11 December 2002 - United offer the fans the opportunity to fly to the Leyton Orient away game with the team, and to spend the remainder of the day with the squad, for a cost of £500. Scunthorpe replay tickets go on sale from Monday 16th December onwards. Other News - Olivier Dacourt is fined for branding Leeds "a disgrace" in a French football magazine. Aberdeen appoint Steve Paterson and Duncan Shearer as their new managerial team. Macedonia international Artim Sakiri is set to join West Bromwich Albion. Fulham plan to sue the agents involved in their £11.5m signing of Steve Marlet. The RFU is investigating claims that Premiership clubs paid Rotherham not to accept promotion. The UK made "serious misjudgements" in the way terror threat levels were assessed ahead of October's Bali bomb, MPs find. Yemen demands the return of Scud missiles and warheads seized by US and Spanish forces while en route to the country from North Korea. Fishermen from several European countries are disrupting shipping in a day of protests against drastic cuts in EU fishing quotas. The UK Government steps in to pay £58m to the Connex South Eastern rail firm, which says it cannot afford to carry on operating.
12 December 2002 - Collins speaks to Everton about extending Leon Osman's loan until the end of the season. Pete Murphy admits he wants to stay with CUFC once his current contract is up. Ex Keeper Tony Caig is hoping to secure a move to Newcastle United. Other News - Knighton is facing yet another probe by the DTI as allegations are made that he broke his ban by getting involved with CUFC or CUFC Holdings. Leeds duo Danny Mills and Alan Smith are set to demand double-your-money deals. Tony Blair says everyone has taken their "pound of flesh" over his wife's links to a convicted fraudster and it is time to move on. Austria and Switzerland win the race to host the Euro 2008 football championships, beating Scotland and Ireland. Washington says it will not be pressured into dialogue with North Korea, which has decided to reactivate a nuclear power programme. A piece of card containing clues to the next Harry Potter novel goes under the hammer for charity.
13 December 2002 - Match of the Day will feature Leeds United in the 3rd Rd of the cup meaning that the victor of the 2nd Rd replay will host the TV cameras. Other News - Lee Bowyer confesses to stamping on Malaga defender Gerardo during a UEFA Cup tie. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy says he would consider sharing a home with Arsenal. England spinner Ashley Giles is ruled out of the final two Tests against Australia and fears for his one-day spot. Motorsport chiefs are to consider scrapping F1's self-imposed ban on tobacco sponsorship. The Pope accepts the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Law, whose Boston diocese is engulfed by paedophilia charges. A Boeing 737 plane carrying 148 Celtic football fans from northern Spain is forced to land in Cardiff after reports of a "riot" on board. Downing Street denies helping a newspaper get taped phone calls which show Peter Foster tried to sell his story about Cherie Blair. The German Chancellor says EU leaders have reached a deal to give Poland more cash, to ensure the union's enlargement goes ahead.
14 December 2002 - Mark Hudson makes his debut in the 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Wrexham. United will play Bury at home in the area semi final of the LDV Vans Cup. The game will be played in the week commencing the 20th of January. Other News - Leicester City could come out of administration within six weeks after accepting a takeover bid from the consortium headed by Gary Lineker. Police in London charge four men and two women with being members of a terrorist organisation. Five of those arrested are Turkish nationals, the sixth is British. Thick fog hampers the salvage of a Norwegian ship which sank with its cargo of nearly 3,000 new BMW cars in the English Channel. Missing student Victoria Stephenson turns up safe and well in Dublin after disappearing four days ago whilst apparently going to interview homeless people as part of her degree course.
Utd 1 - 2 Wrexham. (Foran, 4 mins). League position 22nd. Att: 4480.
Team: Glennon - 6, Shelley - 6, Taylor - 6, Kelly - 6, Byrne - 5 (Birch - 6), McDonagh - 6 (McGill - 6), Summerbell - 7, Hudson - 6, Osman - 7, Foran - 6 Farrell - 6 (Robinson - 6). Subs not used: Andrews, Baldacchino.
3 Games Man of the Match - Hudson started the game with a glorious pass which put Foran through to score our goal but faded out towards the end. Both Summerbell and Osman worked tirelessly for scant reward, Osman was unlucky not to score, his header was saved by their keeper when it looked to be a certain goal. Osman gets the 3 games Man of the Match.
3 Games Comment - Too many players were not at their best today. We missed Murphy and Maddison and Dessie Byrne is a much better player than he showed today but is obviously still struggling with his injury. The constant changes brought about by suspensions are not helping our cause and we must get to grips with indiscipline. The referee today was a joke, we have come to expect no favours from the man in black, however some of our bookings were justified even if the other side seems to get away with identical indiscretions.
16 December 2002 - Mark Hudson will wait a month before he decides whether to commit to CUFC for the future. Other News - Ronaldo is voted the European Footballer of the Year for a second time. Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle says Jamie Redknapp faces five weeks out with a broken toe. Port Vale are the latest troubled Nationwide League club to sink into administration. Peter Foster denies plotting "an elaborate sting" against the Blairs but says Cherie did offer her "professional view" on his deportation case. Secretary of State Colin Powell says there are "problems" with Iraq's weapons declaration and anticipates a US response this week. A report into the future of the UK's fire service recommends sweeping change linked to an 11% increase in pay over two years. A 68-year-old man is found guilty of murdering his wife and two children 27 years ago and jailed for life. The world's largest online auction site, eBay, has been hit by another scam targeting its 55 million customers.
17 December 2002 - SKY TV arrive at Brunton Park as they prepare to broadcast Thursday nights FA Cup clash against Scunthorpe. Tickets for the Scunny game will be available up until kick off. Other News - UEFA fine the FA £9000 after crowd trouble during the 2004 qualifier in Slovakia. Defender Mikael Silvestre signs a new four-year deal at Old Trafford. England complete the first win of their Australian tour, consigning Sri Lanka to a 43-run defeat in Brisbane. The Ministry of Defence says it is starting to get ready for a possible war against Iraq, but stresses the size of any force has yet to be decided. The government proposes to scrap the fixed retirement age and raise the pensions age for new public sector workers. The US president orders the deployment of a national missile defence system by 2004, and asks the UK and Denmark for assistance. Fifty police officers have been arrested as part of an investigation into 7,000 suspected internet paedophiles in the UK.
18 December 2002 - United confirm that an appeal to rescind Foran's red card has been lodged with the FA. Ticket sales increase ahead of the televised FA Cup clash. Other News - Three Celtic players spend the night in police custody following a disturbance at a Christmas party. Spurs striker Les Ferdinand is suspended for three matches after being sent off in the reserves against Arsenal. The British government refuses to distance itself from calls for a boycott of World Cup matches in Zimbabwe. Jack Straw dismisses as an "obvious falsehood" Iraq's claims to have stopped producing weapons of mass destruction long ago. "Small numbers" of al-Qaeda terrorists are operating in the UK with a "high probability" of an attack sooner or later, says a Whitehall source. Child protection workers failed to help abused Ainlee Walker because they were "paralysed" with fear of her parents, an independent report says.
19 December 2002 - Referee Peter Walton cancels the televised FA Cup replay despite the pitch being playable. Other News - Arsenal star Dennis Bergkamp is fined for stamping but not given a suspension. The FA refuses to confirm reports that Mark Bosnich has tested positive for cocaine. Ticketmaster UK pledge to review their procedures after the delayed kick-off between Aston Villa and Liverpool. The International Cricket Council confirms Zimbabwe can stage matches during next year's World Cup. Undercover armed police are to be introduced on UK passenger flights to combat terrorist attacks, but the idea raises concern from airlines. Stuart Campbell, the uncle of schoolgirl Danielle Jones, is jailed for life after being found guilty of her abduction and murder. The US Secretary of State says Iraq's declaration "totally fails" to meet UN demands as the chief arms inspector says it has no new information. AOL has been granted a patent on instant messaging systems which means it could potentially sue rivals Microsoft and Yahoo.
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