Showing posts with label SkySports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SkySports. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 March 2016

Yorkshire Chairman Boycott's Return


Yorkshire chairman Steve Denison has asked club members not to back Geoffrey Boycott's return to the board of directors.

Former England opener Boycott made 609 first-class appearances for Yorkshire and was president from 2012 to 2014.

The 75-year-old does not hold a board position, but acts informally as an overseas ambassador for the club.

"We want individuals with skills that can guarantee the survival of the club," Denison told BBC Radio Leeds.

Denison, who succeeded Colin Graves in March last year, added: "We are saying no on the back of stability.

"The success we have had in the last two seasons has been on the back of a very stable board and a very stable management team all pointing in the same direction.

"He's a boyhood hero of mine - I invaded the pitch aged 13 when he got his 100th hundred at Headingley - but the problem we face at the moment is the club has been in serious financial difficulty for a long time, propped up by Colin Graves.


"We've had to refinance both this year and try and lay foundations for the immediate future when we have to build a new stand.

"We need specialist skills on our board in relation to finance and construction - and that's the direction of the board over the next few years."

Boycott's return to the board would need to be approved by the club members at the annual general meeting on 26 March.

He received 91.09% of the vote when he was voted club president in 2012.

"Irrespective of the outcome of the member vote, there will be no acrimony involved," added Denison. "We will work with Geoffrey if he gets elected.

"Geoffrey does an excellent job supporting the club when he's on his travels around the world and we want him to do that again. There is nobody better."


Friday, 22 January 2016

Pundit Neville Shown White Hankies


Valencia’s struggles under Gary Neville continued when they had to come from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw in their Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg at home to Las Palmas.

The former England and Manchester United defender took over as the coach at the Mestalla last month after Nuno Espírito Santo was sacked but has yet to secure a win in La Liga in six attempts. Fans waved white handkerchiefs at the final whistle .

The draw left Neville frustrated but he was upbeat about Valencia’s performance. “When you draw a game at home you are always disappointed,” the Valencia manager said. “But if we play like we did today again we will win matches.”

Valencia fell behind in the 38th minute when the midfielder Wilfried Zahibo headed past his own goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from a free-kick.

Paco Alcácer equalised in the 61st minute with a well-struck shot from just outside the area but the home side were unable to make sustained late pressure count.

Álvaro Negredo fluffed a great chance in the third minute of added time when he failed to connect cleanly with a José Luis Gayà centre, leaving Las Palmas with an advantage for next week’s return leg in the Canary Islands.


Monday, 16 July 2012

SPL Rangers Issues Continue


The Scottish Premier League will meet to decide who replaces Rangers this season amid fresh criticism, this time from Queen of the South.

Dundee and Dunfermline Athletic hope to learn that one of them has been chosen to fulfil the "Club 12" fixtures.

But Queens are the latest to reveal their fears that the SPL annual meeting will find a way to circumvent the vote to have Rangers in Division Three.

Queens say they are angry at the SPL and Scottish Football Association.

“There have been statements that have amounted to little more than threats”Queen of the South

The club relegated from Division Two have incurred the wrath of their own supporters for being one of five out of 30 Scottish Football League clubs who voted for the new Rangers being in Division One.

Ahead of Friday's SFL meeting, the SFA and SPL had promised reorganisation of the leagues and redistribution of income in return for Rangers being placed in Division One.

The chief executives of both those governing bodies had warned of dire financial consequences should Rangers be placed in the bottom tier.

And the Dumfries outfit claim they only voted for the First Division plan because they believe it is inevitable the new Rangers will end up in the second tier and wanted to ensure reform came with it.

"We have been incredibly disappointed and angry at the actions and leadership of the senior members of the SFA and SPL throughout this whole saga," Queens said in a statement.

"There have been statements, both public and private, that have amounted to little more than threats.

"The dialogue has been negative, focusing on and exaggerating the possible 'Armageddon' rather than rallying and actively trying to find solutions that all clubs and, more importantly, supporters would feel comfortable supporting.

"Instead, we were presented with a set of proposals that no one was happy with.

"More importantly, the message from the governing bodies was that, even with a 'no' vote, they would continue to pursue the newco Rangers playing in one of the top two tiers next season.

"There has been a lot of talk about how this is not possible under the current rules, but as the saying goes: 'where there's a will there's a way'."

Queens' comments echoed those of clubs such as Clyde and Dunfermline, whose chairmen suggested that the SPL could yet reverse its own decision to exclude Rangers.

The new Rangers had themselves suggested that they had been promised a place in an SPL2 should they not be voted into Division One.

However, it is almost certainly impossible to organise a new league in the three weeks before the start of the season and Sevco chief executive Charles Green has announced that he will accept the SFL decision.

Dundee United and Hearts have dismissed suggestions that the SPL could reverse its previous decision, when 10 of the 12 clubs rejected the newco's application.

The SPL had previously indicated that it was likely to invite Dundee, who finished runners-up to promoted Ross County, to replace Rangers.

However, Dunfermline, who finished bottom of the SPL, have argued that they should be saved from relegation instead.

The SPL decision has implications for the losers of last season's promotion play-offs - Airdrie United, who are poised to move up to Division One, and Stranraer, who will jump to the Second Division - should either Dundee or Dunfermline be confirmed in the SPL.

SPL clubs will also be looking to discover further details of the predicted commercial losses resulting from the loss of Rangers.

Contracts reportedly have an exit or renegotiation clause should either Celtic or Rangers be absent and the television deals.

Sky and ESPN were due to sign an £80m five-year deal this summer, although their existing £13m annual contract has a year left to run.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster told SFL clubs that a total of £18.7m would be lost to the SPL if the Third Division option was taken, all but £1m from broadcasting deals.

Doncaster has apparently valued TV revenue at just £3m if the Rangers newco was made to start in the Third Division, but Sky Sports has maintained its silence while ESPN has said it wants "to have a continued relationship with Scottish football".


Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Emotional Lynagh Focused on Recovery



Doctors have told Wallabies great Michael Lynagh he "dodged a cannonball" after surviving a rare and potentially lethal stroke which has severely limited his vision.

An emotional Lynagh fought back tears on Wednesday as he thanked family, friends, the rugby fraternity and fans for the overwhelming support he'd received after being discharged from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.







Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Michael Lynagh Suffers Stroke


Former Wallabies and Saracens fly-half Michael Lynagh, one of Australia's all-time rugby greats, is reported to have suffered a stroke.

Lynagh, 48, represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly-half. He was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He also helped steer the Wallabies to the Webb Ellis Trophy in 1991.

He was the world points scoring record holder when he retired, with 911 points.

Now based in England and a regular on ITV's rugby coverage, Lynagh was visiting his hometown of Brisbane when he became ill. The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital confirmed that Lynagh had been admitted but his family had asked for no further comment.

Following his retirement from international rugby, Lynagh joined Saracens in 1996 and was a popular signing among the fans. His impact on the club was almost immediate.

During the 1997/98 season, Saracens faced Newcastle Falcons in a crucial match at the top of the table.

In front of nearly 20,000 fans, Lynagh won the match with a magnificent drop goal late on.

Lynagh also led Saracens to a Tetley Bitter Cup win over Wasps at Twickenham. Their magnificent cup run resulted in the first piece of silverware for the club in their 122-year history.

This proved to be Lynagh's last competitive game and he was enrolled in the Saracens' Hall of Fame some years later.