A round-up of today's other stories in breif
Scottish clubs vote next Friday on Rangers' league future
Scottish clubs will vote on whether to accept Rangers at a meeting next Friday, July 13th.
The SFL’s chief executive, David Longmuir, confirmed the date after a board meeting at Hampden yesterday.
Longmuir called for the 30 clubs to be given time and space to make their decision after some claimed they had been “bullied” into accepting the newco club in the First Division.
The SFA chief executive Stewart Regan had claimed the game faced a “slow, lingering death” if Rangers have to restart in the Third Division, most Rangers fans’ preferred option.
Regan claimed Scottish Premier League clubs, who rejected the new companys top-flight application on Wednesday, stand to lose €19.7 million if that is the case.
Rangers manager Ally McCoist last night said he might have a better chance of relaunching the club if they are placed in the Third Division.
McCoist needs to sign up to 14 players and called for an end to the transfer embargo hanging over the club. He said: “ We have to rebuild, SFL3 would give us a better chance to rebuild.”
Cunningham opts to join Bristol City
Bristol City have signed 21-year-old defender Greg Cunningham on a four-year deal from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee.
The Republic of Ireland international made his Premier League debut in April 2010 and went on to play four games for the current champions.
He was loaned out to Leicester during the 2010-11 season and spent last term with Nottingham Forest.
“I’ve been with City since I moved over here so it was always going to be a big decision,” he told BBC Radio Bristol.
“But I felt to better my career and better myself as a player I had to leave Man City, and I think Bristol City is the right club for me.
“ Derek is a very ambitious and driven manager and I’m very much looking forward to working under him.” Galway-born Cunningham joined the Manchester City academy aged 16 and made his first appearance in the FA Cup win over Scunthorpe in January 2010.
COVENTRY have signed Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane on a one-year contract after his release by Hull.
Uefa in dock over manipulated clip
German television chiefs have complained to Uefa after it was discovered coverage of the European Championship semi-final between Germany and Italy was manipulated to show a German woman in tears when her team was two goals down when in fact she had been moved by the national anthem.
When the fan alerted the German press to the faked footage, after she received texts and facebook messages from bemused friends, it was discovered Uefa, European football’s governing body which controlled the broadcast, had strategically inserted the images following a goal when they had actually been filmed much earlier.
The footage aired just after Italy had scored their second goal showed slow-motion images of a woman, identified as Andrea from Düsseldorf, wiping copious tears from her cheek. But the scene had been filmed 40 minutes earlier during the singing of the national anthem, which the woman said had moved her to tears.
Bosses at ARD and ZDF, Germany’s state channels which broadcast the match, have called on Uefa to explain.
Shareholder Usmanov berates Arsenal for lack of investment
Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov attacked the club board yesterday for a lack of investment and for failing to hold on to club captain Robin van Persie beyond next year .
The open letter from Uzbek-born billionaire Usmanov, who has a stake of just under 30 per cent, makes public his concerns over the running of the club, majority owned by American Stan Kroenke.
“It is down to our manager, and not the shareholders, to have to deal with the club’s tight finances, carry the burden of repaying the stadium debt by selling his best players and having to continue to find cheaper replacements,” he said.
Manager Arsene Wenger learned on Wednesday Van Persie, who scored 37 goals last season, would not renew his contract when it expires next year.
Usmanov said Arsenal had to match clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona financially if they were to compete with them on the field.
Usanov’s Red White Securities group has invested around €250 million in the club
Chelsea's power station move hopes are extinguished.
Chelsea’s hopes of moving to Battersea Power Station have been finally extinguished after a Malaysian consortium completed a €500 million purchase of the London landmark.
The club are considering moving away from Stamford Bridge and had lodged a bid to move to the iconic 39-acre site on the south bank of the River Thames.
Chelsea released plans in May that detailed how they hoped to turn the derelict site in to a 60,000-seater stadium incorporating the four famous chimneys. But the administrators Ernst Young revealed last month they had opted instead to name a Malaysian consortium as the preferred bidders.
After a 28-day due diligence process, the consortium’s bid has now been rubber-stamped.
