Diego Costa: Chelsea striker fined £20,000 and has ban extended by the FA April 1, 2016 Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been fined £20,000 and hit with an extended one-match ban by the FA after admitting a charge of improper conduct. The 27-year-old will now be absent for next Saturday's trip to Swansea on 9 April as well as this weekend's meeting with Aston Villa, having already missed Chelsea's 2-2 draw [...]
The Painkiller at Garrick Theatre starring Kenneth Branagh is a predictable but fun slapstick comedy April 1, 2016 The Painkiller | Garrick Theatre Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon bring star power to this funny but painfully anachronistic comedy. It tells the tale of a contract killer whose life is thrown into disarray when he is allocated a hotel room adjoining that of a lovelorn, suicidal photographer. It’s adapted from Le Contrat, a French [...]
Eddie the Eagle is a soaring success April 1, 2016 With hindsight, it’s a surprise Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards’ rise to fame wasn’t made into a film sooner. Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) dons thick-rimmed glasses and a permanent gurn as the plucky Eddie, a young man obsessed with being an Olympian. He exploits a loophole in the rules to enter the 1988 Winter [...]
The absurdist brilliance of Franciszka & Stefan Themerson April 1, 2016 Polish husband and wife Franciszka and Stefan Themerson’s output is so varied, spanning so many types of media and so many artistic styles, that making sense of it all in one room is rather overwhelming. Along the first wall is a row of cabinets filled with illustrations, mostly for children’s books – one features a [...]
Les Blancs at National Theatre is a spectacular tour de force April 1, 2016 As you walk into the Lyttelton theatre for Les Blancs, you’re hit by a wall of incense so thick it stings your eyes. It's the first indication that this is a play that refuses to remain anchored to its dusty, sun-baked set, bleeding subtly off the stage, playing on your imagined version of Africa and setting it against the [...]
Arsene Wenger asks Arsenal fans to consider team’s injuries before judging season April 1, 2016 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has asked fans to consider the number of injuries his squad has suffered before judging their performance this season. The Frenchman still believes Arsenal can catch Leicester and win the Premier League, despite being 11 points behind the Foxes with a game in hand. Star midfielder Mesut Ozil has claimed Arsenal [...]
We’ll dispatch England in World Twenty20 final whether Chris Gayle fires or not, warns West Indies skipper Darren Sammy March 31, 2016 West Indies have sent an unequivocal message to fellow World Twenty20 finalists England that they are far from a one-man team, according to their victorious skipper Darren Sammy. Despite ferocious opener Chris Gayle, so often West Indies’ most fearsome weapon, falling for just five, his side still managed to chase down their victory target of [...]
Tottenham in fight with six other teams for Premier League title, says Pochettino March 31, 2016 Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino insists the Premier League title remains wide open and as many as seven teams are still in the hunt for top-flight silverware this season. Spurs trail leaders Leicester by five points with seven matches to go, while they are six points ahead of north London rivals Arsenal, although Arsene Wenger’s side retain [...]
Football betting: Title-chasing Tottenham to earn their Spurs at Liverpool March 31, 2016 Attention turns back to the Premier League this weekend after the international break, and the finale of this intriguing season. With Leicester not in action until Sunday’s clash with Southampton, Tottenham have the chance to move within two points of the leaders with a trip to Anfield on Saturday evening. This is a very different [...]
Football betting: Unreliable Manchester United should keep top four hopes alive March 31, 2016 The Premier League’s most inconsistent pair go head-to-head at Old Trafford on Sunday when Manchester United host Everton. Both have shown themselves capable of picking up results over top sides, but without any reliability. Everton’s fine FA Cup victory over Chelsea was sandwiched by losses to West Ham and Arsenal. Meanwhile, United have beaten the Gunners [...]