Youngs: Orchestrator Ford will carry England fight November 20, 2014 RESURGENT England scrum-half Ben Youngs has dismissed any notion of having to take new boy George Ford under his wing when they reprise their half-back partnership against Samoa at Twickenham on Saturday. The duo were paired together at Leicester before Ford’s defection to Bath at the start of last season but England head coach Stuart [...]
Evans ties with Blades severed November 20, 2014 SHEFFIELD United yesterday bowed to relentless pressure and have reversed their controversial decision to allow convicted rapist Ched Evans to use the club’s training facilities. The Blades accepted a request from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) on 11 November and consented to the ex-Wales international training at the club he represented before serving two and [...]
McIlroy hits the ground running at season finale November 20, 2014 WORLD No1 Rory McIlroy rubbished fears of rustiness following his six-week hiatus by racing into a share of the first-round lead at the season-ending DP World Championship yesterday. McIlroy conjured a bogey-free six-under-par 66, a score matched only by Ireland’s Shane Lowry, in his bid to round off the campaign with a double celebration, having [...]
Cook denies Hales demotion for Moeen reveals World Cup clues November 20, 2014 ENGLAND skipper Alastair Cook insists the decision to drop power-hitting opener Alex Hales from today’s clash against Sri Lanka A does not end the expansive batsman’s hopes of featuring in next year’s World Cup. Hales made his one-day international debut alongside Cook at the top of the order against India in the summer but is [...]
Frankel’s filly breaks record November 20, 2014 A FILLY of legendary racehorse Frankel has been sold for €1.8m (£801,001) at the Goffs sales, which represents a record for a foal at public auction in Ireland. The horse, a daughter of 2007 1,000 Guineas winner Finsceal Beo, was bought by bloodstock agent Dermot Farrington on behalf of an unnamed Irish client. The European [...]
21 November on this day… November 20, 2014 2000: Captain Martin Johnson announces that England’s rugby players were going on strike after rejecting the RFU’s new pay offer of £70,000 a year. The players wanted a bigger match fee and smaller win bonus. “The amount of effort put in had we lost on Saturday [England beat Australia 22-19] would have been no different,” insisted Johnson. It was [...]
Sport Comment: ATP Finals was a damp squib but London needs it November 20, 2014 AS CHATTY Man Alan Carr himself is wont to say: “What a week it’s been!” Well, what a week it has been for Andy Murray and everyone connected to the Barclays ATP Tour Finals at the O2. A week to forget. Murray’s year had been an unspectacular slog after last winter’s back surgery but qualification [...]
Barry Geraghty in line for Haydock payday November 20, 2014 Bill Esdaile’s tips for the Betfair Chase and the rest of tomorrow’s racing at Haydock LAST year’s first three home in the Betfair Chase (3.50pm Haydock) are set to line up tomorrow in this season’s renewal and bookmakers are struggling to separate them. Cue Card, who took Haydock’s biggest jumping prize 12 months ago, heads [...]
Highball: Cheshire sign giant Sturgess November 20, 2014 THE world’s tallest basketball player Paul ‘Tiny’ Sturgess has signed for British Basketball League side Cheshire Phoenix. The 26-year-old centre stands at 7ft 7ins and made his name during a two-year spell with the Harlem Globetrotters exhibition team. Famous for his “No Jump Dunk”, Sturgess – who wears size 20 boots – has also played [...]
Toiling Arsenal to find it tough against United November 20, 2014 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS THE ARSENAL V MANCHESTER UNITED CLASH AND HARRY MADLEY LOOKS AT THE ACTION AT TWICKENHAM THE INTERNATIONAL break couldn’t come soon enough for Arsenal after a disastrous week in which they twice let leads slip. Cruising 3-0 up against Anderlecht at home, their defence crumbled, allowing the Belgians to level the game [...]