Other soccer stories in brief
Offers in for Liverpool
Liverpool's board of directors are to scrutinise a number of offers from groups interested in buying into the club at a meeting tomorrow as their search for new investment to part-fund their ambitious new stadium project reaches a critical stage, writes Dominic Fifield.
Those interested parties include a group put together by Robin Herd, the former chairman of Oxford United, and the Norwegian businessmen Oystein Stray Spetalen and Petter Stordalen.
Whether the chairman David Moores, who owns a 51 per cent stake in the club, is willing to dilute his own interest significantly remains to be seen, although the club still anticipate starting work on their new arena in Stanley Park next spring with a view to completing construction by 2009.
The club's chief executive Rick Parry confirmed that progress is expected to be made in terms of new funding for the stadium.
Gains made by Arsenal
Arsenal's best-ever Champions League campaign helped the club's footballing turnover hit a record £132 million in the year to the end of May. But less cash from property development, together with increased employment costs and other outlays, offset gains from selling players, and the club reported an 18 per cent fall in pretax profit to £15.89m.
The results highlight how the finances of Arsenal, which relocated to a new north London stadium this season, combine football and property development.
Arsenal's Champions League run, culminating in a 2-1 defeat in the final in Paris against Barcelona, garnered the club £32.6m in revenues, £12.5m more than the year before.
That helped pretax profit from soccer almost double to £16.8m. But net debt rocketed more than £100m to £262.1m, as Arsenal ploughed money into its new ground.
A lack of major sales knocked property turnover to £5.1m from £23.3m a year earlier, taking overall turnover to £137.2m. However, Arsenal said the £23.5-m sale of its Drayton Park site, near its new Emirates stadium, will count towards this year's revenues.
Transfers may get limit
Big-spending clubs could face curbs on how much they pay for players' wages and transfers under proposals being considered by the game's leaders and European sports ministers.
The move would hit clubs with mega-rich owners such as Chelsea as they would not be allowed to spend more than they earn in order to steal a march on their rivals.
The idea has been mooted as part of a new Europe-wide licensing system after the possibility of a salary cap for clubs was abandoned.
Euro 2012 race hots up
The joint bid by Ukraine and Poland to stage the 2012 European Championship has many elements in its favour and is worthy of serious consideration, a Uefa official was quoted as saying yesterday.
Giorgio Marchetti, a member of the Uefa delegation that toured four Ukrainian cities last week, told the daily Kommanda that inspectors found "many positive elements" during their visit.
The bid to hold the championship is up against Italy and a similar joint proposal from Croatia and Hungary.
Blackwell gets the chop Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers, former Premiership clubs now occupying the bottom two places in the Championship, changed their managers yesterday.
Leeds, who are 23rd in the 24-team division, sacked Kevin Blackwell, their manager since May 2004, while QPR appointed John Gregory, his first management job since leaving Derby County in 2003.
Gregory, who spent four years at QPR and played for them in the 1982 FA Cup final, takes over from former Republic of Ireland international Gary Waddock, who was appointed manager in June, but who now reverts to first-team coach.
New deal for Beckham
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has said the club will reach agreement with David Beckham (31) on a new deal within the next three weeks . . . Celtic defender Bobo Balde, who made his first appearance since April 5th against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup on Tuesday, has told manager Gordon Strachan he will be fit for the Old Firm derby on Saturday . . . Fulham have confirmed Luis Boa Morte will be sidelined for six weeks with a fractured cheekbone he sustained during a clash of heads with team-mate Heidar Helguson in Sunday's draw at Tottenham . . . Former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin (37) has joined Norwich on a free transfer . . . Crystal Palace manager Peter Taylor has admitted his interest in signing Lee Hendrie (29) on loan from Aston Villa . . . Northern Ireland midfielder Mark Hughes (23) has left Oldham after having his contract terminated by mutual consent . . . Former England striker Stan Collymore (35) has ruled out a move to Australian A-League team Newcastle Jets, who claimed to have had talks with the former Liverpool man . . . Franz Beckenbauer has confirmed he will be standing for the Bayern Munich presidency once again at the club's agm in November.
