Derby return to the top

Jacko leaves Terriers, again

—– Chelsea and Liverpool make it through to the last eight of the Champions League but, having both looked favourites after the first legs, it’s not without a scare or two along the way.
Chelsea brought a 1-1 draw back from Portugal, but FC Porto give the Stamford Bridge crowd plenty to think about after taking a half-time lead.
The Blues show their pedigree after the break though with goals from Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack.
In overcoming his former club, manager Jose Mourinho once again came up with the right words at the right time: “I had a difficult half-time because at that point, we were out of the competition. I told them [the players] either we respond to the situation or we are scared of it. If we are scared of it, it is goodbye.
“Psychologically? I just made the players think a little bit.”
Barcelona - the reigning champions - are out despite a 1-0 win at Liverpool.
Eidur Gudjohnsen’s 75th minute goal wasn’t enough to overturn the 2005 winners’ 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp.
Despite the second leg defeat, Reds manager Rafa Benitez felt it was a good night’s work: “We deserved to score, we coped well under that level of pressure and over two legs we have shown we are better than a team considered the best in the world.”

—– The Championship music stops again and, this time, it’s Derby County that are back at the top of the table.
The Rams win their 11th away game of the season with two goals from David Jones in a 2-1 win at Norwich City.
Ipswich Town avoid a club record of failing to score in six consecutive away games with a 5-2 win at Hull City. The Tigers’ heaviest-ever defeat at the KC Stadium sends them back down into the bottom three.

—– Scunthorpe United stay ten points clear at the top of League One after second-in-the-table Nottingham Forest lose 0-1 at home to Doncaster Rovers.
Brian Stock’s spectacular strike gives Rovers their first-ever win at the City Ground.

—– Peter Jackson loses his job as manager of Huddersfield Town for the second time.
Previously the Terriers’ boss from 1999 to 2001, he returned to lift the West Yorkshire club when they emerged from administration in 2003.
They reached the League One Play-Offs last season, but they are now in 15th position.
The axe drops after Saturday’s 1-5 drubbing at Nottingham Forest to Jackson’s dismay: “It’s come as a shock, to be honest. I’m in bits and feel really gutted, but I’ve got my family around me to support me.”
His departure means all the Yorkshire clubs in the Football League have changed their manager since the start of the current season.
Academy manager Gerry Murphy is placed in temporary charge.

Scottish League is out of date

Ken Bates reported to police

—– Preston North End move back up into the Championship Play-Off places after a 3-1 win against Southampton at Deepdale.
Starting the game level on points, Preston survived a first-half onslaught from the visiting Saints before recapturing their impressive home form in the second half.
Lilywhite boss Paul Simpson accepts it was a classic game of two halves: “It is a good three points but it was a ridiculous game. We were murdered for the first 45 minutes.
“I have always believed we are in the hunt. If we are right and concentrate I believe we can give anyone a game.”

—– The creation of a second division of the Scottish Premier League looks more likely after a report, commissioned by the Scottish Football League, describes the Scottish Football League as ‘out of date’.
The report compiled by accountancy firm Pannell Kerr Foster states: “Our review of non-financial matters indicate an organisation which is not wholly suited to the modern-day business environment, or the size of the league.”
They offer three possible solutions:
Option A - A 10-club SPL2 breakaway leaving the SFL with 20 clubs but continuing the CIS Insurance Cup (Option B) and a 20-club league without the CIS Cup (Option C).
In Option B - Second Division clubs would see their annual allocation from the SFL fall in 2008 from £69,000 to £60,000, with Division Three incomes falling from £59,000 to £50,000.
In Option C - The incomes fall to £44,000 for Division Two clubs and £37,000 for those in Division Three.
League president John Smith says: “I think it’s weighted one way and it’s not giving any comfort at all towards the SFL administration.”
Livingston owner Pearse Flynn, who backs a SPL 2, offer the opposite view: “The report was 100% accurate and everything I have said has been vindicated.”

—– Ken Bates is reported to the police after publishing the address of a former Leeds United director Melvyn Levi in Saturday’s matchday programme against Sheffield Wednesday.
Levi is currently involved in a dispute with Bates over the legality of a share issue.
In his programme notes, the Leeds chairman wrote: “At this difficult time we should all be pulling together, but have an enemy within, Melvyn Levi. Perhaps you would like to ask him to justify his behaviour, which is damaging to Leeds’ prospects of advancement. Mr Levi lives at…”
Leeds are currently at the bottom of the Championship - their lowest-ever league position.

—– Ian Woodridge - widely respected as one of the greatest sports journalists of his generation - dies at the age of 75.
‘Woolers’ was twice named newspaper columnist of the year, five times sportswriter of the year, four times sports feature writer of the year and awarded the OBE for services to journalism.
He worked for the Daily Mail for nearly 50 years and continued writing his column up to his death.

Rovers repay penalty

Blues splash to the top

—– The crisis at West Ham United deepens with a dramatic 3-4 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park.
On the back of lurid headlines relating to their beleaguered players in the Sunday newspapers, the Hammers lead 2-0 at half-time, are pegged back to 2-2 then re-take the lead in the 85th minute.
Having slumped to the bottom of the Premiership table yesterday, United seem set for a morale boosting win but the drama has only just begun.
A Dimitar Berbatov free-kick pulls Spurs level again then, a minute after the allocated four minutes of added time and with West Ham committed to attack, Tottenham’s quick break ends with Paul Stalteri blasting home a heart-breaking winner.
The Hammers haven’t won a league game since 17 December and, being ten points adrift of safety with only nine games to play, look increasingly certain to be relegated.

—– Having missed two penalties in the corresponding fixture at Ewood Park earlier in the season, Blackburn Rovers redress the balance as two Benni McCarthy spot kicks seal a 2-1 win at Bolton Wanderers.
The win moves Rovers in to the top half of the table and in to the thick of the battle for UEFA Cup places.
In a refreshing change, having also had a late headed goal chalked off for offside, Bolton boss Sam Allardyce has no complaints about the major refereeing decisions: “It is a shame an offside flag should have cancelled out what was such a monstrous header. It’s a shame but it is our own fault for giving two ridiculous penalties.”

—– Birmingham City move back to the top of the Championship with their second 1-0 home win of the week.
In a game played in constant rain, to add to his disappointing day, visiting Cardiff City manager Dave Jones is far from happy with the newly re-laid St Andrews’ pitch: “What they’ve done with that is frightening. The whole pitch is moving; it’s a bog. I wouldn’t even put my horses on it.”

Scunthorpe create new club record

Stockport create new league record

—– Manchester United celebrate their dramatic win at Liverpool as though they are champions….and they just might be right.
They maintain their nine-point Premiership lead with a 1-0 win at Anfield via John O’Shea’s last minute goal.
Sir Alex Ferguson keeps his team’s feet firmly on the floor though. After describing last week’s performance at Fulham as poor, the United boss admits they were lucky winners today.
Chelsea also refuse to throw in the towel. Their 2-0 win at Portsmouth includes Didier Drogba’s 29th goal of the season.
Arsenal avoid a fourth consecutive defeat by beating Reading 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Watford move off the bottom of the table but throw away a two-goal lead as fellow strugglers Charlton Athletic fight back to grab a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road.
The Addicks are now six points adrift of safety after Manchester City lose 0-1 at home to improving Wigan Athletic.

—– Sunderland enhance their automatic promotion hopes as they end West Bromwich Albion’s unbeaten eight-match run with a 2-1 win at The Hawthorns and are now up to 4th in the Championship table.
Roy Keane’s Black Cats are closely followed by Mick McCarthy’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. Their fifth consecutive victory comes courtesy of a 3-2 win at Luton Town.
Leeds United remain in bottom place with only ten games to play after Sheffield Wednesday win the Yorkshire derby 3-2 at Elland Road. The good news for Leeds is that none of the bottom six win. The bad news is that captain Kevin Nicholls hands in a transfer request.

—– With a 2-0 victory at Brentford, League One leaders Scunthorpe United win for the seventh league game in a row - a new club record.
The Iron are now ten points clear with Nottingham Forest moving up to second after a 5-1 thumping of Huddersfield Town at the City Ground.
Bristol City are third after a 1-0 home win against Northampton Town so Yeovil Town drop to fourth after a 2-4 defeat at Port Vale.
Managerless Rotherham United win for the first time in 15 games as the bottom club’s 4-1 win against Bradford City at Millmoor sees their Yorkshire rivals also drop into the bottom four.

—– With their 3-0 win against Swindon Town at Edgeley Park, Stockport County become the first club in the 119-year history of the Football League to record nine consecutive league wins without conceding a goal.
The run coincides with Wayne Hennessey’s arrival on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. It means the Wales Under-21 international has a senior career record of nine clean sheets in his nine games.
The Hatters are now up to sixth in League Two.
Leaders Hartlepool United extend their unbeaten run to 19 games (only two behind their club record) with a 3-2 win against Hereford United at Victoria Park.
Walsall hang on to second spot with a goalless draw at Darlington.
Milton Keynes Dons are in third position after a 3-2 home win against Boston United.
The Pilgrims drop into the bottom two due to Wrexham’s 2-1 win at Barnet.

—– The introduction of goal-line technology moves a significant step closer after the International Football Association Board sanction the development of a suitable system at their 121st annual general meeting in Manchester.
The IFAB insist it should only apply to goal-line decisions, must be 100% accurate, the signal to the referee must be instantaneous and that the signal is only communicated to the match officials.

West Ham face points deduction

Lille won’t take no for an answer

—– After three consecutive defeats, Derby County return to the top of the Championship with a five-star performance in Colchester United’s first-ever visit to Derby.
The Rams 5-1 win delights manager Billy Davies: “The crisis is over. That result had always been just around the corner.
“We’d taken a knock and someone was waiting to be on the receiving end of that.”

—– Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…
West Ham United are charged by the Premier League with breaching their rules in relation to the signings of Argentine duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in August.
Their registration with third party Media Sports Investment may have broken Premier League regulations.
The Hammers could face a points deduction which would almost certainly condemn them to relegation.
The club say they will ‘vigorously defend’ the charges.
The only previous points deduction from a Premier League club was Tottenham Hotspur’s six-point penalty for irregular payments in 1994.

—– After UEFA reject their second protest, Lille could now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport about Manchester United’s winning goal in last month’s Champions League game.
Ryan Giggs’ free-kick was allowed to stand as United clinched a 1-0 first leg win.
UEFA confirm there was “no proof of a technical error.”

—– Millwall become the unlikely latest recipients of investment from an American consortium.
Chestnut Hill Ventures invest £5million in the League One club.
They are headed by John G Berylson and have interests in business and financial services, retail, property and sport.

Knill departs Millers

Police raid at Southend

—– As expected, Arsene Wenger is once again on a collision course with the Football Association following his accusation that one of the linesmen at Sunday’s Carling Cup Final is a liar.
The Arsenal manager made the jibe due to the official’s role in the dismissal of Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor at the end of the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium.
Amongst other things, Wenger said: “I feel Adebayor didn’t punch anybody so when the linesman says he punched somebody, he lies.”
“He comes out now and says Adebayor punched Lampard. I’d like Lampard to come out and say Adebayor punched him.”
A FA statement reveals he may have missed the point: “The report states that Adebayor’s attitude was aggressive, that he shoved into Ricardo Carvalho and that he aimed a punch at Lampard. It does not state that Adebayor struck Lampard.”
He has now been asked to make the familiar trip to FA HQ: “Questioning the integrity of a match official and accusing them of lying is a very serious claim to make as it questions the whole integrity of the game.
“We also reject any accusations of bias or dishonesty within our disciplinary system. We will be asking Arsene Wenger to explain these comments.”
It will be his third visit to Soho Square this season. The Arsenal boss was fined £10,000 for his pitchside bust-up with Alan Pardew (when he was manager of West Ham United) in November and there is still an outstanding charge after he was sent to the stands by referee Steve Bennett at Portsmouth in December.

—– Manager Alan Knill is sacked as manager of League One bottom club Rotherham United.
The Millers started the season with a ten points deduction for going into administration.
Although they did climb out of the bottom four at one stage, the South Yorkshire club are now 13 points adrift of safety after failing to win any of their last 14 games.
The downturn coincided with the sale of striker Will Hoskins and midfielder Lee Williamson to Watford in January for a fee which could raise as much as £1.2million.
At the time, Knill said: “The bigger picture was that the money saved the football club.”
Youth coach Mark Robins is placed in caretaker charge.

—– Around forty police officers make a 7am raid at offices at Southend United’s Roots Hall ground.
It’s one of a number of raids across the country.
No one was arrested at the stadium, but it is confirmed that a 46-year-old man is in custody being
questioned in connection with corruption and money-laundering as a result of a raid in Gloucestershire.
A police spokesman confirms the swoop has nothing to do with the football club’s affairs: “It was at the offices of a company associated with the club which are in the ground of the club.
“The raid is in connection with the ongoing fraud investigation. The warrant was not in any way connected to the football activities of the club.”