Tears in AP McCoy’s enclosure as perennial champion jockey steers 16/1 shot home in front of family

Brits don’t have a great reputation when it comes to learning languages, but is that about to change?

This weekend sees the full return of the Great British football season. It will bring with it all the things we love to hate about professional football – crap managers, biased refs, and daft mascots.

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has emphatically denied Sol Campbell's claim that he would have been captain of the national team "for more than 10 years" had he been white.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will not face the sack over his headbutt on Hull midfielder David Meyler.

Alex Ferguson believes Liverpool were wise not to try to head off a lengthy ban for Luis Suarez by imposing one of their own – having vowed Manchester United would never do it again either.

IT was all beer and skittles at Fota House last week.

Anton Ferdinand today broke his silence after John Terry was found guilty of using racist language towards him, declaring: “Footage don’t lie!”

The details of some of Colonel Gaddafi's opponents who had fled to Britain were given to Libyan spies by MI5, it was reported today.

Leading figures in football have backed Harry Redknapp to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager following the Italian’s stunning resignation last night.

Fabio Capello will meet FA chairman David Bernstein later this week for talks over the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.

Former Football Association chief executive David Davies has suggested that England manager Fabio Capello may be in breach of contract after he openly challenged the decision to strip John Terry of the national team captaincy.

ACTOR Hugh Grant and writer Jemima Khan must be shown police information which indicates their telephone messages might have been intercepted by a private investigator working for the press, a High Court judge has ruled.

ALEX FERGUSON yesterday claimed that he twice rejected the chance to become England manager, insisting the job is a “terrible job” and a “poisoned chalice”.

Football Association board members are to hold an emergency meeting at noon today after being thrown into turmoil by the resignation of Ian Watmore as chief executive.

MUNSTER’S opening European Cup game, on November 1, 1995, ended in triumph against Swansea at Thomond Park, but it was left to the captain Pat Murray to save the blushes with a late try to seal a 17-13 victory.

FIFA have strenuously denied a claim by a British MP that they are pressurising the British government to remove the World Cup from the list of sports events that must be shown on terrestrial television or risk England missing out on hosting the 2018 tournament.

The Football Association were offered votes for bribes during their unsuccessful bid for the 2006 World Cup, according to former executive director David Davies.

FOTA HOUSE has been hailed by Environment Minister John Gormley as a model of how Ireland’s historical properties can be secured as heritage assets.

UK Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain is to face a full parliamentary “sleaze” inquiry over his failure to declare £103,000 (€135,555) in donations to his Labour deputy leadership campaign, it was confirmed today.

Russia’s manager Guus Hiddink has accused England’s players of “panicking under pressure” and giving his team the encouragement to beat them in the vital Euro 2008 qualifier in Moscow last Wednesday.

THE Irish Heritage Trust (IHT) is expected to take over responsibility for historic Fota House in Co Cork within months.

RUGBY is heading to the law courts for the second time in less than a year with the England RFU and Premier Rugby refusing to concede any ground in their dispute over the Heineken Cup.

English clubs are to join their French counterparts in considering a boycott of the Heineken Cup next season, according to reports.

Michael Phelps claimed a record seventh gold medal at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne to stake his claim to swimming immortality.

Michael Phelps won his sixth gold medal at the World Championships with victory in the 100 metres butterfly today.

London Wasps will play Leinster at Adams Park in the Heineken Cup quarter-final, following consultation with the club's coaches, players and supporters, rather than go for a big earner at a bigger stadium.

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno apologised today for relapsing into cocaine use.

Wayne Rooney will be fit to help England battle for World Cup glory, the Fifa website said tonight.

Wayne Rooney has returned to the exclusive Manchester hospital where he had his scan this morning to discover whether he will be allowed to play in the World Cup.

Wayne Rooney has left the exclusive BUPA hospital in Manchester to await the results of the scan which will make or break his World Cup.

Football Association executive director David Davies has welcomed a tribunal’s report, which criticises former secretary Faria Alam for inventing sexual harassment claims.

David Davies surged to a convincing victory in the 1500 metres freestyle to win Wales’ first swimming gold of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Football Association chiefs insist they will be “seriously disappointed” if World Cup organisers this week reject Sven-Goran Eriksson’s bid to have the date of the final squad deadline delayed.

World Cup organisers have agreed to consider Sven-Goran Eriksson’s campaign to move the deadline for coaches to submit their final squads for the tournament.

IN her excellent article on Fota (Weekend Examiner, January 21), Mary Leland suggests that the Office of Public Works (OPW) should take over Fota House.

Before going on the show, former PA Faria Alam admitted she had “a hell of a lot” riding on her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.

Plans for a Great Britain football team at the London 2012 Olympics will go ahead without any Scottish involvement, it has been decided.

FARIA ALAM, the former secretary who hit the headlines over her affair with England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, last night lost her sex discrimination case against the English Football Association.

Sex scandal secretary Faria Alam has lost her employment tribunal case against England's Football Association.

THREE golds, five medals in all, and a world record. Grant Hackett of Australia was the star of the World Swimming Championships, emerging from the shadow of absent countryman Ian Thorpe.

AUSTRALIAN Grant Hackett cruised into the final of the 800m freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal yesterday.