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Football News: Review Of The Day 26th November 2018

Review Of The Day 26th November 2018
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Review of the Day

 

Referee Job Swaps

Bolton Wanderers hosted Millwall in the Championship this weekend but chosen referee Tony Harrington pulled out late with illness. 4th official Lee Swabey stepped into the role meaning a Millwall supporter had to step in as 4th official. Only for Swabey to suffer a calf injury and have to go back to his original job, one of the linesmen to take over refereeing while the Millwall fan ended up running the line. Bolton's manager Phil Parkinson said: "It was quite strange. A Millwall supporter was the fourth official and we were having a laugh with him because when their keeper made a great save, he couldn't help himself jumping up and applauding. So we said "hold on a minute, you've got to be impartial" and the next minute he ends up running the line. This is a tough place for officials anyway - but he kept his integrity and did a good job."

 

Moses Parts The Waves

In Brentford's defeat to Middlesbrough this weekend the Bees found themselves down to ten men for a short period as Moses Odubajo rushed off the pitch mid-match to head to the toilet. Probably a better option than a Paula Radcliffe special!

 

Gerrard Wants To Keep Morelos

Rangers' rookie manager Steven Gerrard is desperate to keep hold of Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos, despite the 22 year old being linked with a big money move away. Gerrard said: "I will fall out with people to keep him here, that's how much I like him. He is happy, he is enjoying his work. I'm told by people who have been around a long time it's the happiest he has looked. He recently signed a new deal. He has just got to keep going. The key thing for us is to keep him healthy and try to avoid these yellow cards. There is no doubt he is going to shatter what he got last season because we are creating chances. I'll fight tooth and nail to keep him here as long as possible. I love him and respect him - but I also understand every player has his price. From day one I have told you I love him and that hasn't changed. It has grown, it is getting more. I want to keep him here as long as possible because he makes my job a lot easier."

 

Libertadores Final Postponed Again

The rearranged Copa Libertadores final second leg between Boca Juniors and River Plate was postponed again yesterday. It had initially been due to take place on Saturday, before the Boca team coach was attacked by River Plate fans and police used tear gas. The violent scenes left some players with injuries and sickness from the tear gas. Due to injuries and sickness caused by the attack, Boca requested a second postponement and were granted their request by CONMEBOL.

 

Atsu Shares The Wealth

Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu is becoming well known in his home country for his charity work. While the Newcastle United forward is not having the best of seasons for his club, he has been doing great work off the pitch in partnership with Ghana's Crime Check Foundation (CCF), helping to release 9 prisoners who are put in for minor offences due to poverty. His latest rescue act was to save a mother with 2 daughters from going to jail after she was caught stealing corn, valued at just £1, and fined a sum of £50, money the family had no chance of raising. Atsu stepped in and donated triple the sum to the charity to pay the fine and help the family to feed themselves. It is just the latest in a series of donations from the kind-hearted former Chelsea player, totalling over £7,000 to CCF alone. That does not include the work he has done with another charity called Arms Around The Child or his funding of the surgery of a 62 year old woman who was facing 10 years in jail for possessing cannabis.

 

Chelsea To Head Off To Japan

Chelsea have announced their first pre-season friendly for next summer, with a game in Japan scheduled for July 2019. Chelsea have only played in Japan once before, when they competed in the 2012 FIFA World Club Cup.

 

And Finally....

With the news that Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos 'accidentally' failed a dope test in last season's Champions League final but escaped the ban that usually follows, I thought today's And Finally.... would be about footballers cheating, as that is the first thing that comes to mind when Ramos is mentioned:

When Charles N'Zogbia was at Wigan Athletic in 2010, he cheated in his driving test by paying someone else to take the theory portion of it for him. Then 23, he was arrested when he turned up to take the practical part! At the time, there was actually a chance the French-born player could have been called up for England, bizarrely. It is believed N'Zogbia is just one of around 500 people a year who attempt to get a license by paying someone else to impersonate them.

After Medi Abalimba wasted his promising football career, and his £20k a week contract with Derby County was ended, the 25 year old was not ready to give up the champagne lifestyle of a Premier League player and ended up being jailed for fraud. He pretended to be then-Chelsea youngster Gael Kakuta to run up huge bar tabs and stay in the best rooms in plush London hotels. In one West End club he racked up a £25,000 bar tab, in 3 London hotels he ran up a £9,600 bill and a bar in Manchester allowed him a £5,000 tab. He even managed to rack up £11,000 on limousines. He was finally caught when he attempted to buy clothing worth over £20,000 from a store at the Trafford Centre on a stolen credit card.

Probably the best ever story about a footballer pretending to be someone else involves Kolo Toure, who was then at Manchester City, met a young model and told her he was a very successful car salesman. Calling himself Francois, Toure even proposed to the model during their 2 year long affair, during which time he actually did get married to his long-term girlfriend and mother of his two children Awo. He even told the model that she would have to give it time to meet his parents as she was not a Muslim and they would expect him to be with a Muslim. Toure later said, during a visit to a school in his home country of Cote D'Ivoire: "We are role models. The way I behave is the way children will want to be." The odd thing is, he could probably have got in her pants just as easily by admitting to be Kolo Toure, rather than pretending to be a car salesman! It might explain why the Ivory Coast FA had the now-Celtic coach listed as coaching at Rangers. Though I guess I should not be surprised by him being odd as he is the man who once ran away in terror after being asked to be in a photo shoot with a koala. No really, there really is someone who is scared of koalas and it is Kolo 'Used Car Salesman' Toure. He actually admits he is terrified of touching any animal, once saying that the family has had a pet dog for 7 years but he has never touched it.

Another famous cheat was Ryan Giggs, who did the unthinkable and had a lengthy affair with the wife of his brother Rhodri. The story came out despite Giggs' best efforts to have a super injunction placed on it.

Then there is the real Ronaldo, who, while engaged to a Brazilian model, took 3 prostitutes back to his hotel room only to find out the trio were actually men. After an argument in which the hookers told him to pay them around £15,000 in hush money, the police were called. Ronaldo later claimed he had not know they were really men, while the transvestites claim he knew exactly what they were and was happy to sniff cocaine with them before a bit of fun.

When Oliver Giroud was at Arsenal he broke club rules by having his bit on the side in his hotel room the night before a game. The story came out along with a picture of the French striker in his underwear, which he apologised for. At least I think he was apologising for his choice of underwear, as it was not the best of choices! If only there had been a Kolo 'Francois' Toure style shower picture instead. Though it must be said, his choice to apologise on Twatter would have probably been better if the previous Tweet had not been a picture of his wife and children with the caption: "In contrast to today it was a lovely sunny day yesterday in Regent's park! #my(emoji with hearts for eyes)family". Yep, I think we all know just how much you love them Ollie. The best thing was that the admittal of guilt was just before Giroud was dropped by Arsenal with manager Arsene Wenger saying that he looked a little tired. That was probably the last time Giroud scored a goal other than a penalty...

Written by Tris Burke November 26 2018 06:02:40

 

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