By MARY HANNIGAN
Musli Power goes to players' heads
IT'S only a few months since Indian club Churchill Brothers signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the manufacturers of the aphrodisiac Musli Power Xtra, first trying out the product on their players who "verified its efficacy".
“I myself have tried this product – my paunch, which was sagging, seems to have got a new life,” said club president Churchill Alemao.
Alas, the deal is now under threat after three of the club’s players were charged with molesting an air hostess during a flight to West Bengal for an I-League game. If they are found guilty the Musli Power people will cancel the contract.
Alemao, though, lays the blame for the whole affair on the airline Spice Jet, pointing to their “cramped” planes and failure to keep airborne men and women apart.
“I am writing to the Civil Aviation Minister to ask for a separate seating arrangement on board airlines – men and women should sit separately. What happened to my players can happen to the best sportspersons or politicians,” he said. Indeed.
Quotes of the week
“Please God, he’ll still be here in February. I don’t see any way Robbie won’t be here unless someone comes up with £50 million or something for him!”
– Harry Redknapp invites offers for Keane.
“In 1995 I enjoyed the Christmas party as a player, but I was shocked whenever I went to one because you don’t expect to go out and not have a meal.”
– Wigan manager Roberto Martinez on British footballers’ liquid-only parties.
“Michael is struggling with his scoring and obviously wants to get back in the England team for the World Cup. So I wrote to him a while back urging him to give it a go . . . he hasn’t replied yet.”
– Geoff Boycott on recommending Feng Shui to Michael Owen as a cure for his struggles. Owen was obviously enthusiastic about the suggestion.
“When everything is going wrong, it seems like nothing goes right.”
– Gary Speed attempts to sum up Liverpool’s current plight.
“I had a nice time over Christmas. I watched Eastenders – blimey, that makes my job look easy.”
– Mick McCarthy, ruling out becoming Peggy Mitchell’s new love interest in the soap.
“We are trying hard to bring in people who can lead . . . I want to bring in leaders and men – that’s hugely important now. I have to have people who I know, players I know who are men, who are leaders.”
– Gordon Strachan, ruling out signing followers or women for Middlesbrough.
“There will not be any foreigners coming in this time, that’s for sure. We have to add that wee bit of enthusiasm and knowledge.”
– Strachan again, looking for a bit of bulldog spirit at Middlesbrough.
“We have made enquiries for several players. I am not going to confirm or deny any names. But as regards Aiden McGeady, we made an enquiry but we were told he is not for sale.”
– Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish naming names, after all.
“I’ve not seen a softer sending-off for a long time. It is ridiculous. That referee did the Arsenal-Spurs game earlier in the season and you needed to hit someone with an axe before he booked anyone.”
– Alex Ferguson v Mark Clattenburg, round 96.
“They are fanciable at the moment. They are obviously the flavour of the month and that’s probably because (Fabio) Capello has done so well with England and all of a sudden (Giovanni) Trapattoni has done alright for Ireland.”
– Sam Allardyce, none too impressed by the Italian “invasion”.
Carra's crusade
JAMIE Carragher, much to our surprise, noted last week that he has never played at Wembley for Liverpool, only for England, so he’s rather keen on making it there. “I know I haven’t got that long left so I’m desperate to get there this season (in the FA Cup) because it’s massive for Liverpool,” he said. He should have stopped right there, but: “My son is six or seven years old and I’d love to take him to Wembley to watch Liverpool.” Poor kid. Picture him opening Da’s next card: “Happy Seventh or Eighth Birthday, lad.”
Fan gets short shrift from Hicks Jnr
SO concerned is he by the financial state of his beloved club, Liverpool fan Stephen Horner attempted to email co-owner Tom Hicks, attaching copies of a Liverpool Echo article that suggested the club’s debts were so serious there was no possibility of money being made available to Rafa Benitez to buy new players.
“I was hoping for a reassuring response,” said Horner. Did he get one? Well, he was called an “idiot” in the first reply, and the second went something like this: “Blow me **** face. Go to hell. I’m sick of you.”
“I’m genuinely shaken,” said Horner, who found the replies, penned by Tom Hicks Jr, a director at Anfield and son of the co-owner, a bit less than reassuring.
Jr has, apparently, apologised to Horner, but it’d probably be best if he left the handling of future customer complaints at the club to someone else.
