Huge debt, daily losses and a bankrupt chairman – Dominic Fifield recounts the sorry saga at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, founder members of the Premier League which they left just two years ago, have now been perched on the brink of oblivion for nearly a year. Over £20 million in debt and losing £40,000 every week, south London’s perennial under-achievers have been brought to their knees by gross financial mismanagement.
Despite overseeing some of the finest young talent in York City's history, Douglas Craig is not the most popular man in town. Tony Eves explains why
Distinguishing features A magistrate with an MBE, also the proud owner of a light-brown anorak which he elegantly models in directors’ boxes on matchdays (an idea that could almost have come from Jürgen Klinsmann and his insistence on driving a VW Beetle in this era of Ferraris). Active and vocal disliker of fancy dan wingers/fans/chairmen.
After much publicity, the Football Task Force released its final report. Roger Titford finds out if it will make any difference to English football and its fans
The final report from the Football Task Force appeared just before Christmas. If it were a match it would be a 0-0 stalemate and a sadly predictable one too. This was a big opportunity for fans and authorities to move closer together. In the event, each side issued separate and contradictory reports on how the game should, or should not, be regulated and passed the buck to Kate Hoey, the sports minister, who now has the tough choice of being radical or practical.
Having guided Pachuca to their first Mexican title, Javier Aguirre is affecting the world of politics as well. Simeon Tegel reports
In a sport where most professionals have no interest in politics or come from the Alf Garnett school of social justice, Javier Aguirre stands out. After coaching Mexico’s oldest club, Pachuca, to its first league title in December, the former international lost no time in reminding the country of his leftwing views.
Between acting, punditry and chat shows, does Ally McCoist have the time to score goals for Kilmarnock? Graeme Jamieson reports
Is the fairytale over? Breaking his leg against Rangers in October may have been Ally McCoist’s last act in football. Those cheery souls in the Scottish press suggested that the Kilmarnock striker, who will retire at the end of the season, would never play again. The official line is that he’ll be back after the winter break. The question is, should he bother?