Warne out of retirement for Australia’s Big Bash November 8, 2011 ENGLAND’S former Ashes nemesis Shane Warne confirmed yesterday he is to come out of retirement and play for the Melbourne Stars in the inaugural Big Bash League. The 42-year-old leg-spinner called time on his illustrious career six months ago following the completion of his stint with Indian Premier League franchise the Rajasthan Royals. Warne, whose [...]
‘I’ve been physically and mentally abused many times at games in UK’ November 7, 2011 TOPICS of conversation are not hard to come by with Tony Fernandes, the gregarious Malaysian entrepreneur who recently added Premier League football club Queens Park Rangers to an empire that includes AirAsia and Formula One racing team Lotus. In a whirlwind half-hour he explains his recipe for business success, discusses QPR becoming bigger than Liverpool [...]
Richards still hopes to join Silva on the international stage November 7, 2011 WORLD and European champions Spain have named seven members of the Barcelona side that lifted the Champions League trophy at Wembley back in May in their squad to face England on Saturday. Vincente del Bosque’s squad also includes former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, who returned to Camp Nou in the summer, while injured club colleague [...]
Balotelli and Toure set City up for Napoli crunch clash November 2, 2011 VILLARREAL 0 vs MAN CITY 3 MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini believes his side will face the acid test of their Champions League aspirations in a winner-takes-all clash against Napoli in three week’s time. The Premier League leaders took just one point from their opening two fixtures in the competition, but back-to-back wins over Spanish [...]
Heart surgery won’t force Harry into retirement, insists Bond November 2, 2011 TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp is recovering after minor heart surgery but he won’t be forced to consider early retirement, according to his assistant Kevin Bond. Redknapp was admitted to hospital on Tuesday with a cardiac problem and had two stents inserted to unblock coronary arteries on yesterday. Spurs have already announced that the 64-year-old will be [...]
Rooney up for award November 1, 2011 Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman shortlisted for the Ballon D’Or. Only five players on the shortlist have Premier League connections, two of which – Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero – spent only half of 2011 in England – compared to 15 in Spain. European champions Barcelona lead the way with eight [...]
AVB still defiant after his nightmare week October 31, 2011 Chelsea boss stands by his methods as QPR star Ferdinand reveals “strong feelings” over his clash with Terry, by James Goldman CHELSEA manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he and his side have endured “a disastrous week” but insists he is still on course to produce a side capable of winning the Premier League. The past eight [...]
Van der Vaart boasts Spurs have taken over as the top team in north London October 31, 2011 TOTTENHAM forward Rafael van der Vaart believes his side remain the dominant force in north London and has warned Arsenal not to get carried away by Saturday’s win over Chelsea. After a shaky start to the season Arsenal moved back to within three points of a Champions League place following their stunning win at Stamford [...]
Parker and Bale the stars as Spurs continue to climb October 30, 2011 TOTTENHAM (3) vs QPR (1) SPURS boss Harry Redknapp lavished praise on summer signing Scott Parker last night, after the England midfielder starred in a convincing win over London rivals QPR. The visitors struggled to cope with Tottenham’s first–half onslaught and were fortunate only to be trailing to clinically taken goals from Gareth Bale and [...]
Desire to emulate Barca’s style leaves defences cruelly exposed October 30, 2011 SATURDAY’S goalfest at Stamford Bridge may have made the task of those whose job it is to sell Premier League TV rights easier, but the match showcased just how far the standard of defending exhibited by the top teams has dipped this season. While Arsenal’s defensive fragility has been long-standing – though Laurent Koscielny’s recent [...]