Blatter hopeful FIFA congress will back plans for Task Force
The News Review:
- Blatter hopeful FIFA congress will back plans for Task Force
- Police ‘can’t cope’ as Vietnamese flood drugs trade
- Hugh McIlvanney: Overpaid, overrated, over here
Blatter hopeful FIFA congress will back plans for Task Force
Jamaica Observer – Sep 11, 2005
“The executive committee has given a mandate to the FIFA president to nominate a task force to deal with these problems,” Blatter said. “A work group which will need to report to the executive committee and treat all the problems at the heart of soccer. Blatter is pushing for a so-called “six-plus-five” solution for the low number of home-grown players in some leagues. The rule would require teams to have six players who are also eligible to play for the national team. “We would not want to defy governments, but to open a dialogue,” said Blatter, who stressed the importance of clubs keeping a “local, regional or national identity”. Opposition is likely to come from the 25- member European Union, which opposes limits on overseas players because it conflicts with freedom labour movement. Blatter also insisted that Liverpool participate in the World Club Championship, which takes place in Japan in December.
Police ‘can’t cope’ as Vietnamese flood drugs trade
Guardian Unlimited – Sep 11, 2005
The gangs, who have also been linked to murders, people-smuggling and kidnapping, are making millions of pounds by renting houses from unsuspecting landlords and converting them into sophisticated cannabis farms. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, head of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Directorate, told The Observer the problem was now so significant that his officers were working closely with the Vietnamese authorities and community to stamp out the problem. ‘We have seen a growth in cannabis cultivation in recent times in London and we have experienced a tendency for this sort of crime to be committed by a number of communities, including small elements within the Vietnamese community,’ he said. In just one London court last week, five separate cases involving Vietnamese drugs gangs were being heard on the same day.
Hugh McIlvanney: Overpaid, overrated, over here
Times Online – Sep 11, 2005
Instead, recently they have gone backwards and, although the footballers concerned must take a substantial share of the blame, the main effect is to confirm that the FA recruiters back in 2001 were buying a lot less than they assumed. So, should England have a new manager? The response is governed by the paucity of credible alternatives. Of the home-grown candidates, I would, as I’ve made plain in the past, favour Alan Curbishley. Similarly, the enthusiasm previously expressed for the methods and track record of Guus Hiddink would make the Dutchman my top choice overall. But an abrupt move from Charlton to the shouldering of England’s current problems might be an unfairly demanding transition to international responsibilities for Curbishley, and Hiddink may already be contractually bound to Australia. The signs are that the march on Germany will be under Eriksson. We shouldn’t despair.