Premier League clubs block Saudi sponsorship deals with Newcastle United October 19, 2021 Premier League clubs have moved to stop Saudi Arabia flooding Newcastle United with big-money sponsorship deals that would allow them to spend freely on transfers. Eighteen of the 20 top-flight teams approved a block on related-party transactions, in which a company that shares the same owner as a club pays it money via a commercial [...]
Eddie Jones backs Marcus Smith to handle England role October 19, 2021 Eddie Jones has backed Marcus Smith to handle the pressure of being England’s fly-half after naming the exciting Harlequins prospect in his Autumn Nations Series squad. Smith made his debut in the summer against the US before being picked as a late call-up for the British and Irish Lions’ tour to South Africa. “First of [...]
Hard-working Cameron Norrie taking the slow route to the top of tennis October 19, 2021 If Emma Raducanu was an overnight sensation then this year’s British success story in men’s tennis, Cameron Norrie, has been a slow burner. Norrie started 2021 ranked 74th in the world but following his landmark triumph at Indian Wells on Sunday is now inside the top 15 for the first time. The former US college [...]
England receive one-match stadium ban following Euro 2020 disruption October 18, 2021 England have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors in response to the disruption that marred the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley in July. In addition to the ban, which includes a second, suspended, match, the Football Association (FA) was fined £84,560 (€100,000) by governing body Uefa. England’s ban will take [...]
Sam Torrance: Even players as good as Rory McIlroy need self-belief too October 18, 2021 Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick would have organised all of their schedules around trying to peak at the Ryder Cup last month. So even though they were part of a European team that was heavily beaten, it is no huge surprise to see them playing well soon afterwards. McIlroy bounced back with victory over a [...]
Halloween Kills, review: More silly than scary October 18, 2021 Michael Myers is the perfect frontman for the Halloween franchise: an ageing but unstoppable juggernaut, pulling the same old tricks from all the way back in 1978 to an increasingly bemused audience. It’s no wonder director David Gordon Green wanted to try something new when he took over with 2018’s franchise reboot. Alas the curse [...]
Ron’s Gone Wrong, review: A family film with a tech twist October 18, 2021 It’s a sign of the times that an increasing number of family films are focusing on technology. The Jumanji movies moved from a boardgame to a video game console; Space Jam’s villain was a rogue AI; and one of the best family movies of this year, The Mitchells Vs The Machines, had our reliance on [...]
Premiership: Five things we’ve learned as Leicester rumble on October 18, 2021 Premiership clubs Saracens and Leicester completed demolition jobs, Bristol continued their struggle to match the highs of last season and Harlequins lost their first game. Worcester, meanwhile, cannot do anything but lose. Here’s five things we learned this weekend from the weekend’s Premiership action. Sarries Rec Bath Saracens’ English contingent put on a show for [...]
Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Review October 18, 2021 Despite being a patchy mess, 2018’s Venom rose to surprise box office success thanks to a charming star in Tom Hardy, and an audience that was growing weary of sombre superheroes (Aquaman succeeded in the same year for similar reasons). A sequel was inevitable, but has it done enough to flesh out the cult anti-hero? [...]
The Velvet Underground: An enjoyable rockumentary October 18, 2021 It’s becoming something of a rite of passage for successful directors to make documentaries about their favourite bands. Ron Howard covered The Beatles (with Peter Jackson’s Get Back series on the way), Shane Meadows explored The Stone Roses, and this year Edgar Wright shared his love for Sparks. This week director Todd Haynes (Carol, Dark [...]