Search: 'Michael Ricketts'

The Riverside Stadium could soon have a shiny new neighbour. But, as Daniel Gray explains, not everyone is convinced that a casino is what Middlesbrough needs

With the exception of signing Michael Ricketts, Middlesbrough have seldom been accused of gambling in Steve McClaren’s four-and-a-half-year tenure. Indeed, the football often displayed by Boro has been so cautious that few would have been surprised had McClaren erected a set of triangular yellow signs forbidding his midfielders from crossing the halfway line next to the home dug-out.

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Dear WSC
Once again I feel compelled to respond to points raised by Ashley Manning in his response (WSC 226) to my earlier letter (WSC 225). Ashley is aggrieved that I am “pouring scorn” on initiatives such as family days – I am not, in my original draft I included the comment “quite rightly” in relation to the reduced entrance fees paid by the preponderance of children at Loftus Road games I attended. This comment was subsequently edited out. Ashley appears to think that I am laying sole blame for the two dismal games I witnessed (one goal, many yellows and at least one red card) at Fulham’s door. Again, this is not the case. As Ashley rightly points out, Birmingham City have not played with Brazilian flair in recent years and at present would not look out of place in the Conference. It does, however, take two to tango. I am certain that Craven Cottage is packed regularly for more attractive derby games, but I hope for all Cottagers’ sake that Fayed keeps the players interested otherwise these local derbies will be shared with QPR, or even Brentford in coming years. I can only reiterate the sentiments of my previous letter in that “there is no real malice in my choice [of Fulham as most disliked team of 2004-5], and it is in all likelihood a reflection of dislike for Momo Fayed and a lack of characters in the Premiership”. Next year I’ll be more careful where I go to get cold, wet and bored (by my own team as well as the opposition), and in any case David O’Leary’s recent antics at St Andrew’s have gone a long way to reclaiming Villa’s rightful top spot…
Ken Jones, via email

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Four goals in his first nine Cardiff games have revived the stock of a player who had seemed to be just a momentary over-achiever. Helen Duff investigates

Sod’s law: it’s never the players we want to hear more from who develop a taste for confession. Most of us could die happy if we never had to read any more of David Beckham’s over-publicised disclosures, but – conversely – would love to know what goes on inside the heads of those whose form is so bafflingly inconsistent it must have a root in their psyches.

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Time to panic? Helen Duff certainly seems to think so as she watches her Bolton side plummet down the table

Throughout Bolton’s miserable New Year’s Day match against West Bromwich Albion, a fan’s banner begged for “bouncebackability”. Con­sidering that we were at home, playing the bottom club in the league and were eight points above the relegation zone, this should have seemed premature in its desperation.

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Tuesday 1 England scrape a 1-1 draw with Japan, who should have won after Shinji Ono equalised Michael Owen’s first-half goal. Sven’s not flustered: “The game today was not important. We were superb for 30 minutes but then we got tired.” Rafael Benítez resigns as Valencia coach and will shortly takeover at Liverpool. Inverness are turned down for promotion to the Scottish Premier League after failing to get the required two-thirds vote.

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