Fine and Dandy
‘FOR all the sport that is on the back pages this morning, they may as well be the court circular except the court in this case would be a judicial one.
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| ‘See you at White Hart Highbury’ |
So let us done a horsehair wig, pick up our gavel and see what sentences were handed down yesterday.
Order! The Mirror reports that Arsenal have been hit with fines totalling £275,000 for the post-match brawl at Old Trafford and seen four of the culprits banned for a total of nine games.
Lauren is hit the hardest with a four-game ban and a £40,000 fine, while Martin Keown gets a three-game ban and both Patrick Vieira and Ray Parlour a one-game ban.
Order! The Sun says that, while the Gunners suffered a Halloween horror, the FA got away with a £4,400 slap on the wrist for the half-time brawl in the tunnel in Istanbul.
The paper suggests that Soho Square chiefs were laughing all the way to the bank after making a £270,600 profit on the two incidents.
Order! The Express suggests that Englands rugby players got off as lightly as the footballers for fielding an extra man for 34 seconds of last weekends game against Samoa.
The paper says coach Clive Woodward was smiling after hearing of the £10,000 fine for sending Dan Luger onto the pitch while centre Mike Tindall was receiving treatment for an injury.
The transgression had brought accusations of arrogance in Australia and demands by the Wallabies injured No.8 Toutai Kefu that England be docked points, it says.
There was never any realistic prospect of that seeing as the transgression occurred in the 81st minute of a match in which by that time England were leading comfortably.
However, Woodward will no doubt be pleased that the matter is now over a lot more pleased than Arsenal and Spurs fans will be when they read in the Mail that the two rivals may end up sharing a ground as the games cash crisis bites.
The paper suggests that the nightmare scenario is moving closer with Leeds Uniteds record loss not a problem that is confined to West Yorkshire.
Indeed, if Arsenal keep throwing money away like they did yesterday, both clubs could find themselves playing on Hackney Marshes instead.’
Posted: 31st, October 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
