Grand National: Woman arrested ‘over potential co-ordinated disruption’ April 15, 2023 A woman was arrested in connection with potential co-ordinated disruption at Aintree Racecourse as animal rights activists gathered outside the track before the Grand National Festival’s final day. A 33-year-old woman from the London area was arrested in the Greater Manchester area on Saturday morning on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, Merseyside Police [...]
Leaving the Premiership XV: Talent drain from English rugby laid bare April 15, 2023 It’s not uncommon for the world’s various top flight leagues to see quality talent steadily flow in and out, but the Premiership – the top level of rugby in England – is about to see a mass exodus of players to rival leagues. Leaving the Premiership are a number of individuals who between them have [...]
So far, snow good: How Britain became an unlikely force in winter sports April 15, 2023 While casual skiers and snowboarders put boots back into lofts as the European snow season becomes a thing of months past, the cream of Britain’s winter sportspeople are not done in continuing a record-breaking campaign on the white stuff. A year on from a disappointing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where Team GB medalled only in [...]
English football wants a piece of the American pie – but it’s not MLS April 15, 2023 From Todd Boehly’s private-equity-backed consortium at Premier League giants Chelsea to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner at Portsmouth in the third tier down to Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at non-league Wrexham, the flow of football investment between the United States and Britain is well established. But it is not all one-way. Increasingly, [...]
Ollie Phillips: It’s time for RFU axe its short-sighted England selection policy April 15, 2023 I won’t hold my breath, but Jack Willis’s decision to stay at Toulouse ought to sound alarm bells at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and cause them to reconsider their refusal to pick overseas-based players for the England team. That stance might be sustainable when your clubs can pay the same as those in France [...]
Grand National stage looks set for Delta to Work his magic April 15, 2023 THERE’s nothing quite like the Randox Grand National (Saturday, 5:15pm) it’s a race that inspires dreams and writes its own script. It can change the careers of trainers and jockeys in an instant, or the approximate nine minutes that it takes to negotiate 30 formidable fences and four-miles two-furlongs around Aintree’s famous track. In recent [...]
Premier League names date for ban on front-of-shirt gambling advertising April 14, 2023 Premier League clubs have agreed to remove gambling advertising from the front of their match shirts, it has been announced. Teams voluntarily adopted the change, which will be phased over the next year so that no team has a betting brand on the front of their kit by the 2024-25 season. The move is designed [...]
Purton’s on the Express train to a Sha Tin treble April 14, 2023 ALTHOUGH jockey Zac Purton had no luck at Happy Valley in mid-week, the reigning champion should be back on track to the delight of his many thousands of supporters with a full book of fancied rides on the 10-race programme at Sha Tin on Saturday. As per normal, most of his mounts will be near [...]
Togepi ready to set Millard back on the winning track April 14, 2023 THE FEATURE race of the day has to be the £265,000 Class Two Nurturing Talent 1200M Handicap (10.10am), run over six furlongs and consisting of some of the best sprint handicappers, and rising stars, in town. Zac Purton has seemingly put his head on the block by persuading trainer Danny Shum to run highly-progressive Victor [...]
Premier League footballer held on suspicion of child sex offences to face no further action April 14, 2023 A Premier League footballer arrested on suspicion of child sex offences will face no further action, police said. The footballer was first held in June 2021, bailed pending further inquiries by police and suspended by his club. He has been under investigation for almost two years but on Friday, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said he [...]