Thorpe set for comeback swim November 3, 2011 Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe will make his first competitive appearance for five years at the World Cup in Singapore today. The Australian, 29, retired in 2006 but announced earlier this year he intended to swim at next summer’s London Olympics. “I am on track and I’m swimming well,” he said. “I have to [...]
Cottagers should be no match for in-form Spurs November 3, 2011 IT hasn’t been an easy week for Tottenham with manager Harry Redknapp undergoing minor heart surgery, but the operation seems to have been a success and nothing will please him more than a win at Fulham on Sunday. Spurs have been superb lately, scoring at least twice in seven straight league fixtures, with six victories [...]
Top class Union Rags looks best Breeders’ Cup bet in Juvenile November 3, 2011 THE curtain comes down on another flat season at Doncaster tomorrow and I’m prepared to give old friend ZUIDER ZEE one more chance in the November Handicap (3.10pm) at 12/1 with Ladbrokes. John Gosden’s four-year-old may not be brilliantly handicapped but he is ultra-consistent, has won over course and distance and gets his ideal ground. [...]
Balotelli and Toure set City up for Napoli crunch clash November 2, 2011 VILLARREAL 0 vs MAN CITY 3 MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini believes his side will face the acid test of their Champions League aspirations in a winner-takes-all clash against Napoli in three week’s time. The Premier League leaders took just one point from their opening two fixtures in the competition, but back-to-back wins over Spanish [...]
Rooney happy to be United’s new Scholes November 2, 2011 MAN UNITED 2 vs OTELUL GALATI 0 MANCHESTER UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he’d have no issue playing Wayne Rooney in central midfield against heavyweight opposition after the striker impressed in an unfamiliar role last night. Last season’s runners-up leapt to the top of Group C following a less than straightforward victory against modest [...]
Disgraced agent Majeed and Pakistan players to learn fate November 2, 2011 DISGRACED Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammand Amir, as well as agent Mazhar Majeed will learn today whether they will spend time behind bars for the part they played in the spot-fixing scandal. Butt and Asif were both found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments charge by a [...]
Johnson boost as Thomas leaves RFU and Cotton review scrapped November 2, 2011 EMBATTLED England manager Martin Johnson received a welcome boost last night with the news that a review to be led by Fran Cotton, one of his harshest critics, is to be scrapped following Rugby Football Union acting chief executive Martyn Thomas’ decision to step down. The 67-year-old’s position has come under increasing scrutiny in recent [...]
Heart surgery won’t force Harry into retirement, insists Bond November 2, 2011 TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp is recovering after minor heart surgery but he won’t be forced to consider early retirement, according to his assistant Kevin Bond. Redknapp was admitted to hospital on Tuesday with a cardiac problem and had two stents inserted to unblock coronary arteries on yesterday. Spurs have already announced that the 64-year-old will be [...]
Missing out on the World Cup was not a blessing in disguise November 2, 2011 CRUSHING as it may have been to miss out on last month’s World Cup through injury, Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care could be forgiven for feeling his international aspirations have been enhanced as a result of the damaged toe which meant he was unable to travel to New Zealand. In Care’s absence England limped into the [...]
Wasps fury as Shaw decides to jump ship November 2, 2011 WASPS believe they have been let down by veteran lock Simon Shaw who has reneged on a contract he signed before departing for last month’s ill-fated World Cup in New Zealand. The 38-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Toulon in recent days, with the French side thought to have gone as far [...]