The full story of Wimbledon's proposed move to Milton Keynes has been masked by the refusal of the scheme's backers to reveal themselves. Ian Pollock reports
A special commission of the FA started meeting on May 14 to decide whether the owners of Wimbledon FC should be allowed to move the club to Milton Keynes. But while the club’s chairman Charles Koppel has become the main figure attracting antagonism from Wimbledon fans, it has been much less clear who is driving the deal from the other end.
Ed Parkinson reflects on a unique electoral victory in Hartlepool
The ashen face of Peter Mandelson said it all. As he glared across the count at the celebrating 7ft monkey in a Hartlepool shirt, it was clear that he understood his party had just suffered a humiliating defeat of gargantuan proportions. Arhur Preece, the ancient LibDem candidate for mayor, got the message too and retired from politics only days later.
After securing promotion to Division One, Stoke City part company with manager Gudjon Thordarson. Penny Stanley asks why and finds an answer
“It’s typical of Stoke,” the man said. “Only they could sack their manager five days after winning the play-offs.”“Thordarson messed up,” came the reply. “Didn’t he realise a club like Stoke are meant to underachieve every year?”
Paul Knott pays tribute to the pioneering life and times of Valery Lobanovsky
The image conjured up by Valery Lobanovsky, who died in May aged 63, was of a Slavic cousin of the Lanarkshire coalfields school of managers, glowering from the dugout. An astute and inspirational disciplinarian with a fearsome temper, he had plenty in common with Stein and Shankly. But there was also a great intellect behind the harsh exterior. Lobanovsky pioneered the use of scientific methods in coaching. Unlike many of his cerebral peers, the outcome was neither mechanical nor negative. The aim was always to complement the artistry of his players. His teams’ alliance of power with flair produced a style that significantly raised the game’s technical standards.
Paul Pomonis reports on the corruption scandal that has dragged Greek football through the mud
Although news had leaked out about a huge scoop, the extent of the revelations about corruption in Greek football made by a famous investigative reporter, Makis Triandafylopoulos, left everybody breathless. On March 31, Triandafylopoulos presented live on TV a series of taped phone conversations made during the 2000-01 season.