SUMMER SALES June 8, 2009 Baggies seek £2m for Mowbray WEST BROM are standing firm on a £2m compensation fee for manager Tony Mowbray to fend off interest from Celtic. The Baggies confirmed the SPL giants had made an official approach for Mowbray to replace Gordon Strachan but chairman Jeremy Peace is holding out for £2m. “Most people would regard [...]
Kaka completes record 56m Real Madrid switch June 8, 2009 BRAZILIAN playmaker Kaka last night became the world’s most expensive footballer after completing his record transfer from AC Milan to Real Madrid, believed to be worth in the region of £56m. The Spanish giants revealed the completion of the transfer on their website last night just hours after the 27-year-old superstar underwent a medical while [...]
Banks shrug off McDonald’s and Apple worries June 8, 2009 US stocks rebounded late yesterday to end flat, shrugging off lighter-than-expected sales from McDonald’s and lowered iPhone prices from Apple. The three major US stock indexes had fallen more than 1 per cent before rallying in the last hour of trading, led by bank shares. Analysts pointed to the S&P 500’s recent piercing of its [...]
World Cup chance everything to me, says grateful Upson June 8, 2009 ENGLAND and West Ham defender Matthew Upson is set to get another chance to impress against Andorra tonight – but admits his mind is already wandering to next summer’s World Cup finals. Upson had to wait later than most for his career to blossom, with injuries and competition for places curtailing his progress at Arsenal. [...]
FTSE 100 remains steady despite the political rout and a bit of profit taking June 8, 2009 THE FTSE 100 shed 1 per cent, or 33.34 points, to close at 4,405.22 yesterday, weighed down by weak energy and mining stocks, while banks fell as recent bullish sentiment soured. “Caution is creeping back into financial markets after what was largely a positive week for equities,” said David Evans, market analyst at BetOnMarkets.com. “There [...]
West Ham taken over by Icelandic banks as Gudmundsson era ends June 8, 2009 WEST HAM’S new owners CB Holding have reassured fans that manager Gianfranco Zola and assistant Steve Clarke are going nowhere. And the asset management company – made up of several Icelandic banks – insist Zola will be given money to spend this summer. CB Holding acquired the Premier League club yesterday in a takeover estimated [...]
CREDIT REPORT June 8, 2009 SOVEREIGN debt markets dominated headlines yesterday after recession-torn Ireland saw its issuance downgraded by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) for the second time in under three months. The ratings agency cut Irish bonds to “AA” from “AA+”, after removing its top “AAA” rating in March, on fears the Eurozone nation may be unable to meet the [...]
EUROPEAN REPORT June 8, 2009 EUROPEAN shares closed lower yesterday as banks gave back some of their recent gains, though a late rally in commodities prices helped to limit the losses of mining and energy shares. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 0.8 per cent to 865.11 points, rising off the day’s low of 857.39. The index had risen for [...]
KP: Fear factor will not plague revitalised England June 8, 2009 KEVIN PIETERSEN believes his England side have finally conquered their fear of failure following their impressive World Twenty20 victory over Pakistan on Sunday. The Hampshire batsman returned from an Achilles injury to smash a match-winning 58 and seal England’s qualification for the Super Eights. England came out fighting after Friday night’s embarrassing six-wicket defeat to [...]
Rain-lashed Celtic Manor passed its first major test June 8, 2009 WITH high winds and torrential rain expected in advance, the revamped Twenty Ten course at Celtic Manor faced its first major test on hosting the Welsh Open this weekend. Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin both experienced the course first hand ahead of the 2010 event, and it has to be said the [...]