The Tour de France: a French institution. Visit and you’ll soon find out why… July 3, 2016 It is carnival time in Normandy. Yes, France is still hosting the football European Championships, but many believe there is no sporting event that captures the hearts and minds of the French public better than the Tour de France. The event isn’t just a bicycle race. Aside from being pinnacle of professional racing, it gives the opportunity for [...]
Wimbledon prize money 2016: Novak Djokovic leaves with £80,000 after being dumped out by Sam Querrey in the third round July 2, 2016 Novak Djokovic has exited Wimbledon in the third round — his worst performance for eight years — following a shock loss to American Sam Querrey. Querrey showed superb spirit to knock out the world No1 in four sets, winning 6-7 1-6 6-3 6-7 to progress to the fourth round and match his best-ever performance at the All England [...]
Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre review: An unsettling production with some top notch witches July 1, 2016 If you’re uncertain about whether a production of Macbeth is any good, just ask yourself – are the weird sisters sufficiently weird? While magical realism is present in lots of Shakepeare’s plays, it’s intrinsic to Macbeth, driving much of the action. If it’s poorly executed, tragedy quickly slides into farce. In the Globe’s production, the [...]
Formula E more of a sport than Formula 1 suggest DS Virgin Racing Team ahead of London finale in Battersea Park July 1, 2016 Alex Tai has flown jets in the Royal Air Force, worked on space travel, submarines and hot air balloons. So when he says that being team principal of the DS Virgin Racing in Formula E, the electric car racing series, is one of the “most enjoyable jobs I’ve ever had”, you’re inclined to pay attention [...]
Olympics and Euro 2016 sponsors who don’t take risks like Paddy Power’s Nicklas Bendtner stunt will fall behind to smaller businesses July 1, 2016 This summer’s raft of sporting events creates a global platform for businesses to raise their profile with sponsorship deals. But as marketing campaigns get more creative, innovative and technologically advanced, are traditional sponsorship packages at the Olympics, Euros and Wimbledon, staid, safe and a little boring in comparison? A study out this week showed which [...]
Poland 1, Portugal 1 (AET, Portugal win 5-3 on penalties): Wonder-kid Renato Sanches shrugs off criticism as Portuguese reaches Euro semi-finals again July 1, 2016 Portugal wonder-kid Renato Sanches brushed off criticism of his side as they reached the European Championship semi-finals for the fourth time in five tournaments with a shoot-out victory over Poland in Marseille last night. Ex-Chelsea winger Ricardo Quaresma had the final word after former Poland skipper Jakub Blaszczykowski had seen his penalty saved. The evening [...]
Brendan Rodgers becomes latest manager to distance himself from succeeding Roy Hodgson as England boss July 1, 2016 English football chiefs were yesterday forced to cross another potential candidate off their shortlist to replace Roy Hodgson as Three Lions boss as Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ruled himself out of the running. The process is underway to find a replacement for Hodgson, who quit in the wake of England’s dismal Euro 2016 exit, while [...]
Briton Dan Evans not prepared to simply make up number against seven-time Wimbledon champion as duo prepare for battle June 30, 2016 Britain's world No91 Dan Evans is refusing to be content with sharing a court with seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer when the duo meet in the third round of the championships on Firday. Evans, 25, booked a date with Federer, following in the footsteps of British qualifier Marcus Willis, after today’s 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 [...]
Improving Rashid benefitting from consistent selection as explosive Roy takes game – and England – to new level June 30, 2016 England's displays over the last week or so have provided further evidence that their disastrous World Cup showing less than 18 months ago was nothing short of a blessing in disguise. My former Surrey team-mate Jason Roy was one of the beneficiaries of a change of management and mindset within the England camp. Regular readers [...]
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie review: A party of pissed up PRs and celebrity cameos June 30, 2016 Given the media obsessed culture we live in, it’s remarkable that cinema audiences haven’t already been introduced to Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone. The drunken duo (played by Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley) amassed a cult following during their 90s small screen run, which has seen several one-off returns over the years. Following the critical [...]