Gretna Soap Opera: Talk About Your Relegations

Greta FC, which was recently relegated from Scotland's premier league, was further relegated two steps further down on Thursday to the fourth level of Scottish soccer:

An offer from football agent Paul Davies has been made for the club, which is currently under consideration, but should the club be saved it will have to start next season in the lowest tier of league football again.

It represents a massive drop for the crisis club, which went into administration in March, and offers promotion lifelines to Airdrie United - who will step up to Division One - and Stranraer, who move up to Division Two.

SFL chief executive David Longmuir said Gretna's administrators had not been able to guarantee the club would be able to fulfil its fixtures.

"We and the SFL had to make sure we protected the integrity of our league,"

"There was no commitment from the administrator that Gretna could fulfil the fixtures at all in the coming season, which means we had to do what we thought was right for our league."

If they don't clean their act soon, they will either be expelled from the football (soccer) league or go out of business.

Islanders Reach Qualifying Round

The Puerto Rico Islanders, a member of the First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, won a berth in the qualifying round for the CONCACAF Champions League over the weekend:

The Islanders, who won the first leg, 1-0, at home, will join Harbour View of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago's Joe Public as the Caribbean representatives to the inaugural Concacaf Champions League.The three Caribbean teams will be among 16 teams vying for eight spots in group play. Two teams from Mexico and the USA and one each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras earn automatic passage to the group stage.

Should a team from Canada other than Toronto FC advance from their country's three-team tournament, we could see two USL-1 teams in the qualifying round.

Temporary Reprieve For Iraq

It was announced Thursday that FIFA will, for the time being, lift its suspension of Iraq's soccer federation:

However, FIFA agreed to revoke the ban after the Iraqi government provided written assurances that they had not dissolved the Iraqi Football Association (IFA).

FIFA released a statement on Thursday confirming they had lifted the ban so Sunday's World Cup qualifier would proceed but warned Baghdad that it was only provisional and had conditions attached.

FIFA said they still had concerns over the Iraqi government's attempts to control its national federations and have called for a delegation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the IFA to join them to Zurich to discuss the issues.

This weekend's 2010 World Cup qualifying match between Iraq and Australia will be played as scheduled.

CONCACAF Champions League Qualifying Format

Here's the qualifying format for the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League.

TFC Gets Early Jump On Qualifying

At Montreal:

Marco Velez scored the only goal of the match Tuesday (72') to give Major League Soccer's Toronto FC a 1-0 road win over the Montreal Impact from the United Soccer Leagues' First Division in the opening match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, a round-robin tournament that features not only TFC and the Impact, but another USL-1 club, the Vancouver Whitecaps. Each team plays two games against each of the other two teams, with the winner moving on to the qualifying round for the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League.

Three Lions Blank Team USA At Wembley 2-0

At London:

Goals from John Terry (38') and Steven Gerard (59') powered England to a 2-0 win over the United States at an international exhibition match at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night.

Another One From The WHO GIVES A RAT'S POSTERIOR SECTION ABOUT EURO 2008 Department

Here's a Reuters story about another case of "Who Gives A Rat's Posterior Section" on the part of Austrians as far as their status for their country's co-hosting next month's EURO 2008 tournament is concerned:

In a capital famed for its imperial architecture, world-class art museums, traditional black-tie balls and classical music, talk of Euro 2008 is still largely greeted with bewilderment or indifference by most Vienna locals.

"We are not a footballing nation -- we are a winter sport nation," said Dariusz Hoefer, 47, a city-centre shop owner.

Student Christian Hofstadler, 21, agreed.

"I don't really know anyone that bothered about Euro 2008. I guess the Austrian football team is to blame -- they have been very weak historically," he said.

Maybe these Viennese would be better off if they took a month-long siesta.

Iraq Banned?!

At Sydney, Australia:

FIFA on Monday suspended Iraq's soccer federation because of Baghdad's disbanding of the country's National Olympic Committee and all sports federations.

The executive board of world soccer's governing body announced it had imposed the ban after the Iraq government dissolved its National Olympic Committee and national sport federations in breach of FIFA and Olympic regulations.

The board will recommend that the FIFA Congress, which meets in Sydney on Friday, suspends Iraq from all tournaments for 12 months, but left the door open for a reprieve if Baghdad reversed its decision by 1400 GMT on Thursday.


This should teach government to take their noses out of the businesses of the various sports federations.

It's League One For Stockport

At London:

Liam Dickinson scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal at 67 minutes to lift Stockport to a 3-2 victory over Rochdale Monday to win the League Two promotion final at Wembley Stadium, sending the Hatters to League One.

im Gannon's Stockport made it fifth-time lucky at Wembley but were made to sweat in their 3-2 Coca-Cola League Two play-off final win over local rivals Rochdale.

County manager Gannon, 10 years a player at Edgeley Park, had been a Wembley loser four times with Stockport, who clinched their first promotion in 11 years.

The Hatters fell behind to Rochdale defender Rory McArdle's 23rd-minute corner, but once Nathan Stanton's own goal hauled Stockport level, Gannon's side seized control.

Anthony Pilkington headed County into a 49th-minute lead and Liam Dickinson bludgeoned home a third before Dale winger Adam Rundle set up a nerve-jangling finale with a 77th-minute volley.

For Stockdale, this marks their first promotion in 11 years. The Hatters will join Milton Keynes Dons, Peterborough, and Hereford in moving up to League One. As for the perennially snakebitten Dale, next season will mark their 35th straight in English soccer's fourth division. They will be joined by two teams coming up from the Blue Square Premier (formerly Nationwide) Conference, table-topping Aldershot and Exeter City, who won the promotion final at Wembley Stadium on May 18, 1-0 over Cambridge United.

Doncaster League Championship Bound

At London:

James Hayter's goal (48') propelled Doncaster to a 1-0 win over Leeds United in the League One promotion final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.


James Hayter's second-half header helped Doncaster win promotion and consigned Leeds to a second season of third-tier football after a tense League One play-off final at Wembley finished 1-0 to Rovers.

Hayter took advantage of dismal marking to head in a 47th-minute corner and continue Rovers' remarkable ascent of the football pyramid.

The Rovers are heading to the second level of English soccer for the first time since 1957. They will join Swansea and Nottingham Forest in the League Championship next season.

Lyon Cap First League/Cup Double On Overtime Tally

At Paris:

Sidney Govou scored the only goal of the match (102') to pace Lyon to a 1-0 Coupe de France final victory over PSG on Saturday to register their first ever domestic league and cup double.

Lyon had to wait for the 102nd minute to see winger Govou collect a Karim Benzema cross and score with a powerful shot from inside the box to give them further cause for celebration a week after they sealed their seventh successive league title. PSG, chasing a double of their own after winning the French League Cup, had the better chances in the game at the Stade de France but failed to lift the trophy for the eighth time.

Lyon, who looked rusty and short of ideas until Govou gave them victory, had been waiting for a Cup triumph since winning the competition for the third time in 1973.

"We're ever so happy because it's been such a long season and we had waiting for this for years," Govou told reporters.

Lyon won their seventh straight Ligue 1 crown last week, while PSG, who earlier this year won the League Cup crown, barely avoided relegation again this season.

'Jers Top QOTS For Scottish Cup Crown

At Glasgow:

Kris Boyd's double (33', 72') helped lead Rangers to a 3-2 win over second-division Queen of the South to win the Scottish Cup championship Saturday.

Roma Wins Coppa Italia

At Rome:

Goals from Philippe Mexes (36') and Simone Perrotta (54') powered AS Roma to a 2-1 win over Serie A champions Inter Milan Saturday to win the final of the Italian Cup.

How Does It Feel To Have A Top Flight Soccer Club?

At London:

Dean Windass scored the only goal at 38 minutes to lift Hull to a 1-0 win over Bristol City to win the League Championship promotion final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, resulting in the Tigers gaining promotion to the Premiership.

In a tight game typical of this Championship season Windass was able to produce the one outstanding moment of quality with his 39th-minute strike and earn himself another trip to face the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea next season.

This coming season will mark Hull's first-ever season in England's top flight. The Tigers will join West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City, who had already won automatic promotion to the English Premier League.



And yes, boys and girls, that IS the fellow's name.

Ax Falls On Avram Grant After Silverwareless Season

Chelsea gave Avram Grant the boot today:

It read: 'Chelsea can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract as manager terminated today. 'This follows meetings over the last two days. Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution since taking over as manager last September. 'We will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no further comment until that appointment is made.' Grant joined the club last summer from Portsmouth to take up the post of director of football.'

Who will next be given the role of Jose Mourinho's successor?

Can Gretna FC Be Saved?

It could well be touch and go:

At a meeting with employees on Monday, administrators appointed in March after English owner Brooks Mileson fell seriously ill and severed all financial ties with the club, made all 40 staff, from goalkeeper to groundsman, redundant.

Not all is lost: a potential buyer is in talks with administrators, but the prospect of losing Gretna FC has fans asking whether having a rich benefactor, a phenomenon that is increasingly common in British football, is such a good idea.

"We'd rather not have had Mr Mileson's money if this was the outcome," said Heather Bryden, a Gretna fan of 30 years who used to work on the gate at home games.

Gretna's difficulties, including debts of some four million pounds ($7.92 million), are partly linked to their success. Their pitch, which one former employee said needed 350,000 pounds' worth of refurbishment, was not up to SPL standards, forcing the team to hold all their home matches 120 kms away in Motherwell.

This meant many fans were no longer attending Gretna matches as trips to Motherwell were too expensive.

I have written in an earlier post this week that this club had gone through three consecutive promotions to reach the top flight in Scotland. This also could make a valid argument against US Soccer adopting a system of promotion and relegation.

Talk About Time On Their Hands

Apparently, soccer fans in Bosnia-Herzegovina either love their national coach, or feel like Rangers fans in Manchester:

Hundreds of fans took to the streets after the NSBiH sacked national coach Meho Kodro last week because he refused to lead the team in a friendly against Iran, scheduled for May 26.

The former Bosnia captain turned coach said he had not been consulted about the fixture.

The protesters gathered in downtown Sarajevo at noon, carrying placards reading "Mafia" and "Association Out" and chanting offending slogans against the NSBiH officials.

Special police forces in full combat gear intervened after some protesters began throwing stones, bottles, smoke bombs and a stun-grenade at the FA building and into the crowd.

"We detained more than 30 people after a peaceful protest turned into vandalism," Sarajevo police spokesman Jusuf Zornic said. He added that two policemen and a police dog were injured in the clash but no major damage was reported.

To Some Folks In Austria....

The price of beer is more important than their country's performance in the upcoming EURO 2008 tournament:

A large beer will cost 4.50 euros ($7.09) in the fan zone in the historic centre of Vienna, whereas the same drink will cost 5.0 Swiss francs or 3.10 euros in the Basel, for example.

'It is crazy. Completely idiotic,' said Christian Habermueller, 35, who offers horse and carriage rides to tourists in Vienna's city centre.

Talk of the tournament is still largely greeted with a shrug of the shoulders or a blank expression in Vienna, but news that their Alpine neighbours will be able to buy the same beer for less has the Austrians furiously gesticulating.

'You won't find any locals there with such prices,' said Florian Krug, a 38-year-old Vienna administrator.

Then, why in Sam Hill don't you go to Switzerland, if the price of beer is so freaking important?

EURO 2008: From The WHO GIVES A RAT'S POSTERIOR SECTION ABOUT EURO 2008 Department

The chief petitioner for an effort to get Austria to withdraw from the upcoming EURO 2008 finals has been fined for his efforts:

Michael Kriess, the son of former Austrian international Werner and a coordinator of the campaign which attracted 10,000 signatures, said a court had fined him 1,500 Euros for damage to the country's reputation and standing.

The court in Innsbruck was not immediately available for comment.

The black Austrian eagle with a golden crown appears on the website of the online petition with a football obscuring its head.

Kriess said he would challenge the fine in court in June.

"I am not worried about the Austrian team embarrassing themselves. I'm fully expecting it," he said of the tournament, where Austria are in Group B with Germany, Croatia and Poland.

Hey, Mike, how 'bout leaving the country during the tournament?

HAPPY RED DEVILS

Jubilant Manchester United players celebrating their club's first European club crown in nine years. Getty Images Photo