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      Steve Black dead at 64: Jonny Wilkinson’s mentor and former Newcastle coach passes away as Alan Shearer leads tributes

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      FORMER Newcastle coach Steve Black has passed away aged 64.The fitness coach was known for his excellent motivational skills and wisdom.
      Black with Wilkinson at the Newcastle FalconsCredit: PA
      ‘Blackie’ played a big role working on the psychology side of Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers era and trained the players on Tynemouth beach. 
      He was also part of the club’s backroom staff during the 2015/16 season.
      The Geordie also had a stint in Premiership rugby with the Newcastle Falcons, where he helped mentor World Cup-winning England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
      In his time at the Falcons, he played a leading role in Newcastle’s promotion to the Premiership in 1996 and their title win in 1998.
      Black’s all-round skillset also led to him being offered a job by Graham Henry, New Zealand’s World Cup-winning coach who was in charge of Wales at the time.
      English rugby union player Danny Cipriani paid tribute to Black in his 2019 Telegraph column.
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      He wrote: “When you have someone that you can rely on and trust in, the way you feel – and therefore the way you can play – is second to none. That person, for me, is Steve Black.
      “I met Steve in 2013 while I was with Sale Sharks. I was in my mid-twenties and I would have been sceptical, although I knew he had worked with Jonny Wilkinson. I probably thought, ‘Do I really have to open up to another person?’
      “We had a three-or-four-hour conversation. It was engrossing, and I learned so much about myself.
      “From there, over a period of about two years, he helped de-fog my brain. He helped me understand things, why I felt certain ways.
      “Sometimes you cannot address a feeling until you go through a process.
      “Blackie was amazing at that, and my four seasons at Sale were an important time of my life on and off the field.”
      Tributes are pouring in for Black, who would have celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday.
      Newcastle legend Alan Shearer tweeted: “Awful news. RIP Blackie.”
      Former club Huddersfield Town have also paid tribute to Black, who had ‘infectious positivity.’ More

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      The Mo Salah of rugby, Adam Radwan, ready to produce more magic for England

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      MO SALAH’S rugby equivalent was playing in front of a handful of people outside of Middlesbrough when Eddie Jones became England boss.But in two weeks’ time the ‘Egyptian Prince’, Adam Radwan, could be hot-stepping his way across the Twickenham turf in front of 82,000.
      Adam Radwan is the quickest player in the Premiership and scores for fun – just like Egyptian star Mo Salah
      Like Liverpool’s Ballon d’Or hopeful, Newcastle Falcons winger Radwan has been scoring for fun since he burst on to the Premiership scene last season.
      The 23-year-old, whose tailor-turned-chef dad comes from Port Said on the Mediterranean coast, even bagged a hat-trick on his international debut against Canada this summer.
      However, a full-blown England Test against Tonga, Australia and South Africa next month would be even bigger for his fans in both North Africa and the north east.
      Radwan said: “Most of my family are in England and it’s only my dad and his side who are Egyptian.
      “They had probably never heard of rugby until I started playing it.
      “I am proud to have the roots that I have got. But I am very English.
      “I was born in England in a little village in Yorkshire and have lived here all my life — so I am an Englishman.”

      Radwan, one of four Falcons in Jones’ latest squad, was dumped by Newcastle as a teen.
      Boss Dean Richards then picked him up again when a canny scout tipped him off about a local lad scoring tries for fun at Billingham, just north of Middlesbrough.
      And after a knee ligament injury ruled Anthony Watson out of the autumn internationals and Six Nations, everything is falling into place for the new Red Rose rocket.
      “I knew I was good enough to be a professional rugby player, I just didn’t know if it would be for Newcastle or how long it would take to get back into their set-up.
      “But I was pretty confident I was capable of still doing it.
      “Releasing me was definitely the right decision. They stuck by their word.
      “They said that if I went away and worked on certain things that I wouldn’t be far away and they would be back in touch. 
      “The path I’ve taken has helped me get where I am at the minute.”
      Not only has Radwan had to rise up through the ranks twice, but he’s also had to rebuild his running style.
      Despite being the quickest player in English rugby, he reckons he can get even faster as he no longer shuffles across the turf.
      He added: “There’s definitely still improvements to be made. I still aim to get quicker.
      “I didn’t use to lift my feet when I was running. I just kind of scuttled along the floor.
      “Lifting my knees up a bit more and getting a bit more force through the floor was a big one.
      “At first it was a little bit strange because you’ve got to change the way you’ve been running for a while.
      “I looked at a clip recently and now I’m running totally differently. But I don’t really feel it now. It’s just the way I run now.”
      Marcus Smith told he can be England’s ‘bus driver’ after Eddie Jones reveals his 34-man squad for autumn internationals at Twickenham More

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      Football fans set to be allowed to drink alcohol at their seats after 36-year ban if review recommendation is allowed

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      FOOTBALL FANS could be allowed to drink alcohol in STANDS in the near future following a fan-led government review.Supporters haven’t been allowed to enjoy booze while watching football since 1985 but a change in the rules is to be recommended.
      Fans are allowed to drink from their seats at cricket matchesCredit: Getty
      According to The Times, ex-sport minister and Conservative MP Tracey Crouch has completed an independent review of the matter.
      She is set to push for a pilot on serving alcohol at clubs in the National League and League Two with a view to extending it to a higher level.
      British football’s 36-year ban on alcohol being drank in stands was introduced in a bid to battle hooliganism.
      Other top European leagues allow supporters to enjoy a pint in their seats while they watch the action unfold.
      There is also no such ban in other British sports, such as cricket and rugby.
      Crouch believes the move could encourage fans not to binge drink before games and will generate much-needed revenue for lower-league clubs.

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      She told The Times: “Take a club like Dulwich Hamlet, which is in National League South. It’s revenue is generated through its refreshments.
      “If it gets promoted to the National League Premier, it effectively stops generating that revenue during a game.
      “They said openly in evidence to us that they cannot afford to get promoted because of the rules around alcohol.
      “Lots of clubs generate a lot of their income through their bars and I think it’s time to look at this issue again.

      “We do have this bizarre situation where you can go to Headingley and drink as a cricket fan, but go to Elland Road and you can’t drink as a football fan.
      “We kettle people into drinking quickly at half-time. And that is the unhealthy aspect of the football fan’s relationship with alcohol.
      “They drink a lot in a short space of time. So my recommendation is to pilot this and not have to down a pint at half-time.”
      Chelsea fans go wild after beating Villa on penalties – but can you see why not everyone is happy More

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      Leicester City’s FA Cup win against Chelsea is inspiring Leicester Tigers ahead of Challenge Cup final at Twickenham

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      LEICESTER TIGERS are hooked on FA Cup fever as they look to copy Brendan Rodgers’ history-making Foxes.It used to be the Tigers, not the Foxes, who were the trophy-hungry hope for the Midlands city.
      Leicester City’s neighbours Leicester Tigers have been inspired by their shock FA Cup win
      George Ford said the Foxes have inspired the Tigers ahead of the Challenge Cup finalCredit: Getty
      But ahead of Friday night’s Challenge Cup final against Montpellier, England fly-half George Ford is feeding off what happened to their neighbours just half a mile from Welford Road.
      As Tigers chase their first major trophy in eight years, Ford said: “I don’t think there’s extra pressure.
      “But, we as Leicester Tigers, were unbelievably proud of what Leicester City did in the FA Cup.
      “I think they went into the game as underdogs – which I think we are as well.
      “And going and producing a performance like they did, and the way they played – the courage they played with, the workrate, the effort, the skill, in a big game on the big stage, was incredible to watch.
      “So it inspires us. It definitely inspires us seeing the football team Leicester City go and beat a massive team like Chelsea in the FA Cup final, which they’d never done before. It’s incredible.”
      Steve Borthwick’s current crop of Tigers are a shadow of the famous Martin Johnson era during the late 90s and early noughties when they won back-to-back Heineken Champions Cups and five Premierships.

      When asked if that was a burden, Ford said: “No, not really.
      “I don’t get sick of hearing about it at all. Leicester’s is a quite well-followed club.
      “It’s traditionally a big club in English rugby because of the tradition, the history and how successful they’ve been in the past.
      “We’re a different team to where that team was – a different era, and we’ve got to work hard to go and win things ourselves and build a bit of a memory bank that we can be proud of as well.
      “But, no, I don’t get sick of hearing it at all. Those teams in the past that went and won all those trophies obviously deserved to do so.”
      And he added: “I definitely feel like we’re going in the right direction, we’re improving.

      “We’ve improved in a lot of areas this year, but there’s a lot more growth in us as well.
      “I feel it more because I’m on the field and it’s a massive difference to last year and the year before.
      “The belief, the foundations of our game. . . we just feel like we’re getting better and we’re on the right track.
      “That’s all you want to feel – that you’re improving yourself and you’re part of a team getting better as well.
      “If you keep doing that you know you’ll put yourself in the mix at the very least to win things.”
      Leicester celebrate with the trophy after they win the FA Cup More