Johanna Konta backed to boost Great Britain’s Fed Cup hopes in Tallinn February 7, 2017 Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong has urged her full-strength team to put women’s tennis on the map in this country by making long-overdue progress in the Fed Cup – starting this week. Britain have spent 24 years trying in vain to achieve promotion from the Europe/Africa Zone – the competition’s third tier – and are [...]
Leicester players and fans should be rallying behind Claudio Ranieri – but the next two games could decide his fate February 7, 2017 They may still end up losing their next four games, but whether they do or not, Leicester’s public backing for manager Claudio Ranieri today was the right thing to do and I take my hat off to them. These are difficult times for the Foxes, whose Premier League-winning dream season has been followed by the rude awakening [...]
Troy Deeney interview: Watford’s captain on how prison spurred him to the Premier League February 7, 2017 For most players it’s a motivational pep talk, a successful loan move or a dramatic moment on the pitch that is the catalyst for propelling a career to new heights. But for Watford striker Troy Deeney, the script really begins at the moment the door to his cell in Warrington’s Thorn Cross prison slammed shut at [...]
European football clubs crush January transfer window spending record, splashing out €200m more than previous high February 7, 2017 The biggest leagues in European football spent more money than ever before in this year's January transfer window, crushing the previous record by more than €200m (£172.6m). According to research from academics at the CIES Football Observatory, clubs in the top divisions in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain collectively spent €742m (£640.3m) in the four-week [...]
Alastair Cook’s reign as England Test skipper in five moments February 6, 2017 NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Cook’s first tour in charge saw the tourists, together with a reintegrated Kevin Pietersen following the South Africa text message debacle earlier that year, shock MS Dhoni’s India in their own back yard – England’s first victory there in 28 years. The left-hander led from the front, notching 562 runs [...]
Alastair Cook will remain a key figure in England side for years despite quitting captaincy, insists director of cricket Andrew Strauss February 6, 2017 England director of cricket Andrew Strauss has backed Alastair Cook to remain a key figure in the side for many years to come despite quitting his role as Test captain. Cook, who succeeded Strauss as England skipper in August 2012, called time on his tenure having captained his country for a record 59 Test matches. [...]
Russia set to miss World Athletics Championships in London after IAAF vote to extend ban from international competition February 6, 2017 Russia are set to be banned from this summer’s World Championships in London after athletics governing body the IAAF voted to extend the country’s suspension from international competition for state-sponsored doping. The IAAF unanimously opted to prolong the ban, which was initially introduced in November 2015, on the Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF) at a council [...]
Antonio Conte on turning Chelsea from ugly ducklings into beautiful swans February 6, 2017 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed that he relied on his single-mindedness during a mixed start to his task of reviving the club's fortunes. The Blues seem set to sweep to the Premier League title in Conte's first season, but the Italian admits a stuttering start at Stamford Bridge tested his self-belief. “The start of [...]
Why England players will have shuddered at Eddie Jones’s assessment of the France win February 6, 2017 As bruised England players pored over the Sunday papers while tackling a breakfast of serving bowls of cereal and kilos of back bacon, they would have been unnerved digesting Eddie Jones’s post-match remarks. The head coach blamed himself for the dull performance in England’s narrow 19-16 win over France on Saturday, saying that he didn't [...]
This curious series of matchbook prints pays homage to a lost Japanese advertising artform February 6, 2017 Today, the chances are you don’t even own a box of matches, let alone appreciate the lost artform that used to adorn them. But in the early to mid-20th century, Japanese advertisers created tiny wonders of graphic art on these pocket-sized canvases. As urban centres began to proliferate and the population was drawn away from [...]