The UK Athletics ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ programme launched this summer has culminated in a sport-wide commitment to tackle issues of racial inequality endorsed jointly by UKA and the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs).

The programme was launched to review all issues related to race within the sport following the murder of George Floyd. Whilst athletics in the UK is enjoyed by a diverse community, UKA CEO Joanna Coates appealed to the sport to let UKA know how it could be better at supporting ethnically diverse communities in the long term and not just in the immediate aftermath of this tragic event.

The programme launched with a series of roundtables, bringing together voices from across the athletics community to discuss race and was followed by a series of focus groups that identified priorities which have enabled UKA to finalise the actions to be taken forward as part of the 2021-2024 Diversity Action Plan – set to be published in January. 

The headline actions agreed by the CEO forum include:

• A sport-wide commitment to address racial inequality in athletics
• Embedding ED&I in UKA & HCAF strategies
• Diverse representation at all levels of athletics e.g. Developing a Club ED & I toolkit for use
• Development & Education e.g. Mandatory unconscious bias/ED&I training in coaching, officials and workforce qualifications
• Develop mentoring/shadowing programmes
• Policies e.g. Develop and implement a Race Equality Code of Conduct agreement for officials

Joanna Coates, UK Athletics CEO, said: “Following the impact of the murder of George Floyd, UKA felt it essential to engage with the sport and take positive action against racism by delivering the ‘Let’s talk about Race’ programme in line with our commitments to the Race at Work Charter.

‘We are very proud of the work undertaken so far on this having committed to real change within the sport. But agreeing the plan is only the first step. The recommendations will be taken forward as part of our 2021-2024 Diversity Action Plan, and the sport will need to work collectively to make these changes.”

Donna Fraser, Equality, Diversity and Engagement Lead at UK Athletics, said: “The murder of George Floyd sparked positive and negative conversations about race around the world and although a heart-breaking experience, we took the time to reach out to the athletics community to understand the true feelings and experiences within our sport. 

“The passion and commitment to make change from those who supported the programme really shone through and I thank them for their honesty. This is the start of a journey and I have no doubt that the athletics community will hold myself and the senior leaders at UKA and the HCAF’s accountable for the Let’s Talk About Race deliverables.” 

Thanks go to the respective Chairs of the focus groups; Imani Lansiquot, Yannick Phippen,  Michael Afilaka, Melanie Anning, Marcus Opoku, Mark Draisey and Sabrina Pace Humphreys.

The family of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles says football needs to "address the scandal" of dementia in the game. And they criticised the Professional Footballers' Association, saying there had been a lack of support for players.

The ex-Manchester United and England midfielder died in October, aged 78. He had dementia and prostate cancer. Stiles is the fifth member of England's World Cup-winning squad to have been diagnosed with dementia.

Previous research has shown that ex-footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population. Stiles' family said they were proud of "what he achieved, but more importantly, the man he was". But they added: "There is a need for urgent action.

"These older players have largely been forgotten and many are in ill health, like dad.

"How can it be that these players are left needing help when their own union has tens of millions of pounds available today?

"How can it be that these players are struggling when the Premier League receives £3bn a year?

"The modern player will never need the help required by the older lads. How can it be right that some of the heroes of 1966 had to sell their medals to provide for the families?

"These older players are dying like my dad - many don't have medals to sell. It is right, of course to seek to identify the cause of dementia in older players but in truth the cause is irrelevant to the older players - whatever the cause, they need help now.

"I hope dad's death is the catalyst for this scandal to be addressed."

Stiles made 397 appearances for Manchester United between 1960 and 1971, later going on to play for Middlesbrough and Preston North End. He won 28 caps for England and is the seventh member of the England team that started the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany to die, after captain Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Ray Wilson, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters and Jack Charlton.

Stiles had a minor stroke in 2010, and was then diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer.

The PFA said: "Our thoughts are with Nobby Stiles' family at this very difficult time.

"The PFA Charity offers a range of support to former professional footballers and their families/carers. The support we provide is always confidential and as each family's circumstance will vary, we try to ensure that the support provided is suitable to their individual needs.

"The PFA is listening to member feedback and evaluating ways to improve the services and care provided. We are at the of beginning of a process of consultation with sections of our membership who have lived experience of neurodegenerative conditions. We will be liaising with these members and their families to determine how the services can be of greater help and more accessible for those that need it.

"The PFA will continue to fund research as part of a working group, comprised of stakeholders from across the game. Currently, we are funding three separate studies looking at neurodegenerative conditions and football."

In a statement, the Football Association said: "We continue to work closely with the Alzheimer's Society and, alongside other sport governing bodies, we are pleased to be a part of their Sport United Against Dementia campaign to help raise awareness and gain support for their valuable work.

"Collaboration across football's governing bodies is key in order to better understand this important issue collectively, and we firmly believe that all areas of football should come together for this meaningful cause."

Research from a study by neuropathologist Dr Willie Stewart found that former footballers were between two and five times more likely to die from degenerative brain diseases.

It has yet to be proven whether heading is a contributing factor. But Stiles says he is "utterly convinced" heading had caused problems to the members of the 1966 World Cup team who have been diagnosed with dementia, including Sir Bobby Charlton.

Stewart's examination of former West Brom striker Jeff Astle concluded he died of a brain condition normally linked to boxers, and that it was caused by heading footballs. Last month, a coroner ruled that former Welsh international Alan Jarvis died from dementia linked to repeatedly heading the ball.

Stiles said that football was "hiding behind the fact that it's very difficult to get conclusive evidence of a brain injury" as it cannot be diagnosed until after death. He added: "It's blatantly obvious that heading the ball has given the World Cup players dementia.

"There's nothing else that they have done, although all I hear from football authorities is that they need more studies. But while they are doing that the players aren't getting the help they need and they need it now. Football hasn't reacted and in the meantime, there's been hundreds, maybe thousands of footballers who have suffered with it, and football has deliberately, in my opinion, not dealt with it because it will cost money and effect the brand.

"The research should continue, there is plenty of money to do it, to make sure that current players and youngsters coming through don't suffer the same fate as my father. But more importantly, players should be getting care and support now, substantial support and care.

"I don't think you could ever take heading out of football, but at least the players should be made aware that they make a decision to play the game knowing what the risks are."

The Premier League says it contributes £23m a year to the PFA, which goes to several charitable and development causes, including the recent study. It also has its own head injury advisory group, and is awaiting more details on concussion substitutions from IFAB, which are set to be trialled across the game from January 2021 onwards.

Individuals and organisations who could be affected by measures to restrict advertising and trading in and around Birmingham 2022 Games locations are being encouraged to provide their views on a number of proposed exceptions.

The Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act contains offences concerning unauthorised advertising and unauthorised trading in certain places at certain times. These restrictions will help ensure we deliver on our hosting commitments for the Games. They will:

• protect the rights of commercial sponsors, whose contributions help to offset the public costs of the Games
• ensure Birmingham 2022 Games locations and their surroundings have a consistent look and feel in line with Commonwealth Games branding
• ensure people can safely access the venues and the free flow of spectators

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working closely with the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and our Games partners to ensure we take a proportionate approach - one that protects the rights of commercial sponsors and ensures that spectators can move easily and safely around Games locations while minimising disruption to existing businesses.

The consultation will run from 5 November until 11 January. Responses will be used to inform potential exceptions to the advertising and trading offences which we expect to be brought forward in secondary legislation later next year. An ‘exception’ is a form of advertising or trading activity (for example, public transport services) that will not be caught by the advertising and trading offences in the Act.

The restrictions will be in place in and around specified Games locations at specified times, and will only be in place when and where necessary, but there is the possibility that the restrictions could apply at any time between 7 July to 13 August (a maximum of 38 days).

A list of the Games locations that we currently expect to be affected is included in the consultation document. In most cases, we would expect the restrictions on advertising and trading to extend no more than a few hundred metres around each location’s perimeter.

However, in some circumstances, restrictions may need to extend further to ensure that designated walking routes and key transport hubs are taken into account.

This consultation does not address the timing or vicinity of the restrictions, as this will be driven by when and how Games locations are used and is the subject of ongoing operational planning. Once they have been finalised, the locations and timings of the restrictions will be set out in secondary legislation.

Lewis Hamilton clinched a seventh World Championship and became the most successful racing driver ever with a masterful victory in the Turkish Grand Prix with the Mercedes driver equalling Michael Schumacher's achievement in terms of titles, after already surpassing the German's number of race wins last month.

Victory at a treacherously wet and slippery Istanbul Park track in a topsy-turvy race was the 94th of the 35-year-old Briton's career - who was overcome with emotion in the car after the race, saying: "To all the kids out there, dream the impossible."

He later added: "Seven is just unimaginable but when you work with such a great group of people and you really trust each other, there is just no end to what you can do together. I feel like I'm only just getting started, it's really weird."

He also added that he would "love to stay" in F1 and to continue to campaign for change when it comes to human rights, diversity and environmentalism.

Lewis won his first world title with McLaren in 2008 with further successes in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. It was a drive befitting the monumental nature of his achievement.

"It felt so far-fetched”, the record-breaking champion said. “I remember watching Michael win those world championships. To get one or two or even three is so hard. Seven is unimaginable.

“There is no end to what we can do together, me and this team. We dreamed of this when I was young. It is so important for kids to see this and don't listen to anyone who says you can't achieve something. Dream the impossible. You have got to chase it and never give up."

Hamilton has clinched the title with three races still to go, two in Bahrain starting in two weeks' time and then a finale in Abu Dhabi in mid-December.

Karachi Kings won their first Pakistan Super League with a five-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in the final.

Babar Azam hit an unbeaten 63 off 49 balls as a Karachi side featuring England's Alex Hales comfortably chased their target of 135 with eight balls to spare on their home ground.

Earlier, Lahore collapsed from 68-0 to 81-4 as they posted a modest 134-7.

The tournament was halted in March by the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed with the play-off stages on Saturday.

Karachi were playing in their first final, having reached the play-offs on all four occasions since the competition launched in 2016.

Lahore had finished bottom of the table in every previous tournament. Having won the toss, Lahore started solidly through Tamim Iqbal and Fakhar Zaman, who made 35 and 27 respectively, before losing three wickets in seven balls.

Former England all-rounder Samit Patel - on the day he signed a new deal with his county side Nottinghamshire - fell for five as Karachi seamers Umaid Asif and Waqas Maqsood claimed 2-18 apiece.

Patel's Notts team-mate Hales made 11 in Karachi's chase but opener Babar, who was last week appointed Pakistan Test skipper to add to the limited-overs captaincy, played an elegant innings to see the side home.

There were 15 English players involved in this season's PSL, including Chris Jordan, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Lewis Gregory, who missed the play-offs because they were selected for England's limited-overs tour of South Africa which starts this week.

The 2021 PSL is scheduled to begin in February.

Former England, Liverpool and Tottenham goalkeeper Ray Clemence has died.

Clemence, who won five league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool between 1967 and 1981, was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in 2005.

In a statement on Sunday, the Clemence family said he "passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family".

"After fighting so hard, for such a long time, he's now at peace and in no more pain," they added.

As well as league and European Cup success, Clemence also won the FA Cup, League Cup and two Uefa Cups during his time at Anfield. He made 470 league appearances for Liverpool before joining Tottenham.

During his seven-year spell at Spurs, Clemence helped the club retain the FA Cup in 1982 and clocked up 330 appearances.

The legendary goalkeeper, capped by England on 61 occasions, also worked on the north London club's coaching staff and was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame in November 2014.

Clemence made his England debut in 1972 and spent the majority of his 11-year international career in a battle with Peter Shilton for the number one shirt. He captained the Three Lions for the first and only time in a narrow defeat to Brazil at Wembley in 1981 and later took up the role of goalkeeper coach with the Football Association.

His wife Veronica, son Stephen - current assistant coach at Newcastle United, and daughters Sarah and Julie said: "The family would like to say a huge thank you, for all the love and support that he's received over the years.

"He was loved so much by us all and he will never be forgotten."

Shilton wrote on Twitter: "I'm absolutely devastated to be told of the sad news that Ray Clemence has just passed away. We were rivals but good friends.

"Ray was a brilliant goalkeeper with a terrific sense of humour. I will miss him a great deal as we've kept friends long after retiring. RIP my friend."

Liverpool great Sir Kenny Dalglish said: "Today we have lost a true legend. Clem was a fantastic team-mate and great to be around. I will never forget how he helped me to settle in at Anfield.

"Our thoughts are with the Clemence family. RIP Clem."

He was 72.