Football Shorts

Investment firm GFH Capital, who have been in talks with the club regarding a takeover for a number of months, have signed a deal which will see them take control of the club.

In a statement on the club’s website, chairman Ken Bates said: “I can confirm we have now completed all the negotiations with GFH Capital. We have completed the first part of the purchase and they will be taking over 100 per cent of the club. Meanwhile, there is a transitional period while they get to know more about the club.

“I will continue as chairman until the end of the season when I will take over as president and I look forward to sitting back and taking more time off. Neil Warnock will continue as manager with more support than the present owners have been able to give and we look forward to a smooth transition.

David Haigh, Deputy CEO, GFH Capital Limited said: “After a long process of negotiations, spanning Leeds, London, Monaco, Dubai and Bahrain, it gives us great pride today, to have completed the deal for Leeds United.

“A brief but important transitional period now begins in terms of the changeover of ownership: we have today injected further funds into the club and now we look to the future and start the exciting journey to take Leeds United FC back into a prime position in English football once again.

Leeds currently sit 18th in the Championship table, and look in need of transfer funds for the upcoming January transfer window.

Bradford City just limped over the finish line last night with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle.

City recovered from their home defeat against Exeter City at the weekend to win a scrappy game marred by a serious injury to their central defender John Egan.

The 21-year-old Irishman, on loan from Sunderland, was stretchered off in the 12th minute with a suspected broken right leg after falling awkwardly after heading the ball – the game was held up for five minutes while he received attention.

Captain Gary Jones scored the crucial goal in the 22nd minute after right back Stephen Darby hoisted the ball into the goalmouth. Leading scorer Nahki Wells slipped as he tried to shoot and, when the ball ran loose to the unmarked Jones, he scored with a 10-yard shot.

Plymouth, now without a victory in seven games, almost pulled themselves level in the six minutes the referee had added on at the end of the first half following Egan’s injury when Nick Chadwick headed the ball down for the unmarked Jamie Lowry.

But Bantams goalkeeper Matt Duke made a superb save to turn away the midfield player’s fiercely-struck shot.

The visitors had another great chance to score five minutes after the interval when the impressive Chadwick flicked the ball on to Alex MacDonald, who outpaced defender Rory McArdle, but then sent a rash shot wide of the far post.

Duke was forced to come to the home side’s rescue again when he turned Chadwick’s goal-bound shot from an acute angle over the crossbar in the 78th minute.

With their limited squad numbers and hectic fixture schedule, the Bantams looked dead on their feet by the end of the match, but held out to climb to just one point off the automatic promotion spots.

Huddersfield winger Adam Hammill avoided prison this week after he was convicted of attacking two female paramedics outside a nightclub in Liverpool.

The incident, which took place on October 7, followed a 15-pint binge by the footballer, who then collapsed inside Moniques nightclub.

Hammill was carried out of the club by security, and was helped by two paramedics who found him with a black eye and a bleeding mouth when they attempted to put him in a wheelchair.

The court heard he then became aggressive and threw his arms out, striking one of the paramedics, who was said to have been left “shaken and angry” by the incident.

Hammill, who is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, was said to be “distraught” at his actions and sent a letter to the Northwest Ambulance Service expressing his apologies to the families of the paramedics involved.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months.

In a statement from Huddersfield Town, the club confirmed they are to keep hold of Hammill, but did not say whether they would seek to extend his loan beyond its January expiry date.