Does the BBC’s Gary Lineker row show that the government has a problem with football? March 12, 2023 The weather forecast finished and then suddenly there it was: the BBC’s hurried replacement for Match of the Day following its spectacular bungling of the Gary Lineker row. Shorn of its theme tune, opening title, studio, presenter, pundits, commentators and about an hour of running time, this was bleak and surreal; a sort of post-apocalyptic [...]
Sport on TV: What to watch, when is it on and what channel is it on? March 10, 2023 The huge golfing tournaments return to the sports calendar this weekend with the Players, while there’s the continuation of domestic and international sport. Here are five events you need to mark ahead of this weekend. Golf: Players Championship, Thursday – Sunday Reigning champion Cameron Smith is absent for this year’s Player Championship due to his [...]
Survey reveals shocking impact on footballer injuries of Qatar World Cup March 9, 2023 More than half of footballers who took part in a major new study say they were exposed to increased risk of injury by the scheduling of last year’s World Cup in Qatar. Some 54 per cent of players surveyed by professional footballers’ union Fifpro in January reported an injury or felt more likely to suffer [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi takeover won’t be re-examined by Premier League, says lawyer March 9, 2023 The lawyer who represented Newcastle United in a battle with the Premier League over the club’s Saudi Arabian takeover expects top-flight chiefs to reject calls to re-examine the deal. A US legal case has raised questions about the influence wielded by the Saudi state over the Tyneside football club, leading to fresh pressure on the [...]
I’m glad sport has moved on from distasteful ‘Plastic Brit’ debate – Ed Warner March 9, 2023 Dazzled by Great Britain’s three golden moments at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Istanbul last weekend, you’ll likely have missed the home nation’s unexpected victory in the women’s triple jump. Reeling from last month’s earthquake devastation, Turkey will have drawn some comfort from Tugba Danismaz’s winning leap. And she was only ranked ninth in [...]
Ten Hag backs Fernandes as United captain despite Liverpool humiliation March 8, 2023 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has come out in support of his club captain Bruno Fernandes despite being part of the humiliating 7-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday. The Portuguese midfielder also faced calls to be banned from football for a number of games for an alleged “nudge” on an assistant referee on Sunday [...]
Manchester City face wait until 2027 for punishment in Premier League dispute March 8, 2023 It may take as long as four years for Manchester City to receive punishment if found guilty of perpetrating the biggest financial scandal in Premier League history. City were charged last month with more than 100 alleged rule breaches dating back to 2009, including falsely reporting income and the salaries of players and managers, and [...]
School sport reform can be Lionesses’ greatest victory, says Wubben-Moy March 8, 2023 England footballer Lotte Wubben-Moy has hailed the government’s pledge to create equal school sport opportunities for girls as the Lionesses’ “greatest victory”. Wubben-Moy was part of the squad who won the European Championship at Wembley last year and then used the triumph to lead calls for all girls to have access to football at school. [...]
Antonio Conte reveals Tottenham doctors’ fears for his health ahead of must-win Champions League match against AC Milan March 7, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has revealed the club’s doctors feared for his health after he rushed back to the dugout following gallbladder surgery. Conte needed an emergency operation last month but was back at work a week later and took his place on the touchline within days for the Champions League defeat at AC [...]
Liverpool have ‘identified potential investors’, says owner John Henry March 7, 2023 Liverpool owner John Henry says they have “identified potential investors” but that his group’s commitment to the football club “remains stronger than ever”. Henry’s comments appear to open the door to the sale of a minority stake in the Premier League team, having appointed bankers to test the market late last year. But they also [...]