Five teams go in to the FA Cup Semi-Final draw.
Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough tough out a dull goalless stalemate.
Rotherham United stave off the threat of liquidation.- Five teams with go in to the FA Cup Semi-Final draw tomorrow after the last of the week’s Sixth Round ties sees Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough tough out a dull goalless stalemate. There are few chances in the encounter at The Valley of teams managed by Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren, two of the possible replacements for England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. It was Boro’s resilience that took the eye in their 19th cup tie of the season.
- With little more than a day to spare, Rotherham United stave off the threat of liquidation as a takeover is agreed. The local consortium is headed by builder Denis Coleman and restaurant owner Dino Maccio. Coleman, the new chairman, warns there are still problems to be solved: “As a group we have invested a lot of money in the Millers - but I must stress we cannot do it on our own. Fundraising for the Save The Millers Campaign has gone really well and has undoubtedly helped us save the club. For the time being it is important the fundraising continues.” Chief executive Phil Henson - a former Millers player and manager - leaves the South Yorkshire club after 35 years at Millmoor.
- For the second time in a fortnight, Chelsea are charged by the Football Association with failure to control their players. It follows the 1-0 Premiership defeat at Fulham on Sunday, and relates to their conduct following William Gallas’ sending off in the last minute. A FA statement says: “The referee and assistant reported that a number of players had surrounded the assistant in an aggressive manner. Chelsea deny a similar charge after the game against West Bromwich Albion on 4 March. They were unhappy that the Baggies didn’t receive any sort of reprimand so are likely to be aggrieved that Fulham’s players haven’t been charged for surrounding referee Mike Dean prior to the ‘goal’ by Didier Drogba being disallowed for handball.
- In contrast to the frantic activity on the fourth Thursday in March in the past, the first Transfer Deadline Day under the new Transfer Window format in the Football League goes by relatively quietly. Only loans and the signing of players that are not under contract are allowed, and under 50 transactions are reported. Arguably, the most high profile move is veteran striker Steve Claridge’s switch from Bradford City to Walsall - it’s his fourth club of the season and 16th League club of his career. In only his second day back at Oxford United, Jim Smith brings in four players on loan as well as new player / coach Scot Gemmill. Fellow League Two strugglers Bury also make four loan signings. A total of only five payers are signed by Championship clubs.
- UEFA announce that they will not stand in the way of the G14 clubs if they want to form their own competition to rival the Champions League although, not surprisingly, they would expel them from their domestic leagues. G14 is the group that represents 18 of the world’s richest clubs. They want the format of the Champions League altered to increase the number of games after the change in 2003 created more knockout ties but fewer games overall. G14 are unhappy over the revenue loss and general manager Thomas Kurth hits back: “This attack on G14 does not mean the issues which we are fighting for will go away.” UEFA president Lennart Johansson isn’t impressed: “G14 want to flout the fundamental principles of democracy by pompously proclaiming themselves to be ‘the voice of the clubs’.”