Irish clamour for replay set to be rejected out of hand November 19, 2009 DEJECTED Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has conceded there is no chance of their hugely controversial World Cup play-off with France being replayed. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have demanded world governing body Fifa stage a re-run, after Thierry Henry admitted handling the ball in the build-up to William Gallas’s decisive extra-time goal. [...]
Henry’s handball was no Maradona. I should know November 19, 2009 ON THE BALL WITH TREVOR STEVEN HAVING been in the England team on the day we were dumped out of the 1986 World Cup by the original Hand of God goal, I know exactly what the Ireland lads will be going through. All that any player wants is to represent their country at the World [...]
Unjust goal makes me ashamed, says Ginola November 19, 2009 FORMER Tottenham star David Ginola has called Thierry Henry’s handball “a pure injustice”, admitting the unsavoury episode has left him ashamed to be French. Politicians and press across the Channel roundly condemned the hotly-disputed extra-time goal that broke Irish hearts on Wednesday night. And Ginola, who played for Les Bleus, Spurs, Newcastle and Aston Villa, [...]
Monye: Put faith in me to bounce back November 19, 2009 UGO MONYE has told how a church blessing has helped him put last week’s “absolute stinker” of a performance against Argentina behind him. The Harlequins back filled in as a makeshift full-back at Twickenham last Saturday but was horrendously exposed by the Pumas’ incessant kicking game. Committed Christian Monye was ultra-critical of his display and [...]
Button: I took a pay cut to join McLaren November 19, 2009 JENSON BUTTON has denied his move to McLaren was motivated by money – insisting he even took a pay cut to make the switch. The 29-year-old clinched his first world championship with Brawn GP this season, but has signed a three-year deal to join fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton at the Woking-based McLaren outfit. Brawn were [...]
Westwood seizes upper hand in Dubai November 19, 2009 STARLET Rory McIlroy admitted struggling to cope with the pressure after England’s Lee Westwood snatched the initiative on the first day of the Dubai World Championship. McIlroy, 20, came into the season-ending tournament – which will decide who scoops the European Tour Order of Merit and a €1.8m cheque – leading the money list. But [...]
‘In your face’ tactics won’t concern us, warns Strauss November 19, 2009 ANDREW STRAUSS has told his players to let their cricket do the talking while ignoring South Africa’s “in your face” tactics. The England captain has history against the Proteas and is fully expecting another series of confrontation and controversy this winter. Strauss leads his side out for the first of a five-match one-day series in [...]
Johnson’s England are being unfairly criticised November 19, 2009 KICKING INTO TOUCH WITH BRENDAN VENTER ENGLAND’S performance against Argentina attracted much criticism at the weekend, but I think Martin Johnson and his team are being unfairly treated. Argentina finished third in the 2007 World Cup and are ranked fourth in the world – four places ahead of England. With their physicality, they are a [...]
Semenya ‘won’t be stripped of her gold medal’ November 19, 2009 GENDER-ROW 800m runner Caster Semenya will be allowed to keep her World Championship gold medal, according to South African officials. World governing body the IAAF have still not decided whether the 18-year-old will be permitted to continue competing as a woman. But her country’s Department of Sport and Recreation said yesterday that Semenya would not [...]
England at risk of Portugal group clash November 19, 2009 ENGLAND are in danger of being drawn in the same group as arch-rivals Portugal or big hitters Holland at next summer’s World Cup. France’s contentious qualification means they will join England as one of eight seeded teams in South Africa, if governing body Fifa uses its normal formula. And that means Portugal and Holland will [...]