Former Scotland int'l DENIS LAW backed Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen's plans to create a new £50M ($67.2M) stadium complex. With less than two weeks to go until councilors make a decision on the project -- which includes a community and sports campus, football academy and stadium -- Law said that the club is "badly in need" of the new facilities (Aberdeen EVENING EXPRESS, 9/28). ... National Rugby League side Penrith Panthers "moved to deter rival clubs from circling" MATT MOYLAN by placing a transfer fee on the player should he ask for a release from the final four years of his contact. It has not "stopped rival clubs from meeting with his manager to discuss the possibility" of him leaving Penrith in the offseason. However, Penrith is believed to have asked for around A$250,000 ($196,400) in compensation should Moylan ask to leave (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 9/28). ... Cricketers BEN STOKES and ALEX HALES will not be considered for selection for England int'l matches "until further notice." Each remains on full pay pending further England & Wales Cricket Board investigation and the ongoing police investigation into an incident in Bristol on Monday. England Cricket Dir ANDREW STRAUSS referred the internal disciplinary procedure for the players to the Cricket Discipline Commission, chaired by TIM O'GORMAN (London DAILY MAIL, 9/28). ... Trainer AARON PURCELL was granted permission to take over the training of Caulfield Cup-winning trainer CIARON MAHER's "vast Caulfield team." Purcell will be in charge of the 100-strong team after Racing Victoria stewards granted him a license to prepare the horses. Earlier this week, Maher had his license suspended for the next six months and was fined A$75,000 ($58,900) after he admitted that he "ought to have known that five of his horses that he prepared were in fact owned by convicted conman" PETER FOSTER (SMH, 9/28).
'ANGRY OLD WHITE DUDES': U.S. recording artist MACKLEMORE responded to the "controversy over his performance at the NRL Grand Final," saying that he has received hate from "angry, old white dudes." Macklemore said, "It's interesting actually cause I'm gonna play Same Love and they're going through trying to legalize same-sex marriage in Australia. So I'm getting a lot of tweets from angry old white dudes in Australia. Today I think there is a petition to ban me from playing" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 9/28).
