To: The Football Association (or as I call you, The F*** All, because that's what you know)

I'm Bert Tiddle and you've never heard of me. When I played for Sheffield United, Dave Bassett told me I would make a great manager one day. I found out later that he meant it in a sarcastic sort of way because he just saw me berate a reserve team player until the lad vomited pasta on himself.

Since the transfer window came into force during the 2002-03 season, Spurs have been one of the most active clubs in terms of players arriving at and leaving White Hart Lane.

After a fairly quiet window by their standards – signing trio Yago Falque, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen all on free transfers, let's take a look at seven players signed for big money during the January period.

It was, as things turned out, a mercifully quiet transfer deadline day, but the most curious acquisition of the day ended up involving a young player with just a handful of first team substitute appearances under his belt but also, it would seem, the capacity for potential brilliance and and self-destruction in roughly equal measures.

Fulham manager Martin Jol has surprised everyone by exchanging all of his first team squad except Bryan Ruiz for Sheffield United's 2011 FA Youth Cup runner-up team.

"At first we looked at the Man United squad. They were the winners of that tournament, after all, and I am not stupid.

By Chris Wright

Eng-lish Pre·mi·um/ing'liSH ˈprēmēəm/Noun: An amount to be paid on top of any given football transfer fee to recognise the paltry significance of said footballer hailing from these sceptred isles and will hopefully therefore play with 'bags of passion', etc.

The bench-bound scoring "siren"....

John Nyen on the enigma that is Sir Carlos Tevez

The man on the keyboards pounds out the rhythms to the beat as the two brothers swap verses.

Of the two front men, one is a skinnier kid, while the other is dressed in a soccer kit.

by STUART WATSON I really love the F.A Cup, a lot of my boyhood memories derive from the competition whether they be good or bad. A few early ones include the two semifinals at Wembley in the early 90's, Wrexham in 92, Linighans late goal to win us the cup in 93, Andy Walker smashing the ball past David Seaman to give Bolton a historic win at Highbury, and getting knocked out by Millwall and Sheffield United in consecutive seasons.

Zak Whitbread and Norwich City look to continue in the FA Cup as they take on West Bromwich Albion, while Jonathan Spector and red hot Birmingham City play Sheffield United in cup play as well.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have shared plenty of moments throughout their careers as the top two attacking threats of the U.S. men's national team, but they will not be celebrating together on Friday.

The two American stars are set to face off for the first time since 2006 when Everton and Fulham do battle in the fourth round of the FA Cup (3pm, Fox Soccer Channel).

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- QPR vs Everton Youth Tonight in the FA Youth Cup.

Resultados FA Cup 2011/2012 Tercer Ronda Ida
Viernes 6 de enero de 2012 5 Liverpool vs Oldham Athletic 1Sábado 7 de enero de 2012 0 Birmingham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers 00 Dagenham & Redbridge vs Millwall 02 Barnsley vs Swansea City 41 Brighton vs Wrexham 11 Coventry City vs Southampton 21 Crawley Town vs Bristol City 01 Derby County vs Crystal Palace 00 Doncaster Rovers vs Notts County 22 Everton vs Tamworth 01 Fleetwood Town vs Blackpool 54 Fulham vs Charlton Athletic 01 Gillingham vs Stoke City 33 Hull City vs Ipswich Town 12 Macclesfield Town vs Bolton Wanderers 21 Middlesbrough vs Shrewsbury Town 01 Milton Keynes Dons vs Queens Park Rangers 12 Newcastle United vs Blackburn Rovers 14 Norwich City vs Burnley 10 Nottingham Forest vs Leicester City 00 Reading vs Stevenage 13 Sheffield United vs Salisbury City 12 Swindon Town vs Wigan Athletic 13 Tottenham Hotspur vs Cheltenham Town 04 Watford vs Bradford City 24 West Bromwich Albion vs Cardiff City 21 Bristol Rovers vs Aston Villa 3Domingo 8 de enero de 2012 2 Manchester City vs Manchester United 34 Chelsea vs Portsmouth 01 Sheffield Wednesday vs West Ham United 00 Peterborough United vs Sunderland 2Lunes 9 de enero de 2012 1 Arsenal vs Leeds United 0 Gracias por tu visita Estadísticas de Fútbol

A largely average performance resulted in a 4-0 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge and a place in the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup. Hey, I'm not complaining.

Who's up next then? The Dons of MK or that lot from down the road.

Rubbish

Chelsea will travel to either MK Dons or Queens Park Rangers in the next round of the competition.

The Sunday Sun is reporting that Newcastle hope to make a transfer breakthrough within ten days. Harry Maguire Sheffield United 18 year-old center-back We had been told there would be a transfer summit meeting last week and that indeed took place at a plush Quayside hotel to discuss transfer targets and strategy and both [.

As there are three teams promoted and four teams relegated from League One, seventeen sides spent the entirety of 2011 in the third tier. Of these teams it was League One play-off finalists Huddersfield Town that ended the year with the best record. It was only everyone's favourite franchise MK Dons that won the same number of games during 2011.

Guardian: Hillsborough campaigner's anger over FA Cup crowd barrier plans

• Barriers to be trialled at Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham • Margaret Aspinall calls plans 'insensitive' A campaigner for justice following the Hillsborough disaster has claimed it is "insensitive" to use crowd control barriers for an FA Cup game at the stadium this weekend.

The FA Cup Third Round this weekend sees a handful of fascinating ties for the non-league clubs still in the competition, with Blue Square Premier title chasers Fleetwood Town taking on Blackpool, Tamworth travelling to Goodison Park to play Everton and Salisbury City of the Blue Square South making the journey to Bramall Lane to play Sheffield United.

Arsenal face Leeds in a repeat of last season's FA Cup 3rd round tie, with the Gunner's winning 3-1 at Elland Road in a replay. Thierry Henry will be named in the Gunners squad having officially become an Arsenal player again for two months on-loan. The tale of the tape for these two sleeping giants of English football are as follows.

To look closely at the associated regulations is to acknowledge the Football League's existing loan system as nothing less than a free for all. ‘Temporary loan transfer' is the umbrella heading which comprises the following three types of move permissible under the current system: • ‘Standard Loans' (half or full season in length and arranged during the two transfer windows); • ‘Emergency Loans' (28-93 days in length and arranged both within the two transfer windows and during fixed periods outside these dates); • ‘Youth Loans' (identical to ‘Emergency Loans' but applies to scholars or new professionals on a work experience-type.

Newcastle may lodge a £3M bid for Sheffield United's outstanding 18 year-old center-back, Harry Maguire. Harry Maguire outstanding young 18 year-old center-back That was a story in the Sun late last month, and certainly the youngster looks an excellent player in the making, and already stands 6'3″ tall, and is still growing.

Sadness as Gary Ablett dies aged 46

FORMER Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett died on New Year's Day at the age of 46. His death came twenty years to the day since his last game for Liverpool, a club he'd joined straight from school in 1982. That last game for the Reds was at home to Sheffield United, a 2-1 win for a side, now managed by Graeme Souness, was a shadow of the one he'd made his debut for five years previously and with which he'd won two league winners medals and one FA Cup winners medal.

By Alan Duffy

Former Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett passed away last night after a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The 46-year-old was one of a select band of players to enjoy extended stays with both Liverpool clubs after starting off with the red half of the city as an apprentice in 1982.

Former Liverpool and Everton defender Gary Ablett (46) lost his 16 month battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma yesterday.

Ablett started his career with Liverpool playing over 100 games, winning two League title's 1987-88 and Liverpool's last title success in 1989-90, he also picked up an FA Cup winning medal in 1988-89 beating Everton 3-2 after extra-time.

Gary Ablett, Liverpool and Everton FA Cup hero, dies at the age of 46

• Ablett lifted FA Cup with Liverpool in 1989 and Everton in 1995 • 'Our thoughts are with Gary's wife Jacqueline and children' Gary Ablett, the only man to win the FA Cup with Liverpool and Everton, has died after a 16-month battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.

John Mackie talks for first time since he was at centre of race storm

Former footballer who racially abused another player in 2002 relives events in light of the Luis Suárez and John Terry cases It was about 7.30am on Wednesday and John Mackie had just finished setting up his fruit and veg stall in Camden.

• Kop That: Graham Poll: Referees turning into Christmas Turkeys? http://t.co/Z77JZIiY 23:09:49, 2011-12-13
• Kop That: Oldham secure FA Cup trip to Anfield http://t.co/DeOxz9Zw 22:53:44, 2011-12-13
• Kop That: Want to see what Balotelli went to Man City's fancy-dress Christmas bash as?

Sheffield United launch Christmas charity auction for life-long fan

Karl Darby is hoping to be home for Christmas with your help

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-12-13 14:10:47 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

The furore surrounding Lyon's astounding 7-1 win in Zagreb last week puts one in mind of the perhaps the most anomalous sequence of results in this season's Football League. In September, warmly tipped Crawley Town followed up a 6-0 hiding at Morecambe with a 3-0 home battering by Swindon. Having begun existence in the League well, these results were far from expected and everything that has happened since makes them seem still more unusual.

[T]he furore surrounding Lyon's astounding 7-1 win in Zagreb last week puts one in mind of the perhaps the most anomalous sequence of results in this season's Football League. In September, warmly tipped Crawley Town followed up a 6-0 hiding at Morecambe with a 3-0 home battering by Swindon. Having begun existence in the League well, these results were far from expectedand everything that has happened since makes them seem still more unusual.

The furore surrounding Lyon's astounding 7-1 win in Zagreb last week puts one in mind of the perhaps the most anomalous sequence of results in this season's Football League. In September, warmly tipped Crawley Town followed up a 6-0 hiding at Morecambe with a 3-0 home battering by Swindon. Having begun existence in the League well, these results were far from expected and everything that has

In May 2007, Liverpool lost 1-0 to Fulham in the final away game of the season, a result that condemned Neil Warnock's Sheffield United team to relegation from the premier League. To this day, Warnock - now at QPR - holds a grudge against Rafa Benitez, and he is not afraid to admit it. In his weekly press conference earlier in the week, Warnock insisted that Benitez's decision to play a weakened

The last of the newly promoted sides visits Anfield tomorrow, as Neil Warnock's twelfth-placed QPR side look to continue the success experienced by Norwich and Swansea. It's been an up and down campaign so far, but with more than a few promising displays, they'll hope to match their fellow newcomers.

The football world is still trying, and failing, to come to terms with the loss of a legend.

The shocking news on the sudden death of Wales manager Gary Speed brought the country to a stand-still. Since the announcement there has been an endless amount of tributes for the 42 year old husband and father, showing just how much he meant to not only football, but the UK itself.

Gone too soon

It has been a difficult period for the sport. This weekend, Socrates, the cerebral and commanding midfield general of the 1982 and 1986 Tele Santana led Brazilian teams passed away, battling the physical ravages of alcoholism. Last week, Gary Speed the effervescent Wales manager and Leeds standout tragically ended his life for reasons as yet unknown.

Name: Michel Vonk In his 1990s prime for: Manchester City and Sheffield United Lowdown: Michel Vonk, a Dutch centre back, joined Manchester City during the summer before the inaugural Premier League season for a fee of £500,000 from AZ Alkmaar, becoming one of only eleven foreigners to appear on the first day off the new [.

By Alan Duffy

Thedraw for the third round of the FA Cup was made on Sunday afternoon, with the occasion throwing out a few tasty looking ties, none more so than the meeting of City and United.

Sir Alex Ferguson will no doubt have wanted a rather easier draw, although the chance to get some revenge for the 6-1 mauling at Old Trafford might well give United an extra incentive in this game.

November was another strong month for the Boro. Another "giant" was put in their place.

Stevenage 2-1 Sheffield United

Another one of League One's elite were beat at the Lamex. Goals from Mark Roberts and Scott Laird were enough to give Graham Westley's side the 3 points as they continued to push up the table.

Two days on and the football world is still trying, and failing, to come to terms with the loss of a legend.

Sunday's shocking news on the sudden death of Wales manager Gary Speed brought the country to a stand-still. Since the announcement there has been an endless amount of tributes for the 42 year old husband and father, showing just how much he meant to not only football, but the UK itself.

Gary Speed, the manager of the Welsh international soccer team and an accomplished former player, was found dead in his home on Sunday morning.
The Football Association of Wales first announced the news, with local police in Cheshire - just across the border in England - adding more details later.

A notícia deixou em choque o "mundo futebolístico". Gary Speed, seleccionador galês, foi ontem encontrado morto na sua residência. Ao que tudo indica, o jovem treinador de apenas 42 anos, terá cometido suicídio por enforcamento, deixando mulher e dois filhos. Ao longo da sua notável carreira enquanto jogador representou clubes como o Leeds United, onde chegou a ser campeão inglês, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton e Sheffield United, onde se estreou como técnico.

A notícia deixou em choque o "mundo futebolístico". Gary Speed, seleccionador galês, foi ontem encontrado morto na sua residência. Ao que tudo indica, o jovem treinador de apenas 42 anos, terá cometido suicídio por enforcamento, deixando mulher e dois filhos. Ao longo da sua notável carreira enquanto jogador representou clubes como o Leeds United, onde chegou a ser campeão inglês, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton e Sheffield United, onde se estreou como técnico.