Attendances at record high August 10, 2009 FOOTBALL: Opening day attendances in the Football League last weekend were at their highest for 46 years, new figures have revealed. More than 450,000 people attended the 36 matches played in the Coca-Cola Championship, League One and League Two at an average of 12,694 per game – up 14 per cent on last season. The [...]
Stoner out for three races August 10, 2009 MOTO GP: Former world champion Casey Stoner will miss the next three MotoGP races as he continues his recovery from illness. The 23-year-old Ducati rider, who lies third in the title race, was recently diagnosed with blood disorder anaemia and an inflamed stomach lining. A team spokesman said: “It is the best for him.”
Wily Ramps is in the frame as England lose patience August 10, 2009 NATIONAL selector Geoff Miller yesterday refused to rule out the possibility of golden oldie Mark Ramprakash being handed a sensational Test recall for the decisive fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. England look set to be forced into middle order changes following their catastrophic innings and 80-run defeat to Australia in the third Test at [...]
Flintoff gets green light to play in Ashes finale August 10, 2009 WOUNDED England received the perfect pick-me-up last night after being told talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will be fit for the decisive fifth Ashes Test at The Oval next week. Flintoff, 31, was controversially left out of the fourth Test at Headingley at the weekend and was sorely missed as England crashed to Australia by an [...]
Let battle commence again August 10, 2009 THE fantastic battle between Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington at Firestone on Sunday night whets the appetite for what promises to be an intriguing US PGA Championship this week. I’m fast running out of superlatives to describe Tiger Woods – the statistics speak from themselves. This was his seventh Bridgestone victory – a Tour record [...]
Harrington: Rivalry with Tiger only just beginning August 10, 2009 IRELAND’S Padraig Harrington insists he has already put his triple-bogey heartbreak behind him as he turns his attention to this week’s US PGA Championship. Harrington was one shot clear and heading for his first win of the season at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio on Sunday when disaster struck at the 16th hole. The [...]
England set to axe flops after Aussies take charge August 9, 2009 Bopara under threat as Flower prepares for deciding Ashes Test at the OvalENGLAND head coach Andy Flower insists he is ready to wield the axe ahead of the Ashes decider at the Oval after his side’s fourth Test humiliation.Australia clinched victory by an innings and 80 runs early on day three at Headingley, levelling the [...]
Ultimate Test for the team ethic August 9, 2009 ENGLAND’S ethic is all about playing as a team and, following their Headingley humbling, they will need to provide the perfect example of that approach in the Ashes decider. Individually, they just don’t possess the quality to bounce back. They do not have a Sachin Tendulkar or Muttiah Muralitharan at their disposal to drag them [...]
First blood to Chelsea after United fluff shoot-out lines August 9, 2009 CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti declared himself ready to launch an assault on Manchester United’s Premier League crown after beating the champions in yesterday’s Community Shield at Wembley. Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech saved two penalties as Ancelotti’s men won a shoot-out 4-1, after the traditional curtain-raiser to the top-flight season ended in an entertaining draw. Goals [...]
Harrington blows chance as Tiger takes advantage August 9, 2009 IRELAND’S Padraig Harrington squandered his chance of glory at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio with a triple bogey eight at the 16th hole. Harrington led Tiger Woods by one shot with three to play, but found the water and was duly punished by the world No1, who birdied after hitting the green with a [...]