City plead innocence inHelan case September 8, 2009 FOOTBALL: Manchester City have firmly denied claims the club are guilty of ‘poaching’ hot prospect Jeremy Helan from French side Rennes. The Blues snapped up the highly-rated defender earlier this year, but the 17-year-old’s former employers have since reported the matter to FIFA after claiming a breach in transfer regulations. City, though, are convinced they [...]
Quins to face no further action September 8, 2009 RUGBY UNION: Harlequins will not face expulsion from this season’s Heineken Cup, after the ERC decided to take no further action following the fake blood scandal. Quins were fined an unprecedented €300,000, while coach Dean Richards received a three-year ban, but the ERC has confirmed no further punishments are expected. Meanwhile, Quins lock George Robson [...]
Burley urges Scots to up the tempo to keep dream alive September 8, 2009 GEORGE BURLEY is calling on his players to “perform to their maximum” to keep Scotland’s World Cup play-off dreams alive. Victory over the Netherlands at Hampden Park tonight will secure second spot for the Scots, but manager Burley believes his team will have to be at their best to beat the runaway leaders of Group [...]
One-Day shambles a far cry from Ashes win September 8, 2009 FOR all the meticulous organisation that went into England regaining the Ashes in the recent Tests, it strikes me that we are playing this one-day series on a wing and a prayer. Sadly, we are a shambles right now. For years now I have advocated the need to employ different set-ups for each form of [...]
Powerless Murray is sent crashing by Cilic September 8, 2009 WORLD No1 Andy Murray admitted he was powerless to stop big-hitting Marin Cilic ending his US Open dreams at Flushing Meadows last night. The Croatian 16th seed proved just too strong for the British No1 as he blasted his way to a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory in two hours, eight minutes. Cilic showed his dominance [...]
‘Thank you Mr Bilic, that is my perfect team talk’ September 8, 2009 ENGLAND boss Fabio Capello yesterday laughed off Slaven Bilic’s attempt at playing mind games – instead thanking the Croatia boss for providing his with his team talk for tonight’s crunch World Cup qualifier. Victory at Wembley tonight will ensure Capello’s men will qualify for South Africa next summer, possibly even at the expense of a [...]
CRAZY HORSES beneath the bonnet September 8, 2009 BENEATH a considerable amount of wing, skirt and angular metal lies a car, the chavmobile that is the FQ 400. I clamber on board the Mitsubishi gunship, turn the ignition key and on comes Radio 3. What? The delivery driver, an ex-policeman, had been driving the mother of all on-road anarchy magnets whilst listening to [...]
OUT OF OFFICE September 8, 2009 STARS AT TOWER FESTIVALThe Tower Festival is upon us yet again: hurry to get tickets for Nigel Kennedy on Thursday – on Friday there’s a Sadler’s Wells extravaganza not to be missed and on Saturday it just gets better with the divine Lesley Garrett and the Fron Male Voice Choir. Let’s hope the weather holds [...]
When pearls have to pay for house tax September 8, 2009 DEAR VEXED: Dear Vexed, I’m moving house but we’re a little short of money. Should I pawn my jewels to pay for stamp duty? Millie, 31, banker OH dear, things have come to a sad pass, haven’t they? I’m not talking about the fact that money is so scarce you can’t just pay for stamp [...]
Doing a Fuld might make you happy, but not always popular September 8, 2009 YESZOE STRIMPEL I WAS recently trying to coordinate a weekend out with my parents, who were visiting from the States. I put a lot of plans into the mix – I tried to be a bit flashy, to show them what I could do. Yet despite my best efforts, the whole sequence of events got [...]
