FIFA racism measures could see teams expelled or relegated

Teams could be relegated or expelled from competitions for serious incidents of racism after tough new powers were voted in by FIFA.

First or minor offences will result in either a warning, fine or order for games to be played behind closed doors.

Re-offenders or serious incidents could lead to a point’s deduction, expulsion from competition or relegation.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes the measures 'send a strong signal to the racists that their time is up'.

FIFA have in the past, in the wake of a racist incident in football, publicly condemned the actions and promised change, but it seems now they have actually walked the walk and delivered.

What’s even more encouraging is that these measured passed the FIFA congress with a 99% majority, so hopefully now there will be clear and consistent punishments for those who are guilty of racism.

While there is still a lot more work to be done, for example finding out who voted against these measures and expelling them from FIFA, this vote does denote a big step forward.  

Tennis player uses iPhone to prove shot was in at French Open

Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky used his iPhone to try and prove the umpire got a call wrong at the French Open.

Moaning at sports officials these days has been taken to a whole new level as Sergiy Stakhovsky showed in his match with Richard Gasquet at the French Open.

Stakhovsky’s celebrations were cut short during the first round clash when his shot down the line was called ‘out’ prompting bizarre scenes at Roland Garros.

The world number 101 was so enraged by the decision that he decided to put down his racket and whip out his iPhone to take a photo of the mark left by the ball on the line!

Sadly Stakhovsky’s ingenious solution to the lack of Hawk-Eye at Roland Garros didn’t pay dividends as he lost in straight sets, but what he did does highlight the issue that given Hawk-Eye technology is used almost universally in tennis, why have those in charge of the French Open decided not to have it installed.

You can argue that it’s not part of the games traditions, or some other stupid irrelevant point, but the fact is if all the original traditions were kept players would still be using wooden racquets and wearing long johns on court, so I urge the people in charge of Roland Garros update the tournament so it is the same as the others.

This story has just given me an idea for a Hawk-Eye app, I can sell it to all the players in both the men’s and women’s draws, that’s 256 sales right there, let’s see 256 multiplied by 99p= £253.44. Hmm not bad, add that to those who play the qualifiers and I could be breaking the £500 barrier.

Fast-food robbery foiled when getaway car is stolen

An armed robbery at a branch of Burger King in Stockton, California was stopped in its tracks when a quick-thinking employee at the restaurant stole the getaway car.

Armed robbers Jeremy Lovitt and Gabriel Gonzalez burst into the Burger King and demanded cash but they reckoned without the employee who had slipped out of the back door to call for help.

He was confronted by the thieves’ getaway car which had been left, in ironic disregard for the area’s apparently high crime levels, with the key in the ignition and the engine running.

When the robbers came out of the restaurant and found their means of escape missing they were completely flummoxed and the police arrested them at the scene.  

I do love a good incompetent criminal story and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint, kudos to the employee for beating the robbers at their own game.

Have to say that this really was a comedy of errors from the robbers, I mean leaving the keys in the ignition with the engine running in an area known to have high levels of crime, ok so they wanted to make a quick getaway but that really is cutting one too many corners.

It’s obvious what they should have done headed for the drive-thru, that way they wouldn’t have needed to leave the car; they would have got the cash much quicker and would most likely have got away. 

I bet the police had a good laugh when they booked them in at the station. 

IKEA faces backlash over violent garden gnome ad

IKEA is facing a furious backlash after filming an advert that shows garden gnomes being violently attacked.

The advert brandished the slogan ‘say no to gnomes’ and features an army of angry gnomes invading a family who are redecorating their garden.

As the bearded garden guardians rebel against the new garden, the couple find increasingly violent ways to kill them off.

One particular scene shows a heartbroken gnome standing over a fallen friend who has been smashed in half.

I have never read something that is so ridiculous and yet so hilarious all at the same time, basically IKEA have recreated a scene reminiscent of the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan, but with gnomes.

I don’t think I’ve ever known a company to produce an ad that tries so hard to discredit an inanimate object, I mean if people want gnomes in their garden it’s up to them, I don’t see how having gnomes will affect garden furniture?

Have the people at IKEA convinced themselves that Toy Story is real, and that at night in gardens across the world gnomes are coming to life and spend until sunrise trying to break and disassemble IKEA garden furniture.

I don’t get what IKEA were trying to do with this ad but it sure made me laugh. 

Roberto Martinez to leave Wigan and head for Everton talks

Roberto Martinez has been given permission to leave Wigan and will now hold talks with Everton about succeeding David Moyes.

The 39-year-old Spaniard led the Latics to a historic FA Cup triumph this season but could not prevent their relegation from the Premier League.  

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan said Everton contacted him last Friday to ask for talks with Martinez.

Roberto wanted permission to move. “So I’ve given that,” added Whelan.

Well I bet Mr Whelan is eating some humble pie after his comments a few weeks ago when he questioned whether Martinez would want to go to Everton and even said they weren’t a big club, interesting comments when you consider these two points:

1) Everton will be playing in the Premier League and Europe next season, while Wigan will be scrapping it out in the Championship. (I know Wigan will also be playing in Europe but they won’t make it past the group stage)

2) If you take into account the full history of all the teams in the English league system Everton are 4th most successful behind Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, I’d be surprised if Wigan made the top 100.

It’s only natural for Martinez to want to move on he has clearly outgrown Wigan and deserves a crack at a bigger club, and hopefully Wigan don’t make it back to the Premier League, that may sound harsh but there is a reason for it.

Hardly anybody in Wigan cares about football they're more interested in Rugby League, the DW holds just over 25,000 and their average attendance this season was just over 19,000, only QPR had a lower average attendance with 17,800 but their ground only holds 18,500.

Expect to see Wigan’s attendance figures nosedive next season.

Bullet proof uniforms for American school children

A clothing firm which makes fashionable bulletproof blazers and coats is zeroing in on a new market - American schoolchildren.

The MC Kids range, by Colombian firm Miguel Caballero, offers bulletproof school backpacks and bulletproof child-size jackets.

The Washington Post reports that the company is also trying to convince schools in the US to buy its brightly-coloured safety jacket which teachers would store in classrooms until 'a ballistics emergency.'

The NRA and those that object to gun control in America often offer up the argument that guns are needed to fight against tyranny that might break out at some unknown point in the future, an argument that when seen through the eyes of any sane person reveals itself to be complete horses**t.  

But it should be pointed out to those that don’t want any gun controls, this story shows tyranny has already started to spread, I mean when kids are being sent to school with bulletproof blazers, coats and backpacks to guard against a potential shooting, what else can it be called.

What’s the next step closing all the schools in the US and have kids stay at home and have their lessons via Skype?

I admit that sentence sounds crazy but do you know what else is crazy, reading about kids being sent to school with bulletproof clothing.    

Of course there is a way to stop the tyranny spreading further, introduce sensible gun controls.

George Osborne: Seven departments agree new spending cuts

George Osborne has reached agreement with seven Whitehall departments on savings he wants made in 2015.

The chancellor said he had found 20% of the £11.5bn he wants to cut spending by in the year from April 2015.

Justice, energy and communities are among the departments agreeing to “significant savings”, he said, adding that health, schools and foreign aid would be protected from cuts.

George Osborne announced this plan to cut a certain percentage of government departments budgets some time ago and today marks the first step on the way to achieving that, but the seven departments that have settled on a budget accounts for only £2.3bn of the £11.5bn needed to meet Osborne’s target.

 He is still 80% short and so far hasn’t reached a settlement with any of the big spending departments such as the MOD, business, transport and the Home Office, so there is still a long, long way to go.

One final thing why does this government insist on protecting foreign aid spending, schools and the health service absolutely, foreign aid doesn’t make much sense to me.

If you’re in a position to give then you should, but when considering that the government is asking almost all departments to cut a combined £11.5bn isn’t that a clear indicator that right now we’re not really in a position to, and should stop for the time being until we are in a position to do so in the future, wouldn’t that be the sensible thing to do?   

Ian Holloway: Crystal Palace are ‘on a hiding to nothing’

Ian Holloway says newly promoted Crystal Palace are “on a hiding to nothing” in the Premier League next season.

Kevin Phillips scored from the penalty spot in extra-time as Palace claimed a 1-0 victory against Watford in the play-off final at Wembley on Monday.

“It all starts now for me because the minute we kick off next season we’re on a hiding to nothing,” said Holloway.

Holloway added he would have to “scratch my head and wonder ‘just how are we going to stay in the Premier League?’

Well I think the £120m they pocketed from winning yesterdays game will be a big help, add that to the £15m they got for selling Zaha to United and Palace could be one of the biggest spenders in the summer.

Although I’m an Arsenal fan for sheer comedic purposes I wanted Palace to win just so the Premier League can welcome back Ian Holloway who, like Mourinho who is also coming back, is pure box office entertainment for the neutral.  

The game itself was pretty tense in the first half and wasn’t much of a spectacle, but second half the players relaxed a bit and the game opened up, thought Palace deserved to win it in the end.

Although I think the money made available to the team that wins has got out of control, the Championship play-off final is the richest game in football, you get more money for winning it than you do for winning the Champions League, explain that one because I sure can’t.

I understand that it’s to give the winning team money to spend and a chance to stay in the Premier League, but I don’t see why they should receive more than, for example, the winners of the Premier League.    

It was interesting to watch Zaha yesterday, as I’d never seen him play before a full game before, I thought he was the stand-out player he was full of tricks and speed as most wingers are but he seems quite strong and difficult to muscle off the ball.

If he is developed in the same way as a few notable other wingers were at United (Giggs, Beckham and Ronaldo) he could have a fledgling career ahead of him. 

Mercedes to be investigated by FIA over tyre protests

Mercedes face an investigation by Formula 1’s governing body the FIA after being accused of taking part in an illegal tyre test.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged an official protest at the Monaco Grand Prix after discovering tyre supplier Pirelli used Mercedes to do a three-day test.

In-season testing in F1 is forbidden. Pirelli says it has a contract with the FIA allowing limited testing.

The Monaco GP stewards are to prepare a report for the FIA.

What surprised me about all this is how nobody, including the FIA, seemed to know anything about this three day tyre test, which is strange when you consider the FIA appointed Pirelli to provide the tyres for this season, and according to Mercedes approved the test.  

Everybody is in agreement, teams, drivers, commentators and fans that the tyres needed to be altered because they were degrading too quickly, after just five laps in some cases, and it was becoming a battle of the quickest mechanics not the quickest driver.

Yet the way the whole thing has been handled leaves a lot to be desired, Pirelli say that the rules allow them to ask teams to do up to a 1,000km of testing, which is roughly the equivalent of four Monaco Grand Prix's,  but if that’s the case why were they so clandestine about it.

As for Mercedes testing for 1,000km on the new tyres with their 2013 car, Red Bull and Ferrari claim the rules state the car used in a test of this nature must be at least two years old, with Rosberg and Hamilton in attendance gives them a clear advantage over everyone else.

Interested to see how the FIA rules on this one, whatever their ruling someone will be left with egg on their face.  

One last thing, while the Monaco Grand Prix is held at one of the most exciting tracks, and is situated in one of the most exciting locations; it is by far and away the dullest race of the year, bring on Canada.     

Google’s Eric Schmidt ‘perplexed’ over UK tax debate

Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt has said he is “perplexed” by the ongoing debate over the company's tax contributions in the UK.

Mr Schmidt told the BBC that the company did what was “legally required” to pay the right amount of taxes.

Google paid £10m in UK corporate taxes on revenues of £11.9bn - less than 0.1% - between 2006 and 2011.

Mr Schmidt said it was up to the government to change its tax system if it wanted companies to pay more taxes.

Are you listen Downing Street; the tax avoidance debate has reached the point where companies who have come under fire are telling the government to change the law.

When you read stories about how companies like Google, and others, have protocol in place that allows them to pay such a minimal amount of tax, it’s hard to know who to get mad at.

Do you criticise the company, who in this case paid taxes at a rate of less than 0.1% over a five year period, or the government for publicly denouncing what they are doing while at the same time putting no measures in place to stop it.

Either way something needs to be done, soon.  

Manchester City chief executive wants five trophies in five years

Chief executive Ferran Soriano wants Manchester City to win five trophies in the next five years.

Soriano is overseeing the search for a new manager after the club sacked Roberto Mancini, who was at the Etihad Stadium for three-and-a-half years.

“I would say I want to win five trophies in the next five years,” said Soriano.

“That may mean we win no trophies one year and two in another, but on average I want one trophy or title a year.”

I bet Mancini will be less than impressed with this statement, because, by Soriano’s reckoning, if he had won two trophies next season, which he could have, that would have made his average trophy haul one a year.

Manuel Pelligrini, although not yet officially announced, is all set to be in charge at the Etihad next season and I’m sure he’ll be delighted that his new chief exec has set him this challenge of at least a trophy a year, not.

Man City obviously want to join Europe’s elite but they’ve still got a lot to learn because I don’t see any of Europe’s established powerhouses coming out with statements like this one.

Making big bold declaration’s like this only does one thing heaps the pressure on everyone involved with the club, and gives the media and your rivals free reign to criticise if there’s even a hint that you’re failing.

While they have made great progress in the last five years, stories like this prove that City still have some way to go to get where they want to be. 

Cheese maker warned against supplying Gloucester cheese rolling

A cheese maker has been told by police she may be liable for legal action if she supplies Gloucester’s famous annual cheese rolling.

The traditional event involves revellers chasing a 7lb (3kg) wheel of Double Gloucester down Cooper's Hill.

Diana Smart, who makes the cheese for the event at her Churcham farm, said she had been warned by police about her responsibilities as organiser.

She said: “It made me feel pretty angry... there’s not a lot we can do.”

This is nonsense don’t blame Mrs Smart, blame the crazed lunatics that think chasing a wheel of cheese down a ridiculously steep hill at clearly dangerous speeds constitutes a good way to pass the time.

If they want to risk breaking their ankles, legs, arms, neck etc. then that’s their prerogative, and if someone were to seriously injure themselves I don’t see how the blame lies with anyone other than that individual.    

And frankly if someone does seriously injure themselves then it serves them right for being stupid enough to take part. 

Nissan to recall more than 800,000 cars

Nissan has said it plans to recall about 841,000 vehicles worldwide due to a faulty steering wheel.

In the UK, the recall will affect 133,869 models of the Nissan Micra, built between 2002-2006 in Sunderland.

Nissan said that a bolt used in the steering wheel was not screwed on properly, but that there was no danger of sudden failure.

The carmaker said that it will fix the issue by tightening the bolts or replacing steering wheels entirely.

Fortunately I don’t drive a Nissan, but I have noticed that recently there seems to have been a worryingly large amount of major vehicle recalls from car manufacturers.

And it’s not for minor issues either, faulty steering wheels, faulty airbags, accelerators that jam etc. there seems to be a major decline in quality control.

If they want to keep their customers and avoid further embarrassment maybe car manufacturers should take a bit more care during the production process. 

Tony Pulis leaves Stoke City

Manager Tony Pulis has left Stoke City by mutual consent following talks with chairman Peter Coates on Tuesday.

Pulis’s future has been in doubt for some time and he has been told the club feels the time is right for him to leave after seven years in charge.

Probably the right time for Pulis to go if you look at where Stoke finished in the Premier League over the last five seasons, he appears to have taken them as far as they can go.

However I don’t think he’ll be missed, by those who don’t have an allegiance to Stoke City, because of his style of football which was stuck in a time warp.

Also I read something that surprised me when it was first broke that he was leaving, Stoke’s net spend over the last five years was close to £80m, putting them third behind Manchester City and Chelsea during that period.

With that kind of outlay perhaps you could argue Stoke should be in the top 10 or maybe challenging for a European place.    

Anchoring of putters banned from 2016 by golf’s ruling bodies

Golf's two ruling bodies will ban the anchoring of putters in competition from 1 January, 2016.

The R&A and the US Golf Association first unveiled plans last year which were supported by the European Tour but not the PGA Tour.

The ban will apply to any club rested against a part of the body, such as the broom-handle or the belly putters.

It’s about time the rule makers got together and banned a piece of equipment that has no place in the game.

I agree that it’s unfortunate for players who currently use it, the long putter should have been banned as soon as it was introduced, but they’ve been given sufficient time to make the transition back to a regular putter.

As for all the youngsters who have grown up with it, it’s also unfortunate for them but you really have to question a coach who suggests to a player under the age of, say, 16 that they should use a long putter.

The big stumbling block on the horizon is what those who run the PGA Tour decide to do, they have indicated that they aren’t in favour of the ban, but frankly it’s not up to them.

The R&A and the USGA make the rules and whether the PGA Tour agrees with it or not they should follow, you can’t have a situation where you can use the long putter one week but the week after you can’t, the game would be a laughing stock.

Instead of staying silent the PGA Tour should do the right thing and release a statement saying they support the ban. 

Jose Mourinho to leave Real Madrid

Real Madrid announced that head coach Jose Mourinho will leave the club at the end of the season after three years in charge of the Spanish giants.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez broke the news at a packed news conference on Monday.

"Nobody's been sacked, it's a mutual agreement," said Perez. "We've decided to bring our relationship to an end."

This has been coming; Mourinho has made it clear on numerous occasions that he wasn’t happy, that he didn’t feel loved, for the first time in his career he’d fallen out with key players, and the fans.

This obviously paves the way for a return to Chelsea, but given what happened last time he was there, when he fell out with the owner and left, this is one of the few times in Mourinho’s career where there’s a little bit of a question mark against him.

Will the same happen again? Can he replicate what he did first time round?

It’s also a little strange when you analyse his time in Madrid he won the cup in his first season, then in his second season he won the league with a record amount of wins, points and goals, this season he got to the cup final, and on top of that made it to the last four of the Champions League in all three seasons he’s been there, yet he’s leaving on a rather sour and unfulfilled note.

He was brought to Madrid to win them their 10^th European Cup/Champions League trophy, and he didn’t quite manage to do it, yet if you look at it in the last three seasons he’s done exactly the same as what Mancini did with City, cup, league, cup final and he did much better in Europe, yet Mancini can be called very unlucky to have been sacked, whereas you can argue that Mourinho has underachieved.

However you may view his time in Madrid I’m glad he’s coming back to England, albeit he is going to Chelsea, he is a character and his presence will enhance the league next season the answers he gives to questions are much more refreshing than the obvious text-book stuff you get from a lot of the others.    

Apple ‘among largest tax avoiders in US’ Senate committee

Apple has been accused of being “among America's largest tax avoiders” by a Senate committee.

The committee said Apple had used “a complex web of offshore entities” to avoid paying billions of dollars in US income taxes.

Apple chief Tim Cook will go before the panel on Tuesday. In prepared testimony Apple said it did not use tax gimmicks.

The committee said there was no indication it had done anything illegal.

There’s a simple solution here close the loopholes, don’t give huge corporations the option of keeping vast sums of cash overseas where it can’t be taxed.

Apple has a cash stockpile of $145bn yet $102bn is held outside the US, and in the committee report the Apple are accused of seeking the 'Holy Grail' of tax avoidance.

I don’t know what’s worse the fact that these large corporations think the rules don’t apply to them and they can do what they want and pay the taxes they think they should be paying, not what they should actually be paying, or the politicians who know what the problem is and all cue up in the media to condemn, yet never actually do anything about it.   

David Beckham to retire

David Beckham is to retire from football at the end of this season after an illustrious 20-year career.

The former England captain made 115 appearances for his country and 394 for Manchester United, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Beckham, 38, signed a five-month deal at Paris Saint-Germain in January.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” he said.

Beckham has obviously had a remarkable career, he has been a fantastic role-model, and  has won everything worth winning, club wise, but he’s been in semi-retirement since he left Real Madrid to join LA Galaxy in 2007.

Beckham has been criticised at times because his celebrity status overshadowed the game, but that sets him up perfectly for any sports ambassadorial role so kudos to the Chinese for getting in their first.    

Although we won’t be seeing Beckham excelling on the football field anymore, we certainly haven’t seen, or heard, the last from him.  

Police free man stuck in a McDonald’s high chair

One McDonald’s customer did not have a very Happy Meal after he became stuck in a baby high chair. 

The customer needed to be rescued by police when he could not free himself from the seat.

Three officers were pictured helping the stricken man as he sat in the restaurant in Cork, Ireland. 

According to the person who took the picture, the man had drunk some alcohol before squeezing himself in to the seat.

I’m so surprised to hear that alcohol was involved, because this incident sounded to me like a perfectly rational and reasonable person who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, not.

To see a picture of a grown man wedged in a child’s chair surrounded by three police officers is funny, but also quite sad, and yet the very fact that three officers were sent to help this dim-wit is also funny and yet at the same time quite sad.

Couldn’t they have just left him there until he lost enough weight to free himself?

Wouldn’t that have taught him a much more thorough lesson to be stuck in a child’s high chair for an extended period of time while customer after customer came through the doors and mocked him for being such a feckin eejit.

It may sound harsh but that way at least you’d have the guarantee that he won’t do it again. 

Rio Ferdinand calls time on international career

England defender Rio Ferdinand has announced his retirement from international football.

The Manchester United player, 34, who won 81 caps, said he wants to concentrate on his club career.

“After a great deal of thought, I have decided the time is right to retire from international football,” he said.

England manager Roy Hodgson said: “To have captained his country, and to play at three World Cups, marks him out among a very special group of players.”

As Ferdinand’s last game for England was nearly two years ago, even if he’d carried on he would have found it hard to maintain the fitness levels needed to play for both club and country, so you felt this was coming.

Particularly after Ferdinand was called up for the recent World Cup Qualifiers only to withdraw citing a recuperation process he was on meant he couldn’t play, and then turned up in Qatar as a pundit and criticised the team, all this despite pleading to be brought back into the fold.

Hodgson in right Ferdinand is a quality player with 81 caps and three World Cup campaigns to boot,  but he, like a lot of others, was part of that infamous ‘golden generation’ who promised so much yet delivered so little.

Full life terms for police killers

Criminals who kill police officers in England and Wales will face compulsory whole life sentences, Home Secretary Theresa May is to propose.

She will unveil plans for a change in legislation at the Police Federation conference in Bournemouth.

The current minimum sentence for a police murder is 30 years.

The Police Federation said: “We support any move that means a true life sentence will be applied to anyone who murders a police officer.”

This proposal should be supported but there is an obvious question that has to be asked, if the government are planning to introduce a full life sentence for those who kill police officers, why not make it full life for anyone who kills?

How can you have a system where two people could commit the exact same crime but because one killed a police officer they get full life, and because the other killed a civilian they get whatever the judge decides.

I would like to hear the explanation as to why the law will change for some and not for others.  

UN urges people to eat insects to fight world hunger

Eating more insects could help fight world hunger, according to a new UN report.

The report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says that eating insects could help boost nutrition and reduce pollution.

It notes than over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects.

However it admits that “consumer disgust” remains a large barrier in many Western countries.

I think this report has made a couple of glaring oversights, starting with the fact that in the Western world we are fortunate to have low levels of food shortage and don’t need to top up on grasshoppers or caterpillars.

I also fail to see how, if we were to start eating bugs, people in other parts of the world would suddenly magically have enough food to eat, if anything if we starting eating bugs as well they’ll have even less.

I hope the UN will show their support to this report by serving up a giant bug buffet at their next get together, I can see that going down a storm, not.    

4-year-old becomes mayor of Minnesota town

A 4-year-old boy from Minnesota is the new mayor of his town.

Robert Tufts was elected for the position last year and will now run Dorset for the next 12 months.

Tufts was selected as mayor after his name was drawn at the ‘Taste of Dorset’ festival.

Dorset is a small town with a population of 22 and is considered as ‘Restaurant Capital of the World’ as it has the largest number of restaurants per capita.

This is the story that keeps on giving, first you find out that a 4-year-old has been made mayor, then you find out that he got the job via a raffle, then you find out that the town has just 22 people living in it, and, finally, has the most restaurants per capita.

I’m guessing this town has one restaurant, or it will be something stupid like every adult in the town has a one and the real number is actually 15.   

Also I’d very much like to know exactly what duties the mayor is required to do in such a small place, make the tough call as to which restaurant everyone in town dines at for the evening.

I bet there is a couple in Dorset who have just had a baby and are thinking enjoy your term while it lasts Tufts because next year our child will be mayor and steer this town back to the good ol days when there were just 9 of us, we cursed the day when resident number 10 showed up and it’s been downhill ever since.

Please don’t ask where I’m getting these numbers from because I have no idea.   

Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney has asked for a transfer away from Old Trafford.

Rooney, 27, was not in United's squad for the 2-1 win over Swansea on Sunday in Ferguson's final home game before retiring at the end of the season.

“We have refused it,” said Ferguson about Rooney’s transfer request.

For the first time in a long time there’s some uncertainty seeping out of Old Trafford, Ferguson going and now Rooney wanting out.

When Moyes comes in could he sell Rooney for the second time?

Funny thing is given the form Rooney has shown for the last 6 months, I can’t think who would want him.

There was a rumour that he wanted to go to Bayern Munich, but they don’t need him, and they’ll probably get Lewandowski instead.

I highly doubt Real or Barca want him, the Italian league has been hit by one too many match-fixing scandals and is a mess, so he probably won’t go there.

The only team left really is PSG, but that means playing in the French league.

This could be quite amusing a player who clearly wants to leave but has nowhere to go.

If he does find somewhere to go I hope he succeeds, just to shut the pie-holes of all the ex-united players, who are now pundits, who come out with biased crap like: why would you want to leave, going anywhere else is a step down, everyone who leaves Man United doesn’t have the same kind of success and blah blah blah.   

I would like to point out to all of them that there are other teams out there who players who leave United can join and be successful at, there are plenty of examples but the most notable one has to be Gerard Pique.  

He left United in 2008 to join Barcelona, and at the weekend made it trophy number 15 with the Catalan club so it can be done.