Flannery injury blow for Ireland December 14, 2009 CHAMPIONS Ireland have been dealt a massive blow ahead their defence of their Six Nations campaign with the news that Jerry Flannery may miss out with an Achilles injury. Hooker Flannery sat out Munster’s Heineken Cup win over Perpignan on Friday and is now expected to undergo exploratory surgery this week to confirm a three-month [...]
Newcomers Lotus land Trulli and Heikki December 14, 2009 NEW F1 team Lotus have named experienced duo Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as their drivers for their comeback season. Italian Trulli joins the Malaysian-backed team from Toyota, while Finn Kovalainen moves across from McLaren where he was replaced by world champion Jenson Button. The pair, who have raced in over 250 grand prixs between [...]
We need characters to save us, insists Carragher December 14, 2009 LIVERPOOL defender Jamie Carragher has issued a rallying call to his team-mates, insisting they need to show character to bounce back from their recent slump in form. The Reds crashed to their sixth league defeat of the season at home to Arsenal on Sunday – a result which sees them languish in seventh spot in [...]
Broad and Anderson shun IPL riches for Ashes assault December 14, 2009 SEAM duo Stuart Broad and James Anderson have turned their backs on the big-money lure of the Indian Premier League in order to help steer England into a glorious new era. Broad, 23, seen by many as the natural successor to all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, shunned the chance to join the world’s elite in the spring [...]
Gunners warned to keep feet on the ground December 14, 2009 ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has warned his side must keep their feet on the ground if they are to stay in touch in the Premier League title race. The Gunners came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday – a result which moved them back up to third in the table, just [...]
It’s all Gold for Hammers as ex-City duo lodge £50m bid December 14, 2009 FORMER Birmingham City co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan stepped up their expected takeover of struggling West Ham last night by lodging a formal £50m bid. The Hammers are seeking new owners following the bankruptcy of Icelandic chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, while shirt sponsors, the XL holiday company, also went out of business. Gold, meanwhile, has [...]
Cricket club out for a crispy duck December 14, 2009 Chinese Cricket Club Crowne Plaza London, 19 New Bridge Street, EC4V 6DB. Tel: 020 7299 0400 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £32 LONDON isn’t short of excellent Chinese restaurants, but the City certainly is. Perhaps with the exception of Imperial City in the basement of the Royal Exchange, the Square Mile has [...]
Ding takes second UK title December 14, 2009 SNOOKER: China’s Ding Junhui secured four of the last five frames to stun world champion John Higgins and claim a second UK Championship success at Telford last night. Ding, the 2005 champion, came from 7-6 down to beat the Scot 10-8 in a tense finale. Higgins missed a routine brown to throw away a near [...]
More history for Martin December 14, 2009 GOLF: Spaniard Pablo Martin created more European Tour history after claiming the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. Two years after becoming the first amateur to win on the circuit, the 23-year-old has now become the first player ever to capture titles both as an amateur and a professional. The Malaga player, who had scored [...]
Yelling joy but Farah collapses December 14, 2009 ATHLETICS: Britain’s long distance hope Mo Farah had to be carried away on a stretcher after securing a second place finish at the European Cross Country Championships. Farah, who won the event in 2006, collapsed at the line after missing out to Spain’s Alemayehu Bezabeh in Dublin. It still proved a good day, however, for [...]