Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: Troubled Keegan in new legal fight
Kevin Keegan, who has launched an £8million action against Newcastle United[LNB]for constructive dismissal after quitting as manager last September, is himself facing legal action over his Soccer Circus near Glasgow. [LNB]He has found it financially heavy going as a football theme park owner. But one successful initiative has been the Soccer Tots classes that are now advertising additional sessions on the website. [LNB]However, Keegan can expect correspondence this week from football coach Simon Clifford, who has pioneered both Brazilian Soccer Schools and Socatots in this country. Clifford's classes, which have been running for nine years, offer football tuition to infants from six months to five years and have grown to 300 franchises worldwide.[LNB] [LNB] What do you mean, change my name? Keegan's Soccer Tots course has raised a few eyebrows[LNB]Clifford, who has registered his Socatots trademark and patent, will be sending Keegan a Demand to Cease and Desist letter, the first stage of a copyright infringement action. And he will take the matter to court unless Keegan stops tradingunder the Soccer Tots name. [LNB]He said: 'I know Kevin is having a difficult time, but I can't allow him to use a title I have spent nine years building into a successful business. It's not right and I'll take the necessary steps to prevent it.' [LNB]Clifford taught actress Keira Knightley to play football for the Bend It Like Beckham film as well as having a controversial period with Sir Clive Woodward at Southampton, where their coaching ideas didn't gel with old school manager Harry Redknapp, who called Clifford 'The ball juggler'.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: ESPN's threat to Setanta strategy[LNB]04/02/09 Anfield rift grows as Liverpool's co-owner Gillett keeps his distance[LNB]02/02/09 CHARLES SALE: Kuwait billionaires are still in Anfield talks[LNB]01/02/09 Former Gunners chief Edelman heading for top job at FA[LNB]30/01/09 Capello forced to compromise on England friendlies because of fixture list [LNB]29/01/09 BBC defend £173m splash of the day despite no rival bids for TV rights[LNB]28/01/09 Charles Sale: Beeb's secret deal to keep ball rolling [LNB]28/01/09 Charles Sale: The FA back Spain's 2016 Olympics bid to silence racists[LNB]26/01/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE[LNB] *****Arsenal [LNB]supporters are underwhelmed by arequest from the club to pay another £10 for their tickets for their Premier League visit to Spurs on Sunday. [LNB]The letter from Gunners ticket office boss Ivan Worsell explains that an administrative error by Tottenham [LNB]resulted in Arsenal selling White Hart Lane seats at the wrong cheaper price — and inviting fans to pay the difference on-line.[LNB]Even more extraordinary than Arsenal sending out a begging letter on behalf of their bitter rivals would be any fan coughing up to help Spurs.[LNB]*****[LNB] It wouldn't be the greatest surprise if the showcase 'brand of the year' honour at the prestigious Sports Industry Awards on April 30 went to BBC Sport, one of the three shortlisted finalists — especially as the chairman of the judging panel is BBC Sport broadcaster John Inverdale (right).[LNB]*****THE RFU are doing what they can to stamp out the secondary ticket market for Twickenham matches. Yet scandalously, their official agents Ticketmaster continue to sell black-market tickets for Six Nations games on their own secondary site, Get Me In, despite knowing the RFU disapprove and have been attempting to stop them. [LNB]A Ticketmaster spokesman said: 'If fans wish to buy and sell tickets, we believe there is responsibility to offer them a marketplace that delivers greater consumer protection and transparency.'[LNB]*****Lee aid for quiet ClarkeMike Lee, the spinmeister who helped London win the Olympics, played a considerable behind-the-scenes role for Giles Clarke in his battle with Lord Marland for chairmanship of the England Cricket Board. [LNB]Clarke has kept remarkably quiet throughout the election period, allowing the underprepared Marland campaign to self-destruct through lack of time.[LNB]It has also emerged that two of the chairmen backing Marland, Hampshire's Rod Bransgrove and Lancashire's Mike Cairns, were instrumental in the sensible levy that sees upset/greedy English players having to pay 10 per cent of their Indian Premier League monies to their counties.[LNB]***** SKY SPORTS bosses are not overly impressed that David Gower, who didn't work during the India leg of the winter cricket, will be missing from their pundits' line-up in Jamaica today for the start of England's Test series against the West Indies. [LNB]He hadn't been able to reach the airport from his Hampshire home in time for the flight to the Caribbean. In contrast, Gower's Sky colleague Nasser Hussain booked into an airport hotel the night before because of the weather forecast.[LNB][LNB][LNB] [LNB]
