Referees discriminate against small clubs, says Stoke's Pulis

Pulis is seeing a great return on Jones (GETTY IMAGES)

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has claimed ahead of today's game at Chelsea that smaller Premier League clubs are being discriminated against in the choice of referees and the decisions they make.

He was annoyed that Martin Atkinson was taken off Stoke's match last weekend to take charge of the Manchester derby, and the less experienced Stuart Attwell took over at the Britannia Stadium. "Are they saying that Attwell is not good enough for the derby, and if he's not good enough for them, why is he good enough for Stoke against Bolton?" Pulis said, adding that the top four clubs are favoured by referees: "There's definitely a bigger split of decisions that go for the top clubs, whichever way you cook it."

Old Firm pair to play at baseball ground

The stadium of baseball’s Boston Red Sox could play host to a friendly between Celtic and Rangers. Both OldFirm clubs go on pre-season tours of North America in the summer, and the Red Sox said the game might be played atthe 37,402-capacity Fenway Park on 21 July.

Inter go top as Barca keep Real at bay

Internazionale came from behind to beat lowly Atalanta 3-1 and go two points clear at the top of Italy's Serie A pending Roma's game this evening against Sampdoria. Jose Mourinho rested most of his first team at San Siro. In Spain, Barcelona stay top of La Liga after overcoming nine-man Xerez 3-1 in the Nou Camp. The Catalans remain a point ahead of Real Madrid, who beat Real Zaragoza 2-1.