West Ham manager Sam Allardyce slams suspended players Kevin Nolan and James Collins

Posted on December 31, 2012 by adminsports

Allardyce slams 'unprofessional' Nolan and Collins after they pick up fifth yellow cards in Reading defeat

UPDATED:

22:38 GMT, 30 December 2012

Sam Allardyce blasted two of his key players who picked up yellow cards against Reading that will force them to miss their New Year's Day match with Norwich.

Captain Kevin Nolan and defender James Collins have been at the heart of West Ham's season but will miss their match against Norwich on Tuesday as they serve a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards.

If they had not been booked on Saturday the suspension threshold would been have extended to 10 yellow cards.

Head-to-head: West Ham captain Kevin Nolan squares up to Reading's Alex Pearce during the Premier League match on Saturday

The Hammers have struggled with injuries this season and only two weeks ago they could not name a full list of substitutes against West Brom.

Nolan was booked with 10 minutes to play for a late challenge on Hal Robson-Kanu who was breaking away inside his own half and Collins's yellow was for a late challenge on Pavel Pogrebnyak – both needless tackles.

And manager Allardyce branded the two players 'unprofessional' for picking up a fifth booking this season so close to the deadline.

The 58-year-old said: 'Suddenly Norwich becomes a test of nerve – we are now in our worst run of results this season, and the unprofessionalism of players, due to frustration, means we are now without our captain and James Collins on New Year's Day through suspension.

Suspension: James Collins, as well as Nolan, picked up their fifth bookings of the season against Reading, meaning they will miss the New Year's Day game with Norwich

'Losing the game was hard enough, but to lose two key players in the last game of the suspension period makes it even worse.

'If they had got booked on Tuesday, there's no suspension, but they go and get booked at Reading and now we have to make do without them.'

The yellow card compounded a particularly bad afternoon for Collins.

The centre back was one of West Ham's best players in reducing Reading to a single shot on target – but it was his glaring mistake that handed them that chance that resulted in the winner.

On five minutes Collins played a woefully short pass back to Jussi Jaaskelainen and Pogrebnyak ran on to the ball and finished one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Bad day at the office: Collins also underhit a backpass to gift Pavel Pogrebnyak what turned out to be the decisive goal on five minutes

The result was only Reading's second win in the league this season against a team they came up with from the Championship.

West Ham are now only six points clear of the relegation zone following a run of one win in eight matches.

They have lost five of their last seven games and Allardyce admitted they are starting to worry about Premier League survival.

But his captain Nolan insisted that during the previous four seasons no-one outside of the top four are safe in the Barclays Premier League until close to the end of the campaign.

The 30-year-old said: 'In the Premier League no matter where you are unless it's two games to go and you're in the top 10 you don't not look behind you.

Not impressed: West Ham manager Sam Allardyce branded Nolan and Collins 'unprofessional' after picking up the suspensions

'I think if you can include Everton [and Arsenal] with the top four all the rest of the teams could be around [the relegation place], a few losses and you're all dragged back into it.

'It's just the way it is, the way the league has been the last three or four years.'

He added: 'We're on 23 points, it's been a decent start, if you'd offered us that at the beginning of the season we would've taken it. That's how we've got to look at it.

'We've got to go for another 23 points and plus that for the next half of the season which is going to be tough but we're more than capable of doing it.'

Gareth Bale could leave if not protected by referees

Posted on December 30, 2012 by adminsports

In not protecting Bale we are in danger of kicking out top talent… it's Ronaldo all over again

UPDATED:

12:54 GMT, 30 December 2012

Mega-talented and with a 60million price tag, Gareth Bale will be one of the biggest targets for overseas clubs this January.

But it is his burgeoning reputation for diving which could push him into a move abroad.

The Spurs winger can choose from Real Madrid, PSG and others who are keen to secure a deal, but when it comes to considering his future, he could also escape the criticism.

Dive, or foul Gareth Bale went down under the challenge of Craig Gardner

Despite being one of the Premier League’s most adventurous and attractive players, Bale landed a one-game ban after picking up his fifth yellow card on Saturday, for going down too easily under a challenge from Sunderland’s Craig Gardner.

Bale protested his innocence and said he was trying to prevent himself from injury, rather than capitalise on Gardner’s presence.

The 23-year old feels almost targeted by referees, rather than protected.

Much like Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed bullies forced him out of England because opposition players couldn’t cope with him on the pitch.

The Real Madrid star said his time at Manchester United was marred by those who couldn’t handle his pace.

‘There are some teams who know they can’t compete with you on a football level so they just kick you,’ he said.

Tough: Cristiano Ronaldo felt he was not protected in the Premier League

‘It’s frustrating and something needs to be done to protect the skilful players because one day someone will get seriously hurt. I think more could be done to protect them but that is up to the referees to decide.’

It will be the Premier League’s loss if Bale leaves for similar reasons.

This weekend Bale snapped and hit back in defence of his integrity, blasting Atkinson’s decision to book him.

‘It’s the same thing every time,’ he said. ‘It’s the third time this season where I’ve been clipped and I’ve been booked for no reason.

‘I think the referees need to look a bit closer. It’s not something I’m doing, it’s people thinking I am diving when there’s actually contact. If there is contact then it is a penalty or a free-kick, so I can’t do anything about it.

Furious: Bale will serve a one-match ban after collecting five yellow cards

‘If there is contact then I’ll fall over. What do you expect me to do – hit my head on the floor I put my hands down to protect myself.’

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has previously claimed overseas players are more likely to dive than those from Britain, but even Europe is clamping down on the more obvious theatrics.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci was fined €2000 and banned after his yellow card for simulation during his side’s 1-0 win over Palermo earlier this month.

He ran the full length of the pitch to meet a pass inside the box, but collapsed dramatically into a heap when one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Leicester 17 Gloucester 12: Anthony Allen scores against former club

Posted on December 30, 2012 by adminsports

Leicester 17 Gloucester 12: Tigers leap up to second as Allen crosses against former club

UPDATED:

20:04 GMT, 29 December 2012

Leicester fought off a rousing finish from Gloucester to win a thrilling match 17-12 at Welford Road and jump two places to second in the Aviva Premiership.

Trailing by five points Gloucester threw everything at Leicester in the final few minutes and were twice thwarted by the Tigers' last ditch defence on the line.

Anthony Allen scored the only try of the match against his former club seven minutes after half-time following intense pressure from a Leicester pack that dominated a match in which four players were yellow carded.

Try-time: Anthony Allen goes over for the game's only five-pointer

Leicester's other points came from fly-half George Ford, who kicked three penalties, and Geordan Murphy who added another. Fly-half Freddie Burns slotted four for Gloucester.

The withdrawal of England fly-half Toby Flood through illness deprived a capacity 24,000 crowd of a shoot-out with Gloucester's rising star Burns, who made his England debut as a replacement against the All Blacks.

It did, however, lead to a battle of the young pretenders for the England No 10 spot, with 19-year-old Ford called up to replace Flood. On a pitch made heavy by recent rain their kicking was more important than usual.

Burns won the battle in the first half, slotting two penalties out of three to Ford's one from three, giving Gloucester a 6-3 half time lead.

They would have been more than happy with that after spending most of the 40 minutes on the back foot, especially in the scrums where they were continuously marched backwards as if on wheels.

Mismatch: Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan is tackled by George Ford

Mismatch: Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan is tackled by George Ford (right)

Leicester dominated that set piece so much that referee Andrew Small eventually lost patience in the 24th minute and showed Gloucester tight head prop Shaun Knight a yellow card.

Leicester, however, were unable to take advantage and around the half-hour mark they opted for four successive scrums near the Gloucester line instead of taking the three points from a penalty and came away with nothing.

Gloucester were awarded a penalty at the fourth scrum, escaped their own half and saw Leicester reduced to 14 men when scrum-half Ben Youngs was sin-binned for killing the ball. It was his second yellow card in successive games.

Burns missed the 45-metre penalty but he had already succeeded with penalties in the eighth and 27th minutes, while Ford's only success came in the fifth minute. He missed penalties in the 21st and 29th minutes, and he topped the second one so badly it hardly got off the ground.

The second half started with a bang and within seven minutes Burns had kicked his third penalty, and Leicester had scored a try and seen another player sin-binned.

High hopes: Manu Tuilagi performs acrobatics for the home side

Burns' penalty came after Ford was yellow carded for killing the ball in front of his own posts as he attempted to make amends for a move which went horribly wrong, his pass to Manu Tuilagi going to ground and allowing Burns to hack the ball upfield.

As Ford trooped off Youngs came back on and he provided the scoring pass from a ruck on the line for former Gloucester centre Allen to score in the corner after intense pressure from the Tigers pack.

Murphy, who took over the kicking duties from Ford, missed the conversion but slotted a penalty after Gloucester lock Will James became the fourth player to be binned.

That put Leicester 11-9 ahead and Burns missed a chance to restore Gloucester's lead when he was wide with a difficult 57th minute penalty.

Ford made it 14-9 with a penalty shortly after returning to the pitch as Leicester continued to dominate but Burns put Gloucester back in the game with a long range penalty 11 minutes from time.

Ford kicked his third penalty to make it 17-12 and while Gloucester staged a grandstand finish Leicester held on.

Huddersfield 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0 – Match report

Posted on December 29, 2012 by adminsports

Huddersfield 0 Sheff Wed 0: Controversy in Yorkshire derby as Helan stays on after being booked twice

UPDATED:

16:00 GMT, 29 December 2012

Sheffield Wednesday extended their unbeaten run in the npower Championship to four matches but were given a helping hand by referee Mick Russell in a fiercely-contested Yorkshire derby.

Wednesday, who have climbed out of the relegation zone after three straight wins over the Christmas period, should have been reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when key player Jeremy Helan was shown a second yellow card.

But Russell did not realise he had already booked the on-loan Manchester City midfielder and amid furious protestations from Huddersfield players and management, the Herefordshire official allowed Helan to play on.

Controversial moment: Wednesday's Jeremy Helan appears to receive a second yellow card from referee Mick Russell, but he was not sent off

Flashpoint: Referee Mick Russell and his assistants are harangued by Huddersfield players at half-time

MATCH FACTS

Huddersfield: Smithies, Gerrard, Wallace, Hunt (Dixon 70), Lynch, Clayton, Hammill, Southern, Atkinson (Scannell 62), Church (Vaughan 62), Beckford

Subs not used: Bennett, P Clarke, Norwood, Novak

Booked: Hunt, Dixon, Hammill

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, R Johnson, Gardner, Llera, Antonio (J Johnson 88), McCabe, Lee, Helan, Prutton, Madine (Sidibe 65)

Subs not used: /12/29/article-2254589-16AEDFC8000005DC-979_634x419.jpg” width=”634″ height=”419″ alt=”Battle: Sean Scannell of Huddersfield (left) fights for the ball with Rhys McCabe of Sheffield Wednesday” class=”blkBorder” />

Battle: Sean Scannell of Huddersfield (left) fights for the ball with Rhys McCabe of Sheffield Wednesday

Physical: Adam Hammill of Huddersfield (left) collides with Wednesday's Reda Johnson

Amid chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' the referee's gaffe was also pointed out by Grayson to fourth official Duncan Street and assistant referee Wayne Grunnill, but under the laws of the game, once Russell had restarted play following the foul, he was unable to retrospectively correct his mistake.

Town carved out their only clear-cut chance of the opening half a minute before the interval.

Church's low shot following Adam Clayton's cross was brilliantly saved by Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and the score remained goalless at half-time.

Wednesday winger Michail Antonio almost cashed in on Wallace's slip on the edge of the area a minute into the second period, but dragged his shot wide, and soon after crossed tantalisingly to the far post, inches away from the outstretched boot of Madine.

Snap shit: Huddersfield's James Vaughan fires in a shot during the 0-0 draw at the John Smith's Stadium

Toe-to-toe: Kieran Lee and Murray Wallace slide in

Huddersfield responded in the 59th minute, but Clayton headed tamely at Kirkland following Hammill's pinpoint cross before Grayson sent on Sean Scannell and Vaughan for Atkinson and Church respectively.

Wednesday substitute Sidibe replaced Madine in the 65th minute and Huddersfield swapped injured right-back Jack Hunt with Paul Dixon five minutes later.

Dixon was booked soon after for bringing Antonio's marauding run crashing to an end.

Sidibe lashed a 25-yard shot high and wide in the 84th minute before Sidibe's header from Rhys McCabe's corner was superbly tipped away by Smithies and Vaughan's volley shaved the post at the other end.

Sheffield Wednesday"s Jeremy Helan booked twice but not sent off

Posted on December 29, 2012 by adminsports

Yellow peril for ref Russell as he books City loanee Helan TWICE but doesn't send him off

UPDATED:

16:23 GMT, 29 December 2012

Huddersfield boss Simon Grayson was outraged with referee Mike Russell after he booked Sheffield Wednesday’s Jeremy Helan TWICE but did not send him off.

Grayson said Russell had wrongly recorded Michail Antonio in his book, confusing matters when he presented a second yellow to Helan, but the Owls continued with 11 men.

After the final whistle, Russell recognised his mistake and cleared the air with Grayson, who was satisfied the error was not intentional, but blamed the referee’s team for a lack of support.

Howler: Referee Mike Russell gave Jeremy Helan a second yellow card in Sheffield Wednesday's game at Huddersfield, but didn't send him off

‘As we came off the pitch he came to me to apologise for the error he made,’ said the 43-year old.

‘I think he's probably written the
wrong number down in his book, which is staggering and I also think he
should have been helped by his officials, who should be overruling
because they all know, when a referee makes a mistake like that, who
he's booking.

'He's put Antonio's number in his
book, but he was nowhere near the incident. I don't mind referee's
making big mistakes in terms of tackles and sendings off, but something
quite simple like that shouldn't be happening in Championship football.'

Russell yellow-carded 20-year-old
Helan, on loan from Manchester City, for a second time midway through
the first half, but failed to produce a red card amid angered chants of
'you don’t know what you’re doing' from the crowd. Huddersfield players
and management also protested.

The club may have grounds to demand a replay of the 0-0 draw, but Grayson gave no indications this would be requested.

Furious: Simon Grayson was angry with the official's team despite receiving an apology

'I'm not going to say Wednesday going
down to 10 men would have guaranteed us winning the game, but it would
have certainly helped us and what if the lad had gone on to score or
created the winning goal

'It would have been a massive talking
point, which it is already. I’m not sure about [a replay]. No-one has
said anything like that. I'd be very surprised.

'I just think referees in general
should be accountable for any decisions and have a press conference
after the game, whether good decisions or bad decisions.'

He insisted referees should be available to account for their decisions after the game.

'It shouldn't be up to myself or Dave
Jones to explain, they should be out and you should be able to ask
questions as to why he made certain decisions.

'I've not seen Dave, but I'm sure if
it was the other way round he wouldn't have been so calm and as placid
on the touchline as he was.'

Grayson added: 'It's a shame, we
shouldn't be talking about the referee after a Yorkshire derby, with a
great atmosphere and two teams trying to win a football match.'

Hull 2 Leeds 0 – match report

Posted on December 29, 2012 by adminsports

Hull 2 Leeds 0: Quickfire double from Evans and Meyler sends Warnock's Whites packing

PUBLISHED:

14:27 GMT, 29 December 2012

UPDATED:

14:40 GMT, 29 December 2012

Premier League hopefuls Hull overcame their problems in front of goal to see off a woeful Leeds side at the KC Stadium.

Steve Bruce's men are in the thick of the promotion race and cemented themselves in second place heading in to 2013 with this win, eventually brought about by goals from Corry Evans and David Meyler.

Prior to Evans' 52nd-minute opener it had looked as though the one thing to have blighted Hull this season – a dismal lack of goals – would haunt them again, but once the seal was broken they did not look back.

Job done: David Meyler scored Hull's second to put the game beyond doubt

MATCH FACTS

Hull City: Jakupovic, Chester, Hobbs, Evans, Koren (Proschwitz 76), Faye, Aluko (Simpson 89), Elmohamady (Rosenior 82), Quinn, Meyler, Brady

Subs not used: Amos, McShane, Cairney, Olofinjana

Goals: Evans 52, Meyler 55

Booked: Brady

Leeds United: Kenny, Lees, Pearce, Tate, Green, White, Brown, Norris (Austin 68), /12/29/article-2254528-16AE8D59000005DC-931_468x344.jpg” width=”468″ height=”344″ alt=”Hard fought: Sone Aluko tries to hold off Leeds United's Jason Pearce ” class=”blkBorder” />

Hard fought: Sone Aluko tries to hold off Leeds United's Jason Pearce

With no possession to speak of, Leeds
reverted to unsavoury methods of staying in the game, with Aidy White
and McCormack booked for late challenges and Michael Brown shown a
yellow card for refusing to step off the field while he received
treatment.

The pattern of the match continued
into the second half, Aluko drilling just wide after cutting in, with
Paddy Kenny then doing well to get down and deny Meyler after Brown's
error had set Hull free.

Aluko then turned Pearce inside out
and flashed a cross-cum-shot across goal which Koren should have turned
in, but the latter was more effective with 52 minutes gone as he laid on
Evans' goal.

His neat reverse pass put the Northern
Ireland international in down the right-hand side of the box and,
without a moment of hesitation he rammed a low drive across Kenny and
into the bottom corner.

It was no more than Hull deserved, in
fact another couple of goals would have been justified, and one arrived
three minutes later as Meyler, due to return to Sunderland tomorrow,
rose to head in Robbie Brady's corner at the near post.

Only the theatrics of Kenny from Brady
and Koren's wasteful follow-up denied Hull a third, with other near
misses coming and going as both sides happily saw the game through to
its conclusion.

Dimitar Berbatov isn"t the first to send a message through his shirt

Posted on December 27, 2012 by adminsports

Putting their message across… after Berbatov's Keep Calm scribble, here's the best moments when footballers get shirty

UPDATED:

13:40 GMT, 27 December 2012

Fulham star Dimitar Berbatov earned himself a yellow card against Southampton with a shirt emblazoned with the words 'Keep Calm and Pass Me the Ball.'

The stunt could be called arrogant, but he's hardly the first player to make a mistake as far as shirt decorations go.

Dimitar Berbatov shows off a shirt with the words 'Keep Calm and Pass Me the Ball' written on it

Arrogant: Berbatov rubbed some people the wrong way after scoring the first goal in Fulham's match against Southampton

Sportsmail took a look back at some of the more memorable messages that have been communicated through the use of a shirt.

Carlos Tevez – 'Feliz Cumple Mami'

Carlos Tevez sends his mother a birthday message using his shirt

Mummy's boy: Tevez showed off the message after scoring the only goal in Manchester City's 1-0 win over Chelsea

Tevez went for a home-made approach when he sent his Mum a birthday greeting in 2010. The words 'Feliz Cumple Mami,' which translates as 'Happy Birthday Mum,' had been scrawled on his shirt in black marker.

Mario Balotelli – 'Why Always Me'

Mario Balotelli reveals a message on his shirt that says 'Why always me' in Manchester City's clash with United

Feeling sorry for himself: The Italian revealed his shirt after scoring in the Manchester derby

After taking City ahead in last year's Manchester derby, the Italian lifted his shirt to ask the question 'Why Always Me' The message would have made more sense had the striker not spent the night before setting fire to his own home with some fireworks.

Paul Scharner – Albion crest

West Brom's Paul Scharner wore a shirt emblazoned with the Albion logo

Proud father: Paul Scharner was wearing a shirt designed by his children, who had supposedly drawn the Albion logo for luck

The West Brom midfielder angered Wolverhampton manager Mick McCarthy when he seemed to taunt Wolves fans with an Albion logo which had been drawn onto his shirt by his kids. McCarthy later apologised for accusing Scharner of 'taking the p***,' after realising what was on the shirt.

Samir Nasri – 'Eid Mubarak'

Nasri celebrated a goal against Southampton with the message 'Eid Mubarak' on his shirt

Celebration: Nasri followed Manchester City's third goal against Southampton with the words 'Eid Mubarak'

When Manchester City went 3-2 up against Southampton thanks to a strike from Samir Nasri, the French international treated watching fans to the traditional Eid festival greeting 'Eid Mubarak,' which means 'blessed festival'

Robbie Fowler – 'Support the 500 Sacked Dockers'

Robbie Fowler revealed a shirt in support of striking dock workers in Liverpool

Punished: Fowler was fined 2,000 Swiss Francs by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Committee

The Liverpool striker was fined 2,000 Swiss Francs by UEFA after revealing a shirt that gave support to striking Liverpudlian dock workers in 1997. Liverpool were up against Brann Bergen in a European Cup Winners' Cup match and won 3-0 after a brace from Fowler.

Lee Trundle – Urinating on Cardiff shirt

Lee Trundle upset supporters in Cardiff with his offensive t-shirt

Arrested: The Swansea man was later taken into custody for a public order offence after complaints from fans, including supporters of Swansea

Trundle was arrested for a public order offence after angering Cardiff fans. During Swansea's 2-1 defeat of Carlisle in the Football League Trophy final in 2006, Trundle wore a shirt that depicted a cartoon man in Swansea kit urinating over a Cardiff shirt. He then paraded around with a flag that had 'F*** off Cardiff' written on it.

Paul Tait – 'Birmingham City S**t on the Villa'

Paul Tait caused offence with an expletive-covered shirt that said 'Birmingham City S**t on the Villa' after Birmingham's win over Carlisle United

Foolish: Tait claimed that the prank was banterous, but observers didn't see it that way

The Birmingham City midfielder was fined 3,000 for his stunt in 1995, which saw him wear a shirt emblazoned with the words 'Birmingham City S**t on the Villa.' City were up against Carlisle Untied in the Auto Windscreen Shield final and the 23-year-old scored the only goal of the match. Tait claimed that it was meant as a humourous prank, but the move received criticism from all sides.

Artur Boruc – 'God Bless the Pope'

Artur Boruc celebrated Celtic's win over Rangers with a shirt that said 'God Bless the Pope.'

'The Holy Goalie': Boruc celebrated Celtic's win over Rangers with a tribute to the Pope

The Poland international whipped off his shirt after Celtic's 3-2 win over Rangers in 2008, and was underneath wearing an undershirt featuring a picture of John Paul II and the words 'God Bless the Pope.' He was defended by manager Gordon Strachan, who said: 'If it was 'God Bless Myra Hindley,' I might have a problem.'

Liverpool – Luis Suarez support

Liverpool's Glen Johnson warms up while wearing a t-shirt bearing the name and image of team mate Luis Suarez

Defiant: Suarez had been banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 by the FA, but his teammates were determined to support his appeal

When Suarez received an eight-match ban by the FA for racially abusing Patrice Evra, there were some who felt his punishment was deserved. But not his teammates or his manager, as they donned T-shirts in support of the Uruguayan striker before Liverpool's clash with Wigan. Manager Kenny Dagliesh was in favour of the display, saying: 'It is a great reflection of the man as a character, a person and a footballer that the boys have been so supportive and so have the supporters.'

Danny Graham – 'Watford's Table Tennis Champion 2010/11'

Danny Graham boasted of his Table Tennis victory over teammate Don Cowie during Watford's 3-0 win over Portsmouth

Smug: Graham was proud of his ping-pong prowess

Danny Graham, in his days playing for Watford, managed to keep things friendly with his own comical shirt message. According to the forward the team used to enjoy a game table tennis after training sessions and Graham had emerged victorious from his most recent battle with Don Cowie. After scoring against Portsmouth in 2011 the cheeky Watford man proudly revealed a shirt on which he had written 'Watford's Table Tennis Champion 2010/11. Get Over It Lads!!!'

Phil Neville plays 500th Premier League game

Posted on December 26, 2012 by adminsports

History boy Neville joins Premier League 500 club as Everton skipper faces Wigan

UPDATED:

16:07 GMT, 26 December 2012

Phil Neville made history on Boxing Day when he became only the seventh player to make 500 appearances in the Premier League.

The Everton captain’s landmark could have come sooner were it not for surgery to correct a knee problem in November.

He wasn’t going to allow for any further delays. The club advised that Neville, who turns 36 next month, would be sidelined for up to eight weeks following his operation.

500 not out: Everton captain Phil Neville (right) in action against Wigan on Boxing Day

Fergie's fledgling: Phil Neville was at United from 1995

End/start: Neville left Manchester United in 2005

Skipper: He has led Everton with distinction since 2007

NEVILLE IN NUMBERS

19: Seasons in the Premier League… 11 at United and eight at Everton

3: Red cards 82: Yellow cards 9: Goals scored
263: Matches for United 444: starts

MILESTONES

First game: United v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

100th: United v Middlesbrough (May 9, 1999)

200th: United v Southampton (November 2, 2002)

300th: Everton v Tottenham (August 26, 2006)

400th: Everton v Aston Villa (April 12, 2009)

TOP 10 IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Ryan Giggs 607
David James 572
Gary Speed 535
Frank Lampard 531
Emile Heskey 516
Sol Campbell 503
PHIL NEVILLE 499
Paul Scholes 495
Jamie Carragher 491
Mark Schwarzer 486
*Brother Gary played 400

But the warrior player reported fit for duty against West Ham on Saturday, after just 36 days.

Fondly sometimes known as the quieter brother to Mail on Sunday
columnist Gary, Neville left Manchester United in 2005 – and Toffees
boss David Moyes has more than banked the value of his 3.5million
signing.

This achievement, by its nature,
intimates his best days are behind him. But Neville’s open-minded and
modest approach to his game is shown in the way he is constantly
striving to improve, a credit to footballers of all generations.

And as Moyes observes, it’s a quality he has had throughout his career.

‘People would be amazed by the amount of work and conditioning Phil has put in to get himself right,’ said Moyes.

‘He continually works hard. He is in
every morning at 8.30am, he doesn’t leave until late. The rehabilitation
work he puts himself through — never at any stage does he complain.

‘He just continually pushed himself
to try and get back. The biggest impact that it should have on everyone
is the manner of what he has done.’

In a sparkling career stretching over 19 years, the defender has won virtually every honour in the game.

With six Premier League titles, a
three-time holder of both the FA Cup and Charity Shield and the 1999
Champions League trophy and Intercontinental Cup in the same year, the
titles which have eluded him are of little concern.

Better together: His relationship with David Moyes has helped Everton thrive

In fact, Neville’s illustrious,
10-year spell with Manchester United can account for both the silverware
and his flawless attitude.

Moyes added: ‘It says a lot about
what he’s done. But it doesn’t surprise me because his mentality and his
attitude to the game have been great since he came from Manchester
United.'

Neville has six months remaining on his current contract but there are no clues as to where, or when he career may end.

Pedigree: The midfielder has played for England 59 times, though not since 2007

‘He’s been a great signing,’ Moyes
said. ‘The best person to talk about (the future) is Phil because I’ve
already spoken to him and he just wants to see how his body is.

‘He's just back from a knee operation
and he would be the first one to say that we should just see how his
knee is. I don’t think he sees any great panic in it at this moment in
time.’

While Neville has always wanted to
lift a crown with Everton as a team, this great individual record will
certainly shine on as a highlight.

SPORTSMAIL'S FIVE FAVOURITE NEVILLE MOMENTS
Phil Neville's Manchester United debut v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

Manchester United debut v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

Neville played at right back (right) in the fabled defence that included Bruce, Pallister and Schmeichel, as Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis and Andy Cole secured a 3-0 win.

Setting up Eric Cantona at St James’ Park (March 4, 1996)

His surge down the left flank and cross for Cantona led to United beating Newcastle 1-0 and the victory gave Ferguson’s side the impetus to go on to win the Premier League title. It was the first of Neville’s six gongs.

Winning goal at Chelsea (February 28, 1998)

Neville has only scored nine goals in his 499 appearances to date but this, in a 1-0 victory, was the pick of the bunch, a bending right-foot effort that gave Dmitri Kharine no chance.

Everton debut v Manchester United (August 13, 2005)

If there were any doubts Neville would
struggle to adjust to life after Old Trafford, they were banished in
his first Everton game. Everton may have lost 2-0 but he was
outstanding.

Season-changing tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo (October 25, 2008)

Everton were in the doldrums when they
faced his old side, and losing 1-0, but a thundering challenge on
Ronaldo (below) altered the course of the game – Everton drew 1-1 – and sparked a
run that carried them to fifth.

Phil Neville's season-changing tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo (October 25, 2008)

Leeds 40 Wakefield 26: Justin Poore sparks mass brawl

Posted on December 26, 2012 by adminsports

Leeds 40 Wakefield 26: We know it's Boxing Day but this is ridiculous! Poore behaviour leads to mass brawl

UPDATED:

15:10 GMT, 26 December 2012

Wakefield's Australian prop Justin Poore made an unforgettable first appearance on British soil when he was sent off against Super League champions Leeds for sparking a Boxing Day brawl.

The 27-year-old former Parramatta forward was given his marching orders by referee Jamie Leahy after clashing with Leeds prop Ryan Bailey just 20 minutes into the festive challenge match at Headingley.

Poore had already conceded three penalties in an inauspicious start to his Wakefield career and he could now miss the start of Super League XVIII in February if he is banned by the disciplinary committee.

Festive cheer: Wakefield and Leeds players square up on Boxing Day

Ouch: Ryan Bailey was cut in the clash

Bailey was sin-binned for his part in
the fracas, along with team-mate Mitch Achurch, who was also making his
first appearance in British rugby league, and Wakefield winger Ben
Cockayne.

Leeds hooker
Paul McShane, making his return from a loan spell with Widnes, became
the fourth player to be shown a yellow card when he was sin-binned on 57
minutes for a high tackle.

Wakefield,
fielding a near full-strength team, were never able to overcome their
numerical disadvantage as they went down to a makeshift Leeds outfit in
front of a crowd of 9,347.
Star
of the show was acting captain Danny McGuire, one of three members of
the Rhinos' Grand Final-winning team, while new faces Joe Vickery and
Joel Moon also caught the eye on Leeds' new 1million pitch.

Vickery,
a 23-year-old Australian trialist, boosted his chances of securing a
contract by scoring two well-taken tries in the first 22 minutes while
Moon was named the Rhinos' man of the match.

It was from McGuire's perfectly-judged grubber kick that Vickery opened the scoring on five minutes, although Wakefield hit the champions with two well-executed tries in three minutes from skipper Danny Kirmond and new signing Reece Lyne to take a 12-6 lead.

A superb one-handed pass from ex-Salford centre Moon gave the impressive Vickery the chance to jink his way over for his second try and delicate footwork from McShane created the first of two touchdowns for prop Brad Singleton.

McShane's second conversion made it 16-12 but Cockayne brought the scores level on the stroke of half-time when he took Lyne's pass to score the visitors' third try.

Leeds edged back in front four minutes into the second half when McGuire's long pass got winger Jimmy Watson over for their fourth try and the England half-back took complete control to create further tries for winger Jamel Chisholm, substitute Alex Foster and Moon.

Centre Dean Collis and former Leeds full-back Richard Mathers added further tries for the Wildcats and Paul Sykes kicked a third goal but Leeds had the final say when Singleton went over for their eighth try, with McShane kicking his fourth goal from six attempts.

Everton captain Phil Neville set for 500th Premier League game, the seventh ever

Posted on December 26, 2012 by adminsports

500 club! Everton captain Neville set to become seventh man in illustrious group

UPDATED:

22:00 GMT, 25 December 2012

Phil Neville will add his name to an illustrious group on Boxing Day when he becomes only the seventh man to make 500 appearances in the Barclays Premier League.

During a career that spans 19 years, Everton’s captain has won almost every honour in the game and represented England on 59 occasions but his ambition and determination to make the most of every day means he is reaching the landmark figure quicker than expected.

Fergie's fledgling: Phil Neville was at United from 1995

End/start: Neville left Manchester United in 2005

Skipper: He has led Everton with distinction since 2007

NEVILLE IN NUMBERS

19: Seasons in the Premier League… 11 at United and eight at Everton

3: Red cards 82: Yellow cards 9: Goals scored
263: Matches for United 444: starts

MILESTONES

First game: United v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

100th: United v Middlesbrough (May 9, 1999)

200th: United v Southampton (November 2, 2002)

300th: Everton v Tottenham (August 26, 2006)

400th: Everton v Aston Villa (April 12, 2009)

TOP 10 IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Ryan Giggs 607
David James 572
Gary Speed 535
Frank Lampard 531
Emile Heskey 516
Sol Campbell 503
PHIL NEVILLE 499
Paul Scholes 495
Jamie Carragher 491
Mark Schwarzer 486
*Brother Gary played 400

Neville, after all, only had surgery to correct a knee problem in November that should have meant he was laid up for eight weeks.

However, when he returned to Everton’s starting line-up at West Ham on Saturday, it was only 36 days after his operation.

Though he will be 36 in January, Neville’s enthusiasm remains undiminished and it has prompted Everton manager David Moyes — whose side will be aiming to consolidate their grip on a place in the top five with victory against Wigan — to label him as the model professional.

‘People would be amazed by the amount of work and conditioning Phil has put in to get himself right,’ said Moyes.

'He continually works hard. He is in every morning at 8.30am, he doesn’t leave until late. The rehabilitation work he puts himself through — never at any stage does he complain.

'He just continually pushed himself to try and get back. The biggest impact that it should have on everyone is the manner of what he has done.

'They might not say it but I think they would all have to have admiration for how he continually prepares himself and the way he goes about playing.

'It has helped him recover from this injury. We will have to look after him. He has had a bit of cartilage taken away, so we will have to be careful that it is not bone on bone in his knee. I might need to try to calm him down a bit!'

Cheers, bro: Neville remains close with his brother Gary, with whom he broke through at United

Better together: His relationship with David Moyes has helped Everton thrive

Very few players have left Old
Trafford during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign and gone on to enjoy
successful careers elsewhere but Neville has been an integral part of
Everton’s development under Moyes, who hugely appreciates his captain’s
achievement in reaching 500 appearances.

'It
says a lot about what he’s done,’ said Moyes, who has certainly got
value for money from Neville since signing him for 3.5million in August
2005.

'But it doesn’t
surprise me because his mentality and his attitude to the game have been
great since he came from Manchester United.'

Pedigree: The midfielder has played for England 59 times, though not since 2007

Neville has six months remaining on his current contract and Moyes added: 'He’s been a great signing. The best person to talk about (the future) is Phil because I’ve already spoken to him and he just wants to see how his body is.

'He's just back from a knee operation and he would be the first one to say that we should just see how his knee is. I don’t think he sees any great panic in it at this moment in time.'

SPORTSMAIL'S FIVE FAVOURITE NEVILLE MOMENTS
Phil Neville's Manchester United debut v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

Manchester United debut v Manchester City (February 11, 1995)

Neville played at right back (right) in the fabled defence that included Bruce, Pallister and Schmeichel, as Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis and Andy Cole secured a 3-0 win.

Setting up Eric Cantona at St James’ Park (March 4, 1996)

Winning goal at Chelsea (February 28, 1998)

Neville has only scored nine goals in his 499 appearances to date but this, in a 1-0 victory, was the pick of the bunch, a bending right-foot effort that gave Dmitri Kharine no chance.

Everton debut v Manchester United (August 13, 2005)

If there were any doubts Neville would
struggle to adjust to life after Old Trafford, they were banished in
his first Everton game. Everton may have lost 2-0 but he was
outstanding.

Season-changing tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo (October 25, 2008)

Phil Neville's season-changing tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo (October 25, 2008)

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