Soccer Shorts

Other soccer news in brief

Laws confident he will win over Burnley supporters

BRIAN LAWS is confident he will win over Burnley’s fans after he was unveiled as Owen Coyle’s successor at Turf Moor yesterday.

Laws, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, started his playing career with the Clarets but was something of a surprise appointment given that he was sacked as boss of Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday just a month ago.

However, the 48-year-old insists he is ready to prove to his worth to the Turf Moor faithful and show that he is the right man for the job.

“They (the Burnley board) believe they have made the right decision, and I do,” Laws said.

“I’m sure with the supporters time will tell but all I’m asking of them is support your team as you have been, continue to do what you are doing and we will do everything in our power to get it right on the pitch.”

Flood joins up with Strachan again

MIDDLESBROUGH BOSS Gordon Strachan has made a triple transfer breakthrough after completing deals for former Celtic trio Barry Robson, Willo Flood and Chris Killen.

Robson has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the option of a further year after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee, while both Flood and Killen have joined the Teessiders on free transfers.

Flood’s deal extends to June 2011 while Killen’s runs until the end of the current season.

The three men, who all played for Celtic under Strachan, passed medicals on Teesside earlier this week.

The successful completion of the deals will come as a boost to Strachan, who will hope to be able to include his new recruits in the squad for Saturday’s Championship clash with Sheffield United.

Boro currently lie in 11th place in the table, 14 points adrift of an automatic promotion place.

Bruce wants personal hearing

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce will not fight a Football Association charge of improper conduct – but will request a personal hearing to put over his side of the story. Bruce was charged over comments made about referee Andre Marriner following his side’s 4-3 league defeat at Manchester City on December 19th. Bruce said: “I have accepted the charge of disrepute and I have decided not to fight it. But I have asked to go down there to give my mitigation face-to-face.”

Bruce, who also saw Marriner dismiss striker Kenwyne Jones for a push on West Ham defender Herita Ilunga in October, was incensed by the official’s decision to send off defender Michael Turner for a challenge on Gareth Barry at Eastlands.

Adebayor not ready to return

MANCHESTER CITY striker Emmanuel Adebayor admits he does not know when he will return to England. The Togo captain has been given indefinite compassionate leave by the Premier League club following the gun attack on his national team’s bus in Angola last week.

The team’s press officer and assistant manager, as well as their bus driver, were killed in the shooting in the region of Cabinda ahead of the African Nations Cup.

Adebayor (25) has revealed the incident has made him ill and playing football again is not on his mind at the moment.

Speaking in a TV address from Togo, Adebayor said: “I am sweating every day, and every day God makes. At the moment I can’t eat, I am losing weight. I will take my time and come back on the pitch at the right time.

“My boss and my team understand that, that is the most important thing. They know I need time to recover from this. It is difficult because my personal press officer died in my hands, that is the worst image I have had in my life. He passed away in my hands. It is very difficult.”

It was the second time the striker had addressed a camera in two days and this time he was wearing a shirt from his current club. When he spoke yesterday he curiously wore a top sporting the logo of Arsenal, the club he left in acrimonious circumstances last summer.

Caldwell signs for Wigan

WIGAN manager Roberto Martinez yesterday moved to shore up his fragile defence with the recruitment of Gary Caldwell from Celtic. The 27-year-old Scotland international has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal to move to the DW Stadium for an undisclosed fee.

The Latics have conceded 41 goals in 19 Premier League games this season and Martinez described his new recruit as “a commanding defender”.

West Ham likely to be fined

WEST HAM look likely to be fined after being found guilty by an independent Football Association Regulatory Commission of failure to ensure their supporters “refrained from violent, threatening, obscene and provocative behaviour” on the night of their League Cup tie against Millwall in August.

They were also found guilty of failing to prevent their supporters entering the field of play, but the case against them and Millwall on the counts of racist abuse from fans, and a failure to ensure their supporters did not throw harmful or dangerous objects on to the pitch were not proven.

Millwall were also found not guilty on the obscene and provocative behaviour charge.

West Ham, who won the game at Upton Park 3-1, are likely to discover their punishment tomorrow when they will present their mitigation before the Commission, but the most likely outcome is that they will be fined.