Chelsea urge fans to avoid crowd trouble on return to London Stadium for West Ham clash March 5, 2017 Chelsea have issued a plea for good behaviour to supporters as they prepare to return to the London Stadium for the first time since crowd trouble marred their EFL Cup tie against West Ham in October. West Ham chiefs banned 94 fans following the violence, which broke out during the closing stages of the Hammers’ [...]
Brighton & Hove Albion chief Paul Barber explains off-field strategy of a Premier League club in waiting March 4, 2017 In less than a decade Brighton & Hove Albion have evolved from a mid table League One side playing at a converted athletics stadium to fewer than 10,000 fans, to a Premier League club in waiting who call the state of the art 30,000 capacity Amex Stadium home. Brighton have been amongst the Championship promotion contenders in three of the [...]
Andrew Flintoff interview: England will rule the world under leadership of Joe Root March 2, 2017 Former captain Andrew Flintoff has backed England to conquer the world and initiate an era of dominance under the leadership of new Test skipper Joe Root. The 26-year-old was installed as the country’s 80th captain last month, taking the reins from Alastair Cook who called time on his four-and-a-half year tenure following a dismal winter [...]
Is the Football League due a TV rights revolution? Why Derby County are leading the cross-divisional rebellion March 2, 2017 The Premier League’s £8bn television deal has not only ushered in a new era of profitability for top clubs – it has also convinced a growing number of teams from lower divisions that it is time to negotiate their own game-changing broadcast contract. Led by Derby County chairman and owner Mel Morris, some of the biggest [...]
Betting: Liverpool can edge Wenger closer to Arsenal exit with Anfield win March 2, 2017 Arsene Wenger’s first trip to Anfield as Arsenal manager was so long ago, Robson and Jerome sat at number one with ‘What Becomes of the Broken Hearted’. 21 years on, as the Frenchman prepares for what might be his final trip to Merseyside as Gunners boss on Saturday, he too may be thinking of a [...]
Betting: Tottenham to keep title push alive against Everton March 2, 2017 As the Premier League campaign heads towards its home straight, both Tottenham and Everton have plenty to play for, as they meet at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are Chelsea’s closest title challengers, sitting 10 points behind the Blues, but will want to keep pace should the Blues slip up. Last weekend’s thumping [...]
Manage Barcelona? I would rather sign another contract with Arsenal, insists Arsene Wenger March 2, 2017 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he would rather sign a new contract and prolong his 21-year stay in north London than take up the vacant manager's at Barcelona in the summer. Wenger’s current deal expires in the summer and he is yet to indicate whether he will take up Arsenal’s offer of a new contract, which [...]
Manchester City 5, Huddersfield Town 1: Pep Guardiola in raptures over Sergio Aguero after FA Cup romp March 1, 2017 Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola declared two-goal Sergio Aguero’s performance during his side’s FA Cup fifth round replay victory over second-tier Huddersfield the best of his reign. Aguero continued his hot streak of form with his fourth strike in two matches and 22nd of the season as City recovered from Harry Bunn’s early strike, while [...]
Tom Curran will not be fazed by his maiden senior England call-up, while the West Indies series is massive for certain players March 1, 2017 My former Surrey team-mate Tom Curran is just the sort of cricketer England look for: young, good skills in one-day cricket, an all-rounder and, with his yorkers and back-of-the-hand deliveries, a talented death bowler. The 21-year-old marched into the Surrey side pretty much from school but showed no fear. Tom is a confident young lad [...]
Kevin Pietersen, Tymal Mills and Luke Wright quit Pakistan Super League days before final amid Lahore safety fears March 1, 2017 Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, fast bowler Tymal Mills and all-rounder Luke Wright have pulled out of the Pakistan Super League final amid safety fears. Pietersen, England Twenty20 specialist Mills and Wright had been due to play for Quetta Gladiators on Sunday in Lahore, which has been hit by a series of bombings by Islamist [...]