Lionesses backed in decision to no ‘take the knee’

England manager Sarina Wiegman says her players decided to stop taking the knee before matches because the impact of the anti-racism gesture is "not good enough".

Lionesses join 65,000 fans – and the Royal Family - to celebrate famous win

Family to England's triumphant squad had misgivings about how popular their Euro 2025 parade would be, but they need not have worried as 65,000 fans joined their celebrations in London - as well as members of the Royal Family.

Lions beat Besiktas for historic EuroCup win

London Lions became Britain's first European champions when they defeated Besiktas 81-70 to claim the EuroCup at a packed Copper Box Arena, in the UK's capital city.

Lions make history after reaching EuroCup Women final

London Lions made history as they became the first British basketball team to reach a European final by beating Umana Reyer Venice at the Copper Box Arena.

Lions overcame plucky Australia to seal series win

Hugo Keenan scored a last-minute try against Australia to win a classic Test match and seal a series victory for the British and Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Lions win WBBL Play-off Final in front of record crowd

London Lions ended the season in spectacular style by lifting the WBBL play-off trophy with a 70-45 win over Sevenoaks Suns at London’s 02 Arena.

The Lions completed the domestic quadruple in front of a Women’s British Basketball League record crowd of 10,928 with an incredible atmosphere in the arena as the fans witnessed an exhilarating finale.

LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler changes to Honda

With its Engstler racing team, the German motor oil and additive manufacturer become one of the main Honda customer team in the WTCR and TCR Germany. 

In the new season, LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler will be driving Honda Civic Type R TCR vehicles in the WTCR and TCR Germany. Peter Baumann, Marketing Director at the lubricant specialist, is optimistic about the newly agreed cooperation: “We are very excited to be part of the global Honda motorsports program starting next season.

LIV Golf announce new CEO

LIV Golf has announced Scott O’Neil as new Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective immediately.

Liverpool fall short as Palace fairytale continues

Crystal Palace started the new season with a suddenly familiar feeling, basking in trophy glory as triumphant underdogs at Wembley Stadium.

Liverpool players take a knee to express Floyd support

Premier League champions-elect Liverpool took a knee around the centre circle at their Anfield home ground to send out a message of support following the brutal death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.

A picture shows 29 of the club’s players together with the caption ‘Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter’.

Other footballers showed their support with Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford of fellow Premier League giants Manchester United adding their voices to the worldwide protests against racism.

In Germany, England forward Jaden Sancho also showed his support for the protest by unveiling a T-shirt with the words ‘Just for George Floyd’ after scoring the first girl before completing a hat-trick for Borussia Dortmund in their Bundusliga game against Paderborn.

He was shown a yellow card for his gesture.

He later wrote on his Instagram: ‘Delighted to get my first hat-trick, a bittersweet moment personally as there are more important things going on in the world today that we must address and help make a change.

‘We shouldn’t fear speaking out for what’s right, we have to come together as one & fight for justice.

‘We are stronger together!

‘#JusticeForFloydGeorge.’

In their game against Union Berlin, Borussia Moenchengladbach’s French striker Marcus Thuram celebrated the first of his two goals for the club by also taking a knee in support of George Floyd.

In 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested against racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee with the Black Power symbol of clenching his fist skywards during the United States national anthem.

Since then, the gesture has become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kaepernick’s stance was his way of replicating the Black Power gesture carried out by US Olympics medal-winning athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos who both held their single clenched, black-gloved fists in protest against Black injustices in their country whilst on the medals podium as the US national anthem was being played during the 1968 Games in Mexico City.

At Liverpool, a point was made as each of the players stood around the centre circle whilst facing a camera that was high up in the stand, was they emphasised their point by wearing different versions of the club kit – some in red, others in their black away colour

They became the first Premier League club to publically offer support to the Black Lives Mattermovement,

Liverpool star Naby Keita safe and well in Guinea following military coup in country

Liverpool have said that they are satisfied that Naby Keita is safe and well as they work to get him out of Guinea following an attempted coup in the country. The 26-year-old was set to represent his country in a World Cup qualifier against Morocco.

The match, however, was postponed following hours of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace, with an attempted coup taking place in the capital Conakry. A Liverpool spokesman said that the club was in constant contact with Keita.

LMA insist players should be tested before resuming

The LMA (League Managers’ Association) has insisted that the football season in England should only resume after all the players, from every club, in all of the divisions are tested for coronavirus.

“But”, chief executive, Richard Bevan says, “Tests have to be made available to NHS workers and patients first.

“With the game being postponed indefinitely, due to the Covid-19, once that has taken place, wouldn’t it be a great idea to then access it to sport”.

On another point, he criticised the EFL (English Football League) for not consulting his members after they said that, once it restarts, the season can be completed in 56 days.

Bevan described the proposal as “amazingly tight.

He thinks that testing is key to getting back to action as soon as possible.

“Our managers don’t want to be back in action unless the players have been tested.

“Equally, the government must confirm that it is OK. The test has to be made available first and foremost.to NHS and all care workers, patients and their families”.

Local businesses raise £42,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity at Corporate Golf Day

Business ambassadors and corporate partners of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity attended its annual Corporate Golf Day at JCB Golf & Country Club. The sold-out event was sponsored by Phoenix Group and helped fund 27 lifesaving missions for the charity.

With all proceeds going towards the charity’s vital pre-hospital emergency service, the eighth annual Golf Day raised an astonishing £42,000, the most raised for this event so far. The fundraising total has helped fund 27 lifesaving missions carried out by the charity’s advanced clinical team, 13 by air ambulance and 14 by critical care car.

Local key worker heroes honoured by England stars

Local key worker heroes honoured by England stars ahead of first #raisethebat Test

Ahead of the start of the first #raisethebat Test against the West Indies two members of the Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Edgbaston family were among those recognised for their response to the COVID-19 outbreak by the England Men’s Test team.

Mohammed Banaris, who works on-site at Edgbaston as Operations Manager for Club partners G4S and has led the COVID-19 testing centre on the stadium car park, and Dr Nasir Ali, Event Doctor at Edgbaston and Emergency Medicine Consultant at QE Hospital, are two of 25 key worker heroes who had their names displayed on the training shirts of the England Men’s Test team.

The England Men’s players and coaches took to the pitch at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton, with Warwickshire and England opening batsman Dom Sibley wearing Mohammed’s name and Sussex fast bowler Olly Robinson wearing Nasir’s name on their training shirts before the start of the match. All people named on the shirts were nominated by their respective county or international cricket venue or local cricket clubs and include teachers, doctors, nurses, carers and other vital professions.

Each key worker will now receive the shirt bearing their name, signed by the player who wore it, to thank them for the work they’ve been doing. Their names and photos will also be highlighted in broadcast partners’ Sky and BBC’s coverage and displayed across the ground on the big screens and LED banners.  

“Both Mohammed and Nasir have played an instrumental role in the national response to the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Warwickshire CCC’s Safety Officer David Clarke, who nominated both through the ECB #raisethebat initiative.

“Mohammed and his team have been on the front line throughout this period and leading operations at the COVID-19 testing centre within the Edgbaston car park. This was initially planned for use by NHS staff but soon expanded to incorporate wider key workers and referrals through the NHS 111 service thanks to the great work from the team.

“Dr Ali contracted the virus early on in the period of lockdown but made a full recovery and returned to work as soon as it was safe to do so to support the Accident & Emergency ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. We’re very grateful for the work that he and his amazing colleagues at the NHS have delivered throughout this period.”

Ben Stokes, who is captaining England in the opening #raisethebat Test match said: “We’re only able to play this Test match because of the amazing job that key workers up and down the country have done to help us through this pandemic.

“Wearing their names is a real honour for us and is a small sign of our appreciation for the incredible work they have done. They have truly gone into bat for us all, and it makes me proud of how the whole cricket family has responded to help us get through these unprecedented times.”

Local school supports UK sport campaign to ‘Find Your Greatness’ as search for UK’s future athletes gets underway

As the nation celebrates Team GB’s inspiring performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning over 60 medals for the fourth consecutive games, the search has officially begun to find the next generation of UK sporting talent.

London Athletics Meet hails the return of Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) will receive a hero's welcome when she returns to the London Stadium this summer to race over 800m at the London Athletics Meet (Saturday July 19).

London Athletics Meet tickets on general sale from Friday

After a hugely successful summer for the GB & NI team, all eyes are now on the 2024 summer season as tickets for the London Athletics Meet are set to go on general sale.

London Athletics Meet to be ‘Extra Special’ for 800m star Hodgkinson

Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medallist, Keely Hodgkinson, will compete at the London Stadium for the first time when she lines up in the 800m at the London Athletics Meet on Saturday, July, 20.

London Diamond League tickets back on sale as athletics is coming home

After a successful European Indoor Championships for GB & NI in Istanbul this weekend, all eyes are now on the summer season as tickets for the London Diamond League go back on sale. With the world’s best athletes and para athletes headed for London Diamond League on Sunday 23 July, tickets are once again available to fans looking to reignite memories of Super Saturday.

London Marathon events to support endurance as UK-wide talent pathway evolves

British Athletics have announced a crucial partnership with London Marathon Events to improve the future development of athletics talent with a structured network of talent development hubs - running programmes that provide athletes aged 16-21 years with a seamless experience through the performance pathway, to ultimately fulfil ambitions of success on the international stage.
 
The talent hubs, developed in collaboration with the Home Country Athletics Federations, will see talent hubs and academies developed across all home nations. England Athletics will be supported by the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) to implement the University of Birmingham and Leeds Beckett University Hubs.
 
London Marathon Events will play a key part in the structure by providing investment specifically for the development of 1500m-plus events based at the two universities with the aim to support endurance athlete and coaches to progress and transition from junior to senior success.
 
With Birmingham and Leeds already operational having taken part in the strategy pilot, and in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, part of the programmes are already being adapted into virtual, online based activity and e-learning to ensure the ongoing support for athletes and coaches and the ability of the programme to ensure safe activity at this challenging time.
 
The TASS element will be key in providing additional performance support services and quality assurance of delivery in sports science and medical support.
 
British Athletics Talent Director Jonathan Roberts said: “We are thrilled with the launch of the talent hubs at Leeds Beckett and Birmingham, as they play a key part of providing a dual career pathway for athletes and additional support for coaches.
 
“London Marathon Events’ investment into the endurance events is a hugely significant boost to this newly evolving talent pathway across the UK.  We are thrilled that they have given the talent hubs their endorsement and support and look forward to working with them in this area of talent development.
 
“To work in collaboration with London Marathon Events, England Athletics, the universities and TASS gives us the best opportunity to provide the best pathway for athletes and additional support for coaches, as one part of our vision for talent development in the UK.”
 
Hugh Brasher, Event Director at London Marathon Events, said: “We are passionately committed to supporting the overall development of British distance running and we believe the creation of these new talent hubs at Leeds Beckett and Birmingham offer vital support to young British athletes as they move from school to university.”