Out of favour Wanderers midfielder Ivan Campo returned to the Reebok stadium on Sunday to rescue a point against a struggling Spurs side. A point that appears to have kept manager Sammy Lee in his job for a while longer.

Bolton need all the help they can if like Tottenham they are to turn their season around, however Campo was omitted from the UEFA Cup squad after he asked to speak to other clubs following Sam Allardyce’s departure to Newcastle United.

Campo Scored The Equaliser Against Spurs

Campo (33) played his first league game of the season against Spurs and demonstrated his value to the Lancashire club contributing with the equaliser. He will not be able to make the same contribution in Europe until after the group stage and the January transfer window is over. By which stage Wanderers could have been dumped out of the competition and Campo could be playing his football in another country with another team. There a number of clubs interested in the Champions League winner although he could opt for a payday in the retirement league in Qatar.

Lee: ‘UEFA Cup Squads Set In Stone’

Lee was bold when speaking to the Bolton News saying ‘it would have been remiss of me to have included him in the UEFA Cup squad when he could have gone elsewhere at a moments notice’ He continued ‘UEFA squads are set in stone once they are named and to have taken up one of the places with a player who might not have been here, would not have been in the club’s best interests’. That may be true but would it have been best to have named the Spaniard in the squad so he can be used to get in to the lucrative group stage, rather than not name him and risk getting dumped out of the competition.

The draw for the first round of the UEFA cup took place on Friday, with staff and fans of the home nation clubs waiting with baited breath to find out who they have to overcome if they are to make it to the moneymaking group stage of the tournament.

UEFA CUP SEEDING

Tottenham Hotspur were seeded in the draw after their successful run in the competition last season. The holders Sevilla could face Salzburg should they fail to win their postponed fixture against AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League. The game was postponed due to the tragic death of defender Antonio Puerta.

British Team Fixtures

Rabotnicki v Bolton Wanderers
Larissa v Blackburn Rovers
Aberdeen v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Tottenham Hotspur v Anorthosis Famagusta
Everton v Metalist Kharkiv

Sammy Lee takes his Bolton Wanderers side to Macedonia to play Rabotnicki for the first leg, Blackburn Rovers also have an away fixture for the first leg of the first round. Rovers play Greek side Larissa. Tottenham have a home game against Anorthosis Famagusta from Cyprus, the fans could catch a little winter sun on the away trip, which could be their last if their form doesn’t pick up. Everton and Aberdeen both play teams from Ukraine. The toffees play Metalist Kharkiv while the Scottish side play Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Those with the hardest preparation for these fixtures will be the match commentators who will have to learn the pronunciations of the players names to avoid sounding silly on the night.

Full Draw For The 2008 UEFA Cup First Round

Midtjylland v Lokomotiv Moscow
Groningen v Fiorentina
Rabotnicki v Bolton Wanderers
Sevilla/AEK Athens v Red Bull Salzburg
Nurnberg v Rapid Bucharest
Everton v Metalist Kharkiv
Zenit St Petersburg v Standard Liege
Bayer Leverkusen v Uniao Leiria
Villarreal v BATE Borisov
Sion v Galatasaray
Atletico Madrid v Kayseri Erciyesspor
Bordeaux v Tampere United
Panathinaikos v Artmedia Petrzalka
Sparta Prague v Odense
FC Zurich v Empoli
Sochaux v Panionios
Rapid Vienna v Anderlecht
Pacos de Ferreira v AZ Alkmaar
Sampdoria v Aalborg
Spartak Moscow v Hacken
Hammarby v Braga
Larissa v Blackburn Rovers
Mlada Boleslav v Palermo
Dinamo Zagreb v Ajax
Rennes v Lokomotiv Sofia
Brann v Club Brugge
Bayern Munich v Belenenses
Aberdeen v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Heerenveen v Helsingborgs
Toulouse v CSKA Sofia
Hamburg v Litex Lovech
FK Sarajevo v FC Basel
Austria Vienna v Valerenga
AIK Solna v Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Aris Thessaloniki v Real Zaragoza
Dinamo Bucharest v Elfsborg
Tottenham Hotspur v Anorthosis Famagusta
Lens v FC Copenhagen
Getafe v Twente
Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski v Crvena Zvezda

2008 UEFA First Round Fixture Dates

The first leg matches will be played on the 20th of September and the second leg fixtures will be two weeks later on the 4th October.

Jose Mourinho has made his second free transfer acquisition this summer, Tal Ben Haim has joined Steve Sidwell at Stamford Bridge. Ben Haim will give Mourinho the defensive options that he missed when John Terry and Carvalho were missing for periods of last season.

The Israeli defender had been on his former manager Sam Allardyce’s shopping list but there was no chance of Newcastle competing for Ben Haim’s signature. The deal will see Ben Haim at the bridge until 2011.

Both Sidwell and Ben Haim will have to work hard or hope for miracles if they are to feature regularly for the blues next season.

Newcastle United made the announcement that everyone expected. During a press conference this afternoon they told the waiting press that Sam Allardyce is their new manager.

The former Bolton manager will be charged with the responsibility of bringing silverware to St James Park for the first time since 1969. He has a three year deal to begin with, but he knows that the task is massive and he has much work to do to bring the success the toon army crave.

Allardyce will have to secure the future of Michael Owen and try to lure some new playing staff while trying to clear the deadwood from the Magpies squad.

Following the press speculation that Big Sam was leaving the Reebok stadium at the end of the season it has been confirmed that his position at Bolton Wanderers has been terminated with immediate effect.

The reports had indicated that Allardyce is due to replace Stuart Pearce in the summer as part of the planned takeover of Manchester City.

Allardyce has admitted that he wanted to stay until the end of the season and that he believed that he had taken the Trotters as far as he could. He was the Premiership’s third longest serving manager after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

The two early kick-offs that were both shown live on SkySports could have helped decide the fate of the Premiership trophy. Manchester United travelled to an emotional Goodison Park where Everton were mourning the loss of old boy Alan Ball.

The Toffees players all wore Alan Ball t-shirts before the game as a tribute to the World Cup winner. Everton went two goals up through Stubbs and Manuel Fernandes and they looked on course to give Ball a fitting tribute. However of late United have been unstoppable, scoring goals at will and this game was no different. John O’Shea opened the United account, then former United player and Everton captain Phil Neville scored an own goal to bring the sides level.

Then it was the turn of Manchester United striker and former Everton player Wayne Rooney to put his team ahead for the first time. Then in injury time 17 year old Chris Eagles scored to put the game beyond doubt.

Meanwhile in South West London Chelsea were playing host to Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. The trotters went a goal up through Michaik inside twenty minutes, only to allow Salomon Kalou equalise for Chelsea three minutes later. Wanderers found themselves a goal behind when Jaaskelainen scored and own goal.

After the break Bolton hitman Kevin Davies drew the visitors level and they managed to hold on until the bitter end and possibly end the Champions defence of their title.

Sam Allardyce has worked his magic again for the Trotters faithful, adding 29 year old defender Cesar Martin. Cesar is available to join up with the Bolton squad immediately as he is a free agent after terminating his contract with La Liga outfit Levante.

The former Spanish international has 11 games in which to impress the staff at Bolton or other potential suitors to secure a contract or new club for next season.

The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup takes Blackpool or Norwich to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea, there is an all Championship tie between Plymouth and Derby ensuring a lower league team will be in the quarter finals. There is a London derby where Fulham play Spurs at craven cottage.

Bristol City or Middlesbrough will host West Bromwich Albion, while Arsenal or Bolton face another tough tie after their replay when they will be at home to Blackburn Rovers.

 The complete draw is below: 

Chelsea v Blackpool or Norwich
Watford v Ipswich Town
Preston v Manchester City
Plymouth v Derby County
Manchester United v Reading
Arsenal or Bolton v Blackburn
Middlesbrough or Bristol City v West Brom
Fulham v Tottenham

The draw for the Football Association Challenge Cup sponored by EON Third round proper has not disappointed on any front. The romance of the cup is alive and well, with many of the smaller, lower league clubs facing opposition from the Premiership. Chelsea play hosts to bottom of League 2 Macclesfield Town in a tie that is very much in the vain of the princes versus the paupers.

Cup holders Liverpool will entertain Arsenal in a repeat of their upcoming Carling Cup quarter final, while last years finalists West Ham United have a home tie against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Tottenham who have not managed an away victory on home soil in the league will be hoping that they can overcome a Cardiff City side who have made Ninian Park a fortress as they fight for automatic promotion to the Premiership.

FA Cup third round draw:
Blackpool v Aldershot Town or Basingstoke Town?Barnet v Colchester United?Sheffield United v Swansea City
Reading v Burnley
Portsmouth v Wigan Athletic
Mansfield Town or Doncaster Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Leicester City v Fulham
Derby County v Wrexham
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Oldham Athletic
Bury or Chester City v Ipswich Town
Manchester United v Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Tamworth v Norwich City
Salisbury City or Nottingham Forest v Charlton Athletic
Cardiff City v Tottenham Hotspur
Preston North End v Sunderland
Liverpool v Arsenal
Bristol Rovers or Bournemouth v Hereford United
Watford v Stockport County
Crystal Palace v Swindon Town
Bristol City v Coventry City
Peterborough United v Plymouth Argyle
Queens Park Rangers v Luton Town
Southend United v Barnsley
West Bromwich Albion v Leeds United
Hull City v Middlesbrough
Birmingham City v Newcastle United
Torquay United or Leyton Orient v Southampton
Everton v Blackburn Rovers
Chelsea v Macclesfield Town
Stoke City v Bradford City or Millwall

On Tuesday Watford register their first point of the Premiership campaign in a 1-1 draw against West Ham. On the same night Dimitar Berbatov opened his account for Tottenham in a 2-0 win over Neil Warnock’s Blades.

Shock result of Wednesday night was Chelsea suffering their first defeat of the season at the hands of Middlesbrough. Having taken the lead at the riverside through Shevchenko’s first league goal, they then conceded two goals in ten minutes from Pogatetz and Viduka. Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa beat the Royals of Reading 2-1, Blackburn and Fulham held Everton and Bolton in two 1-1 draws. Manchester United were convincing in their victory over Charlton Athletic, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer returning to the team with a goal scoring appearance. In the goalless clash between Manchester City and Portsmouth was relatively uneventful until Ben Thatcher had a flash back to his old Wimbledon days, when he challenged Pedro Mendes on the touchline. Thatcher appeared to lead with his elbow rather than his legs, the challenge caused Mendes to be admitted to hospital for tests. The last has not been heard of this incident and no doubt there will be a ban from the FA.