Coming And Going
‘THE Sun says that Newcastle United are set to play their credit card joker in the next few days and offer Leeds United a buy now…pay later deal.
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| Travelling on a one-way ticket |
The Magpies are preparing to offer the impoverished Yorkshire club £5m for their star striker and allow Alan Smith (for it is he) to play on for his hometown team until the seasons end.
This seems quite fair, until you realise, as the Independent does, that the offer is likely to be made up of an initial payment of £3.5m not enough to stave of Leeds immediate problems with the balance paid in instalments.
And then there is the fact that Leeds have stated a few dozen times that they do not want to lose the player. But with debts of £83m and rising, the offer may be too tempting to turn down.
The Indys other news on Leeds is that Spurs have offered £5m for goalkeeper Paul Robinson and young midfielder James Milner. Its an offer matched by Manchester United, according to the Telegraph.
But, says the Guardian, Leeds have turned down Spurs offer, and are hoping to attract higher bids. But who will offer more? With creditors baying for a quick £5m, this looks like a waiting game Leeds can only lose.
Whereas, after years of waiting, Tim Henman can only win. Come on, he can. Okay, he might not, but, as the Telegraph reports, Tiger Timmy is ready to move up a gear.
Having made steady progress in the Australian Open with wins over Frenchman Jean-Rene Lisnard and the Czech Radek Stepanek, Tim now faces Argentinean Guillermo Canas.
While not exactly a household name in his own lounge, Canas has played Henman on four occasions, losing only once and winning the last three.
Tim will need to dig deep to bring home the cup. And its a cup thats a darn sight bigger that the piddly littler urn of ashes heading in the other direction.
The Guardian reports that, for the first time in 16 years, crickets Ashes is to be allowed by the MCC to travel to Australia.
The MCC had insisted that a crack in the urn meant it was too fragile to make the 12,000-mile journey. But its now been repaired and will soon be winging its way to the land Down Under.
Where, judging by the recent English attempts at winning it back, it will remain forever…’
Posted: 23rd, January 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
