NEIL WARNOCK turned down interest from five clubs to become Leeds United’s new manager, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.

The 63-year-old, confirmed as Simon Grayson’s successor on Saturday morning, watched from the stand as his new side produced a stirring fightback to beat Doncaster Rovers 3-2 at Elland Road.

Luciano Becchio’s stoppage-time winner meant a happy end to a whirlwind 48 hours for Warnock, who the previous day had flown out to Monaco to meet United chairman Ken Bates and seal a return to his native Yorkshire.

Warnock’s decision to accept Bates’s offer came as a blow to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had placed him at the top of their wanted list to replace Mick McCarthy, and Huddersfield Town.

Speaking exclusively to the Yorkshire Post in his new office at United’s Thorp Arch training ground yesterday afternoon, Warnock said: “I have never been as popular, which is quite unusual for me.

“Last week I spoke to four clubs (including Leeds), while since then I have also had another couple on the phone asking if I was still available.

“I am not blowing my own trumpet but there aren’t a lot of good managers around and it is difficult for clubs to get the right fit.

“To me, Leeds just felt right whereas when talking to the others there were one or two things that didn’t.

“What I liked when I spoke to the chairman (Bates) was that he didn’t say, ‘Let’s talk about the possibility of becoming manager’.

“Instead, he made it clear on the phone before we even met that he wanted me to come here.

“Where the others wanted to interview me and talk about this and that, Ken just said, ‘We know each other, come over (to Monaco) and we’ll sort things out’. I just thought to myself, ‘That’s how you do business’.

“Having said all that, the biggest thing for me was the fans. It is not the financial situation because I am on a lot less than I was on (at QPR) but instead the potential to work with a 30,000 crowd. The thought makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“I remember coming to Elland Road when Manchester United played there once and I had never seen or heard anything like it. The crowd was magnificent.

“I have been back a few times to watch games and it always amazes me just how many fans keep turning up no matter how well the team is doing. That is true support.

“The place was rocking in the final 20 minutes on Saturday and you can’t tell me that the players weren’t inspired by that. In fact, sitting here with you in this office 24 hours on, I have got goosebumps.

“Everyone got behind the team and they dragged a win out of a defeat.”

Warnock’s arrival at Elland Road has led many in the game to ask whether two of football’s biggest characters will be able to work together in harmony.

One man who has no such fears, however, is the Leeds manager. He said: “I have always got on well with Ken, right from when we first met to discuss the Chelsea job (in 1991 when Warnock turned down Bates’s offer to stay at Notts County).

“When Sheffield United won 4-0 at Elland Road (in 2005), I went to see him (in the boardroom). Then, when Leeds beat my Crystal Palace team 4-0 a couple of years later I went to see him again.

“I thought I owed him that bit of happiness. Things like that, he appreciates. I am not someone who just pops up when things are going well.

“When I took over at Crystal Palace, the headlines were all about how me and Simon Jordan couldn’t work together. But we did.

“The thing about the chairman is that I think he does a lot of good things. That is not me trying to creep round him and there will be times when I’ll have to tell him what I feel is right for the club and he’ll have to listen.

“But we have that relationship where he respects me and I respect him.”

After seeing how Doncaster were able to capitalise on United’s defensive frailties, Warnock is looking to bring in at least one signing before the weekend visit to Portsmouth.

He is, however, also keen to stress that every member of his squad will start with a clean slate.

The Leeds chief added: “I have worked with Leigh Bromby and Michael Brown before, while in the past I have tried to sign (Billy) Paynter and (Lloyd) Sam when he was doing well at Charlton.

“There are two or three who haven’t been in the picture recently who know they have an opportunity now. It will be interesting to see how they react to that.

“I think I can get a lot out of Becchio too, if I am honest. I told him before the game, ‘Can you remember how you played against (Warnock’s) Crystal Palace in that (Carling) Cup game?’ He won every header that night.

“He said ‘yes’ so I asked him to do the same against Doncaster. His finish to beat Doncaster was special and I think the fans will see a difference in him, as will be the case with one or two players.”

Meanwhile, the Football Association seem certain to launch an investigation into the brawl that broke out in the tunnel between the two sets of players at the end of Saturday’s derby.

Rovers manager Dean Saunders declined to speak to the media after the game, as did both teams.

]]> 1.4264570 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:11:00 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/leeds_injury_puts_delph_out_for_rest_of_season_1_4271441

ASTON Villa manager Alex McLeish admits it is unlikely midfielder Fabian Delph will play again this season after suffering an ankle injury during his loan spell at Leeds.

Delph saw a specialist yesterday to confirm his worst fears that he is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

He suffered the latest in a long line of injury blows during last Tuesday’s npower Championship clash with Coventry.

McLeish said: “Delph is not fit. I don’t know if he will play again this season but he’s rolled his ankle sufficiently enough to rule him out (for some time).

“It’s a shame because we wanted him to go out and play regular games to see if he could get over those ailments that he’s had.

“Hopefully, if he comes back stronger in the summer then we will see a different Delphy.”

Delph, who was signed from Leeds for £6 million by previous Villa manager Martin O’Neill, had a long spell out of action after rupturing his cruciate ligament in April 2010.

He then suffered an ankle setback towards the end of last season which required surgery and this season a series of minor setbacks have curtailed his progress.

Delph played five games on loan to Leeds and {http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/official_delph_back_at_leeds_in_time_for_ipswich_clash_1_4165622|his spell at Elland Road} was due to end this weekend.

Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is available for Saturday’s game at Wigan after returning to full training following a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury.

McLeish said: “Gabby has trained the last two days and looked very sharp.”

A FAILED businessman who attempted to take over Sheffield Wednesday has had his bankruptcy extended after failing to provide information about a mysterious Swiss bank account.

The Official Receiver was granted an extension to Geoff Sheard’s bankruptcy following a heated court hearing during which he was persistently challenged over the existence of the account which he had used to persuade creditors to invest with him.

Mr Sheard told the court a laptop which held information about the account had “completely stopped working” last summer and all the data had been lost.

Lancaster County Court heard that Mr Sheard was unable to provide the bank account number, had never received any statements and had never had online access to the account.

In a witness statement, Mr Sheard said he had around £400,000 in the Swiss account which he believed he was due in consultancy fees connected with an attempt to broker a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday in 2008.

He said his fees were owed from a Swiss-based fund which had claimed it had £50m available to buy the Owls.

His statement said he could now see “that I had no evidence of the existence of my funds” but at the time the people he was dealing with at the fund “appeared entirely plausible”.

The court heard Mr Sheard, who lives in Lancaster, had arranged for David Mortimer, a friend from his local cricket club, to invest £70,000 into the Swiss fund.

Mr Sheard’s witness statement said he authorised the fund to use £75,000 of the money he said existed in his Swiss account to invest on his friend’s behalf because “for some reason Mr Mortimer’s funds could not be immediately accessed” and “there appeared to be some urgency in respect of timescales”.

A few days later, Mr Mortimer paid £70,000 into Mr Sheard’s personal bank account in the UK as a “refund” for the investment made on his behalf. The money has never been returned to him, despite him seeking to withdraw his investment.

Mr Mortimer is one of a string of creditors owed money by Mr Sheard, who was declared bankrupt in April last year.

The court heard football agent Philip Morrison, based in Surrey, claimed he was owed in excess of 300,000 euros advanced to Mr Sheard in connection with the attempt to buy Sheffield Wednesday.

Wakefield-based accountant David Harrison is also claiming an amount not disclosed during the hearing, along with a relative of Mr Sheard’s estranged wife who is claiming £10,000 which has not been recovered after Mr Sheard arranged for the amount to be invested in a bond scheme.

Asked if he had simply used the £10,000 for his own ends, Mr Sheard told the court: “I did not use it to pay off my personal debt. I used it in the way we agreed to use it.”

Mr Sheard said he had engaged a firm of international debt recovery agents called Coburn and Kuhn, based in Monaco, in February 2010 to recover money from the Swiss fund. He indicated the agents might have details of the account but he had been unable to contact them recently.

At the end of the hearing District Judge Robert Forrester suspended the automatic discharge of Mr Sheard’s bankruptcy because his failure to provide information was likely to impede investigations by the Official Receiver. He was ordered to produce more information on his financial affairs, in particular in relation to the Swiss account.

A TEAM of farriers from the United Kingdom is heading out to Egypt next month to work with neglected horses and ponies that are desperately in need of care.

Kris Parsons, a remedial farrier from Devon, along with his two apprentices, Alex Eltringham and Roland Thompson, will be joining a group of vets, vet nurses and equine dentists from New Zealand who got together to create the Pyramid Horses project.

The horses are victims of last year’s revolution. The fighting and violence on the streets resulted in a major drop in tourism. Consequently the income these horses earned by giving tourists rides around the Pyramids has been lost.

Many of the horses were already in a poor condition but now without any money coming in, their owners are unable to feed or care for them and hundreds are being left to starve to death.

One of the problems that Kris and his team will be looking at is laminitis.

This is a major problem with the Pyramid horses, caused by stress on their feet, something rarely seen in this country where our lush grass is usually the culprit. Kris will also be running some educational and practical workshops for farriers already working in Cairo.

The vets plan to spend a week in Cairo but still need to raise funds. One of the fundraisers is an auction of lessons which began on Monday and is running for five days.

Some of the UK’s leading riders and trainers have donated lessons. They include John Whitaker, Mary King, Caroline Saynor, Andrew Gould, Jill Day, Malcolm Pyrah, Emile Faurie, Sharon Hunt and Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks.

If you would like to bid for your “dream lesson” go to the Cairo Farrier Facebook page, www.facebook.com/cairofarrier or email cairofarrier@gmail.com

It is hoped to make Cairo Farrier an annual event, allowing farriers to take their apprentices to Egypt to gain experience and insight into the problems that can occur with these horses.

BRITISH riders continue to make their presence felt in the top classes at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Last weekend it was the turn of David McPherson who took the first two places in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m class.

He rode Silver Exchange 11 to victory and Leonitas into second place, with Ben Maher and Quiet Easy 4 taking fourth place.

Tina Fletcher, riding Hello Sailor, was ninth and Nick Skelton was 10th riding Unique XV111.

The two grey geldings, both 11, are owned by McPherson. He said: “My tactics were simple. I just wanted to jump clear rounds with these two.

“They’re not up for speed to go and do heroics, at this moment in time anyway.”

McPherson and Leonitas also picked up a third place earlier in the week in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45 Jumpers class.

There was a good result for Fletcher and Unique 1X who took second place in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Six Grand Prix. The American rider Reed Kessler took the first, third and fourth placings.

There were 34 entries in the Grand Prix, with eight riders going clear to go through to the jump-off.

Britain’s Skelton and Scott Brash finished 10th and 11th respectively.

Veteran chaser Amicelli and his jockey, Jacqueline Coward, should be heading for the Foxhunters Chase at the Cheltenham Festival following an impressive win at the weekend.

Amicelli is owned and trained by Cherry Coward, Jacqueline’s mother, and at the age of 13 is showing no signs of slowing down. He and Jacqueline won the Ladies Open at Sheriff Hutton recently and at the Brocklesby point-to-point last Saturday, they took a firm lead to win the Ladies Open by seven lengths.

“He’s flying. He definitely goes back to Cheltenham now,” said a delighted Jacqueline after the race.

Amicelli won the Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham in 2008 and if he maintains his current form, he will be racing there again in May.

It was a good day for the Cowards who are based at Scackleton near Hovingham. Jacqueline also won the Jockey Club PPORA Club Members’ race riding My Clementine, trained by her mother.

Cherry Coward also trained The Snurglar, winner of the Midlands Area Club race, ridden by Ollie Greenall and owned by the Hon Arthur Vestey. Greenall followed this with two further winners, riding The Wychough into first place in the restricted race and Mr Trump to first in division two of the Maiden race.

Cherry Coward’s brother, David Easterby, trained Borero, winner of the Men’s Open race for the Bannister family from Coniston Cold. Brothers Nick and Tom and their father Michael own this horse and the rider was Harry Bannister, Nick’s son. The family also had a win at the Sinnington meeting at Duncombe Park with Classinaglass.

They nearly completed a Brocklesby double with Macleod but Panama Canal and Richard Armson prevailed.

Simon Dyson believes unfamiliarity with his opponents will bring out the best of him at the WGC Accenture Match Play this week.

Dyson is in the exalted company of the top 64 players in the world at Dove Mountain, as he looks to boost his chances of a Ryder Cup debut in Chicago later this year.

The 34-year-old Malton professional has played on three Seve Trophy teams against players he mixes with week-in, week-out on the European Tour.

But as he embarks on a more America-based campaign in 2012 – which continues at the Shell Houston Open before a second Masters appearance in April – Dyson believes squaring up to the golfers he does not know will stand him in good stead.

“The problem with a Seve Trophy is you’re always playing someone you know and you get a bit pally, and a bit comfortable,” said the six-times winner on the European Tour.

“With something like the match play in Arizona, invariably I will be playing someone I don’t know.

“And I prefer that with match play, I like that feeling that they are your rival and there’s something on the line.

“It gives the contest an edge.”

Dyson will therefore be pleased to have been drawn against Australia John Senden in the first round, a player he will have encountered only infrequently. Australian Jason Day is a potential second-round opponent while Masters champion Charl Schwartzel or former winner Ian Poulter are possible third-round ties for the Yorkshireman.

Dyson has begun his season by making three consecutive cuts with his worst finish a far-from- worrying 33rd.

“I’m playing really well, I could just be scoring a little better,” he said of his strokeplay form.

“I shot four under the other week in Dubai and a 68 was probably the worst I could have done. I should have been looking at a 59.”

In an added subplot in Arizona this week, Rory McIlroy – who faces South African George Coetzee in the opening round – will move to the top of the world rankings if he wins the title on Sunday and defending champion Luke Donald falls at the first or second hurdle.

]]> 1.4271225 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:54:27 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/ambitious_campbell_looking_to_promote_rovers_bid_1_4271224

Ambitious Featherstone Rovers have elected new directors in readiness to make their first serious push for breaking into Stobart Super League.

One of the most evocative names in the sport’s long history, the West Yorkshire club have yet to feature in the elite competition since the advent of summer rugby.

Featherstone were relegated from the old Division One in 1995 and, for various reasons, have failed to advance since.

The introduction of the licence system has thwarted them in recent years, losing out to the ill-fated Crusaders in 2008 before Widnes Vikings won a spot in last March’s latest round, Rovers deciding then to not even apply.

While they have, of late, been the most consistently successful side on the pitch, finishing top of the Championship for the last two years and winning the Grand Final last season, their lack of development off it has hindered a pursuit of Super League status.

However, determined chairman Mark Campbell believes the boardroom additions which have been attracted – many elected by supporters at the club’s well-attended AGM on Monday – will augment Rovers’ bid to return to where they feel they belong when the next bid is made in 2014.

Castleford Tigers commercial manager Craig Poskitt – who has first-hand experience of what is involved in a successful licence bid – was last night confirmed as the club’s new chief executive, starting in his role next month, while local businessman Tony Lumb is a significant addition to their board.

John Readshaw (merchandising), Dave Downs (community) and Steve Godber (stadium), brother of famous playwright John, are the other fresh faces charged with the task.

Campbell sent an open letter to fans and shareholders last week entitled “Destination Super League – We’re In This Together” urging support for his vision.

“We’ve got to make our own momentum and get ourselves the kind of profile which, alongside everything else we do, will make us simply impossible to ignore,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“We’ve made progress in recent years but now is the time to really increase it; when I look at the other clubs in the Championship I know we’ve a fantastic opportunity to reach Super League. Daryl Powell and the side are doing a great job on the field but now we have to up our game as a business as well.”

The added drive and nous of those new directors should certainly help achieve targets of doubling turnover to £2m over the next 18 months and increasing Featherstone’s average crowd to more than 3,000.

Given the gritty town only has a population of a little over 15,000, it has often been thought there is simply not enough appetite to sustain a top-flight club while this year marks the 35th anniversary of their sole league title.

However, Featherstone’s rich history and tradition, plus the area’s hotbed of talent which has nurtured such greats as Don Fox, Jimmy Thompson and Paul Newlove, suggest otherwise.

“Zac Hardaker won a Championship Grand final with us and then 12 months later was doing the same with Leeds in Super League,” says Campbell.

“On Friday night, he helped them to a World Club Challenge. Those sorts of players are on our doorstep.

“If you’d have asked supporters a few years ago they’d have thought Super League was a pipedream but everyone now believes we can get there.”

Campbell says further investment from business partners will be announced in the coming weeks while, having secured two stands housing 1,300 fans each from Scarborough FC, Rovers hope to have raised their stadium capacity to 9,000 by next summer.

“The town is buzzing,” insists Campbell. “It’s good to see a club like Widnes get back in Super League; it shows it can be done.

“They went about it the right way and it obviously worked. Now we have to do the same.

“Our management team isn’t complete yet – we will strengthen further – but we do now have people on the board with the right skill sets and experience.”

Meanwhile, Hemel Stags are the second debutant club to be confirmed as part of a new-look Championship One in 2013.

The Hertfordshire outfit join Northampton in the division as the RFL continues its expansion plan.

Huddersfield Giants’ Tommy Lee is suspended for the next two matches after he submitted an early guilty plea to a high tackle on Lee Briers.

He, subsequently, did not need to attend last night’s RFL disciplinary hearing where Hull FC’s Sam Moa was given a one-match ban and misses Friday’s game at Salford.

dave.craven@ypn.co.uk

Andre Villas-Boas needed a vote of confidence more than ever last night after Chelsea lurched to another defeat that left them in real danger of crashing out of the Champions League.

Manager Villas-Boas has repeatedly insisted his job would not depend on the outcome of this last-16 tie with Napoli but, despite an improved attacking performance, his players heaped more pressure on him with another defensive horror show.

Having thrown away winning positions several times both at home and abroad since Villas-Boas took charge, Chelsea did so again to make it five matches without a win.

They may have had a complaint about the goal that gave Napoli the lead, with Edinson Cavani appearing to turn the ball in with his shoulder, but their defending for the outstanding Ezequiel Lavezzi’s double was simply shocking.

This win was no more than Champions League surprise package Napoli deserved – despite gifting Juan Mata the opening goal – with their attacking trio wreaking havoc against a defence once again badly missing the leadership of injured captain John Terry, who has been ruled out for several weeks after aggravating a knee problem.

Villas-Boas may come under fire for not starting with Frank Lampard or Michael Essien in what is regarded as one of the most hostile atmospheres in Europe.

Indeed, the cacophonous Napoli fans, swirling wind and driving rain gave the occasion an almost apocalyptic feel.

The visitors were immediately under pressure, Petr Cech needing to be alert to race off his line, and captain for the night Didier Drogba briefly stayed down after a clash of heads.

Cech produced a fine save after Cavani looked certain to convert Lavezzi’s pass, the goalkeeper just getting his foot to the ball.

Injury really did then strike when Jose Bosingwa limped off with what looked like a hamstring pull, forcing on half-fit Ashley Cole.

More brilliance from Cech denied Christian Maggio from a tight angle but Napoli were looking far from secure at the back themselves and gifted Chelsea the lead.

Drogba found Daniel Sturridge, whose cross was inexplicably flicked back towards his own goal by Paolo Cannavaro, falling perfectly for Mata to fire left-footed beyond Morgan De Sanctis.

A stunned San Paolo struggled to process what had happened, with the visiting fans finally able to make themselves heard.

Chelsea were in the ascendancy but they allowed Napoli to level seven minutes before half-time, Lavezzi given an age with which to curl a beautiful 25-yard shot beyond Cech.

Ramires should have restored the visitors’ lead when the home defence parted in front of him but he blazed over the bar.

Raul Meireles was booked for handball, suspending himself for the second leg, and there was a suspicion of the same as Napoli scored again two minutes into first-half stoppage time.

Gokhan Inler’s cross reached the far post and Cavani leant his shoulder into the ball to turn it home, the home fans letting off a firework in jubilation.

Villas-Boas refused to shut up shop after the interval and Marek Hamsik was forced to clear off his line, and Florent Malouda drilled a volley too close to De Sanctis.

But Napoli should have punished another error when Meireles gave Cavani the chance to feed Lavezzi, who dragged wide.

A desperate clearance by Salvatore Aronica denied Drogba a possible equaliser before David Luiz’s error saw Napoli double their lead in the 65th minute, the defender kicking a long ball straight against Cavani, who squared past the stranded Cech for Lavezzi to steer into an unguarded net.

Jessica Ennis has been named in the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for next month’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

The 26-year-old Sheffield heptathlete will defend the pentathlon title she won in Doha two years ago as she continues her build-up to the London Olympics.

Ennis won the national high jump and 60m hurdles titles in her hometown 11 days ago and continued her strong form by setting a personal best in the long jump in Birmingham last weekend.

Richard Buck, 25, ran a personal best of 45.88 secs to win the 400m in Birmingham and seal his place in Istanbul in the individual race and the 4x400m team.

Buck, from York, is a four-time medallist at major international indoor competitions.

Great Britain and Ireland will be represented by a 39-person team for the championships which take place between March 9-11.

Reigning 5,000m world champion Mo Farah has been included to run in the 3,000m despite losing in Birmingham over two miles at the weekend.

UKA head coach Charles van Commenee said: “This is a strong team and one that can realistically challenge for medals and make finals.”

SHEFFIELD Steelers barely shifted out of second gear as they closed the gap on Elite League leaders Belfast Giants with a 5-1 win over bottom club Fife Flyers.

Ryan Finnerty’s team now lie seven points adrift of the Giants with four games in hand, with three games still to be played between the two.

Playing the first of four games in six days, defending champions Steelers went ahead when captain Jonathan Phillips scored past goaltender Garrett Zemlak.

The home side doubled their advantage at 15.41 when Neil Clark struck and, less than two minutes into the second period, Mike Ramsay forced the puck home.

Before long it was 4-0 as Clark – so often in recent weeks left on the sidelines as the club’s ‘spare’ import – fired in his 15th goal of the season.

Jeff Legue hammered in a rocket shot on the break and a subdued third period brought one more goal, a consolation for Fife through Stephen Gunn.

The Steelers are back in action on Friday at Braehead Clan, at Fife in Kirkcaldy the following night, then back home when they welcome struggling Edinburgh Capitals to the Motorpoint Arena.

Afterwards, player-coach Finnerty admitted he was surprised Fife - who had posed plenty of problems in previous meetings between the two sides - had struggled to put more pressure on the Steelers last night, particularly with time running out for their fading hopes of making the post-season play-offs.

“Sometimes it’s tough (to get going) when your opponent - no disrespect to them - perhaps isn’t coming at you as hard as, say, a Nottingham or a Belfast,” said Finnerty.

“I did think they would come at us a bit harder but, it’s a long trip down here for them and we were able to get the jump on them fairly early which is credit to our guys for maybe taking the wind out of their sails.”

Finnerty said he was satsified with the response he got from his players following their 5-1 defeat at Nottingham Panthers on Saturday night.

“The game was almost like night and day compared to other games we’ve had recently - such as the Nottingham one,” he added. “But the guys responded well and were very professional. They didn’t get too far ahead of themselves, despite there not being too much pressure coming at us.

“It’s unfortunate we gave up the late goal for Housey (stand-in goaltender Geoff Woolhouse) but it was good to get our guys scoring again, who have perhaps been in a bit of a slump.”

phil.harrison@sky.com

Twitter: @philarra

SHEFFIELD Wednesday manager Gary Megson is swimming against a rising tide.

After four defeats in a row, ‘Ginger Mourinho’ is suddenly under pressure when, just over a month ago, he was riding the crest of a wave.

Wednesday are third in the table but the natives are still restless.

Their position would be acceptable to most other League One clubs but not to the Owls.

What makes the situation so hard for them to stomach is that arch-rivals Sheffield United have second spot.

The in-form Blades are now five points clear of the Owls and have two games in hand.

Defeat in the Steel City derby this weekend would leave the Owls needing an extraordinary run to catch up and avoid the play-offs.

Yet no one is feeling more frustrated than Megson.

The Owls manager is a dyed-in-the-wool ‘Wednesdayite’ who grew up in Stannington watching his father Don play for the club. Megson made more than 250 appearances for Wednesday during two separate spells as a player and is as biased in his opinions about the Owls as any long-serving season ticket holder.

The rumour mill shot into over-drive at the start of the week after the Owls lost to bottom of the table Chesterfield.

Megson’s position, it was suggested, looked vulnerable but chairman Milan Mandaric kept his finger off the panic button. For now.

So just why is Megson under fire?

At the start of 2012, he was being hailed as a hero on matchdays and his confidence was sky high.

The Owls knocked West Ham United out of the FA Cup – with Megson insisting it was ‘no giant-killing’ – and then had the opportunity to move within two points of leaders Charlton Athletic when the clubs met at Hillsborough.

But a 1-0 defeat to the Addicks signalled the start of a slide.

There have been growing mutterings from a minority of Owls supporters but the majority have kept the faith. Across the city, Blades supporters are revelling in it.

They frequently mock Megson’s penchant for using the word ‘massive’ to describe his own club. He even referred to Wednesday as the ‘Real Madrid of League One’ in one interview.

Internet jokers have started telling Wednesday to ‘mind the massive gap’ in the table.

Why has it gone wrong for the Owls? And can a team that won 15 games out of 20 a few months ago recover its form before it is too late?

There were two key departures from Hillsborough last month – wingers Ben Marshall and James Tavernier – and replacing them has been a problem.

Megson was desperate to keep Marshall, a revelation on loan from Stoke, but he joined Leicester who offered more money and a higher level of football.

Tavernier was on loan from Newcastle United but they blocked a request to extend the deal as they felt he should be playing at full-back.

Since losing both players, Megson has employed several alternatives on the flanks but Wednesday have lost the balance they had with them.

Jermaine Johnson briefly stepped up to the plate and scored some stunning goals but does not provide the same level of service to the strikers. He has now suffered a knee injury and may be facing weeks on the sidelines.

Midfielder John Bostock, once a teenager with the world at his feet, has disappointed since moving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and Mike Jones, a winger signed from Bury, has struggled to get in the side.

Megson will hope the capture of Reading’s Michail Antonio can help revive things.

Yesterday’s arrival of the winger, who rejected a move north in November, is a timely boost going into the derby but the flanks are not the only area where the team could do with a lift.

Another decent acquisition in the loan market, perhaps a proven goalscoring midfielder, would underline Wednesday’s ambition at a time when it is most needed.

Chairman Mandaric is now free from the distraction of his legal battles and last week stressed his commitment to the cause. But it will not have escaped his attention that Megson has talked enviously about the spending power of other clubs. Such comments rarely impress club chairmen and Mandaric hardly deserves criticism for his investments at Hillsborough.

There are still 14 games to play and, understandably, some Owls supporters are looking nervously over their shoulders.

Huddersfield Town, MK Dons and Stevenage can all go above the Owls if they win their games in hand which brings a danger of slipping out of the play-off zone, but that is the worst-case scenario.

If the Owls pull off a victory on Sunday – and the formbook goes out of the window in derbies – Megson will be a hero again and talk will return to the team’s strengths rather than weaknesses.

Football is such a fickle game.

]]> 1.4271106 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:36:47 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/warburton_is_back_to_lead_at_twickenham_1_4271105

Sam Warburton has recovered from injury and will captain Wales when they bid for the Triple Crown against Six Nations title rivals England at Twickenham on Saturday.

The Cardiff Blues flanker missed Wales’ 27-13 victory over Scotland 10 days ago due to a thigh problem that forced him off at half-time against Ireland in Dublin a week earlier.

He replaces Aaron Shingler in the back row, while fit-again lock Alun-Wyn Jones is preferred to Ryan Jones and hooker Ken Owens gains his first Wales start.

Owens, who made his Test debut during last autumn’s World Cup campaign, is promoted off the bench as calf muscle strains sideline both Huw Bennett and Matthew Rees.

Sale Sharks forward Andy Powell drops off the bench and there is no place in the matchday 22 either for Shingler or lock Lou Reed.

The Wales back division is unchanged for the third successive Six Nations game, with wing George North having shrugged off an ankle injury.

Alun-Wyn Jones, meanwhile, has not played Test rugby since the World Cup because of a toe injury, but he returns to win his 60th cap.

Keith Fahey scored his first goal since August as ruthless Birmingham stretched their unbeaten run to 16 games to move up to third in the npower Championship as Barnsley were brushed aside at Oakwell.

In-form Blues showed no signs of fatigue in their 44th game of the season as they followed up their impressive FA Cup draw at Chelsea with a deserved victory against Keith Hill’s side.

Chris Burke set the ball rolling with an early opener which was deflected in off Tykes captain Rob Edwards and the impressive Fahey was also on target in the first half after Barnsley’s leading scorer Craig Davies’s 10th goal of the season had brought the home side level.

Substitute Nathan Redmond sealed the points for Chris Hughton’s side with a third goal after great work from Fahey and Burke to leave Blues five points behind second-placed Southampton with a game in hand.

It took Blues just six minutes to take the lead, with Marlon King capitalising on a mistake from Jim McNulty on the touchline and cutting the ball back for Burke, whose goal-bound left-foot shot was deflected in off the head of centre-half Edwards.

But the Tykes were level 18 minutes in, when debutant David Cotterill looked to be upended in the penalty area but after referee Carl Boyeson waved play on the winger picked himself up to cut the ball back for Davies, who drilled home with a clinical right-foot finish.

Burke was giving Tykes left-back Jay McEveley a torrid time and the winger fired over the bar before the impressive Fahey swivelled and fired the visitors back in front with a venomous left-foot drive from 20 yards which went in off the far post.

Barnsley’s leading scorer Davies was proving to be a handful for the Birmingham defence and the summer signing from Chesterfield had his head in hands 10 minutes before half-time when his measured right-foot strike rattled the crossbar.

Barnsley were struggling to contain Burke and the former Cardiff man foxed McEveley with an exquisite piece of skill but his cross was deflected away from King as the striker prepared to pull the trigger.

Blues midfielder Jordon Mutch had a lucky escape when he sliced a tame corner from the right just wide of his own goal.

But Hughton’s side gave themselves some breathing space with a third goal 13 minutes from time after a brisk break which involved Fahey and Burke, the two best players on the park.

Irish midfielder Fahey was the architect, with a raking long-range pass into the path of Burke and he crossed to the back post where the onrushing Redmond finished emphatically with his left foot just four minutes after coming on as Blues sauntered to a fifth consecutive away win.

Barnsley: Steele, Wiseman, Edwards, McNulty, McEveley (Golbourne 73), Cotterill (O’Brien 61), Digby, Smith (Tonge 73), Done, Dagnall, Davies. Unused substitutes: Preece, Gray.

Birmingham: Myhill, Spector (Ibanez 90), Davies, Caldwell, Murphy, Burke, Mutch, Fahey, Gomis (Redmond 73), Elliott, King (Rooney 73). Unused substitutes: Doyle, Jervis.

Referee: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).

West Ham survived the 56th-minute sending-off of Robert Green – and the handicap of having no substitute goalkeeper – to thrash Blackpool 4-1 at Bloomfield Road and return to the top of the Championship.

Green was dismissed for hauling down Roman Bednar with his side 2-1 ahead and midfielder Henri Lansbury was forced to take over in the net, but Sam Allardyce’s side eventually eased home to leapfrog Southampton in the table. James Tomkins and Nicky Maynard put Hammers ahead before Kevin Phillips responded for the home side on the stroke of half-time.

Goals from Gary O’Neil and Ricardo Vaz Te secured victory.

Chris Powell’s Charlton extended their lead at the top of League One to seven points but were left frustrated after having to settle for a 1-1 draw against lowly Rochdale at The Valley. Nicky Adams stunned the hosts by firing Dale into a 53rd-minute lead but it lasted just three minutes before Yann Kermogant blasted a free-kick equaliser.

Dean Bowditch scored both goals as MK Dons consolidated fifth place with a 2-1 win over Bury.

Florent Cuvelier’s goal saw Walsall leapfrog Scunthorpe with a 1-0 win at Glanford Park.

Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon took advantage of slip-ups by rivals Cheltenham and Southend to clamber to the League Two summit with a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury.

YORK City defender Ben Gibson is targeting double Wembley glory during his loan spell from Middlesbrough.

The Minstermen host play-off rivals Gateshead tonight in the Blue Square Premier before visiting Grimsby Town on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

The Minstermen are currently fourth in the table, six points clear of Gateshead who are eighth, with this season’s play-off final being staged at Wembley.

Gibson, who made his debut against Stockport County last weekend, said: “Playing at Wembley would appeal to any footballer. That’s always your dream growing up and we’ve got two opportunities to go there.”

Still only 19, Gibson made his Championship debut for Boro last season but spent the first four months of this season on loan with League Two strugglers Plymouth Argyle.

“Plymouth were in administration when I was there so they had a limited squad,” he commented. “The squad here is bigger, more experienced and talented although Plymouth are sorting that out now.

“I know being fairly local to York that the club is a bit of a sleeping giant. They are definitely a Football League club who shouldn’t be in non-League football. Hopefully, if we go on a good run of results, we will be able to sort that out.”

Bradford City have reduced admission price to just £1 for Saturday’s vital home game against Hereford as they desperately try to steer clear of the League Two relegation zone.

Joint-chairman Julian Rhodes hopes the drastic cut in ticket cost will help encourage a bumper crowd at Valley Parade for when the visitors – just four points below them – arrive.

A similar deal saw City entice a crowd of 15,332 for their 3-2 win over Stockport this time last year.

“We need to have every advantage we possibly can and one of those is to get as many people in as possible,” said Rhodes.

Fans must buy their £1 tickets in advance before midday on Saturday.

Rotherham United extended their unbeaten run to four games with a hard-fought point at bogey ground Gillingham.

Seeking their first win in the Priestfield Stadium in more than 20 years, the Millers gave as good as they got against their play-off rivals but were unable to force a winner in a strong finish.

Rhys Taylor was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the first half. He foiled Jo Kuffour, who was clean through, and then blocked Gavin Tomlin in another one-on-one situation, with Curtis Weston prodding the rebound wide.

Jack Evans also had the goalkeeper scrambling to divert a 30-yard drive.

After weathering the pressure, the Millers were unlucky not to go ahead on 36 minutes when Danny Harrison’s goalbound header hit team-mate Lewis Grabban’s hand on its way into the net and the ‘goal’ was disallowed.

In-form striker Shaun Harrad, seeking his fourth goal in as many games, saw a close-range blaste kept out by defiant defending from Connor Essam.

The visitors were thrust back on their heels early in the second half and had to work hard to protect their goal, with Michael Raynes, Johnny Mullins and even striker Alex Revell all popping up with important clearances.

The last half hour was a different story though as Rotherham finished the better and forced several close calls.

Leading scorer Grabban had a chance from a tight angle as the balance of play evened out and the industrious Sam Wood and Revell both caused worrying moments as the home side clung on.

Gillingham: Gazzaniga; Evans, King, Essam, Jackman (Lee 72); Whelpdale, Payne, Weston, Kuffour; Kedwell, Tomlin. Unused substitutes: Richards, Martin, Montrose, Hawkes.

Rotherham United: R Taylor; Bradley, Raynes, Mullins, Griffiths; Grabban, J Taylor, Harrison, Wood; Harrad (Warne 57), Revell. Unused substitutes: Tonge, Cresswell, Pringle, Warrington.

Referee: A Woolmer (Northants).

Dundee United moved into the top six of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League last night with a crushing 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock.

]]> 1.4271072 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:25:34 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/tevez_issues_apology_to_city_over_his_behaviour_1_4271064

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has apologised “sincerely and unreservedly” for his conduct in recent months.

The Argentinian has also withdrawn his appeal against City’s fine of six weeks’ wages for gross misconduct, which was due to be heard by the Premier League in the coming days.

Tevez sparked a dispute with the club when he refused to warm up during the Champions League loss at Bayern Munich in September and then spent more than three months in Argentina without permission.

The 28-year-old reported back to the club last week after failing to secure a move during the January transfer window and says he now wants to fight for a place in the team.

Manager Roberto Mancini had long maintained he would only consider Tevez for selection again after an apology.

In a statement released by City last night, Tevez said: “I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to everybody I have let down and to whom my actions over the last few months have caused offence.

“My wish is to concentrate on playing football for Manchester City Football Club.”

City have no injury concerns for the second leg tie against Porto tonight.

Pontus Wernbloom made Real Madrid pay for a string of misses as CSKA Moscow pinched an improbable 1-1 draw when they looked certain to head to the Bernabeu behind in the Champions League last-16 tie.

Wernbloom scored in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the match, cancelling out Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half strike for Madrid.

Former Everton and Rangers defender David Weir rejoined the Merseyside club in a coaching capacity yesterday – and then immediately played for the reserves.

Everton announced the 41-year-old had taken up a post at Goodison Park that will also see him eligible to play for the second string.

Weir left Rangers last month to pursue other options and, after training with Sheffield United, has now taken up an opportunity to begin his coaching career with Everton’s reserve and Academy players.

‘IF at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,’ is a proverb that could have been coined for Hull City midfielder Paul McKenna’s quest to reach the Premier League.

Or, at least that would be true if it contained an extra five mentions of the word ‘try’ with the 34-year-old currently bidding to make it seventh time lucky in his attempts to take that final step up to the top flight.

After being on the losing side half a dozen times in the Championship play-offs when sporting the colours of Preston North End and Nottingham Forest, McKenna is once again homing in on the promotion deciders with the Tigers.

Victory tonight over Brighton & Hove Albion will be enough to push Hull back into the top six and further raise hopes in the East Riding that the club could be on their way back to the top.

For McKenna, Hull’s impressive season is further vindication of the decision to move north last summer from the City Ground in the hope of finally ending his play-off jinx.

“I am enjoying my football more than ever,” says the vastly-experienced midfielder.

“Hull has been a nice place to come and play football.

“The stadium is first class and we have done well on the pitch, which really helps. We are as good a team as there is in the league.

“I certainly don’t believe there is a better team at passing it than us. It is why I am enjoying it so much. No one wants to be struggling in the league but we have been at the right end most of the season. Long may it continue.”

Providing Hull’s good form does continue, another tilt at winning promotion amid the high drama of the play-offs may be in the offing for McKenna.

“If we get to the play-offs, maybe I should sit them out as I am a bad omen,” he says with a big smile. “No, seriously, we don’t like talking about it too much.

“No one here gets carried away as we all realise that two or three losses could have us looking over our shoulders instead of looking at the top.

“I am not one to talk in the papers about this or that. We are just trying to keep our heads down. If we are still there in 10 games’ time, we can think about it but not now.

“It is better to wait until the end of March before we assess where we are at.”

Wise words, of course, for Hull, not least because Nick Barmby’s side face a gruelling schedule of nine games in 30 days next month. It does not, though, preclude discussion about his past experiences in the play-offs, which began in 2001 when Preston lost 3-0 to Bolton Wanderers in the First Division final.

Four years later, North End lost to West Ham, again at the Millennium Stadium, while 12 months after that it was Leeds United’s turn to end any hopes the Lancashire club had of reaching the Premier League with a 3-1 aggregate win in the semi-finals.

More disappointment followed in 2009 when Sheffield United beat Preston over two legs, while even McKenna’s switch to Nottingham could not bring about a change of fortune with Blackpool and then Swansea City beating Forest in the past two seasons.

The Hull midfielder said: “Obviously, it is a shame to miss out like I have. The two finals were bitterly disappointing. In the first one, I don’t think we were ever going to beat Bolton as they were a top side.

“They proved that by staying in the Premier League. West Ham was the one that left a bitter taste because we had beaten them twice in the league that season.

“We were confident going into the game. But we didn’t handle the occasion and they did. That is what the play-offs are about, the big pressure games in front of sell-out crowds. There is so much at stake and the ones who handle it best come out on top.”

On his hopes of finally making the step up to the Premier League, McKenna added: “Obviously, it has always been my ambition. I am 34 now and sometimes you think, ‘Maybe my time has gone.’ But then I have come here and things have gone well.

“If Hull make it (to the play-offs), that would be four years on the bounce with three different clubs. That is quite a record.”

McKenna’s influence at the heart of the Hull midfield has grown as the season has gone on, particularly in terms of him providing a vital extra defensive barrier in front of the back four.

That has undoubtedly been a factor in Hull having kept clean sheets in each of their last five league games. One more against Brighton will mean the setting of a new club record and a further boost to Hull’s promotion hopes.

McKenna said: “If we can get a good result against Brighton it can help us by giving us a cushion for the weekend when we don’t have a game. It would leave us with 10 days to get ourselves ready for the onslaught of March.

“The Championship is very tight, and probably tighter than I thought it would be at this stage. Usually, by mid-February there are real gaps appearing in the table but that hasn’t happened.”

Last six games: Hull City WWLDWD, Brighton & Hove Albion WDWWDL.

Last time: Hull City 2 Brighton & Hove Albion 0; August 20, 2005; Championship.

Referee: C Berry (Surrey).

Marvin Emnes scored twice as Middlesbrough made it back-to-back wins to keep their promotion bid on track.

The Dutch striker took his tally for the season to 14 with a first-half brace to sink shot-shy Millwall.

The Teessiders had slipped out of the npower Championship play-off spots after a run of seven games without a win, but they followed up their weekend victory over Nottingham Forest with another three points.

Millwall had scored just once in the league at home since November and did not remotely look like adding to that tally until Darius Henderson struck against the run of play before half-time.

But they could not find a leveller despite a spirited second-half performance, and a late strike from substitute Curtis Main condemned them to another defeat.

Boro could have been three up in the opening five minutes but for some wayward finishing.

Lukas Jutkiewicz fired narrowly wide before his scuffed effort in front of goal was clawed away by David Forde and Emnes headed Barry Robson’s cross over.

The goal they had threatened duly arrived in the 14th minute from another corner by Robson.

Unmarked Rhys Williams hooked the ball back towards goal from the corner of the six-yard box and Emnes deflected it past the unsighted Forde.

While there was a touch of fortune about Emnes’s first goal, there was nothing lucky about his second in the 38th minute.

Emnes collected Robson’s pass 35 yards out, skipped past Harry Kane’s challenge on the edge of the area and thumped a superb low shot past Forde.

Boro wrapped up the points four minutes from time when Julio Arca crossed and teenager Main crashed a powerful shot past Forde and high into the net.

Millwall: Forde, Smith, Robinson, Lowry, Barron (Dunne 46), Feeney (Henry 85), Trotter, Wright (Abdou 46), Kane, Keogh, Henderson. Unused substitutes: Allsop, N’Guessan.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Bates, Hines, Bennett, Haroun (Main 65), Rhys Williams, Robson (McMahon 86), Arca, Jutkiewicz, Emnes (Smallwood 82). Unused substitutes: Ogbeche, Martin.

Referee: J Linnington (Isle of Wight).

]]> 1.4271060 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:21:37 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sheffield_wednesday_bolster_squad_ahead_of_steel_city_derby_1_4269870

SHEFFIELD Wednesday have announced the capture of Reading winger Michail Antonio on loan until the end of the season.

Antonio, 21, is expected to make his debut against Sheffield United in Sunday’s Steel City derby at Hillsborough.

Manager Gary Megson wanted to sign Antonio three months ago but the player rejected the move because his partner was due to give birth.

Megson revived his interest after Jermaine Johnson suffered a knee injury against Chesterfield at the weekend.

He will officially start his loan on Friday.

Read Wednesday’s Yorkshire Post as Ian Appleyard’s puts the spotlight on Gary Megson.

]]> 1.4269870 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:36:35 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/mandaric_quashes_megson_dismissal_rumours_at_sheffield_wednesday_1_4268201

SHEFFIELD Wednesday chairman Milan Mandaric has dismissed rumours that manager Gary Megson is leaving the club.

The Owls suffered a fourth consecutive defeat when beaten by bottom of the table Chesterfield at the weekend but Mandaric said: “He is our manager and at the moment we have no other plans.”

Mandaric confirmed that he had met Megson yesterday but stressed that it was not for talks about his future.

It is understood the Owls’ boss is keen to progress a loan deal for Reading winger Michail Antonio before this weekend’s Steel City derby against Sheffield United after losing winger Jermaine Johnson to a knee injury.

Former Wednesday academy director Clive Baker has died, aged 74.

Baker spent 20 years with the Owls and was a member of the club’s backroom staff under managers Howard Wilkinson, Ron Atkinson, Trevor Francis and David Pleat.

He was appointed academy director in 1998 before retiring in 2004.

Devastated Castleford Tigers head coach Ian Millward has revealed his healthy teenage son Robbie tragically died following a massive heart attack.

The 19-year-old passed away on Sunday evening from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, just hours after being taken ill at the family home in Leigh.

Australian Mr Millward was flying back from the West Yorkshire rugby league club’s 28-20 defeat against Catalan Dragons in Perpignan, France when he heard his son had collapsed.

He is now on compassionate leave but issued a statement yesterday saying: “On behalf of all our family, we would like to thank everybody for their kind messages of support, especially the Rugby League family from both the UK and Australia.

“The messages have been of comfort in this time of great sadness.

“Robbie was a healthy young boy who died from a condition called Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, which comprises of a massive heart attack; the sudden nature of his death is making it even harder for us to deal with.

“We ask that journalists allow us the space and time needed to come to terms with the loss of Robbie.

“Instead of flowers, we ask any well-wishers to donate to the British Heart Foundation.”

Mr Millward, 51, had only taken charge at Castleford last September and is most well-known for his successful time at St Helens where he won Super League, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge titles.

His son regularly attended matches with him during those halcyon days and the awful news has shocked the whole game.

Rugby Football League chairman Richard Lewis said: “On behalf of the whole Rugby League community I would like to express our deepest sympathy to Ian, his family and Robbie’s friends at this terrible news.

“The thoughts of everyone involved in the sport are with the Millward family and friends at this very sad time.”

Castleford players who featured in their Super League loss at the weekend were on a day off yesterday but injured players were at the club for treatment amid a numb sense of disbelief.

Assistant coach Stuart Donlan, who came to Wheldon Road from previous club Leigh with Millward, will take charge indefinitely along with the rest of the Castleford backroom team.

Tigers captain Danny Orr and other senior players will also help manage team affairs in the head coach’s absence

Castleford host Challenge Cup holders Wigan Warriors – one of Millward’s former clubs – on Sunday and, depending on the family’s wishes, are likely to hold a minute’s silence.

Robbie’s death comes just a week after 18-year-old Harrogate Town footballer Alex Emmett, from Follifoot, North Yorkshire, died in similar circumstances.

]]> 1.4267077 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:12:39 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sportstalk_managerial_changes_at_leeds_united_and_huddersfield_town_the_steel_city_derby_and_saluting_leeds_rhinos_1_3134205

The managerial merry-go-round has gone in to overdrive in West Yorkshire, with Warnock, Clark and Grayson sending everyone dizzy. Download to your iPod or listen online to this Yorkshire Post podcast.

HOW TO LISTEN:

{http://video.jpress.co.uk/editorial/YPOS/SportsTalkFeb20.mp3|SIMPLY CLICK HERE TO PLAY NOW | Play now} or, if you prefer,{http://www2.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/yp_movies/SportsTalkFeb20.mp3|DOWNLOAD FOR LATER (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)|Download}

Chief football correspondent Richard Sutcliffe joins us to give his verdict on the appointment of Neil Warnock at Leeds, the impending recruitment of Simon Grayson at Huddersfield Town, and the Terriers’ decision to sack Lee Clark.

Plus Richard sets the scene ahead of the Steel City derby and gives his thoughts on which Sheffield team will prevail.

And Dave Craven salutes rugby league and Yorkshire’s world champions, the Leeds Rhinos, and gives his thoughts on the rest of Super League’s storylines.

Nick Westby hosts SportsTalk from the Yorkshire Post.

{http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/audio-video/sportstalk-podcast|Visit our SPORTS TALK HOME PAGE with full programme archive and options to receive programmes automatically|SportsTalk home page}

ALSO HEAR: Six Nations preview with Dave Craven, Nick Westby, Stuart Lancaster, Tom Palmer, Charlie Hodgson and Calum Clark.

{http://video.jpress.co.uk/editorial/YPOS/SportsTalkFeb2RU.mp3|SIMPLY CLICK HERE TO PLAY NOW | Play now} or, if you prefer,{http://www2.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/yp_movies/SportsTalkFeb2RU.mp3|DOWNLOAD FOR LATER (Right-click and choose Save Target As...)|Download}

Danny Hall tracks down former Blades hero Alan Kelly for his view on where the derby will be won or lost

SHEFFIELD United legend Alan Kelly believes Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has come back “better than ever” after his error in the last Steel City derby.

As United prepare for the short journey to Hillsborough on Sunday, Kelly believes that Simonsen’s experience will prove crucial as Danny Wilson’s men aim to continue their push for automatic promotion back to the Championship.

Veteran stopper Simonsen, 32, came under fire from large sections of the Bramall Lane crowd in October as United threw away a two-goal lead against their fiercest rivals, who scored twice in the last eight minutes.

Stephen Quinn and Ched Evans had put United 2-0 up within the first 20 minutes at Bramall Lane – but Gary Madine broke the home side’s hearts with a dramatic equaliser after Simonsen came for a cross and was beaten to the ball.

Subsequent inconsistent displays – in a 4-2 win at Preston North End and a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient – led United manager Wilson to drop Simonsen from his starting XI, instead playing teenage understudy George Long.

But since being restored to the United starting line-up, Simonsen has been in imperious form and the recent hard-fought 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town – in which he produced stunning saves to deny Danny Ward and Oscar Gobern – was his fourth clean sheet in five League One games.

Simonsen will once again be tested aerially against Wednesday but Kelly, who spent seven years at Bramall Lane after arriving from Preston, believes that he will be able to cope.

“Every mistake you make as a goalkeeper is scrutinised, and more often than not they result in conceding goals,” Kelly, 43, told the Yorkshire Post.

“Goalkeepers know this every time they go out onto the pitch. I am biased, obviously, but it really is the hardest position to play – and especially in derby games.

“The occasion puts massive pressure on players, and goalkeepers in particular.

“But Steve is experienced enough to handle it, of that there is no doubt. He was left out for a while, and now he’s come back better than ever.

“Of course, he’ll be determined to put things right after the last derby, but he’d have been determined to do well for his team anyway. It’s just important he puts that out of his mind and doesn’t let himself get carried away – if he does that, then he risks letting down the team, the club and the fans.

“It’s a goalkeeper’s job to be that calming voice on the pitch and, if you’re called upon, give your team a chance to nick a point and maybe even all three.”

With both Sheffield teams firmly in the promotion mix – United occupy second position on 62 points while Wednesday sit in third on 57 – the 127th competitive meeting between the two rivals will be one of the most eagerly anticipated in recent memory, and over 35,000 fans are expected.

During a spell at Preston’s Centre of Excellence, Kelly saw Wednesday at close quarters and believes that the style of football between the two teams is “miles apart”.

“Wednesday are a direct and physical team, so United will have to stand up to that,” he said.

“But if they can get onto the ball and play how they’re capable of playing, I’m tipping a sneaky away win.”

Kelly made 217 league appearances for United before moving to Blackburn Rovers, and won 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Unsurprisingly, he rates the Sheffield derby as one of the biggest games of his career.

“The atmosphere that these games generate is unbelievable, and the passion is unrivalled,” said Kelly, the Republic of Ireland’s goalkeeping coach.

“Everyone always asks me about the 1993 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley (which Wednesday won 2-1 thanks to Chris Waddle and Mark Bright, Alan Cork scoring for United).

“But the derby that always sticks in my mind was my first ever; and my sixth game in a United shirt. Someone had set off a red flare or two, and it reminded me of a Milan derby.

“Some of the tackles were unreal, too – I remember Mark Bright almost cut Paul Beesley in half, and nowadays there’d have been five red cards. But games like this show how much football means to the people of Sheffield, and United fans in particular.

“In the tunnel, the hairs on the back of my neck really did stand up and I thought to myself ‘bloody hell, Kelly, this isn’t a game for the faint-hearted.’

“It was a great introduction to my Sheffield United career, and I’ll never forget my time there.”

Kelly’s affinity with the Sheffield United supporters was so strong that he turned down a loan move to Hillsborough during his time at Blackburn Rovers.

“Paul Jewell wanted to take me on loan, and I just said to him ‘you’re joking, surely?’” Kelly recalls.

“I’d spent seven happy years at Bramall Lane, so I turned it down straight away. It wasn’t Paul Jewell, but someone at Wednesday said to me ‘United don’t pay your mortgage any more’. But I didn’t care.

“There was no chance I could go and play for them. Once a Blade, always a Blade.”

]]> 1.4267717 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:21:24 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/barmby_sure_fatigue_will_not_be_factor_if_hull_can_win_regularly_1_4267715

FORGET the ‘Ides of March’; for Hull City next month will be more a time to beware tired legs and their potential impact on the push for the Premier League.

The Tigers face a gruelling schedule of nine games in 30 days as Nick Barmby’s side play catch-up with the rest of the Championship after seeing a host of games either postponed or moved due to their opponents being otherwise engaged in Cup competitions.

With such a packed programme, Hull’s squad is going to be severely put to the test at a time of year when a good run of results can make all the difference in a promotion race.

No wonder Barmby is so relieved that Hull have been able to re-arrange tomorrow’s home game with Brighton & Hove Albion so promptly.

The Tigers’ manager, whose coach Steve Wigley will be part of Stuart Pearce’s coaching team for the England national team against Holland next week, said: “I wanted the game (which would have been played last Saturday but for Brighton being due to face Liverpool in the FA Cup) to take place as soon as possible so the club did their best to make it happen.

“I didn’t want it later in the season, which would have meant April as I don’t think we would be able to squeeze another game into March as there aren’t any free dates.”

With the scheduled trip to Cardiff City this weekend also having to be moved due to the Bluebirds taking on Liverpool in the Carling Cup final on Sunday, tomorrow’s game with Brighton will be the last time Hull are in action until they travel to Blackpool on Friday week to kick off their manic run of matches.

Barmby added: “Brighton are a team we respect but we are looking forward to it. We also want to get the three points that will keep us in the mix before a busy March gets under way.

“I have had times in my career when there has been a backlog and I always found that if we were doing okay then no one felt tired. But if a team is struggling then it is amazing how a bit of tiredness can creep in.

“We have a young team and that should help. All they want to do is play games so it won’t be a problem. To be fair to the experienced lads, they can go all day as well.

“Lads like Andy Dawson, Paul McKenna and so on are fit as fiddles. Playing a lot of games in quick succession won’t be a problem to them, that is for sure.”

Once tomorrow’s game is over, Hull’s focus will turn to the televised trip to Bloomfield Road.

For first-team coach Wigley, however, the prospect of being involved with England against Holland on February 29 is likely to be occupying his mind and Barmby feels the honour of helping at Wembley is well deserved.

He said: “Steve has served his time at Under-21s level so to be assistant manager of the first team is a fantastic achievement. You don’t get that honour easily but it doesn’t surprise me at all.

“The lads here love him to bits. The way he conducts himself, he will not like me for giving him a mention but he needs congratulating.”

Wigley will not be the only member of the Hull staff on international duty next week with Corry Evans named yesterday in the Northern Ireland squad to face Norway and Tom Cairney called up by Scotland Under-21s for the game with Holland.

With Hull due to face Blackpool just two days later, Barmby admits the situation is far from ideal.

The Tigers’ chief said: “I have spoken to the relevant managers and they have been fine. They are aware we have a game on the Friday. On the flipside, I also feel it is important for the lads to play for their country.

“It is a big honour and a feather in Hull City’s cap so we are not going to stand in their way, definitely not.

“I am new to things like speaking to international managers about my players but I can’t dictate to any manager about not playing someone – or just giving them 45 minutes. That is down to the managers concerned.

“It would be disrespectful of me. But they are aware there is a game and have been brilliant.”

Hull have no fresh injury problems ahead of tomorrow’s game as they attempt to claim a club record sixth straight clean sheet in the league.

Barmby added: “I have never been one for records but it will be a pat on the back for the lads.

“They are the ones who go out there. You try to set a foundation to build on by restricting the opposition to fewer and fewer chances.

“We are going alright but there is still a long way to go. So, as we always do at this club, we will remain humble and get on with our jobs.”

richard.sutcliffe@ypn.co.uk

ROTHERHAM United manager Andy Scott is looking to extend the loan signing of Bury striker Shaun Harrad until the end of the season.

Harrad, who has scored three goals in as many games for the Millers ahead of tonight’s trip to Gillingham, has expressed a desire to stay.

Former Millers striker Richie Barker is manager of Bury and Scott said: “Hopefully, Richie will see that Shaun is doing well and it is something we can extend for longer.

“We don’t want to lose Shaun. I brought him in to give competition and drive people on. He’s taken the opportunity and he’s inspiring other people to do better.”

Harrad had previously scored goals on a regular basis in the lower leagues for Burton Albion and Northampton but struggled after moving to Bury last summer.

“It’s been an unsettling year for me but I feel at home now,” he said. “We will see what happens at the end of the month but I am enjoying myself at the moment.

“It’s been great getting back on the scoresheet and hopefully it will be four (goals) in four against Gillingham and three points.

“We are creating chances which is the main thing, and if we carry on the way we are there is no reason why we can’t nick that play-off spot.”

The Millers are currently ninth in the league table – three points adrift of Oxford United who occupy the fourth and final play-off spot.

Last six games: Gillingham LLLLLL, Millers LLLWWD.

Last time: Gillingham 3 Millers 1; February 8, 2011; League Two.

Referee: KA Woolmer (Northamptonshire).

BARNSLEY manager Keith Hill is weighing up a first start for new signing David Cotterill against Birmingham City tonight.

The Welsh international joined the Tykes after being released by Swansea City but stayed on the bench for the weekend home victory over Portsmouth.

He has not played first-team football since last season and Hill is wary of throwing the 24-year-old straight in at the deep end.

“We can’t rush him, we have got to be patient and make sure that he plays at the right time,” said Hill.

“When he’s fully fit, he will bring a lot to the table. He’s educated, a good technician, and he’s got the experience that we are looking for to guide the younger players.”

Hill is confident Cotterill will shrug off the disappointment of dropping out of the Premier League and re-ignite his career at Oakwell.

“What goes wrong at one club can go so right at another club. It’s the same for managers,” said Hill.

“I’ve been an experienced player where you fit at one club but you go to another and you don’t. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why it doesn’t work.

“Sometimes it’s tactical, sometimes it’s where you live, or family implications.

“One of the biggest things is that you are happy in your work. If you’re happy in work, you will work to best of your ability.”

Tonight’s game was originally postponed 10 days ago and the Blues will be seeking a victory to close the gap on the top two.

Last six games: Barnsley WLWLLW, Birmingham WWDWDD.

Last time: Barnsley 1 Birmingham 1; March 10, 2009; Championship.

Referee: C Boyeson (East Yorkshire).

Tom Palmer is set to lose his place in the England squad as Stuart Lancaster shows no qualms about tinkering with a winning team.

The former Leeds Tykes lock is expected to make way for Courtney Lawes who is one of three men returning to bolster England ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations showdown with Wales.

England have won both of their opening fixtures, away in Scotland and Italy, but have yet to show any attacking verve.

Wales will be chasing a Triple Crown at Twickenham on Saturday and England’s interim head coach Lancaster plans to shake up his squad for the visit of the World Cup semi-finalists.

Palmer’s lineout department mis-fired in Edinburgh and Rome, and with Mouritz Botha impressing with his ball-carrying ability, Stade Francais second-row forward Palmer is the man to make way.

Lawes, the Northampton Saints lock, injured his knee on club duty in January but returned to the England set-up in the wake of the victory in Italy.

Lancaster was encouraged with Manu Tuilagi’s performance for Leicester on Sunday, and is considering whether to give the controversial centre a starting place against Wales.

Tuilagi was one of the few players who performed to their best in a calamitous World Cup campaign for England last autumn, but he returned home as one of many players shamed over his disciplinary problems.

The centre was fined on two occasions in New Zealand; firstly for wearing a sponsored gumshield, and then for jumping off a ferry in Auckland.

Tuilagi is yet to play for England since then, thanks mainly to a shattered eye-socket and a hamstring injury.

He has been restricted to just five games for Leicester this season – the latest of which came in their 20-19 win over Premiership champions Saracens on Sunday.

The 20-year-old was recalled to the England squad last week but faces a fight to dislodge Brad Barritt from the XV after he impressed in England’s opening two wins of the Six Nations.

Tuilagi may yet start on Saturday, though, as his strength could prove vital against a powerful Wales back line, and Lancaster was pleased with his performance in Sunday’s narrow win at Vicarage Road.

“Manu has had such limited game time since the World Cup so it was a good chance for him to get another 80 minutes under his belt,” said Lancaster.

“At that level, in that quality of a game, it was just a great opportunity for him to play another game. We were pleased for him and how he played.

“He did a lot of things well. I am pleased with the way that it went.”

Tuilagi will begin full training with England today after being given yesterday off to recover from the weekend’s exertions, which saw Leicester clinch victory with a last-minute drop-goal.

He will have two days to impress Lancaster and prove that he is sharp enough to be considered ahead of Barritt for a game that could make or break England’s hopes of winning the tournament, and Lancaster’s own chances of landing his current job on a permanent basis.

As well as the return of Lawes and Tuilagi, Lancaster also has Toby Flood available after he also missed the opening two games of the competition.

England’s interim boss would not confirm whether Tuilagi would start, but he did admit having the trio available has breathed new life into his squad.

He said: “Having that group of players back has given me something to think about.

“From our point of view it’s a great position to be in to have competition for places.

“We go into this match on the back of two wins and we have had a lot of competition in training.”

Despite winning their first two games against Scotland and Italy, the Red Rose will have to up their game considerably against Warren Gatland’s buoyant Welsh side.

A lot has been made of Wales’ superior brawn in the backs, but Lancaster insists his sole focus remains putting out a team strong enough to deny the visitors what would be only their second win at Twickenham since 1988.

“From my point of view it’s about us first. What Wales can bring will be something in the back of my mind,” added Lancaster.

“It’s a big week. We are certainly pleased with how last week went in terms of the quality and the quantity of what we have managed to do in training. That sets us up well for a big game.”

Third-choice hooker Lee Mears had a scan on his bicep yesterday and could miss the game on Saturday while wing Charlie Sharples is also a doubt after suffering a leg injury.

Harlequins’ Chris Brooker has been called up as cover for Mears.

Glasgow stand-off Ruaridh Jackson has been added to Scotland’s Six Nations squad ahead of Sunday’s match with France after his return from injury.

Jackson was left out the pool for the opening defeats against England and Wales after suffering a hamstring injury in early January.

But he has played in Glasgow’s last two games, against Scarlets and Connacht, and has put himself into the thoughts of head coach Andy Robinson. Winger Max Evans (ankle) and lock Jim Hamilton (throat infection) did not train when the squad gathered at Murrayfield yesterday.

British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford is confident his charges are timing their run to the Olympic Games to perfection.

Great Britain won seven medals from 10 Olympic events – four gold, one silver and two bronze – plus Joanna Rowsell’s gold in the non-Olympic individual pursuit at the Track World Cup, which finished on Sunday, in a competition which doubled as the 2012 Games test event.

And Brailsford, who masterminded Britain’s haul of seven gold medals from 10 events in Beijing in 2008, hailed his team as the Olympic track programme approaches from August 2 to 7.

“This is the best performance across the board for a good couple of years,” said Brailsford.

“It shows we’re building momentum, we’re heading in the right direction and hopefully we’ve got our timing right.

“We’re definitely moving forward and we’re a lot closer in some events than maybe we thought. It’s very pleasing.

“If we can build on this momentum then it could be good fun.”

Brailsford has repeatedly said that – partially as a result of changes to the Olympic track programme – replicating the haul from China is unlikely. However, if the London competition was about managing expectation, the displays only served to fuel it.

Brailsford said: “It can’t be any higher than it was already. After Beijing the expectation’s always been there. But it’s only something in your mind, it’s not tangible.

“You can decide whether you want to feel anxiety or pressure or not. We don’t, so I’m not worried about the expectation.”

A 6,000-capacity partisan crowd roared every revolution made by a Briton and Brailsford believes the experience was invaluable.

He added: “It’s very difficult to quantify the effect of a home velodrome and home crowd. I think we’ve seen some of it this weekend – it does make a difference.”

Sir Chris Hoy led from the front with a haul of two individual gold medals – in the Keirin and sprint – and a team sprint bronze to demonstrate that, although his 36th birthday is fast approaching, his talent remains formidable.

Brailsford praised Hoy and the performances of the team pursuit squads – the women won gold in a world record time, the men finished runners-up to Australia – the women’s team sprint squad of Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish and the coming of age of 19-year-old Laura Trott, who won team pursuit gold and omnium bronze.

“Where they were at the Europeans (clocking 4:01.475 last October to win gold), it wasn’t their best performance,” said Brailsford of the men’s team pursuit squad of Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh.

“If you just take our performance, where it was and where it is now, they have made big strides forward and they’re going to continue to get better.”

World Cup hooker Huw Bennett looks likely to miss Wales’ bid for Triple Crown glory against England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wales assistant coach Rob Howley has revealed Ospreys forward Bennett, who won his 50th cap in the victory over Ireland earlier this month, is struggling to recover from injury.

But Wales are hopeful other players with knocks, including star winger George North and captain Sam Warburton, will be fit and available to face their unbeaten RBS 6 Nations title rivals.

Former Wales captain Matthew Rees, who missed the World Cup due to a neck problem, is favourite to replace Bennett if he shakes off a calf muscle strain that sidelined him against Ireland and Scotland earlier this month.

“It looks as if Huw Bennett is unlikely to make it.” said Howley.

“Richard Hibbard has been brought into the squad, and Matthew Rees will train today. The medics are very hopeful, and we will know more about him in the next 24 hours.

“George North (ankle) seems fine. He has come through rehab well, without doing too much, and we hope he will start on the weekend.”

Like Rees, Bennett has calf muscle trouble, and Wales coach Warren Gatland will want to keep changes to a minimum as he assesses his options ahead of today’s scheduled team announcement.

Warburton’s back-row return instead of Aaron Shingler, and Rees instead of Bennett, could prove to be the only switches as Wales target only a second Twickenham success since 1988.

Expectation is high in Wales, fuelled by bookmakers confidently predicting an away win and comments from pundits like Jonathan Davies, who said England could be “smashed” physically.

But Howley added: “We are under no illusions. A lot has been said in the media about Wales being favourites, but we need to go out and be as clinical and accurate under pressure as we were in Ireland.

“We came up short against Scotland. Never mind that we played well for 15 minutes after half-time, we need to get elements right that we did not in the first 25 minutes.

“Scotland targeted us in the contact area and made it very difficult. Speed of ball and the gain-line are important.

“England are above us in the world rankings, and possibly at home they should be favourites. We know how good they can be.

“They have played good sides (Scotland and Italy) in very difficult conditions, and with a back-three of (Chris) Ashton, (Ben) Foden and (David) Strettle they can stretch any defensive line with the ball in hand.

“We are mindful of how they can play, and it is about us not allowing them to do that.

“You are only as good as your next game. We left 20 points out on the park against Scotland. Away days in the Six Nations are hard. England have played two, won two, and have an experienced pack. They can play the game in the right areas and they know how to win games.”

Hull FC’ S Sam Moa will have to face an RFL disciplinary panel this evening after it was deemed his controversial red card did, in fact, warrant a charge being made.

The robust Tongan prop was dismissed for a challenge on London Broncos’ Julien Rinaldi just after the hour mark in Sunday night’s televised 22-14 win.

Referee Richard Silverwood stunned most of the KC Stadium crowd with his decision – Hull players had been congratulating their team-mate for what they thought was a ferocious but legal hit – and coach Peter Gentle was left similarly bewildered.

He suggested the sending-off, the first in Super League this season, only materialised because of other referees failing to take hard action in earlier games last weekend. Huddersfield Giants hooker Tommy Lee, for instance, was simply penalised and put on report for a high tackle which looked far worse in Saturday evening’s game against Warrington.

Indeed, Lee was yesterday also called to appear before the disciplinary and could now face a three-match ban if found guilty.

On Moa’s alleged offence, Gentle had said: “I think the decision was an over-reaction because the games I have seen over the weekend there was plenty of opportunities for players to be sent off.

“That’s the problem being the last game at the weekend – you bear the brunt of what has happened in previous games over the weekend.

“I don’t think it was a sending-off offence but we’ll let the judiciary panel decide whether he gets charged or not. But I do think it was an over-reaction.”

The RFL’s match review panel which met yesterday morning decided there was enough evidence to suggest Moa should be charged with a Grade B dangerous shoulder charge.

Such an offence can warrant up to a two-match suspension meaning the 25-year-old could, if found guilty, miss Friday’s game at Salford City Reds and the visit of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

Ex-Bradford Bulls hooker Rinaldi was knocked out cold by the thunderous challenge and played no further part in the game.

However, London coach Rob Powell admitted he had seen worse challenges.

“I’ll need to see the sending-off again, but I don’t think there was an elbow there and it didn’t seem a ridiculous challenge.”

Hull were dealt another blow yesterday when England Knights captain Joe Westerman confirmed he requires surgery after dislocating a shoulder against London.

The ex-Castleford loose forward will miss up to 12 weeks of action.

Lee, meanwhile, may use references from the opponent he poleaxed – Warrington’s Lee Briers – to strengthen his own defence at tonight’s disciplinary.

The former Hull FC star’s high tackle could easily have warranted an instant dismissal but the recipient of the ugly challenge has tweeted to say he thought it was just “totally mis-timed”.

Lee and Briers are good friends off the pitch while the Warrington stand-off recovered sufficiently to play a crucial role in his side’s gutsy 32-22 win. But the argument may hold little sway with the panel and Lee – who has impressed at Huddersfield since his winter move from Wakefield – might be hoping more for leniency.

Giants captain Kevin Brown, however, has escaped any charge for an alleged forearm on Warrington’s Chris Bridge, one of three incidents placed on report.

The other was Bridge himself who dangerously lifted Jacob Fairbank but he too has avoided being called up to the disciplinary.

Hull KR have moved to clear up the confusion surrounding the dramatic final few seconds of their pulsating draw with St Helens.

Rovers fans inside their Craven Park ground were furious its digital countdown clock had stopped and was not re-started before the visitors earned a late penalty.

Jamie Foster crucially slotted the goal to salvage Saints a 34-34 draw with home supporters raging that the hooter should already have been sounded.

However, Hull KR chief executive Mike Smith said the timekeeping was legitimate and they had no complaint.

“Unfortunately, the digital clock stopped with one minute 34 seconds remaining and didn’t restart,” he said.

“This was caused by a power failure but in no way did it affect the official timekeeping.”

Jamie Jones-Buchanan’s knee injury suffered during Leeds Rhinos’ World Club Challenge win is worse than first feared.

The England second-row underwent surgery yesterday and will be sidelined for up to three months.

Bradford Bulls’ James Donaldson, 20, will also miss six months of action after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament – less than two years after enduring the same injury in his other knee.

Wakefield’s Super League game at Wigan Warriors has been brought forward 24 hours to Monday, April 9, kick-off 3pm.

dave.craven@ypn.co.uk

Teddy Grimthorpe would be “very surprised” were Frankel and Black Caviar to meet at Royal Ascot.

Black Caviar stretched her unbeaten record to 19 at the weekend, but the Australian horse was racing over five furlongs, having run over seven furlongs the week before.

The six-furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes has been the long-held plan for Black Caviar should she travel to England in the summer, although she is believed likely to get an entry in the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile.

Sir Henry Cecil has stated his intention to step up Frankel to 10 furlongs this season, but he may still run in the Queen Anne after he reappears at that trip in the Lockinge at Newbury in May.

“Black Caviar is clearly exceptional, but I can’t speak for them regarding what race she will run in at Ascot. I did speak to Peter Moody (her trainer) at Flemington but only briefly,” said Grimthorpe, owner Prince Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager.

“If it happens, it happens, but it feels like we’ve got slightly different agendas.

“Sir Henry is looking at stretching Frankel this year. We hope to start off in the Lockinge and then we have two options at Royal Ascot; either the Queen Anne or the Prince of Wales’s.

“I can understand there is tremendous goodwill out there for the two to get together.

“One is the best horse in the southern hemisphere and one is the best horse in the northern hemisphere – they are the two best horses in the world.

“If we do decide to run in the Queen Anne and Black Caviar runs in it also, then so be it.

“But Sir Henry may decide that a mile-and-a-quarter is the way for him this season.”

n Wetherby flies the flag for Yorkshire racegoers today with a seven-race card starting at 1.40pm.

Bingley handler Sue Smith currently leads the way in the course’s top trainer competition and has a number of runners, including You Know Yourself in the feature race, the Yorkshire Post Ladies Day – 24th May Handicap Chase.

However, she may have to give best to Brunswick Gold, who was hugely impressive when stepped up to staying trips at Catterick last time and may still have something in hand of the handicapper.

The best bet of the day comes in the opening race at Taunton, courtesy of Giordano Bruno.

Philip Hobbs’s charge was having his first run for almost three years at the Somerset venue last time, so it is hardly surprising that he faded into third.

Likely to come on enormously for that run, he can return to the winner’s enclosure in this.

]]> 1.4267685 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:10:25 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/struggling_morgan_continues_to_set_his_sights_high_1_4267677

Eoin Morgan habitually lowers his sights at the crease, but his lofty ambition for England is undiminished by a tough tour of duty in the desert this winter.

The Irishman, possessor of the most pronounced crouch in world cricket as part of his trigger movement when batting, acknowledges it is a quirk he needs to keep an eye on.

Morgan’s involuntary squat is so exaggerated that he is within inches of actually sitting down in front of the stumps a split-second before the bowler delivers the ball.

But he makes no connection between his unusual habit and a run of low scores in England’s 3-0 Test defeat, which he believes had more to do with his injury-enforced five-month absence from competitive cricket – and some outstanding Pakistan spin bowling on awkward surfaces.

Morgan has since begun the ongoing one-day international series with another failure but then contributed two unbeaten 20s to a winning cause which has put England within one more win today of a 4-0 series whitewash.

That would be a payback of sorts for the world No 1’s unexpected Test trouncing.

Morgan, meanwhile, could do with the opportunity to play a more significant innings – crouching or otherwise.

The left-hander does not deny his contortions but does not see them as a source of significant concern either. “It’s something I’m definitely aware of and trying to counter,” he said.

“It was the most extreme during last summer, but it’s something I’m working on and sticking with and trying to manipulate so that my balance stays the same.”

Morgan is satisfied that at the moment the ball leaves the bowler’s hand, his eyes are level.

“At the point of release it (my head) is very still.

“You look back at it when I’ve done well, and it’s still the same.

“It’s come from my power-hitting, my Twenty20 and one-day cricket.

“It’s escalated from that – clearing the ropes.

“You have to counter it with what you think is right and what works.

“If it continues not to work then I’ll have to change it.”

He does not anticipate that eventuality, though.

“It started about a year ago and progressed that much in a year that you always have to monitor it and realise it’s there, but be aware of what you’re doing.

“But it doesn’t really bother me – as long as I’m getting runs, it doesn’t matter how I get them.”

Morgan’s Test average has dropped to just a shade over 30, from 16 matches, after just 82 runs in six attempts here. “It’s been hard work,” he said.

“The first part, the Test series, was very tricky.

“Certainly the skills levels on our behalf – and mine as well – weren’t up to scratch. We struggled.”

England’s worst tormentor was off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose variations have proved especially hard to decipher.

“He’s been in a fantastic run of form of late – and again having not played in four or five months caught up with us, me in particular,” added Morgan.

“I’ve been off for quite a while.

“Even though I spent some time in India before Christmas, it doesn’t replicate what you’re up against.

“But I’ve played a lot of sub-Continent cricket and I should be used to it.

“I wasn’t, and my skill levels weren’t up to scratch.”

England can nonetheless finish an aggravating tour on a high, by making it 4-0 today and then taking the three-match Twenty20 series as well.

They are world champions in the latter, and Morgan has his eye on the same sort of progress in the 50-over format.

“Where we are is six in the world; where we want to be is No 1 in the world by the World Cup in 2015.

“We want to be in a position where we have a strong enough side to go out there and say ‘we want to win this World Cup’.”

In the more immediate future, England must decide whether to stick with a winning team to try to ensure they inflict that whitewash – or consider resting busy bowlers such as Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad, or even take a look at the middle-order potential of Jos Buttler.

“There’s certainly a chance to do that,” said Morgan. “If the opportunity arises we could give players a bit of experience. But the priority is to win the game.”

Pakistan have been badly affected by illness in the camp.

Younus Khan was first to start coughing and sneezing.

While he appears to be over the worst, others are suffering instead and opener Imran Farhat may be unavailable too, because of a groin strain.

Coach Mohsin Khan is more concerned, though, about another collective ailment – the issue of homesickness for a team whose country is in such turmoil that they must play home matches hundreds of miles overseas.

“Nothing can take homesickness away,” he said.

“You can live in a palace. But if you live in a small two-bedroomed house, your home is always your home.”

Ireland avenged Saturday’s one-day international defeat to Kenya with a handsome 117-run in Mombasa.

Ed Joyce struck 88 as the tourists posted 237-9 in their 50 overs, before Kenya crumpled for 120 all out in response.

The wickets were well spread with Trent Johnston, Alex Cusack, Paul Stirling and George Dockrell each taking two.

At one stage, Ireland were 48-3 but Joyce anchored in for the long haul at No 4, lasting 125 balls and hitting five fours and three sixes as he shared a number of decent stands with the lower middle order.

The Kenyan response lasted just 35.1 overs, with wickets tumbling regularly to both seam and spin.

Only No 9 batsman Shen Ngoche (28) put up any resistance.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting could be set to call time on his international career after his axing from the one-day side.

Ponting, 37, was yesterday omitted from the squad for the Commonwealth Bank Series matches against India and Sri Lanka after a poor run of form – he made just 18 runs from five innings – and immediately called a press conference in Sydney early today at which he is expected to outline his future plans.

In announcing the news Ponting had been left out, national selector John Inverarity hinted he would struggle to reclaim a place in the side in any format given the calendar.

He said: “He made a double-century in his last Test match and we are hoping he remains available for Test cricket, but there can be no guarantees.

“Ricky is going to consider his future over the next couple of days and talk it over with his family and with his manager. He’s wondering whether he retires completely from ODI cricket ... and then of course there are the implications for Test cricket.

“For a man who plays cricket like Ricky has over the last 15 or more years, he has been an integral part of the team in ODIs and Test matches.

“If he drops out of the ODIs then there is a possible lack of momentum there. There are three Tests in the West Indies, then as I understand it no more Test matches until October-November.”

The Tasmanian’s omission comes just a day after he led the side once more, having been asked to deputise for two games in the absence of current captain Michael Clarke.

If he does decide to quit, he will go down as one of Australia’s greatest players.

He has played 162 Tests, scoring 13,200 runs at an average of 53.44. On the one-day stage he has played in 375 games for his country, scoring 13,704 runs at an average of 42.

“The team will not seem the same without him, but moving on from the omission of players who have been outstanding over a long period of time is the nature of elite sport,” added Inverarity.

“Ricky’s record speaks for itself. He is one of the truly great performers in the history of Australian ODI cricket, with his reputation enhanced further by him captaining Australia to two World Cup victories.

“Ricky’s contribution goes far beyond his batting statistics and his brilliant fielding. The example he sets in every respect and his extraordinarily positive influence in the dressing room is acknowledged by all.

“He is held in the highest possible regard by his team-mates and there is no higher accolade than this.”

Clarke returns to the squad for the two CB Series clashes following a hamstring injury, while pace bowler Ryan Harris replaces Mitchell Starc. Shane Watson is also back following injury. Inverarity said that Matthew Wade was now the side’s preferred wicket-keeper.

]]> 1.4267667 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:05:55 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/exclusive_yorkshire_confident_of_heading_back_into_the_black_1_4267635

Yorkshire have arrested their slide towards financial meltdown and are predicting a profitable future.

The county cricket club recorded a deficit for the second successive year in 2011.

But after losing £2m in 2010, Yorkshire reveal in their published accounts today that they lost only a quarter of that sum last year.

Yorkshire budgeted for a deficit of £1.08m in 2011 but the actual figure was £460,103.

They are still saddled with debts of £19m due mainly to the £21m construction of the Carnegie Pavilion, which was opened in 2010.

However, the return of Test cricket in each of the next eight years will prove central to turning around the club’s financial fortunes.

An annual return to profit is expected in 2012 when Headingley Carnegie hosts a Test match between England and South Africa (August 2-6) and a one-day international that will see Alistair Cook’s side entertain the West Indies (June 22).

And, as part of the staging agreement the county have with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Yorkshire will host six days of international cricket every year until 2019.

The last time they staged so many days of England cricket – in 2009 – Yorkshire made a profit of nearly £700,000.

Their deficit in 2011 was due primarily to the fact that they did not host a Test match during that summer, which emphasises the role international cricket plays in sustaining the county game.

A reduction in general overhead costs, such as ground operations, commercial and administration factors also contributed to Yorkshire’s losses dropping significantly.

The county’s financial peril was first laid bare in 2010 when they recorded a loss for the first time in five years.

The drastic downturn was caused by the decision to trade an England versus Bangladesh Test match for the staging of Pakistan’s neutral Test fixture against Australia, which turned out to be a gamble that cost the club £1m due to the lack of public support.

Last year’s revelations forced chairman Colin Graves to concede that Yorkshire would be pulling out of the race to host lucrative Ashes Test matches in the 2013 and 2015 series.

However, the release of these new figures suggests Yorkshire could be ready to re-enter the race ahead of the 2019 series.

The annual loss of nearly half-a-million pounds in 2011 has seen Yorkshire’s overall debt rise from £18.5m in 2010 to £19.1m at year end, 2011.

The county’s primary creditors remain Leeds City Council, who are owed £7.76m for a loan to the club to aid construction of the Carnegie Pavilion.

The anticipated return to profit this year will see Yorkshire begin to make significant inroads into clearing their debts.

Charles Hartwell, Yorkshire’s finance director, said: “We are out of the woods and with a Test match and an ODI every year from now until 2019 we will continue to push forward.

“Granted, the debt has risen, not in terms of loans per se, but due to our income and expenditure.

“But we have seen a significant reduction in the deficit.

“We knew the last two years would not be great financially and we knew in particular that 2011 would be tough.

“We expect to return to profitability in 2012 because we are hosting a Test match.

“That’s when we will make enough cash and profit to start servicing the debt. We haven’t reduced our capital debt in 2011 because we haven’t made any repayments.

“But our deferred income has gone up because of how well Test match tickets and hospitality packages have been selling ahead of the visit of the West Indies and South Africa this summer.

“The Test match is selling exceptionally well and we will put our domestic package of Yorkshire tickets on sale in the next few weeks when we will reveal a new plan for the sale of Twenty20 tickets.

“The bottom line is the finances are better than we budgeted for and forecast. We encountered no unexpected nastiness in 2011.

“I’m expecting the club to record a profit over the next eight years unless something drastic happens, like nobody watching England play cricket any more, but that hasn’t happened for decades.”

To further underline confidence that they are over the worst of their financial troubles, Yorkshire do not expect that relegation to Division Two will have an adverse affect on income.

Andrew Gale’s men may have under-achieved last year following their title challenge in 2010 but the club have shaken up their coaching staff with the appointment of former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie being the most eye-catching addition.

They have also recruited a new frontline batsman in Phil Jaques.

Hartwell said: “As far as we can say now, we do not think relegation will have too much of an impact.

“The membership renewals last year were up significantly because, with the VAT rise, people bought early. So that has impacted on our early figures.

“We have yet to see what the final figure will be, but we do not foresee it being too much of a decline, if any at all.”

Headingley Finances

Income 2011

£5.43m (£5.58m)

Expenditure 2011

£6.16m (£5.91m)

Deficit inc interest, tax, etc 2011

£-460,103 (£1.86m)

Existing Debt

£19.1m (£18.5m)

(Numbers in brackets denote figures in 2010)

]]> 1.4267635 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:52:24 +0000 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/exclusive_grayson_takes_lower_deal_from_leeds_to_make_quick_return_with_huddersfield_have_your_say_1_4267632

SIMON GRAYSON took ‘a financial hit’ when agreeing a severance package with Leeds United to become the new manager of Huddersfield Town, the Yorkshire Post can reveal.

The 42-year-old last night signed a three-and-a-half year contract with the League One club to seal a return to management less than three weeks after being sacked at Elland Road.

Before being able to accept chairman Dean Hoyle’s offer to succeed Lee Clark, Grayson had to come to agreement with Leeds over the remainder of his deal with the Championship club.

Under the terms of the contract that was signed in the summer of 2010, he was entitled to hold out for a larger sum but instead decided the lure of Huddersfield meant financial sacrifice was worthwhile.

Grayson told the Yorkshire Post exclusively: “After receiving a call on Friday to say Huddersfield were interested, I then met the chairman on Sunday night and was immediately impressed by what he had to say.

“To be honest, I didn’t have much intention to come back into football as quickly and fancied some time off. But after speaking to Dean, I decided I wanted this job.

“So, I got in touch with Leeds as there were still a few things that needed sorting out before I could join another club. We came to an agreement as Leeds wanted it done and I just wanted to get on with the rest of my career.

“It meant I had to take a bit of a hit financially compared to what I was entitled. But I thought that was a price worth paying to take on a challenge that really excites me.”

Grayson will be assisted at Huddersfield by Glynn Snodin and Ian Miller, the same coaching staff who were by his side at Elland Road.

The trio look back with pride on their time at Leeds, who they led to promotion from League One in 2010 before securing a seventh-place finish last season.

Despite that, Grayson believes he became the victim of a smear campaign after leaving on February 1, including suggestions he had lost the dressing room.

He said: “I was really disappointed to lose my job at Leeds but I did leave the club in a better position than when I arrived. So I have been hurt by certain things that have been said and written.

“It has been way off the mark and I have been hugely disappointed that people have gone down that line. I left that club with dignity and I have not once bitten back so why others haven’t been able to do the same, I don’t know.”

Grayson inherits a squad sitting fourth in League One, seven points behind Sheffield United, who hold the second automatic promotion place.

The new Town chief, whose senior debut in League football came at the club’s old Leeds Road home when a teenager with Leeds, said: “I have seen Huddersfield a couple of times and they are a good team.

“As a manager, you don’t often get the chance to take on a club sitting in as promising a position as Huddersfield are right now and we are going to give it everything to go up.

“Seven points with 16 games to go in a division as unpredictable as League One does not mean automatic promotion is settled just yet.”

Grayson’s links with Town’s rivals have meant his appointment has not been met with universal acclaim among the club’s supporters.

Hoyle said: “I am not ignorant to the fact that some supporters may question Simon’s appointment given his history at Leeds United but I will tackle that head on.

“It was all about getting the best man for the job and Simon ticks all the boxes. He has a history of success at this level with both Blackpool and Leeds, he has a point to prove following his departure from Leeds, and having met him on Sunday night I know he has the fire in his belly to lead Huddersfield Town into the Championship.”

On his past affiliations, Grayson said: “Everyone knows who I support but taking Huddersfield up will mean just as much as it did at Leeds and just as much as it did at Blackpool.

“I wasn’t a Blackpool fan when we got promoted (in 2007) but I gave everything to the club as manager. I will be the same here as we chase the success this club deserves.”