Arsenal injuries: Midfield options further depleted as Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta injured during West Brom defeat November 21, 2015 As if a first Premier League defeat in seven games wasn't enough of a blow, Arsenal were left to rue injuries to Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta during a 2-1 reversal at West Bromwich Albion that leaves them short of options in midfield. During another bruising encounter with a Tony Pulis side, Joel Campbell staked [...]
Andy Murray finishes 2015 ATP Tour season with the highest prize money earnings and most wins of his career to date November 21, 2015 Andy Murray once again suffered an early exit from the ATP World Tour Finals last night, a competition in which he has struggled to turn home advantage into success. A 7-6, 6-4 to Stan Wawrinka, on the back of another straight sets defeat to Rafael Nadal, ended Murray's chances of winning the ATP's curtain call [...]
Rangers “big tax case”: Will HMRC now look at other football clubs’ payment structures? November 20, 2015 Earlier this month the Murray Group – owners of the now liquidated Rangers Football club – lost the third round of its battle with HM Revenue & Customs over whether payments made to an employee benefit trust (EBT), that were intended to benefit the families of players and certain of the club’s senior executives, should [...]
Eddie Jones: Why England Rugby’s new head coach could benefit from keeping Stuart Lancaster involved November 20, 2015 Eddie Jones is the exciting, big name appointment to head coach many England fans were hoping for – but could there still be a role for Stuart Lancaster in the England set up? Heads were always going to roll after England's World Cup results and the level of investment in the team, but we need [...]
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 movie review: Last instalment draws the film series to an entertaining conclusion November 20, 2015 Cert 12A | ★★★★☆ The Hunger Games is a rarity in Hollywood franchises; all three instalments have maintained a high standard. Action-packed, intelligent stories with solid performances, and in Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss a heroine the audiences can get behind. Can the finale, wedged between the loud juggernauts of Bond and Star Wars, deliver an end [...]
The Dressmaker, Steve McQueen, The Perfect Guy and Momentum: This weekend’s new films reviewed November 20, 2015 The Dressmaker | Cert 15 ★★★☆☆ A quirky comedy-drama that’s lifted out of the ordinary by Kate Winslet as glamorous seamstress Tilly. Her character returns to her home in Australia to care for her mother. But once she arrives, old rumours linking her to a murder in her childhood resurface, and she rekindles a romance with [...]
I Want My Hat Back review: National Theatre’s production of beloved children’s book sends kids wild November 20, 2015 National Theatre | ★★★★★ So there’s this bear, right, and he’s got an amazing hat. All red and pointy and with an elastic strap to keep it nice and secure on his big bear head. Where did the hat come from? It doesn’t matter. What matters is where it goes. Because shortly after the bear falls [...]
Uefa relents: Manchester City escape punishment for fans booing Champions League anthem November 20, 2015 Manchester City have escaped punishment after Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings into their fans booing the Champions League anthem. A match delegate reported the crowd's hostile response to Uefa for review following their match with Sevilla at the Etihad Stadium last month. Disciplinary proceedings were subsequently opened, triggering much derision and condemnation including from captain Vincent [...]
England’s appointment of Eddie Jones as head coach signals southern hemisphere coaching dominance of world rugby November 20, 2015 On February 6, 2016 history will be made at Murrayfield – for the first time in history, England's players will be directed by a head coach from abroad. The RFU has appointed Australian Eddie Jones as the man to lead England's recovery from a disastrous World Cup, succumbing to the temptation of sourcing southern hemisphere expertise [...]
Eddie Jones made England’s first foreign head coach with contract worth more than £1.8m November 20, 2015 Eddie Jones has become England's first foreign head coach after agreeing a four-year deal with the RFU thought to be worth in excess of £1.8m. The Australian, who takes over in December, succeeds Stuart Lancaster who resigned after England's early exit from last month's World Cup. "I hope to build a new team that will [...]