Bournemouth and Watford in line for £130m windfall from Premier League promotion May 1, 2015 Bournemouth and Watford will enjoy a £130m windfall next season after securing promotion to the Premier League and its treasure chest of TV income. Each club will receive a promotion boost of £130m, rising to £230m if either club can survive in the top flight, according to figures from Deloitte and roughly in line with [...]
Ramsey: Austin a QPR player for now and has duty to keep us up April 30, 2015 QUEENS Park Rangers manager Chris Ramsey insists lingering uncertainty over the future of top scorer Charlie Austin will not sabotage their attempts to pull off an unlikely escape from relegation. Austin has been tipped to leave Loftus Road in the summer, regardless of whether QPR dodge the drop in their final four games, having impressed [...]
Leicester boss Pearson sorry for ostrich rant April 30, 2015 LEICESTER manager Nigel Pearson publicly apologised for labelling a reporter “an ostrich” yesterday but refused to back down over claims his team have been unfairly criticised. Pearson told the journalist he ridiculed after Wednesday night’s defeat to Chelsea that he had been upset by the result but had “stepped out of line”. “Before we start, [...]
Player dies of heart failure April 30, 2015 A BELGIAN footballer has died of heart failure at the age of 24, three days after collapsing during a reserve team match. Lokeren defender Gregory Mertens had been on a life-support machine, which his family opted to switch off yesterday after doctors gave him little chance of survival. Mertens’ “modesty made him an indispensable person,” [...]
HSBC looking for greener pastures should not surprise April 29, 2015 The sandwiches and coffee were standard fare at HSBC’s annual meeting. But it took mere minutes for political red herrings to be added to the menu. Take the bank’s confirmation it is reviewing its headquarters’ location. Labour’s attempt to blame HSBC’s action on a Conservative-inspired EU referendum was misguided, but inevitable. Douglas [...]
Premier League: Mourinho revels in silverware march as Premier League coronation nears April 29, 2015 LEICESTER CITY 1 CHELSEA 3 CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho insists his side are the envy of English football after a ruthless second-half fightback at relegation-threatened Leicester last night moved the Blues one step closer to their Premier League coronation. Winger Marc Albrighton gave Leicester a shock lead, only for veteran battering ram Didier Drogba to [...]
Cricket Comment: Morgan should prioritise England over IPL duties April 29, 2015 In the long term it is not a massive issue but Eoin Morgan is England’s one-day captain and he should be there for his side’s first 50-over clash since their disastrous World Cup campaign, against Ireland in Dublin on 8 May. Morgan has been given dispensation by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to [...]
Ex-Premier League player gets two years in jail for match fixing April 29, 2015 FORMER Premier League footballer Delroy Facey is today beginning a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence after being found guilty of attempting to fix matches. The journeyman forward, who played for 15 clubs including Bolton, West Brom and Hull, was alleged to have contacted a non-league player and suggested he earn £2,000 by throwing games. Facey, the most [...]
Caborn: FA crazy to sell cup name April 29, 2015 FORMER sports minister Richard Caborn has called talk of rebranding the country’s showpiece knockout competition The Emirates FA Cup “commercialisation gone mad”. The Football Association could sign a £30m, three-year deal with the airline, as soon as today. A previous deal with Budweiser packaged the cup as “in association with” the beer brand, whereas the [...]
Walcott: We’re best in Europe April 29, 2015 ARSENAL forward Theo Walcott believes the north London club are the best team in Europe in 2015. Walcott, who has been limited to just 17 appearances for the Gunners this season following a long-term knee injury, has suggested that a fully fit Arsenal squad could win the Premier League title. He said: “In this calendar [...]