Kirkland attacker sentence too lenient: Leeds

Updated October 23, 2012 08:42:42

English Championship side Leeds United has criticised a 16-week jail term handed out to one of its own fans for attacking former England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland during a match as too lenient.

Aaron Cawley, 21, from Cheltenham, pleaded guilty at Sheffield Magistrates' Court late on Monday (AEDT) to assault and invading the pitch during the game against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday morning.

Wednesday keeper Kirkland was pushed in the face by Cawley and shoved to the ground moments after conceding an equaliser in the 76th minute.

After treatment he was able to continue for the remainder of the game which ended 1-1.

"While we are pleased to see justice brought so quickly, our one disappointment is that we feel the sentence could, and should, have been considerably longer," Leeds said in a statement on their website.

Cawley was given a five-year football banning order by the court and Leeds said he would be banned for life from attending games at their Elland Road stadium.

Reuters

Tags: sport, soccer, united-kingdom

First posted October 23, 2012 08:42:42

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Adelaide secures Portuguese attacker

Updated August 27, 2012 16:56:54

Adelaide United has signed its final player for the A-League season with Portuguese forward Fabio Ferreira joining the Reds on a one-year deal.

The 23-year-old was part of Chelsea's youth program before his career stagnated in the Portuguese second division.

He has been trialing for several weeks with the club after originally moving to New South Wales to get his career back on track.

"Fabio has got a really good pedigree - you don't get signed to Chelsea for four years by Jose Mourinho unless you've got something about you," Adelaide coach John Kosmina said in a statement.

"He offers us a real point of difference in that he's a natural wide player and we don't have a lot of natural width, so someone who can play as a natural winger and is a good dribbler with pace, they're hard to find these days."

Ferreira fills Adelaide's quota of foreign players.

"I came to Sydney to try and get my career on track again at a high level and now I've got my chance at Adelaide, I'll try to do my best," he said.

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted August 27, 2012 16:56:54

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