Latest News: Monday 9 March

Adebayor out for Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has ruled Emmanuel Adebayor out of Arsenal's UEFA Champions League tie with Roma, but hopes Kolo Toure will be fit.

Adebayor has not featured for the Gunners for the past month after suffering a hamstring injury in the 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Togo striker will not be fit to feature in the second leg of the last 16 clash with Roma on Wednesday, although Theo Walcott and Eduardo are expected to be in the squad.

Toure is also likely to be involved in Italy after the defender missed Sunday's FA Cup victory over Burnley with a minor injury.

Thursday 5 March

Cesc in Arsenal quit threat

Cesc Fabregas has admitted that if Arsene Wenger leaves Arsenal then he could follow the manager out the exit door.

The gifted Spain midfielder, currently recovering from knee surgery, has seen the Frenchman come under fire from some quarters this season.

Gunners fans booed their team off at Emirates Stadium last week after their 0-0 home draw against Fulham, the last in a sequence of four successive stalemates which was finally cracked with a midweek win away to West Brom.

With Arsenal out of the Premier League title race once again, some critics believe it is time for Wenger to move on. Manchester City are the latest club to be linked with a move for his services, while Real Madrid are said to be keen on both Wenger and captain Fabregas.

Friday 27 February

Parry to leave post at Liverpool

The relationship between Parry, manager Rafael Benitez and American co-owner Tom Hicks has been strained and Hicks asked him to resign last April.

Parry branded the request as "offensive" but he has now decided the time is right to leave Anfield.

The departure of Parry is likely to take Benitez a step closer to finally signing a new deal. BBC Sport understands the decision is the result of "mature" talks held over the past two weeks and the acceptance that Parry and Hicks can no longer work together.

In November Parry pledged his loyalty to the club after he was linked with the chief executive's post as part of the Football Association's 2018 World Cup bid.

He decided to remain at Anfield, despite being the top contender from a five-man shortlist for the job.

Liverpool have been locked in a series of boardroom wrangles with Benitez looking to gain greater control over transfers in his protracted talks over a new contract and co-owners Hicks and George Gillett falling out.

Thursday 26 February

Benitez calms Anfield exit talk

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has given a big hint he is prepared to commit his long-term future to the Anfield club.

The Spaniard has been locked in talks about a new contract for several weeks, prompting speculation he could leave. But following Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid, he said his future could be resolved soon. He said: "My lawyers and advisors have been talking to the club's owners on Wednesday about the contract and I feel the problems we have can be overcome."

Benitez has been discussing a new four-year deal, but it is believed American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have balked at some of his demands. That has led to wild speculation, some of which surfaced before Wednesday's game in Madrid. A flurry of bets led some bookmakers to suspend betting on Benitez leaving Anfield before the end of the week. But he insisted the rumours were wide of the mark and said talk of his exit came as a surprise.

"I can assure you that I have not been considering such a move, and it was a shock to hear such suggestions," said Benitez.

"It needs to be clear that I was not thinking of resigning. My aim is to keep working and winning and to tell the owners that on the pitch."

Wednesday 25 February

Ronaldo - We're a great team

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Manchester United's impressive showing at Inter Milan on Tuesday proves they are a great team.

The Red Devils made Jose Mourinho's outfit look poor for much of their UEFA Champions League clash, but were unable to bag a priceless away goal.

Despite the goalless draw at Giuseppe Meazza, Ronaldo remains confident of progression to the quarter-finals in the return leg at Old Trafford.

"We played better than Inter in my opinion. We created more chances, especially in the first half. But we didn't score," said Ronaldo.

Tuesday 24 February

Wenger unhappy to lose Arshavin

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has queried the regulations surrounding Andrey Arshavin's exclusion from the Champions League last-16 match against Roma.

The Russia forward is cup-tied having played for Zenit St Petersburg in earlier rounds of the competition. "The logic is not obvious - he played for a team that cannot play in the competition anymore," Wenger said ahead of Tuesday's first leg. "But we cannot complain because we knew that when we bought him." Wenger is already without strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo because of injuries, along with midfielders Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott.

Arsenal's lack of firepower was evident against Sunderland on Saturday as they recorded a third straight Premier league goalless draw.

However, Wenger believes Roma will play attacking football in search of a positive result, rather than adopt negative tactics used by some teams at the Emirates.

"Certainly in the Champions League teams have a more positive attitude than the teams who have come in the Premier League to the Emirates recently," he said.

Monday 23 February

Richard Lewis has been named the new chairman of Sport England.

The Rugby Football League executive chairman will begin his four-year term in April.

Sport England's remit is to promote participation in grass-roots sport, with the Government aiming to get one million more people involved in playing sport as part of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy.

Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Sport and Media said: "With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, this is an era of incredible opportunity for sport in this country. "We want Sport England to work closely with governing bodies to create a world-class community sport system and no-one is better placed to help achieve this than Richard Lewis.

"Richard is a sportsman through and through. He has been involved in sport at every level throughout his career and is exactly the sort of person we need at the helm of Sport England.''

Lewis played tennis to international standard and then coached in the sport and was director of tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association from 1998 to 2000. He will become a non-executive chairman at the RFL when he takes up the Sport England post in April.

Thursday 12 February

Wales captain Craig Bellamy brushed aside an after-match verbal exchange with a Wales fan following the 1-0 friendly defeat by Poland in Portugal.

A fan heckled Bellamy as the Manchester City striker conducted an interview. "It's a shame. I've shown my commitment to Wales turning up for these sorts of games, but it is me that always seems to get picked on for stick," he said. "Maybe because I've never played for a Welsh club, I don't know, I've never got that same level of respect back."

Manchester City's new £14m striker engaged in a finger-pointing response with the fan and shouted back before being led away. "I was trying to do an interview but that happens, that happens... a lot of them drink," Bellamy explained. The incident overshadowed an encouraging Wales performance, in which Bellamy had impressed during the first 45 minutes before being substituted by Wales boss John Toshack in a pre-meditated move. A good night's work was spoiled 10 minutes from the end when substitute Roger Guerreiro chipped Wales goalkeeper Boaz Myhill to earn Poland the victory. "It was another good work-out, good opposition obviously and it was a strong team by them," Bellamy said. "They're an established side who have been qualifying of late as well and had a generation of good players - top, experienced players who play at the highest level. "But I do feel playing in this team that we do create chances as well, so it's nice going forward. "There were a few other half-breaks from that which could have gone in as well, obviously when I went through and shot on my left foot.

Wales resume their World Cup qualifying campaign on 28 March at home to Finland, then four days later face Group Four leaders Germany, also in Cardiff. "We are in good shape," Bellamy insisted. "Obviously it was a little bit disappointing with the result at the end but there were a lot of substitutions by both teams as well. "You can see Poland do have a little bit more experience off the bench... and that probably told on us in the end. "But it was a good work-out for us."

Monday 9 February

Portsmouth have sacked manager Tony Adams and first-team coach John Metgod following a run of poor results.

A Portsmouth statement confirmed: "This has been a difficult decision and Tony has worked tirelessly to arrest the slump in form."

Portsmouth have won only two of their 16 Premier League matches since Adams, 42, took charge back on 28 October.

BBC Sport understands ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant is favourite to replace Adams, possibly before the weekend.

Director of youth operations Paul Hart will take over as caretaker manager for the time being, but that role could be very short-term.

BBC Radio 5 Live's senior football reporter Ian Dennis said: "Portsmouth hope to have a new manager installed ahead of Saturday's vital home game against Manchester City.

"In the running are Avram Grant, who was director of football at Fratton Park three years ago, ex-West Ham boss Alan Curbishley and I also hear Graeme Souness has been sounded out.

"Grant is considered to be the favourite."

Thursday 5 February

Undefeated world super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe has announced his retirement.

The 36-year-old Welshman, who reigned as a world champion for more than 11 years, quits the ring with a glittering record of 46 wins from 46 fights. "It was a difficult decision but I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve in boxing," he told BBC Sport. "I've been world champion for 11 years. I've got no other goals to go for. That's why I am calling it a day."

Calzaghe, will be 37 on 23 March, hinted before the fight with Jones that it would be his last, despite talk of a re-match with Hopkins. Fellow Briton Carl Froch, who took possession of Calzaghe's old WBC super-middleweight belt by beating Canadian Jean Pascal in December, was also eager to take him on.

But Calzaghe resisted the lure of another big pay day and the chance to inch closer to Rocky Marciano's record of 49 wins from 49 fights.

Calzaghe, who has two sons, Connor and Joe, from his marriage to Mandy, says he now plans to concentrate on his charity work and becoming a boxing promoter.

Now divorced and living with model girlfriend Jo-Emma, he also reveals he had several TV projects lined up.

Monday 2 February

Chelsea are still trying to sign Robinho from Manchester City and are prepared to offer striker Didier Drogba, centre-back Alex, plus £20m for the Brazilian. (The Sun)

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will let striker Robbie Keane leave Anfield for Tottenham - but only if Spurs are prepared to do a swap deal with Aaron Lennon. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham had a £15m bid for Keane accepted on Sunday night (Daily Mail).

However, others say Liverpool swiftly rejected the offer and no improved bid has been forthcoming from north London. (The Independent)

Tottenham striker Darren Bent is a deadline-day target for Newcastle and Sunderland - but the striker is holding out for a move to Everton. (Daily Mirror)

Italy and Roma defender Christian Panucci, 35, is on the verge of signing for Hull. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Tony Adams hopes to add Tottenham's Giovani dos Santos to the loan signing of Bayer Leverkusen striker Theofanis Gekas. (The Guardian)

Liverpool dropped to third in the table as Mido’s late penalty cancelled out Yossi Benayoun’s opener and Chelsea comfortably beat Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge. It was only after Wigan drew level that Benitez introduced the Irishman, allowing him to replace Steven Gerrard, but not before he had snubbed him in favour of wingers Albert Riera and Dirk Kuyt in a bid to secure three points.

Riera replaced Torres with more than half of the second period remaining, while Kuyt was introduced for Benayoun shortly afterwards. Ryan Babel, who started on the left wing, slotted in as the lone frontman. Yet another blow for Keane is likely to encourage his suitors, Manchester City and former club Tottenham, that they can prise him away from his boyhood team before the transfer window closes. Both are thought to be preparing cash-plus-player deals, Spurs offering Aaron Lennon and City Brazilian playmaker Elano. But Benitez is adamant he wants to hold on to the striker, saying: “I think Robbie will stay, yes. We wanted to keep the pace of Ryan Babel so we brought other players on. Then when we needed a player to work between the lines we brought Robbie on. “Steven was very tired and so was Fernando, so we had to replace them. The decision to take Steven off was made before they scored but the idea was the same.” A clearly dejected Benitez was keen to point out that he believed the second half of the game was “crazy”, a statement which could refer to the performance of referee Phil Dowd, Wigan’s robust approach or even the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson, to which Benitez referred in his post-match press conference.

Man City poised to fine Robinho

Tuesday 27 January

The £32.5m forward made an unscheduled departure by flying home to Brazil without telling Hughes that he had to attend some "family business". "I have told Robby about the situation and our intention is to fine him," revealed Hughes. "There is a disciplinary procedure and that is what we are doing." It had been suggested that the 25-year-old would escape punishment by Manchester City for leaving the training camp on the Spanish island of Tenerife without permission. But Hughes said: "I have read some of the things that have been said this morning but nothing could be further from the truth."

The manager had stated he would wait for Robinho to return to Manchester before considering his punishment and the player, City's top scorer this season with 12 goals, came back from South America at the weekend and trained on Monday. Hughes said: "What I would like to say is that he will be treated no differently to any other member of the squad." The former Wales boss is expected to fine Robinho a fortnight's wages - an estimated £200,000 - as punishment. Robinho, who arrived from Real Madrid in September, had insisted there had been no fall-out between him and Hughes following his walk-out. Robinho is now set to line up alongside new arrivals Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong when Manchester City host Newcastle United in Wednesday's Premier League match at Eastlands.

Cudicini makes Tottenham switch

Monday 26 January

The 35-year-old joined the Blues on loan in 1999 from Italian side Castel Di Sangro and signed a permanent deal a year later, costing the club £130,000. Cudicini will provide competition for Heurelho Gomes who has been the subject of much criticism this season.

"Chelsea can confirm Carlo Cudicini has signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer," read a Chelsea statement.

"The club would like to take this opportunity to thank Carlo for his years of service and wish him well."

Tottenham paid PSV Eindhoven £7m for Brazilian Gomes in the summer and he struggled with his form initially before a string of improved displays.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has been looking for a goalkeeper ever since reserve team stopper Cesar Sanchez was released earlier this month.

Voted Chelsea Player of the Year in 2002, Cudicini has found his chances limited since Petr Cech's arrival in 2004.

Villa agree Heskey fee with Wigan

Friday 23 January

Aston Villa have confirmed they have agreed a £3.5m fee with Wigan for England striker Emile Heskey.

Heskey, 31, had said he would decide on his future at the end of the season, when his current contract expires.

But talks between Villa and Wigan began on Thursday, and BBC Five Live's Pat Murphy said he expected a quick resolution to negotiations. "I understand the proposed deal is well advanced and may be finalised on Friday," he said.

Murphy added that Heskey was a good fit for Villa, who are managed by his former Leicester boss Martin O'Neill. "It makes sense for the player, who has re-established himself as England's first-choice target man and whose contract with Wigan runs out this summer.

Under O'Neill, Heskey helped the Foxes to League Cup triumphs in 1997 and 2000. And the Irishman is still grateful to Heskey for "playing fairly" by the club when he moved to Liverpool for £11m in 2000.

Heskey will bolster Villa's attacking options, joining a strike force that includes John Carew, Marlon Harewood, Gabriel Agbonlahor and youngster Nathan Delfouneso.

Grayson takes Leeds post

Tuesday 23 December

The Whites parted company with Gary McAllister on Sunday, ending the Scot's disappointing 11-month reign at the League One club.

Five consecutive defeats in all competitions put pay to McAllister's tenure, with the West Yorkshire club crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of non-league Histon and slipping off the pace in the promotion race.

Having begun the campaign as pre-season favourites to secure a safe passage back into the Championship, Leeds will be hoping Grayson can bring about a reversal in fortune.

The 39-year-old joins the club from Blackpool, where he spent six successful years as a player and manager.

He helped guide the Seasiders to promotion in 2007, before consolidating their standing in the Championship last season.

Blackpool had released a statement on Monday suggesting an approach for their highly-rated boss had been knocked back, but they have now lost their manager. Grayson becomes the third man to take the reins at Elland Road in the last 18 months, with Dennis Wise and McAllister having previously filled the pressurised hot-seat.

Cesc admits knee worry

Monday 22 December

Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas admits he is worried about the knee injury which forced him to come off at half-time in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool.

Just before the interval in the clash at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Fabregas came off worst in a challenge with fellow countryman Xabi Alonso.

He looked in pain on his way off the field and he did not emerge again for the second period.

Now, speaking to Spanish radio, Fabregas admits he is worried about the problem with his right knee. The Spaniard has only just returned to full fitness after an issue with the same knee, and there are now fears he could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines. "I have negative thoughts about the injury," he told Radio Marca.

"But we will wait for the medical tests on Monday."

Arsenal's medical staff will assess Fabregas before confirming any injury, although initial Spanish reports claim there is a real fear of ligament damage.

Rovers sack Ince

Tuesday 16 December 

Ince was meeting with John Williams about his future, and they have now confirmed his departure. Ince only arrived in the summer from League One Milton Keynes Dons as he replaced Mark Hughes, who opted to join Manchester City. Now with the club sat second from bottom of the table and five points adrift of safety, Rovers have decided they needed to take action. "Three wins in 17 games has seen a squad, which finished seventh last season, fall to 19th position. We are currently in real danger of becoming detached from the pack," said chairman John Williams.

"The survival of the club in the Premier League is paramount and our focus now is on finding a replacement who will be able to maintain our top division status. "Paul will bounce back, he is a fighter and we wish him well." Early reports suggest that former boss Graeme Souness is one of the favourites to replace Ince, with the likes of Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley and Roberto Mancini also linked. Former Blackburn striker Kevin Gallacher believes Ince was unlucky that circumstances conspired against him. The ex-Scotland international said: "I think you need time to get in and blend your own style. "Unfortunately for Paul a lot of things went wrong, two of his best players were going when he arrived, there was no money to spend, players he brought in were injured and it never settled down. "I don't think Paul knew his best XI and I think that was the problem. "When you are letting in an awful lot of goals you've got to rectify it and he didn't quite do that."

Van der Sar signs Utd deal

Edwin Van der Sar has signed a new deal with Manchester United which will keep him at the club until 2010. The Dutch keeper has agreed a one-year contract extension, an agreement which will see him clock up five years' service at Old Trafford. The veteran shot-stopper has been a revelation since arriving from Fulham in 2005, helping the Red Devils claim back-to-back Premier League titles, a League Cup success and the UEFA Champions League crown.

He has also helped to bring stability to the troublesome keeping conundrum at United, with a number of his predecessors having failed to plug the sizeable void left by Peter Schmeichel's departure in 1999. Having made the No.1 jersey at the Theatre of Dreams his own, it appears that Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak are now facing up to the prospect of fulfilling back-up duties for two more years.

Sir Alex Ferguson certainly appears to have no intention of dropping the Dutchman, having expressed his delight at persuading the 38-year-old to commit his future to the club. "We have agreed a new one-year contract with Edwin," said Ferguson. "His experience, temperament, professionalism and performance level have not changed one bit since he has been with us. "Obviously, it will be his last year. He will be almost 40 then, which is a great credit to the lad. "He has been absolutely marvellous here.

Thursday 11 December 

England let slip a golden chance to take control of the first Test against India, slipping from 163-1 to 229-5 at the end of the opening day of the series. Andrew Strauss had appeared to put the tourists in a strong position with a solid century, the opener making 123.

The left-hander reached three figures in Test cricket for the 13th time before becoming the final wicket to fall late in the day, caught and bowled by Amit Mishra. Alastair Cook chipped in with 52 in an opening partnership of 118 that came to an end in the afternoon session.

However, the hosts took command of proceedings after tea, Zaheer Khan starting the damage with 2-12 in a six-over spell of fine reverse-swing bowling.

Peter Reid has thrown his hat into the ring to replace Roy Keane as Sunderland manager. Reid was in charge of the Wearside club between 1995 and 2002 and is currently the coach of Thailand.

The Black Cats are hunting for a new manager after Keane quit last week with the club languishing in the Premier League's relegation zone following a run of five defeats in six outings. Reid, who was hired as Thailand boss in September on a four-year contract and is currently in charge of the team at the Suzuki Cup, revealed that he has a clause in his contract which would allow him to return to the Stadium of Light and hold talks with chairman Niall Quinn. He told a newspaper: "I would be interested. It's fantastic in Thailand and the experience has already improved me but everyone aspires to work in England. It's the place to be. The players here dream about it and I know I won't be working abroad forever.

"There is a clause in my contract which allows me to speak to English clubs if they show interest, so that would be up to Niall Quinn." While Reid is confident he will be permitted to talk to Sunderland, Football Association of Thailand president Warawi Makudi was reluctant to confirm whether the 52-year-old had such a clause in his contract. Warawi said: "I don't think he will go to Sunderland. But I have no comment about it. I need to know exactly what is going on before I say. Asked whether Reid has a clause in his contract allowing him to return to England, Warawi added: "For holiday, yes." Former Newcastle and Bolton boss Sam Allardyce remains the favourite for Wearside post, while Alan Curbishley is also favoured by bookmakers.

Norwich and Derby cleared by investigation

The Football Association has closed an inquiry into the betting patterns surrounding a match between Norwich City and Derby County. There were reports of irregular gambling in Asian markets on their Championship fixture on October 4.

An investigation was held in conjunction with the Gambling Commission. Both clubs co-operated and have been cleared. An FA statement read: "Based on the information gathered as a result of detailed enquiries, there is no evidence to suggest any irregularities around the progress or result of the game.

"The FA received assistance from the Gambling Commission and individual UK bookmakers, who confirmed that no suspicious activity took place on their markets around the match at Carrow Road.

"We also received full co-operation from both clubs, both of whom reported that they had no concerns about the match. The FA has made it clear that if fresh information comes to light which gives rise to concerns then the enquiry may be reopened."

Norwich chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "I'm delighted the good name of Norwich City has been upheld and our reputation remains intact.

Scotland could join up with Northern Ireland or Wales to launch a joint bid to host Euro 2016. A spokesman for the Scottish Football Association

England's cricketers are waiting for security reports from India before deciding if they will play the first Test.

The full squad is flying to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to prepare for the match and they plan to move on to Chennai on Monday, three days before the match begins.

England captain Kevin Pietersen has admitted the players could pull out of the two Test fixtures if they have any concerns about their safety following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

The series of seven one-day matches in India was cut short last month and the players flew home.

Pietersen is determined to play and he believes his team should show support for the Indian public by returning to the country and fulfilling the fixtures.

Before leaving Heathrow airport with the rest of the squad, Pietersen revealed there has been a shift in the opinion of his team-mates and he described them as being "open-minded".

Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad have not travelled with the squad because they are being treated for injuries.

Scotland could join up with Northern Ireland or Wales to launch a joint bid to host Euro 2016. A spokesman for the Scottish Football Association confirmed "tentative" talks have been held with their counterparts in Belfast and Cardiff.

The European Championship finals will be expanded from the current format of 16 qualifiers to 24 in 2016.There are not enough stadiums in Scotland to host a tournament of that size but they might be able to co-host the event.

An SFA statement read: "As we've always said, we would love to host the European Championships in Scotland. However, we realise it's a huge undertaking and, as far as 2016 goes, we simply couldn't host it by ourselves. "We're meeting with the other Home Nations at the International Football Association board meeting in Belfast in February. I'm sure it's something we'll discuss. If there was a feeling that a bid was a possibility, we would then commission a feasibility study."

David Taylor, the general secretary of tournament organisers Uefa and former chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said: "It would be terrific. But I must be careful here.

"My enthusiasm for and advice to any country could be perceived in the wrong way. Many countries in Uefa are capable of hosting the tournament.

The Football Association is to investigate racist chanting directed at Middlesbrough striker Mido during the Tees -Tyne derby against Newcastle on Saturday.

The Egyptian was briefly subjected to Islamophobic taunts while he was warming up at the Riverside in a repeat of scenes seen in the same fixture last season.

An FA spokesman said: "We'll speak to the clubs. This will most likely involve working with Newcastle to try to prevent it happening again.

"The police may also be involved in helping identify any offenders because this is potentially a criminal offence. We want to make it clear you can't get away with chants like this."

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is hoping the culprits will be caught but does not believe Newcastle should be punished.

He said: "We have to rise above it. If people want to shout those things it's a reflection on them. There's a danger we go on a witch hunt. What do you do? Punish the club?

"They can't do anything about their travelling fans. It's individual decisions to sing what they want. How can a club the size of Newcastle control individuals? "It's a sensitive one 1 and I understand the importance, but I don't want to put the pressure on an excellent club like Newcastle." A spokesman for Newcastle added: "The club does not condone any sort of offensive chanting."

The England cricket team has postponed its final one-day matches against India over fears for players' safety after the Mumbai attacks. The one-day series will end prematurely, with India leading 5-0, but the England squad will stay in Bubhaneswar for at least another 24 hours to continue talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the other remaining fixtures. There is mounting speculation their two-Test series will also be called off after terrorist attacks in the Indian city which are reported to have killed 101 people and wounded hundreds more. Hugh Morris, the ECB's managing director of England cricket, said: "On behalf of the Board and the England team, we would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of those people who were killed or injured in last night's attacks. "The safety and security of the England team is of the utmost importance to ECB. We have reviewed all our security arrangements in the light of these attacks and will be taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of the team. "The events of last night were deeply distressing and the situation is still unfolding."

It is a dire situation which has also put the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League - involving Middlesex - in doubt. Middlesex were due to fly out to Mumbai and their first match of the lucrative competition was due to take place in Mumbai next Thursday against Australian side Victoria Bushrangers. But captain Shaun Udal has confirmed the team will no longer be travelling, and said: "All we know is that our flights have been cancelled in the morning. We were due to fly out from Heathrow and we had a call to say that those plans were now cancelled." Udal added that the three group matches due to take place in Mumbai will be moved to Bangalore.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is banishing thoughts of the Manchester derby to the back of his mind until after their match with Villarreal in the Champions League. But the Scottish boss has indicated he will field a strong side in the Group E encounter at El Madrigal in a bid to clinch top spot. He said: "The derby doesn't come into it at this moment simply because I have got five days and I need to play a team to win. I want to win the group and winning does that. "It was different from the last time when we played Celtic in Glasgow because we had a lunchtime game against Arsenal so my thinking was completely different. Wednesday to Saturday lunchtime is different from Tuesday to Sunday lunchtime." Cristiano Ronaldo has pleaded to play against Villarreal - but Ferguson is remaining cautious about the winger's fitness. Ferguson said: "Cristiano got a lot of whacks against Aston Villa. He got a few cuts but nothing serious." He added: "He wants to play and that is a problem. I would rather leave him out. When players show that enthusiasm to play you don't deter them, you encourage it."

Ferguson expects a rough ride, particularly from United old boy Giuseppe Rossi and said: "We think very highly of him. He was a fantastic young player for us. "The problem was satisfying him with regards to first team football. It was very difficult for me.

"When Villarreal made a good offer for him one of the conditions was that we had an option to buy him if they ever sold him."United will be without Dimitar Berbatov (hamstring), Wes Brown (ankle) and Gary Neville (groin) as well as long-term injury victims Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves. They sit top of Group E by virtue of a superior goal difference over Villarreal, and although both clubs are virtually guaranteed qualification, they'll want to fight it out to get a more favourable draw in the next round.

Coulthard, who retired as a race driver at the end of the 2008 season, will join former team boss Jordan as a pundit alongside anchor Jake Humphrey.

Jonathan Legard moves from 5 Live to commentate with ex-F1 driver and award-winning broadcaster Martin Brundle.

And veteran commentator Murray Walker will return to the BBC as a regular presence on the Sport website. The 84-year-old, who became a household name during five decades of F1 commentary for the BBC, will be offering his expert insight and perspective on the action and interacting with F1 fans through an online Q&A forum. The pit-lane reporters will be Ted Kravitz and Lee McKenzie.

Legard is returning to F1 after four years as 5 Live's football correspondent - he was the radio station's F1 correspondent from 1997 until 2004.

Humphrey switches to F1 having previously worked on the Beijing Olympics and Euro 2008, among other things. Kravitz, like Brundle, is a former member of ITV's F1 team.

McKenzie, the daughter of Daily Express F1 correspondent Bob McKenzie, has been a broadcaster on motor racing and other sports for ITV and Sky Sports. The BBC has a five-year deal to broadcast F1.

It runs from 2009-2013 and includes exclusive rights for TV, radio, online and mobile.

Britain's Lizzie Armitstead, Katie Colclough and Joanna Rowsell won the women's team pursuit on the final day of the World Cup event in Melbourne. The GB trio won in three minutes 29.890 seconds, ahead of Australia's Josephine Tomic, Sarah Kent and Ashlee Ankudin.

The victory marked a superb recovery for Armitstead to win her second gold in Australia, after a crash on day two required eight stitches in her arm. The three-day meeting was the second of five Track World Cup events. Britain's women have now won team pursuit gold in back-to-back World Cup finals, having done the same at the opening World Cup event in Manchester three weeks ago.

Armitstead, who also triumphed in the scratch race in Melbourne on Thursday, finished the Melbourne World Cup stage with two gold medals to add to her three from Manchester.

She also triumphed in the scratch race in Melbourne on Thursday, while Rowsell added team pursuit gold to her individual pursuit title from the opening day.

Australia's national team claimed overall victory in Melbourne, edging out compatriots Team Toshiba by 112 points to 98 over the three days. The World Cup continues with events in Columbia, Beijing and Copenhagen before the World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland, in March.

Knowhere heads 21 horses left in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday after the confirmation stage. Nigel Twiston-Davies' Old Roan Chase winner has top weight, with Exotic Dancer, Cloudy Lane and Joe Lively withdrawn from the line-up. Favourite Big Buck's is one of four entries for Paul Nicholls, along with My Will, Ornais and Dear Villez. Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Albertas Run and Character Building are among other leading contenders. Surprise Betfair Chase winner Snoopy Loopy may try for a quick-fire double. He is second in the weights but is effectively 5lb well in on ratings after Saturday's success. Ornais and Snoopy Loopy should carry 6lb penalties for their recent successes wins but as the maximum weight is 11st 12lb, they are only burdened with 4lb and 1lb extra respectively.

Slim Pickings, Royal County Star and Patsy Hall comprise a three-strong Irish challenge. Nicholls, who won the race in 2007 with the top weight Denman, is confident of mounting a strong challenge "The Hennessy Gold Cup has always been the target for Big Buck's since the end of last season," he said.

"He is in good health and would have a leading chance on Saturday on last season's form, but as always it is a very competitive looking race.

Meanwhile, trainer Charlie Mann believes his representative Air Force One will run well after taking second in the United House Gold Cup at Ascot on his return to action earlier this month.

"He's been jumping out of his skin since Ascot and I thought he ran a blinder that day as he normally improves for his first run," said Mann.

"He has been trained specifically for this race and I could not be more pleased with him right now.

"He ticks all the right boxes and he is an improving horse."

Knowhere is set to carry 11st 12lb with bottom weight Island Flyer, on just 10st, the subject of some strong support from punters.

Captain John Terry insists he was to blame for the calamitous goal England conceded in the 2-1 win over Germany.

Matthew Upson had already given England a 1-0 lead when Terry tried to let a long ball run through to substitute goalkeeper Scott Carson. Both Terry and Carson hesitated, allowing Germany striker Patrick Helmes to slip between them and score.

West Brom goalkeeper Carson was only making his second appearance for England and his first cap was blighted by a long-range shot that slipped through his hands against Croatia in the final Euro 2008 qualifier.

Terry said: "I hold my hands up. I am to blame for their goal. There is no blame at all attached to Scott. I should have dealt with the situation better. Someone of my experience should have cleared the ball."

Terry made amends by scoring England's winner late in the game, when he headed home from a Stewart Downing free-kick

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has dislocated his right shoulder in training and he will miss England's friendly against Germany.

Walcott was one of the few first-choice England players left in the squad after a spate of withdrawals and the injury could be more costly for Arsenal than England.

He could be out of action for three months, but England do not play again until they face Slovakia in March.

But Arsenal still have two games left in the group stage of the Champions League and they have crucial Premier League fixtures to play.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently criticised the timing of this month's international friendlies.

He said: "It is particularly not welcome at the moment because it is at a period where you want your players to recover a little bit.

Fabio Capello has turned to youth to take on the might of Germany in Berlin. The England manager's new-look 23-man squad includes five players eligible for under-21 duty in his, plus another couple who are only just making their mark in the Premier League. There is a surprise call-up to Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne for Wednesday's friendly, while former captain David Beckham has been left out. As well as Mancienne, who is on loan with Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, Capello has also named Aston Villa pair Curtis Davies and Gabriel Agbonlahor. Darren Bent was another player recalled. The striker, who has three caps, has been rejuvenated this season at Tottenham Hotspur, banging in 11 goals in all competitions. Mancienne, 20, who has performed well for England's under-21s but has never started a Premier League game, acknowledged the call-up had been unexpected. He said: "It's a great honour. I was expecting to join up with the under-21s and my head was focused on that but this is obviously great news.

"It's a great game to be picked for and just to be in and around the squad will be superb." Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand were not included after missing the 5-0 rout of Stoke City on Saturday through injury. Michael Owen, who has notched 40 goals in 89 appearances for his country, scored for Newcastle United on Saturday but was again omitted by Capello. His last cap came against France in March. After four straight World Cup qualifying wins, Capello is looking for balance - while testing out new players, but does not want to see confidence drain away by placing his trust in too many rookies. He said: "It is dangerous to put too many new players into a team that has trained a lot together. "It is best when you put one or maximum two in. I just want to know them better, which I will do during the camp. I want to study what they do in training, then I will decide."

FA launches Drogba probe

Didier Drogba could face a Football Association charge after throwing a coin back at Burnley fans.

The Chelsea striker opened the scoring in Wednesday's Carling Cup clash but was prevented from celebrating when the object was thrown on to the pitch. Drogba, who also appeared to gesture to the away fans, threw the coin back into the crowd and his actions are now being investigated by the FA. The 30-year-old has issued an apology but that may not be enough to save him from a possible misconduct charge.

"This is something I want to make clear. I tried to celebrate the goal and I received some things at me," said Drogba, who was shown a yellow card.

"The big mistake I did was to throw it back so if someone was hurt, I just want to apologise for it.

"This is not something I should show in a football match and I want to apologise.

"It was an incident in the heat of the moment and I regret it. It was just a mistake and nothing more."

Chelsea will now await the referee's report before commenting further but Burnley manager Owen Coyle and Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari both denied seeing the incident.

Scolari said: "I have not spoken with Didier about any problem. The referee gave him a yellow card but I did not see what happened."

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they will also be investigating the incident.

Johnson picks Vickery Palmer

England rugby coach Martin Johnson has added Phil Vickery and Tom Palmer to his team for the game against Australia.

Vickery replaces Matt Stevens at loosehead prop while Palmer steps in for Nick Kennedy, who scored a try on his England debut in the 39-13 victory over the Pacific Islanders on Saturday.

Johnson has not made any changes among his backs, so Delon Armitage will continue at full back after an impressive performance at Twickenham.

England's autumn international series is set to get even harder because they face the world champions South Africa later this month, then New Zealand.

Michael Ballack fit to replace Deco?

Luiz Felipe Scolari hopes Michael Ballack will be fit to replace the suspended Deco for Chelsea's next UEFA Champions League game against Bordeaux. Deco will miss the trip to France on 26th November after being sent off in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat at Roma for picking up two yellow cards.

German international Ballack is the obvious replacement to come in for Deco, but has missed Chelsea's last six games after undergoing foot surgery. However, Blues boss Scolari is keeping his fingers crossed that Ballack will be ready to return to the team in three weeks' time.

"Maybe I will have players back like Ballack for that game," said Scolari. "So I will still have quality in my midfield."

Reflecting on Chelsea's loss at the Stadio Olimpico, Scolari is keen for his players to learn from the mistakes which contributed to Roma's goals. He added: "When you concede three goals like we did, you need to think about the next game. We need to work more and train more and maybe in the next game we will not make these mistakes. "We had a few shots on goal in the first 30 minutes, but their goalkeeper made some good saves. We tried to come back in the second half with Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou, but they closed us down very well. We cannot give clubs the space we did or make such mistakes. But I am not going to change my thinking just because of one game."

Chelsea book final hotel already!!

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is so confident they will reach the Champions League final that he wants the club to make hotel reservations. Scolari and his Blues are in Rome for a group game and the Cavalieri Hilton has made such an impression that he wants to reserve rooms for the last week in May for the Champions League final.

The hotel is less than half a mile from the Olympic Stadium and at just £776 a night (rising to £6,400 for the King's Suite, according to The Times) is obviously seen as a bargain by Scolari. "I like this hotel," Scolari said. "It's beautiful. It's a fantastic hotel. When we went for a walk today, there are flags, trees - a beautiful situation. It's a great view. If the hotel accepts, we'll book it for May.

"We need to arrive in the final. We're playing very well, but we've not got into any final position yet. We need to get into more finals, win more finals. Then, after that, it might be possible to say we are better than last season."

Chelsea were described as the best team in the world by Roma boss Luciano Spalletti, but Scolari said: "Chelsea is one of the best ten teams in the world, but not the best.

"There are other teams who also play very well. We've played some very good games. In one or two games, we haven't played well and we've paid for this. Every day we've tried in training to make something more than before, because maybe in the future we'll need that." Chelsea has lost only one - to Liverpool - this season and has conceded only four goals in all competitions.

thursday 30 October

Spurs to leave White Hart Lane!!

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed they are leaving White Hart Lane and will build a new 60,000-capacity stadium. Spurs have revealed the decision has been taken to leave their current home of 109 years for a new purpose-built arena.

The north London outfit also confirmed that they would be staying within their current home of Tottenham, as the new stadium will be located on land adjacent to The Lane. "The Northumberland Development Project would deliver a world class scheme and substantial new investment for Haringey and our supporters," said chairman Daniel Levy. "It represents a significant step in the growth of the club, with a proposed stadium capacity of 60,000 and would provide state-of-the-art facilities, important public space, new jobs and homes and a significant boost for the local economy.

"It would also enable us to provide a new base for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation so that its award winning programmes can continue and have an even greater impact in the local community. "We are at an early stage of what is part of our long term plans for the club and now we want the views of local people and our fans. I hope people will take the time to look at our plans and let us have their comments."

Tuesday 28 October

No risks for Keane !!

Sunderland boss Roy Keane says he is unlikely to risk Kenwyne Jones from the start against Stoke City on Wednesday night.

Jones marked his return from a knee injury with a substitute's appearance in Saturday's Wear-Tyne derby win over Newcastle United.

Keane was impressed with the striker's outing in the 2-1 success, but believes there is no need to rush the Trinidad & Tobago international back into the starting line-up.

"It was important for us just to get him on the pitch and you saw what it did to our supporters, it gave them a big lift and also lifted his own team-mates," said Keane on Sky Sports News.

"It probably affected Newcastle's back four a little bit because he's a handful, but whether he's done enough to start the game on Wednesday is very much doubtful as it's still early days for him and there's no need to take unnecessary risks.

"We'll have a look at him again as we constantly look at players in training for how their match fitness is coming up, but he's a very good option for us on the bench."

Saturday 25 October

Murray in the finals !!

Defending champion Andy Murray is bidding to reach the St Petersburg Open final when he takes on the player he defeated to win the title last year. Murray faces world number 16 Fernando Verdasco of Spain, an opponent he has beaten in each of their three previous meetings on the ATP tour.

Their semi-final clash is a repeat of last year's final and is sure to be another test of the Scot's durability after a testing quarter-final against Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

Murray looked to be struggling on Friday when Tipsarevic pushed him hard in both sets of their tightly contested match, which the world number four edged 7-6 (7/5) 7-5.

The 21-year-old said: "It was a tough win, but I tried to keep myself concentrated, played every ball up to the end and it worked."

At one stage Tipsarevic looked well set to take the last-eight clash to a deciding set, only for Murray to move up a gear in the closing stages of a match which lasted two hours and ten minutes.

Murray first played Verdasco at a Futures tournament in Segovia, Spain, in 2003, long before he came to prominence.

"To do that I will have to be more confident in myself and use my chances."

Murray is bidding to win his fifth title of the year, having also reached the US Open final and he has already secured his place in the end-of-year Masters Cup.

Thursday 23 October

James Graham Joins England Team!!

Man of Steel James Graham will start for his country for the first time in England's World Cup opener against Papua New Guinea on Saturday.

The St Helens prop - five times a substitute for Great Britain and England - replaces veteran front rower Adrian Morley, one of three changes to the side that beat France 56-8 in June.

Coach Tony Smith has also called up Leeds utility back Lee Smith and Wigan forward Gareth Hock.

Lee Smith has been preferred to his former Rhinos team-mate Mark Calderwood for the vacant left-wing berth, while Hock is rewarded for a strong finish to a season dogged by suspension by being handed the second row spot made vacant by injury to Bradford's Sam Burgess.

Morley finished the season for Warrington with a stomach muscle injury, although Tony Smith has not ruled out making a late change.

"Mozza hasn't played for a while so we'll introduce him a bit later in the game if that's how we finally go," Smith said.

Juande Ramos worried about spurs!!

The 2-1 loss against Stoke condemned Spurs to their worst ever start to a season. With two points from eight games, they are already five points adrift of safety.  Spurs' problems do not end there, with Vedran Corluka injured and suspensions looming for Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson. Bolton then travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday before the derby with Arsenal, and Ramos says there is no overnight cure to the club's problems.

"I am worried about the situation," he said. "At the moment it is terrible. We need to work very hard to change this situation and only hard work can change it. This is my job and I am working very hard each day to finish this situation. The responsibility is on all the people working in the club, starting with me and finishing with the last person – we all have responsibility, when we win and when we lose."

Stoke manager Tony Pulis urged Levy to persevere with Ramos, whom he controversially recruited from Sevilla 12 months ago. "Let's see a bit of character by their board of directors and see them back him," said Pulis. "We are all in the same boat and know the rules and have to accept it. I just hope the chairman who got rid of a very popular manager before – Martin Jol – now backs him and gives him a chance to turn it around. They certainly have good enough players and a good depth of squad. They will get it sorted out sooner rather than later and when they do they will be a very tough team to play against."

Rooney does the job but England still slacking!!

Wayne Rooney scored another two goals to help England overcome a shaky performance and beat Belarus 3-1 for its best ever start to a World Cup qualifying campaign. The teams were level at 1-1 until the 50th minute and England's defence looked weak, but Rooney scored two second-half goals to give the visitors a fourth straight win in their attempt to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The victory lifted England to a maximum 12 points from its four Group 6 matches and, with four of the team's remaining six games at home, put it in a strong position to advance and overcome the disappointment of missing out on this year's European Championship. But England was embarrassed in Minsk when Pavel Sitko scored in the 28th to equalize Steven Gerrard's 11th-minute opener. Rooney rescued his teammates, as he did by scoring twice in Saturday's 5-1 win over Kazakhstan, to take his tally to seven goals in five games for club and country — and his international figures to 19 in 48. "When he's in this type of form he's up there with the best players in the world," Gerrard said."He's a fantastic talent." The burly striker put England ahead with a close-range finish after Emile Heskey had beaten his marker on the left to deliver a cross that invited Rooney to score. "We had to work very hard," Rooney said. "I've got to give a lot of credit to my teammates. It's a great three points. Twelve points from the first four games is a great boost for us."

John Terry!

John Terry and Ashley Cole have been ruled out of the World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Wednesday - and back-up goalkeeper Robert Green has also withdrawn from the squad.

Terry, the England captain, was unable to take part in training this morning after failing to recover from the back injury that kept him out of the 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Saturday. He had been expected to be fit after spending yesterday in the gym with his physiotherapist where he was able to run on the treadmill for the first time in five days.

However, Fabio Capello, the England manager, has omitted the player after insisting he completed at least one full training session before boarding the plane to Minsk tomorrow. "It's disappointing to lose two very experienced players for the game in Belarus," Capello said. "Unfortunately they have no chance of playing, so it is best they return to Chelsea."

Ashley Cole, who made the mistake that led to the Kazakh goal and was jeered for much of the match, was ruled out after scans confirmed he had picked a hamstring injury at Wembley. Wayne Bridge, Cole's Chelsea team-mate, is likely to take place his place at left back, while Matthew Upson will probably be retained as Terry's replacement at centre-half.

Another blow to the Toons!

Newcastle have announced vice-president Tony Jimenez has left the club.

Jimenez was appointed vice-president (player recruitment) by owner Mike Ashley when he installed his off-the-field team under executive director (football) Dennis Wise.

Jimenez's influence was reported to be one of the reasons why Kevin Keegan decided to quit the Magpies in September.

With Ashley actively looking to sell the club, Jimenez has decided to move on to "pursue other interests".

A club statement read: "Newcastle United can today confirm that Tony Jimenez has left the club.

"Tony, who was appointed vice-president (player recruitment) in January, has made the decision in order to pursue other interests.

"Newcastle United thanks Tony for all of his hard work and efforts and wishes him every success in the future."

Robert Greens Howler!

The German cycling federation will begin disciplinary action against rider Stefan Schumacher following his reported positive doping test during the Tour de France. 2008 Tour stage winners test positive

"The aim (of the disciplinary proceedings) will be a minimum ban of two years," the federation said in a statement. The BDR statement did not make clear if the federation had been officially informed of the positive test result announced by Schumacher's team Gerolsteiner on Monday.

"It is a shock, but it is also good news," said federation President Rudolf Scharping. "The ever tighter net of the anti-doping investigators is making sure that practically no one is getting through anymore." Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Michael Holczer told the German sports agency SID he had been personally informed of the adverse result by Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme. SID said Schumacher had denied doping, with the agency quoting the rider describing the allegations as "complete nonsense". The 27-year-old Schumacher won both time trials on this year's Tour de France and wore the leader's yellow jersey for two days. His other successes included overall victories on the 2006 Tours of Poland and Benelux and a road race bronze medal at the 2007 world championships in Stuttgart.

Robert Greens Howler!

A howler from England goalkeeper Robert Green helped Bolton sink high-flying West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park to end Gianfranco Zola's 100 per cent Barclays Premier League record

The Hammers were first out of the blocks in the 29th minute, when Valon Behrami tried his luck from 20 yards with a low strike which skidded off the wet surface and just wide of the left-hand post.

However, it was Bolton who took the lead in the most bizarre circumstances on the half-hour.

Green came to the edge of his area to make what should have been a routine collection from a high ball. The England keeper fumbled and promptly dropped the ball right at the feet of Kevin Davies, who hooked it into an empty net.

Before the Hammers had time to regroup, they were further behind. A free-kick into the penalty area was headed out, but only as far as Steinsson, who sent in a fierce low strike.

Green got down quickly making a smart save but he allowed the ball to break loose and defender Gary Cahill was on hand to prod it over the line for his first Bolton goal since a £5 million move from Aston Villa in January.

Carlton Cole gave the Irons a lifeline on the hour but substitute Matthew Taylor made a win with a 30-yard free-kick 4 minutes from time.

Tottenhams Dissmission

Tottenham Hotspur have dismissed reports that Mark Hughes has been sounded out to replace Juande Ramos as manager.

According to a newspaper report in The Sun on Friday morning, Spurs officials were alleged to have contacted Manchester City boss Hughes' advisors regarding an offer to take over at White Hart Lane.

But Spurs have issued a statement to reject the rumours and have stressed that no offer has been made to former Wales coach Hughes.

"The club largely refrains from making statements of this nature unless absolutely necessary in order to set the record straight in light of wholly inaccurate reporting," read the statement on the club's official website.

Eight Buyers for Toons!!

Newcastle United boss Joe Kinnear has claimed owner Mike Ashley is in talks with 'at least eight consortiums' over the sale of the club. Ashley announced his intention to sell the North East outfit last month after he came in for strong criticism from the Tyneside faithful following the departure of Kevin Keegan.

Kinnear was announced as interim manager last Friday, and the former Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest boss believes he could be in charge at St James' Park for longer than initially predicted. Asked if his stay could be permanent, Kinnear said: "I don't think so, to be honest, because I know for a fact Mike is talking to eight consortiums.... I don't know the outcome of those. I haven't got a time-scale on it, so I don't really know what the outcome is. But I know he is in talks with at least eight consortiums because he has told me that himself.

"Who they are, what they are, when it will happen, there is no time-scale on it. I am contracted for eight games, but I assume that should due diligence and the deals go on a little bit longer, it may run into 10 or 12 games."

Ferrari's Fuel Bungle???

Ferrari's biggest bungle in almost three years took Lewis Hamilton closer to title glory in Singapore.

While Britain's ace racer dodged the chaos of the sport's first night race to finish third behind surprise winner Fernando Alonso, both Maranello men failed to score.

Britain's 23-year-old racer now leads the rest of the field by seven points with only three rounds remaining.

And race legend Jackie Stewart warned: "This could have cost Ferrari the title."

A Ferrari engineer was reduced to tears after he was to blame for Massa's doulbe pit stop disaster.

NewManager United!!

Newcastle has appointed Joe Kinnear as their new interim manager.

The ex-Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest boss has the job with the crisis-hit club until the end of October.

The Magpies turned to Kinnear after Terry Venables turned down the job yesterday, following Kevin Keegan's departure earlier this month.

Kinnear, 61, said: "I am very excited about the challenge in front of me at Newcastle United.

"Results have not been great of late but there is a lot of quality in the squad and I am very confident the players are capable of climbing the league table.

"Newcastle United is a great club. When I was in charge of Wimbledon I always remember the passion of the fans up there and how great a stadium St. James' Park is.

"It is a big challenge but one I am really looking forward to."

Youngsters Rule !!

Arsene Wenger told the press a month ago that his club, Arsenal, don’t buy superstars, they make them.

The canny manager has served both the financial and football needs of his team by establishing – relatively cheaply - a kind of factory for brilliant young footballers. Two of his newest products, "Cesc" Fàbregas and Theo Walcott, have come off the conveyer belt and into the world of top-class football with consummate ease and distinction.

Last night his team smashed Sheffield United 6-0 with a team made up of his young superstars. The Gunners' starting eleven players had an average age of 19.

Nicklas Bendtner scored the first two goals, with Mexican teenager Carlos Vela going on to net a hat-trick, and 16-year-old Jack Wilshere also scoring.

Arsene Wenger said the team are the best group of young players he's worked with.

Sheffield United was made to look like novices by a team with eight teenagers who put on a footballing show case that was a joy to watch.

West Ham Guilty!!

Tévez's future at West Ham was the subject of constant speculation ever since he signed for the Hammers, with the media linking him to a host of European clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Internazionale. However, West Ham stated repeatedly that they owned his registration and did not wish to sell him. This led to a guilty verdict of irregularities in Teve’s & Mascherano’s registration.

Although they were fined £5.5m West Ham was not deducted points and Tevez was cleared to play in the club's remaining games of that season. On the final day, the Argentina forward scored the winning goal against Manchester United, his current club, to confirm West Ham's Premier League status.

Sheffield United appealed the decision not to dock West Ham points, and went before arbitration panel in July last year. They argued that West Ham won at least three points inspired by Tevez during the 2006-07 seasons, when the player was illegally registered to the Upton Park club. This cost Sheffield United relegation to the Championship and the revenue earned by being in the top flight.

Now West Ham United face paying massive damages in compensation to Sheffield United after an independent tribunal ruled against the Premier League club over the Carlos Tevez affair. Kevin McCabe, the Sheffield United chairman, refused to be drawn on how much his club would get but reports suggest it could be as much as £30 million.

America takes the lead!!

The United States roared into a 5½-2½ lead on the opening day at Valhalla to put them on course to regain the Ryder Cup. After three straight defeats stretching back to 2002 and missing the injured Tiger Woods, the hosts came to Kentucky as underdogs for the first time ever.

But after dominating day one they are now warm favourites to carry their lead through to Sunday. The home crowd - and some of the team - celebrated as the lead built up suggesting they believe the cup is already won. To fall so far behind is bad enough for Nick Faldo's side, but even more galling is the fact that they let the Americans off the hook so often. Europe were ahead in three matches early on in both series, but lost the morning foursomes 3-1 and the afternoon fourballs 2½-1½.

They also allowed Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim to twice come back from three-hole deficits to claim one-and-a-half points, while Ian Poulter and Justin Rose surrendered a three-hole lead on their way to defeat in the morning foursomes by Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell.

Disappointing 0-0 Draw...

It seems the party hard Manchester United team are struggling to get over their hangover. It is now two victories from six matches for Sir Alex Ferguson's side, after Villarreal made sure that the Champions League holders endured a frustrating start to their defence of the trophy and their record of 12 consecutive home victories.  There was no excitement as United worked hard against the La Liga runners-up, continuing their unconvincing start to the season.

Jonny Evans hit the post late on and Carlos Tevez had an effort cleared off the line, but Villarreal were not a side easily beaten. Cristiano Ronaldo's appearance as a second-half substitute lifted the mood and was cheered by the Manchester United fans as he returned from injury but a decisive goal got away from him. There was no fairytale return for the Portuguese player.

If Chelsea triumph their match and Liverpool defeat Stoke, Man U will be trailing both clubs by nine-point. Recovering from a home draw in the Champions League should not be as problematic but this was an uninspiring opening.

It was towards the end of the game that Man U came closest to scoring with the excitement of  Ronaldo infusing his team mates with some energy, but it was a little too late but at least it gave Sir  Ferguson and the home fans something to smile about, even if it was for a short while!

Deal or no Deal? No deal!!

Manchester City has revealed that there are no plans to sign the 31-year-old Brazilian striker Ronaldo, after they explored a deal for the former Real Madrid star.

The three-time World Footballer of the Year who is currently recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in February, claimed he had received an offer from the Premier League side and said he is looking forward to linking up with Robinho.

However it seems Ronaldo is still a free agent after leaving AC Milan, City states "We had shown a past interest in bringing the player to the football club in the right circumstances and spoke to him and his representatives.... however; we have chosen not to pursue the matter."

It is understood that City met with Ronaldo and carried out medical checks on the forward before opting against a deal.

'Three O Walcott!!!'

Theo Wallcott is the English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal and has since since signed £5million deal back in Jan 2006. The 19 year old also plays for England as a Winger or Striker recently and last night displayed great skill with his fleet-footed pace and trickery.

The footballer who idolises David Beckham scored a hat trick for England making him the youngest player to do this!  

Rooney speaks out about his delight of having Theo on the side "He gives a different dimension to the team with his pace out wide and it keeps the defenders on the back foot. I've not seen anyone as quick as him. He's something different to what we've had for the past four years because he's got frightening pace. He likes to run behind defenders and keeps them on the back foot. That probably frees it up in the middle for players like myself and the other strikers to get opportunities.

"He's a nice lad, too. He's got his feet on the ground, speaks well and handles himself well."

Discrimination???

Ireland has called into question the integrity of the classification process for Paralympians with Cerebral Palsy after one of their athletes was expelled from the Beijing Games for being insufficiently disabled. Derek Malone, an athletics bronze medallist at the 2004 Paralympics, has been excluded from the Paralympic Games seven-a-side football tournament following a classification ruling by the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association.The 28-year-old, who won bronze in the T38 800 metres in Athens, was deemed ineligible to participate in the Paralympics tournament in Beijing following a classification review by CP-ISRA. The CP-ISRA ruling dictated that Malone's current condition did not meet their minimal disability criteria.There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, but the condition can be managed.