Confront previous inconvenience and own the narrative. It is a staple PR play. And how Tottenham pushed it on Tuesday as they trumpeted the arrival of Antonio Conte as their new head coach. The inconvenience lay in how Conte had turned them down on 4 June. At that point Spurs were 46 days into the […]

Either Eddie Jones has walked under a whole row of ladders or his England selection plans are falling victim to some other mystery curse. How else to account for the latest injury flurry which has removed a raft of backline options from contention before this weekend’s game with Tonga, a fixture earmarked as a springboard […]

Azeem Rafiq has been presented with the chance to share his experiences of racism at Yorkshire when the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) select committee addresses the crisis that has engulfed the club later this month. Rafiq, 30, has been invited to give evidence in parliament as part of a session on 16 November […]

Anita Asante did not get into football for its politics and the platform it provides. Like most, Aston Villa’s centre-half just loved the game. But when it comes to mixing sport and politics, surely few can match the former England international. Asante studied politics and English at Brunel University about 15 years ago and continues […]

At last a shapeless series had a defining image, a clear contour – the awesome arc of a home run smashed out of the ballpark by Jorge Soler that gave the Atlanta Braves their first World Series title since 1995. This November triumph was primed in midsummer through inspiration born of desperation. Injuries, including to […]

Newcastle United’s new Saudi Arabian-led owners have had a painful setback after Unai Emery decided against accepting an invitation to become the club’s manager. Emery had indicated he was prepared to leave Villarreal for St James’ Park but the former Sevilla, Paris Saint‑Germain and Arsenal head coach began having second thoughts after news of the […]

New Zealand came here in search of two precious points and a hefty boost to their net run rate, and one out of two will have to do. Having sprinted through the first group stage with three wins out of three, Scotland have a less impressive kind of 100% record three games into the Super […]