English Football News

featuring regular match previews predictions and match reports on the leading footy games in the the FA Cup Competition.. Additional information includes with club news about the personalities – players mangers owners injuries transfer s and editorial comment.

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Cahill is latest Victim

June 4th 2012: Gary Cahill is the latest in a  long line of England players to lose his place in the  Euro 2012 squad through injury. The Chelsea defender broke his jaw during the Three Lions Friendly win over Belgium at Wembley on Saturday. Liverpool’s Martin Kelly who has just 1 International cap under his belt replaces Cahill. This seems a rather odd decision with both Manchester City’s Micah Richards and veteran centre half Rio Ferdinand available for selection.

Another Lion Bites The Dust

                                            June 1st 2012: Frank Lampard is the latest England casualty of Euro 2012. The 33 year-old Chelsea midfielder was the squads most experienced player with 90 caps under his belt, but has now suffered a thigh injury meaning he will be unable to participate in Ukraine and Poland. Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson is set to replace Lampard, but It makes you wonder how much attention Roy Hodgson has been paying to the 17 million pound midfielder who had a largely frustrating debut season at Anfield. The loss of Lampard’s leadership and goalscoring ability is a major blow which dents any realistic chances that the Three Lions had of claiming their first major trophy in 46 years.

FA Cup Final Review

May 7th 2012: Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley to claim their 4th FA cup win at the new Wembley. Liverpool stared rather slowly and the west Londoners capitalised on that when in form Brazilian Ramires gave the Blues a deserved lead. the Overrated Pepe Reina should have done better with Ramire’s low drive. Chelsea went 2-0 ahead early in the second half when veteran striker Didier Drogba made history by scoring in four FA cup finals. The game looked over but the introduction of 35 million pound  Liverpool striker Andy Carroll proved to be an inspired substitution. The giant Carroll made life difficult for Chelsea’s back line with his aerial prowess and sheer determination.

Carrol gave Liverpool hope of another famous comeback when his powerful strike found the back of Petr Cech’s net on 62 minutes. There was half an hour left on the clock and you got the feeling that a revitalised reds could grab the goal which would take the contest to extra time. Carroll Jumped and headed in a shot which he thought had crossed the line. The header was superbly shut out by Petr Cech but the decision to rule the goal out was one of the most controversial in FA Cup history. Replays were inconclusive which adds further weight to the argument that the game cannot continue to be fair without goal line technology.

Chelsea did a good job of closing the game out and their Cup final experience came in very useful. It was Chelsea’s 7th FA cup triumph overall and Wembley has become like a second home for them since its opening 5 years ago. Liverpool will end the season with only the Carling Cup and a disappointing mid table finish but manager Kenny Dalglish will be left wondering what may have happened if they could have showed the kind of courage and class they did in the first half as they did in the second.  

FA Cup Final Preview

April 27th 2012: Liverpool take on Chelsea in the 141st FA Cup final. Both have experienced turbulent League campaigns with cup competitions proving to be a welcome distraction. The Londoners have dominated this historic competition in recent times with 3 FA Cup wins in the past 5 years. Liverpool’s last triumph came in the last ever Cardiff final. A dramatic penalty shoot out victory over West Ham in 2006. Liverpool have already claimed the Carling Cup earlier this year and seem to have the Midas touch in the domestic cup competitions this season. Chelsea have a Champions League final date with Bayern Munich on May 19th and one whethers or not they will be distracted by that.

The reds will look to their controversial Uruguayan talisman Luis Suarez for inspiration as well as captain marvel Steven Gerrard. Chelsea have veteran powerhouse Didier Drogba leading their attack and beloved skipper John Terry in the heart of defence. When I look at both potential sides on paper i feel Chelsea have the edge but Liverpool have had to eliminate Champions Manchester United on the way to Wembley and have no reason to  fear Roberto Di Matteo’s troops. I can honestly see this eagerly anticipated contest being decided by the lottery of penalty kicks. I expect a dramatic climax and the there’s only one winner in my mind and that’s Liverpool who have a fantastic record in penalty shoot out’s. Howemost Prediction is Liverpool to win on penalties.

April 16th 2012: Chelsea thrashed London rivals Spurs 5-1 to reach their 4th cup final in 5 years. The Blues took the lead through a vintage piece of action from the powerful veteran Didier Drogba. the West Londoners went 2-0 up with a controversial goal which looked like it may not have crossed the goal line, but a replay i’ve seen today convinces me that it did. Juan Mata scored that second but Tottenham fought back quickly when Emmauelle Adebayor ran through and squared for Welshman Gareth Bale to put Spurs back in the contest. Unfortunately though Spurs couldn’t build from that and began to capitulate. Mata was the architect as he supplied goals fro Ramires and Substitute Florent Malouda. Frank Lampard scored the other with a trademark free-kick from 30 yards. Chelsea’ will now meet Liverpool in the final on May 5th and Spurs’s tremendous season looks to have fallen apart right at the wrong time. stars such as Luka Modric and Rafael Van Der Vaart who were being hailed as World class a few months ago seem to have gone missing at a pivotal time in the campaign.

Liverpool beat Merseyside neighbours Everton 2–1 to reach their second cup final of the season. The Toffees started with a much higher tempo and deservedly went ahead after a defensive mix up allowed Nikica Jelavic to ghost through and put the Blues in to a 1-0 lead. Liverpool came out a completely different side in the second half. Uruguayan Talisman Luis Suarez capitalised on some abysmal defending by Sylvain Distin and surged through to level the match. After that there was only one team in this contest and Liverpool got their just desserts when a Craig Bellamy Free-kick was headed in by a rejuvenated Andy Carrol with just 4 minutes left on the clock. The reds seem to have the Indian sign over their city rivals and thier victory means despite an awful league campaign they could secure a famous cup double with if they overcome Chelsea at Wembley on May 5th.  

Crouch hopes for England return

March 26th 2012: Peter Crouch is hoping his wonder goal against Manchester City will boost his chances of making this summer’s Euro 2012 squad. The 6ft 7 inch striker has a tremendous ratio for England with 22 goals in just 42 caps. With star striker Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games in the Ukraine and Poland, The Three Lions are desperately short of striking options. In the last friendly game interim boss Stuart Pearce turned to Frazier Campbell and Danny Welbeck but neither have the experience or presence that Crouch possesses and I believe the 31 year-old should be on that plane when the squad jet off in June. Whoever the manager may be in the summer they need to think outside the box and forgotten striker Crouch can give defenders a torrid time with his phenomenal height and teriffic technique.

Crouch said: ”I knew right from the start when I signed for Stoke that if i played well and scoring goals  I would have a chance of being involved in the England set up. There is a huge competition in the summer. I have been fortunate enough to play in two World Cups and have 42 caps for my country.

”I know if I work hard and play well I’ll get a chance and hopefully grab it with both hands.”

FA Cup Quarter Final Review

March 19th 2012: Chelsea beat Leicester City 5-2 to advance to the final four. Misfiring Spaniard Fernando Torres finally returned to form with two assists and two goals. The Foxes Jermaine Beckford ended his FA cup campaign as the competitions leading scorer with his consolation goal. That was Chelsea’s 4th consecutive win under new boss Roberto Di Matteo and they have now emerged as favourites to win their 4th FA cup in just five years.

Liverpool beat Stoke City 2-1 at Anfield to reach the semi-finals. Liverpool were the better team throughout and went deservedly ahead on 20 minutes with a long range strike from the controversial Luis Suarez. The Potters took just a couple of minutes to strike back though and equalised with a header from ex Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. Stoke contained Liverpool without offering any creative threat of their own. The reds won the match after an unintended one two between captain Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing resulted in the winger firing in just the second goal of his Liverpool career. The Merseysiders now have a Wembley date with either Sunderland or city neighbours Everton and who would bet against them securing a domestic cup double?

Sunderland and Everton drew 1-1 at Goodison Park. The Black Cats went ahead with a fine long range drive from defender Phil Bardsley. The Toffees recovered well though and levelled with an untidy header from Austrailian Tim Cahill. Everton dominated the second half and were unlucky not to emerge victorious after seeing two legitimate penalty claims bizarrely turned down by the inept official. The two of them will replay the tie in 9 days time with the winners facing Liverpool in the last four.

Tottenham played Bolton at White Hart Lane and the score was 1-1 until tragedy struck and the game was abandoned. Darren Pratley gave the Trotters a shock lead but Owen Coyle’s men were pegged back with an equaliser from Spurs defender Kyle Walker just four minutes later. The game had to be stopped on 34 minutes when Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed to the ground unchallenged. Both clubs medical teams acted swiftly to keep Muamba alive but he remains in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest. Muamba is  in the intensive care unit of the London Chest Hospital and our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family at this extremely difficult time.

FA Cup Semi-Final Draw:

Liverpool vs Everton/Sunderland

Tottenham/Bolton vs Chelsea

Games to be played at Wembley on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of April.

FA Cup Quarter Final Preview

March 15th 2012: Liverpool host Stoke City at Anfield. The Carling Cup winners should be jubilant after their comprehensive win in the Merseyside derby against Everton. The Potters have reached the quarter final stage for the second year in a row and after the heartache of losing last year’s final they will be desperate to reach the last four for another Wembley appearance. Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard stole the show against Everton with his hat-trick and he could prove to be the match winner for the reds again this Sunday. Stoke drew 0-0 with Liverpool at Anfield in the league largely due to some very negative tactics and I’m sure Tony Pulis wouldn’t mind the same scoreline meaning they could take them back to the Britannia where they have a terrific record against the Merseysiders. Ex Liverpool striker Peter Crouch now wears Stoke Colours and I’m sure the giant striker will be eager to get one over on his old employers.  I expect Stoke to approach this game negatively and that should be their downfall as Liverpool cruise to another comfortable triumph. howemost Prediction Liverpool 4-1 Stoke City.

Tottenham host struggling Bolton at White Hart Lane. Spurs have been in an awful run of league form with three consecutive defeats and in contrast Bolton’s last gasp win against relegation rivals QPR saw them climb out of the bottom three last weekend. Spurs have had a tough run of fixtures but I don’t think boss Harry Redknapp will be quaking in his boots too much when the Trotters arrive on Saturday tea time. Spurs haven’t won this trophy since 1991 but with three of the top four having been knocked out already they will see this as a fantastic opportunity to end the long wait.  On Loan Japanese winger, the impressive Ryo Miyaichi will be keen to knock Spurs out as his parent club are Tottenham’s bitter adversaries Arsenal. Spurs should have too much in their armoury for a Bolton side which struggle to defend and with Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael Van Der Vaart I expect the White Hart Lane faithful to roar Spurs to an easy victory. HoweMost Prediction Spurs 5-1 Bolton.

                                                                                A revitalised Chelsea host Championship opposition Leicester City. The Blues will be in buoyant mood after their great escape against Napoli which meant they have reached the last 8 of the Champions League once again. Leicester are fresh off a win in midweek and with the riches at their disposal have assembled a very capable Championship squad. Chelsea have had a love affair with this tournament in recent years having won it 3 times since 2007. The Foxes have tasted Wembley glory before with three league cup victories but have never lifted this famous trophy. Didier Drogba and co seem a lot happier and motivated since the departure of Andre Villas-Boas and i think Nigel Pearson’s side will struggle to contain the Ivorian striker’s power. The East Midlands club have Jermaine Beckford up front who as well as having a terrific scoring record in this years competition also has been a thorn in Chelsea’s side before when he scored the winner against them as an Everton player last season. Chelsea will march on with Roberto Di Matteo’s 4th win on the bounce and a place in the semi-finals. Howemost Prediction Chelsea 3-1 Leicester City.

FA Cup 5th Round News

March 7th 2012: Chelsea beat Championship outfit Birmingham 2-0 at St Andrews to make the quarter finals of this years competition. The Blues endured a frustrating first half but came alive in the second with goals from man of the match Juan Mata and a long range drive from Raul Merieles. The 2010 winners are in the last 8 once again and this was the perfect way for new boss Roberto Di Matteo to begin his tenure.

Spurs defeated Stevenage 3-1 at White Hart Lane to secure their place in the last 8. Jermaine Defoe stole the show with his two goals which reinforced the view that he should be starting ahead of Louis Saha in attack. The League One side took a shock lead through a Byrom penalty in the 4th minute but Defoe’s brace along with an Emmanuelle Adebayor  spot-kick has put cup favourites Spurs into the quarter finals where they have a favourable home tie against struggling Bolton Wanderers.

FA To Wait Until appointing next England Manager

March 2nd 2012: FA General secretary Alex Horne has today said that the FA will wait until May to hire the next Three Lions boss. Horne said: ”We’ve got a list, Long, short there’s definitely a list. It’s a back end of the season decision for us We recognize that a lot of the managers on the list are employed and we don’t want to interrupt anyone’ season. We’re not rushing this.”

Spurs chief Harry Redknapp remains the hot favourite to succeed Fabio Capello and Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce has put his name forward for caretaker charge at Euro 2012 after taking temporary control for England’s friendly defeat to Holland on Wednesday night. Some argue that the delay of a decision to appoint the new England manager could be to the teams detriment but Horne says: ” We’ve got all of our operational plans in place. We can deliver a squad in to Poland so a late appointment is perfectly possible.”

FA Cup Weekend Review

Sunderland beat beleaguered Arsenal 2-0 at the Stadium Of Light. The Gunners were fairly bright in the first half but just lacked genuine quality in the final third. Another poor defensive mistake from error prone Johan Djourou was punished as Kieron Richardson struck  a shot which deflected in off Seb Squillaci to give the Black Cats a fortuitous half time lead. Arsenal got worse in the second half as midfielders Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and winger Gervinho offered absolutely nothing in a creative sense. The away side were caught cold in the second half when a counter attack lead by Stephane Sessegon resulted in an unfortunate own goal from Arsenal starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.  An abysmal display from Arsenal but a defiant and passionate one from Sunderland who will face Everton at Goodison Park in the last 8.

Liverpool destroyed Brighton 6-1 at Anfield to progress to the quarter finals. The reds went ahead after just a few minutes when Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel headed the ball in from a corner. The Seagulls refused to lay down and die though and fought back to level the scored with a wonderous 30 yard strike strike from Kazenga Lua Lua. Brighton were encouraged by their equalising goal and began to look dangerous when they pressed forward but Liverpool regained their lead on the brink of halftime after some fine footwork from Luis Suarez lead to an own goal from Brighton defender Liam Bridcutt. Liverpool ran riot in the second half as Andy Carroll began to look more like the 35 million pounds they paid for him. Stewart Downings fine cross was met with a fantastic first time strike from Carroll. On 71 minutes Bridcutt had the unfortunate distinction of scoring two own goals to make it 4-1 and game over. Some more good work from Suarez lead to a hat trick of own goals and this time it was Lewis Dunk who scored in the wrong end. On 85 minutes the rout was completed when The superb Carroll headed back to Suarez to get a deserved goal and make amends for his earlier penalty miss. Liverpool now face a Quarter final clash with Stoke City at Anfield.

Spurs drew 0-0 at league One Stevenage. The Hertfordshire side gave a tremendous showing of themselves against a strong Spurs side who currently sit third in the top flight. The bumpy pitch made it hard for both sides to play an effective, attacking brand of football. Spurs had a goal ruled out on 54 minutes when Scott Parker was judged to be offside after poking home Louis Saha’s effort on the line. Stevenage seemed a little cautious at the end and looked as if they’d rather hang on for a replay then take the risk of pushing for a winning goal and getting caught out on the counter attack. The truth is that neither side really deserved to win this derby match and the replay will be played at White Hart Lane in 10 days time. The winner of that replay will have a home tie with Premier League strugglers Bolton in the last 8.

Chelsea suffered another poor result with a 1-1 home draw against Championship Birmingham City.  Birmingham took a surprise lead on 20 minutes with a close range finish from David Murphy. Chelsea’s match winner Juan Mata had the opportunity to level the scores from the penalty spot but he squandered it as Brum keeper Colin Doyle saved his tame spot-kick. Birmigham went in to the interval with a merited 1-0 advantage and Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas made the right decision in bringing off multi-millionaire flop Fernando Torres at the break. Chelsea were much improved in the second half and it was the lively substitute Daniel Sturridge who got the equaliser for the home side on 62 minutes.  Chelsea pushed and probed for that crucial winning goal but Chris Hughton’s defence remained resolute and disciplined as they have all season. So this tie will also go to a replay in a week and a half time, an outcome which has heaped further pressure on Chelsea’s young,  under fire manager Villas-Boas. The victors of the replay at St.Andrews will have afavourable home tie against Leicster City in the quarter finals.

FA Cup Quarter Final Draw

Ties to be played on the 17th and 18th of March

Liverpool vs Stoke City

Tottenham/Stevenage vs Bolton

Chelsea/Birmingham vs Leicester City

Everton vs Sunderland

Leeds appoint Warnock

Leeds United have signed Neil Warnock as manager on a contract till the end of next season. The 63 year-old Yorkshire man  who was fired by Premier League side QPR in January replaces Simon Grayson at Elland Road who was unfairly sacked himself last month. Leeds Chairman Ken Bates said: ”We believe his appointment is arguably the most important that we’ve made.”

FA Cup Weekend Preview

Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield. Liverpool’s failure in the league has not seemed to haunt them in the cup competitions as they beat champions Man United in the previous round and have a Carling Cup final date to look forward to at the end of February. Gus Poyet’s Seagulls are having a great first season back in the Championship and will be seeking revenge against the reds after they knocked them out of the League Cup at the Annex Stadium earlier this season. Brighton will turn up relishing the occasion and with no fear whereas there is pressure on Liverpool’s shoulders to advance to the last 8. I anticipate that Craig Bellamy will start, the man who starred in Liverpool’s victory on the south coast earlier in the season and between him and the returning Luis Suarez, Liverpool should gain a comprehensive victory to ensure they’ll be in the hat for the quarter finals. Howemost Prediction Liverpool 3-0 Brighton.

Chelsea host Championship outfit Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. The 2009 and 2010 winners are struggling of recent and may succumb to their first finish outside the top four in over ten years. Birmingham are flying high under Chris Hughton and go in to this tie with absolutely nothing to lose. The home side will look to Spaniard Juan Mata for a lot of their invention and  skill but other s such as flop Fernando Torres and young English striker Daniel Sturridge need to step up to the plate as well. If Giant Serbian striker Nikola Zigic starts for Brum then he could cause the Londoners a whole hots of problems with his aerial prowess. I don’t envisage Chelsea running riot against a well organized Birmingham side but they should have enough quality in their ranks to secure the home victory that will take them in to the quarter finals. Howemost Prediction Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham City

Tottenham travel down the road to face Stevenage United of League one. Spurs are many peoples favourites to win their first FA Cup since 1991 and with a tie like this they are hot favourites to reach the last 8 at least. Stevenage are flying high in League one as they sit sixth after successive promotions. Spurs are likely to give the likes of Ledley King and Gareth Bale a rest for this game as they have some crucial Premier League games to come. Spurs now have a squad which is capable of competing on all fronts and even if players are given a break then men  the calibre of Jermaine Defoe and Aaron Lennon can slot in easily. Stevenage will fight tooth and nail in what is a local derby game but the class that Redkanpp’s troops have should prove to be too much for the valiant Hertfordshire side.  Howemost Prediction Stevenage 1-4 Spurs

Arsenal travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland. The Gunners will need to recover quickly from the beating they received at the hands of AC Milan in the Champions League. Sunderland were on a marvellous run until the Gunners pulled off a dramatic stoppage time win against them last weekend. The Black Cats will look to take advantage of Arsenal’s bruised bodies and shattered confidence as they will be fresh after a week without a game. The two main danger men for the Wearsiders will be last weekends goal scorer James Mclean on the wing and dynamic attacker Stephane Sessegnon. With Thierry Henry on his way back to New York, the Londoners will need skipper Van Persie to rediscover his goalscoring touch after two games without a goal. One boost for Arsene Wenger’s side is the return of Gervinho from African Nations duty. I expect a hard fought battle but in the end I think the Gunners will run out of legs after a demanding schedule of fixtures. Howemost Prediction Sunderland 3-1 Arsenal. 

Redknapp emerges as number one contender to replace Capello

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has become the hot favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as the new England manager. After being found not guilty of tax evasion on Wednesday he has become the people’s choice as next England chief. England fans have seen the success he has had at Tottenham Hotspur, turning them from a mid table side in to title hopefuls. The 64 year-old says he is ”Flattered” by the publics desire for him to become Three Lions boss but he does not want to take his eye off the ball in his job as Tottenham boss. The North London club  have a first League title in 51 years and an FA Cup to still fight for this season.

 Redknapp said :”If the opportunity comes and I do get asked then I’ll have to consider it, I’ll have to make a decision I feel is right for me. It is hard enough to manage a League club let alone your country, It’s two very difficult jobs I think your focus has to be on one job. It wouldn’t be fair to anywhere here[Tottenham] If i started to let my mind wander elsewhere.”

Capello Resigns As England Boss 

 Feb 8th Fabio Capello has resigned,  with immediate effect,  as the England manager Capello resigned after a meeting with FA chairman David Bernstein and general secretary Alex Horne at Wembley  The meeting was arranged after Capello critiicised the FA for suspebding John Terry as the captain of the English Team without consuklting Capello. Terry is awaiting trial on a charge of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand which he denies. Capello criticism was broadcast on Italian television.

In the broadcast on RA1 Capello said he did not believe someone should be punished by sporting authorities before a court had reached a verdict. “I thought it was right that Terry should keep the captain’s armband,” said the 65-year-old, who’s first game in charge was on 6 February 2008, against Switzerland. “I have spoken to the [FA] chairman and I have said that in my opinion one cannot be punished until it is official and the court – a non-sport court, a civil court – had made a decision to decide if John Terry has done what he is accused of.”

In A statement the FA said ”The Football Association can confirm that Fabio Capello has today resigned as England manager. - The discussions focused on the FA Board’s decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry, and Fabio Capello’s response through an Italian broadcast interview.The statement continued ” In a meeting for over an hour, Fabio’s resignation was accepted and he will leave the post of England manager with immediate effect - We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future.”

England Under-21 head coach Stuart Pearce will be in charge of the gland tean for  England’s friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley on 29 February.

The FA have stripped skipper John Terry of the England captaincy. Terry’s court date for his alleged racial abuse of QPR defender Anton Ferdinand has been put back to July 9th, 8 days after the Euro 2012 final and so the Board at the FA have deemed it necessary to take the captain’s armband off the Chelsea defender. FA Chairman David Bernstein is the man who rung the 31 year-old to give him the bad news and last time Terry was stripped of the arm band for another supposed misdemeanour, Three Lions boss Fabio Capello gave the skipping duties to Anton’s brother Rio Ferdinand. Rio has already expressed that he has no desire to regain the Captaincy and so one would think that two prime candidates for the position must be accomplished England midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. 

Liverpool Live Again

New Northern Ireland Manager

ErIksson Tips Wenger As Next England Manager

Former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson has tipped under fire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to be the next England manager. Current boss Fabio Capello’s contract runs out after Euro 2012 next summer and the Swede believes Wenger has the credentials to lead the three lions to glory. The general consensus is that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is the most likely candidate to succeed Capello but Eriksson says that if England can pluck Wenger from the Emirates Stadium then they will. I’m sure certain Gunners supporters would be happy to see him manage England just so they could get rid of the Stubborn Frenchman. His appointment does seem unlikely but I am not convinced that Redknapp will be the England chief this time next year either.

Hearts Mifielder Suspended After Being Convicted Of Indecent Behavuour

SPL club Hearts have suspended midfielder Craig Thomson with immediate effect. the 20 year-old Thomson was placed on the sex offenders register after being convicted of indecent behaviour towards two under age girls on the Internet. Club sponsors MacB Water withdrew their sponsorship after hearing the news of Thomson’s conviction and this lead to many fans calling for Thomson to be sacked or suspended by Hearts. Hearts will be criticized for not acting more swiftly and it has taken the withdrawal of sponsorship money to force them in to action.