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Liam Kennedy has revealed just how close a takeover of Newcastle United was to happening earlier this year.

The Lowdown: Case delays

As per The Chronicle, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) claim over the stalled takeover deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium has now been delayed until September.

This follows the delay of the separate arbitration claim filed by the North East club against the Premier League over their decision-making process with regards to the failed bid, which is now not due to take place until early next year.

The Latest: New party involved

Writing in his latest piece for Newcastle World, Kennedy has revealed that another party was in talks to buy the St. James’ Park faithful back in February.

Investor John Textor, who is the Founder and CEO of Facebank, Inc, had initial talks with Ashley’s people over a potential deal which are said to have ‘gone well’, with a broad agreement reached ‘within a week’.

It would see Textor pay £300m in three separate instalments of £100m, which would have seen money raised for further investment in the Tyneside club.

Talks were ‘progressing well’ on February 3rd, but by the 12th the deal collapsed, and Textor ‘walked away’ from discussions.

Sources from the Magpies suggest that they feared that he did not have the cash to complete the deal and would struggle to pass the top flight’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) because of past issues with company bankruptcy.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame to hear that yet another takeover attempt bit the dust after looking so promising with the negotiations.

Nonetheless, the Toon will now solely be concentrating on the cases coming up with the KSA group, with the aim of winning them and getting their bid back on track.

However, they will now have to wait until early next year for the arbitration hearing, meaning that they have gone into yet another season of uncertainty under the misguided leadership of Ashley.

In other news, find out who is still pursuing a move for this ‘excellent’ NUFC ace here!

As Hayden trudged off the MCG, his favourite venue, it seemed increasingly likely that his days at the top of the order were running out, despite his declaration during the week that he had no retirement plans yet

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG26-Dec-2008
Makhaya Ntini: “He’s hitting the ball very well, if you bowl like I did a bit full” © AFP (file photo)
Makhaya Ntini is not the man Matthew Hayden wants to be facing while trying to justify extending his career. When Ntini collected Hayden for 8 it was the ninth time he had picked him up in the 11 Tests they have played against each other. No bowler has taken Hayden’s wicket more times and no batsman has been dismissed by Ntini more often.It was a smart piece of thinking from Ntini, who was coming around the wicket, to lure Hayden into driving a ball that had some width and moved away a fraction. Hayden had been conscientiously leaving deliveries outside off but temptation got the better of him and histhickish edge flew to gully. It was a similar dismissal to the first innings in Perth, when Ntini angled the ball in to Hayden and nipped it away to catch the edge.As Hayden trudged off the MCG, his favourite venue, it seemedincreasingly likely that his days at the top of the order were runningout, despite his declaration during the week that he had no retirementplans yet. In Ntini’s previous over Hayden had driven handsomely downthe ground and Ntini said it showed there was a fine line between formand failure.”He’s hitting the ball very well, if you bowl like I did a bit full,”Ntini said. “Cricket has ways of … showing your downfalls, if you getfrustrated very quickly, those kinds of things are easy to show. Butif you are a hard-working person … you never know. He might come outin the second innings and score a hundred.”The early departure of Hayden brought Ricky Ponting to the creasesooner than he would have liked for the umpteenth time in the past fewmonths. Ponting has insisted all along that Hayden is striking theball well and while there are momentary glimpses of his best, thevisions are being cut short too often for an opening batsman to holdhis place indefinitely.”His results are [a worry],” Ponting said. “The way he started thismorning, he looked particularly sharp. He hasn’t got the runs that hewould have hoped for and that we would have hoped for. He’ll getanother opportunity in the second innings and then hopefully he cangrab hold of that one with both hands and make a big score.”What Hayden really needed was an attractive century, just like the onePonting delivered. His 101 was fluent but he was the only batsman whopicked up the pace of a pitch that was not offering as much bounce asexpected. Michael Clarke went to stumps on an agonising but important36 from 157 balls and Ponting said 6 for 280, on such a difficultsurface, was a good result.”We’ve had a reasonable day today I think,” Ponting said. “It’s prettyhard to gauge who’s come out on top today because the outfield as yousaw was reasonably slow so 280 to us is probably worth a bit over 300today I’d imagine.”It sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as anyone.The loss of Brad Haddin in the penultimate over, caught at slip offNtini, gave South Africa the edge. It was a pleasing outcome for thevisitors on a day when some of their bowlers, particularly MorneMorkel, struggled to find the right length.”We had to put in a lot of hard work today because the heavy outfieldmakes a huge difference,” Ntini said. “As a batting side you alwayswant to make sure that on the first day you have to pass 300. So forus I should say we’ve done very well not to let them pass 300 on thefirst day. We will take that day as a job well done.”

Ravindra Jadeja’s strong all-round showing in the Ranji Trophy has helped him earn a maiden call-up to the India ODI squad

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2009
Ravindra Jadeja’s aggressive hitting and handy left-arm spin could be the all-round option India are looking for © Cricinfo Ltd
Ravindra Jadeja’s strong showing in the Ranji Trophy has been rewarded with a maiden call-up to India’s limited-overs side for the tour of Sri Lanka. Medium-pacer Praveen Kumar, who was surprisingly dropped for the home ODIs against England, also makes a return. The selectors have made only two changes from the 15-man squad that took on England in the fourth and fifth ODIs two months ago, with Jadeja and Praveen replacing Harbhajan Singh, who is out with a hamstring injury, and batsman Virat Kohli.Jadeja, part of India’s World Cup-winning Under-19 squad and IPL champions Rajasthan Royals last year, made a compelling case for himself with his Ranji Trophy performances for Saurashtra this season. He was, by a fair margin, the allrounder of the tournament. Along with Mumbai’s Dhawal Kulkarni, he was the leading wicket-taker, with 42 wickets, and he scored 739 runs at 67.18 to finish sixth on the run-scorers’ list.The selectors have largely stuck with the team that beat England 5-0. Irfan Pathan, whose selection ahead of RP Singh during the England series raised eyebrows, retains his place. Praveen’s inclusion bolsters the pace attack, which also includes Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel. There is no place yet for Sreesanth, who is fit again after a prolonged side-strain problem.Praveen was not among the leading wicket-takers in the Ranji Trophy but was a key member of the Uttar Pradesh side that reached the final. His omission for the England ODIs had been a strange decision – he had backed up his performances in the CB Series finals against Australia last year with consistent, economical spells on subcontinental decks.With Harbhajan injured, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who spent the England series on the bench, keeps his place – had Harbhajan been fit, Jadeja was tipped to replace Ojha – as the lone specialist spinner. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, though, will have plenty of effective spin options: Yusuf Pathan, Jadeja, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh (who bowled plenty of overs during England’s visit).On the batting front, Rohit Sharma has been included despite his patchy form at the international level following an impressive CB Series last year in Australia. He performed well for champions Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, scoring two of his three hundreds in the final. Kohli missed out despite impressing in the absence of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in the ODIs in Sri Lanka last year.The short trip to Sri Lanka, which begins on January 28, comprises five ODIs and a Twenty20 international – the first in Sri Lanka. The Indian team will assemble in Chennai on January 25 – where they will practise under lights at the MA Chidambaram Stadium – and leave for Sri Lanka the next day. All but one ODI, the fifth at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, will be day-night affairs.India squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Pragyan Ojha.

Aston Villa were drawn against Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

And a number of Villa supporters were quick to give their thoughts to the news on social media.

Dean Smith’s side brushed away League Two side Barrow on Tuesday, with youngster Cameron Archer scoring a hat-trick on his first start for the club.

Anwar El Ghazi netted a brace and Frederic Guilbert also netted in a 6-0 win, with the reward a trip to take on Thomas Tuchel’s side in the last 32.

Villa took four points off the Champions League winners last season, with their last visit to Stamford Bridge ending in a 1-1 draw.

The tie is scheduled to take place the week commencing September 20th, either side of games with Everton and Manchester United.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the news of the draw on their official Twitter page. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘awful’.

“Spain without the S”

Credit: @TheAydenMurphy

“awful draw”

Credit: @avfcdom2

“sos send help”

Credit: @victoriaabigail

“Dear god”

Credit: @iLukaMagic

“Cheers sons crying nice one”

Credit: @AstonVillanB6

“Pain.”

Credit: @aaronavfc4

“Was nice while it lasted”

Credit: @mat_stringer

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Come on’, ‘Pay it’ – Many AVFC fans flock to Fabrizio Romano’s transfer news. 

Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield believes West Brom fans might see a loan move for Alex Palmer this summer.

The 25-year-old featured in West Brom’s recent Carabao Cup match against Arsenal and has also played for the Baggies in Premier League 2 against Fulham.

There has been plenty of speculation this summer about West Brom number one Sam Johnstone, with BBC Sport reporting that West Brom turned down a £10m bid from West Ham United for the shot-stopper.

Baggies manager Valerien Ismael spoke to the Express and Star about a new contract for Johnstone and said: “We have a good feeling, but we need to be patient on that.”

Apart from the opening day of the season against AFC Bournemouth, Johnstone has started in goal for West Brom in the Championship, which has seen Palmer’s game time limited and Hatfield believes because of that, it’s possible he might head out on loan.

“You might see a loan move for someone like Alex Palmer who is not going to see many minutes as third-choice goalkeeper this season,” Hatfield told Football FanCast.

Palmer has had a couple of fantastic loan spells in the previous couple of years. He was with Plymouth Argyle in 2019/2020 when they were promoted from League Two, playing 41 games for the Pilgrims in all competitions and keeping 15 clean sheets.

Palmer then spent last season with Lincoln City in League One and featured 57 times for them, keeping 21 clean sheets and helping them to reach the play-off final at Wembley.

If Palmer isn’t going to get game time this season in the first team, then a temporary move away from the Hawthorns may be beneficial for him.

The stage is set for another battle between Pakistan’s Senators and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) top brass with the Senators deciding to probe the decline of cricket in Pakistan

Cricinfo staff08-Feb-2009The stage is set for another battle between Pakistan’s Senators and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) top brass as the MPs probe the decline of cricket in Pakistan. A parliamentary committee on sports has summoned team management, former PCB director-general Javed Miandad and PCB officials for a meeting in the country’s capital, Islamabad.Senator Tahir Mashhadi said the committee is determined to find the causes behind the deteriorating standards of the Pakistan team. “Cricket is our top game so we want to address the reasons behind team’s defeat against Sri Lanka and want to improve our cricket board affairs, which look in a shambles,” Mashhadi told .The predictable fallout from the disastrous loss to Sri Lanka in the series-deciding ODI had begun with the PCB asking Shoaib Malik and the Pakistan team management to submit a detailed report of the loss. After Malik was replaced by Younis Khan as Pakistan captain, after an emergency meeting, Miandad quit as director-general of the PCB, bringing to an abrupt end his fourth stint with the board since retiring as a player.Mashhadi said the committee wanted to also probe the controversy behind Miandad’s resignation. “We have requested Miandad to give his version and wants to listen PCB’s point of view on Miandad’s resignation and we want to resolve the issue,” he said. “Miandad has given his life to Pakistan cricket and was the man behind Pakistan’s World Cup success in 1992 and he did not deserve the treatment meted out by the PCB.”The committee is also expected to probe PCB chairman Ijaz Butt about the board losing the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy after several ICC member boards expressed reservations about touring the troubled nation. Senator Enver Baig, who is part of the sports committee, had said the PCB was as much to blame for the event’s shifting as the ICC.Pakistan was scheduled to host the Champions Trophy in September this year after the tournament was postponed due to security concerns in 2008. India’s cancellation of their tour in January because of cooling of relations between the two countries following the terror attacks in Mumbai was a big blow to Pakistan’s chances of staging the event.

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips could have his head turned by a Champions League club in the near future, according to Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the rise

The 25-year-old has been a magnificent performer for the Whites for some time, but the wider footballing public is now starting to fully appreciate him, too.

Phillips was excellent at Euro 2020 with England and has subsequently won his country’s Player of the Year award, meaning his stock has never been higher.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Mills makes worrying claim

It is only inevitable that there will now be reports suggesting the midfielder could leave Leeds for a club in bigger competitions, and speaking to Football Insider, former Whites defender Mills admits he could see him wanting a fresh challenge:

“The more and more that he’s involved with England, he’s going to start to hear what other clubs do.

“His head will be turned and rightly so by players saying ‘We’re playing against Real Madrid’ ‘We’re playing against PSG’ ‘We’re playing against Barcelona’.

“Undoubtedly there will be a part of him thinking ‘I want a part of that, I want to test myself against the best’.

“If Leeds progress and make it that way, then brilliant. But it’s the second season in the Premier League so you’re going to have to be more realistic than that.

“Another good season this year and there will be some very, very serious offers that come in for Kalvin Phillips.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-15/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Final season at Leeds?

Any Leeds fan would surely love Phillips to spend the rest of his career at Elland Road, but unless they make even greater strides under Marcelo Bielsa this term and push for Europe, that is unlikely.

The England man may want to test himself in the Champions League, as Mills alludes to, and he might feel he belongs at a team challenging for the biggest honours in club football.

It could even be that a massive offer arrives for Phillips next summer, at which point Leeds will have to weigh up the situation – it could be a win win for club and player if the right offer comes in.

In other news, Phil Hay has explained one key Leeds transfer decision this summer. Read more here.

The first Test between the West Indies and England was abandoned in Kingston, Jamaica, yesterday after an hour’s play on the opening day when the pitch was deemed dangerous

Christopher Martin-Jenkins02-Feb-2009The first Test between the West Indies and England was abandoned in Kingston, Jamaica, yesterday after an hour’s play on the opening day when the pitch was deemed dangerous.After 10.1 overs, England, who chose to bat first, had crumbled to 17 for three as fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh took advantage of an newly laid pitch which provided plenty of pace but hugely variable bounce.One full-length delivery to Alec Stewart leapt high over wicketkeeper David Williams’s head for four byes. The next, off a similar length, barely got above ankle height.The difficult conditions were eventually deemed dangerous after England physiotherapist Wayne Morton had been forced to go on to the field six times to treat injuries, mainly to the batsman’s fingers.”There was a bit of war out there and you always fear for a batsman’s safety,” he said. “You don’t often see too many apologies from West Indian fast bowlers but they seemed pretty embarrassed by it.”As early as the third over, one of the umpires, Srin Venkataraghavan, got in touch with match referee Barry Jarman to alert him to the dangers.England captain Mike Atherton, who had already been dismissed, went out to join his opposite number Brian Lara and the umpires at a drinks break.Jarman, who later described the pitch as “horrific”‘, joined them in the middle before everyone left the field and the International Cricket Council in London were contacted.”The pitch is unfit and dangerous to the players, it was unfit for play,” said Pat Rousseau, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, at a hastily arranged press conference.It was the first time that such action has been taken in the 121-year history of Test cricket.England opener Alec Stewart put a brave face on events. “A couple of pieces came out of the wicket and we took a few blows but that’s part of cricket. We just had to cope as best we could,” he said.Former England all-rounder Ian Botham was more forceful in his condemnation of the pitch. “I was fearful that someone would be killed out there,” he told reporters.Rousseau said efforts would be made to try to rearrange England’s tour in order to accommodate the Test at another venue.Lara was also hopeful that the Test could be rescheduled. “Cricket has to be played on a fair surface,” he said.Former Test fast bowler Michael Holding said: “I’ve never seen a pitch as dangerous as that. The people responsible should be brought to task.”Those people are presumably groundsman Charlie Joseph and Jamaican chief executive George Prescod, who supervised the preparation of the relaid pitch.Balls spat and shot off the cracked and spiteful surface, and, propelled at blinding pace by Walsh and Ambrose, batting soon became a dangerous exercise.Stewart and Graham Thorpe had seen enough when Thorpe was hit for the second time. He went off for an X-ray on the middle finger of his left hand, with England 17 for 3 and one ball of the 10th over delivered.Atherton knew the pitch would be poor, but not that poor. “It was dangerous. It was clear before the match that the pitch had been laid unevenly. That’s why we saw the unevenness of the bounce,” said Atherton.Jarman said: “The reason for the delay in calling it off was because of the many English fans who had come to watch the Test. They’ll be terribly disappointed – and so are the players, but the last thing they want is to wind up in hospital.”Stewart had made nine in 26 balls and Thorpe had not scored off 10 deliveries before the abandonment. Stewart spoke to umpire Bucknor and Lara between overs on the shambles unfolding before his eyes. Then Thorpe threw away his bat in pain and disgust after another ball from Walsh hit him on the gloves, Morton came back on and during the break Stewart summoned Atherton.Atherton said: “Both captains agreed that the pitch was not suitable for first-class cricket, both umpires agreed and so did the match referee, so we decided to abandon the game. The pitch was dangerous and the safety of the players was paramount. Conditions were unfit and during the game umpire ‘Venkat’ was in constant touch on a walkie-talkie with the match referee.”Alec called me on and we had a chat with Brian Lara. Both umpires asked what we thought the conditions were like. I don’t want to get into things like worst, but safety remains important. It was when Alec called me on to the field that I had to consider the safety of the players. Everyone was in agreement.”Morton’s day began with him having to rule out wicketkeeper Jack Russell because of a stomach upset. Soon, though, it was England’s batsmen who were sickened by the wicked bounce, with some balls rearing and some shooting through low.”It was a war out there,” said Morton. “There are medals for bravery to be taken, but I don’t want players getting fractured digits. There is still a long tour ahead of us. There are a few bruises. Stewart was hit on forearm, finger, the back of his hand and the top of both hands.”Lara was upset by the outcome, but agreed that the safety of the players had to be a priority. Lara said: “It was the last thing I wanted to happen and I’m very disappointed for the fans and the players. But I believe the umpires have made the right decision. It was obvious that the pitch was dangerous.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was a joyous occasion for everyone associated with the club, but the return of the five-time Champions League winner isn’t without its consequences.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils snapped up the 36-year-old sensation in a £12.8 million deal from Juventus, bringing hope that they can claim their first Premier League crown since 2013.

However, Dan James has already become the first casualty of Ronaldo’s second skint with United, while Anthony Martial was also reportedly offered the opportunity to follow him out of the exit door.

According to the Daily Express (as relayed by Sky Sports), the France international was offered the opportunity to move back to his homeland via a loan deal with Lyon on Deadline Day but he rejected the offer as he wants to prove his worth at United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be gutted

Although Martial’s decision to remain on English shores leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with an abundance of quality attacking options, the 25-year-old’s decision may leave his Norwegian boss feeling gutted.

The pacey attacker struggled to make a significant impact at United last term, scoring seven goals and provided nine assists in 36 games before picking up a season-ending knee injury in March.

It was an extremely disappointing campaign for the former Monaco ace after he appeared to turn a corner in his development throughout 2019/20 when he managed 35 goal contributions in all competitions.

Moving to Lyon on a temporary basis may not have been part of Martial’s or United’s original plans for the summer window, but the shock arrival of Ronaldo arguably meant it was the best option for all parties.

Adding the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to the Old Trafford outfit’s ranks means Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani and Ronaldo could all be ahead of Martial in the pecking order for his preferred central striking role, leaving him desperately short of opportunities to get game time.

Therefore, a move to the Groupama Stadium would have allowed the £40.5m-rated gem to showcase his true ability and potential week in week out, proving he can be the long-term solution to the club’s striker woes.

Instead, it appears as though Martial is prepared to spend substantial periods of time occupying the substitutes bench this season, not something that is going to catch Solskjaer’s attention or prove that his future lies in the red half of Manchester.

And, in other news…Samuel Luckhurst provides Man Utd update that could leave fans buzzing 

If the third day at the Wanderers is anything to go by, Australia’s pace attack’s green tinge might not be such a bad thing

Brydon Coverdale at the Wanderers28-Feb-2009
Peter Siddle on Mitchell Johnson: “We enjoy just having a bit of fun with each other and getting each other going.” © Getty Images
In these days of climate change and ozone depletion it has become a badge of honour to be labelled as green. That’s also how Australia’s bowling attack has been described lately. It hasn’t been meant as a compliment. If the third day at the Wanderers is anything to go by,their green tinge might not be such a bad thing.Australia came into the match with three genuine fast bowlers, a medium-pace allrounder and a part-time offspinner. Between the five of them they had played 23 Tests and Mitchell Johnson alone was responsible for 18 of those. Against an experienced and in-form batting line-up that had taught some lessons to a more practiced group in Australia, it was a bowling unit with an awful lot to prove.That they dismissed South Africa for 220 was a terrific achievement. Yes, it was just one innings and yes, the conditions were especially helpful and no, they might not repeat the effort every time. But for now that doesn’t matter. This was the same surface on which South Africa’s powerful attack had bowled too short and allowed Australia to rack up 466.More than simply the final result it was the unbending enthusiasm and control that Australia’s bowlers displayed that was most encouraging. Ricky Ponting was reluctant to use Andrew McDonald and on the third day didn’t employ him until nearly an hour after lunch. Marcus North sent down only seven overs for the innings.It meant a heavy load for three young fast men. Johnson has shown himself to be a quality Test bowler but has been forced to become the spearhead in the absence of the injured Brett Lee. Peter Siddle has displayed promising signs in his four previous Tests but is still learning at the top level. Nobody knew quite how the debutant Ben Hilfenhaus would step up.All three responded well. Johnson took the responsibility of being the new-ball man after settling into the first-change role over the past year and collected 4 for 25 while giving the batsmen no latitude. Siddle fought back from a costly initial spell to grab three wickets and Hilfenhaus, although he only got one breakthrough, swung the ball wildly and built pressure with maiden after maiden.”There’s always the frustration of bowling good balls and there’s always going to be a lot of plays and misses and getting frustrated with that,” Siddle said. “You’ve just got to be patient and keepworking the batsman over. Keep bowling well as a team and in the end you see the success, you get the ten wickets.”It’s hard to believe that Siddle, who is playing his 19th first-class match, is the second-most experienced member of Australia’s attack. Brett Lee and Stuart Clark will be available during the next few months and all Siddle and Hilfenhaus can do is perform as strongly aspossible while the opportunity is there.And strength is a key part of their game. During his first Test inMohali, Siddle impressed the Australian camp because at the end of a long, hot day he was still as quick and fiery as in the morning. Hilfenhaus has the same quality, as he proved two years ago when he bowled nearly 200 more overs in a domestic first-class season than anyother fast bowler in the country. Working hard in a three-man rotation system at the Wanderers was not a stretch.The leader of their group, Johnson, is at the point in his Test career where by recent Australian standards he would be considered the greenhorn. He had a disappointing tour of the West Indies last year and by the end was in danger of losing his spot to Doug Bollinger, the one fast man in this touring party who is not in the XI. But this summer Johnson has gone from strength to strength, with ball and bat. Like Siddle and Hilfenhaus, he is an incredibly hard worker.”Me and him are pretty close,” Siddle said. “We enjoy just having a bit of fun with each other and getting each other going. It’s always good to see him bowling well and going well. It just sort of pumps me up a little bit and I just jump on the ride with him and hopefully go well.”Today, at least, they did go well. There is a long way to go and more experienced men should return to the bowling unit in the next few months. But unlike climate change activists, this is one green group that is happy to be warming up.