Book reviews

After leading Gillingham to Wembley for the first time in the clubs's history, Paul Scally's decision to sack Tony Pulis was wrong but not unexpected writes Paul Rodgers

The sacking of Gillingham manager Tony Pulis, while shocking and very annoying for Gills fans, does not come as a complete sur­prise. Rumours of dissent between Pulis and the club’s owner Paul Scally have been doing the rounds in Kent for well over a year now, but few expected him to be sacked only a month after Gillingham’s first appearance at Wembley in the Second Division play-off final.

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After an unhappy year in Japan and his recent retirement from the Bulgarian national team, could a move to Watford be on the cards for Hristo Stoichkov?  Mark McQuinn weighs up his options

As Hristo Stoichkov left the field 16 minutes before the end of the European Championship qualifier against England in Sofia on June 9, the prolonged and passionate applause from his adoring public showed more clearly and touchingly than the post-match eulogies what “The Dog” means to his people.

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With the possibility of expulsion from next season's domestic cup competitions, a group of Everton fans have come together in an attempt to save the day, as Mark Tallentire explains

Given the premature proclamation by the FA’s interim executive director David Davies  that Everton and Tranmere Rovers may be banned from next season’s FA and Worthington Cups unless Peter Johnson sells his stake in one or other of them, it is timely  that a group of Evertonians have already taken it upon them­selves to try to give him a helping hand.

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Portsmouth have been bought by a Serbian-American electronics magnate. Steven Morgan is chuffed, so far

The sight of grown men behaving like kids has not been confined purely to footballers on holiday this summer. Serbian tycoon Milan Mandaric’s £5 million takeover of Portsmouth has seen long-suffering sup­porters on the south coast spend the close season pinching themselves in disbelief.

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A background of Grizzlies and Stompers may prove the right preparation for Portsmouth, says Mike Woitalla

In the USA, Milan Mandaric owned teams called the Earthquakes, Stompers, Storm, Grizzlies and Thundercats between 1974 and 1999.They were outdoor and indoor teams, and covered three different states in four different leagues. They’re all dead. But one made a major impact on the American soccer landscape and another led to his investment in Portsmouth.

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