Barcelona announced that former player CARLES PUYOL will remain tied to the club's sports department. He "has been attending" the Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) "Directores Deportivos" courses every Monday, and he "completed the class on Monday" (SPORT, 12/15). ... Scottish FA CEO STEWART REGAN "is being considered" for the FA's general secretary role. ALEX HORNE "will leave the post" on Jan. 30 after four years in the job (BBC, 12/14). ... Trainer GARY PORTELLI "remains mystified as to how the painkiller ibuprofen ended up in one of his horses" but will wear the A$3,000 ($2,500) fine, reduced from A$6,000 on appeal. Portelli said that "the only explanation was transfer from human to horse and he had tightened procedures for his workers" (AAP, 12/15). ... League Championship side Wigan Owner DAVE WHELAN "has accepted" an FA charge over comments he made about Jewish and Chinese people. The 78-year-old "has written a letter in mitigation to the governing body and has not requested a personal hearing." Whelan, who said he would resign as club chairman if punished, "has denied making racist remarks" (BBC, 12/15).
GERRARD MOCKED: ManU supporters "were forced to take down a banner" mocking STEVEN GERRARD during Sunday’s 3-0 victory against Liverpool after being told it "posed a fire hazard at Old Trafford." The ManU fans' banner showed the silhouette of a kneeling Gerrard under the slogan, "Au Revoir Gerrard, Come Back When You’ve Won One." The banner "is a parody of a similar one unfurled at Anfield in 1993, following United’s first league title in 26 years, which taunted ERIC CANTONA by proclaiming, ‘Au Revoir Cantona and Man United, Come Back When You’ve Won 18!'" (London TELEGRAPH, 12/15).
BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY AWARDS: F1 driver LEWIS HAMILTON said that he wants to race in F1 for “another seven years after being voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.” The 29-year-old Mercedes driver beat golfer RORY MCILROY and long-distance runner JO PAVEY to the award, “a month after winning his second world championship.” If Hamilton “continues in the sport for another seven years, he will be 36” (BBC, 12/15). ... PRINCE HARRY presented Invictus Games competitors with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show. The award went to those who took part in the int’l event for “injured, wounded and sick servicemen and women” (BBC, 12/14).
