Search: 'Paul Ince'

Wednesday 1 The start of Real Madrid's Champions League semi with Borussia Dortmund is held up for seventy-five minutes after one of the goalposts is damaged by Real fans jumping on the adjacent perimeter fencing. Dortmund lose the match 2-0 but may lodge an official complaint with UEFA that could lead to the tie being replayed. In the other game, Juventus beat Monaco 4-1.

Thursday 2 Chelsea are lucky to escape with a 1-0 defeat at Vicenza in the first leg of their Cup-Winners Cup semi final. "We can blame a bit of tiredness. You are never at your best five days after a cup final," says Gianluca loftily. Wembley Stadium has been bought by the English National Stadium Trust backed by the FA. Rebuilding work will start after the 1999 FA Cup Final and might even include proper toilets.

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Not only has he insulted Crystal Palace's foreign players, but Ron Noades has made some odd decisions about how to run his club. Tim Crabbe hopes the outspoken chairman can turn things around

I’m on holiday, trying to avoid news of further embarrassments for Crystal Palace. But even three thousand feet up the Alps there are rumours circulating that Palace’s would-be chairman Mark Goldberg has been seen with Terry Venables and Paul Gascoigne. A television report on the story includes clips of Ian Wright, John Barnes and, God forbid, David Platt. Later news from the home front includes a 6-2 thrashing at Chelsea, the appointment of Attilio Lombardo as manager and growing rumours that this former employers Juventus are to take a 10 per cent stake in the club. The fact that we now have an Italian speaking manager with a Swedish translator might give Rodney Marsh and George Best something to joke about on Sky but it doesn’t bother me. Here’s why.

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After again falling to win promotion, Charles Ross looks at the reasons that Wolves continue to underachieve despite Sir Jack Hayward's financial muscle

"There's been too much sloppiness and too much disregard for money.  They've thought the Golden Tit – me – would go on forever.  When I see some of the players we've bought who haven't performed, haven't had the commitment, overpaid, got their sports cars… they've let the fans down, let me down…"

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Despite three red cards at Oakwell that nearly resulted in a riot in the stands, Richard Darn feels that referees don't deserve the abuse they get 

In just 40 tragic minutes, Mr Willard, a “top” referee from Worthing, was crossed off 16,500 Christmas card lists in Barnsley. His crime was to cack-handedly preside over a home defeat at the hands of Liverpool. For most of the crowd, a bit of foul-mouthed bellowing sufficed. Others were moved to throw coins and spit. A few carted their beer-inflated carcasses onto the pitch to exact instant revenge.

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Obsessing over your team will only lead to trouble

Nothing gladdens the heart of a news editor more than a series of stories in a short space of time which can be neatly and instantly conflated into a Trend. On the weekend of March 28th-29th, football provided such an opportunity with the death of Fulham fan Matthew Fox outside Gillingham’s Priestfield stadium, the attempted assault on referee Gary Willard at Oakwell and a rather less threatening one-man pitch invasion at Goodison Park. An actual attack on a referee at a rugby league match and the felling of a linesman at Fratton Park earlier in the season were also roped to confirm the alarming new (or rather, old) development.

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