www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Fri Oct 30 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. Match Report 365 MAKESHIFT UNITED SHAKEN BY STIRRING BURY
2. UNITED OVERCOME BRAVE BURY
3. Fergie Set To Stick With Kids
4. BSKYB-UNITED BID TO BE REFERRED
5. Fans 1 Sky 0...OFT Verdict Hailed
6. Guardian - THE SKY FALLS IN
7. THE PRIDE OF ALL EUROPE?"
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Daily RED Trivia Fri 30th October:
30/10/1897: Newton Heath beat Walsall 6-0 at Bank Street in a Division 2 game watched
by 6,000. Joe Cassidy 2, Bob Donaldson 2, William Bryant and Matthew Gillespie
scored the goals. Team was: Barrett, Stafford, FC.Erentz, McNaught, Jenkyns,
Draycott, Bryant, Donaldson, Boyd, Gillespie, Cassidy.
30/10/1988: Mal Donaghy made his debut at Everton. An adaptable defender, Donaghy
cost £650,000 from Luton Town, and made 118 appearances between 1988-92.
He moved to Chelsea in August 1992. Donaghy won 88 caps for Northern Ireland,
playing in the 1982 and 1986 World Cup Finals. In a ten-year career at Luton Town
he won a League Cup winners medal in 1988.
************
Barry Daily Comment:
Well done Guys at IMUSA and "Everyone else" that have helped with this!
BSKYB-UNITED BID TO BE REFERRED
************
Next 4 games:
Result/Fixture Index:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
Sat 31/10 Everton (A) PL
Wed 4/11 Brondby (H) CL 19.45
Sun 8/11 Newcastle (H) PL
Wed 11/11 Nott Forest (H) LC
Sat 14/11 Blackburn (H) PL
UNITED Stats v Everton:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vseverton.htm
*** TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED ***
Date Opposition Score Pos. Attend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15/08/98 Leicester City Home D 2-2 11 55,052
22/08/98 West Ham United Away D 0-0 11 26,039
09/09/98 Charlton Athletic Home W 4-1 9 55,147
12/09/98 Coventry City Home W 2-0 5 55,193
20/09/98 Arsenal Away L 0-3 10 38,142
24/09/98 Liverpool Home W 2-0 3 55,181
03/10/98 Southampton Away W 3-0 2 15,251
17/10/98 Wimbledon Home W 5-1 2 55,265
24/10/98 Derby County Away D 1-1 2 30,867
Champions league: 21/10
Brondby 2-6 Man Utd
Bayern 1-0 Barcelona
Table as at 21/10:
GROUP D P W D L GF GA Pts
ManUnited 3 1 2 0 11 7 5 Next "CL" Match
BMünchen 3 1 1 1 4 5 4 Man Utd v Brondby OT 4/11
Barcelona 3 1 1 1 5 4 4
Brĝndby 3 1 0 2 2 9 3
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: Match Report 365 MAKESHIFT UNITED SHAKEN BY STIRRING BURY
MAN UTD 2 BURY 0 (After Extra Time)
TWO GOALS in the second period of extra time
saved Manchester United's embarrassment and
broke brave Bury's hearts at Old Trafford. It took a
superb strike from Ole Solskjaer, and another from
his Norwegian countryman Erik Nevland to force
United into the last 16 of the Worthington Cup.
Alex Ferguson's giants now face Nottingham
Forest, but they won't forget the magnificent
performance by the Shakers. It does not matter
that United fielded a shadow side, full of kids and
squad players. Bury deserved their standing
ovation for a spirited, battling display.
United always put in the squad men for these
games, and they've suffered defeats by York and
Ipswich in recent years. But whoever they turn out,
they don't enjoy being made to look red-faced in
any competition.
There was no Schmeichel, Giggs, Beckham, Scholes,
Yorke, Cole, Stam, Keane etc, but the seemingly
bottomless pit of talent at United was clear. United
fielded only Phil Neville from the side that drew at
Derby, much to the delight, no doubt, of his
delighted parents in the directors' box who are
commercial manager and secretary of the Gigg
Lane outfit. They would clearly also be delighted
with the near-£500,000 that Bury will pick up from
their share of this gate, far more than the First
Division club's entire home gate receipts for last
season which were under £400,000.
In for his United debut was 19-year-old reserve top
scorer Jonathan Greening, while midfielder Mark
Wilson started his first senior game, having got on
as substitute in Copenhagen against Brondby last
week. David May played his first game of the
season, while Henning Berg skippered United, with
half the side teenagers.
Bury, who brought 9000 fans with them across the
city, were intent, and clearly capable, of making life
difficult for Ferguson's unfamiliar line-up. They
were organised and workmanlike, and keen to
make use of every set piece and corner that came
their way.
United looked to Jordi Cruyff and Ole Solskjaer to
give them the edge, but it was young Wilson who
produced their only shot of the opening stages
when he lashed a dipping 20-yarder over the bar
after 16 minutes. Greening's confidence grew and
after 23 minutes displayed neat close control to go
round Chris Swailes in the box to fire in a cross-shot
that Dean Kiely held at the second attempt.
Bury tested Raimond van der Gouw with a header
from Tony Ellis, and then Lennie Johnrose hooked a
volley wide from the edge of the box. Greening was
looking increasingly dangerous and after 29
minutes another clever piece of control in the box
took him into a shooting position, and his angled
chip was headed inches wide of his own post by
former Manchester City skipper Steve Redmond.
Keily, who was in the York side that beat United in
this competition in 1995, needed two attempts to
block a searing Solskjaer drive after 32 minutes.
United brought on Erik Nevland at the break for
Irish international Phil Mulryne and the Norwegian
striker should have scored after 53 minutes when
he scuffed a good chance in the box after excellent
build-up work from Greening and Wilson. Bury
brought on Andy Preece for Laurent D'Jaffo and
Lutel James for Tony Ellis as the visitors sought to
spice up their attack and go for the result that
would make them famous. Then, on 69 minutes,
Ferguson brought on Paul Scholes and Wes Brown
for Wilson and Clegg to try to break the deadlock.
Bury had defended manfully, and continued to
break out looking for their own breakthrough, but
United increased the tempo with Scholes trying his
hardest to kill off Neil Warnock's brave side. But as
the rain lashed down, Bury held out to take the
game into an extra half-hour.
Kiely was forced into excellent saves from Scholes
and Solskjaer and then Johnrose blocked a drive
from Greening in the box as United fought to settle
the issue in the first period of extra time. Then
Brown worked himself space on the edge of the
box and drove a fine shot fractionally wide as
United piled on the pressure. But they were still
able to cause United concern at the back and James
curled a fine long range shot just over the angle.
The United breakthrough finally came in the 106th
minute when Solskjaer found a rare yard of space
among Bury's battling defenders to drive his shot in
off the post from 18 yards. Greening could have
really finished it off three minutes later when he
struck a post after jinking his way round two
defenders, but four minutes from the end it was all
over when Nevland arrived at the far post to force
home Brown's cross.
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: UNITED OVERCOME BRAVE BURY
Man Utd 2-0 Bury
Norwegians Ole Solskjaer and Erik Nevland
spared Alex Ferguson's blushes with the
extra-time goals that saw United gain a
Worthington Cup fourth round tie at home to
Nottingham Forest.
United rested several first teamers and a hard
working Bury side fully deserved to finish the
90 minutes on level terms.
But Solskjaer broke their hearts with a fierce drive which went in off the
post on 18 minutes. Nevland ensured a visit from Nottingham Forest in
the fourth round when he headed in substitute Wes Brown's perfect
cross.
But Ferguson insisted: "We deserved to get through in the end.
"This competition allows me to put in the kids and the fringe players. Our
youngsters started well, but it became a bit of a slog towards the end.
"We expected Bury to play like that, with men behind the ball, and they
were camped in their own box at times.
"They didn't disgrace themselves and played admirably, but they didn't do
anything that made my heart stop."
Bury boss Neil Warnock was understandably pleased with his side's
efforts, saying: "I'm proud of my lads. They did everything asked of them
and more. They are knackered now, but they have worked their socks off
and done the fans proud.
Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, May, P. Neville, Curtis, Cruyff, Solskjaer, Berg,
Clegg (Brown 70), Mulryne (Nevland 46), Wilson (Scholes 70), Greening.
Subs Not Used: G. Neville, Cooke. Booked: May. Goals: Solskjaer 106,
Nevland 115
Bury: Kiely, Woodward, Barrick, Daws, Lucketti, Redmond, Swailes,
Patterson (Matthews 100), D'Jaffo (Preece 58), Johnrose, Ellis (James
63). Subs Not Used: Kenny, Foster. Booked: Barrick.
After Extra Time
Att: 52,495
Ref: K Burge (Tonypandy).
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: Fergie Set To Stick With Kids
Alex Ferguson is prepared to play his shadow squad at Wembley if Manchester
United go all the way in the Worthington Cup.
The United boss will stick to his policy of using players on the fringe of
first-team football when Nottingham Forest come to Old Trafford for next
month's fourth round.
"This competition gives us the chance to expose young players to the
pressure of playing in front of 50,000 people. The youngsters know they
have to do something themselves and express their play. For example John
Curtis has been pecking away in the reserves and did very well for us last
night and young Jonathan Greening came in and did exceptionally well. They
deserve their spot next time. "If we got all the way to Wembley I think we
would have to stick with them," said Ferguson. The United boss says having
two United sides capable of winning trophies would be "a nice thought".
For last night's extra-time win over Bury, United fielded two 19-year-old
debutantes as well as three young players with little first-team experience.
"We have a home draw in the next round and we are happy with that. When you
see some of the other games, Leicester v Leeds, Liverpool v Tottenham and
Chelsea v Arsenal, we are pleased to have a home draw," he said.
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
subject: BSKYB-UNITED BID TO BE REFERRED
The government has announced that it will refer BSkyB's £623m bid for Premiership
giants Manchester United to the Monopolies and Mergers commission.
Trade secretary Peter Mandelson said in a statement that the MMC would conduct an
in-depth review of the proposed deal, with the results of the investigation due in March
1999.
Mandelson added that the invesitgation was taking place due to some competition issues
that could arise following the takeover.
The Football Association have backed the decision to refer the deal to
the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
FA chief executive Graham Kelly said in a statement: "The FA welcomes
Peter Mandelson's decision. Our concerns are widely known.
"There are clearly issues of fairness and, in the public interest, it is to be
debated.
"The referral to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission is the best way
for that to happen."
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: Fans 1 Sky 0...OFT Verdict Hailed
The Independent Manchester United Supporters Association has hailed the
decision to refer BSkyB's proposed £623million takeover to the Monopolies
and Mergers Commission as a victory for the ordinary fan.
Trade and Industry secretary Peter Mandelson referred the deal to the MMC
on the advice of the Office of Fair Trading, who said the acquisition
raised issues of competition over the TV rights to football.
And IMUSA vice-chairman Steve Briscoe is already planning for the next step
in the campaign to prevent Rupert Murdoch buying the club.
"This is an absolutely tremendous decision. We are elated and delighted
with the news," Briscoe said.
"It is now time to take a back seat, evaluate our position and let the MMC
do their work on this. We'll take it from there. We have achieved what we
set out to do. The OFT delayed it, which is what we wanted and everybody
said we would never ever get it referred.
"We had a very successful meeting with various MPs of all parties,
including Martin Bell, at the House of Commons.
"We were optimistic that we would get referred and, sure enough, Peter
Mandelson has come out and done it. The plan now is to hold an emergency
meeting before the game at Everton on Saturday.
"We will take stock then because we are going to ask people to do the same
as we did to the OFT and flood the MMC with letters to say that the
takeover is not a good thing."
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: Guardian - THE SKY FALLS IN
Last week Peter Mandelson attempted to avenge General Augusto Pinochet's
crimes against humanity by offering him out for a fight (well, nearly).
Today, the people's Trade and Industry Secretary struck another blow for
the British populace by referring BSkyB's attempted takeover of Manchester
United to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
A statement from the Department of Trade and Industry this morning read:
"The decision to make a reference does not in any way prejudge the question
of whether or not the merger would be against the public interest. It is
for the MMC to report on this after its investigation."
Try telling that to the Independent Manchester United Supporters
Association (in fact try telling it to anyone without stifling a yawn). The
group that has spent the last two months campaigning against the takeover
was quietly pleased by Mandy's decision. "I'm absolutely ecstatic" IMUSA
chief Andy Walsh told the fiver earlier, "It's still possible that the deal
could go through, but three weeks ago BSkyB and United never thought it
would get this far. It's fat cats nil, supporters one."
So jubilation all round, but if the fiver was Peter Mandelson it wouldn't
want to read the Sun anytime soon.
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Subject: "THE PRIDE OF ALL EUROPE?"
by Richard Kurt/Red Issue 1998
Your correspondent is on the Cote d'Azur, happy to be hundreds of miles away
from Murdoch's evil kingdoms, on my way to see Eric play beach football with
Prince Albert. Yesterday I spent the day in a French village about 5 miles
north, whose story of some 50 years ago - one that is typical of this
country's communities - suddenly rammed home the modern parallels like the
proverbial thunderbolt. If you recognize contemporaries in this, you're
meant to.
When France and Germany fell into war in 1939, the village's inhabitants ran
around like headless chickens, as if it were the most unexpected event since
Napoleon escaped from Elba to march on Paris. No matter that the country had
been on war alert for a year: somehow the nation had convinced itself that
an invasion would never happen. "A takeover by the Boche? We'd been allies
and partners for years. We ran businesses and corporations together. We
didn't want to take them over, and we assumed they didn't want to take us
over either." Yes, there'd been a bit of a scare the year before, but the
men in charge had laid the threat to rest at Munich hadn't they? France
carried on as before, oblivious to the threat, busying itself making money
and paying scant attention to its defences. A few voices in the wilderness
continued to cry "Attention!" but what did that fool Churchill know?
As the real war broke out, and a woefully underprepared France became
over-run with invaders seemingly overnight, the true nature of the village
and the country became evident. A people who'd always paid lip-service to
the idea of being united - and perhaps even believing it - realised no such
unity existed. Even the one basic tenet they thought they shared - that they
were all supporters of France, true red-white-and-blues - proved to be
baseless, for their response to the takeover of their home proved only that
they all had wildly different ideas as to what the words 'France', 'patriot'
and 'supporter' actually meant. As one villager put it, the worst experience
was not the invasion itself, but the realisation that those you thought were
your true comrades were often no such thing. The effects of that lasted
long after the takeover was finally repelled.
When the blitzkreig was unleashed, France staggered hurriedly to the front,
pulling up its pants on the way. Its opponents had been plotting for six
months; France had to improvise on the spot. To be fair, the French rallied
to the call that morning, the gut instinct that their home was being invaded
overcoming all doubts and hesitations. Only about 1 in 20 of the villagers
actually refused to fight from the beginning, and they were the kind of
extremist collaborators who'd made no secret of looking forward to such a
takeover. What the villagers didn't know then was that their Government was
riddled with German sympathisers, would-be collaborators and capitalist
tycoons who saw profitable opportunities in submitting to powerful foreign
domination. In any event, collapse at the front lines would make the task of
those politicians intent on selling out much easier. For of the 96% that
responded to the invasion, a majority soon proved to have no real stomach
for the fight. Whole regiments virtually gave up at the sight of the enemy's
firepower. If it wasn't quite desertion, then it was certainly resigned
defeatism."What could we do? They were stronger than us.They were bound to
win in the end. We'd fought for so many causes in the past and this was just
one fight too far. Whatever you do to them, Germany just gets stronger and
stronger: what is the point of fighting the inevitable?"
The Government settled the matter by surrendering and ordering the populace
to cease resistance. Indeed, they encouraged co-operation and immediately
began to talk of this new foreign presence as allies, friends, partners.
Some in Paris had actually been looking forward to this day and exulted in
their 'triumph'. Marshall Petain, a fixture at the head of France for 33
years, remained in power - under Nazi control, of course - and accepted a
seat on the German Board of Control. He knew how France worked, and he could
help the Germans make the most of it. He spoke to the supporters of France
via the media and promised that he would look after French interests. He
said he believed he'd done the right thing and that France would benefit
from being under German parental control: "Germany wants for France what you
want for France - stability, prosperity, an ever-increasing influence
throughout the world." (Perhaps Goebbels would have made it snappier: "We
and you want the same thing. We want to be Number One - you want to be
Number One. We want to win an Empire - you want to win an Empire.")
In the village, as the troops returned, a fierce internal debate raged. The
numbers of pro-Nazi collaborators and sympathisers swelled to about one in
five. An equal number pledged outright opposition to the death and went off
to form what became famous as The French Resistance. Nowadays, of course,
every other old villager claims he was a Resistance fighter. But it is far
more likely that he formed part of the silent majority, those who still
claimed to be patriots and supporters of the colours but who weren't
prepared to fight the takeover. Indeed, as time went on, many would enjoy
the easy life, quietly grateful they weren't at a battlefront or running
around on exhausting missions with the Resistance. They would continue to
find pleasure in life as they always knew it, watching the Sunday afternoon
boules tournaments, drinking too much Cotes de Rhone at lunchtime in the
bar, going off to Italy, Spain or Germany with their sports clubs.
Resistance appeals to their pride and soul went unheeded: yes, they had lost
their independence; yes, France no longer stood for the values they were
brought up on; but they had found they could live with it.
Indeed, far more seductive was the propaganda of the collaborators. They
speculated grandly of the glorious future for the French under the Nazis,
how this stronger power would lift France up and above their trading rivals,
how the riches of the pan-European Nazi Empire would flow into France and
make her more successful than she could ever have been on her own. "France
will dominate the world once more with our German brothers at our side," ran
one article in the village newspaper - meanwhile, stories about the
ill-fated experiences of previous Nazi conquests in Europe were suppressed.
Around the village, the acquiescent were everywhere, often outsiders who'd
never been particularly welcome in the first place, or small businessmen and
shareholder types, more alive to the quick franc and to the cheap thrill of
easy superiority over the rest of the world than to the values of the
village and the French Revolution. More painful was the sight of
once-trusted comrades getting stuck in a mire of equivocation and
fence-sitting, like the local dignitaries who were Socialists before the war
but now had to choose between what they'd thought were their principles and
their well-paid government jobs. Or the local paper editor who'd run
editorials condemning the Nazis for years but who now counselled a "wait and
see" approach. As someone once said, evil triumphs not so much because of
what evil men do, but because fundamentally good men fail to do anything to
stop them.
The Resistance was right, of course. Germany did not raise France to new
heights but exploited her mercilessly, just as it had done with every other
conquest. Germany cared only for Germany, as should have been obvious merely
by looking at her record around the continent. Sure, for a couple of years,
Frenchmen who signed up to the Nazi's Waffen SS won military triumphs all
around the globe, as did Vichy Army French forces under Axis control. But
these were increasingly recognized as triumphs for Naziism and Germany first
and foremost, not for France, and then as actions of which they should be
ashamed. 'Success'and 'victory' are easily achieved on someone else's back
but they are only worth something when they are yours alone, won in the name
of your own values and beliefs. And that essential loss of independence in
1940 came to be seen as the crux of the matter: as most Frenchmen now
accept, France did not really exist between 1940 and 1944, except in the
person of General de Gaulle in his London exile. Takeover almost ruined
France forever; the white knights' rescue came just in the nick of time.
However you dress it up, surrender and defeat mean obliteration. A country
can exist as people and territory but without its independent soul it cannot
be a nation. The same analogy applies to a football club. Because, of
course, the name of this village should be Vieux Tra'fourd.
(copyright Richard Kurt/Red Issue 1998.
Kurt's new 'Red Devils' book is published by Prion)
"Are you Against the BSkyB takeover? Please Read! Click on image!"
Pic Link today is http://www.red11.org/mufc/imusa.htm
Barry
J. Leeming Digest Prgram
by 
William
McArthur Canada
