CHARLES SALE: Sports Agenda
A LINE will finally be drawn today under one of football’s great feuds at the Anfield ceremony for the re-naming of the Centenary Stand after Kenny Dalglish.
The Scot, whose unparalleled services to Liverpool as both player and manager is being recognised by the honour, drew up the VIP guest list for the unveiling.
The most intriguing name among the invitees is Sir Alex Ferguson, whose managerial rivalry with Dalglish mirrored the intensity of the games between Liverpool and Manchester United.
One incident saw Dalglish carrying baby daughter Lauren past a group of reporters interviewing Ferguson after a 3-3 draw at Anfield in 1988 and saying: ‘You’ll get more sense out of her.’
But in recent years Dalglish and Ferguson, who has a stand named after him at Old Trafford, have become much closer with a lot of mutual respect culminating in Fergie being a special guest today, along with United legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
More predictable names on the list include Liverpool-born comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, former manager Gerard Houllier and former players Ian St John, Robbie Fowler, Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson and Steven Gerrard.
Dalglish wanted the occasion today rather than at Anfield tomorrow for the Liverpool v United game because he did not want to be the cause of any interference to the match-day focus.
A HANDFUL of Arsenal shares have been traded for a record amount over the last week. The six shares were sold on the NEX Exchange at prices between £25,000 and £28,000 — which is up more than 20 per cent in the last six months. neither Stan Kroenke nor Alisher Usmanov, who own the vast majority of Arsenal shares, were the buyers as they have to make it public when they add to their holdings. The only obvious perk for new shareholders is entry to the Arsenal annual meeting in a fortnight — but it is a lot to pay just to complain about chief executive Ivan Gazidis receiving a £1million bonus in the season Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League.
BOXING promoter Frank Warren, who has been a leading figure in the sport for more than 30 years, is set to have a TV series made about him. Independent producers World Media Rights have the funding in place to chart Warren’s remarkable life. It includes breaking the monopoly hold on British boxing in the 1980s, being shot at close range by a masked gunman and being beaten up by Mike Tyson over the heavyweight boxer’s unpaid jewellery bill.