Flintoff to play for local club March 2, 2011 CRICKET: Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to come out of retirement to play for humble club side Penwortham. The 33-year-old retired due to injury last September, but is keen to play alongside his brother Chris for the team based near Preston who compete in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Competition.
Three sent off in Old Firm clash March 2, 2011 FOOTBALL: Rangers had three players sent off as they lost an ill-tempered Scottish Cup fifth-round replay 1-0 against Celtic. Steven Whittaker was the first to go for a second booking, Madjid Bougherra got his second caution for a foul on Kris Commons and El Hadji Diouf’s dissent meant a second caution for the forward after [...]
GAME ON March 1, 2011 GAME ON 2 vs MANCHESTER UTD 1 MANCHESTER UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson risked a Football Association charge with a scathing attack on referee Martin Atkinson after his side’s march towards the Premier League title was hit by a magnificent Chelsea comeback. Frank Lampard’s penalty decided a pulsating encounter after David Luiz had cancelled out [...]
So have Chelsea blown the title race wide open? March 1, 2011 FRANK LAMPARD’S penalty looks to have breathed new life into the title race. United are still in the driving seat but with Liverpool up next, a march towards a record 19th league title is now not such an inevitability. United’s run-in 6 Mar Liverpool (A) 19 Mar Bolton (H) 2 Apr West Ham (A) 9 [...]
Crocked Sheridan out of Six Nations March 1, 2011 ENGLAND prop Andrew Sheridan will miss the remainder of the RBS 6 Nations campaign after tearing his calf in last Saturday’s 17-9 win over France at Twickenham. The news is particularly galling for the 31-year-old considering Martin Johnson’s side are just two wins away from landing their first Grand Slam since 2003. Sheridan was replaced [...]
Do gifted athletes have an obligation to realise talent? March 1, 2011 YES Dedication is least the paying public deserve, argues James Goldman WE’VE ALL got our sporting hero. Be it the guy who runs the 100m in the time it takes to type Usain Bolt’s name into YouTube, or the former sheet metal worker who became a 14-time world champion by dint of being able to [...]
England proved they’re contenders March 1, 2011 IF THERE was any lingering doubt about England’s ability to sustain a genuine challenge at this World Cup, then they were emphatically dispelled against India on Sunday. The co-hosts are rightly favourites, but that was their best side and we would’ve won had Stuart Broad not been ill and Eoin Morgan injured. Too many people [...]
Koscielny still suffering from cup final gaffe, says Wenger March 1, 2011 ARSENAL vs LEYTON ORIENT ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger admits Laurent Koscielny is struggling to get over his part in the fatal Carling Cup final cock-up more than goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The pair’s blunder allowed Obafemi Martins to snatch Birmingham’s shock 89th minute winner and deny the Gunners an end to their six-year wait for silverware. [...]
Van Persie out of Barcelona match March 1, 2011 STRIKER Robin van Persie has been ruled out of next week’s Champions League trip to Barcelona after being told he will need at least three weeks to recover from a knee injury. Winger Theo Walcott will also definitely miss the second leg of the last 16 tie, which the Gunners lead 2-1, but captain Cesc [...]
Pakistan trio to fight bans March 1, 2011 CRICKET: Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, along with Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have filed appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against bans for spot-fixing. Butt was banned for 10 years, with five of them suspended, after being found guilty of corruption by an International Cricket Council tribunal. Asif was handed a seven-year [...]