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‘EVERYBODY, GET DOWN, GET DOWN’ While the last of this season’s three Premier League relegation spots was confirmed the moment referee John Brooks blew his whistle to signal the end of the Championship playoff final between Leeds and Southampton 11 months ago, the late scramble to avoid the bottom three in the second tier has … Read more
Grand slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban for breaching anti-doping rules, with the Australian saying he has developed a nervous tic and anxiety because of the case. The 27-year-old entered a voluntary provisional suspension in December after admitting to breaching Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program “relating to the use … Read more
Thousands of playing fields could be lost to housing if the government strips Sport England of its role in national planning policy, campaigners have warned. As part of the national planning and infrastructure bill the government has said it wants to “speed up the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure” by removing the powers … Read more
On this week’s Guardian Women’s Football Weekly, Faye is joined by Sophie Downey, Ameé Ruszkai and Marva Kreel. The panel discuss Arsenal’s 4-1 second-leg victory over Lyon, the north London side knocking out the eight-time European champions and securing their place in the final. However, it won’t be a full English affair after Chelsea’s dreams … Read more
ITV has offered strong public backing to Ian Wright in its first public comment since he was criticised by Eni Aluko. Last Wednesday, Aluko said Wright “should be aware of” how much punditry work he was doing in women’s football and that it was important “women are not being blocked from having a pathway into … Read more
Arsenal v PSG Arsenal had a rest at the weekend. They will have been disappointed to watch Liverpool secure the Premier League title on Sunday, but that missed opportunity should focus minds on the Champions League, their only hope of silverware this season. They are unbeaten in their last 12 matches but have won only … Read more
Exeter’s disastrous season has hit a new low with two coaches, Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher, suspended by the chairman, Tony Rowe, a day after their 79-17 defeat by Gloucester. Rowe could be seen laying down the law to the squad in the aftermath of Sunday’s capitulation, in which the Chiefs shipped 13 tries, and … Read more
It was the transfer nobody saw coming: Luka Modric to Swansea City, not joining as a player but a minority stakeholder. The most decorated player in Real Madrid’s history, a six-time Champions League winner and one of the greatest midfielders of his generation pitching up as a co-owner at a mid-table Championship club was certainly … Read more
For the first time in its history, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) commenced a regular season this spring with no draft. A quintessentially American event, defined by hopes and dreams being on public display while teams trade players into the professional leagues without their explicit input, was scrapped by a collective bargaining agreement negotiated … Read more
Nat Sciver-Brunt has said she will empower her players to be the “best version of themselves” after being appointed as the new captain of the England women’s team. As first reported by the Guardian last week, the 32-year-old all-rounder has stepped up to fill the vacancy left by Heather Knight’s departure in March – the … Read more