Seven suspected of spot-fixing April 3, 2014 FOOTBALL: Seven players from Football League clubs were yesterday arrested in connection with alleged spot-fixing. The players are aged 18 to 30 and based in the north west.
Absent Prince set to make up for lost time in Grand National April 3, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE CRABBIE’S GRAND NATIONAL THE CRABBIE’S Grand National is now a very different race to what it was 10 or 15 years ago. It has often been referred to as a “lottery”, but that description is even more accurate now with numerous changes made to the fences meaning more horses have a [...]
Sporting Index: Spread betting on the Grand National April 3, 2014 FINDING the winner of a 40-runner 4m 4f handicap steeplechase over 30 testing fences isn’t the easiest of tasks and many will be scratching their heads again this year after the 66/1 shock 12 months ago. Sporting Index are predicting a winning starting price this time of between 20.5 and 21.5, so if you are [...]
Smart Josses Hill can go one better in today’s opener April 3, 2014 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE BEST OF THE ACTION AT AINTREE TODAY AND TOMORROW TIME will probably tell that JOSSES HILL bumped into an absolute monster in Vautour at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Willie Mullins’ powerhouse smashed the track record, held by none other than the mighty three-time Champion Hurdle hero Istabraq, that day and [...]
Saint Are poised to strike at his beloved Aintree April 3, 2014 SOME horses just tend to come alive at this time of year. The sun on their backs and the sound of their hooves rattling a little louder seems to rejuvenate them and I often look for horses at this meeting who have run well in previous years. Battle Group was a prime example 12 months [...]
Champions League: Sloppy Blues on the brink of Euro exit April 2, 2014 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 3 CHELSEA 1 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho fears his team will not have the firepower to reach the Champions League semi-finals, after “ridiculous” defending left his team with a mountain to climb in next week’s second leg. On a night to forget for star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who proved uncharacteristically ineffective before limping [...]
Spurs plans for stadium by 2017 rest on legal bid April 2, 2014 TOTTENHAM have undertaken a major refinancing that paves the way for building of a new stadium to begin in earnest – but plans to open in 2017 are under threat from a long-running legal challenge. Spurs are waiting for the outcome of an appeal against a compulsory purchase order (CPO), issued more than two years [...]
McIlroy aims to make the most of Woods’ absence with Masters win April 2, 2014 FORMER world No1 Rory McIlroy hopes to capitalise on Tiger Woods’ absence from next week’s Masters to win his first green jacket and begin a period of dominance. Woods confirmed on Tuesday he would fail to tee off in Augusta for the first time since turning professional, following surgery on a pinched nerve in his [...]
Courts offer Barca hope as once revered club hit with transfer ban April 2, 2014 NOT so long ago they were the model club, adored for their irresistible tiki-taka style, admired for their democratic ownership model and lauded for eschewing corporate shirt sponsors. Today, however, Barcelona’s once pristine image looks sullied. Accused of irregularities in the signing of Brazil star Neymar and dethroned as kings of Europe, the latest and [...]
Depression is rife in football April 2, 2014 MORE than a quarter of professional footballers are suffering from depression, according to a recent survey conducted by global players’ organisation FIFPro. Findings from 180 players questioned, some British-based, showed that 26 per cent suffered from depression or anxiety.