news
Tue, 24 Apr 2001 06:22:23 -0700
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[30] Pires wants to play catch up
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Robert Pires said. "I know the coach and I'm sure there will be new players. I know
that our defenders are a bit old but they've always been good and present at every
game even if the age average is 35 years old."
---------------------------------
[29] Teddy on his way?
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From Spursweb
'Today:
Following up from our revelation last night that David Pleat was in
talks with Sheringham's agent yesterday, we can confirm that talks
are continuing this morning.
Presumably talks are going well, and we will keep you up to date with
developments.'
---------------------------------
[28] We hear that
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Peter Kenyon was due to run the London marathon on Sunday but pulled out - due to the
Ruud deal?
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[27] D&P torched
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From MEN
'A FAMOUS pub worshipped by Manchester United's most ardent supporters has been
destroyed in an arson attack. For decades, fans gathered before matches at the Dog and
Partridge, to compose the Reds' latest terrace chants.
The Chester Road pub had already closed after United's championship triumph and was
to be demolished to make way for a car park. But yesterday firebugs sparked a blaze
which ripped through the building.
Regular and United terrace song composer Pete Boyle said: ''It's so
sad it should go in this way after all these years. It was a place of
noise, song and celebration for the real fan. Now we don't know where
we'll go.''
Around 30 firemen tackled the blaze as flames ripped through the roof
and windows. Investigators believe a flammable liquid was poured
through a back window and set alight.'
---------------------------------
[26] Blue on Keano tackle
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Alfie Haaland told The Sun: "I think it was the worst tackle I've ever received. I was
lucky to walk away. What would have happened if one of our City players had done that
to a United player with a tackle that could turn them into an invalid? At least I'm
walking on my two feet, even if I am feeling a bit bruised and battered. I tackle hard
myself but I'd never have done that. Roy Keane doesn't look me in the eye when we
shake hands and there has always been something between us. I can distance myself from
it - it doesn't bother me at all. But he cannot do the same. We'll both remember
what's happened but there will be no revenge from my point of view."
Note how he's trying to appear like an angel now.
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[25] Wenger on Ruud
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"I was surprised at the fee United have paid but it just shows that the new transfer
rules have no influence. Is it too much for a club to pay? It depends on how old the
player is and most of it is down to what he does on the pitch. It how the player does
it out there that is important."
As sour as ever?
---------------------------------
[24] Chelsea deny Yorke and Cole interest
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Colin Hutchinson, said today to the Evening Standard:
"I can say we have no interest in either player."
They link Ole with Spurs.
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[23] Ruud on medical this time round
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"It was the same doctor who looked at my knee last year. He looked at the tests and
said 'you have a perfect knee now".
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[22] Ruud thanks United
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"I am very glad that a club like Manchester United has waited for me and did not buy
another target man for this season. For me, that means the club have a lot of
confidence in me. That I got another chance makes it twice as good as it was before.
"I am feeling as good as before my injury, and I am looking forward to joining
Manchester United. It's something I have waited for for a long time."
---------------------------------
[21] Irwin still undecided
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"I've not spoken to anybody yet. I probably will speak to the club fairly soon. The
manager has said they are going to offer me a contract so I've got to listen to them,
but I haven't got a clue to be honest. Ideally everyone would like first-team
football. I've had words with the manager and he's told me what he wants from me if I
stay next year, which is fair enough. It's up to me to decide if I want that or not.
It will be a difficult decision and I will make it with my family. Do I really want to
start moving house at my age and move my family?. I don't know and I will cross that
bridge in a month-and-a-half's time."
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[20] Teddy's agent on Ruud arrival
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Barry Nevill said:
"The signing of van Nistelrooy doesn't change anything for Teddy. He will still make a
decision which is right for him. It was late on in the season last year when Teddy
made his decision to stay, but I don't know when he will decide this time".
Spurs still keen with Hoddle apparently.
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[19] Ruud on Madrid
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"I only wanted to play for United, although Madrid came in for me. They asked about
the price only two weeks ago. But I didn't want to talk about it. Manchester United
were always on my mind first".
Jaap Stam like loyalty.
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[18] Ruud agent on deal
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Rodger Linse, the player's agent, revealed: "I spoke to Real Madrid but Manchester
United was Ruud's favourite. He has a lot of confidence in the club. It was certainly
not a financial choice because there have been several other offers that seemed better
than Manchester United's offer. At a club like Manchester United there are no games
played, and that makes doing business much easier. If they say 'yes', the deal goes
through."
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[17] PSV - Ruud offer too good
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
PSV chairman Harry van Raay: "When you get so much money, there was no way we could
keep the player at PSV. We spoke for a long time on Friday. They weren't difficult
negotiations. Both parties knew where they stood. For Manchester United there were
just a few uncertainties. They did not know the risks of the new transfer system and
what impact that might have on the transfer."
---------------------------------
[16] Another interesting posting
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
This from Portia Vale in the IMUSA list
'Sorry about the length of this posting, but a few thoughts on some of the points
about ticketing for next season soon developed into a massive (city-like) piece:
> > The headline bad news is hefty price rises, United expect ticket revenue to go up
>7 per cent next year - more than twice the rate of inflation.
Yet again another price rise well above the rate of inflation. While we can
understand the logic of dealing in whole pounds, which therefore compromises the
chance of an exact inflation rise, surely the least we should expect is that these
even out over time i.e. You increase one year then freeze the next, so overall it
stays within inflation levels. Anything else is sheer profiteering and United should
be ashamed to try to dress it up as anything else.
> > Forum members expressed their annoyance at these rises
And what notice did the plc take of the forum members' annoyance? Although they
wouldn't expect the turkeys to vote for Christmas (sorry to any FF member insulted by
being likened to a turkey) I'm sure they should know that if they could give a well
reasoned argument the FF would be likely to give their approval. Nobody is daft
enough to think there won't ever be price rises on tickets, but this sounds like it
was 100% against - will the club's official announcement and renewal letters (which we
hear were already printed before meeting the FF) state that the price rises were done
against the express wishes of the FF? Otherwise it will become the self fulfilling
prophesy we always had for the FF that they would become the patsies of the plc.
Sorry to labour the point, but can you just imagine a report in the
programme, on the website, in the mag, saying "After discussion with the Fans' Forum,
it was decided to raise prices by......" and no mention of the fact the FF
disapproved. No mention either I would guess of the well orchestrated and well argued
IMUSA campaign to persuade the club to peg prices this season.
> > 1. People over 65 will be guaranteed a 20% discount on their
season-tickets & LMTBs in future if they can show they are over 65.
Previously such discounts were discretionary.
Praise where it's due - they've listened and they've agreed to proper
discounts for pensioners. However, I've been told (by a pensioner ST
holder) that it has already been decided this 20% across the board replaces all
existing discretionary deals, so tough luck on those currently getting 50% - I can't
guarantee that is accurate, but I heard it (including the 20% figure) before the game
and before the FF meeting. Also, this 20% for 65 year olds doesn't account for female
fans over 60, but not yet 65 who currently get a discount as non-waged state
pensioners - what are they supposed to do, go back to work until they're 65 so they
can pay for their ST until they reach men's pensionable age?
No mention of other discounts for students or younger fans. Interesting that there's
a representative of the over 65s on the FF, but no representative of the younger fans.
Under 16s weren't even allowed to stand for the FF and a quote from a report of the
first FF meeting says: "...members are predominantly middle-class and middle aged - I
didn't reckon anyone was under 30, and most people seemed to be at least 40".
> > 3. In response to urgings by SU, IMUSA and the Forum as a whole, 500 seats in
>East Stand Lower will be sold match-by-match to members between the ages of 11 to 16
>for £9 each. This capacity will be reviewed if there is heavy demand.
Too little, too late - not much better than nothing. Not many parents would let an 11
year old go alone these days, so will some of these seats be used up by an
accompanying adult or will the only beneficiaries be the 14-16 year olds, who after 2
years won't be able to afford to keep going? These aren't likely to be available as
pay on the gate are they? They're unlikely to be together in a block unless they're
planning to move ST holders. I have often taken my kids into East and West lower
because they're the cheapest tickets and always were half price for junior members.
Let me clarify this - they are not offering anything new - there are probably already
at least 500 members seats in East Lower which any kid under 16 was entitled to have
at half price. The age group that's being lost are the 16-25 year olds, many of whom
are students and even if they're working they will be amongst the lowest paid.
Concessionary prices, for this age range would be much better and wo!
uld not smack so much of social engineering - note where these tickets are - 500 young
kids in the Scoreboard Paddock will be much more easily controlled than those nasty
adults who might stand up for the Champions.
> > 4. ...payment won't be taken until 1 June.
How generous, so I can pay for my first game a mere 2 and a half months before I get
to see it and my last game will be paid for approximately 11 and a half months before
I see it. Again it is shameless profiteering from a club that is so well in the black
it hardly needs to borrow £20million plus from its fans for over 2 months before
needing the first penny to be spent on staging a match. Yet again, no plan to allow
us to pay off in installments. If it was Hull City, desperate for money to stay in
business, I wouldn't mind making the loan so much, but I don't think it's too much to
ask a club like United to wait a bit longer for my hard earned cash.
> > 6. A new facility on the United web-site will enable fans to swap ST and LMTB
>seats.
I don't see how this will help the average person much. I go to matches with several
friends and our seats are scattered in G, H, K, J, WT2, NT2 and the Main Stand. Even
if we could all agree on one location, we're not likely to find seats together by some
form of swapping on the internet. If it's going to take United nearly 3 months to
process the renewals (from 19 May to mid August) couldn't they have offered to try to
seat friends together and sorted it out for us.
> > 2. Home League Cup games - if there are any - will see a 33% cut in ticket prices.
> > 5. There will be an amnesty for people who have had season tickets passed on to
>them.
Deserved praise should be forthcoming for these two moves, but neither will cost the
club much and as explained below this type of good stuff (and the half good stuff) has
been lost in all the dross.
> > All these moves were in response to points made at previous meetings of the Fans'
>Forum.
It's a PR thing (are you listening Paddy) ALL the positive moves are tainted by the
ONE that hits us in the pocket. Good marketing dictates you concentrate on the
positives to offset the negatives. Good PR dictates you don't let your positives
become negatives by association. The PR arm of the club has lost out again to the
marketing arm. The plc could have done so much good for its poor image with the fans
if it had pegged prices for next season and then announced these other positive moves
in response to FF ideas. They know most of us are stupid enough to fall for it and
we'd have
hailed them as our heroes without even noticing their half hearted attitude to
improving conditions for the punters.
> > They also claimed that prices were rising at other PL clubs & that even with these
>rises United will be no higher than 13th in the league table of the highest prices
>next season. It was acknowledged that Sunderland & Aston Villa intend to freeze
>and/or cut their prices, but said they can't always fill their grounds.
We should not be proud of being "no higher than 13th". We should be bottom of the
league on prices - we've got the largest ground and therefore probably raise more per
game than all those above us in this league, especially when you consider that this
league is usually based on the highest normal ST, not on an average allowing for our
exec. and corporate customers, which should be the highest priced in the League to
subsidise the rest of the fans (but probably aren't). Plus we're already the richest
club, with huge other sources of revenue - give the match-going fans a break.
I think it's fairly insulting to suggest Sunderland can't always fill their ground,
Villa maybe, but Sunderland don't need to tempt fans back, they already have a good
solid fan base, encouraged by a board that always seems to acknowledges them and yes,
let's say it, openly cares about their fans. According to the Sunday Mirror today, as
well as Villa and Sunderland: "Leicester had already announced they were pegging their
prices, Derby have indicated no increase in their top price.....Manchester City have
been rewarded for offering discounted prices - 2,500 more renewals than the same stage
last year when they were heading for promotion.....Everton are generally looking at
pegging prices with some concessions for younger and older fans.....even Chelsea
pegged non-VIP season tickets for renewals until April 15th, before a rise of (only)
3.5%.....and Bolton have announced a season ticket price freeze for the FOURTH
successive year" OK Bolton aren't in the Premier, but they cou!
ld be by next season and if they are, they will have the cheapest STs with a TOP price
of £239 and children only paying £85 a season. If you were a poor kid living in
Greater Manchester you may hanker after seeing the Champions, but you'd be able to
afford to see Bolton. That's where the next generation of local kids will end up, and
when they are adults and United are cr@p again they will still be ploughing
heir money into Bolton, not into our club.
A final quote from the Sunday Mirror:
"Patrick Harverson said: 'We have always been mindful of keeping prices affordable'."
Those with the cheapest season tickets have seen a 50% rise in the last 4 years and I
can't begin to work out the rise for the others. Unless Patrick Harverson can show me
that most of us who've had to find these scandalous rises have had a 50% pay rise over
the last 4 years (and I know I haven't) then he cannot make the above statement
truthfully.
Sorry for the length of this rant, and thanks to those of you who have
stayed with it to its inevitably bitter end.'
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[15] Ruud is now
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
The Bookies favourite to score the most Premiership goals next season.
---------------------------------
[14] Fergie to journos
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Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
After the game on Saturday, the Daily Telegraph reported Fergie's response to the
questions about flaws in Keano's temper.
"That's a bloody stupid question...Where've you been: in the land of nod? He's only
had one yellow card this year".
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[13] We beat Madrid
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Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
To get Ruud as they made their interest clear to PSV a few weeks ago - Ruud's agent
and the player were having none of it.
---------------------------------
[12] Ronnie O'Sullivan does an Eric
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Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Snooker player on possibly retiring:
"Eric Cantona quit and I'm sure he didn't stay at home. There's more to life than
snooker"
Er, quite.
---------------------------------
[11] Ole joins...the UN!
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From PA
'Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has agreed to become an ambassador for
Unicef. The Norwegian says he was flattered to be asked to donate time by the UN's
international children's fund. Manchester United already sponsor a Unicef project,
which aims to raise £1 million over the next three years.
Solksjaer told Aftenposten he wants to contribute towards boosting the chances of
needy children to ensure they "get an education and a future". He joins fellow
Norwegian celebrities, such as Liv Ullmann and Johann Olav Koss, in donating time to
the UN.'
---------------------------------
[10] Another FA cock-up
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From Ananova
'The Football Association will turn to the Wembley groundsman to assess the state of
the Millennium Stadium pitch amid fears about its condition ahead of the FA Cup final.
Robert McCullagh, who prepared 13 final pitches beneath the twin towers, will meet
with the Cardiff staff along with other FA officials as they assess the surface this
week.
With Liverpool and Arsenal meeting in the showpiece event - the first away from
Wembley since 1922 - in less than three weeks, the possibility remains that the pitch
could be relaid.
To make matters worse at the 72,500-capacity venue, the retractable roof is stuck once
again. Should bad weather be forecast in the build-up to the match a fully-operational
roof would, of course, help protect the playing area.
But two matches at the ground on Sunday clearly took their toll. The turf cut up
considerably during the LDV Vans Trophy final between victors Port Vale and Brentford
and became very heavy during the second game on it, the Football League Youth Alliance
Cup final involving Bradford and Port Vale.
The Cardiff arena, originally built for the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup, has already
had its surface relaid once this season.
Now, not helped by the incessant rain that has plagued the country in recent months, a
repeat may be the outcome.
"In the contract that we signed when we agreed to use the Millennium Stadium as
opposed to Wembley up until the 2004 FA Cup final it was agreed that the pitch would
be relaid if necessary," said FA head of communications Paul Newman.
"Of course it is a concern so close to the final and we have always wanted and been
assured that we will have a first-class surface in keeping with the importance of the
competition."
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[9] Barthez speaks
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Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"My first disappointment. I would be lying if I told you that I didn t take a small
blow to my morale. More so, because here in Manchester, since I arrived, I haven t
had to cope with large disappointments. Now it is done! In front of Bayern,
Wednesday evening, clearly we were chasing from the beginning even if, as always, it
didn t rest on anything major, they were stronger. Of course, it wouldn t have had to
have been that way if we hadn t taken a goal so quickly. From Tarnat, in the center,
I see the ball passing to the front very quickly. I wait for their large
centre-forward to touch the ball again, to move it forward for a last time but like a
magnifying glass the ball is right up the front and it is Elber who receives it.
There s nothing I can make of it, I am nailed because I just didn t expect that.
Basically, after that it was necessary to chase after the score it s difficult to
control guys like that. Disappointment for me, happiness for Willy
If I were to make a positive point it is for my pal Willy. Frankly I would have
preferred to be in his place but life s like that. He came to see me at the end of
the match and I gave him my shirt for the substitute goalie of Bayern who had asked
him before the match. Normal. I think that with Bixente, they can go to the end if
they are good. As for us, we returned all massively disappointed without saying too
much to one another. Definitely, the sentiments at the beginning of week had been
very positive with our official title since winning the last match. But anyway! We d
known it for some time and it would have been beautiful if we could have done the
double :
C1/League."
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[8] Euro away rivals?
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Don't try this at home, especially so soon after Munchen yeast beer...
'A student has won a 24-hour drinking contest in the Czech Republic after his closest
rival fell asleep. Tomas Kreji, who drank 28 pints of beer - the equivalent of 13
litres - in 22.5 hours, won the first prize of a pig. The 20-year-old's strongest
opponent, Jasi Jotov, who is 37, fell asleep just before the end of the contest in
Hora Svate Kateriny. In the women's section, Eva Horakova lost her title to Jitka
Novakova who drank 4.6 litres of beer. Last year Eva managed 8.6 litres.'
---------------------------------
[7] Robbie Fowlup on Scouse Champs League chances
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Robbie Fowler said: "It has got to the stage where we basically have to win all our
remaining games. Although we have games in hand, we are some way behind that third
spot in the league. But we now have to knuckle down in the league and get a string of
victories for us to take that third place. It is not beyond us because we have shown
we are capable of beating the very best opposition."
N.B. Quote of the week had to be the bloke commentating on the Liverpool-Spurs game to
be shown later on SKY who said after Fowlup's goal - "a goal snatched by
the...pickpocket".
Barca sacked their coach last night after defeat last week and another league defeat
at the weekend in which they had 3 players sent off. Wenger to go now?
---------------------------------
[6] Piece on Tier Two
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Letter sent in by Gez that is well worth reading that was posted on the SU and IMUSA
forums...
"Dear Mr Haverson,
In the City match programme you put your name to an article outlining the problems
created by enthusiastic vocal fans who stood belting out their support for the team
during the most important home match of this season. This one sided view hides the
clubs failure to properly implement its own initiative, the West2 'fanzone'. This was
touted as an area to rival the great curvas of Europe and some of your very best
customers moved there. However, the role of West2 was not publicised and many
exceptionally unsuitable people were allocated seats there.
I have spoken to the lady whose letter you published on a number of occasions, and
know she is very much a positive fan. However, her letter reveals that you have not
served her very well. She writes of her delight in obtaining a Season Ticket but with
the rider 'albeit in the singing end'. This suggests that she would be better served
by a seat in a less fervent area which would include virtually any other area of the
ground. A number of TTC members will be seeking relocation to West2 and so a variety
of options could easily be offered to her.
The other story you relate concerns the poor soul who had to leave the most important
home match of the season because he was surrounded by an excited buzzing crowd and
couldn't see. His decision to leave was taken after 10 Minutes!!!! I regret his bad
back but his actions reveal his position as being dramatically less than a passionate
fan, so why was he sold a ticket for a passionate area?
I can relate an experience that has far more relevance to both MUFC as a business and
as a football club. My son and I used to have season tickets in the family stand and a
two seasons ago, an older chap and his grandson were sitting next to us in day-ticket
seats. He was older than me, probably in his late 50s (I'm 52) and had brought his
granson, around 8 to his first match. He was keen for this lad to experience the
excitement of being at a live match and from the start was belting out songs,
especially 'The Manchester Calypso' joined by me and my lad and ? no one. As he left,
after the final whistle, he thanked me for joining in and said he wouldn't be coming
back as there was no atmosphere or fun in it!
When you took up your position you wrote to me to acknowledge the many positive
letters I have written with ideas and proposals to rebuild the buzz at Old Trafford
and said that you would be responding properly once you had got top grip with your new
role. I am still waiting.
Yours Sincerely,
Gez M"
---------------------------------
[5] Remaining reserve and youth team fixtures
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From official site
Reserves
FA Premier Reserve League Fixtures 2000/01
Manchester City (h) - Thursday 26 April 2001 (at Old Trafford)
Middlesbrough (h) - Monday 30 April 2001 (at Old Trafford)
Liverpool (h) - Monday 7 May 2001 Kick off 11am (at Old Trafford)
For the above matches, there will be cash admissions at the turnstiles
priced £2 adults and £1 under 16's/over 65's. Season Ticket Holders and Members can
gain entry on production of their Membership Card.
Manchester Senior Cup
Group match v Oldham Athletic (a) - Monday 23 April 2001
Boundary Park, kick off 7pm
Final v Manchester City (h) - Friday 11 May 2001
Old Trafford, kick off 7pm.
Admission to the final is strictly by cash only at the turnstiles priced £2 adults and
£1 under 16's/over 65's.
Youth
FA Premier Academy League - Under-17 Play-Offs
Third play-off: 28 April 2001
Manchester United vs Blackburn Rovers @ The Trafford Training Centre, kick off 11am.
These are "mini-group' fixtures. The winners of each mini-group progress to the
quarter-finals.
FA Premier Academy League - Under-19 Play-Offs
24 April 2001
Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester United @ BRFC Academy (brought forward from 25 April)
28 April 2001
Everton vs Manchester United
---------------------------------
[4] Ruud most expensive player in Britain
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Below PA Sport lists the highest transfer fees paid by teams in Britain:
Name From To Fee
1 Ruud van Nistelrooy PSV Eindhoven Man Utd 19million
2 Rio Ferdinand West Ham Leeds 18million
3 Alan Shearer Blackburn Newcastle 15million
4 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Atletico Madrid Chelsea 15million
5 Dwight Yorke Aston Villa Man Utd 12.6million
6 Tore Andre Flo Chelsea Rangers 12million
7 Sylvain Wiltord Bordeaux Arsenal 12million
8 Emile Heskey Leicester Liverpool 11million
9 Sergei Rebrov Dynamo Kiev Tottenham 11million
10 Jaap Stam PSV Man Utd 10.75million
---------------------------------
[3] Bergkamp on Ruud arrival
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
"It's obviously with mixed feelings that I learned that Ruud van Nistelrooy has
signed for Manchester United. As a fellow Dutchman, I'm extremely proud and pleased
for him that he's coming to the Premiership. But as an Arsenal player, I'm obviously
concerned that he'll bring an extra element of class to their side next year.
I think we all know about Ruud's class on the field. He's just superb and will make
such a difference to them. It means they'll have five top-class strikers next season
and maybe someone will have to move on so those who are there can get regular
football.
What is less known over here is that he's a really level-headed guy. I've met Ruud a
few times, back in my international days, and he has such a good head on his
shoulders. Always modest, he is anxious to learn more and add to his game. To have
his class but be totally lacking in arrogance is amazing. That level-headedness will
be vital.
So where does this leave us at Arsenal? I don't know if it means we're any further
behind United. To be fair to us, we still have four world-class strikers and plenty
of quality in our side. We have the same vision as United and want to win. Of course,
Ruud will make a huge difference to them, but we mean business too."
Seems scared already.
---------------------------------
[2] Red News celebrates Ruud's arrival?!
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Firstly we'd like to know if any of you would fancy a piss-up after the final home
game of the season. Let us know at [EMAIL PROTECTED] if so.
Also have you visited the Red News shop on the web site - all you could ever ask
for...and how about taking out a Red News subscription for just £16 in the UK for 10
issues. Not just for you, but your family, friends, people in the streets...bitters,
sheep, bag them all!
---------------------------------
[1] Red News deadline
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, April 24, 2001 by bar-knee:
Deadline day of Friday approaches for the final Red News of the season so if you have
any ideas/articles/letters get them sent into
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
We're especially looking for moments of the season (good and bad), short, unique on
and off pitch memories from this year. Thanks.
---------------------------------
[34] Ruud signs - Utd press release
---------------------------------
Posted Monday, April 23, 2001 by bar-knee:
'Manchester United are delighted to announce today that they have reached agreement
with PSV Eindhoven for the transfer of their player Ruud Van Nistelrooy to Manchester
United for a fee, including associated costs, of £19m.
Van Nistelrooy has agreed a five-year contract commencing 1st July 2001 and will join
the United squad this summer.
Peter Kenyon, chief executive of Manchester United, says: "This is great news for
United and all our fans. We are extremely pleased that Ruud has come through his
injury problems and can now join us for next season."
Sir Alex Ferguson says: "I am delighted that we have signed Ruud, a player we have
admired for some time. This deal underlines our determination to improve the squad at
United."
Ruud Van Nistelrooy says: "I am very pleased to have finally signed for Manchester
United. In spite of what has happened in the past year, my feelings for the club have
never diminished. It has always been a dream of mine to play for United at Old
Trafford, so this move has been a very easy choice for me to make and I look forward
to playing for the club next season. I'd like to thank everyone at PSV Eindhoven for
being so supportive during my time at the club, particularly in the last year."
Player Profile
Position Forward
Age 24 (Born 1st July 1976)
Place of Birth Oss, Holland
Weight 12st 7lb
Height 6í 2î
Previous Clubs FC Den Bosch
SC Heerenveen
Signs for PSV Eindhoven on his 22nd birthday for £4.2m (a record between Dutch clubs)
1999 (May) Ends season as top scorer in Dutch league with 31 goals and voted 2nd
in European Golden Boot rankings. Voted Dutch player of the year by fellow
professionals.
2000 (April) Heads PSV scoring chart with 29 goals from 23 matches.
2001 (March) Returns to PSV 1st team, scoring 4 goals in 7 league and cup
appearances