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      in Soccer

      BBC Sports Personality of the Year set to be moved from normal Sunday slot for first time to avoid World Cup final clash

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      THE BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards are set to be moved from its traditional Sunday slot – to avoid a clash with the World Cup Final.Beeb executives are considering holding the prestigious event a few days before Christmas because the football finale in Qatar is on Sunday December 18.
      The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award date looks set to be movedCredit: PA:Press Association
      The BBC Sports Personality of the Year date may change to avoid clashing with the World CupCredit: BBC
      The annual awards do has been held on a Sunday evening in December since 1982 — with 2011 the only exception to that weekend ritual.
      But TV bosses have been left with a major headache with the timing of a first football World Cup to be held in the winter.
      Hosting the show on the same evening as this year’s World Cup final in Lusail would be a logistical nightmare, especially if England make it all the way for the first time since 1966.
      The danger of broadcasting it any earlier in December would mean missing out if there is any potential Three Lions success.
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Football.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}SPOT RON .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 odds: O’Sullivan leads Fury and Kane
      The national team has been in top form under Gareth Southgate as they made it to the World Cup 2018 semi-finals and Euro 2020 final.
      By staging it midweek – a delay to the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday before Christmas – would enable host Gary Lineker to fly back from the Middle East for presenting duties.
      At the 2021 Awards, Southgate received the Coach of the Year accolade and England were named as Team of the Year following their run to the Euro 2020 final at Wembley where they were defeated on penalties by Italy.
      The BBC declined to comment but SunSport understands top execs are back in the Salford HQ next week to discuss the latest plans.
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      Tennis star Emma Raducanu lifted the main individual trophy last year in recognition of her history-making US Open triumph in New York.
      Ronnie O’Sullivan is the bookies’ favourite after winning a record-equalling seventh world snooker title this month at the Crucible. More

    • 263 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      My new pal Paul Gascoigne is a different talent to me… I am not a genius, he is, says Ronnie O’Sullivan

      by

      RONNIE O’SULLIVAN says his sporting talent does not compare to the genius of Gazza.The Rocket is routinely included in the top-10 lists of Britain’s top sportspeople in respect of his six world snooker championships.
      Ronnie O’Sullivan has described former England international Paul Gascoigne as a ‘genius’Credit: REX FEATURES
      The snooker star says he wishes Gazza had a Ferguson or Klopp figure to guide himCredit: GETTY
      Gazza is the best British footballer of all time, according to O’SullivanCredit: REX FEATURES
      Yet he feels he cannot hold a candle to the skills and abilities of Paul Gascoigne, who became an England football legend and thrilled fans at Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio.
      The pair met recently at a posh health retreat in Hertfordshire and O’Sullivan exchanged messages with Gazza, 54, before heading to Sheffield for his own possible date with destiny.
      O’Sullivan, 46, said: “I was only with him two months ago. We were at Champneys spa.
      “We didn’t share a spa together. It’s quite a big place. It’s 60 acres there.
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SPORT.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Rocket Ronnie .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}What is Ronnie O’Sullivan’s net worth and how many championships has he won?
      “It wasn’t just me and Gazza huddling up on the sofa. We did have some chats. Exchanged text messages. He is good.
      “I love Gazza. I just wish he could have had a Sir Alex Ferguson or Jurgen Klopp in his corner and maybe had someone around him to guide him.
      “It would have been a hard task. He’s just a maverick. He’s a different talent to me. I don’t call myself a genius. He’s a genius.
      “George Best was a genius. Alex Higgins was a genius. I don’t put myself in that bracket.
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      “Gazza is our greatest British footballer of all time. He could have played for Brazil.
      “Gazza reminds me of Diego Maradona. He has a big heart and could play in an absolute useless team but still make them win the league.
      “Look, I love Lionel Messi. He is my favourite. But when we talk about leaders, Gazza was a leader. He led from the front. You have to admire that.”
      The world No.1 faces qualifier Stephen Maguire on Tuesday in a record 20th quarter-final at world level.
      The Essex ace remains the biggest draw in the sport as he aims for a record-equalling seventh world crown.
      A film camera crew are following his every move in Sheffield and being successful in the last frames on Bank Holiday Monday would be the perfect finale to the future documentary.
      In rare retrospective mood, O’Sullivan acknowledged that he needed “guidance” in his 20s and 30s but he has finally found respite after trying different hobbies off the baize.
      He said: “I needed a few people to guide me and help me and keep me on the straight and narrow but I like a challenge.
      “Obviously in a different stage of my career, I have had people that have inspired me to keep going, to improve myself in every area, not just with the game, but with life. How to have the best life you can possibly have.
      “I just feel that I am okay with that, I am okay with where I am going.
      “I’m a bit of a control freak I suppose. I like to be in control.
      “So it is learning to take control of your life, control of everything around and doing it for good.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}TWITCHY TYRANT .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}’Unsteady’ Putin bites his lip and fidgets in church fuelling health rumours
      “I feel I was a bit stifled being a snooker player. I felt a bit trapped. Now I have branched out, it feels great.
      “I feel like life is good. The snooker is still going and that feels like a bonus.”
      Tweet @Rob_Maul More

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      in Soccer

      Irish snooker legend Ken Doherty once told iconic Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to ‘go f*** himself’

      by

      IRISH snooker great Ken Doherty reveals he once told legendary Man United manager Alex Ferguson to ‘go f**k yourself’. Doherty delivered a stunning victory for Irish snooker in 1997 when he won the World Snooker Championship with an 18-12 win over Stephen Hendry.
      Irish snooker legend Ken DohertyCredit: PA
      Manchester United icon Alex FergusonCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      The Dubliner is an avid Manchester United fan and received an invite from Fergie to bring the trophy to Old Trafford.
      But Doherty, 52, mistook the iconic United manager for a friend playing a prank when he delivered the x-rated response.
      He told the Daily Mail: “The voice at the other end went, ‘Kenny, Alex Ferguson here, I know you are a big Manchester United fan, how about parading that trophy up at Old Trafford?’ and I told him to go f*** himself!
      “I thought it was my mate joking! He goes, ‘Kenny, I’m not going to ask you twice, it’s Alex Ferguson’ and I said, ‘Sorry Mr Ferguson’.
      “I went up the day they were picking up the Premiership trophy against West Ham. It was incredible. The roar I got walking out at Old Trafford was one of the most memorable days of my life.”
      Doherty’s win 25 years ago saw him welcomed home with an open-top bus parade through Dublin — and a Garda chief telling him crime stopped in the city for hours during the crucial frames.
      He said earlier this year: “I suppose May 5, 1997 is the day that defined my life really — wherever you go after that day you are referred to as the world champion.
      “When I saw Alex Higgins win it in 1982, I knew I wanted to be a snooker player, and then there was Dennis Taylor also from Northern Ireland in 1985.
      .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Football.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
      “So to emulate them and win it was a dream come true, and especially to beat Stephen in the final who was going for six in a row and hadn’t lost there for so long. That was the icing on the cake.
      “The open-top bus was just unbelievable, that’s something you get for the Ireland football team or Olympic heroes — not snooker. But it had that impact.” More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Premier League referee Mike Dean looks unimpressed as he is spotted watching snooker at Scottish Open on day off

      by

      PREMIER League referee Mike Dean stayed calm as the reds flew about.But for once there was no controversy for the top whistler as he was watching the Scottish Open snooker on a day off from his main job.
      Leading top-flight football referee Mike Dean showed little emotion as he looked on at the Scottish Open snooker in Wales
      Mike Dean has been a Prem ref for 21 years but loves other sports tooCredit: Rex
      Multi-sport fan Dean also throws in a bit of summer caddying for pro golfers.
      But this time he dressed down in a hoodie and white trainers to see Scotland’s John Higgins beat Thailand ace Noppon Saengkham 4-1.
      Eurosport cameras caught Dean looking on impassively – or was it imperiously –  at the Venue Cymru in Llandudno, Wales.
      And it might have been the relaxing ‘break’ he needed after another contentious week in the Prem spotlight.
      Dean faced criticism on social media from Arsenal fans after reffing Everton’s last-gasp 2-1 win on Monday night.
      Despite a VAR review, Toffees’ defender Ben Godfrey escaped even a yellow card for catching grounded Gunners’ star Takehiro Tomiyasu in the face with his boot.
      And Anthony Gordon was also unpunished for flooring Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares with a studs-in challenge that VAR did not even look at.
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      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
      One supporter posted: “Awful, awful game from everyone, us, Everton, Mike dean, var… but how the sweet mother of Mary Godfrey stayed on the pitch & this Gordon tackle on Tavares weren’t looked at!?!?”
      In contrast, Dean watched on peacefully and out of the limelight as four-time world champ Higgins, 46, overcame 29-year-old outsider Saengkham in a disappointing cue contest.
      Golf, however, is usually considered the veteran official’s second sport.
      Five-handicapper Dean, 53, caddied for Aussie Whitney Hillier on the Ladies European Tour in June.
      And he famously had the same role when she got a hole in one in 2019.
      But now Dean must hope he doesn’t get himself into any more holes this season when he returns to the middle in the Prem.
      Mike Dean caddied for Oz golfer Whitney Hillier at the Scandinavian Mixed Event More

    • 200 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      World Snooker Championship 2021 final: Live stream, TV channel, start time and schedule for Crucible showpiece

      by

      THE most eagerly-anticipated match on baize is coming your way when Mark Selby takes on Shaun Murphy in the World Snooker Championship final.After two weeks of play the two-day final at Sheffield’s iconic Crucible is here.
      Judd Trump won the World Snooker Championship trophy in 2019Credit: PA:Press Association
      Fans are expected back in the Crucible Theatre for the main event on Sunday and MondayCredit: PA
      It’s nine months since the final in the summer of 2020 and a full crowd is guaranteed in Sheffield for what has been a government pilot with fans attending.
      And now they will vie for the World Snooker Championship trophy over two days of action.
      When is the World Snooker Championship final?
      The final will take place over two days – Sunday May 2 and Monday May 3.
      The four sessions will take place as follows:

      Sunday May 2 – 1pm and 7pm
      Monday May 3 – 1pm and 7pm

      What TV channel can I watch the World Snooker Championships final and can I live stream it?
      The final will be on BBC Two from 1pm on Sunday May 2. Coverage will continue until 6pm, there will be an hour’s break before the evening session starts at 7pm.
      The same timings apply on BBC Two on Monday May 3.
      Eurosport are also showing the final from 12.45pm on Sunday May 2, through till 4pm, then from 6.45pm to 10.30pm.
      On Monday May 3, Eurosport 1 will have live coverage from 12.45pm to 4pm and again from 6.45pm to 10.30pm.
      You can live stream the final via BBC iPlayer or Eurosport Player.

      Will there be a full crowd at the World Snooker Championships final?
      Yes! The Crucible will be FULL for the final.
      The Sheffield theatre’s capacity is 980 and lucky fans will have the chance to watch the action in person.
      Social-distancing rules will be scrapped but it is not known if everyone attending has to wear a mask while watching the live snooker and the trophy presentation.
      Tickets cost about £120 and some are available for the first day of the final on Sunday May 2 and the afternoon session on May 3. More

    • 225 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Barry Hearn steps down as Matchroom Sport boss after almost 40 years with son Eddie replacing legendary promoter

      by

      BARRY HEARN, Britain’s leading sports promoter, has retired with immediate effect and is stepping down as chairman of Matchroom Sport.The 72-year-old has been at the forefront of top-level sport in the UK for the past four decades, transforming Steve Davis, Phil Taylor, Chris Eubank and Anthony Joshua into prime-time sporting royalty.
      Barry Hearn will be replaced by his son Eddie, who has promoted Anthony Joshua for the past decadeCredit: PA
      Hearn has seen the popularity of PDC darts grow significantly this centuryCredit: PA:Press Association
      The announcement he will move away from day-to-day operational duties comes more than a year after he suffered a “mild heart attack” and underwent emergency surgery to insert two stents. It is also just six months since he was struck down with Covid.
      Hearn, a chartered accountant, established Matchroom Sport in April 1982 and the organisation globally promotes darts, snooker, boxing, fishing, pool, tenpin bowling and golf.
      Son Eddie, 41, will take over the running of the company as its new chairman – which includes responsibility for PDC darts and PGA EuroPro golf – but he will retain his influential and powerful role as the head of boxing.
      Hearn’s daughter Katie will remain in charge of the recently-launched Matchroom Media.
      Steve Dawson, CEO of World Snooker Limited, will take over running of snooker after the conclusion of the 2021 Betfred World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
      Hearn will now become group president in an advisory role and he said: “It has been a huge honour to have worked with some of the greatest sports people on the planet across the last 40 years.
      “I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts. We have created opportunities for thousands of sportsmen and women during that time.
      “I’d been determined to stay in charge until this Covid disaster passed. Now there is light at the end of the tunnel, I believe it’s the right time to pass control of Matchroom to my son Eddie and the brilliant teams we’ve assembled across all our activities.

      Hearn, right, managed Steve Davis in the 1980s as he won six world snooker crownsCredit: Getty – Contributor
      “Now is the time to give all Matchroom employees the opportunity to take this great British company to the next level and beyond”.”
      Barry Maurice William Hearn, the son of a bus driver and a cleaner, was born in June 1948 and grew up in a post-war working-class council house in Dagenham, Essex.
      According to the 2020 edition of the Sunday Times, his family wealth is estimated to be £158million.
      It was in the smoky snooker and billiards halls of Romford in the 1970s where he spotted the talents of a fresh-faced, shy Steve Davis.
      A friendship and relationship developed there that would define both their lives and spark the halcyon days of the sport.
      On Easter Monday 1981, a sporting empire began when the 23-year-old Davis beat Doug Mountjoy 18-12 in the World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield. It was the first of six world titles and he dominated the baize throughout the 1990s.
      I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful experiences across our spectrum of events in that time, from snooker’s glory days of the 1980s to record-breaking boxing shows and the incredible growth of professional darts. Barry Hearn, sports promoter
      From there, the irrepressible entrepreneur moved into the world of boxing, locking horns with Don King and Frank Warren and promoting fights involving Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and Joe Bugner.
      However it is the riches surrounding the emergence of Joshua as a heavyweight world champion this past decade which have swelled the coffers of a company that avoided bankruptcy during the recession of the early 1990s.
      Hearn supported Leyton Orient since the age of 11 and owned the club for 19 years, overseeing their promotion as chairman to League One in 2006.
      Yet he was often criticised by fans during his tenure for not overspending to improve the team and he later regretted selling the club in 2014 to businessman Francesco Becchetti.
      Awarded the OBE in the 2021 New Year Honours List for services to sport, opinionated and controversial Hearn retained the salesman chatter throughout his career, happily dishing out one-liners for the media and snappy soundbites to boost ticket sales.
      Though he won’t completely disappear from public life – officially he will advise on “group strategy and global expansion” – Hearn plans to spend more time with his four grandchildren.
      Other hobbies include playing golf, fishing at the lake at the bottom of his home and padding up this summer for East Hanningfield over-70s cricket XI in Essex.
      Hearn is working on an autobiography which will be out later this year and according to those involved, it tells the definitive and astonishing account of his life.
      Eddie said: “Anyone that knows me is well aware of what Matchroom means to me and our family.
      “It has a legacy that spans 40 years from a small office under a snooker hall in Romford to a global powerhouse of sports entertainment.
      “My father has dedicated his life to the company and since I joined in 2004 I have done the same.
      “Now a greater responsibility falls on my shoulders and I am very proud to continue his great work and lead the business and the incredible team that we have built at Matchroom.”
      Boxing legend Barry Hearn suffers heart attack and has operation as son Eddie reveals he is ‘in good spirits’ More

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      in Motorsport

      Ronnie O’Sullivan snubs Lewis Hamilton from seven-man sport GOAT list despite F1 world champion bagging knighthood

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      RONNIE O’SULLIVAN reckons Lewis Hamilton can’t be considered one of sport’s greats because his car gives him an unfair advantage.The snooker world champion snubbed Hamilton from his list of all-time greats because Formula One is not ‘a level playing field’.
      Ronnie O’Sullivan dismissed Lewis Hamilton as one of sport’s greatsCredit: Getty Images
      Lewis Hamilton won his seventh F1 world title in the 2020 seasonCredit: Getty Images
      Hamilton, 36, won his seventh world title with victory to equal Michael Schumacher’s incredible record in the 2020 season.
      Immediately after the record-equalling success, there were calls for the Mercedes driver to be knighted, with the Brit later named in the New Year Honours list.
      But O’Sullivan told the Daily Star: “It is fantastic for Lewis to win seven world titles, but if your car is going around quicker you can afford to make a few mistakes and still get away with it.
      “It’s a bit like driving around smoking a cigar with one finger on the wheel!
      “I think it’s difficult to say where he is (among the greats).
      “A lot of the sports I watch – the people that have done it, you have to look whether it’s a level playing field.
      “If you have a car that is going a second a lap quicker than the other cars, in theory all he has to beat is his team-mate Bottas – who seems to be comfortable and happy playing second fiddle.
      “I wouldn’t have felt as good about my career in snooker if I had been playing on a table where the pockets I was using were bigger than my opponents’.”
      O’Sullivan went on to name seven great sports stars which he claimed dominated on a level playing field, unlike Hamilton.

      The six-time world snooker champ said: “It doesn’t mean as much as say a sport like tennis with Federer playing everyone on a level playing field, or Kipchoge running against everyone on a level playing field.
      “Snooker is like that, too, with a level playing field.
      “In boxing certain boxers avoid certain fighters so that makes it hard for them to have credibility unless they fought the best.
      “That’s why you have to give credit to people like Tyson Fury because you know they won’t duck anyone and will fight anyone anywhere at any time.
      “I just think sport is where there is no advantage.
      “You don’t get to choose your opponent or have better equipment.
      “So for me, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Phil Taylor in darts, Tiger Woods, Messi, Ronaldo… it’s there to see.”
      Hamilton won the Turkish Grand Prix in stunning style to clinch his seventh world titleCredit: Reuters
      Ronnie O’Sullivan won his sixth World Snooker Championship last yearCredit: Rex Features
      Lewis Hamilton ‘a bit grumpy’ during pre-season Sky filming and ‘seemed unhappy’ at Mercedes negotiations More

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      in Boxing

      Barry Hearn plans to celebrate OBE with cricket special next summer

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      SPORTS KINGPIN Barry Hearn plans to pin the OBE to his cricket bat when he plays for Essex over-70s cricket side.
      The 72-year-old was left surprisingly gobsmacked when an email dropped saying he would be recognised in the New Year Honours List for services to sport throughout an illustrious career.

      Barry Hearn is being recognised for more than 40 years involved in sports promotionCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      It is long overdue when you consider his 45-year sporting record, perhaps unrivalled by any other sports promoter in the UK or abroad.
      This is a man who has nurtured and managed the careers of world champions Steve Davis, Chris Eubank, Phil Taylor, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Anthony Joshua.
      And though he has never forgotten his working-class roots, he jokes his cricket team-mates will be reminded of his gong when the season returns next summer.
      Hearn said: “Not too much throws me out in life but that email did. We all like a little pat on the back sometimes, and this is a massive one.

      “It’s a statement for all the wonderful people who work for me. It’s recognition which is quite humbling.
      “My head might drop off as my smile is so big now. I’m chuffed as hell.

      The big break for Hearn came when he managed Steve Davis, the six-time world snooker champion, in the 1980sCredit: Getty – Contributor
      “I’m a very proud Englishman and the thought of going to Buckingham Palace to get my OBE is a life-changing moment. I wish my mum and dad were here to see it.
      “I might wear my medal when I go out to bat. I’ve been invited to play for the Essex over-70s next year. My cricket will get more attention like my golf.

      “Doing things which people didn’t think was possible has been my greatest compliment.
      “Especially when I look at darts, turning a pub game into a global sport; rescuing snooker 11 years ago when it was dying on its feet; and my early days of boxing and with Steve Davis.
      “Sport is special. It is what builds the character of a nation and unites us all, irrespective of colour, race or creed. Covid-19 has shown us that.
      “One of the wonderful things about getting old and doing well in life is that you have the ability to tell the truth at all times.
      “It’s also good to tell the truth because as you get older you cannot remember the lies.”

      Hearn has entrusted the boxing control to his son Eddie and heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua is the biggest client of their companyCredit: PA:Press Association
      Hearn, a chartered accountant, established Matchroom Sport in 1982 in a Romford billiards hall and it has grown enormously over four decades, promoting darts, snooker, boxing, fishing, tenpin bowling and golf.
      The company has offices in Brentwood, New York, Beijing, Shanghai and Munich, employs thousands of staff and puts on more than 650 event-days annually.
      The Dagenham-born star previously owned Leyton Orient for 19 years, overseeing promotion as chairman to League One in 2006.
      His son Eddie is the biggest boxing promoter in the world while daughter Katie is in charge of the company’s TV production arm.
      Hearn said: “I’m on a mission to spread the gospel of sport and the pursuit of excellence. I will never change that even if it means I’m unpopular with people.
      “My time is coming. Fortunately I’ve built a team of people that are capable of taking the sports we promote to another level. It’s a natural evolution that will happen over the next months and years.”

      Hearn, 72, told SunSport that he was overwhelmed when he was informed by email he was getting an OBECredit: Vicki Couchman – The Sunday Times More