UEFA brings in common sense finance rules

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UEFA brings in common sense finance rules Michel Platini the UEFA president said that the approval last week of new financial play fair rules is the start of a vital journey for football in Europe that will lead to the stabilization of economic common sense.

The approval of the rules means that clubs that want to compete in the Europa League or Champions League will need to break even during each season in order to be eligible.  Additionally, club owners will only be able to invest £38m for the first three seasons after the regulations start in the 2012 and 2013 football season.

The aim of the new legislation is to level the playing field, but the biggest clubs in England may feel the impact deeply with super rich owners of clubs such as the Manchester City and Chelsea unable to contribute millions of pounds in order to purchase star players and cancel out losses.

During this time, the Premier League, which has turned away from any suggestion that clubs should have to pass through tighter regulation, is also introducing a new set of financial rules.

Next week the Premier League will meet in order to stamp a new set of laws that will hopefully prevent another collapse like what happened in Portsmouth.

Included in the new financial laws are measures that will permit the Premier League to withhold TV rights payments and or to intervene if it is not happy with the club’s financial direction which includes stopping a takeover, access to details of all loan deals, and the ability to assess the suitability of any potential new owner of a club.

Cheryl Cole’s quickie divorce for the sake of England’s World Cup hopes

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Cheryl Cole’s quickie divorce for the sake of England’s World Cup hopes After months of rumours about what Cheryl Cole’s next more would be she has finally ended speculation by filing officially for a quick divorce from the cheating Ashley Cole.

Cheryl stated that she wants the divorce to quietly and quickly be over so as not to disrupt England’s performance in the World Cup and is not asking for any money from Ashley.

Within the filing, Cheryl stated that she wanted the divorce for ‘unreasonable behaviour’ which is easy to understand as Ashley’s continuous cheating.  She instructed her lawyers to finish the divorce quickly so that Ashley will be free to head to the World Cup without worrying about her.

Surprising in the divorce is the fact that Cheryl gave up the Surrey mansion valued at £6m, which many people speculated she would want to keep.

The divorce is expected to be finalized before June 12th comes which is the date that England is due to arrive in South Africa.

Cheryl’s goal is to show she can support herself without Ashley’s money and seeing as she is worth millions due to her past with Girls Aloud and her current million pound contract as an X Factor judge.

The Cole’s split originally back in February when news that Ashley was cheating was printed in the tabloids.  In 2008 it also came to light that he had cheated on her and she forgive him, but apparently second time is not the charm and Cheryl decided it was time to move on.

World Cup Sky +HD limited edition boxes

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World Cup Sky +HD limited edition boxes Sky has created three World Cup Sky +HD limited edition boxes that features prints created by Actor Phil Daniels, fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway, and the illustrator Gerald Scarfe.

The Hemmingway Sky+HD World Cup Box offers the final score and date of the England 1966 World Cup embossed onto it in patriotic red.  Phil Daniels offers a collection of South African flags pasted across his.  Gerald Scarfe also used the ode to the past with a 1966 player in a retro uniform on the field with a ball substituted for a bonce.

Sky stated that those who take advantage of the offer of limited edition World Cup boxes will receive 240 hours of HD recording time so that the viewer does not miss a single minute of any of the games.

The company will air the World Cup on both ITV HTD and BBC HD but you may also want to splurge on a Freeview HD package and save yourself some pennies by avoiding the need for the subscription.

The limited edition World Cup boxes are priced at £249 each and can be ordered now.  Those interested in getting the Freeview HD recorder may want to consider the Panasonic DMR BW800 which can help offset the price of viewing a bit.  As an added bonus, the ultra bright boxes will dress up your television a bit and possibly make your home the central viewing point for the World Cup among your pals.

No tricky penalty moves allowed in World Cup

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No tricky penalty moves allowed in World Cup As of today, penalty takers will not be allowed to halt after run-ups in an effort to fool the goalkeeper, after the International Football Association Board determined that it was not proper sporting behaviour, thus making it a yellow card offence ready for when the World Cup begins.

Jerome Valcke, from FIFA stated that while taking a penalty kick players will still be allowed to feint in order to confuse the goalkeeper, but feinting to kick the ball after the run up will be an offence.

If players still attempt to feint nearing the end of their run up and score a goal it will not count and they will have to take the kick over again.

The IFAB also decided this week that the fourth official will have more power on the field and to try a worldwide experiment with goal line officials.

Valcke stated that the fourth official will be able to rule on any incidents that occur on the pitch and that the fourth official is just as important as any other official out there on the field.

Despite the move on fourth officials, the decision to allow assistant referees into a game is still a voluntary decision.

After the trial finishes, federations and football associations around the rule are free to implement the new rules if they like, but are required to at least trial it during the World Cup.

The FA’s director of football services, Jonathon Hall, however stated it is unlikely that it will make it Scotland or England because it is not practical.

Capello calls for FA to get World Cup bid in order

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Capello calls for FA to get World Cup bid in order The Football Association is still dealing with the weekend affair that left Lord Triesman without his job as chairman of the World Cup bid, and his position as chairman of the organization.

FIFA are also now involved in order to investigate allegations that the Spanish FA’s and Russian FA’s within the broadside of Lord Triesman went against bid regulations.

The mess clearly has affected England’s chances of winning the right to host the largest football tournament in the world, with Russia pulling ahead as the favorite.

Geoff Thompson, the former FA chairman, has been charged with figuring out the mess before the decision comes in December of 2010.

Before this happens however, Capello has issued a request to the FA try to figure out their position, stating that the team is still confident they will be allowed to host the 2018 World Cup given that England is a great location with excellent stadiums and facilities.

While England has had their stance weakened by recent events, many feel that Triesman’s exit will help England out down the road, due to the fact not everyone approved of his confrontational style.

Capello stated that he however did have a great relationship with Lord Triesman and regrets what happened but that England’s chance to get the bid for 2018 has not been altered, since those in charge of making the final decision will be able to see and comprehend what occurred.