Former Premier League stars Shay Given, Alex Bruce and Wes Brown are training with Vanarama National League side Macclesfield.

As many as seven professional football clubs are now embroiled in the growing child sex abuse scandal, with more than 20 ex-players alleging they were victims, the head of the players' union has said.

Peerless punk poet John Cooper Clarke will be in Dublin and Cork over the next week. The first time he gigged in Ireland was back in "1979ish" at the Project Arts Centre. He was then at the height of his fame.

England captain Steven Gerrard believes Rickie Lambert’s fairytale story from lower league journeyman to Wembley hero shows aspiring youngsters that anything is possible.

Rickie Lambert applied a Roy of the Rovers finish to a comic strip kind of game as England edged an exciting battle with Scotland at Wembley tonight.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez was today ordered to do 250 hours community service, banned from driving for six months and must pay £1,145 (€1,353) in court costs and fines after admitting motoring offences.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has today been charged with driving while disqualified and without insurance, Cheshire Police have confirmed.

Footballer Carlos Tevez has been arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified, police sources confirmed.

Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie became the most successful sailor in Olympic history after today securing a fourth successive gold medal.

A CONTESTANT turned the air blue on afternoon TV show Countdown — but won the points in that round.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle made five changes to his starting line-up for this evening’s FA Cup third-round replay against Macclesfield at the Reebok Stadium.

Chelsea target Gary Cahill will be among five or six players rested for Bolton’s FA Cup third-round trip to Macclesfield tomorrow.

Manchester City footballer Mario Balotelli has escaped unhurt after a firework went off in his bathroom.

The new boss of department store chain Debenhams has announced plans to modernise a further 25 stores and open nine new outlets over the next four years - including in Carlow and Sligo.

GARY CAHILL is set to feature for Bolton at Anfield today after the Reebok Stadium club turned down an offer from Arsenal that was “a million miles short” of their valuation of the player.

IT’S A grey and misty morning in New Jersey.

Blackpool 2 Liverpool 1

Promising Blackburn striker Nick Blackman has signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal, which will keep him at Ewood Park until the summer of 2013.

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce says the news is encouraging for Irishman David Meyler after his knee injury on Wednesday, but the manager is questioning his own selection of the player so soon after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

Another 8,000 jobs are to be slashed across AstraZeneca’s global operations under a sweeping job cuts programme that has already seen 12,600 roles axed, the drugs giant said today.

THE manner of Everton’s FA Cup win over brave Carlisle was not what returning captain Phil Neville wanted, but the end product was spot on.

The FA Cup is feeling the force of the winter freeze with three of today’s third-round ties falling victim to the weather.

Ireland's Danielle McVeigh claimed the biggest win of her career with a one-stroke victory in the Ladies' British Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Royal Aberdeen.

New IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson believes there is good cause for optimism in Northern Ireland.

England striker Peter Crouch flew into the north-east this morning to discuss a £12m switch to Sunderland.

Everton 2 Hull 0

David Moyes admits he is happy for Tim Cahill to continue leading the line for Everton, but will be working hard to bolster his attacking options in the January loan market.

Everton manager David Moyes could ask Tim Cahill to continue his stint up front in his side’s FA Cup third round clash at Macclesfield tomorrow.

Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca is to cut 1,400 jobs and close three plants in Europe as part of a programme to improve efficiency, the firm announced today.

Mortgage lender Nationwide today said it was in advanced merger talks with the Derbyshire and Cheshire building societies.

New Blackburn boss Paul Ince last night stayed defiant as several of his players were being linked with other clubs.

Drugs giant AstraZeneca was today celebrating its latest victory in the battle to protect its most valuable medicines from cheaper, unauthorised copies.

PAUL INCE will be fast-tracked to achieve his UEFA Pro Licence under a programme put together by the FA and the players’ union.

PAUL INCE has paid a glowing tribute to the “traditions” of Blackburn Rovers, fuelling speculation he will eventually end up at Ewood Park.

Reality star Kerry Katona was expected to give birth today, her publicist said.

Kerry Katona is in hospital today after she showed signs of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia, her spokesman Max Clifford said.

Peter Crouch returns to the home of his boyhood heroes believing that Liverpool’s brittle confidence is being repaired.

Dundalk have signed 25-year-old striker Robbie Doyle from Maccesfield.

Paul Ince has today been unveiled as the new manager of MK Dons.

Paul Ince is set to be unveiled as the new manager of MK Dons this morning after quitting League Two rivals Macclesfield.

A low-budget British film about Joy Division star Ian Curtis has won a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

A small-budget British film about Joy Division star Ian Curtis has won a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Steve Howard’s 12th goal of the season fired Derby six points clear at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship in a match which ended with both managers and a player being sent off.