Taylor slams Wembley pitch April 12, 2010 PLAYERS’ chief Gordon Taylor has added to the wave of discontent surrounding the state of the Wembley pitch, branding it an “embarrassment”. The surface was slammed by both Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and Portsmouth boss Avram Grant after Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final where players complained that excessive watering had made it too skiddy. The national [...]
Adebayor quits Togo after Angola gun attack April 12, 2010 MANCHESTER CITY striker Emmanuel Adebayor last night announced his decision to retire from international football in the wake of the gun attack on the Togo team bus earlier this year. The 26-year-old admitted he couldn’t come to terms with the attack at this year’s African Nations Cup, which killed three people. In a statement, Adebayor [...]
Murray factor earns Smith Davis role April 12, 2010 GREAT Britain’s new Davis Cup captain Leon Smith insists his good relations with the country’s top players will help him reverse the team’s humiliating slide. Britain must beat Turkey in July to avoid relegation to Europe/Africa Zone Group III – the lowest tier of the competition. And Smith, who used to be Andy Murray’s coach, [...]
Five-star ten Doeschate gets Essex off to a flier April 12, 2010 PART-TIME bowler Ryan ten Doeschate claimed a match-winning 5-13 to help Essex claim victory in their season opener with Hampshire at Chelmsford. The Dutch medium-pacer tore through the Hampshire tail to skittle the visitors out for just 185 – 63 runs short of their victory target. Meanwhile, a six-wicket stand of 153 between Jacques Rudolph [...]
Klitschko makes Haye call April 12, 2010 BOXING: Wladimir Klitschko has laid down the gauntlet to Britain’s WBA world heavyweight champion David Haye to agree to a unification showdown this year. Klitschko, the IBF and WBO title holder, withdrew from a fight with Haye last June with injury but now claims Haye is “running away”. “I am officially calling you out to [...]
Walsh out for up to 10 weeks April 12, 2010 RACING: Top jockey Ruby Walsh could be out for up to 10 weeks after breaking his arm at Aintree on Saturday. Walsh missed riding Big Fella Thanks in the Grand National after falling on Celestial Halo in the Aintree Hurdle.
Italian on brink of outdoing Mourinho April 12, 2010 JUST a few weeks ago the scandals surrounding the alleged extra-marital activities of John Terry and Ashley Cole looked like being the most memorable things to happen to Chelsea this season. Struggling for form in the Premier League and then dumped out of Europe by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan, the Blues’ campaign was in danger [...]
Mickelson the Master sees off Westwood April 11, 2010 American clinches third Green Jacket with superb final round as Englishman proves nearly-man again PHIL Mickelson produced a magical five-under-par final round to earn a third Masters title and prolong Englishman Lee Westwood’s major title heartache. Mickelson started the day one shot behind overnight leader Westwood but the American overhauled him to deservedly snatch the [...]
Kevin-Prince and paupers shock Spurs April 11, 2010 TOTTENHAM (0) vs PORTSMOUTH (2) After extra-time, 0-0 after 90 minutes PORTSMOUTH manager Avram Grant toasted “a crazy day” after the crisis club defied administration and relegation to reach a fairytale FA Cup final. Pompey weathered a barrage of pressure to take much-fancied Tottenham to extra-time before Frederic Piquionne and Kevin-Prince Boateng earned an unlikely [...]
Toothless United put Chelsea firmly in the driving seat April 11, 2010 BLACKBURN (0) vs MANCHESTER UTD (0) MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson conceded Chelsea will be crowned champions unless the Blues “blow it”, after his disastrous few days continued with a potentially fatal slip in the title race. Winger Antonio Valencia missed United’s best chance as the visitors failed to convert territorial superiority into the [...]