hidden html new line or space?

Hi I am trying to generate a string from some html and other bits and bobs, however I can see what looks like a space when I echo it to the page. However when I save that string to a database, and look at it in the entry, I think it could be a new line, because it appears at that point, on seperate lines. The problem is I cant search for it, because something's going on. I generate it here:

Code:

$game_key = str_replace(" ", "", strip_tags($matches[$tournKeys[$c]]).$pieces[0]."VS".$pieces[1].$dt->format('jnY').str_replace(":", "", $pieces[2]));

It appears on the browser as:

Quote:

BarclaysPremierLeague NorwichVSChelsea21120121245

see the 'space' after League?
And in the database (using phpmyadmin) when I click edit entry, it appears in the box as:

Quote:

BarclaysPremierLeague
NorwichVSChelsea21120121245

I dont know whether its just changing line because there's not enough room, however I am stripping the spaces, and its still there. although if I do a search for the exact thing that appears in my browser (copy/paste) it doesnt find it - even when I run the sql from phpmyadmin.
Any ideas what else I need to 'strip'?

P.S There might even be a [new line] at the beginning, I dont know