Chelsea’s supporters taunt Benitez goalless game against Man Cit

Rafael Benitez suffered a fiercely hostile reception from Chelsea’s supporters as his managerial reign opened with a goalless draw against Premier League champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich appointed the former Liverpool manager on an interim basis after sacking Roberto Di Matteo only six months after winning the Champions League and FA Cup.
Benitez’s arrival has met with an angry response from Chelsea fans in the wake of his old rivalry with them during his time at Anfield – and they made their strength of feeling abundantly clear.
The Spaniard was met with deafening jeers when he arrived in the technical area before kick-off, with the stadium announcer struggling to make himself heard ahead of a minute’s applause for former Chelsea manager Dave Sexton, who has passed away.
The mediocre affair did little to lift spirits, with City, still unbeaten in the league, marginally the better side but unable to fashion the victory that would have taken them back above Manchester United at the top of the table.
Benitez was left with plenty to ponder after the frosty response from his own fans, who directed abusive chants at him during the game and also delivered a minute’s applause for Di Matteo after 16 minutes, in honour of the Italian who wore the number 16 shirt as a player.
And there was no instant revival for Fernando Torres as he struggled once more – although Benitez will be pleased with a clean sheet.
The antipathy directed towards Benitez continued throughout a subdued first half, with City creating what few opportunities there were.
David Silva headed off target from an inviting cross from Pablo Zabaleta, who saw a shot from the edge of the area blocked by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.
Sergio Aguero missed City’s best chance four minutes before half-time, heading straight at Cech from eight yards after being set up by strike partner Edin Dzeko.
One of Benitez’s priorities is to rekindle the fire in Torres and it was clear Chelsea’s game had undergone a swift shift in emphasis, with an obvious increase in the number of long balls being hit towards the striker. On this occasion, though, it made life even easier for City captain Vincent Kompany.
Torres came to life on the hour when a loose ball fell in his direction in the area but he could only fire a rising left foot drive narrowly over the bar.
In a torrential downpour, moments of quality were scarce although Chelsea had an anxious moment as the game entered its final 10 minutes as Cech was forced to divert James Milner’s cross with his legs.
Benitez had remained largely impassive but moved to question the fourth official when Ashley Cole’s late shot was clearly turned over by City keeper Joe Hart only for referee Chris Foy to award a goal-kick.
It almost counted as a moment of high drama in a game that was, to put it politely, subdued and low key.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini:
“Games here are always hard but we played well while missing the last pass. We were too soft when we arrived near the box, you can play well, like we did, and not win the game.
“We had the better chances, I think that we lost two points. We dominated the first half, but the second half was not quite like that.
“It was difficult for them [with the atmosphere about Rafael Benitez], but we played well. Last year we lost a good game, this year we took one point. I am not happy but I prefer this.”

Sebastian Vettel wins third F1 world championship for Red Bull

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won a third consecutive world drivers’ title by three points in the Brazilian GP.
In an incident-packed, rain-affected race, Vettel fought back to finish sixth after dropping to last on lap one following a collision.
His rival Fernando Alonso of Ferrari finished second, meaning he needed Vettel to be lower than seventh.
McLaren’s Jenson Button won after leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton was hit by Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg.
The German was trying to pass Hamilton for the lead with 27 laps to go but lost control on the slippery track and slid into the side of Hamilton’s car.
Hulkenberg, driving the race of his career up to that point, was given a drive-through penalty and finished fifth, behind Alonso’s team-mate Felipe Massa in third and Red Bull’s Mark Webber in fourth.
Vettel becomes the youngest driver in history to win three world titles – at six years younger than Ayrton Senna. He is only the third driver to win three in succession.
“It is difficult to imagine what goes through my head now even for myself,” Vettel said. “I am full of adrenaline and if you poke me now I wouldn’t feel it.
“It was an incredible race. When you get turned around at Turn Four for no reason and it becomes like heading the wrong way down the M25 it is not the most comfortable feeling.
“I was lucky no-one hit me but the car was damaged and we lost a lot of speed, especially when it dried up. Fortunately it started to rain again and I felt so much happier.
“A lot of people tried to play dirty tricks [during the season], but we did not get distracted by that and kept going, and all the guys gave a big push right to the end.”
A breathless and topsy-turvy race, with intermittent rain, created drama from the first lap.
Vettel made a bad start from fourth on the grid and at the fourth corner was first tagged from behind by Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen and then hit by Williams’s Bruno Senna.
The impact knocked Vettel into a spin, and damaged the rear bodywork of his car, and he was last as he crossed the line at the end of lap one.
Alonso finished the first lap fifth, but seconds later passed Massa and Webber as they went three abreast into Turn One to take third.
In those positions, Alonso would have been champion, but Vettel set about recovering lost ground and by lap eight was remarkably up to sixth place, while Alonso had slipped behind Hulkenberg after running wide at Turn One on lap five.
Through a series of twists and turns at the front, including varying degrees of rain and a safety-car intervention, Vettel was always in control of the championship.
With 20 laps to go, Alonso was fourth behind Hamilton, Hulkenberg and Button, and Vettel seventh.
As rain began to fall harder, Hulkenberg closed on Hamilton and the two collided. So Hamilton’s last race for McLaren ended in a retirement rather than a victory.
More pit stops were needed for the leaders to fit intermediate tyres as the rain intensified, after which Button led from Massa and Alonso, with Vettel seventh.
Massa let Alonso by into second on lap 62, and two laps later Michael Schumacher, driving the last race of his career, moved over for Vettel to rise into sixth place and make his grip on the title more secure.
In the closing laps, Vettel was repeatedly urged by his team to slow down, reminding him that his position was good enough to win the title.
And then in a final dramatic twist, Paul di Resta crashed his Force India coming up the straight on the penultimate lap and the race finished under the safety car, confirming Vettel as champion.
“I’m very proud of the team,” said Alonso. “We lost the championship before today, not in Brazil, this is a sport after all. When you do something with your heart and do it 100% you have to be proud of yourself and your team and we’ll try again next year.”
Race winner Button said: “I want to congratulate the whole team. This is the perfect way to end the season. We have had ups and downs and to end on a high bodes well for 2013.”

Final Brazilian GP top 10

1. Jenson Button – McLaren 1:45:22.656
2. Fernando Alonso – Ferrari +2.754
3. Felipe Massa – Ferrari +3.615
4. Mark Webber – Red Bull +4.936
5. Nico Hulkenberg – Force India +5.708
6. Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull +9.453
7. Michael Schumacher – Mercedes +11.907
8. Jean-Eric Vergne – Toro Rosso +28.653
9. Kamui Kobayashi – Sauber +31.250
10. Kimi Raikkonen – Lotus +1 lap

Final F1 Driver’s Championship standings top 10

1. Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull 281
2. Fernando Alonso – Ferrari 278
3. Kimi Raikkonen – Lotus 207
4. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren 190
5. Jenson Button – McLaren 188
6. Mark Webber – Red Bull 179
7. Felipe Massa – Ferrari 122
8. Romain Grosjean – Lotus 96
9. Nico Rosberg – Mercedes 93
10 Sergio Perez – Sauber 66

West Brom climb to third for the first time in 22 years

West Brom went third in the Premier League after recording four successive top-flight wins for the first time since 1980 with victory at Sunderland.
The club continued its stunning start to the Premier League season on Saturday by climbing into third with a 4-2 victory at Sunderland.

West Brom’s fourth successive win took them two points ahead of Chelsea, although manager Steve Clarke’s former club can reclaim its spot in the top three by beating Manchester City on Sunday.
Zoltan Gera put West Brom ahead on the half-hour and Shane Long fired into an empty net before half time after goalkeeper Simon Mignolet fumbled Chris Brunt’s pass.
Sunderland launched a fight back when Craig Gardner’s free kick was deflected home in the 73rd minute.
Romelu Lukaku restored West Brom’s two-goal cushion from the penalty spot before Stephane Sessegnon pulled another back for Sunderland. But Marc-Antoine Fortune had the final say, with West Brom’s fourth in injury time.
The Baggies were brimming with confidence from the start and took the lead in spectacular style when Gera turned neatly and blasted a left-foot shot past Mignolet and inside the post.
Sunderland might have been level within two minutes when the ball fell to John O’Shea inside the penalty area but he curled a right-foot effort just high and wide of the top corner.
Martin O’Neill’s side went close again two minutes before halftime when Sessegnon’s enterprising run ended with a deflected shot which West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill stopped with little difficulty.
However, their hopes were dealt a major blow within seconds with Mignolet’s calamity in goal.
The Belgium goalkeeper went down to collect Brunt’s harmless through-ball as Long close him down, but inexplicably fumbled it into the path of the striker, who was left to tap into an empty net.
The game might have been effectively over within four minutes of the restart when Long ran in on goal, only for Mignolet to partially redeem himself with a vital block.
And Sunderland gave itself hope when Gardner’s free kick clipped Fortune in the defensive wall and flew past the helpless Myhill.
But Adam Johnson’s trip on Liam Ridgewell led to the penalty kick which Lukaku converted in the 81st.
Sessegnon pulled a second goal back from close range for Sunderland after Myhill had parried Fletcher’s header in the 87th. But after Lukaku had hit the post, Fortune ended Sunderland’s hopes with a neat finish in the fifth minute of injury time.
In other results, Manchester United came from behind to win 3-1 against Queens park Rangers, who are yet to record a victory this season. Jamie Mackie had put the away fans in a frenxy before goals from Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and substitute Javier Hernandez changed the game for the hosts. Everton were held to 1-1 draw by Norwhich while a goal from Charlie Adam ensured Stoke took the three points against Fulham.
Jordi Gomez scored a hattrick including a late winner as Wigan dispatched a resolute Reading side 3-2 at the Madejski.

AVB was terminated, we then won two trophies. I want to hear you congratulate Mr Abramovich for that... We'd have been crucified if we hadn't reported Clattenburg, says Chelsea chief Buck

•  Buck: 'We're the club most in the public eye anywhere in the world'
• Club stands by claim that Clattenburg used term 'monkey'
• 'There have been a lot of incidents involving Terry and Chelsea'
• Terry does NOT run the club, Abramovich does, claims Buck
• Club officials admit Chelsea’s image has been damaged

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has launched an impassioned defence of the club's players in the aftermath of the race-row storm which has engulfed Stamford Bridge following allegations referee Mark Clattenburg racially abused John Obi Mikel.
Buck says Chelsea agonised over the decision but, ultimately, were legally obliged to report Clattenburg in defence of Mikel and fellow midfielder Ramires, who made the initial allegation.
The Blues chief has also backed club owner Roman Abramovich's decision to 'terminate' the tenure of former boss Andre Villas-Boas in a bid to halt the club's side down the Barclays Premier League and save their Champions League aspirations. 

Wise move: Chelsea fans should cheer Abramovich for his decision to sack Villas-Boas

 

Chelsea last week submitted a dossier of evidence to the FA, including signed witness statements from players, alleging Clattenburg used a term understood to have been interpreted as racist during the 3-2 defeat by Manchester United. Clattenburg denies the claims.
Buck, however, cannot understand why Chelsea have come under fire for reporting the Durham official and believes the club have rightly taken the moral high ground.
Buck, in a sensational interview with the Evening Standard said: 'The reaction has been very unfair,' he says. 'We weren't interested in any confrontation with the referee or anybody else, had no thoughts of revenge on the referee. He made two obvious mistakes (sending Fernando Torres off and allowing Javier Hernandez's offside winner) which changed the tide.
'I felt we had the moral high ground, so I didn’t really feel that bad about the defeat or have that feeling in my stomach. I thought we'd be treated very kindly in the newspapers next day.
'It was made after a great deal of anguish and after talking long and hard that evening about what should we do.'
Buck believes the club were forced into a corner and once the two players involved came forward, they had no option but to make the report.
And the American-trained lawyer stands by the claim that Clattenburg used the term 'monkey'.
'We were guided by obligations that are imposed by the Football Association and also as an employer. FA rule E14 basically says a participant shall immediately report to the association any incident or matter which may be considered to be a misconduct.
'Misconduct is a defined term under the FA regulations and includes such racial behaviour. We also had to consider the Equality Act 2010, which imposes an obligation on an employer to take certain actions if an employee is subject to discrimination by third parties.
Suppose we had tried to sweep this under the rug and said to the various players, "Look, it's not a big deal and the press are going to be all over us, maybe you want to reconsider". If that had leaked out, we would've really been crucified.'

Flashpoint: Mikel and Ramires made allegations about referee Clattenburg

GOURLAY: 'RACE ROWS HAVE BEEN BULLET PRINTS IN OUR ARMOUR'

Chelsea’s chief executive Ron Gourlay (right) has described the race rows that have blighted the club over the last 12 months as ‘bullet prints in our armour’ and charged the younger players at Stamford Bridge to repair Chelsea’s damaged image.

The Champions League winners have struggled to win friends during public disputes fueled by racism allegations, while talismanic captain John Terry and big-spending owner Roman Abramovich have long been polarizing personalities in English football.

‘There are things that have happened that damaged the image,’ Gourlay said, acknowledging that Chelsea has been under fire since Terry’s court case and, more recently, reporting referee Mark Clattenburg for alleged racist abuse. ‘There are bullet prints in our armor. We have learned from the mistakes we have made. Hopefully the football club is in a good position to push forward now.’

He believes the widely admired talent of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar is shifting people’s perception.

‘That’s where we want to be,’ Gourlay added. ‘I think people like the way they are seeing Chelsea play football now, and that’s very important because it portrays itself as the image of the club.

‘We are in a very, very strong place,’ the chief executive said on the sidelines of the Chelsea-backed International Football Arena conference in Zurich.

Buck spoke with Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay and headed into the team's dressing room after the match with united at 6.15pm. 
And he says he was careful to rule out any misunderstanding from the players involved - as neither uses English as their first language. Buck was reassured both players spoke good English. 
He said: 'I spoke to the players involved, either because they were allegedly the recipient of that abuse or had heard it, three separate times.
'I asked them if they could be mistaken. I asked them, if they might have heard Mikel instead of monkey. I thought I had covered that base.'
The revolving-door policy operated by Blues' owner Roman Abramovich saw Andre Villas-Boas ditched two-thirds of the way through last season.
The decision came just nine months after they had paid Porto £13million for his services.
AVB failed to convince senior members of the squad, like John Terry  and Frank Lampard that he was the man to lead the club forward.
But Buck denies that Terry runs the club, or that player power is too strong at Stamford Bridge.
In fact it was Abramovich's 'termination' of the Portuguese which led Chelsea directly to their ultimate goal; Champions League glory.
'It didn’t take the players to tell us we were not going in the right direction. I knew that, Mr Abramovich knew that.
'When Andre left, we were in a very difficult situation about to be bounced out of the Champions League, doing very poorly in the Premier League.
'The proof is in the pudding: Andre was terminated and we wound up winning two trophies. I want to hear you congratulate Mr Abramovich and Chelsea for making that change.'

Dogged by controversy: Terry race row with Ferdinand came nine years after he was cleared he was cleared of attacking a nightclub doorman (below)

One thing Buck didn't deny was the negative impact of the Terry race-row which has dogged the club over the last 12 months - just the latest in the line of discretions from the club's captain down the years.
'I can't argue with the fact that, over the last 10 years, there have been a lot of public incidents in which Terry and Chelsea were involved. But I don’t accept that we have something in our hearts that says we’re going to chase the referees.
'It’s just not like that at all, honest. Chelsea are not run by John Terry. I don’t know how I can prove it to you but it’s not true. My club are run by Roman Abramovich.'Life in west london changed dramatically the moment the Russian billionaire arrived.

In stark contrast to ken Bates' loud and brash style, Abramovih remains in the margins, allowing his staff to speak on behalf of the club.

Bright future: Chelsea's young players can help repair the club's damaged image

But Buck denies the claim this proves Abramovich is aloof and hopes the club are moving down the right track to preserve their position in Europe's elite.

He said: 'It's not true that Mr Abramovich does not care what people think about Chelsea. Rightly or wrongly, Mr Abramovich changed English football forever. I feel very strongly that he hasn't had enough credit for what he's done. Chelsea's heart is definitely not black.
'We have to continue to try to be a good citizen and to do things for our community, country and players and play good football.'

In the line of fire: Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay (left) and chairman Bruce Buck at a Chelsea game

UNILAG tops Lagos Inter-tertiary games medal table

The University of Lagos UNILAG have emerged winners of the 4th edition of Lagos Inter-tertiary Games.
Team UNILAG was adjudged the overall best team of the championship with 9 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals.
They dethroned last edition’s winners; Team Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH to the third position.
Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH came second with 6 gold, 7 silver and 4 bronze medals, while LASPOTECH won 1 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Lagos state Sports Commissioner, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, who was the chief host of the event, commended the students for their spirit of sportsmanship, adding that the state government is looking at ways to increase the number of sports which the students are competing for in the future editions.

Messi surpasses Pele’s mark for goals scored in a year

Brazil football Legend Pele’s milestones for goals scored in one calendar year was beaten yeaterday Argentine forward and Barcelona player; Lionel Messi after scoring his 75th and 76th time in 2012 to move within nine of Gerd Mueller’s all-time record as Barcelona won 4-2 at Mallorca in a la liga clash.
Xavi Hernandez was the key to Barcelona’s victory as he unlocked Mallorca’s defence with a free kick in the 28th minute before Messi struck in the 44th. Cristian Tello added a third goal a minute later at Iberostar stadium.
Their opponent were bent on not giving up the game like that as Mallorca came back to level early in the second half but Messi stepped up to score again the 70th to ensure victory.
It would be recalled that the Spanish giants lost surprisingly to Celtic in the Champions League clash during the week and the Mallorca game can be tagged to be a comeback of the sleeping giant.
This is the latest scoring feat for the Argentina forward, one of the leading candidates for the Ballon D’Or.
Messi scored 73 goals in the 2011-12 season for Barcelona, breaking the previous European club record of 67 goals set by Mueller in 1972-73. He also set a Spanish league record of 50 goals last season and broke Cesar Rodriguez’s 57-year milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona all-time leading scorer.
Joaquin Caparros’ Mallorca tried to follow Celtic’s defensive blueprint from Wednesday’s upset in Glasgow, but the strategy didn’t last even half an hour.
Xavi Hernandez took full advantage of a foul earned by Cesc Fabregas on the edge of the area. The Spain midfielder bent a beautiful free kick over the defensive barrier that turned goalkeeper Dudu Aouate into yet another spectator as it fell into his net.
Also, second-place Atletico Madrid stayed three points behind the pacesetters by easing past visiting Getafe 2-0 thanks to goals by Adrian Lopez and Arda Turan.
Messi converted Barcelona’s 75 per cent of possession into a deserved second goal when the Argentina forward dribbled by several defenders and unleashed a left footed-shot that Aouate let slip through his hands.
Tello then quickly made it 3-0 by curving a strike from outside the area into the far side of the goal.
When it appeared Barcelona would cruise to the comfortable victory, two errors allowed Mallorca to get back into the game.
Mallorca’s Michael Pereira pulled one back in the 55th after Javier Mascherano lost the ball. Two minutes later, Victor Casadesus made it 3-2 from the penalty spot following Sergio Busquets’ handball in the box.

But Messi received a chested pass from Alexis Sanchez and smashed the ball into the top corner to restore Barcelona’s two-goal advantage and crush Mallorca’s hopes.
Messi’s seventh double of the season increased his league-leading tally to 15 goals. He has 20 in all competitions this season.
Pele scored 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958. Mueller had 85 in 1972 for West Germany and Bayern Munich.
With strikers Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema injured, Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Madrid in the 21st after receiving a gash above his left eye in a collision with an opposing player.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said that Ronaldo was having trouble with his vision by halftime and had to be substituted. Mourinho sent on an extra defender looking to protect his slim lead with the water-logged pitch encumbering almost every attack.
Madrid, even without its three top scorers, almost scored twice more as Pepe and Sergio Ramos both hit the crossbar.
But Mourinho’s tactic backfired when Levante substitute Angel Rodriguez held off Pepe to control Obafemi Martins’ pass and slot the ball beyond goalkeeper Iker Casillas in the 62nd.
Madrid had another golden opportunity when Jose Callejon was fouled by David Navarro on the edge of the area, only for goalkeeper Gustavo Munua to block Xabi Alonso’s resulting spot kick in the 73rd.
As time ticked down, Mourinho sent on Morata in the 83rd and one minute later the forward met Alonso’s free kick to head it by Munua.
“I was very happy to help the team,” said the 20-year-old Morata. “Two years ago Munua saved a clear goal for me. I have had more chances and I knew that one day the goal would arrive and today was the day.”

Chelsea on the verge of losing Neymar to Barca

London club Chelsea may have to do without Brazilian playmaker; Neymar (possibly to replace Ivorien Didier Drogba) if nothing extra is done to lure the player to England, as his Brazilian team-mate Dani Alves urged him to join Barcelona.
Neymar a long-term target of Chelsea may move to Spain instead of the Premier League after Barcelona right back Alves said he would be a success at the Nou Camp.
Chelsea also has Brazilian stars such as Oscar who could sway Neymar to join Stamford Bridge, if the need arises.
Alves said “Obviously anybody would want to play for Barcelona,” Alves said.
“If Barcelona is interested in Neymar and if next month, next year or in two years he comes, I don’t know.
“I hope he does come here because, as I’ve already said, he would get better as a player and he would also improve the team.”
20-year-old Brazil striker would have been signed by the Blues last summer but according to report, the deal didn’t go well.

If I could bring one player back to Anfield it would be Xabi, Gerrard tells fans on Twitter

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard revealed the one former team-mate he would bring back to the club, given the chance, would be Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso.
The England skipper also believes Luis Suarez is the best striker he has played alongside.

Gerrard, in a Twitter question and answer session for sponsors adidas, picked Suarez ahead of the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Fernando Torres - all great goalscorers at Anfield - and England team-mate Wayne Rooney.

Tweet success: Gerrard thanks supporters after answering their questions on social networking site Twitter

Asked who is the greatest striker he had played with Gerrard opted for Suarez, who has scored seven of Liverpool's 13 Barclays Premier League goals this season and produced a wonder strike against Newcastle on Sunday.

Top track: Gerrard revealed his favourite pre-match anthem is Dakota, by the Stereophonics

Gerrard also singled out the Uruguay international as the player who messes about most in training - 'He's a nuisance!' wrote the 32-year-old.
The Reds captain also revealed, given the opportunity, he would jump at the chance to bring Alonso back to the club.
'Xabi Alonso - best midfielder I've played with, I miss playing with him,' he wrote.
The feeling appears to be mutual with the Madrid midfielder confident Gerrard, who marked his 600th match for Liverpool at the weekend, would slot seamlessly into Spain's World Cup and European Championship-winning side.
'Absolutely, there's no doubt,' said Alonso.
'He could play in any national team in the world because he has so many great qualities.
'He is flexible. He can play at the English pace or he can associate with the ball very well.
'He is a very intelligent player, so he could play anywhere - not just any national team but any club in the world.
'But he has been a one-club man and that's something I really admire.'
Alonso believe Gerrard had a significant impact on his career, having moved to Merseyside from Real Sociedad in 2004.

Get him back: Gerrard revealed he would love Liverpool to re-sign Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso

'He was a great influence to me,' he told Real Madrid TV in an interview on behalf of Liverpool's official website.
'When I arrived at Liverpool I was 22 and he was the captain, he was the main man at the club.

'For me he was a reference, the way he behaved with his team-mates and with the supporters as well.
'I learned a lot from him. We are great friends and we still keep in touch.
'He is so inspirational. In the key moments he has that different thing, that spark that is difficult to define.

Simply the best: Gerrard rates Luis Suarez as the finest striker he has played alongside

'He'll absolutely be remembered as one of the greats. For me he is already one of the greats.'
Gerrard and Suarez seem unlikely to make this week's Europa League trip to face big-spending Anzi Makhachkala in Moscow.
Although victory in the Russian capital would strengthen the Reds' position at the top of Group A manager Brendan Rodgers has one eye on Sunday's trip to Chelsea and with Suarez as his only fit senior striker he does not want to risk him.
It means he is likely to field a much-changed side from the one which drew with Newcastle.

Chelsea jitters! Players fearing a ref backlash over Mikel race case as Clattenburg stood down

Chelsea stars fear a backlash from referees over their race abuse claims against Mark Clattenburg, who was on Monday removed from the match list for a second week.
Players fear the case could result in unwelcome tension between themselves and officials as they battle for the Barclays Premier League title.
John Mikel Obi’s agent John Shittu flew into London on Monday as the FA’s governance team began taking recorded statements from players.

Out of action: Mark Clattenburg has been stood down from duty again

 

Chelsea’s external legal team were also present after Mikel was asked whether he wanted them to pursue a case against Clattenburg with the FA, as the club prepare for another lengthy spell in the spotlight.

The European champions face Shakhtar Donetsk at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and have picked up only one point from their last two Premier League matches.

Shittu confirmed he was at Stamford Bridge for the specially-arranged meeting with the FA and Chelsea over the allegations against Clattenburg.

The FA’s head of compliance Jenni Kennedy took statements, but Chelsea are taking no chances after her role in the John Terry affair.

She recorded Terry’s statement in October 2011, but bizarrely only took handwritten notes of Ashley Cole’s evidence, a fact that was criticised by the FA’s independent regulatory commission.

Mikel, who was on Monday nominated for the 2012 African Footballer of the Year award, appears determined to press ahead with the case.

Some Chelsea players fear another year-long investigation into an allegation of racist abuse just weeks after the conclusion of the case involving Terry.

The Chelsea skipper was found not guilty by magistrates in July, but last month he was fined £220,000 by the FA and banned for four games. He returns against Liverpool on Sunday.

Claims: An investigation continues into Clattenburg's dealings with John Mikel Obi

Referees’ chief Mike Riley revealed on Monday that Clattenburg - accused by Chelsea of calling Mikel a ‘monkey’, which the official strenuously denies - is to be interviewed by police investigating the incident at Stamford Bridge.

Riley, who appoints match officials in his role as general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, said: ‘PGMOL was fully prepared to appoint Mark to matches this weekend.

‘However, having discussed this with him, we both consider it is in Mark’s best interests that he has this week away from officiating duties while he prepares to help the FA and the police with their enquiries.’

There is unease in the game that the FIFA official is being judged before all the evidence has been gathered.

Linger: Chelsea want to avoid another long saga, like the John Terry row

Terry continued to play for Chelsea after he was charged by police and the FA with racially insulting Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road on October 23 last year.

Clattenburg’s future in the game is more uncertain and he will be interviewed, under caution, by police.

Chelsea midfielder Ramires claims he heard the alleged ‘monkey’ abuse, which led to the club’s claims two hours after their defeat by Manchester United nine days ago.

The club say they have provided the FA with an ‘information pack’ about the alleged incident, but the game’s governing body are refusing to confirm receipt.

Meanwhile, police have arrested Gavin Kirkham, 28, over racist taunts directed at Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday.

West Brom 2 Southampton 0: Odemwingie double piles pressure on Saints boss Adkins

Peter Odemwingie increased the pressure on Southampton boss Nigel Adkins as his two goals propelled West Brom into fifth spot in the Barclays Premier League.
Adkins' side remain rooted to the foot of the table after a fifth successive away defeat and they have now conceded 28 goals in 10 league matches.
But these are halcyon days for the Baggies and they bounced back from heartbreaking injury time defeats against Manchester City and Newcastle thanks to a goal in each half from Odemwingie.

Peter the Great: Odemwingie was the man of the hour for West Brom

MATCH FACTS

West Brom: Foster, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Yacob, Odemwingie (Fortune 83), Gera, Dorrans (Brunt 65), Long (Lukaku 71).
Subs not used: Myhill, Popov, Rosenberg, Tamas.
Booked: Jones.
Goals: Odemwingie 36, 60.
Southampton: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Fox (Shaw 82), Schneiderlin, Steven Davis, Ramirez (Mayuka 76), Lallana, Rodriguez (Do Prado 76), Lambert.
Subs not used: Kelvin Davis, Hooiveld, Ward-Prowse, Puncheon.
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)

It was their fifth victory in six home matches and, although not at their best, they still contained too much firepower for the Saints.

Odemwingie and the tireless Shane Long posed plenty of problems up front while Youssouf Mulumbu bossed the midfield department.

Albion fans taunted Adkins, who has led Southampton to successive promotions, with chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning'.

And, although the visitors showed plenty of promise in spells, their leaky defence is undermining their attacking threat.

Southampton axed keeper Artur Boruc who has been the subject of a club investigation after allegedly throwing a water bottle into the crowd during the home league game with Tottenham.

Albion began positively and a fine pass from Odemwingie picked out the run of Long into the Saints box.

But the Baggies leading scorer opted to cut the ball back across the danger area rather than shoot.

Billy Jones became the first player to be yellow carded after 10 minutes for a high challenge which caught the back of Southampton skipper Adam Lallana.

High hopes: Southampton keeper Gazzaniga rises to clear a cross

Rickie Lambert had the first attempt on goal and his low drive from a narrow angle contained plenty of power but was held onto by West Brom keeper Ben Foster.
Albion retaliated and a low shot from Odemwingie took a deflection off Zoltan Gera and flew over the Saints crossbar.
The home side started to look more threatening and it needed a last ditch tackle from Morgan Schneiderlin to deny Long after Jonas Olsson had headed a Graham Dorrans free-kick back across goal.

Eyes on the ball: Jay Rodriguez (left) competes with Youssuf Mulumbu

Odemwingie flashed a low 25 yard shot inches wide in a swift Albion counter-attack after Foster had gathered Lambert's header from a Gaston Ramirez centre.
But the Nigeria international broke the deadlock in controversial fashion in the 36th minute.
The impressive Mulumbu released Odemwingie whose left-footed shot contained plenty of power but took a deflection off Maya Yoshida as it flew past Saints keeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

Swooping to pounce: Odemwingie heads home the second

But TV replays also showed that Odemwingie had appeared to handle the ball in the build-up.
Gazzaniga did well to block a close range effort from Long and Albion appealed in vain for a penalty for handball when Schneiderlin blocked the follow-up attempt from Odemwingie.
Southampton started the second half on the offensive and a shot on the turn from Lambert struck the bar with Foster well beaten.

Under pressure: Adkins could be heading for the exit door at St Mary's

Foster cut out a dangerous cross from Daniel Fox as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.
But after 60 minutes Odemwingie doubled Albion's lead with a clinical finish.
Left-back Liam Ridgewell's long pass found Long who held the ball up, cut inside and floated over an inviting centre which Odemwingie headed home from close range.

Midfield tussle: Morgan Schneiderlin (left) is closed down by West Brom's Argentine midfielder Claudio Yacob

The Baggies could have increased their lead with skipper Chris Brunt volleying just wide at close range from a cross by fellow substitute Romelu Lukaku.
Yoshida headed just wide in a late Southampton rally but Albion held on for a comfortable win.

Boing, boing: The Baggies are up to fifth

 

Di Matteo hits back at Ferguson and Wenger for commenting on Clattenburg race case

Named and shamed: Chelsea yob who allegedly made 'monkey' gesture at United ace Welbeck

The racist yob who abused Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck with a monkey gesture has been named as Gavin Kirkham. 

Roberto Di Matteo has said criticism from Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger over the Mark Clattenburg case will be taken on board to by his Chelsea players but only used as a 'motivational tool'.
The Blues boss refused to be drawn on the issue in any depth, citing the matter was in the hands of the police and FA.
But responding to the Manchester United manager's comments questioning the credibility of the claims he said: 'He likes to talk about other clubs. We tend not to. I'll leave it up to him.
'It's a free country where everybody has the freedom of speech. We'll take into consideration what other people say and use it as a motivational tool for ourselves.'

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Not impressed: Roberto Di Matteo plans to use comments as a motivational tool

Di Matteo added of Ferguson's scepticism: 'The investigation will qualify this. We don't want to prejudice any trial.'
Asked if he feared referees might treat the club differently after making the accusations against Clattenburg, the Italian said: 'I really hope not. I believe that they won't. We have faith in the referees. They are people that are under a lot of pressure.

Centre of the storm: John Obi Mikel (right) training, with Fernando Torres (left)

'They are human beings like everyone else. You have to try your best and sometimes mistakes can happen.'
Di Matteo maintained his stance of silence when asked about the Chelsea fan caught making a 'monkey' gesture during Wednesday's Capital One Cup tie but did suggest the manner in which racist incidents have been highlighted proved there was still work to be done.

Mikel in the middle: Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill either side of the Nigerian anchor man

'I always said that we are against any form of discrimination,' he said. 'We will support anyone who is fighting that. That's our position and my personal belief as well.
'The fact that these incidents are happening give a lot of media exposure and makes people aware that we have to fight maybe a little more strongly than perhaps we thought. Everyone has to be involved in this process to eradicate it from the sport and life in general.'

Larking around: Darren Fletcher (left) and Robin van Persie appear in relaxed mood ahead of tomorrow's cruch clash at Old Trafford

Best bib and tucker: Rio Ferdinand chucks a training vest away (left) as some United prankster throws a bit of turf and left-back Patrice Evra (right) ahead of tomorrow's match against Arsenal

Earlier on Friday, Ferguson hit out at Chelsea for accusing Clattenburg of allegedly abusing Mikel.
The Metropolitan Police and the FA are investigating an allegation that Clattenburg used 'inappropriate language' towards Mikel during the game in which he sent off two Blues players as they went down 3-2 to Ferguson's side.

Support: United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, taking training at Carrington, has pledged his support to referee Mark Clattenburg

'I don’t believe Mark Clattenburg would make any comment like that,' said Ferguson.
'I think it’s unthinkable. It’s unthinkable in the modern climate. I just don’t believe it.
'There’s no way a referee would stoop that low. I’m convinced of that.
'If you look at the modern game compared to 25 years ago it’s completely changed. I know the banter between players and referees 25 years ago is completely different.
'I have never heard a player come to me in the last 15 years and say a referee has sworn at them during a game, ever.
'This is where I stand on this issue with Mark Clattenburg. I just don’t believe it.'
Ferguson joins Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in standing by Clattenburg.
On Thursday, Wenger said: 'I didn’t follow the whole (Chelsea) story completely (but) my opinion is just when I didn’t behave well I have an explanation with the referee at the end of the game or another day, rather than going public with little proof. I’m not in favour of making these things public.'

VIDEO: Di Matteo says we all need to fight racism

 

EXCLUSIVE: Nani set for Old Trafford exit after Fergie blasts 'amateurish' winger

Manchester United winger Nani looks set to leave Old Trafford next summer after manager Sir Alex Ferguson took him to task for throwing away his team's Carling Cup tie at Chelsea on Wednesday night.
Nani's future at United has been in some doubt since talks over a new contract collapsed during the summer.
And now the Portuguese winger has told friends that he feels there is little chance of a reconciliation after Ferguson blamed him for conceding possession in the run up to Chelsea’s equaliser in the last minute of normal time on Wednesday.

On the way out: Nani in training at Carrington on Friday morning with the Manchester United squad

Ferguson was publicly critical of Nani for his error after the game, saying he should have run the ball to the corner flag. United – 3-2 up at the time – went on to lose 5-4 in extra-time.
Now a source close to Nani revealed: 'There was an argument between Ferguson and Nani after the game.
'Ferguson told him that losing the ball like that was an amateurish thing to do and that a really great player would never have done that.

Final warning: United manager Sir Alex Ferguson takes training on Friday morning

'Nani was already told that if he ever did it again then he would be on his way.'
It is understood that Nani has felt for some time that his place in Ferguson’s plans is under threat and has told friends that he expects to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
The official line from United is that the door is still open for the 25-year-old in terms of a new contract but not at the £130,000-a-week level he has been hoping for.

Bust-up at the Bridge: Fergie blamed Nani for the defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday night

Zimbabwe sacks national football team

Zimbabwe has dissolved the national football team for failing to qualify for the 2013 Afica Cup of Nations as a major match fixing scandal still overshadows their performance, an official said Friday.
“The team has been discarded in its entirety,” Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president Cuthbert Dube told a news conference in the capital Harare.
Zimbabwe lost 0-2 to Angola in the last qualifying game for the continental tournament after it had carried a 3-1 lead in the first leg, and failed to qualify on away goals.
Shocked fans point to a 2009 match-fixing scandal involving the national team that resulted in a lifelong ban for 15 players and officials, which ZIFA announced in October.
The scandal might have contributed to the team’s poor performance in Angola, Dube added, without elaborating.
“We will rebuild from the under-20 and under- 23s. These are young people who are clean,” he said.
None of the players in Angola played in the “Asiagate” games.
The banned officials include former national team coach Sunday Chidzambwa and former ZIFA chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya.
Rushwaya sent the national team to play unsanctioned friendlies in Thailand and Malaysia, and a Singapore-based betting syndicate allegedly fixed the results.
Zimbabwe has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations twice but has never qualified for the World Cup.
South Africa will host the January 19-February 10 Nations Cup.

Messi welcomes baby Thiago ahead of home clash with Celta de Vigo

Lionel Messi’s girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy, the Barcelona star’s first child, on Friday.
Messi and his girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo named the boy Thiago.
Barcelona excused the 25-year-old Argentina forward from training on Friday morning to attend his son’s birth at a hospital in Barcelona.
On his Twitter feed, Messi said: “Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift! Thanks to my family for the support! A hug to everyone.”
In a recent interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais, Messi said he was looking forward to becoming a father.
“I’m prepared for Thiago’s arrival, it is very exciting,” he said. “It makes you think of things in a different way. You can no longer just think about yourself, you think about him, and how you hope he doesn’t have any problems.”
Earlier Friday, Barcelona coach Tito Villanova said he still expected Messi to play in Saturday’s Spanish league match against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou stadium.
“Leo didn’t attend training, but tomorrow he will play in the match,” said Vilanova. “If everything goes well, he will come to play. It doesn’t change our plans at all that he didn’t train today.”

Chelsea’s bid for Paulinho rejected

European champions; Chelsea got a disappointing news on what would have been  another move to fortify their 2012 squad after it was announced by Brazilian club Corinthians that Brazilian midfielder Paulinho whom Chelsea has been after for a while now has signed a new contract with the club.
Although, speculations are that the move is to find ways to increase the stakes on the  24-year-old, that is larger fee for his services in the future.
Corinthians dismissed the thought of selling their star to the Premier League club, as  Corinthians’ President Mario Gobbi Filho insisted that no bid will be consider for the midfielder as they want to hold on to their man.
“We have renewed his contract and we have adjusted it, now it is at a level appropriate for Paulinho and the market’.
We have no intention to sell him; it is out of the question.
“We have a cycle that lasts until July and we renewed his contract to keep him, not to sell him”
“We do not want to transfer any player in January.”
The midfield anchor man has been in impressive form of late attracting the interest of many European clubs.
Alongside the Blues, Inter Milan are rumoured to be monitoring the situation closely with the club’s bosses keen to add depth to their squad.
Paulinho, who won his first international cap last year, has made six outings for Brazil notching two goals.

Venus beats Serena 6-4 7-5 to win exhibition match in Lagos

Olympic champion and the elder of the Williams sisters, Venus Williams, on Friday defeated her younger sister and world number two, Serena Williams, 6-4, 7-5 in their latest exhibition game in Nigeria.
The exhibition match was witnessed by loads of fans at the main bowl of the Lagos Tennis Club.
Tennis loving fans across the state gathered in the tennis club to watch the female tennis icons, thrill them with breath-taking skills as they squared off in an exhibition match which was part of activities lined up by the organisers of ‘Break the Mould’ initiative.
The crowd, made of fans from all over the world, gave the sisters a thrilling Mexican wave reception before the beginning of the exhibition match.
The match had no dull moment as the sisters were full of joy and dances during the break sessions of the match.
One of such high points was the thrilling dance steps produced by Venus as she danced to D’banj’s Oliver Twist track.
Venus defeated her sister to win the thrilling encounter much to the delight of spectators in court side.
Reacting to her victory, Venus noted that with her victory in Lagos, 2013 will be a great year for her.
The game was the 24th meeting between the sisters was seen by the fans who saw them live and it sure meant more than just an exhibition match.

Now name him: Chelsea ask supporters to shop this fan for his 'monkey' taunt towards Welbeck as club AND police launch probe

• Club and Police both launch probes into fan's behaviour
• Chelsea appeal for anyone who can identify the individual to contact the club
• Comes after referee Mark Clattenburg stands accused by Chelsea of telling John Mikel Obi to 'shut it, monkey' during Sunday's match against United
• Show Racism The Red Card campaign 'incensed' by this fan's actions

Chelsea and the Metropolitan Police have both launched investigations after one of their fans was pictured apparently directing a 'monkey' gesture at Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck last night.
It is an image which will re-ignite the toxic issue of racism as Chelsea pressed ahead with a formal complaint to the FA of inappropriate language used by race-row referee Mark Clattenburg.
The Metropolitan Police have also confirmed they have opened an investigation into alleged racist behaviour by a Chelsea supporter.

Taunt: A Chelsea fan appears to make a monkey gesture (above) at Stamford Bridge last night. Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck was pictured in the same frame (below). Chelsea beat United 5-4 after extra-time

Unacceptable: The Chelsea fan (circled) appears to to make a monkey gesture towards Welbeck after the striker mis-controls the ball

MIKE DICKSON COMMENT

My love for football dies a little bit more... this Chelsea fan will have thrilled to Drogba and Mikel, so what would they think of his monkey gesture?

A statement from police read: 'Today, Thursday, November 1, police have received a complaint regarding alleged racist behaviour at Stamford Bridge last night, Wednesday, October 31.
'An investigation has been launched. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.'
A Chelsea spokesman said: 'Chelsea Football Club can confirm we are investigating an incident involving a member of the crowd at last night’s game against Manchester United.
'The club will be examining all available footage and asks anyone who can identify the individual to contact the club.
'Chelsea FC is committed to removing all forms of discrimination and if we have sufficient evidence we will take the strongest possible action, including supporting criminal prosecution.
John Mikel Obi has consistently told Chelsea officials that he wanted to pursue the case against Clattenburg after the official allegedly told him to ‘shut it, monkey’ during Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat against Manchester United on Sunday.
But, before Chelsea exacted revenge for Sunday's defeat with a 5-4 extra-time triumph in the Capital One Cup last night, the second element of the London club’s initial complaint alleging the referee called Juan Mata ‘a Spanish t***’ was dropped on the advice of the club’s external legal team.
Chelsea believe they have enough evidence to convince an FA independent regulatory commission that they can meet the civil standard of proof, which is the balance of probabilities.

Clattenburg has denied using racist or inappropriate language in a submission to the FA and is backed by his two assistants and the fourth official.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman has confirmed the authority was aware of the photograph, but said no formal complaint had yet been made.
The police require someone to formally report the incident to begin evaluating whether an investigation will take place.
This is what prompted the Society of Black Lawyers to report Mark Clattenburg's alleged comments towards John Obi Mikel to police after Sunday's Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge.
The picture of the Chelsea supporter will come as a fresh blow to a club which has been dogged by the spectre of racism since captain John Terry was accused of using racist language towards QPR's Anton Ferdinand last year.

Stirring the pot: Manchester United fans display a banner about Clattenburg, mocking the well-known slogan Chelsea fans attach to captain John Terry, who allegedly racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand

The chief executive of Show Racism the Rec Card, Paul Kearns, condemned the actions of the football fan and welcomed Chelsea's investigation into to the matter.
He said: 'We are incensed by this fan's actions as much of the football community appear to be. Twitter is alive with football fans condemning the actions of this football fan last night.
'We welcome the investigation launched by Chelsea and hope this matter will be dealt with in a timely manner.
'The club has issued a very strong statement that the strongest possible action will be taken. They have taken a zero tolerance policy to racism and we hope to see this policy continue.
'We continue to push for education to help eradicate this sort of behaviour by teaching what is and what is not acceptable.

Message: Manchester United fans take aim at Chelsea over the race rows that have engulfed the club

THE LIVERPOOL FAN WHO WAS BANNED FOR MONKEY GESTURE

A Liverpool fan was given a four-year football banning order after he was found guilty in June of racially abusing rival Manchester United supporters and their club captain Patrice Evra.
Phillip Gannon, 58 (right), was seen on live television doing a racially offensive monkey impression, Liverpool Magistrates' Court was told.
The incident happened amid a volatile atmosphere at Anfield on January 28 this year when the two sides met in an FA Cup fourth round clash, Rob Girvan, prosecuting, told the court.
It was the first game between the Premier League rivals since an eight-match ban was imposed on Liverpool striker Luis Suarez after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Evra.
In the 23rd minute of the game, the TV camera panned over fans in the lower Centenary Stand, where Gannon was sitting with two friends, and he was seen to position his hands under his armpits.
The coverage, broadcast worldwide by ITV, quickly spread across social networking site Twitter and complaints were made to police, the court heard.

'Fortunately these sort of incidents are now fairly isolated and it is only a very small minority who think it is still acceptable to act in this way.'
Founder of Football Unites, Racism Divides, Howard Holmes, added that he felt the club should be able to track down the fan.
He said: 'I would have thought it wouldn't be too difficult to identify the man.
'You can see exactly where he is sitting in the photo so Chelsea should be able to correlate the seat number with a name.
'So the club should be able to track him down and there are several forms of action they can take.
'The one consolation is that you can see 100 people in the shot and this man is the only one doing it.'
Ex-England captain Terry was cleared John Terry has been cleared by Westminster Magistrates' Court in July, but was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing Ferdinand by a Football Association independent regulatory commission.
The repercussions of United’s 3-2 win at the weekend were impossible to ignore. United fans unfurled a banner saying ‘Clattenburg. Referee, Leader, Legend’ and there were more pointed chants referring to the absence of Terry, who was serving the third game of his four-match ban.
On the pitch, goals from Ryan Giggs, Javier Hernandez and Nani seemed to have booked United a place in the quarter-finals, only for Chelsea to conjure up three equalisers from David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard to force extra time.
Daniel Sturridge, who had endured a largely dismal evening, put his side ahead in the 97th minute before Ramires sealed victory with the cutest of finishes after 116  minutes of pulsating football.

And yet there was still time for Giggs to score his second of the evening with a penalty in the final minute of the match.

Vitriol: Leeds manager Neil Warnock boots the ball back into play during his side's win over Southampton on Tuesday

There were only five survivors from Chelsea’s starting XI on Sunday, with John Mikel Obi and Juan Mata, the players at the centre of the initial allegations against referee Mark Clattenburg, both included. Sir Alex Ferguson made 10 changes.
Leeds chairman Ken Bates, whose side have drawn Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup, has saluted the strides made towards multi-cultural harmony in football and described how Stamford Bridge was once a 'hotbed of racism'.
Writing in Leeds United’s match programme, ahead of their 3-0 win over Southampton, the former Chelsea chairman welcomed the way racism has come under the spotlight and insisted the problem bears no relation to 30 years ago, when it was the scourge of football.
Revealing how the National Front used to set up camp at Stamford Bridge on matchdays, the Leeds chairman wrote: ‘The ongoing debate about racism is good, because the issue is being raised and discussed, but I think it is fair to look back and see how much progress has been made during, in historical terms, a relatively short time.
‘In the 1980s, Stamford Bridge was a hotbed of racism. The National Front sold their magazines in the Fulham Road and used to wait in the pub opposite to learn the team selection. If they (the Chelsea players) were all-white, the National Fronters used to walk across and buy their tickets.
‘Our technical director Gwyn Williams introduced the first black kid, one Paul Canoville, a pacey young winger. His first experience was when Chelsea played at Selhurst Park. As a sub, he was warming up and had bananas thrown at him.
‘The following week, he made his debut at Stamford Bridge and got a lot of abuse. At the end of the game, I went on the pitch and walked off with my arm round his shoulder.
‘It is a lot different today, though it has been a long tortuous journey. Slowly, things started to change. Thirty years on, it is a different world. Today the furore is of a black verbal abuse – not to be condoned or tolerated in the least – but meanwhile let us appreciate the progress that has been made.’
Chelsea will travel to Leeds on December 19 for their quarter-final clash in a match that will be especially firery given Neil Warnock's comments this week.
The Championship club's outspoken manager said he is 'disgusted' with the conduct of Chelsea's players and has backed referee Mark Clattenburg as the Stamford Bridge race row intensified.
Warnock has accused Chelsea of 'trying to kill' the referee and urged the FA to throw the book at players including John Obi Mikel, if their racism claims prove to be false.
The Leeds manager is no stranger to controversy - and you might think he would need to focus on his own club after a fan attacked Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.
But the Warnock turned his attention to Chelsea's players.
'You know my relationship with referees but I have got to say I am disgusted with what’s gone on,' said Warnock. 'I’m on Mark Clattenburg’s side.'
The veteran boss, whose side have knocked two Premier League sides - Everton and Southampton - out of the Capital One Cup this season, continued: 'We ask referees to man-manage and that’s what he (Clattenburg) does. I’m sure he might have said a few things but are you telling me if Chelsea had won that game that there would have been one iota of a complaint?
'He’s not had the best of games but the Torres one was the one decision he got slightly wrong.

'Let’s wait and see when it all comes out. Hopefully, everything has been caught. I hope if it is proved wrong, that the players, whatever they alleged Mark to have said, get done as well.'
'I think he has made a mistake but they are trying to kill him and I don’t agree with that at all.'