Thursday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Due to my bollox being waylaid elsewhere last night by some lovely lass and only recovered an hour ago, may I apologise for the belated festive media roundup ...

Scarf tribute to ill Manchester City legend Neil Young

BLUES LEGEND: Neil Young in his City days
Manchester City are planning a fitting tribute to seriously ill legend Neil Young when they face Leicester in the FA Cup third round next week.
‘Nelly’ was the man whose famous left peg sank the Foxes when the two teams met in the Wembley final of the competition in 1969.
But he was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the Blues have decided to pay tribute to the legend by dedicating the match to him, and producing 3,000 red and black scarves.
That marks the striped change kit which the Blues wore in their last FA Cup triumph, and all money raised from the sale of the scarves will be split between Neil himself and the Cecilia Centre cancer unit at Wythenshawe Hospital which has been treating him.
Anyone buying as ticket for the Leicester game will be given a voucher entitling them to a scarf from the City Store, where they will be asked to make a donation to the Neil Young Appeal.
Neil has been overwhelmed with messages of support and sympathy from City fans all over the world, says his friend and supporters club charities officer Alex Channon.
Said Alex: “Neil is really not well at the moment and he has now developed a deep vein thrombosis in that famous left leg, for which he needs daily treatment.
“But he and his wife Carmen really appreciate all the cards and messages of support that are still coming in for them.
“You can send cards or letters to myself which I will forward to Neil and Carmen – my address is Penalty Spot, 11 Thirlmere Avenue, Swinton, Manchester M27 5XD.”
Anyone wishing to make donations to the appeal can do so through Paypal on the supporters club website at http://www.mcfcsc.com

Edin for the title: Mancini backs Dzeko to fire Manchester City to Premier League crown
Manchester City were in talks with Edin Dzeko's agent last night and hope to conclude a £35million deal for the Wolfsburg striker by the weekend.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed City's pursuit of the 24-year-old Bosnia striker and the move has accelerated after Wolfsburg agreed to give under-fire manager Steve McClaren funds to build his own side.
Eastlands bosses were discussing personal terms for Dzeko last night after agreeing to pay Wolfsburg £28m up front and the rest based on City's performances and qualifying for the Champions' League.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z19avLwE8V

Espanyol star cools talk of move to Manchester City
Manchester City target Victor Ruiz has cooled speculation linking him with a move away from Espanyol.
But the cash-strapped club might be forced to sell the £7million-rated defender to ease their financial problems anyway.
After a bright start in La Liga, Espanyol sit fifth, 15 points clear of the relegation zone, so their top-flight status seems assured for this season at least.
“I feel very comfortable here at my city, with my family and my friends
”And their apparent safety might now tempt the board to sell Ruiz, and other stars, to raise much-needed money.
But Ruiz, who has been linked with a move to City for some time, told Com Radio: "I want to stay at Espanyol - thanks to this club I can earn my living doing what I love, which is football.
"I feel very comfortable here at my city, with my family and my friends. I just think about what surrounds Espanyol, which is fantastic."

City put block on Bridge move
MANCHESTER CITY have snubbed a bid from West Ham to take Wayne Bridge on loan until the summer.
Left-back Bridge, 30, was keen on the Irons switch - but City blocked it.
Aston Villa and Valencia remain possible destinations. Sun

Man City strengthen ties with Norwegian outfit Strømsgodset
Manchester City have strengthened their relationship with Norwegian outfit Strømsgodset.
City have struck a collaboration agreement with Strømsgodset, which has already seen exciting youngster Mohammed Abu make the move to the Premier League club's academy.
Strømsgodset coach Ronny Deila and their football director Jostein Flo, the former Sheffield United striker, recently visited City and were bowled over by the way they were treated.
City boss Roberto Mancini and midfielder Patrick Vieira hosted the pair, while City directors made it clear to both Strømsgodset chiefs that they were delighted with the progress of their burgeoning partnership.

Injury-hit Man City star MJ to join Leeds on loan
Manchester City will allow Michael Johnson to move to Leeds United on loan in a bid to rebuild his wrecked career.
Johnson is currently battling back from a serious knee injury that has kept him out of action for two years. The midfielder reckons he will be fit within a month but Roberto Mancini does not want to rush his return to the City team.
Johnson will have a fight on his hands to get back in to City's star-studded midfield and the club will let him move to Elland Road in January in a loan move until the end of the season.
Leeds have reassured City that they will not ask too much of Johnson when he returns but Simon Grayson has assured Mancini that the 22-year-old will have a part to play in their promotion push.

WAG OF THE DAY


OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United are ready to offer Anderlecht 20m euros for teenage striking sensation Romelu Lukaku. imscouting.com

Wolfsburg have Manchester United defender John O'Shea in their sights, according to German sources. imscouting.com

Liverpool are set to sack Roy Hodgson and replace him with Dutchman Frank Rijkaard following Wednesday's 1-0 home defeat to Wolves. caughtoffside.com

Liverpool have made Ashley Young their top target for the January transfer window and are confident they can land the Aston Villa winger. goal.com

Tottenham head a list of six Premier League teams attempting to sign midfielder David Beckham on a two-month loan deal from Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy. Daily Mirror

Lassana Diarra will be at the centre of a bidding war in January as Manchester United and Tottenham both prepare bids for the Real Madrid midfielder. caughtoffside.com

Arsenal and Manchester United are on the trail of Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara. talkSPORT

Arsenal striker Carlos Vela is being chased by a host of La Liga clubs, including Valencia, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid. talkSPORT

Meanwhile, the Gunners are set to sell 20-year-old Norwegian defender Havard Nordtveit to German side Borussia Moenchengladbach in an £800,000 deal. Daily Mail

However, striker Nicklas Bendtner says he will not be leaving Arsenal in January after vowing to fight for his place. The Dane has previously voiced his frustration over his lack of first-team football. Daily Mirror

New Inter Milan boss Leonardo has earmarked a summer move for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres as he seeks to freshen up things at the San Siro. caughtoffside.com

Hatem Ben Arfa will make his loan move from Marseille to Newcastle permanent next week in a £5.1m deal. The midfielder has been out injured since October with a broken leg. Daily Mirror

Fulham boss Mark Hughes is lining up a £2m move for Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd.the Sun

Tottenham's Robbie Keane is prepared to take a pay-cut in order to play regular first-team football, with Birmingham and Wolves leading the chase for the striker. Daily Mail

Italian Serie A side Bari are poised to swoop for Wigan's Argentine striker Mauro Boselli, who has scored only once since arriving for £6m last summer. the Sun

West Ham co-owner David Gold has revealed the club have targeted 15 different players for manager Avram Grant in the January transfer window. Daily Mirror

One of those 15 may be Everton striker Yakubu, who has expressed a desire to leave Merseyside to gain more first-team action. Daily Mail

Arsenal are considering a move for Real Madrid centre back Ezequiel Garay as manager Arsene Wenger scours Europe for a top-notch defender. caughtoffside.com

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier is lining up promising Le Havre midfielder Gueida Fofana as one of his first January signings. Daily Mirror

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has been linked with a move to Spanish side Villarreal. caughtoffside.com

Everton striker James Vaughan is ready to sign for promotion-chasing Championship side Cardiff City in a £1m-plus deal. Daily Mirror

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is looking to force his way out of Stamford Bridge in the hopes of making a move to Liverpool, who have expressed an interest in signing the former Manchester City youngster. caughtoffside.com (ha ha ... cent)

Newcastle are ready to offer striker Leon Best in exchange for Leeds winger Max Gradel in January. Daily Mail

Bolton are leading the race to sign Sporting Lisbon's Montenegro striker Simon Vukcevic. talkSPORT

Sam Allardyce, who was recently sacked as manager of Blackburn, wants to be the next boss of Burnley after the Clarets axed Brian Laws on Wednesday. Daily Mirror

However, former Hull boss Phil Brown, who was Allardyce's assistant at Bolton, is also high on the shortlist to replace Laws at Turf Moor. the Sun

Preston could offer former Burnley boss Brian Laws an immediate return to management as Darren Ferguson's successor after the latter was also sacked on Wednesday. the Sun

However, Paul Jewell is also in the running to take over at Preston after the dismissal of Ferguson. Daily Mail

Teenage Manchester United striker Federico Macheda, 19, wants to head for his native Italy on loan. Macheda's agent Marcello Bonetto stated: "United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said Kiko can go for six months to gain experience." the Sun

Under-fire Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier may be running out of time to turn things around at Villa Park, with club owner Randy Lerner growing increasingly concerned by his team's league position. Daily Mail

Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov is urging the club's young players to "show they are men" in their relegation fight. Boss Houllier has fielded a number of young players over recent weeks but the club have slipped to the foot of the table following five defeats in six matches.Daily Mirror

Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen is ready to cancel his contract with Stoke as he is frustrated at the lack of first-team football he has played for the club. Daily Mirror

Former Liverpool striker Titi Camara has been appointed sports minister of Guinea. The 38-year-old, who also played for West Ham, had a four-month spell as his home country's national coach last year. Daily Mail

[john@staustell]

Due to my bollox being waylaid elsewhere last night by some lovely lass and only recovered an hour ago, may I apologise for the belated festive media roundup ...

Always remember mate - when you get waylaid by some lass who looks lovely after 12 pints of cider, take your bollox with you in the morning!

[Chinners]

Indeed, good sound advice John ... in this case it only took 2 pints of Speckled Hen

[david yearsley]

Indeed, good sound advice John ... in this case it only took 2 pints of Speckled Hen

For you or for her mate ? ;)

[john@staustell]

Indeed, good sound advice John ... in this case it only took 2 pints of Speckled Hen

Thank fuck.

No beer:



2 pints Speckled hen:



12 points Cornish Rattler Cider:

[Chinners]

Indeed, good sound advice John ... in this case it only took 2 pints of Speckled Hen

For you or for her mate ? ;)

Ha ha .... each

[john68]

I have only ever had 2 major gripes with City over the years. The 1st was the despicable manner in which we treated Joe mercer and the second the equally despicable manner in which we treated "Nelly". Selling him to Preston with the promise of a testimonial, only to never deliver and ignore the sad circumstances that Nellie's life fell into. It was a big deal for me when they finally invited Nelly in from the cold and though it all seemed a bit too little too late, it was better late than never. Nelly was a major factor in our club's rise from Division 2, to become the most successful English trophy winning club of that time. We have much to thank nelly for.

It was Nellie's FA Cup final goal that now defines him and is always shown but my favourite memory of nelly was from a few seasons earlier.

1965-66...We were a rising 2nd Division side, pushing for promotion. We hadn't a clue how good we were and it was only in the FA Cup that we got to measure our progress. Rnd 3, After an away draw (1-1) at 1st Div Blackpool, we went through (3-1) at Maine Road in front of over 52.000 fans (Div 2 crowd!). We despatched grimsby 2-0 in Rnd 4, setting up a 5th Rnd home tie with 1st Div Leicester City.
In front of almost 57,000 fans (Div 2 crowd!!!) we were losing 0-2 (game over...and out???) until Nelly stepped up and scored twice against the famous Gordon Banks in his pomp. It was a crazy day and set up the replay the following Wednesday. A packed Filbert Street saw City fans having to sit round the running track, almost to the touchline. Nelly stepped forward with only Banks to beat. He mishit it but Banks had already taken off in full dive mode. The ball went under his body and trickled into the net. The ground went mad and City fans sat on the touchline were onto the pitch in a massive pitch invasion. WE OWE NELLY...BIG TIME.

[Mase]

WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO IS THAT FUCKIN WAG!!!!!!????????

[john@staustell]

I have only ever had 2 major gripes with City over the years. The 1st was the despicable manner in which we treated Joe mercer and the second the equally despicable manner in which we treated "Nelly". Selling him to Preston with the promise of a testimonial, only to never deliver and ignore the sad circumstances that Nellie's life fell into. It was a big deal for me when they finally invited Nelly in from the cold and though it all seemed a bit too little too late, it was better late than never. Nelly was a major factor in our club's rise from Division 2, to become the most successful English trophy winning club of that time. We have much to thank nelly for.

It was Nellie's FA Cup final goal that now defines him and is always shown but my favourite memory of nelly was from a few seasons earlier.

1965-66...We were a rising 2nd Division side, pushing for promotion. We hadn't a clue how good we were and it was only in the FA Cup that we got to measure our progress. Rnd 3, After an away draw (1-1) at 1st Div Blackpool, we went through (3-1) at Maine Road in front of over 52.000 fans (Div 2 crowd!). We despatched grimsby 2-0 in Rnd 4, setting up a 5th Rnd home tie with 1st Div Leicester City.
In front of almost 57,000 fans (Div 2 crowd!!!) we were losing 0-2 (game over...and out???) until Nelly stepped up and scored twice against the famous Gordon Banks in his pomp. It was a crazy day and set up the replay the following Wednesday. A packed Filbert Street saw City fans having to sit round the running track, almost to the touchline. Nelly stepped forward with only Banks to beat. He mishit it but Banks had already taken off in full dive mode. The ball went under his body and trickled into the net. The ground went mad and City fans sat on the touchline were onto the pitch in a massive pitch invasion. WE OWE NELLY...BIG TIME.

These media idiots talk about good old English owners as if it was some past Utopia, a barrier against these nasty foreigners of today. I expect most clubs' fans have horror stories about treatment of managers, players and fans by these wonderful old owners, including after Munich!

[Lees Alter Ego]

WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO IS THAT FUCKIN WAG!!!!!!????????

Pamela Diaz - Chilean striker Manuel Neira's wife. Fit

[ronk]

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is looking to force his way out of Stamford Bridge in the hopes of making a move to Liverpool, who have expressed an interest in signing the former Manchester City youngster. caughtoffside.com (ha ha ... cent)

Unlike him.

[Chinners]

It'll be Barcelona 18 months after that. Here's the original piece in Tribal Football which quotes the People, then the Caughtoffside version ... never has bollox be so believable from so many 'sources'

Danny Sturridge is eyeing a move to Liverpool.
The Chelsea striker has been linked with a loan switch to Liverpool in January.
However, the People says Sturridge is demanding a permanent move to Anfield to kickstart his career.
Sturridge is convinced he can form a lethal partnership with Fernando Torres and after seeing Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere, his England U21 teammate, thrive this season, is desperate for regular first team football. (Tribalfootball)

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is looking to force his way out of Stamford Bridge in the hopes of making a move to Liverpool who have expressed an interest in signing the former Manchester City youngster.
It’s new that will please Roy Hodgson who is urgently looking to bring in further attacking options to help give Fernando Torres some help sharing the goalscoring burden.
The former Manchester City striker has shown he has the potential to be an effective striking option but would Chelsea look to offload Daniel Sturridge less than 18 months after his move to Stamford Bridge.
£5m rated England Under 21 international has been restricted to just two Premier League starts but given the fact that both Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are the wrong side of 30, perhaps the Birmingham born striker would be better off biding out his time at the west London side. (Caughtoffside)

[Slim]

WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO IS THAT FUCKIN WAG!!!!!!????????

Seriously, they just shouldn't give some people computers, it's like put a gun in the hands of an american or putting a women behind the wheel of a car, they think they know what they are doing, oblivious to the fact they have no clue and it's all going to end badly, usually with someone other than them getting hurt.

Okay Mase, go up to the picture of the WAG, right click the picture and go to "view image info" you should be greeted with a long line of text, starting with http://, scroll along this line of text until nearly the end and there it should (as has done with all of the pics Chinner's posts) say the name of the woman in question.

Teach a man to fish and all that.

[Mase]

WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO IS THAT FUCKIN WAG!!!!!!????????

Seriously, they just shouldn't give some people computers, it's like put a gun in the hands of an american or putting a women behind the wheel of a car, they think they know what they are doing, oblivious to the fact they have no clue and it's all going to end badly, usually with someone other than them getting hurt.

Okay Mase, go up to the picture of the WAG, right click the picture and go to "view image info" you should be greeted with a long line of text, starting with http://, scroll along this line of text until nearly the end and there it should (as has done with all of the pics Chinner's posts) say the name of the woman in question.

Teach a man to fish and all that.

I love you Slim.

[Chinners]

Ha ha Slim.

A good point mind Mase ... I'll put their name up and a bit of blurb about the wag from now on fella

[ronk]

WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO'S THE WAG?! WHO IS THAT FUCKIN WAG!!!!!!????????

Seriously, they just shouldn't give some people computers, it's like put a gun in the hands of an american or putting a women behind the wheel of a car, they think they know what they are doing, oblivious to the fact they have no clue and it's all going to end badly, usually with someone other than them getting hurt.

Okay Mase, go up to the picture of the WAG, right click the picture and go to "view image info" you should be greeted with a long line of text, starting with http://, scroll along this line of text until nearly the end and there it should (as has done with all of the pics Chinner's posts) say the name of the woman in question.

Teach a man to fish and all that.

Why do you always assume they're using Internet Explorer?

EDIT: Nevermind, I suppose it's obvious.