Page last updated at 23:51 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Manchester United and Manchester City have both crashed out of the Champions
League after a dismal night for the Premier League's top two. United
suffered a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Swiss Champions Basel, while City beat
Bayern Munich 2-0 but were ousted by Napoli's win in Villarreal. While
London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea continue to mix it with the cream of the
continent, United and City are now consigned to Thursday nights in the
Europa League. In the wake of Manchester's woeful Wednesday, former players
and pundits have been giving their reaction. Former Manchester United
midfielder and ITV summariser Roy Keane: "I think [going out] reflects what
United have done in truth - they haven't scored enough goals and they
haven't beaten Basel or Benfica.
UNITED FACTS
• Manchester United have failed to survive the group phase for only the
third time in 17 Champions Leagues
• United are the first team to fall at the first group stage after reaching
the previous season's final
• United last featured in the Europa League (or Uefa Cup as it was) in the
1995-96 season when they were knocked out by Rotor Volgograd
• The Europa League remains the only major European honour not won by Sir
Alex Ferguson
• Five of the eight goals conceded by United in the Champions League this
season were scored by Basel
"People have talked about the young players - you've had [Phil] ones,
[Chris] Smalling, [Ashley] Young coming in, everybody building them up but
they've got a lot to do, it's a reality check for some. I'd be getting hold
of some of those lads, saying 'you'd better buck up your ideas'. "I think
their best player tonight was Ryan Giggs. That sums it up - he's 37 or 38,
you can't be depending on him. United got what they deserved tonight. "It's
a reality check for the Premier League and I wouldn't look beyond the
Spanish teams Real Madrid and Barcelona this season."
Ferguson hit back when asked about Keane's comments, remarking on his former
captain's experience as a manager. "He had an opportunity to prove himself
as a manager too," Ferguson said. "It is a difficult job." BBC Radio 5 live
pundit Mark Lawrenson: "When the draw came out, we all thought Manchester
United had a bye. You have to say credit to FC Basel. They scored five goals
in two games against Manchester United and took four points off them. "I'm
not a student of FC Basel's history but I think this is probably their best
result ever. "There is a big difference between City and United. United have
been used to marrying the Premier League and the Champions League for years;
City will gain from the experience. When Real Madrid and Barcelona hear
about the Manchester United result, they will react in disbelief. "I think
we were all surprised when United did not sign a creative midfield player at
the start of the season. David De Gea is only 20 and at the beginning of the
season his mistakes were being swept under the carpet because United were
winning. "But he has continued to make mistakes."
Former Manchester City defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live: "When this
group stage came out United were a certainty to go through, but they have
got it completely wrong. Disastrous results at home have cost them dear and
I don't think they did enough here tonight to test the goalkeeper. "It was a
disappointing performance, especially in the second half when they never
really went for it."Questions have to be asked of David De Gea. Is he the
right man to replace Edwin van der Saar? I'm not so sure."
QUALIFIERS FROM EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP STAGES
• PAOK Salonika (Greece)
• Standard Liege (Belgium)
• Legia Warsaw (Poland)
• PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
• Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)
• Stoke City (England)
• Athletic Bilbao (Spain)
• FC Metalist (Ukraine)
• Atletico Madrid (Spain)
• Schalke (Germany)
• FC Twente (Netherlands)
• Anderlecht (Belgium)
• Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia)
Former United captain and Sky Sports summariser Gary Neville: "It will be a
low point and a huge disappointment. I was part of the last team who did not
qualify [in 2005-06] and at that point we felt we couldn't get any lower -
we hadn't won the league for three years. You have to react in the next
game. "United will be more disappointed than City. City need to improve and
progress and get used to playing in the Champions League." Basel goalkeeper
Yann Sommer: "It's incredible. A Swiss team, a little country, against
Manchester United, one of biggest teams in the world - it's crazy. But we
believed in our strength and we fought until the end, this was the key.
"Manchester are a good team, they had a lot of pressure and sometimes we
were a bit lucky not to concede, and this is a crazy night. We are through
and Manchester are out - it's super."
Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas on Twitter: "Two English teams and two
Spanish out of the Champions League. European football is very strong."
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on Twitter: "I don't agree with De Gea
criticism. He's potentially one of the best GK in the world but needs time
to get his confidence at Man United. You have to perform at your best every
game when you play for big clubs and when De Gea is at his best he is
unreal. Give him some time..."
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Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka in talks with Shanghai Shenhua
Page last updated at 18:34 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
By Arindam Rej
Nicolas Anelka will decide whether to join Shanghai Shenhua on a three-year
deal by the start of next week. The Chelsea striker's camp is in talks with
the Chinese Super League club, who are expected to bring former France
midfielder Jean Tigana in as manager. Neither club has revealed details
about the transfer fee but discussions taking place between the player and
the club include details on image rights. Anelka was Avram Grant's first
signing at Stamford Bridge in January 2008.
SPOTLIGHT ON SHENHUA
• Shanghai was the first football club in China that was independent from
the government
• Well-known former players from Europe include Ruben Sosa, Carsten Jancker
and Jorg Albertz
• Former Crystal Palace, Dundee and Cardiff player Fan Zhiyi began his
career there in the mid-nineties
• Their Hongkou Stadium has a capacity of 35,000 and staged the final of the
2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
The French striker, 32, joined in a £15m switch and has scored 59 goals in
185 appearances for the London club. But he has fallen out of the first-team
picture having scored only once in 15 games this season, with manager Andre
Villas-Boas favouring Didier Drogba, Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres.
Anelka and Chelsea team-mate Alex were told by Villas-Boas last week that
they will no longer train with the first-team squad after handing in
transfer requests. The striker would be a free agent next summer, allowing
him to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club from January. Shanghai
Shenhua club chairman Zhu Jun is quoted in Shanghai Daily, saying: "We
started to talk about every detail from the first minute of the
negotiations. The whole contract is made up of details. It's comprehensive
and complicated, involving the player's image and the commercial
cooperation."
Media officer Ma Yue has confirmed: "There'll be news very soon. In five
days, we'll definitely have news on whether it is yes or no." Regarding the
length of deal, Ma added: "In England or other European countries, his age
might be considered quite advanced. But the football level is not as high
here. We don't think it's any problem for him to play for another three
years."
ANELKA'S £86.8m TRANSFERS
• Feb 97: Arsenal (£0.5m)
• Aug 99: Real Madrid (£22.3m)
• Jul 00: PSG (£22m)
• Jun 02: Man City (£12m)
• Jan 05: Fenerbahce (£7m)
• Aug 06: Bolton (£8m)
• Jan 08: Chelsea (£15m)
He also told Shanghai Daily that the club has held "deep talks" with
Anelka's agent, his brother Claude. According to Ma, the arrival of Tigana
could be a factor in whether Anelka agrees terms. Tigana is expected in
Shanghai next week and is planning to bring his own assistants. The Chinese
club was previously called Shanghai Football Club but, in 1993, was
re-organised and became a professional football Club. Since then, they have
won two titles but finished 11th out of 16 teams last season. In May,
Chelsea hired the agency ECN Management to market high-profile players in
China and raise their global profile.
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Liverpool striker Luis Suarez charged by FA over hand gesture
Page last updated at 19:03 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been charged with improper conduct by the
Football Association over an allegedly abusive hand gesture during the 1-0
defeat at Fulham on Monday. Suarez appeared to raise the middle finger of
his left hand towards the home fans as he left the pitch. Liverpool have
also been charged with failing to control their players after the dismissal
of Jay Spearing. The club said they would review the FA documentation
before making comment. Suarez and Liverpool have until 1600 GMT on Monday 12
December to respond to both charges. Uruguay star Suarez is now the subject
of two FA disciplinary cases. Last month, he was charged with racially
abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during Liverpool's 1-1 draw
with Manchester United in October. The latest incident occurred at the end
of a damaging defeat for the Reds, during which Suarez was subjected to
chants of "cheat" from sections of the home crowd.
They barracked the player for what they saw as him going down too easily in
an attempt to win penalties and free-kicks. After the match, Reds boss Kenny
Dalglish said he had not seen the picture of the hand gesture. "If [it] is
true then I've a decision to make," the Scot added. Dalglish defended the
striker over accusations of diving and described the taunts as "scandalous".
He added: "At the end of the day, we will look after Luis the best we can
and I think it is about time he got a bit of protection from some people."
The charge against Liverpool concerns the reaction of their players to
Spearing's controversial second-half sending-off.
Five players including Spearing surrounded referee Kevin Friend after he
showed the midfielder a straight red for a foul on striker Moussa Dembele
with his follow-through after a tackle, having initially won the ball. The
dismissal came after 71 minutes, with the score at 0-0, before Clint
Dempsey's late winner sealed victory for Fulham to move them 13th in the
league. Dalglish added: "It is frustrating because nobody tells us what the
level of acceptance is. Jay had no other thought on his mind other than to
win the ball - and he did win it." Spearing will miss Liverpool's next three
matches after the Reds opted not to appeal against the sending-off.
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English clubs disadvantaged by Fair Play rules, Premier League says
page last updated at 17:19 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
By John Sinnott
The Premier League has said Financial Fair Play regulations relating to
third-party ownership of players could unfairly hamper English clubs. Some
European clubs rely on third-party deals to buy players to reduce costs. But
the Premier League, which bars such deals, has asked Uefa to look at the
rules saying they could mean that: "English clubs in European competition
[are] at a disadvantage. "Having no prohibition on [these deals] seems at
odds with FFPR principles."
THIRD-PARTY BENEFITS
• Any revenues from a club selling part of its player's economic rights to a
third-party owner
• Any reduction in transfer fee costs if it is split between the club and
third-party owners
The top-flight regulator believes that the current situation is unfair,
especially if "transparent owner equity investment" - effectively money
pumped into a club by a wealthy owner such as Manchester City's Sheikh
Mansour - is restricted. With third-party player investment prohibited in
the Premier League yet allowed under FFPR, the League has suggested the
rules could hamper its members. The practice of third-party ownership is
prevalent in South America and parts of Europe. Essentially, companies buy a
percentage of a player in the hope that, if he becomes a star in the future,
that percentage can be sold for a large profit. Some clubs have even started
selling percentages of players that they had previously owned outright. But
since the controversy that surrounded Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano
joining West Ham on third-party deals in 2006, the Premier League has banned
the practice to protect "the integrity of competition".
"It may well be for Uefa to make a decision on whether third-party ownership
revenue and cost benefits afforded to non-Premier League clubs should be
excluded at least for FFPR compliance," lawyer Daniel Geey of Field Fisher
Waterhouse told BBC Sport. "The issue for Premier League clubs wanting to
play in Uefa competitions is that they could be at a disadvantage in trying
to adhere to FFPR. "This is because non-Premier League clubs may have lower
transfer amortisation charges [the process of accounting for an asset's cost
over a number of years] as they can spread their transfer fee risk among
third-party owners."
In October, leading sports lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont told the BBC that the
Premier League's third-party ownership rules were "not legitimate".
THIRD-PARTY BUSINESS
• Benfica Stars Fund
• DIS Esporte
• Gol Football Luxembourg
• Mamers BV
• Media Sports Investments
• Pearl Design Holding Ltd
• QFI
• Sporting Portugal Fund
• Traffic Sports
Dupont suggested a legal challenge to the rule would have a "very, very good
chance" of winning. FFPR comes into force from the beginning of the 2013-14
season and requires clubs to break even, losing no more than £38m in total
over the next three seasons. Clubs that do not meet the FFPR standards but
wish to play in Europe may potentially be denied a licence and not be
allowed to take part in the Champions League or Europa League. It is also
understood that the Premier League is lobbying Uefa to consider whether the
central good cause payments the top flight makes - from broadcast and
commercial income that would otherwise be given to each of our clubs - can
be included in FFPR calculations.
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Wayne Rooney set for appeal to Uefa over Euro 2012 ban
Page last updated at 16:14 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Wayne Rooney is to appear before a Uefa panel on Thursday to appeal against
his three-match European Championship ban. The England striker, 26, received
the punishment after being sent off for kicking Miodrag Dzudovic during the
2-2 draw with Montenegro in October. Manager Fabio Capello is expected to
join him at the hearing, which is scheduled to start in Switzerland at 0830
GMT, with a decision due later. If the ban is upheld, Rooney will miss
England's Group D matches in Ukraine. On Friday, England were drawn to face
France, Sweden and joint hosts Ukraine, with the top two sides reaching the
quarter-finals. The Manchester United forward is expected to be driven about
140 miles to Nyon for the hearing after his club's Champions League game at
Swiss side FC Basel on Wednesday night. FA communications director Adrian
Bevington, legal director Alistair MacLean, and a team of four lawyers
including Adam Lewis QC, are also due to attend the hearing.
The team is also made up of a Swiss sports lawyer, plus the FA's own
internal solicitor James Bonnington and a representative from their external
lawyers Charles Russell. "We feel we have put a very robust case together
with some evidence from Wayne, Fabio Capello, from the Montenegrin player
and also from the specialist external legal advice and our own internal
in-house lawyers that we work with as well," said Bevington.
Rooney has admitted the kick was "stupid" but maintained that the ban was "a
bit harsh". He added: "It will be a bonus if it is cut by one game." The
FA's appeal has included a written letter by Dzudovic asking that the ban be
reduced. Rooney, who has scored 28 goals in 73 appearances for England, was
not included in the 1-0 friendly wins over Spain and Sweden in November. But
Capello has said his most prolific forward will appear in subsequent
friendlies in the new year, with one organised against the Netherlands at
Wembley on 29 February.
The Italian has said he is hoping for leniency and will wait before deciding
whether to include him in the squad for the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and
Ukraine. "I hope Rooney will be there. The sentence, three games, was too
much for me and I hope the appeal will help us reduce the sentence," he
said. "I hope he'll be available for the third game. I hope they understand
our lawyer, what Rooney says and what I will say at the committee." The
appeal will be heard by three Uefa members - panel chairman Michel Wuilleret
(Switzerland), Levent Bicakci (Turkey) and Ivaylo Ivkov (Bulgaria).
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Lampard in my plans - Villas-Boas
Page last updated at 07:37 GMT, Wednesday, 7 December 2011
By Phil McNulty
Manager Andre Villas-Boas insists Frank Lampard still has a major part to
play in Chelsea's future despite being dropped for the Champions League win
against Valencia at Stamford Bridge. Lampard was an unused substitute as
Chelsea won 3-0 to reach the last 16. But Villas-Boas said the 33-year-old
England midfielder is in contention to face Manchester City on Monday.
"Frank has been fantastic. We have to select 11 and he wasn't in this 11,"
said Villas-Boas. "Important players have been left out at Chelsea, players
of immense talent."
Lampard was dropped after being substituted in the 3-0 win at Newcastle
United, with Villas-Boas opting for Raul Meireles, Ramires and Oriol Romeu
in midfield against Valencia. Villas-Boas explained: "He has been in a
fantastic moment and is sure to threaten for the starting 11 on Monday. "He
is one of the greatest players in the world but this choice was three
players in midfield because of their technical ability to keep possession
and keep it on the ground without a lot of long balls.
"We know that Frank can also do this but he was not our choice for this
game. "He will come back in the future certainly. He has been fantastic in
the way he has taken these tough decisions." Villas-Boas kept faith with
another of Chelsea's old guard Didier Drogba - and the striker rewarded him
by scoring twice and creating the other goal for Ramires. Drogba, 33, said:
"There was a lot of pressure but, when you start the group stage, you know
you have to play until the last day. "We had a chance to finish top [of the
group] and our attitude was positive. We wanted to get the result. The
pressure can sometimes be positive and it was in this game."
The Ivorian is out of contract in the summer and is believed to be holding
out for a two-year deal. But he says the crucial thing is helping Chelsea
move up from fourth in the Premier League table. He added: "My future is not
important. The most important thing is to put the team back in the position
we want to be in - at the top of the Premier League. "We are not happy
where we are now."
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Andre Villas-Boas hits back at 'persecution' of Chelsea
Page last updated at 23:18 GMT, Tuesday, 6 December 2011
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Stamford Bridge
Andre Villas-Boas said Chelsea gave their critics a "slap in the face" by
reaching the Champions League knockout phase with victory over Valencia. The
Portuguese manager was speaking after the 3-0 win, claiming there had been
"persecution" of the Blues during their recent indifferent run. "My players
deserve respect they don't get," said Villas-Boas. "We've been chased by
different kinds of people and pressures. Here we have given everyone a slap
in the face." The crucial win over Valencia was only Chelsea's fifth in
their last 11 matches but it was enough to ensure the Blues topped Group E
ahead of German outfit Bayer Leverkusen, who could only draw at Genk.
And Villas-Boas took the opportunity to hit out at the media's coverage of
the London team. He feels that Premier League leaders Manchester City have
not been under the same pressure - even though they could exit the Champions
League at the group stage, having lost to Napoli. Villas-Boas said: "It [the
coverage] has been over the top. "I hope they [Manchester City] qualify for
the Champions League knockout stage but the attitude to them is; if they
qualify they qualify, if they don't they don't - we don't get that margin."
Villas-Boas was particularly unhappy at comments from former Manchester
United and England defender Gary Neville in the build-up to the match. He
added: "We see a [former] Manchester United defender [Neville] say in the
preparations for the game things like, 'I don't want to be one of the
Chelsea players today, I couldn't play this game and it is a difficult game
for them'. "This is out of this world for me, I don't believe this. This is
a continuous persecution, it is aggression towards one club.
"It is unfortunate for you guys [the media] because you have to report on a
brilliant win for Chelsea and we qualify first in the group. It is difficult
for everybody and today this is difficult for you."
Villas-Boas was elated that Chelsea not only qualified with two goals from
Didier Drogba and another from Ramires - but topped the group. "Finishing
top of the group is fantastic," he added. "It is against all odds. Nobody
would have put a bet on us finishing top but it has happened and it is very
satisfying. "The team was excellent. It was a win of human values, team
spirit, solidarity, responsibility, strength of character, resilience,
ability to take criticism." Chelsea now await the draw for the last 16 on
Friday, 16 December.
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Ukraine surprised by England 'illogical' Poland Euro 2012 base
Page last updated at 18:02 GMT, Tuesday, 6 December 2011
By Dan Roan
BBC sports news correspondent
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister has told the BBC he is "surprised" by
England's decision to base themselves in Poland for Euro 2012, despite
playing their group matches in Ukraine. Borys Kolesnikov said it would
benefit England's opponents as the team would have to travel thousands of
miles. "We are surprised by the decision but it will be easier for us," he
said. And Ukraine's UK ambassador, Volodymyr Khandogiy, added: "From my
point of view it's not logical."
Deputy PM Kolesnikov invited England manager Fabio Capello to consider
swapping the team's planned base in Krakow for an alternative across the
border.
"The coach of the France national team Laurent Blanc is visiting Donetsk [to
find a training camp], and everyone knows our bases are among the best in
Europe," he said. However, the Football Association has insisted England
will not change their training base despite facing journeys of 930 miles to
Donetsk, twice, and 540 miles to Kiev from Krakow. If England are to win
the tournament, then it is possible that they will have to cover 10,000
miles. England open their campaign against France on 11 June at the Donbass
Arena in Donetsk before returning to Krakow. They will then make another
marathon trip to Kiev to face Sweden four days later and end the group stage
back in Donetsk against Ukraine on 19 June. "Maybe England's management
should talk to Uefa and change, because in Donetsk we have three excellent
training camps, another in Kiev, and more in Kharkiv, so maybe they should
do an exchange," said Kolesnikov. "We may be a former Soviet country, but in
terms of sports infrastructure ours is better than many in Europe."
Unlike England, who made their decision to stay in Krakow before the draw
was made, Group D rivals Sweden had two training camp options, one in Kiev
and another in Poland, which they have now cancelled. Ukraine's ambassador
to the UK, Volodymyr Khandogiy, told the BBC that England's decision made
little sense.
ENGLAND'S FIXTURES
• 11 June: France (Donetsk)
• 15 June: Sweden (Kiev)
• 19 June: Ukraine (Donetsk)
"I don't feel offended. But from the pure logical point of view, logic tells
you that you should stay in the city you're playing. "From my point of view
it's not logical. It's up to them. Sweden will stay in Kiev, France in
Donetsk. "It doesn't prevent England's fans from coming, but maybe the team
will be too tired to play in Ukraine.
"I don't think they have looked. We can guarantee them the best of
accommodation in Donetsk and Kiev. Donetsk is a football city, it has an
academy and plenty of grounds."
For England fans who base themselves in Ukraine there will still be plenty
of travelling, as Donetsk is 435 miles from Kiev. Supporters wishing to stay
in Donetsk could also face problems due to a lack of facilities in the city.
Ukraine is hoping to introduce high-speed trains in time for the tournament
that would halve the journey time between the two cities to less than five
hours. Student accommodation in Donetsk is also being refurbished and made
available to fans, with camp sites created to prepare for the influx of
supporters. "Fans will be very surprised when they arrive in Ukraine," added
Khandogiy. "We still have some time to go, and we have a very intense
reconstruction process. Those people who have tickets, we will take care of
them. "It is very European, very relaxed, very hospitable and you don't
need a visa to come. I want to rule out all the stories about something
suspicious in Kiev. We can handle this."
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Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung in Hong Kong court
Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung has appeared in court in Hong Kong
accused of money laundering. Mr Yeung, who took control of the football club
in 2009, faces five counts amounting to about £59m. The 51-year-old
attended a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday. It is thought a date will be set
for the trial in the next few days.
Police arrested the former hairstylist, who is on bail, in June. He made his
fortune investing in Macau in the 90s.
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Thursday's gossip column - transfers and rumours
TRANSFER GOSSIP
New Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill will investigate the possibility of
recalling Asamoah Gyan to boost his striking options.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Fulham are leading the chase for Bristol City winger Albert Adomah. Aston
Villa, Everton, Bolton, Sunderland and Stoke are also interested.
Full story: Daily Mail
Edin Dzeko's agent has been forced to deny reports the striker is planning
to leave the Premier League leaders. Reports in the Italian media on
Wednesday suggested that the Bosnian forward had been in contact with Juve
defender Andrea Barzagli to research the club.
Full story: Talksport
Simon Cox has conceded that he might need to move away from West Brom to
fulfil his ambitions of playing in Euro 2012. The Republic of Ireland
international has remained loyal to Albion in the past, despite being linked
with several clubs last season.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger may need to promote 17-year-old Swiss defender
Martin Angha to the first team to face Everton on Saturday because he is so
short of recognised full-backs.
Full story: Daily Mail
Olof Mellberg hopes Wayne Rooney loses his appeal against the severity of
his Euro 2012 suspension, because he believes that it would help Sweden's
chances of progress from Group D.
Full story: the Guardian
Liverpool face being without striker Luis Suarez for most of January after
he was hit with a second FA charge.
Full story: Daily Mirror
AND FINALLY
Blackburn Rovers' famous blue and white halves will soon be dominating the
junior football scene in India - with 400 teams set to sport the club's
colours. Rovers' Indian owners Venky's are determined to help develop
football in their country and have started to introduce a Blackburn Rovers
Football Club league across the nation.
Full story: Lancashire Telegraph
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