Football has long had a drugs problem but is far from alone in this and should learn from other sports, believes Harry Pearson

As I write the raging debate is whether Rio Ferdinand had his mobile turned off or just on silent during his infamous afternoon shopping trip. It seems to me that if you replace the word “mobile” with “brain” then you are getting nearer the measure of the thing. In truth, given his absent-mind­ed performances of late the fact the Manchester United defender should forget a pressing appointment with a flask is not so surprising, nor in a sense was the reaction it provoked – though Gary Neville and co’s adolescent posturing response did achieve what had previously seemed impossible, unit­ing the nation be­hind the Football Association.

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At the end of this season, the Spanish midfielder will no longer bask in the affections of Scunthorpe's support on a weekly basis.  Steve Askew pays tribute to an unusual import

When Scunthorpe United’s Alex Calvo-García an­nounced his intention to retire and return to Spain during a local radio interview in August, I stuck my head out of the window to listen for gasps of dis­belief echoing through the steel town’s streets.

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Had the English press not gone over the top, the Turkish media might have made less of the half-time row and still be criticising their own, reports  Anthony Lake from Ankara

We did not get the feared trouble among the fans, but the players decided to make up for it. The arguments and accusations have raged ever since in the media in Turkey as well as in Britain. In­itially, the Turkish press was gracious in “defeat” and indulged in a bout of soul-searching about why Turkey can’t beat England, but then, as the stakes got higher, things took a different turn, as the vilification of Alpay in England reached ridiculous and potentially dangerous levels.

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In the absence of hooligans in the stands, the press analysis of the Turkey-England game focused on violence invloving the players. Barney Ronay examines the evidence

FIST-ANBUL… We’re through despite shocking Turk violence… EVERY KICK, EVERY BRAWL: PAGES 2,3,4,5, back page & Score. The News of the World found itself in reflective mood the morning after England’s scoreless draw in Turkey. Stretched above a picture of “hate-filled Alpay” poking a naughty finger in David Beckham’s face, FIST-ANBUL captured in one idiot tri-syllable the mood of salacious voyeurism among the tabloid press in the days following Eng­land’s final Euro 2004 qualifying match.

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Chris Webb explains why the best laid plans of Brighton haven't worked out

An emotionally charged 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on July 28, 1997, marked the end of an era for Brighton & Hove Albion FC. It was to be the last ever game played at the Goldstone Ground, the Seagulls’ home for over a century. Now it’s six years on and we re­main without a permanent stadium, leaving many fans such as myself angry and frustrated as the club continue to pay the price for their lack of stability.

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