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Anorak News | That’s Rich

That’s Rich

by | 23rd, December 2003

‘THE Sun’s credentials as the Old Trafford fanzine are further boosted this morning as the paper continues to cast doubt over the validity of Rio Ferdinand’s punishment.

Best of breed

Or at least it tries to, saying that the one of the three members of the board that dished out an eight-month ban to the Manchester United defender has made money out of the FA.

Peter Heard’s firm was asked to find the FA’s “plush” new offices in Soho Square. For this he was paid.

Anyone who smells a scandal here must have the nose of a bloodhound and tunnel vision. This is a story that does the Sun no favours, especially since when we last looked Ferdinand made a few bob out of football and the FA himself.

One thing for sure: Ferdinand will not be in the running for next year’s European Footballer Of The Year award.

For now, he, like the Independent’s readers, learns that the Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has been awarded this year’s Golden Ball.

The Czech finished ahead of Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and Milan defender Paolo Maldini. He also came ahead of Zinedine Zidane, the world’s best footballer according to a poll just last week.

Are we alone in finding this odd? The world’s best footballer is not as good as the best in Europe, although both are European.

Nedved seems to have won the Carling Cup of international footballing honours.

Football is replete with bizarre takes on reality. For instance, in what other sphere of life could Danny Mills earn a small weekly fortune?

While you ponder that, the Middlesbrough player is speaking to the Mail about what makes him tick.

Having seen him in action, the fear is that the ticking is a bomb attached to a short fuse inside his brain.

But, come, come, Mills is a family man. “My little lad always tells me before a game what to do should I score.”

And before his side’s Carling Cup tie against Spurs he was told to roll his sleeve up and show his tattoos to the crowd.

This he did. And rumours are that the wee lad also tells him to behave like a truculent brat when he is tackled, censured by the referee or sees someone he doesn’t like.

Danny Mills is 26.’



Posted: 23rd, December 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink