Robinson stirs pot for Calcutta Cup January 25, 2012 SCOTLAND coach Andy Robinson has fanned the flames ahead of next week’s Six Nations opener by expanding on his claim that England players have been guilty of arrogance. Former Red Rose boss Robinson, whose side host holders England on 4 February, added spice to the Calcutta Cup clash when he raised the issue earlier this [...]
McCoy poised for comeback January 25, 2012 HORSE RACING: Tony McCoy will make a return to the saddle this afternoon at Warwick for the first time since 30 December when he fractured his ribs and punctured a lung in a fall at Taunton. McCoy, the 16-time champion jockey, will ease his way back into action by partnering Nicky Henderson’s Key To The [...]
Deng upbeat on Olympic chances January 25, 2012 OLYMPICS: Chicago Bulls star and Great Britain forward Luol Deng insists he is determined to overcome a ligament injury in his wrist in time this summer’s London Games. “It could always be worse. Injuries happen,” said the 6ft 9in 26-year-old. “But I’m very confident that I’ll be fine. And I feel like without the surgery [...]
Hammers bid £7m for Jelavic January 25, 2012 FOOTBALL: Championship leaders West Ham have underlined their determination to make an instant return to the Premier League by making a £7m bid for Glasgow Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic. The Croatia international, who has scored 30 goals for Rangers, made the switch to Glasgow from Rapid Vienna in 2010 and is also being tracked by [...]
Wasps sign Russia duo January 25, 2012 RUGBY UNION : Wasps have signed Russia international hooker Vladislav Korshunov and No8 Victor Gresev until the end of the season.
Pepsi adds fizz to Britvic after Irish drink sales decline January 25, 2012 BRITVIC shares enjoyed a 3.44 per cent rise yesterday after the soft drinks maker and distributor reported a rise in revenues and big market share gains for Pepsi, which it makes and distributes under licence in the UK. The maker of Robinsons, Tango and J2O said first quarter revenue rose 2.5 per cent at constant [...]
Strong food shop performance has boosted jobs, retailers say January 25, 2012 RETAIL employment rose in the final quarter of 2011 as food shops prospered, reversing declines seen in the previous six months, figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed yesterday. The final three months of the year saw a 0.5 per cent rise in retail employment compared with the same quarter of 2010 – equivalent [...]
Shop slump fails to faze WH Smith January 25, 2012 WH SMITH cheered investors yesterday after the books and stationery retailer posted an improvement in profit margins despite sales continuing to fall. Chief executive Kate Swann said the group had delivered a “resilient” performance in a challenging market after like-for-like sales fell five per cent for the 21 weeks to 21 January. The FTSE 250 [...]
Asda takes George brand to Middle East January 25, 2012 ASDA, the British arm of US retailer Wal-Mart, has signed a franchise deal with a Lebanon-based firm to take its George budget fashion brand to the Middle East. The UK’s second largest supermarket said in a statement yesterday that the Azadea Group, headquartered in Beirut, would explore options for its George label in the Middle [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: DID WH SMITH’S RESULTS MARK AN IMPROVEMENT? January 25, 2012 PHILIP DORGAN | PANMURE GORDON Management has now successfully shifted the seasonality of the business, but a break up looks unlikely in the short run and top line momentum is likely to remain subdued. We think shares currently lack a catalyst. JOHN STEVENSON | PEEL HUNT WH Smith delivered Christmas trading in line with subdued [...]
