ENGLAND: A Shih Tzu dog had life-saving treatment after he swallowed a kitchen sponge. Alfie’s owner, Maria Bird, was cleaning the bathroom, when Alfie pinched a sponge from the packet, gulping it down in one.

Capital Cup Semi-Final

Manager’s rotation game backfiring badly

Liverpool and Chelsea’s rivalry has developed in intensity and bitterness with every passing year

Former Liverpool captain Ronnie Whelan believes the current crop of Reds are finishing the season stronger than their rivals and that gives them the best chance of winning the title.

Former Liverpool captain Ronnie Whelan believes the current crop of Reds are finishing the season stronger than their rivals and that gives them the best chance of winning the title.

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admits it would be fitting if the current squad were to take some inspiration from events surrounding this year’s 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

It can surely only be a matter of time now before Roman Abramovich settles on the ultimate solution to his problem with Chelsea: one of these days he’ll sack the entire squad and buy a replacement one, preferably Barcelona’s.

Jose Mourinho feels he would have been out of a job had he presided over a similar failure to the one experienced by Manchester City and their manager Roberto Mancini last night.

At a press conference announcing the Macklin-Martinez fight at Madison Square Garden back in January, my phone rang. Colin Morgan was about four yards away from me but he was on a crutch — it was easier just to call me.

History.

Real Madrid 3 Real Zaragoza 1

If you’re a boxer, you already know what the fight is about. If you turn pro, you have to learn the ins-and-outs.

The Spanish Professional Footballers’ Union (AFE) and Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) have begun their latest meeting in a bid to find a solution to avert strike action for the opening two rounds of the new Spanish season.

THERE’S no escape from the crushing heat of the post-midday sun in Flushing Meadows but its patrons are carrying on regardless.

Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia believes their failure to win trophies is one of the main reasons behind Fernando Torres wanting to leave the Merseyside club for Chelsea.

Karim Benzema rescued Real Madrid as they clawed back some of the deficit on Primera Division leaders Barcelona with a 1-0 victory over Real Mallorca tonight.

IN 1998, Arsenal won the Double playing some of the best counter-attacking football the English game had ever seen. Arsene Wenger, whose arrival had been greeted with scepticism verging on derision, had transformed the club in less than two years.

STEVIE who?

IT is virtually impossible to separate Willie “Big Bang” Casey and Dubliner Paul Hyland, in Saturday night’s European super bantamweight title fight at the UL Arena in Limerick, according to former Commonwealth heavyweight champion, Martin Rogan.

BARRY McGUIGAN wants the winner of Saturday night’s all-Irish European title fight between Willie Casey and Paul Hyland to give Carl Frampton a shot at the belt.

A rib injury has ruled Kiko Martinez out of his European title showdown with Willie “Big Bang” Casey on the Hunky Dorys Fight Night at the UL Arena on Saturday, November 6th.

CORK’S adopted Cubans, Luis Garcia and Alexei Acosta, can speed their progress up the professional boxing rankings over the coming weeks with back-to-back appearances on the European title fight undercards at the National Stadium tomorrow night and then Letterkenny on October 2.

PAUL HYLAND could hardly be blamed if he has one eye on the European title fight involving teak tough little Spaniard Kiko Martinez and Arsen Martyrosian, an Armenian who has based himself in France, at The National Stadium on Saturday night.

HIGHLY rated light welterweight Paul McCloskey insists he has the ‘tools to do a job’ on Scotland’s Barry Morrison when they clash in Letterkenny next month.

KIKO MARTINEZ is all set to return to Dublin in a bid to reclaim the European super bantamweight title that he took from Bernard Dunne at the old Point three years ago, and he said yesterday that he is hoping his achievement in winning back the title will lure the Dubliner out of retirement for a return fight.

JASON BARNETT wants to knock out Mike “The Rebel” Perez in two rounds in “The Undefeateds” Yanjing Beer Fight Night at Neptune Stadium tonight while the Cork-based Cuban heavyweight hopes the Washington veteran can provide him with a few much-needed rounds on his way to greater things.

ANDY MURRAY will be hoping for a quick hat-trick when he touches gloves with Hungary’s Laszlo Robert Balogh on the Yanjing Beer Fight Night at Neptune Stadium in Cork on Saturday night as part of “The Undefeated’s”.

HEAVYWEIGHT Mike “The Rebel” Perez and super middleweight Luis Garcia will face US opposition for their bid to extend their unbeaten records at the Yanjing Beer Fight Night in Neptune Stadium on Saturday June 25, when all three Cork-based Cubans will be in action.

GARY ‘SPIKE’ O’SULLIVAN can’t wait for his the Yanjing Beer Fight Night at The Neptune Stadium on Saturday week when he meets Abdelouahed Ben Lelly, a Moroccan-born fighter who boxes out of Italy.

THE three unbeaten Cubans – all former world junior champions – who have based themselves in Cork will parade their talents before the ‘home’ crowd once again on the Yanjing Beer Fight Night, scheduled for Neptune Stadium on June 26.

MAMADOU THIAM, the Senegal-born knock-out specialist, went to the scales for yesterday’s weigh-in at the George Hotel with a warning for Limerick’s Andy Lee in advance of tonight’s Yanjing Fight night at the UL Arena.

Limerick boxer Andy Lee has nearly 2lbs on his opponent Mamadou Thiam at today's weigh-in for Saturday's Yanjing Fight Night in Limerick.

MIKE “The Rebel” Perez has not fought for more than a year but he will be doing some catching up at the UL Arena in Limerick on Saturday when fights twice on the undercard to the Andy Lee-Mamadou Thiam Yanjing Fight Night headliner.

ANDY LEE will come face to face with Saturday night’s big fight opponent, Mamadou Thiam, for the first time today when they both workout at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick (12 noon-2pm).

ANDY LEE meets his toughest opponent so far in Senegal-born knockout specialist, Mamadou Thiam, for his May 15 assignment at the University Arena in Limerick.

World and European Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor is the latest addition to the Yanjing Fight Night at the University Sports Arena, Limerick, on Saturday, May 15.

ARSENE WENGER has moved to ease the hype surrounding Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere.

MANCHESTER CITY last night announced they have reached an agreement to sign Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez.

Rafael Benitez is still battling to keep Javier Mascherano at Liverpool in the wake of Xabi Alonso making his position with the club virtually untenable.

IAN TIMMS, a former three- time national amateur champion, will headline the card at cruiserweight when professional boxing returns to Castlebar on May 23.

LOUIS GARCIA could challenge for a world title before the end of the summer, according to promoter/manager, Gary Hyde.