Joker only ready to be played after group stage December 8, 2011 YESTERDAY’S decision is a huge positive for England but it will not change the mindset of manager Fabio Capello one bit, which will be to tackle the Euro 2012 group stage without Wayne Rooney. By the time Rooney’s two-match suspension has elapsed, England could be as good as out of the tournament, if fixtures against [...]
New England coach Lancaster ready to get tough December 8, 2011 Farrell and Rowntree also on board as new-look set-up aim to eradicate memories of dismal World Cup ENGLAND’S new interim head coach Stuart Lancaster intends to rule with an iron fist in an attempt to eradicate the disciplinary issues and laddish culture which undermined the Red Rose’s abysmal World Cup campaign. Lancaster, the England Saxons [...]
Mancini sets a new trophy target for City December 8, 2011 MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini admits his side will need to end the season with two trophies if they are to compensate for the shattering blow of exiting the Champions League on Wednesday night. Having invested heavily over the summer in experienced Champions League campaigners such as Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, City [...]
Euro exit will test Ferguson’s powers of recovery December 8, 2011 THE BIGGER they come the harder they fall, and after Wednesday’s double Champions League knockout blow, the destiny of the Premier League title could well be determined by which Manchester heavyweight is able to rise from the canvas first. While United, the seasoned, battle-scarred campaigners are famed for their powers of recovery, City represent the [...]
Tuesday option for Manchester’s Europa clashes December 8, 2011 MANCHESTER rivals City and United face a fresh dent to their pride with the grim prospect of having their home Europa League fixtures shunted to a Tuesday afternoon a distinct possibility. Uefa regulations prevent teams from the same city playing on the same day and with both teams guaranteed a home second leg by virtue [...]
Son waits in wings as Farrell Sr called December 8, 2011 THE SURNAME Farrell might have raised eyebrows when it was included in England’s interim coaching set-up yesterday, but the indications are its presence at Twickenham is only likely to increase. While former dual-code international Andy Farrell, 36, was something of a surprise choice as one of temporary head coach Stuart Lancaster’s assistants, there will be [...]
Global revenues on rise but Europe to see the worst of it, say experts December 8, 2011 EUROPE, the Middle East and Africa will experience the slowest growth rate of all global sports markets over the next five years, experts have forecast. Latin America is poised to enjoy the biggest increase, growing 4.9 per cent each year, thanks to Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup, according to research published today by accountants [...]
Rampant Rory gains upper hand over Donald in European title chase December 8, 2011 NORTHERN IRELAND’S Rory McIlroy enhanced his chances of finishing ahead of Luke Donald in the race to finish the season at the head of the European Tour money list after making a blistering start to the Dubai World Championship. US Open champion McIlroy, who must win the tournament and hope Donald finishes outside the top [...]
Helping Scottish rugby on and off field December 8, 2011 TOMORROW we face Doncaster Knights at the Richmond Athletic Ground (3pm kick-off) in what can only be described as a must win encounter. We were very disappointed with the result against Cornish Pirates last weekend. I feel we were on the end of a backlash from the Pirates’ defeat in their previous game, ironically against [...]
LTA appoint Murray’s mum December 8, 2011 TENNIS: The Lawn Tennis Association has appointed Judy Murray as Britain’s New Fed Cup team captain. The mother of British No1 Andy Murray, a former national coach, will also work closely with the LTA player team in mentoring some of Britain’s upcoming female performance coaches. Britain’s women are next in Fed Cup action against Israel in [...]