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Colin Hart: Brit women boxers could face nightmare if they’re forced to fight transgenders; row tearing apart the sport
by Aurelia Butler 7 April 2022, 18:26
BRITAIN’S women boxers could face their worst nightmare if they are forced to fight transgender opponents.So far there have been no applications from the transgender community to be allowed to box, professionally or in the amateur ranks.
The boxing community is currently debating the prospect of transgender women competing in the sportCredit: REUTERS
Savannah Marshall’s brutal KO of Femke Hermans highlighted the potential dangers of transgender women fighting biological femalesCredit: GETTY
But there’s no doubt it’s the elephant in the ring and governing bodies around the world are aware it could happen.
Robert Smith, secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control and Keith Walters, secretary of the London ABA, have already set up meetings to discuss what their policy will be.
Smith said: “At the moment the problem is hypothetical but we can see it coming.
“When it does we intend to be fully prepared. Medical and, perhaps more importantly, legal considerations will have to be taken into consideration.”
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Smith and Walters understandably are refusing to forecast the outcome of their organisations’ deliberations.
But Simon Block, former secretary of the BBBofC, and a highly-respected official with the Commonwealth Boxing Council and WBC, boldly told me: “If one of the bodies I’m associated with allowed a transgender to box competitively I would immediately resign.”
Sport is being torn apart with transgender athletes accused of having unfair physical advantages over female rivals.
There have already been major rows in track and field athletics, weightlifting, swimming and cycling.
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Sharron Davies, swimming silver medallist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, has bravely long been an outspoken campaigner against transgender athletes being allowed to compete in women’s events.
Davies, supported by the vast majority of sportswomen, maintains transgenders — despite reducing their testosterone levels — retain many of the physical advantages associated with males.
It is highly unlikely a track athlete, swimmer or cyclist would be badly hurt losing to a transgender rival.
Savannah Marshall, defending her WBO world middleweight title, knocked out Belgium’s Femke Hermans with a ferocious left hook last Saturday.
Femke was out cold and it took the paramedics several minutes to bring her around.
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It doesn’t bear thinking about what serious damage Femke could have suffered if a transgender with the strength and power of a man had hit her.
Even militant trans activists, who have been known to hand out death threats to those who oppose them, have the good sense to understand it would be extremely dangerous to permit transgenders to fight competitively.
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in Motorsport
F1 deserves a pat on the back for coping with pandemic incredibly as Melbourne return nears two years after chaotic KO
by Philippa Kaur 4 April 2022, 21:30
IT is 754 days since Lewis Hamilton replied “cash is king” when asked why he thought F1 made the trip to Melbourne given the looming Covid virus.
Formula One will return to the Australian Grand Prix this weekend for the first time since the pandemic struck in 2020.
The Formula One Australian Grand Prix returns this weekend for the first time since 2019Credit: EPA
And Hamilton, of course, was partially right.
F1 played call-my-bluff with the local promoter over the following 18 hours as to who was going to call off the event.
Neither side wanted to pull the trigger and face the prospect of losing the race fee.
Things took a turn for the worse when a McLaren employee tested positive on the Thursday evening leading to an all-night meeting between the teams and F1.
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It was an embarrassing mess, as local radio stations urged fans to turn up for Friday’s practice sessions while F1 kept the gates closed and left them herded up outside.
The race was cancelled and the world was subsequently placed in to lockdown.
However, since that debacle at Albert Park, F1 have managed to put on 39 Grands Prix races across two seasons.
And a further two more to kick off this year’s new era and for that, I feel F1 needs a pat on the back.
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No other sport was able to get back up to speed so quickly and across so many different countries.
Naturally, there were strict protocols in place and I have had so many Covid tests that I’ve lost count.
But it really was an incredible achievement when you consider the logistics involved.
Each team normally shifts around 40 to 50 tonnes of equipment to each race.
Include the hospitality, F1’s and the FIA’s share of equipment and the total is close to 2,000 tonnes of gear. Plus staff totals are around 4,000 people for each race.
Add in the fact that all the teams are all still in business.
Plus how F1 team’s co-operated in helping produce ventilators for the NHS — not to mention delivering one of the most exciting seasons in the sport’s history — and you have to admit it is some achievement.
🏁 F1 2022 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
The world has changed a lot since the failed Australian GP of March 2020.
I just hope we continue this season’s trend of exciting racing to pay back all those fans who were let down so badly back then.
VALENTINO ROSSI was left red-faced on his car racing debut — after driving past his pit crew in the 3 Hours of Imola endurance race.
The MotoGP legend called time on racing bikes at the end of last year and has switched to four wheels.
Things were going well for the Italian in the GT World Challenge season opener — until he needed to pit to swap drivers.
Rossi, 43, was in 13th place an hour from the end when he had to swap with team-mate Frederic Vervisch.
But he was having so much fun, he drove past his crew and was forced to complete an extra lap — losing time in the process.
His team eventually finished down in 17th place.
Italian legend Valentino Rossi retired from MotoGP at the end of last yearCredit: Getty
IMPRESSIVE reminder from Romain Grosjean, who has been showing off a sparkly helmet for his Mercedes test drive.
You will remember that the Frenchman ended up quitting F1 after his fiery smash in Bahrain in 2020.
He was promised a go in Lewis Hamilton’s title-winning Merc by boss Toto Wolff in a gesture of goodwill.
Only the French GP, where it was due to take place in 2021, was canned and now Wolff has his hands full ironing out this year’s car.
But that has not put off Grosjean — now in Indycar — who has had a special lid made.
He said: “I know everyone is asking about the Mercedes test. It hasn’t happened yet but we’ve got a helmet ready for it.”
Nice try, Romain.
Former Formula One star Romain Grosjean hasn’t raced in F1 since the 2020 Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: PA More
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David Moyes has proved managers can still work their way to the top even with so many owners being swayed by sexy names
by Philippa Kaur 2 April 2022, 21:44
WHEN David Moyes went back to West Ham just over two years ago, the fans weren’t exactly doing cartwheels.I’ve got plenty of mates who go to games and there was a definite split among them, which seems crazy now.
David Moyes is a perfect example of how unfashionable British managers can succeed at the elite end of the Premier LeagueCredit: Reuters
It’s still possible star man Declan Rice could stay at West Ham next seasonCredit: Getty
But it isn’t only at West Ham where Moyesie is doing a smashing job — he’s also doing a decent one as the flagbearer for all British managers.
I am sick of telling people there are loads of Moyes out there in the lower leagues, it’s just that no one is prepared to give them a chance.
Do you think Eddie Howe, Dean Smith or Chris Wilder would have got the opportunity with a Premier League club if they hadn’t been promoted?
Years ago managers, like players, would work their way up through the leagues, either here or in Scotland.
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Nowadays, with so many foreign owners swayed by what they see as sexy names, usually from overseas, it’s virtually impossible. That, to me, is scary.
Which is why David has become such a shining example to the rest of how you CAN still get there.
He worked his way up from Preston to Manchester United and then rebuilt his reputation all over again.
Whether that will take West Ham into the top four at the end of the season I don’t know but they are a good bet to make the top six — and still have Europe to play for, too.
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The thing is, though, is how he’s built it all up, bought good players, got them playing great football and changed the whole atmosphere around the club.
A few years ago the fans were attacking the chairman’s box, planting flags on the pitch and saying how much they hated the stadium.
But it’s a totally different place these days and I always say that hearing West Ham supporters belt out ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ is one of the great things in football.
Moyesie’s what I call a ‘proper’ football man, he knows the game so well — and he’s proved that with the backroom staff he’s appointed.
The likes of Stuart Pearce, Paul Nevin and Kevin Nolan . . . all strong characters you can bounce off.
I always had people around me with strong opinions who weren’t afraid to voice them. The likes of Jim Smith, Joe Jordan, Clive Allen, Frank Lampard Snr and dear old Frank Burrows.
When it’s not going well, management can be the loneliest job in the world. You need good people around you.
I used to ask what they thought of things and while you don’t have to agree and you have to make your own decision, it’s vital to have a good team you can speak to.
Stuart Pearce is one of the wise heads in David Moyes’ backroom staffCredit: Rex
David has been absolutely top drawer in surrounding himself with the right people and he just knows the game inside out.
If there’s one signing to prove that, it’s Craig Dawson. Are you telling me a foreign manager would have brought in someone who couldn’t get in Watford’s side?
David knew what he could do for him and his recruitment has been fantastic. Jarrod Bowen went from Hull to in the running for England, then there are the two Czech lads, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.
And while everyone expects some big names coming in for Declan Rice this summer, it’s far from impossible that they could keep hold of him. That would be massive.
You’re probably talking about a future England captain. If West Ham pay him accordingly, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t stay.
Look, no one knows what’s going to happen with Chelsea but they could be vulnerable next season and if that’s the case, then West Ham are certainly in good shape to take advantage.
Tottenham and Arsenal will be pushing for the top four but they could give it an even bigger go next time.
They’ve got money to spend and if they spend it as wisely as they have been doing, why shouldn’t they be in there fighting too?
And the main reason for that is David Moyes and his team. I don’t think they’ll let him slip through their fingers for a second time, that’s for sure. More
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Palace have something stirring again under Vieira, which makes it remarkable that Harris wants to jump ship to Chelsea
by Philippa Kaur 2 April 2022, 21:39
THOSE of a certain vintage will recall a time when Crystal Palace were tipped as the Team of the 80s.Packed with bright young talent and an even brighter young manager in Terry Venables, they were supposedly going to take English football by storm.
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is transforming the mood and style at Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
Crystal Palace last looked set for something special under Terry VenablesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
As it happened, despite a flying start in Division One, they never got close. Within two years El Tel had gone, so had most of the players and they were back in the second tier.
Barring one third-placed finish in 1990-91, Palace have never come close to troubling the scorers again.
Promotions, relegations, a couple of Cup finals but still no major trophies.
A few peaks but a hell of a lot more troughs. There has not been much joy in being an Eagles fan. Until this season, that is.
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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;}BIG DOUGH IN DOHA .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;}Fans will be forced to pay £9k PER NIGHT to stay in Qatar for World Cup
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
For in recent months something has been stirring again at Selhurst Park.
A feeling of genuine optimism that it’s a club on the verge of something good.
A bright young manager in Patrick Vieira, a team of rising stars attracting envious glances, a youth policy doing likewise and a financially sound footing. All in all, a place on the rise.
After years of being a “meanwhile” kind of club, everything is geared up for a crack at the elite. Especially with all the uncertainty and vulnerability surrounding Chelsea.
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Which makes it quite remarkable that Josh Harris, a major Palace shareholder, is trying to jump ship to Stamford Bridge.
That’s aside from the two clubs meeting in an FA Cup semi-final in a fortnight. Imagine if Wilf Zaha or Tyrick Mitchell said in the run-up to that how desperate they were to join Chelsea.
Even in the WTF world of football, it’s bizarre.
In the land of short-termism, Harris is king. If timing is everything, his could not be worse. The American is the money behind the Sebastian Coe and Martin Broughton consortium, and to anyone lacking football nous it does look a no-brainer.
In the one corner Chelsea, all glitz and glamour, Champions League winners, top-four regulars and King’s Road hipsters.
In the other Palace, mid-table at best, nervously looking over their shoulder on occasions and a ground that takes hours to reach from all quarters.
Only when you scratch a little deeper, it isn’t quite so obvious. Scratch a little deeper and you can argue the opposite is true.
Step back and look at things closer and you can claim that right now Palace have at least as much potential as Chelsea.
Harris wants to win trophies, there’s no hiding that any more than there’s anything wrong with that. But why can’t he win them at Palace?
Why does he think he has to hitch his wagon to Stamford Bridge to do so? Chelsea right now are vulnerable and will be even when they’re sold.
Buying Chelsea will cost about £2.5bn. Running costs have averaged £75m a year since Abramovich arrived. Turning Palace into a top-four outfit would cost a fraction of that.
Those who have only discovered football in the past couple of decades may view them as being on a par with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool or even Spurs and Arsenal.
But the truth is they’re not. While those four — especially the first two — are global institutions, Chelsea, for all their recent glories, are not.
They are sexier than Palace right now but their foundations are nowhere near as solid as certain others. In short, Chelsea are not a genuine, long-established superpower.
And before you poo-poo the idea of Palace leapfrogging them as madness, consider this.
Buying Chelsea will cost about £2.5billion as a starter. On top of that any would-be buyer has to prove a further £1bn is available.
The running costs have averaged £75million a year since Roman Abramovich arrived. There are contracts, bonuses, plus plans for a new stadium.
Basically you’d be putting all that money in to stand still. Turning Palace into a genuine top-four outfit would cost a fraction of that.
Take City and Liverpool out of the equation and what have you got? Chelsea in trouble, United in disarray, Spurs with little money to spend.
And yes, while Palace’s current ownership model doesn’t allow any single individual to inject huge sums by themselves, don’t tell me there couldn’t be a restructure which allowed it.
Harris has played his part in sailing the Eagles into previously uncharted waters — so why abandon ship now? Why swap a club on the upswing for one teetering on plummeting in the opposite direction?
Russian owners have taken a kicking recently, for obvious reasons. Certain American ones, in footballing terms, clearly have plenty of faults of their own.
Justice was not Dunne
ROBBIE DUNNE’S appeal against his 18-month ban for bullying and harassing fellow jockey Bryony Frost was heard in BHA’s High Holburn offices in west London on Wednesday.
They’d have been better suited holding it at White’s, the East India or any of upper-crust gentlemen’s club where the well-to-do escape lesser mortals.
Cutting Robbie Dunne’s suspension from 18 to 10 months was ‘disgusting’Credit: PA
Certainly some of the language used, and decision reached, was more befitting the image of retired colonels quaffing brandies, puffing expensive cigars and haw-hawing the plight of lesser mortals.
At one stage Anthony Boswood QC, chairing the panel, was light-heartedly reminiscing with Robin Mathew QC, representing Dunne, about their amateur riding days.
The two old associates debated such vital details as which was the most offensive insult of those Dunne had used, and praised him for being willing to take part in a “banging of heads” with Frost.
Boswood even questioned what Bryony said she was feeling, and tried to discredit her by claiming “she was obviously moved to emotion quite quickly”.
And so despite upholding the guilty verdict, the suspension was reduced to ten months, meaning Dunne is free to return to the saddle on October 9.
The original hearing heard how Dunne not only used sexually abusive and insulting language but also threated to cause Frost physical harm.
Racing’s worked hard to drag itself out of the dark ages but it took one afternoon to return there. This decision was as disgusting as Dunne’s behaviour.
He’s Stell the man
IT’S enough to send shockwaves through football . . . there will soon be another Guardiola at the Etihad.
Pep’s son Marius is studying for a degree in Community Sports Coaching, part of the City In The Community scheme.
You imagine he will have fewer problems than his classmates when he asks his old man for a bit of help with the homework.
Racing’s Top Tipsy
THERE will be cheers, tears and fallers galore when crowds return to Aintree’s Grand National meeting this week… and it won’t have a thing to do with racing.
Over the years there have been some unforgettable sights, usually at the end of Ladies Day, as those who have, er, enjoyed themselves a little too much try to find the exits. I have a pal who used to sit on a bench outside Lime Street station and laugh himself stupid as punters tried to put one foot in front of the other.
As for the big race itself. I’m sorry to tell connections of Escaria Ten, Enjoy D’allen and Fiddlerontheroof, but they’ll be carrying my money this year. More
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F1 chiefs may reconsider staging Saudi GP now we are safely out of there with cheques cashed
by Philippa Kaur 29 March 2022, 14:22
I HAVE filed reports from a number of strange places.
I once sent in a story while sat on the floor of M&S in London Bridge — plugged into a socket to power up my dead laptop.
The missile attack just six miles from the Jeddah F1 circuit ensured tensions were running high in the F1 family last weekendCredit: AFP
The smoke billowed into the sky following the attack, clearly visible to F1 drivers just six miles away on the trackCredit: Reuters
But until Friday in Saudi Arabia, I’d never filed from a war zone.
Too much of an exaggeration? I don’t think so.
The missile attack on the Aramco fuel depot by the rebel Houthis was too close for comfort at just six miles away from the F1 track.
Even with a three-day armistice proposed from the Iran-backed Yemeni group, I didn’t feel especially comfortable in Jeddah given the almost daily exchange of missiles.
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As a result I decided not to go on the grid before the race for my safety.
After all, would you really trust someone who had been lobbing missiles into your back garden for the past eight years not to throw just one more when you were least expecting it?
The huge plumes of smoke that drifted out of the giant oil container signalled the start of a seminal moment for F1.
Finally, the sport’s owners were forced to listen to those who can make the difference as to where it races — the drivers, who threatened a boycott.
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JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
The race is a perfect example of Saudi’s desire to use sport as a vehicle to peddle their narrative. Only this time it backfired.
Part of Saudi’s ‘2030 Vision’ is to turn the country into a tourist destination, with billions being spent on creating mega cities to rival the likes of Dubai.
Holding sporting events is key to creating the image of a must-visit place, particularly it seems with motorsport.
The Dakar Rally is now in Saudi, as is Formula E, Extreme E and F1.
In fairness, the people in Jeddah have been incredibly welcoming and a visit to the old town is well worth it if you happen to be there.
But no matter how much they spend, images of a burning refinery in the background of an F1 race will always trump the travel brochures.
I can assure you, the threat of a boycott from the drivers was very real.
Initially the fear was over safety and then came the bigger issue — the fact F1 was in Saudi Arabia in the first place.
Of course we know the reason why F1 goes there — about 55 million of them if we are to believe reports into just how much the Saudis pay to host the race.
There is also the sponsorship deal of the state-owned Aramco oil company, who pour another £40million into the sport.
Remember, F1 is a business, which probably explains why chief exec Stefano Domenicali said what he did on the eve of race day.
Amid all the calls for cancelling the race, somewhat bewilderingly he said: “We are not blind but we mustn’t forget one thing: and that is this country and the sport in which we believe is making a massive step forward.
“Don’t forget a couple of years ago women couldn’t drive. Now they are here on the grid.
“I do believe we are playing a very important role in the modernisation of this country. We are focused on making this the centre of our agenda.”
🏁 F1 2022 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
Of course, he was speaking before the race and, more importantly, after the cheque had been cashed.
But it felt that even he didn’t really believe the words that were coming out.
Persuading the drivers to go ahead and race was simply a case of kicking the can down the road.
However, let’s see what happens next to this race — now we are safely out of Saudi airspace.
I suspect it will be a different story.
ARTEM’S OK WITH STANCE
RUSSIAN speedway world champ Artem Laguta has no regrets over criticising the invasion of Ukraine, despite being stripped of his Motorcycle Federation of Russia licence.
The 31-year-old is now effectively rendered stateless after Polish authorities were also unwilling to let him race on a PZM licence in league racing in 2022.
The sport’s governing body, the FIM, have also stopped him and fellow Russian Emil Sayfutdinov from racing in the Grand Prix World Championship series this year.
Laguta said: “I have not hurt anyone in my daily life, much less on the track. I have always tried to help people and be a good person.
“I feel as if I started this war. I am Russian but I haven’t done anything to anyone and I have no influence over what is happening.
“These are the hardest days in our lives. I hope that peace will come again.”
IT’S GOOD MEETING
CAN’T make it to Melbourne? Or the Rome ePrix? Or the MotoGP in Austin?
Then why not head to Goodwood for your motor-racing fix on April 9-10.
For their 79th Members’ Meeting they are celebrating the ear-splitting V10 F1 cars with demonstrations of the McLaren MP4/6, Benetton B193, Ferrari F310 and also the Williams-Renault FW18s.
The spectacular Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 will also serve as the course car for the V10 F1 demonstration.
SIGNED BOTTLES ARE GLASS ACT
FERRARI TRENTO, who provide the fizz on the F1 podium, are now auctioning off signed bottles of bubbly in aid of the Red Cross’ work in war-torn Ukraine.
One-of-a-kind bottles — like the F1 Podium Jeroboam — will be up for grabs as of the Australian Grand Prix next month and will be available at the F1 Authentics website. More
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Ukraine want to reach the World Cup on merit… Wales and Scotland won’t be giving them an easy ride in play-offs
by Philippa Kaur 29 March 2022, 14:06
IMAGINE being a Welsh or Scottish football fan for a moment.Now that you have put aside the urge to question your existence and stopped worrying about having no friends, just think what it must be like.
Wales will play either Ukraine or Scotland in the World Cup play-off finalCredit: REX FEATURES
Your national team is on the verge of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time since the Act of Union was signed in 1707.
These are exciting, optimistic days.
Then some bloody do-gooder comes along and suggests the players of both countries should step aside and wave Ukraine through to Qatar out of kindness.
Let the beleaguered Eastern Europeans stroll through the play-offs without kicking a ball and straight into the greatest football show on earth — as a noble gesture.
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It’s a lovely thought but it should end right there.
No nation on this planet is more noble than Ukraine at the moment.
No people holding its collective head up higher than the yellow and blues as they trade blows with Vladimir Putin.
And judging by the way the Russians are getting their arses kicked on the battlefield, Ukraine doesn’t look like it needs anyone getting all sentimental about it.
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The way president Volodymyr Zelensky told the listening world that his determined country needed weapons to kill the enemy, not sympathy, sums up the mentality which runs from top to bottom there.
And it will no doubt be the same with his football team.
Football and the war have become hugely intertwined in recent weeks, with Mad Vlad’s decision to invade the neighbours transforming Russia into the biggest sporting pariah in history.
It also had the galvanising effect of turning every Ukrainian into a walking Terminator, whether it be in a frozen trench or on a Premier League football pitch.
Just look at West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko for that.
Disregarded as a waste of space by some short-sighted fans before it all kicked off with the Russkies, the Ukraine captain’s every shot at goal is now the equivalent of a Stinger missile.
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko spoke to Gary Lineker about people back home sleeping in bunkers with their lives being smashed all around them.
He said: “I am so proud to be Ukrainian. When you are watching the people, how they fight for their lives, there are no words.
“I know the mentality of my people — they’ll prefer to die than to give in.”
Ukraine’s foreign-based players have spoken of how tough it’s been to carry on working, mindful of what is going on back home.
But they have done and have given their best in dreadful circumstances. They would be embarrassed to get a favour from Fifa, Steve Clarke, Gareth Bale or anyone else for that matter.
As Zinchenko said, his people would rather die than give in.
Of course, two World Cup qualifying plays-off are a zillion miles down the ladder of importance compared to armed conflict.
But while sport is there to be enjoyed at the best of times, it also plays a role in the worst of them.
This country saw that with the clamour to get the Premier League back on during the height of the pandemic, when hundreds of people were dying every day.
With that in mind, it’s fair to assume that if football, in any way, can lift the spirits of a country fighting for its very existence, these guys would want to do it their way — either winning or losing but on a level playing field.
NO RUN-OF-THE-MIL SUCCESS
SNOOKER journeyman Robert Milkins spoke for a lot of us when he landed a first ranking title along with 50 grand.
The Bristolian, 46, plugged away for 27 years with little reward and a lot of mental challenges. The death of his sister was understandably troubling, leading him to drink excessively.
He then admitted that Covid, the war in Ukraine and not winning matches has ended up with him seeking counselling.
Snooker’s image of the 70s and 80s was of smoke-filled rooms, colourful characters, birds and booze that went hand in hand with sublime skill on the green baize. Money, laughter and late nights with no lasting effects on the soul.
These days it’s not quite so glamorous but people like Milkins still chip away and live for days like his on Saturday in Gibraltar.
With that commitment and honesty, in a weird kind of way he is more than a little inspirational.
Covid, the war in Ukraine and not winning matches has ended up with Milkins seeking counselling
NORN IRON MAN
HARRY KANE is closing in on the goalscoring feats of Wayne Rooney.
With 49 goals from 68 England games, the Three Lions captain is marking himself out as a legend of the international game.
And tonight, Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey will celebrate picking up his 100th cap in a friendly at home to the Czech Republic.
Both men deserve applause for their skill and longevity. But there is one player from the United Kingdom who deserves an ovation every time he steps out in the green and white of his home nation.
Last Friday night, Steven Davis scored his 13th goal for Northern Ireland in Luxembourg.
Nothing too amazing about that, other than he is 37 and it was his 133rd appearance for a tiny football country that has no hope of winning a major tournament.
In fact, it was virtually a national holiday the last time they reached a finals — at Euro 2016.
Kane can dream of maybe one day lifting the World Cup with England, Hennessey gets to play with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
Davis just does what he does out of love and loyalty to football and his homeland and it takes a lot of effort and determination to keep doing it again and again and again…
Kane is closing in on Rooney’s all-time England goal scoring recordCredit: REX FEATURES
POSH ‘N BOSHED
THE ENGLAND cricket team are in disarray and rugby was a big letdown in the Six Nations.
Meanwhile our football team are riding high and looking good to use this year’s World Cup to build on the success at last summer’s Euros, where they reached the final.
Such a shame to see the posh boys struggling and being shown up by the boys from the sink estates.
Can someone please get that chip off my shoulder?
England turned in a poor showing at the Six NationsCredit: REX FEATURES More
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Karren Brady: Five substitutes in the Premier League is inevitable… and it will be another big advantage to the top six
by Philippa Kaur 25 March 2022, 19:04
THE mass Liverpool four-man walk-on at Nottingham Forest was Jurgen Klopp’s latest statement that the substitution rules should be updated.The German manager is practically evangelical in his demand that England should follow the continent and the FA Cup and allow five substitutes in league matches.
Jurgen Klopp showed why he is a huge fan of bringing in five subs for Prem games with a successful mass change against Forest in the FA CupCredit: PA
Midfield general Jordan Henderson was one of four Liverpool players brought on in the 64th minute before Diogo Jota sneaked their late winnerCredit: Rex
Whether or not he did his cause a favour will be decided by the Premier League quite soon.
We have voted on increasing to five subs three times.
Each time it was rejected, mainly because the rule change was proposed after the season had started and a radical change halfway through a season is never a good idea.
For some clubs, there are other reasons to vote against it.
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I am sure many among the crowd at Forest’s stadium on Sunday, as well as millions of viewers, gasped at the invasion of four men from the Premier League club’s exceptional player pool to try to beat the Championship side. It worked, too.
Some people think that football pushed equality aside a long time ago.
There are people who believe that the £1.5billion the PL has paid to the wider football pyramid over the last three years is not enough.
They remember the time when the consolation for clubs with smaller crowds was a share of the proceeds home and away.
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As for substitutes, when one per team per match was first introduced nearly 60 years ago a famous manager declared in horror that a club could cheat by pretending a player was injured.
He’d have had a blue fit today. You can see why, at least by the standards of those days.
Liverpool kept one player back in case of serious injury in that last 15 minutes or so.
And calling up the cavalry changed a tight contest sufficiently for Forest, unable to call on such back-up, to let in the only goal.
Was this fair? With fixture stress growing, why shouldn’t a club be able to use more of their fine and expensive players to help them win games?
After all at least six of them have been filling the leading positions this century.
And the money their successes have generated has not only benefited their owners and bankers, but also their supporters and the wider football pyramid.
You can only guess what some clubs feel about the prospect of five classy subs stripping off, ready to pull back a one-goal deficit
Judge that by the queue of mainly foreigners to buy Chelsea. Forest would love to be rich and among the game’s aristocracy.
And if they were they, too, would do all they could to remain there, including a choice of five subs.
You can only guess what some clubs feel about the prospect of five classy subs stripping off, ready to pull back a one-goal deficit. No, we can all guess.
Substitutes have become even more essential in rugby than in football.
It is the usual form in internationals for jug-eared, bust-nosed forwards in the range of 16-18 stones to lurch off in threes, fours or fives to be replaced with half an hour to go by a similar number of similar sizes though in clean strips and with more amazing haircuts.
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I can’t imagine a change in football’s rule will have such a radical effect.
But two extra steps into the unknown are all but inevitable soon and the side-effects unpredictable except, simply, the bigger the club the wider the advantage. More
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Colombia hope Liverpool sensation Luis Diaz can fire them to World Cup qualification, but face uphill struggle
by Philippa Kaur 21 March 2022, 10:49
NEW Liverpool sensation Luis Diaz was the last player to score for Colombia. The problem is that since he found the back of the net, seven games have gone by.Diaz shot past Claudio Bravo to clinch a 3-1 win at home to Chile in a World Cup qualifier back in early September.
Luis Diaz will have to be Colombia’s talisman if they want to qualify for the World CupCredit: Getty
In the subsequent qualifiers Colombia have ground out four goalless draws and suffered three 1-0 defeats.
Diaz has played in all of them. The last two, in late January, came just as he was finalising his move to Liverpool from Porto in Portugal.
He had his moments in the last game – a 1-0 defeat away to Argentina, although based on that performance former Argentina boss Alfio Basile was amazed that Liverpool were paying so much for him.
The previous game was the lowpoint – a 1-0 loss at home to Peru which may well ensure that Colombia cannot make it to a third consecutive World Cup.
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On that afternoon they battered Peru for ninety minutes, but could not find the guile to create many chances.
And in a rare late break out, Peru scored a shock goal when former Arsenal keeper David Ospina made a dreadful error at his near post.
By this point, Colombia were already looking like a side who had given up on the possibility of ever scoring again.
Their dry run is extraordinary. Then can count on all time top scorer Radamel Falcao Garcia, on the Atalanta pair of Luis Muriel and Duvan Zapata, on Raphael Santos Borre of Eintracht Frankfurt, on the creative talents of Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and, rushed back into action, of James Rodriguez, plus Luis Diaz. And they cannot find a goal.
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It is surely impossible that they will be held again this Thursday in the penultimate round of South America’s World Cup qualifiers. They are at home to Bolivia. It is the home banker.
In their eight previous away games Bolivia have drawn two and lost six, scoring 6 and conceding 22. This could be the time when Luis Diaz and company finally get over their trauma in front of goal and fill their boots.
But it will probably come too late. To have any chance of making it to Qatar, Colombia will have to beat Bolivia on Thursday and win away to Venezuela the following Tuesday. This should not be beyond them.
But all those dropped points – Colombia have drawn 8 of their 16 matches, and only won three of them – mean that they can only reach a total of 23.
If other results work in their favour, this might just be good enough to sneak into fifth position and snatch the play off slot. The chances are, though, that it will not be good enough.
The crunch game could be the final round tie between Peru and a very disappointing Paraguay, where a Peruvian win will carry them beyond Colombia’s reach.
Despite boasting attacking talent like James Rodriguez, Colombia are goalless in seven World Cup qualifiersCredit: AFP
This was the problem with that home defeat to Peru.
Not only did Colombia drop points, but one of their closest rivals came away with all three.
Colombia look poised to pay a high price for that summer afternoon when David Ospina blundered and Luis Diaz played so badly. More

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