Fans will see that they are wrong to boo me – Rafa November 25, 2012 CHELSEA 0 vs MANCHESTER CITY 0 CHELSEA’S Rafael Benitez insisted last night that the fans who gave him a hellish reception will come to see the error of their ways, after the new manager failed to end the Blues’ month-long wait for a Premier League win. A torrent of verbal abuse was aimed by the [...]
Pietersen and Cook hit record equalling tons November 25, 2012 ENGLAND’S mercurial batsman Kevin Pietersen poured praise on his captain Alastair Cook yesterday after the pair stormed their way to record-equalling centuries in the second Test against India. Cook and Pietersen both hit the 22nd tons of their Test careers, the equal highest number in the team’s history alongside Geoffrey Boycott, Wally Hammond and Colin [...]
Let’s help fourth officials stamp out thugs November 25, 2012 ON Friday evening the great Welsh scrum-half Clive Rowlands was speaking at a dinner in Cardiff on the eve of the Wales v New Zealand Test, remembering his part in changing the laws of rugby union. In 1963, he had almost singlehandedly been responsible for perhaps the most remarkable statistic in the history of the [...]
Anti-Semitism mustn’t detract from Spurs win, says Villas-Boas November 25, 2012 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 vs WEST HAM UNITED 1 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas refused to dwell on apparent anti-Semitic chanting from West Ham fans after Jermain Defoe’s brace sunk the striker’s old club at White Hart Lane. Winger Gareth Bale scored in between Defoe’s goals, while a late Andy Carroll header for the visitors could not [...]
Saints out of bottom three November 25, 2012 SOUTHAMPTON climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a comfortable 2-0 win over freefalling Newcastle yesterday at St Mary’s. Record £12m signing Gaston Ramirez set up Adam Lallana for the first and added the second himself to condemn the Magpies to a third successive defeat. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers saw his team held [...]
Record-setting Vettel honours legend Senna November 25, 2012 RED Bull’s Sebastian Vettel evoked the memory of legendary driver Ayrton Senna last night, after he eclipsed the late Brazilian’s record to become the youngest ever racer to win three Formula One championships. Britain’s Jenson Button won yesterday’s thrilling and rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix in one hour, 45 minutes and 22 seconds, yet all attention [...]
Don’t blame Robshaw for defeat to Boks, he’s still right man to captain England, says Sir Clive November 25, 2012 WORLD Cup-winning former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has leapt to the defence of under-fire captain Chris Robshaw, after Saturday’s 16-15 defeat to South Africa saw his judgement called into question again. Robshaw was criticised for ordering Owen Farrell to kick at goal in the dying stages at Twickenham, rather than aiming for the corner [...]
Wasps victory keeps flawless home record November 25, 2012 LONDON Wasps forward Phil Swainston hailed his pack after they helped extend the club’s 100 per cent home record in the Aviva Premiership with a 14-12 victory over Leicester Tigers. Tom Varndell’s blistering try put Wasps into an early lead, and dominance at the scrum allowed Nick Robinson and Lee Thomas to kick the decisive [...]
Beaten Hatton hangs up gloves November 25, 2012 BRITISH former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton announced his retirement from boxing after losing his comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko on Saturday night. The 34-year-old, who was stopped in the ninth round in Manchester, said: “I needed one more fight to see if I had still got it – and I haven’t.”
Storming finish earns Rory glory November 25, 2012 World No1 Rory McIlroy signed off the finest year of his career in style yesterday by winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Northern Irishman, who this month completed the European and PGA Tour money list double, birdied his last five holes to finish 23 under par – two strokes clear of [...]