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| Phil Brown criticises FA charge against Hull Phil Brown has described as "scandalous" the decision to charge Hull City with misconduct over last weekend's fracas at Arsenal. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
England deny withdrawal from games • Chief executive denies Telegraph report• Foreign Office has not advised against travelCommonwealth Games England has strenuously denied claims that it will withdraw from next October's event in Delhi over security concerns.A front page report in today's Daily Telegraph quotes a senior Whitehall source as saying there is "virtually no chance" an England team will be sent to India.The CGE chief executive, Ann Hogbin, said: "That is definitely not the case. Our current and strong intention is to field a team for the Games in Delhi next year."Of course, we have a duty of care to the athletes and other team members which we take very seriously. Despite having been given extensive briefings from relevant authorities we have not received any indication that we should not participate in the Games and we will continue to work hard to put in place the best possible arrangements for our team."A statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office read: "The FCO has not advised any of the British teams not to participate in the Commonwealth Games."We are aware that the Commonwealth Games Federation had some concerns about preparations for the Games. We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities who are doing everything they can to ensure a safe and secure Games."The Games' organising committee chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, said the Telegraph report was well wide of the mark."England have said the report is baseless," Kalmadi said. "Security is certainly not an issue. A foolproof security was discussed for the Games during the security liaison conference in New Delhi in September."Experts from 26 of the 71 nations which will participate in the Games, including Britain, Australia and New Zealand, took part in the conference and expressed satisfaction with the preparations. India formed the liaison group due to heightened safety fears over travelling to New Delhi for the competition.England's chef de mission, Craig Hunter, said the team was all set to travel to India for the Games. "It is our intention to send a strong team to the Games and we are very much looking forward to it," he said on the team's official website.The chief of Australia's Commonwealth Games team, Perry Crosswhite, said Australia was comfortable with the level of security in place in Delhi."I have nothing new to change our view … everything is on track to go," he said. "We will take the best advice we can get and at this stage it [security] is adequate."I have not had one athlete, one manager, one coach – no one has contacted me with the view that they shouldn't be going. We don't want to force athletes to go, they have to make their own decision, but no one has raised it."The Games will happen. Whether it's only one team out of 71 nations, it won't be good for the Games, but they will happen. I'm not a security expert but they've employed people that are and the reports are good. These days security is a major issue everywhere."The issue of security for the Games, which are scheduled to take place from 3-14 October, has been under scrutiny after a number of terrorist incidents in the region. Several major sporting events have been moved from the subcontinent.The England team withdrew from the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad in August after terrorist threats. In March the Sri Lanka cricket team were attacked while being driven to a match in Lahore, Pakistan. Twelve gunmen attacked their convoy and six Sri Lankan players were injured.After that incident, the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament was moved to South Africa.Commonwealth Games 2010Commonwealth GamesIndiaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Athletic Republic franchise drafts football players Native Houstonian and former National Football League running back Derrick Blaylock is teaming up with New York Jets player James Dearth to open a performance sports training center in Humble. bizjournals.com |
USF player wants apology from Leavitt TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The player who says fired South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt grabbed him by the throat and slapped him in the face wants a public apology.... hosted.ap.org |
Saints reach first ever Super Bowl • Saints face Colts in Super Bowl after overtime kick• Brett Favre may retire after mistake costs VikingsA Garrett Hartley overtime field goal pushed the New Orleans Saints past the Minnesota Vikings and into their first ever Super Bowl. The top-seeded Saints beat the second-seeded Vikings 31-28 in sudden death to claim the NFC Championship after a see-saw affair in front of a raucous New Orleans crowd at the Superdome.They will now meet the AFC champions the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on 7 February, the Colts having beaten the New York Jets earlier in the evening.The match was a close encounter throughout and was tied 28-28 with just 19 seconds on the clock, when the Vikings had a chance to get Ryan Longwell within field-goal range but their offensive line was penalised for having too many men in the huddle and sent back five yards on a third down, forcing the kicker out of range and leaving Favre to throw the ball instead.It proved a costly penalty as Brett Favre's pass was intercepted by Tracy Porter and the game went into sudden-death overtime, the Saints winning the toss and electing to receive the kick off. New Orleans made the most of the possession, advancing to the Vikings 40-yard line and setting up Hartley for the kick of his career.Favre bitterly rejected what could turn out to be his final pass in the NFL and was a picture of dejection after the match. He said he has yet to settle on whether he will play another season in the NFL. "I probably should have ran it. I don't know how far I could have gotten but in hindsight that is probably what I should have done," said Favre. "My goal was to get to the Super Bowl in Miami and obviously that is not going to happen. But if it is (my last game) then no doubt I am going out on top."The Indianapolis Colts booked their place in Super Bowl XLIV with a 30-17 AFC Championship victory over the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium.Colts quarterback Peyton Manning brought the unfancied Jets' play-off to an end, passing for 377 yards and making three touchdown passes to outshine rookie opposite number Mark Sanchez and seal a place in the finale in Miami on 7 February.The Jets, led by first-year head coach Rex Ryan, had sneaked into the play-offs on the last day of the regular season and then upset the Cincinnati Bengals and second-seeded San Diego Chargers.The visitors began confidently against the AFC top seeds, yet it was the Colts who put the first points on the board with a first-quarter 25-yard field goal from Matt Stover.New York got its reward at the start of the second quarter and in spectacular style as the Jets abandoned their rushing game and Sanchez threw long for wide receiver Braylon Edwards to complete an 80-yard touchdown run, kicker Jay Feely adding the extra point.Stover kept the Colts in touch with a 19-yard field goal but there was more to come from Sanchez, whose short pass to Dustin Keller gave the tight end his second touchdown in as many weeks.Feely added a field goal from 48 yards to his kicked extra point as the Jets took a surprise 17-6 lead.Then Colts quarterback Manning, the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2009, stepped up after a shaky start that saw him sacked twice to throw a 16-yard touchdown pass for wide receiver Austin Collie and Indianapolis went in at half-time trailing 17-13.Manning began the second half as he ended the first with a four-yard touchdown pass thrown to Pierre Garcon with Stover adding the point as the Colts moved in front 20-17 heading to the fourth quarter.The Colts quarterback made the game safe in the final period, throwing his third touchdown pass of the game, Manning this time finding Dallas Clark to give the home side a 10-point lead with Stover adding some insurance from a 21-yard field goal two and a half minutes from time.The Jets' last throw of the dice came when Sanchez threw an interception to Kelvin Hayden and the Colts began planning for a second Super Bowl appearance in four years.NFLUS sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |