Football Soccer Football Soccer Football Soccer

[D-MiZe]

Anyone up for doing a fantasy league for when the season starts?

[AssasinKing]

Anyone up for doing a fantasy league for when the season starts?

Im alrdy on it....www.fantasy.premierleague.com

som1 shld make a league

[D-MiZe]

The 34-year-old former Wales international has been diagnosed with testicular cancer which has now spread to his brain, according to the Scottish Sun.

He was given the news at the weekend following tests at the Singleton Hospital in Swansea after complaining of severe headaches.

Hartson was signed by Martin O'Neill in a £6million deal in 2001 and was a popular figure with fans during the five years he spent at Parkhead.

During that time, he scored 89 league goals for Celtic and was voted Player of the Year by both his fellow professionals and the Scottish Football Writers Association.

A celtic spokesperson told the club's official website: "John Hartson is a man whom Celtic Football Club has immense respect and affection for.

"He has served the club, and the game of football in general, with distinction over many years.

"Clearly, everyone at the club fully supports John and his family at this extremely difficult time.

"It is very difficult for us to understand what John is going through at the moment, but we will offer any support we can to a great Celtic player.

"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Celtic family are with John at this time."

News of Hartson's illness was met with shock from Celtic fans, who described the diagnosis as a "real tragedy" and wished him a full recovery.

Peter Rafferty, president of the Affiliation of Celtic Supporters' Clubs, said: "He was one of our major heroes and really well liked and appreciated by the fans. He always gave 100%.

"It's so sad that something like this could happen to someone so young, he is still a very young man and has a young family.

"It's a real tragedy and we just wish him well with his treatment.

"Hopefully he will make a full recovery."

I doubt he'll make a recovery if the cancer has got to his brain..

[Texanballer]

Ex-Lazio and Juventus soccer player Pavel Nedved is "seriously" considering a move to U.S. Major League Soccer, his agent said. The 36-year-old former Czech Republic international, now a free agent after 13 seasons in Italy's Serie A, is "very attracted" by the possibility of playing in the U.S., Mino Raiola said in an interview. "We've received offers from several clubs in the MLS," Raiola said. Playmaker Nedved may play in the MLS this season and a decision will be made in the next 10 days, Raiola added.

My team is in first in the league with awesome chemistry. I highly doubt we would pick him up. He will probably go to the Red Bulls or like Chivas usa or something.

[D-MiZe]

Whoever picks him up better play him a lot.

[Dynamite Kid]

My team is in first in the league with awesome chemistry. I highly doubt we would pick him up. He will probably go to the Red Bulls or like Chivas usa or something.

Nedved was a class player, class!!!

I dont know how good he is now.

[D-MiZe]

Nedved was a class player, class!!!

I dont know how good he is now.

League 1 player.

[Dynamite Kid]

League 1 player.

I did not think Juve were capable of replacing Zidane but Nedved was close enough.

[D-MiZe]

Middlesbrough are believed to have agreed a fee in the region of £12m for the transfer of England winger Stewart Downing to Aston Villa.

The 24-year-old has made over 200 appearances for his home-town club since making his debut in 2002.

He is currently recovering from foot surgery, which is likely to sideline him until October at the earliest.

His future at Boro had been the subject of much speculation since the club's relegation to the Championship in May.

Downing, who has 23 England caps, signed a new five-year deal in February 2008 but, with Middlesbrough struggling last season, he had a written transfer request rejected in January.

However, he had been promised by chairman Steve Gibson that he could leave if a big club came in at the right price and since Boro's relegation he had been linked to Tottenham and Everton.

He suffered the foot injury against Villa in the penultimate game of the season but his recovery has taken longer than expected and he will return to his specialist in September to have a screw removed before he can return to full training.

Middlesborough were never going to be able to keep Downing this time around.

[D-MiZe]

England striker Peter Crouch is locked in transfer talks with Sunderland after they agreed a £12m deal with Portsmouth, BBC Sport understands.

The 28-year-old is also a target for Fulham boss Roy Hodgson as he prepares to rake in £5m from the sale of Bobby Zamora to Hull City.

Fulham boss Hodgson may hold the trump card with Crouch reportedly keen to move to London.

Bruce said: "He is a player I have admired for a very long time."

The Black Cats' boss refused to be drawn further on the deal, saying: "We hope we can try to put something together because he would be the type of player of course that would signal our intention of the way we want to take the football club forward."

Asked directly if a fee had been agreed, Bruce said: "I don't understand that just yet, but I have just come off the training ground.

"I haven't been told anything to the contrary. I will be getting back to work in the next couple of hours and we'll see. I know discussions at high levels were going on late last night, so we'll see and I'll be able to tell you more in the next 24 hours."

Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie was unhappy with Crouch's recent criticism of the club having not yet appointed a permanent manager to take over from Paul Hart.

Storrie insisted that was not possible while a proposed takeover by United Arab Emirates businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim was still under discussion.

Al Fahim has now completed the process of due diligence and is now trying to agree a figure with Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak.

I don't think he's worth £12 million..