Mark Hughes blames injuries and personnel changes for QPR"s predicament… but says things will get better

Posted on October 20, 2012 by adminsports

Hughes blames injuries and personnel changes for QPR's predicament… but says things will get better

UPDATED:

13:15 GMT, 20 October 2012

QPR boss Mark Hughes believes player turnover and a host of injuries has masked the quality of his squad at Loftus Road.

The Welshman has been backed by Rangers' chairman Tony Fernandes in recent weeks despite the fact the club sit bottom of the Premier League.

Fernandes bank-rolled several big-name signings over the summer and, although the desired results have not followed, Hughes is confident once they gel they will be successful.

He said: 'Everyone understands what we are trying to do here. Tony and Amit (Bhatia, vice-chairman) and all the shareholders have been really positive in that regard.

Down in the dumps: QPR are bottom of the Premier League, but boss Mark Hughes says things are looking up

'They knew and we discussed that there was a possibility the start of the season could be a little bit difficult because we had so many players coming in.'

A number of injuries have also destabilised QPR, especially in defence with Hughes unable to name a settled back four all season and the former Manchester City boss reckons once he has more options the results will follow.

'We have also been hurt with the number of injuries which hasn't helped matters but I think we are all comfortable that at some point in the very near future, once everything settles down, once we get a settled side then the quality we have will let us win Premier League games,' he said.

'We are very positive that once we get points on the board that will continue until the end of the season.

'I've got great support and I think it is a consequence of the work we have done in such a short space of time.

'We have taken the club a long way – not only off the field but I feel in terms of the personnel we have been able to attract to the club.'

Lowly: QPR have conceded 16 goals in seven games

A lot of the R's first-team squad are now working their way back to match fitness, with only Fabio and Andy Johnson ruled out of the match against Everton on Sunday and Hughes is looking forward to having a fully-fit squad.

'There are still players who are able to train at the minute but haven't had game time so there is still the discrepancy in terms of everyone's level (of fitness),' he said.

'It is not all on the same line unfortunately but that will get to a point in the future when everyone has the same level of fitness and has had enough game time and is into the flow of the Premier League season.'

There are constant rumours that Hughes' position in under threat due to the poor start to the season.

But the 48-year-old believes the reign of David Moyes, his counterpart on Sunday, has set an example for other clubs to follow.

'Longevity is vital to a club and certainly one in our position who are only in their second season after coming up from the Championship,' he said.

'You need that continuity and longevity of players and management to enable you to grow as a group and chopping and changing personnel is difficult.'

Hughes has backed his own managerial ability amid rumours the likes of Harry Redknapp is waiting in the wings to replace him.

After keeping QPR afloat last season Hughes believes his time at Loftus Road so far ranks amongst the best in his career.

'The job we did from January until the end of last season was a huge job,' he said.

'Whatever success I have in the future and whatever success I have had in the past, the job that we did from Jan until the end of the season was huge and was right up there in what I was able to achieve.

'I don't think that will change anytime soon, I think it was a massive job that we had to undertake and achieved, we are still very early in the process and we are still trying to move this club forward and we will do.'

London 2012 Olympics: Colin Moynihan wants spare tickets to go to troops covering G4S shortfall

Posted on July 21, 2012 by adminsports

Moynihan: Spare tickets for Games should go to troops drafted in to cover G4S security blunder

UPDATED:

12:28 GMT, 21 July 2012

The head of the British Olympic Association has called for any spare tickets for the events at the London Games to go to some of the troops drafted in at short notice to cover the G4S shortfall in security staff.

Colin Moynihan, chairman of the BOA, said it would be a way of thanking the military personnel – many of whom have had to give up their leave following active service to cover the Games.

Recruits: Armed forces were drafted in due to security company G4S being unable to provide enough trained staff

Moynihan told a news conference today: 'I'm not responsible for tickets but if anyone deserves to fill any empty seats it's those forces in their down time.

'It makes a lot of sense – if there are some tickets available, let's respect their tremendous contribution and say thank you.'

Reward: Colin Moynihan believes any spare tickets should go to the troops

New digs: The soldiers will stay in temporary barracks in Tobacco Docks, Wapping, throughout the Games

Moynihan said the large presence of military personnel on the Olympic Park – some 3,500 have been brought in after security contractors G4S failed to provide the necessary number of staff – had already had a positive effect on the British team.

Blunder: Nick Buckles' company G4S failed to deliver on Olympic security

'I have gone out of my way on behalf of the BOA and the team to go and talk to them because I really what to thank them,' added Moynihan.

'I know the sacrifices many of then have made personally to be here to support the team and the stress they are under in delivering their day jobs.

'I want to reflect that every single member of the British team is 100% grateful to them for giving up their time at short notice to make sure we have a safe and secure Games.

'These guys are so into sport and are really supporting the team, and just today some soldiers down from Chelmsford were saying “when we do get down time can we go out there and see the events”.

'If there are any spare tickets it makes eminent sense for the armed forces to have them and would be a great way to say thank you to them.'

Chelsea break Champions League trophy

Posted on June 19, 2012 by adminsports

EXCLUSIVE: Crackpots! Chelsea embarrassed after staff damage Champions League trophy

UPDATED:

07:56 GMT, 19 June 2012

Three members of Chelsea's staff have been suspended after the Champions League trophy was damaged.

One of the handles was left hanging off after the three security personnel posed for pictures with the trophy to show off to friends.

Although it was returned to its original position, a member of staff noticed the damage the following day and reported it to club officials.

Kings of Europe: Chelsea celebrated Champions League glory in Munich last month

Kings of Europe: Chelsea celebrated Champions League glory last month

Kings of Europe: Chelsea celebrated Champions League glory in Munich last month

The Champions League winners immediately sent the trophy to a London silversmith for emergency repairs following the incident at Stamford Bridge, which happened when the staff were outside their normal shift hours.

Chelsea confirmed the site visit was unauthorised and that they did not have permission to be in the building out of hours.

The club's chief executive Ron Gourlay is conducting an internal investigation.

It is a huge embarrassment just weeks after the team finally achieved owner Roman Abramovich's ambition of winning the most illustrious competition in European club football.

Blunder: The famous old European Cup was damaged by club staff

Despite the significance of the trophy, it was not locked away when one of the handles was broken.

Most clubs put the trophy on display in a secure cabinet for supporters to pose for pictures but Chelsea have been passing it around various departments at Stamford Bridge in recognition of the hard work of the club's 400 employees during their Champions League run.

A club spokesman said: 'The trophy was accidentally damaged while pictures were being taken. It was minor damage and has already been repaired. We don't make comment on staff matters.'

Euro 2012: England count down to Sweden match

Posted on June 15, 2012 by adminsports

Ready for battle: England fans count down to kick-off in Kiev as a nation holds its breath for Sweden encounter

UPDATED:

14:14 GMT, 15 June 2012

Follow the big match – live!

Join us for the best coverage of the game, starting from 7pm here.

And don't forget we'll also have coverage of Ukraine v France from 4pm here

England fans are counting down to tonight's crunch match with Sweden at Euro 2012.

Thousands of supporters have descended on Kiev to watch the match, although they will be heavily outnumbered by Swedes.

There are around 20,000 Sweden fans in the Ukraine capital, with England only having approximately a quarter of that number.

But millions will tune in back home as the nation comes to a standstill to watch the match.

Ready for battle: England and Sweden fans mingle in Kiev before kick-off

Outnumbered: There are far more Sweden supporters than England fans in Kiev for the game

Happy to be here: England supporters are counting down to their team's second match

A victory for Roy Hodgson's men would put them closer to the knockout stages of the tournament.

But anything less would leave them
facing an uphill battle to avoid an early exit. A lot will depend on the
result of the earlier match between Ukraine and France in Donetsk.

There were peaceful scenes today after drunken England and Sweden fans were kept apart by security at a fan zone on Thursday night.

Who new ball game: England fans from Bristol enjoy a kickabout in the main square in Krakow

You're in the minority! Three England fans are surrounded by Swedes in Kiev

Confident: Sweden's supporters enjoy a refreshing beer before the main event

The two sets of supporters in Kiev
chanted loudly towards each other, but several efforts to break a line
of security personnel were quickly halted. About 100 England fans and 200 Sweden supporters were involved.

Hodgson's is set to bring striker
Andy Carroll into the team as a replacement for teenager Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain in a change of tactics.

After drawing the first Group D game
against France, Hodgson is planning a more aggressive approach for
Friday night's Euro 2012 clash in Kiev.

All smiles: Hodgson will partner Andy Carroll with Danny Welbeck for Friday night's clash with Sweden

On the bench: Oxlade-Chamberlain will be relegated to the substitutes' bench for the showdown with Sweden

He is expected to bring in Carroll to
join Welbeck up front in a 4-4-2 formation, having paired them in
training at Kiev's Olympic Stadium. Ashley Young is likely to start wide
on the left.

Hodgson
also considered using the pace of Theo Walcott and is thought to have
assured the Arsenal winger he will play a key role in the tournament.

Six of the last seven goals conceded by Sweden have been headers and England won 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley in November with a header by Gareth Barry.

Hodgson suspects Sweden manager Erik Hamren will be terrified of Carroll, who ended the season in top form.

Former Bolton striker Johan Elmander will return to the Sweden side. H was restricted to a second-half substitutes' appearance in the defeat to co-hosts Ukraine on Monday after recovering from a broken foot.

Centre of attention: Hodgson puts England through their paces ahead of Friday's crunch clash

Banned: Rooney has one game left before his suspension is lifted

Euro 2012 email button

However, skipper Zlatan Ibrahimovic
was apparently unimpressed by Elmander's absence and coach Erik Hamren
has been quick to recall the forward, who now plays for Turkish outfit
Galatasaray.

In the team, which has been posted on
the official Swedish FA website, former Southampton player Anders
Svensson, has been recalled to partner Kim Kallstrom in the centre of
midfield, with Rasmus Elm shifting out to the left wing as Ola Toivonen
dropped to the bench.

West Brom's Jonas Olsson also returns
to central defence as Andreas Granqvist switches to right-back in place
of Michael Lustig, who has a hip problem.

Sweden lost their opening game 2-1 to
hosts Ukraine despite Ibrahimovic putting them in front. They have
never lost a competitive game against England, although a 43-year
unbeaten run against the Three Lions came to an end at Wembley in
November when Gareth Barry's deflected effort gave the hosts victory.

Danny boy: Welbeck is set to keep his place in Hodgson's line-up for the game against Sweden

Leading by example: Hodgson and Gerrard speak to the assembled media on Thursday

Group D is wide open, although
England will be in trouble if they lose. Neither Hodgson nor his captain
Steven Gerrard put the Swedes – or Tuesday's opponents Ukraine – in the
same class as the French.

The
manager said: 'To be brutally honest, France are one of the favourites
to win the competition and Sweden and Ukraine are not.'

'When we win the ball back and break out, we've got to make certain the
last pass, cross or actual finish is very clinical.

'It is hard to get
good goal chances at this level of football. You are not going to get
many during the course of a game and you have to be very effective when
the chances come your way'

Gerrard added: 'With respect to
Sweden, who are a good, strong team, they are not France. We can be a
bit more bold and ambitious and get at the Swedes more. We're confident
if we reach the same level of performance we'll get a victory.'

However,
Gerrard warned: 'Although we are confident, that's not to say we won't
be trying to learn from the mistakes we made in the first game.

Crunch clash: England are favourites to beat Sweden after holding France to a draw

Pace-setters: England know a win against Sweden will leave them in a good position ahead of their final group game

'We've analysed what we did right and wrong against France and we will be trying to improve on our performance as well.

'I'm
really happy with the start we've made to the tournament. It was really
solid and we've left ourselves a good platform to build on.

'The boys are confident we will be on four points after this next game and that will be a good start to this group.'

France manager Laurent Blanc would seem to disagree. 'We can't repeat
the first 30 minutes against England,' he said. 'If we had played
against a really good side it would have been over.'

England
will be wary of Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic despite his record of
scoring in only three of 19 games against English teams for club and
country.

Former
England manager Sven Goran Eriksson said: 'He is a player English
journalists like to criticise but I wouldn't be surprised if he scores
the goal that wins the game.'

All eyes on you: Gerrard is confident England will beat Sweden

VIDEO: Manager Roy Hodgson previews the game against Sweden

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Euro 2012: England and Sweden fans kept apart after drunken chanting in Kiev

Posted on June 15, 2012 by adminsports

England and Sweden fans kept apart after drunken chanting in Kiev fan zone

UPDATED:

23:31 GMT, 14 June 2012

Drunken England and Sweden football fans were kept apart by security at a fan zone at Euro 2012.

The two sets of supporters in Kiev chanted loudly towards each other, but several efforts to break a line of security personnel were quickly halted.

About 100 England fans and 200 Sweden supporters were involved.

Hands up: A Swedish reveller is kept apart from his English counterparts in Kiev

Friendly banter: Fans of both nations mix in Kiev

Minutes earlier the thousands of football supporters inside the fan zone were drenched by a heavy downpour as they watched Spain play Ireland on large television screens.

The England fans had congregated at a marquee opposite an area set aside for Sweden.

rising above it all: England fans give a Swede a night to remember

In good voice: England fans made their presence known

Around 20,000 Scandinavians are expected at the Olympic Stadium for the match, compared to just 5,000 from England.

A second home: Sweden and England fans mingle in a fan zone earlier in the day

Project manager Chris Banks, 24, from Reading, Berkshire, said: 'Sweden have got their own bars and restaurants so they all congregate in the same place. But England fans are making themselves known. We're loud!'

Travel agent Phil Davis, 34, from Nottingham, said: 'They're pretty much everywhere, it's a little part of Sweden but we've set up camp opposite them. It doesn't match up, but it's a decent effort.'

Stuart Lancaster defends decision drop Owen Farrell

Posted on June 14, 2012 by adminsports

Lancaster defends decision to ditch Farrell as England coach shakes up squad ahead of second Test

UPDATED:

10:59 GMT, 14 June 2012

England head coach Stuart Lancaster has defended his decision to drop fly-half Owen Farrell for Saturday's second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.

After defeat in the first Test in Durban last weekend, Lancaster has revamped his backs by recalling Toby Flood in an attempt to level the three-match series.

Sportsmail's Chris Foy brought you the exclusive news of the shake-up ahead of Englad's second Test which sees Flood's inclusion at number 10 as one of three personnel changes for the clash at Coca-Cola Park.

All change: Flood (left) is in while Farrell (right) misses out

We told you first…

Sportsmail's Chris Foy reveals Lancaster's plans to drop Farrell

The 26-year-old will win his 49th cap and be reunited with his Leicester team-mate Ben Youngs in the halves.

Lancaster said: 'Owen has had a fantastic season and I am sure he will make a significant impact from the bench.

'However, Toby has waited patiently for his opportunity and the time is right to allow him the chance to demonstrate his experience and skills in what will be a very tough challenge.'

Jonathan Joseph is also being handed his first start at outside centre and wing David Strettle returns while Manu Tuilagi moves inside to take over from the injured Brad Barritt.

Strettle plays on the left wing with Ben Foden reverting to his preferred position of full-back following the loss of Mike Brown for the rest of the series with a thumb injury.

Farrell, who was unconvincing in Durban despite kicking four penalties, must make do with a place on the bench.

Owen going: Farrell has made changes to his team for the second Test

Saracens full-back Alex Goode, who was withdrawn at half-time in the midweek match against the Southern Barbarians, is also handed a place among the replacements.

There are no changes in the forwards but prop Alex Corbisiero, fit again after biceps and knee problems, is a replacement.

The decision to axe Farrell, Lancaster's only unforced changed, is the most eye-catching after the 20-year-old excelled in the RBS 6 Nations earlier this year.

Yet while England showed spirit and endeavour in their narrow 22-17 first Test loss, it was felt the team lacked spark.

Flood, who missed the end of the domestic season through injury, brought added impetus from the bench and he will now have the chance to do that from the start.

Joseph, 21, shone in a brief cameo at Kings Park and gets his opportunity as Barritt recovers from surgery to repair a lacerated eyeball.

Flood alert: Toby is in as Farrell drops down to the bench

Brown's injury ends Lancaster's experiment of playing Foden on the wing but his back-three partnership with Strettle, now recovered from a calf strain, and Chris Ashton was solid in the Six Nations.

Lancaster said: 'I am delighted for JJ. He has trained very well and showed against the Barbarians and in his short time on the field in the first Test that he is ready to make the step to international rugby.

'To have two 21-year-old centres is exciting and we are looking forward to seeing this combination in action.'

The selections of Flood and Joseph are bold ones and hooker Dylan Hartley feels England must take the game to the Springboks this weekend.

Hartley said: 'Last week we didn't play as much as we would have liked to and in the second half we defended for a lot of it. You can't really win games defending all the time.

'We need to take our chances. We can't keep coming out here and playing safe all the time, although you can't take too many risks.

'It is going to be another tough challenge in the heights of Johannesburg but I think we are all looking forward to it.'

Best foot forward: Farrell kicked four penalties in Durban

Hamilton hopes for first victory of the season amid the violence in Bahrain

Posted on April 22, 2012 by adminsports

Hamilton hopes for first victory of the season amid the violence in Bahrain

UPDATED:

21:11 GMT, 21 April 2012

Lewis Hamilton will bid for his first
win of the Formula One season today against a backdrop of increasing
violence during human rights protests in Bahrain.

The
McLaren driver, narrowly leading the championship after three races,
was beaten to pole position yesterday by defending world champion
Sebastian Vettel.

The
German's Red Bull team-mate, Mark Webber, was third fastest, with
Hamilton's British colleague, Jenson Button, having to settle for fourth
place on the race grid this afternoon.

Hopes for the race: Lewis Hamilton is well placed to win the Bahrain Grand Prix

With tensions in the Gulf state soaring after the death of a protestor following clashes with police on Friday night, Formula One bosses are bracing themselves for further disorder here by demonstrators who had promised 'three days of rage' over the presence of the sporting circus in their country.

A march heading in the direction of the Sakhir Circuit to coincide with the race is planned for today, although it remains to be seen how close demonstrators will be allowed to get to the track.

A heightened security presence suggests any attempt to disrupt the race will not be tolerated.

Pole position: Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing

Police cars and armoured personnel carriers will line the routes to the track, while checkpoints have been set up to search for weapons and explosives.

Despite continuing calls by politicians – Labour leader Ed Miliband among them – for the race to be called off, FIA president Jean Todt insisted yesterday that the event would go ahead.

Echoing the stance of Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Todt claimed that the majority of the kingdom's population want the race to happen.

'I would be very annoyed if it was a majority of people [who are against the race],' said Todt. 'But at the most it would be 10 per cent who are anti. So do we penalise 90 per cent of the population because 10 per cent are against My answer is No. My answer is that it is a strong majority of people [who want the race].'

With the exception of Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, the drivers here have been criticised for their continued dodging of the issue of staging a race in a country where violence between police and protesters is a daily occurrence.

And Vettel did not cover himself in glory on Thursday by saying that it was time to get back to 'the stuff that really matters, like tyre temperatures' before describing the coverage of events in Bahrain as 'hype'.

Tyre temperatures did indeed prove critical yesterday, with Red Bull making their rubber work far better in the baking heat of Bahrain than in the cool conditions of China the previous week.

Vettel's ability finally to get to grips with the updated version of the RB8, having opted to use an older spec car in China, also proved pivotal to him beating Hamilton to pole position.

Politically charged: Protests against the Bahraini government continue

'It feels great and this one I will give to the team and the guys,' said Vettel. 'It wasn't an easy start to the season for us. It did not match our expectation. We worked hard on the car. The boys have not had much sleep in the last few races, so I'm happy to be on pole.'

Worrying though Red Bull's return to form may be for Hamilton and Button, the failure of Mercedes to repeat their performance in Shanghai quelled any panic that they were about to break clear.

Matters started badly for Mercedes when Michael Schumacher failed to make it out of the first phase of qualifying, a shabby lap and a problem with the rear wing consigning the seventime world champion to 18th place on the grid.

Buoyed by his pole and win double in China, Schumacher's team-mate, Nico Rosberg, had the confidence to restrict himself to one flying lap in the final phase of qualifying. But there was to be no repeat of last week's dominant showing, Rosberg having to settle for fifth as Webber briefly held top spot before being overtaken first by Vettel, then Hamilton.

While the drivers have preferred not to divert their attention from racing matters, there were suspicions that the volatile situation in Bahrain had encroached on to the track.

Leading the charge: Lewis Hamilton in action, followed by Bruno Senna

After four of their staff travelling in a hire car were forced to flee petrol bombs on Thursday night, Force India opted not to run in the afternoon practice session on Friday in order to leave the circuit before nightfall.

Ecclestone was said to be less than impressed by their decision. Force India did not feature in yesterday's television coverage, which is tightly controlled by Ecclestone's Formula One Management company.

Offering a potential explanation for the blackout, Ecclestone said: 'It could be technical but I suspect it was more to do with the Bahrain laws on no alcohol advertising. They have a whisky company prominently on the car. They should have taken it off. I will look into it.'

London 2012: Military will not lose annual leave – Philip Hammond

Posted on December 21, 2011 by adminsports

London 2012 military will not lose annual leave, insists defence secretary

Military personnel returning from Afghanistan will not lose their leave in order to protect the London 2012 Games, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has pledged.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed last week that 13,500 military personnel, more than the 10,000 that were deployed to Afghanistan, will be part of the 23,700 security force for the Games.

Service: 13,500 military personnel will be part of the 23,700 security force for the Games

Answering questions in the Commons, Mr Hammond said: “Some of those returning from Afghanistan may at some point be involved in Olympic duties, but no-one will lose their post-operational leave.

Neil Wilson

“Post-operational leave has to be scheduled anyway, and it will be scheduled around the requirements of the Olympic task.”

The deployment across all military services includes 3,500, rising to a peak of 7,500, who will provide venue security.

Around 5,000 servicemen and women will support the police and other civil authorities, providing specialist capabilities such as bomb disposal and dog teams.

Another 1,000 will provide logistical support. There will also be a 1,000-strong unarmed contingency force for deployment in the event of an “Olympics-related civil emergency”.

The overall 23,700-strong security force will include a mix of military, private security guards and at least 3,000 unpaid London 2012 volunteers who will be used at the start of the security process.

Celtic cleared of breaching SPL rules pro-IRA singing

Posted on December 6, 2011 by adminsports

Celtic cleared of breaching rules by SPL despite fans chanting pro-IRA songs

Celtic were told they will not face any punishment from the SPL over pro-IRA chanting as they await Thursday’s verdict from UEFA.

An investigation by the top-flight hierarchy concluded that, while there was no dispute over the chants being heard during a match against Hibernian in October, the Parkhead club had done all they could to prevent such behaviour among a section of their fans.

The SPL cited the public condemnations delivered by Celtic manager Neil Lennon and chief executive Peter Lawwell as key contributors to the outcome.

Cleared: The SPL said Celtic had done all they could to eradicate the chants

Although not unexpected, the verdict will come as a relief to the Parkhead top brass as they prepare for their charge over ‘illicit chanting’ during a Europa League meeting with Rennes to be heard by European football’s governing body later this week.

UEFA, though, have proved in the past that they operate different criteria to the SPL.

A defence of having taken all reasonable measures to stamp out pro-IRA chants may not be enough to prevent further action in Nyon — most likely a small fine and a warning of greater sanctions if there are repeat offences.

It was match commander Eddie Smith of Strathclyde Police — a former top-flight referee — who reported the chanting at the Hibs match to the SPL delegate. An investigation was then set in motion that included meetings with various police and security personnel involved at Celtic Park.

Probe: UEFA will rule on chants from fans during their game against Rennes

A written statement was also received from the Parkhead club before the release of the summary findings.

‘It is not disputed that a small number of Celtic fans engaged in singing and chanting in support of the IRA,’ read an SPL statement.

‘Such behaviour is unacceptable and unwelcome at SPL matches. It is noted that Celtic FC has condemned such activity publicly on many occasions (most recently by chief executive, Peter Lawwell and by head coach, Neil Lennon).

‘It is important that such public condemnation should continue.’

Meanwhile, Celtic are taking teenage Norwegian striker Riki Alba on trial for a week at Lennoxtown.

The 16-year-old Valerenga forward will arrive in Glasgow on Friday in the hope of impressing the Parkhead coaching staff.

‘I want to learn as much as possible during my stay in Scotland,’ said Alba.

Sports Bound Guide

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Tag Archives: personnel

Mark Hughes blames injuries and personnel changes for QPR"s predicament… but says things will get better

London 2012 Olympics: Colin Moynihan wants spare tickets to go to troops covering G4S shortfall

Chelsea break Champions League trophy

Euro 2012: England count down to Sweden match

Euro 2012: England and Sweden fans kept apart after drunken chanting in Kiev

Stuart Lancaster defends decision drop Owen Farrell

Hamilton hopes for first victory of the season amid the violence in Bahrain

London 2012: Military will not lose annual leave – Philip Hammond

Celtic cleared of breaching SPL rules pro-IRA singing