect the takeover bid by Chelsea Ltd., the company set up by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich to acquire control of the club, the Takeover Panel Executive said in a separate statement.

Abramovich completed a deal on July 1 to buy out chairman Ken Bates' controlling interest in the debt-ridden team.

"These enquiries are separate from and in addition to the ongoing enquiries into various dealings in the shares of Chelsea Village PLC ahead of the announcement of the recommended mandatory cash offer on behalf of Chelsea Limited," the FSA said.

The authority announced in July 8 it was examining trades in shares in Chelsea before the takeover was announced.

Chelsea Village PLC owns the club in addition to operating a travel agency, parking lots and catering services, and engaging in property development.

Abramovich acquired the club by agreeing to take responsibility for debts, reported to be around 80 million pounds (US$128 million).

Arsenal chase Dortmund keeper Lehmann

BERLIN (Reuters) -- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed his interest in signing German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann from Borussia Dortmund.

"We are interested and we would like to have him but the transfer is not done yet," Wenger said.

Dortmund said Tuesday that they were negotiating with Arsenal over a possible Lehmann deal.

"We hope it will work out," Wenger said in Thursday's issue of German soccer magazine Kicker. "Lehmann is used to performing at a top level and he can deal with pressure. He would have plenty of pressure at Arsenal."

Lehmann, Germany's reserve goalkeeper, is 33 and has a contract for one more season with Dortmund.

Arsenal has been trying to sign a goalkeeper ever since David Seaman moved to Manchester City in June.

Wenger has already been linked with Valencia's Santiago Canizares and Lokomotiv Moscow's Sergei Ovchinnikov. Stuart Taylor is currently Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper.

Referee saves Leeds striker Viduka from ban

LONDON (Reuters) -- Leeds United manager Peter Reid had the referee to thank after his striker Mark Viduka escaped a three-match ban despite being involved in a spat during a pre-season friendly.

The Australian threw the ball at York City defender Andrew Jordan during a 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent on Wednesday but, rather than send him off, referee Andy Kaye signalled for Reid to replace Viduka.

Reid, who also replaced defender Michael Duberry in similar circumstances, told the Leeds website: "The main thing was that the referee was sensible because we could have been in trouble on one or two occasions.

"I wasn't too happy about the big man (Viduka) on that occasion. I thought the referee was great. He made two mistakes but my players made a lot more than him."

Reid, whose side flirted with relegation last season, was not overly-impressed by their performance against the third division side just a few weeks before their season kicks off against Newcastle United on August 17.

"It was a difficult game for us, they played to their strengths and what I can say about our game was that it was another good fitness test for us," Reid said.

"I know it wasn't the greatest football but we got another hour out of some of our players and everyone got a game.

But he added: "I'm glad it's not the 17th. I'm glad that's a few weeks away now and we can work on it."

Ronaldinho heading for Leicester

LONDON (Reuters) -- Barcelona's new Brazilian signing Ronaldinho will be turning out against Leicester City in a pre-season friendly at the Walkers Stadium on August 8, the newly-promoted Premier League club said Thursday.

Ronaldinho, who is set to cost Barcelona up to 30 million euros (US$34.45 million) after his move from Paris St Germain, is expected to make his debut for the Catalan giants during a tour of the United States over the next fortnight.

City's chief operating officer Paul Mace told the club's Web site: "We always knew that Barcelona were going to prove a huge attraction but the arrival of Ronaldinho has taken the game to a new plateau.

"We are in regular contact with Barcelona ahead of the fixture and they have confirmed that Ronaldinho and a full-strength team will be coming to Leicester."

Mace, whose club are expecting a sell-out crowd of 32,000 for the friendly, added: "We have never known interest like this before, in any pre-season fixture organised by the club."

Striker Davies joins Bolton

LONDON (Reuters) -- Former Southampton striker Kevin Davies has joined English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers on a one-year deal.

The 26-year-old, once a 7.5 million pound signing for Bolton's Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, was released by Southampton at the end of last season.

"My confidence has been low over the last two years and it's nice to feel wanted," he told Bolton's Web site earlier this week. "I've got a lot to prove."

Bolton finished 17th in the English top flight last season, just one place above the relegation zone.

English league splits broadcasting rights

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -- England's premier league confirmed on Thursday that it had redrawn its offering of television soccer rights in the face of concerns among European regulators about BSkyB's current monopoly.

The third-tier "bronze" package of 62 Saturday matches will be split in two in a move to entice UK broadcasters without Sky's deep pockets, such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, to bid for the rights.

The bronze tier is estimated to be worth up to 393 million pounds ($634.4 million) over three years as a whole. BSkyB's current contract runs until the end of the coming soccer season.

But the European Commission, which has launched a probe into the league's (FAPL) rights sale, said splitting the bronze package may not be enough, and warned the league against proceeding before its investigation was concluded.

"If the (FAPL) goes ahead with the bids without having reached agreement with us, they do so at their own risk and peril," said Commission spokesman Tilman Lueder.

He spoke just before news broke of the revamped premier league package, but a Commission official speaking afterwards said the change may not be sufficient to meet the commission's objections.

’Goalpost’

Lueder held up the recently approved German Bundesliga and Champions League offerings, which provide for live Internet rights and smaller packages, as the "goalpost" for the English Premier League.

Satellite TV firm BSkyB currently owns all of the English Premier League rights, and the commission has signaled it does not want Sky's monopoly to continue.

A league spokesman said the revamp of the rights packages, which also consist of a "gold" tier of 38 Sunday games and a "silver" tier of 38 Monday games, was "mainly commercially driven," but also served a regulatory process as well.

Analysts expect the total price tag of the three-year rights deals to be significantly below the 1.1 billion pounds currently paid by Sky under its current contract.

"After our initial tender, which was a market testing situation, we're responding to the needs and aspirations of the commercial markets," the league spokesman said.

Letters from the FAPL to prospective bidders were sent on July 22, and revised bids are due on July 28.

BSkyB declined to comment. Its shares were trading 1.2 percent higher at 701-1/2 pence at 1248 GMT, compared to a 1.5-percent gain by the wider FTSE 100 index.

Liverpool beats Thailand 3-1 in marathon

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Vladimir Smicer scored twice in the second half as touring English Premier League team Liverpool beat Thailand's national side 3-1 in a friendly match on Thursday.

More unusual was the first half, which ran for 55 minutes instead of the usual 45 because of a misunderstanding.

Playing after a heavy downpour in front of about 50,000 fans, both teams went goal-less during the first half-hour of play. But in the 31st minute Britain's Emile Heskey fired a left-footer from the penalty box into the net to break the ice.

Fifteen minutes later, Thailand unexpectedly found an equalizer. Making his debut on the national team, Somjet Satabud performed a solo dance into the penalty area and delivered a fine chip into the open goal in the 46th minute to level the match.

Trying to keep the momentum going, Thailand's Pichitphong Choeichiw in the 53rd minute unleashed an explosive shot from his right foot, but Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland pushed the ball away.

Barely two minutes later, Liverpool realized that something was amiss, as the usual halftime mark of 45 minutes was long past.

Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson asked for a stop. He then learned that the referees had been prepared to see the first half run for 60 minutes.

The misunderstanding arose because Liverpool had earlier given notice to the referees that it would not change any players during the first 60 minutes, and this had been taken to mean that the honored guests desired to play a 60-minute first half, and a 30-minute second half.

"It's the longest first half I have ever experienced," Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said after the game.

When play resumed in the second half -- which was to run the standard 45 minutes -- Liverpool came back onto the pitch with an entirely different eleven.

Only 28 seconds after the intermission, Liverpool widened the gap to 2-1 as Smicer blasted a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. The ball skidded into the goal, grazing Thai goalie Kitisak Rawangpa's leg.

Liverpool dominated play from then on, giving the Thais little breathing space.

Smicer scored his second goal in the 70th minute as Liverpool wrapped up the game 3-1.

Spectators enjoyed not only the extra-long first half, but also the antics of a fan who sneaked onto the pitch during the game to shake hands with a Liverpool player before being marched out by security personnel.

On Friday, Liverpool heads to Hong Kong for a Sunday match that will be the final stop on its Asian Tour.

Newcastle defeats Birmingham 2-1 in Asia Cup

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- Goals from captain Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi gave Newcastle United 2-1 win over 10-man Birmingham City in Thursday's opening game of the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) Asia Cup.

Shearer converted a penalty in the 37th minute after City's Ireland defender Kenny Cunningham was dismissed -- and now faces a suspension -- for having felled Wales forward Craig Bellamy in the box.

Birmingham's goal also came from a penalty, converted by substitute Paul Devlin in the 73rd minute, just two minutes before substitute Ameobi's header booked his side into Sunday's final against either Chelsea or Malaysia's national side.

Birmingham were content to absorb the early pressure with their best first-half chance falling to Robbie Savage, who volleyed a header from Christophe Dugarry -- only for Steve Harper to make a clean save for Newcastle.

But as Newcastle gained momentum in midfield, where Lee Bowyer made his debut, Cunningham tripped Bellamy as the Welshman headed into the box. Shearer promptly blasted his spot-kick into the left-hand corner.

Substitute Stern John added more bite to the Birmingham attack in the second half, but excellent work by Harper between the posts kept his side in front.

Birmingham finally got their reward from Devlin's spot-kick following a foul by Newcastle defender Titus Bramble on midfielder Darren Carter.

However, the deadlock lasted just two minutes before Ameobi headed in a cross from Bellamy.

City should yet have salvaged a draw, though, after John escaped on the break, his first shot was parried by Harper and the Trinidad and Tobago international's follow-up effort rolled wide of an open goal from point-blank range.

Kewell set to return to training next week

BANGKOK (Reuters) -- Liverpool expect Australian forward Harry Kewell to be back in training next week following his ankle injury, manager Gerard Houllier said on Thursday.

Kewell, signed in a five million pound (US$8.06 million) deal from Leeds two weeks ago, pulled out of Liverpool's pre-season tour to the Far East after aggravating the injury in a friendly against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

"I phoned the physio today and obviously he [Kewell] cannot kick a ball," Houllier told reporters in Bangkok after Liverpool beat the Thai national team 3-1.

"I imagine that at the end of the week, the beginning of next week, he should be able to join in training.

"There was no fracture, not even the rupture of ligaments that we had feared. It was just a strain thing."

Kewell has a little over three weeks to get fit for the start of the English Premier League season on August 16.

Gallas signs contract extension at Chelsea

LONDON (Reuters) -- Chelsea's France defender William Gallas has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at Stamford Bridge for the next four years, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

The 25-year-old had reportedly been seeking a move despite having three years to run on his existing deal.

But Chelsea said on their website that the new extension "has now empathically killed speculation that he didn't see his future here."

Gallas, who joined the London club from Olympique Marseille in 2001, is seen as the long-term replacement for his 34-year-old compatriot Marcel Desailly in central defense, alongside John Terry, 22.

Gallas is currently training in London, having been spared the team's trips to Italy and Malaysia because he played in the Confederations Cup in France last month.

The new deal follows a 37 million-pound ($59.61 million) spending spree by the west London club since the takeover by Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich earlier this month.

Coach Claudio Ranieri has added four new faces to his squad -- defenders Glen Johnson and Wayne Bridge, plus midfielders Geremi of Cameroon and Damien Duff of Ireland.

Roeder hoping to sign former England midfielder Lee

LONDON (AP) -- West Ham manager Glenn Roeder, who lost three players in the last two weeks, is hoping to sign former England midfielder Rob Lee.

Lee, 37, has played in two pre-season games for the Hammers, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.

"We are very pleased with what Robert Lee has contributed, not just in the matches, but in the training, and the way he has integrated with the rest of the squad," Roeder said on the club's Web site Thursday. "I would certainly like to be able to get him in the squad this year, that's for sure."

Lee spent almost 10 years with Newcastle and has earned 21 caps with England.

He spent last season with another first-division team, Derby County.

"His fitness seems very good, and he has looked after himself," said Roeder. "He has got a very sharp brain and reads the game well."

England midfielder Trevor Sinclair left West Ham for Manchester City, veteran forward Les Ferdinand joined Leicester and rising star Glen Johnson signed with Chelsea.

Iversen close to joining Wolves

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) -- Norwegian international Steffen Iversen could join Wolves in the next few days, the team said.

Iversen, currently with Tottenham, was due to arrive at Molineux on Thursday to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.

"Providing all the final arrangements can be made between the player, Tottenham and Wolves, we are hopeful that the deal will be successfully completed before the end of the week," Wolves secretary Richard Skirrow told the club's Web site Thursday. "We are hoping that, with a bit of luck, Steffen may be available to figure in [Friday's] friendly with Den Haag."

Iversen would be Wolves' fourth summer signing, joining defenders Oleg Luzhny and Isaac Okoronkwo, and Portuguese midfielder Silas.

Iversen joined Spurs from Norway's Rosenborg in 1996.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.