Cardiff fans were prevented from travelling to Wolves, with the full approval of the League. Nigel Harris reports
What links Graeme Souness and Cardiff City fans? Neither were able to get into Wolves during January. While Souness’s takeover bid failed, Bluebirds followers were banned by the whims of the West Midlands Police (WMP) and Wolves’ chief executive, Jez Moxey.
There are no official feeder clubs in England, to the relief of Jon Spurling. But, as he reports, Arsenal and others are busy doing abroad what they can’t get away with at home
Feeder clubs are very much in vogue – and not always in the expected places. Blackpool’s Latvian director Valery Belokon is currently setting up a “farm club” in his homeland and Sheffield United, who already control Chinese side Chengdu Blades, are discussing a link-up with Sparta Rotterdam. Top clubs – Manchester United with Royal Antwerp, Arsenal with Beveren – led the way.
The financial muscle of Bundesliga clubs is hurting Germany’s lesser lights in unexpected ways. As Paul Joyce explains, ill‑regarded but well funded B teams are squeezing out lower-league sides
In December, José Mourinho dismissed English reserve competitions as “not good enough” for his starlets. “This country should look to other countries, to France and Spain,” where second teams compete in the professional leagues, he declared. He would “love to see” a Chelsea B side play in the Championship. If Mourinho looked to Germany, however, he would see that such an integration of reserve sides has proved deeply unpopular.
The Icelanders have only been in charge at Upton Park for a few weeks, but it’s already getting frosty. Darron Kirkby examines the small print on a deal that promised rather more than it has delivered
When the directors of West Ham United accepted WH Holding’s offer to buy the club for £85 million on November 21, Hammers fans breathed a sigh of relief that the focus could return to the relegation battle. On paper, the deal sounded good. Not only was the Icelandic consortium taking on the club’s £23m debt, but it was pledging a £40m war chest for Alan Pardew to spend in the January transfer window.
Tom Davies rounds up the news on clubs in crisis
Rancour is in the air at Swindon Town, where supporters are rallying around a “fans consortium” seeking to wrest control of their club, which is around £3 million in debt and perilously in arrears on Company Voluntary Arrangement payments. Fans have been staging “orange protests” – turning up in orange garb, in part because it’s manager Paul Sturrock’s favourite colour and was the symbol of Ukraine’s revolution – at games. But the old guard are proving tough to shift.