Pressure tells as Johanna Konta feels the heat of Centre Court to exit Wimbledon in the quarter-finals to Barbora Strycova July 9, 2019 Professional sport is an unforgiving environment. When you’re playing well Centre Court feels like a hospitable stage, the points coming at a steady pace, but when you’re struggling suddenly the crowd feels oppressive and the ball unrelenting. To see a sportsperson wither under the pressure is not an enjoyable sight – yet that’s exactly what [...]
Cricket World Cup: Why England’s stars have got a blind spot for trademarks July 8, 2019 Cricket has evolved hugely in recent years both on and off the field and yet there is still one area in which it lags behind other sports. Trademarks may not seem an obvious priority, but given the commercial opportunities attached to sport’s biggest events and most prominent stars, cricket’s apparent reluctance to cash in stands [...]
Women’s World Cup 2019: Was it a success? And how does football build on it? Sport industry insiders give their views July 8, 2019 After 31 days, 52 games and 146 goals, the most high-profile Women’s World Cup yet is over. But what impact has it made on the game and the wider landscape? We asked a selection of industry experts. Contributors Lisa Parfitt, managing director, Engine Sport and Brand Experience; Steve Martin, global CEO, M&C Saatchi Sport and [...]
Going, going… Dons: AFC Wimbledon aiming to raise £7m using crowdfunding to pay for new Plough Lane stadium July 8, 2019 AFC Wimbledon are a club founded by fans and now, 17 years on from their rebirth, they are hoping their supporters can help lay the foundations for a move back to the corner of south-west London they call home. The Dons are building a new stadium at Plough Lane, which they believe will be ready [...]
Eddie Jones’s Rugby World Cup checklist: What’s on England head coach’s agenda as countdown to tournament gathers pace July 7, 2019 Starting today, the players selected for England’s Rugby World Cup training squad have five weeks to show head coach Eddie Jones why they deserve a place on the plane to Japan. Last Thursday Jones announced a list of 35, plus three injured players receiving treatment, that he says will be whittled down to the final [...]
Noises Off at the Lyric Hammersmith is a farce in all the wrong ways July 5, 2019 Noises Off is either the worst professional production I’ve seen in some years, or something so groundbreakingly metatextual that I am simply unable to comprehend its brilliance. Noises Off is clearly a huge success; at least historically. The farce debuted at the Lyric in 1982, before going on to multiple runs in the West End [...]
Midsommar review: follow up to Hereditary is an unqualified triumph July 5, 2019 The instant Midsommar finished, I knew I would need to see it again. It has that rare, painterly quality of great horror, the sense that the images you’re seeing will never leave you. Director Ari Aster’s debut Hereditary had it too, though Midsommar is probably the superior film. It has a richer, more constituted vision, [...]
Frank Lampard’s honeymoon period won’t last for long in the Chelsea hotseat July 4, 2019 People stepping out of Fulham Broadway station this afternoon were greeted by the sight of an opportunistic salesman attempting to flog Frank Lampard adorned Chelsea scarves. If you still needed reminding, here was a visual representation of why this was no run-of-the-mill managerial appointment. As the club statement phrased it: “He’s home!” After the generally [...]
Chris Tremlett: England could be peaking at the right time after coming through pressure situations July 3, 2019 What a difference a week makes. England have lifted the gloom that had begun to surround them following two poor performances by embracing the pressure and proving some people wrong. They got themselves into a position where they needed to win two World Cup matches and having come through them in impressive fashion, beating India [...]
Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow’s brilliant opening partnership the key to England’s World Cup chances July 3, 2019 The conduct of Ben Stokes and Alex Hales on 25 September 2017 outside a Bristol nightclub may have sent shockwaves through England’s cricket team, but it also had a knock-on effect which has played a huge part in making them the side they are today – a side in a World Cup semi-final for the [...]