Rob Styles has apologised to Liverpool after admitting on Monday that he made a mistake in awarding a penalty to Chelsea during their 1-1 draw at Anfield at the weekend. Styles also caused confusion by appearing to issue a second yellow card to the Blues’ Michael Essien.
World Cup 2010 chief Danny Jordaan defended South Africa’s safety record in hosting major sporting events on Monday, arguing that not one fan or athlete had been affected in 13 years. He claimed that rising tourist numbers indicate there are no major safety issues about which to be concerned.
Formula One veteran David Coulthard has revealed how he suffered from an eating disorder as a teenager. The 36-year-old Red Bull Racing driver developed bulimia as he battled to keep his weight down for racing. The Scot, who is nearly 1,83m tall, now weighs 72,5kg, but his weight dropped as low as 57kg.
World stock markets roared higher on Monday after last week’s slump, but analysts warned of further turmoil for share prices owing to lingering concerns about borrowers’ failure to repay United States home loans. The London and Paris main indices jumped by about 1% in morning trade after Tokyo’s market closed up 3%.
Manchester City edged defending champions Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday, giving Sven-Goran Eriksson his third straight shut-out in three matches as a Premier League manager and a two-point lead at the top of the standings. Brazilian midfielder Geovanni, one of Eriksson’s eight pre-season signings, scored the winning goal in the 31st minute.
Watford’s bid for a quick return to the English Premiership was off to a good start as they defeated Sheffield United 1-0 on Saturday to extend their 100% record. West Bromwich cruised to a 2-0 home win against Preston and Plymouth drew against Ipswich, among other matches.
Captain Brian O’Driscoll is set to miss Ireland’s opening match of the World Cup next month after suffering a fractured sinus during a warm-up match in France, the Irish Rugby Union said on Friday. The 28-year-old centre was taken to hospital for X-rays with a suspected broken right cheekbone after receiving a punch an hour into the 42-6 victory over Bayonne on Thursday.
Sheffield United announced on Thursday they plan to sue West Ham for the cost of their relegation from England’s Premier League. The Yorkshire side have already failed in their High Court bid to force new Premier League disciplinary action against West Ham over the Carlos Tevez affair but now plan to take a new course of action.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson admitted Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card was the last thing he needed as Chelsea opened a four-point lead over their title rivals. Ferguson said the dismissal for a head-butt was all Ronaldo’s fault as the champions were held 1-1 by Portsmouth at Fratton Park, United’s second draw in their two games so far this season.
Andriy Voronin scored two minutes before half-time, and five-time winners Liverpool won 1-0 at Toulouse on Wednesday to move a step closer to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League. Voronin fired a rising shot from 20m after collecting a headed pass from Peter Crouch.
Economists said on Wednesday that turmoil on global stock markets is likely to persist but ruled out a catastrophic crash in share prices that would hit consumers and their pension funds. The JSE ended in the red again on Wednesday as United States markets failed to give the local bourse direction.
Britain’s biggest lottery winner was stunned into silence when she realised she’d scooped £35-million with a single ticket. Postal worker Angela Kelly (40) said on Wednesday she was still in shock after claiming the weekend jackpot that makes her one of the richest women in the country.
World oil prices swirled higher on Wednesday as traders looked to stormy weather that could threaten energy facilities in the United States Gulf of Mexico. Market participants were also awaiting the latest update on crude reserves in the US. New York’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, rose to $72,56 per barrel.
A British woman who scooped the EuroMillions lottery jackpot of £35,4-million was said on Wednesday to be a £16 000-a-year postal worker. Newspaper reports said Angela Cunningham, who is said to be in her 40s with a 14-year-old son, paid £1,50 for a lucky dip ticket for Friday’s draw but did not know she had won until Monday.
Everton scored three first-half goals to win their second straight English Premier League match on Tuesday, winning 3-1 at Tottenham to hand Spurs their second consecutive loss. Goals by Leon Osman and Alan Stubbs in the final eight minutes of the first half led Everton to victort, who also won their season-opener at home against Wigan 2-1 on Saturday.
A British clown has had the smile wiped off his face after being told he couldn’t use balloons in his act because children might be allergic to latex. Barney Baloney said he was told by bosses at a supermarket where he was booked to appear that he should leave his balloons at home because of the potential for allergic reactions.
Manchester United are looking to Carlos Tevez to kick-start their English Premier League title defence as Chelsea seek to keep their winning ways in Wednesday’s second round of matches. United were to throw Argentina striker Tevez into action at Portsmouth in place of injury victim Wayne Rooney.
Rahul Dravid didn’t score a hundred during India’s 1-0 series win against England, and nor did his fellow star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. But far from being disappointed, India captain Dravid was elated after leading his country to only their third series win in 15 tours of England following a draw in the final Test at the Oval on Monday.
Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins scored a vital brace, including a spectacular overhead kick, as Newcastle United opened their English Premier League campaign with a 3-1 win at Bolton Wanderers. Martins’s athletic strike was the eye-catching highlight of a busy and successful weekend for African players as the leading European soccer leagues began their seasons.
Champions Manchester United were held to a 0-0 home draw by 10-man Reading and lost England striker Wayne Rooney to a hairline fracture of his left foot in a wretched start to their title defence on Sunday. Chelsea opened their new Premier League season with a record-breaking 3-2 home win over Birmingham City while Arsenal snatched a late 2-1 victory at home to Fulham.
Chelsea opened their Premier League title bid with a record-breaking 3-2 win over Birmingham City while London rivals Arsenal snatched a late 2-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday. Chelsea, looking to wrest the title back from Manchester United, took the points with a second-half strike from Ghana midfielder Michael Essien.
Liverpool fired an early warning to their English Premiership title rivals as they made a gutsy winning start to the new season. With manager Rafael Benitez under pressure to deliver the Reds’ first Premiership trophy after spending a small fortune in the pre-season, Liverpool sent a statement of intent to Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
South Africa striker Benni McCarthy appears to be on the mend after being rushed to hospital following a blow to the head during Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 win at Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday. McCarthy received the blow in the second half and needed five minutes of treatment before being carried off on a stretcher with his neck in a brace.
India took four wickets with the new ball to compound England’s dire position in the third and final Test at the Oval on Saturday. England, at stumps on the third day, were 326-9 in reply to India’s 664 — their record Test innings total against England. That left the home side 338 runs behind and still needing 139 more runs to avoid the follow-on.
Sebastien Chabal scored a 70th-minute try as France beat England 21-15 in a World Cup warm-up match at Twickenham on Saturday. Number eight Chabal, who had come on as a replacement, piled through three England defenders to clinch the match, leaving Josh Lewsey, Nick Abendanon and Olly Barkley in his wake.
Scotland ran in five tries but had to repel Ireland’s second-half fightback to win 31-21 in their World Cup warm-up at Murrayfield on Saturday. Scotland led 19-6 at half-time with tries from Ally Hogg, Andy Henderson and Euan Murray, Ireland replying with two penalties from Paddy Wallace.
The co-founder of the British record label that launched the careers of seminal bands including Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays died on August 10 at the age of 57, a hospital spokesperson said. Anthony Wilson announced earlier this year that he had kidney cancer.
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez completed his move to Manchester United on Friday, the Premier League champions said. ”Manchester United is delighted to announce that Carlos Tevez has been registered as a member of its first-team squad by the Premier League,” United said in a statement.
Anil Kumble’s maiden Test hundred all but assured India of a series win over England on the second day of the third and final Test at the Oval on Friday. At the close England were 24-1 in reply to India’s first innings 664, still needing a further 441 to avoid the follow-on target of 465.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson expects the English Premier League champions to be stronger for their title success when they launch the defence of their crown on Sunday. United ended Chelsea’s grip on the championship by winning the league for the first time in four years last season and Ferguson believes that experience will make them even better.
British officials said on Friday they were investigating a new suspected case of foot and mouth outside a previously infected area, but the farmer involved said vets were sure his animals were disease-free. Britain’s chief veterinary officer said early on Friday there was a new suspected case outside a 10km surveillance zone.
Authorities in a west of Scotland town have been forced to take drastic measures to stop green traffic lights being vandalised, the <i>Herald</i> newspaper said on Friday, suggesting religion was to blame. The municipal council has put protective wire grilles over every green light in Larkhall, near Glasgow, because vandals have smashed 205 lights since 2004.