Sport

British racing jockeys, trainers, officials and fans alike were saddened and surprised to hear news of Kempton Park’s closure. The historic south-west London course is set to be bulldozed and sold to developers in order to find an investment programme for racecourses elsewhere. The closure is part of a Jockey Club (JC) plan which aims to spend a staggering £500 million on British racing across the next decade. With the closure of the much-loved Kempton Park brings great change. The...

Royal Ascot is an annual thoroughbred racing event which takes place in June in the racecourse with the same name. It is regarded as the most popular race meeting in the UK as it attracts over 300,000 spectators each year, more so than other in horse racing. The meeting, which is attended by the Queen, dates back to 1711 when Queen Anne founded the racecourse in Berkshire. The first ever race which took place there was in August of that year...

Higher standards in football refereeing have brought about an unexpected change – the end of the home advantage, according to new research. Football in the UK has changed beyond recognition in the last few decades, with referees at all levels of the game in the UK now unlikely to be moved by the impassioned cries of the home fans and, critically, to be extremely fit, putting them at the centre of the action rather than 10-40 metres away, as they...

Sport News 24/7 The loan system in football is the sporting equivalent of a one night stand: an oft fleeting embrace that fills a void for a moment in time, before dissipating into nothing but a memory. Every now and again, however, it can lead to something special. Talking about Pontus Jansson in such terms is wholly apt for Leeds United fans right now. The towering Swede, on loan from Italian club, Torino has engendered an excitement amongst the Elland...

Sport News 24/7 By Richard de Winter & David de Winter - Sports Editor @TLE_Sport  @rgdewinter  @davidjdewinter TLE Sports Editor David de Winter is joined by Richard de Winter as they evaluate each team's Premier League performance so far, and reveal their predicted title winners and relegation candidates.

As much as I always look forward to Christmas Day festivities, I can't deny that I always reserve an ounce of excitement for the Boxing Day fixtures. If we take it as a given that, given the way football is financed, we are unlikely to ever see a full complement of fixtures on any one day, Boxing Day is about as close as we get to seeing every team across the country in action. There are eighty-four top flight teams in...

Part of the excitement of following football is the rivalries between clubs. When your team meets a side with which it has a score to settle, then tensions are high, and victory, if it comes, is all the sweeter. Of course, club rivalries can also spill over into ugly scenes of violence between supporters, as was the case during the heyday of football hooliganism in the 1970s and 1980s. This regrettable tendency has not entirely disappeared, but today, many of...

Leicester City's captain Wes Morgan has signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with rum brand Captain Morgan, with several interesting clauses in the contract. According to the terms, Morgan can go into a bar, turn to face everyone in there, spread his arms, and shout "There's only one Captain Morgan!" and then all eligible drinkers will be entitled to the free drink. Morgan must also dress up as the Captain, in a costume of the pirate on the front of the rum bottles,...

Sport News 24/7 By Richard de Winter & David de Winter - TLE Sports Editor @TLE_Sport  @rgdewinter  @davidjdewinter The TLE Sports Podcast returns with Sports Editor David de Winter and Richard de Winter.  In this episode they discuss England's woes in India, Chelsea's current exceptional form, Manchester City's current blip, England Rugby's stellar 2016, and the ongoing Russian doping scandal.