Lancaster: Clark is changed man January 9, 2013 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster insists Calum Clark has learned from his 32-week ban for breaking an opponent’s elbow, after handing the Northampton forward a Six Nations call-up. Uncapped Clark, who can play in the second row and back row, scuppered his hopes of a Test debut at last year’s championship when he hyper-extended Leicester [...]
Dope confession could help Armstrong avoid lawsuits January 9, 2013 FORMER cyclist Lance Armstrong could head off the threat of million-dollar lawsuits if he confesses to doping when he appears on American chat show Oprah next week, according to a leading sports public relations expert. Armstrong has always maintained his innocence but stopped contesting allegations from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in August and has [...]
£18.4m share deal key to Chelsea profit January 9, 2013 CHELSEA’S eyebrow-raising first profit since their 2003 takeover by big-spending Roman Abramovich was achieved in part due to the proceeds of an £18.4m share deal, it emerged yesterday. The cancellation of non-equity preference shares that broadcaster BSkyB held in a digital media joint venture resulted in paper profits of £15m, plus £3.4m of dividends from [...]
Brits sail through in qualifying January 9, 2013 TENNIS: Britain’s Jamie Baker and James Ward yesterday reached round two of qualifying for next week’s Australian Open in straight sets. Baker defeated Ecuador’s Julio Cesar Campozano 6-3, 7-5. British No3 Ward beat Serb Boris Pashanski 6-4, 6-3.
Fourie handed visa reprieve January 9, 2013 RUGBY UNION: Former England flanker Hendre Fourie has been told he can stay in the country. It was thought that Fourie was facing possible deportation after injury forced him to retire this week. But the UK Border Agency said: “We have not curtailed Mr Fourie’s visa at this time.”
Rafa delights in selection headache for semi-final tie January 8, 2013 CHELSEA manager Rafael Benitez insists he is happy to finally have a dilemma over who to play at centre-forward as he contemplates taking a major step towards his first silverware at the club. Benitez must decide whether to recall £50m record signing Fernando Torres for tonight’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at home to [...]
Pride wounded as England eye series response January 8, 2013 ENGLAND must drastically improve to emulate their triumphant Test colleagues in the first one-day international against India on Friday, says bowler James Tredwell. The tourists completed a first Test series victory in India for 27 years last month but England head into the five-match ODI series after back-to-back defeats, including the six-wicket loss to Delhi [...]
Bradford perform more heroics to edge closer to Wembley date January 8, 2013 BRADFORD CITY 3 vs ASTON VILLA 1 DELIGHTED Bradford manager Phil Parkinson lauded his serial giant-killers last night after they took a huge step towards becoming the first fourth-tier team to reach the League Cup final for more than half a century. The League Two club swept aside their Premier League opponents, who sit 60 [...]
It’s time for Finn to step up and lead attack January 8, 2013 DEFEAT in the two warm-up matches before England’s one-day series in India will merely have underlined the scale of the task facing Ashley Giles, who has just taken charge of the ODI and Twenty20 teams. Giles has a job transforming the one-day side in the long-term, but more pressingly in India, where England’s struggles are [...]
Barca rule out selling Villa until summer January 8, 2013 BARCELONA striker David Villa will not be moving to the Premier League this month, according to club president Sandro Rosell. Spain international Villa, who has been struggling to hold down a place in the Catalan side’s starting line-up this season, had been heavily linked with Arsenal this week, with Chelsea and Manchester City also thought [...]