The six week run tournament, seen each team bid for an “Icon” player and a foreign coach set up in the same style as the Indian one day cricket format currently used to great effect.

Five franchises together spent £4.5 million each buying an “icon” player, two oversea’s players and a coach.

The five “icon” players were former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo who went for £536,000 to Barasat who also payed £135,000 on Iceland’s Teitur Thordson as their foreign coach.

Next to go was former Italian World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro who went to Siliguri for £530,000 who also spent £128,000 on former Bolivian striker Marco Etcheverry as their foreign coach.

Robert Pires went to Howrah for £511,000 and will link up with Portugal’s former captain Fernando Couto £135,000.

Durgapur spent £351,000 on Jay-Jay Okocha who will link up with Samson Siasia of Nigeria who wentr for the sum of £118,000.

The fifth and final team Kolkata went for an English connection paying £338,000 on former Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler who will probably get another bookout of, and he’ll be coached by former Everton hard-man Peter Reid who cost £118,000 as Kolkata’s foreign coach.

It will be interesting to see how this novelty idea takes off, however I could imagine this type of auction working on any other European League.

With the Olympics looming ever closer, understandably security will be a main concern for the London 2012 organizing committee. It looks as though they are on top of things in this respect, having carried out a security test in Scotland recently. The rehearsal took place at the semi-final of the Scottish Communities League Cup between Ayr and Kilmarnock, which the latter won in extra time, and involved fans. The fans that were entering the stadium through the North Stand at gates 19-40 were informed about the test beforehand, which involved them being searched.

Tests like this are necessary so that the organising committee can iron out any kinks before the Olympics begins. While they still have time to relax and play Party Poker , it is a good idea for them to be rehearsing their security systems. They carried out this test with their security partner G4S and were supported by Hampden Park and Strathclyde Police. Head of security integration and delivery at LOCOG, Ian Thomas, has emphasised the importance of these tests, saying that it is vital that such operations are able to run smoothly before the Olympics begin.

During the Olympics in London, there will be many security measures in place. In all venues, including those hosting football matches, all spectators will undergo security tests, to ensure that optimum security is maintained throughout the whole of the Games. The Olympic football matches will be held at Hampden Park between 25th July and 3rd August, and there will be a total of eight games, including both men’s and women’s competitions. Other security tests have recently taken place at football matches in Coventry, Manchester, Cardiff and Newcastle, which involved LOCOG testing security screening. All met with great success, and sports fans should be looking forward to the Olympics.

Scorers:
Dunne (Villa) 33′
Bent (Villa) 45′
Van Persie (Ars) 54′ pen
Walcott (Ars) 57′
Van Persie (Ars) 61′ pen

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Former Manchester United striker Manucho scores a cracker as Angola beat Burkino Faso 2-1 in the African Cup of Nations.

Scorers:
Fletcher 22′ (Wol)
Modric 51′ (Tot)

AZ Alkmaar keeper Esteban Alvarado was sent off after a drunk fan attempted to assault the Costa Rican, however the thug wasn’t expecting his victim to turn attacker which he was entitled to do in my opinion.

Alvarado was subsequently sent off by referee Bas Nijhuis which led to AZ Alkmaar’s manager to order his player’s off the pitch in protest as the KNVB cup tie was abandoned.

Champion jumps jockey AP McCoy gave Manchester United their first winner when he rode 7/2 shot Cuban Piece to victory at Bangor yesterday. Co-owners of the nag include Michael Owen, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and other past and present players. Gunners fan McCoy joked: ‘Imagine if this was the only thing United win this season”.

McCoy has five mounts at Cheltenham today:
Ozeta
Galaxy Rock
Don’t Push It
All the Winds
Tea for Three

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Gareth Bale model’s Team GB’s new Olympic team kit for the 2012 Games in London, however I can’t see the Welsh FA or Harry Redknapp being happy about it as most Premier League managers fear burn out for their star player’s who are eligible to participate in the games following their busy Summer in the Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

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Barcelona’s Xavi scores from a wonderfully struck free-kick against Granada as the Catalan joints look to go top of La Liga ahead of surprise leader’s Levante.

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