Chelsea move for Salah with Mata en route to Manchester January 23, 2014 CHELSEA agreed an £11m fee for FC Basel winger Mohamed Salah yesterday, freeing the way for playmaker Juan Mata to join Manchester United. Salah scored twice against the Blues this season in Champions League group matches with Basel and also netted in last year’s Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge. A Chelsea statement [...]
Football Comment: Mata signing is David Moyes’s 999 moment January 23, 2014 LIKE the desperate Manchester United fan who dialled emergency services following Wednesday’s Capital One Cup elimination, signing Juan Mata feels like David Moyes’s 999 moment. Nothing against Mata, but I’m not sure he’s what United need, and I find it very hard to believe that signing him has been in their plans for long. Instead [...]
Federer hopes Edberg effect can end losing streak against Nadal January 23, 2014 OLD ADVERSARIES Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal prepare to do battle in this morning’s Australian Open semi-final, and the Swiss star has revealed plans to end his grand slam hoodoo against the world No1 have been afoot since appointing Stefan Edberg as coach last month. Federer has failed to beat Nadal at a grand slam [...]
Ecclestone board exit heads off threat to F1 future of Mercedes January 23, 2014 THE FUTURE of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team has been secured by Bernie Ecclestone’s exit from the board of Formula One last week. Ecclestone’s involvement in a bribery row had been tipped to force Mercedes out of the sport as the carmaker’s parent company Daimler’s statutes declare it “does not tolerate the immoral or corrupt practices [...]
Fired-up Sarries aiming to heal last year’s scars January 23, 2014 WITH Saracens’ three heartaches last season still fresh in the memory, lock Mouritz Botha insists everyone at the club is determined to ensure history does not repeat itself – starting with the LV= Cup. Despite promising so much, Sarries finished empty handed last term, losing at the semi-final stage of the Aviva Premiership, Heineken and [...]
24 January on this day… January 23, 2014 24 JANUARY 1973. World Cup Qualifier: England 1 (Hunter) Wales 1 (Toshack). England skipper Bobby Moore (left) and Rodney Marsh (right) joke before kick-off, but the match would end with England booed off at Wembley after a scrappy draw; it was apparent a great era for English football was ending. The dropped point became crucial [...]
Anelka denies FA’s quenelle charge January 23, 2014 FOOTBALL: West Brom striker Nicolas Anelka has denied a Football Association charge which followed his “quenelle” gesture made after scoring against West Ham in December. The Frenchman has requested a personal hearing and faces a minimum five-match ban if found guilty. Anelka is adamant the gesture was made in support of performer Dieudonne and is [...]
Halfpenny bound for Toulon January 23, 2014 RUGBY UNION: Wales and Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny is to join England hero Jonny Wilkinson at Heineken Cup holders Toulon in the summer. Several other Welsh stars could follow amid fears uncertainty over European competition will prompt an exodus.
Women must wait for Ashes glory January 23, 2014 CRICKET: England’s women missed the chance to retain the Ashes yesterday when they lost the second one-day international against Australia in Melbourne. They still lead the series 8-2 on points and need one more win from four limited-overs matches.
Rocky to deliver knockout blow in Argento with ground to suit January 23, 2014 BILL ESDAILE AND BEN CLEMINSON WITH THE WEEKEND’S BEST RACING AND FOOTBALL BETS TRIALS Day at Cheltenham gives jockeys the last chance to ride around Prestbury Park before they line-up for the Festival opener, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, in six and a half weeks. There is no doubt that the highlight of the card is [...]