Ulf Roosvald spent time with Tord Grip when England's assistant coach first came to London. Here he profiles the man who walks two steps behind Sven

It was the day of calm before the storm. Tord Grip pre­pared himself by renewing his wardrobe. He stepped inside a men’s outfitters in Soho and said a friendly good morning to the shopkeepers – in French to Karim from Algeria, in English to his colleague. Two months in London had been enough to become a reg­ular. When he leaves he is carrying two bags with a new blazer, two pairs of trousers, three ties. “I’m not vain by any means, but I have to look good if I’m going to sit next to Sven­nis. He always wears tailored suits, you know.”

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Phillip Cornwall & Tom Davies debate how having Sven-Göran Eriksson in charge of the national team will affect fan attitudes

Yes ~
Who would have thought, a year ago, that los­ing to Germany could be the best thing to happen to the English game in over 30 years? But, provided that we do what is necessary against the Greeks, how else to describe the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson?

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After a tortuous and shambolic process, the final, final decision on where the new Wembley will be built is expected any day now. And the answer, as Colin Peel exclusively reveals, well be, er, Wembley

As this is being written, the announcement of the location of the new English national stadium is late. It might be another month before the choice is re­vealed, but make a couple of enquiries and it becomes clear that location is no longer much of an issue for those who are behind the decision. The rather more taxing questions now facing the “stakeholders” are: what sort of stadium will be built at Wembley and, above all, how will it be paid for? Those plucky out­siders from the west midlands were never in with a chance from the outset.

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Rangers expressed their dismay at having to play their UEFA cup third round tie in the war-torn state of Anzhi situated right next door to Chechnya. Kevin O'Flynn reports on the harsh realities  and possible implications

Few football fans had any idea where Dagestan was a few weeks ago when the draw was made for the UEFA Cup third round, let alone who Anzhi Makhachkala were.

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While the media spotlight was firmly fixated on the September 11 attacks, Swansea City acted swiftly and promptly to replace manager John Hollins. Huw Richards reports on the smooth transiton amidst financial uncertainty

If Swansea City chairman Mike Lewis wanted to minimise publicity for the sacking of John Hollins and Alan Curtis he could hardly have timed it better. The rest of the world was, of course, preoccupied by the previous day’s events in New York when Hollins and Curtis were fired on Sep­tember 12.

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