England squad: Gareth Southgate’s selection of Jadon Sancho, James Maddison and Mason Mount shows refreshing change of attitude October 4, 2018 When Jadon Sancho turned down a £30,000 per week contract at Manchester City last season he was taking a big gamble. But armed with supreme confidence in his own ability, the then 17-year-old winger upped sticks amid plenty of acrimony to join Borussia Dortmund for £10m and challenge himself. Fast-forward 14 months and Sancho could [...]
Ollie Phillips: Alex Goode’s omission from England’s squad proves Eddie Jones is contradicting his own statements October 4, 2018 I find some of the messages coming from England coach Eddie Jones confusing. He says he picks players on form and his side will be comprised of the best performing players from the Premiership. But if you look at the squad that simply isn’t the case. Alex Goode has been brilliant for Saracens over a [...]
Manchester United v Newcastle: Old foes Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez have chance to twist the knife October 4, 2018 Perhaps, after the final whistle has blown at Old Trafford on Saturday evening, Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez will gather in the Manchester United manager’s office and share a bottle of vintage claret, as Sir Alex Ferguson was fond of doing, and reminisce about the good old days. Or perhaps not, given their long-running and [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Sea can show she’s a Class act in the Arc October 4, 2018 AFTER being run at Chantilly for the last two years during the redevelopment of Longchamp, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (3.05pm) returns to its rightful home on Sunday. Europe’s most valuable horse race was won in emphatic fashion by the John Gosden-trained Enable 12 months ago and she’s back to defend her crown. The [...]
Silverstone chiefs admit next year’s British Grand Prix could be the last for the foreseeable future October 4, 2018 The owners of Silverstone have revealed that next year’s British Grand Prix is on track to be the last as they have still not signed a new deal after more than a year of negotiating. The admission is made in a letter sent last month by John Grant, chairman of Silverstone’s owner, the British Racing [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Battaash out to blow Abbaye rivals away for a second time October 4, 2018 WHEN the Charlie Hills-trained BATTAASH is on his A-game, there isn’t a better turf sprinter in the world, and he can bounce back in Sunday’s Prix de L’Abbaye (4.35pm). For whatever reason, he hasn’t performed at his best in the last two renewals of the Nunthorpe at York, having looked unbeatable on his previous starts [...]
Horse Racing Betting Tips: Classy Chimes to put the Wind in Fabre’s sail October 4, 2018 WITH the eyes of the racing world firmly fixed on Paris and Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting, it’s a bit rich that the French trainers want to come over here and plunder the UK’s only Group One prize this weekend. But that’s exactly what they’ve been doing in recent years in the Sun [...]
Former footballer Scott Ward launches new scheme with EY to support retiring athletes October 4, 2018 One of the lowest points of Scott Ward’s career came when he was without a contract and training with Millwall, hoping to rebuild his fitness after leaving boyhood club Luton Town. Ward bumped into a group of his former Luton team-mates while walking down the high street, but when they asked what he was doing [...]
Qarabag v Arsenal: The rise of Azerbaijan’s five time champions October 3, 2018 When Arsenal take the field tonight, they will be hoping that it is just the first of two visits this season to the Baku Olympic Stadium. The Gunners are making a 5,000-mile round trip for their second Europa League group stage fixture against FK Qarabag, a record distance for the club in major competitions. Should [...]
Chris Tremlett: Natural leader Andrew Strauss leaves ECB with a modern blueprint ahead of a crucial year October 3, 2018 Andrew Strauss stepping down as England’s director of cricket is a shame, but family comes first and he leaves knowing what he’s achieved. The move has been ongoing over the summer with Andy Flower covering for him while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer. That’s his priority at the moment, so it has probably [...]