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Early this morning, Somerset announced that their allocation of tickets for the Cheltenham and Gloucester trophy final against Yorkshire on August 31st had all been sold

Richard Walsh08-Aug-2002Early this morning, Somerset announced that their allocation of tickets for the Cheltenham and Gloucester trophy final against Yorkshire on August 31st had all been sold.With a membership of almost 7000 the Cidermen’s share of the tickets that amounted to 4500 had all been snapped up in just three days, which was much quicker than had been the case in 1999 and 2001, the last two occasions that the side went to Lord’s.Over the last few days the club has received a number of complaints from non-members who were unable to obtain tickets from the club in view of the small number allocated.In response to these complaints chief executive Peter Anderson told me: "The fact is that we have no control over the numbers that we are allocated because this is decided by the MCC who own the ground that the final is played upon."He continued: " As with last year we try to obtain additional tickets from other counties who all receive an allocation, and from the MCC when they have dealt with their demands."The Somerset boss concluded: "I’m sorry that non members are finding it difficult to get tickets, but one of the advantages of being a member of Somerset County Cricket Club is that you get a chance to buy your tickets first. I think that there is a moral here somewhere!"

West Ham are monitoring former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who looks set to leave Juventus.

That’s according to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato.

The lowdown

Ramsey is said to be ‘destined’ to leave Turin after what the report calls ‘two seasons full of physical problems and misunderstandings’.

The Welshman joined Juventus on the expiry of his Arsenal contract ahead of the 2019/20 season.

He signed a four-year deal worth as much as £400,000 per week with the Old Lady.

The 30-year-old made 13 Serie A starts last season, scoring twice and providing four assists.

£12.6million-rated midfielder Ramsey is currently on Euro 2020 duty, so the uncertainty surrounding his future may be prolonged.

The latest

The Premier League apparently offers ‘the greatest outlets’ to Ramsey, with West Ham not the only English club considering a move.

Crystal Palace and Everton are also named, though the latter will have to wait until a successor for Carlo Ancelotti is appointed before they can proceed with their business.

Ramsey’s entourage is said to be in ‘constant’ contact with potential buyers.

The verdict

A fit and firing Ramsey is an outstanding player of course, but this wouldn’t be a sensible move for West Ham.

Just since joining Juventus, he has missed games with nine different injury concerns – it’s simply too much of a gamble when considering the wages he would likely demand.

Though you’d think Ramsey will be forced to agree to a substantial pay-cut if he does depart Turin, even a 50% reduction would make him the Hammers’ highest-paid player by some distance.

The club should continue boxing clever in the market instead of making reckless moves for big names.

In other news, many Hammers fans reacted to this footage.  

Batsmen dominated the opening day of the three-day National Juniors Cup Grade-II match when four centuries were recorded at various centres of the country Friday

Sports Reporter07-Sep-2002Batsmen dominated the opening day of the three-day National Juniors Cup Grade-II match when four centuries were recorded at various centres of the country Friday.Shahbaz Basheer scored less than run-a-ball 104 for Sibi who put up a colossal 408 against Turbat at Quetta, Sohrab Aslam hit an unbeaten 108 for Azad Jammu and Kashmir who posted 284 against Haripur at Peshawar, opener Aqil Ahmad slammed 102 from 111 balls in Mirpurkhas’s 241 against Larkana and Azaz Khan rescued Bannu with a gutsy 109.Azaz, who faced 120 balls, lifted Bannu to 298 after D.I Khan had left them reeling at 123 for six. Azaz added 142 runs for the seventh wicket with Aamir Khan (52).Summarized scores:At Faisalabad: Kasur – 138 in 61.4 overs (Shahid Hussain 37 not out, Jahanzaib 22, Ghulam Dastagir 4-19. Javed Iqbal 2-19, Mudassar Hussain 2-30, Mohammad Sajid 2-38); Faisalabad – 82-3 (Akhtar Rasool 35, Zahid Hussain 28, M.Aslam Shahid 2-17)At D.I Khan: Bannu – 298-9 in 80 overs (Azaz Khan 109, Aamir Khan 52, Raheem Raz 30, Nasib Niaz 22, Adeel Haider 3-49, Mohammad Waheed 2-46, Asif Ali Khan 2-42); D.I Khan – 8-1 in 8 overs.At Okara: Okara – 176 in 61.1 overs (Nauman Naseem 62, Zahid Ali Khan 24, Waseem Abbas 21, Waseem Shahzad 3-27, Kashif Rasool 3-49); Rahimyar Khan – 95-3 in 33 overs (Asif Mumtaz 41 not out, Zeeshan Hussain 22, Waseem Abbas 2-23)At Quetta: Sibi – 408 in 79.5 overs (Shahbaz Basheer 104, Jalat Khan 66, Nizamuddin 62, Mohammad Nasir 40, Adnan Ghani 51, Kamran Ahmad 26 not out, Javed Raza 4-89); Turbat 41-2At Nawabshah: Sukkur 140 in 52.4 overs (Kashif Ali 27, Amjad Pervez 24, Jamsheed Baig 27, S.Zahid Hussain 3-32, Imran Ali 2-16, Ghulam Jaseem 2-31); Shikarpur – 118-3 (Najeeb Elahi 40, Asif Babar 38, Ghulam Yaseen 26, Kashif Ali 2-27)At Peshawar: Azad Jammu and Kashmir – 284-6 in 80 overs (Sohrab Khan 108 not out, Afaq Raheem 53, Abdul Shakoor 63 not out, Amjad Waqas 4-96); Haripur – 56-2 (Yasir Ali 20 not out)At Larkana: Mirpurkhas – 241 in 74.3 overs (Aqil Ahmad 102, S.Rehan 76, Sheeraz 5-64, Waseem Hussain 3-91, Ahmad Ali 2-25); Larkana – 34-0 in 19 overs.

Some Manchester City fans are eager for the club to sign Robin Gosens after the left-back impressed for Germany during his country’s 4-2 Euro 2020 victory against Portugal.

The Citizens have been heavily linked with a move for the 26-year-old, who currently plays for Atalanta in Serie A. Recently, it has developed that Pep Guardiola plans to continue using Oleksandr Zinchenko as his first-choice left-back (Manchester Evening News) next term, meaning any move for Gosens may be unnecessary.

However, that may change as the German impresses at the European Championship. He was a constant threat down the left flank against the defending champions and he even managed to get himself on the scoresheet. He also had the ball in the back of the net once more, but that effort was ruled out for VAR as Serge Gnabry was in an offside position.

These City fans have now implored the club to make a move for the defender, and they took to social media platform Twitter to respond to a tweet from @City_Xtra as they shared their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Gosens

“Time to go all out”

Credit: @sri_vastavaMein

“This guy is the perfect LB in Pep’s system”

Credit: @fanatic_city

“He’s such a perfect City player. Just insane going forward”

Credit: @koojababy

“I mean after seeing this they just have to get the fax machine ready and send that bid ASAP.”

Credit: @JCHawkk

“He’s very good, we should be in haste”

Credit: @StonzyE

“Smash the door down now!”

Credit: @Browny_MCFC91

In other news, some Man City fans react to links with this Euro 2020 midfielder.

Press Release: PCB on non-acceptance of PCB Chairman’s resignation.

Pakistan Cricket Board15-Oct-2002President General Pervez Musharraf has not accepted the resignation of Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and has asked him to continue as Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Lt Gen Tauqir had tendered his resignation immediately after Pakistan lost the second cricket Test against Australia at Sharjah on Saturday.The President, who returned Tuesday morning from Turkey after attending the ECO meeting, held discussions with the PCB Chairman at the Army House, Rawalpindi, and expressed complete confidence in Lt Gen Tauqir Zia. General Musharraf told Lt Gen Tauqir Zia that he was the right man to guide Pakistan cricket through the current crisis.The President, in the meeting, appreciated that the present team comprised many youngsters who were talented but required proper motivation and guidance to perform at their peak.General Pervez Musharraf, though disappointed with Pakistan team’s performance in the second Test against Australia at Sharjah, hoped that it would recover from this shock defeat and would show its true mettle in the third Test.He wished Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and the Pakistan team well for the future series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the World Cup next year.Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, in a statement, said he was thankful to President General Musharraf for expressing confidence and trust in his abilities. “Now since the President has told me to continue, I can’t refuse him. He has shown the confidence and faith in me and I would continue to work with full enthusiasm and vigour as I have been doing in the past.”The PCB Chairman defended his decision to tender his resignation, saying: “It was not a rash decision but a well-thought one. If the Pakistan team plunged to its worst defeat, then I think someone has to take the responsibility and, I being the chairman of the PCB, had to stand up and accept the blame.”Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said he would now sit down and analyze the problem areas and act accordingly. “That might also lead to the ouster of some people, if required. I would continue to support the youngsters because I am a big fan of their abilities. But at the same time, I would like to see the senior boys to show self-discipline and stand up to realize their responsibilities and pay back to the country.”The PCB Chairman thanked all his well-wishers who urged him to continue. “I received very encouraging and morale-boosting response from the cricket circle in Pakistan. Internationally, ICC President Malcolm Gray, Indian cricket board chief Jaghmohan Dalimya, next ICC President Ehsan Mani, CBFS President Abdulrehman Bukhatir, chief executive Zahid Noorani and the ACC President either called or wrote to me individually and urged me to carry on as the head of the office.”SAMIUL HASAN
GM Media
October 15, 2002

Speaking in a football.london Q&A, reliable correspondent and Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has made a behind the scenes claim on Gareth Bale. 

The Lowdown: Spurs signing Bale permanently?

After spending the 2020/2021 campaign on loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there is still the begging question as to whether the Lilywhites will make his move permanent.

Bale finished the campaign as Spurs’ third top goalscorer in the Premier League, bagging 11 strikes and two assists, with only superstar men Harry Kane and Son Heung-min bettering those numbers.

As such, Tottenham have been linked with a possible swoop for the 31-year-old and supporters want to know if he could remain in north London.

The Latest: Gold makes behind-scenes Bale claim…

Speaking in a Q&A, when asked for the latest on Bale’s situation, Gold made a behind the scenes claim on what the belief is within Tottenham.

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He claims that Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival at parent club Real Madrid complicates matters and the general consensus is that he will see out the final year of his deal at the Bernabeu.

“I’d like him to return for another season but there seems to be a belief within Spurs that he will return to Madrid for the final year of his contact and with Ancelotti there it makes more sense than it did a few months ago,” Gold explained.

“The only obstacle would be whether Real want him off the wage bill, or at least some of those huge wages, but Bale is not exactly someone who cares what people think.”

The Verdict: Turn away…

New managing director Fabio Paratici has some major decisions to make in regards to Tottenham’s summer transfer plans and one of them is whether to push for Bale on a permanent deal.

Amid this Gold claim, we believe it should not be a priority given his age, high salary demands and the fact Spurs are in dire need of centre-back reinforcements.

The Lilywhites won’t exactly have unlimited funds to play with and re-signing Bale on a permanent deal comes as a luxury, not a necessity, when compared to Tottenham’s other areas which need strengthening.

In other news: Journalist says Tottenham now want ‘magical’ man as ‘official contacts’ begin, find out more here.

West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Ridley Jacobs will captain the West Indies on their upcoming tour of Bangladesh

Derrick Nicholas20-Nov-2002West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Ridley Jacobs will captain the West Indies on their upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Meanwhile, fast bowler Cameron Cuffy has been dropped from the team for the tour.Jacobs, who is the current West Indies vice-captain, will lead the side in place of Carl Hooper, who will miss the trip to Bangladesh to undergo corrective surgery on his knees in Australia. The West Indies are in the middle of a seven-game limited-overs series against hosts India and currently lead the series 3-2.Jacobs is no stranger to leading sides, having captained the Leeward Islands in the West Indies first-class championship. Meanwhile, the West Indies selectors have recalled Trinidad & Tobago captain Daren Ganga as a replacement for Carl Hooper.With the squad picked to play in the three limited-overs internationals and two Tests, young speedster Daren Powell has been picked ahead of Cuffy, who has made limited appearances in India.This will also mean that Ricardo Powell, Vasbert Drakes and Corey Collymore, all of whom had been picked for the limited-overs section of the Indian tour, may have a chance to make Test appearances.The West Indies play Bangladesh in limited-overs matches at Chittagong on November 29 and at Dhaka in day/night contests on December 2 and 3. The two Tests will be contested at Dhaka from December 8 to 12, and at Chittagong from December 16 to 20.Squad: Ridley Jacobs (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Jermaine Lawson, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Daren Powell, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan

Wolves conceded the most goals in a Premier League season since they returned to the top flight last campaign with 52, and Wolves legend Steve Bull has backed new signing Yerson Mosquera to replace Romain Saiss in the backline.

For four seasons now, Wolves have largely operated with the same three centre-backs of Conor Coady, Saiss and Willy Boly, and while they were usually dependable the latter two are now pushing onto the wrong side of 30 meaning they don’t appear to be the future for the west Midlands outfit.

Mosquera is still relatively inexperienced having made just 24 appearances and being just 20 years of age, but being able to play alongside a consistent performer like Coady would instantly put him in a great place to perform at the top level.

Nuno Espirito Santo more often than not placed his trust in those three centre backs but when asked if Mosquera would be replacing Saiss who is now 32-years-old, Bull had this to say exclusively to Football FanCast:

“I would probably say so yes.”

It would be a good mixture of experience, strength and pace if Lage continued with three centre backs next season and lined up with Mosquera, Coady and Boly, something that Bull believes is a good choice for the manager to have, he added:

“I would be putting Boly one side of him and then Coady on the other side, but it’s a nice headache for him to have about who he should leave out.”

It would be a huge step up for Mosquera to start for Wolves on the opening day of the season against Leicester City but if Lage believes he can offer more to the side than someone like Saiss, he may throw him in at the deep end.

Aston Villa’s transfer priority remains a number 10, with Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe a top summer target, according to The Athletic’s Villa correspondent Gregg Evans.

And plenty of Villa fans have been sharing their thoughts on the news on social media.

According to Evans, Smith Rowe is the club’s top choice regarding a number 10, whereas there is no rush to sign a striker.

Recent reports abroad claimed that Villa were in advanced talks with Chelsea over a move for Tammy Abraham, however, Evans revealed the forward isn’t on the club’s radar, for now.

Villa have already brought in Emiliano Buendia in a club-record deal and re-signed Ashley Young on a free transfer, but it seems as if there is still plenty of work to be done.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Evans’ claim on Twitter on Friday, highlighting the club’s number 10 priority and Smith Rowe as a top target.

These Villa fans weren’t so sure on Villa’s thinking, though, with one describing the update as ‘strange’.

“We have the best number 10 in the world and have glaring problems in 3 positions. What are they doing?”Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ”Don’t see this happening so it being the priority is a bit concerning”Credit: @M10Packed”Isn’t jack our 10? Strange”Credit: @bbqguy21″Should be prioritising a dm”Credit: @OllyAVFC_”It’s never gonna happen, irdk why were so driven to get him”Credit: @escapeinpixels”We’re still going for this? I don’t think Arsenal want to sell lads”Credit: @Tom_Price_AVFC_

In other news: ‘Absolute madness’, ‘Leave us alone’ – Many AVFC fans erupt at ‘garbage’ transfer news, find out more here. 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that LoughboroughUniversity Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) has been accorded ‘First Class’ status for the 2003 season

Media Release14-Nov-2002The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that LoughboroughUniversity Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) has been accorded ‘First Class’ status for the 2003 season. Loughborough joins Oxford, Cambridge andDurham UCCEs as the fourth university to gain ‘First Class’ recognition.Loughborough has won all three of the major university cricket competitions in the last two seasons – the UCCE Championship, the UCCE One-Day Challenge and the BUSA Championship.John Carr, ECB Director of Cricket Operations, said, “The Board’s Cricket Advisory Committee made this recommendation to the Management Board in recognition of the outstanding progress made in such a short time at the Loughborough UCCE and the very good performance of the Team in 2001 and 2002. I congratulate all those involved with the UCCE at Loughborough on this well deserved upgrade in cricketing status!”Dr Guy Jackson, Director of Cricket at Loughborough UCCE, said, “This recognition is very welcome and reward for the work that Head Coach Graham Dilley and several others at the University have invested. The experienced coaching team, the facilities boosted by the National Cricket Academy centre now under construction, and the advanced sports science and medicine supportservices at Loughborough make this an excellent base for cricket development. In many ways I believe this is a boost to the whole UCCE scheme, where the ECB, in partnership with leading Universities, are helping young players to develop their cricket whilst maintaining their education and gaining essential qualifications.”The success of Loughborough players such as Monty Panesar, Steve Selwood and Rob White last year show that with the right support, young players can complete their education and compete within County Cricket.”