Captain Terry brushes off fears about state of mind November 14, 2011 ENGLAND vs SWEDEN ENGLAND’S John Terry insists he is ready to resume the captaincy tonight despite his position being under threat from investigations into claims he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. The Football Association (FA) prevented Terry from answering questions about the accusations, which he has strenuously denied, as he faced the media for [...]
Capello not afraid to trust youth November 14, 2011 ENGLAND manager Fabio Capello admits experienced campaigners such as Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand face an uphill battle to win back their places such has been the impact made by their young replacements. The likes of Phil Jones, Jack Rodwell and Danny Welbeck, all graduates of Stuart Pearce’s Under-21 side, impressed during Saturday’s 1-0 win [...]
Tiger’s return provides a welcome shot in the arm November 14, 2011 AFTER the controversy that surrounded his comeback appearance at last week’s Australian Open, a resurgent Tiger Woods will no doubt have afforded himself a wry smile at having finished one shot ahead of Adam Scott. While that would have provided him with a certain amount of satisfaction, of more significance was the manner in which [...]
Edwards had no contact from England November 14, 2011 WALES defence coach Shaun Edwards has admitted he was open to offers but received no approach from England chiefs before committing to renewing his contract. Edwards, 45, was widely tipped as a likely addition to the England coaching set-up after his deal with the Wales Rugby Football Union expired last month. But despite being inundated [...]
What’s in a name? The value of stadium sponsorship November 14, 2011 RECENT murmurings from Chelsea and Newcastle have once again raised the thorny issue of stadium naming rights, and more specifically what they are actually worth in the Premier League. Part of the problem is that no-one is terribly sure. Logically, one would use recent precedent as a guide, but there are inherent problems with using [...]
Shaw joins Toulon November 14, 2011 ENGLAND team-mates Jonny Wilkinson and Simon Shaw will be reunited at Toulon after the latter ended speculation surrounding his future by signing for the French Top 14 club yesterday. Shaw, 38, angered Wasps, where he spent 13 seasons, last week by reneging on a deal he agreed before last month’s World Cup. Toulon, who also [...]
OVER AND OUT | Worsley retires from rugby November 14, 2011 FORMER England international Joe Worsley announced his retirement yesterday after conceding defeat in his battle to overcome a persistent neck injury. The 34-year-old Wasps stalwart, capped 78 times by his country, admitted he knew the end was nigh during England’s pre-World Cup training camp. He said: “Re-starting contact work during the World Cup camp made [...]
ICC confirm Test Championship postponed until 2017 at earliest November 14, 2011 ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has confirmed the inaugural Test Championship, due to be staged in England in 2013, will not take place until 2017 at the earliest. The rise of Twenty20 has coincided with a significant drop in Test match attendances around the world and Lorgat had previously championed the competition as a way [...]
Ground-to-air missiles readied for London 2012, says minister November 14, 2011 GROUND-TO-AIR missiles will be used to protect London during next summer’s Olympic Games if deemed necessary, defence secretary Philip Hammond said yesterday, amid increased concerns over security. Hammond disclosed the measures in the House of Commons, where he faced questions about the level of provisions made for London 2012 in light of suggestions that the [...]
Trapattoni warns Ireland to guard against wounded Estonia November 14, 2011 REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has warned his players not to take qualification for their first major tournament in a decade for granted. Ireland take a commanding 4-0 lead into the second leg of their play-off against Estonia tonight in Dublin, with a place at Euro 2012 seemingly assured. But Trapattoni said: “I have [...]