Babel looks set for Hoffenheim switch January 18, 2011 HOLLAND forward Ryan Babel looks set to part company with the Liverpool after an offer from German side Hoffenheim was accepted. Babel cost Liverpool in excess of £10m when he arrived from Ajax in 2007 but scored just 22 goals in 146 appearances. Liverpool are expected to use the funds from the Babel transfer to [...]
City firm to put £1m into fencing January 18, 2011 CITY insurance firm Beazley has pledged £1m of funding for British fencing to boost hopes of Olympic gold at London 2012. The five-year partnership comes at a crucial time for the sport following 59 per cent cuts in funding from UK Sport. The investment will be put towards GB teams, the British Fencing National Academy [...]
White admits interest in RFU job January 18, 2011 RUGBY UNION: South Africa’s World Cup winning coach Jake White is considering applying to become the Rugby Football Union’s new performance directo. “I am interested but I am waiting for a detailed job description and to find out how much responsibility the director will have,” said White, who is spending this week with London Irish [...]
England pondering pace options January 18, 2011 CRICKET: England seam quartet Ajmal Shahzad, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Chris Woakes have been left sweating on their World Cup places after bowling coach David Saker admitted conditions in the sub-continent are likely to mean there will be only four spots left for pace bowlers. England name their 15-man squad today, and with James [...]
Olazabal confirmed as skipper January 18, 2011 GOLF: Jose Maria Olazabal has been unveiled as Europe’s Ryder Cup. The Spaniard, 44, succeeds Colin Montgomerie and will become the third continental European to lead the side when the 2012 tournament takes place a the Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
Shahzad: Colly axe was a wake-up call January 17, 2011 ENGLAND bowler Ajmal Shahzad knows he is far from guaranteed a place in his side’s World Cup squad, a fact rammed home by last week’s shock axing of Paul Collingwood. Coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss will name their 15-man squad for the tournament, which is to be held in India, Sri Lanka and [...]
Premier League’s January spending set to top £100m January 17, 2011 ASTON VILLA’S club record £24m bid for Sunderland striker Darren Bent looks set to trigger a flurry of transfer window activity that propels top flight spending past the £100m mark. Hard-up Premier League clubs spent just £30m in total last January but Bent’s proposed move would take this month’s total to around £65m with almost [...]
City A.M. joins forces with the Epsom Derby January 17, 2011 CITY A.M. has agreed a deal with Epsom Downs Racecourse to become the official newspaper of the Investec Derby Festival, which takes place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June at Epsom Downs Racecourse. The agreement will see City A.M. produce a Derby Special Edition as its first ever Saturday newspaper. The 20-page publication will [...]
Baltacha: I can shock Henin January 17, 2011 BRITISH No1 Elena Baltacha is convinced she can produce a major upset in the second round of the Australian Open when she faces former world No1 Justine Henin. Baltacha, 27, yesterday secured progress at the first grand slam of the year with victory over American qualifier Jamie Hampton 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. It was a day [...]
Olazabal the perfect man to take over Ryder mantle January 17, 2011 JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL will be confirmed today as Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain – and he is the right man for the job. Olazabal has the competition in his blood, having been involved in eight editions of the famous event, and that makes him a great choice. The Spaniard (right) has the experience and is [...]