Hanover players celebrate what turned out to be the winning goal condemning Bayern Munich to another defeat. Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP
Forget banks going bust and crashing stock markets. Global meltdown of the economic system? Boooooring. Down in Germany’s prosperous south, there’s only been one story this week: the sweeping, nay, catastrophic, nay “crushing defeat” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) [...]

Darren Pattinson: a man for, er, one season. Photograph: Nigel French/Empics/PA
It’s been the most momentous year in cricket since the Spin made 61 for Sidney Sussex College second XI against a startled Selwyn attack, but that doesn’t mean we have to be all serious about it. Oh no. Here are a few gongs to mark [...]

The loyalty of supporters should see clubs through these difficult financial times. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Guardian
Ever since the Premier League boomed into life in 1992, fuelled by Sky’s millions, stubborn prophets of doom have warned it is a bubble that is bound to burst. More measured observers wondered if clubs would be particularly vulnerable to a [...]

Montgomerie hopes fellow Scot Sandy Lyle will be Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
Colin Montgomerie has criticised European captain Nick Faldo for not fielding his players in the right order on the final day of the Ryder Cup. Montgomerie, who was overlooked by Faldo as one of two wildcard picks for Europe’s failed [...]

Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia will have the morning off. Photograph: Andy Lyons/Getty
The Europe captain, Nick Faldo, last night reacted to his side’s poorfirst day by omitting Lee Westwood and Sergio García from this morning’s foursomes pairings. It will be the first time the Spaniard, who took half a point from his two matches yesterday, [...]

Crude stereotypes ahoy. Photograph: Jeff Haynes/Reuters
2.54pm BST Rose finds the rough from the eighth tee, but it’s a gentle kind of rough and Poulter won’t sweat it too much. These guys look like they want to be home and hosed by the 12th or 13th.
Jimenez is unlucky there, a fine sweeping putt around [...]

Alan Smith has suffered another serious injury. Photograph: Tony O’Brien/Action Images
Newcastle’s crisis-stricken season has taken another turn for the worse following the news that midfielder Alan Smith could be out of action for up to three months.
While the off-field problems rumble on in the fall-out from Kevin Keegan’s resignation as manager, supporter unrest and owner [...]

Alex Bogdanovic squandered a healthy lead against Austria’s Jurgen Melzer. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images
Familiarity was in short supply at the All England Club today. The opening rubber of Britain’s Davis Cup World Group showdown with Austria featured not only the warblings of an Italian opera singer and a Court One draped in advertising hoardings, but [...]

Sachin Tendulkar: joins golfing legend Jack Nicklaus and formula one champion Jackie Stewart as RBS ambassadors. Photo: Chris Young/AFP
Indian cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar is to star in a series of TV ad campaigns for Royal Bank of Scotland as part of a major push into the Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Tendulkar, 35, considered to be [...]

Ray Wilkins is set for a return to his former stomping ground. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
Chelsea have appointed Ray Wilkins as the club’s new assistant first-team coach following the departure of Steve Clarke to West Ham.
Wilkins, who made nearly 200 appearances for Chelsea in the 1970s, embarks on his second coaching spell with the club, having [...]