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.'

Chelsea 5 Manchester United 4: Capital punishment for Reds reserves as Blues fight back three times for sweet revenge

After all the controversy of Sunday, Chelsea and Manchester United reconvened at Stamford Bridge and produced a humdinger of a Capital One Cup tie: a treat to savour rather than a trick on a rainy Hallowe'en night.
It had its moments of controversy, of course; plenty of them. We even had some of the terrace banter that is so often missing from clashes between the top clubs. But more than anything it was an enjoyable, exciting cup tie.

There's no beating the Blues: Ramires (left) and Chelsea team-mates react after his extra-time goal

Match facts

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Luiz, Bertrand, Romeu (Oscar 71), Mikel (Ramires 46), Moses, Mata, Piazon (Hazard 55), Sturridge.

Subs not used: Hilario, Ferreira, Marin, Saville.
Goals: Luiz (pen) 31, Cahill 52, Hazard 90(+4), Sturridge 97, Ramires 116
Booked: Romeu, Mikel, Luiz, Oscar, Ramires
Man Utd: Lindegaard, Da Silva, Wootton, Keane, Buttner (Powell 46), Anderson (Tunnicliffe 81), Giggs, Fletcher, Nani, Hernandez, Welbeck (Macheda 99).
Goals: Giggs 22, 120 (pen), Hernandez 43, Nani 59
Booked: Wooton, M Keane

Subs not used: Johnstone, Lingard, Vermijl, Brady.
Referee: Lee Mason
Attendance: 41,126

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.

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.

But 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 John Terry, who was  serving the third game of his  four-match ban for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

Was there an element of revenge in Chelsea’s win? Perhaps. But the real bonus for the champions of Europe was the manner in which they came back three times and then went on to win. That can only breed confidence after a difficult few days.

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

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

No hiding: John Obi Mikel (centre) started for Chelsea amid the race row involving referee Mark Clattenburg

IT'S A GHOUL-FEST!

There were 37 goals scored in the fourth round of this year - only the 1964-65 season had more goals at this stage (41).
Manchester United conceded five goals in a League Cup game for only the second time in their history. The last time it happened was in a 5-1 home defeat by Blackpool in 1967.
Javier Hernandez has scored in five of his last six appearances against Chelsea.
Luis Suarez has now scored four goals and made four assists in five League Cup appearances

Anderson and substitute Nick Powell were plusses for United, who also saw 38-year-old Giggs play the full 120 minutes, while Victor Moses was influential for Chelsea before Ramires and Oscar began to run the show when they were introduced in the second half.
That it was Sturridge who gave Chelsea the lead for the first time in this match, however, was something of a surprise given his overall performance.

With Fernando Torres suspended following his red card on Sunday, this was Sturridge’s first start for Chelsea this season — and the perfect opportunity to show his ability in the central striking role he craves.

Here's how it all started: Oriel Romeu (centre) is dispossessed by Anderson, leading to the opening goal

Easy as that: Romeu (second right) can't get back as Ryan Giggs is left free to score past a defenceless Petr Cech

Noses in front: United celebrate after Giggs (centre, partly obscured) gave them the lead at Stamford Bridge

Going down: United left-back Alexander Buttner fouls Victor Moses to concede a penalty

No mistake: David Luiz stepped up to haul Chelsea level from the penalty spot with a low, powerful shot

On target: Blues defender Luiz celebrates after equalising from the penalty spot

Yet the 23-year-old was initially comfortably marshalled by United’s young central defensive pairing of Scott Wootton and Michael Keane. It was Moses who looked far more accomplished, outmuscling Alexander Buttner after half an hour to win his side a penalty, which David Luiz converted.

Chelsea had gone behind in bizarre circumstances in the 22nd minute. After a free-kick from Buttner went wide, Petr Cech played a short pass to Oriol Romeu, who was dispossessed by Anderson.

Giggs was the lucky recipient and the Welshman scored by the time Luiz had ambled back on to the pitch.

Chelsea's nemesis: Javier Hernandez celebrates scoring at Stamford Bridge for the second time in four days

Deadly: The Mexican striker showed his predatory instincts with a fine finish late in the first half

Rising high: Gary Cahill (third left) leaps unmarked to head in Chelsea's second goal of the night

Eye for goal: Chelsea centre-back Cahill celebrates his goal in the second half at the Bridge

The Brazil defender played more of a role in United’s second goal, taking the ball up field before watching it cannon back into Chelsea’s half. With the centre half stranded, Hernandez exploited the huge gap to score his fourth goal in three games in the 43rd minute. This one, however, was definitely not offside.

United’s young defence seemed to be in control, but Chelsea were level seven minutes after the restart as Gary Cahill powered home a header from a Mata corner.

After looking as if he would rather be anywhere but Stamford Bridge, Nani suddenly burst into life to score United’s third. A smart one-two with Anderson saw the winger burst into space and finish with his right foot. Cech was left to collect the bottle that was hurled on to the pitch.

Making his point: Nani (right) celebrates with Anderson after scoring Manchester United's third goal

Top class: Nani chips the ball into the net over Petr Cech's despairing dive to put United 3-2 in front

Back from the dead: Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard celebrates scoring in the dying seconds of normal time

Held his nerve: Hazard (17) scores from the penalty spot deep into injury time to force another 30 minutes

Di Matteo pushed for an equaliser. Cesar Azpilicueta was closed down in a promising position at the far post and then Chelsea appealed for a penalty when Mata’s shot hit Keane’s hand. Fourth official Mike Dean got a mouthful from Di Matteo but Lee Mason was unmoved.

The referee, however, was apparently only prolonging the drama. In the fourth minute of stoppage time he pointed to the spot after Wootton bundled over Ramires. Hazard converted with the coolest of right-foot strikes down the middle and, finally, Chelsea were in the ascendency.
Sturridge wasted another glorious chance but, eventually, he converted an opportunity, taking the ball round Anders Lindegaard in the 97th minute after a misjudged header back from Wootton.

Dan's the man: Daniel Sturridge (right) celebrates after handing Chelsea the lead in extra-time

Can't miss: Sturridge scores after going round Manchester United keeper Anders Lindegaard

Keane was then perhaps fortunate to receive only a yellow card for  pulling back the Chelsea striker before Ramires danced through United’s defence to put the match beyond doubt. Even then, Giggs converted a penalty after Azpilicueta was judged to have fouled Hernandez.

Chelsea’s prize is a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds, and former owner Ken Bates, in the quarter-finals. Leeds manager Neil Warnock said he was ‘disgusted’ by Chelsea accusing Clattenburg of making ‘inappropriate comments’ this week. You get the impression that might be an exciting Cup tie, too.

Nail in the coffin: Ramires (centre right) rounds off a superb move to seal the deal for Chelsea

And that's the end of that: Giggs slots home from the penalty spot in the final seconds of extra time

Williams sisters to seek fourth doubles gold medal in Rio

 Talking of preparations meeting determination, Williams sisters; Serena and Venus served that fact when they confidently said during a press conference in Lagos that they are ready to play the tennis doubles at the 2016 Rio Games for a chance to win their fourth gold medal.
The sisters will be playing an exhibition match with each other on Friday at the Ikoyi Club in Lagos; Nigeria while they are on a two-nation tour, the second country being South Africa as they were accompanied by their mum Oracene Price.
Though, Rio 2016 is still four years away from now, but the tennis iconic stars revealed that their preparation is in top gear as the sisters could not hide their excitement on the thought of their doubles defence come 2016 in Brazil.
“It’s our main goal,” Serena Williams said. “We were talking … about how we can’t wait to get to Rio. And obviously, bearing that we’re both healthy, that’s our goal to be there.”
And talking of fitness, on Sunday, little sister Serena beat top-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-4 to win the WTA Championships final in Istanbul.
Venus and Serena teamed to win 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and won Olympic gold in doubles in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
This year, the sisters beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 at the London Games.

Keshi names 24 man squad for Venezuela friendly

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has named 24 home-based players for the friendly match against Venezuela in Miami, United States of America, on November 14, as he prepares the side for January’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Team Secretary, Dayo Enebi Achor, advised the invited players to resume at the Bolton White Apartment camp of the team on Sunday with their international passports and two passport photographs.
The list consists of two goalkeepers, nine defenders,  13 midfielders and strikers with four players – Solomon Yaya (Kwara United), Ugwu Uwadiegu (Enyimba), Gambo Mohammed (Kano Pillars), Gomo Onduku (Sharks) and Emmanuel Ajia (Lobi) – getting their first national call-ups.
Kano Pillars’ midfielder, Gabriel Reuben, gets a recall after injury sidelined him from the squad. The 2012 League Bloggers Awards Player of the Year and Best National Team Player has been ruled out for several months but if fit, he is a big boost for Keshi as he gradually aims to blend the home-based players and their foreign-based counterparts.
Niger Tornadoes’ Okey Azubuike and Tony Okpotu of Lobi Stars are also in the squad after U-20 duty with the Flying Eagles.
Also invited is captain of the home-based Eagles, goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim of Warri Wolves.
Nigeria Premier League champions, Kano Pillars, supplied the highest number of players – five- while Heartland FC and Wolves had four and three players respectively.
Enyimba, Rangers, Sunshine and Lobi Stars provided two players each while Gombe United, Niger Tornadoes, Sharks and Kwara United had one player each.
Two-time champions Nigeria are in Group C of the 2013 Nations Cup alongside defending champions Zambia, former champions Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.

Williams sisters arrive Nigeria for women’s rights tour

American tennis super-stars Serena and Venus Williams on Tuesday arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos at about 3p.m (local time) with officials of ‘Breaking The Mould,’ BTM campaign who were on ground to receive them.
The visit of the Williams sisters is part of a two-nation tour that will see them play exhibition matches and train kids is aimed at promoting women’s rights.
The sisters having shared 22 major women’s singles championships between them are amongst the world’s and United States’ most successful athletes and their trip is aimed at promoting “the role that women play in shifting perceptions and encouraging development at all levels across the African continent”.
The sisters could only say a few words to pressmen at the airport as security operatives whisked them away immediately they arrived.
The Williams are scheduled to pay the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola a courtesy at the State House on Wednesday, after which they will head to a tennis clinic at Ikoyi Club, visit a puberty education class for girls then play an exhibition match and head to South Africa on Friday, November 2nd.
The Williams sisters have played each other competitively in 23 professional matches since 1998, with Serena winning 13 of these matches. Their overall head-to-head series is 13–10.
Serena who is currently ranked number 3 in the world has played Venus 12 times in Grand Slam singles tournaments and 11 times in other tournaments (including 11 finals).
They have met in eight Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, which was the first time in the open era that the same two players had contested four consecutive Grand Slam finals.