Tag Archives: overseas

David Beckham in talks over MLS ownership

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Beckham in talks over MLS ownership

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UPDATED:

22:50 GMT, 15 December 2012

David Beckham is in talks to become
the owner of a Major League Soccer club in the United States and is
expected to buy a controlling interest in a team based in New York,
Miami or Los Angeles.

But contrary to reports from the US
that Beckham will be part of deal involving Manchester City buying an
MLS franchise in New York, sources close to the former England captain
told Inside Sport: 'That's not really a partnership he'd envisage.'

Talks: David Beckham

Talks: David Beckham

Beckham, 37, is a lifelong Manchester United fan who played for the Old Trafford club for 10 years before moving to Real Madrid and then LA Galaxy. In his final match for Galaxy earlier this month, he helped them to win the MLS Cup. He is considering his next move and may play for one last club for a short period before turning his attention to club ownership in the US.

Sources say Beckham is likely to buy a controlling stake in an MLS team in partnership with Simon Fuller, the entertainment entrepreneur whose company, XIX Entertainment, represents Beckham.

City have denied reports that owner Sheik Mansour is close to sealing a $100million deal to buy a New York-based MLS 'partner club' for City in Queens, east of Manhattan.'Manchester City are not buying an MLS club,' said a statement.

The idea that City might explore buying overseas clubs or working in partnership with them is far from fanciful. Two years ago, the club's then chief executive, Garry Cook, held 'very preliminary discussions' with MLS commissioner Don Garber over a possible tie-up that could fit into City's 'international expansion'.

Cook's replacement, Ferran Soriano, formerly with Barcelona, previously held talks with the MLS about a Barcelona-owned MLS club, and has written supportively about big clubs having 'franchise' partners in other leagues.

Ticket touts were prevented from making a killing on the summer's Olympics after a major police clampdown but they are having a last hurrah for 2012 by reselling seats for tonight's BBC Sports Personality of the Year show at up to 10 times face value.

The BBC sold around 13,000 tickets to members of the public at 50 each for the glitzy bash at ExCel in east London, where Bradley Wiggins is hot favourite to pick up the main award.

A BBC spokeswoman said that ticket terms and conditions prohibited reselling. But it is not illegal to resell tickets for such events.

Ticket brokers on Seatwave, Viagogo and eBay were among those advertising tickets at massively inflated prices.

At Seatwave, a pair of tickets worth 100 at face value were being offered for a total 1,197.65, including a 179.64 booking fee, 4.94 handling charge and 15.06 insurance.

Viagogo had tickets for 240 each plus 72 booking fee per pair plus 4.95 shipping, while eBay had a variety of seats from 180 each.

The future of the New York Marathon – the world's largest – is uncertain after entry registration for the 2013 event, due to open on Wednesday, was indefinitely suspended. This came as race organisers continue talks with insurers over the circumstances in which the 2012 event was called off in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The race was cancelled not because it was impossible to stage but because it was deemed inappropriate. This may affect any insurance payout and, with entrants claiming refunds, the organisers' ability to plan for next year has been severely hit.

Sky Sports set to broadcast England"s tour of India from London

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Sky's commentary team set to stay home after Board of Control for Cricket in India ask for extra 500K

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UPDATED:

21:45 GMT, 25 October 2012

The Sky Sports commentary team look set to cover England's four-Test series from their studios in west London after the Board of Control for Cricket in India asked them for an extra 500,000 to broadcast from inside their grounds.

The BCCI's request is said to be unprecedented and Sky have turned it down, with one insider describing the Indian board's demands as 'not the done thing'.

Unless a compromise can be reached, the likes of Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd and Ian Botham will provide their ball-by-ball commentary from the Sky studio instead, using footage sent by Star TV, the host broadcaster.

Staying put Nasser Hussain (right) and the rest of Sky's commentary team could be forced to broadcast from west London

Staying put Nasser Hussain (right) and the rest of Sky's commentary team could be forced to broadcast from west London

Sky viewers who want to listen to the Indian commentary live from the venues will be able to do so via the red button.

England and India are the only Test nations which habitually send their own commentators on overseas trips.

Some of the English contingent have been critical in the past of BCCI decision-making, particularly their stance on the decision review system, which the board continue to veto.

Live commentary from BBC radio's Test Match Special team could also be under threat.

London 2012 Olympics: Shara Proctor reaches long-jump final

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Team GB hope Proctor eases into long jump final at first time of asking

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UPDATED:

18:52 GMT, 7 August 2012

Olympics 2012

Great Britain's Shara Proctor made swift work of qualifying for the final of the long jump at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Anguilla-born athlete leapt out to 6.83 metres with her first attempt of the night to secure automatic qualification.

Afterwards, she said: 'I did that by the grace of God. I will go home now, regroup and come back and go for a medal. The crowd were right with me and helped me jump 6.83.

Life's a beach: Britain's Shara Proctor leapt into the long jump final at the first time of asking

Life's a beach: Britain's Shara Proctor leapt into the long jump final at the first time of asking

'There is a seven metre jump in me, but I'm not thinking of specific distance, I just want to jump far, far enough to get a medal.'

The 23-year-old British record holder
cannot compete for her native Anguilla at the Olympics because the
Caribbean island does not have its own National Olympic Committee.

It is a British overseas territory and Florida-based Proctor has a British passport.

London 2012 Olympics: Delano Williams not troubled by passport issue

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Williams: I slept through Hurricane Ike so I won't be troubled by a storm over my passport

PUBLISHED:

21:08 GMT, 7 April 2012

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UPDATED:

21:08 GMT, 7 April 2012

Delano Williams, the 18-year-old Caribbean sprinter whose dream of running for Britain in this summer's Olympics has added fuel to the controversy over eligibility, insists that his decision to switch allegiance from the Turks and Caicos Islands should be beyond criticism.

Williams applied for a British passport on January 22 and received it nine days ago, despite visiting Britain only once for a short holiday.

Fast track: Delano Williams training in Bermuda last week for the CARIFTA Games, in which he will run for Turks and Caicos

Fast track: Delano Williams training in Bermuda last week for the CARIFTA Games, in which he will run for Turks and Caicos

The next time he visits these shores will be in June to compete in the athletics trials when he will try to win a place in Britain's team for London.

But while the Plastic Brits storm has engulfed the likes of hurdler Tiffany Porter (born in the United States), long-jumper Shara Proctor from Anguilla and Cuban-born triple jumper Yamile Aldama, Williams has the perfect response to those who criticise his decision.

'If I want to go to an Olympics, this is what I need to do. I cannot go with Turks and Caicos,' he said last week as he prepared to compete at the CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, on Sunday and Monday.

'I'm taking the road that will get me there and my goal, in my heart, is to make the British team.'

The Turks and Caicos, an island chain with a population of just 45,000, are not eligible to take part in the Olympics in their own right.

Devastation: Houses damaged by Hurricane Ike, on Grand Turk, in the Turks & Caicos Islands, in September 2008

Devastation: Houses damaged by Hurricane Ike, on Grand Turk, in the Turks & Caicos Islands, in September 2008

But they are a British Overseas Territory, as are the Falklands, Gibraltar and 11 other places, and under British legislation passed in 2002, all citizens of those territories are eligible for British passports.

Williams says he considered applying for a passport in 2010 in order to compete for Britain at the Youth Olympics in Singapore.

Only a procedural issue about needing to qualify on British soil rather than at home – as he had – meant he could not attend that event and so did not need the passport.

But his continued progress has made his London 2012 ambitions become rapidly realistic – and some critics raised eyebrows at the speed with which his passport was secured.

'Maybe when I did finally apply for a passport this year, it went faster than normal because people want to help me, I don't know for sure,' said Williams.

'But it's available to me as a Turks and Caicos citizen.'

Burgeoning talent: Williams (left) in the Boys' 200m at Jamaica's Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Championships last month

Burgeoning talent: Williams (left) in the Boys' 200m at Jamaica's Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Championships last month

As for the criticism of his change of allegiance, he insisted politely: 'Sir, I don't let it concern me. I cannot control it. It's going to happen but I cannot focus on negativity.'

Williams set a personal best in his favoured event, the 200m, of 20.53sec in February.

/04/07/article-2126587-126882C0000005DC-258_634x430.jpg” width=”634″ height=”430″ alt=”Britain's got talent: Williams (left) hopes to switch allegiance for the Olympics” class=”blkBorder” />

Britain's got talent: Williams (left) hopes to switch allegiance for the Olympics

Delano's mother, Ruthe, is a beauty salon owner from Haiti, although she has lived in Turks and Caicos for 22 years.

Their son has lived, studied and trained on a third Caribbean island, Jamaica, since 2008.

But he ended up living in Jamaica only as a result of one of the most destructive weather events in history.

Hurricane Ike caused billions of dollars of damage and claimed hundreds of lives across the Caribbean and America in 2008.

Williams's school was destroyed and his education was indefinitely threatened, which is why one of his teachers, Neil Harrison, who is himself Jamaican, was able to persuade Williams's mother that her son might prosper at a Jamaican boarding school with a good record in sport, Munro College.

Harrison was about to take up a new post there, and Williams went with him, aged 14, paid for by a scholarship from the Turks and Caicos government.

'I had to leave behind my twin sister, Ashley, who is also my best friend,' said Williams.

Win and grin: Williams won the Boys' 100m race at Jamaica's Inter-Secondary School Athletics Championships for Munro College

Win and grin: Williams won the Boys' 100m race at Jamaica's Inter-Secondary School Athletics Championships for Munro College

'And I had to leave my mum, who cried and cried. But we speak every day and you have to take life's opportunities to get on.'

Harrison told me: 'I knew if I could take Delano to Jamaica and provide a decent education and facilities, we could harness his talent. The sky is the limit.

'He has a tremendous ability and the beauty of it is he also has a range of events from the 100m to 400m, although his speciality is the 200m.'

Williams admits that his mother had concerns about Jamaica. 'She had heard negative things about it, that it's a bad place,' he said.

'She was worried I'd get killed in gang violence. But I won't. My school is on a hill, very quiet. It's all good.'

His attitude, in general, seems 'all good', too, as relaxed as he is polite. He even managed to sleep through Hurricane Ike back in 2008.

'I knew it was coming and I guess we had concerns about what would happen,' he said.

'But then I got sleepy and I didn't want no drama so I went to bed. And when I got up, the place was wrecked, although my house wasn't damaged too bad.'

Determination and discipline: Williams (left) wants to give something back to Turks & Caicos

Determination and discipline: Williams (left) wants to give something back to Turks & Caicos

Whatever happens this summer, Williams says he will complete his studies at Munro College, where he has one more full year to go.

His girlfriend of three months, Amelia, 19, is studying law and journalism at a nearby sister establishment, and the quality of his course is such that he is seriously considering declining an offer to join Usain Bolt's training group – because it would mean moving, and changing his educational plans.

'I know I want to work in sports management one day, maybe help to run sport in Turks and Caicos to give something back,' he said.

'I live by three Ds – discipline, determination, dedication – and I'll do my best to achieve my dreams.

'When Neil first bought me to Jamaica I knew I'd need to get serious, to train hard every day and work hard on my studies. I owe it to myself to work the hardest I can.'

On the prospect of facing a London showdown with Bolt, who is set to be the global icon of this summer's Games, he added: 'I've dreamed that a lot, on many occasions, and I can achieve it, even though there are faster guys out there than me right now.

'If I don't make the 2012 final then I promise you I'll be in the 2016 final for Great Britain and instead in 2012 I'd settle for a place in the GB relay teams, fighting to win realistic medals.'

If he does make the London Games, it will bring back memories of his first visit to Britain, to attend an awards ceremony in 2010.

'I really liked the girls in their black sweaters and their eye-liner,' he said. 'But it was extremely cold. Oh my God, it was cold.'

Nick Harris: Silverstone in jeopardy as Qatar"s 500m deal stalls

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Silverstone in jeopardy as Qatar's 500m deal stalls

PUBLISHED:

22:44 GMT, 17 March 2012

The long-term future of the British
Grand Prix is back in jeopardy as Inside Sport reveals that a
proposed 'takeover' of Silverstone, backed by Qatari money and
potentially worth 500million, is off.

While the glamour and glitz of the
new F1 season unfolds on the other side of the world at the first Grand
Prix of 2012 in Melbourne, the imminent withdrawal of the Alpha Group
bid for Silverstone will rock the circuit's owners, the British Racing
Drivers' Club.

Backer tracking: Fernando Alonso wins the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2011

Backer tracking: Fernando Alonso wins the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in 2011

As we reported last year, the Qatar-backed Alpha Group made a 1m non-refundable payment to gain 'preferred bidder' status for a 150-year lease on Silverstone, the spiritual home of British motor racing.

Any new investor will fund a modernisation programme and profit from commercial spin-offs.

But Alpha have got tired of waiting for the BRDC to complete a deal and sources say the money earmarked for Silverstone will instead be channelled into two other Qatar-backed sports projects.

Those sources, close to the Qatar Royal Family who control much of the oil-rich nation's overseas investment, including via the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), say Paris St-Germain football club plus an America's Cup will now get the cash instead.

The QIA have not responded to questions on the subject, while the BRDC – whose members include former world champions Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill – still appear to believe the Qatar=backed investment will happen.

Shifting tides: Paris St-Germain and the America's Cup seem destined to benefit

Shifting tides: Paris St-Germain and the America's Cup seem destined to benefit

Shifting tides: Paris St-Germain and the America's Cup seem destined to benefit

A spokesman told me: 'The BRDC have been in negotiations with one preferred potential investor since late 2011, and remain in negotiations with the same potential investor. The terms of the exclusivity agreement stipulate that all matters remain confidential.'

The BRDC also claim that their deal with F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone to keep the British GP at Silverstone until 2026 will stand regardless of any more circuit upgrades.

Wonderful: Bernie Ecclestone

Wonderful: Bernie Ecclestone

Other sources say this is not the case and that fresh money is urgently needed to fund Silverstone's redevelopment, without which Silverstone's long-term hosting of the GP is in doubt.

Ecclestone himself said in late October it would be 'wonderful' if the Alpha Group deal happened.

As and when the BRDC accept that the Qataris have walked away, I can reveal that a second group of would-be investors are interested in stepping in.

The Anglo- American syndicate of big-hitters from finance and sport includes Sir Richard Branson as a commercial partner and is codenamed Project Penelope.

The public back Aldama in the Plastic Brits debate

Yamile Aldama, who won a triple jump gold medal for Britain at the World Indoor Athletics Championships last weekend, tells me she has received 'nothing but support and good wishes' from the public.

This despite a 'Plastic Brits' campaign attempt to stir up animosity towards her and other Team GB athletes who, like several prominent members of England's cricket and rugby teams, were not born here.

Nothing but support: Yamile Aldama received good wishes

Nothing but support: Yamile Aldama received good wishes

Aldama, 39 and originally from Cuba, has lived in north London for more than a decade.

She and her Scottish husband have two British sons, aged 10 and 18 months, and she adds: 'I'm really proud to have won for Britain. My boys are proud and my 10-year-old's classmates even made me a congratulations card.'

Shake your booty for 2012

The budget for the opening ceremonies for the London Olympics and Paralympics may have doubled to around 80million, but insiders say the sheer scale of the event being masterminded by Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle is breathtaking.

Some 20,000 performers will be involved, with many thousands more working behind the scenes and as suppliers.

And Boyle, London 2012's Oscar-winning artistic director, is taking an active role from the auditioning process onwards.

Spectacular: Danny Boyle has something special in store

Spectacular: Danny Boyle has something special in store

The cast of more than 10,000 people for the curtain-raiser on July 27 has been drawn largely from volunteers, auditioned in batches of around 500 a day for months on end at a film studio at Bow, in East London.

One successful contender tells me: 'My audition was last autumn and lasted three hours. Every single person auditioned had a screen test and had their measurements taken in case they got through and needed a costume.

'It was great fun. I had to bend over and shake my booty in front of Danny. It was like something you'd see at a Beyonce gig. But, frankly, I'd have swung upside down from a chandelier to make it. It'll be amazing.'

There was apparently a shortage of 'men with rhythm' in auditions and a mailshot to successful volunteers requested suggestions for more.

The only payment that volunteers will get – the details are yet to be confirmed – are travel costs to auditions.

The audition schedule is gruelling: up to 30 sessions, each five hours long, in evenings and at weekends between now and July, including eight dress rehearsals in the Olympic Stadium closer to show time.

Nick Harris has been chosen as Internet Sports Writer of the Year by the Sports Journalists’ Association for the second year running

Chris Foy: Richard Cockerill is much safer than his French rivals

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Cockerill is much safer than his French rivals

Jean-Pierre Elissalde didn't stand a chance, but Richard Cockerill does.

In the increasingly volatile world of club coaching, Leicester is not the worst place to be – nor is England as a whole, for that matter.

Leicester coach Richard Cockerill

Setback: Leicester coach Richard Cockerill

Elissalde was sacked by Bayonne this week, having been in charge at the Basque club for all of a month-and-a-half.

He was appointed in early December after the dismissal of Christian Gajan and his entire coaching staff, as an influx of overseas stars including Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips had not had the desired effect in producing an immediate assault on the Top 14 title.

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Last Friday, Leicester suffered their worst defeat in 15 seasons of Heineken Cup rugby – going down 41-7 against Ulster at Ravenhill.

Asked afterwards what the 'repercussions' might be, Cockerill's reaction suggested that he interpreted it as a question about his own future. It was not, but his tense mood was understandable following Newcastle's removal of head coach Alan Tait the previous day.

Yet Tait was clearly struggling, whereas Cockerill is not. Prior to the heavy loss in Belfast, the Tigers had won 11 out of 12 games.

This was a stark and alarming setback, but not a reason for upheaval.

This week, Cockerill defended his record, pointing to Leicester reaching four finals during his three years in charge.

Yet, his willingness to take guidance from an experienced figure such as Graham Henry is an indication that he understands the need to learn and develop further.

The Tigers hierarchy are not about to sack him.

As a whole, there is less volatility in the English game than in French rugby, where the arrival of so many super-rich owners has coincided with a more cut-throat approach to hiring and firing, more akin to football in this country.

As yet, there has been nothing here to match the bloodlust and bedlam at Blackburn Rovers FC, where angry, banner-waving, bilespewing protests go on and manager Steve Kean has to go out with a personal security guard.

The notion of Cockerill needing a minder to wander the streets of Leicester is quite amusing. Woe betide anyone who shouts abuse in his direction.

In domestic rugby, disgruntled fans don't protest, they just stop turning up – as Newcastle have found, with attendances dipping below 4,000.

That is a concern, but there is not yet extreme menace from the stands or from the boardroom.

If that is what comes with more money, then maybe tightened belts aren't such a bad thing after all.

A Glasgow Chris

Castre's captain Chris Masoe

Glasgow have taken the unusual step of releasing a statement about their own rejection. The Warriors had been in talks with Castres captain and former All Black Chris Masoe (right) over a move to Scotland. But after a visit to Scotstoun Stadium, the 32-year-old decided that it wasn't for him.

Remarkably, his decision appears to have been taken as a positive development worth sharing, as the statement quoted Masoe as saying: 'Although I'm not going to be joining the Warriors, I'd like to make a point of putting on record how impressed I've been with the club.'

The episode shows that Glasgow need to focus on retaining their own talent, as pedigree overseas players are not being enticed.

Owen faces Gavin 'treatment'

There is an increasingly obvious correlation between the profile of a player and the array of odds offered by bookmakers about their on-field exploits and off-field issues. Take Gavin Henson.

This week, prior to his call-up to Wales's squad for the RBS Six Nations, Ladbrokes were offering 400-1 that the 'part-time celebrity' and full-time Blues back would help his country win the championship and get married this year. In the past, odds have been offered on the exact hue of his fake tan. Saracens are evidently keen for Owen Farrell to avoid such unwanted attention ahead of his impending England debut.

Amid increasing scrutiny of the 20-year-old fly-half-cum-centre, his club's director of rugby, Mark McCall, has asked media to say less, ask less and write less about him. The request came with a smile, but the sentiment was clear. Unfortunately, McCall is fighting a losing battle while Farrell's kicking keeps winning matches.

RFU are ready

A gilt-edged chance to enhance rugby participation will come after the home World Cup in 2015 – and this time the RFU are determined to be ready. The authorities were caught cold after England's triumph in 2003 and as Steve Grainger, RFU development director, said: 'If facilities are not adequate or there's not enough coaching, we've lost the moment.'

The last word

Donal Courtney, the former Irish referee who now acts as ERC's match officials performance manager, has been talking about the language barrier.

Clubs and countries for whom English is not the first language regularly feel aggrieved at the way decisions appear to go against them, partly because – in many cases – they are not receiving instructions which they can fully understand. Courtney remarked that younger referees, such as the RFU's Greg Garner and JP Doyle, speak very good French and that is a positive development.

He revealed that there is a programme in place to assist the learning of key technical phrases in French and Italian, but as yet it is not compulsory for British, Irish or SAN ZAR officials to be able to converse in these languages with any fluency.

That is something the IRB should make an urgent priority. In the professional game, the playing field should be as level as possible, so multi-lingual referees should be regarded as a necessity, not a bonus.

Darlington go bust and then revived after fans raise 200,000

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Darlington go bust and then revived after fans raise 200,000

Blue Square Bet Premier side Darlington have been given an 11th hour reprieve after fans raised 200,000 to keep the club alive.

Former caketaker boss Craig Liddle and his remaining 10 players were summoned to the Northern Echo Arena at midday on Wednesday to be told by the club's administrator, Harvey Madden, that he had failed to agree a rescue plan and the club would fold after 128 years.

Should I stay or should I go: Former Darlington caketaker boss Craig Liddle

Should I stay or should I go: Former Darlington caketaker boss Craig Liddle

But a few minutes later, a group of
fans and local businessman calling themselves the Darlington FC Rescue Group (DFCRG) arrived at the stadium with 50,000 and
pleaded with the administrator for more time.

And after an overseas supporter pledged another 150,000, Madden agreed a short term deal that will allow the matches against Fleetwood, York City and
Hayes and Yeading to go ahead.

Late drama: Shaun Campbell from the Darlington FC Rescue Group arrives at the Northern Echo Arena

Late drama: Shaun Campbell from the Darlington FC Rescue Group

DFCRG hope the move will buy them enough time to convince former chairman Raj Singh to back a planning development deal that could save the club.

Steve Weeks, a member of the Rescue Group, said: 'The group have come with a sum of money that the administrator accepted to enable the club to continue until January 31 which gives the Rescue Group the chance to carry out due diligence with appropriate care required for the emergence of a community-based club.

'Fans have to realise this is just the beginning and we now need their support more than ever. If this town really wants a football club, now is the time to show how much they care.'

Ronnie O"Sullivan warned over skippinng tournaments by Barry Hearn

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Hearn warns O'Sullivan skipping too many events will have rankings consequences

World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn will not stand in the way of Ronnie O'Sullivan skipping tournaments but has warned his ranking will suffer as a result.

O'Sullivan, 36, has said he will play a reduced schedule rather than spend months away from home.

Speaking after beating defending champion Ding Junhui in the first round of the BGC Masters on Sunday, O'Sullivan said: 'I'm not prepared to travel 28, 29 weeks of the year, living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms.'

Home boy: Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will not travel abroad extensively to play

Home boy: Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will not travel abroad extensively to play

He is determined to find the right balance between his career and life as a father to two young children, and while O'Sullivan seems certain to play in snooker's premier tournaments, long trips away from home will hold less appeal.

The three-time former world champion has slipped to 16th in the rankings after a run of mediocre results but believes he will enjoy the game more if he plays selected events.

Family guy: O'Sullivan wants to spend more time with his young children

Family guy: O'Sullivan wants to spend more time with his young children

Hearn, who has had two years at the helm of the professional game, has introduced a host of new tournaments, many of them overseas, which have bulked up what was previously a thin snooker calendar.

'There is a lot of overseas travel and the bad news for Ronnie I suppose is it's going to get more and more,' Hearn told BBC Radio Five Live. 'We're just about to announce five major ranking events in China in the next 12 months so it's part of the global expansion of snooker.

Flying start: The Rocket shot past Ding Junhui (left) at The Masters on Sunday

Flying start: The Rocket shot past Ding Junhui (left) at The Masters on Sunday

'It won't suit every player but every player has the choice of the type of life he wants to lead.

'The downside for Ronnie is if he doesn't compete he will inevitably slip down the rankings through non-attendance, but I think it's a decision he's made himself and I welcome the decision for him personally.

'If it makes sense in his life that's what he's got to do.'