Thursday 1 The Football League lose their court case against ITV Digital on the basis that the TV companies were not contractually bound to pay the full amount owed, £178.5 million of which is outstanding. The League may sue the legal advisers who drew up the contract with Carlton and Granada. Bradford City come out of administration after agreeing a repayment schedule with their creditors. Chairman Geoffrey Richmond is remorseful about the club’s over-spending: “I wish I had played it a different way. It looked right at the time though.” Dave Watson is sacked by Tranmere. Debt-ridden Fiorentina go bust, but may be allowed to restart in Italy’s fourth division.
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Stories
While fan violence may well be on the decrease, Mark Rowe says little can be read into the latest batch of arrest figures for the season just gone
In what is becoming a pre-season tradition, the government and police recently unveiled football arrest figures for 2001-02 and proclaimed their policies are kicking hooligans out. Their headlines this time: arrests for football-related offences associated with Football League matches down by 30 per cent in the last ten years, despite bigger crowds; Premier League arrests also down; far fewer arrests at internationals; the vast majority of matches trouble-free.
Lech Poznan are back in the first division and Nicholas Walton is not the only one hoping they may provide a blueprint for the revival of Polish club football
The World Cup was a fantastic opportunity for Polish football. As the first European qualifiers, the Poles believed they could make the most of a top-class goalkeeper, a quality striker and a weak group to show that, after 16 years, they were back. But the red and white painted faces vanished from Warsaw’s streets as quickly as they had appeared, thanks to humbling defeats by South Korea and Portugal. Suddenly it was back to waiting for another season of crumbling stadiums with small crowds of hooligans fighting each other and uninspired football on the pitch.
On the brink of triumph, little São Caetano are not so little anymore, and they have a lesson for Brazil's big boys. Cassiano Gobbet explains
Two years ago, when they reached the finals of the Brazilian championship, AD São Caetano and their supporters used to sing: “We’re on our way to Tokyo.” This was a joke about the yearly Toyota Cup match between the club champions of South America and Europe. It’s no longer a joke. Outperforming the big names of South America, many of whom are drowning in debt, the Azulão (Big Blue) have reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, the equivalent of the Champions League. At the time of going to press, they hold a one-goal lead from the away leg of the final against Olimpia of Paraguay and so are in with a great chance of travelling to Japan in December to compete with Real Madrid for the crown of world champions.
Dear WSC
You may not be aware that fans from Madrid and Leverkusen attending the Champions League final at Hampden Park were handed a Scottish goody bag by the Daily Record containing, among other things, a Tunnock’s caramel wafer and a can of Coke. Class.
Glenn McCall, Dundee