Andy Cole: ‘The constant press attention made our lives untenable’. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
A front-page clarification in the Daily Star was not enough to prevent the paper paying substantial damages and costs to ex-England footballer Andy Cole after falsely branding him a “wife-beater”.
On February 26 the Star ran a front-page headline “Footie Cole is a [...]

Justin Rose. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images
A Scott to outscore A Kim over 72 holes 9-10Any player to record a hole in one 15-8Stewart Cink to finish in the top 10 15-8Retief Goosen to be the top SA player 7-2Jim Furyk to finish in the top five 7-2Justin Rose to be the top GB&Ire player 11-2

Tim Donaghy. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA
Judgement day has come and gone. Tim Donaghy, the referee who dragged the NBA into a scandal that involved gambling, conspiracies and the hint of organised crime, was sentenced to a relatively lenient 15 months in prison on Tuesday for his central role in the whole sorry affair.
Donaghy took thousands of [...]

Avram Grant says he wants to spend time away from football. Photograph:Richard Heath/Getty
The former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has admitted that he faced a dressing room that had little confidence in his skills when he replaced Jose Mourinho at the club last year. However, Grant believes he won the players over by guiding them to [...]

Clinton Toopi could be out for up to a year. Photograph: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Leeds’ hopes of retaining their Super League title have been hit by the loss of Ryan Hall and Clinton Toopi for the rest of the season. Winger Hall broke a bone in his foot during Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by St [...]

Graeme Smith is undergoing treatment but admits his back is causing him pain. Photograph: Tom Shaw/Getty Images
Graeme Smith could face a late fitness test before facing England at Edgbaston tomorrow. The South Africa captain revealed he is suffering from a back injury sustained during his side’s three-day game against Bangladesh A at Worcester [...]

Roque Santa Cruz: it’s a tough life. Photograph: P Noble/Reuters
Who would want to be Roque Santa Cruz? One minute you’re being whisked away from the Allianz Arena by one of Blighty’s most esteemed managers and shunted into the Blackburn Rovers attack, where you reap maximum benefit from the wing wizardry of Morten Gamst Pedersen and [...]

Johnson kisses the famous yard of bricks after winning a bizarre race at Indianapolis. Photograph: Robert LeSieur/Reuters
Jimmie Johnson overcame tyre problems that blighted the entire field to take victory in the Allstate 400 Nascar Sprint Cup race held at the Brickyard yesterday.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver started his Chevrolet from pole position at Indianapolis and was [...]

Middlesex celebrate victory at the Rose Bowl. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
This was much more than the elongated highlight of the Twenty20 domestic season, the sixth in a series that started on this ground amid establishment doubts and scepticism. It was also an exercise in naked self-deception, one that none the less promises to reap Kent [...]

Mikael Lundberg on his way to his second Russian Open victory. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images
Mikael Lundberg became the Russian Open champion for the second time in four years as he held off the field with a final round of 68 in Moscow.
Although the challenge of Englishman Jamie Moul faltered in the final round Jose Manuel [...]