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Club unveil plaque outside South Stand at new stadiumRepresentatives of families attend ceremonyEverton have marked the 37th ­anniversary of the Hillsborough ­disaster by unveiling a permanent tribute at Hill Dickinson Stadium to the 97 Liverpool supporters who were unlawfully killed.Representatives of the Hillsborough families and Liverpool FC were invited to a ceremony at ­Everton’s new stadium on Wednesday to pay respects to the 97 and unveil a plaque outside the South Stand. Continue reading...

Defender shown red card against BournemouthOfficials claim Maguire made remark as he left fieldHarry Maguire will miss Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea having been handed an additional one-match ban by the Football Association for his reaction to being sent off at Bournemouth.The 33-year-old was shown a red card at the Vitality Stadium last month for a foul in the area on ­Evanilson, with Eli Junior Kroupi scoring from the resulting penalty as Bournemouth sealed a 2-2 draw. Continue reading...

Olympic administrator who helped secure the Games for London in 2012 and stood up to Russia over dopingSir Craig Reedie, who has died aged 84, was a key figure in London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics. As a member of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games from 2005 to 2013, he formed a brilliantly effective campaign partnership with Sebastian Coe, the bid leader, doing much crucial work behind the scenes, first by helping to win the support of British politicians and then by marshalling the all-important votes of Olympic delegates who would determine where the Games would go.Coe, to whom Reedie was a long-time mentor, was under no illusion that without the older man’s diplomatic skills and influential presence within the Olympic and Paralympic movement, which he had developed earlier as chair of the British Olympic Association (BOA), London might never have won the right to host the 2012 Games. Continue reading...

Return of Alexander Isak is all well and good, but it will not redeem a season of sustained underperformance“The failure is big,” said Ryan Gravenberch as he digested the Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain that ensured Liverpool’s season will finish trophyless. It was a more appropriate description of the team’s plight than Arne Slot’s insistence the future looks bright and a reality the head coach cannot avoid whether Champions League qualification for next season is secured or not. As it must be.Failure is unthinkable for a club whose business model depends on its lucrative revenue streams and a team that, 12 months ago, was about to win the Premier League title at a canter and was then remodelled to the tune of almost £450m. With the top five all qualifying, Chelsea fading from the conversation under Liam Rosenior and a five-point advantage over Brentford and Everton with six games to play, it would be a humiliating final blow for Liverpool to miss out. Slot’s defence for getting a third season to manage Liverpool’s transition would be holed. Continue reading...

Red Bull driver outspoken about regulation changes ‘In a meeting he was very keen to give suggestions’Formula One must listen to Max ­Verstappen’s grievances about the sport’s new regulations and their effects on racing, according to F1’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali. His ­intervention comes as key ­players hold ­meetings to consider ­adjusting the rules for the remainder of the season.Verstappen has been outspoken in his dissatisfaction with the new ­formula and the part energy management now plays in ­preventing being able to race flat-out. The four-time champion is not alone in his ­feelings with other drivers also ­critical of the deployment and recharging of ­electrical energy. Continue reading...

England have a long way to go yet before booking flights to Brazil, but Esme Morgan, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucia Kendall impressed against SpainEverybody keep calm. England sit top of their qualifying group with a 100% record after beating Spain, but there remains a very long way to go before anyone can start booking flights to Brazil for 2027. Let us cast aside that sensible advice, though, and begin to look at the players who enhanced their prospects of selection because, whether England continue this winning streak or not, their target is to win a first world title and there is no hiding from that challenge. So who has staked a claim?Of those who started at Wembley on Tuesday, eight look nailed on to be in the first-choice XI for the World Cup. That octet of Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Alessia Russo will be central to Sarina Wiegman’s plans for Brazil, together with senior players such as Leah Williamson and Ella Toone when they return after injuries, plus the “clutch moment” saviour that is Chloe Kelly, who was on the bench. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!While Barcelona’s night at the Metropolitano was pretty well summed up by the accompanying image of poor Fermín López shipping six studs in the mush, Lamine Yamal’s cross in the buildup should be framed and hung in the Louvre. Using a minimum of backlift, the preposterously precocious 18-year-old had arced the ball directly into the path of the midfielder with the outside of his left boot, only for López to be denied by a splendid Juan Musso save that left the already bandaged Barça midfielder drenched in claret. Had López scored, Barcelona would have gone 3-0 up on the night and ahead in the tie, having already restored parity courtesy of goals scored by Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres in a blistering and blood-drenched opening 30 minutes. Moments later, Charlton Athletic academy graduate Ademola Lookman scored the decisive goal that sent Atlético Madrid into Bigger Cup semi-finals, much to the not entirely surprising delight of their head coach Diego Simeone. “Playing in a [Bigger Cup] semi-final, how wonderful,” he honked before an appointment with Arsenal or Sporting. “We’ll go there with all our enthusiasm and faith. We know our strengths and weaknesses. We’re ready.” Continue reading...

Rumors about the reporter and New England head coach Mike Vrabel flew all week. The conclusion to the saga was all too predictableDianna Russini, one of the NFL’s most high-profile reporters, is photographed holding hands with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at a fancy resort in Sedona, Arizona. Rumors fly. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, issue statements denying the assumptions of something untoward. But the firestorm only grows. Russini resigns from her post at the Athletic, Vrabel continues with his job as usual.The female reporter’s career is in shambles. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for the male head coach. Continue reading...

Iraola leaving at end of the seasonRose out of work since March 2025Bournemouth are in advanced talks with Marco Rose to replace Andoni Iraola as their head coach. The German has emerged as the leading candidate and a deal for him to take over at the end of the season could be agreed by the end of this week.Bournemouth have also given strong consideration to moving for Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, but Rose is available now and boasts a strong CV. McKenna’s contract contains a buyout clause and no negotiations can be held with him before the end of the Championship season. The Northern Irishman is trying to lead Ipswich back into the Premier League and the club are likely to resist any attempt to take the 39-year-old away from Portman Road. Continue reading...

Taylor played 226 times for England before retiring early due to anxiety, but she has made her way back to the topBy Wisden Cricket MonthlySarah Taylor was stuck in traffic inching south when she got a call. She had just spent two days at Loughborough working with the England Lions wicketkeepers, taking Lancashire’s Matty Hurst and James Rew of Somerset through some drills overseen by the head coach Andrew Flintoff. The sessions had gone well. Hurst, who had personally asked if Taylor could be there having worked with her at the Manchester Hundred franchise, was especially receptive. It was Ed Barney, ECB’s performance director, on the line. Would she fancy joining them on tour in South Africa? Before she could think herself out of it, she blurted out an answer.“Internally I was absolutely petrified,” she says. “I hadn’t flown for quite a few years. But what came out my mouth was: ‘Absolutely, when are we leaving?’ And that was the start of it.” Continue reading...