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    Jim Fox dead at 81: Tributes paid to British modern pentathlon Olympic champion

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    JIM FOX, the former modern pentathlon Olympic champion, has died at the age of 81.The Brit won team gold at the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada, alongside compatriots Danny Nightingale and Adrian Parker.
    Ex-army sergeant Jim Fox won gold in Montreal and caught out a cheating rivalCredit: Getty
    The Wiltshire-star famously exposed the cheating of Soviet Union Red Army soldier Boris Onishchenko, who was disqualified after it was discovered a switch had been hidden in his fencing sword to register false hits.
    While they duelled, a light came on early to indicate a hit for Onishchenko.
    Fox later told the BBC: “All I could think about was that Onishchenko had a weapon that was not properly working.
    “And then over a period of minutes, because he was going to put it back in his bag and because of the way he he wanted to put it back in his bag, I felt there was something dramatically wrong.”
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    Onishchenko’s cheating was soon exposed.
    Montreal 1976 official Carl Schwende revealed at the time: “The weapon had definitely been tampered with.
    “Someone had wired it in such a way that it would score a winning hit without making contact.”
    Fox was an army sergeant in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and represented Team GB at four successive Games.
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    He finished fourth in the individual event in Munich in 1972, having been dissuaded from retiring by coach Ron Bright after the 1968 Mexico City Games.
    When he did officially hang up his sports equipment, he served as chairman of Pentathlon GB.
    The governing body said: “All at Pentathlon GB send their condolences to Jim Fox’s family and remain grateful for everything he has done for our sport.”
    British Army Sport stated: “Very sad news indeed and our sincere condolences to his family and friends. An outstanding athlete and supporter of Modern Pentathlon in the British Army and for his country.
    “RIP Jim and thank you for your service.”
    And sports fans on social media added their tributes.
    One posted: “So sad. A very charming man and great sportsman.” More

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      Sunderland pay tribute to fan and British Army captain Chris Collier after shock death leaving behind fiancee and kids

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      SUNDERLAND paid tribute to a lifelong fan and British Army captain who passed away suddenly.Major Chris Collier served with the Parachute Regiment during his time in the military.
      Sunderland posted condolences for fan and British Army captain Chris CollierCredit: Twitter @SunderlandAFC
      Collier served in the Parachute Regiment in the militaryCredit: Facebook @Steph Collier
      Following his retirement, the huge Black Cats fan set up a popular supporters page and also tried his hand at photography.
      He was also a committed charity activist and got involved in various campaigns – and even helped save a woman’s life after she collapsed during the 2015 Great North Run.
      It is understood he died in his 40s from a cardiac arrest in the early hours of Sunday morning.
      Sunderland’s official Twitter account posted a photo of Collier in a team jacket and beanie hat giving his thumbs up to the camera.
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      The club wrote: “Rest in peace, Chris,” followed by red and white hearts.
      Chris is survived by his three young children and his fiancee Samantha.
      Plenty of fans also took to social media to send their best wishes to the grieving family – while others are trying to arrange a minute’s applause at the Stadium of Light.
      One said: “My thoughts and prayers go out to the Collier family at this sad time. Another airborne brother gone far too soon. God bless Chris Collier. You will be greatly missed by us all, RIP my friend xx”
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      Another wrote: “Horrible news, will always remember your SunderLad stuff which came at a time we needed it! Rest in peace, Chris.”
      And the Bradley Lowery Foundation commented: “Yesterday we received the devastating news of the passing of SunderLad, Chris Collier.
      “From everyone at BLF, we send love and condolences to all of his friends and family.” More

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      Graham Potter takes Chelsea stars to meet soldiers in bid to improve team spirit and embed new transfers

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      GRAHAM POTTER has turned to the army in a bid to build a better team spirit at Chelsea.Boss Potter took his troops to meet real soldiers as part of a bonding day to encourage more togetherness in the dressing room.
      Graham Potter is hoping the army can help transform Chelsea’s seasonCredit: Getty
      He also wants to use the experience to help the flood of new signings settle in quickly at the club while Chelsea have some down time.
      The whole squad were taken to an army base near to the town of Liss in Hampshire last Tuesday. 
      Bordon and Longmoor Military Camp is in the area and are operational training camps with a long history in the Armed Forces.
      But there was no rough stuff or hardcore drilling – instead Potter used the experience to train the minds of his players with a series of mental exercises to get them thinking and working together.
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      Deep thinker Potter is renowned for employing off-the-wall tactics to encourage team spirit in his squads and his offbeat ideas.
      While manager of Swedish minnows Ostersunds between 2011 and 2018 he got his players to perform ballet, write a theatre show about Vikings and perform traditional Finnish rap songs to an audience.
      With Chelsea already knocked out of this season’s FA Cup the team has a blank fixture weekend so Potter is using the time to work on mental matters as well as full physical training.
      He has another couple of ideas planned for next week but they remain a closely guarded secret.
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      Chelsea’s new American owners turned to Potter as manager in September as part of a long term project to transform the club following a £4.25billion takeover.
      Six new players have been signed this month alone at a total cost of £189.5million which includes the £9m loan fee for forward Joao Felix.
      Potter wants to harmonise the growing numbers as quickly as possible.
      He said only last week that he had plans to get his team out of its comfort zone with team bonding to try to improve results on the pitch.
      He said: “There will be an element of team bonding.
      “We need to try to bring the group together. There are a few new faces, we’ve got a bit of window now. It’s not just about the grass, it’s about how you interact as a team and as a group.
      “There are some things we can do, and we will use the two weeks to try to do that as best as we can.
      “We have a window to do it, and with a lot of players here, we need to build some togetherness, some understanding, and we have to be creative with how we do it.”
      Chelsea have won only two of their last ten games in all competitions and sit tenth in the Premier League table. More

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      How 1966 commentary legend Kenneth Wolstenholme cheated death as WW2 bomber pilot

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      A WARTIME RAF logbook reveals how football commentating icon Kenneth Wolstenholme cheated death after the plane he piloted came under heavy fire.He is known for the line, ‘They think it’s all over . . . it is now,’ at Geoff Hurst’s third goal sealing England’s 1966 World Cup win.
      The famous 1966 World Cup commentator was earlier an exceptional RAF pilotCredit: Bournemouth News
      He was best known for the famous phrase ‘they think it’s all over … it is now’
      He commentated as Geoff Hurst made the third goal sealing England’s World Cup victoryCredit: Getty
      But he had earlier been an exceptional RAF pilot who flew 89 raids for Bomber Command in World War Two.
      He was nearly killed in a sortie on the German archipelago of Heligoland in 1941.
      An entry in the logbook tells of his Blenheim bomber being badly damaged and observer Sgt John “Polly” Wilson killed.
      Wolstenholme wrote: “Very shaky do. Three shells in nose — one got Polly.
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      “P (port) Wing smashed; tail and elevator riddled. Big shell hole in fin; bomb doors shot away; electric system shot away; cockpit, belly, both engines riddled with holes.
      “Hell of a lot of flak. Glad to see West Raynham (RAF base in Norfolk) and land. Drunk that night — thank God!”
      Wolstenholme also flew on Operation Varsity — history’s largest airborne operation on a single day and in one location.
      He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.
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      The Lancashire-born hero returned to journalism after the war and began working in TV at the BBC in 1948.
      He died in March 2002, aged 81.
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      His logbook, medals and wartime photo album may fetch £15,000 at auction.
      Adam Gascoigne, of Graham Budd Auctions of London, said: “A modest man, Wolstenholme rarely spoke of his courage as a bomber pilot.”
      He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and BarCredit: Bournemouth News
      A wartime logbook reveals how the commentating legend cheated deathCredit: Bournemouth News
      The Lancashire-born hero returned to journalism after the warCredit: Bournemouth News More