Real star: Here we go with Figo? Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo could be a surprise arrival as negotiations with the Portuguese star suggest some cause for optimism. The man who cost Real £37m when he was signed from Barcelona five years ago may come to Tyneside on a similar contract to the one that saw former Barca colleague Patrick Kluivert arrive last summer. Figo is apparently keen on the deal and a year contract with two exercisable one year options may suit both parties. Amid the stuff and nonsense overflowing this weekend, apparently this story has some substance. Monkey business: Carver palaver Morning newspaper reports linking Academy coach John Carver with the vacant manager's position at Hartlepool turned out to false when ex-mackem Martin Scott was given the job permanently. Stories had suggested that Carver and Peter Beardsley were to take over at Victoria Park. Possible opponents: Intertoto teams in stalemate First Round 1st Leg: Vasas (Hung) 0 Dubnica (Slovak) 0 The Intertoto Cup got underway with the first leg of the First Round played this weekend. The game we're interested in ended goalless as Vasas and Dubnica both failed to score in Budapest. The eventual winners go on to meet Turkish side Ankaraspor in the Second Round and we will play the winners of that tie. Previous European opponents Bohemians (UEFA) and Lokeren (Intertoto) both won their fist leg ties, 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. And if you were scratching your head about one result, the Olympiakos beaten 5-0 at home by Romanian side Glorai is, of course, Nicosia and not the Greek giants we defeated last season who will be in the Champions League group stage again. For full Intertoto Cup details see here. Departure saga: Why don't you reconsider Bowyer Latest news from St.Andrews tells of further dialogue between Birmingham City and Lee Bowyer, as the Blues try to make Newcastle's 28 year-old midfielder reconsider his decision. City fans have now responded to the initial anti-Bowyer online petition by adding to pro-Bowyer ventures in far greater numbers - something that Birmingham are keen to stress to their target. PS - one departure from St.Andrews this week has toon connections, former United reserve 'keeper Ian Bennett signing for Leeds United. More paper talk: Great idea - but it's news to Porto A story that's been knocking around for a day or two was used by the Sun on Saturday, who supplied a quote from Porto striker Benni McCarthy (pictured) about him having no problem with joining Newcastle. The 27 year-old South African international striker who previously played for Ajax Capetown, Ajax Amsterdam and Celta Vigo is allegedly one half of a swap deal - the other half being Hugo Viana, latterly on loan at Porto's rivals Sporting Lisbon. And while McCarthy is talking up a move, the Portuguese press have rather a different slant on things, Porto President Pinto Da Costa rejecting claims of interest in Viana and saying "it is all invention." Turning to McCarthy, Da Costa confirmed that he's in a similar position to that of Craig Bellamy, in that he's expected back for training in early July unless someone comes in to meet the asking price for his transfer, which is £6m (with Celta Vigo being due a slice in a sell-on clause). The President also drew attention to the fact that all of the talking was coming from the player's camp and that Porto were happy for the player to remain with them - and had that not been the case, would have accepted a recent offer made by Blackburn. New pro: AJ remains on the wanted list The future of England striker Andy Johnson is one of the main transfer talking points this close season, as it looks more and more unlikely that he'll be playing his club football in the Championship next season. Having recently returned from playing for England in the USA, the not totally unexpected news from South London is that the Bedford-born 24 year-old is now worried about keeping his international place, now Palace are no longer in the top flight. Although Palace owner Simon Jordan has come out with the usual lines about the player not going anywhere and his club not needing to sell, the reality of the situation appears to be that Johnson has his bags packed - even if the local Croydon paper thinks that the player will stay for one more season. And with Jordan and his opposite number Freddy Shepherd said to enjoy a good relationship and Johnson high on our shopping list and ticking all of the boxes in terms of age, pedigree and temperament then his signing cannot be ruled out. Johnson signed a new five-year contract with the Eagles, for a quoted £10,000 a week - a figure that he can expect to increase considerably when he moves. Palace have already signed a new striker, with former Preston and Manchester City front man John Macken arriving earlier this month. USA no way: JJ Joke So Jermaine Jenas is so gutted at seeing Scott Parker arrive that he wants to leave - and Manchester United conveniently table a £7m bid to get him. That's the same Manchester United, about who the same papers were asserting less than a week ago that Alex Ferguson would have to sell in order to finance the £4m acquisition of another player. Welcome to the world of summer sports papers. New pro: United reward youngster Jonathan Barnett's Stellar management company have announced that Newcastle's England youth international defender Paul Huntington has signed his first professional contract with the club. The Cumbrian-born 17 year-old appeared for the Magpies last season at both academy and reserve level, also making his debut for England U18s in December and featuring again for them earlier this month. Huntington said: "It's great news, I am absolutely delighted. I had a great season last year and really enjoyed playing in a successful Newcastle side. Meeting up with the England squad was also very special. "I just have to keep working hard and learning off the players and coaches here. The club has a history of giving young players a chance and I can hopefully follow in the footsteps of some of the other players who have gone on to play for the first team at St James' Park."

Graeme Souness will hold urgent talks with Newcastle United chairman Freddie Shepherd this week over the possible return to the club for Craig Bellamy. Souness has always insisted that Bellamy would never play for him again after the two clashed over his best position, a row which climaxed with Bellamy accusing his manager of being a liar in a television interview, leading to his hastily arranged exit on a loan deal to Celtic. But that temporary spell is now up and, although Aston Villa have had a #6m offer accepted by United, Bellamy has turned his back on a move to David O'Leary's men as he believes a bigger club will come in for him before the start of next season. There has also been speculation that the Welsh international could remain at Celtic, but Newcastle revealed yesterday that they had not had any contact with the Glasgow club, who do not appear to have the money to pay his transfer fee, as well as his #45,000 a week wages. Souness, though, has made no secret of his dislike and mistrust of Bellamy, who he believes is a disruptive influence in the dressing room with his constant bickering and sniping. But, with no buyer on the horizon, Shepherd has admitted he will have to discuss the matter with his manager as the players are due back to start pre-season training a week today and, if Bellamy has not been sold, he will also be expected to return. Shepherd said: "Everybody will tell you I am a forgiving chap; whether or not he plays for Newcastle again is up to the manager. Only Celtic know if they have got the money, but at this moment, the option ran out and we have never heard any more from them. "Craig is lying on a beach in the sun at the moment, but he is due back on July 4 so we will see what happens. But in football, anything can happen." Souness has previously been adamant he did not want to see the 26-year-old back at St James's Park and he is unlikely to have changed that stance because of the club's struggle to find a buyer to match a #6m asking price. Souness is confident of wrapping up the deal to bring Inter Milan's Turkish international midfielder Emre to the club by the end of the week and is also believed to have renewed his interest in Manchester City's centre-half Sylvain Distin. United had a #5m bid for the Frenchman rejected back in January, but they might now be willing to up the offer to #7m to beat off competition from Aston Villa and Everton. Meanwhile, Shepherd has insisted Lee Bowyer will be welcomed back to Tyneside if his proposed move to Birmingham cannot be salvaged, adding that a price was never agreed - City had simply been given permission to talk to the player. He said the midfielder had never been put up for sale because Souness wants to keep him. Shepherd, like Souness, is under pressure from supporters following last season's worst-ever Premiership finish. But the #6.5m signing of Scott Parker from Chelsea last week has been a step in the right direction. Shepherd added: "It is a great signing for Newcastle and the fans are overjoyed with it because he is a quality player and we are looking forward to seeing him in August." United deny reports that they are close to signing Real Madrid's Luis Figo. Meanwhile, Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has revealed French winger Laurent Robert is only at Fratton Park on loan until the end of next season, with Pompey having an option to make the move permanent Souness rules out Johnson bid Jun 18 2005 By Luke Edwards, The Journal Graeme Souness has denied suggestions that he is chasing England international Andrew Johnson as the club continue their ambitious pursuit of Michael Owen. With Newcastle United hoping to sign two strikers this summer to replace the departed Patrick Kluivert and the departing Craig Bellamy, Johnson had been heavily linked with a move to the North-East. Johnson scored 22 goals in his first season in the Premiership, forcing his way into the England squad to establish himself as one of the hottest transfer targets of the summer, despite Crystal Palace's insistence he is not for sale. The 24-year-old's efforts were all the more remarkable because they came in a struggling Palace side who ultimately lost their fight against relegation on the final day of the season. Newcastle were first linked with a summer swoop back in February, but Souness has insisted the diminutive striker, who is likely to cost around £5m - is not on his shopping list. He said: "I've seen the reports linking us with a move for Andrew Johnson, but I'm not interested in him. We are not trying to sign him because we have got other targets at this stage." The majority of Newcastle fans will be scratching their heads regarding Souness' intended targets, especially as most regard the strengthening of the club's offensive options as the main priority before the start of next season. Newcastle had enquired about the Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane before the end of last season, but sources close to Souness claim the Scot has cooled on that front as the player has hinted he wants to see out the remaining year of his existing contract at Tottenham Hotspur and then leave on a Bosman-style free transfer, probably next summer. Spurs are unlikely to allow that to happen with a player who cost them £7m in 2002, but Celtic will be his preferred destination as long as their manager Gordon Strachan decides not to splash out the majority of his transfer budget in turning Bellamy's loan move into a permanent stay in Glasgow. Other targets discussed by Newcastle have been Manchester United pair Louis Saha and Alan Smith, but The Journal has been told Souness has also dismissed the chance of making a bid for either of the Old Trafford duo, partly because their manager Sir Alex Ferguson was going to ask for Kieron Dyer in exchange. With Souness also denying he is interested in Keane's Tottenham team-mate Frederic Kanoute, it is hard to see where another prospective arrival can be found in the Premiership. As a result, it seems Souness and United chairman Freddie Shepherd are looking to the Continent, with a flurry of names being linked with a move to St James's Park in the last week. Among those have been Deportivo La Coruña targetman Walter Pandiani. The 29-year-old Uruguay international spent a successful loan spell at St Andrew's last season, but Birmingham have not been able to agree a fee to sign him permanently, fuelling speculation in Spain they have been gazumped by Newcastle. But it is United's continued pursuit of Owen which will cause the biggest stir. Despite the England vice-captain's continued insistence that he wants to remain at Real Madrid next season, the constant rumours of a homecoming refuse to disappear. Newcastle have already had a £16m offer turned down and the player is believed to have already hinted that he is not interested in a move to St James's Park. Nevertheless, the Magpies have refused to give up hope of pulling off the biggest signing in the club's history since the then world record capture of Alan Shearer nine years ago and have continued to actively pursue him in recent weeks. Another La Liga name linked with United is that of Barcelona's Argentinian international Javier Saviola, while Liverpool target, highly-rated Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt, has also been watched by Souness. Meanwhile, Newcastle announced yesterday that between 90 and 95% of season tickets have been sold ahead of the start of the new season. There had been speculation that large numbers of supporters would fail to renew after the club's worst Premiership finish. But those fears appear to have been unfounded. A club spokesman said: "The indications are that we have sold somewhere between 90 and 95% of our season tickets. Reminders will be sent out to those who have not renewed and, after that, they will go to those fans who are on the waiting list." Seventeen-year-old defender Paul Huntington has signed his first professional contract with Newcastle after impressing in their Under-18 side. The England youth international, a promising centre-half, said: "It's great news, I'm absolutely delighted. I had a great season last year and really enjoyed playing in a successful Newcastle side. Meeting up with the England squad was also very special. "I just have to keep working hard and learn from the players and coaches here. "The club has a history of giving young players a chance and I can hopefully follow in the footsteps of some of the other players who have gone on to play for the first team at St James's Park.

Robert away: Off the payroll... somehow From the Portsmouth website, Monday: Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric and Chief Executive Peter Storrie have voiced their anger at media questions concerning the transfer of Laurent Robert. Both men have been inundated by calls and are angry that the media have concentrated on an issue that has no bearing on his 3-year deal. Peter Storrie said today: "I speak on behalf of the chairman as well when I say we are fed up of this. Laurent Robert is with us for 3 years as we disclosed last week. The only get-out clause to this would be if we were relegated, but this is merely precautionary and a sensible move. We would not be signing players with the ability of Laurent if we thought we would playing championship football in a years time, and Laurent would not be signing for us if he didn't believe the same." "This appears to be more mischief making on the part of people wanting to make a story where none exists. The crazy thing about this is that Newcastle are happy with the deal, we are happy with the deal and the player is happy with the deal, so what else really matters?" "You would think people would be out in the sun over the weekend, but even in the summer it seems people want to sit inside making stories where none exist." Mandaric however was quoted on Sunday as saying: "It is a two-part deal. We have taken him now and if all goes well we will sign him permanently." This would have explained the reported clause that prevents Robert playing against us next season - that is not usually a feature of permanent signings. Newcastle issued a short statement on Monday which clarified their position but did little to clear up Pompey's: "Laurent has left Newcastle United. He won't be returning to St. James' Park and we wish him well for the future. "Laurent will be at Portsmouth next season, and at the end of the season, whatever happens will be up to Portsmouth Football Club as he is their player." Friday's Chronicle revealed information about Newcastle's recent deals with Portsmouth for Andy O'Brien and Laurent Robert. While the Irish international defender is free to play against us next season, it looks as if we have inserted a clause in Robert's new contract will prevent him from appearing in the Premiership against Newcastle at either Fratton Park or St.James' Park. No mention of what will happen if we get them in one of the Cups though.... Bernabeu blag: Figo: Real story Figo may prefer a move to Gotham City Real Madrid midfielder Luis Figo could be a surprise arrival as negotiations with the Portuguese star suggest some cause for optimism. The man who cost Real £37m when he was signed from Barcelona five years ago may come to Tyneside on a similar contract to the one that saw former Barca colleague Patrick Kluivert arrive last summer. Figo is apparently keen on the deal and a year contract with two exercisable one year options may suit both parties. Amid the stuff and nonsense overflowing this weekend, apparently this story has some substance. Story rubbished: Not right, said Fred Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has been quick to deny the Journal's back page story on Monday regarding talks between him and Graeme Souness over the future of Craig Bellamy. The paper had claimed that Bellamy could yet return to United next season as a player if no transfer was concluded - something that Souness has previously ruled against, although the manager accepts Bellamy will be returning to pre-season training.... of some sort.

Coaching departure: Carver leaves Newcastle confirmed on Monday evening that Academy Director John Carver would be leaving the club with immediate effect, as a restructuring of our youth coaching setup at Little Benton gets underway. As recently as Saturday Carver had again been linked with the Hartlepool post, only for caretaker boss Martin Scott to be handed that job permanently. And with Preston manager Billy Davies opting not to move on to Derby, plus ongoing rumours that the Palace assistant manager's job will go to former Magpie Neil McDonald, then three possible new positions for Carver have all vanished. Newcastle have opted to abolish the position of Director and replace it with one of senior coach. It's unclear whether Carver's departure will affect the positions of Academy coaches Kenny Wharton and Peter Beardsley. While former Newcastle midfielder Paul Bracewell has previously been linked with us in a youth coaching capacity, most recent speculation has linked one of his former toon team mates, Scott Sellars - currently an Academy coach at Sheffield United. Arrival #2: Almost Tyne for Turk The saga of Inter Milan's Turkish international midfielder Emre looks as if it's coming towards a conclusion, our chief rivals Everton admitting defeat in their bid to sign the 24 year-old. No confirmation of how much he's costing us and when he'll be unveiled, but Emre should be paraded before the press in his black and white shirt in the near future. Another one away?: Are they good enough for you? From the Mirror, Monday - also appearing in the Liverpool evening paper: EVERTON boss David Moyes has been given the green light to sign Craig Bellamy in a £5million swoop - by supremo Bill Kenwright and Newcastle United. Moyes has now gone back to the front of the pack chasing the Wales striker and his eager-to-spend chairman is willing to hand out a £45,000-a-week contract to make the deal happen. Kenwright had talks with Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd yesterday in a bid to push through the transfer and has got the nod to start speaking to the unsettled player. Having turned his nose up at Blackburn, Villa and Birmingham it remains to be seen whether the lure of Champions League football and the chance to play alongside Duncan Ferguson may tickle Craig's fancy. We're a little worried though that the price seems to have dropped by a million in the last few days... Target #3 Dan still the man So, we snatch Parker "from under the noses" of Everton, we have apparently pipped the Moyes Boys to the Emre signature and Bellamy is now being linked with a move to Goodison. The next piece in the jigsaw for Newcastle appears to be the acquisition of a central defender and news that Everton are to sign Per Koldrup of Udinese for £5m -, ending their interest in Sylvain Distin - could aid us. However despite that, Hamburg's former Manchester City stopper Daniel Van Buyten remains in our sights, not least because the Belgians' wage demands are slightly less jaw-dropping than our former French favourite. Story rubbished: Not right, said Fred Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has been quick to deny the Journal's back page story on Monday regarding talks between him and Graeme Souness over the future of Craig Bellamy. The paper had claimed that Bellamy could yet return to United next season as a player if no transfer was concluded - something that Souness has previously ruled against, although the manager accepts Bellamy will be returning to pre-season training.... of some sort. Here he goes again: That's magic "My message to the supporters is that we must take Valencia to the top and provide joy and illusion." Wise words from Patrick Kluivert after his transfer to Valencia was officially confirmed on Monday. Of course Newcastle fans are already very aware of Patrick's own particular abilities in the illusion department - in particular making large amounts of cash disappear

Pompey fury at loan claim Jun 21 2005 By Paul Gilder, The Journal Furious officials at Fratton Park last night called for closure on Laurent Robert's controversial switch to Portsmouth and insisted that the Frenchman's transfer from Newcastle is a permanent deal. It had been suggested that the 30-year-old could return to Tyneside next summer having initially moved to the South Coast on a loan basis but, with Alain Perrin having paid £1.5m for his services, Pompey believe that Robert is now their player. Although a clause in his contract will relieve the winger of his commitments to his new club should Portsmouth be relegated next season, United no longer have any obligations to the former Paris-Saint Germain favourite. And as Freddie Shepherd moved to clarify that Robert will not pull on a black-and-white shirt again, the Fratton Park chief executive Peter Storrie appealed for an end to discussions of a subject which has clearly left him irked. "I speak on behalf of the chairman (Milan Mandaric) as well when I say that we are fed up of this," said Storrie, who insisted there has been no change to the terms of the deal outlined at a Press conference convened to announce the player's signing six days ago. "Laurent Robert is with us for three years as we disclosed last week. The only get-out clause to this would be if we were relegated but that is merely precautionary and is a sensible move. "We would not be signing players with the ability of Laurent if we thought that we would be playing Championship football in a year's time and Laurent would not be signing for us if he didn't believe the same. It appears to be more mischief making on the part of people wanting to make a story where none exists. The crazy thing about this is that Newcastle are happy with the deal, we are happy with the deal and the player is happy with the deal so what else really matters? "I would have thought people would have been out in the sun over the weekend but even in the summer it seems people want to sit inside making stories where none exist." It seems that weekend comments by Mandaric talking about making the deal a "permanent" one were misinterpreted and that Portsmouth's chairman was referring to taking up the full three-year option on the player should relegation be avoided next summer. Tellingly, Mandaric did not specifically talk of a loan. "Laurent has left Newcastle United and he won't be returning to St James's Park," confirmed Shepherd yesterday. "Laurent will be at Portsmouth next season and, at the end of the season, whatever happens will be up to Portsmouth Football Club as he is their player." Robert has been no stranger to controversy during his four years on Tyneside but, even having parted company with the enigmatic winger, United have not been able to completely wash their hands of the player. Both Newcastle and Portsmouth will hope that their statements last night will rectify that. The Frenchman is one of five players to have departed St James's Park already this summer and another - Patrick Kluivert - finally passed a medical at Valencia yesterday. The Dutchman's return to Spain was plunged into jeopardy last week when he failed an initial examination. But having been given a second chance the striker satisfied the Primera Liga club's stipulations and is set to seal his transfer next Monday. In a statement, Valencia confirmed: "Patrick Kluivert has satisfactorily passed the examination he was subjected to and therefore, after signing his contract, he will be unveiled at Valencia next Monday." Meanwhile, Steve Bruce remains confident of persuading Lee Bowyer to move to Birmingham and is hoping for a final answer from the United midfielder this week. Bowyer's switch to St Andrew's collapsed following protests from Blues supporters. But the pair have met since and, following new polls in which Birmingham fans have given the player their backing, Bruce hopes to strike a deal in the next few days.

Souness seeks Bellamy talks Jun 20 2005 By Luke Edwards, The Journal Graeme Souness will hold urgent talks with Newcastle United chairman Freddie Shepherd this week over the possible return to the club for Craig Bellamy. Souness has always insisted that Bellamy would never play for him again after the two clashed over his best position, a row which climaxed with Bellamy accusing his manager of being a liar in a television interview, leading to his hastily arranged exit on a loan deal to Celtic. But that temporary spell is now up and, although Aston Villa have had a #6m offer accepted by United, Bellamy has turned his back on a move to David O'Leary's men as he believes a bigger club will come in for him before the start of next season. There has also been speculation that the Welsh international could remain at Celtic, but Newcastle revealed yesterday that they had not had any contact with the Glasgow club, who do not appear to have the money to pay his transfer fee, as well as his #45,000 a week wages. Souness, though, has made no secret of his dislike and mistrust of Bellamy, who he believes is a disruptive influence in the dressing room with his constant bickering and sniping. But, with no buyer on the horizon, Shepherd has admitted he will have to discuss the matter with his manager as the players are due back to start pre-season training a week today and, if Bellamy has not been sold, he will also be expected to return. Shepherd said: "Everybody will tell you I am a forgiving chap; whether or not he plays for Newcastle again is up to the manager. Only Celtic know if they have got the money, but at this moment, the option ran out and we have never heard any more from them. "Craig is lying on a beach in the sun at the moment, but he is due back on July 4 so we will see what happens. But in football, anything can happen." Souness has previously been adamant he did not want to see the 26-year-old back at St James's Park and he is unlikely to have changed that stance because of the club's struggle to find a buyer to match a #6m asking price. Souness is confident of wrapping up the deal to bring Inter Milan's Turkish international midfielder Emre to the club by the end of the week and is also believed to have renewed his interest in Manchester City's centre-half Sylvain Distin. United had a #5m bid for the Frenchman rejected back in January, but they might now be willing to up the offer to #7m to beat off competition from Aston Villa and Everton. Meanwhile, Shepherd has insisted Lee Bowyer will be welcomed back to Tyneside if his proposed move to Birmingham cannot be salvaged, adding that a price was never agreed - City had simply been given permission to talk to the player. He said the midfielder had never been put up for sale because Souness wants to keep him. Shepherd, like Souness, is under pressure from supporters following last season's worst-ever Premiership finish. But the #6.5m signing of Scott Parker from Chelsea last week has been a step in the right direction. Shepherd added: "It is a great signing for Newcastle and the fans are overjoyed with it because he is a quality player and we are looking forward to seeing him in August." United deny reports that they are close to signing Real Madrid's Luis Figo. Meanwhile, Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has revealed French winger Laurent Robert is only at Fratton Park on loan until the end of next season, with Pompey having an option to make the move permanent.

Souness reveals interest in Figo Newcastle may gamble on Figo bid Graeme Souness has admitted that Newcastle are considering bringing Real Madrid's Luis Figo to Tyneside. Newcastle boss Souness told BBC Sport: "There is an interest there as far as Luis Figo is concerned but we don't want to say any more at the moment." The 32-year-old former Portugal captain is keen to end his career in England after being told he can leave Real. And BBC Sport understands that Fulham's Luis Boa Morte is also under consideration by Newcastle. Souness remains confident of landing Inter Milan midfield man Emre Belozoglu in a £4m deal after sealing a £6.5m move for Scott Parker. If Figo comes to Newcastle, it is likely to be on a one-year deal as he seeks to finish his career with a flourish. Figo is being touted around the Premiership after making it clear he would like to play in England. The major stumbling block is likely to be Figo's reported £90,000-a-week wages, with Newcastle wary after Patrick Kluivert's expensive failure. Souness is unlikely to be interested in offering Figo terms anywhere near as lavish as those he enjoys at The Bernabeu. Liverpool and Bolton have also been linked with Figo but Anfield boss Rafael Benitez was cool on the move, while Sam Allardyce admitted he would not be able to finance the deal. Figo probably isn't as quick as he once was, but he has a great footballing brain Qatari club Al Rayyan have also shown an interest but Figo is keen to give the Premiership a shot near the end of his glittering career. Figo, capped 107 times by his country, said: "I have always said that the Premier League is a competition that I would like to play in some day and that has not changed. "The Premier League has improved a lot in the last few years and many of the best players in the world have signed with clubs in England. "It is very different from the Spanish league but I am sure that I will be able to adapt if some day I end up playing there."

DO you think Bowyer was involved:- Teams brawl at refugee tournament A refugees' football tournament had to be scrapped after fighting broke out between rival teams. Violence erupted at the five-a-side event in Newcastle, which attracted more than 350 people from Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside on Monday. Officers were called to West Gate Community College after Kurdish refugees appeared to clash with local Asian players on and off the pitch. The tournament was organised to mark the start of Refugee Week. Both teams were disqualified but then more locals, probably contacted by telephone, turned up with sticks and attacked the Kurdish players. A Northumbria Police spokesman said officers were called after fighting broke out and a 26-year-old man suffered head injuries but he declined to make a complaint. Newcastle City Council organised the tournament on behalf of the North-East Refugee Service. The event has been held for five years and grown in size, attracting teams from Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. A council spokesman said: "A fight broke out which was entirely to do with the match, in the course of the game. 'Fun tournament' "Because it was against the spirit of the tournament the two teams were banned. "Friends of one of the teams turned up and, on the advice of the police, we stopped the tournament. A handful of people from the tournament were involved. "We are very sad that the actions of a few people could lead to it being cancelled. "It was a fun tournament to celebrate the start of Refugee Week. We didn't expect people to start punch-ups on the pitch. "Most people were having fun and playing in the right spirit."

DO you think Bowyer was involved:- Teams brawl at refugee tournament A refugees' football tournament had to be scrapped after fighting broke out between rival teams. Violence erupted at the five-a-side event in Newcastle, which attracted more than 350 people from Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside on Monday. Officers were called to West Gate Community College after Kurdish refugees appeared to clash with local Asian players on and off the pitch. The tournament was organised to mark the start of Refugee Week. Both teams were disqualified but then more locals, probably contacted by telephone, turned up with sticks and attacked the Kurdish players. A Northumbria Police spokesman said officers were called after fighting broke out and a 26-year-old man suffered head injuries but he declined to make a complaint. Newcastle City Council organised the tournament on behalf of the North-East Refugee Service. The event has been held for five years and grown in size, attracting teams from Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. A council spokesman said: "A fight broke out which was entirely to do with the match, in the course of the game. 'Fun tournament' "Because it was against the spirit of the tournament the two teams were banned. "Friends of one of the teams turned up and, on the advice of the police, we stopped the tournament. A handful of people from the tournament were involved. "We are very sad that the actions of a few people could lead to it being cancelled. "It was a fun tournament to celebrate the start of Refugee Week. We didn't expect people to start punch-ups on the pitch. "Most people were having fun and playing in the right spirit."

Departure saga: Lee's Channel Tunnel vision From the Birmingham Mail, Tuesday: David Sullivan today pleaded that there be no recriminations after Lee Bowyer decided to reject a transfer to Blues once and for all. The Newcastle United midfielder finally admitted that he wanted to join a London club or, somewhat bizarrely, one in France. Despite more than a week of trying to persuade Bowyer to come to St Andrew's, which included enlisting fan power to show how much he would be welcome, Blues have finally conceded defeat. And co-owner Sullivan urged: "I would ask fans not to give the people who organised the 'no' petition against Lee Bowyer a hard time. "They started it with the best intentions in the world. Ultimately, we're all Birmingham City supporters and want what's best for the club. "Sometimes we won't agree on things but we all have to pull together. "Maybe people might accept they could have made a mistake. I would rather we now let it lie, put it all behind us and get on with our lives." Blues more or less agreed to match Bowyer's £38,000-a-week salary to entice him from Newcastle on a free transfer. And he agreed to rethink his initial decision to turn them down after manager Steve Bruce and Sullivan pulled out all the stops. Blues' fans overwhelmingly allayed any fears Bowyer claimed he had about not being wanted. But Sullivan maintained that Bowyer remained jittery, primarily because of the large ethnic community in the city. Sullivan said: "I'd like to thank those fans who got behind us and made it clear to him how much we wanted to see him in our team. "When he spoke to Steve right at the start, his first question was 'what about the big Asian population in Birmingham?' "Steve, we thought, had talked him round that one, but it became clear it was still an issue. "He was genuinely worried that one night there would be 10 Asians waiting outside his house ready to kick seven bells out of him. He told us yesterday that he would only leave Newcastle if a London club came in for him, or one from France. "Why France? Apparently he likes it and believes he could live quite anonymously over there." Eurodisney perhaps? - another Mickey Mouse operation..... Bowyer, who was acquitted of all charges in relation to the alleged attack on an Asian student in Leeds in 2001, would have been a perfect fit for the Blues team, said Sullivan. Yet, philosophical as ever, he added: "We are not going to beg if someone clearly doesn't want to join us. "We will battle on. We gave it our best shot and we have lost this round - but there are others still to come. We will just have to go out and find a better player. The search goes on." PS: Tuesday's gossip placed Bowyer in the Midlands again - but this time at Aston Villa, where his former Leeds boss David O'Bleary is in charge. However the Irishman was quick to deny this story, calling it "absolute rubbish." Coach arrival: Roeder returns Newcastle have moved quickly to bring in a new coach to the Academy following the departure of Director John Carver, with an announcement on Tuesday morning that Glenn Roeder had been appointed as Academy Manager. Since standing down as West Ham boss in 2003 due to ill-health, Roeder has been working as an England scout and assessor, being spotted at White Hart Lane back in April. He was also at our final home game of last season, being introduced to the crowd as the half-time hero and also sending back positive reports on messrs Milner and Bramble back to Sven. And most recently he was noted in the stand at Windsor Park as Northern Ireland met Germany in a friendly international. A return to first team management seems to have been on the cards for a while now, with Roeder's agent denying speculation that his client was to take over at the Chelsea Academy in September 2004, commenting that Glenn was waiting for the right opportunity to come along. Roeder's managerial career began with a stint at Gillingham in 1992/93, moving from Priestfield to take charge at Watford until 1996. A stint on Glenn Hoddle's England staff then followed, plus a misadventure at Turf Moor, where he went as number two to Chris Waddle - an experience that looks to have put Waddle off managing for life. Roeder then moved on to West Ham where his appointment in succession to Harry Redknapp at the Hammers came in 2001, following a couple of years on the Upton Park coaching staff.