football

Plymouth Argyle's football consultant Peter Ridsdale says money is about to arrive from the club’s Japanese shareholders. But he believes the money will be short of the £1.5million promised by George Synan and Yasuaki Kagami.

Any cash from the pair will be set aside to pay stricken Argyle’s outstanding £300,000 tax bill. The club is thought to have debts in the region of £10million.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted he has not lost authority over his players following reports that Ashley Cole shot a work experience student.

The England international shot 21-year-old Tom Cowan with a .22 calibre air rifle at the club's Cobham training ground ten days ago. The student was left requiring treatment from Chelsea's medical staff.

The club tried to keep the incident quiet, but it was reported in a Sunday newspaper.

Striker Fernando Torres has signed his Chelsea contract after being sold for £50m by Liverpool FC.

The sale of the 26-year-old Spanish International came after Chelsea and Liverpool were involved in the four busiest transfers of the last day of the January window.

Torres, a World Cup winner in 2010 and European champion in 2008 with Spain, spent three-and-a-half years at Liverpool, scoring 81 goals in 142 matches.  He joined them from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £20m.

Hull City football club has appointed Iain Dowie as manager until the end of the season.

The 45-year-old, who has previously managed Crystal Palace and Coventry, replaces Phil Brown who was sacked on Monday.

Hull had been linked with a number of other managers, including Steve Coppell, Gary Megson, Mark Hughes and Paul Jewell, since Phil Brown's dismissal on Monday.

The former Northern Ireland international has been given a contract until the end of the season.

Plymouth Argyle’s fight for survival in the Championship was given a dramatic boost last night when they beat Westcountry rivals Bristol City 3-2 at Home Park.

Argyle were leading 2-0 at the break with goals from Chris Clarke and ex-Man City player Bradley Wright-Phillips. Phillips with a superb overhead kick just before half-time.

In the space of 20 minutes the Robins were soon level - pulling it back to 2-2 after City striker Nicky Maynard struck twice to upset the Home Park faithful.

England manager Fabio Capello has blamed the amount of money footballers are paid for the recent scandals regarding players’ private lives. 

“It is not only here. In Italy, in Germany, in Spain, in every country where football is so important it is the same problem," he said. 

Capello admitted that fame and riches at such a young age can be difficult to deal with. He added that he hoped his players would make sacrifices for the good of their careers. 

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn his second appeal against match bans following charges of violent conduct.

Defender Ferdinand had received a three-match suspension following an incident where he appeared to swing an elbow in the face of Hull City Striker Craig Fagan in their clash at Old Trafford.

The charge was initially denied by 31-year-old Ferdinand and he was given an additional one-game ban for a "frivolous appeal". 

Truro City celebrated their first home win since August, after beating Hemel Hempstead Town by two goals.

This well-deserved 3-1 win leaves them with an outside chance of achieving the play-off places in the premier division of the Zamaretto Southern League. They face Helsowen away on Saturday.

The match started well. After 18 minutes a shot at goal by Marvin Brown was blocked by Will Viner, the Tudors' keeper. Brown's strike partner Andy Watkins then scored giving the White Tigers the lead.

John Terry does not intend to resign the captaincy of England following recent allegatons about his private life.

He could still lose the job if manager Fabio Capello decides he can no longer perform the role. 

England football boss Fabio Capello is expected to hold talks with Terry on Friday.

The Football Association has made it clear the Italian will decide the 29-year-old Chelsea defender's fate.

Capello has been recovering from knee surgery at his holiday home in Switzerland and will return to London on Thursday.

Brackley Town 4-3 Truro City

Truro City fell to a narrow away defeat in a seven goal thriller against Brackley Town, despite taking an early lead on Tuesday evening.

Things started well for the White Tigers when former Manchester United trainee Andy Taylor slotted home within eight minutes.

The home side hit back with two goals from Owen Storey in quick succession at St James Park.

The two teams went into half-time level, however, when Aaron Pugh equalised before the break.