Number of top officials is unhealthy, says ex-ref Poll January 4, 2010 FORMER referee Graham Poll has called for new refs’ chief Mike Riley to promote more officials to the Premier League’s roster. Top-light matches are currently allocated to a pool of 16 elite refs. But Poll believes that officials would be under less pressure if they did not come into contact with the same teams and [...]
Murray and Robson join forces to hand Britain a winning start January 4, 2010 GREAT BRITAIN recovered from a rubber down to complete a nail-biting victory over minnows Kazakhstan in the Hopman Cup in Perth. Teenager Laura Robson suffered defeat in her opening singles match to a flu-ridden Yaroslava Shvedova, only for men’s No1 Andy Murray to level the tie with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over world No133 [...]
Farrell handed Saxons role January 4, 2010 RUGBY UNION: Former dual-code international Andy Farrell has joined the England coaching set-up to assist Saxons boss Stuart Lancaster. Farrell, who won eight caps for the England rugby union team after making the switch from rugby league in 2005, has been working as the skills and backs coach at Saracens since his retirement. He teams [...]
Swift entrance for Sky new boy January 4, 2010 CYCLING: Rising star Ben Swift has been unveiled as the new rider for Team Sky in the 2010 season. Swift, 22, who rode for Russian team Katusha last year, was part of the team’s launch yesterday and is in the squad for the Tour Down Under this month. “It feels like coming home because I [...]
Winning return for Henin January 4, 2010 TENNIS: Former world No1 Justine Henin made a winning return to professional tennis after beating Nadia Petrova in the first round of the Brisbane International. Belgian Henin, playing her first match since retiring in May 2008, impressed on her way to a 7-5, 7-5 victory over the Russian second seed. “I have been waiting for [...]
Kubica to stay with Renault January 4, 2010 FORMULA ONE: Robert Kubica has opted to stay with the Renault team following their takeover last month. The Pole had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave the team if it was not wholly owned by Renault. But after talks with Luxembourg private investment group Genii Capital, which now owns 75% of [...]
United dumped out by Leeds January 4, 2010 MANCHESTER United boss Sir Alex Ferguson risked further punishment by criticising referee Chris Foy following his side’s shock FA Cup elimination by League One Leeds United. A first-half goal from Jermaine Beckford was enough to inflict Ferguson’s first FA Cup defeat to lower league opposition, and his maiden exit at this stage of the competition, [...]
Classy Kallis rescues SA as England strike early January 4, 2010 BATSMAN Jacques Kallis’s 33rd Test century helped steer South Africa to 279-6 after England had the hosts struggling at 127-5 on day one of the third Test in Cape Town. Kallis was left unbeaten on 108 at the close after sharing an 89-run stand with keeper Mark Boucher (51) for the sixth wicket. England bowlers [...]
Wasps boss Hanks adds to chorus of criticism aimed at top-flight referees January 4, 2010 WASPS boss Tony Hanks added his voice to criticism of Premiership refereeing after seeing his side’s play-off hopes dented by a 12-6 home defeat to Newcastle. Falcons fly-half Jimmy Gopperth kicked four penalties to earn them a first win at Adams Park in nine attempts, with Mark van Gisbergen and Dave Walder scoring with the [...]
We’ll beat America, Tiger or no Tiger, boasts Monty January 4, 2010 EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has warned America that he expects to win back the trophy this year, regardless of whether world No1 Tiger Woods plays. Fourteen-time Major winner Woods is not sure to feature at Celtic Manor in October, having withdrawn from the game indefinitely following revelations about his infidelity. “A lot depends [...]