HTW 2013-14 Preview Issue by Halftime Whistle

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VOLUME 01 / PREVIEW / AUGUST 2013

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ALFTIME WHISTLE will be new to most of you, so we think it’s only fair we start by introducing ourselves. For such a global phenomenon such as football, we struggled to think of many good quality periodicals centered on the sport we love. Therefore, we decided to produce a new magazine, filled with content for the typical football fan, one that we hope will add to your match day, to fill that agonising 15-minutes at half-time, and then at home once the three points are safely in the bag. And what’s more, it’s FREE.

We will produce and distribute 20,000 magazines on Saturday match days at all the Premier League grounds in London, as well as a network of over 250 affiliate ‘football’ pubs throughout the capital. In addition, you can view the magazine anywhere through our website, Facebook, Twitter, and interactive pub coasters for tablet and smartphones. The magazine has been deliberately geared towards your desires. Having surveyed hundreds of London-based football fans, we feel we have the content that can cater for everyone: News, rumours, tweets and goals from around the globe Results, fixtures, tables & stats from leagues both in Britain and overseas Up-and-coming talent, forgotten names, British players abroad, in-form players & teams Community section: giving you, the fans, a means of interacting through articles, photos, quizzes and competitions. Our dedicated Betting Guide gives you the vital statistics if you fancy a flutter over the weekend Pub guide, TV guide, competitions and more! We feel we provide a mix of short and longer articles, and aim to write in a style that is witty and light-hearted, but intelligent and informative all-the-while. We also provide enough advertising space to help your business blossom or expand further, without deflecting attention away from our fantastic content. Your continued support and feedback is very much appreciated.

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VOLUME 01 / PREVIE

W / AUGUST 2013

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As one lege nd down, another steps forward – wel steps to Halftime come Whistle.

Daniel Stone Editor

OFFICIAL MAT CHDAY SPON SOR

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EDEN HAZARD / RUBEN LOFTU S-CHEEK / X-ILES AS MONACO / t COMMUNITY / EUROPEAN ROUN D-UP

EE AGUID -PINGSGIDE 2 1BETT IN

LINEUP FEATURES 9

LE FRENCH EVOLUTION A look at those other Brits who have joined the French Foreign legion.

14 PLAYER PROFILE: EDEN HAZARD The Belgian Superstar taking the Premiership by storm

18 X-ILES: ROY CARROLL The brilliant, the bad, and the downright bizarre of a post-Premiership career

26 CLUB SPOTLIGHT: AS MONACO How a Russian billionaire is planning to take on the best in Europe

SENT TO NORTHAMPTON The fall and continued fall of Coventry City

CONTENTS

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BETTING GUIDE

68 YOUR FREE 18-PAGE GUIDE WITH ALL THE INFO YOU NEED IF YOU FANCY A FLUTTER THIS WEEKEND.

FIXTURES t LEAGUE TABLES t FORM GUIDE t GOALSCORING CHARTS t TV GUIDE

COMMUNITY 12 TWELFTH MAN 40 READER ARTICLE An end of an era for HTW reader Paul Matthews

42 YOUR TEAM Islington’s AFC Chips or Garlic Bread

44 GRAHAM POLLS

regulars 6

TOP 4 News, rumours, tweets, goals

11 HTW STICKERBOOK Premiership Bald XI

21 UNGENTLEMANLY CONDUCT

betting guide 53 57 60 61 62

PREMIERSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE 1 LEAGUE 2 NON-LEAGUE

A roundup of the women’s game.

24 EUROPEAN ROUND-UP

Visuals

Germany’s time to shine, Benfica’s woes

45 MIND GAMES 46 COMPETITION Caption competition & spot the ball

33 YOUNG GUNS RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK 34 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CARLOS MARINELLI 36 IMAGE OF THE SUMMER 66 PUB HAT-TRICK Three of the best of London’s football pubs

70 TV GUIDE Football on the box this week

THE

TOPFOUR

News, rumours, tweets and our goals of the week.

The Giants Are Back

ENGLAND: A BIT POO

SPAIN'S YOUNG STARS

fascinating story unfolded in Brazil this summer at the Confederations Cup. With off-the-field issues dominating many pre-tournament headlines, the Little Canary put on a great show, with scintillating football throughout, epitomised by the tournament’s standout player and eventual winner, Neymar.

n a summer dominated by British sporting success, football very much failed to follow suit. The senior England team drew both their friendlies, dropping down to their lowest FIFA ranking in over a decade, whilst the Under-21s, Under-20s and Women’s teams were all dumped out of their respective tournaments without a single win between them.

o compound England’s disappointments, the Under-21 tournament showcased the remarkable qualities in evidence in youth football. Spain especially, spearheaded by the likes of De Gea, Thiago and Isco, highlighted the gulf in class between England and the rest of Europe, and one that shows little sign of abating.

LADIES DAY he women’s game continues to show its evolution, as the European Championships very much proved. The tournament was awash with great football and stunning goals, but Germany once again

T 6

came out victorious, as they have done for a sixth successive occasion since 1993. Goalkeeper and captain Nadine ‘what ever you do don’t’ Angerer saved two penalties to clinch victory over Sweden on spot-kicks..

PSSSTTT......

RUMOURS

The hottest transfer rumours of the past week... Wayne Rooney’s name has been synonymous with the gossip columns this summer, as his annual tantrum seems to have aroused the attentions of both Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as abroad. Moyes has reiterated his stance that Wazzer’s to stay put, and we expect exactly that.

TWEETS

ng fans at traini 20 thousand e tmro, m ga at k 85 tonight, t e the suppor still amazes m you, hope we k we have. Than show. put on a ick @carras16 Michael Carr l 19 Ju

Luis Suarez has made his intentions very clear to play in the Champions League and Arsenal have made very public their intentions to pluck the wantaway Uruguayan from Anfield. He’s played for over 20 of Premier League teams on my Football Manager leagues over the years, and reports were rife that Javier Saviola may have finally, aged 31, come to these shores, with West Ham and Cardiff interested. However, he’s now signed for Olympiakos. The Argentine was reported to have “It has always been my dream to play with Roy Carroll.”

People come and go @NilePowerRanger 17 Jul

Valbuena 119 - Mathieu ces for his an ch e created mor an any other teammates th pe’s big five ro Eu ss ro player ac d. 12/13. Spurre leagues in 20 n Ju 6 oe aJ @Opt Bet Roy Hodgson is not overly chuf fed with @Sk ySports selection of TV games before England’s vital games. predictable, but sad! @GaryLineker 11 Jul

OF THE

GOALS week Scan the QR codes below with your smartphone to view our pick of the goals of the week

goalshot Twitter legend @ussoccerguy’s take on the week

A S LATEST: SEX FABREG s still wants to Coach Moyle ith the rest w x Se ve ha er player s. cc so s of hi indow nc ha ementW #FranchiseEn

Neymar Brazil v Japan

Maynor Figueroa Peterborough United v Hull City

Isco Spain U21 v Norway U21

Luis Suarez Spain v Uruguay

EX-PATS

LA BONNE VIE What do David Beckham, Chris Makin & Trevor Steven have in common? o, they’re not all married to pop-stars, or have children named after boroughs of New York, and they certainly don’t all boast lucrative sponsorship deals with some of the world’s most recognisable brands. No of course, it’s only Mr. Makin who ticks all of those boxes, and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the former Sunderland and Ipswich centre-half a happy retirement in his castle in Prestwich with daughters Bronx, Mahhattan and new baby boy, Staten Island. Seriously now, unless you were living under a football-shaped rock at the end of the season, you’d have known that it was D-Day for Beckham, as he bowed out of the game following his short spell at PSG. Making his debut against rivals Marseille, he joined a short but steady list of British players who have hopped on a ferry and made the voyage over the English Channel to don the shirt of a club in Ligue 1, France’s equivalent of the Premier League. With Becks’ 15-minute cameo garnering more

publicity than most careers, this article will look at some of those other expats who’ve added a pocket dictionnaire to their kitbag over the years.

FOREIGN LEGION We’ll start with the game at the Parc des Princes where, as you also probably know, Beckham wasn’t even the only Englishman on the pitch that night. Indeed, after his much-publicised summer move, Joey Barton established himself as a key member

Chris Waddle: ‘Le Clown’.

of Marseilles’ first team, coinciding in a runner-up finish. Le Scouser also proved a huge hit with the fans, as exhibited with a forty-foot banner that welcomed his arrival, adorned with the words ‘Welcome Sweet and Tender Hooligan’, a reference to Joey’s favourite band, The Smiths, as well as a nod to the joie de vivre for which he has made himself (in)famous during his time in England. PSG’s 2-0 win in La Classique proved crucial as PSG eventually won the league title for the first time since 1994. What may come as a surprise is that the Parisians had only won the top flight on two previous occasions in their history and, even more remarkably, another former Englishman at Marseille can lay claim to more medals in his own, personal collection. Chris ‘magique’ Waddle, signed in 1989 for £4.5 million from Spurs, at the time the third-highest amount ever paid behind Diego Maradona and Ruud Gullit, enjoyed a hugely successful spell in France, winning the

EX-PATS

Arsene Wenger: Signed trendsetters Glenn Hoddle & Mark Hateley.

league in each of his three seasons and earning a runner-up medal in the 1991 European Cup final. The winger, who became affectionately known as Le Clown as much for his trickery with the ball as his jocular approach to the game, crossed Le Manche at a time when English clubs were banned from European competition following the Heysel disaster, and indeed he was not the first England international to do so. In 1987, the then Monaco manager Arsene Wenger signed Glenn Hoddle, ironically also from Tottenham and, alongside expatriate trendsetter Mark Hateley, instant glory was attained once more as the team won the league for the first time in six seasons. By the time of Monaco’s next league triumph in 1997, Scotsman John Collins was holding the midfield, playing a pivotal role in a side that also humbled Manchester United en route to a Champions League semi-final.

FRENCH EVOLUTION Some impressive tales I think you’ll agree, yet there have, unsurprisingly, been some rather less glamorous but still notable allied invasions over the years. Clive Allen had a typically prolific season at Bordeaux in the late 1980s, Ray Wilkins also had

Joe Cole: Enjoyed something of a renaissance at Lille

four months in Paris in 1987 and new Notts County manager Chris Kiwomya had a loan spell at Le Havre from Arsenal in 1996. Other names you may recall who have swapped bacon sarnies for crossaints au buerre include Graeme Rix, Derek Mcinnes and, of course, Joe Cole. The tradition of British players migrating to Ligue 1 dates back to its inception in 1932, when household The aforementioned trendsetters.

names such as Arthur Phoenix and Bert Lutterloch went over to help with the league’s initial development. Today, as David Beckham himself seems to be embodying a new era for French football as it looks to enter the twenty-first century, only time will tell if he will be forgotten in France as a mere poster boy, or revered as a member of the expat-elite of Messrs. Waddle, Hoddle, and Makin.

STICKERBOOK This week it’s the glistening bonces of the Premiership Bald XI

HALFTIME WHISTLE

Fabian BARTHEZ

Danny MILLS

Steve BOULD (c)

Frank LEBOEUF

Thomas GRAVESEN

Lee CARSLEY

Attilo LOMBARDO RW

Alan WRIGHT

Temuri KETSBAIA

MANAGER

Brian McDermott

ASSISTANT MANAGER Ray Wilkins

John HARTSON

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ONE CAP WONDERS REFEREE

Howard Webb

Nicolas ANELKA

TWELFTH MAN

Send us your photos of you at a recent football match and you could be in our LAUNCH ISSUE. Email your images now: photos@halftimewhistle.co.uk

VOL 01 NO. 01

EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea & Belgium)

n another typically tumultuous season at Chelsea, marked by anger and uncertainty following Roberto Di Matteo’s shock sacking, and Rafa Benitez’s subsequent arrival, this ultimately proved a mere back-story to another successful campaign for the Blues. Winners of the Europa League, Champions League qualification for another season, and with the return of the Prodigal Son José Mourinho, there is certainly much to smile about once more at Stamford Bridge. However, all this has meant the spotlight has been deflected away from what was a fantastic first season in English football for Chelsea’s attackingmidfielder Eden Hazard. Rewind twelve months for a vastly different story, as the then 21-year-old’s name dominated the gossip columns whilst the football world debated where the twinkle-toed Belgian would end up as he prepared to leave Lille. A host of top European clubs chased his signature, and some eyebrows were raised when he eventually revealed via his official Twitter account that he was: “Signing for the Champions League winners”. The move marked the end of

a highly successful spell in French football for Hazard, where he had not only installed himself as one of the world’s most exciting talents but had also helped his side to a league and cup double in 2011, the first major silverware for the club in over half a century. For Hazard, a talent in football is perhaps unsurprising considering his family background, as his father and mother were also footballers in Belgium. He is the eldest of four brothers, all of whom play the sport to a high standard, including Thorgan, who joined him at Chelsea last season from Lille’s biggest rivals Lens. Born in the Belgian city of La Louvière, Eden was raised in nearby Braine-le-Comte, a small town in the Wallonia region. He joined his hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of just four and spent eight years there before moving to Tubize, and it was there that he was spotted by a Lille scout whilst playing in a local tournament. He joined Lille in 2005 and spent two years in the club’s local sports school, before signing his first professional contract in May 2007.A Now at Chelsea, he has continued

to prove that he can cut it at the very top, as he has produced an array of sparkling performances last season. The excitement over his decision to choose West London seemed fully vindicated as early as his league debut. Hazard enjoyed a lightning start to the Premiership season on the opening weekend against Wigan Athletic. Inside two minutes, he pirouetted away from a defender on the halfway line before sending Branislav Ivanovic through for the opener. Five minutes later, he won a penalty for his new side which Frank Lampard converted, completing a man-of-the-match performance in the 2–0 victory. His impressive performances continued consistently as Chelsea started the season strongly but as results started to worsen and the managerial soap-opera started to unravel, attention was deflected away from Hazard somewhat, but his level of performance never diminished. In total last season, he scored thirteen goals in all competitions, as well as amassing a highly impressive 26 assists. Despite all this, his season may be best remembered for the bizarre sending off in the League Cup semi-

Career TimeLine NOV 2007 Makes debut for Lille

NOV 2008 Belgium debut, versus Luxembourg, aged 17

MAY 2011 Wins Coupe de France with Lille

JUNE 2012 Joins Chelsea

FULL NAME: Ed en DATE OF BIRTH: Hazard 07/01/1991 PLACE OF BIRT H: La LouviĂ¨re, Belgium HEIGHT: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) PLAYING POSIT ION: Attacking midfielder, wi nger CLUB CAREER: Lille (2007-20 12) 147 Apps - 36 Goals Chelsea (201 2-present) 62 Apps - 13 Goals INTERNATIONA L CAREER: Belgium (2008pr 33 Apps - 5 Go esent) als

final against Swansea City, as Hazard kicked at a local ball boy who was lying on the ball, seemingly in order to waste time. This season, Hazard looks set to play a central role once more under the Special One, as Chelsea seek to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title. Despite all this, this season he may be best remembered for his bizarre sending off in the League Cup semifinal against Swansea City, as Hazard kicked at a local ball boy who was lying on the ball seemingly in order to waste time. Hazard will be hoping that some silverware can prove the ultimate momento to what has been a fine first campaign on British soil.

THE

Roy Carroll

Rollercoaster

The brilliant, the bad, and the downright bizarre of a post-Premiership career. hen Arsenal visited Olympiakos for the final game of the Champions League group stages in December, many would have spotted a familiar face between the opposing sticks at the Karaiskákis stadium. Roy Carroll, the former Wigan, Manchester United, West Ham and Derby man, was firmly established as first-choice ‘keeper at the Greek champions last season following a remarkable start to his tenure at the club that saw him earn cult status amongst the fans. Indeed his move from the Premiership to Greek Super League was far

from straightforward, but not half interesting…

‘THAT’ GOAL

An obvious place to start is ‘that’ goal that never was at Old Trafford in 2005. On a cold January night, a drab affair between United and Spurs came to life when, in the ninetieth minute, a 45-yard Pedro Mendes effort was somehow fumbled over the line by Carroll, only for the linesman to adjudge it had not. The incident caused a furore amongst the technophiles but also ultimately cost Roy his place in the side and, although he was offered

Carroll’s infamous ‘save’ against Tottenham in 2005

a new contract by Sir Alex, he left in that summer in the search of first-team football. After leaving Old Trafford he signed for West Ham where off-thefield problems began to emerge; alcohol and gambling saw him seek counselling and enter rehab, and he was soon on the move again. Spells followed at Rangers and Derby County where, following relegation to the Championship, he left England and entered into what would prove to be an extraordinary European adventure. Firstly he joined Danish side Odense BK and despite playing just 14 games for the top-flight outfit, he managed to earn the Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2009. However, he left the club the following season to be closer to his family. In March 2011, in a notorious trial at Sheffield United, he conceded twice in the first ten minutes before giving away a penalty and being sent off, all still in the first half. The Blades had seen enough, and it was around this time that Barcelona’s interest also faded. But, as you probably assumed, within six weeks he would become a record-breaking, lower-league manager. Confused? I’ll explain. During another trial, this time at Barnet, he took co-charge of the team in the absence

of the estranged Giuliano Grazioli in the prestigious Hertfordshire Senior Cup final, and, following a 2-1 victory, achieved the bizarre feat of winning a trophy in his only ever game as a manager. Despite this, internal disputes meant a deal never materialised and by August he had moved abroad again, to the country he now calls home.

Roy Carroll: enjoying a career resurrection in the Greek Super League

GREEK ODYSSEY He signed for OFI Crete in August 2011 and soon established himself as one of the best goalies in the league, which did not go unnoticed at champions Olympiakos, who snapped him up in the January transfer window. The script that followed verged once again on the unbelievable. In a Europe League tie away at Rubin Kazan in Moscow, first-choice goalkeeper Balázs Megyeri was sent off, meaning Carroll was brought on for his debut. With his first touch at his new club, he saved the resulting penalty that meant the visitors went on to win the match 1-0. In the return leg, he suffered a hamstring injury and asked to come off but, with Megyeri suspended and only a rookie goalkeeper on the bench, the home fans literally ordered him to continue and he went on to make a string of stunning saves ‘on one leg’ to see his side through, and enter Roy Carroll into Oympiakos folklore. They proved to be Carroll’s only two games of that season as Olympiacos went on to win their domestic league. Last year, however, he wrestled back the number one jersey and enjoyed a very solid start to the season, before losing his place once more to Megyeri, with the team winning the double once again. It marks an astonishing reversal of fortunes for the Northern-Irishman and once more exemplifies the crazy side of the beautiful game, one that never fails to surprise or raise a smile. Good on ya, Roy.

www.kttapeeurope.com @KTTapeEurope KT.Tape.EuropeLtd

UNGENTLEMANLY

CONDUCT A roundup of the women’s game

DON'T ANGERER!

Germany seal sixth straight European title

Women’s Super League POS TEAM

Pts

Liverpool

Bristol Academy

Everton

Chelsea

Arsenal

Birmingham City

Lincoln

Doncaster Belles

Women’s Premier League POS TEAM

ermany’s women once more reigned supreme at the European Championships, beating Norway to secure a sixth title in a row. Captain Nadine Angerer was undoubtedly the heroine as the Brisbane Roar ‘keeper saved two spot-kicks either side of substitute Anja Mittag’s close-range finish for a 1-0 final score. Norway had won the same fixture between the sides in the group stages but Germany have now won every European Championship since 1993.

Pts 45

Sunderland

Watford

Leeds

Manchester City

Coventry City

Aston Villa

Charlton Athletic

Cardiff City

Portsmouth

Barnet

NEWS IN BRIEF… TRANSFER ROUND-UP Bristol Academy have added a third Spaniard to their ranks following the signing of Keka from Rayo Vallecano. Elsewhere in the WSL,Lincoln Ladies have signed Coventry City striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk.

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Football Betting Guide Jimmy Bullard AS Monaco Ruben Loftus-Cheek

EUROPE

EUROPEAN ROUND-UP

A look at the biggest summer transfer stories from the continent

PSG & AS Monaco splash the cash

Pep signs Thiago

fascinating season lies in store in France, with champions PSG flexing their financial muscle with the signings of Cavani and Roma’s Marquinhos, for a combined total of nearly €100m. However, this

ep Guardiola had already signed Mario Gotze from Dortmund before his official tenure had even began at Bayern Munich. Not long after, Spain’s influential under-21 captain Thiago Alcantara was following from Barca for a reported €37 million. Dortmund have kept hold of Lewandowski for another season at least, and have added Liverpool target Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the club from Shaktar.

has been dwarfed by the boys from the principality; AS Monaco’s sees no sign of stopping having already acquired Ricardo Carvalho, Porto pair Moutinho & Rodriguez, and the big one, Radamel Falcao from Atletico Madrid.

Benitez teams up with Reina again apoli have been by far the busiest side this summer in Serie A. Having sold their prize asset to PSG, new boss Rafa Benitez has wasted no time plunging money back into the squad. Callejon, Albiol & Higuain have come in from Real, Pepe Reina joins on loan from Liverpool and Belgian Dries Mertens has arrived from PSV. Elswehere, Mario Gomez made a surprising switch to Fiorentina from Bayern.

Real ready to push on eal Madrid have once more shown their hand with two big money signings, both Spanish. Asier Illarramendi has signed from Real Sociedad for €38m and the jewel of the under-21 crown, Isco, arrived from Malaga for €27m. Elsewhere, David Villa ended speculation of a move to these shores, signing for Atletico Madrid.

TABLE FOR 5 How it all finished on the continent…

FRANCE

ITALY

Ligue 1 POS TEAM

*All stats correct up to end of last season

Serie A P

Pts

Paris St Germain

POS TEAM 1

Juventus

Olympique de Marseille

Napoli

Olympique Lyonnais

AC Milan

Nice

Fiorentina

Saint-Étienne

Udinese

Pts 76

Coupe de France: Evian 2 - 3 Bordeaux

Coppa Italia: Roma 0 - 1 Lazio

GERMANY

NETHERLANDS

Bundesliga POS TEAM

Eriedivisie P

Pts

POS TEAM

Bayern Munich

Ajax

Borussia Dortmund

PSV Eindhoven

Bayer Leverkusen

Feyenoord

Schalke 04

Vitesse Arnhem

SC Freiburg

Utrecht

DFB Pokbal: Bayern Munich 3 - 2 Stuttgart

KNVB Cup: AZ Alkmaar 2 - 1 PSV Eindhoven

SPAIN La Liga POS TEAM 1

Barcelona

Pts

38 100

Real Madrid

Atlético Madrid

Real Sociedad

Valencia

Maverick Managers!

Copa Del Rey: Real Madrid 1 - 2 Atlético Madrid

UEFA SUPER CUP Chelsea 1-4 Atlético Madrid EUROPA LEAGUE: Chelsea 2-1 Benfica CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayern Munich

Abel Xavier

FAB RAVANELLI

OLHANENSE (Portugal)

AJACCIO (France)

MONACO

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

AS MONACO On the French Riviera, a Russian Tsar is making a charge for the Parisian crown

s we enter the first official season of UEFA’s watershed Financial Fair Play regulations, one club is dominating the headlines for their seemingly untenable spending patterns. Having already spent in excess of €100m on marquee signings such as Falcao, Moutinho and Rodriguez, at a time when clubs within their own domestic league and beyond are being forced to tighten the purse-strings; AS Monaco has found itself at the centre of another footballfinance shitstorm that shows little sign of abating. The context is fascinating. The club from the principality tax haven, backed by Russian billions, promoted from Ligue 2 – and therefore ruled out of elite European competition and the stipulating FFP restrictions - are taking full advantage of their almost unwitting position in this privileged, loophole. Situated within a principality that is geographically inside France, but politically independent from it, any

non-French (or , randomly, American,) signing will not have to pay a penny (or, rather, a cent) to the taxman, compared to your average Frenchman who will pay full tax at a rate that may still rise up to 75 % if President Francois Hollande gets his way.

France’s football governing body, LFP, aren’t happy, and a bitter lawsuit is under way. They claim, with some justification, that AS Monaco have an unfair advantage on the rest of Ligue 1. The situation is threatening to unhinge a strong and historic relationship between club and league that has lasted since before WWII. Les Rouges et Blancs are one of France’s most successful clubs : top-flight champions on seven occasions, five-time French Cup winners, and European Cup runners-up in 2004, losing out to José Mourinho’s Porto, having humbled Abramovich’s Chelsea in his debut season in England. So for how long can they keep up this lavish spending? Well the fact that they aren’t in the Champions League or Europa League will buy them some time but FFP regulation includes strict ‘Break Even’ guidelines that have already seen Malaga expelled from this season’s Europa League for non-adherence – showing they mean business. And for the principality of only 36,000 residents, whose club

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

averaged under 6,000 home fans last season, the chances of balancing the books seem slim at best. The proposed solution, thought out by chairman Dmitry Rybolovlev, takes further advantage of the club’s unique and privileged situation. As Gabriele Marcotti has explained, AS Monaco plan to become an ‘aspirational, boutique brand’ by implementing 6,000 luxury seats, available to the locals at a casual €2000 per match. Further premium seating would be made available at a fee of around €250 a game, with the remaining 6,000, a figure bang in line with last season’s average, available at a normal rate.

It’s an inherently risky strategy, one that evokes memories of Peter Ridsdale’s 10-year season ticket scheme that helped plunge Leeds United into economic turmoil. But this isn’t North Yorkshire, it’s a society with the world’s highest GDP, an average salary of £1,000,000 and 0 % unemployment, raising the notion of “if it’ll work anywhere...” And what better way to put goldplated bottoms on diamond-encrusted seats than to sign the world’s hottest out-and-out striker, alongside a plethora of eye-watering talent; a shopping list that may yet dwarf even that of Roman Abramovich’s inaugural transfer window splurge a decade ago. Seriously, how does Ranieri get away with this!? Either way, it’s an interesting subplot that will add extra spice to this new era for French football. Ligue 1 is definitely one to keep an eye on this season.

Blank Cheques

Our European round-up can be found in every issue on page 24.

J. Rodriguez €45m

Furthermore, read about the historic link between the English & French leagues on page 9.

How Claudio Ranieri’s shopping lists compare at Chelsea and AS Monaco

CHELSEA G. Johnson £6.3m J-S Veron £15m D. Duff £17m A. Mutu £15.8m J. Cole £6.6m H. Crespo £16.8m TOTAL – £77.5m

AS MONACO J. Moutinho €25m R. Falcao €60m J. Toulalan undisc. E. Abidal FREE TOTAL – €130m (£113 min)

pics © Action Images

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FEATURE

SENT TO NORTHAMPTON: THE FALL AND FALL OF COVENTRY CITY f, like me, you were supporting Coventry City at the turn of the 21st century, the ride was already somewhat bumpy; slaloming Darren Huckerby runs, cultured Gary McAllister free-kicks and astute Robbie Keane finishes were still fresh in the memory, but this West Midlands side were more synonymous with agonising end of season scrapes, and their relegation in 2001 brought to an end 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight of English football, a feat bettered only by Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal. Few, however, could have predicted our relentless slide into obscurity since that sunny afternoon at Villa Park twelve years ago. After quickly dispensing with Gordon Strachan, the club hired and fired a string of managers - 17 (including caretakers) have come and gone in the eleven years since Strachan - none of whom were able to halt our depressing slide down the table. In 2005, a 23,000 strong Sky Blue army bade farewell to Highfield Road by demolishing a compliant Derby County side 6-2 (it was the fans) and moved into the £113 million Ricoh Arena convinced that the long winter of discontent was finally over.

I listened, a piece of turf clasped in my muddy hand, as Micky Adams addressed the crowd at the end of that blissful day and felt -presumably how Wigan fans feel every year - that ‘next season will be different’. Alas, the club’s on-field performances did not measure-up and optimistic dreams of the play-offs subsided into relegation drudgery with the jaws of the third-tier beckoning. We got relegated midway through 2012 and, after a promising start,

were hamstrung by a ten-point deduction that put paid to any lingering hopes of bouncebackablity. To be honest - by this point - the thought of success was possibly more traumatising than familiar-old relegation, so alien was the sensation. Manager Mark Robins, appointed in September, was poached by Huddersfield and the only manager in recent memory to improve the club’s position was gone: it was heartbreaking. Loud calls from fans Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium - 44 miles from Coventry

COVENTRY CITY

Tough times ahead for Steven Pressley for former manager Eric Black were ignored by the wise elders who plumped (and paid!!!) instead for exWigan defender and then Falkirk boss Stephen Pressley who led the club to a 15th place finish.

SENT TO NORTHAMPTON This summer has seen our financial situation escalate from an itchy groin to a rampant case of genital warts. I spoke to Kev Monks – head of Covsupport News Service – who stated plainly: ‘No-one is innocent but some are more guilty than others. The owners SISU Capital Ltd can certainly take their fair share of the blame, firstly for not sorting out a new rent deal when they took over the club [...] and then having the chief executive fail in the rent negotiations and throw his toys out of the pram by refusing to pay the rent’. The move to the Ricoh roughly equates to someone offering a twelve-year old a bigger and better park to play football in, but instead of getting free Mr. Whippy and hanging round with his mates like he used-to, he’s now on his one-man surrounded by bullies who steal his lunch money and throw in a wedgie for good measure.

All-in-all it’s not a good deal. Clubs like Cardiff, Swansea, Southampton, Brighton, and Hull have based their success on a strong financial model backed up by revenue from their new stadiums: we on the other signed up to to a £1.2 million per year rentcommitment that we simply could not fulfil and in turn, aside from sales of tickets, programmes, and official club merchandise, banked no match day revenue whatsoever. The arrival of SISU was greeted with open arms because it allowed the club to avoid administration. The then chairman Joe Elliott’s proclamation that ‘This is a very exciting day in the long, proud history of Coventry City Football Club’ takes on a darkly comical edge in retrospect, as does his unintentionally portentous prediction that ‘SISU Capital will help drive Coventry City forward into a brand new era for the club’ – little did he know that ‘new era’ would be located 44 miles away at Sixfields Stadium, home to Northampton Town. As I write, the club’s future looks murkier than Harry Redkanpp’s tax return, with a 10-point deduction for going into administration/liquidation/ assassination/annihilation (who know

the difference in these mad times?) being executed by the powers-that-be, meaning the downtrodden fans – yours truly included – make their way to Crawley away on Saturday knowing their side will be bottom of the league before a ball has been kicked, despite our team name beginning with ‘C’! Fans can’t even bank on where they will be rocking up for the first home game of the season as Arena Coventry Limited – the jokers in charge of the Ricoh (lack of comedy) Arena – have made a rent offer that is 10% of last year’s bill (emphasising the ludicrous premium of previous years) and so the treaty reached with Northampton Town now hangs in the balance. When you forget about all the tedious bureaucracy, suits and shoddy accountants involved in this situation, the fans (‘woe is me’) are the ones who are really suffering. The infectious enthusiasm for the new Premiership season buoyed by the lucrative new TV deal is, undeniably, enjoyable, but you can’t help but think that too many clubs are in danger of becoming the next Portsmouth Coventry. I warn you – football ain’t such a funny old game down here.

Halftime Whistle’s guide to the hottest young Premiership talent

RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK CHELSEA s another summer passes amid raised questions on the state of English football, one bright spark may have announced himself at the tender age of just 17. Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek was given his first run-outs for the Blues’ senior squad in their postPremiership tour of America last season and impressed in his two starts against Manchester City. A tall, strong, box-to-box midfielder who can also play in the heart of defence, ‘Rube’ showed many nice touches, a clear comfort in possession, and expert vision, taking clattering from Messrs. Kompany and Toure along the way as well! At youth level, despite some niggling injuries earlier in his fledgling career, he was part of the 2012 FA Youth Cup winning squad, and an ever-present in last season’s run to the final, which Chelsea ultimately lost 4-2 on aggregate to Norwich City. Much was made of the two-anda-half-year deal Ruben signed earlier this year, worth an eye-watering £1.7 million, making him easily the highest-paid youth player in the country. However, with Barcelona reportedly monitoring his progress, he may just be the most valuable as well. He will no doubt be hoping to impress new manager José Mourinho and may well prove another highlight of what promises to be a fascinating Premiership campaign.

CARLOS MARINELLI MIDDLESBOROUGH

2000-2003 (43 apps/3 goals)

arinelli is an archetypal Obscure OOs footballer, offering much upon his return before falling by the wayside. Another recipient of the rather dubious tag of being ‘the next Maradona’, despite signing for Middlesborough, Bryan Robson brought the midfielder to Teeside in 2000, but he went on to make only twelve first-team appearances. There were flashes of brilliance from the nimble-footed Argentinean but his ‘failure to adjust to the English lifestyle’ saw an unsuccessful loan to Serie A side Torino precede a permanent move back home to Boca Juniors. However, having struggled to hold down a regular starting berth, he was packing his bags once more, moving back through Europe in the shape of Racing Santander and SC Braga, before jetting off again to MLS side Kansas City wizards. Despite being a first team regular at the Missouri outfit for two campaigns, Marinelli’s itchy feet saw him sign for short spells in Colombia, Argentina, Greece and now Peru, where he has spent the last three seasons at Universidad San Martin de Porres.

Thanks to our partners facebook.com/Obscure00sFootballers

the

giants are back!

IMAGE OF THE SUMMER

FOOTBALL IN YOUR COMMUNITY Where Halftime Whistle gives you, the fans, a voice. READER REPORTS YOUR TEAM FUN & MIND GAMES THE HTW GRAHAM POLLS MATCH PREDICTIONS Get involved: email community@halftimewhistle.co.uk

READER REPORT

THE END OF AN ERA

Fergie’s not the only one entering a new chapter in their life. his May spelled the end of an era for me. As a university student, I my final exam ended a four-year degree, simultaneously signalling the start of ‘the rest of my life’. I big milestone. As a result, I’ve been asked countless times: “how do you feel?”, “are you emotional?”, “will you cry?”, even. I was told that the shock would set in once I realise it was all over, and true when I said farewell to my housemates for the final time, I did feel a slight knot in the old stomach. But as I did so I realised that this had become a

READER PROFILE NAME: Paul Matthews AGE: 23 LOCATION: Yeovil FAVOURITE CLUB: Yeovil Town SEASON TICKET HOLDER? Yes FAVOURITE PLAYER: Paddy Madden FAVOURITE ALL-TIME PLAYER: Lionel Messi FIRST GAME ATTENDED: Yeovil vs Kidderminster, 1994 FONDEST FOOTBALL MEMORY: Yeovil getting promoted to the Championship! WHY YOU LOVE FOOTBALL: Who knew Fergie would retire when Yeovil got promoted to the Championship?

familiar feeling in the few weeks prior. Was it my exams? The Anticipation? Apprehension? Nerves? Don’t be stupid. It was football, of course! I fail to recall a more emotional couple of weeks in British football than the end of the 2012/13 season, and I’ve been watching since before I could even say “Ogrizovic”. I’m lucky that my only two Premier League games this season came at Villa Park for Frank Lampard’s record-breaking brace, and Sunday’s farewell to Jamie Carragher at Anfield. All four corners of both grounds, opposition fans included, joined in appreciation of these great, unique footballing talents. Across the channel, the British heartstrings were being even more mercilessly plucked as Becks bid farewell to his beloved sport in a manner we may never see again; the armband, the tears, the on-field embraces, all remarkable gestures of respect for a man who had played only six times for PSG. But the biggest news of all came in the form of Sir Alex Ferguson’s shock retirement, ending a reign at the top that had started since before my parents had even decided they wanted a handsome new boy in the family. He became a second-father to a generation, and the fact that this day was always coming did little to curve the collective national sentiment that marked the news. When asked

about what the great man would miss, his reaction was surprisingly decisive: “Those last minute goals!” Well the old man certainly got his wish this week. With football you think you’ve seen it all, but the scenes at Griffin Park with Brentford’s missed penalty, and Doncaster’s breakaway goal, were seemingly one-of-a-kind. Not so, barely a week later, Watford did the same. And then Wigan and Chelsea both won trophies in injury time. Football had done it again. I’m proud to say that the end of one significant chapter in my life coincided with that of such great men. So now as I slob around my house in my boxer shorts, looking lost as I ponder my career path, my semi-sympathetic parents ‘comfort’ me saying, “Aww diddums, it must be frustrating sitting around all day with nothing to do”, my response is clear. “Don’t be stupid. It’s August; football’s back.”

YOUR TEAM FC in association with Sunday football, jumpers for goalposts, this is our look at your team

ead AFC CHIPS OR garlic br

CLUB INFO NICKNAME: The Garlics FOUNDED: 2006 GROUND: Pitch 4 RECORD ATTENDANCE: 9 LOCAL: Bishop’s TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Ben West MANAGER: Terry Mawer CAPTAIN: Danny Stone

romotion may be on the horizon for AFC Chips or Garlic Bread this season as they currently lie second in the Islington Monday League Division Three with only a matter of weeks remaining. Having lost only twice, both times coming, they claim, as a result of ‘Bank Holiday drinking’, the group, who have known each other since secondary school, may well be celebrating a second successive promotion, having returned from university to win Division Five at the first attempt. Prior to leaving for their educational pursuits, the Garlics had

previously won the Thursday Premier League at the same centre and have the Monday equivalent in their sites. Technical Director Ben West told HTW: “It’s a three season plan. There was no room in the top four leagues so we knew we had to do it the long way but the lads are playing well. We’re older, wiser, slower and fatter but we’re hoping there’s no substitute for experience.” We wish them all the best for the season and their future!

THE LADS 1) Hass ‘Hassassinator’ Allan 2) Ben ‘Westy’ West 3) Christian ‘Tian’ Dando 4) Ben ‘Sterndull’ Western 5) Ed ‘PC Pieman’ Harris 6) Jayesh ‘Jerboon’ Shah 7) Danny ‘DS’ Stone 8) George ‘Nickname’ Mawer 9) Chris ‘ST9’ Mawer 10) James ‘Pilldog’ Pilling

TEAMMATES

MOST SKILLFUL: ST9 WORST DRESSED: Tian WORST DANCER: Westy HEAVIEST DRINKER: Stern LADIES MAN: Hass LONGEST IN THE SHOWER: Tian

London City Centre Monday Evening League Division 2 POS TEAM

Pts

Fire At Twerton

AFC Chips or Garlic Bread

Breast Rummage Albion

AFC Dirt Track

Adrian Wilma Wanderers

Tattyville Terriers

HMRC Bap Tax Division

Drinkin Is Mint FC

GET YOUR TEAM FEATURED & win A set of movbands!

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MIND GAMES

GRAHAM POLLS

What you’ve been discussing at HTW Facebook this week

RESULTS

Well there we have it, the people have spoken. The Premier League, with all its fantastic spectacle and drama, is having a negative effect on the Three Lions. The question is now how to go about fixing the problem, and we ain’t touching that one with a barge pole!

Also on Facebook we ran a poll to see who you readers would like to see as a Team Profile this issue. You’ve probably already read it, on page 26.

NO!

YES!

Crystal Palace

Well it’s been a disastrous summer for England’s international sides, not a single win across four different teams and three separate tournaments. Who do we blame? Is it a cultural thing? Well, considering the successes of the British Lions, Andy Murray, Chris Froome and our cricketers, it would appear not. The finger has been firmly pointed on the Premier League. The best league in the world maybe, but has this come at a compromise to our homegrown players’ development, as the influx of foreigners to these shores has become more and more prolific?

Malaga

IS THE PREMIERSHIP HARMING THE NATIONAL TEAM?

WHICH TEAM PROFILE WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEXT?

AS Monaco

THE BIG QUESTION

Go to Facebook.com/ halftimewhistle now to vote for next issues profile.

/halftimewhistle to register your vote in this weeks Big Question

Ruben Loftus-Cheek And who did our Facebook fans want to see as our Young Guns star? Chelsea’s rising star Ruben Loftus-Cheek narrowly beating Liverpool starlet Raheem Stirling and Stoke City’s England goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Raheem Stirling Jack Butland Sam Byram

HTW BIRTHDAYS: Chris Mawer from Clapham, 13; Sarah-Kate McGuigan from Barnet, 11. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM ALL AT HALFTIME WHISTLE!

MIND GAMES

WHO AM I?

MIND GAMES

Test your footy knowledge with our quiz

1 2

I was born in Dublin, Ireland on August 29, 1976. I played schoolboy football for Stella Maris FC before being brought to London by an Argentinian, where I also made my Ireland debut. I won the League Cup in 1999 before moving north in 2004, to sign for an England legend. I retired from football in December 2008 before putting the boots back on two months later. I won another League Cup winners medal in 2011 before retiring again in May 2013.

3 4 5

WHO ARE WE?

Can you name the club from the picture of their nickname? Also on Facebook we ran a poll to see who you readers would like to see as a Player Profile this issue. You’ve probably already read it, on page 14.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

For which club did Kevin Hector make a club record 486 Football League appearances? Who is the player in Picture A? Clue: He was a Scottish international who played for Ipswich Town, Liverpool & MIddlesbro In the 10 years from 1984 which club was sponsored by Crown Paints and then Candy? Which French international scored a goal after just 25 seconds in the 2009 FA Cup final? Which foreign club has the nickname The Rossoneri Devils?

Addicted, first published in 1998, was the autobiography of which former England international? Which London club’s ground is featured in Picture B?

In October 2009, Alex Ferguson was fined £20,000 for accusing which referee of being physically unfit after Manchester United drew with Sunderland at Old Trafford? If the home team has a monkey called H’Angus as mascot and the away team has a lion called Kingsley Royal as their mascot, which two teams are playing? Picture C. Who are the three England players desperately trying to prevent Diego Maradona from scoring in 1986 World Cup quarter final?

PIC A

PIC B

PIC C

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MIND GAMES

COMPETITIONS

Want to win some goodies? Then enter our two competitions below

CAPTION COMP

We have a pair of football boots up for grabs to one lucky winner picked at random. Something has tickled Jose during a Chelsea training session on their pre-season tour of Asia? Has Lampard got a tattoo of Christine Bleakley’s face? Tell us what you think…

WIN

Enter now for your chance to win a pair of Adidas Predito Absolado LZ TRX football boots.

how to enter

Visit www.facebook.com / halftimewhistle, and leave your caption in relevant comments box. The winner will be notified by email by Friday 30th August.

SP T THE BALL Man City’s Sergio Aguero looked certain to score with an overhead kick during last seasons FA Cup Final but the ball spectacularly disappeared! Email your details to competition@ halftimewhistle.co.uk with the grid reference you think contains the ball and you could win a Halftime Whistle interactive coaster!.

A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

PREDICTATHON Think you know your football? Challenge the HTW team every week for your chance of true football glory and bragging rights!

Daniel’s picks

HI P PREMIElsReaS Che SHIP N CHAMPeIeOns Park Rangers u Q LEA GUEto1l City Bris LEA GUE 2

Get involved on Twitter (@htw_mag) and Facebook (halftimewhistle)

s k c i p s ’ n a s s a H IP

Dave’s picks

PREMIER SHIP 1 00 CHAMManPIchOesNteSHr IPUtd Wigan Athletic LEA GUE 1 Brentford LEA GUE 2 Cheltenham Town

Reader’s picks

This week: Lowri

PREMIER SHIP Chelsea CHAMPIONSHIPic Wigan Athlet LEA GUE 1 MK Dons LEA GUE 2 Northampton Town

1 00

PREMIER SH Chelsea CHAMPIONSHIP Reading LEA GUE 1 Wolverhampton W LEA GUE 2 Town Cheltenham

1 00

Tweet or Like us now with your tips for the League titles. We’ll give an update and kudos at the end of the season! Top Predictors

FANCY PUTTING YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS? TURN PAGE FOR OUR HTW FOOTBALL BETTING GUIDE AND SEE IF YOUR PREDICTIONS COME TRUE!

Player

Score

Mark Lawrenson

Daniel Stone

Hassan Allan

Dave Partridge (HTW Art Editor)

Reader Average

(BBC Sport)

(HTW Editor)

(HTW Marketing Manager)

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E D I U G BETTING

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FIXTURES t LEAGUE TABLES t FORM GUIDE t GOALSCORING CHARTS t TV GUIDE

MOYES TO W IN THE LEAGUE

5/2

PREVIEW

HTW LONG SHOTS Young Player of Year: Daniel Sturridge – 12/1 Player of Year: Eden Hazard – 14/1 Top Scorer: Negredo – 25/1 Title: Arsenal – 10/1 Top Ten Finish: Cardiff – 8/1

Kick off 3.00pm unless stated otherwise

First Sacked: Mark Hughes - 33/1 Steve Bruce - 25/1 Top 4 Finish: Everton - 20/1 Liverpool - 7/4

Relegation: Sunderland - 5/1 West Bromwich Albion - 7/1

Not since its inception in 1993 has a Premier League season been wrought with such anticipation. Following Sir Alex Ferguson’s shock retirement, all eyes are on new manager David Moyes as he sets himself the unenviable task of filling the great man’s shoes at Old Trafford. With the return of the Special One, Manuel Pellegrini’s spending and Arsene Wenger’s apparent permission to spend, spend, spend, the title race is much less predictable than other recent campaigns. Let’s see if you call it right!

Premier League League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

How things stood at the end of last season

Premier League POS TEAM

Top Goalscorers P

Pts

Player Robin Van Persie

Luis Suarez

Gareth Bale

Manchester United

Manchester City

Chelsea

Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur

(Manchester United) (Liverpool)

(Tottenham Hotspur)

Goals

Everton

Christian Benetke

Liverpool

(Aston Villa)

West Bromwich Albion

Miguel Michu

Swansea City

West Ham United

Romelu Lukaku

Norwich City

Rickie Lambert

Fulham

(Southampton)

Stoke City

Frank Lampard

Southampton

Aston Villa

(Swansea City)

(West Bromwich Albion)

(Chelsea)

Newcastle United

Clean Sheets

Sunderland

Team Manchester City

Liverpool

Arsenal

Chelsea

Wigan Athletic

Reading

Queens Park Rangers

3+ Goals/Game

Draw Specialists

Team

Games

Blanks

Games

Shooting Blanks

Manchester United

Everton

Liverpool

Stoke City

Queens Park Rangers

Arsenal

Norwich City

Swansea City

Manchester City

Southampton

Stoke City

Chelsea / Tottenham

Liverpool + 2 others

Reading

Team

Blanks

London Preview League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

Arsenal Stadium ‘paid off’, massive Puma deal agreed, over 20 players off the wage bill, yet still only one man into the club, Yaya Sanogo, a free transfer from AJ Auxerre. Another frustrating Gaffer: Arsene Wenger summer for Gunners fans could explode if Captain: Thomas Vermaelen Suarez arrives but, having already missed out Star: Santi Cazorla on Higuain, questions over Wenger’s transfer Last season: 4th temperament remain rife. Quality acquisitions 1st position are needed for Arsenal to progress but Arsene’s 4th position still showing caution.

G 5

Random Bets Chelsea to win league at 9/4 at William Hill. Top English G/S: Lampard at 10/1 Domestic Double: 14/1 Young Player of the Year: Hazard 5/1, Oscar 8/1, Lukaku 10/1 Rooney to Chelsea: 8/15

Random Bets

Luis Suarez is 5/6 at William Hill to be an Arsenal player when transfer window closes. PFA Young Player of the Year: Jack Wilshere 9/2 Premier League Winners: 10/1 Top 3 Finish: 7/4 FA Cup Winners: 9/1

Chelsea Despite being below-par in the league over the past couple of seasons, the return of the Special One looks set to reignite the Blues’ fight for domestic dominance as he managed in his first spell. Now a proven European force as well, and with a strong squad looking more and more settled, time may serve to prove Mourinho to be the Prem’s best signing this summer.

Gaffer: Jose Captain: John Terry Star: Juan Mata Last season: 3rd 1st position 1st position

G 5

Crystal Palace Gaffer: Ian Holloway Captain: Paddy McCarthy Star: Jose Campaña Last season: 5th Championship 17th position 20th position

G 5

Ollie’s back in the Prem and has a point to prove. Cruelly relegated with Blackpool despite a heroic performance at Old Trafford, the Eagles landed themselves a place in the top flight thanks to a late Kevin Phillips’ penalty against Watford at Wembley. Palace will be up for a scrap, but may need more quality to stave off the drop, especially after losing their talisman Zaha to United.

Random Bets Crystal Palace to stay up: 11/8 Holloway 1st to go: 20/1 Worst Disciplined: 8/1

London Preview League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

Fulham Gaffer: Martin Jol Captain: Brede Hangeland Star: Dimitar Berbatov Last season: 12th 8th position 12th position

G 5

Random Bets

A new era beckons for the Cottagers, as Al-Fayed departs, being replaced by American Shahid Khan. He has stated his ambition to take the club to the ‘next level’ is unlikely to get a quick fix without the foundations found at Man City and neighbours Chelsea. Forever competitive on their day, but are likely to find themselves in mid-table obscurity again for much of the season.

Random Bets

Top Ten Finish: 11/4 at William Hill Top 8 Finish: 11/2 Berbatov Top Goalscorer: 50/1 FA Cup Winners: 50/1

Tottenham H

Top English G/S: Soldado at 20/1 Top 4 Finish: 2/1 Gareth Bale to stay: 7/2 Europa League Winners: 20/1

Last season’s nearly men will be there or thereabouts in the race for fourth, and have brought in real quality in the shape of Brazilian Paulinho to shore up the midfield, and Spaniard Soldado to solve Spurs’ chronic striker shortage. But the season will surely rest on whether their prized asset, Cardiff-boy Gareth Bale, will be at the club by the end of the week amid very strong interest from Real Madrid.

Gaffer: AVB Captain: Michael Dawson Star: Gareth Bale (for now) Last season: 5th 4th position 5th position

G 5

West Ham United Gaffer: Big Sam Captain: Kevin Nolan Star: Kevin Nolan Last season: 10th 6th position 10th position

G 5 56

It was almost like The Hammers were never away from the Premier League, adapting very well as they did to life back in the big league last campaign. Having retained Andy Carroll, they’ve otherwise been quiet on the transfer front and with Carlton Cole, Wellington and Marouane Chamakh all ending their stays in east London, a striker may be needed if they are to maintain, or improve on their mid-table finish.

Random Bets Lowest scoring team: 20/1 Andy Carroll to score over 12 league goals: Evens Worst Discipline: 10/1 Top Ten Finish: 5/2

pics © Action Images

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PREVIEW

new dawn for arguably the most unpredictable league in Europe begins with the Lancashire derby between bitter rivals Burnley and Bolton Wanderers, our featured game. Although both HTW and William Hill expect contrasting seasons for the two clubs, they are evenly priced for the match at 17/10 each for the league’s opening fixture, a 12.15 kick-off. Elsewhere, many eyes will be on Harry Redknapp’s QPR side, who host Dave Jones and Sheffield Wednesday at Loftus Road at 3pm. William Hill have priced the Hoops at 6/1 to win the league. Worth a flutter, surely?

UPCOMING FIXTURES

SATURDAY 17 AUGUST Leeds Utd v Sheffield Weds (12.15pm) AFC Bournemouth v Wigan Athletic Barnsley v Charlton Athletic Birmingham City v Brighton & HA Burnley v Yeovil Town Derby County v Leicester City Middlesbrough v Blackpool Millwall v Huddersfield Town Nottingham Forest v Bolton Wanderers Queens Park Rangers v Ipswich Town Reading v Watford

EITHER SIDE TO W IN

17/10

TUESDAY 20 AUGUST Wigan A v Doncaster Rovers (7.45pm)

SUNDAY 24 AUGUST Bolton Wanderers v QPR (12.15pm) Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley Blackpool v Reading Brighton & Hove Albion v Burnley Charlton Athletic v Doncaster Rovers Huddersfield Town v AFC Bournemouth Ipswich Town v Leeds United Leicester City v Birmingham City Sheffield Wednesday v Millwall Wigan Athletic v Middlesbrough Yeovil Town v Derby County

SUNDAY 25 AUGUST Watford v Nottingham Forestt (1.15pm) Kick off 3.00pm unless stated otherwise

GAME OF THE DAY

Derby County v Leicester City 59

Championship League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide / Player Stats

How things stood at the end of last season

Championship

Top Goalscorers

POS TEAM

Pts

Player

Goals

Glenn Murray

Jordan Rhodes

Charlie Austin

Cardiff City

Hull City

Watford

Brighton & Hove Albion

Crystal Palace

(Burnley)

Matej Vydra

Chris Wood

Troy Deeney

Thomas Ince

Leicester City

Bolton Wanderers

Nottingham Forest

Charlton Athletic

Derby County

Burnley

(Crystal Palace)

(Blackburn Rovers)

(Watford)

(Leicester City) (Watford)

(Blackpool)

Birmingham City

David Nugent

Leeds United

(Leicester City)

Luciano Becchio (Leicester City)

2 players

Ipswich Town

Blackpool

Middlesbrough

Blackburn Rovers

Sheffield Wednesday

Huddersfield Town

Milwall

Barnsley

Peterborough United

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Bristol City

Clean Sheets Team

Blanks

Draw Specialists Team

Games

Brighton & HA

Blackpool

Nottingham Forest

Shooting Blanks

Birmingham City

Team

Blackburn Rovers

Blanks

Cardiff

Sheffield Weds

Crystal Palace

Brighton & Hove A

Bristol City

Bolton Wanderers

Hull City

Milwall & Ipswich T

Charlton Athletic

Championship League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide / Player Stats

HTW Prediction 1. Queens Park Rangers 2. Wigan Athletic 3. Reading 4. Bolton Wanderers 5. Ipswich Town 6. Nottingham Forest 7. Leeds United 8. Watford 9. Brighton & Hove Albion 10. Blackburn Rovers 11. Leicester City 12. Middlesbrough 13. Derby County 14. Birmingham City 15. Charlton Athletic 16. Sheffield Wednesday 17. Milwall 18. AFC Bournemouth 19. Burnley 20. Yeovil Town 21. Blackpool 22. Huddersfield Town 23. Doncaster Rovers 24. Barnsley

Title Odds

Relegation Odds

Top 6

6/1 11/1 8/1 9/1 20/1 11/1 16/1 10/1 16/1 16/1 11/1 33/1 33/1 40/1 40/1 66/1 80/1 25/1 80/1 250/1 80/1 100/1 100/1 150/1

28/1 25/1 40/v1 40/1 10/1 33/1 14/1 20/1 14/1 14/1 40/1 9/1 10/1 6/1 6/1 11/2 5/2 12/1 7/2 10/11 3/1 3/1 6/4 5/2

4/7 10/11 10/11 6/5 5/2 11/8 5/2 5/4 7/4 9/4 6/5 4/1 7/2 4/1 5/1 6/1 8/1 3/1 6/1 25/1 6/1 8/1 10/1 8/1

Top Goalscorer

Jordan Rhodes – 6/1 Charlie Austin – 9/1 Adam Le Fondre – 12/1 Chris Wood – 12/1 Jose Ulloa – 12/1 Grant Holt – 14/1 Carlos Acuna – 16/1 Troy Deeney – 16/1 Bobby Zamora – 20/1 Jermaine Beckford – 20/1 Loic Remy – 20/1 Pavel Pogrebnyak – 20/1 The Sack Race

Paul Ince – 7/4 Nigel Pearson – 2/1 Tony Mowbray – 5/1 Dave Jones – 8/1 Lee Clark – 8/1

Introducing

Lifestyle

Membership

MUSWELL HILL GOLF CLUB

£695

A modern, affordable approach to our golf club membership.

www.muswellhillgolfclub.co.uk Tel: 0208 888 8046

League One League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

How things stood at the end of last season

Top Goalscorers

League One

Player

POS TEAM

Goals

Pts 84

Doncaster Rovers

AFC Bournemouth

Clayton Donaldson

Brentford

William Grigg

Yeovil Town

Sheffield United

Patrick Madden (Yeovil Town) (Brentford) (Walsall)

Leon Clarke

(Coventry City)

Brett Pitman

(AFC Bournemouth)

Kevin Lisbie

David McGoldrick

James Collins

(Leyton Orient) (Coventry City)

(Swindon Town)

James Hayter

(Yeovil Town)

4 players

UPCOMING FIXTURES FRIDAY 2 AUGUST Sheffield United 2 v 1 Notts County (7.45pm)

Swindon Town

Leyton Orient

Milton Keynes Dons

Walsall

Crawley Town

Tranmere Rovers

Notts County

Crewe Alexandra

Preston North End

Coventry City*

Shrewsbury Town

Carlisle United

Stevenage

Oldham Athletic

Colchester United

Scunthorpe United

SATURDAY 3 AUGUST

Bury

Bristol City v Bradford City Carlisle United v Leyton Orient Crawley Town v Coventry City Crewe Alexandra v Rotherham United Gillingham v Colchester United Peterborough United v Swindon Town Port Vale v Brentford Preston NE v Wolverhampton W Shrewsbury Town v MK Dons Stevenage v Oldham Athletic Walsall v Tranmere Rovers

Hartlepool United

Portsmouth**

TITLE ODDS

relegation ODDS

Wolverhampton W – 7/2 Brentford – 15/2 Sheffield United – 8/1 Peterborugh United – 9/1 Bristol City – 10/1 MK Dons – 14/1 Preston – 14/1

Colchester United – 13/8 Shrewsbury Town – 13/8 Oldham Athletic – 7/4 Stevenage – 7/4 Carlisle United – 2/1 Tranmere Rovers – 3/1 Walsall – 3/1

* Coventry City deducted 10 points ofr entering into administration** Portsmouth deducted 10 points for non-compiance of financial rules

League Two League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

League Two POS TEAM

Top Goalscorers P

Pts

Player

Goals

Tom Pope

Nakhi Wells

Jamie Cureton

Gillingham

Rotherham United

Port Vale

Burton Albion

Cheltenham Town

(Exeter City)

Daniel Nardiello

Rene Howe

Jacques Maghoma

Adebayo Akinfewa

Britt Assombalonga

Jack Redshaw (Morecambe)

2 players

Northampton Town

Bradford City

Chesterfield

Oxford United

Exeter City

Southend United

Rochdale

Fleetwood Town

Bristol Rovers

Wycombe Wanderers

Morecambe

York City

Accrington Stanley

Torquay United

AFC Wimbledon

Plymouth Argyle

Dagenham & Redbridge

Barnet

Aldershot Town

TITLE ODDS

relegation ODDS

Portsmouth – 9/2 Fleetwood Town – 11/2 Chesterfield – 6/1 Bristol Rovers – 14/1 Scunthorpe United – 16/1 Oxford United – 18/1 Cheltenham Town – 20/1

Morecambe – 10/3 Accrington Stanley – 4/1 Dagenham & Red – 4/1 AFC Wimbledon – 5/1 Newport County – 11/2 Torquay United – 6/1 Bury – 7/1

(Port Vale)

(Bradford City)

(Rotherham United) (Torquay United) (Burton Albion)

(Northampton Town) (Southend United)

UPCOMING FIXTURES

SATURDAY 3 AUGUST Bury v Chesterfield Cheltenham Town v Burton Albion Exeter City v Bristol Rovers Fleetwood Town v Dag & Redbridge Newport County v Accrington Stanley Portsmouth v Oxford United Rochdale v Hartlepool United Scunthorpe United v Mansfield Town Southend United v Plymouth Argyle Torquay United v AFC Wimbledon Wycombe Wanderers v Morecambe York City v Northampton Town

Check the website for more stats & info

www.halftimewhistle.co.uk

Non-League League table / Top goalscorers / Form guide

How things stood at the end of last season

Conference Premier POS TEAM

Top Goalscorers P

Pts

Player Matthew Green

Adam Cunnington

Michael Gash

Andy Brown

Anthony Malbon

Mansfield Town

Kidderminster Harriers

Newport County

Grimsby Town

Wrexham

Hereford United

Luton Town

Dartford

Braintree Town

Forest Green Rovers

Macclesfield Town

Woking

Cambridge United

Alfreton Town

Lincoln City

Gateshead

Nuneaton Town

Hyde United

Tamworth

Southport

Stockport County

Barrow

Ebbsfleet United

AFC Telford United

Conference North POS TEAM

Chester

Goals

(Mansfield Town) (Tamworth)

(Kidderminster Harriers) (Nuneaton Town) (Kidderminster Harriers)

UPCOMING FIXTURES SATURDAY 10 AUGUST Barnet v Chester Dartford v Alfreton Town Forest Green Rovers v Hyde Grimsby Town v Aldershot Town HerefordUnited v Braintree Town Kidderminster Harriers v Gateshead Macclesfield Town v Nuneaton Town Salisbury City v Tamworth Southport v Luton Town Woking v Lincoln City Wrexham v Welling United

SUNDAY 11 AUGUST Cambridge United v FC Halifax Town (12.00pm)

Conference South P 42

Pts 107

POS TEAM 1

Welling United

P 42

Pts 86

Guiseley

Salisbury City

Brackley Town

Dover Athletic

Altrincham

Eastleigh

FC Halifax Town

Chelmsford City

HTW have teamed up with pub experts MatchPint.co.uk to bring you three more top London boozers to watch sport in. Scan the QR code to grab the FREE MatchPint app, to ensure you always know where a pub is that’s showing a specific sporting fixture. 94 Goldsmith’s Row, London E2 8QY

THE ALBION Dedicated sports bar/rendezvous adjacent to Broadway Market. Great cask ales and craft beers. One of London’s first and finest sports venues established in 1998. Three screens (including one on the terrace). Cask

Marque, Perfect Pint and Good Beer Guide approved. A good selection of fine cask ales and craft beers from across the world on draught. Live music on the terrace weekend afternoons and a Quiz Night every Thursday.

THE SPORTING PAGE Sporting by name, sporting by nature... Tucked away in a quiet corner of Chelsea, the Sporting Page is a great example of how an old-school traditional pub can be brought into the 21st century with sport at its heart. The big

6A Camera Place SW10 0BH

screen can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the pub with further TVs and a bookable semiprivate booth also available. The pies are excellent.

125 Cleveland Street W1T 6QB Their signature menu, featuring international street food, is great (we recommend the Jambalaya) while the drinks menu has a refreshing global and trendy feel to it. The Real Madrid of sports bars.

jetlag sports bar Offering a more executive vibe, Jetlag offers football fans the ultimate living room experience. High definition projection on a 15ft cinema screen with 7.2 surround sound ensure possibly the best AV set up in London.

Find out where to wet your whistle, visit halftimewhistle.co.uk/pubs for our full London football pub guide

Turn the page now for our pub tv guide

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ONTHEBOX TV GUIDE

Quick guide to upcoming televised games.

GAME OF THE WEEK SWANSEA CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED MONDAY 19TH AUGUST, SKY SPORTS 1/HD 8PM s if United didn’t garner enough attention already, David Moyes’ first competitive fixture promises to be a fascinating

SATURDAY 17TH AUGUST

MONDAY 19TH AUGUST

SUNDAY 25TH AUGUST

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. CHAMPIONSHIP Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday 12:15pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester City v Newcastle United 8.00pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. CHAMPIONSHIP Watford v Nottingham Forest 12.15pm

BT SPORT 1 / HD. PREMIER LEAGUE Liverpool v Stoke City 12.45pm

FRIDAY 23RD AUGUST

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD / 3D. PREMIER LEAGUE Cardiff City v Manchester City 5.30pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD / SKY 3D. PREMIER LEAGUE Swansea City v Manchester United 5.30pm

spectacle, and one that simply cannot be missed. A tough test is in store as well at Liberty Stadium against Michael Laudrup’s side who demolished Malmo in the week.

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. LEAGUE ONE Wolverhampton W v Crawley Town 7.45pm

SATURDAY 24TH AUGUST

SUNDAY 18TH AUGUST

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. CHAMPIONSHIP Bolton Wanderers v QPR 12.15pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. PREMIER LEAGUE Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur 1.30pm

BT SPORT 1 / HD. PREMIER LEAGUE Fulham v Arsenal 12.45pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD / SKY 3D. PREMIER LEAGUE Chelsea v Hull City 4.00pm

SKY SPORTS 1 / HD. PREMIER LEAGUE Aston Villa v Liverpool 5.30pm

MONDAY 26TH AUGUST SKY SPORTS 1 / HD / SKY 3D. PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester United v Chelsea 8.00pm

Barclays Premier League

LIVE HERE AUGUST

Sat 17 Sun 18 Sun 18 Mon 19 Sat 24 Sun 25 Mon 26 Sat 31

Swansea City v Manchester United Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea v Hull City Manchester City v Newcastle United Aston Villa v Liverpool Cardiff City v Manchester City Manchester United v Chelsea Crystal Palace v Sunderland

5:30pm 1:30pm 4pm 8pm 5:30pm 4pm 8pm 5:30pm

SEPTEMBER Sun 1 Sun 1 Sat 14 Sun 15 Mon 16 Sat 21 Sun 22 Sun 22 Sat 28 Sun 29 Sun 29 Mon 30

Liverpool v Manchester United Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur Everton v Chelsea Southampton v West Ham Swansea City v Liverpool Chelsea v Fulham Arsenal v Stoke City Manchester City v Manchester United Swansea City v Arsenal Stoke City v Norwich City Sunderland v Liverpool Everton v Newcastle United

Live only on Fixtures correct at time of going to print 07/13 but are subject to change.

1:30pm 4pm 5:30pm 4pm 8pm 5:30pm 1:30pm 4pm 5:30pm 1:30pm 4pm 8pm