DAN KING- Court rules over former Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak
26 Sep 2009 - 22:30:16
On the day Alexandre Gaydamak finally sold Portsmouth Football Club to Sulaiman Al Fahim, a court in Israel was ruling on the ownership of two more of the controversial businessman's assets.
Gaydamak lost his appeal against the seizure of two Tel Aviv properties he claimed to own after the court heard allegations that his father and fugitive from justice, Arkadi Gaydamak, was in the habit of registering assets in his son's name.
The judge who heard the appeal, Shmuel Baruch, commented: 'There are...indications that all Alexandre did was for his father, with his father's money and as his tool.'
Lost appeal: Alexandre Gaydamak has had property seized in Israel
The case arose when Israeli businessman Joseph Traum successfully sued Gaydamak snr for around £9million following the collapse of a business deal in Kazakhstan.
Because Gaydamak had moved to Moscow last year, Traum sought seizure of his assets in Israel and claimed in his affidavit for the initial case that Arkadi was also the true owner of Portsmouth FC.
A spokesman for Gaydamak jnr vehemently denied the allegation, adding: 'Portsmouth Football Club have never been owned, either directly or indirectly, by Arkadi Gaydamak.'
● No wonder Bradley Wiggins did a Basil Fawlty when his new bike let him down during the world time-trial championship.
The triple Olympic gold medallist had been so delighted with the £10,000 machine, he couldn't resist Twittering about it.
'My new TT Felt bike is going to look the dog's nut-sack next week,' he tweeted.
Not after you've thrown it into the crash barriers in fury, it isn't!
A damn good thrashing: Bradley Wiggins lost patience with his new bike
Stars back 2012 deal More from Dan King... DANIEL KING: Courts finally rule over ex-owner of Pompey26/09/09 FIFA to probe 15 transfers: Premier League furious after FA send on files19/09/09 DAN KING: Why Chelsea need to keep Peter Kenyon onside19/09/09 DAN KING: Who will Wayne obey when duty calls - Coleen or Capello?12/09/09 On the Line: Unlikely figure of Gavin McCann set to expose murky world of transfers 05/09/09 Still not diving, Rooney? England striker at the centreof yet another penalty controversy as Capello's team enjoy comfortable win05/09/09 England v Slovenia - live coverage of the Wembley friendly international05/09/09 On The Line: Are the Ashes set to be a free for all?29/08/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVERumours that the Team 2012 project will unveil its first sponsor this week suggest agents of big-name athletes from track and field, cycling and swimming have dropped their opposition to the scheme.
Representatives of high-profile, marketable individuals like Becky Adlington and Christine Ohuruogu had objected to signing away commercial rights to raise up to £20million to help plug the £50m funding gap for London 2012 left by broken Government promises.
But a contract acceptable to all parties now appears to have been drawn up, allowing the authorities to announce a sponsorship deal that was agreed weeks ago.
● There could be another reason - besides poor coaching and poor attitude - why academies in England fail to produce decent players: inferior food.
Word arrives that a penny-pinching Premier League club are operating a two-tier menu at lunchtime after training, providing exotic and nutritious dishes for the first-team squad and a lesser menu for the juniors.
And finally...Was it down to referee Martin Atkinson's timekeeping or divine intervention that Michael Owen snatched victory for Manchester United in last week's derby?
Father Paddy McMahon, a United fan and friend of manager Sir Alex Ferguson, ends Saturday evening mass at St John's Church, in Chorlton, by reading out the football results.
'I don't think anyone minds me telling the congregation the scores,' he said. 'I always ask people to pray for United - and City. But then, of course, they really need it.'
Explore more:People:Christine Ohuruogu, Sulaiman Al Fahim, Michael Owen, Alex Ferguson, Bradley Wiggins, Martin AtkinsonPlaces:London, Kazakhstan, Israel, United Kingdom, Premier League clubOrganisations:Portsmouth Football Club
