SCREAMER LIVE: Heskey allays KO fears - plus more from world of football

22 December 2009 17:03
Keep up to date with the stories breaking across the football world with Screamer Live - Sportsmail Online's regularly updated round-up. Check back throughout the day, with the latest news appearing at the top of the page.[LNB] Tragedy: Robert Enke[LNB]Hannover coach Andreas Bergmann admits his team are finding it difficult toovercome the death of goalkeeper Robert Enke. Enke committed suicide in November after battling depression.[LNB]Hannover have taken one point from a possible 15 since the tragedy and in their last two games scored three own goals to lose 5-3 at Borussia Monchengladbach and then threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Bochum.'Of course Robert's death still has an affect on the team,' Bergmann said. 'It was only six weeks ago. To what extent processing this tragedy inhibits the players on the pitch is hard to say.[LNB]'The team has not found it easy to put Robert's death to the side. He was not just our goalkeeper, but with his performances and charisma, an absolute leader who was simply snatched away from us.'[LNB] Wigan officials are confident of avoiding a second postponement in six days after spending a five-figure sum in a bid to beat the big freeze.[LNB]Despite a perfectly-playable pitch, severe icy conditions around the DW Stadium that prompted fears for the safety of spectators forced last night's clash with Bolton to be called off.[LNB]The club are now determined to avoid a repeat for the Boxing Day home fixture with another of their local rivals, Blackburn. The Latics have hired a JCB snow plough and bought seven tonnes of grit to spread across pathways and car parks, which are the most treacherous areas.[LNB]Chief executive Brenda Spencer said: "Ultimately, we can't control the weather of course, but we are doing everything in our power to try and keep the game played on Saturday.'[LNB] The German Football Association have suspended an assistant referee suspected of fixing matches.[LNB]The official in question is Cetin Sevinc, who has acted as an assistant five times in the second division this season, the DFB confirmed in a statement. Sevinc has also acted as referee in five regional league matches this season.[LNB] The number of football hooligans arrested by the police fell last season. Home Office statistics showed there were 3,752 arrests at matches in England and Wales - a fall of 2 per cent on the 2007/8 season.[LNB]Half were for disorder and around a third for alcohol offences. Other arrests were for ticket touting and violence. [LNB] Manchester United fans topped the Premier League arrest charts. Of 1,600 arrests of fans with clubs in the top flight, 185 were followers of the league title holders.[LNB]Second was relegated Newcastle with 144 arrests and third was Everton with 139. Fulham had the fewest fans arrested with just 13.More than three thousand fans are banned from watching matches. Of those Leeds fans are the worst offenders with 162 coming under banning orders, behind Cardiff with 124 and Millwall with 110.[LNB] Painful: Emile Heskey injures his groin[LNB]Emile Heskey will not be sidelined for as long as first feared after scans on the Aston Villa striker's groin revealed no serious damage.[LNB]The England international limped out of Saturday's 1-0 home win against Stoke, but boss Martin O'Neill said: 'I think it is shaping up to be a short-term injury, which is good news for us and him. He may be available for one of the two Christmas games.'[LNB]Villa visit Arsenal on Sunday and then entertain Liverpool next Tuesday.[LNB] Italy coach Marcello Lippi insists he will not be returning to Juventus after next summer's World Cup.[LNB]The 61-year-old is out of contract after South Africa 2010 and reports in his homeland have suggested he could replace beleaguered Juve coach Ciro Ferrara or take a strategic director of football-style role in Turin.[LNB]However, Lippi: 'I don't know what I will do after the World Cup. I have said it a billion times, that I will not be returning to Juventus, neither as coach, nor as technical director.[LNB]'Ferrara will have made some mistakes, certainly, because he is a young coach, who doesn't have experience, but he has personality, charisma, has clear ideas and is a coach who, in my opinion, can do well.'[LNB] Mark Yates has been appointed Cheltenham's new manager after the League Two side agreed a compensation package to take him and coach Neil Howarth from Kidderminster.[LNB]Howarth will take the role of first-team coach at the Coca-Cola League Two outfit with acting manager John Schofield becoming Yates' new right-hand man. [LNB]Schofield had been in temporary charge since the end of October when Cheltenham initially placed Martin Allen on gardening leave. Allen left his post last week by mutual consent after being formally cleared by the club of alleged racial misconduct.[LNB] Middlesbrough skipper Gary O'Neil has extended his stay on Teesside after the club took up a two-year option on his contract.[LNB]The 26-year-old joined Boro in a £5million move from Portsmouth in August 2007 with just minutes of the transfer window to spare.[LNB]O'Neil initially struggled to settle in the north-east and has been repeatedly linked with a move back to the South Coast. However, having been appointed skipper by new boss Gordon Strachan, he is seen as a key player in Boro's efforts to drag themselves back into the Barclays Premier League.[LNB] Tough cookie: Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neil (left) holds off Rio Ferdinand[LNB] French football authorities are considering employing someone to work alongside Raymond Domenech at the helm of Les Bleus.[LNB]Domenech has come under fire in France despite qualifying for next summer's World Cup. His federation insist Domenech will not be replaced, but they could employ a general manager and a director of sport.[LNB]Jean-Pierre Louvel, president of the union of professional football clubs, said: 'Six months away from the World Cup, it would not be reasonable to separate ourselves from our coach. But we couldn't just stand around doing nothing.[LNB]'We have to consider all the solutions so that the France team stirs up passion once again. Not to do anything would be a lacking of our responsibilities.'[LNB] John Terry FIFA vote storm: England captain names Chelsea pal Michael Ballack as No 2 player in the world (but doesn't rate runaway winner Lionel Messi)VIDEO SPECIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo wins Puskas Goal of the Year award for his rocket for Manchester United against PortoSecond-best Manchester City sack the boss, rock-bottom Liverpool persist with Rafa while Spurs top the Premier League improvement tableTHE LIST: Sporting moments of the year - Nos 40-31  

Source: Daily_Mail