You will be shocked to read that Joey Barton has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute after mooning Everton fans on Saturday. Barton has until 6pm tomorrow to answer the charge (although quite how he would be able to deny it I’m not sure – the video evidence is pretty conclusive!). The 24-year-old [...]

Manchester City‘s stadium has been chosen to host the Uefa Cup final in 2008. The City of Manchester Stadium – City’s home since 2003 – was selected by Uefa’s executive committee today. The committee turned down Wembley‘s bids for the 2008 or 2009 Champions League final (which is fair enough as it probably won’t have [...]

All rise for Leonardo Shaun Goater, Bermuda’s most famous footballer and a cult hero to fans of Rotherham United, Bristol City, Man City, Reading and Southend United. He was the ultimate journeyman striker, blessed with pace and an eye for goal – ‘Feed the Goat and he will score!’. He certainly wasn’t the most stylish [...]

That Joey. In the words of Captain Mannering, he’s football’s ultimate stupid boy. Still, I hope the FA don’t punish him for this, because as you can see in this video clip, it’s hardly up there with Cantona’s flying karate kick.

Police are to investigate television pictures which showed Manchester City‘s Joey Barton exposing his backside to Everton fans after yesterday’s match. The BBC reports that Barton could face police and disciplinary action over the incident. Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce suggested (quite bizarrely) that the incident may have been due to jibes about his side’s [...]

Every man and his dog knows Ben Thatcher stuck one on Pedro Mendes, but the police do not think they could get anything to stick on Thatcher. In a statement released today, Greater Manchester Police said that Thatcher would not face charges for his elbow on Mendes and that the matter would be dealt with [...]

When you are the role model of every young striker in the country, who do you look up to? Well, Paul Dickov and Kevin Davies, according to Thierry Henry. The Arsenal striker cited the pair when asked about his role models. He said: "I look at Paul Dickov, the way he moves as he’s always [...]

"And all the runs that Georgi makes are winding. And all the girls in Manchester are blinding," claimed Manchester City fans’ adapted version of Wonderwall by Oasis. One out of two isn’t bad! The little Georgian captured the imagination with his mazy dribbles and often spectacular goals. Kinky – like many great Cult Heroes – [...]

Manchester City defender Ben Thatcher has been given an eight-match ban by the FA for his horrendous forearm smash on Pedro Mendes. The ban has been back-dated to include the two games Thatcher has already missed through the internal suspension handed out by City. Is that really a long enough ban? Paolo di Canio picked [...]

Something odd is happening in football. It seems that there is a power struggle going on. Players are trying exert some of their weight into decisions, and clubs are trying regain the power they once had. Two big stories this week prompted this. Firstly, the story of William Gallas and the ‘own goal’. Gallas wanted [...]

Ah. Ben Thatcher. A misunderstood genius or absolute cock? It’s the latter isn’t it? Well, We all know about Thatcher’s assault on Mendes and his elbow on a certain son of a Man Citeh legend has reared its head again. Oh, not to mention the Chinese player who suffered a punctured lung after meeting the [...]

Manchester City are seemingly gunning for the ‘pink pound’ with a new initiative to encourage homosexuals to watch the footy in North Manchester. The club has paid a four-figure sum to join the Diversity Champions scheme, run by gay rights group Stonewall. It is the first professional club to join the scheme, which focuses on [...]

Football365 don’t mess about. They’ve already rushed out this ‘Ban Thatcher for life’ t-shirt – I’ve not known an incident provoke such ire among the football community. Thatcher’s a marked man for the rest of his career; to be honest, it’s nothing more than he deserves. Buy the t-shirt here – I’m sure it’ll sell [...]

Ben Thatcher has been suspended by Man City and charged by the FA following his disgraceful challenge on Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes. Thatcher must answer a charge of serious foul play by 12 September. A statement on City’s website said: ‘Ben Thatcher has been suspended from first-team action… This is pending the results of the club’s [...]

‘Ben Thatcher should get a 10-match ban, at least. His forearm smash on Pedro Mendes would get you arrested for GBH if you did it to someone in the street. The FA must be tough about this kind of thing.’ [Blog FC]‘We talk about handballs not being given and dives being given as penalties, and [...]

Ben Thatcher’s disgraceful forearm smash into the jaw of Pedro Mendes, which left the Portsmouth midfielder in hospital, is without doubt one of the worst incidents of violence I’ve ever seen on a football pitch (watch it here, if you haven’t yet seen it). Thatcher’s ‘tackle’ was tantamount to ABH – if he’d have done [...]

For those of you who missed last night’s games, you’ll no doubt be wondering about Ben Thatcher’s vicious forearm, stuck on Pedro Mendes. In all honesty, it looked like the referee, Dermot Gallagher, had a shocker. Not only did he miss one of the worst assaults I’ve seen on a player (it’s up there with [...]

David James wants out! He wants to leave Man City, and is looking like he wants a move to Pompey. Stuart Pearce has said to the BBC "David has expressed a wish to leave. I spoke with him when we were away in China. It is not an issue about Manchester City, there are other [...]

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp wants to bring veteran keeper David James to Fratton Park. Pompey’s current first-choice keeper Dean Kiely isn’t happy about this. In fact, he’s very pissed off. Kiely told the Portsmouth News: ‘I think it would be a little bit of a travesty, certainly on the back of what I did last [...]

What do you do when half of your supprt are fat pie muching knackers? Do you introduce a healthy option to the half time snack kiosk? Or maybe you encourage them to walk to the ground instead of driving? Naaah… sod all that… just stick a six-pack in the weave of your away shirt! If [...]

Doug Ellis ‘prepares axe’ for David O’Leary? Just another crisis at Aston Villa then… [Football365]Alex Ferguson keen on mass raid for Juventus stars [BBC]Talking of Juve stars, it’s Chelsea v Real Madrid for the services of Gianluca Zambrotta [Guardian]Liverpool ‘on brink’ of signing Dutch hotshot Dirk Kuyt for £10m, at fourth time of asking [Daily [...]

[Via Holy Moly]