Four decades ago Mike Gatting lamented 30-game schedule and while improvements were made, players will be weary of gruelling season ahead A meteorologist would say that England’s winter will start this year at midnight on 1 December; an astronomer would point a few weeks later to the 21st, perhaps even...
Aidan O’Brien closes on Group One record as Precise makes it 22 in 2025
Precise, the 5-1 favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, took the feature on day one of the Future Champions weekend Aidan O’Brien is within sight of his own record of 28 Group One wins in a calendar year after Precise, the new 5-1 favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, took...
All fluffed up: why modern balls are sparking injury worries and frustration in tennis
Daniil Medvedev is one of a growing number of leading players who say that the balls have become unpredictable and are affecting their game It did not take Daniil Medvedev long to realise he was in serious trouble at the French Open. As he tried to find a way past...
A World Cup preying on Fomo: Fifa’s 2026 ticket scheme is a late-capitalist hellscape
Dynamic pricing, crypto detritus and corporate doublespeak have made the task of buying 2026 World Cup tickets a grim case study in the monetization of emotion When the first tickets for the 2026 World Cup went on sale last week, millions of fans joined online queues only to discover what...
Clive Tyldesley: ‘I’ve only been drunk twice and once was with the England women’s team’
Veteran commentator answers your questions on famous lines, favourite stadiums and being told ‘Not for me, Clive’ What is the best sporting accomplishment or achievement you have commentated on and did you ever harbour personal ambitions to be a professional in any sport? Tony Medlock I was never good enough...
Bellingham must accept Tuchel’s collective structure or risk England exile | Jacob Steinberg
Manager learned at PSG to ignore star power in pursuit of a winning formula that prioritises brotherhood Thomas Tuchel once stood on the touchline at Anfield, watching in disbelief as his self-indulgent Paris Saint-Germain players refused to put in the hard yards against Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. “Guys, what is this?”...
Flag alert! Gary Neville may not be Orwell but he is a very English type of patriot | Barney Ronay
An easy target for accusations of luxury hypocrisy, Neville has at least tried to address an issue that has everything to do with aggressively flag-draped and militarised modern sport “At the far end of the food counter a group of men were pledging allegiance to the flag, with trays balanced...
England embrace a new frontier but Tuchel must be wary of hope and glory | Barney Ronay
Win against Wales is over before it began, yet unbridled expectations are the enemy of any manager in this job Well, that was something new. On a sleepy, listless night of football-style product, Wales still managed to produce something daring and avant garde in the opening 20 minutes of this...
Ratcliffe’s words will not save Amorim if he fails to remedy Manchester United’s flaws | Jamie Jackson
For all the co-owner’s promises of three-year spells, the head coach will not survive this season without real signs of a revival The word from Manchester United insiders is that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s headline-hogging declaration that three years is an apt timescale to judge Ruben Amorim is merely Sir Jim...
Chess: England in midfield at European championships and medals appear unlikely
England, seeded fifth among 40 teams at the start, were 12th at halfway, while England women, seeded 12th among 36, were 10th England’s open and women’s teams looked unlikely to contend for medals on Thursday, as this week’s European championships at Batumi, Georgia, passed the halfway mark. Leaders after five...