The big kick-off is a blackout for some August 13, 2009 WITH the football season starting in earnest tomorrow, ESPN, the Disney-owned broadcaster, is proudly trumpeting its coverage on all four pay television platforms, BSkyB, Virgin Media, BT Vision and Top-Up TV. ESPN, which has taken over the rights to 46 live Premier League matches from the now defunct Setanta, agreed deals with all the main [...]
VW in 3.3bn Porsche deal August 13, 2009 VOLKSWAGEN (VW) agreed to buy a 42 per cent slice of the sports car arm of Porsche yesterday, in another key step towards combining the German carmakers into a European automotive giant. VW said it would pay up to €3.3bn (£2.84bn) this year for an initial stake in the debt-ridden Porsche unit, ahead of the [...]
GIRL POWER UNLEASHED IN 2012 August 13, 2009 WOMEN boxers will get the chance to go for gold at the London 2012 Games following a landmark decision by the International Olympic Committee. Boxing had been the only Olympic event with female participants but yesterday’s decision ensures women, like British hopeful Savannah Marshall, above, will now compete at three weight divisions in 2012 with [...]
Tiger and Harrington renew duel at the top August 13, 2009 WORLD No1 Tiger Woods renewed his battle with Padraig Harrington as the pair started the US PGA Championship as they finished last week’s WGC Bridgestone Invitational – on top of the leaderboard. Woods wasted no time in throwing down the gauntlet in the final Major of the season, firing a five-under-par 67 to take the [...]
Nightmare for England as dream curbs Tresco return August 13, 2009 MARCUS TRESCOTHICK last night explained how a traumatic dream was to blame for his decision against making a sensational England comeback in the fifth Ashes Test next week. The in-form Somerset opener battled stress and anxiety during his glittering international career but was being tipped for a recall for the series decider, which England must [...]
TV VIEW: RAY STUBBS August 13, 2009 Title race will be closer than everManchester United and Liverpool both have the motivating factor of 18 titles each, and both have strength in depth. Yes, United have sold a few players, but let’s see how they react. Chelsea will be a big force this year and while I think it would be naive to [...]
Phillips: United don’t scare us August 13, 2009 KEVIN PHILLIPS insists newly-promoted Birmingham City have nothing to fear when they open their new Premier League account with a visit to Manchester United on Sunday. Veteran striker Phillips, 36, is back in the top-flight after a two-year absence having won back-to-back promotions with West Brom and then the Blues. His reward is a daunting [...]
Lethal Anelka to Nic it for settled-down Chelsea August 13, 2009 NOT since a certain Jose Mourinho was stalking the Stamford Bridge dugout in his Armani overcoat have Chelsea lifted the Premier League trophy. But I’ve a feeling new boss Carlo Ancelotti will be hoisting it aloft come May. The Blues look stronger to me than last season, while their rivals appear to be weaker. Manchester [...]
Clubs vying for capital gains August 13, 2009 LAST YEAR might have been a bad one for the City, but for London’s clubs it was a boom time of sorts. Although Chelsea were the only side to finish with silverware, all five of the capital’s outfits claimed top 10 places, and most have reasonable hopes of improving this season. But on the eve [...]
Observer gets its first offer August 13, 2009 INVESTMENT boutique Capital Ideas has launched an audacious bid to buy the embattled Observer newspaper from Guardian Media Group (GMG) for a nominal sum, with a view to turning the brand into a weekly news magazine and website. In the first of what is sure to be a number of bids to emerge for the [...]
