SOCCER DIGEST:PORTSMOUTH chief executive Peter Storrie discussed walking away from football after an ugly confrontation with Southampton fans on Saturday as he left St Mary's with his wife.
Storrie clashed with supporters after Pompey had defeated their rivals 4-1 to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, a rare highlight during a season of turmoil where the Premier League’s bottom club have been threatened with a winding-up petition.
Storrie wants to find a fifth owner of the campaign before Portsmouth return to the High Court in Britain to continue their battle with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
“I must emphasise it was Southampton, not Portsmouth fans shoving notes in our faces and intimidating us, so what’s it got to do with them? It happened when we were walking the short distance to our car. There was a group of fans ramming money into our faces, and thankfully stewards appeared from nowhere, but my wife was pretty shook up, as you can imagine.”
Morgan promised debt-free Anfield
WOLVES owner Steve Morgan claims Liverpool would be debt-free if they accepted his investment offer before George Gillett and Tom Hicks eventually took charge at Anfield.
Morgan abandoned his bid for Liverpool in 2004 after “indecision” from the board, with Gillett and Hicks taking control three years later but having their reign heavily criticised by supporters for the debt taken on by the club.
“I was going to put at the time up to £70 (€81) million investment into the club,” Morgan said.
“It would have been cash into the club. It would have pretty much reduced the debt and got the debt down to nil.”
Liverpool’s debt has been estimated at €273 million and chief executive Christian Purslow has been working on securing outside investment.
The club have to pay interest on their debt, but Morgan added yesterday: “If I’d have been there, there wouldn’t have been that interest bill.”
France, Italy and Turkey put in bids
FRANCE, Turkey and Italy, the three candidates to stage the 2016 European championship, formally handed over their bids yesterday in a ceremony at Uefa headquarters.
European soccer’s governing body said in a statement that more than 100 criteria, from stadiums and accommodation to legal matters, would be examined before the host nation is chosen in Geneva on May 28th.
Sweden and Norway also put forward a joint candidature but withdrew in December after their governments said they would not be providing the money needed for investment in stadiums.
It will be the first European championship to feature 24 teams, eight more than will compete in 2012 when Poland and Ukraine co-host the event.
Italy hosted the tournament in 1980 and France four years later. Both countries have each staged two World Cups, Italy most recently in 1990 and France in 1998.
Warnock could face FA action
CRYSTAL PALACE manager Neil Warnock is set to find out today if he faces action from the Football Association in England following his comments in the aftermath of his side’s FA Cup draw against Aston Villa.
Warnock called for assistant referee Trevor Massey to be banned for incorrectly awarding the corner that led to Villa’s late equaliser in the fifth-round tie at Selhurst Park.
The FA have been studying his comments.
Striker Foley takes off for Islanders
HARTLEPOOL have agreed to cancel David Foley’s contract, with the forward set to sign for Puerto Rico Islanders.
The Islanders are managed by former Northern Ireland striker Colin Clarke and play in the second tier of American soccer.
Foley, who will be best remembered for his strike in last season’s 2-0 FA Cup win against Stoke, has been out of favour at Victoria Park this season and approached director of sport Chris Turner to have his deal terminated.
The 22-year-old told the club’s official website: “We both agreed that the move would be a good one for me if it happened and Chris said he would sort it out for me at this end and here we are now — it’s all done and dusted this end.
“Pre-season starts on March 15th and the season starts in April. They play in the US League, which is one below the MLS.”
Spanish Premier League
Tenerife1Mallorca0
Nino 14
English League One
Bristol Rovers2Charlton1
Elliott 14 Racon 90
Heffernan 64
Tonight’s Soccer (7.45pm unless stated)
Uefa Champions League – First Round, First Leg – AC Milan v Manchester Utd; Lyon v Real Madrid.
Uefa Europa League – Round of 32, First Leg – Everton v Sporting, 5.45pm.
English Premier League – Stoke v Manchester City.
English Championship – Blackpool v Middlesbrough; Bristol City v Leicester; Cardiff v West Brom; Derby v Preston; Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Utd; Peterborough v Ipswich; Plymouth v Swansea; QPR v Watford (8pm); Scunthorpe v Barnsley; Sheffield Wed v Doncaster.
English League One – Carlisle v Huddersfield; Leeds v Walsall; Yeovil v Colchester. Two — Hereford v Aldershot; Lincoln City v Accrington Stanley; Morecambe v Burton Albion.
Scottish Cup – Fifth Round Replay – Aberdeen v Raith.
Scottish First Division – Queen of South v Ayr. Third Division – Forfar v Elgin.
Irish Premiership – Cliftonville v Lisburn Distillery; Linfield v Coleraine.
Irish Division One – Limavady v Ards.
