Redwire

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Matthew Norman's Media Diary Poor Kelvin must be so confused Published: 15 January 2007 CAN THERE be anything more dispiriting for a columnist than the inability to know his or her own mind? My thoughts go out today to Kelvin MacKenzie, whose weekly effort in The Sun is such a perpetual delight to lovers of gags about Heather Mills McCartney's limb shortage, but who still cannot decide what he thinks about his fabled coverage of the Hillsborough disaster when editing the paper nearly 18 years ago. When Kelvin appeared on last Thursday's Question Time on BBC1, his recent resurrection of this issue was raised: a while ago, addressing businessmen in what he thought was private (isn't the naive belief of these dreamy types in the notion of privacy oddly touching?), he said he stood by the front page on which, beneath the headline "The Truth", he revealed that Liverpool fans peed on and attacked police, and pickpocketed victims. It was, according to Peter Chippindale and Chris Horrie in Stick It Up Your Punter, the history of The Sun, "a classic smear", as Lord Taylor's report confirmed. Five years later, Kelvin had come to accept this, telling a Commons select committee in 1993: "I regret Hillsborough. It was a fundamental mistake." And now he's all over the shop, one minute telling those men of commerce that he was right all along; the next, on Question Time, blaming his sources (an unnamed Tory MP and a policeman), refusing to apologise, and portraying himself as a convenient scapegoat for angry Liverpudlians. Kelvin must be desperately confused - after all, it's not as if a man of his stature would have brazenly lied to a parliamentary committee, that would verge on perjury - in a way that would raise concerns, were he a decade older, about Alzheimer's. Will nobody come to his aid? http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2152871.ece

Top dive from Johnson there.

Correct decision.

Bellamy Finnan Alonso

It now says: The youngster is staying level-headed after securing his Reds switch and is looking forward to the challenge of playing in the Premiership. "I am calm. Liverpool is a club with a lot of history. I do not fear the challenge," said Leto. "I've not spoken with (Rafa) Benitez but we all know he RULES!" "I still can't believe it. I have seen them b******s Manchester (United) on television and now I could end up f***ing them over hardcore. "I'm a winger who likes to counter-attack. I don't anticipate struggling to adapt to life in England. I'm a left winger and this is a Country where they have the likes of Tony Hibbert in right back positions. How can anyone struggle against the likes of him? (No offence Tony, lid)"

The only news agency from Liverpool I can remember from that time is Mercury and they are still going. Hopefully they will be consulting their lawyers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd9vfxoGzcw

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We got a big clap off them.

So proud of that. I had tears in my eyes and it was hard to keep singing at one point because of the lump in my throat. Even the usually silent ones around me in the Paddock were singing. Well done to the organisers.

Juventus are believed to have rekindled their interest in Javier Mascherano as they hope to beat Liverpool to his signature. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley insisted on Friday that Mascherano could not leave because of Fifa regulations. However, it is understood Liverpool are hopeful that the Fifa would okay a loan move. But Juventus - who said earlier this week that they would not be pursuing Mascherano - now look to be back in the bidding. Indeed widespread reports in Italy suggest Juve's sporting director Alessio Secco has flown to London for talks with West Ham - in order to make sure their interest is confirmed. While Liverpool are hopeful of landing Mascherano, Juve have always been considered as the player's own preferred destination. And Juve could also have a trump card in the shape of Jonathan Zebina. The French international is set to be allowed to leave Turin and West Ham are keen to bolster their own defensive options. It is believed that the former Liverpool and Tottenham target has been the subject of a Hammers approach - and he could very well be involved in a Mascherano deal. Zebina's replacement at Juventus could very well be Ajax defender Zdenek Grygera - who the Bianconeri seem to be closing in on. "There are well-known Italian clubs interested in Zdenek and I have arranged meetings with them all," said the player's agent David Nehoda. "Nevertheless thanks to our good relations and because of Pavel Nedved's presence there, Juventus are the most likely option." Grygera is out of contract at The Amsterdam ArenA in the summer and it remains to be seen whether he will leave this month or in the summer. http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=4...+for+Mascherano

Liverpool have agreed to sign Javier Mascherano from West Ham United until the end of the season with a view to a longer-term deal, though there still appears to be a major obstacle to overcome if the move is to be completed. Fifa said last night it would refuse to sanction the transfer. Mascherano arrived at Upton Park from Corinthians on transfer deadline day in August having already represented the Brazilian club in competitive action since the World Cup finals. Article Five, Paragraph Three of Fifa's regulations stipulates that, while players can be registered for a maximum of three clubs from July 1 until June 30 the following year, they are eligible to play for only two in that time. The West Ham manager, Alan Curbishley, who has agreed a fee of £5m with Fulham for Luis Boa Morte, is already planning for life without Mascherano despite Fifa indicating last night that the rules would technically prevent the Argentina midfielder from completing a loan move to Anfield. Indeed, it is understood to have outlined the situation to the West Ham owner, Eggert Magnusson, when asked at the end of November. "Our understanding, as of today, is the rule is binding," said a Fifa spokesman. "That means that, if a player has already played and registered and been eligible for two clubs from the period of July 1 to June 30, he is not any longer eligible for another club until the next period begins [on July 1]. There is no provision that allows for any kind of waiving of this rule." Yet Mascherano's representatives, Media Sports Investments, whose founder Kia Joorabchian brokered his move alongside that of Carlos Tevez from Brazil to east London with the company retaining the players' image rights, are convinced a deal can still be struck even if they must challenge Fifa to force completion. The Liverpool manager, Rafael Benítez, is understood to share that confidence, with the player having agreed personal terms and the transfer discussed at length at a board meeting yesterday. The deal is expected to be a loan with an option to purchase at the end of the season. Benítez will also add the Blackburn Rovers defender Lucas Neill to his ranks this month, with Stephen Warnock possibly moving in the other direction. While both Neill and Mascherano have played in the Uefa Cup this season, Liverpool will most likely submit the Australian as their one additional eligible player for their Champions League campaign under new Uefa rules, leaving the Argentinian as cover for Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in domestic competition. The 22-year-old has made only seven appearances for West Ham and none since Curbishley took over. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1983319,00.html

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Here's one I took of it in Taskim Square.

Up there with the usual standard of your posts.

Eh?

Going mental on block U37, row 17, seat 2.

Are you jet-lagged or something???

Carragher Finnan Garcia

Jagielka still hasn't had a save to make.

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