Trevor Steven: Barcelona test offers Tottenham chance to kick-start season October 2, 2018 Were it not for the way they wilted in their defeat to Inter Milan last month, I’d be far more confident of Tottenham getting something out of their Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday night. Yet the fixture remains a great opportunity for Spurs to kick-start their season, having spent much of the new [...]
Dame Kelly Holmes calls on government to change lottery limits October 2, 2018 Olympic legend Dame Kelly Holmes has urged ministers to overhaul outdated fundraising rules which are denying charities millions of pounds. The double gold medallist – whose Dame Kelly Holmes Trust charity has provided mentoring from sports stars to more than 240,000 young people – called on the Government to press ahead with proposed changes to [...]
Sam Torrance: Magnificent Europe proved Thomas Bjorn right and the critics wrong October 1, 2018 The American team that touched down in France as hot favourites to retain the Ryder Cup was reckoned to be the best in the competition’s history. They got hammered. And the highest accolade has to go to Thomas Bjorn. Europe’s ice-cool captain got everything right: his wild card picks all justified their inclusion and his [...]
Valencia another hurdle as Jose Mourinho attempts to bail out the rising tides at Manchester United October 1, 2018 What a difference two weeks make. Thirteen days ago Jose Mourinho was reflecting on his side’s 3-0 victory over Young Boys – Manchester United’s biggest away win in the Champions League for five years. The performance, in his own words, was “not phenomenal, but good enough”. How Mourinho longs to make such an assessment of [...]
Ryder Cup: Europe thwart American comeback as Francesco Molinari and Sergio Garcia make history September 30, 2018 The talk had been of the United States needing their own Miracle of Medinah to retain the Ryder Cup. In the end it was more a case of Frazzled in France, Vanquished in Versailles, Pulverised in Paris. For a spell on Sunday the holders threatened to mount a comeback to rival Europe’s heroics of 2012, [...]
Four things we learned from the Premier League this weekend: Cech’s injury could be a blessing, Sarri triggers Luiz comeback and Kane sharp again September 30, 2018 When Petr Cech’s hamstring twinged in the closing stages of the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday the overriding emotion of most fans inside the Emirates was one of curiosity. Injury to the veteran goalkeeper meant a Premier League debut for £19m summer signing Bernd Leno. Having only seen the German [...]
Former Manchester United and Chelsea chief exec Peter Kenyon in talks to buy Newcastle United September 29, 2018 The former chief exec of football clubs Manchester United and Chelsea is planning a sensational swoop to buy Newcastle United from retail tycoon Mike Ashley. Peter Kenyon, who now heads up a consultancy called Opto Advisers, has approached potential financial backers in recent weeks to raise cash for the deal. Sky News reported he was [...]
Eyam at Shakespeare’s Globe is an impressive, emotionally draining play about accepting death September 28, 2018 Shakespeare's Globe, until 13 Oct RECOMMENDED It’s the 17th century, and the people of the plague-struck Derbyshire village of Eyam have made a noble decision to quarantine themselves, rather than risk the illness spreading to neighbouring settlements. By the time the pestilence has ended, three-quarters of the villagers will be dead. Directed by Adele Thomas [...]
Poet in Da Corner at the Royal Court is the world’s first grime musical and it’s brilliant September 28, 2018 Royal Court, until 6 Oct UNMISSABLE Grime has come a long way in the past few years. Formed from a crucible of garage, jungle and dancehall music, it was until recently an entirely underground genre, mentioned by the press only in the context of rising knife crime. But at some point a broader audience started [...]
Antony and Cleopatra at the Olivier is a wonderfully acted epic that outstays its welcome September 28, 2018 National Theatre's Olivier, until 19 Jan RECOMMENDED Shakespeare’s plays tend to be reviewed on the strength of the production rather than the quality of the text, which is taken as a given. But the problems with this otherwise brilliant National Theatre show are all of the bard’s making. There’s a reason, after all, why Antony [...]