Matt Lawton, Martyn Ziegler
Times Crossword 28,238 across down Yesterday’s solution 28,237
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A B S P C A I O
FRUI TCAKE INRUN
E T I R T D V G
TRANSL I TERATE
T E I C N N N
WARRANTY DIWALI
O B Y F S T
MAMMAL BETHESDA
A A N A R L L
SCHADENFREUDE
T A O T Y S I T
EATEN HUMD I NGER
R M E E A N H O
STARDOM NIGHTLY1 Exotic dish found in eastern county
where bodies were buried (9)
6 What’s used in ceremonial — a
thick stick (5)
9 Nervy movements going round
bog? Toughen up! (7)
10 Turning in close to meet bishop at
entrance (7)
11 A king acquired the language of a
particular class (5)
12 Rosy-cheeked Scot or American?
(9)
14 Short priest, one despised (3)
15 Philanthropist given brief
reprimand — declined to meet the
Queen (11)
17 Love and thanks received by
fantastic sporting champion (11)
19 Length — short one extending end
of railway (3)
20 Abrupt son getting looked at gave
gesture of respect (9)
22 Speak — do so quietly with face
hidden (5)
24 Old levy — object when it is
limited (7)
26 King Edmund like King Alfred? (7)
27 Acceleration going down in
journey to bring top place? (5)
28 One who needs insects to thrive
— such as hartebeest? (3-6)1 Conspirator about to start swindle
— millions stolen (5)
2 Lever, prime requirement for the
ship (7)
3 Vehicle outside gala, one with ace
facility for refreshments (9)
4 Do Old Trafford players emerge
from this ancient industrial unit?
(11)
5 Replace one sort of vessel (3)
6 Short track leading to excellent
porch (5)
7 Unimportant test with India
against joining in (7)
8 Learning English to start with
— tricky usually (2,7)
13 Act as glutton, devouring ends of
lettuce messily (11)
14 Electrical device seen as top
performer needing minimal
current input (9)
16 Leaders of empire not trumpeted
when we are living as followers? (9)
18 Scientific unit needing old trees
destroyed (fifty to go) (7)
19 Report of school in superior
position being demolished? (5,2)
21 Drunk-sounding gentleman in
Dorset for example (5)
23 Game to get embarrassed about,
with more offensive language? (5)
25 Rock with primate half visible? (3) y(7HB7E2*OTSKMS( |||+=!=Newspapers
support recycling
The recycled paper content of
UK newspapers in 2020 was 67%A consortium fronted by the American
billionaire Todd Boehly and the British
property tycoon Jonathan Goldstein
has emerged as the leading contender
to buy Chelsea.
Any sale remains dependent on a
licence being issued that gives the UK
government full oversight of any deal,
with Chelsea hoping that will come this
week. The Raine Group — the US bank
appointed by Roman Abramovich to
find a new owner for the west London
club — has extended its bid deadline to
Friday, suggesting it wants to review all
the offers before continuing a process
that was put on hold last week when
Chelsea’s Russian owner had his assets
frozen as part of government sanctions.
However, two sources close to the
discussions have said that the consort-
ium, which was first to declare an inter-
est publicly — initially via the Swissbillionaire Hansjörg Wyss and a publi-
cation in Switzerland — is now viewed
as the most viable option, both by the
Raine Group and government insiders,
who believe it has the financial resour-
ces and the expertise to get a deal done
quickly.
Boehly is a stakeholder in the LA
Dodgers baseball team and worth an
estimated £4.7 billion, while Goldstein
is a London-based financier who
supports Tottenham Hotspur.2GM Tuesday March 15 2022 | the timesSp ort
United could
rebuild ground
Ian WhittellManchester United are considering
knocking down and rebuilding Old
Trafford as one of three options for the
ground’s redevelopment.
United stressed last night that they
were at the very early stages of the
project, which they hope will not only
modernise Old Trafford but extend its
capacity to well over 80,000.
But it is believed that one of the plans
under consideration in preliminary
discussions with engineers and archi-
tects is the demolition of their 110-year-
old home. Meetings have been held
with a number of companies to explore
options, with less controversial plans
including one to redevelop the South
Stand extensively.
That side of Old Trafford is hemmed
in by a working railway line, which has
Continued on page 63Looking over
their shoulders
Manchester City handed Liverpool a
boost in the title race with a 0-0 draw
against Crystal Palace, leaving the gap
at only four points. Report, pages 66-67Chelsea are rapidly descending into
serious financial difficulties, with offi-
cials at Stamford Bridge warning that
they could soon be “in the red” because
of the restrictions resulting from the
sanctions imposed on Abramovich.
The 20 Premier League clubs held a
virtual meeting yesterday afternoon at
which they were updated by the league
on the government’s process for the
sale of Chelsea and the issues over
Continued on page 64US-British bid leads race
LA Dodgers owner and London financier emerge as leading contenders to buy Chelsea
CheltenhamFestivalTUESDAY MARCH^15 2022
EVERYEVERYRACE
RUNNEREVERYSILKY IMAGESwonder
do it again?woman
Star of last year’s Festival RachaelBlackmoiCan12 pages of top tips from Rob Wright and
brilliant analysis as the Festival gets going
Inside todayYour essential Cheltenham guide
‘It doesn’t help
I’m an Aussie’
Eddie Jones has said that he receives
heavier criticism as the England head
coach because he is an Australian.
Jones is attempting to ensure that
England do not finish in the bottom half
of the Six Nations for the second season
in a row. They have not ended the tour-
nament in the bottom half in two con-
secutive years since 2005 and 2006.
A defeat by France in the final round
on Saturday, with other results going
against them, could mean England
drop to fifth, replicating their poor per-
formance from 2021. But Jones, 62, says
he is used to the pressure of being En-
gland head coach, six years into the job.
“I knew this was going to be the case,”
he told the BBC. “I don’t think it helps
being an Australian but that’s part of
the deal. When I decided to do another
Continued on page 62Will Kelleher
Deputy Rugby CorrespondentROB NEWELL/CAMERA SPORT/GETTY IMAGESIt was a night of
frustration at
Selhurst Park for
Phil Foden and
Guardiola, inset