X-Men: Apocalypse review: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender can’t salvage this incoherent X-jumble May 19, 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse takes the franchise’s hard-won chips and bets them all on tumbling pyramids and slo-mo explosions. It sells the X-Mansion for a bag of CGI beans. It’s an incoherent jumble, lacking any kind of authoritative vision; a collection of disparate elements that rub uncomfortably against each other, more closely resembling a fan-made super-cut than [...]
Pardew aiming to land a blow for English managers by guiding Palace to first major trophy May 19, 2016 Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is desperate to make it third time lucky in the FA Cup final and land a blow for English managers in the increasingly cosmopolitan upper reaches of the domestic game. Pardew has tasted defeat in the Wembley showpiece twice before: as a player against Manchester United in a 1990 prequel to [...]
Clubs divided over plans for a fifth division of the Football League May 19, 2016 English league football could get a fifth division under sweeping changes being considered for introduction in 2019-20. The current 92-club, four-division system would become five tiers of 20 teams, in a move designed to ease fixture congestion. If approved, the plans could pave the way for a long-discussed winter break and for many FA Cup [...]
Van Gaal: Winning FA Cup would make up for missing out on Champions League May 19, 2016 They may have suffered the ignominy of failing to qualify for the Champions League, but manager Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United can salve that disappointment by winning the FA Cup on Saturday. Beating Crystal Palace would secure not only the first silverware of the under-fire Dutchman’s two-year reign at Old Trafford, but also the [...]
TV channel Dave wants more live sport following David Haye’s successful comeback — including potential super-fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury May 19, 2016 Boxing may not immediately seem like a perfect fit for the self-styled "home of witty banter", yet TV station Dave has got the live sport bug following its successful partnership with British heavyweight David Haye. The channel chose Haye's first fight in three years against Australian Mark De Mori in January for its live sport broadcasting debut [...]
Football betting: Experimental Roy knows his opponents are no Turkeys May 19, 2016 No sooner has the domestic season finished than the countdown to Euro 2016 starts, with England hosting Turkey at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. After naming a 26-man squad on Monday, Roy Hodgson has this friendly, plus two more against Portugal and Australia, to trim his squad and decide on the starting XI for the first group game against [...]
FA Cup final betting: Pardew plotting Palace’s revenge but United will nick it May 19, 2016 The oldest cup competition in the world reaches its climax on Saturday when Crystal Palace and Manchester United meet at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Forget those who put a downer on the tournament, the magic will well and truly be alive for the thousands of fans who walk down Wembley Way dreaming of their [...]
Euro 2016: French intelligence chief warns of Islamic State attacks May 19, 2016 Security fears over Euro 2016 have been raised after the country's spy chief warned that Islamic State terrorists are planning a series of bomb attacks on large crowds. The Euro 2016 football tournament kicks-off in France next month amid fears of a possible terror attack first triggered when an international friendly was targeted by suicide [...]
A Hologram For The King starring Tom Hanks is a feel-good frolic for those who admire easy charm May 19, 2016 A Hologram For The King | ★★★☆☆ Tom Hanks is enjoying something of a renaissance, courting Oscar once again with both Captain Phillips and last year’s Spielberg reunion Bridge of Spies. His new film, based on the 2012 Dave Eggers novel, sees him playing a charismatic American businessman looking to seal a tech deal in a [...]
The Rose and the Ring at The Charterhouse: How to enjoy country opera within the Square Mile May 19, 2016 The Rose and The Ringw | The Charterhouse | ★★★★★ Country-house opera is a peculiar experience. You dress up, park your car on a rich Englishman’s estate, drink champagne and have a picnic, all the while being immersed in the operatic experience. The Charterhouse hosted a City-based version last week with a riotous production of [...]