nPower Football League Thread 2011/12

[Lineker]

Whilst it's near impossible to make predictions in these leagues, you'd imagine that Big Sam will get West Ham back up automatically. Birmingham have a stupid season with 46(or 49 including play-offs) games + cups + Europe. They could struggle. Would like to see Blackpool give it another good go, they're an entertaining side. In their various leagues, you'd expect Huddersfield, Brighton, and fingers crossed Wimbledon to have good years.

Port Vale manager Micky Adams has announced his intention to become a director of the League Two club.

The Valiants have a non-functioning board after their numbers were reduced from five to three at a recent Extraordinary General Meeting.

At present Adams is unable to make any signings, or negotiate contracts, until a fourth director is appointed.

The Vale boss told BBC Radio Stoke: "I need to sign players. At the moment I only have 13 registered."

Adams reinforced the message that his proposal is all about football and not about politics.

"I'm not interested in sitting in a boardroom and talking about how many meat pies we're going to sell on a Saturday or if there's a problem in the ladies toilets.

"I've been asked to solve a short-term problem, it's a football matter and nothing to do with the EGM."

Adams has also announced his intention to purchase £50,000 worth of shares when legal formalities permit.

At the club's EGM five days ago, Port Vale shareholders cast a vote of no confidence in the current board of directors.

Three of the five directors, including chairman Bill Bratt, kept their place in the boardroom after surviving individual votes for their positions.

Vice-chairman Peter Jackson and Stan Meigh were the two directors voted off.

Meigh intends to sponsor Adams, and that proposal will be put to all shareholders by means of a written resolution.

Adams returned to manage Port Vale in June, for the second time, after he was sacked by Sheffield United, and is keen to start assembling his squad.

"I am waiting to extend contracts for existing players and to sign new players, and this can't take place until the minimum number of directors is in office," he said.

"Preparation is everything in football and this makes it essential to get everything right.

"Our pre-season training has been arranged and it's essential that we have the right personnel in place at the earliest opportunity."

Prospective director Mark Sims, who is backing local millionaire Mo Chaudry to take control of the club, was elected onto the board at Wednesday's EGM.

Sims is assessing the club's finances before he makes a decision whether to accept the position.

However this latest announcement from the club has been met with strong opposition from fan groups.

The North London Valiants group were asked to nominate their own candidate for the board after last week's EGM.

"We have asked for time to consider the second directorship, which has been ignored," said group spokesman Malcolm Hirst.

"This decision has been taken by directors who lost a vote of no confidence only four days ago. In doing so, they lost the moral right to have an influence on the running of our club.

"We ask that Micky Adams withdraw his candidacy as director and concentrate on football matters only."

In addition, the 'Black and Gold Until it's Sold' fans' campaign have issued an open letter sent to the Port Vale manager.

"We are really surprised to find that you are placing yourself in a position that puts you at odds with the vast majority of the club's 1,000 shareholders and many of its fans," it states.

"Please consider very carefully why you are taking this action and consider above all what is in the best interests of Port Vale Football Club."

For me, I hope that Watford can have another solid year. The Danny Graham money needs to be very carefully spent and it seems as if Will Buckley is on his way too if the reports are to be believed. I also hope that Lee Bradbury has a first full season as promising as this last one ended. Danny Ings is getting better and better and Fletch playing on for yet another year is always a good thing.

[Matt]

I think Birmingham are the most likely team to go straight back up, Europe will probably mean they can afford to keep most of their better players for another season and as long as Europe isn't too much of a distraction, they should be able to bounce back. West Ham depends on whether Big Sam can keep their better players or not, if he can, they're nailed on, if not, it'll need a big overhaul of the squad and I can see them finishing about 10th. Blackpool will struggle to make the playoffs. Cardiff should hopefully lose a few of their players and, thus, struggle to push for promotion. Which would leave Leeds, Forest, Reading and probably Burnley. I reckon we're all at pretty similar levels and it's just a case of who can strengthen their squad the best. Plus you always get some random team to do well and reach the playoffs, my prediction for this year is Coventry

[Colly]

Whilst it's near impossible to make predictions in these leagues, you'd imagine that Big Sam will get West Ham back up automatically.

Who do think you are, Scott Minto? Think it'll be an interesting year for Big Sam, granted some of the 'names' like Sheff Utd and Norwich are now out of the league, but bearing in mind the likes of Leeds and Reading will be looking to push on again, and there's make or break seasons for Portsmouth and Middlesbrough it could be a tougher task than people are making out. All comes down to who stays, so the summer can't be a fun time for West Ham fans.

[Lineker]

I just think that Allardyce's style will suit what is required. West Ham also have players who can player when need be too. Allow me to break it down.

Upson and Dyer are already gone.

I imagine that the following will go: Green, Reid, Parker, Cole, Hitzlsperger, Barrera, Boa Morte, Faubert, Ba, da Costa, and Jacobsen.

This leaves them with: Gabbidon, Tomkins, Collison, Kovac, Noble, Spector, Sears, Ilunga, Nouble, Stanislas, Hines, Spence, Kurucz, Stech, Piquionne, Boffin, O'Neil, Edgar, and Fry.

So as long as they get in a proven keeper, some solid midfielders to replace Parker and Hitzlsperger, and someone more experienced that Sears and Hines to compliment Piquionne, I don't see why they wouldn't be able to finish in the top two.

Also, no I am not Scott Minto.

[Colly]

Apols, Scott Minto stated on SSN that Big Sam "almost guarantees" promotion and Premiership stability, which I frankly see as nonsense. Its doable, but there are a lot more Leeds, Sheffields (Utd and Weds), Middlesbroughs etc than there are Newcastles and West Broms. Theres no such thing as 'almost guaranteeing' anyway, but predicting how a relegated team will do in the Championship is near impossible, especially in June.

Scott Parker would have been very useful in the same way as Nolan, Barton and Smith were for us, Noble will have to fulfil that role of changing room leader which will be a lot harder to do practically on his own as a younger pro (unless rumours of Alan Smith are true, in which case they should be panicking more!). Its doable, but far from guaranteed.

[jack95]

I don't think Allardyce guarantees promotion, but much as I'm loathe to admit it, he's absolutely the best choice West Ham could have made. If he's able to mould his own squad a little, I think his style will suit the division and team well, and West Ham should be back up. I see Blackpool doing OK, if they could get promotion back in 09/10 with the squad they had then, they have enough in them to do it again this year. Finally, I think Burnley through the play offs, Howe's proven he's a good manager and their end of season form showed a lot of promise, bar that run of six games through March without a win. With Europe pre-occupying them Birmingham could struggle, and I think McLeish is getting a bit stale.

In League One, I'm hopeful about Charlton Athletic's (who I support) chances. After our dismal end of season form I think Chris Powell will need to make a good start to the season. If he doesn't, it'll depend on who gets appointed as his replacement, but the squad's good enough. Sheffield United and Preston will be fine I think. Danny Wilson and Phil Brown might not be the most popular managers (just at his club for Wilson, and in football as a whole for Brown) but I like both of them and think they'll get them bouncing straight back up. Not sure about Scunthorpe.

Can't say I know that much about League Two, but the way their history has been you can't bet against AFC Wimbledon to upset the odds. Plymouth should be fine, Peter Reid is an underrated boss, and League Two should be easy enough for him. Paolo Di Canio is either going to be a massive success or an absolute disaster for Swindon, If it works out, they'll be up, if not... one of Shrewsbury, Accrington or Bristol Rovers.

Either way, should be a phenomenal season.

[Lineker]

BBC's Paul Fletcher blogs on spending in the Football League:

The movers and shakers of the 72 Football League clubs will fly to Cyprus on Wednesday for their two-day annual general meeting.

It might sound like the pretext for a jolly in the sun but Football League chairman Greg Clarke is optimistic that some important decisions will be taken during the get-together to help safeguard the future of his clubs.

The Premier League's proposal to overhaul the youth system in England is one item on the agenda, with Clarke adamant that Football League clubs will resist anything that threatens their ability to develop top-quality young talent.

But arguably the most significant point under discussion is the issue of spending. Given Championship clubs have been unwilling to embrace any plans to restrict their ability to fulfil their Premier League ambitions in the past, it is sure to be a hot topic of debate.

"As football has got more and more attractive and popular, the game has sadly become financially weaker," Clarke told me. "The Football League clubs currently have around £700m of debt - and more than 80% of this is in the Championship."

Clarke's predecessor, Lord Brian Mawhinney, achieved much during his time as chairman. He rebranded the League and improved transparency by persuading clubs to release details of the amount they paid to agents.

But he tried and failed to introduce a wage cap in the Championship.

Clarke, however, is impressed by the willingness of clubs to embrace ways of controlling costs. Perhaps the impact of the recession combined with reduced television revenue from 2012 means they are more receptive to taking a long, hard look at their bottom line.

"I recently went to a meeting of clubs at Milton Keynes and thought the level of support for finding a way of solving their financial problems was gratifying," said Clarke. "They were not being dragged kicking and screaming. The vast majority want to do something."

Each division has a working party to discuss methods of controlling costs and reducing debt. League Two already has a salary cap in place that limits a club's spending on players' wages to 60% of turnover. Clubs in League One are looking at the possibility of introducing a similar system.

The solution being proposed in the Championship is a variation of Uefa's Financial Fair Play Initiative, the long-term aim of which is to make sure that clubs will only be able to spend what they generate. In other words, they must live within their means. The initiative will be introduced in the Premier League, with clubs who do not meet the criteria in danger of exclusion from European competition as early as the 2014-15 season.

"We have come up with a number of scenarios for the Championship, recognising things like parachute payments," added Clarke. "These have been discussed and been favourably received. They are being reviewed by owners and chief executives in Cyprus."

Clarke feels "prudently optimistic" that a system to control spending will happen in one form or another precisely because this is an initiative being driven by the clubs. The cynic in me thinks that the bigger clubs focused on reaching the top flight will be disinclined to sign up to any system that might clip their wings in the transfer market.

Clarke is honest enough to admit that introducing any system designed to control spending will require a change of mindset. Clubs are naturally competitive and their aim is to be more successful than the others in their division. What will be discussed in Cyprus requires a degree of co-operation not seen before. It also requires clubs to accept that regulating spending would not damage the competition.

"At the moment, it only needs one or two clubs to start spending a lot of money to begin what I would term, an arms race," said Clarke. "You cannot solve this club by club. They have to cooperate and agree mutually binding rules."

Clarke is unsure exactly when a set of rules might be introduced in the Championship or what exactly they will look like but he believes clubs realise something has to happen. He is hopeful that various ideas will be trialled and refined over the next couple of seasons.

Perhaps in an attempt to underline to clubs the importance of watching what they spend, Clarke will take the opportunity in Cyprus to present a set of different scenarios based on what he thinks the Football League landscape might look like in five years. The worst suggests the current level of debt double. Even the best case scenario predicts an increase of some kind.

"There are long-term costs embedded in our business and we cannot turn them off overnight. Things like deals for stadiums and conracts for players," said Clarke. "Many are the consequence of decisions taken many years ago but we can start to make things better. The worst case does not have to happen There is a choice that we can make."

Clarke is an upbeat and optimistic man. When I asked him about the scale of the task facing him, he argued it was not so much a huge challenge as a huge opportunity.

I also think that he genuinely cares about what happens to his clubs. Clarke watched his first football match in 1967, stood on a wall behind a goal in the rain as Leicester City and Stoke City contested a goalless draw. He claims that football has been in his DNA ever since and is keen for his clubs to remain an important part of their community.

"I'd like to see a return to a situation where the majority of clubs can be afforded by the local community rather than looking for investment from another country or continent, from people who have no long-term commitment," said Clarke.

The Football League is a good product and continues to perform strongly. Although attendances fell by 6% last season, more than 16m passing through the turnstiles for the seventh straight year.

And Clarke, who has toured 68 clubs and attended countless different other functions in his first year in the job, is impressed by the willingness for change.

"When I joined the Football League, I was told that football was conservative but I have met a lot of pragmatic people who are extremely aware of the challenges," he said.

It is why Clarke believes that clubs will endorse plans to control spending and reduce debt when they meet in Cyrpus this week.

[Sam]

I would say Leicester are in a good shot for promotion this year. Top manager who is capable of attracting players, have money, I think they are certainly going to be right up there.

[Matt]

I would say Leicester are in a good shot for promotion this year. Top manager who is capable of attracting players, have money, I think they are certainly going to be right up there.

Shit, I'd forgotten about Leicester... yeah they should be able to be up there as long as the players they sign are quality Championship players rather than decent Premiership players 7-8 years ago *coughdariusvassellcough*

[IAceI]

Carlisle to finish mid-table and once again get to Wembley for the Paint Pot Cup. It's a tradition now!

[britneyspearsisgod]

I've decided not to form an opinion on Bristol Rovers' chances of promotion until we get into the season. It could go either way, but with the signings of Matt Gill (Norwich, released), Scott Bevan (Torquay, End of Contract) and Craig Stanley (Morcambe, Free - I guess), we are certainly making head way on a push for promotion.

[MDK]

I'm hoping and praying that Orient can get promoted so we can finally have a proper east end derby in the future. Or West Ham could get relegated (fingers crossed) and we could have it that way.

Orient for the FA Cup!

[Lineker]

A professional footballer who was found dead in his bed died from a rare heart condition, a coroner has ruled.

Macclesfield Town midfielder Richard Butcher was discovered dead at his flat in Swinton, Salford in January.

The Northampton-born player, 29, had suffered chest pains in the past three years, Bolton Coroner's Court heard.

In a narrative verdict, assistant deputy coroner Peter Watson said Mr Butcher died from natural causes due to a naturally occurring heart condition.

"All deaths are tragic but especially in cases with someone so young and on the face of things he was a very fit and healthy young man, it is so sad that on the balance of probabilities he died from this cardiac condition," Mr Watson said.

A post-mortem examination showed he died of natural causes and there were no signs of heart disease.

Mr Butcher's wife Sarah told the hearing he "dedicated his career to maintaining his health and fitness".

"He used to delight in that the younger players would remark on how fit and professional he was," she said.

She told the hearing he used to brush off chest pains.

He had them in the days before he died, the inquest heard.

In 2009, he collapsed after a night out. Tests found his heart was enlarged but doctors could not find a specific problem.

Mr Butcher - who also played for Kettering, Oldham, Peterborough, Notts County and Lincoln City - was described by Macclesfield Town as "a total role model for young professionals".

The club, where he had played for a year, were concerned when he did not arrive for training on 10 January. He was later found dead.

Paying tribute, his father Richard said: "He was a lovely, lovely lad. As fit as anything.

"He always wanted to be a footballer, like every schoolboy does."

His brother Glenn added: "I couldn't imagine him doing another job. He tried a couple of times having normal jobs but he never lasted more than a day."

Mr Butcher had planned to become a physiotherapist after his playing days, his family said.

[Lineker]

The Football League says its clubs have agreed in principle to adopt Uefa's financial fair play system.

Uefa has introduced the rules to try to make sure that clubs balance their books and break even.

The 72 league clubs, faced with increased levels of debt, agreed "in principle" to the regulations at their annual meeting.

"This is a very important step forward for professional football," said Football League chairman Greg Clarke.

"It will help our clubs exert greater control over their finances.

"Much more work needs to be done, but I am hugely encouraged and impressed by the energy and focus of our clubs on this issue.

"They have been the catalyst for change and have shown a real desire to self-regulate in this area. I congratulate them on taking this bold step."

The Football League clubs voted in favour of the new measures at the meeting in Cyprus following a presentation by Andrea Traverso, Uefa's head of club licensing and financial fair play.

Debt in Football League clubs now totals approximately £700million, Clarke told BBC Sport's Paul Fletcher earlier this week, "and more than 80% of this is in the Championship".

The Championship clubs agreed to work towards the new regulations being "developed and approved by the beginning of the 2012/13 season".

League One clubs have also agree to introduce the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) from next season, where teams will only be allowed to spend a fixed proportion of their total turnover on player wages.

The SCMP already operates in League Two at the 60% threshold, which will be reduced to 55% from the summer.

FA chairman David Bernstein described the Football League's announcement as "very encouraging".

He said: "I welcome the Football League's new cost control measures. The FA supports these regulations and they are a welcome step in the right direction.

"While giving evidence at the Select Committee in March, (FA general secretary) Alex Horne and I called for such measures.

"I would like to congratulate Greg Clarke and all at the Football League for their continued progress in this area."

[Emperor DC]

SUMMERSLAM 2011

The event started off with Mark Henry going to war with Sheamus. This was one of the more brutal starts to any recent WWE Pay Per View event as both men, two of the toughest in professional wrestling today, went into toe to toe combat, neither man giving an inch, stretching the rules and regulations to the limit in an attempt to hurt eachother in any way possible. In the end, after ducking and diving out the way of many Brogue Kick attempts, Henry picked up and then demolished Sheamus with a Worlds Strongest Man, damn near breaking his back in the process, and the count of three from the referee afterwards was all but academic.

As the bell rings, Henry waits a few moments before going after Sheamus again. Smirking, he drags Sheamus to the outside of the ring, before with one hand, dragging his corpse to the top of the ramp. The crowd know what’s coming and the anticipation builds as Sheamus crawls and scratches at Henry, getting to his feet. The monster stands there proud and doesn’t flinch as Sheamus tries, mostly in vain, to protect himself. Looking into the eyes of Henry, he shouts, his spit glazing the eyes of Henry. Henry wipes his face before pushing Sheamus back! Sheamus nearly falls from the stage, but just stops himself, his arms shaking as he tries to regain balance. Henry sizes him up, he charges ... BUT SHEAMUS MOVES ... HENRY STOPS, BUT SHEAMUS CHARGES HIMSELF ... BROGUE KICK!!! ... HENRY GOES CRASHING TO THE UNFORGIVING CONCRETE FLOOR BELOW!!!

Sheamus falls to his knees and looks down below at the carnage of the big man layed out on the floor. The Celtic Warrior gains his footing, snarls and holds out his arms, the crowd going wild after chants of “HOLY SHIT” filled the Staples Center, Sheamus having sent a huge ... literally ... message to rival, that as big and bad as he could be, this Irishman could be even bigger and even badder when he wanted to be.

Next up, it was a Loser Leaves WWE match between John Morrison and R-Truth. The match was made via R-Truth. He wanted John Morrison gone, and agreed to abide by the same stipulation, saying if by the smallest of chances, he lost, he’d be happy to leave the conspiracy behind. As it so happened, the conspiracy theories were set to continue, as R-Truth hit not one, but two Lie Detectors before delivering a Tornado DDT, dropping Morrison right dead on his neck, the referee counting the three, signalling the end of John Morrison in the WWE. Morrison was helped onto a stretcher after the match as R-Truth looked on and laughed, waving bye to Morrison and in an interview with Matt Striker at ringside, vowing what had just happened to John Morrison would happen to anyone else who so much as tries to launch, and indeed continue the perceived conspiracy against him.

In a match that’s been more than a year in the making, Wade Barrett faced off against Daniel Bryan, Smackdown’s Mr. Money in the Bank. Bryan, gaining momentum as the week goes on, proved more than a match for the bigger Barrett, utilizing his stiff, punishing blows and his European-style offensive to gain the upper hand. Barrett’s similar style came to the fore and resulted in a close, but technically unique bout, both men concentrating on wearing the other down more than attempting numerous pinfalls and looking to sneak an advantage. Eventually, after a stern battle, Bryan came out on top as he flipped Barrett over and dodging The Wasteland, dragged Barrett to the mat and locking in the LeBell Lock, Barrett had no choice but to tap out and give Bryan a second consecutive Pay Per View victory, continuing his rise to the top of World Wrestling Entertainment. At the contests end, Bryan showed great sportsmanship in offering his hand to Barrett after a hard fought battle. Barrett thought about it, before shocking everyone and shaking the hand of the American Dragon! Bryan seemed as surprised as anyone as he looked on at Barrett who took his leave, simply walking up the ramp to the back.

Now it was time for the first title match of the night, Kelly Kelly defending her WWE Divas Title against the newly rejuvenated and newly ferocious ‘Glamazon’ Beth Phoenix. Halfway through the contest, after Phoenix tossed Kelly Kelly to the outside, she distracted the referee, and before Kelly could react, she was brutally attacked by Natayla Neidhart who threw her into the steel steps, seemingly seriously injuring her shoulder, before throwing her back in the ring to Phoenix and a couple of minutes later, after The Glamazon had had her way with her, The Glam Slam was all that was needed for the one, two, three to make Beth Phoenix the new WWE Divas Champion!! At the contests end, Natayla entered the ring and for a few moments, it seemed something was brewing, but it seemed that was simply friendship and respect as Natayla raised Beth’s hand into the air, the two smiling and high fiving, a new dominant force having seemingly erupted, threatening to sweep over the entire WWE womens division.

In the first of the double main event for the evening, Christian defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match. Despite this rivalry being months old, the tension and hatred between the two rose to new levels during this intense fight, and that was what it was. Very little of it remained in the ring, spilling to the outside areas, including into the crowd, and at one point, to the back. Back at ringside, the two went to war with eachother, the underside of the ring being cleared of its components, everything from a steel chair to a road sign being brought out to inflict punishment on the opposition. The end came when Christian used the referee as a shield and when done, he took advantage of Orton’s loss of concentration as he nailed him with a low blow, a rake to the eye and then not one, but TWO Killswitches to secure the retention of his title. After the match, in a ringside interview, Christian had this to say: “finally, on this night, I only only retained MY World Heavyweight Title, but I ended Randy Orton’s dreams and put him out of his misery ...

problem ... solved ...”

Then, it was time for the main event, and what many called the most historically significant match the WWE, in its current form, has ever had. Two WWE Champions in CM Punk and John Cena, with Triple H stuck in the middle as special guest referee, battling for the honor of becoming the sole and Undisputed WWE Champion. The tension between the three was evident, Punk and Cena both having words with the boss and telling him to call it fair, which he pledged to do in an interview earlier in the night. Punk though showed his smarts, he was the man to go after Cena whilst he talked to The Game, hitting him around the head with his belt before the bell was rung. Triple H ticked him off, but unable to do something due to the bell not yet having been rung, Triple H’s hands were tied and Punk smiled, knowing he was challenging Triple H and the Chief Operating Officer’s newly attained authority.

The match itself was as hard fought and at times, chaotic as the battle they had at Money in the Bank. Cena showed good awareness as he prayed on the right arm of Punk, slightly injured by Alberto Del Rio on Monday night. Punk seemed to suffer, at times surviving and nothing else, though able to use his other arm, and more so, his stiff kicks - the most effective part of his arsenal - to try and dent the offensive attack of John Cena at any given point. Many pinfall attempts were made, and at various stages, it seemed Triple H was favouring either man, leading both men’s confidence in the boss to dwindle as the match went on, Punk especially seeming more and more perturbed at the C.O.O, threatening Triple H, who tried to remain calm when faced with the challenge. The end of the match came when Cena was tossed into Triple H by CM Punk. Cena was furious and he and Triple H faced off, both men believing the other was to blame. The two went nose to nose, before Punk approached Cena and delivered a low blow! Triple H looked on and verbally derived Punk, then went to the timekeeper, ready to call for the bell ... before stopping ... Triple H gets back to Punk and the two stare down ... and then smile!! The crowd sees something is up, and without a moment’s notice, Triple H hooks the arms of John Cena ... PEDIGREE! PEDIGREE! PEDIGREE!! The crowd can’t quite believe it as Triple H points and Punk drops to the mat and makes the cover on a down and out John Cena ... and Triple H counts to three! CM PUNK IS THE UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPION!!

JR screams at the top of his lungs as Triple H screws over John Cena!! The crowd doesn’t know what to say or do, but the reaction in all is extremely mixed. CM Punk gets to his feet and Triple H, a shit eating grin crossing his face, takes the Undisputed WWE Title from the timekeeper before coming back to the center of the ring. He and Punk share an arkward staredown before both men smile and embrace! There is audible shock at the scenes the audience are seeing as Punk is handed the WWE Title and raises it high into the air! Triple H looks on and applauds as HIS WWE Champion starts to do laps of the ring, smiling and shouting “How’d you like me now?!!” ... the crowd looks on, this reaction garnering boos. Punk stops and Triple H takes his turn in taunting the crowd, going to the ropes and exchanging verbal lambastings with various members of the ringside area. Triple H turns around ... AND PUNK HITS HIM RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES WITH THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BELT!!

The biggest roar of the night goes up, followed by a state of silent shock. Triple H goes down, out cold, as CM Punk stands above him. CM Punk has just layed out his own boss and the man that helped him win the title just moments prior! Punk smirks and makes his Go To Sleep motion as he sits, legs folded in the center of the ring, Triple H one side of him, John Cena the other. He looks out into the crowd before looking at his WWE Title and then raising it high into the air. This is the image we’re left with as Summerslam goes off the air, with more answers than questions ...

--

The biggest roar of the night goes up, followed by a state of silent shock. Triple H goes down, out cold, as CM Punk stands above him. CM Punk has just layed out his own boss and the man that helped him win the title just moments prior! Punk smirks and makes his Go To Sleep motion as he sits, legs folded in the center of the ring, Triple H one side of him, John Cena the other. He looks out into the crowd before looking at his WWE Title and then raising it high into the air. This is the image we’re left with as Summerslam goes off the air, with more answers than questions ...

The biggest roar of the night goes up, followed by a state of silent shock. Triple H goes down, out cold, as CM Punk stands above him. CM Punk has just layed out his own boss and the man that helped him win the title just moments prior! Punk smirks and makes his Go To Sleep motion as he sits, legs folded in the center of the ring, Triple H one side of him, John Cena the other. He looks out into the crowd before looking at his WWE Title and then raising it high into the air. This is the image we’re left with as Summerslam goes off the air, with more answers than questions ...

Edited August 13, 2011 by Emperor DC

[jack95]

From the BBC, Alex McLeish resigns as manager of Birmingham. In the article they hinted at a possible move to Villa, which I can't see happening. I can't say I'm surprised by the resignation though, he's definitely a Premier League quality manager and relegation seemed to hit him hard.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have sacked Billy Davies and look set to replace him with Steve McLaren. Shame they sacked Billy after all the hard work he's put into the club, but McLaren deserves the opportunity, he's a better coach than people realise in my opinion. Davies to Birmingham or possibly Cardiff?

Edited June 12, 2011 by jack95

[Lineker]

Curbs has got to get a job at one of these clubs.

[Lineker]

Leeds United prospect Elliott Kebbie has turned down a scholarship at Elland Road for a possible move to Barcelona.

The 16-year-old spent eight years at United's academy but has moved to Spain and is believed to have already appeared for a Barcelona youth team.

In a statement on the club website, Leeds said they retained the right to ask for compensation should Kebbie continue to pursue his career in Spain.

The Halifax-born winger was also being tracked by Manchester United.

There were reports last year the Reds had agreed a £1m compensation package with Leeds to sign the teenager but the Championship club's chairman Ken Bates subsequently said Kebbie had decided to stay at Elland Road.

In 2006 Leeds were awarded £5m in compensation after Tom Taiwo and Michael Woods were signed by Chelsea.

And in 2009 Everton had to pay Leeds £600,000, which could rise to £1.5m, after signing United's then England youth captain Luke Garbutt.

At the time Bates said so-called big clubs were treating young players "like horsemeat".

"It's like horse-racing - you sign 10, you keep one and dump the other nine," he told the Leeds website.

"Some clubs are doing it with kids and it's not fair. It destroys their lives, it destroys their confidence, and in some cases it destroys their careers."

[jack95]

Cardiff have been given permission to talk to Malky Mackay. I'm not too sure about this, Mackay just doesn't fit the club in my mind. There's no denying he's done a good job at Watford, but if I were Cardiff I'd be looking for a manager with a proven promotion track record, else what was the point of sacking Dave Jones? Hughton still seems the best choice for the job to me, or maybe Di Matteo or Billy Davies.

[lanky316]

I'm just glad during the merrygoround Westley has been ignored. I know he's rich enough to not necessarily be tempted by higher salaries and has his long term plans but would've thought he caught the attention of a championship/lower mid premiership club by now after last seasons performance.