The Manchester City manager, he said, looked shattered on the final whistle. Kolo Toure yesterday admitted a charge of violent conduct for elbowing Alan Shearer during Sunday’s match at Highbury and must now serve a three-match ban that will rule him out of Arsenal’s Premiership game against Manchester United on Tuesday.
The defender opted not to contest the charge and will miss this weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as the Premiership games against United and Aston Villa.The Football Association reviewed video evidence after the Ivory Coast international was alleged to have elbowed Shearer in the back during Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat. He said: “Other clubs have asked to be kept informed but there’s nothing more concrete than that Steve Bruce has not declared an interest in him. He should realise that the reason other clubs want to sign him is because we have played him so regularly and developed him.”The Birmingham manager Steve Bruce, who gave Routledge his first-team debut when in charge of Palace in 2001, has also been linked with a move for the 20-year-old, but Dowie is not expecting an offer. We have blooded him into the team and have played him in virtually every game.

From what I gather it’s unlikely they will come in with a higher offer so it’s looking like he won’t move.”I’m pleased about that because I’ve always said I don’t want him to go, but whether Wayne is happy or not is another matter.”The move has to be right for us. Any transfer fee then would be decided by a tribunal, because Routledge is under 23.Dowie said: “Spurs’ bids were turned down and there has been no contact after we rejected their second offer. Both fell short of his £3m valuation.Now Routledge, who recently turned down a new five-year contract, seems set to stay with the Premiership strugglers until the summer when his current deal expires. The Crystal Palace manager Iain Dowie believes he has won his battle to keep Wayne Routledge at Selhurst Park until the end of the season.
Dowie has rejected bids of £1.5m and £2m from Tottenham for the England Under-21 international during the January transfer window. Quashie is injured and cup-tied, but the Saints now also employ the former Pompey assistant manager, Jim Smith, and the coach, Kevin Bond.The police spokesman said of the 12.30pm kick-off: “This suits us as there should be less likelihood of alcohol playing a large part in any trouble. There are many licensed premises around the St Mary’s ground and although we can’t force them to shut down we have advised them that it is a good idea and we are glad to say the vast majority have taken our advice.”. Saints and Pompey have not met in an FA Cup tie since 1993, when Southampton won 3-0.A police spokesman said: “About 15 per cent of the crowd will be away fans this time, which is more than normal, but we are confident we will have a successful day.

We hope so.”Police have been monitoring events for weeks since the draw was made especially as Southampton have now bought Nigel Quashie from Portsmouth for £2.1m. The match at Southampton will see the meeting of two of football’s fiercest rivals – a rivalry that has been fuelled by the recent move of the Southampton manager, Harry Redknapp, from Portsmouth.However, the police are encouraged by their security record at Southampton. When the teams met in two matches there last season and again just a few weeks ago, there was no significant trouble. But last season, at Fratton Park, there were around 80 arrests and many ejections from the Portsmouth ground. Police are mounting one of their biggest football security operations in Hampshire for Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie between Southampton and Portsmouth and have appealed to licensees in the St Mary’s area to keep premises shut before and after the 12.30pm kick-off.
The operation, headed by Chief Superintendent John Stickler, will involve at least 400 officers. It’s all very well being with the players, or your back-room staff or feeling the emotions of the crowd, but when you are driving home and thinking about making a decision you feel that in your small little world the spotlight is on you.”. It was a shame that Dr Martens boots stopped selling because it affected the progress of the club.

Had there been no downturn we might not have been able to do a Wimbledon but we would have gone one division higher into the Championship, definitely.”At Oldham, most of Talbot’s squad are young men either brought through the club or loaned from Premiership sides – Lee Croft (Manchester City), Neil Kilkenny (Birmingham), Mark Hughes (Tottenham) and Alex Bruce (Blackburn), the last is the son of the Birmingham manager, Steve Bruce. “He is a credit to his mum and dad, comes into work smiling every day. It’s hard for the boy because people can’t see past the surname. My son, Daniel, is at Rushden and I feel for him because people are not fair to him He’s told he has to be better than his dad.