Premier League fixtures 2015-16: Spurs start at United, Chelsea get Swans and West Ham at Arsenal June 17, 2015 Tottenham are set to visit Manchester United in the most eye-catching fixture of the Premier League’s opening weekend, while Chelsea begin their title defence at home to Swansea. FA Cup winners Arsenal host West Ham in a London derby that marks Slaven Bilic’s first league match as Hammers manager, while Crystal Palace travel to [...]
Swiss authorities ready to quiz Sepp Blatter over Fifa World Cup bids June 17, 2015 BESIEGED Fifa president Sepp Blatter and other senior officials at football’s world governing body could be quizzed over World Cup bid corruption claims, say Swiss authorities. The country’s attorney general elaborated on the investigation – separate to the FBI’s – for the first time yesterday, revealing that Swiss banks had flagged up 53 suspicious transactions. [...]
Dettori delight as he brings up Royal Ascot 50 June 17, 2015 THREE-TIME Champion Jockey Frankie Dettori thanked Qatari racing supremo Sheikh Joaan Al Thani after becoming only the fourth man to ride 50 winners at Royal Ascot. Dettori piloted Richard Hannon-trained 13-2 shot Osaila to victory by a nose in the Sandringham Handicap to join a select group that includes Lester Piggot, Pat Eddery and Willie [...]
McDowell reveals he considered retirement June 17, 2015 FORMER US Open champion Graeme McDowell has admitted wrestling with thoughts of premature retirement as he prepares to begin his tilt at winning the Major for a second time today. McDowell, 35, who triumphed at Pebble Beach five years ago, revealed he has considered his golfing future amid wavering form – no top-25 finishes in [...]
Saracens drawn against Toulouse and old enemy Ulster in Europe June 17, 2015 SARACENS boss Mark McCall has welcomed another showdown with Ulster after the teams were drawn together in the pool stage of the European Rugby Champions Cup. The two teams, who met at the quarter-final stage in 2013 and 2014, are joined in Pool 1 by four-time winners Toulouse and fellow French Top 14 side Oyonnax. [...]
Chelsea and Manchester City asked to assist in Neymar fraud case June 17, 2015 A Spanish high court has allowed a fraud case to be brought against Barcelona star Neymar and asked Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to assist in the inquiry. Brazilian investment firm DIS, which owned 40 per cent of the Neymar's transfer rights prior to his Barcelona move, filed a complaint which accuses [...]
Fifa crisis: Swiss banks told authorities of “suspicious” activity connected to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cup bidding June 17, 2015 The heat has intensified on the future Russia and Qatar World Cups after Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber revealed he had evidence of over 50 "suspicious" banking relations connected to Fifa. Lauber, the head of the Swiss investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, declared he was not afraid if [...]
Shock defeat to motivate, insists Nadal June 16, 2015 FORMER world No1 Rafael Nadal has vowed to use his shock first-round exit to unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club yesterday as motivation for a tilt at Wimbledon redemption. Fifth seed Nadal failed to convert a break in the final set and succumbed 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, as Dolgopolov claimed a [...]
Murray ready to lock horns with old foe Verdasco June 16, 2015 THREE-TIME Queen’s Club champion Andy Murray booked a second-round clash with Spain’s Fernando Verdasco after starting his grass-court season with a routine victory over Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun at the Aegon Championships yesterday. Top seed Murray dropped a service game in each set but powered through 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 19 minutes against world No63 [...]
Moore grabs Royal Ascot treble as Gleneagles delights O’Brien June 16, 2015 TRAINER Aidan O’Brien hailed Gleneagles as the best miler he has ever worked with after the three-year-old claimed his third Group One victory of the season on the opening day of Royal Ascot. The dual Guineas winner justified his odds-on favouritism in the St James’s Palace Stakes, triumphing by two and a half lengths to [...]