Monday, January 5, 1998

'If you include the money spectators pay at the turnstile and add sponsorship, television rights, publications, merchandising and the rest, it must be trillions each year.

SINGAPORE -- The multi-billion dollar soccer industry holds its first world trade fair here from today with the sport's leaders setting a goal of further maximising their huge profits.

Football Expo '98 marks the growing institutional recognition that soccer is now a global industry, fed by growing numbers of fans, courted by governments and tracked by stock market analysts.

"If you include the money spectators pay at the turnstile and add sponsorship, television rights, publications, merchandising and the rest, it must be trillions each year," said Seamus O'Brien, chairman of the Asia Sport group which is organising the three-day fair.

The stars of the event, however, will not be the Ronaldos, Alessandro del Pieros and Alan Shearers of this world.

The 1 000 delegates at the conference will look for clues from Fifa secretary-general Sepp Blatter about the world body's intentions. They will look for signs from Juventus and AC Milan officials on when the European giants will go ahead with stock market listings.

And they will question Manchester United deputy chief executive Peter Kenyon about how the English champions have become the most profitable club in the world.

"It wasn't long ago that an English businessman, Michael Knighton, was close to buying United for £20-million, now it is a listed company worth £625-million," O'Brien said.

The English Premiership has also seen its worldwide popularity take off. It has signed a £100-million worldwide television rights deal with the International Management Group (IMG) and there are plans for an international chain of Premiership sport clothing shops.

IMG's managing director for Asia, Breck McCormack, said "The Premier League is without doubt the top football league in the world."

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Peter Velappan vowed before the start of Football Expo '98 that Asian soccer would seek more money without losing control to sponsors and television.

"I don't think there is any need for soul searching about money here," said O'Brien, whose company also sells rights and promotes events. "Soccer is where it is now because it is a commercial reality. It is family entertainment, truly a global industry."

A decade ago football's name was tarnished by the Heysel stadium disaster and hooliganism in general, and still had not got over the game's failure to become established in the United States.

Massive television income and more professional administration caused the soccer revolution and the 1994 World Cup cracked the US market, according to O'Brien.

"Fifa has taken the bull by the horns and that has flowed down through the regional federations and national leagues."

In Asia, the AFC deal with Asia Sport was to raise enough money and backing to establish professional leagues across the continent by 2002. O'Brien says he is halfway there.

The World Cup has been expanded to 32 nations for the first time in France this year, raising doubts among many soccer leaders. Among those attending the conference are chief French organiser Michel Platini and Alan Rothenberg, president of the US Soccer Federation and one of the key figures behind the 1994 World Cup.

Rival English and German bids to stage the 2006 World Cup have also taken stands at the fair and are bringing in their top campaigners to lobby for support. -- Sapa-AFP

Kapil, ICC clash over chuckers

NEW DELHI -- Test cricket's most prolific wicket-taker, Kapil Dev, hit out at the game's administrators yesterday for banning Indian spinner Rajesh Chauhan because of a suspect bowling action.

On Saturday, off-spinner Chauhan was dropped for a three-nation tournament in Bangladesh later this week on the advice of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"It is unfair to drop Chauhan simply because someone suspects his action," said the former Indian allrounder, who took a record 434 Test wickets.

"The umpire is the final judge and Chauhan has never been called for throwing during his five-year international career," Kapil said. "Do the ICC officials know better than the umpires?

"The ICC wants the Indian board to keep Chauhan out without any proof. I don't think the ICC's advise is binding on the board."

The ban follows a report from former Australian captain Bobby Simpson, who questioned the bowling actions of Chauhan and three Sri Lankans in his capacity as match referee for the recent India-Sri Lanka Test series.

The ICC's technical committee cleared Sri Lankans Muttiah Muralitharan and Sajeewa De Silva after watching video clips of their actions, but wanted action to be taken against Chauhan and Sri Lankan off-spinner Kumara Dharmasena.

Kapil, himself a member of the technical committee, confused matters by stating he was not asked to judge the actions.

"I was not informed about this and I don't know if the committee met to review Simpson's report," an angry Kapil said.

"And who is Simpson to judge a bowler? Does he, as an ICC observer, know more about the game than the umpires out in the middle ? There is something sinister going on."

Another former Indian cricketer, Naren Tamhane, charged the knives were out for the off-spinner ahead of the upcoming home series against Australia.

"Perhaps Simpson was swayed by the fact that Chauhan could be a danger to his country's prospects as the Australians are suspect against off-spin," Tamhane said.

This is not the first time Chauhan -- or Muralitharan -- have been hauled up for their bowling actions.

Chauhan was kept out of the Indian team from 1995 to 1997 on the advice of the ICC, but was recalled late last year after his action was studied by Kapil and another Indian great, Sunil Gavaskar, at the request of the Indian board.

Muralitharan was called for throwing by Australian umpire Darrell Hair during Sri Lanka's tour down under in 1995, but was subsequently reinstated when a computer study found nothing wrong with his action.

Said Tamhane: "The Indian board should support Chauhan like the Sri Lankans did in Muralitharan's case. According to me, if Murali is allowed to play than any off-spinner can pass muster.

"The board should stand up against the ICC instead of putting its tail meekly between its legs."

ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former Indian board secretary, said : "The ICC wants to help a bowler correct his action not penalise him, and will depute a specialist at its own cost to help the bowler.

"But the boards must approach us to sort the matter out quickly." -- Sapa-AFP

Montgomerie gets his man ­ SA's Els

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- Colin Montgomerie finally broke the match-play mastery of Ernie Els, while reigning American PGA champion Davis Love had an unexpected struggle in the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf on Saturday.

Love needed an 18th-hole birdie putt to avoid a late collapse and beat unheralded Hajime Meshiai one-up in the semi-finals, but Montgomerie -- who was 1-3 with one draw in previous match-play events against Els -- beat the two-time US Open champion 3 and 2 by sinking a 9m birdie putt on the 16th.

Yesterday Montgomerie, the European champion, was due to play Love, the United States section champ, in a 36-hole match for the $1-million prize.

Els, the International champion, was to face Meshiai, the Japanese champion, in an 18-hole match for third place and $350 000.

The runner-up takes $500 000 with $300 000 going to the fourth-placed finisher.

The $3.65-million event culminates a year-long, single-elimination tournament featuring 32 of the world's top players.

Meshiai, nearly 10 years older than anyone in the field at 43 and the smallest player at 1.75m, was two-up against Love after the first four holes before erratic drives cost him on the back nine.

Love, the world's fifth-ranked player, notched birdies on the 12th, 13th and 15th to go two-up only to bogey the 16th and 17th to fall back to even.

Love's second shot from the fairway on the par-five 18th bounced off the flag stick and rolled back 6m. He rolled his putt past the hole and tapped in for birdie.

Meshiai, whose second shot sailed 15m over the green, fluffed a chip shot and rolled another past the pin to lose the match.

This year's tournament was moved to the wider 6 421m Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club, which is designed for long, straight hitters like Love and Els.

But Els, the world's third-ranked player and a three-time world matchplay champion, and Love were all over the place on the front nine. They each were one-down at the turn.

Els birdied the par-four ninth hole to cut the margin in half but the burly Montgomerie answered with a birdie to win the 10th hole.

The golfers traded wins on the next two holes as Montgomerie restore his two-up lead.

Els also had a cactus plant get stuck to the middle finger of his left hand while walking to the 14th hole. A medical crew had to remove three thorns from his finger before he could continue.

From 24m, Els three-putted for bogey on the par-four 14th as Montgomerie went three-up.

Montgomerie parred the 15th while Els scrambled for a birdie, chipping within 2m from the bunker.

After Montgomerie rolled in his long putt on the 16th, Els pushed his 3m birdie attempt wide on the left to lose the match.

Els beat Montgomerie in the 1994 and 1997 US Open as well as the finals of the 1994 world matchplay championship.

Montgomerie, ranked sixth in the world, beat Els in the 1996 Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge in South Africa and shared the honours with him at the Alfred Dunhill Cup semi-finals in October.

"Ernie once said, 'When Colin Montgomerie is relaxed, he's dangerous'. I tried to use that and it worked," Montgomerie said. "I knew I had to be six-under to do well against someone of his calibre."

Els attributed his difficulties to being "rusty" from the holidays. -- Sapa-AFP-AP

GREAT DANE -- Rangers' Danish international, Brian Laudrup, dispossesses Paul Lambert of Celtic during the Glasgow rivals' derby encounter at Parkhead stadium. Celtic won the match 2-0 to end a 10-year jinx in the traditional New Year fixture. * Other British soccer results in Round-Up

Coventry end Liverpool's FA Cup campaign

LONDON -- Six days after upsetting Premier League leaders and defending champions Manchester United, Coventry ousted another soccer powerhouse, Liverpool, in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday, rallying to win 3-1 at Anfield.

Jamie Redknapp gave Liverpool a seventh-minute lead but Darren Huckerby, Dion Dublin and Paul Telfer turned the game around for Coventry. It was like last Sunday's game at Highfield Road, when Coventry came back from 2-1 down to beat Manchester United 3-2.

The Anfield upset wasn't the only surprise.

Non-league Stevenage scored a 2-1 win over First Division Swindon with Juliano Graziolo scoring the winner, while Emley, another non-league club, scared West Ham at Upton Park but tumbled 2-1 to the Hammers on the strength of John Hartson's goal two minutes from time.

Port Vale earned a 0-0 tie at mighty Arsenal and Portsmouth, at the bottom of the First Division, were denied a victory over UEFA Cup quarter-finalists Aston Villa when Simon Grayson netted a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw. Portsmouth led 2-0 thanks to early goals from Australian forward Craig Foster.

Leeds, Leicester and Blackburn, also considered among the favourites for the title, won comfortably at home.

Leeds overpowered Oxford 4-0 although goalkeeper Nigel Martyn was sent off in the final minute for violent conduct. Harry Kewell, another Australian international, scored twice while South Africa's Lucas Radebe scored his first goal and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink netted a penalty.

Ian Marshall, Garry Parker, Robbie Savage and Tony Cottee gave Leicester a 4-0 victory over Northampton and Blackburn raced into a four-goal lead against Wigan before winning 4-2 with the help of two goals from Scottish international striker Kevin Gallacher.

In a clash of Premiership minnows, Barnsley beat Bolton 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike by Darren Barnard.

Francesco Baiano and Chris Powell scored the goals to put Derby in the fourth round with a 2-0 victory over Southampton.

Crystal Palace gained their first home win of the season, downing Third Division Scunthorpe 2-0 with two goals from Neil Emblen. But Sheffield Wednesday will need a replay against Watford following a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Five of Saturday's third-round games were postponed because of severe windy and wet weather which left fields waterlogged.

Six second and third division games were also postponed, along with nine in Scotland. -- Sapa

Hopeful England embark
for West Indies

LONDON -- England's cricketers left for the West Indies on Saturday with high hopes of a rare series win in the Caribbean.

Despite a 3-2 Ashes loss to Australia last year England showed they could be on the way back up by winning a one-say tournament against the West Indies, Pakistan and India in Sharjah last month.

And, with Michael Atherton now back in charge, they face a West Indies line-up in disarray after a one-sided 3-0 loss in Pakistan where the tourists lost two of the Tests by an innings.

Before boarding for the Caribbean, England vice-captain Nasser Hussain said the team needed consistency if they were to catch up with the top countries, such as Australia, South Africa and Pakistan.

"When we're good we're very good," Hussain said. "But, in the past, when we were bad we've been diabolical.

"Since I returned full-time to the Test team at the start of 1996 season we have beaten India and New Zealand and we have done quite well overall. I think we're improving.

"Against Australia last summer we lost 3-2 and again did okay as far as the series went.

"When the going gets tough in certain games, we have to show we can dig in and get the balance right. We have to concentrate on playing as a real team unit and not as individuals."

The West Indies, who face England in the first Test at Kingston, Jamaica from january 29, are rapidly sliding down world cricket's pecking order and Atherton's team could win a series there for the first time since 1967.

The West Indian batting has become suspect and star bowler Curtly Ambrose is far from fit.

England's weakness is their bowling, especially with paceman Darren Gough forced to pull out with a lingering hamstring injury last week.

But their batting has experience with Atherton, Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe, Hussain and John Crawley providing the backbone and newcomers such as Adam Hollioake, who captained the Sharjah one-day team, Mark Butcher and Dean Headley adding youth.

After Kingston, England face the West Indies in Trinidad (February 13 to 17), Guyana (February 27 to March 2), Barbados (March 12 to 16) and Antigua (March 20 to 24). The teams then play five one-day internationals.

The England squad: Michael Atherton (capt), Nasser Hussain, Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash, John Crawley, Adam Hollioake, Jack Russell, Andrew Caddick, Dean Headley, Angus Fraser, Chris Silverwood, Ashley Cowan, Phil Tufnell, Robert Croft. -- Sapa-AP

Tendulkar unfazed

NEW DELHI -- Sachin Tendulkar responded to his sacking as India's cricket captain by admitting he had been expecting the axe.

Tendulkar told The Hindu on Saturday: "I am not shattered.

"I was mentally prepared when I was given the job and was prepared on this occasion."

The 24-year-old, who has been replaced by Mohammed Azharuddin after just more than a year in charge, said: "Losing the captaincy does not mean the end of the road for me -- captaincy was not the ultimate thing for me." -- Sapa-AFP

Province waiting

DURBAN -- Western Province, winners of the Standard Bank League limited overs cricket competition, will discover tomorrow who they will play in their home Cup quarter-final on Friday.

Province have been drawn to play the winners of the League round game between Natal and Free State to be decided at Kingsmead tomorrow.

Natal are a point to the good in the chase for the last of the six places available to South African provincial sides who are joined in the quarter-finals by Kenya and Zimbabwe A as part of the United Cricket Board's policy of promoting cricket throughout Africa.

Defending Standard Bank Cup champions Natal will be satisfied with a 'no result' return from the Free State game should bad weather prevail as it will earn them a vital point in a season in which several of their League games were washed out.

Boland, Northerns Titans and Gauteng were other sides to earn home quarter-final matches.

The draw is: Friday, WP v Natal/Free State at Newlands; Saturday, Boland v EP at Paarl; Sunday, Northerns v Zimbabwe A at Centurion Park; Jan 14, Gauteng v Kenya at the Wanderers. -- Sapa

Australia on top at Hopman Cup

PERTH -- Pat Rafter beat Sweden's Thomas Enqvist 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 in the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis tournament yesterday.

Rafter's win combined with team-mate Annabel Ellwood's 6-4, 6-4 win over Asa Carlsson gave Australia a winning 2-0 lead over Sweden in the opening match of the tournament. The Australians wrapped up a 3-0 win with a 6-2, 6-4 win in the mixed doubles.

Rafter, ranked second in the world, overcame a poor second set punctuated by a succession of blistering Enqvist ground strokes and an early scare in the third. The Australian raced through the opening set in 23 minutes, but then Enqvist roared back.

After being down 2-0 in the decider, Rafter held serve in the third and broke Enqvist in the fourth to level.

Games went with serve until the 12th when Enqvist surrendered four game points and then sealed his fate on match point as a double-fisted backhand sailed long.

Defending champions United States play South Africa in one of two matches today. -- Sapa-AP

Harrison in SA team

JOHANNESBURG -- A South African swimming team comprising 34 competitors and 14 officials flew out on Saturday for the Fina world swimming championships in Perth starting on Thursday.

The top medal hopes will be swimmers Penny Heyns and Julia Russell, Brendon Dedekind and Ryk Neethling, who have all been in Australia since last month to acclimatise.

Apart from the swimmers, the team also includes divers, a water polo team -- which features Border's Michael Harrison -- synchronised swimmers and open water (sea) swimmers.

The team is:

Swimming: Penny Heyns, Julia Russell, Charlene Wittstock, Sarah Poewe, Brendon Dedekind, Ryk Neethling, Theo Verster; manager: Ivan Benjamin; coach: Alasdair Hatfield.

Diving: Eddie Galpin, Tandi Gerrard, Jane Woodard; manager: Ron Andrews; coach: Vic Mijon.

Synchro: Lauren Adams, Gabby Christie, Lauren Curtis, Jane Kurz, Leigh-Anne Hutton, Kirsten Morris, Jade Peters, Anne Small, Judi van Niekerk; manager: Sue Mannerswood; coach: Loren Wulfsohn.

Water polo: Craig Boubtfire, Bernard Kloss, Jean Oosthuizen, Chris Reardon, Steven Standfest, Brendan Varrie, Duncan Woods, Simon Daly, Michael Harrison, Justin Preston, Craig Roy, Vlado Trninic, Richard Wall; Overall manager: Doug Sabor; team manager: Reg Wepener; assistant team manager: Kevin Pather; coach: Goran Tanaskovic.

Open water swimming: Gareth Fowler, Robyn Bradley; manager-coach: Peter Bales.

Chef de mission: Gideon Sam; physiotherapist: Petro Carson; officials: Ian Melliar (water polo referee), Frank Eckley (swimming technical official). -- Sapa

PICTURE PERFECT -- Helen Wills Moody as the world will remember her: at Wimbledon in her white eyeshade. Moody has died in a California hospital.

Tennis great Helen Wills Moody dies

CARMEL, California -- Tennis great Helen Wills Moody, who won eight Wimbledon titles and was one of the premier figures in America's golden era of sport, has died. She was 92.

Known for hitting the ball harder than any woman, she ruled tennis in the 1920s and '30s.

Nicknamed "Little Miss Poker Face" and "Queen Helen", Moody won 31 major titles. Besides Wimbledon, she captured seven US crowns and four French championships.

She won her first US championship in 1923 and retired after winning Wimbledon in 1938. Her record was was 18-2 in singles matches at the Wightman Cup, a prestigious women's team event.

Moody, whose trademark white eyeshade became an enduring tennis fad, learnt the game without ever taking a lesson -- she picked it up from watching players at the Berkeley Tennis Club.

"Children are great imitators," she said in a 1984 interview. "I watched the seniors play and the visiting Australian champions."

One year after she started playing at 14, she won the first of her two girls national titles. She was 17 in 1923 when she won the US women's singles championship -- the youngest champion at the time.

She won an Olympic gold medal in Paris in 1924 and was inducted into the game's "Hall of Fame" in 1969.

Moody wrote three books, including her autobiography "15-30: The Story of a Tennis Player," published in 1937. In the 1920s, she wrote a tennis instruction book and a mystery, "Death Serves an Ace". -- Sapa-AP

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