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LONDON - Where to start? In a week in which all the headlines should have been all about the football, theyve been about anything but. As England close in on a World Cup-or-bust qualifying stretch the tabloids have dropped a lot of ink on off-field business. From Sundays terrace refrain: “Jack Wilshere smokes when he wants to,” to the Premier League on Wednesday rejecting the FAs plea to sit on a commission whose raison dêtre is purely to examine what can be done to mend the England national team the news was definitely hot for off-pitch storylines. Another such headline was Harry Redknapps claim yesterday that Steven Gerrard sent him a text congratulating him on his appointment as England manager. Good one ‘Arry. Great to see you havent lost that rogue sense of humour of yours since settling into life as a Championship manager. Again. For his part Gerrard was quick to deny today at Fridays pre-match presser that he did not send a text to Redknapps personal mobile phone regarding the England job. The England job, of course, is a position the media dearly wishes Redknapp had got when Fabio Capello took a walk last February. Their insatiable want, need and desire for Redknapp to take over was not correlated to the ex-Spurs manager being the most abled person to step into Fabios loafers. No one provides the media with softer sound bites than the man who can claim amongst his ex-team mates the greatest footballer ever to don an England shirt, Bobby Moore. Moore, best known as the only Englishman in World Cup history to hold aloft the Jules Rimet trophy was a team mate of Redknapp at West Ham in the late 1960s. Gerrard didnt, though, get into Redknapps baseless claim earlier in the week that ‘the FA are clueless. Sounds like the sourest of grapes. Its hard to imagine the reason Gerrard was speaking to the media in the first place was purely down to Friday evenings pivotal World Cup qualifier at Wembley against Montenegro. Who would have known? Which brings us back to that FA Commission, and one man who didnt turn down an approach to join was ex-England guvnor Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle guided England to the 1998 World Cup but his tenure came to an abrupt halt early the next year after he mocked the afflicted in a London Times newspaper article. Hoddle brazenly claiming disabled people were paying for their sins in previous lives. How unreservedly crude of him. This coming from a man who included a faith healer as part of his team to prepare England for France 1998 and for good measure followed that up with the 11th-hour removal of Paul Gascoigne as Hoddle completed his final culls to the original oversized squad. Yes Gascoigne was passed his prime, but is the most naturally gifted of footballers England has produced in generations. Dont believe me? Read Gazzas highly revealing autobiography where he bares his very troubled soul and freely admits to often drinking a bottle of vodka before going out on the pitch and dominate in his own inimitable style. Hoddle freshly minted to the FA commission wasted no time in laying into the current England squad when he told the BBC Thursday evening it was unrealistic to expect England to win the World Cup in Brazil next summer. You been reading them tea leaves again Glenn? How about qualifying first and foremeost? Not content with rubbishing the current team, Hoddle perfectly performed the 360 pirouette when he went on to claim England could well go on and claim the EURO 2016 crown… rib-tickling stuff. Obviosuly Hoddle has a fixation with France. Or maybe an Achilles heel. Speaking of national fixations Jack Wilshire could not have chosen a more inappropriate time than 48 hours ago when he discussed in-depth an absolute need for the England team to ooze Englishness. By Wilshires argument, players like Manchester Uniteds latest teenage sensation - the Belgian born Adnan Januzaj - could not ever play for England. Even though in a very short few years Januzaj could be considered for England when he hits that lower hanging football fruit; the FIFA residency mark. Since Wilsheres ill-timed and inappropriate comments grabbed the headlines and still continue to do so a siege-like mentality has prevailed over Team England. A plethora of so-called England legends, whatever they are, plus the current England manager and captain have voiced their backing directly or indirectly for the man who only last week was spotted smoking [or was it holding?] a cigarette whilst out enjoying a very late night on the London tiles. Meanwhile in a another highly affluent area of London - whilst speaking earlier today at this weeks Leaders in Football Conference which has been staged at Stamford Bridge - Joseph Barton laid it all bare. Barton doing what he does best, barking at the FA and Sir Alex Ferguson in equal measure. No one in world football shoots first, and aims afterwards more often than Barton. Lost in all the accusations and inappropriate comments this week was a quite splendid event held at Buckingham Palace and hosted by the FA President, Prince William himself. The celebrations were part of the FAs 150th anniversary which will culminate in a Gala dinner in London on the FAs birthday, October 26th. The plush Buck House gardens were transformed into the venue for a re-enactment of a 19th century football match. Never lost for a quip, “Wills” opened the proceedings with an ominous warning for the players. “If anyone breaks a window they can answer to her,” he stated as he nodded in the direction of the Queens personal Buckingham Palace quarters. The oranges at halftime have not ever seen such finer silver platters. When England step out at Wembley tomorrow against Montenegro, who held the English might to a draw in the corresponding fixture earlier in the campaign, nothing more than victory is required. Thats if they are to stand chance of winning a group the London bookies were reluctant to take bets on when the draw was made. With the final qualifier set for next Tuesday, England require the maximum points from both Wembley dates to automatically ensure Brazil 2014 is not a made-for-TV event. Quite remarkably with eight out of their 10 matches played, England have only managed to beat the twin forces that are San Marino and Moldova. Not so much pedigreed football playing nations as they are greedy tax havens. When Steven Gerrard leads his charges out of that iconic Wembley tunnel Friday night a nation will hold its collective breath. Only releasing it as they make a dash for the kettle or bark orders at the bar keep. The tea leaves and barley oats will be in an even higher demand next Tuesday when Poland come a-knocking. If you spot an England shirt on your travels over the coming days you may want to whisper the words: “Jan Tomaszewski and 1973”. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel Authentic A.J. Green Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. Authentic Andy Dalton Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. http://www.thebengalsshoponline.com/Youth-Geno-Atk...ls-Jers ey/ .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Jeremy Hill Jersey . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Geno Atkins Bengals Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand.VAL THORENS, France -- Canadian Marielle Thompson won the womens small final on Sunday to finish fifth at a skicross World Cup event and retain the overall leaders bib. Thompson, from Whistler, B.C., won the skicross World Cup opener in Nakiska, Alta., last weekend but she narrowly missed out on qualifying for the womens final on Sunday when she finished third in a stacked semifinal. Only the top two advance. West Vancouvers Georgia Simmerling and Kelsey Serwa, of Kelowna, B.C., were eliminated at the quarter-final stage, while the Canadian men were forced to watch from the sidelines after rapidly-changing course conditions saw many of the top racers eliminated during a wild qualification round on Saturday. "Its disappointing we didnt have a podium because we set the bar pretty high but Marielle was able to keep the overall lead," said coach Willy Raine. "To come away with the results we had, with the girls competing together in the bottom bracket, it was a good day." All four Canadian women qualified for Sundays round of 32 but Calgarys Danielle Sundquist was third in her heat and finished 19th overall. Simmerling advanced from the same heat but was third in her quarter-final -- behind Thompson and Swiss star Fanny Smith -- to finish 10th overall. Serwa, who is back in action following kneee surgery, was skiing well Sunday but the start gate appeared to malfunction in her quarter-final and she was eliminated, finishing 15th overall.dddddddddddd An official complaint was lodged but the results were not changed. "She will be able to keep training as she tries to peak for Sochi," said Raine of Serwa. Thompson was her usual dominant self in the early rounds but made a small error in her semifinal and Norways Marte Hoeie Gjefsen took full advantage to eliminate the Canadian by a matter of inches. "She missed it by an arms length at the finish line," Raine said. "She came out of it smiling and saying it was a great ski cross heat. There was passing and it was tight and everyone was close together." Switzerlands Katrin Mueller won the womens final, with her teammate Sanna Leudi finishing second and French veteran Ophelie David taking third. Hoeie Gjefsen was fourth. Sundays results mean Thompson leads the womens ski cross World Cup standings with 145 points. David is second with 120 and Smith is third (116). France leads the Nations Cup with 460 points, with Switzerland sitting second (405) and Canada third (298). Austrias Andreas Matt won the mens final, with Swedens Victor Oehling Norberg finishing second and Frances Jean Frederic Chapuis taking third. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '
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