BEST OF THE REST

From the Guardian:

Live Premiership football could be screened on terrestrial television for the first time in the 11-year history of the league, according to the tender document released yesterday for the rights to screen matches from 2004-7.

Three packages are on offer to any broadcaster: a "gold" package of 38 games, played on Sundays at 4pm; a "silver" package of 38 games to be played on Monday evenings; and a "bronze" of 62 Saturday matches at new kick-off times of 1pm and 5.15pm.

The winner of the first package will be able to cherry-pick the most attractive fixtures; the holder of the second deal will choose the next best 38 games; the rest of the matches will be available for the final rights-holder.

The deals and who will bid

Sunday package
38 matches, mostly Sundays at 4pm. The most attractive deal, and the one that Sky will go to all lengths to win.

Monday package
38 matches, mostly Mondays at 8pm. Sky may also go for this, but may decide to do a joint deal with a terrestrial broadcaster.

Saturday package
62 matches - Saturdays at 1pm and 5.15pm. This is the most likely target for BBC and ITV. Unlike the first two it is also available for pay-per-view broadcasters

From the Sun:

Lee Bowyer has opened negotiations about a possible out-of-court settlement with an Asian student he was cleared of assaulting.

Lawyers representing the former Leeds United star and Sarfaz Najeib, 23, met for the first time this week. It is understood both sides outlined the basis of a financial agreement.

But the solicitor acting for Bowyer in the civil action said the talks ended with both parties “very far apart”.

Any sort of deal would end a legal saga that has been running for three-and-a-half years.

Sarfraz and his brother Shahzad, 22, who have legal aid, are pursuing a claim after they were attacked in Leeds.

They sued Bowyer, 26, who has since joined Newcastle United, after he was cleared at Hull Crown Court of grievous bodily harm and affray.

From The Times:

To the casual passer-by, Tsukiji Elementary School in Tokyo does not look like a den of subterfuge.

At the approach of a journalist, mothers waiting outside scatter. Those who remain deny all knowledge of the visitor who will appear today. “Please don’t make us say anything about him,” pleads one of them. “We’re just mothers,” another says. “We’re not allowed to talk.”

The man they are talking about is not Japan’s emperor or a foreign head of state. He is David Beckham, who is coming to Tsukiji Elementary to kick a football around with their children. “We’ll get into trouble if we tell you about it,” another moans. “And our children might as well.”

SFX, the Beckhams’ management company, has imposed a veil of secrecy over everything connected with the trip. The couple’s schedule is top-secret and anyone due to meet them is forbidden from talking about it, including the terrified mothers.

The sternest rule of all is that no foreign journalists must be allowed into their press conferences. Yesterday, a spy from The Times managed to slip through security and the reason for the ban became obvious — sheer, red-faced embarrassment at the crassness and commercialism of the whole undertaking.

The occasion was a press conference for Tokyo Beauty Clinic (TBC), a chain of cosmetic salons that feature the Beckhams in their advertisements [and who were responsible for the Jap invasion at Southampton].

Hearing the couple talk about it, you might have thought that TBC were old family friends whom David and Victoria were helping out as a favour. “We had some good times,” Victoria said nostalgically. “We really believe in the products and we just had a lot of fun.” “We look forward in the future to working with TBC,” David affirmed.

A hand-out, signed by Mrs Beckham, explained the history of this astonishing unguent to which Victoria has lent not only her name but her skills as a research scientist.

“Through my own experience,” she wrote, “I have great belief in the power of various plants. Using the advanced technology at TBC laboratories, we were able to draw out the deepest beauty-enhancing qualities of these plants . . . girls be glamorous!”

More baffling still was an inspirational message jointly signed by the duo. “It was a refreshing experience for us to appeal (sic) in an advertisement for a Japanese company as the first time and, moreover, initiate in the same work together,” it read. “We have been strongly longing to visit Japan together.”