General Football Nonsense

[Boss]

Graeme Le Saux, Martin Keown and Ray Parlour have all signed along with former United States striker Brian McBride, while David Seaman has come on board as goalkeeping coach for the Combined Counties Premier Division club.

The players have all been recruited by the Wembley technical adviser Terry Venables with the financial backing of club sponsors Budweiser, who are also the lead partner of the FA Cup.

The aim of the arrangement is "to see how far the club could go in future seasons of the FA Cup".

The Football Association insisted Wembley, whose club motto is 'A Posse Ad Esse' - from possibility to reality - had not broken any rules in signing the players.

The FA also stressed their own sponsorship deal with Budweiser was "entirely separate" to Wembley FC's tie-up with the American beer firm.

Budweiser believe they are "championing the magic of the FA Cup" as part of their overall strategy for sponsoring the competition.

Jason Warner, Global VP Budweiser, said: "We are pleased to continue to support Wembley FC as they strive to achieve their dreams and we think their story will appeal to - and inspire - football fans around the world."

There were no concerns from Wembley manager Ian Bates that the club was being used by its sponsors, who came on board in March and brought Venables to the club.

"The initiative shines a light on non-league football, reminding people of the importance of amateur football in contributing to the development of the national game," Bates said.

"A year ago we were playing in front of an empty grandstand and the clubhouse was falling down. Now the investment means great times are waiting for Wembley FC and we can't wait to kick off our FA Cup campaign."

The former professionals have been coaching Wembley's 34-strong squad over the last four months.

But they are now registered as players and will be available for Wembley FC's first FA Cup fixture of the new season, in the extra preliminary round on August 11.

"What they (Budweiser) are doing is giving Wembley FC players a chance to learn and play with some great ex-pros and see what it is like," Seaman said.

"This is a great chance and why not carry it on and do it in other clubs?"

http://www.football365.com/news/2155...Play-In-FA-Cup

Interesting stuff.

Parlour

[Cripps_orig]

In the FIFA meeting in July, there'll be talk of goal line technology, getting rid of the head to head record at tournaments and players to not receive a red card if a penalty is given

[Flavs]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18576519

23

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Horrible.

Cancer can GTFO.

[GP]

That's awful

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Wow, didn't even know he was ill.

Such a shame.

[Dennis Bendtner]

That's sad. Am I imagining it or was there another ex-Liverpool youngster who died quite recently too?*

Joey Barton fined six weeks wages and stripped of the QPR captaincy.

*Besian Idrizaj I was thinking of, though it was a couple of years ago.

[Cripps_orig]

MICHEL PLATINI has warned FIFA they are making a "historical mistake" by introducing goal-line technology.

Trials are already underway to find a new system which can detect whether the ball has crossed the line during matches.

And if they are successful, the technology could even be used in the Premier League next season.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter insisted it was a "necessity" after Ukraine were denied a goal against England at Euro 2012.

However, UEFA chief Platini — who has always been against technology in football — disagrees with his FIFA counterpart.

Platini has been tipped to replace Blatter at the top of world football.

But he said: "For the moment, I am not the leader of FIFA. I don't know if I will be the next president of FIFA.

"But I think that the British and FIFA are making, for me, a historical mistake. It's a historical mistake. That's my view."

Platini's idea of having two extra officials behind the goal has received mixed views for fans and pundits.

Speaking in a video interview with the Independent, he added: "I have a problem with technology.

"In three years of the Champions League and Europa League we have had no mistakes.

"Twelve times the ball went over the line and the additional referees saw it and decided.

"Many penalties and fouls — with the exception of Ukarine's 'goal' against England — were decided by the (refereeing) team.

"But why I am against the technology of the video referee is because on the Ukraine goal there was offside at the beginning.

"If you want technology for the goal — what do we do if it's offside before?

"It means that the action has to be stopped before. That's why I am against technology. Where do we go?

"Every time there is a goal we come back and at the beginning of the action there is a clear offside — what do we do?

"I am totally against it. Let's have humans. I remain consistent.

"It's not a question of goal-line technology — it's the question of the beginning of technology in football.

"That I am totally against it."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...a-mistake.html

STFU Platini

[GP]

Wow, didn't even know he was ill.

Such a shame.

Apparently he was good friends with Puyol, who paid for all of his treatment.

Nice chap.

[Letters]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...a-mistake.html

STFU Platini

The old 'where do you draw the line' argument holds little water because the issue of whether the ball crossed the line is not subjective. Pretty much every other decision in football is (although some cases are clearer than others). If the technology is there to get it right every time, and it is, then why persist in getting it wrong on occasion?

Personally I think the use of technology should go further in football (I've changed my mind about that over the last few years). And there is an issue of where you draw the line. But the argument about goal-line technology is over, there's no sensible counter-argument.