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Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson was at the County Ground this morning reflecting on the First Class Forum meeting that he attended earlier in the week where he challenged the six week rule regarding overseas players

SOMERSET13-Dec-2002Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson was at the County Ground this morning reflecting on the First Class Forum meeting that he attended earlier in the week where he challenged the six week rule regarding overseas players.He told me: "Somerset were successful in getting the period of waiting to replace injured overseas players from six weeks to three weeks, and also in getting the cut off date of August 1st for finding a replacement player abolished."Somerset also sought to remove the maximum number of four overseas players being used by a club in a season but were defeated on this issue.The other area that is causing concern to the Somerset chief executive is the `cull culture’ that is being applied either directly or indirectly to the non test match playing counties.He continued: "Of principle concern to Somerset is the rapidly developing notion that the fee payment made by the E.C.B. should meet certain criteria, such as developing England players, the provision of practice facilities and a youth development system, all of which Somerset would feel comfortable with."He went on: "That said Somerset policy over the last decade has been to use what income we have earned along with the E.C.B grant to develop the ground for the use of members and spectators, to putting an effective development system in place and to enticing good players to the club."The chief pointed out that because the Club had followed that path they had never built up their cash reserves and had always been able to take risks safe in the knowledge that the level of fee payment from the E.C.B would underpin their finances. However this no longer appears to be the case.Mr Anderson told me: "Suddenly they have changed the ground rules, and this will mean that we are being punished for our forward thinking. Behind all of this our real fear is that if we let that notion develop it is just a further way of reducing the power of the smaller clubs, which is all part of the `cull culture’".The financial concerns being expressed by Mr Anderson is the reason why at the AGM on Monday evening members will be asked to agree to changes in the constitution to enable the appointment of a chairman and other senior officials with successful business backgrounds to help increase sponsorship for the club with a view of helping it to become self sufficient."This is the only way that we will be able to be certain of avoiding the `cull culture’ and I shall be watching developments very carefully and strongly opposing any issues that could eventually threaten our existence," the Somerset chief concluded.

Premier League side Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara this summer, with an Ibrox exit certainly looking on the cards as he continues to attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the Toffees have now registered their interest in signing the Finland international, who was a mainstay in Steven Gerrard’s side last season as they finished the season unbeaten.

New Everton manager Rafa Benitez is said to be keen on signing the 25-year-old but he will face competition from two Premier League sides, likely Brentford and Watford, as well as an unnamed Russian top-flight team.

Will he leave Rangers this summer?

Although a move to newly-promoted sides such as Brentford and Watford might have been easy to turn down for Kamara, the chance to sign for an established Premier League side and work under Benitez might be difficult for the former Dundee man to refuse.

Although Rangers can offer Champions League football for next season, Kamara reportedly earns just £6.2k per week at Ibrox, whereas a number of players at Goodison Park earn over £100k per week, which again suggests that it could be difficult for Kamara to turn them down from a financial perspective.

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It has been suggested in the past that Rangers value Kamara at £10m this summer, and after The Athletic’s Rangers reporter Jordan Campbell claimed that they are looking to raise £14m through player sales, the former Arsenal youngster could perhaps be one to leave.

It would undoubtedly be a blow for Gerrard if a player of Kamara’s quality were to leave, with the 41-year-old manager labelling him a “class act” back in 2019, whilst he was extremely consistent in the Premiership and Europa League last season.

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It’d be exactly why fans would be gutted to see the Finnish star leave the club this summer given his quality.

And, in other news… Gerrard can sign his ideal Kamara heir with swoop for £1.88m-rated “genius”

Daniel Levy is in advanced talks over a deal for the naming rights of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that the Spurs chairman is believed to be nearing a deal which could see the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium gain naming rights for the 2021/22 season and beyond.

The report added that the stadium has so far been without sponsorship since its opening back in April 2019, something which has begun to significantly impact the club financially, particularly as the £1.2bn complex endured an extended spell lying empty due to the restrictions as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

It is finally mentioned that the club lost £63.9m for the financial year ending 30 June 2020 and are already more than £600m in debt, largely as a result of the cost of building the stadium.

Fans will be buzzing

With Spurs very much feeling the financial strain that events over the last 16 months have caused for football clubs, the news that their state-of-the-art stadium looks set to receive sponsorship is undoubtedly a fantastic boost for the club, as the income generated will help ease the aforementioned financial strain.

Indeed, with a report by consultancy firm Duff & Phelps finding that Tottenham’s new stadium could potentially command a fee of around £17.5m per season, this amount of money could either be put towards a new signing, or add roughly £335,000 per week to the club’s wage budget.

Another way the money could be spent is by offering some of the club’s current stars more lucrative contract renewal offers, something which could well be enough to convince a number of first team players to remain at the club rather than looking for juicier deals elsewhere.

As such, while Tottenham are yet to make a move in the transfer window, Daniel Levy could well be about to proceed with one of the most important deals of the summer in the near future, something which should have their fans buzzing.

In other news: Paratici could land his dream player in “outstanding” 21-y/o gem, Spurs would love him

Peter Moores, the England coach, has backed Michael Vaughan to retain the captaincy until at least the 2009 Ashes, following his century in the Lord’s Test against New Zealand

Cricinfo staff21-May-2008
Peter Moores says Michael Vaughan, at 33, is still maturing as a batsman © Getty Images
Peter Moores, the England coach, has backed Michael Vaughan to retain the captaincy until at least the 2009 Ashes, following his century in the Lord’s Test against New Zealand. Vaughan struggled in the series in New Zealand in March but his 106 at Lord’s answered his critics and Moores believes Vaughan is clearly the man to lead England’s campaign to regain the Ashes.”It is important to have a mature captain, especially when you are developing as a team,” Moores said in the . “We have had quite a lot of changes in both Test and one-day teams, and we have an inexperienced set of bowlers, so to have somebody like Michael to marshal them and give his experience is very important.”The split captaincy has not affected him and Michael has still maintained his calm leadership. I think one of his strengths is being naturally calm. It is a skill to be able to give off that, a sign of a good leader, so when the pressure is on he doesn’t pass that on to his team.”Moores was equally happy with Vaughan’s batting form as he moved down to his preferred No. 3 position. “He is developing the team and wants to be at the front of it. He is at the stage of his career where players mature, batsmen especially, and they tend to have their best spell in the last third of their careers.”But Moores is less certain about the Test future for Steve Harmison, who was overlooked for Chris Tremlett when the selectors added a fast bowler to the squad for the Old Trafford Test to replace the injured Matthew Hoggard. Moores said Harmison would need some solid county efforts under his belt before he would be considered for a Test return.”He obviously has a good record at Old Trafford, but we just feel at the moment that, to be fair to Steve, he needs time in county cricket to go out there and bowl and get himself ready to come back and be in the right place to play [international] cricket again,” Moores told the . “I’ve heard he’s been going OK, doing all right, getting there, working it through, but maybe not hitting his straps as best he can. That might be a bit of a process, to do his work and get his confidence up and be happy with how it’s coming out.”

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, is suing Cricket Australia, claiming he injured his shoulder throwing cricket balls during his time as Australia’s assistant coach

Cricinfo staff03-Jul-2008
Jamie Siddons runs a training exercise with Glenn McGrath during the 2005 Ashes tour © Getty Images
Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, is suing Cricket Australia, claiming he injured his shoulder throwing cricket balls during his time as Australia’s assistant coach. The reported a writ had been lodged in the Victorian Supreme Court in which Siddons says he has suffered injury, loss and damage, although no monetary figure is quoted.Siddons claims he has ongoing problems with his right shoulder as a result of hours of throw-downs on a “constant, repetitive and forceful basis” during the 2005 Ashes tour of England. John Buchanan, the Australia coach during that trip, confirmed Siddons had suffered shoulder troubles.”I can verify he threw a lot of cricket balls on the tour,” Buchanan told the paper. “We knew he was injured when he returned from the tour. We knew he had an injury sustained from throwing. There’s no doubt about that.”A Cricket Australia spokesman said it was unaware of the court action. “We can’t talk about Jamie Siddons, but it is common for a batsman to have a member of the coaching staff involved at the training session to stand relatively close and to throw the cricket ball at a pace,” he said. “It’s a throw-down, and is common in club cricket and elite cricket.”Siddons’ Bangladesh side will be in Australia in late August for a three-match ODI series. The reported the case was due for pre-trial discussions in October.

Lifting the lid on an enquiry to sign Switzerland ace Breel Embolo, 90min have also dropped a rather interesting West Ham United claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: Hlozek on the radar?

As claimed in reliable reports like The Athletic, Hlozek is a name which has been mentioned at West Ham over these last few months.

Indeed. it is even believed that Czech Republic duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek even personally recommended the exciting forward to manager David Moyes when it comes to possible transfer targets (The Athletic).

Now, 90min have brought some news on Hlozek in a West Ham update.

The Latest: West Ham hold ‘lengthy’ Hlozek talks…

As per the outlet, the Irons have held ‘lengthy talks’ over signing Hlozek, who seemed to impress when called upon for the Czechs at Euro 2020.

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However, interest in him has ‘intensified’ since those discussions and it now looks ‘doubtful’ that West Ham can wrap up a deal for Hlozek this summer.

The 18-year-old is said to have more ‘appealing options’ than the east Londoners, and it’s little wonder there are plenty of suitors going by his potential.

The Verdict: Big miss?

Hlozek is arguably one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe at the moment when taking into account his scoring record and plaudits from those in the game.

Indeed, scoring 28 goals across his Sparta Prague career so far in all competitions (Transfermarkt), the forward has also been lauded as an ‘extraordinary player’ by agent Pavel Paska (Aktualne.cz).

Missing out on his signature could come as a blow for West Ham in the long run, but you could also make a case that the club should be prioritising more senior striking targets like Tammy Abraham or Roman Yaremchuk at this point.

Regardless of who West Ham eventually swoop for, it’s imperative that manager David Moyes gets a new forward through the door as soon as possible – especially considering Michail Antonio’s worrying injury record.

In other news: ‘No way’, ‘Absolutely amazing’, ‘What we need’…Many West Ham fans react as news emerges, find out more here.

According to the The Athletic, Chelsea are believed to still be interested in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer, but Football London’s Blues correspondent Sam Inkersole believes they don’t need him.

The 25-year-old was recently part of Luis Enrique’s Spain squad at Euro 2020, making just one substitute appearance in the 5-0 win against Slovakia.

As well as playing on the wing, Traore, can also play wing-back and did so under former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo who opted to play a system with 5 at the back. In his 140 Premier League appearances for Wolves, Traore, has scored seven goals and provided 14 assists.

Two of his key attributes are his pace and power, but Chelsea correspondent Sam Inkersole thinks the Wolves man is hit and miss.

“You can get him on a good day, he’s borderline unstoppable, you just can’t deal with him.

“But then on other games he can be anonymous, but then again that can happen to any footballer I suppose”.

Chelsea has an abundance of talent that can play on the wing, including the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount. With this many players Sam Inkersole doesn’t believe that the club necessarily have to move for Traore.

“Chelsea don’t need him, they’ve got a plethora of attacking midfielders, wingers at the club already.

“I don’t think it’s a move that Chelsea really need to be making, unless it’s a good deal”.

Michael Clarke was docked ten per cent of his match fee, and his team lost five per cent of theirs, for a slow over-rate in Australia’s tight win against West Indies in the fourth ODI

Cricinfo staff05-Jul-2008
Michael Clarke lost ten per cent of his match fee for being an over too slow © AFP
Michael Clarke may have escaped with his unbeaten captaincy record intact following Australia’s last-gasp victory in the fourth ODI on Friday while he was deputising for the injured Ricky Ponting, but he couldn’t avoid a fine for a slow over-rate.He lost ten per cent of his match fee in his first ODI as captain, the third time he has skippered Australia having led them in two Twenty20s. His team-mates were each docked five per cent after Australia were ruled to be one over short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.The offence is contrary to Section J of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to slow over-rates. For such offences, the decision of the ICC match referee is final and binding.Australia won the match by one run to take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. The final game between the two sides is also in St Kitts, on Sunday.

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif’s B sample has tested positive for a banned substance, according to an AFP report

Cricinfo staff19-Aug-2008
Mohammad Asif faces a ban after his B sample taken during the IPL also tested positive for a banned substance © AFP
The B sample of Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, taken during the Indian Premier League has tested positive for nandrolone, a banned substance, has reported. Last month the IPL had revealed that Asif had tested positive in random testing conducted during the tournament. Asif, who played for the Delhi Daredevils, had asked for his B sample to be analysed.Asif, who faces a possible two-year ban, and his lawyer have questioned the discrepancy in the readings of the two samples. The second sample had a nandrolone concentration of 5.4 nanograms per millilitre of urine while the first had 6.2 nanograms. “We have just completed the test on Asif’s B sample and it has come back positive,” Asif’s lawyer Shahid Karim told . “But I can tell you that the quantity of nandrolone has varied, which we can contest. We hope to further this case once we get an official test report from the IPL.” According to WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) regulations, upto two nanograms per millilitre is permissible.Asif, who was in Geneva for the analysis along with his lawyer, was confident of proving himself innocent. “Both my lawyer and medical experts are confident that we can fight this case and come out clean,” he said. “The last few months have been upsetting and I want to put them behind me.”He had been suspended by the PCB from all forms of the game pending the result of the IPL inquiry. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, had previously told Cricinfo that if Asif’s B sample also tests positive, the matter will be taken up by the IPL’s drugs tribunal, comprising Sunil Gavaskar, Dr Ravi Bapat (ex-vice chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences) and lawyer Shirish Gupte. The tribunal will take a decision in accordance with the ICC’s anti-doping code, which the IPL had adopted.Besides testing positive during the IPL, Asif is also embroiled in another mess, having been detained at Dubai airport in June for allegedly possessing drugs. He was released by authorities after 19 days in detention, but an internal inquiry by the Pakistan board had reportedly found the evidence to be “pretty conclusive” against the player, and had recommended a ban.The fast bowler previously tested positive for nandrolone, the banned anabolic steroid, along with Shoaib Akhtar, just before the 2006 Champions Trophy in India. Though he was banned for one year by a PCB tribunal, the punishment was overturned a month later on appeal.

West Ham United have been linked with a loan move for Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as David Moyes looks to strengthen his midfield options.

What’s the story?

According to The Express, West Ham’s have identified several targets to replace the loss of Jesse Lingard this summer, with the 29-year-old now expected to remain at Manchester United next season.

The report claims that West Brom’s Matheus Periera is the capital club’s top priority, although Ross Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain are also on the Hammers’ radar.

GSB must sanction swoop

Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Anfield via a £35m move from Arsenal back in 2017 and hit the ground running at his new surroundings.

The box-to-box maestro scored five goals and provided eight assists in 46 appearances for the Reds, playing a pivotal part as they reached the Champions League final.

However, a serious knee injury ruled Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the showpiece event and for much of the subsequent campaign.

He made a solid return to action in 2019/20, though, earning the praise of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for his promising performances.

“He had a lot of moments where he was really outstanding, but then other moments where he’s not really involved,” said the German tactician as Oxlade-Chamberlain was getting back to his best in 2019.

“And these things, that’s our life as a footballer, we always try to reach perfection. There are so many games where he still needs to find rhythm and stuff like this. But like I said it’s no problem. That’s for us a long-term injury and a long-term project to coming back from it.”

Despite producing a string of impressive performances in 2019/20, the England international suffered from a string of fitness concerns one again last term, limiting him to just 13 Premier League appearances.

With Liverpool currently offloading a host of unwanted fringe players, Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the next to depart the Merseyside club in search of regular game time.

Therefore, GSB must swoop for the £16.2m-rated goalscoring midfielder this summer, strengthening Moyes’ squad ahead of another grueling campaign.

West Ham will be competing in the Europa League next term, adding extra strain the Scotsman’s already thin squad. The addition of Oxlade-Chamberlain, if he is back fit and firing, would provide cover and competition in a variety of positions, allowing the east London outfit to fight on multiple fronts.

And, in other news…Sam Inkersole drops verdict on West Ham’s summer striker search