Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale Sports Agenda: Keep off the pitch, all except Capello
The groundsman of non-League Northwood FC, concerned about an unexpected training session taking place at the club's London home, went to investigate and found England coach Fabio Capello going through his drills.[LNB]The unlikely presence of the mighty Capello in such lowly football surroundings last Friday afternoon was enough to send the Northwood curator into retreat, even though the Chestnut Avenue pitch was being used for a reserve game the next day and a Ryman League Division One North match tonight.[LNB]The best things in life are free: Capello did not charge the FA for his extra promotional work[LNB] Capello, who had recovered enough from his recent knee operation to be giving a masterclass to fellow coaches, was being filmed for an upcoming FA campaign.[LNB]It aims to promote 11-a-side football amid increasing concern that too many players between 16 and 21 are being lost to the full-scale game, preferring the five-a-side version.[LNB]Other short video features on the subject have been shot with England stars Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Gareth Barry.[LNB]Northwood was used because of its proximity to FA headquarters at Wembley, where the pitch is kept under wraps whenever possible.[LNB]Capello, who earns £6million a year, is understood not to have asked for any remuneration for his extra FA promotional work.[LNB]Sportsmail got it right over Portsmouth debtsPortsmouth are a week away from their High Court date over a winding-up order from H.M Revenue and Customs over an unpaid £12million tax bill. [LNB]To think now that the club's chief executive Peter Storrie had the gall last May to threaten Sports Agenda with legal action for the following paragraph: 'Portsmouth's financial problems are serious enough to be causing major concern to the Premier League. They are worried that the club may not be able to continue much longer as a going concern with sustainable debt.' .[LNB]Neither Pompey nor the Premier League come out.of this long fiasco with any credit. They can't even agree whose proposal since rejected it was for the club to be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window.[LNB]Djokovic and co dumped for Murray's clothing contractBritain's Andy Murray has received such a big clothing contract from adidas around £15m over five years that the brand have ditched Novak Djokovic, Marcos Baghdatis and the Bryan brothers to help fund it.[LNB] £15m man: Murray's clothing contract has come at the expense of other players[LNB] So there was understandable meltdown within adidas when Murray turned up for a photoshoot last week at Dubai's new racecourse wearing a distinctive Hugo Boss-branded polo shirt. Jim Latham, head of adidas tennis, will be making clear hisdisappointment to the Murray camp.[LNB]FIFA online transfer system to block wrongdoingFIFA will aim for greater transparency in international player transfers by setting up an online system for their 208 member associations by next October. It will include a checklist devised to detect financial wrongdoing or illegal third-party ownership. Yet judging by the governing body's lack of enthusiasm in policing agents, this latest initiative can't be taken seriously yet.[LNB]Threat to Blatter rivalThere is a further complication in the expected Sepp Blatter v Mohamed Bin Hammam battle for the FIFA presidency in May 2011, with the politicking sure to impact on the World Cup 2018 and 2022 venue decisions in December.[LNB] Blatter battle: The FIFA presidency contest is up and running[LNB] Bin Hammam also faces a challenge from Japan to his Asian presidency, with the ballot due around the same time as the FIFA election. If Bin Hammam does take on Blatter, it's believed UEFA president Michel Platini will also enter the race rather than wait until 2015.[LNB]At least one sporting figure will miss rugby's complicated Danny Cipriani when he moves to Melbourne Rebels from Wasps. Surrey cricket captain Rory Hamilton-Brown, who made a controversial switch of his own in December when he rejoined the club from Sussex, is a friend of the fly-half . Hamilton-Brown was stripped of the England Under 19 captaincy in 2007 after an alleged drinking incident, but.an ECB charge was dropped and Rory reinstated after a.hallenge by his father. Wolves 0 Chelsea 2: Deadly Drogba hits double to give Carlo a timely liftWenger will be on Real Madrid's radar if Mourinho turns down Spanish giantsWigan Athletic 0 Tottenham Hotspur 3: Roman Pavlyuchenko conquers as Spurs go fourth and prosper from Eastlands shut-outEngland boss Capello is intimidating and just scary, reveals RooneyAshley Cole could face Chelsea punishment after more allegations over private lifeFerguson says Rooney needs predator's instincts to match former Manchester United legends
