Ex-Leicester City footballer Joe Mattock, nightclub brawl. – Leicester Mercury
By LCFC | September 3, 2010
Ex-Leicester City footballer Joe Mattock, nightclub brawl. Leicester Mercury Ex-Leicester City footballer Joe Mattock has escaped custody after he floored two men and two women in a violent nightclub brawl ... and more » |
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Luke Varney’s amazing journey to the Premier League
By LCFC | September 3, 2010
Luke Varney has completed a fantastic footballing journey from the Leicestershire Senior League to the Premier League. And it is a journey which has taken him from the shop floor of a hosiery factory in the city to rubbing shoulders with the game's glitterati in the top-flight of the English game.
Not only that, but he marked his first start in the Premier League with a debut goal for Blackpool, the latest staging-post in a seven-year professional career which started at Crewe and has taken in Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby.
Varney earned man-of-the-match plaudits and Match of the Day coverage for his strike in the 2-2 draw with Fulham, just 24 hours after meeting his new team-mates for the first time.
Speaking to the Mercury from Blackpool's training camp in Latvia, he cast his mind back to his first tentative steps in the game.
"I'd worked at a cash and carry warehouse and then a hosiery place in Tudor Road and was happy playing for Birstall United," said Varney.
"Quorn were interested in signing me but it was a bit far for me because I didn't drive.
"But my girlfriend Carly, (now Mrs Varney) comes from there and said it was a nice club and that the chairman, Stuart Turner, was good.
"There were times when I was struggling because I worked shifts and Stuart used to pick me up. I've always had his support."
Turner was at Bloomfield Road last weekend as he travelled with his son, Iain, to be Varney's guests at the game.
Turner said: "It was a very proud moment and the fact he scored topped it all off.
"The great thing about Luke is that he's a proper person, he's no big-time Charlie and has worked hard for his breaks."
That's true. He's a dyed-in-the-wool Leicester lad.
When he was asked by the Mercury, if he had been to Latvia before, he replied: "No, and I won't be coming back!
He added: "I think it's important to keep level-headed. Last weekend was the greatest because I didn't even think I would be starting and end up scoring on my debut.
"But then it's a case of getting back to reality because the game does have its ups and downs."
And it's fair to say, Varney has experienced one or two.
He had four years at Crewe and, in his final season, 2006-07, scored 25 goals, including the one which took a League Cup tie with Manchester United into extra-time.
There was interest that summer from Middlesbrough but Varney moved to Charlton, scoring on his debut against his hometown club, but the move to the Addicks, newly dumped into the Championship after a spell in the top flight, never really worked out.
Varney said: "It was a weird period in the club's history and they ended up in League One."
Varney scored 10 goals in 57 appearances and reflected: "That was okay but I wanted to score more."
A loan move to Derby late in 2008 became permanent in 2009 and he said: "It was great to come home after living in London for a while. Carly has been great and given me so much support.
"She's right behind me and we are married now and hope to start a family."
But Varney has only started 12 games for the Pride Park club and had a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday which saw him score 11 goals.
"I had a great time there and the fans were superb. It was such a shame they were relegated," he said
There are suggestions that financial restraints are limiting Varney's chances at Derby as the Mercury understands that Charlton have a sell-on clause based on the number of appearances for Nigel Clough's side.
"I don't really want to go into that because I really want things to work out at Derby They are a big club and a have great fan base."
Inevitably, every time a transfer window opens and shuts, the possibility returns of Varney one day playing for his home-town club.
He said: "It's perhaps not going to happen now. Paulo Sousa is signing different players but you never know. It's always been my dream."
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DJ Campbell delighted about move to Blackpool
By LCFC | September 3, 2010
DJ Campbell has said he has wanted his move to Blackpool for a long time and is delighted it has finally been completed.
The striker ended his unhappy three-year spell with Leicester City when he moved to Bloomfield Road just before the transfer window closed on Tuesday in a deal believed to be worth just under £1.5 million.
Campbell had publicly said at the end of last season he wanted to join the Seasiders permanently after enjoying a successful loan spell with Ian Holloway's side last season.
But it looked as if a deal would not be done as City and Blackpool seemed miles apart in their valuation for the 28-year-old.
Holloway wanted the striker, who helped fire the Tangerines into the Premier League, and admitted he was one of his main summer transfer targets.
City wanted to recoup as much of the £1.6 million they paid Birmingham City for the Londoner in July, 2007, but Blackpool wanted Campbell, who scored 11 goals in 18 games for them last season, as cheaply as possible, and even proposed a free transfer, which was completely rejected.
As a result, it looked as though Campbell would have to see out the final year of his four year contract and new City boss Paulo Sousa said Campbell was happy to stay.
However, Campbell, who scored just five goals in 41 appearances for City, said a move to the north west was always his intention, and it is understood he made Sousa aware of his desire to leave.
"Being a permanent Blackpool player after all this time makes me feel hungry and as though I want to succeed and help the club stay up," he said.
"I've been wanting this for I don't know how long now and finally it has come true so I am delighted to be here.
"All the fans and all the players know I wanted to come back and I am just delighted that it has been made possible.
"I am delighted to be in the Premier League and it is a bonus to be in the Premier League with Blackpool."
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Sousa explains decision to leave out King
By LCFC | September 3, 2010
Leicester City boss Paulo Sousa believes he has been right to leave out midfielder Andy King for the last two games.
After starting the season brightly, King has surprisingly been named as a substitute for the Carling Cup tie at Leeds United and last Saturday's defeat to Reading.
King, who is away on international duty with Wales and will face Montenegro tonight in a European Championship qualifier, opened his account at Crystal Palace and scored his first international goal for Wales.
He has also had two strikes controversially disallowed for City against Middlesbrough and the Royals and looked in good form.
The 21-year-old, who scored 11 goals from midfield last season, has now vowed to win his place back in the City starting line-up.
However, Sousa said he stood by his decision, but stressed that all members of his squad had important roles to play.
"It was only a tactical decision (to leave King out against Reading) not a special reason," Sousa said.
"From what I saw I made the right decision. We started the game so well. We created a lot of chances and had two great chances to score. We were controlling the game.
"We made a mistake and conceded. Mentally after that we were a little bit down. But we reacted well and we have to show respect to the players who started because it is easy when we lose to look for scapegoats.
"Everyone is important for me but no-one is indispensable.
"I make my decisions on what I see in training. For me it is important to see players with a lot of commitment and after that I decide.
"Sometimes I make the best ones and sometimes they aren't good enough, but against Reading I felt I made good decisions in what I saw in the game because every time a player went into the game he made an impact.
"It is important for me to see strength on the bench. All the players are important in the squad and in my ideas, like Andy, to come off the bench and do everything he needs to do, tactically for me and for himself."
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Sousa expects total commitment from his City players
By LCFC | September 3, 2010
Paulo Sousa has said he will use the international break to fine tune his stuttering Leicester City squad.
The players returned to training yesterday after a short break and were put through their paces by manager Sousa and assistant Bruno Oliveira.
Sousa had given the players a few days off because of the international matches this weekend, but the break was to freshen his troops up mentally, rather than physically, after a difficult start to the season.
Sousa said he wanted to see total commitment on the training ground and confessed he will pick his starting 11 to face Coventry City next Saturday based on the players' performance in training, rather than in previous games.
New signing Martyn Waghorn joined his new team-mates during the session, and Japan international Yuki Abe is on his way to link up with his new club. Both will be in the frame to face the Sky Blues.
Sousa said he only considered players who were fully committed to the cause during training.
"I feel I know my best 11 but I will decide my starting line-up from what I see in the training sessions during the week," said Sousa, who has experimented with various line-ups and team systems.
"The first thing I like to see from my players is commitment, the second is commitment and the third is commitment. The other things, quality, technically and tactically, they are still learning what I want.
"But commitment is something I can't give. They need to have it and if they don't have then it is difficult to play with me.
"The players needed to rest, especially mentally. When they return they need to start with the same commitment I saw against Reading, and be focused on everything we need to do to correct things, both individually and collective, to become stronger.
"Hopefully, after they have spent some time with their families, we will continue with the same commitment and correct some mistakes.
"We also need the time to integrate new players into the squad.
"My position is always calm and positive. I believe we have only one way – to look forward.
"We need to keep working hard like we have because only then, with persistence, can we get results.
"I hope they can return after the break straight away with a good win (at Coventry). Then everything can be different."
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Leicester City sign Abe, Waghorn – Bangkok Post
By LCFC | September 2, 2010
Leicester City sign Abe, Waghorn Bangkok Post Championship side Leicester City have signed Japan international Yuki Abe and striker Martyn Waghorn for undisclosed fees, the club said yesterday. ... Signings not over for Leicester City boss Paulo SousaLeicester Mercury Leicester City fans will love the new signing of Japanese international Yuki AbeLeicester Mercury Leicester City have completed the signing of Japanese international Yuki Abe ...Sunderland Echo all 9 news articles » |
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Footballer threw punches in club
By LCFC | September 2, 2010
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Signings not over for Leicester City boss Paulo Sousa – Leicester Mercury
By LCFC | September 2, 2010
Signings not over for Leicester City boss Paulo Sousa Leicester Mercury Leicester City manager Paulo Sousa is targeting more additions to his squad when the loan window opens next week. ... and more » |
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