Manchester City Players turn models 24 hours after cup win

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Manchester City Players turn models 24 hours after cup win The Manchester City Players walked the catwalk for charity just one day after hoisting the FA Cup for the first time in 35 years at Wembley. Many of the teams heroes of Wembley were on hand to strut their stuff at the annual charity fundraiser organized by their teammate Shay Given – Fashion Kicks at the Lancashire County Cricket, located a mere step or true from the grounds of their arch rivals the Red Devils of Manchester United.

City were led by their vice captain Vincent Kompany at the star-studded affair which saw supermodel Lily Cole strut her runway stuff. But despite all their heroics and FA Cup victory there were not champagne glasses on hand or in hands. Their Italian manager, Roberto Mancini has laid down strict no alcohol rules as they approach their last game of the campaign against Stoke, the very side they scored 1-0 victory against to raise the Cup at Wembley.

Others members that joined in the fundraiser were Joe Hart, the English goalkeeper, Joleon Lescott and Gareth Barry fellow international teammates along with Adam Johnson and defender Micah Richards. Given’s wife organized the event that raised money for Chefs Adopt a School, Beechwood Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Manager of the Month award winners for April from npower

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The Manager of the Month award for April has been announced by the sponsors of the Npower football league 1. The honour goes to Nigel Adkins, the manager of Southampton. He had brought his side to the brink of promotion thanks to brilliant wins against Charlton Athletic, Bristol Rovers, Hartlepool United, Milton Keynes Dons, Brentford and Leyton Orient.

The judging panel for the Npower Football League Manager of the Month is the former boss of Charlton Athletic Alan Curbishly. He said that Southampton were maintaining their great form and had had 7 wins from their 8 games in April. He added that Nigel Adkins was doing a superb job and he fully expected Southampton to win promotion back into the Npower Championship league.

In League 2, Bury caretaker manager Richie Barker has been named npower League 2 Manager of the Month for April.

Barker took charge in March, and went on to lead his side through a six-game unbeaten run to ensure automatic promotion to npower League 1.

npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins added: “For the club to do so well with a managerial change late in the season is very impressive.

“Barker has hit the ground running, and fully deserves the award.”

Finally, in the Championship Norwich City striker Simeon Jackson has been named npower Championship Player of the Month for April.

Jackson netted eight times during the month to help the Canaries secure automatic promotion.

His impressive goal haul included hat-tricks against Scunthorpe United and Derby County.

Sky Sports’ Football League expert Peter Beagrie sits on the npower Manager of the Month judging panel. He said: “After going more than 20 games without a goal, Jackson produced a show of true marksmanship in April.

“He began May in similar style, scoring the most important goal of his career to secure Norwich an automatic promotion spot.”

The judging panel comprises former Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley, Sky Sports Football League expert Peter Beagrie, Football League chief operating officer Andy Williamson, BBC Sport’s Mark Clemmit, League Managers Association deputy CEO Olaf Dixon and npower head of sponsorship Emma Collins.

About npower:

npower are title sponsors of the Test Match Series in England, Women’s Test Series and the Village Cup, with results appearing on the npower cricket website.

npower are proud sponsors of the npower Football League, including The npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 commencing July 2010.

npower has 6.6 million residential gas and electricity accounts throughout the UK. npower is a market leader in renewable energy and aims to help customers with their energy efficiency. npower juice matches green energy primarily from off-shore wind farms for juice customers at no extra cost.

Player of the Month award winners for April from npower

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npower’s players of the month have been announced for April for the npower Football League. April’s npower League 1 Player of the Month is Neil Mellor, Sheffield Wednesday striker.

Mellor arrived via a loan from Preston North End and in April scored six goals including important strikes against Walsall, Swindon Town and Colchester United.

A member of the npower judging panel for the Football League Player of the Month is Peter Beagrie Sky Sports football expert and he commented that Mellor’s fine scoring has helped the Owls move up the table after they started the month in 17th position just above the drop zone and are now a full 11 points above it.

The npower League 2 award for April’s Player of the Month was given to Bury Striker Ryan Lowe. Lowe, the veteran skipper, scored four times helping lead his team to an automatic promotion.

Emma Collins the npower head of sponsorship commented that his quality of play and experience has been instrumental in the team’s success this season.

“His performances have been of the highest order in recent weeks, and he fully deserves the League 2 award.”

Finally, in the Championship Norwich City striker Simeon Jackson has been named npower Championship Player of the Month for April.

Jackson netted eight times during the month to help the Canaries secure automatic promotion.

His impressive goal haul included hat-tricks against Scunthorpe United and Derby County.

Peter Beagrie added: “After going more than 20 games without a goal, Jackson produced a show of true marksmanship in April.

“He began May in similar style, scoring the most important goal of his career to secure Norwich an automatic promotion spot.”

The judging panel comprises Sky Sports Football League expert Peter Beagrie, Football League head of communications John Nagle, BBC Sport’s Mark Clemmit and Emma Collins, npower head of sponsorship.

About npower:
npower are title sponsors of the Test Match Series in England, Women’s Test Series and the Village Cup, with results appearing on the npower cricket website.

npower are proud sponsors of the npower football league, including The npower Championship, npower League 1 and npower League 2 commencing July 2010.

npower has 6.6 million residential gas and electricity accounts throughout the UK. npower is a market leader in renewable energy and aims to help customers with their energy efficiency. npower juice matches green energy primarily from off-shore wind farms for juice customers at no extra cost.

Overseas TV cash for Premier League clubs

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Overseas TV cash for Premier League clubs The amount of overseas TV rights money that different clubs receive from the Premier League is based on three things:  the team’s performance, the number of times their matches are aired live on domestic television, and equal shares of TV income.  Top teams get more TV money, but this season all the clubs will be getting more than ever before, on average £5m more than last season.

The least successful club will be guaranteed at least £37m, while the best one will get almost twice that, or £57m.  Even so, the distribution of money is much more equitable than in any of the other major European leagues.  In Spain’s La Liga, for example, top clubs earn 19 times more than the smallest clubs, payouts being negotiated on a club-by-club basis.

The Premier League’s payout of approximately £1.2 billion over the next three seasons amounts to about ten times more than German clubs receive, five times more than Italy’s and three times more than clubs in La Liga.

Right now the FA Board is working on its budget for international development, and reports are that they may cut off funds to the poorest African clubs because they feel FIFA is not being recognized as it should for its support of football in general.  The Africans seem to feel it’s because no one voted for England in the bidding for the 2018 World Cup.

St Albans City Football Club find new owners

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Following the FA’s fine on 4 February 2011, troubled Conference League South team St Albans City Football Club has been sold for an undisclosed sum to two local businessmen: Lawrence Levy and John McGowan.

Well known locally for his love of football Lawrence said “We are delighted to have bought St Albans City Football Club from John Gibson and are really looking forward to re-building it with the support of the fans and the local community.  John McGowan and I have big plans for the future and believe that The Saints will once again be the club that St Albans deserves. We would like to thank John Gibson and to pay tribute to him for all his hard work and enthusiasm for the club over the last nine years. We also look forward to drawing a line under the recent history and taking the club forward.”

John McGowan added “Lawrence and I are here for the long term and we are investing in the future of the club. We want to work with the supporters and will be talking to them over the coming weeks and months to ensure that they are happy with the changes. But we will also be talking to schools and local businesses to get them involved.”

The club played in the Conference South league in 2010-2011 Season. For further details on the club see www.sacfc.co.uk.

The FA fined St. Albans £7,500 on 4 February 2011 and deducted 10 league points.

The punishment was in relation to alleged illegal payments to players, described by the FA as financial irregularities, by the club during the 2008-09 season. St. Albans appealed, but the original decision was upheld.