World Cup 2018: Why have Asian, African and North American teams stagnated after showing such promise in the 1990s and 2000s? June 13, 2018 At the turn of the century it appeared that Pele’s oft-cited prediction that an African team would win the World Cup by the year 2000, while not exactly accurate, had at least forecast a coming shift in the footballing world’s balance of power. In 1996 a Nigerian golden generation featuring Europe-based stars Jay-Jay Okocha and [...]
Here are the nine biggest new game announcements from E3 2018 June 13, 2018 This year's E3 conference in Los Angeles ushered in some fresh announcements alongside a raft of previously revealed games. As the show draws to a close, here's a selection of the biggest trailers from E3 2018. CyberPunk 2077 Release date: 2019 on PS4, XBO and PC Polish studio CD Projekt Red is best known [...]
French Open prize money 2018: How much do players get paid for winning at Roland Garros? June 9, 2018 More prize money is up for grabs than ever before at this year’s French Open but it remains the least lucrative of the four Grand Slams for players to win. The winners of the men’s and women’s singles finals this weekend will both take home a tournament record €2.2m (£1.9m/$3.1m) for triumphing on the clay [...]
Translations at the National Theatre review – a smart look at British imperialism on the island of Ireland June 8, 2018 Calling on the fearsome technical resources of the National Theatre, Ian Rickson’s new production of Brian Friel’s Translations is accomplished if not revolutionary. Set in Ireland’s County Donegal in 1833, it deals with the overwriting of landscapes by empire and the entwining of language with identity. It’s the tale of a “hedge-school” in the community [...]
Premier League overseas TV rights: English top flight makes concessions to Big Six but still treads carefully June 7, 2018 You would be forgiven for missing it but, muffled somewhat by the noise surrounding Amazon’s purchase of a Premier League broadcast package and the news of chief executive Richard Scudamore’s imminent departure, today saw another significant announcement regarding English football’s top division. From the 2019-20 season, when the next set of broadcast contracts takes effect, [...]
Chris Froome’s Giro victory should not be tarnished by the Vuelta salbutamol saga May 29, 2018 Chris Froome’s victory in the Giro d’Italia has propelled him alongside the greatest cyclists of all time – for now, at least. Rolling over the victory line in Rome on Sunday, the Briton became only the third rider to hold all three of cycling’s Grand Tours at once. And the Team Sky rider’s victory puts [...]
Hold the praise for Sergio Ramos: our willingness to applaud the dark arts of football has gone too far May 29, 2018 Football’s loose and ever-shifting moral code has been thrown under the spotlight by Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph over Liverpool, the injury to Mohamed Salah that changed the momentum of Saturday’s final, and the foul by Sergio Ramos that ended the Egyptian’s participation – and possibly his hopes of playing at the World Cup next [...]
Irvine Welsh interview: Growing old disgracefully May 3, 2018 The image of a former enfant terrible growing up, moving to a big house by the ocean and living a life of manicured leisure is hardly novel. Even so, hearing Irvine Welsh – former heroin addict, guitarist with punk band The Pubic Lice, and author of Trainspotting – talk about his Miami pilates regime is [...]
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is facing a fresh trial over alleged bribery March 24, 2018 Formula One's former chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is set to face a fresh trial over bribery and corruption allegations, relating to the 2006 sale of the motor racing business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. London's High Court announced yesterday that Ecclestone will face trial on 1 October 2019, reviving a case which Ecclestone [...]
Ollie Phillips: Danny Cipriani and Dan Robson need to be on England’s radar for South Africa tour March 22, 2018 Rumblings of the same old Eddie Jones – really impactful in the first couple of years before losing his way – are well and truly underway following England’s fifth-place Six Nations finish. Fantastic results and quality performances over the past two years have brought an expectation and that pressure will be weighing heavily upon Jones [...]