The dark side fights back

No surprise really. The club really dislikes and is clearly rattled by the green and gold campaign. The steward who was sacked talks of splits between the clubs staff with one incident when it nearly came to fists. And Milan say they have no rules about away fans and their colours, now there is a surprise.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7021240.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7203021/Manchester-United-steward-sacked-in-row-over-banner.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steward-sacked-as-united-try-to-crush-green-and-gold-uprising-1894368.html

The reasons why the green and gold campaign contunes keep on coming out
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-09/manchester-united-mortgages-old-trafford-ground-documents-show.html

Nani is starting to win over us fans and the critics. As long as it doesn't go to his head and he keeps his new found consistency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7198439/Manchester-United-winger-Nani-following-in-Cristiano-Ronaldos-quicksilver-footsteps.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/feb/10/nani-manchester-united-alex-ferguson

Nani insists he never thought about quitting United, hmm if all the rumours are true United wanted him to go to Benfica in part exchange for Di Maria
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/nani-insists-he-never-considered-quitting-manchester-united-1894953.html

Rio won't contest his ban
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249634/New-England-captain-Rio-Ferdinand-backs-FA-row-withdrawing-appeal-match-ban.html

David Conn on the irony of both 2008 FA cup finalists going to court this week to avoid winding up orders. Best run football league in the world, don't you know.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/david-conn-inside-sport-blog/2010/feb/10/portsmouth-cardiff-hmrc-winding-up

The guardian media group finally sells the evening news. I would have found this sad once, but it's such a lousy paper it's hard to see a new owner making it much worse. Will they be famous last words.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/guardian-owner-sells-regionals-to-trinity-1894532.html
It will be interesting whether the continue their craven coverage of United where they're actually sacred of the club continues. A new owner may feel the force is with the fans. Hopefully they would be right.

I knew the Irish economy was in a bad place but this article lays out bare just how bad it is. I can't swallow this fetisisation of cuts to bail out the politicians and financiers that will hit middle and especially low income workers. Especially when we know the rich will be totally immune from it and as the bankers have still got the cheek to award themselves outrageous bonuses.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/07/ireland-ecnomy-unemployment-recession

Meanwhile the Greek economic crisis worsens and will it threaten the Euro
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/feb/10/greece
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-rescue-greece-and-we-help-ourselves-1894468.html


An independent interview with US economist Joseph Stiglitz who seems to be right on the money with his views if you are on the centre left.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-money-man-supereconomist-joseph-stiglitz-on-how-to-fix-the-recession-1893271.html

Classic US funk oufit The Meters