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SOCCER SHORTS

■ SCOTLAND

Things look grim for Gretna

Gretna’s future looked in doubt on Tuesday after the club resigned from the Scottish Football League (SFL). Heavy debts had forced the club into financial administration in March. Gretna shot from non-league soccer to the top flight between 2002 and last year and reached the 2006 Scottish Cup final. Gretna have been struggling to survive since owner Brooks Mileson fell ill in March and was forced to withdraw his financial support. The club was deducted 10 points while being forced to let players go and was relegated from the Scottish Premier League to Division One. Gretna were demoted to the third division by the SFL after the club could not guarantee it could complete another season in the first division.



■BULGARIA

Debts cost CSKA dear

Champions CSKA Sofia were refused permission to compete in next season’s Champions League by governing body UEFA on Tuesday because of unpaid debts. The decision provoked a violent reaction from CSKA fans, who booed and pelted club president Alexandre Tomov with plastic glasses and bottles during a press conference. “CSKA Sofia has not received its permit from UEFA to compete in European club competitions,” anounced Krassin Krastev, who works for the licensing committee of the Bulgarian soccer federation. While the club, who were due to compete in the Champions League third qualifying round, have appealed to UEFA to extend their deadline, Tomov having announced that the debts could be paid off by today, they had yet to get a response. They also risk being demoted to the Second Division according to the executive director of the national soccer federation Borislav Popov, who said that the club owed money to the Government and banks for the past three years and that wages and transfer fees had not been settled.



■ENGLAND

Villa promote kids’ charity

Aston Villa are forgoing a lucrative shirt sponsor to promote a children’s charity.The Premier League club has followed the lead of FC Barcelona’s free tie-up with UNICEF. Villa will publicize the work of Acorns children’s hospices in central England on its claret and blue jerseys after a multimillion dollar deal with an Internet gaming company expired. “Yes, the shirts have monetary value, but they also have emotional value to fans and this is something to give back to them,’’ said Duncan Riddle, the club’s head of community relations. Villa are the first Premier League club to shun a lucrative sponsorship deal. “Real credit must go to Aston Villa for being the first Premier League club to use their shirt sponsorship to highlight their charity partnership with Acorns,’’ Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said.



■GERMANY

Massive win triggers probe

A suspicious 54-1 win in a weekend lower-league match in the Cologne area is to be probed, local news reports said on Tuesday. Rheinkassel-Langel II claimed the controversial win over DJK Loewe II which earned them promotion into a higher tier on goal difference from Germania Nippes II, whose 10-0 win at Ditib-Tuerk II turned out to be in vain. Germania were 37 goals ahead of Rheinkassel before the final round. But Rheinkassel made up the deficit, with 41 of the 54 goals scored in the second half alone. “This is a shame. Such a result cannot stand. Anyone involved in football must have doubts,” said local soccer official Hermann-Josef Schmitz who announced an investigation.


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