The Archive

More turmoil has engulfed the biggest club in the country, who carelessly keep losing coaches. Phil Town reports on the shambolic mess that is Benfica

Consider it, if you like, a neat and timely metaphor. After the recent Benfica v Sporting derby (2-2), they began to dismantle Benfica’s grand old Luz stadium. Parts of the stand were pulled down and along with the seats and terracing went the massive eagle that kept guard over the entrance to the stadium, as well as the bronze statue of Eusébio, also at the entrance.

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Saturday 1 England draw Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria in their World Cup group, with France the likely opponents should they reach the second round. Ireland get Germany, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia. Sven offers a thin smile: “I hope we have more luck in the matches than we had in the draw.” “I must have run over a lot of black cats,” sighs Colin Todd as Fabby misses a penalty for the second successive week, allowing leaders Liverpool to sneak a win at Derby through a Michael Owen goal. Sir Alex pretends to throw in the towel again – “I don’t think we can win the title now” – after Man Utd’s 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea leaves them eight points off the top. Alan Shearer’s contentious dismissal during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw at Charlton has his manager hopping mad: “It’s an insult to a player who has graced the game.” Burnley return to the top of the First Division, beating Palace 2-1. Brighton lead the Second by three points, Plymouth hold a four-point lead in the Third, where Bristol Rovers are now just two points off the bottom after defeat at Rushden. Luton face a possible three-point deduction after calling off their trip to Kidderminster due to a flu outbreak. League investigators will visit the club with a coughometer.

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Dave Jennings gives his impression on Bradford City – years of under achievement, home supporters and what went wrong last season

Why have City underachieved for so long?
Bradford may be a big city, but in recent years it hasn’t been prosperous. Not many people have a lot of spare cash, and City have never had an exclusive claim on the sporting public. Until 1970, soc­cer loyalties were divided between two lower- division clubs: City and Park Ave­nue. The latter then lost their League status and folded four years later, but City still have to com­pete with the highly successful rugby league team, Bradford Bulls. At least there’s no dan­­­­­­ger of their fixtures clashing, as they are currently groundsharing at Valley Parade.

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Tom Davies takes a look at four clubs in the news for the wrong reasons

The controversial Tony Petty is still in charge at Swansea after winning a legal battle with the former City cap­tain Mel Nurse on Nov­em­ber 23. Trouble began after Petty bought the club from the prev­ious ow­n­ers, Ninth Floor (effec­tive­ly former chairman Mike Lew­is), for £1 in September and promptly tried to sack or re­duce the wages of 15 mem­bers of staff . “If the players’ con­tracts had been continued, there would not be a club here,” he claimed.

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Is the Phoenix League a genuine breakaway threat to the Premier League?

So, the Phoenix League. If we are to believe what the Daily Mail says, and who wouldn’t, “revolution” is afoot. Some-time soon, possibly next season, more likely in 2004 when the current TV deal expires, 14 clubs will leave the Football Lea­gue to form a second tier of the Prem­ier League, where they will be joined by two clubs demoted from the top level, together with Celtic and Rangers. 

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