Holland sweat on Van Persie for semi-final July 8, 2014 HOLLAND could be without captain Robin van Persie for today’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina, coach Louis van Gaal revealed last night. Van Gaal reported that striker Van Persie was a major doubt with “a stomach problem” and had trained apart from the rest of the squad on the eve of the clash in Sao [...]
United set for £600m Adidas deal after Nike snub July 8, 2014 GERMAN sportswear giant Adidas is in pole position to become Manchester United’s new kit supplier in a world record £600m deal after their main rivals Nike walked away from negotiations. Warrior, the American brand which signalled its intention to be a major player by striking a £150m six-year deal with Liverpool in 2012, has also [...]
Cricket Comment: Confident Stokes can relight England’s fire July 8, 2014 ENGLAND may go into today’s first Test against India reeling from a first home series defeat to Sri Lanka but I strongly fancy them to come out on top in the next five matches. The climate could dictate whether we get a result at Trent Bridge, but if either team wins then it’ll be England, [...]
Cook vows to graft way out of twin slump July 8, 2014 EMBATTLED England cricket skipper Alastair Cook is banking on hard work to see him emerge stronger from a crisis that he insists contributes to “the beauty of the job”. Cook leads his team into today’s first Test against India at Trent Bridge knowing that another series defeat could spell the end of his captaincy, while [...]
Ross McCormack agrees £11m Fulham transfer to join Britain’s most expensive strikers list July 8, 2014 Championship top scorer Ross McCormack has moved to Fulham today for a reported £11m, which would make him the ninth most expensive British striker signed by an English club. While the fee is undisclosed, the suggestion is that it is in the region of £11m. This would mean that the former Leeds player becomes the [...]
London’s top lidos: Make a splash in an outdoor pool July 8, 2014 Wherever you are in London, there are outdoor pools perfect for cooling down during the coming heatwave. Here are some of our favourite places to take our kit off in public: Brockwell Lido, SE24: Located in Brockwell park, this is as much of a Brixton landmark as Electric Avenue and Atlantic Road. The [...]
London earns praise for grandest Grand Depart July 7, 2014 Tour de France bosses already planning return to London after capital’s cycling fans line streets GERMAN sprint specialist Marcel Kittel hailed London’s throngs of cycling enthusiasts after he prevailed in a frantic dash down the Mall to claim the third stage of the Tour de France yesterday. Tens of thousands lined the 155km route from [...]
Icon of Real and all-time great Di Stefano dies July 7, 2014 FOOTBALL’S leading figures last night paid their respects after Alfredo di Stefano, regarded by some as the greatest player of all time, died at the age of 88 following a heart attack. Di Stefano was born in Argentina but was better known for his time in Spain, where he led Real Madrid to five consecutive [...]
Cole is first England star in Italy since 1995 July 7, 2014 LEFT-BACK Ashley Cole last night became the first England international footballer to leave the Premier League for Serie A in 19 years when he completed a free transfer to Roma. The defender, released by Chelsea this summer following a hugely successful eight years at the club, has signed a two-year contract with last season’s Italian [...]
Brit ticketing exec arrested July 7, 2014 A BRITISH senior executive of an official World Cup corporate hospitality partner was arrested in Rio de Janeiro last night by police investigating illegal ticket sales. Ray Whelan, of Match Hospitality, was apprehended at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where officials from world football’s governing body Fifa are staying during the tournament. Police probing the illegal [...]