England 2, Wales 1: Sturridge and Vardy late show gets England’s Euro 2016 back on track as manager’s gamble pays off June 16, 2016 Relieved England boss Roy Hodgson revelled in the depth of his squad after his game-changing substitutions conjured a pivotal last-gasp victory over Wales in Lens. Hodgson gambled with England looking increasingly bereft of inspiration and losing 1-0 at half-time, courtesy of Gareth Bale’s free-kick and a Joe Hart howler, and unleashed strikers Daniel Sturridge and Jamie [...]
Credit to Roy Hodgson for saving the day – and his job – with the boldest decisions of his England reign June 16, 2016 Roy Hodgson cut a worried figure during the first half. His team were made to scrap by Wales; it was not going well. He rubbed his brow and knew that, as things stood, he probably only had 45 minutes left as England manager. Defeat to Wales would surely have meant he was out of a job [...]
Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre review: A gloriously magical and hilarious production that hits all the right nostalgic notes June 16, 2016 Prince Edward Theatre | ★★★★☆ Musicals inspired by Disney films have a chequered track record. Luckily, Aladdin joins The Lion King and Mary Poppins in the halls of success, leaving Tarzan and The Little Mermaid in the doldrums where they belong. While there were some children in the audience, most appeared to have been dragged along [...]
The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Haunting film review: An overlong, but well-crafted horror with a genuinely unpleasant demon June 16, 2016 Dir: James Wan | ★★★☆☆ The world’s creepiest couple, Ed and Lorraine Warren, return to investigate another paranormal case. This time, they’ve been asked by the Catholic church to visit somewhere more diabolical than their supernatural adventures have ever taken them: Enfield, north London. Described as “England’s Amityville”, they find a poverty-stricken single-parent family who are [...]
Betting: France set for lift-off against Switzerland June 16, 2016 France have been late to their own party in the opening two matches of Euro 2016, relying on last-minute magic in wins against Romania and Albania. It may have been far from convincing, but those results put Les Bleus safely through to the next round with a game to go. With the pressure off, we [...]
Betting: Republic of Ireland to hold underwhelming Belgium June 16, 2016 Belgium entered the European Championships as the highest ranked team in Europe according to FIFA, but have so far failed to live up to the billing. In Monday’s 2-0 defeat to Italy they lacked ideas and, following a limp exit to Argentina at the last World Cup, there is a genuine worry that the country’s golden [...]
England v Wales player ratings: Tottenham’s Kyle Walker the star of the show as Roy Hodgson’s gung-ho gamble pays off June 16, 2016 It wasn't easy, it wasn't perfect and it wasn't always pretty but England eventually broke down a stubborn Wales side in Lens to go top of Group B. Following a frustrating first-half, Roy Hodgson gave the gung-ho go-ahead to his side and the gamble paid off. Just. Here's how they rated: Joe Hart – 4 Had little to [...]
Liverpool takeover: Owners FSG deny £700m offer from Chinese firm SinoFortone June 16, 2016 Liverpool's owners have poured cold water on reports they have been approached by a Chinese firm to buy the club for £700m. A letter circulating on social media appeared to show Chinese investment group SinoFortone offering Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) £700m for the Premier League club. But according to the Liverpool Echo, FSG officials say they have had [...]
England v Wales: Uefa plays down night of trouble in Lille as threat of expulsion from Euro 2016 looms over England June 16, 2016 England appear to have escaped further punishment from Uefa following further clashes between fans and police in Lille last night. European football's governing body had threatened to expel Roy Hodgson's team from Euro 2016 if there was a repeat of the fan violence that marred the build-up to their opening match against Russia. There were [...]
Deschamps praise for West Ham’s Payet as France leave it late but qualify for Euro 2016 knockout phase June 15, 2016 France manager Didier Deschamps insists a more feisty approach is paying dividends for Dimitri Payet after the West Ham playmaker scored one of two late goals as Les Bleus eventually dispatched minnows Albania in Marseille. A second successive win propelled hosts France into the tournament’s knockout phase as victory was sealed courtesy of strikes from [...]