Film review: In Danny Collins Al Pacino learns how to grow old gracefully May 29, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★★☆ Watching Al Pacino and Robert De Niro slog it out in 2008’s Righteous Kill, you’d be forgiven for thinking Pacino was finished. Gone. Destined to live out his days impotently raging at the dying of the light, playing wrinkled, rattly-boned versions of the live-wires he once infused with febrile intensity. [...]
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein: Who is the man taking on Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency? May 29, 2015 Sepp Blatter, the controversial 78-year-old Fifa president, is hoping to win a fifth term in today's election, but must first beat off the competition from a contender 39 years his junior. With Blatter’s reign mired in corruption scandals, contentious World Cup hosting choices and most recently a sensational series of arrests of senior officials, the Jordanian [...]
Theatre review: Merry hijinks lacking passion in The Beaux’ Stratagem May 28, 2015 Olivier Theatre | ★★★☆☆ George Farquhar’s The Beaux’ Stratagem is not quite your typical Restoration comedy. While his contemporary William Congreve took the genre to a new level of metropolitan licentiousness, Farquhar headed to the provinces. Though still based around amorous adventures, his later works check their horseplay with a tragicomic seriousness. The Beaux’ Stratagem [...]
Something for the weekend May 28, 2015 DANCE! BENJI B Internationally renowned DJ Benji B continues his residency at XOYO. If you’ve ever tuned in to his Radio 1 show – and if you haven’t, you should – you’ll recognise the eclectic mix of the best electronic sounds. Saturday, £13.50, visit xoyo.co.uk. SHOP! CLERKENWELL VINTAGE FAIR Need to revamp your wardrobe in [...]
Blatter remains defiant despite engulfing crisis May 28, 2015 DEFIANT president Sepp Blatter refused to quit his position at the top of the scandal-ridden world governing body yesterday as the shockwaves from the Fifa corruption scandal continued to reverberate throughout football. Uefa counterpart Michel Platini demanded that Blatter resign, while failing to rule out further challenges to the 79-year-old’s authority should he win today’s [...]
Goode: Saracens ready to deliver Premiership title May 28, 2015 FULL-BACK Alex Goode insists Saracens will not be weighed down by the pressure to build on their solitary top-flight title as they bid to be crowned Premiership champions against Bath at Twickenham tomorrow. The north London club have just the one Premiership title to their name, won in 2011 courtesy of a 22-18 victory over [...]
Cook applauds Bayliss capture and looks to surpass Gooch’s all-time record of Test runs May 28, 2015 TEST skipper Alastair Cook believes the expansive global knowledge of newly-appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss means that England have pulled off a “great coup” by hiring the Australian. Bayliss will take the England reins ahead of this summer’s Ashes series, although for now the national side remains under the caretaker command of Paul Farbrace, starting [...]
Football Comment: Villa will pounce should Gunners slip at Wembley May 28, 2015 IT’S THE type of game that players remember most once they retire; a chance to make a name for yourself; the final game of the season and a final push. It might be less of a priority nowadays but the FA Cup final remains a magnificent match to be involved in. Big teams start to [...]
Sherwood talks up chances of thwarting Arsenal’s FA Cup bid May 28, 2015 BUOYANT Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has backed his side to deliver an FA Cup upset in tomorrow’s final against Arsenal at Wembley and end the club’s 19-year trophy drought. Villa’s last piece of silverware was the League Cup in 1996, a final in which Savo Milosevic, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke were on target [...]
McIlroy finds no Irish Open tonic May 28, 2015 TOURNAMENT host Rory McIlroy has vowed to repay the home crowd’s enduring support after suffering a nightmare first round at the Irish Open yesterday. World No1 McIlroy carded nine bogeys in a nine-over-par 80, which left him bottom of the field and in danger of missing the cut in successive tournaments. Three-time Major winner Padraig [...]