Soccer Extreme : BSkyB is aiming to do for sports broadcasting what James Cameron did for cinema with special effects blockbuster Avatar, with the move to air this weekend's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United in 3D.

The satellite broadcaster, which is showing the special 3D feed of this Sunday's Premier League clash in a handful of pubs across the country, claims it will be the first transmission of a live 3D TV sports event to a public audience.

Sunday's test broadcast comes ahead of a plan to roll out the 3D TV service to hundreds of the tens of thousands of UK pubs that subscribe to Sky TV from April.

BSkyB then has the ambitious plan to bring 3D to the living room by the end of the year. The 3D channel will initially be made available at no extra cost to the million-plus Sky high definition TV subscribers who also pay for its premium sports and movies services.

This weekend's test, a chance for BSkyB to "kick the tyres" of the service, will see nine pubs kitted out with a number of 3D-ready TV sets.

BSkyB will not name the pubs, for fear of overcrowding, but has said football fans at four London establishments, two in Manchester and one each in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin will find they have the option of watching the game on a 3D screen.

The company estimates that between 450 and 700 viewers will get to see the match in 3D and is confident they will not balk at having to don 3D spectacles to watch the game.

"We have done consumer testing and people forget pretty quickly that they are wearing them and if a large group is doing it people don't really worry about it. I've seen people wear far sillier things in the pub [than 3D specs]," said Brian Lenz, the director of product design at BSkyB.

"People will get a sense that they are looking through a window right into the game, a portal into the Emirates [Arsenal stadium] with the best seats in the house. It is going to become a must-have, a must-want," Lenz added.

He said TV manufacturers such as Sony and Samsung intend to make sure that up to 40% of their ranges will be 3D ready in the next couple of years.

"The programming has to be top quality, we view 3D TV as an 'appointment-to-view' proposition, we don't intend to try and fill the whole schedule with 3D programming," he added.

BSkyB plans to make the Sunday 4pm match it airs every week the special 3D broadcast.

Earlier this month mobile operator O2 said that it intended to screen two of England's rugby matches in this year's Six Nations tournament in 3D in 40 Odeon and Cineworld cinemas.

In 2008 the BBC broadcast one of the world's first live matches in 3D when it beamed back the Six Nations match between Scotland and England to a cinema in London. (guardian)

Soccer Extreme : A man has been charged with throwing a coin at Craig Bellamy during Wednesday night's Manchester derby.

Adam Teese, 26, of Nelstrop Road North, Heaton Chapel, Greater Manchester, is accused of "throwing a missile on to the pitch" during the Carling Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, police said.

Manchester City striker Bellamy fell to the ground after he was struck by a coin in the 50th minute as he went to take a corner.

Teese is due to appear at Trafford Magistrates' Court on February 9.

Another man has been charged for trying to enter the ground while drunk, police said.

Paul Rooney Nelson, 35, of Melton Road, Crumpsall, will appear at the same court two days later.

Two other men who were arrested on Wednesday night night received fixed penalty notices for public order offences and a third man was fined for being drunk and disorderly, police said.

Six other men, arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, affray and conspiracy to commit violent disorder, were bailed pending further inquiries.

There was a massive police presence at the game after trouble flared during last week's first leg, with 29 people arrested in connection with the game, which City won 2-1.

Officers issued CCTV pictures of suspected football hooligans after the first match and appealed for calm ahead of the return leg, which United won 3-1, giving them a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "The vast majority of fans behaved very well and I would like to thank them for listening to the messages we have been giving, to help make the evening pass off peacefully." (sportinglife)

Soccer Extreme : Carlos Tevez has branded Manchester United captain Gary Neville 'disrespectful' for claiming the Argentinian has not been missed at Old Trafford this season.

Tevez, who left United for City last summer, celebrated his opening goal in front of substitute Neville, who responded with an abusive finger gesture while warming up on the touchline at Eastlands.

Tevez, who scored twice on Tuesday night as his new club Manchester City beat United 2-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg, told Sportsmail he wanted to make his point after Neville had claimed in the run-up to the game that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been right to let him go.

Tevez said: 'I thought Gary Neville had been disrespectful by talking about me like that. He cannot possibly know the full story of what happened at Old Trafford. I was honourable at all times and I think it was wrong of him to talk about another footballer in that way.

'For me, to celebrate in front of him was not malicious. It was just banter. That is what the game is all about. I didn't see if he did anything back. 'I wear my heart on my sleeve but I also have utmost respect forother players, especially the ones at United. I have won five trophiesat that club and made a big contribution. I had thought and hoped thatthey would show respect back.

'But people get carried away by thecelebrations. These things get the crowd going and help the team. Iexpected Manchester United supporters to give me a hard time. I hopedthey wouldn't but I thought they would.

'I did not celebrate in front of them and I thought that was decent. I really am not being malicious against Gary.Kids play: Carlos Tevez's celebration was inspired by a big-eared cartoon mouse 'Should I score in the second game next week then I will celebrate with equal enthusiasm and I am sure - if Gary does - he will do the same.'
Neville is currently under investigation by the FA after his gesture towards Tevez was caught on camera. Already on a warning after what were seen to be inflammatory celebrations as United beat City in the Barclays Premier League last September, it seems inevitable the 35-year-old will be hit with a charge this time.

For Tevez, Tuesday was an emotional night and he admitted that his 'cupped ears' celebration that followed his second goal was aimed at Ferguson and the United board who failed to offer him a permanent deal at Old Trafford when he wanted to stay a year ago.

Tevez explained that the celebration is known in Argentinian football as the 'Topo Gigio' - named after a big-eared cartoon mouse popular on TV in Italy and South America - and was brought to the football arena by Tevez's international team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme when they played together at Boca Juniors.

'For me, I admit it was aimed at the Manchester United management. There is a message there but, no, it was not malicious', said Tevez. 'I respect everybody at United. The players and the manager. But these things are part of the theatre of football.'

With former team-mate Wayne Rooney trying to put him off as he prepared to take the penalty that brought City their equaliser, it certainly was a pressure moment. Rooney appeared to be urging Tevez to 'hit the post' but last night the 25-year-old said: 'Yes, he was saying things but I was trying to block it out. It didn't affect me.'

Tevez has scored 17 times for the club he joined for �25m in the summer and believes supporters are now seeing the best of him after he was restricted by a knee problem earlier in the season.

'Mark Hughes asked me to play as other players were injured so I was having injections to get me through. It was causing me great pain and making it hard. It certainly had an impact.

'When I started to read that I wasn't doing well that was difficult for me as people didn't know the full story. Only now are they seeing the real Carlos Tevez.'  So Wayne Rooney, what did you say? The secrets of that Carlos Tevez penalty in Manchester's dramatic derbyCash crisis at Manchester United: Glazer debts soar to over £700m The ugly truth behind the ferocious battle of... Madchester (football.co.uk)

Soccer Extreme : Manchester United have Banned their stars from using social networking site Twitter, it was claimed last night.

The Premier League champions are said to have taken control of the accounts of Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney.

It has also been reported Facebook accounts of Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown and Giggs have gone off line.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is said to have ordered a clampdown to plug news leaks.

The champions deny imposing a ban. But a notice on their website says: "The club wishes to make it clear no United players maintain personal profiles on social networking websites.

"Fans encountering any web pages purporting to be written by United players should treat them with extreme scepticism."

Liverpool forward Ryan Babel was forced to apologise to manager Rafa Benitez for revealing on Twitter he had been dropped. (thesun)

Soccer Extreme : Over the last few days, WAG Yulia Voronin (R-Pic) has been the centre of attention on Miami Beach as she flaunted her curves in a series of garish bikinis.

But as she stepped out on New Year's Eve wearing a bright pink two-piece, the Ukrainian blonde found she had some competition from Christian Vieri's girlfriend Melissa Satta.

While Yulia opted for a more traditional string bikini, Italian model Melissa gave fellow beachgoers an eyeful with her magenta thong bikini.

While Yulia was in the company of her Liverpool player husband Andriy Voronin, Melissa was soaking up the sun with a large group of Italians, including long-term love Christian.

Despite Miami experiencing 27C temperatures on the last day of the year, many sunworshippers stayed out of the unusually chilly water.

But Yulia, 25, decided to brave the cold sea and ventured in for a quick dip, before deciding it was too freezing and ran into the waiting arms of husband Andriy, 30, who had been practising his ball skills on the beach.

However, 23-year-old Melissa (L-Pic) decided to stay out of the water and was spotted strolling up and down the beach talking to a female friend.

Over the past few days in Miami, Yulia has been enjoying the attention of the paparazzi in a skimpy red bikini and bright pink velour shorts and t-shirt.

But she found herself upstaged yesterday by Meilssa's bottom-baring two-piece, which showed off her many tattoos.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend Vieri, 36, was showing off a slight paunch as he relaxed on the beach in a pair of black swimming trunks.

Vieri retired from football last October after leaving his contract with Italian club Atalanta.

Yulia and her husband have become renowned for their outrageous fashion sense since they moved to the UK in 2007.

The mother-of-two was dubbed 'worst dressed WAG' in 2008 when she stepped out wearing a leopard-print velour tracksuit with PVC stiletto heels, while her husband wore a shiny shellsuit. (dailymail)

Soccer Extreme : David Beckham said he almost shed tears when he heard that Milan, whom he is joining on loan next month, had been drawn to play Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League. "When I first heard about the tie I think I almost cried because it is such a special place for me," he said.

Beckham will return to Old Trafford in February when Milan face United in the last 16 of the Champions League. He was adamant there would be no conflict of interest on the pitch: "I would like to progress further in the competition and, of course, when you come up against a club that you support and a club you have spent so many great years at and where you have still got so many friends at the club, those things are always difficult, but it's a nice problem to have.

"I've not returned to Old Trafford as a player in seven years. I miss it every day; I miss being a Manchester United player, I miss the club, I miss the fans and friends at the club. So it is always going to have a special place in my heart.

"To return as an AC Milan player makes it extra special, that's the big thing for me – to return with a team like this and a club like this that has got so much history, which is the same as Manchester United, it's such a special occasion. To be there in front of the fans and the manager and friends is going to be incredible."

Beckham said he is taking nothing for granted despite Fabio Capello's assertion the 34-year-old LA Galaxy player will be in his World Cup squad if he remains fit at Milan. But, following his first training session with Milan, Beckham told Sky Sports News: "It makes me happy but I know I need to work hard. It's not guaranteed. If I play in games and I do well then obviously I've got a chance because I've been part of the squad for most of the games.

"It's great the manager says that, I'm really pleased he says that, but I know I've got to work hard to be part of the squad. It's not that easy but like I said before I'm really happy to be back here, happy to be training with Milan again and everything to do with the club. It's going to be hard work. I'm ready for that."

Beckham said he was delighted to be back at San Siro. "I missed being in Milan and being with the club because my experience there was so special in six months and it makes you miss the club. I missed playing, being around the team, the players, the fans and everybody at Milan." (guardian)