Tag Futebol

2003 captain Mike Burns accompanied by several other members of the Somerset staff were present at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol on Sunday afternoon to launch the joint venture that the Somerset Junior Sabres have entered into with the Bristol

SOMERSET15-Dec-20022003 captain Mike Burns accompanied by several other members of the Somerset staff were present at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol on Sunday afternoon to launch the joint venture that the Somerset Junior Sabres have entered into with the Bristol Junior Shoguns.As part of the arrangement that the two clubs have reached Somerset junior members can gain free entry to Bristol Shogun home matches and vice versa, and judging by the reception that the youngsters present gave the idea it looks like it could be a highly successful venture.During the half time break in the Heineken Cup match between Bristol Shoguns and Swansea, captain Mike Burns was introduced to the crowd whilst a new look `Stumpy’, the Junior Sabres friendly mascot, joined forces with the Shoguns mascot `Mitsu’ on a tour of the ground.Mike Burns then gave away some mini cricket bats that he signed for the delighted youngsters, and there was such an interest in the Junior Sabres tee shirts that stocks ran out in a very short time.Since the end of the cricket season `Stumpy’ the dragon has been away on holiday but he certainly gave the impression that he was pleased to be back, and despite the rain he appeared in fine form. He seems to have grown quite a bit taller and put on some weight since September, and is already counting the days till the start of the next cricket season.Membership secretary Jo Arnold, who was part of the Somerset party in Bristol told me: "This is a great link up for the Junior Sabres, and will enable the young members of both of our clubs to enjoy top class cricket in the summer and top class rugby in the winter."Whilst his new captain was in Bristol, Somerset all rounder Keith Dutch and his wife Emma were back in Taunton celebrating the birth of their son Thomas who weighed in at 8lbs 10 ounces this morning.I’m happy to be able to report that both mother and baby are doing well, so congratulations to everybody.There are so many new babies on the scene that it won’t be too long before Somerset can field a team of Mini Sabres!

Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez as the Reds step up their efforts in the transfer market.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication La Razon, the reigning La Liga champions have agreed to sell the 26-year-old to the Reds this summer after extensive talks.

Saul is believed to carry a £60 million price tag, although Atleti are reportedly willing to negotiate a lower fee, given they are open to letting him move to Merseyside.

Imagine him and Thiago

Jurgen Klopp is believed to be in the market for a new central-midfielder after Gini Wijnaldum moved to Paris Saint-Germain last month.

The Dutch international featured in all 38 Premier League games for Liverpool last season, so his departure has left a sizeable gap in the club’s engine room.

And after impressing in the Spanish capital in recent years, Saul has been outlined as a prime candidate to replace Wijnaldum at Anfield.

In 337 appearances for his boyhood club, the dynamic maestro has bagged 43 goals and provided 19 assists for the Rojiblancos, winning the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey crown along the way.

His impressive performances have caught the eye of several pundits in the past, including former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

“What a player. I’ve been harping on about Saul Niguez for a few years now. I think he’s a major player. He’s composed, calm, great left foot, lovely conductor, he can score goals, tactically he’s very aware,” said Ferdinand.

“You can see (Diego) Simeone, he gets his teams really well set up, and he’s in the middle orchestrating and dictating things.”

However, after missing out on a place in Luis Enrique’s squad for Euro 2020, Saul is keen to begin a new chapter in his career next season.

After making just 22 league starts throughout 2020/21, Saul is set to seek pastures new over the coming months, and he could be lining up alongside compatriot Thiago in the near future, providing a Spanish core to the site, one that possesses so many qualities.

Liverpool struggled in the recently concluded campaign, finishing in third place in the Premier League standings and a whopping 17 points behind champions Manchester City.

If the club’s director of football Michael Edwards wants to get the Reds firing again, then bringing in Saul would be a popular choice, and the club’s supporters will surely be urging him to get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…LFC handed transfer boost over “unplayable” 22 y/o dynamo, Klopp will be buzzing 

Sunderland have received a definitive blow in their pursuit of striker Joe Pigott as the 27-year-old completed a move to Ipswich Town on Monday.

The Lowdown: SAFC eye Pigott

The Black Cats were one of several clubs interested in signing Pigott from Wimbledon this summer (The News).

He enjoyed a fantastic campaign last term, netting 20 goals and providing five assists in 45 matches for the League One side (Transfermarkt), and could have been the perfect replacement for Charlie Wyke.

The Latest: Pigott moves to Ipswich

However, it has now been confirmed that Lee Johnson and co have missed out on the forward (BBC).

He has instead made the move to Ipswich, one of Sunderland’s rivals for promotion from the third tier, which of course makes matters even worse.

The Verdict: Disappointing

It is quite clear that Sunderland are in real need of signing a new striker. Wyke was their top scorer last season, but he recently left on a free transfer and has now joined Wigan Athletic.

If they are not able to replace Wyke’s goals, they will struggle to compete towards the top of the division.

Pigott has 94 career goals to his name – he clearly knows where the back of the net is. As we edge ever closer towards the new campaign, the pressure increases on the north-east outfit and their recruitment team to find someone who can score prolifically. Unfortunately, that man will not be Pigott.

In other news, Sunderland fans slam this man’s comments.

New Zealand’s campaign in the triangular Academy tournament in Townsville ended with a five-wicket defeat by South Africa yesterday

Lynn McConnell17-Aug-2002New Zealand’s campaign in the triangular Academy tournament in Townsville ended with a five-wicket defeat by South Africa yesterday.The New Zealanders batted first at their own choice, hoping to maintain the record of teams batting first having won all the previous games in the tournament.However, they struggled against the South African attack. Friedel de Wet’s first six overs yielded only 11 runs, and to the normally quickfire New Zealand batsmen it was a struggle.At one stage New Zealand were struggling at 167/5. Jamie How had scored 45 off 65 balls and the consistent Rob Nicol 42 off 56 balls. Some impetus to the latter stages of the innings was given by Iain Robertson who scored 29 off 30 balls.New Zealand were dismissed in the 49th over for 197.De Wet took three for 23 off 9.5 overs and Alan Kruger took two for 41.South Africa looked to be in trouble at 17/3, courtesy of an outstanding start to his bowling by James McMillan. His first five overs resulted in two wickets for only five runs. His final figures in the game were two for 17 off eight overs.However, Davey Jacobs proved the key man in the game with an innings of 100 not out off 106 balls. He hit 11 fours and three sixes in an outstanding innings which combined caution as required and aggression when available. Gerhard Strydom gave him notable support with 32 off 36 balls.South Africa reached 198 with five wickets down off the first ball of the 44th over.Apart from McMillan, Joseph Yovich had one for 35 from 10 overs, Mark Gillespie one for 25 from seven and Jeetan Patel one for 44 off 10.

According to a report by Calciomercato, amid Fabio Paratici’s impending appointment as new Tottenham Hotspur sporting director, he already has an eye for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.

The Lowdown: Paratici and Spurs…

The 48-year-old was heavily linked to joining Spurs amid the botched talks with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte last week, but unlike his fellow Italian, Paratici will be moving to north London.

This boardroom change will see Tottenham return to the sporting director model with powers more delegated below chairman Daniel Levy (The Athletic).

As such, there have been no shortage of rumours linking Spurs with a host of Juventus players.

The Latest: Paratici wants Bonucci…

Backing previous claims, Calciomercato have now also insisted that the chief could swoop for Bonucci this summer as Tottenham plan to shore up a problem position in centre-half.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news/” title=”Spurs latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 102-cap Italy legend is certainly a big name and it is stated that signing him ‘can become a goal’ for Spurs amid the arrival of Paratici.

The report claims that Tottenham have often played with the three-man defence and hints at that also being a motivator behind the interest.

The Verdict: Quick fix…

Bonucci, as well as being a big name, has attracted praise from Tottenham favourites in the past.

Harry Redknapp once spoke of his admiration for the player in an interview with BetSafe (via The Sport Review), calling him a ‘warrior’ and ‘top class’.

Recently called up to Roberto Mancini’s Italy squad for the Euros, Bonucci arguably still has the quality to play at the highest level.

However, given he is now 34-years-old, it is also debatable that he will soon decline and Tottenham need a more long term solution.

On a reported salary of £180,000-per-week, Paratici and Spurs may be better off looking elsewhere.

In other news: Spurs could swoop for this ‘genius’ boss called the ‘very best’ in world football, find out more here.

There’s a thrilling climax in prospect at the Hampshire Rose Bowl, with five clubs still harbouring play-off hopes in the NatWest Bank Under-16 Indoor Cricket League

Mike Vimpany03-Mar-2002There’s a thrilling climax in prospect at the Hampshire Rose Bowl, with five clubs still harbouring play-off hopes in the NatWest Bank Under-16 Indoor Cricket League.Havant threw their hat into the ring with back-to-back wins over Locks Heath and Basingstoke & North Hants – a handly 23-point haul from the evening’s work lifting them into third spot.Top place could be decided on Sunday when leading pair Fair Oak and St Cross Symondians clash. But Andover, BAT Sports and Havant are very much in contention for the April 14 championship showdown.Five-wicket winners over Locks Heath, albeit with only two balls to spare, Havant pulled off a thrilling six-run victory over Basingstoke.Defending a modest 108-1, Havant had the May’s Bounty youngsters on their knees – only for West of England Under-15 all-rounder Mitchell Stokes to produce a splendid solo performance.Stokes cracked 61, but was bowled at 102-5 with Basingstoke a mere seven runs away from victory, with two overs left.Basingstoke got themselves out of jail in their previous match, with last pair Alex Hughes (33) and Ashley Taylor (16) lifting their total from a desperate 32-4 to a victorious 106 against unlucky Locks Heath.

أعلن نادي شاختار دونستيك الأوكراني، في بيان رسمي، ظهر اليوم الجمعة، انتقال لاعبه البرازيلي، فينيسيوس توبياس إلى ريال مدريد.

اللاعبون الأجانب في الدوري الأوكراني، يحق لهم الرحيل عن أنديتهم والانتقال إلى أي نادٍ أوروبي آخر، دون الالتزام بقواعد سوق الانتقالات وذلك بسبب الحرب الروسية الأوكرانية.

وقال شاختار في بيانه: “مدافعنا فينيسيوس سوف ينضم إلى ريال مدريد على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية موسم 2022/2023”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مارسيلو يتقدم بطلب لـ ريال مدريد بشأن مُستقبله

🚨 OFFICIEL ! Vinicius Tobias est prêté au Real Madrid jusqu’en juin 2023, annonce le Shakhtar. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/ZGisu9KHQ8 — Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) April 1, 2022

وأوضح النادي الأوكراني أن ريال مدريد يملك حق شراء اللاعب بنهاية الموسم الجاري.

ولم يوضح بيان شاختار قيمة الصفقة، ولكن صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية ذكرت أن ريال مدريد سيتعين عليه دفع 18 مليون يورو إذا أراد ضم اللاعب نهائيًا.

فينيسيوس سينضم إلى فريق الكاستيا على أن يلعب مع الفريق الأول عند الحاجة إليه.

يُذكر أن ريال مدريد لا يملك في مركز الظهير الأيمن إلا داني كارفاخال، ويلجأ مدرب الفريق، الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي للاعتماد على ثنائي الوسط فالفيردي وفاسكيز في هذا المركز، لذا قد يشارك فينيسيوس مع الفريق هذا الموسم.

Like any keen follower of the game, I have always understood that Lord’s is a very special cricket ground ever since I first came across the name some forty years ago. It was the headquarters of cricket, the hallowed turf, the ground among grounds and many other such exalted and reverant titles. And like any other cricket lover, I longed to pay a visit to Lord’s.In succeeding years, however I heard less complimentary things about the game’s holy of holies. Fellow journalists told me that the ground was uninspiring, others wondered what the ballyhoo was all about. Sunil Gavaskar of course had a few unkind words to say about Lord’s and this was even before his well publicised misunderstanding with a gateman at the entrance. The ground had no special atmosphere, it was alleged and the common complaint was that the members were stuffy and the staff high handed. Of course, over the same period, I also heard from visitors that Lord’s was indeed something special, that therewas a special aura about it, and its bond with history and tradition had earned for it the sacred place it has acquired in the game.These contrasting opinions did not in any way diminish my desire to visit Lord’s and see a day’s cricket. For all the opinions expressed by others, I wished to make my own judgement and last week I finally achieved a lifelong ambition. A personal trip to London could only mean that a visit to Lord’s was on top of the agenda. Of course, I planned to go to the Oval too but that remained second on the agenda.The first time I saw Lord’s was from the outside when my host drove me past the ground. The one obvious structure that one could see from a passing car was `the spaceship’ – the press box constructed for the 1999 World Cup. A few days later, I finally entered the ground thanks to the initiative taken by a member. I gingerly took my first steps past the WG Grace Gates after having taken a long and close look at it. My host graciously took me around and I finally saw the museum, the shop, the committee room, the pavilion, the administrative area, the lounge and the bars, the library, the dressing rooms and the one place I wanted to see above all – the Long Room. It was all what I had expected. Swathed in history and tradition and full of the kind ofmemorabilia that one rarely comes across, I understood why it is a room quite unlike any other anywhere. I went around the various stands – the mound stand, the grand stand, the Compton and Edrich stand and all along my mind was full of rushed vignettes depicting the great deeds enacted and the great matches played on the ground. I stayed there for long, looking at the image of Father Time and soaking in the unique atmosphere. And to complete the happy picture, I found much to my surprise – considering what I had heard and read – that the membersand staff were pleasant and even gracious. With a ready smile, they provided information and some even helped me in taking photographs at various places.Unfortunately it was not a totally happy picture. For the fickle English weather did not allow me the opportunity to see a day’s cricket on the hallowed turf. As I was making my tour of the ground, the skies were grey following rain in the morning. And with no improvement in the weather, the umpires called off play in the scheduled one day game between Middlesex and Durham at 1 pm.All good things have to come to an end and I had to tear myself away from Lord’s because of a prior engagement. And shortly after 2 pm, I reluctantly passed through the Grace Cates and suddenly found myself in the rather mundane area of St John’s Wood, staring at a residential building appropriately called Lord’s View.Whatever Gavaskar and others of his ilk might say, Lord’s has everything – a unique atmosphere, a lush green outfield, the very epitome of neatness and cleanliness, a structure gold rich in tradition and history and an aura of style, taste and elegance in the furniture. One visit and anyone would be quickly aware of being in the game’s headquarters, a very special ground and a venue quite unlike any other in cricket history. What more can one ask for?

Former Southampton vice-chairman Les Reed has lifted the lid on his relationship with the club’s owner Katharina Liebherr, confirming that he enjoyed working with her.

Liebherr currently has a 20 per cent stake of the club, having taken ownership of the club in 2010 after the death of her father, Markus.

Reed was first appointed by Saints in 2010, coming in as the Head of Football Development and Support, before later becoming vice-chairman.

Reed has revealed that he was given carte blanche to work largely alone, having been entrusted with a budget by Liebherr, and he says he never needed to double-check with her over any deals, with the decision instead made by himself.

And the 68-year-old, who left the club in 2018, has nothing but praise for the work that Liebherr has done during her time with the club.

Her 20 per cent stake, per The Athletic, includes a veto of any proposed takeover of the club, so she will remain in the background for the foreseeable future, even if she isn’t a front-facing figure at this point.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Reed said: “The relationship I had with Katharina Liebherr, is she’s been absolutely magnificent for that football club. Just when she thought she was getting some money out, it needed to go back in, and she’s done that all the time.

“When [Nicola] Cortese left, the relationship I had then with Katharina Liebherr meant that we didn’t have a chain of command that we had to get checked and double checked. There was just fantastic trust and therefore decision making was quick, easy and I could act.

“I could sit in a meeting with an agent or with a club about buying a player and make that decision there. I wouldn’t have to go ‘right, I need to go and check with the owner, I need to go and check with the CEO, I need to go and check with the chairman’.

“I could make that decision because she had trusted me to work within the budget and never go over it, which I never did. I could make those decisions.”

West Brom can kickstart their rebuild in the Championship with a swoop for Gustavo Hamer this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, the Coventry City midfielder is thought to be on a list of potential targets as the Baggies look to bolster a crucial part of their squad.

Albion’s relegation was confirmed on Sunday evening following a disappointing 3-1 defeat at Arsenal and with several key players likely to leave, new additions will be required at the Hawthorns.

The 23-year-old powerhouse has been linked with a move to Scottish champions Rangers in recent weeks. Hamer cost the Sky Blues around £1.5m last summer.

Shades of Yacob

West Brom are set to lose at least a pair of loanees in Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher, and Celta Vigo’s impressive defensive midfielder Okay Yokuslu should undoubtedly attract interest from those in the big time.

Whilst Romaine Sawyers’ future remains unclear having fallen heavily out of favour and the same has to be said for club captain Jake Livermore, who hasn’t started a game since early February.

The likes of Sam Field and Rekeem Harper could return but given they barely featured in their promotion-winning campaign, it would be hard to envisage them featuring this time around either.

This is where Hamer comes in. After an impressive debut season in the second flight, he’s exactly the sort of player that Luke Dowling should be targeting, regardless of who is in charge at the Hawthorns.

The 5 foot 6 dynamo, who has been capped at U20 level for the Netherlands, would be a like-for-like replacement for Yokuslu but he is also versatile enough to play in an advanced midfield role and at right-back – which surely draws some comparisons to ex-Baggies star Claudio Yacob.

Although Hamer has the ability to usurp his quality, thanks to his exploits at either end of the pitch.

Despite playing in a deeper position, Hamer is Coventry’s third top scorer with five goals and he’s also provided three assists. That’s on top of an average of 1.4 interceptions and 1.3 tackles defensively, and a squad-high 1.5 key passes and 1.8 shots per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder his manager, Mark Robins, waxed lyrical about his ability to the Sky Blues Extra podcast, where he dubbed him “unbelievable” (via the Coventry Telegraph), whilst pundit Ali Maxwell told the EFL on Quest highlights show that the Dutchman was the “class act” of this Coventry side.

At just 23, Hamer would be a quality addition to West Brom in the Championship and whilst it remains to be seen how much he would command, Dowling should absolutely push to sign what could be their next Yacob.

AND in other news, Big Sam must axe West Brom lightweight this summer following relegation…