Barton slapped with 12 match ban - Football
Published: 23 May 2012 - 19:46:54
QPR's volatile captain Joey Barton received a 12 match ban from the Football Association on Wednesday after being found guilty by an Independent Commission of two counts of violent conduct.
The 29-year-old - who has been in trouble on several occasions throughout his career both on and off the pitch - had eight matches added to the four game suspension he had picked up already for being sent off in the final game of the season against champions Manchester City.
He was also fined £75,000.
Barton, who also faces an internal enquiry by QPR into his behaviour, was shown a red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez and then kicked Sergio Aguero before appearing to attempt to headbutt opposing captain Vincent Kompany.
"There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe," said the Commission chairman Maurice Armstrong.
The FA relased a statement saying that while Barton - who appeared personally with a barrister - had pleaded not guilty to the second charge the Commission had not found in his favour.
"This eight-match suspension is to run consecutively to the four-game suspension Barton was already given for his dismissal in the fixture, making a total of 12 matches," read the statement.
"Barton was charged by The FA with two counts of violent conduct in relation to the Queens Park Rangers game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 13 May 2012.
"Following Barton's dismissal in the 54th minute of the match, there followed two incidents involving Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.
"As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee.
"Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Aguero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent Regulatory Commission, however, found this second charge proved."
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Media360: Virgin Media marketing chief on David Tennant signing - Marketing
"We knew he'd be good but we didn't know quite how good," Gilbert said of the former 'Doctor Who' actor, who has appeared in three ads for the brand since the end of March.
"Millward Brown tell us it's the most successful use of a personality that they've seen."
Gilbert was speaking at Haymarket's Media360 event on Friday (18 May), where he was asked whether the brand had lined Tennant up to appeal more to women.
"We didn’t specifically choose [him] because of women, but we wanted someone who was really engaging and who wasn’t commonly used in advertising," he said.
"He's only ever done ads once before and that was 10-years ago before he became famous.
"It was an opportunity to choose someone who has quite broad appeal but who was able to deliver and be believable in delivering these kinds of stories."
Despite Gilbert's approval, the ads have not been entirely problem-free. One had to be pulled after BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, complained that featuring Tennant, a 'Doctor Who' programme logo and Virgin founder Branson using a time machine, implied that the long-running BBC sci-fi series was endorsing TiVo.
Gilbert also indicated he was very happy with the brand's first sponsorship of 'Britain's Got Talent' with production companies Syco and Fremantle Media and broadcaster ITV.
The cross-platform sponsorship included broadcast sponsorship of all 'Britain’s Got Talent' programming, online sponsorship, mobile and off-air licensing opportunities as well as sponsorship of 'America's Got Talent'.
"It has been a really good experience and we’ll probably do some more of that," he said.
Gilbert credited the sponsorship with helping create internal advocacy for the brand, explaining that Virgin Media invited a large number of staff and customers to get heavily involved.
"We put them in the idents," he said. "Some of those idents with people showing credits are actually customers, some are staff and one or two of them are famous people."
There are further plans to involve Virgin Media staff with the brand via an internal communications programme, Gilbert revealed.
"We are beginning to do a roadshow around sharing the work that we've been doing. We have a programme that will be kicking off either later this year or next year."
Villas-Boas craves longevity - Football
Published: 23 May 2012 - 17:47:07
Andre Villas-Boas, one of the favourites for the vacant Liverpool job, is looking for a club with a "strong technical plan" which has longevity, according to his agent.
The Portuguese is the front runner to replace Kenny Dalglish but has also been linked with Italian club Roma, whose manager Luis Enrique left the club a week ago after a disappointing eighth-placed finish. Villas-Boas himself was dismissed at Chelsea just eight months after signing a three-year contract as Europe's hottest managerial property.
The 34-year-old thought the move to Stamford Bridge would be the start of a long-term project but after being unceremoniously dumped by owner Roman Abramovich, he wants a new chance to re-establish his credentials. His agent Carlos Goncalves told romagiallorossa.com: "What we are looking for is a strong technical plan, that is solid and durable."
He added: "Villas-Boas would like to return to coaching in these conditions, but if these conditions are not available, we would have no problems not working.
"I won't confirm or deny contacts with specific clubs. What we are interested in is a technical project, its outlook and a situation that has longevity.
"Liverpool? Again, we look for a club which is very strong and competitive.
"We will see if there are conditions that will attract us with any club."
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was one of the first contenders to be revealed and while the Latics boss has now gone on a Caribbean holiday it is thought he is preparing for a meeting with Liverpool's principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner in the coming days.
Reports have linked Louis van Gaal with the sporting director's role at Liverpool after an internal restructuring at the club by Fenway Sports Group divided up the responsibilities previously held by director of football Damien Comolli.
However, suggestions in Holland are that the 60-year-old former Ajax and Holland coach, who has been out of work since he was sacked by Bayern Munich 13 months ago, would prefer the manager's job.
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Utah student to make historic 3rd appearance at National Geography Bee - ksl.com
Cheng, a 13-year-old from Sandy, is the first student to make the Top 10 three times. He will compete Thursday in the final round of the competition for a shot at a $25,000 scholarship, a trip to the Galapagos Islands and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.
He finished in sixth place in 2010 and fifth place in 2011. This year's competition is Cheng's last shot at the top prize and he said he's feeling confident despite some close calls at his preliminary competitions.
"I've been through a lot of tie-breakers," he said. "A couple of guys started calling me 'Tie-Breaker Man.'"
Cheng said success in the geography bee is a combination of study, hard work and a lot of luck. He said he frequently has to use deductive logic to make educated guesses on questions he's unsure about.
"I'm not nervous," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and do my best."
The final round of the 2012 National Geographic Bee will be held Thursday in Washington, D.C., and moderated by "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek. It will be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.
Email:benwood@ksl.com
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