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~ Good Friday's E P L showdown ~ ...

Everton v Fulham : Everton chasing Bolton for fifth in ( Uefa Cup ) the EPL standings, will need the win to claim 5th spot. In all reality they are moving into their best form of the season & should roll over Fulham by at least two goals.

Yet again David Moyes has done another great job this season & the 5 years in charge have gone by quicker than a freight train. To really complete David's season, Everton must claim 5th spot & return to European competition.

Fulham for that matter are 15th in the table, 5 points above the relegation battle & a shock win would almost guarantee they stay in the division.

It won't be a classic but expect the toffees ( Everton ) to do the damage & earn three more points !! Prob - 2-0 , 3-1.

v ..

Man City v Charlton : These two ( Stuart Pearce & Alan Pardew ) are in need of a WIN for very different reasons but both want to save something !!

Stuart Pearce under pressure all season long with struggling City, needs to string a few wins together, in their final 8 games. Failure to collect another 4-5 wins may well cost Pearce his job & that's his main worry. City won't go down but they may feel a more productive coach is required for next season & they'd be absolutely right !!

Alan Pardew has come onto the scene at Charlton & so far, so good. He's lifted them off the bottom and right now, they have more than a fighting chance of avoiding the DROP.

Since his arrival he's guided Charlton to 5 wins 5 losses & 3 draws from 13 games, collecting 18 from 39 points. Should they claim the victory at city, they'd move out of the bottom three, pushing sheffield United into the relegation battle & possibly United's return to the Championship.

Charlton's last seven games present enough chances to pick up the required 10 - 12 points to avoid the drop. H Reading, Sun 15th A Everton, Sat 21st H Sheff Utd, Sat 28th A Blackburn, Mon May 7th H Tottenham, Sun 13th A Liverpool ( H - Home game - A away game )

Charlton's only real worry, Sheffield United's home form & if it continues that may be United's only hope of missing the drop. On the home front, games against, H Newcastle, West Ham, Watford and lastly Wigan will provide United enough chance to claim another 10-12 points, but will they ?????????

For my money Charlton will out point Sheffield & the most important game in both clubs history comes on Saturday April 21st at Charlton. Who ever claims that one WILL SURVIVE. It's been the best ever relegation battle & it's going down to the wire, advantage Charlton !!

your thoughts ? ultimatesoccer@cfrn.com

We're gearing up for some major changes to the show & website and the time away from the show is time we need to pepare for the remainder of the year.

Remember the Wednesday show is something of the past as we move solely to Saturday, looking to expand. This is the only break we'll take in 2007, your patience is Grealy Appreciated !!!

7 games to go & the teams in trouble, Charlton, West Ham, Watford & Sheffield United, who will survive ??

Saturday, 07 April 2007 - Arsenal v West Ham, Blackburn v Aston Villa, Chelsea v Tottenham, Middlesbro' v Watford, Portsmouth v Man Utd, Reading v Liverpool,
Sheff Utd v Newcastle, Wigan v Bolton.

Monday, 09 April 2007 - Aston Villa v Wigan, Bolton v Everton, Charlton v Reading, Fulham v Man City, Newcastle v Arsenal, Watford v Portsmouth.

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Manchester Utd	31	25	3	3	74	21	53	78
2	Chelsea	31	22	6	3	55	19	36	72
3	Liverpool	31	17	6	8	48	21	27	57
4	Arsenal	30	16	7	7	52	28	24	55
5	Bolton	31	15	5	11	36	38	2	50
6	Tottenham	31	14	6	11	44	44	0	48
7	Everton	31	12	11	8	39	27	12	47
8	Reading	31	13	5	13	43	37	5	44
9	Portsmouth	31	11	10	10	37	32	5	43
10	Blackburn Rovers	31	12	4	15	37	45	8	40
11	Newcastle United	31	10	7	14	34	40	6	37
12	Middlesbrough	31	9	9	13	32	38	6	36
13	Manchester City	30	10	6	14	23	34	11	36
14	Aston Villa	31	7	14	10	30	36	6	35
15	Fulham	31	7	14	10	32	45	13	35
16	Wigan Athletic	31	9	6	16	30	45	15	33
17	Sheffield United	31	8	7	16	25	45	20	31
18	Charlton Athletic	31	8	6	17	29	49	20	30
19	West Ham United	31	7	5	19	25	51	26	26
20	Watford	31	3	11	17	19	47	28	20

Champions League:1st, 2nd. Champions League qualifying:3rd, 4th. UEFA Cup:5th & 6th, FA Cup & League Cup winners. Relegation:18th,19th & 20th.

POS	TEAM	G	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
1	Chelsea	32	25	4	3	60	19	79
2	Man Utd	32	22	6	4	64	30	72
3	Liverpool	32	19	7	6	42	21	64
4	Tottenham	32	15	10	7	46	32	55
5	Arsenal	32	16	6	10	54	24	54

~ Last Years bottom 5 after 32 Games ~

POS	TEAM	G	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
16	Aston Villa	32	8	11	13	34	46	35
17	Birmingham	32	7	7	18	24	44	28
18	Portsmouth	32	7	7	18	28	53	28
19	West brom.	32	7	6	19	28	49	27
20	Sunderland	32	2	5	25	21	57	11

~ 2006 - 2007 Scoring Leaders ~

Trouble broke out in Seville ( Spain ) before Tottenham's first leg clash and the problems continued inside the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Spanish riot police were forced to separate rival fans.

The police used batons to disperse a group of around 50 Tottenham supporters about an hour before kick-off, with reports suggesting they were chanting, gesticulating and causing an obstruction for passing vehicles in the street opposite a hotel where the Sevilla team were located.

Less than half an hour into the game there were also ugly scenes in the enclosure holding Tottenham's fans, with a large number of spectators visibly angry as they were confronted by police officers.

The trouble in the terraces escalated at half-time as seats were thrown by supporters.

Eight people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries, according to reports from Spain. Seven are believed to be Tottenham fans, with one policeman also allegedly injured.

Uefa communications director William Gaillard declared: "Any incidents of crowd trouble in the Sevilla against Tottenham match will be investigated by Uefa.

Latest report ............Tottenham have accused Spanish police of hitting a disabled fan during Thursday's Uefa Cup tie in Seville. Riot police charged away fans midway through the first half of the match as trouble broke out inside the ground.

Spurs club secretary John Alexander said: "We know one disabled fan was hit with a baton with such force that it knocked him out of his wheelchair."

Uefa has pledged an investigation but government official Faustino Valdes said drunken Spurs fans were to blame. Tottenham have offered their full support to the authorities.

"Our initial reports suggest there was no fan-to-fan fighting at any stage of the proceedings," said a club statement.

"As such we are seeking explanations as to why the police reacted in the way they did with our fans.

"Tottenham supporters have enjoyed an exemplary reputation across Europe this season which is why tonight's events are unprecedented.

"We will be co-operating fully with Uefa, the British Embassy and the Spanish authorities to understand why this has happened."

The police intervened midway through the first half as the away fans voiced their anger at a contentious penalty won by Sevilla.

The fighting continued into the half-time interval but died down when Spurs officials persuaded the Spanish authorities to take the police out of the away section in the second half.

"It had been a perfect day up to then but was was spoilt by some over-zealous police officers, who started throwing their weight around, for want of a better term," said Daniel Wynne, of Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust.

"After the penalty, a couple of fans got a bit excited about that but nothing more than shouting at the pitch. There was no violence.

"Spurs fans weren't causing any trouble. The police went over and above acting as stewards."

However, Senor Valdes, the Spanish government's representative in Seville said: "We have two police who have suffered some serious blows and we also have arrested some (seven) Tottenham fans who should be now appearing in court."

"Some Tottenham fans under the influence of alcohol attacked the private security officers and police, there were some incidents as security tried to overcome the fans and nothing more."

"It was an incident surrounding a few people who behaved badly, probably because they had drunk too much."

The scenes followed violent clashes between fans and police in Manchester United's Champions League tie in Rome on Wednesday.

Uefa has launched investigations into both flashpoints, but communications director William Gaillard said possible sanctions for any of the clubs involved had not been discussed.

"Any talk of sanctions is pure speculation, it has not been discussed," he said.

"The control and disciplinary body is a a fully independent body and we and they will look at the evidence."

is Hooliganism becoming mainstream in Europe Send .your thoughts ? ultimatesoccer@cfrn.com

Manchester United's Champions League match against Roma was marred by violence involving supporters before and during the game.
Local media reported clashes between fans as they made their way to the Olympic Stadium in Rome. During the game United fans clashed with police wielding batons.

Manchester United warned fans before the game they could be attacked by Roma supporters, sparking criticism from Rome's mayor.

Local media reported that five people were injured in clashes as fans made their way to the stadium.

Riot police - It was reported that three were English, one was from Rome and another was from Italy's security forces. The trouble reportedly occurred near two bridges - the Ponte Milvio and the Ponte Duca d'Aosta.

During the game both sets of fans could be seen throwing missiles at each other. The two sets of supporters were separated in one section of the ground by a barrier with riot police gathered on the Manchester United side.

After each goal both sets of fans surged towards the barrier. At one stage, riot police with shields and batons were seen repeatedly striking Manchester United supporters.

One female fan was seen being pushed in the face by a police officer ( brave no ) while another supporter was repeatedly struck with a baton as he lay on the floor. TV pictures showed one Manchester United fan with blood pouring from his face as others tried to pick him up.

Man Utd fan inside the ground revealed: "We've just heard a loud crash and there is smoke over there. It is very, very nasty inside this ground now.

"I don't know if the Roma fans started this but they are happy now as it is between the police and the United fans." A Manchester United fan inside the ground said, trouble started when Manchester United's Paul Scholes was sent off.

"At the time of the sending off there were missiles exchanged between fans and after the Roma goal their fans charged the United section," he said.

"The police got involved with a baton charge and all hell broke loose. You had seats being thrown at the police.

"Most of the missiles being thrown are bottles which are being sold inside the ground. The number of riot police has probably tripled.

Around 5,000 United fans had bought tickets for the game but a further 1,000 were expected to travel without tickets. William Gaillard, from UEFA, said the body was very concerned at the number of violent incidents so far this year.

"We are in an emergency situation and we feel that it's definitely very sad to see these scenes in European football this season."

Your thoughts - Were United Fans singled out by Police brutality ? ultimatesoccer@cfrn.com

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he may be prepared to allow unsettled midfield man Mathieu Flamini leave the club in the close season. The 23-year-old has revealed he is considering his options because of a lack of first-team opportunities.

And Wenger told Arsenal TV Online: "We have heard about Flamini, who is keen to go and play somewhere where he will get some more games.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has committed his long-term future to Aston Villa. The pacy forward, who scored a late equaliser for his team in Monday's draw with Everton, has put pen-to-paper on a new four-year contract.

The England Under-21 international agreed a previous contract only last summer but fresh terms are a fitting reward for the player's rise to prominence.

Agbonlahor has started every match but one of Villa's Premiership campaign and his manager Martin O'Neill has few doubts about the player's potential.

"Like with any young player he has had the occasional up and down, but overall he has been excellent and the new contract is for a couple more years on top of what he already had left."

Tottenham have been cleared of any blame after a fan ran on to the pitch following their FA Cup replay and aimed a punch at Chelsea's Frank Lampard. Chelsea's quarter-final win descended into chaos after the final whistle when Lampard was forced to duck a punch.

But a statement said: "After reviewing a video of the incident and receiving a full report from Spurs, there will not be any disciplinary action."

All spectators attending the EDSA Mini-World Cup at the Edmonton South Soccer Centre, see map below for directions.

6520 Roper Road, Edmonton South Soccer center - Parking is available & Tims is just down the road for all coffee addicts, lol 1

Liverpool will start the development of their new stadium in Stanley Park in May after plans were agreed at a meeting held over the weekend. New owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, along with chief executive Rick Parry, met key figures from Liverpool City Council, who approved the plan.

It is hoped that once tenders have gone out, the actual construction will start in July and finish by the end of 2010.

Newcastle United have unveiled plans for a £300m development of St James' Park that will take the capacity of the stadium to at least 60,000. The plans include a major conference centre, hotels and luxury apartments, which the club are hoping will lead to the creation of 1,500 jobs.

"What we are proposing is something not just for the football club," said chairman Freddy Shepherd.

The Number 1 St James' Park project, as it has been described by the club, will be funded completely independently of the football club's revenues. Glenn Roeder's team are 11th in the Premiership but the plans will not affect any cash set aside for transfers this summer.

An application has yet to be submitted to planning chiefs and the project will take the form of a three-phase programme.

The first development stage would lead to a 140-bedroom hotel complex being built on the site of the former Magpies Supporters' Club, with a second hotel also in the blueprint.

Phase two will involve superior apartments behind the Leazes End of the stadium, while the scheme will be completed by a purpose-built conference centre.

Development within St James' Park itself would take place at the Gallowgate End.

Manchester United have confirmed that defender Nemanja Vidic broke his collarbone during Saturday's 4-1 win over Blackburn.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match that the Serbian was set to be out for four to five weeks.

United were already without the injured Mikael Silvestre and Gary Neville. Wes Brown, who had been deputising for Neville at right-back, switched to central defence to partner Rio Ferdinand when Vidic was injured.

United may have to stick with that formation in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Roma.

Steve McClaren's numbers as a coach, Make up your own mind but numbers don't lie. During his five year spell at Boro, he got them into the top 10 once finishing 7th in 04/05 but in the other four seasons Boro finished 11th, 11th, 12th, & 14th, hardly the credentials of a world class coach. A great coach will normally have a winning % somewhere between 60% - 70 %. Alex ferguson 57.45%- Arsene Wenger 57.50% & the computer himself Jose Mourinho - 69.51.

So comparing Steve's stats, make up your own mind but numbers don't lie. Stats as of march 30th 07.

Towards the latter stages of Chelsea's 2-1 win at The Millennium Stadium on 25th February, a tangle between John Obi Mikel and Kolo Toure sparked a brawl. Players and officials from both clubs became involved, while managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger came onto the pitch in an attempt to defuse the situation.

"The clubs were charged with failing to ensure that their players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative and/or violent behaviour. Both clubs admitted the charge.

"The Commission stated that it viewed the incident as serious, unacceptable and damaging to the image of the game. However, it bore into account the guilty pleas and the mitigation put forward by both clubs.

"It found that Arsenal players had been more involved in the Carling Cup Final incident, but that Chelsea FC had past proven cases in recent years regarding the general behaviour of their players where warnings had been issued."

Uefa Cup Quarter-final draw: AZ Alkmaar v Werder Bremen - Bayer Leverkusen v Osasuna - , Sevilla v Tottenham - Espanyol v Benfica - (Ties to be played on 5 and 12 April)

Semi-final draw: Espanyol or Benfica v AZ Alkmaar or Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen or Osasuna v Sevilla or Tottenham - (Ties to be played 26 April and 3 May).

Each team will play three games in their respective round robin group. The last two matches in each group must both kick off at the same time. This is to avoid teams playing for a draw to advance etc or to stop teams cheating. remembering back in time teams have moved through on a very controversial draw !!

Quarter-finals The winners and runners-up in each group play the quarter-finals over one match. Semi-finals The four winners of the quarter-finals play the semi-finals over one match

quarter-final, semi-final or the final - If the result is a draw at the end of 90 minutes , extra time of two 15 minutes periods will be played. If the two teams are still equal after extra time, the winners will be decided by a penalty shoot-out, to advance or win the game !

We're gearing up for some major changes to the show & website and the time away from the show is time we need to pepare for the remainder of the year.

Remember the Wednesday show is something of the past as we move solely to Saturday, looking to expand. This is the only break we'll take in 2007, your patience is appreciated.