Third party allowed in Coolen legal fight

By court reporter Loukas Founten

Updated December 13, 2012 08:56:54

A court has let Adelaide United bring a third party into its contract dispute with former soccer coach Rini Coolen.

Coolen is suing the club for unpaid salary and benefits after being demoted less than halfway through his four-year contract.

The Reds mounted a counterclaim against the Dutchman, his agent John Grimaud and Mr Grimaud's sports management business.

Mr Grimaud's lawyers were refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision.

The District Court heard a judge had now been appointed and it would proceed as planned next month.

Tags: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, a-league, soccer, sa, adelaide-5000

First posted December 13, 2012 08:56:54

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United and ex-coach in legal fight

By court reporter Loukas Founten

Updated July 10, 2012 07:55:08

Adelaide United has failed to resolve through out-of-court mediation a contract dispute involving its former coach Rini Coolen.

He left the soccer club last December, 18 months into a four-year contract, after being demoted to youth team coach.

Coolen launched proceedings in the District Court, claiming to be owed $370,000 for each season remaining on his contract, along with other benefits.

At a previous hearing, lawyers for United claimed under the contract the club was entitled to direct him into duties other than the head coaching role.

The parties were directed to try to resolve the matter through mediation but returned to court and reported the legal claim would proceed.

Adelaide United lawyers filed a cross action, claiming Coolen made misleading statements in his resume that would have made his contract void.

The matter returns to court in September.

Tags: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, soccer, adelaide-5000, sa

First posted July 10, 2012 07:55:08

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Glory show too much fight for Heart

Updated January 15, 2012 22:14:21

Perth Glory's 2-1 win over Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park on Sunday has guaranteed both clubs a week which will define their A-League seasons.

The Glory climbed to fifth place and left Heart in danger of a slide down the ladder with a win sealed by a rare second half mistake from Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton.

Unbeaten in their past four matches, the Glory test their red-hot patch of form against two other finals aspirants - Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory - in the next seven days.

The Heart remain third after the defeat, but host top-two sides Central Coast Mariners on Wednesday and Brisbane Roar on Saturday.

Heart midfielder Matt Thompson concedes what lies ahead is daunting considering they take on the Mariners following two successive losses, as teams below like the Glory and Phoenix are closing in.

"Form's a pretty important thing, but it's a new game, it's a new challenge for us," Thompson said.

"The last couple of weeks haven't been ideal - putting ourselves into a position where the teams below us have started to creep up.

"It would have been nice to get that buffer going into these next two games, but nothing changes. We prepare the same as we do week in, week out."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson believes his team is finally being rewarded for good football and does not think it has improved hugely despite becoming the competition's form side.

"I don't feel as though we've been playing bad football, I just didn't feel we've been getting the rub of the green, the little breaks. And this time I feel we are," Ferguson said.

Said break came when Bolton - excellent to that point - spilled a Mile Sterjovski cross right into McGarry's path on 68 minutes to hand Glory back a lead Heart had overcome just two minutes earlier.

Perth dominated the first half, deservedly led in the 16th minute through striker Shane Smeltz, and could have been four goals to the good by half-time.

But aside from the delightful Smeltz goal, created by the excellent Liam Miller beating a defender and supplying a beautifully weighted through ball, Glory were wasteful in the front of goal.

Two point-blank chances to Smeltz were stopped by Bolton and Aziz Behich on 35 minutes, while Travis Dodd slid a good opportunity across goal on 39 minutes.

Then the Heart were re-energised by some substitutions - Argentine midfielder Jonatan Germano adding spark in the engine room to a side clearly missing the influence of injured skipper Fred.

The Heart started to dominate and were rewarded in the 66th minute when Eli Babalj won a penalty after being brought down by Jacob Burns.

Glory keeper Danny Vukovic saved Matt Thompson's initial spot-kick, but quick-thinking Kristian Sarkies banged in the rebound to equalise.

Glory 2: (S Smeltz 16', S McGarry 69')

Heart 1: (K Sarkies 66')

AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 15, 2012 19:06:27

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Roar, Glory fight out draw

Updated January 05, 2012 00:24:44

Mile Sterjovski and Mitch Nichols each scored doubles, as the Glory and Brisbane Roar fought out a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw in Perth.

The Roar trailed 2-0 by the 24th minute after Travis Dodd opened the scoring in the 16th minute and Sterjovski doubled the lead through a 25-metre curling effort.

But a 22-metre thunderbolt from Nichols in the 41st minute sparked the Roar into life, with the visitors going into the break all square at 2-2 after Erik Paartalu's bouncing header on the stroke of half-time sneaked over the head of goal line defender Josh Risdon.

The Roar were on the back foot for much of the contest and the Glory were unlucky not to score at least two more goals early in the second half.

But to the shock of the 6,912 fans on hand, the Roar went ahead in the 69th minute when Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic made a hesitant charge off his line and Nichols made him pay the price after latching on to Partaalu's penetrating ball.

Enter Sterjovski, the former Socceroo who had been consigned to youth team duties at the start of the season.

Sterjovski won his team a penalty when Roar defender Ivan Franjic clattered into him clumsily and brought him down.

The Glory veteran then stepped up to the spot to put the finishing touch on his contribution.

And the Glory almost stole all three points right at the death, only for Dodd's injury-time header to sail just wide.

Sterjovski could have had three goals to his name, but his curling effort which bounced off the head of Mohamed Adnan clattered into the upright early in the second half.

The Glory were dealt a late blow when striker Billy Mehmet was forced off with what appeared to be a painful foot injury.

The result catapulted the Roar back into second on the table, above Melbourne Heart on goal difference, while the Glory slipped to ninth.

Perth Glory: 3 (T Dodd 16', M Sterjovski 24', 80' (pen))

Brisbane Roar: 3 (M Nicholls 41', 69', E Paartalu 45')

AAP

Tags: sport, a-league, soccer, perth-6000, brisbane-4000

First posted January 05, 2012 00:24:44

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Zamora sinks Arsenal as Fulham fight back

Updated January 03, 2012 08:50:40

Bobby Zamora struck an injury-time winner as Fulham stunned 10-man Arsenal 2-1 to derail the Gunners' recent Premier League resurgence on Tuesday morning.

Zamora swept home the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time at Craven Cottage after Steve Sidwell had struck an 85th-minute equaliser to cancel out Laurent Koscielny's 21st minute opener.

Arsenal paid the price for failing to capitalise on a dominant first half when it carved out a series of clear chances only to be denied by some superb keeping from David Stockdale.

Fulham's grandstand finish came after Johan Djourou was sent off for a second bookable offence 12 minutes from time, a red card which encouraged the Cottagers to swarm forward in pursuit of an equaliser.

Furious Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger blamed his team's profligacy and refereeing decisions for the defeat.

"We missed many chances and had some bad decisions from the referee today. The two together made the difference," Wenger said, decrying Djourou's dismissal as a "joke."

"I felt the referee got it all wrong," he said. "It's very difficult to swallow because I don't think we deserved to lose today."

The defeat was only Arsenal's second reverse in 13 games and saw Wenger's men drop down to fifth after Chelsea scored a dramatic late win at Wolves, Frank Lampard striking an 89th-minute winner in a 2-1 win.

A feisty encounter saw Chelsea take the lead through Ramires on 54 minutes, and Chelsea's players celebrated by racing over to embrace under-fire boss Andre Villas-Boas in a show of support for the Portuguese manager.

However Wolves looked to have grabbed a share of the points when Stephen Ward struck six minutes from time only for Lampard to rescue Chelsea at the death.

"It's a massive win. Everyone knows we are having a tough time but the determination shone through and I think we deserved it," Lampard said.

"The character showed as we battled through to the end and that is what the players are all about."

Villas-Boas meanwhile refused to single out Lampard for praise.

"The players were magnificent today, no matter who scores," Villas-Boas said. "It's a good solid team win."

Elsewhere, Blackburn was brought down to earth following its away win over Manchester United at the weekend after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Stoke at Ewood Park, Peter Crouch scoring twice for the visitors.

Blackburn looked to have got off to a dream start only for Christopher Samba's early effort to be ruled offside.

Stoke then went ahead with Crouch netting his 100th league goal from close range after Blackburn failed to deal with Dean Whitehead's chip forward.

Crouch then doubled Stoke's lead with his second of the match on 45 minutes to leave Rovers staring at their eighth home defeat of the season.

David Goodwillie scrambled one back in the 69th minute to give Rovers hope but the home side was unable to find an equaliser.

Aston Villa's feelgood factor from its win at Chelsea was also shattered, with newly promoted Swansea scoring a 2-0 win at Villa Park.

Swansea went ahead after only four minutes, Nathan Dyer punishing some slack defending from Stephen Warnock to dart forward and finish past Brad Guzan.

Former Villa old boy Wayne Routledge then doubled Swansea's lead two minutes after the restart, punishing a poor clearance from Guzan after Danny Graham's shot crashed back off the post.

QPR captain Joey Barton was hero and villain at Loftus Road as Rangers crashed to a 2-1 loss to Norwich, a defeat that edged Neil Warnock's side ever closer to the relegation zone.

Barton shot Rangers ahead on 11 minutes, drilling in a low finish from Clint Hill's cross.

But Barton's joy turned to despair on 36 minutes, when the midfielder was sent off for an apparent head butt in a confontation with Bradley Johnson.

It got worse for Rangers moments later, Anthony Pilkington netting his fifth goal of the season to level it for Norwich.

The knockout blow from Norwich came seven minutes from time, substitute Steve Morison grabbing the winner to end a desperate rearguard action from Rangers.

Barton later accused match officials of being "conned" into sending him off.

"Well feel for the officials, they've been conned. Admitted to me at HT they never saw it. I was pulled back 1st, then kicked 2nd!," Barton wrote on Twitter shortly after the final whistle.

AFP

Tags: english-premier, soccer, sport, england

First posted January 03, 2012 08:08:39

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Terry to fight criminal racism charge

Updated December 22, 2011 11:59:58

England and Chelsea captain John Terry has vowed to prove his innocence after prosecutors said he would face criminal charges over allegations he racially abused QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

Terry was ordered to appear in a magistrates court on February 1 over the incident during a Premier League match in October.

Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, said on Wednesday: "After careful consideration of all the evidence, I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case.

"He is now summonsed with a criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that nothing should be reported which could prejudice his trial."

Terry, reacting to the charge, said in a statement: "I am disappointed with the decision to charge me and hope to be given the chance to clear my name as quickly as possible.

"I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my friends," added the 31-year-old, who has spent his entire professional career with Chelsea.

"I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence. I have campaigned against racism and believe there is no place for it in society."

If found guilty, the maximum punishment the courts can impose for this offence is a fine of $3,900.

But the implications of a guilty verdict would be far more severe for Terry who, in that event, would almost certainly lose the England captaincy and could even spell the end of his international career.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) move regarding Terry came a day after the Football Association handed Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight game-ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a match in October.

Now the FA must decide whether to put its disciplinary process on hold while Terry's case goes through the courts.

And having taken such a strong stand in Suarez's case - which is not subject to court action - the way they deal with Terry will come under intense scrutiny, particularly in the run-up to next year's European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine.

Chelsea has been steadfast in support of Terry and in a statement the club said: "John has made it clear he denies the charge and is determined to do all he can to prove his innocence.

"Chelsea FC has always been fully supportive of John in this matter and will continue to be so.

"The club finds all forms of discrimination abhorrent and we are proud of the work we undertake campaigning on this important issue."

The decision to press charges came a day before Chelsea, fourth in the table, travel to third-placed Tottenham for a highly anticipated London derby in which Terry is expected to play.

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy before the 2010 World Cup finals over an alleged affair with an ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge, but the central defender was later reinstated as captain.

AFP

Tags: soccer, sport, english-premier, england, united-kingdom

First posted December 22, 2011 06:49:11

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