Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Soccer ban on visiting fans lifted in Argentina

Thousands of soccer fans in Argentina will be able to support their teams at away matches for the first time in four years after the Argentine Football Association lifted a ban on visitors in the lower leagues.

The ban was put in place in July 2007 amid rising violence inside and outside stadiums that culminated in a fan's death after a promotion playoff between Nueva Chicago and Tigre.

The ban will be lifted this weekend, and did not apply to clubs in the country's top Primera Division. 

The AFA was under pressure to scrap the ban after top club River Plate's surprise relegation last season.

In June, River was relegated to the second division for the first time in its 110-year history, a blow to a club that has won 33 titles in the top flight - 10 more than anyone else.

At River's first away match in the lower tier, home club Independiente Rivadavia sold around 15,000 tickets to visiting fans in defiance of the ban.

Faced by the practical difficulties of keeping River fans from attending away matches, the AFA decided to lift the ban for all clubs in the four divisions beneath the top flight on Tuesday.

"The return of fans to pitches is good news," AFA president Julio Grondona said.

Monday, August 22, 2011

UCLA football assistant coaches get a pay cut

Pool of money for salaries has dropped from $1.8 million to $1.645 million since Rick Neuheisel become coach.

Salaries for UCLA football assistant coaches have dropped since Rick Neuheisel was hired as a coach.



Bruins coaches will receive a total of $1.685 million in base pay this season, according to information obtained by the times through a public records demand. After Neuheisel was hired in 2008, Athletic Director Dan Guerrero improved the pool of money for assistant coaches from $1.625 million to $1.8 million.

The Coordinators Mike Johnson and Joe Tresey will be paid $250,000. The low end is shifty line coach Inoke Breckterfield, who will receive $110,000.

The junior coach pay does not include the $500,000 takeover paid to offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who was fired in January and hired by Utah.


Quarterback roulette

Quarterback Kevin Prince was a near shoo in to win the job a third successive season and has been exclusively with the first team since guidance camp began, but concerns about his passing game efficiency have narrowed the gap between him and Richard Brehaut.

Both are continue to make mistakes that frazzle Neuheisel.

Cornerback concerns

Tresey is confident that cornerback Aaron Hester will be able to get well from a hamstring injury suffered in Saturday's scrimmage before the Bruins play Houston.

Still, it exposes a depth issue at that position. Jamie Graham is out at smallest amount a month after knee surgery. Anthony Jefferson is out awaiting at least October after back surgery.

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