Football match-fixing on rise as ‘lone wolves’ take it to lower leagues and even youth level March 6, 2022 It is almost 30 years since Bernard Tapie’s Marseille were found to be match-fixing in French football and more than 15 since the Calciopoli scandal rocked Serie A. Yet far from being consigned to the past, the manipulation of results is on the rise across sport and becoming more prevalent outside of football’s top divisions, [...]
Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne dies aged 52 March 4, 2022 Australian cricket legend Shane Warne has died of a suspected heart attack, aged 52, according to multiple reports from Australia.
Explainer: Why have Championship rugby clubs been denied promotion? March 4, 2022 “Disappointed, dismayed and disheartened,” is how Championship rugby leaders Doncaster Knights reacted to news this week that they will not be promoted even if they win the league. The Knights were joined by Ealing Trailfinders in being denied entry to the Premiership, English rugby’s top division, for failing to meet a series of off-field criteria. [...]
Ollie Phillips: Corker of a weekend ahead of us in the Premiership March 4, 2022 While an absence of promotion and relegation in Premiership Rugby may be the talking point within the sport, it’s hard to deny that the lack of jeopardy has produced some cracking rugby this season. With Saracens in second on 54 points and Northampton in ninth on 42, it’s incredibly tight for the three play-off places [...]
EP: 114 Kelso, Newbury, Doncaster & Hong Kong March 4, 2022 Kelso hosts the Morebattle Hurdle on Saturday, Newbury is the venue for the Greatwood Gold Cup & Doncaster stages the Grimthorpe Chase on the same afternoon. Metier returned to form with a recent win for his trainer Harry Fry and looks to be one of the favourites for the Scottish feature. His trainer looks ahead [...]
Fry’s Metier can battle his way to Kelso victory March 3, 2022 THERE are now less than two weeks to go until this year’s Cheltenham Festival with most of the stars of the National Hunt game being nurtured at home for their biggest of tests. However, with a few valuable pots floating around this weekend, plenty have been tempted out to try and snare a prize ahead [...]
Prime time to back Kalooki in Newbury’s Greatwood Gold Cup March 3, 2022 WITH plenty of rain having already fallen and more expected I’m banking on the ground at Newbury being pretty testing. The highlight on the card is the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup (1.50pm) which looks very competitive despite only 10 runners going to post. Dublin Four and Tamaroc Du Mathan should both go well although I’m [...]
Abramovich sale of Chelsea could take place next week, says Premier League March 3, 2022 The Premier League has welcomed Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea and indicated that a takeover could be completed as soon as next week. Chief executive Richard Masters called it the “right solution because the position was unsustainable” given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It’s the right decision. The situation escalated incredibly quickly,” Masters told the [...]
F1 champion Verstappen signs new deal with Oracle Red Bull until 2028 March 3, 2022 Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension that commits him to Oracle Red Bull Racing for the next seven seasons. The deal, which is reported to be worth £40m a year, is a five-year extension to his current agreement and takes him to the end of the 2028 campaign. “I really [...]
Russian athletes banned from Winter Paralympics after rivals threaten boycott March 3, 2022 Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from the Beijing Winter Paralympics after other nations, including Britain, threatened a boycott. The move represents a swift U-turn from International Olympic Committee, which had on Wednesday said they could compete as neutrals when the Games begin on Friday. It is the latest sporting sanction to hit [...]