A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Villa to honour 'Chick' Deacy
ASTON VILLA are to honour their former Republic of Ireland defender Eamon "Chick" Deacy, who passed away last month, at the Premier League game against Chelsea in two weeks' time.
The club is hold a minute’s silence before kick-off for the player who was part of the team that won the league in 1980/’81 and a member of the squad that lifted the European Cup the following season.
Barcelona's Abidal to undergo liver transplant
MESSAGES OF support have been flooding in for Eric Abidal following the news that the Barcelona defender is to undergo a liver transplant.
Team-mates, opposition players and fellow athletes have wished Abidal the best after Barcelona confirmed yesterday afternoon that the Frenchman would have a transplant in the coming weeks, a year after having liver surgery to remove a tumour.
The squad were told the latest news at training yesterday, with captain Carles Puyol saying: “We had a meeting minutes before going on to the pitch. It was a rude awakening. Eric was at the meeting. We then talked to him, and logically that stays in the dressingroom.”
Puyol claimed Abidal was in good spirits. “It is him who encourages us. His attitude is an example,” he added. “We are confident that he will come out of this.”
Carragher hails Gerrard club's greatest
LIVERPOOL VETERAN Jamie Carragher believes Steven Gerrard can now lay claim to being the club’s all-time greatest player – and the second-best midfielder ever produced by England.
Gerrard underlined his enduring brilliance with a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Merseyside rivals Everton.
Carragher said: “Because of what he has done for the club, I believe he is the best.
“(Kenny) Dalglish, (Graeme) Souness and Ian Rush all played together in a great team, but because football is a team game it’s been harder for Stevie because he’s not always played in great teams.”
Carragher believes only Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton, England’s all-time record goalscorer, stands above Gerrard in terms of the country’s greatest midfielders.
Date set for Rangers hearing
RANGERS AND owner Craig Whyte will have their disciplinary charges heard on March 29th after the Scottish Football Association’s compliance officer processed the findings of the independent inquiry into the club.
Whyte has been issued with notices of complaint over breaches of two disciplinary rules.
Rangers have been hit with notices of complaint over five alleged breaches of rules, including failing to abide by SFA regulations over the “fit and proper person” test.
The cases will be heard by an SFA judicial panel along with a previously announced notice of complaint over the club’s failure to pay Dundee United money owed from last month’s Scottish Cup clash at Ibrox.
Richards is sorry for putting foot in it
PREMIER LEAGUE chairman Dave Richards has apologised again yesterday for claiming that Fifa and Uefa had “stolen” football from England and admitted sometimes he is a “little bit broad”.
The Yorkshireman made the remarks at a conference in Qatar on Wednesday – comments which the Premier League and English FA moved quickly to distance themselves from – and later capped a forgettable day by injuring himself after stepping in to a water feature.
He issued a statement apologising on Wednesday night, and followed that up yesterday morning with more contrition, although he also tried to blame his background for his outspoken tendencies.
He said: "I'd like to clarify something – I am a Yorkshireman and I am quite broad and if I say something it can be taken out of a little bit of context. I was asked about the heritage of the game, I would never want to offend Fifa or Uefa. "
75 go on trial for Port Said crush
PROSECUTORS ORDERED 75 people to stand trial for causing Egypt’s worst soccer stadium disaster, including the head of security in Port Said city where lax policing was blamed for a stampede that killed at least 74 fans.
“The accused were sent to a criminal court on charges of committing the crime of intentional and premeditated murder,” the general prosecutor’s office said in a statement yesterday.
The crush followed a pitch invasion when Port Said-based al-Masry beat Cairo’s Al Ahli, the most successful club in Africa.
Steel doors at the stadium were bolted shut, trapping fans trying to escape from the stands and dozens were crushed to death, witnesses said. Many fans blamed the government for a failure to send enough police to the stadium given the tense build-up to the match, and many believe the violence was sparked by hired thugs. At least 1,000 people were injured.
