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John Terry ‘devastated’ after being stripped of England captaincy – again

Andy — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:10:24 +0000

Defender loses armband for second time after trial for alleged racist insults is delayed until after Euro 2012 competition

For England's football team, the long, albeit trophyless, years of David Beckham suddenly look like a lost era of competence and tranquillity. On Friday Beckham's successor, John Terry, was stripped of the team captaincy for the second time in his international career, again as a result of incidents unrelated to his qualities as a player.

For once the much-criticised Football Association acted quickly and decisively, responding to this week's announcement that the trial of Terry, 31, for the alleged use of racist insults during a match in November, will not come before Westminster magistrates court until 9 July. That means after the finals of the European football championship, which are being held in Poland and Ukraine this summer, and in which England are one of the 16 competing nations.

Terry is accused of insulting Anton Ferdinand, the Queens Park Rangers defender and brother of Rio, a long-time rival for the England captaincy, in racist terms during a match at QPR's Loftus Road on 23 October. His lawyers, announcing a plea of not guilty at a hearing this week, asked for a delay in the start of the trial, which was granted by the district judge. The player and his advisers may have hoped he would be able to take part in the tournament, but an immediate outcry preceded the FA's decision.

For Terry, the loss of the captaincy – even temporarily – is a far more serious sanction than the maximum punishment for the offence, a £2,500 fine which would represent, as one newspaper worked out, less than three hours' work for a man on a basic wage from his club of £160,000 a week.

On Friday sources close to the player were letting it be known that he is "devastated" and "furious", angered in particular by the timing of the announcement.

But elsewhere it was being disclosed that when Terry became aware of mounting antipathy among the England squad's black players during the buildup to their most recent match, against Sweden on 15 November, two weeks after the alleged outburst, he had requested a player close to him to ask the most disaffected team-mate if there was a problem. The answer: "Fucking right there's a problem."

While announcing that Terry has been relieved of his responsibilities as captain, the FA made it clear that the Chelsea defender will not be excluded from consideration as a player.

The decision to deprive him of the captain's armband was made without regard for the views of Fabio Capello, the England manager. "Fabio has not been involved in the FA board discussions," the FA chairman, David Bernstein, said on Friday.

Early last year Capello restored Terry to the job, having seen it taken from him in February 2010 as a result of publicity over an alleged affair with the French lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel, a former partner of Wayne Bridge, a Chelsea and England teammate.

Bridge's anger over the liaison – always denied by Terry – led him to announce his own retirement from international football. Perroncel's subsequent denial of the allegations was followed by an apology from the News of the World, which admitted invading her privacy. While deprived of the captaincy on that occasion, Terry continued playing for England, under the leadership of Rio Ferdinand – one of three players, the other being Steven Gerrard, who "auditioned" for the post during Capello's early days in England. The Italian followed the example of his predecessor, the ill-fated Steve McClaren, in plumping for Terry's powerful presence in the dressing room and driving force on the pitch.

McClaren first appointed Terry to the job on taking over as manager after the 2006 World Cup, when the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson coincided with Beckham's decision to relinquish the armband. There were many who felt that the Barking-born defender's previous brushes with scandal rendered him an unsuitable candidate. These included, but are not limited to, a much publicised incident of unruliness with a couple of Chelsea teammates in front of American tourists on the day of 9/11, a charge of affray – of which he was cleared – at a nightclub in 2002, the discovery that he had parked his Bentley in a disabled bay outside a Pizza Express near his home in the Surrey stockbroker belt, and the claim that he was asking thousands of pounds for giving unauthorised tours of Chelsea's training ground in 2009. His supporters praise his clenched-fist approach to the captain's mission, symbolic of the aggression and defiance still believed by many to form the core virtues of English football.

Others view the episode of the Bentley in the disabled bay as a particularly potent symbol of the degeneracy of the English game's young millionaires. To them, Friday's news was long overdue.

Richard Williams

Darren Bent hopes joining 100 club will boost his England cause

Andy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:07:32 +0000

• Striker scored his 100th Premier League goal against QPR
• 'Hopefully getting into the 100 club will help my cause'

Darren Bent is hoping his landmark of 100 Premier League goals is sufficient to keep him in the thoughts of Fabio Capello, ahead of this summer's European Championship.

Bent's strike for Aston Villa in their 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday made him the 22nd player to join the Premier League's "100 club". After being overlooked by Capello in the past, Bent is looking for the century to prove timely.

"So much has gone on before. I have had times in my career when I have been scoring loads of goals and not been picked," Bent said. "Anything is possible when it comes to that.

"All I can do is keep reminding people and keep trying to put the ball in the net. Hopefully a big stat like me getting into the 100 club will help my cause."

Even if an England return is not forthcoming, Bent has taken great satisfaction from the 100 goal tally. "It feels fantastic," said the 27-year-old. "I have been thinking about it. Ever since I stepped in the Premier League, to be fair, I always thought about joining the 100 club.

"When I got the first one it was a long time ago so for me to have actually done it now feels fantastic. Some of the names in that bracket are fantastic so for me to be amongst them now hopefully I have still got time to get more and push right up there."

Bent paid tribute to the positive influence of Robbie Keane, who has provided extra forward impetus for Alex McLeish's team since making a temporary loan move to Villa from Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Robbie is that bit of quality that we needed," Bent said. "He seems to find pockets of space and keeps things ticking over and always looks for that forward pass. That is why he is a top, top player and always has been. Robbie is a fantastic player and he is that one person that we didn't have in the squad that we have now. He can link the game and see little passes."

Bent reflected with scorn on suggestions he could have exited Villa Park during the transfer window. Liverpool were among a number of clubs reportedly close to signing the forward.

"It was laughable," he said of the speculation.

"I always knew I was going to be at Villa. I have said before and been on record I would like to stay at Villa for years and really kick on in my career while playing for Aston Villa.

"It is flattering to be linked with clubs like Liverpool but at the same time I always knew I was going to be here come 1 February and I am delighted to be here.

"You just laugh it off and get on with it. It is flattering. Liverpool are one of the biggest clubs in the world but at the same time it never crossed my mind once to leave."

Ewan Murray

Fabio Capello warned of ‘toxic’ Euro 2012 if he includes John Terry

Dave — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:07:08 +0000

• England captain should not go to Euros, says Jason Roberts
• FA must do right thing, says director of Football Against Racism

Fabio Capello has been warned the atmosphere in the England camp at this summer's European Championship will be "toxic" if he persists with his plans to include John Terry and the Football Association decides against overruling the national team manager.

The warning came as the executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe called for the FA to remove Terry's captaincy. "The seriousness of the allegations mean that he can't lead the nation," Piara Powar said. "The FA must do the right thing."

As it stands, Terry is free to captain England after pleading not guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence against Anton Ferdinand when Chelsea played Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road in October. The prosecution initially hoped to arrange a date in March but the trial has been fixed for 9 July, a delay that threatens ramifications for Rio Ferdinand, the brother of Anton.

If Capello selects Rio, it raises the possibility of him and Terry being asked to partner one another in central defence just a few weeks before Terry appears at Westminster magistrates court. The Manchester United player's involvement is not guaranteed after an injury-troubled season but, if named in Capello's squad, he would have to consider whether he wants to take part when the issue is unresolved.

Capello had consistently stressed before Terry was charged that, as far as he and the FA were concerned, the player would be considered innocent unless it was proven otherwise and he was therefore entitled to retain the captaincy. The Italian now faces the possibility of a second successive major tournament in which Terry's participation is threatening division behind the scenes.

Before the World Cup Terry's falling-out with his former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge led to the left-back withdrawing from contention. The latest case presents similar issues and prompted one footballer, Jason Roberts, to express his concerns, via Twitter, about the FA's stance. "Believe me, the dressing room at the Euros will be TOXIC unless the correct decision is made," Roberts said in one message. In another, he added: "I do not believe that the England captain should go to the Euros."

Roberts, a campaigner for Kick It Out, went on to point out that the FA's policy with Terry was different to the stance it took when Rio Ferdinand was excluded from England duty before his hearing into forgetting a drugs test. The Reading striker wrote: "Innocent until proven guilty is not always the case in football, as @rioferdy5 [Ferdinand] found out in his case." He added: "In many workplaces an allegation of certain behaviour is an immediate suspension."

Powar also voiced his feelings on Twitter. "Innocent until proven guilty. But should John Terry remain as England captain through the Euros? I can't see how he can. To be captain means to be the leader. You have to take everyone with you. Removing the captaincy does not prejudice case."

Damian Collins MP, a member of the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, tweeted to say: "John Terry should stand aside as captain until the case is resolved, and any doubt either way removed."

The trial has been held over until the summer after the district judge was asked to consider Terry's playing commitments between now and the end of June and took into account a letter from the Chelsea chief executive, Ron Gourlay.

Chelsea were concerned about the potential for disruption when they could still be involved in the Champions League. England then have friendly fixtures against Norway on 26 May and Belgium on 2 June and Euro 2012 takes place in Poland and Ukraine from 8 June to 1 July. Anton Ferdinand's commitments to QPR over the remainder of the season, ending on 13 May, were also taken into account.

Terry's legal team released a statement after Wednesday's hearing describing him as "shocked and disgusted" by the accusation. "Mr Terry has consistently and resolutely maintained that his well-publicised remarks were made in the belief that he was being accused of racist abuse by Mr Ferdinand. Mr Terry denies making any racist statement, and will establish in court that he is not guilty of such offence. Mr Terry has never racially abused another player in his entire career."

Daniel Taylor

Dominic Fifield

How to avoid the orange sticker of shame

Andy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:06:10 +0000

How to steer clear of a "stickergate" incident this summer, everywhere from the Olympics to the jubilee

Ascot claimed it had been well-intentioned. But issuing race-goers who failed to meet the new dress code with a very public orange sticker of shame was never going to be a PR triumph. Organisers thought that it would prevent attendees from being bothered again and again by officials, telling them for the umpteenth time that their look didn't cut it. But what if other cultural fixtures started to embrace this humiliating practice? Could "stickergate" spread? Here's our guide to some of the summer's key events and what may or may not cause you to get orange-stickered by the wardrobe police.

The Olympics

Navigating E20 chic won't be easy. A show of national support is good, though head-to-toe Wenlock motifs would place you firmly in orange sticker territory. One Stella McCartney-designed Olympic top should suffice.

Euro 2012

After-work football-viewing chic is a low point on any fashion calendar. An England shirt with a square-toes office lace-up would attract a rash of orange stickers in the pub. Even a fan in facepaint is preferable. Far better to wear something slightly sporty but not at all logoed from Cos, like a boxy sweatshirt.

Stone Roses reunion gigs

What is less likely to be stickered? A 40-year-old man in a bad leather jacket, bootcut jeans and the babysitter's goodwill, or one who attempts to recreate the Spike Island look – 22in flares and fishing hat – wholesale? On balance, I'd say the latter.

Tate Modern's Damien Hirst exhibition

It's a blockbuster. No point in pretending that attendance qualifies you as an art critic. Pale, Brian Sewell-style slacks are thus a pretentious sticker magnet. Soho jeans and late-90s Savile Row tailoring suggests Damien-Hirst wannabe, but shouldn't fall foul of the sticker police. Meanwhile Jonathan Saunders polka dot pyjamas (or appropriations of) should be the alpha fashion woman's approach to visiting Hirst.

The Queen's jubilee

You would think that channelling HM herself is asking for a stickering. But, happy news, pastels are a big look this summer, so feel free to indulge at your local street party with no fear of sartorial humiliation.

London Olympics coverage could cut length of news bulletins, warns BBC

Dave — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:21:22 +0000

Corporation could miss annual peak-time news quota due to heavy commitment to the Games and Euro 2012

The BBC has warned its London Olympics coverage could see it forced to cut back the length of some editions of BBC1's 6pm and 10pm news bulletins in the summer.

Live coverage of the London Games will be broadcast on BBC1 and BBC3, with comprehensive coverage on the corporation's flagship channel due to run from 6am to midnight – close to 18 hours of daily coverage throughout the two-week event.

As a result BBC executives have had to warn the BBC Trust that its heavy commitment to the London Olympics, as well as broadcasting the Euro 2012 football championship, may mean that it could miss hitting its annual quota of hours of its flagship peak-time news programming.

The BBC Trust, which published the minutes of a meeting on 17 November on Thursday, said it needed to inform media regulator Ofcom of the "possibility and circumstances in which BBC1's peak-time news quota might not be met in 2012, due to its coverage of the London Olympics and Euro 2012".

BBC1's flagship 10pm news is most likely to be hit by either football matches or Olympic events over-running, although BBC1 also airs a news bulletin at 6pm.

The BBC Trust said despite the importance of the Olympic Games to the nation, and to a lesser extent Euro 2012, that "network and regional news should continue to have top priority in scheduling decisions on BBC1".

"The channel should do all it [can] to meet the quota without harming audience interests," said the BBC Trust.

A spokeswoman for BBC News said: "Clearly there are major sporting events happening in 2012 which could lead to scheduling changes but our commitment to bringing our audiences all the latest news and current affairs in peak time remains as strong as ever."

According to a BBC report on the performance of its services, BBC1 has a commitment to deliver 275 hours of news during peak time, defined as running from 6pm to 10.30pm, in the year to 31 March 2011. BBC1 over-delivered its quota of peak-time news managing 278 hours for the period.

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Mark Sweney

Lukas Podolski reluctant to gamble Germany place with move to Arsenal

Dave — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:07:29 +0000

• Köln striker desperate to play at Euro 2012
• Gunners would need to double offer to at least €20m

Lukas Podolski has ruled out a January transfer to Arsenal. Kon Schramm, the representative of the Köln striker, told the Guardian that a move in the Bundesliga winter break is "all but impossible", citing the player's reluctance to endanger his chances of featuring for Germany in the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine this year. "Köln has priority right now; we have time [for everything else] in the summer," said Schramm.

Despite the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger's protestations to the contrary, there has been contact with the Polish-born forward in recent weeks. But Podolski, who has scored 14 goals in 16 league games this season, is wary of trading his automatic starting place for a new beginning in the Premier League at this stage of the campaign, especially in the light of Robin van Persie's outstanding form.

The left-footed Podolski has 95 caps and has been a mainstay for the German national team since 2004, but he is faced with increasing competition from emerging talent such as Mario Götze (Dortmund) and Marco Reus (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

While Gervinho's absence for the Africa Cup of Nations would provide the 26-year-old Podolski with an opportunity to play wide left for Arsenal, in the same role he has successfully filled for Joachim Löw's team in recent years, the player is much happier as a centre-forward. He is also very settled at his hometown club. On Monday, he revealed to Bild he was putting off planned nasal surgery so as not to miss five days of training.

A possible deal is further complicated by Köln's stance. The 10th-placed club are €31m (£25.8m) in debt but will not accept Arsenal's mooted offer of £10m due to the player's importance for the team and his contractual situation. A third of Podolski's transfer rights are held by the club sponsor SolarWorld, which partly financed his €10m return from Bayern Munich in 2009. Köln would thus only receive £6.6m, too meagre a return for the political and sporting fallout of selling their prize asset half-way through the season.

It would take an offer closer to €20m to make the economic case for his departure more compelling, according to a club source. But Köln will be forced to accept lower offers in the summer if Podolski refuses to extend his existing contract beyond 2013.

Raphael Honigstein

2012 football predictions – video

Dave — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:06:00 +0000

The Guardian's football pundits take a look at what may be in store for fans in 2012

The arts in 2012: television

Dave — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:07:28 +0000

Richard Vine picks his highlights of the year ahead

New Girl

If the words "pixie", "kooky" and "Zooey Deschanel" are a turn-off, then this is not for you. If you're a fan, however, this is a breezy riff on the apartment-sharing sitcom that should sit well on a Friday night. Post-breakup Zooey splits the rent with three guys who don't know what to make of her singing, crying and Dirty Dancing marathons. From 6 January, Channel 4.

Birdsong

Abi "The Hour" Morgan adapts Sebastian Faulks's first world war romance. Eddie Redmayne and Clémence Poésy star as the young lovers. January, BBC2.

Homeland

Claire Danes plays an unreliable CIA agent who doesn't quite believe the official story when marine Damian Lewis turns up after years being held captive by al-Qaida. Is he a hero – or has he been turned? February, More4.

Euro 2012; the Olympics

If you're not a sports fan, you may want to take a long break this summer as the BBC and ITV outside-broadcast units go into overdrive. Euro 2012 kicks off in June; a few weeks later, London's Olympic village opens its doors to the BBC, with the Paralympics continuing until 9 September. On the BBC squad: Sue Barker, Gary Lineker and Clare Balding; ITV have Adrian Chiles and Clive Tyldesley. Euro 2012: 8 June – 1 July; Olympics: 27 July – 12 August.

Richard II, Henry IV (Parts I and II) and Henry V

Three big-budget Shakespeares: Rupert Goold directs Ben Whishaw as Richard II; Richard Eyre directs Jeremy Irons as Henry IV; and Thea Sharrock follows with Tom Hiddleston as Henry V. Courtly intrigue from Simon Russell Beale and Rory Kinnear. BBC, summer.

Bad Sugar

Being pitched as "Grey Gardens, the sitcom", this spoof about a mining village is a Britcom all-star dream team: Julia Davis, Olivia Colman, Sharon Horgan and Peter Serafinowicz star, with a script from Peep Show's Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. Will it be the show that Lizzie and Sarah (the most baffling case of a pilot that wasn't picked up) could have been? In production, C4.

Richard Vine

Media predictions for 2012: TV and radio

Dave — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:57:55 +0000

Olympics, Euro 2012 and anniversaries set to dominate schedules overshadowed by BBC cuts and wrangling over policy

Television

2012 will a big year for TV, both in terms of content and regulation.

The London 2012 Olympics, Paralympics, Euro 2012, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Shakespeare and Dickens anniversaries will keep the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 busy.

The Olympics will be big and some reckon the England games could break the 20million plus barrier.

But it is also the year digital switchover happens in London and is completed. So far it has been a success. But if a national newspaper's editor's television goes on the blink then all that will be forgotten.

YouView will finally, hopefully, hove into view, though who knows exactly when.

The betting will continue on whether Mark Thompson will leave the BBC after the Olympics and the exodus at Channel 4 will carry on until David Abraham and Jay Hunt realise they are the only two left in the building. Not really.

The debate between Sky and the BBC over retransmission fees may be resolved, with the BBC using the money to reverse some of the Delivering Quality First cuts to BBC local radio and BBC4.

After 2011 was spent mostly debating where the axe should fall at the BBC, 2012 will be taken up with policy wrangling about local television, media ownership and the Communications Bill. Expect to hear the word "plurality" a lot.

Some predict that Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother will contain Liz Jones and perhaps some of the protagonists from the Leveson inquiry. Really?

Actually, the only sure prediction will be that, in spite of the cuts in TV, some interesting programmes are due to air.

On the cards are BBC1's The Voice, BBC2's Parade's End, ITV1's Titanic, the Morse prequel Endeavour and landmark strand 56 Up.

Channel 4 has Make Bradford British and drama The Mill and there is Sky 1 HD's Charlie Brooker comedy A Touch of Cloth and Sky Atlantic's Great Britain: Our Story, while BBC3 has The Revolution Will Be Televised and BBC4 has the second series of the Olympics spoof Twenty Twelve and third season of The Killing.

After all, as Greg Dyke once said about what really matters in TV: "It's the programmes, stupid."

Tara Conlan

Radio

The first few months of 2012 will be dominated by the same issue that overshadowed the end of 2011: the BBC's controversial plans to cut £15m – and axe 280 jobs – from its 40 local radio stations in England.

By far the most controversial of BBC director general Mark Thompson's Delivering Quality First proposals, the BBC Trust is expected to water down the cuts, if not reverse them entirely.

It is not the only part of the BBC radio empire braced for change.

New Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper is likely to further overhaul the station's schedule in pursuit of a younger audience – all eyes will inevitably turn to breakfast DJ Chris Moyles – while Radio 5 Live continues to grapple with the challenge of broadcasting from Salford; a heavy snowfall will make for an interesting test for the station and its star presenters, most of whom commute from the capital.

The BBC's national radio stations face budget cuts across the board, some (Asian Network) rather more than others (Radio 4).

The commercial sector's enthusiasm for more partnerships with the BBC is unlikely to be reciprocated. For its part, commercial radio bosses will be looking to bed in their national brand rollouts – Capital (which has a new breakfast DJ in London) and Smooth Radio among the latest.

If it was a strong 2011 for TalkSport, then it was a frequently uncertain one for Absolute Radio, which saw the green (digital) shoots of recovery by the end of the year. Both will be looking to build in 2012. For the new generation of community radio stations, many of them loss-making, the challenge will be one of survival.

But what of digital? A radio industry switchover feels only marginally closer at the end of the year than it did at the beginning, and executives have begun to refer to radio's "digital hybrid future". Digital is coming. But analogue isn't going anywhere.

John Plunkett

Tara Conlan

John Plunkett

Uefa names Howard Webb among 12 referees for Euro 2012 finals

Andy — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:56:47 +0000

• England's World Cup final referee appointed by Uefa
• Referees will be supported by goalline assistants

Uefa have named England's Howard Webb and Scotland's Craig Thomson on the list of 12 referees who will run matches at next summer's Euro 2012 finals.

Webb, who refereed the World Cup final in South Africa in 2010, showing a record 14 yellow cards, will be part of the team of officials handling the 31 matches in Poland and Ukraine.

For the first time in the tournament's history, referees will have goalline assistants following a decision by the International Football Association Board to allow the continuation of the experimental system used in European club football.

Euro 2012 main referees

Cuneyt Cak?r (Turkey); Jonas Eriksson (Sweden); Viktor Kassai (Hungary); Bjorn Kuipers (Holland); Stéphane Lannoy (France); Pedro Proença (Portugal); Nicola Rizzoli (Italy); Damir Skomina (Slovenia); Wolfgang Stark (Germany); Craig Thomson (Scotland); Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain); Howard Webb (England).