By David Gold
December 25 – American star Abby Wambach has become the first footballer to win the Associated Press Athlete of the Year prize after her performances at the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany.
By Declan Warrington
December 24 – Chelsea have confirmed that they will not emulate Liverpool’s tribute to the forward Luis Suarez and will decline to wear T-shirts to support their captain, John Terry.
By David Gold
December 23 – Celtic manager Neil Lennon has revealed that Scott Brown, James Forrest and Adam Matthews have been lined up to play for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games and says he will not stand in their way if they are selected and want to go.
Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to de-list from the stock market deserves more than to be buried in the footnotes as one of those curious things football club directors indulge in.
Not only is it a reversal of a policy that Tottenham inaugurated more than 30 years ago, but it also highlights that modern English football clubs have just not worked out what is the right structure for them.
What a contrast to the continent where German,
By David Gold
December 23 – AS Monaco were given a timely boost when Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev acquired a controlling stake in the struggling Principality club.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 23 – Horace Burrell, the most high-profile Caribbean official sanctioned over the cash-for-votes scandal that led to the downfall of Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner, is to take up a prominent position in a revamped Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
By David Gold
December 22 – Guinness has signed a two-year extension to its sponsorship of Nigerian football and hopes that its support can help restore the fortunes of the national team.
Two prominent Premier League footballers, two cases of alleged racism, two dramatic verdicts. Season of goodwill? Not for all of us.
In the space of just 24 hours, the issue of racism between players on the field has plunged the English game back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – The Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, as expected, has decided to appeal against his eight-game ban for allegedly racially abusing the Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, according to the his lawyer.
By David Gold
December 22 – It may have been with a phone call rather than a handshake, but Auxerre midfielder Kamel Chafni and French assistant referee Johann Perruaux have done as FIFA President Sepp Blatter advised, and settled a race row between themselves after a league game.
By David Gold
December 21 – Uruguay’s National Sport Director Ernesto Irureta has vehemently defended Liverpool striker Luis Suarez after the forward was hit with an eight game ban after being found guilty of using language toward Manchester United defender Patrice Evra which the Football Association (FA) said was “insulting” and made reference to the Frenchman’s colour.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 21 – After weeks of mounting interest, England and Chelsea captain John Terry learned today that he is to face a criminal charge of using racist language during a Premier League game.
By David Gold
December 21 – Manchester United has launched a soccer school in Mumbai, India, after linking up with the Western India Football Association (WIFA).
By David Gold
December 21 – Japan is releasing a set of stamps to commemorate the country’s victory in the Women’s World Cup during the summer.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 21 – The ongoing global crackdown on match-fixing has now reached Australia where Sydney FC have denied any knowledge of wrongdoing after a Chinese referee confessed in court to accepting bribes, one of them involving the club, whilst another was to fix a friendly involving Manchester United.