Saracens to sign England star Hodgson at end of the season January 10, 2011 ENGLAND fly-half Charlie Hodgson will sign for Saracens at the end of the season and end his 11-year association with Sale Sharks. The 30-year-old, capped 34 times by his country, is understood to have signed a three-year deal. Hodgson (right), who has scored a record 1,753 Premiership points, underwent surgery in August last year on [...]
Ponting concurs with Ashes post-mortem January 10, 2011 AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind calls for an in-depth investigation into his side’s Ashes humiliation. England’s 3-1 triumph was their first Down Under for 24 years and Australian chiefs are preparing a particularly rigorous end-of-term evaluation. “There’s a review after every season, of which I’m always a big part,” said Ponting. [...]
Jenkins to miss Six Nations January 10, 2011 RUGBY UNION: Wales prop Gethin Jenkins is to miss the entire Six Nations campaign with a toe injury. The Cardiff Blues loose-head will undergo surgery tomorrow and is likely to miss up to 12 weeks. “It is a massive blow to have to replace Gethin Jenkins for the Blues and Wales,” said Blues coach Dai Young.
Silkmen’s Butcher passes away January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Macclesfield Town have announced midfielder Richard Butcher has died at the age of 29. Butcher joined the Silkmen in the summer on a two-year deal. A Silkmen statement read: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the untimely death of Richard Butcher. He was an exemplary professional and a likeable young man.”
Messi wins top Fifa award January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d’Or. Messi, 23, won the prize – a merger of the Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d’Or – ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Torres fires Crawley through January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Sergio Torres’ injury-time strike handed non-league Crawley a 2-1 win over Championship side Derby in the third round of the FA Cup. With a replay looking likely, Torres side-footed in from a corner to hand Crawley a fourth-round tie at Torquay.
Dott knocks out Higgins January 10, 2011 SNOOKER: World No1 John Higgins’ Masters campaign was ended by fellow Scot Graeme Dott in the first round. Last year’s World Championship runner-up, Dott, took the final two frames to claim the match 6-4. Meanwhile, Ding Junhui edged out former world champion Mark Williams with a 6-4 victory after n scrappy display from both men.
Cook served up an Ashes feast January 9, 2011 I HAVE to confess I’m more than a little bit jealous – what a fantastic time to be an England cricketer. The Ashes triumph was the greatest series win for as long as I can remember and nobody can ever deny that it was thoroughly deserved. The decisive moment was when England won the toss [...]
Breakthrough series sets up England hero for bumper windfall January 9, 2011 ENGLAND hero Alastair Cook’s record-breaking Ashes displays have hugely boosted his earning potential, with sports marketing experts predicting “the sky is the limit” for a man dubbed the “sponsor’s dream”. The Essex opener arrived in Australia desperately struggling for form and fighting to keep his place in the team, but plundered three centuries and a [...]
Men against Tractor boys doesn’t fool Ancelotti January 9, 2011 CHELSEA (7) vs IPSWICH TOWN (0) CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti admits he remains unhappy at his side’s current predicament despite an emphatic return to goalscoring form in the FA Cup. The holders extended their unbeaten run in this competition to 14 matches with a demolition of managerless Championship outfit Ipswich Town, who sacked Roy Keane [...]