Miller reveals reasons for Udinese choice – gossip
Lennon Miller opens up on his summer move from Motherwell after making his Udinese debut, while a former Celtic target’s agent criticises scouts for failing to recognise his client’s talent.
Scotland midfielder Lennon Miller, who made his Udinese debut against AC Milan at the weekend, says he chose the Serie A club this summer as they had previously attempted to sign him from Motherwell in January and that convinced him they really wanted him and were not just taking him because he was cheaper than an alternative. (Open Goal)
Heart of Midlothian have not yet opened contract talks to keep Beni Baningime, whose current deal expires next summer, but will undoubtedly want to do so given the 27-year-old midfielder’s presence in the team coincides with an improvement in performances and results. (Edinburgh Evening News)
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes does not rule out further signings in January but admits that there is “nothing really pressing” at the moment and that they need to address players who will be out of contract next summer. (Premier Sports Scottish Football Social Club)
Portsmouth sporting director Richard Hughes has allayed fears that Toby Steward could be recalled early from his loan to St Johnstone after the 20-year-old goalkeeper’s starring role in the Scottish Championship leaders’ fine start to the season. (The Courier)
Tuesday’s English & European transfer rumoursMonday’s Scottish Gossip
Makenzie Kirk says joining Portsmouth was his preferred choice throughout the summer transfer window before the 21-year-old striker, who made his debut as a substitute in the weekend defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, signed for the Championship club instead of Peterborough United in a £500,000 deadline-day move from St Johnstone. (Portsmouth News)
Jefte says he has had to adapt to a new playing style following his £6.5m summer transfer from Rangers to Palmeiras, for whom the 21-year-old left-back made his first start in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Fortaleza, grabbing an assist. (The National)
The agent of David Strelec, who was a signing target for Celtic in January but was transferred to Middlesbrough this summer by Slovan Bratislava, has criticised scouts for underestimating the Slovakian league and making it more difficult for the 24-year-old striker to secure a transfer to a top European club. (Glasgow Times)
Former Celtic full-back Mikael Lustig has launched his won golf channel on YouTube after retiring from football. (Sportbladet)
Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell and Scottish Professional Football League counterpart Neil Doncaster will be questioned today by members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee at the Scottish parliament about “welfare and sustainability in youth football” following complaints about rules restricting youth players’ freedom to move between club academies. (The Herald)
Dybala and Bailey to return for Lille clash
Dybala and Bailey to return for Lille clash
Paulo Dybala and Leon Bailey are still recovering from their respective injuries.
Both players have been ruled out for the upcoming match against Nice after missing the latest edition of the Derby della Capitale.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, however, Roma are confident they can both recover in the next few days.
In fact, their return could happen just in time for the Europa League clash with Lille on October 2nd.
https://onefootball.com/en/news/dybala-and-bailey-to-return-for-lille-clash-41704466
Liverpool receive ENORMOUS 40-goal striker injury boost
Liverpool receive ENORMOUS 40-goal striker injury boost
Liverpool have to manage their squad really carefully because a lot of players were signed in this summer and very few of them happen to be familiar with the club’s intense training methods.
Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez had featured in the Premier League before, which helps things, although the former was absent from training for a few months since was trying to force his move.
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Everyone else either came from abroad or other clubs in England. Furthermore, pre-season was important to try and negate any lingering fitness issues. Sometimes, however, injuries come by fluke.
Without having done anything extraordinary, young striker Will Wright was taken off the pitch on a stretcher during Liverpool’s under-19s clash against Atletico Madrid last week, clutching his knee and giving a lot of fans concern about his imminent future. We now have an update on his situation.
‘Not as serious as first feared’
The English striker signed from Salford earlier this year and his arrival was celebrated as a huge scalp for the club, given the competition that Liverpool’s executives had in securing his move.
Wright had scored over 40 goals at the youth level and at just 17 years old, that’s a serious feat.
He was ushered straight into the set-up for his age-range and coming off injured so early into his season felt like a cruel blow. Initial reports suggested that he had ‘jarred’ his knee in a challenge and a ‘lengthy’ course of treatment was likely, with surgery not necessarily a requirement for him.
And it has now been confirmed by Lewis Bower that sources at the club have clarified his injury to be less severe than once thought. When it comes to knee injuries, everyone instantly fears an ACL tear.
But fortunately, we are not talking about a season-long concern, although he will miss a few games.
https://onefootball.com/en/news/liverpool-receive-enormous-40-goal-striker-injury-boost-41704363
Barcelona superstar still has a chance to beat Ronaldo Nazario’s record in Ballon d’Or
Barcelona superstar still has a chance to beat Ronaldo Nazario’s record in Ballon d’Or
Despite an extraordinary 2024/25 campaign for both club and country, Lamine Yamal missed out on the Ballon d’Or last night, with Ousmane Dembele becoming the first French since Karim Benzema in 2022 to win the coveted trophy.
Yamal finished second in the final ranking, with PSG’s Vitinha finishing third. Yamal’s Barcelona teammate Raphinha finished fifth in the rankings while Pedri finished 11th, much to the disappointment of Aitana Bonmati.
If Yamal had finished first, he would have made history by becoming the youngest player to ever win the Ballon d’Or, thus breaking the record currently held by none other than Ronaldo Nazario.
Yamal still has a chance to break Ronaldo’s record
However, it’s not the end of the world yet for Yamal, who still has a few opportunities to break Ronaldo’s record.
The Spaniard, after all, is still 18 and has at least two more shots at the Ballon d’Or title, as he looks to break Ronaldo’s milestone of winning the coveted trophy at the age of just 21.
Can Yamal beat Ronaldo’s record in the next two years? (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
The Brazilian won the Ballon d’Or in 1997, the same year he left Barcelona in favour of a move to Inter Milan. The forward had featured in less than 50 matches for the Catalans and eventually joined arch-rival Real Madrid in 2002.
Yamal, in contrast, has already featured in over 100 matches for Barça at the age of just 18 and is considered one of the best wingers in the world.
Given his age, Yamal can still break the record of Ronaldo if he can win the Ballon d’Or next year. In fact, he can still break the record by winning it in 2027.
That means the Spanish international has two more seasons to break one of the most elusive records in world football.
Prem Rugby 2025-26: Club-by-club guide and predictions for new season
The top-flight of English rugby returns with a new name and fresh energy after Prem Rugby’s radical offseason rebrand.
The shortening of the official name of the competition, designed to reflect the vernacular in which the league is most commonly spoken, is part of a wider shift in presentation and identity, with the intensity of the league and physical feats performed by the Prem’s players set to be emphasised.
Prem Rugby has been rebranded (Prem Rugby)
Bath begin as defending champions after finally ending a 29-year wait for a title, while Northampton will look to bounce back from a mixed domestic campaign having come close to Champions Cup glory.
There is real reason for hope at Newcastle, too, with the struggling side taken over by Red Bull and optimistic of a much better season having finished bottom last year.
Here’s our club-by-club guide and predictions for the new season – in the order in which they finished the last campaign:
Bath
Ben Spencer led Bath to the Premiership title last year (PA Wire)
Director of Rugby: Johann van Graan
Captain: Ben Spencer
There is every chance the defending champions back up their long-awaited success with another tilt at the title. Adding Santiago Carreras, Chris Harris and Henry Arundell to the deepest squad in the league should only enhance their chances, with making a push in the Champions Cup surely a necessary next step. The departure of attack coach Lee Blackett to England early in the season creates a degree of uncertainty but Ben Spencer and Finn Russell, armed with a new contract, are back to pull the strings and the pack remains very, very strong.
Key figure: Ben Spencer, scrum half. The best half-back pairing in the country are a perfect marriage, Spencer and Russell aiding one another to reach new heights. The 33-year-old scrum half now has a trophy haul as big as just about anyone in English domestic rugby following Saracens’ success early in his career – can he now lead the forging of a similar dynasty?
Youngster to watch: Ciaran Donoghue. One has to feel for Donoghue a little, the momentum built during a breakout second half of the last campaign threatened to be stymied a little by the arrival of similarly-skilled Carreras. But the playmaking, explosive 10/15 should get opportunities when Van Graan rotates, and might well get an early chance with the two international fly halves unavailable – if he can overcome a knee injury.
Predicted finish: 1st
Leicester Tigers
Geoff Parling is Leicester’s new head coach (Getty Images)
Head coach: Geoff Parling
Captain: TBC
Beaten finalists last season, it’s been a summer of change at Leicester with Geoff Parling arriving as head coach after Michael Cheika’s single season in charge. The former England lock has forged his coaching career in Australia and arrives with a strong reputation, but must replace the experience and leadership of Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, Julian Montoya and Handre Pollard. The Springboks fly half’s departure leaves a vacancy at No 10 – the signing of Wallabies playmaker James O’Connor is looking a better and better bit of business but the 35-year-old is little more than a stop-gap. The set-piece should be a strength but wider questions remain.
Key figure: Jack van Poortvliet, scrum half. Uncertainty at 10 and a leadership void could see greater responsibility placed on Van Poortvliet. The 24-year-old faces with Ben Spencer and Harry Randall for the second scrum half spot for his country but Leicester will surely look to him, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes and Freddie Steward to step up now they are all firmly established Prem performers.
Youngster to watch: Emeka Ilione, flanker. Ilione took another huge stride in his development last season, and was outstanding off the bench in the final. Can he force his way into Parling’s starting side and really press for higher honours? He has the talent.
Predicted finish: 6th
Sale Sharks
Ben Curry will again be one of Sale’s key performers (Getty Images for Sale Sharks)
Director of Rugby: Alex Sanderson
Captain: Ben Curry
Perennially in the play-offs, Sale are relatively settled in terms of playing personnel, with a crop of England contenders like Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Tom Roebuck and Joe Carpenter accentuating the more established Curry twins and George Ford. Alex Sanderson has admitted he may not see much of Tom Curry after his Lions exertions and subsequent surgery, while the need to replace Jean-Luc du Preez and Jonny Hill could see former England U20 captain Tom Burrow step up at some point. Jacques Vermeulen is a canny addition from Exeter, though.
Key figure: Ernst van Rhyn, lock/flanker. A slightly alternative choice, perhaps, given the star-power in the Sale squad but Van Rhyn feels vital in balancing their pack this season. Virtually ever present across his first two seasons at the club, the South African has committed his future with a new three-year deal and will again tackle anything that even threatens to move.
Youngster to watch: Nathan Jibulu, hooker. Plenty of options here but Jibulu could be another shrewd signing. Sale have paid a decent chunk of change to lure the former Harlequins hooker north yet there is plenty to like about the 22-year-old, who should excel under the tutelage of Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Predicted finish: 3rd
Bristol Bears
Louis Rees-Zammit is back in rugby with Bristol (Getty Images)
Head coach: Pat Lam
Captain: Fitz Harding
The Prem’s great entertainers are hoping to add a little extra substance to their serious style having had Bath on the ropes for long periods of a thrilling semi-final derby last year. There are no signs that the Bears will pare back their attacking excesses, and nor should they with Tom Jordan and Louis Rees-Zammit now also in town, but Pat Lam will want to see local lads like George Kloska and James Dun continue to thrive having got a lot out of the pair in the tight five last season.
Key figure: Tom Jordan, utility back. One of the best bits of business of the summer, a deal for Jordan was done seemingly before his Scotland debut last November and the utility-man’s reputation has sky-rocketed since. There is a real jigsaw puzzle for Pat Lam to assemble in his backline with plenty of eye-catching pieces, and Jordan could make it all work with his capacity to cover full-back, inside centre or fly half.
Youngster to watch: Benjamin Grondona, back row. There’s a fun trio of Pumas in the back five of Bristol’s pack, Pedro Rubiolo joining the Grondona brothers permanently after an initial loan switch from Newcastle last season. While Rubiolo and the elder sibling, Santiago, are away with Argentina, little brother Benjamin could get a good early-season run to build on his international debut in July.
Predicted finish: 5th
Gloucester
Tomos Williams was named Prem Player of the Season after an outstanding debut campaign for Gloucester (PA Wire)
Head coach: George Skivington
Captain: Tomos Williams
Gloucester took great mighty strides forward last season, pushing for a play-off spot after embracing an uber-attacking style early in the campaign. They found better balance down the stretch with Tomos Williams – installed as captain in his second season – a supreme signing, and the scrum half will again be important. A busy summer of comings and goings has perhaps left them a little light in certain areas but it could look very good if Gloucester click again.
Key figure: Ross Byrne, fly half. Charlie Atkinson was a summer tourist with England yet you feel that Byrne will be given his chance to stake a claim to the No 10. Escaping the Leinster system feels a pivotal moment in the career of a 22-cap Ireland international, who will hope to thrive having enjoyed an extended preseason with his nation now looking elsewhere.
Youngster to watch: Will Joseph, centre/wing. The signings of Joseph, Ben Loader and Ben Redshaw refresh the outside backs division for Gloucester, who have real versatility and strike-running threat across a competitive group. It never quite happened for one-cap England international Joseph at Harlequins, with injuries disrupting his spell at the Stoop, yet he is only 23 and could well come again. Best wishes, too, to elder brother Jonathan, who has announced his retirement after leaving Biarritz.
Predicted finish: 8th
Saracens
Owen Farrell is back at Saracens (PA Archive)
Director of Rugby: Mark McCall
Captain: Maro Itoje
Much of the focus at Saracens this season will fall on Owen Farrell, back in north London after a relatively unfulfilling campaign at Racing 92. The fly half cut a more relaxed figure on the Lions tour, determined to enjoy his rugby, but there was a sense that the side missed his competitive edge at times last year. Max Malins is also back in town after Alex Goode’s retirement while the array of athletes in the back five of the pack – from Ben Earl and Tom Willis to Juan Martin Gonzalez and Theo McFarland – are unmatched elsewhere in the Prem.
Key figure: Owen Farrell, fly half. Obviously. The benefit of Farrell’s return could well be two-fold, still plenty left in the tank as a player and yet also a vital guiding force for Fergus Burke and Louie Johnson, who had the tough task of filling his boots last year. With Alex Lozowski working his way back from a torn achilles, there is a chance that we see plenty of the 33-year-old in the centres, too – promising trio Olly Hartley, Sam Spink and Angus Hall should all benefit.
Youngster to watch: Charlie Bracken, scrum half. Lock Olamide Sodeke and back row Nathan Michelow are highly rated and should impress if able to earn opportunities in a fierce fight for places in the pack but there is a more obvious route into the first-team fold for Bracken as back-up to Ivan van Zyl. Younger brother Jack is also pushing for a place on the wing, with World Cup-winning dad Kyran helping put wise heads on young shoulders.
Predicted finish: 4th
Harlequins
Harlequins have endured a disrupted summer (Getty Images)
Senior coach: Jason Gilmore
Captain: Alex Dombrandt
Losing your senior coach a week before the season starts represents a chaotic build-up for Harlequins, even if there were some who always suspected that Danny Wilson would be bound for Wales at some point. With Billy Millard, director of rugby, also having exited, the experienced Toby Booth has been brought in to add to the staff. Quins have sometimes done their best work on the pitch during periods of uncertainty off it, though, and will hope to foster the same spirit as in their 2020/21 title-winning season. Most of their recruitment has come in the pack; Argentina lock Guido Petti feels a standout signing.
Key figure: Alex Dombrandt, No 8. Often a player-led squad, club captain Dombrandt may have to take command again after the retirements of senior heads like Danny Care and Joe Marler during the course of last season. Will Evans and Jack Kenningham dovetail on the flanks well but Dombrandt will be key in providing ballast in his usual free-wheeling way.
Youngster to watch: Ben Waghorn, centre. A real find as Harlequins tried to replace Andre Esterhuizen last season, Waghorn went from a London Scottish loanee to almost certain starter down the stretch. England hopefuls Luke Northmore and Oscar Beard may have their say in the battle for centre shirts, though if Waghorn continues to figure out how to best use his imposing frame he will represent a fine foil for Marcus Smith and Jarrod Evans to work off of.
Predicted finish: 7th
Northampton Saints
Northampton will hope to bounce back from a tough domestic campaign (Getty Images)
Director of Rugby: Phil Dowson
Captain: George Furbank
A run to the Champions Cup final was a better representation of Northampton than their lowly domestic finish last year, Saints paying the price for their success as England came calling for the core that led them to a title the season prior. Phil Dowson has already lamented how little he might see of Fin Smith, Tommy Freeman and the rest but there is an impressive incoming quartet: super-sized lock JJ van der Mescht adds serious grunt up front; No 8 Callum Chick is as reliable a Prem performer as any; Italian loosehead Danilo Fischetti provides breakdown brilliance in a rounded game; and French fly half Anthony Belleau is a clever addition to compensate for when Smith and George Furbank are away with England.
Key figure: Fraser Dingwall, centre. A glue guy on and off the pitch, Dingwall would have been desperately disappointed to miss out on a chance to build on his Six Nations breakthrough after missing England’s summer tour to the Americas. There will probably be a few moving parts in the Saints’ backline as they juggle the need for rest and rotation, making Dingwall a key cog for continuity.
Youngster to watch: Tom Lockett, lock. A tricky year domestically for Saints nonetheless saw the emergence of Lockett as a springy lineout jumper, with an appearance for England A and call-up to Steve Borthwick’s summer training squad reflecting how highly he is rated.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Exeter Chiefs
Australia centre Len Ikitau is a canny signing for Exeter (Getty Images)
Director of Rugby: Rob Baxter
Captain: Jack Yeandle/Dafydd Jenkins
An annus horribilis saw the bright shoots of hope in Exeter’s rebuild rather frozen a bit as off-field upheaval and on-pitch inconsistency contributed to a four-win season. Better will be expected, particularly with a couple of Wallabies hopping hemispheres: centre Len Ikitau and blindside Tom Hooper will be excellent additions when they arrive, even if the former is only here for a single season. Finding clarity at fly half and keeping Immanuel Feyi-Waboso fit will be vital.
Key figure: Len Ikitau, centre. It is only a short-term sabbatical that brings Ikitau to Exeter but Rob Baxter will clearly want to get as much as he can out of the Australia centre. Taking some of the load off Henry Slade in midfield is necessary and Ikitau’s defensive organisation, punchy carrying and neat handling may allow Slade to swap either side of him as the Chiefs attempt to find better balance.
Youngster to watch: Ben Coen, fly half. A World Cup winner at U20 level in 2024, another year as age-grade playmaker should now have Coen ready to step up fully into the senior ranks. Harvey Skinner will probably get first crack at No 10 but the time will surely come to look at what Coen can do.
Predicted finish: 9th
Newcastle Red Bulls
It is the start of a new era for the renamed Newcastle Red Bulls (Getty Images)
Director of Rugby: Steve Diamond
Captain: George McGuigan
A new, exciting era begins at Newcastle after the takeover by Red Bull. Heavier investment is to come in terms of playing personnel, with the club eyeing plenty of big names in the next recruitment cycle and perhaps a headline coaching addition, too. For now the spending has been targeted as Steve Diamond looks to do what he does best and get the most out of his squad. Christian Wade will return from rugby league to chase the Prem try record later this year while Liam Williams finalised a deal on Monday. A bottom-placed finish could still beckon even if progress is made, but it will surely not be long before Newcastle are eyeing the upper reaches of the table.
Key figure: Tom Christie, flanker. Tackling machine Christie feels like the perfect sort of signing to kickstart a new phase at Newcastle. Unfussy and not necessarily flashy, the 27-year-old carries with him the winning culture of the Crusaders as a three-time Super Rugby champion, and will combine well in a tough, tireless partnership with fellow flanker Tom Gordon.
Youngster to watch: Joe Davis, scrum half. The hope will be that the talent drain is now at an end after Ben Redshaw became the latest starlet plucked from the Newcastle nest by Gloucester. Scrum half Davis had plenty of opportunities last season having begun the 2024/25 campaign as an 18-year-old and Diamond rates him as a player of sky-high potential.
Predicted finish: 10th
Forty years on, how Jacklin resurrected Ryder Cup
[Getty Images]
2025 Ryder Cup
Venue: Bethpage Black, New York Dates: 26-28 September
Coverage: Daily live text commentary and in-play clips on BBC Sport website from 11:30 BST. Radio commentary on 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 12:00 BST. Daily TV highlights on iPlayer from 00:00 BST.
In 1983 the Ryder Cup was in danger of dying.
Decades of American dominance had sucked the jeopardy and therefore the interest out of the biennial contest between the United States and Great Britain.
The addition of Irish players in 1973 had made minimal impact. Emphatic defeats continued.
At the request of American great Jack Nicklaus, GB&I had morphed into Europe by 1979. But still the US were romping home. By six points in ’79. By nine in ’81.
“It wouldn’t have lasted another two matches,” said Tony Jacklin, the most important captain in Ryder Cup history.
The now 81-year-old will be at Bethpage for this week’s latest instalment as he marks a “scarcely believable” 40 years since being Europe’s defibrillator, at The Belfry in 1985.
Jacklin backed up that first win by masterminding a first away triumph by any team from this side of the Atlantic in 1987. It was an incredible reversal in fortunes. From one win in 40 years, to two in two.
That the two-time major winner was even involved was remarkable in itself.
The Englishman, who blazed a trail as the best player from these shores throughout the 1960s and ’70s, played in seven Ryder Cups during that period before eventually declaring himself “done” after being left out of the 1981 side.
He knew something had to change but was “frustrated and angry” with the approach of some of his peers. From being a central figure, suddenly “the Ryder Cup meant nothing” to him.
Then, in early 1983, six months out from what was expected to be another shellacking in the US, Jacklin was asked to captain the side.
“I was in shock,” Jacklin told BBC Sport. “I was so in shock that I said I needed to sleep on it.”
From vanquished to visionary, player to pioneer, this is how Jacklin resurrected the Ryder Cup.
‘Nothing changes as Europeans come on board’
Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus won three matches together as the US domination continued at Walton Heath in 1981 [Getty Images]
Jacklin considered himself a winner, always striving for improvements. In 1969 he became first Englishman in 18 years to win The Open. He followed that in 1970 by clinching the US Open. The only other Englishman to win both is Jim Barnes, in the 1920s.
But six of his seven Ryder Cup appearances ended in heavy losses.
The outlier was the 16-16 draw at Royal Birkdale in 1969, which was secured when Nicklaus conceded Jacklin’s three-foot putt on the last hole in what has gone down as one of sport’s great moments.
The margin of defeat was 15 points on his debut in 1967, and throughout the 1970s the gap was never fewer than five.
In 1977, the final match as GB&I, the number of matches was reduced.
Sir Nick Faldo, who won all three of his rubbers on his debut in that edition at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, told BBC Sport: “We played only one session per day because they didn’t want the thought that America would be so far ahead that the singles would be obsolete.”
The US still won 12½-7½.
In came the European blood for 1979. Newly crowned Open champion Severiano Ballesteros and his fellow Spaniard Antonio Garrido bolstered the dozen heading to West Virginia. But little changed.
“We went to The Greenbrier and they didn’t know who we were or what to call it,” recalled Faldo. “I’ve got a little plate which has the International Ryder Cup on it.”
A sense of frustration was palpable in Jacklin as he recalled what turned out to be his final appearance as a player.
“It was all done on a shoestring budget,” he said. “It was all too similar to what I’d experienced before, when you couldn’t take your own caddie, the players wore anything they were given and thought their only job was to turn up.
“But the Americans were treated like kings. First-class travel, nice clothes.”
Jacklin also still rails against the “disruptive” behaviour of Mark James and Ken Brown at that Ryder Cup.
“They did every bloody thing they could to jeopardise our chances,” he said. “They were like spoilt children. They didn’t turn up to meetings at the right time, they wore the wrong clothes.
“They were a total disgrace, and I would have sent them home if I’d have been the captain.”
European skipper John Jacobs was also unimpressed, saying they turned up “dressed as though they were going on a camping holiday”.
James, who would go on to captain Europe to a narrow defeat at Brookline in 1999, received a £1,500 fine for “unprofessional conduct”.
Brown, who has forged a career as a successful TV commentator, later admitted “it wasn’t the greatest moment of my career”. He was fined £1,000 and given a one-year ban from international duty.
A US team that featured eight rookies and was without leading players Nicklaus, who failed to qualify, and Tom Watson – absent for the birth of his first child – still pulled away in the singles to win 17-11.
The 1981 edition was even more lopsided. Generally regarded as the best dozen ever assembled, with 11 players having won major titles, the US rampaged to an 18½-9½ victory at Walton Heath in Surrey.
Jacklin was left out of the side, with Jacobs preferring the “disgraced” James. Also on the sidelines, incredibly, was Ballesteros.
The mercurial Spaniard had become the first European to win the Masters in 1980, adding to his 1979 Open triumph, but was at loggerheads with the tour over appearance fees.
It was the final straw for Jacklin. “After that happened, I was done with the Ryder Cup,” he said.
“Seve was at his absolute zenith. He was Tiger Woods before Tiger Woods existed.
“I didn’t think they were interested in winning. I thought they were only interested in having a team that could get beaten up.”
‘Seve, you are his father here’
Ballesteros hit a 3-wood from a bunker on the 18th that helped him secure a half point in the singles at the 1983 Ryder Cup – which Nicklaus has described as the “greatest shot I ever saw” [Getty Images]
Six months before the 1983 contest, Europe had no captain for the matches at PGA National in Florida.
They turned to Jacklin. Having got over the shock of being asked to step in, he went to the European Tour’s hierarchy with a list of demands.
“I saw it as an opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “So I started reeling off six or seven things that I wanted. First-class tickets on Concorde, the best clothes, a team room, our caddies to travel with us. They said yes to everything.
“And then I said ‘what about Seve’? I knew he was as mad as I was.
“I was told ‘well you’ve accepted the job so he’s your problem now’.”
The new skipper summoned Ballesteros to the Prince of Wales hotel in Southport – a coastal town steeped in Ryder Cup history having hosted three editions of the contest – and over breakfast sold him the dream.
Jacklin needed the fiery Spaniard on board if he was to breathe new life into the competition.
Ballesteros, who won the third of his five majors at that year’s Masters, “was venting about everything” but he also listened.
“I told him the things that I had insisted upon. And I told him I couldn’t do it without him. He said ‘OK, I’ll help you’.”
Jacklin then went to Palm Beach Gardens and met with US skipper Nicklaus to discuss accommodation options and the all-important team room. Time was short though. And the qualification criteria had been set.
The top 12 would qualify, Jacklin would have no say in the team.
But he had an incredible crop of talent breaking through, with future major champions Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam joining Ballesteros in providing a spine that would dominate the rest of the decade.
The match was level at 8-8 after the opening two days. It was the first time there had been parity going into the singles.
Faldo and Langer were paired together four times and won three of their matches. Ballesteros, who had made an inauspicious debut in 1979, winning one and losing four of his matches, secured 2½ points from four outings with 20-year-old rookie Paul Way.
Ballesteros, who was himself only 26, initially complained about how much he had to help the Englishman. But it had been an inspired move by the skipper.
“He said, ‘I feel like his father’,” recalled Jacklin. “I said, ‘Seve, you are his father in here, with your experience, that’s why you’re playing with him’. And then the penny dropped.
“It might sound silly but Seve was difficult to partner, because he had such an incredible presence. But Paul had his own self confidence and didn’t fear him.”
Jacklin stacked the top of his singles with his strongest players. Nicklaus put his strongest players out last.
Ballesteros went three holes up on Fuzzy Zoeller but was pegged back and needed a miraculous 245-yard 3-wood out of a bunker to pick up a half point in the top match. Langer and Faldo delivered wins. Way and Brown also secured full points and it was 13-13 with two matches on the course.
A sensational Lanny Wadkins chip on the 18th rescued what would turn out to be a crucial half point for the home side before Watson beat Bernard Gallacher on the 17th to clinch a narrow 14½-13½ triumph.
“We did everything but win,” was Jacklin’s verdict. “But there was a different vibe to the whole thing. All of a sudden, this is what it’s about.
“It went right down to the wire and we were all gutted.
“But Seve was saying this is something to be happy about. This is the best we’ve ever done in America. We should not be so sad.”
The missed putt that saved the Ryder Cup?
Given the strides made on and off the course, Jacklin was the natural choice to continue as captain. He returned home and spent time looking back on the defeat, “wondering if there was anything I had overlooked”.
“Nothing jumped out at me,” he said. “There were no complaints from the players, so we went with the same strategy for 1985.”
Expectation levels had been raised in Europe, but as close as they had got in Florida, the competition was in dire need of a different winner.
Reports suggest about 16,000 fans watched the walloping at Walton Heath. Four years later around 90,000 were at The Belfry, just outside Birmingham.
But Europe got off to a slow start. They trailed 3-1 after Friday’s opening foursomes. Faldo, who had been one of Jacklin’s three captain’s picks, asked to be rested after barely contributing as he and Langer were beaten.
“It’s the worst feeling in the world trying to play for a team and you can’t do it,” said Faldo, who was going through a swing change at the time.
“I said to Tony ‘don’t play me for the rest of the week’. I had a rotten week and I didn’t feel part of it. It’s why I stayed in my room for the celebrations.”
Jacklin was not surprised by Faldo’s call and left him out until Sunday’s singles.
“He wanted the best for the team,” he said. “We all did. The team came first. This is the most selfless thing we do, whether as a captain or player.
“Your own individual achievements and ego, leave them outside, they don’t go into that team room.”
But there was no panic from Jacklin. “You don’t start jumping around, changing,” he said.
“It’s patience, self-belief, and knowing that you’ve prepared.”
Europe edged the afternoon fourballs to trail 3½-4½ overnight and then the momentum flipped on an 18-inch putt on the Saturday morning.
Craig Stadler inexplicably stabbed the ball wide of the hole to allow Open champion Lyle and Langer to snatch a half point from a match in which they had been two down with two to play.
It left the overall score 6-6 with two sessions remaining. It was only a half point, but it felt much bigger than that.
Was it the miss that saved the Ryder Cup?
As Stadler pointed out, there was still a lot of golf to play. But the statistics show that of the 16 matches played after that putt, Europe claimed 10½ points to the US’ 5½. They have since won 11 of 17 editions.
Europe won the afternoon session 3-1 to take a 9-7 lead into the 12 singles, which historically had been dominated by the US.
But European blue flooded the top of the scoreboard. Manuel Pinero, Way, Lyle and Langer all won, while Ballesteros added a half point. In the top eight matches, only Woosnam was beaten.
It left a platform for Sam Torrance to clinch victory with a famous putt and an iconic celebration against Andy North.
It took Europe over the winning line, and the hosts were eventually comfortable 16½-11½ winners as they ended a 28-year unbeaten run by the US.
“I can’t believe it’s 40 years since we stood on that roof celebrating,” smiled Jacklin, who would lead the side to two wins, one tie and one defeat as captain.
“It was fantastic, but it was just really the beginning. We didn’t know it at the time but the ramifications of that victory were going to rumble on for years to come.”
The architects realise their dream – Ballesteros and Jacklin let it all out after masterminding a first European win [Getty Images]
The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur news and links for Tuesday, September 23
I set a new personal best at the half marathon. How did I get here, and where do I go next?
At Mile 3 of my half marathon this weekend I had a little conversation with myself: “Am I really going to try to keep running this fast? Screw it, why not.”
And I kept going as hard as I possibly could.
Net time: 1:28.26
Splits: 6:36.4 / 6:44.1 / 6:45.5 / 6:50.4 / 6:46.5 / 6:40.1 / 6:40.9 / 6:33.8 / 6:37.0 / 6:37.3 / 6:45.6 / 6:45.7 / 6:56.1
Average pace: 6:43/mile
Place: 2nd overall
——-
During a typical run I like to doze off, look at the birds in the sky and wave to the passers-by, but today I was laser-focused on churning out mile after mile at muscle-tearing pace.
I’ve run this fast before – but not at such a distance for such a sustained period of time. My previous personal best at the half marathon was 1:35.06 this time last year. In my 14-mile run two weeks before this, I ran 13 miles in 1:33.xx.
Perhaps a week’s buildup of anxiety helped me to attack this race with such ferocity. I don’t know. I’m glad I went to bed early on Friday night instead of seeing Wet Leg (but, boy, I hated selling that ticket).
——-
This also wasn’t the running calendar I had envisioned this year. I was supposed to run the Avenue of the Giants in May, but then a hamstring injury sidelined me. And that, like some cruel pokemon, evolved into a hip injury.
I have been going to physical therapy since early March. I have one more appointment next week and, with luck, it’ll be the last one.
And so here I am. My attempt to hit a new personal best at the marathon was derailed early on. My hopes of running one in the fall were similarly destroyed. And I put everything into this race on Sunday.
I needed to test my hip. I needed to put it through immense pressure to give myself the confidence I need to carry on with my amateurish running ambitions. I endured the biting cold of January and February during my ill-fated marathon training, and suffered through the suffocating humidity of July and August just to get back to where I think I should be.
——-
Should – Should – Should. A word that fear latches on to you during the most difficult parts of a run.
Should I continue running this fast? What if I’m not good enough? What if I can’t do anymore? I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to run a marathon again.
And, I think, in circumstances hyper-tailored like this one, repression can be a good thing. And I shoved it down. Pushed it away. Shut down my anxiety, my doubts, my fears. Everything.
I stared at the path before me and I attacked it with mindless ferocity.
——-
I collapsed at the finish line. My quadriceps were on fire. My hamstrings were screaming. My breathing was laboured.
I looked at the heart rate on my watch: 181 average / 198 max (omg !!!!!!).
And then I slumped back onto the grass and threw my hands on my face, and then lay prostrate.
——-
It felt unbelievable, truly. I still don’t know if I can do that again, but of course I’m going to try.
Now it’s time to map out the remainder of the calendar year. And then soon, 2026.
Next stop: Brighton?
Fitzie’s track of the day: Walk of Life, by Dire Straits
And now for your links:
Football London: “Spurs star claims he ‘suffered broken bone’ before scoring first goal of season”
BBC: “Tearful Dembele wins Ballon d’Or as PSG dominate”
ESPN: “Barcelona, Spain star Aitana Bonmatí wins third straight Ballon d’Or”
Max Verstappen is back in F1 title race – here’s why McLaren should be worried
It was always likely that a moment of DNF-inducing fallibility from leader Oscar Piastri was needed to reignite this season’s F1 world championship. And, on the typically unpredictable streets of Baku, we got just that. Piastri’s abnormal crash on lap one of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix opened the door for title rival Lando Norris to slice into the Australian’s 31-point advantage.
This was the moment Norris, and his fans, had craved. But by the chequered flag, it wasn’t the Briton who was the main beneficiary, having only managed to finish seventh and cut the gap to 25 points. Instead, it was Max Verstappen. You didn’t forget about him, did you?
Where other frontrunners toiled and trudged in heavy winds on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Red Bull’s four-time world champion oozed composure. A dominant lights-to-flag victory – his fourth win of the season and second in a row – suddenly sees the Dutchman just 69 points off Piastri. With seven races to go, it no longer looks like an insurmountable deficit.
Max Verstappen claimed a dominant lights-to-flag victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Getty)
Conspicuously, from a position of nothingness where dreams of a fifth consecutive title were in the dust, Verstappen is now not ruling out a title comeback.
“Seven races to go and it’s still 69 points… it’s a lot,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “Basically, everything needs to go perfect from my side and then a bit of luck from their side I need as well. So it’s still very tough.”
Very tough? Absolutely. Very unlikely? Yes. But a combination of Red Bull’s newfound speed and McLaren’s sudden lapse in performance – both in raw pace and in the cockpit – means Verstappen has progressed from a certainty to finish in third to an outside bet for an unprecedented comeback.
To put it into perspective, Verstappen now trails second-placed Norris by 44 points. This time last year, when Norris was being tipped for a maiden title in the quickest car, the Brit was 59 points inferior. A force again at the front, Verstappen can still have a huge say in this year’s championship.
But what has happened to McLaren? On a weekend where they could have secured the constructors’ championship in record time, Andrea Stella’s team and his two title-competing drivers made several mistakes. For Piastri, in particular, it was a weekend to write off.
The Australian, usually so cool-headed, smashed his car into the wall at turn 15 in qualifying, failing to learn from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who did exactly the same moments earlier. Then, starting in ninth, he false-started at lights-out, dropped to last place, before taking way too much speed into turn five and, once more, careened into the barriers.
Piastri crashed out on lap one in Baku (Getty Images)
All in all, a weekend to forget – a year on from his breakout F1 performance at the same circuit.
TOP-10 – F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 324 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 299 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 255 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 212 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 165 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 121 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 78 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 70 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 39 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 37 points
But, most frustratingly for the majority of onlookers keen to witness a tense title run-in, Norris could not capitalise. One of the favourites for pole, McLaren opted to send Norris out before the rest of the pack at the end of Q3. It was a gamble: while he therefore endured the worst of the slippery track conditions, another red flag (in addition to the record six previously) could have seen Norris bank a lap where others failed to. Ultimately, it turned out to be a former.
Norris, who struggled to control his sliding McLaren car, could only put his car seventh on the grid. Tellingly, Norris’ time was over a second slower than Verstappen’s pole-setting lap. And amid a 51-lap race where overtaking proved difficult, seventh was exactly where Norris finished, after a botched late pit-stop cost Norris two positions and four points. In total, six points earned – less than the gap between first and second. Undeniably, a missed opportunity.
“I wanted to do better today, I needed to do better yesterday,” Norris said. “I felt like I was close to maximising today. It didn’t maybe look like it from the outside, but we struggled with the pace.
“If I started second, I think I would have finished second. I’m doing the best I can in every race. I know I still have a lot of points to make up against an incredible driver. I just need to keep my head up.”
Norris did not have the pace to move through the field in Baku (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) (AP)Laurent Mekies (right) has led Red Bull to victories at the last two races (Getty)
For Red Bull, the signs are stirringly promising. While low-downforce Monza – where Verstappen won previously – is an outlier of a circuit, their car was once again the quickest on the narrow streets of Baku, not overly dissimilar to the night race in Singapore next up, though a track where Red Bull have traditionally performed poorly.
Laurent Mekies, the engineer-turned-team principal who replaced Christian Horner two months ago, deserves credit for their recent revival and, given his skillset, seems fully attuned with the RB21 car and its impressive upturn in performance. His engineering mindset is superior to that of his predecessor, who officially left Red Bull on Monday morning with a reported £80m pay-off.
“For the team, it’s [Max’s win] an extraordinary confirmation,” Mekies said on Sunday night. “At Monza, with all the specificities of the circuit, finding confirmation here [in Baku] that we’re in the fight against the best cars is important.”
Verstappen’s experience in title showdowns is a factor for the run-in, too. While Piastri and Norris are showing signs of frailty, the Dutchman remains irrepressible and assured, regardless of his other forays into endurance racing at the Nurburgring.
The Dutchman is clearly the outstanding driver of his generation and, still, the most complete driver on the grid. And it’s why he has McLaren – who seemed dead set for an individual champion, whether it be Piastri or Norris – looking nervously in the rear-view mirror, as we enter the season-defining chapter of the 2025 campaign.
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/max-verstappen-f1-2025-title-piastri-norris-b2831239.html
Severity of Chargers RB Najee Harris' injury revealed
Following the Chargers‘ win over the Broncos, running back Najee Harris suffered a torn Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the season, head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed on Monday.
The injury occurred in the second quarter of the Week 3 game. Initial reports speculated it might be a severe ankle injury, but testing on Monday confirmed a torn Achilles. Harris had to be helped off the field and was eventually carted to the locker room.
Harris’ injury is unfortunate, as he was signed by Los Angeles in hopes of providing a boost to the backfield alongside rookie Omarion Hampton. He had a remarkable streak, playing in all 71 regular-season games throughout his four years with the Steelers.
Harris missed training camp due to a superficial eye injury sustained during a fireworks incident on July 4.
Hampton will serve as the No. 1 back going forward. Hassan Haskins is the only other running back on the active roster.
Harbaugh said second-year Kimani Vidal will be “next man up.” He also said general manager Joe Hortiz will be scouring the market to see what is available at the position.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers RB Najee Harris suffers torn Achilles injury, out for season
Mbappe, Tchouameni congratulate Dembele on Ballon d’Or triumph – ‘You deserve it’
Mbappe, Tchouameni congratulate Dembele on Ballon d’Or triumph – ‘You deserve it’
Vinicius Jr. being snubbed of the Ballon d’Or created a rift between Real Madrid and France Football, one that was not bridged even a year later for the next Ballon d’Or event that was held last night.
The men in white did not have any party attend the ceremony – one in which Ousmane Dembele was named the Ballon d’Or winner and Lamine Yamal the Kopa Trophy winner for the second year in a row.
Needless to say, however, the man of the moment was PSG’s Dembele who was understandably emotional for winning the award after all he has been through over the years.
Real Madrid stars congratulate Dembele
Taking to his Instagram to congratulate his compatriot after the win, Real Madrid’s star forward Kylian Mbappe wrote about how Dembele deserved the award for the season he has enjoyed.
Courtesy: Instagram
“It’s the emotions, my brother. You deserve it 1000x.”
Also taking to his social media was Aurelien Tchouameni, Real Madrid’s mainstay defensive midfielder who penned a short note that screamed that Dembele deserved the recognition.
“God is great,” he wrote with emoticons of love and respect.
Courtesy: Instagram
With the Ballon d’Or turning a new leaf and Dembele now holding the trophy for this year, it will be Real Madrid’s goal to ensure that the next player to hoist the individual accolade is a member of their dressing room.
Kylian Mbappe, needless to say, would be the frontrunner for the award if Los Blancos enjoy a successful season and they have off to the right start to life under Xabi Alonso. Everything now will boil down to their consistency and ability to turn up on the big nights.
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