Daily Mail - 19.08.2019

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QQQ Daily Mail, Monday, August 19, 2019

SPORTS AGENDA

UK ATHLETICS

HAVE A DODGY

FLIGHT PLAN

IT WAS only last week that Great

Britain were disqualified from the

men’s 4x400m relay at the European

Athletics Team Championships after a

reserve shot putter — who was not

even in Poland — was named in the

line-up by mistake.

Now, it seems, there is concern

among some British athletes that the

UK Athletics department responsible

for that cock-up are guilty of

another oversight.

Britain’s finest athletes are being sent

to Dubai for a training camp before

next month’s World Championships in

Doha, presumably because of the

proximity to Qatar. Trouble is, you

can’t fly direct from Dubai to Doha and

any journey, which involves at least

one stop, takes about five hours.

SPARE a thought for the poor soul

at the Premier League

communications department whose

job is now almost exclusively to

respond to calls regarding VAR.

The system that was supposed to put

an end to controversy continues to

create controversy, with a fresh set of

questions raised each weekend after

the soul has been sapped out of yet

another game.

At least the league had the foresight

to see it coming and changed the

media officer’s role before the season

had even started. To make matters

worse, the person in question is a

Coventry City fan.

LEEDS PRIMED FOR SECOND SERIES

FIFA have been accused of launching a

‘fishing expedition’ in the wake of the

penalties issued against Chelsea and

Manchester City for breaking the rules

on signing foreign youngsters.

Sports Agenda has heard from a number

of English clubs across the top three divi-

sions complaining that they have been

asked to provide the details of every

minor either signed or registered on trial

since 2009 — and have since heard

nothing back from the governing body.

FURY AT FIFA ‘FISHING’ FOR

OTHER CLUBS TO PUNISH

IT WOULD appear that UEFA is

finally dealing with the scourge

of the press box — the fan who

masquerades as a reporter.

At the Super Cup Final last week, two

starstruck ‘media’ with credentials

around their necks approached

players in the mixed zone for a selfie,

to the usual groans from reporters

there who were attempting to do

their jobs.

The eye-rolls among the assembled

hacks quickly turned to stunned

glances of admiration, however, as a

quick-thinking UEFA official stepped in.

Switzerland’s finest was having none

of it — giving one imposter a

rollicking while unceremoniously

booting the other out. Bravo.

AT ABOUT this time each year the

Football Writers’ Association

(FWA) sends out its members’

Handbook. Those who join the FWA are

asked for contact details which go in a

handy directory at the front, with

most providing an email address and a

mobile number.

That is not the case for new member

Gary Lineker (below), whose addition

is part of an attempt to raise the

profile of the group. The BBC’s highest

paid presenter instead has his Twitter

handle listed, which prompted some

members to wonder if the England

legend was being a little precious.

That, however, does not appear to

be the case. Sports Agenda

understands the decision was taken

by the FWA hierarchy, who wished

to protect Lineker’s privacy.

CONTRIBUTORS: Matt Lawton, Sami Mokbel, Amitai Winehouse

EDITED BY

MIKE

KEEGAN

BT SporT head of live football

Stephen Cook is leaving his post

with the season less than a month old.

The broadcaster confirmed Cook’s

departure but declined to divulge the

reasons behind it.

THE behind-the-scenes

Amazon documentary

charting Leeds United’s

2018-19 season launched

last week and the pro-

duction company behind

the programme are hop-

ing for a second series.

Cameras have been

spotted in the stands at

Elland road in similar

positions to the ones

used last season,

although it is understood

that no decision on a

follow-up has been

made yet.

The Yorkshire club are

top of the Championship

after three matches, and

Leeds-based production

company The City

Talking will be hoping

the prospect of record-

ing the moment an

arduous 16 years

outside the pre-

mier League

comes to an end

will prove too

much for

Amazon and the

club to resist.

The price will

have to be right,

however.

WAKEFIELD moved a step

closer to securing Super

League safety after a

confidence-boosting 38-10

win over relegation-rivals

Hull KR.

The vital result saw Trinity

end a five-game losing

streak, with Jacob Miller

and Ryan Hampshire both

scoring a brace of tries.

At Huddersfield, a second-

half burst of points helped

Castleford keep their

Super League play-off

hopes alive with a 24-0

victory at relegation-

threatened Huddersfield.

Tries by James Clare, Adam

Milner, Mike McMeeken

and Jesse Sene-Lefao

ensured that Tigers stay

sixth, behind Salford on

points difference.

JUSTIN THoMAS put

himself in pole position to

win the $15million FedEx

Cup bonus with victory in

the BMW Championship

at Medinah last night.

The American added a

final-round 68 to his course

record 61 on Saturday

to win on 25-under par,

three shots clear of patrick

Cantlay.

The victory means Thomas

is No 1 in the FedEx Cup

standings going into this

week’s Tour Championship

at East Lake and in a

new format starts the

tournament on 10 under.

Among the 29 players

hoping to overtake him in

Atlanta for the bonus prize

are rory McIlroy, Tommy

Fleetwood, paul Casey and

Justin rose. But Tiger

Woods, Ian poulter and

open champion Shane

Lowry failed to make it.

Belgium’s Thomas pieters

won his first title for three

years at the D+D real

Czech Masters yesterday.

Brilliant Thomas on course

to strike it rich in Atlanta

A SUPERB goal from Giselle

Ansley secured a 2-1 win for

England’s women over Ireland in

their opening EuroHockey

Championships match in Antwerp.

Suzy Petty put England ahead then

Ansley (right) struck from a penalty

corner shortly before half-time.

England’s men must beat Spain

tomorrow for a chance to progress

after losing 2-0 to Belgium.

WORLD OF SPORT

Rugby league in

mourning as

Bruce, 20, dies

WAKEFIELD

BOOST HOPES

OF SAFETY

ROUND-UP

Tragedy: Archie Bruce

THE rugby Football League

and the Batley Bulldogs

have said they will provide

support for the family of

Archie Bruce, after the

20-year-old was found dead

in his hotel bedroom the

morning following his debut

for the Championship side.

An inquiry into the cause

of Bruce’s death after the

match in Toulouse was

being conducted, as team-

mates delayed their journey

home. There are not thought

to be any suspicious

circumstances.

A shocked Bulldogs chair-

man, Kevin Nicholas,

released a statement paying

tribute to the youngster, who

had come off the bench

during the 46-0 defeat.

‘Batley Bulldogs are greatly

saddened to announce the

passing of their player Archie

Bruce who was found in his

hotel bedroom early this

morning,’ it read.

‘Archie’s immediate family

have been informed. Batley

Bulldogs, the rugby Foot-

ball League and the rFL

Benevolent Fund will be

supporting the family.’

Batley said Bruce had been

training with them for the

2019 season with a view to

the 2020 campaign, but was

handed his first professional

appearance against

Toulouse by head coach

Matt Diskin ‘due to his

energy and enthusiasm’.

The Bulldogs added that

he ‘made a great impact

with darting runs’ when he

came on for the last 30

minutes and ‘his excitement

was clear for all to see

post-match’.

They described Bruce as a

‘smart, polite, funny and

extremely likeable young

man’ and called his death

‘an absolute tragedy’.

The rFL Benevolent Fund

has created a JustGiving

page in Bruce’s name.

A minute’s silence in his

memory was observed before

yesterday’s Championship

matches.

RUGBY LEAGUE

By MIKE KEEGAN

SKY’S handling of the potentially

horrific blow to Steve Smith on

Saturday at the Lord’s Test was both

sensitive and admirable.

Sportsmail columnist David Lloyd,

on commentary at the time,

immediately grasped the severity of

the situation and wisely allowed the

pictures to do the talking.

With Smith on the deck having been

struck on the neck from a searing

Jofra Archer lifter — and with the

immediate status of his health

unclear — viewers were instead

shown pictures of a grim-faced

Australian balcony, whose minds

may well have turned to the tragic

death of Phil Hughes in 2014.

Thankfully, Smith got back to his feet

and headed off the field for

assessment, although a decision to

allow him back out to complete

his innings seemed at best

questionable.

SKY HANDLE SCARE WITH CARE

Shock: Steve

Waugh (left)

and Brad

Haddin look

on SKY SPORTS