Chelsea’s £60m kit sponsorship with Nike trumps Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham deals but falls behind United’s £75m Adidas partnership May 18, 2016 Chelsea and Nike are believed to be on the verge of signing the Premier League's second-biggest kit partnership deal, worth £60m per year. The agreement would mean the Blues double the revenue currently generated by the £30m per season deal with Adidas that both club and manufacturer agreed to terminate six years early last week. Read [...]
Even as a teenager, England debutant James Vince was destined to achieve big things – I doubt he’ll be fazed by his Test bow May 18, 2016 I first saw James Vince when he was about 17 years old and it was immediately apparent that he was a very talented kid. Even at such a young age he was facing bowlers of 85mph plus and he always seemed to have so much time. When someone has that skill and elegance – comparisons [...]
Five from West Ham and three from Sunderland: my alternative team of the season May 18, 2016 You could make a case for including every Leicester player in a Premier League team of the year but away from them – and other stars who have also already been recognised – other less celebrated figures have made significant contributions too. Here is my unsung XI. Goalkeeper: Adrian, West Ham Fraser Forster had a [...]
Punk 1976-1978 at the British Library review: from the Sex Pistols to Vivienne Westwood, this new exhibition charts anarchy in the UK May 18, 2016 British punk, with its DIY attitude and rejection of establishment values, seems like an unlikely subject for an exhibition at the British Library. In fact, the musical and cultural phenomenon, which crashed into the public consciousness in 1976, was a wake-up call for authors and academics, who had previously given the British music scene far [...]
Manchester United 3, Bournemouth 1: Rooney backs Rashford for England before admitting his days as an Old Trafford striker are numbered May 17, 2016 Manchester United and England skipper Wayne Rooney has backed rookie striker Marcus Rashford to prove his worth and snatch a place in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2016 squad after chalking up another goal in Tuesday's demolition of Bournemouth. Rearranged after Sunday’s fake bomb fiasco, United rounded off their league campaign with a comfortable win as Rooney, Rashford [...]
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shrugs off chronic failure record in finals as Reds plot Europa League glory bid against Sevilla May 17, 2016 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has played down the significance of his recurring tendency to lose major finals as the Reds prepare to derail Sevilla’s bid to win an unprecedented third successive Europa League crown in Basel on Wednesday. Klopp’s respective sides have fallen at the final hurdle four times in succession since he guided Borussia Dortmund [...]
Test rookie James Vince eager for debut as England prepare for Sri Lanka battle at Headingley May 17, 2016 Test hopeful James Vince admits it is beginning to resonate that his debut may be just hours away as England prepare to kickstart their international summer against Sri Lanka at Headingley on Thursday. Hampshire batsman Vince is poised to fill the middle-order vacancy created by the retirement of James Taylor, who was forced to call [...]
Further shadow cast over Olympic Games as latest drugs controversy set to see 31 athletes banned for Rio de Janeiro May 17, 2016 This summer’s Olympics are set to be plunged into disarray after it was confirmed that 31 athletes face bans following the retesting of doping samples from the 2008 Beijing Games. The 31 athletes, spanning 12 nationalities and six sports, now face the prospect of suspension after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concluded their retesting of [...]
Olympics 2016: Up to 31 athletes could be banned from Rio Games after IOC retests Beijing samples May 17, 2016 Up to 31 athletes from six sports and 12 different countries could be banned from competing at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found positive results in retests of 454 doping samples from Beijing 2008. IOC president Thomas Bach said the measures would show dopers that they "had no place [...]
Aston Villa exodus continues: Former FA director Adrian Bevington leaves club after less than two months May 17, 2016 Former FA director Adrian Bevington has become the latest high-profile figure to leave Aston Villa after less than two months with the club. Bevington's departure from his advisory role follows the resignations of former Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King and ex-FA chief David Bernstein from the board. The relegated club, who suffered the worst Premier League [...]