Markus Babbel, Pegguy Arphexad and Vladimir Smicer keep the bench warm under a delightful bedspread. Not Neil Mellor, though. He’s hard. Photograph: Matthew Ashton/Empics
“Who has the best collection of cup winners’ medals, without having even having been on the pitch in a final,” wondered Mark Ireland a fortnight ago.
Thomas Paternoster writes in to tell us [...]

Referee Mark Clattenburg will no longer officiate Sunday’s Charity Shield match. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
The Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has been suspended from all match officiating duties until further notice pending inquiries into reports of his alleged debts. Clattenburg is alleged to have run up debts relating to companies connected to him, forcing the [...]

Jose Maria del Nido was angry with the way Spurs pursued former Sevilla manager Juande Ramos. Photograph: Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images
The Sevilla president, José María del Nido, has accused the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy of being “hypocrisy personified” over their complaints against Liverpool and Manchester United for what the London club perceive to have been a public [...]

Roque Santa Cruz: it’s a tough life. Photograph: P Noble/Reuters
Who would want to be Roque Santa Cruz? One minute you’re being whisked away from the Allianz Arena by one of Blighty’s most esteemed managers and shunted into the Blackburn Rovers attack, where you reap maximum benefit from the wing wizardry of Morten Gamst Pedersen and [...]

Carlos Tevez is to make his loan move to Manchester United a permanent deal. Photograph: Gallo/Getty Images
Manchester United have agreed in principle to pay a British record 32m to complete the permanent signing of Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian forward is currently halfway through a two-year loan agreement at Old Trafford having left West Ham last [...]

Des O’Connor waves goodbye to Countdown. Photograph: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
The Mill is more than happy to take any rumours going on a day when Salomon Kalou’s assertion that Chelsea will score some goals next season demands a double page spread in two of the tabloids. So, it is with joy in our heart that we [...]

The new Liverpool capture David N’Gog, who signed from Paris Saint Germain. Photograph Barry Coombs/PA
Liverpool have made their sixth signing of the summer with the capture of the French striker David N’Gog from Paris St Germain. The 19-year-old has signed a four-year deal at Anfield and follows Philipp Degen, Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavalieri, Vincent Weijl [...]

New West Ham signing Valon Behrami has won 15 caps for Switzerland. Photograph: Ruben Sprich/Reuters
West Ham United have signed the Swiss international utility player Valon Behrami from Lazio for £5m. Behrami, who can play at right-back or across midfield, has agreed a five-year contract. He joined Lazio in 2005 and made 69 appearances for the [...]

Amr Zaki has score 27 goals in 48 games for Egypt. Photogtaph: Finbarr O’Reilly/Reuters
Wigan have finally concluded the loan signing of Egypt striker Amr Zaki, currently ranked by Fifa as the best striker in the world. Though the 25-year-old completed a medical last week, his transfer remained in doubt until Wigan officials flew to Egypt [...]

Sir Alex Ferguson with one of the many trophies that he’s won with Manchester United. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
Lord Coe wants Sir Alex Ferguson to lead a British football team at the London Olympics in 2012. Although the idea of a British team is unpopular with the FAs of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Coe has [...]