REPORTS WE COULDNÕT MAKE UP
1 NINE BELOW ZERO
Shamrock Rovers defender Cole Omorehiomwan was kept in hospital with suspected frostbite following his side’s game against Galway United in Dublin, after which nine visiting players were treated for hypothermia. Freezing conditions caused by Storm Jorge also saw Galway’s Killian Brouder substituted at half-time due to the effects the conditions were having on his body. Some of his team-mates were said to have been vomiting after the game in the Republic of Ireland’s First Division ended 1-1. The Galway team’s doctor, Alan Byrne, said of Brouder: “He was as blue as anyone I have ever seen in my life.”
2 AT HOME WITH THE PARENTS
Highland League side Fort William say their “ultras” are no longer welcome at Claggan Park unless they are “accompanied by a parent”. Chairman Peter Murphy made the decision following recent “unacceptable behaviour” from the youthful element of the club’s support, known as the Yellow Order group. Murphy said: “We have taken the decision to ban this group from home games. They will be able to gain entry individually if accompanied by a parent.”
3 THAT’S GOTTA HURT...
A player from French amateur club AS Soetrich has been banned for five years after biting the penis of an opponent. The victim required 12 stitches and four days off work. The incident took place in Terville, a town 200 miles east of Paris close to the border with Luxembourg, following a match between local side SC Terville and Soetrich. A dispute between the opposing sides escalated after full-time, with a violent confrontation breaking out in the dressing rooms and then in the car park. Both clubs were fined €200 each.
4 SUBBED AFTER 23 SECONDS
In Romania, CFR Cluj coach Dan Petrescu replaced 18-year-old Alin Fica after 23 seconds of a league match against Gaz Metan Medias. The youngster left the pitch without having touched the ball. Clubs in the Romanian top flight are obliged to start league games with at least two under-21 homegrown players in their line-up and feature at least one for the entire match. This has prompted clubs to bend the rules by subbing a youngster in the first half, but not usually so quickly.
5 RONALDINHO’S FAKE NEWS
Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho is facing a sixmonth spell in prison in Paraguay after he attempted to enter the country with a false passport. The Brazilian was arrested at a hotel in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion alongside his brother, Roberto Assis, as they were preparing to take a flight back to his home in Rio de Janeiro. Ronaldinho and Assis, who were questioned by police for six hours following their arrest, said they were in Paraguay for business reasons.