Montenegro v England: Harry Kane has gone from spearhead to link man in exciting new attack March 24, 2019 At the heart of England’s blossoming as an attacking force, which found its thrilling expression in Friday’s 5-0 win over the Czech Republic, lies a curious anomaly. Not since Wayne Rooney announced himself on the world stage at Euro 2004 has there been such excitement about the potency of forward talent in the national team [...]
Barclays director Chris Pilling surprise candidate to become new FA chief March 23, 2019 Barclays director Chris Piling is one of the final candidates in the race to take over as chief executive of the Football Association, according to Sky News. Piling is a leading contender to replace Martin Glenn at the FA but faces competition from Mark Bullingham, the current chief commercial and football development officer at the [...]
The White Crow: Ralph Fiennes’ biopic about legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev is a slow burner March 22, 2019 Saying someone is a ‘white crow’ in Russia is a bit like saying someone ‘sticks out like a sore thumb’ over here. It isn’t meant as a compliment in either country, but it could cost you your life in Krushchev’s Russia. Legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev learnt that the hard way when he defected from [...]
Finance leaders raise £300,000 for children’s charity Barnardo’s March 22, 2019 More than 200 City finance leaders raised almost £300,000 for children's charity Barnardo's to combat issues like sexual exploitation earlier this week. Read more: Record year for charity lottery fundraising Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan said the money will fund the charity's “specialist frontline services, which help children recover from their experiences, and build bright, positive futures”. Barnardo's [...]
England v Czech Republic: Silverware within reach if Gareth Southgate can make Three Lions more ruthless March 21, 2019 Hubris has pulled the rug from under England frequently enough to make any assumptions inadvisable but even the most cautious Anglo-Saxon will recognise that the qualifying process for the 2020 European Championship, which begins tonight, should present few hazards. The now-expanded finals and a revised path to the tournament proper ought to make it easier [...]
Us review: Jordan Peele’s ambitious new film is a brilliant and unsettling commentary on social inequality March 21, 2019 Jordan Peele’s 2017 debut Get Out redefined what a modern horror movie could be. It was slick and smart and terrifying, its body-horror a twisted allegory for the racism – casual and otherwise – suffered by black people. And for a long time, I was pretty sure this follow-up was addressing the same issue, albeit [...]
Downstate at the National Theatre is a difficult drama that questions how society should treat its worst criminals March 21, 2019 A new play about a group of four convicted child sex offenders on supervised release in a social home in Illinois, Downstate is at times a difficult act to stomach. It’s an exercise in humanising a quartet of sex criminals, an exploration of the complex relationship between an abuser and their victim, and of the [...]
Ollie Phillips: Grand Slam winners Wales show England and Ireland the benefits of impeccable leadership March 21, 2019 Like most teams, England want to win the World Cup and become the No1-ranked side in rugby union. The dramatic conclusion of the Six Nations last weekend showed just how lofty those ambitions currently are. Eddie Jones’s side flew out of the blocks against Scotland and held a 31-0 lead after as many minutes, but [...]
Amazon brings in BT Sport for Premier League matchday coverage March 21, 2019 Amazon has hired BT Sport to produce its studio and live action matchday coverage for Premier League games next season. The tech giant last year revealed it had secured exclusive rights to livestream 20 matches per season, which will be available to its Prime customers. Read more: Disney closes $71bn takeover of 21st Century Fox But [...]
Men’s tennis at a crossroads: The ousting of ATP president Chris Kermode has left the sport in a period of flux March 20, 2019 On the face of things, men’s tennis seems much the same as it always has been. The same players are dominating the grand slams. The same youngsters trying to break through. The same tournaments being contested in the same order as always. But turn your attention away from the courts and the men’s game is [...]