The Times_1701

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 51 Register Thom Bell admitted that his musicians sometimes looked at him in the studio “like they think I’m crazy”. Their looks askance were at his imaginative arrangements for his soulful love songs which included classical instrumentation seldom if ever heard in pop music. On the Delfonics’ hit Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) he employed a French horn. On the Stylistics’ charttopper Betcha by Golly, Wow it was an oboe. Elsewhere there were bassoons, harpsichords and even a ceterone and a celeste. All were invariably accompanied by sweeping strings and frequently by soaring falsetto vocals on compositions with inventive melodies, which earned him the sobriquet “the black Burt Bacharach”. As a producer and arranger he eschewed “anything that’s hard on the ear” and his mini popsymphonies defined the sound of what came to be known as “Philadelphia soul”, a lustrous and sophisticated upgrade on the two other main schools of black American R’n’B at the time, emanating from Detroit’s Motown label and from Stax in Memphis. His singers must have sometimes wondered about his unconventional instructions, too. When recording the 1974 No 1 single Then Came You by the Spinners and Dionne Warwick, he told the Spinners’ Philippé Wynne to think of his singing partner Warwick as “a feather . . . I want you to sing so she floats around you and you float around her”. When he produced for Johnny Mathis, he told him to sing as if he was “a gladiator”. “Nobody else is in my brain but me, which is why some of the things I think about are crazy,” he said. Yet the results were spectacular. For the Stylistics he wrote and produced a stream of hit romantic ballads that included You Are Everything, You Make Me Feel Brand New, and I’m Stone in Love with You. For the O’Jays he arranged the 1973 Philly soul classic Back Stabbers and its follow-up Love Train. With the Spinners, a black vocal group who had been pushed to the sidelines at Motown where they had been reduced to acting as chauffeurs and gofers for more successful groups, he bet them he could get them to No 1. He offered to buy all five members a Cadillac if he was wrong. In the end the group ended up buying Bell a Cadillac, even though he could not drive, after he not only wrote, produced and arranged their chart-topper Then Came You but gave them further Top Ten hits — with Could It Be I’m Falling in Love, Ghetto Child and The Rubberband Man. Bell around 1970. He said he had to write songs to get noticed The likes of Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross covered his millionselling ballads and he was also in demand to produce for white singers including Dusty Springfield and Elton John. He often wrote with the lyricist Linda Creed, one of the few white musicians involved in the Philly sound. They were not lovers but she wrote the words to You Make Me Feel Brand New about Bell and he was at her side when she died of cancer in 1986 at the age of 37. “I never planned on being a songwriter,” he noted. “I was forced to do all these other things, like writing, to get noticed.” The other chief architects of the Philly sound were his close friends and colleagues Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, with whom he set up a publishing company called Mighty Three. However, when Gamble and Huff established their own record label, Philadelphia International, he declined to take a share in the company, preferring to operate as a freelance producer and arranger. Gamble and Huff had a string of hit productions including Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Billy Paul’s Me and Mrs Jones and When Will I See You Again by the Three Degrees. Yet it was Bell who in 1975 won the Grammy award as producer of the year, the first time that the category had been recognised. Gentle and abstemious, he never drank or took drugs. “I didn’t want to embarrass my mother. Heck, no. My only hobby was tropical fish,” he insisted. After he had retired from the He bet the Spinners he would get them to No 1 or buy them all a Cadillac each The simple way to place your announcement in The Times. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. newsukadvertising.co.uk A new collection of Times obituaries Available now from thetimes.co.uk/bookshop Births DAWSON On 10th January to Flo Nicholas and Ben Dawson. A daughter, Wren Hester Nicholas. A sister for Winter. THOMSEN on 3rd January 2023 to Penelope (née Lykiardopulo) and Thor Oliver, a son, Andreas Panaghis. WILDSMITH on 4th January 2023 to Lucy (née Bishop) and Jack, a daughter, Chloe Elizabeth. Forthcoming Marriages MR D. A. GOODRICH AND DR A. R. THOMSON The engagement is announced between Daniel, elder son of Darren Barnes and Anne Goodrich, both of Norfolk, and Amelia, youngest daughter of Nigel and Penny Thomson, also of Norfolk. Deaths BACKHOUSE Major Jonathan de la Condamine, farmer (rtd). Loving husband of Mavis, née Northey, father of Nicholas, Jeremy and Timothy. Grandfather of Sam, Danny, Mark, Zoë, Nina, Faie and Rowan. Funeral service will take place at St Bartholomew’s Church, Cadeleigh, on Friday 3rd February at 11.30am. Family flowers only please; donations are invited for the Royal British Legion via www.jonathanbackhouse.muchloved.com, or by cheque (payable to the charity please) c/o Countryside Funerals, 31 Park Hill, Tiverton, EX16 6RW. Tel: 01884 258881. BRANSTON George Michael died peacefully on 3rd January 2023, aged 84, after a long illness bravely borne. Beloved husband of Heather, dearly loved father to Lucy and Sophie, adored grandfather to Jemima, Archie, Tilly and Freddie, and dear brother to Susan. Family funeral. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held at St Michael and All Angels Church, Pirbright GU24 0JJ on Thursday 9th February 2023 at 2pm. All inquiries to Town and Country Funeral Directors 01483 799914. BUTLER William Charles Finlay BSc, FGA (Bill) beloved husband of Charmaine and brother of Robert, died at home on 20th December 2022. Bill’s funeral and a celebration of his life will take place at St Luke’s Church, Hatfield, on Monday 30th January 2023 at 11am. No flowers please but donations if wished to Prostate Cancer UK. All inquiries to J.J. Burgess and Sons 01707 262122. COLVILLE Barry died peacefully on 9th January 2023, aged 92. Celebration at Mortonhall Crematorium, Edinburgh, 3rd February at 2.30pm. No flowers. Inquiries to Porteous 01314 534535. FELLOWS Derek Edward FIA died peacefully on 12th January 2023, aged 95. Beloved husband of the late Mary, much-loved father of Angela and Nicola, grandfather to Simon, Charles, David and Sarah and great-grandfather to Anne, Ted and Rupert. Executive director Securities and Investments Board 1989-91; chief actuary Prudential Assurance Co Ltd 1981-88. Church commissioner 1996-2002. All inquiries to James and Thomas Funeral Directors 01932 862009. FORBES Dr Angus Edwin, died on 5th January 2023, aged 87, after a short illness. Much-loved husband of Caroline, father to Louisa, Alice and Camilla, grandfather to six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Memorial service to be held at Ottery St Mary Parish Church on Thursday 2nd February at 2.30pm. Inquiries to Layzell Funeral Services, 01404 44646. Family flowers only please. Thom Bell Producer and songwriter who made hits for the Delfonics music business in the 1990s he developed a new passion for cooking, with Asiatic cuisine as his speciality. He took down the 40-plus gold and platinum discs from his walls and in their place built shelves to house his collection of 1,500 cookbooks. The discs were distributed among his six surviving children: sons Troy, Mark, Royal and Christopher and daughters Tia and Cybell. He is also survived by his second wife, Vanessa Bell, whom he married in 1986 and with whom he lived in Seattle. His marriage to his first wife, Sylvia, ended in divorce. Thomas Randolph Bell was born in 1943 in Philadelphia. His mother, Anna (née Burke), was a stenographer and his father, Leroy Bell, ran a fish market. Both played musical instruments and encouraged their ten children to pursue artistic interests. Thom was given a drum kit when he was five and took piano lessons, discovering pop music when he was 12 after he heard Little Anthony and the Imperials’ Tears on My Pillow on the radio while making fish cakes at his father’s market. It inspired him to compose tunes in his head and he became so obsessive about it that his concerned parents took him to a psychiatrist. By his mid-teens he had dropped out of Dobbins High School in Philadelphia and teamed up with Gamble as the singing duo Kenny and Tommy. Finding little success, he made his way to Harlem, where he got a gig in the house band at the Apollo Theatre, backing visiting singers such as Sam Cooke. By his early twenties, he was back in Philadelphia working as a session player for the local Cameo-Parkway record label, where the roster included Chubby Checker. Bell became Checker’s band leader on tour but his first success as a songwriter and producer came in 1968 with the Delfonics’ La-La (Means I Love You), which made No 4 in the US charts. The song was the first hit in the style that came to be known as Philly soul and which was later trademarked as TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia). A fellow African-American musician once told Bell that his records were too sweet and that a black audience preferred their R’n’B to sound funkier. “I don’t do R’n’B. I do music,” he replied. “Why limit yourself to black people? I make music for people. I wouldn’t care if they had a horn in their head.” Thom Bell, songwriter and producer, was born on January 26, 1943. He died after a long illness on December 22, 2022 aged 79 HE IS wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? Job 9.4 (AV) Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society Births, Marriages and Deaths newsukadvertising.co.uk 6 020 7782 7553 LEGAL, PUBLIC, COMPANY & PARLIAMENTARY NOTICES To place notices for these sections please call 020 7481 4000 Notices are subject to confirmation and should be received by 11.30am three days prior to insertion Join us for breakfast Listen to Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell on Times Radio, Monday to Thursday at 6am GERRARD Hilary on 11th January 2023 in Monaco, short of his 90th birthday. Funeral Monaco Crematorium Thursday 19th Jan. Loved and missed by all. GIBB Colonel Francis Farquharson CBE on 11th January 2023, aged 83. Late The Royal Scots, died peacefully at home after an epic battle with cancer. Beloved husband, father and grandfather. Memorial service 17th March 11am at Canongate Kirk, afterwards at The Royal Scots Club. LEWIS John Richard passed away peacefully on 27th December 2022, aged 78. Beloved husband of Evelyn. Father of John, Nigel, Matthew, Graham. Super Gramps to eight. We will miss his laugh, smile and incorrigible wit. Funeral at midday, 8th February, Pitsea crematorium, Essex. Donations to Alzheimer’s Society. LONG Elsie Mary on 28th December 2022, aged 97. Funeral service at Saint Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE at noon on 1st February 2023. All welcome. MACKEENA Richard William Merttins Bird, born 11th March 1949, beloved of Graeme, clergyman, actor, author, died at home on 1st January 2023. Private funeral. A Requiem Mass will be held at St Saviour’s Church, South Street, Eastbourne, on 30th January at 2pm. All welcome. [email protected]. “It is in dying that we are born to eternal life”. MIDDLETON Peter passed away peacefully on 22nd December 2022, aged 89. Peter is predeceased by his beloved wife of 45 years Joan Elizabeth Middleton (née Spinks). Peter is survived by his three sons: Nik Middleton, wife Philippa, Guy Middleton, and Mathew Middleton, wife Linda. The funeral service will be on Tuesday 24th January 2023 at 9.30am, at Randall’s Park Crematorium, Randalls Rd, Leatherhead, Surrey. Peter will later be laid to rest in a private service at Gawsworth Church, Cheshire, on Thursday 26th January 2023 at 2pm. MUMFORD John D died suddenly on 29th December 2022 at home in Windsor. Loving husband to Megan and father to Will, who had hoped to share the journey much longer. John’s friends, life and work spanned the globe, as did his impact. A trusted and respected figure in our lives who will be dearly missed. A memorial service will be held on 2nd March in Windsor. Contact for details: mumford.memorial @imperial.ac.uk MURGATROYD Professor Walter died peacefully on 17th December 2022, aged 101. First UK professor of nuclear engineering and emeritus professor of thermal power. Widower of Denise, father of Linda, Alan (d.1980) and Francis, and grandfather. Funeral Putney Vale Crematorium 19th January. NOEL Andrée Marie (née Duchen) died peacefully on 12th January 2023, aged 94. Widow of Col Archie Noel. Funeral at Brompton Oratory, London, 31st January at 11am. PARKINSON Richard died on 15th December 2022 at home in Petworth. Husband to Catherine and beloved father to Nicholas and Tor. Family cremation. PEIRANO Julia on 29th December 2022, aged 97. Dearly beloved wife of the late Juan Peirano, together for 70 years. Loving mother of Ana-Mari, Julitxu and John and Mama to nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Dear sister to Edurne Martin, the late Maria Casey and the late Elena Maguire. A celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday 24th January 2023 at Breakspear Crematorium Ruislip HA4 7SJ at 1.45pm. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to Parkinson’s UK c/o T.A. Ellement & Son Ltd, Funeral Directors, 21 Bridge Street, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 3HR. PRICE-SMITH Molly Catherine PriceSmith MBE died on 21st December at the Infirmary, Charterhouse, London, aged 102. She was aunt to Iain, Loveday, Paul and Clare. RICH Marion (née White) died suddenly on 2nd January 2023, aged 88. Widow of Paul, much-loved mother of Clive, and grandmother. Funeral at Golders Green Crematorium, West Chapel, Sunday, 22nd January at 10am. There’s no Business like Show Business… ROBBINS Emse Muriel Annie passed away peacefully on 31st December 2022, aged 96. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Funeral service inquiries to C V Gower Funeral Directors, Tel. 01934 842945. TEMPLE-HALES Jaqi (née High) passed away on 14th December 2022, aged 64 . Funeral to be held on Friday 3rd February at 2.30pm at Earlham Crematorium in Norwich. No flowers please. Donations to RNLI. URQUHART Ian died peacefully on 8th January 2023, aged 71, after a short illness. All inquiries to R Locke & Son, Brailes (01608) 685274. WATSON Derek William Hunter, peacefully at home on 31st December 2022, aged 91. Beloved husband of the late Rosemary, much-loved father of Anne, Linda and Sherry, grandfather of Elizabeth, William, Richard, Lucy, Peter, Olivia, Andrew and Charlotte, and great-grandfather of Reuben, Henrietta, Otis, Frederick, Montgomery and Theodora. The funeral will be held at St Dunstan’s Church, Mayfield, on Thursday 26th January at 2.30pm. Family flowers only. Donations if desired to the Salvation Army and the Woodland Trust via cwaterhouseandsons.co.uk WHITROW Robert William Guy died peacefully on 7th January 2023, aged 59. Much-loved husband and father, brother, uncle and friend to so many. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at St Peter’s Church, Langley Burrell, SN15 5LX on 3rd February at 2pm, all welcome. No flowers but please plant a tree. Donations, if desired, to Dorothy House Hospice. In Memoriam — Private GREEN, STEPHEN DAVID Died tragically ten years ago on January 17th 2013. Dearly missed by family and friends. Remembered forever. Loved forever. Balmoral Castle 16th January, 2023 The President of the Republic of Cyprus and Mrs Anastasiades visited The King and The Queen Consort this morning. St James’s Palace 16th January, 2023 The Earl of Wessex, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, this afternoon held a Meeting. Court Circular

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 53 Weather Channel Islands NORTH SEA CHANNEL IRISH SEA ATLANTIC OCEAN Aberdeen Glasgow Edinburgh Carlisle Newcastle York Manchester Liverpool Hull Llandudno Shrewsbury Nottingham Sheffield Norwich Cambridge Oxford Bristol Swansea Cardiff Plymouth Exeter Southampton Brighton London Londonderry Belfast Galway Dublin Cork Birmingham CELTIC SEA Orkney Shetland 23 Friday 3 3 7 6 Aberdeen Aberporth Anglesey Aviemore Barnstaple Bedford Belfast Birmingham Bournemouth Bridlington Bristol Camborne Cardiff Edinburgh Eskdalemuir Glasgow Hereford Herstmonceux Ipswich Isle of Man Isle of Wight Jersey Keswick Kinloss Leeds Lerwick Leuchars Lincoln Liverpool London Lyneham Manchester Margate Milford Haven Newcastle Nottingham Orkney Oxford Plymouth Portland Scilly, St Mary’s Shoreham Shrewsbury Snowdonia Southend South Uist Stornoway Tiree Whitehaven Wick Yeovilton Around Britain Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain, sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder *=previous day **=data not available Temp C Rain mm Sun hr* midday yesterday 24 hrs to 5pm yesterday Noon today 1 S 0.0 3.8 4 C 1.2 0.7 4 S 6.0 1.6 -0 PC 0.0 0.0 7 PC 0.8 ** 4 C 0.4 ** 1 PC 0.8 1.0 3 R 0.0 ** 6 C 30.4 1.4 2 C 2.2 ** 5 C 0.0 2.1 6 PC 14.8 ** 5 PC 0.0 1.4 0 S 0.2 0.5 0 S 0.0 ** 2 S 0.0 1.1 4 PC 0.0 ** 4 C 32.4 1.0 4 R 5.8 ** 4 C 4.8 4.7 5 PC 18.6 ** 8 PC 8.6 2.2 -0 S 2.8 ** -1 PC 0.6 0.6 -1 S 0.0 ** -2 PC 0.2 0.2 1 S 0.0 1.1 3 C 1.0 ** 3 S 0.6 ** 5 C 10.6 1.4 3 C 3.0 2.7 3 B 0.2 1.3 ** ** ** ** 5 ** 0.2 ** -3 S 0.0 ** 2 C 0.0 0.4 0 C 0.0 0.0 4 C 2.4 ** 6 PC 20.4 ** 7 PC 29.2 ** 6 R 16.2 ** 4 C 11.4 4.0 3 C 0.6 1.5 2 PC 7.0 ** 4 C 10.4 4.4 1 PC 4.2 ** 0 PC 0.0 1.3 1 SN 2.6 0.4 -2 S 0.0 0.8 -0 PC 0.2 ** 6 C 10.2 2.3 The world All readings local midday yesterday Alicante Amsterdam Athens Auckland Bahrain Bangkok Barbados Barcelona Beijing Beirut Belgrade Berlin Bermuda Bordeaux Brussels Bucharest Budapest Buenos Aires Cairo Calcutta Canberra Cape Town Chicago Copenhagen Corfu Delhi Dubai Dublin Faro Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gibraltar Helsinki Hong Kong Honolulu Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Kyiv Lanzarote Las Palmas Lima Lisbon Los Angeles Luxor Madeira Madrid Malaga Mallorca Malta Melbourne Mexico City Miami Milan Mombasa Montreal Moscow Mumbai Munich Nairobi Naples New Orleans New York Nice Nicosia Oslo Paris Perth Prague Reykjavik Riga Rio de Janeiro Riyadh Rome San Francisco Santiago São Paulo Seoul Seychelles Singapore St Petersburg Stockholm Sydney Tel Aviv Tenerife Tokyo Vancouver Venice Vienna Warsaw Washington Zurich 15 S 5 R 14 PC 22 B 20 S 32 PC 28 SH 14 PC -1 S 19 PC 8 S 7 S 21 PC 9 B 5 R 7 S 5 M 34 S 16 PC 23 S ** ** 28 S 6 B 5 B 14 B 16 S 25 S 2 PC 15 PC 12 PC 5 R 6 R 14 PC 3 R 11 PC ** ** 11 B 18 PC 24 S 31 PC ** ** 20 PC 22 PC 20 B 14 B 15 C 20 S 16 D 8 B 15 PC 16 PC 18 PC ** ** 21 S 16 PC 5 D 29 B -7 PC -5 B 26 S 4 S 24 PC 14 PC 16 S 3 B 11 PC 17 PC -5 S 5 R 25 S 5 S -7 PC 4 PC 34 S 16 S 13 PC 13 C 28 S 29 PC -3 S 29 PC 31 B 2 C 2 PC ** ** 18 PC 22 PC 7 R 8 R 8 B 4 B 4 B 4 PC 2 SH The Times weather page is provided by Weatherquest Five days ahead Feeling cold with wintry showers at first, turning milder, wet and windy into the weekend Today Wintry showers in the north and west, chilly with sunny spells in the south and east. Max 7C (45F), min -7C (19F) Tides Tidal predictions. Heights in metres Today Ht Ht Aberdeen Avonmouth Belfast Cardiff Devonport Dover Dublin Falmouth Greenock Harwich Holyhead Hull Leith Liverpool London Bridge Lowestoft Milford Haven Morecambe Newhaven Newquay Oban Penzance Portsmouth Shoreham Southampton Swansea Tees Weymouth 08:58 3.5 21:16 3.6 01:48 10.2 14:24 10.4 06:27 2.9 18:53 3.1 01:45 9.5 14:21 9.8 00:22 4.4 12:52 4.6 06:05 5.6 18:54 5.4 --:-- -- --:-- -- 00:04 4.1 12:33 4.3 07:40 2.8 19:46 3.1 06:42 3.3 19:26 3.3 05:46 4.5 18:08 4.7 00:44 6.3 13:51 6.1 10:07 4.5 22:35 4.6 06:16 7.5 18:45 7.7 08:30 6.0 21:27 5.9 04:20 2.3 17:46 2.2 01:08 5.4 13:40 5.5 06:30 7.4 18:59 7.7 06:09 5.5 18:45 5.3 00:07 5.5 12:38 5.7 00:43 3.0 13:23 3.2 --:-- -- 12:01 4.5 06:42 4.0 19:13 3.9 06:16 5.1 18:56 5.0 05:32 3.9 18:01 3.7 01:10 7.3 13:43 7.6 11:14 4.6 23:33 4.7 01:27 1.4 13:48 1.4 Synoptic situation A broad trough of low pressure will cover most of northwestern Europe leading to generally chilly and unsettled conditions. However, the fl ow will be slack across much of Britain and Ireland and this will lead to largely dry conditions inland and in eastern areas. Scattered wintry showers will feed in from the northwest near coastal areas. Highs and lows 24hrs to 5pm yesterday Warmest: Jersey, 8.1C Coldest: Aonach Mor, -11.6C Wettest: Herstmonceux, East Sussex, 32.4mm Sunniest: Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man, 4.7hrs* Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun rises: Sun sets: Moon rises: Moon sets: New Moon: January 21st Hours of darkness Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Exeter Glasgow Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Penzance Sheffi eld 16:32-08:02 17:02-08:04 16:56-07:38 17:05-07:38 17:10-07:37 16:48-08:03 16:56-07:46 16:53-07:26 16:52-07:43 16:42-07:48 16:42-07:25 17:20-07:42 16:50-07:40 General situation: Wintry showers in the north and west, mainly dry with sunny spells in the south and east. London, SE Eng, Cen S Eng, E Anglia, E Mids: A chilly, dry day with spells of hazy sunshine. Light west to northwesterly winds. Maximum 4C (39F), minimum -5C (23F). W Mids, E Eng, Cen N Eng, NE Eng, Borders, Edinburgh and Dundee, Cen Highland: A mostly dry, chilly day with spells of sunshine and just the small chance of an isolated wintry shower. Light to moderate westerly winds. Maximum 4C (39F), minimum -6C (21F). SW Eng, Wales, NW Eng, Lake District, Channel Is: A mixture of sunny spells and cloud with scattered, blustery and wintry showers. Feeling chilly. Light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresh near the coast. Maximum 7C (45F), minimum -4C (25F). SW Scotland, IoM, Glasgow, Argyll, NW Scotland, NE Scotland, N Isles, Moray Firth, Aberdeen: A few sunny intervals, but rather cloudy with scattered wintry showers. Snow falling inland and over higher ground with some accumulation. Light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresh near the coast. Maximum 5C (41F), minimum -7C (19F). Republic of Ireland, N Ireland: Chilly with sunny intervals and wintry showers, drier in the south and east. Light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresh near the coast. Maximum 7C (45F), minimum -3C (27F). Tomorrow 4 4 4 6 Thursday 4 4 4 6 Saturday 6 6 10 8 Sunday 8 8 11 10 17 shower. Light to moderate westerly 17 18 Hull 16 Liverpoo 19 Edinburgh Newcastle 21 21 20 24 Orkney Shetland 19 25 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 1 3 3 3 4 4 eter Norwich SEA Llandudno rk Hull F 95 86 77 68 59 50 41 32 23 14 5 C 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 Wind speed (mph) Temperature 28 (degrees C) 34 Sea state Calm Slight Moderate Rough Flood alerts and warnings At 17:00 on Monday there were 104 fl ood warnings and 158 fl ood alerts in England, one fl ood warning and nine fl ood alerts in Wales and no fl ood alerts or warnings in Scotland. For further information and updates in England visit fl ood-warninginformation.service.gov.uk, for Wales naturalresources.wales/fl ooding and for Scotland SEPA.org.uk Cold front Warm front Occluded front Trough LOW HIGH LOW LOW HIGH HIGH LOW HIGH 1040 1032 1032 1032 1024 1024 1024 1024 1016 1016 1016 1016 1008 1008 1008 1008 1000 1000 992 984 976 Mainly dry and feeling cold in central and eastern areas. Cloud will push rain with some sleet and snow over higher ground into Ireland and western Britain later. Max 10C, min -6C A chilly day with scattered wintry showers feeding in from the north, mainly around the coasts. Staying drier inland and in the south. Max 8C, min -7C A few wintry showers in northern Scotland and near eastern and Irish Sea coasts. Otherwise, most places will stay dry with sunny spells and feeling chilly. Max 9C, min -9C Turning generally milder and wet and windy across most areas with outbreaks of rain spreading eastwards. Staying drier in the far southeast. Max 12C, min -1C Rather cloudy, breezy and generally mild with some showery rain at times, especially in western areas. Max 12C, min 1C 07.57 16.22 03.16 11.54 3 I t was on this day 250 years ago that Captain James Cook in HMS Resolution crossed the Antarctic Circle, “undoubtedly the first and only Ship that ever cross’d that line”, Cook recorded on January 17, 1773. The expedition was in search of a fabled vast fertile land south of Australia known as Terra Australis, but instead found only cold seas, icebergs and an ice sheet. As they sailed through the Antarctic seas in freezing cold, their rigging and sails became encrusted with ice. And then they saw the horizon strangely bright with a white reflection in the sky, a sign of an ice sheet, as Cook recorded: “We were stoped by an immence field of Ice to which we could see no end.” Over the following days they searched in vain for a route further south but eventually “the Ice was so thick and close that we could proceed no further” and the expedition turned back to New Zealand. Later that year they returned and on December 21 Cook wrote of gale-force winds, thick fog and sleeting rain as “we came the second time under the Polar Circle”. On Christmas Day the wind died down, leaving the ship almost becalmed and surrounded by about 200 icebergs, which the expedition’s naturalist, Johann Forster, noted looked “like the wrecks of a destroyed world”. Again they turned back. Cook and his crew crossed the Antarctic Circle three times in total during the voyage. On the third attempt they reached their most southerly point, on January 30, 1774, but were forced back due to sea ice. Ultimately, Cook’s voyage did not succeed in discovering a great southern land mass, nor did they reach the continent of Antarctica. But the voyage opened the way years later for expeditions to reach and map Antarctica, such as when Ernest Shackleton tried to reach the South Pole. Eventually Captain Robert Falcon Scott was the first to lead a successful British expedition to the South Pole, coincidentally on this date, January 17, in 1912. But when he reached the pole he found he had been beaten by Norwegian explorers led by Roald Amundsen. Weather Eye Paul Simons

A doctor central to the success at both Team Sky and British Cycling will face a doping investigation after losing his High Court appeal against a tribunal’s decision to strike him from the medical register. Richard Freeman was found guilty of ordering banned testosterone, “knowing or believing” it was to be used to dope a rider, when he appeared before a medical practitioners tribunal in 2021, with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) then confirming he had been charged with two alleged breaches of antidoping rules. In July 2021 Freeman’s decision to appeal against the ruling led to Ukad pausing its inquiry until the outcome of the case. Yesterday Mr Justice Fordham ruled there was “nothing wrong” with the tribunal’s findings. Freeman, 63, admitted ordering 30 Sport Now Freeman faces doping charges sachets of Testogel to the Manchester Velodrome — the headquarters to the Olympic and professional road teams — in May 2011, and lying in a botched attempt to cover his tracks. Those lies even extended to an interview with Ukad, for which he is also now facing a four-year ban. The identity of the rider for whom the testosterone was ordered remains unknown. As the head of a medical department that provided care for all the riders, Freeman was an important figure. He was the British team doctor at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and the personal physician to Sir Bradley Wiggins when the cyclist won the 2012 Tour de France. It was Freeman who secured the controversial medical exemption that enabled Wiggins to use the corticosteroid triamcinolone before becoming the first Briton to win the Tour. If Freeman is sanctioned by Ukad, it will amount to the first anti-doping rule violation of Sir Dave Brailsford’s time at Team Sky and British Cycling. Freeman denied the central charge of “knowing or believing” the testosterone was to be given to an unnamed rider to improve their athletic performance. Instead, he claimed it was ordered at the request of Shane Sutton, to treat the Australian former Team Sky coach and British Cycling technical director for erectile dysfunction. Sutton denied the claims. The General Medical Council’s legal team produced an expert to dismiss the claim that testosterone would ever be prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. In one of the more dramatic moments of the tribunal, Sutton stormed out under cross-examination and refused to return for further questions from Freeman’s legal team. He insisted the testosterone was not for him. Sutton’s exit was central to the High Court appeal, with Freeman’s representatives arguing that the evidence he had already given should be thrown out or deemed to carry little weight. However, Mr Justice Fordham said: “In my judgment, there is nothing within the tribunal’s approach, reasoning or conclusions which was ‘wrong’; still less any respect which would undermine as ‘wrong’ the overall conclusion; nor rendering any finding or the outcome ‘unjust because of a serious procedural or other irregularity in the proceedings’.” In March 2021 Ukad responded to the tribunal judgment by stating that Freeman had been “charged with two violations — possession of prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods and tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control”. Yesterday a statement from Ukad said: “Following confirmation of the outcome of the High Court appeal, Ukad will be contacting the NADP [National Anti-Doping Panel] and Dr Freeman’s representatives with a view to resuming its proceedings.” A statement from Freeman’s lawyers at JMW Solicitors said they were “disappointed” by the judgment. Freeman’s defence slowly collapsed during a tribunal hearing that suffered a series of delays, caused not least by the doctor’s ill-health. Of relevance to the Ukad case is the fact that Freeman claimed, under cross-examination, that he had taken the Testogel sachets home and poured them down the sink, when it was something that he had not detailed either in an interview with Ukad or in the statements he submitted to the panel. In his main witness statement to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, Freeman admitted that he “lied about the events to Ukad, to my solicitor and legal team”, which in Ukad’s case amounts to tampering. Cycling Matt Lawton Chief Sports Correspondent The former British Cycling doctor was struck off in 2021 the Tokyo Olympics a year earlier, GB were seventh, Italy finishing first. This year there are European Championships in February and World Championships in Glasgow in August. Scheduling changes at QuickStep caused by injury and illness were among Vernon’s biggest surprises last year, and balancing track with road adds to the logistical challenges. At the Nations Cup in Glasgow in April, he was racing in the madison on a Saturday night and summoned to the Tour de Romandie, which began in Switzerland on the following Tuesday. Amid competing demands, familiarity with the British quartet was the primary reason why Vernon switched from red to white — he is from Bedford but his father is from north Wales — for last year’s Commonwealth Games, winning silver with England at Lee Valley. He says it would be “daft” to give up his chance at Olympic gold now. languages around you. It takes a while to get used to because humour and everything’s different in different languages and in countries, isn’t it?” Vernon operates in relative anonymity to Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel, the team’s stars. He gets a flavour of it at races in Belgium, when his Quick-Step kit gives him hero status, but he does not have the regular demand for interviews and pictures endured by Evenepoel, the Vuelta and world road-race champion at 22 who bears the weight of being “the next Eddy Merckx”. Evenepoel will feature heavily in Amazon Prime Video’s series on Quick-Step’s 2022 season. Vernon has not given up on the track just yet. At the World Championships in October — at the velodrome for the 2024 Olympics in Paris — he teamed up with Daniel Bigham, Ethan Hayter and Oliver Wood for gold in the team pursuit. At E than Vernon knew that he would be sharing a room with Mark Cavendish at the start of his first season as a professional road cyclist, but he did not know when the “Manx Missile” would be turning up. This was the man he idolised, about to use the same en suite and wardrobe as him. “He joined a bit later in the first camp and I was in my room on my own, but I knew he was coming,” Vernon, 22, says. “Every day, I didn’t know if he was going to be there when I got back from training. I was quite scared, probably tidying up my bags and my stuff up more than I normally do.” Vernon is about to embark on his second season with Soudal Quick-Step, this time without Cavendish as a team-mate in “The Wolfpack” of Belgium. The first season brought plenty of novel experiences and successes: two stage wins at the Tour of Slovakia and one at the Volta a Catalunya, plus a world title in the team pursuit for Great Britain. His debut campaign started at the UAE Tour in February, where Cavendish won the second stage. It was serendipitous for the youngster, given what Cavendish represented ‘I tidied my room for Cavendish – I was quite scared’ and after he had spent evenings regaling Vernon with stories and advice on race craft, laughing at the newcomer’s questions about what to put in his wet bag. Vernon’s second album as a neo pro is set to start at Challenge Mallorca a week tomorrow. In 12 months, we may know more about the type of rider Vernon will become. He himself does not yet know. “I enjoy my sprinting and obviously I won a couple of sprints last year but I can climb quite well against some of the other sprinters, so I think that’s definitely an avenue I want to explore,” he says. “I like to give everything a go, I’ve not closed any doors yet.” Versatility is nothing new. Vernon started in BMX racing, and went to London 2012 to watch the event. He recalls sitting on the grass at Lee Valley VeloPark, hearing the roar from inside the velodrome. He switched to track and road thereafter and became British junior champion in the individual pursuit, points race and kilo at 16. His housemaster at Bedford School did not mind when he turned up a few minutes late one Saturday morning once he learnt Vernon had cycled via Cambridge, having left at 5am. We are talking at QuickStep’s family day at Plopsaland, an ersatz Disney hotel and theme park in De Panne, Belgium, ten miles up the coast from Dunkirk. There is plenty of media interest here from the Continent in a team whose riders hail from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland and — in Vernon and James Knox — the United Kingdom. The team speak English on race days, which makes life easier for Vernon, though the cosmopolitan nature of the squad takes getting used to. He describes the atmosphere at British Cycling as “almost like an office job” — a serious, nine-to-five where you come in, train and succeed. The nature of being in a professional team such as Quick-Step means there has to be time for fun and relaxation among races. Both environments work, he says. “I’ve just grown up in an all-British culture, and we all lived in the same house in Manchester,” Vernon says. “Our coaches were from the same village, everyone just knew each other so well. And then you’re chucked into a World Tour team and there was only one or two other guys that are English. I’ve never experienced that in my life where I’ve had that many cultures and people speaking different Britain’s Ethan Vernon isn’t giving up on track racing after fine debut season on World Tour, writes Elgan Alderman Vernon’s victory on stage five of the Volta a Catalunya was a highlight of his promising debut season at World Tour level that had started with his veteran room-mate, Cavendish, taking the plaudits from the 22-year-old at the UAE Tour, inset left 54 Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 55 Racing Sport Football Sky Bet League One Port Vale (0) 0 Peterborough (0) 2 5,109 Mason-Clark 56, 64 Top half of the table P W D L F A GD Pts Plymouth............27 17 7 3 47 27 20 58 Sheffield Wed...26 16 7 3 46 18 28 55 Ipswich................26 14 9 3 48 26 22 51 Derby...................25 12 8 5 36 19 17 44 Bolton..................26 12 8 6 33 20 13 44 Barnsley..............24 12 4 8 30 23 7 40 Peterborough...25 12 2 11 41 31 10 38 Wycombe...........26 11 5 10 33 27 6 38 Bristol Rovers...27 10 7 10 42 45 -3 37 Exeter..................26 9 8 9 39 37 2 35 Port Vale.............25 10 5 10 27 34 -7 35 Charlton..............26 8 10 8 40 36 4 34 Vanarama National: North: Postponed Bradford Park Avenue v Scarborough Athletic. Italian Serie A Empoli 1 Sampdoria 0. Spanish La Liga Cádiz 1 Elche 1. American football NFL Wild Card play-offs American Conference Cincinnati 24 Baltimore 17. National Conference Minnesota 24 New York Giants 31. Golf US PGA Tour Sony Open Honolulu: Leading final scores (United States unless stated): 262 Kim Si-woo (S Kor) 67, 67, 64, 64. 263 H Buckley 67, 64, 64, 68. 265 C Kirk 64, 65, 68, 68. 266 D Lipsky 65, 66, 66, 69; A Putnam 70, 66, 62, 68; B Taylor (Eng) 66, 66, 65, 69. 267 A Baddeley (Aus) 67, 70, 65, 65; M Kuchar 70, 67, 64, 66; N Lashley 69, 65, 65, 68; M McNealy 66, 67, 67, 67; N Taylor (Can) 70, 68, 62, 67. 268 An Byeong-hun (S Kor) 70, 65, 66, 67; C Conners (Can) 69, 66, 68, 65; N Echavarria (Col) 69, 69, 65, 65; A Eckroat 66, 66, 68, 68; B Griffin 65, 68, 67, 68; Kim Seong-hyeon (S Kor) 65, 67, 68, 68; T Montgomery 64, 66, 70, 68; A Novak 66, 70, 67, 65; J J Spaun 66, 64, 71, 67. Snooker World Grand Prix The Centaur, Cheltenham: First round M Allen N Ire) bt D Gilbert (Eng) 4-2; Zhou Yuelong (China) bt T Un-Nooh (Thai) 4-3. Tennis Australian Open Melbourne Park: First round (seeds in brackets; British players in blue): Men (1) R Nadal (Sp) bt J Draper (GB) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; M McDonald (US) bt B Nakashima (US) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 6-7 (10-12) 6-4; D Svrcina (Cz) bt J Munar (Sp) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; (31) Y Nishioka (Japan) bt M Ymer (Swe) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5; (18) K Khachanov (Russ) bt B Zapata Miralles (Sp) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-0; J Kubler (Aus) bt S Baez (Arg) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Shang Juncheng (China) bt O Otte (Ger) 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5; (16) F Tiafoe (US) bt D Altmaier (Ger) 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6); (10) H Hurkacz (Pol) bt P Martínez Portero (Sp) 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, 6-2; L Sonego (It) bt N Borges (Por) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1; T Daniel (Japan) bt E Escobedo (US) 7-5, 6-2, 3- 6, 6-3; (20) D Shapovalov (Can) bt D Lajovic (Serb) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; (29) S Korda (US) bt C Garín (Chile) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2; Y Watanuki (Japan) bt A Rinderknech (Fr) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; J Millman (Aus) bt M-A Hüsler (Switz) 6-7 (8-10), 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-3; (7) D Medvedev (Russ) bt M Giron (US) 6-0, 6-1, 6-2; (3) S Tsitsipas (Gr) bt Q Halys (Fr) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6); R Hijikata (Aus) bt Y Hanfmann (Ger) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7- 5), 6-3; T Griekspoor (Neth) bt P Kotov (Russ) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; (32) B van de Zandschulp (Neth) bt I Ivashka (Bela) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; L Harris (SA) bt (17) L Musetti (It) 6-4, 6-1, 6-7 (0- 7), 2-6, 7-6 (10-4); M Fucsovics (Hun) bt F Coria (Arg) 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2; T Etcheverry (Arg) bt G Barrere (Fr) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; (15) J Sinner (It) bt K Edmund (GB) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2; (11) C Norrie (GB) bt L Van Assche (Fr) 7-6 (7- 3), 6-0, 6-3; C Lestienne (Fr) bt T Moura Monteiro (Br) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; C Eubanks (US) bt Kwon Soon-woo (S Kor) 6-3, 6-7 (1-7), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; J Lehecka (Cz) bt (21) B Coric (Cro) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; (28) F Cerundolo (Arg) bt G Pella (Arg) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; C Moutet (Fr) bt Wu Yibing (China) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; A Molcan (Slova) bt S Wawrinka (Switz) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 1-6 7-6 (7-2), 6-4; (6) F Auger-Aliassime (Can) bt V Pospisil (Can) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Women (1) I Swiatek (Pol) bt J Niemeier (Ger) 6-4, 7-5; M Osorio Serrano (Col) bt P Udvardy (Hun) 6-4, 6-1; C Bucsa (Sp) bt E Lys (Ger) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2; B Andreescu (Can) bt (25) M Bouzkova (Cz) 6-2, 6-4; (22) E Rybakina (Kaz) bt E Cocciaretto (It) 7-5, 6-3; K Juvan (Slove) bt S Janicijevic (Fr) 7-5, 6-1; K Muchova (Cz) bt L Hereford Going: soft 1.10 (2m 8yd ch) 1, Greenrock Abbey (Richard Patrick, 5-2); 2, Ironhill (14-1); 3, Valirann Gold (9-4 fav). 11 ran. 13l, 17l. Kerry Lee. 1.40 (2m 3f 147yd hdle) 1, Missed Tee (Harry Skelton, 10-11 fav); 2, Leading Theatre (5-1); 3, Ramo (5-2). 6 ran. l, 9l. D Skelton. 2.10 (2m 53yd hdle) 1, Jaminska (David Noonan, 7-4); 2, Obsessedwithyou (Evens fav); 3, Imperial Jade (17-2). 7 ran. 5l, 16l. Mrs J Williams. 2.40 (3m 1f 44yd ch) 1, City Chief (N de Boinville, Evens fav); 2, Coconut Splash (5-1); 3, Jet Plane (13-8). 5 l, 40l. N J Henderson. 3.10 (2m 4f 194yd ch) 1, Kingcormac (H Cobden, 3-1); 2, Bitasweetsymphony (11-1); 3, Supasunrise (9-2). 10 ran. 6l, l. J Tickle. 3.40 (2m 53yd hdle) 1, Fay Ce Que Voudras (Richard Patrick, 16-5); 2, Crem Fresh (22-1); 3, Minniemum (11-4 fav). 11 ran. NR: Woodford Bridge. 2 l, 4 l. Kerry Lee. 4.10 (2m 5f 163yd hdle) 1, Zestful Hope (Lilly Pinchin, 4-1); 2, Pachacuti (3-1 fav); 3, Lady Wilberry (10-1). 10 ran. l, 6l. C E Longsdon. Placepot: £13.90. Quadpot: £7.40. Wolverhampton Going: standard 4.20 (1m 1f 104yd) 1, Marmara Star (Saffie Osborne, 11-2); 2, Densetsu (2-1 fav); 3, Mother India (20-1). 6 ran. NR: Zalicia Fire. 1 l, 1 l. G Boughey. 4.55 (7f 36yd) 1, Follow Your Heart (Billy Loughnane, 9-4 fav); 2, Aljari (7-2); 3, Meng Tian (16-1). 10 ran. 2 l, 2 l. D M Loughnane. 5.30 (7f 36yd) 1, Business (Billy Loughnane, 100-30); 2, Free Solo (7-2); 3, Twm Sion (100-1). 4 ran. 4 l, 55l. S Curran. 6.00 (2m 120yd) 1, Solent Gateway (R Coakley, 8-1); 2, Barenboim (Evens fav); 3, Withhold (9-1). 5 ran. NR: Pistoletto, Protected Guest. 1 l, 3 l. H Palmer. 6.30 (5f 21yd) 1, Danger Alert (Kevin Stott, 11-10 fav); 2, Erosion Risk (13-8); 3, Pride Of Yorkshire (20-1). 5 ran. 2 l, 1 l. G Boughey. 7.00 (5f 21yd) 1, Hit Mac (Kevin Stott, 5-6 fav); 2, Boom The Groom (18-1); 3, Battle Point (40-1). 11 ran. Nk, 1l. G Boughey. 7.30 (1m 1f 104yd) 1, Arcadian Nights (Billy Loughnane, 13-2); 2, Toophan (13-2); 3, Roscioli (7-2). 10 ran. 1 l, l. D M Loughnane. Placepot: £27.30. Quadpot: £11.70. 6 Fontwell Park was abandoned because of waterlogging Yesterday’s racing results Tsurenko (Ukr) 6-2, 6-1; (13) D Collins (US) bt A Kalinskaya (Russ) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4; C McNally (US) bt L Pigossi (Br) 7-5, 6-1; K Baindl (Ukr) bt K Rakhimova (Russ) 7-5, 6-7 (8-10), 6-1; A Bondar (Hun) bt A Bogdan (Rom) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; (17) J Ostapenko (Lat) bt D Yastremska (Ukr) 6-4, 6-2; (29) Zheng Qinwen (China) bt D Galfi (Hun) 6-0, 6-2; B Pera (US) bt M Uchijima (Japan) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; E Raducanu (GB) bt T Korpatsch (Ger) 6-3, 6-2; (7) C Gauff (US) bt K Siniakova (Cz) 6-1, 6-4; (3) J Pegula (US) bt J Cristian (Rom) 6-0, 6-1; A Sasnovich (Bela) bt B Fruhvirtova (Cz) 7-5, 6-2; O Gadecki (Aus) bt P Kudermetova (Russ) 7-5, 6-1; M Kostyuk (Ukr) bt (28) A Anisimova (US) 6-3, 6-4; (20) B Krejcikova (Cz) bt S Bejlek (Cz) 6-3, 6-1; C Burel (Fr) bt T Gibson (Aus) 6-3, 6-4; A Kalinina (Ukr) bt C Vandeweghe (US) 6-3, 6-1; (15) P Kvitova (Cz) bt A Van Uytvanck (Bel) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; (10) M Keys (US) bt A Blinkova (Russ) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Wang Xinyu (China) bt S Hunter (Aus) 7-6 (7- 2), 6-4; N Podoroska (Arg) bt L Jeanjean (Fr) 6-0, 6-3; (24) V Azarenka (Bela) bt S Kenin (US) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); (32) Jil B Teichmann (Switz) bt H Dart (GB) 7-5, 6-1; Zhu Lin (China) bt R Marino (Can) 6-2, 6-4; D Shnaider (Russ) bt K Kucova (Slova) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5; (6) M Sakkari (Gr) bt Yuan Yue (China) 6-1, 6-4. Results Football Kick-off 7.45 unless stated FA Cup: Third round Forest Green v Birmingham. Third-round replay Accrington Stanley v Boreham Wood; Swansea v Bristol City; West Bromwich v Chesterfield (8.0); Wigan v Luton; Wolverhampton v Liverpool. Vanarama National League Altrincham v Maidenhead; Barnet v Yeovil; Dagenham & Redbridge v Eastleigh; Solihull Moors v Aldershot; Wealdstone v Oldham. North AFC Fylde v Buxton; AFC Telford v Kettering; Brackley v King’s Lynn; Farsley Celtic v Leamington; Peterborough Sports v Gloucester; Southport v Boston. South Bath v Dulwich; Chippenham v Welling; Ebbsfleet v Chelmsford; Farnborough v Concord; Hampton & Richmond v Cheshunt; Hungerford v St Albans. FA Trophy: Fourth round Banbury v Coalville; Harrow v Halifax; Torquay v Taunton. SPFL Trust Trophy Challenge Cup: Quarterfinal Dundee v Dunfermline. Snooker The Centaur, Cheltenham World Grand Prix. Fixtures Chepstow Rob Wright 1.00 Novices' Hurdle (£4,901: 2m) (16 runners) 1.30 Maiden Hurdle (£4,901: 2m 3f 100yd) (16) 2.00 Handicap Chase (£6,126: 3m) (7) 2.30 Handicap Chase (£8,238: 2m 3f) (5) 3.00 Handicap Hurdle (£7,077: 2m 3f 100yd) (10) Kempton Park Rob Wright 12.40 Handicap (£3,140: 5f) (9) 1.10 Maiden Stakes (£3,780: 6f) (12) 3.35 Handicap Hurdle (£4,330: 3m) (14) 4.10 Handicap Hurdle (£4,330: 2m 3f 100yd) (15) Southwell Rob Wright 5.00 Handicap (£4,187: 5f) (8) 5.30 Handicap (£3,402: 5f) (11) 6.00 Handicap (3-Y-O: £3,402: 5f) (8) 6.30 Handicap (£5,129: 1m 4f) (9) 7.00 Novice Stakes (£4,320: 1m 4f) (5) 7.30 Handicap (Div I: £3,402: 7f) (9) 8.00 Handicap (Div II: £3,402: 7f) (9) 8.30 Handicap (£3,402: 6f) (13) 1.40 Handicap (3-Y-O: £3,140: 7f) (12) 2.10 Handicap (£3,140: 1m) (9) 2.40 Classified Stakes (£3,140: 1m 4f) (11) 3.15 Handicap (3-Y-O: £4,187: 1m 4f) (5) 3.50 Handicap (£2,980: 6f) (12) Big two scare Ascot rivals Top-class pair Energumene and Edwardstone have little opposition in the grade one Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday, with only Amarillo Sky daring to take them on. Energumene was beaten by Shishkin in a cracking renewal of this race 12 months ago, before going on to land the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, where Edwardstone lifted the Arkle Trophy. Women’s IPL rights sold Cricket Broadcast rights for this year’s inaugural Women’s Indian Premier League have been sold for £95 million. The WIPL will begin with five franchises, set to be announced this month, and is expected to be played in March. The deal with the media company Viacom 18 covers the first five years of a tournament that is likely to feature top English players in the auction. New coaches for Proteas Cricket Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter have been named head coaches of South Africa’s Test and limited overs teams respectively. Conrad, 55, a former first-class cricketer, has been head coach of the South African Academy since 2014. He also coached the South African Under-19 team and will be in charge for a two-Test home series against West Indies next month.

56 2GM Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times Sport Australian Open set in six matches. Gauff has observed the heavy weight of expectation on Raducanu since her astonishing triumph as a qualifier at Flushing Meadows 16 months ago. As the American is yet to win a major title — she came closest at last year’s French Open by finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek — she has been given a little more space to build consistency on the tour. Presently she is ranked No 7, while Raducanu languishes at No 77. “Obviously, she’s gone through a lot of pressure, bursting on to the scene,” Gauff said. “I feel like it’s probably more than I have experienced. Being the first British person to do something in a long time [before Raducanu, Virginia Wade was the last British woman to win a grand-slam singles title, at Wimbledon in 1977] probably is a lot more pressure than what I’m used to being an American. Serena [Williams] is retired now, but she was always the American that people looked to. I definitely can relate to bursting on to the scene and dealing with some pressure, but I don’t think to that level.” In turn, Raducanu is impressed with the way in which Gauff juggles tennis with her various off-court interests, such as activism for the Black Lives Matter movement. “I’m still learning the balance,” Raducanu said. “I give 200 per cent in everything I do, so even when I’m doing my commitments, I am giving my all and that can sometimes drain energy without even realising. “I’ve just been working on scheduling the commitments better around the training. It is so early in the year that I haven’t done anything, but it’s something that I’m looking to do.” With strapping on her ankle, Raducanu was a little tentative in the early stages against Korpatsch, when she was forced out wide to her backhand side. This also affected her service motion because of her reluctance to push up fully through her ankle. She broke serve twice in the first six games, but she was broken back twice to leave the set evenly poised at 3-3. It was at this point that Raducanu became more confident that her ankle would hold up. Her movement improved and she began to dominate proceedings with her hard-hitting groundstrokes, helping her reel off three straight games for the opening set. Power ultimately proved the difference as the erratic Korpatsch struggled to handle the barrage coming at her in the second set. Raducanu, who hit 27 winners to her opponent’s ten, broke serve twice in the second set and saved the only break point that she faced to ease across the finish line in front of an appreciative crowd at Melbourne Park. Now Raducanu has the chance to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time since her US Open victory. She also has the opportunity for a new milestone in beating a top-ten player for the first time — her careerbest win came against Belinda Bencic, then ranked No 12, in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows. “I would say ranking to me is a bit irrelevant,” Raducanu said. “I haven’t necessarily beaten a top-ten player. I myself was a top-ten player, but anyone in the WTA rankings, if they’re having a good day, they can all play at that level and it’s quite up and down. “Coco has obviously been consistent and she’s playing well. She’s a great athlete, so there’ll be a tough challenge for sure. But one that I’m up for.” Raducanu is the last Briton standing in the women’s singles draw after Harriet Dart lost 7-5, 6-1 to Jil Teichmann, the No 32 seed from Switzerland. Dart, ranked No 96, was so frustrated after narrowly losing the first set that she threw her racket at the back wall. This year’s Australian Open suffered arguably its biggest blow when Nick Kyrgios suddenly announced his withdrawal from the tournament because of a knee injury. Twenty-four hours before he was due to start his campaign, the Australian No 1 called a press conference and revealed that he was not fit enough to compete. His physio, Will Maher, said that an MRI scan had shown a tear in Kyrgios’s lateral meniscus, which caused a painful cyst to develop. Kyrgios, 27, will now undergo arthroscopic surgery and if all goes well with the recovery, he plans to return for the Indian Wells Open in March. “I am extremely disappointed,” Kyrgios said. “I’m exhausted from Kyrgios pulls out with knee injury Stuart Fraser everything, and obviously it is pretty brutal. It is one of the most important tournaments of my career. It hasn’t been easy at all. It [the knee] doesn’t feel good. It’s like constant [pain]. When I finish a session or finish a match, it’s just constant throbbing. I have barely had a good night’s sleep the last four, five nights. “Every time I land on serve or push off my serve, you can see on the side of my knee there’s a little lump. That lump will eventually just get bigger and bigger. There’s pressure on my knee and it obviously hinders my movement. The only real way to get rid of it is to open up and then just get rid of it.” Kyrgios had considered himself one of the favourites for the tournament after finishing runner-up at Wimbledon last year. He was bullish about his chances when he spoke last Thursday and said that this was the first time he had arrived at Melbourne Park without a “nothing to lose” mentality. Maher said that Kyrgios “did not pull up great” after a practice match against Novak Djokovic on Friday. Despite having a fenestration procedure that attempted to drain the cyst, it became clear in subsequent practice sessions that it was not improving. “I think we’ve made the sensible decision to withdraw him,” Maher said. “We wanted to prevent him from having further injury or making that injury worse.” Tennis figures at Melbourne Park are now talking of the “curse of Netflix” — Kyrgios is one of three players featured in the new Break Point documentary series to have withdrawn since the draw was made, joining Paula Badosa and Ajla Tomljanovic. In the summer of 2019 a 16-year-old Emma Raducanu and a 15-year-old Coco Gauff turned up with their racket bags at the unspectacular Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton with dreams of qualifying for Wimbledon. Their respective results meant that they were given contrasting court assignments at the All England Club a week later. “I was playing Junior Wimbledon on Court 5 and she was on Centre Court,” Raducanu recalled yesterday. “I had lost in the first round of qualifying [to En-Shuo Liang, now ranked No 345]. She qualified and won three rounds [in the main draw].” Few could have predicted that Raducanu, now aged 20, would be first to win a grand-slam title, at the 2021 US Open. While Gauff is still only 18, it feels as if she is an established name with plenty of experience under her belt. Tomorrow at the Australian Open they face each other for the first time at any level, in an eagerly anticipated second-round showdown. “When I was ten years old, we first spoke,” Raducanu said. “I remember us hitting in Florida right before the Under-12 Orange Bowl [a prestigious junior event]. That is my earliest memory of meeting her.” Raducanu has done well to set this match up. Ten days after turning her left ankle in Auckland, she completed a recovery against the odds by successfully winning her opening match 6-3, 6-2 against Tamara Korpatsch, the world No 76 from Germany, yesterday. It was not a memorable encounter given that the contestants hit a total of 59 unforced errors between them, but Raducanu and her coaching team will be pleased enough that she found a way through with little trouble after a rollercoaster build-up. “There was a lot of work off the court from my team,” Raducanu said. “Will [Herbert, her physio] has helped a lot every day but, yeah, you have just got to grit your teeth sometimes as well.” Her game, however, will almost certainly have to be raised against Gauff. The American comfortably came through her opener 6-1, 6-4 against the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova to preserve her unbeaten start to 2023 after winning the Auckland warm-up. She has not even lost a Emma Raducanu (GB) 6 6 Tamara Korpatsch (Ger) 3 2 ‘I’ve had pressure but nothing Stuart Fraser Tennis Correspondent, Melbourne Harriet Walker fashion editor P rofessional tennis players are often accused of being a bit — whisper it — boring. But what better way to scotch that rumour than by turning up on court in the latest Nike kit, as worn at the Australian Open yesterday by Frances Tiafoe and Emma Raducanu? The design features a trippy, multi-coloured pattern — let’s call it “jazz camo” — that would have Wimbledon’s dress coders reaching for their smelling salts. Crimson, lilac, teal, even a muddy sort of brown — there is a flash of traditional white in there, but you get the impression it was almost accidental. The overall look is of those heat maps you see on telly when police helicopters are following a getaway car. Why? Perhaps this is the point: befuddlement. You don’t need to have memorised Paul Bettany’s “don’t choke” speech in the 2004 film Wimbledon to know how important a player’s focus is — and to understand, therefore, how dastardly a move it might prove to don this frightsome apparel so clearly engineered to throw one’s opponent off their stride. It’s the most distracting piece of tennis kit since Roger Federer turned up looking like Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman. As is often the case with OTT dressing, the women’s version is slightly less troubling than the men’s. Raducanu’s dress benefits from only being half-made from the same wiggle-warp print as Tiafoe’s attire — although whoever at Nike HQ thought that simply shoving half an entirely unrelated swimming costume on top was a good idea might want to get a copy of Frankenstein out of the library. I appreciate there is plenty of wicking technology here, but you have to wonder whether anybody took a proper look at it before it left the cutting-room floor, sorry, design studio. As for its fashion credentials beyond the court, this print is a nod to the nu-rave trend that was popular with Hoxton hipsters during the late Noughties before they too realised it wasn’t very nice. At least Tiafoe and Raducanu’s razzy getup complemented the blue court. Imagine how much more of an eyesore it might have been on grass or clay. Gauff, who is playing Raducanu for the first time, has made a great start to 2023 Australian Open Live on Eurosport, coverage starts from 1am each day, highlights from 4pm How the rivals match up . . . Emma Raducanu Coco Gauff 20 Age 18 77 Ranking 7 5ft 7in Height 5ft 9in 1 WTA titles 3 US Open Best grand French Open champion (2021) slam final (2022) $3,542,583 Career prize $5,581,091 (about £2.9m) money (about £4.6m) Even Hoxton hipsters gave up on this OTT apparel

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 2GM 57 Sport Jack Draper gave it all he had against Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Australian Open but four gruelling sets against one of the sport’s great warriors left him a broken man. The 21-year-old British player could barely move towards the end of the longest match of his career at three hours and 41 minutes. He had posed problems for Nadal in the first two sets before cramp took effect in a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 defeat. This was a brutal reminder for Draper that his body is still not up to the demands of tennis at the highest level. The world No 38 has a powerful game that can unsettle opponents but he struggles to last the course, having now lost seven of eight matches that have gone past the 2½-hour mark. Two separate viral infections during the off-season did not help Draper’s preparations but he is well aware that he has physical improvements to make. A training block with his new fitness trainer, Dejan Vojnovic, a former Olympic sprinter and bobsleigher from Croatia, is planned in the coming weeks. “I feel like I just need to investigate why I’m getting cramp, but also know that I’ve only just started really with my fitness trainer that I’ve invested in,” Draper said. “It’s going to be a work in progress. “Playing grandslam tennis, you’ve got to be out there, especially playing someone like Rafa, for hours and hours and hours. The pains of playing high-level tennis on the body is tough. But when you start cramping, it becomes almost impossible.” The first set was closely contested in front of a large crowd on the main Rod Laver Arena. Draper went toe to toe with the 22-times grand-slam singles champion but was undone towards the end by excessive use of the drop shot. Nadal saw an opportunity at 6-5 and pounced to claim the first break of the match for the set. To his credit, Draper responded well with an immediate break and quickly moved 4-0 ahead, even threatening to claim a 6-0 “bagel” set when he had break points for a 5-0 lead. Nadal avoided this by winning two games but conceded the set after a series of errors. The first sign of physical trouble for Draper came at the start of the third set. His average forehand top-spin speed dropped from 75mph to 70mph and, with a double fault, he went 3-1 down. He called out the trainer for treatment on his legs during the change of ends and somehow levelled at 4-4 before suffering a dip in the next two games. Stuart Fraser like what Emma’s had’ Draper lacks the stamina to match a great warhorse There was a brief resurgence in the fourth set when Draper broke serve for 1-0 but this was to be the last game he claimed. He gave up trying to reach the ball during some extended rallies and started to roll the serve in at half-speed because of abdominal problems, with his 36-year-old opponent ruthlessly claiming six straight games for the match. At least Draper honourably saw out the match despite his severe limitations in the final few minutes. “I feel like if you’re maybe 3-1 down in a fourth set after 3½ hours, the other guy’s had to work hard to get in that position,” he said. “I’ve learnt [you] just don’t retire in that situation. Even if I’m in a lot of pain, just get through the match and let him have the win like he should do.” After losing to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur at the United Cup in Sydney, this is Nadal’s first win of the season. The defence of his title continues tomorrow against Mackenzie McDonald, the world No 65 from the United States. “It was a very positive start,” Nadal said. “I played against one of the toughest opponents possible in the first round as a seed. He is young, he has the power and has a great future in front of him.” Norrie made a successful start to his campaign only 48 hours after finishing runner-up at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The British No 1, seeded No 11, came through a first-set tie-break before racing away for a 7-6 (7-3), 6-0, 6-3 win against the French wild card Luca Van Assche. He plays another Frenchman, Constant Lestienne, next. Kyle Edmund quickly bowed out in his first Australian Open appearance since 2020. The 2018 semi-finalist, who has undergone three knee operations in the past two years, battled hard in the first set before fading towards the end of a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 defeat by Jannik Sinner, the No 15 seed from Italy. Nadal applauds Draper after a match that went beyond the 3½-hour mark Wimbledon’s dress coders would be reaching for their smelling salts if Raducanu and Tiafoe, inset, turned up on court in the outrageous Nike outfits they wore at the Australian Open Rafael Nadal (Sp, No 1) 7 2 6 6 Jack Draper (GB) 5 6 4 1 What to watch from 8am After Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini conclude their match in Rod Laver Arena, Ons Jabeur, the women’s No 2 seed, will take on Tamara Zidansek. After that, Novak Djokovic comes on court to face Roberto Carballés Baena. Over in Margaret Court Arena, the 8am session begins with Belinda Bencic taking on Viktoriya Tomova, followed by Casper Ruud, the No 2 seed, and Tomas Machac. In John Cain Arena, Alex de Minaur, the leading home hope in the men’s singles after Nick Kyrgios’s withdrawal, takes on Hsu Yu-hsiou. BBC keeps limited deal for Olympics Olympics Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter The BBC will keep the rights to cover the summer and winter Olympics until 2032 under a new deal announced yesterday but under the reduced access that the broadcaster had at the delayed Tokyo Games. The IOC has awarded all media rights in Europe for the four Games from 2026 to 2032 to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Warner Bros Discovery, co-owners of BT Sport. The BBC and other public service broadcasters in Europe will get access to some free-to-air coverage under the deal. The BBC’s reduced coverage of Tokyo in 2021 came in for some criticism but it said that it “needed to carve out a deal to ensure the Olympics remained on the BBC” for future Games. The broadcaster was forced to cut the 24 live broadcasts across its channels and online streams it had at Rio 2016 to only two at Tokyo, and a similar model will be applied to the Milan and Cortina 2026 Winter Games, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 2030 Winter Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Games. BT Sport customers will get access to the full streaming service on the Discovery+ platform. The IOC said every EBU member would broadcast more than 200 hours of coverage of the Summer Games from 2026 and at least 100 hours of the Winter Games, along with radio coverage and live streaming. Ahmed stars in second ILT20 game Cricket Elizabeth Ammon The teenage leg spinner Rehan Ahmed made his mark on the T20 franchise scene yesterday, taking three wickets in only his second outing for the Gulf Giants in the ILT20 in Abu Dhabi. Giants, who are captained by the Hampshire batsman James Vince, beat Dubai Capitals by six wickets with six balls remaining, with Ahmed taking three for 28 from his four overs. Ahmed, 18, made his Test debut for England against Pakistan in December but has not been selected for England’s tour to New Zealand next month, with Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, believing that exposing the young spinner to franchise cricket is better for his development than carrying drinks in New Zealand, where England are unlikely to play more than one spinner. Ahmed’s first wicket came from a well-flighted delivery that spun into the stumps of the Capital’s captain Rovman Powell and he took his second and third wickets in the space of four balls, first removing Dasun Shanaka, who miscued to deep mid-wicket, then inducing Ravi Bopara to mis-hit a googly to long on. Joe Root made only six for the Capitals before being run out thanks to a sharp piece of work in the field from Vince, as they reached 183 for four. Ahmed opened the batting, making 28 from 17 balls, alongside Vince, who scored 83, as they successfully chased down the target.

58 2GM Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times Sport Football Everton are set to improve security procedures and protocols for the match against Arsenal next month, which has been categorised as “high risk” (Paul Joyce writes). The decision to review all security arrangements comes after Everton board members were advised not to attend Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Southampton amid “real and credible” threats gathered by the club. Merseyside police said yesterday that Everton failed to report any of interfering with play. Manchester United equalised on Saturday when an offside Marcus Rashford ran on to a through-ball, with Bruno Fernandes scoring before Rashford touched it. The goal stood on the basis that Rashford had not interfered with or impeded any City defender. However, Manuel Akanji had stopped because he saw Rashford was offside. Ifab will also clarify guidance around when the ball deflects off a defender to an offside attacker. Ifab to clarify offside guidance after derby controversy Football’s lawmakers will be pressed tomorrow to deal with “grey areas” over offside decisions after a series of incidents culminating in a controversial goal in the Manchester derby (Martyn Ziegler writes). The International FA Board (Ifab) is holding its business meeting in London and its agenda includes clarifying guidelines around offsides. One of those involved in the meeting said they wanted to clear up uncertainty over when an attacker is Everton promise to improve security for Arsenal game the threats to them and that they would liaise with the club to “establish if any offences have taken place”. Protests against Farhad Moshiri, the owner, have intensified, and Bill Kenwright, the chairman, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the chief executive, Grant Ingles, the chief financial officer, and Graeme Sharp, a non-executive director, stayed away on Saturday but the club hopes that they will be able to attend the Arsenal game on February 4. Forest and Wolves charged over Carabao Cup brawl Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been charged by the FA over a disciplinary breach after a mass brawl at the end of their Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday. A fracas broke out between both sets of players after Forest had won a penalty shoot-out to secure their place in the last four of the competition. The clubs have until Thursday to respond. Henry Winter Chief Football Writer football. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours’ style. Tottenham do. Even with such intense vexation, all but one of the Spurs fans among the 61,870 inside their magnificent stadium behaved. So ban him for life. Yet broader fears persist. The PFA believes some of this fan behaviour is a manifestation of a rising anger in society generally. Rivalries become darker. Similarly, a few arrogant aggressors outside Goodison don’t reflect most Evertonians, who sang against the board, unfurled banners, but didn’t upset a child. Make peaceful protest, not war. Players’ worries are understandable. They should be free to express their gifts without any anxiety of being assailed. The PFA works even more closely with the League Managers Association, whose members are similarly vulnerable, as Crystal Palace’s Patrick Vieira discovered against Everton last season. All parties want fans educated that pitch invasions are illegal. They want transgressors, including the one at Spurs, expelled from football and facing the full force of the law. The game revolves around players and they have to feel safe. The Football Supporters’ Association, such an important influence in shaping the game, needs to get involved, and communicate with fans, educating them if necessary. Whenever fans are consulted about their new ground they frequently request proximity to pitch. So don’t let wrongdoers abuse that. Just because you’re in a herd, doesn’t mean you have to behave like a wild animal. wrath in check, beyond a few chants directed at Arsenal and, more significantly, gestures aimed at their own chairman, Daniel Levy, and his board. So much is right about Spurs yet there endures an exasperation that the team and club cannot make the next step, that as fans they are paying and paying, being rinsed. And repeat. All of this is aggravated by Arsenal’s success at their place, at Arsenal’s place at the top of the Premier League table, and the quality of their A cowardly fan kicks Ramsdale in the back after the north London derby and, inset, flees the scene Herd mentality is no excuse for fans acting like animals J ust because you’re in a crowd, in a pack, in a mood, possibly in drink, doesn’t mean you can kick an opposition goalkeeper or strike fear into the child of one of your own — your own — players. A malevolent minority tarnish the majority of good fans who care passionately about their clubs but don’t leap over the hoardings, don’t cross the line, don’t surround a player’s car, don’t disgrace themselves and don’t undermine their cause. English football’s in a delicate, confused place. I went to countless games behind closed doors during the pandemic and it was a soulless process. The most powerful relationship in football, the connection between fans and players, was placed on hold because of a virus. When supporters thankfully, mercifully returned, and players gushed about how much they had been missed, harmony reigned. But now this. Fan behaviour is back on the agenda. The players’ board of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) meets every month. Three of the most debated issues are: the impact on player welfare of fixture congestion; abuse of players on social media; and the threat of attack by fans, especially during pitch invasions. Such is the increased apprehension about safety levels that players are now in contact with union officials — daily. “There are not many issues where you get the real visceral sense of all players being angry,” a PFA spokesman says. “Feeling vulnerable to attack from fans is one of them.” Dispiriting, if differing, events over the weekend highlight PFA concerns. A fan kicked the Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, after the north London derby, while the Everton defender Yerry Mina was confronted by his own fans outside Goodison Park. Any matchgoer of sound mind knows such incidents are patently unacceptable. Whatever the understandable frustration of Evertonians over events at their troubled club, it is shameful that a protest leads to a child (Mina’s) terrified in the back of a car. Those fans involved really need to look at themselves, consider their actions, and realise they damage their case. More than 200 miles to the south, the attack on Ramsdale at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by a coward descending from the South Stand, stooping low, was reprehensible. This is Ramsdale’s place of work, where he should be properly protected. In fairness the stewards reacted quickly. But it shouldn’t happen. Football’s about emotion. It’s partly why millions go. It’s an excitement, an escape, and can turn fans febrile. When supporters succumb to apathy is the time for concern. More pertinently, it is possible to feel frustration yet not feel the need to assault someone. No excuses. Critics, of course, point to player misbehaviour as triggering fan outbursts, whether mêlées, surrounding officials or badgekissing. Nonsense. That doesn’t justify assaulting an opponent. Ramsdale was having some exchanges with Spurs fans, and he’s the type of genial, demonstrative character who enjoys such engagement. “The Spurs fans gave me some [stick] throughout the game,” Ramsdale told Sky Sports. “I was giving some back. The [recipients] greeted it sportsmanlike but one fan tried to give me a little punch on the back.” For punch, read kick. So what do fans want? To be ignored or engaged with? It would be sad if Ramsdale, a down-to-earth guy and outstanding professional, cut off such contact with fans (not Arsenal’s, their love is mutual). Ramsdale added that “it’s a shame as it’s just a game of football”, which is right but also wrong. It’s more than a game for fans, especially derbies. It’s not a profession for fans, it’s a passion and it’s not cheap, which means tension surfaces if their side underachieve. Do owners care? Do players share fans’ commitment? Most Spurs fans were seething but kept their Mudryk worth every penny Chelsea paid When I arranged to talk to Mykhailo Mudryk via Zoom from his Ukraine training camp in September he was meticulous about timing. It was almost military precision. To the minute. Fair enough, Mudryk worked around more important things than an Englishman’s deadlines, namely team meetings. He’s Ukrainian. He’s tough, focused, determined. He’s got friends at war. He’s got parents, both schoolteachers, back in Ukraine in a town shelled by Russians. My first question was: “Are they OK?” Fortunately, yes. This is no ordinary player who has joined Chelsea. This is no ordinary deal. Mudryk’s club, Shakhtar Donetsk, wanted to secure as much money for him as possible. They lost players and missed out on transfer fees when war engulfed their league. They lost compatriots in the war and want to raise money for their heroic armed forces. So sorry, Arsenal, Chelsea offered more — and bigger issues are at play here. Shakhtar played this negotiation adroitly. Mudryk flirted with Arsenal but that was part of the process. “Misha” will give everything for Chelsea, and he has so much to give. He’s quick, technical and can strike fear from the left (ask Ajax) and create as a No 10 (ask Celtic). He can dribble and is a deadball expert. Mudryk’s driven by family, by country, by faith (he has the words “Dear God, if today I lose my hope please remind me that your plans are better than my dreams” inked on his right breast) and by his belief in his own ability. Chelsea need a striker, of course, but they have just acquired a formidable force down the left in Mudryk.

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 59 Sport Chelsea’s squad depth James Azpilicueta D Sterling Silva Fofana Colwill Sarr Koulibaly Badiashile Chalobah Chilwell Cucurella Rahman Maatsen Hall Mount Gallagher Chukwuemeka Vale Jorginho Zakaria Ampadu Santos Kepa Mendy Slonina Bettinelli Kante Kovacic Loftus-Cheek Bakayoko R Sterling Ziyech Hudson-Odoi Havertz Felix Aubameyang Lukaku Broja Fofana Mudryk Pulisic Hutchinson (4-3-3) Chelsea have made 13 additions to their squad since the end of last season Loanee Loaned out New signing Vanity signing may be spark Chelsea need defenders and if he can replicate the form he has shown for his national team and for Shakhtar, then the fans will take to him. So far in his career he has exhibited a fearlessness and directness that Chelsea sorely need. Mudryk is good with both feet but likes to cut inside from the left on to his right. When he finds himself in a position to shoot, he is unafraid to do so and has a reasonably powerful strike and a no-nonsense penalty kick style. He has pace enough to trouble most full backs and does not panic once he has spurted into the opposition box. Given how pedestrian Chelsea can become, Mudryk’s bursts of acceleration would serve to inject a spark of energy. All of which make him seem the perfect addition to a squad in need of unfettered attacking intent but of course he will need to adjust to the intensity of the Premier League and a new coaching team. The Ukrainian’s attributes were perhaps under-appreciated given the dramatic nature of his transfer with Chelsea moving, at pace, to hijack a move that Arsenal believed to be close to final terms. It felt, slightly, like a vanity project, or at least a signing motivated by misplaced competitiveness rather than need. However, Mudryk could easily possess the skills and attitude necessary to revitalise a deeply disappointing campaign. As the winger watched, from the executive seats, the narrow victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, it seemed as if Potter had devised a means to encourage him. Chelsea played with a crispness that had been lacking in their recent games against Fulham and Manchester City, and Conor Gallagher, the same age as Mudryk, and Lewis Hall, four years younger, were given licence and freedom to attack at will. When Roman Abramovich signed Willian from under the nose of Tottenham Hotspur in 2013, the fans conjured a song about the winger seeing the light and choosing Stamford Bridge. If Mudryk is able to make a similar impact, then the same tune will be sung in honour of a different forward — and a different owner. The Todd Boehly-led consortium that took control of Chelsea in May has overseen 13 new signings without much of an obvious underlying framework and they are a club with too many forwards. On the other hand, fitting Mudryk and João Félix, once the on-loan attacker has served his suspension, into the same side could frighten opponents in a way too rarely seen of late. How are club able to afford Mudryk? Chelsea’s transfer expenditure for the past two windows has topped £400 million, a Premier League record (Martyn Ziegler writes). The Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk has joined on an 8½-year deal and the centre back Benoît Badiashile has agreed a 7½-year deal until 2030, while the striker David Datro Fofana signed a 6½- year contract this month with the option of another year included. Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are on seven and six-year deals respectively. The long contracts are a way of spreading out the cost when it comes to FFP calculations. What is the benefit for Chelsea? If they are in European competition, Chelsea will have to comply with Uefa’s spending rules and the longer a player’s contract, the longer that fee can be calculated over. An £80 million signing over eight years would be recorded as £10 million per year for Uefa’s calculations. Isn’t Uefa changing the FFP rules? Yes — although clubs will be allowed to make higher losses, a new element called “squad cost control” limits clubs to spending 70 per cent of revenue in a year on player wages, transfers and agent fees. Clubs can use income generated from player sales to spend more — but transfer income will be averaged over the previous six years. Clubs will be allowed losses of €60 million (about £53.2 million) over the past three seasons, compared with €30 million under existing rules. Are there any downsides to Chelsea’s strategy? Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert, believes it is a “high risk” approach. He says: “If you end up with a player on high wages who is not in the team then it can be difficult to get rid of him. You then have a situation where a club has the transfer fee and his wages as part of the FFP calculations.” Where does Chelsea’s transfer spending over the two windows stand in Premier League history? The highest by some distance. The previous record was Manchester City’s £328.1 million in 2017-18. Mykhailo Mudryk joins a bloated attacking unit but he does have talent to make an impact, writes Alyson Rudd After being humiliated in their backyard by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur have reached a familiar crossroads in their quest for silverware. The choice comes down to whether to back Antonio Conte on condition that he ends his wavering commitment to the job and signs a Is it time for Tottenham to follow Arsenal’s bold lead? T he signing of Mykhailo Mudryk left many Chelsea supporters ambivalent if not downright puzzled. No one can object too violently to the arrival of a promising 22-year-old winger but the Chelsea attack is beginning to look like the Frankenstein’s monster of forward lines in the Premier League. The club keep buying new parts and hurriedly stitching them together with unbalanced or ineffective outcomes. No matter the profile of forward, there is an underlying lack of aggressive threat. At present the frustration lies with Kai Havertz, who, although joint top scorer this season with six goals alongside Raheem Sterling, is not a ruthless centre forward and neither does he want to be. The German lacks the ego that goes with the role, but he is cerebrally capable of playing as the central striker especially if he can forge partnerships and he is, right now, Graham Potter’s preferred pick especially given that the promising Armando Broja is out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Romelu Lukaku, signed for £97.5 million in 2021, was supposed to solve all goal threat problems but instead created more of them and so went on loan to Inter Milan a year later. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, signed for £10 million, might have been able to work effectively with Thomas Tuchel as his coach but Tuchel got his man and was then sacked, leaving the forward looking far from enthused. The remaining attackers need a creative boost. How Potter could do with Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech being as aggressive, committed and involved as they are on international duty with the United States and Morocco respectively. Both returned from the World Cup visibly re-energised but they still have more to offer. Will Mudryk not just find a role but also act as the catalyst? Potter predicted the former Shakhtar Donetsk forward would be a hit with the supporters because he takes on Rivals were at a similar stage of transition when they backed Arteta to rebuild side, writes Gary Jacob Mudryk impressed for Shakhtar against Celtic in the Champions League this season but joins a Chelsea side who already boast a wealth of attacking talent new contract beyond the summer. Or accepting that he is not the head coach to oversee the required transition and making a change, perhaps even before the end of the season. Anything else risks the state of limbo that has contributed to the present crisis and the team slipping to five points outside the top-four places after losing four of their past five Premier League matches at home. The decision needs to be made quickly as the transfer market shuts a fortnight today. Conte wants a leftsided attacking player, a right wingback and a central midfielder but Tottenham are wary of striking permanent deals for players who are then not wanted by a potential new manager. Should they fail to strengthen the squad, Conte is likely to continue his outbursts about the gap to his rivals. Ask Chelsea, who experienced the same issue over spending with Conte in his second season and they finished fifth in 2018. Tottenham have progressed no further since dismissing Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019. After the club sacked his successor, Jose Mourinho, a week before the EFL Cup final, they penned a letter to fans, admitting they had “lost what’s truly in our DNA” and promised to appoint a manager committed to attacking football and blooding young players. In came Nuno Espírito Santo and Conte, neither of whom ticks those boxes. Perhaps Spurs could do no worse than look at Arsenal going back to scratch by appointing Mikel Arteta in December 2019, a month after Spurs had signed Mourinho. Arsenal backed Arteta to make bold steps to offload the dead wood and rebuild the squad. Tottenham are at a stage of transition too. Goals from Harry Kane, 29, and Son Heung-min, 30, have masked how poor they have been in other areas and the club must be thinking about finding their successors. If results go against Tottenham when they play City on Thursday and Fulham on Monday, it will appear a tall order to finish in the top four this season. What Tottenham then do before the transfer window closes will show their real commitment to Conte, while Pochettino waits by the phone. Conte has wavered in his commitment to the club

60 Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times Sport Football ‘I’m not being too loyal to my players’ contract — James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex OxladeChamberlain — and Liverpool will seek midfield reinforcements having prioritised signing £180 million worth of attacking talent in the last calendar year due to their availability. They are Luis Díaz, Fábio Carvalho, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo. Liverpool, whose interest in the midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni was trumped by Real Madrid last summer, want to sign the Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is valued at about £130 million, while other targets include Wolves’ Matheus Nunes. Before then, the objective at Molineux tonight is to secure progress into the fourth round of the competition and set up a tie away to Brighton & Hove Albion, who trounced Liverpool 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Klopp labelled that ramshackle display as the worst of his coaching career, but was heartened by the response of the away fans at the Amex Stadium, having admitted it was a “game where the crowd can turn against you and they didn’t”. Moments like that help Klopp, whose side are ninth in the Premier League, as does the impression that his players are still listening to him, even if the signs he sees in training are not transferred on to the pitch. “No one is sitting there and saying, ‘Well, I was OK, but he was . . .’ Nothing like that,” he said. “I don’t see it. I don’t hear it. I know it is not there. “In Germany, we say the manager doesn’t reach the team any more. So I understand it looks like this sometimes, but it is just not the case. You can take that off the list [of problems.] “It is long ago that we could surprise opponents because we were just good, for long periods. When I say, ‘Let’s get back to basics,’ that doesn’t mean play like the 1990s. I mean absolute basics like properly defending.” him well. In firmly rebutting that accusation, he went on to admit that a revamp could be necessary for a squad that came close to securing an unprecedented trophy Quadruple last season. “I heard that before and I am not. I am not too loyal,” Klopp, formerly in charge at Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said. “I am loyal. I think everybody should be loyal, but I am not too loyal. It is an intelligent question. The only problem with it is what you all make with the answer. That is the only problem with that. But I am not too loyal. “At Dortmund, it was clear when I left that I said something has to change here. It is a different situation but, if you want, similar. Either the manager’s position changes or a lot of other things change. So, as far as I am concerned, what I hear, unless someone tells me, I will not go. So that means maybe there is a point where we have to change other stuff. We will see that, but that is something for the future. Like summer or whatever. Not now. “We cannot play now and say, ‘OK, these are the problems, these are the problems, but next season we don’t have them any more.’ ” The extent of change remains to be seen. Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, announced in November it was seeking new investment for the club, whether a takeover or the sale of a minority stake, and the sporting director, Julian Ward, will step aside at the end of the campaign after deciding he wants a break. Four first-team players are out of Klopp will go ‘back to basics’ with his struggling team Wolves v Liverpool FA Cup third-round replay Tonight, 7.45pm TV: BBC1 Radio: BBC 5 Live continued from back Helen MacNamara, one of the Premier League’s leading executives, has left the organisation after less than two years in the post. The clubs in the top flight have been informed that MacNamara is no longer head of policy and corporate affairs. In April last year she suffered the embarrassment of being fined for breaching lockdown rules at a No 10 Downing Street party in 2020 during her previous job as a senior civil servant. MacNamara had been on sick leave since being involved in an accident last summer. Those close to her say she is not leaving because of that or any falling-out, but just wants to focus on her family. The Sue Gray report into the lockdown parties said MacNamara, the former deputy cabinet secretary, had “attended for part of the evening and Leading PL executive quits provided a karaoke machine”. She received a fixed penalty and apologised for an “error of judgment”. The Premier League confirmed MacNamara had left the organisation and that a replacement will be sought. MacNamara’s role at the Premier League involved dealing with government-related issues and overall policy. In March last year she appeared before the digital, culture, media and sport select committee and said the Premier League would take action if the Saudi government breached assurances that it would not be involved in the running of Newcastle United. MacNamara also confirmed that, while the Premier League agreed with many of the recommendations in Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review of football, the organisation remained fundamentally opposed to a statutory independent regulator. She told MPs that “there is a natural reason why the FA would be an effective regulator”. Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter continued from back £80m Rice is Arsenal’s top target Madrid. The west London club have been regarded for some time as the favourites to land Rice because he played at their academy until the age of 14, supports them, and his best friend is Mason Mount, the Chelsea midfielder. Manchester United were put off a deal last summer because West Ham wanted £150 million. Rice has made clear that he wants to leave, rejecting at least three contract offers that would have made him the club’s highest earner at more than £130,000 a week. Arsenal are prepared to make a significant effort to sign Rice but have shown that they will not overpay for players. They spent months in talks to sign Mudryk but could not match the sums offered by Chelsea and they walked away from a deal for Félix because of the £10 million loan fee. Arsenal do not want another mishap after paying a club-record £72 million in 2019 for Nicolas Pépé, the winger who struggled to make an impact in north London and is now on loan at Nice. Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of the Brazilian midfielder Danilo for £16 million. The 21-year-old underwent a medical yesterday after the club agreed terms with Palmeiras over the weekend. He has signed a 6½-year deal. Steve Cooper was keen to strengthen his squad this window, with the club looking to move on players who have not taken their chance since the summer, when the club spent more than £140 million. Danilo came through the youth ranks at Palmeiras before making 141 appearances in all competitions for the 11-times Brazilian champions. Dean Henderson, the Forest goalkeeper, is expected to be out for three to four weeks with a muscle injury he picked up in the win against Leicester City at the weekend. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wan- £16m Danilo joins Forest derers are set to complete the signing of Pablo Sarabia, with the midfielder due to fly in for a medical today. Wolves are understood to have agreed a deal worth about £4 million to land the midfielder from Paris SaintGermain and are continuing to work on other deals. Julen Lopetegui is keen for more competition for places among his squad. Matheus Cunha, the 23-year-old Brazil forward, was signed on loan from Atletico Madrid and is set to make his move permanent in the summer for £44 million after triggering the clause of three appearances that compels Wolves to buy him. The defensive midfielder Mario Lemina, 29, has also been added to the ranks, arriving from Nice on a 2½-year contract for an undisclosed fee. It is understood the club are working on a deal to bring in the Brazilian midfielder João Gomes, 21, from Flamengo and are also hoping to land the West Ham United defender Craig Dawson. Charlotte Duncker A ston Villa have confirmed a deal to sign the Colombia striker Jhon Durán from MLS side Chicago Fire for a fee of £14.75 million. The 19-year-old will become Unai Emery’s second signing, after the arrival of Álex Moreno, but his deal is pending a medical, agreement of personal terms and the granting of a work visa. It is understood that Villa, who are 11th in the Premier League after beating Leeds United last week, agreed a base fee of nearly £15 million, which could rise by £3 million with add-ons. The transfer fee makes Durán, left, the third-highest transfer in MLS history after Miguel Almirón’s £21 million transfer from Atlanta United to Newcastle United in 2019, and Alphonso Davies’s £19.5 million move to Bayern Munich from Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018. The fee that Villa have agreed is a club record for Chicago and it is expected that Durán will sign a long-term deal of up to five years. Emery has been promised financial backing in the transfer window. Moreno, who impressed on his debut against Leeds, was the first acquisition after a £12.5 million fee was agreed with Real Betis. The Villa head coach was keen to add a more attacking full back to his squad and Moreno came as one of the most highly regarded within La Liga. Durán, who has scored eight goals and set up six more in 28 appearances for Chicago, can play on the wing or as a centre forward. He is unlikely to be involved for Villa’s match away to Southampton on Saturday as he is still in Colombia. Durán’s arrival will provide competition for Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings. There is an expectation that he will need to develop but sources say he will be fighting for a starting position from the moment he arrives. The Times understands that Emery will be looking to bring in a more experienced striker in the summer window. Villa to sign striker Durán from Chicago Fire for £15m

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 2GM 61 Rugby union Sport Jones will get Australians firing again, then it will blow up like it always does his England Pennyhill Park base and maybe winning four out the past ten Six Nations games was indeed the smart route to World Cup glory? How foolish does the RFU look then? Some nervous Englishmen are asking: when the RFU rewarded Jones with his weighty severance package, why wasn’t there a non-compete clause in there too? The governing body said yesterday that, from “legal and moral perspectives”, it would have been “unreasonable” to place restrictions on Jones. But if he had been given just a year’s gardening leave, he could have kept up his earning in club rugby; he had, as we well know, a few club contracts up and running already. Maybe this extraordinary storyline will return to that. For now, the reaction has been so polarised. Yes, that’s how it is with Jones. He divided Australian opinion long before he signed with England. One Australian rugby writer, whom I respect, has written: “The Wallabies are once again World Cup contenders. Eddie Jones’s appointment is what the Wallabies need to wake up from their slumber.” Another insider, whom I also respect, said: “The Aussies have just put a shotgun in their mouth and pulled the trigger.” Somehow, I think both are right. Jones will give the Wallabies a bounce. He will shake them up, re-invigorate, re-inspire, he will simplify the message, build momentum and then apply his brilliant coaching brain to the task ahead — the World Cup — and plot something smart. That’s his thing. He joined a beleaguered England and they immediately won 17 games in succession to equal the world record winning streak of 18 in top-tier men’s international rugby. That, therefore, makes Australia potentially dangerous. What it doesn’t mean, though, is that the RFU was wrong to sack him. Jones’s entire career shows he can do turnarounds, he can do one World Cup cycle, he can spot talent and he can coach it brilliantly. But what he has never done after building a winning team is to sustain their success. He does coaching, not culture; he builds Wallabies can expect a bounce but England will bounce higher without him, writes Owen Slot Jones’s return to the job he held from 2001 to 2005 has already polarised opinions successful campaigns, he doesn’t build empires. Of course, we will never know what would have happened had Jones stayed with England but if, by some extraordinary long shot, Jones’s Australia were to win the World Cup (they are 11-1, England are 11-2), that doesn’t mean that Jones’s England would have won it too. What is really intriguing is how long the Eddie bounce lasts. Or, to put it another way, that loaded gun that Rugby Australia has in its mouth — how long until it goes bang? Can Jones sustain it until the British & Irish Lions tour in 2025? (That Lions tour has suddenly got a whole load more interesting too, not that a Lions tour ever lacks a storyline.) Even more significantly, can he keep it going all the way until the following Rugby World Cup in 2027? And that’s a hugely important one for Australia because it’s on their home turf. What if the gun goes off before then? Without doubt, international rugby has just become an epic drama. If you think sport works as life’s great entertaining sideshow, then you will love the rugby year that is to come. You may wonder: will Jones’s new employers try to manage him or will they fail there, as the RFU did, and just sit by and observe as the loose cannon fires? How long before Jones causes offence? At what point does he call England “that little shit place” as he once did Wales? How many sideline sponsorship deals can he amass before the World Cup? How will the Wallabies’ team staff react? And then there is the big stuff. Will Jones win Australia a Bledisloe Cup? Will he win them a World Cup? Will he win them two? Is it Jones who will end up winning the argument? This may surprise some readers but I genuinely wish him the best with Australia. The game is always better when the Wallabies are strong. Hopefully he can deliver that. For what it’s worth, I think Australia will get a bounce with Jones and England will get a bounce without him, but England will bounce higher because they happen to have better players. And then Jones will go and coach someone else. Wallabies in July 2022, and in November last year before he was removed by the RFU. When Jones was sacked in December, Rugby Australia quickly mobilised. He had an offer to coach Japan again, but chose an emotional return to his home country, where the decision provoked a mixed reaction. Tim Horan, the former Australia centre, said that the Coach had 14 months of talks appointment of Jones was “brave and has some risk”, adding: “Strap yourself in for the ride.” Horan’s fellow 1991 World Cup winner Simon Poidevin said the RFU had done Australia a huge favour. “The Rugby Football Union gave Australian rugby a true gift when they sacked Eddie, putting in play one of the most talented, successful and hardworking rugby coaches the world has seen,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. R eally, this is all just too good to be true. The World Cup can’t come quickly enough. Can we please fastforward through the Six Nations and get to the good bits. There’s a quarterfinal weekend in Marseille pending in October that beats any soap opera anywhere. It may be Eddie Jones versus England. And if it’s not that, it’s marginally more likely to be Eddie’s Aussies versus Argentina — which is Eddie versus his greatest old sparring partner, Michael Cheika. And Warren Gatland is likely to be in Marseille too. That’s Gatland’s Wales, by the way. OK, yes, there’ll be some rugby players there in Marseille too, but when did a sport ever find itself with such an A-list line-up of spiky old heavyweight coaches sniffing legacy, dominance and last blood like this? Talk of cult of personality. It’s Ali-Frazier III, but with a deeper cast, a richer, more compelling narrative and this brilliant, riveting revenge theme. Jones: You were wrong to fire me. Jones: You will pay for this. Now that Jones is back in Wallaby green and gold, this World Cup is also, of course, an extended Eddie referendum. It’s a case study in his coaching, in his strengths and weaknesses, his World Cup winnability. And so it is also, therefore, an examination of the RFU and its ability to understand talent, its acumen in hiring and firing. So it’s impossible not to cast your mind forward to that Marseille weekend and think: how will Englishmen feel if Jones proves that he was right all along? What if Australia derail his old sweet chariot and Eddie proves that actually he was completely on top of the job spec at continued from back

62 2GM Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times Sport Rugby union Two days after the RFU’s legal department made a calculated decision to exploit a loophole in the disciplinary system it is entrusted with upholding, England’s squad for the Six Nations was announced in the Spirit of Rugby suite at Twickenham. Of all places. The irony was virtually dripping from the walls when Owen Farrell, the man at the centre of the legal brouhaha, was confirmed as England captain. To be fair to Steve Borthwick, the new England head coach made it very clear that he was not involved in the RFU’s decision to manipulate the terms of Farrell’s ban so that he would be available to play for England against Scotland on February 4. “I’m separate from it,” Borthwick said. “I sought clarity and I was informed unequivocally by the RFU’s legal department on Friday that Owen would be available. I was informed that those are the rules. I think you know me. I follow process. My job as England coach is to select the players who are available to me.” It was a hospital pass from the RFU that Borthwick could have done without, not least because he regards Farrell as integral to the spirit he wants to rekindle in England’s rugby. “We always need to understand, ‘What is our core strength? What are we really good at?’ He has always been that incredibly competitive, driving character but he has added more layers to his leadership. Whenever I’ve chatted to anyone who has played with Owen, they have talked about how he has helped them to be better players. “Every captain needs to lead by example in terms of the way they approach the contest. Owen also has an incredible understanding of the game. From a tactical point of view he is one of the best I’ve ever come across in terms of his understanding of the game and, off the pitch, the way he leads is excellent. “We want to build a team the nation can be proud of. We want to build a team that plays with courage, fights in every contest and finds a way to win.” That final comment was loaded with significance: find a way to win. It was apparent in the autumn that England were a confused team, unsure of how they were expected to play or what was being asked of them. All Borthwick’s subsequent conversations with senior players have confirmed that sense of disorientation. “The reality is, when the pressure came on and things went wrong, or they were challenged, the England team did not have the clarity to move forward,” he said. “That’s a point the players have said to me many times, so what do we need at the start of the Six Nations? The players need clarity on how they’re going to play.” To achieve that, Borthwick and his coaches plan to create an uncluttered tactical framework and build a spirit in camp that empowers players to be themselves. “This is an overriding philosophy — I want the players to bring their strengths into the game,” Borthwick said. There were three selections yesterday that best epitomised this philosophy: a recall for Dan Cole, the veteran tight-head prop; overdue recognition for Ben Earl, the blistering Saracens flanker discarded by England in 2021; and acknowledgment for Ollie Hassell-Collins, the uncapped, multifaceted London Irish wing. One of Borthwick’s key priorities is to fix England’s scrum, which was the worst of the world’s top ten nations in 2022. Cole, who has not played for his country since the 2019 World Cup final, is an unapologetic set-piece specialist. He has been brought in to scrum, lift and maul because England will achieve nothing unless the fundamentals are in place. England’s Six Nations squad Forwards O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), D Cole (Leicester), B Curry (Sale Sharks), A Dombrandt (Harlequins), B Earl (Saracens), E Genge (Bristol Bears), J George (Saracens), J Heyes (Leicester Tigers), J Hill (Sale Sharks), N Isiekwe (Saracens), M Itoje (Saracens), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), L Ludlam (Northampton), G McGuigan (Gloucester), B Rodd (Sale Sharks), S Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), K Sinckler (Bristol), M Vunipola (Saracens), J Walker (Harlequins), J Willis (Toulouse). Backs E Daly (Saracens), O Farrell (Saracens), T Freeman (Northampton), O Hassell-Collins (London Irish), D Kelly (Leicester), M Malins (Saracens), J Marchant (Harlequins), A Mitchell (Northampton), C Murley (Harlequins), H Slade (Exeter), F Smith (Northampton), M Smith (Harlequins), F Steward (Leicester), M Tuilagi (Sale), J van Poortvliet (Leicester), B Youngs (Leicester). Borthwick puts emphasis on It says much about the dearth of tight-head props in English rugby, and the ineffectiveness of the RFU pipeline, that Cole remains the best option alongside Kyle Sinckler, especially with Will Stuart out injured, but he is, and should feature ahead of his Leicester Tigers team-mate Joe Heyes. “Dan has been an incredible servant to English rugby and an incredible servant to his club and he wants to be back in an England shirt,” Borthwick said. “You’ll understand why probably since that last second of his last appearance for England [in the brutal World Cup final defeat]. “I have an incredible respect for him. I’ve challenged him to improve in certain areas and he took on those challenges. He is 35 and just keeps performing.” Earl won 13 caps for England without starting a Test before being sent on his way by Eddie Jones, apparently with some unsavoury comments ringing in his ears. The former head coach thought he was too loose and not tough enough. The Saracens flanker responded by being named Gallagher Premiership player of the year last season; he is a menace on the floor and a devastating attacking threat in the loose. Borthwick has placed the emphasis on dynamism and speed over power, especially in the back five of the scrum, and the indications are he could move away from picking a lineout specialist at blindside flanker. England have loaded up their jackal threat with Jack Willis, Lewis Ludlam, Ben Curry and Earl, where skill rather than brute force is increasingly the order of the day. “The contest at the breakdown in the Six Nations is incredible, so the back row especially have got to be brilliant in that area,” he said. “Ben Earl was outstanding at the weekend and the competition for places in the back row is fierce.” There is a new dynamic unfolding in the back division, with Hassell-Collins and Cadan Murley rewarded for their Premiership performances with selection ahead of Jonny May, Jack Nowell and Joe Cokanasiga. Borthwick is believed to have recruited HassellCollins for Leicester next season before he left the club, while he has been highly impressed by Murley’s performances for Harlequins. “Ollie is a big, powerful winger. He runs fast, over ten metres per second, and has a really good left foot,” Borthwick said. “He’s great in the air and he defends well — but his absolute super strength is ball in hand. Cadan Murley has an ability to score tries. He can beat defenders in the smallest space possible.” Borthwick has identified the players and characters he believes can rekindle that spirit in English rugby. The biggest coaching challenge of his career will begin on Monday, when the squad comes into camp for a two-week buildup to the Calcutta Cup. “We will be using every minute we have available to us to ensure that when players walk down that tunnel, out on to that field to that roar again, they are ready to bring a performance of courage, fight in every contest and find a way to win.” fin smith (northampton saints), 20, fly half It took only a matter of days for Fin Smith to find new employers after Worcester Warriors suddenly sank into liquidation this season. The fly half, who turned 20 in May, had already agreed to join Northampton Saints at the end of the season, but the move was swiftly expedited when the contracts of all Worcester players became void. He has quickly settled as the starting No 10 for Northampton, Alex Lowe Rugby Correspondent How squad breaks down Steve Borthwick has picked a fairly even mix of young and old Twenty-four of the 36 players have won 20 England caps or fewer Saracens and Leicester Tigers have provided the most players to this England squad Others: Bristol Bears 2, Exeter Chiefs 2, Gloucester 1, London Irish 1, Toulouse 1 Under 23 Uncapped 1-20 23-26 Over 30 9 7 7 Total 36 Total 36 Total 36 13 27-30 41-60 61-80 81-100 More than 100 2 2 5 5 3 19 Saracens Leicester Tigers Harlequins Others Sale Sharks Northampton Saints 8 7 7 5 4 5 Stage is set for young charged with conducting one of the most exciting back lines in the Gallagher Premiership. Smith was on the books at Worcester from the age of 13, and two years ago he became the youngest player to start for Worcester in the Premiership and went on that season to guide England to a grand slam in the Under-20 version of the Six Nations, forming a potent half-back pairing with Jack van Poortvliet, the Leicester scrum half. Smith has also been the subject of speculation over his international allegiance, as his grandfather, Tom Elliot, won 14 caps at prop for Scotland from 1955 to 1958. Gregor Townsend, the Scotland head coach, has made no secret of his desire to “capture” Smith. Steve Borthwick was impressed by Smith’s performance in the narrow defeat away to Munster last weekend. “I Ollie Hassell-Collins Cadan Murley John Westerby runs the rule over the five new faces in Steve Borthwick’s first England squad

the times | Tuesday January 17 2023 2GM 63 Sport The precarious state of finances in English rugby has prompted MPs to recommend the introduction of a hardship fund for professional players who fall on hard times. After the collapse of Worcester Warriors and Wasps this season, the digital, culture, media and sport select committee heard evidence from the RFU, Premier Rugby (PRL) and others in November, and has now released a report that urges greater support for players. More than 80 per cent of the 116 players made redundant by Worcester and Wasps have found alternative employment, but others are still searching. “Those not so fortunate have been little supported by the very authorities that Call for player welfare fund share at least some responsibility for their situation,” the report stated. “It is vital that player welfare becomes the central concern of the authorities . . . with the introduction of a form of benevolent fund a pressing need.” There was strong criticism of the lack of leadership shown by the RFU and PRL in failing to prevent the demise of Worcester and Wasps. Damian Green, acting chairman of the committee, said: “Inert leadership from the RFU and PRL has allowed mismanagement to collapse two of English rugby’s top teams. We welcome the raft of changes . . . but the root of the problem remains. Rugby clubs are still spiralling into debt and the RFU and PRL’s current revenue-boosting plans haven’t done enough in the past and are unlikely to make a difference going forward.” John Westerby England’s defence coach Kevin Sinfield has held talks with Owen Farrell about improving the fly half’s tackle technique. Farrell, 31, was reinstated as England captain by the new head coach, Steve Borthwick, yesterday and will lead the side with two vicecaptains, Ellis Genge and Courtney Lawes. The trio are part of a 36-man group that Borthwick has selected for the Six Nations. He dropped Billy Vunipola, Jack Nowell and Jonny May — who have 185 caps between them — but selected Ben Earl, Dan Cole and Elliot Daly. The Six Nations starts on February 4, when England play Scotland at Twickenham. Farrell will be available for that game after the RFU exploited a loophole in the disciplinary system to allow him to complete a three-match ban, for a high tackle on the Gloucester flanker Jack Clement, before the Six Nations begins. The RFU said Farrell would be released back to Saracens for the Bristol Bears game on January 28 — a game in which he would not usually play — and that fixture would count as the third and final week of his suspension. That means he is free to face Scotland, having completed a World Rugby coaching intervention course at his club to cut a week from his suspension. Sinfield met Farrell for dinner last week and discussed tackling with the Saracens fly half. “I think right across the sport we know we need to change,” he said. “Owen fully accepts he needs to change and is willing to work extremely hard at it.” Sinfield ran a tackling course with the Leicester Tigers centre Guy Porter and the forward Ollie Chessum while at the club, and World Rugby, the governing body, now uses his approach as its blueprint. “Anybody who worked with me at Leicester will know how hard we went after tackle height,” he said. “Our elite players will need to make some adjustments but we do understand as Jack Walker George McGuigan conductor . . . and a wise, old head clarity, dynamism and speed was struck by his demeanour, his confidence, his assuredness,” the England head coach said. “He is a very impressive young man.” cadan murley (harlequins), 23, wing Over the past three seasons, Murley has established himself as one of the most potent wings in the Premiership. At 5ft 9in and 15st 2lb, he is quick and strong, with a low centre of gravity and a nose for the line. Last season, he scored 15 tries in 23 Premiership appearances — only Max Malins scored more — and this season he has already scored eight in 11 matches. “Cadan has an ability to find his way to the try line,” Borthwick said. “He can beat defenders in the smallest space possible and has the power to step off both feet and then accelerate.” george mcguigan (gloucester), 29, hooker McGuigan is no shooting star and will turn 30 shortly after the Six Nations, but he has been one of the most consistent hookers in the country for some time and last season he scored 15 Premiership tries. Most of his career has been spent in two spells at Newcastle Falcons, where he came through the academy, either side of a two-year stint at Leicester Tigers. Last month, McGuigan moved to Gloucester. jack walker (harlequins), 26, hooker Walker’s leadership qualities had been evident from an early age and when he was still only 18, the hooker was made captain of his club, Yorkshire Carnegie, in the Championship. The following season, he was captain of the England Under-20 team that won won the World Junior Championship on home soil. In search of Premiership rugby, he left Yorkshire in 2016 to play for Bath, where he spent five years before moving to Harlequins. ollie hassell-collins (london irish), 23, wing There are not many wings who combine Hassell-Collins’s physical prowess with such athleticism. At 6ft 4in and 15st 8lb, the London Irish flyer is equipped to run over defenders, but is more often seen gliding around them. His height gives him an advantage in dealing with high balls in defence and he has a predatory instinct that has brought him eight tries this season. “He’s a big, powerful winger,” Borthwick said. “He runs fast, is great in the air, and defends well. But his super strength is ball in hand.” Fin Smith Sinfield: I can fix Farrell’s tackling well that we will make mistakes along the way. How we handle that is going to be really, really important. But we will work incredibly hard at it.” Borthwick said he had no qualms about picking Farrell, despite the RFU’s gaming of the system. The process should be independent of the coach,” he said. “I sought clarity, I received clarity on Friday and I was told unequivocally that Owen is available for selection.” Borthwick said that he picked Farrell as captain because he summed up the attitude he wants his team to show. “He is integral to it,” he said. “You have also got a great complementary style with Courtney and Ellis; you have got people who drive standards, drive competitiveness, want to win.” Borthwick, who captained England himself, rang Farrell last week to tell him that he would lead the team. “You could hear the silence on the other end of the phone,” he said. “That reminds me just how special that is and how much it means to these guys. “Owen also has an incredible understanding of the game. Off the pitch, the way he leads is excellent.” Borthwick made five official changes to the England squad, as per the agreement between the RFU and the clubs. He phoned all 36 selected and the players he dropped on Sunday night. Fin Smith, the Northampton Saints fly half, and Ben Curry, twin brother of the injured Sale Sharks flanker Tom, were two eye-catching selections. Ollie Hassell-Collins, Cadan Murley, Max Malins and Dan Kelly were also included, and there were recalls for George McGuigan, Jack Walker, Nick Isiekwe, Ollie Chessum, Alex Dombrandt and Joe Marchant. England’s new squad will meet on Monday after the weekend’s round of Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures. Jack Willis, the Toulouse flanker, will train with the squad, then return to France for a club match against Montpellier before coming home again. Henry Slade was last night cited after he received a red card for a high tackle on Kurt-Lee Arendse while playing for Exeter Chiefs against Vodacom Bulls on Saturday. He faces a ban that could rule him out of the first few rounds of the Six Nations. Will Kelleher Duputy Rugby Correspondent

Arsenal have made Declan Rice their top target this summer and are growing increasingly confident that they can beat Chelsea to the England midfielder’s signature. Rice, 24, is set to be at the centre of a bidding war, which could also include Times Crossword 28,502 across down Yesterday’s solution 28,501 Check today’s answers by ringing 0905 757 0141 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390. 1 2 3 4 5 8 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 S A L A M A N D E R A M P S O A C E U T E B A T H E T I C S A T I N Y E R U H K E A R A I L A R R A I G N I N G E N L I N D C D R E A M L E S S R E B E L U D Y T R E E P A R R Y D I V E R S I O N C O F A T T I P E T I T I O N E R J A I N R T T I E L G C O Y E S T S N A P P I E R S S E E T A A M E A T R E D E S I G N E D 1 CIA messed about with Castro’s country (5,4) 6 Discover conservative attending church (5) 9 Good repeatedly to enter small river to fish for eels (7) 10 Wind, fog, rain, and lightning primarily (7) 11 Lady to pick up advert for skirt (5) 12 Thoroughbred animal eating seeds regularly with grass (9) 13 Using weapons in game, finally attempt to get on scent (8) 14 Recording evil spirit briefly (4) 17 Clean beneath exhibits (4) 18 Dashed into city, missing the lecture (8) 21 Nibbled food with European in shabby surroundings? (4-5) 22 Subject to rising and falling temperature, one boy suffering setback (5) 24 Snake renamed possibly (7) 25 Second version of wine vessel (7) 26 Formerly called extremely dirty and poor (5) 27 Looking to put back a leader from Epsom with south-eastern dialect (9) 1 Shy before English class (5) 2 Flight circling southern airspace trials bombing (6,9) 3 Viewpoints seen on outskirts of every island (8) 4 One succeeding when boxing each amateur (8) 5 Some ships with radar uncovered weapon to the north (6) 6 Jointly endorse function over the phone (6) 7 Competition you’re bound to enter? (5-6,4) 8 Place to fly from New Delhi over another city (9) 13 Chap cross with country girl who’s close to Douglas? (9) 15 Newspaper printed upside-down? All right, it’s the end of the world! (8) 16 Old lady heartlessly trampled ancient creature (8) 19 Very likely to be disembowelled? That’s fatal! (6) 20 Incite purist to riot (4,2) 23 Second unfinished drink (5) y(7HB7E2*OTSPMN( |||+z!@ Newspapers support recycling The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2020 was 67% 2GM Tuesday January 17 2023 | the times Sport Arsenal want £80m Rice I’m not leaving, insists Klopp Paul Joyce Northern Football Correspondent Jones’s secret Australia talks Will Kelleher Deputy Rugby Correspondent Liverpool are braced for a summer of significant changes but Jürgen Klopp will not be among them, with the manager intent on overseeing the improvements needed to make the club a force again. Despite a worrying downturn in results this season, the Liverpool manager cut a bullish figure as he maintained his squad were still united while stressing the need for them to get “back to basics” in tonight’s FA Cup thirdround replay away to Wolverhampton Wanderers and dispense with, among other things, the “no-look passes”. Klopp was asked if he was aware of suggestions he has been too loyal to players throughout his managerial career and not been ruthless enough in dispatching them once they had served Eddie Jones was courted by Australian rugby executives for 14 months and met them to discuss a future job while still the England head coach. Jones, 62, signed a five-year deal to join Australia on Sunday, after they sacked Dave Rennie. He starts on January 29. The RFU did not insert a “noncompete” clause in his severance deal when it dismissed him, saying in a statement it was “unreasonable” from a “legal and moral perspective” to block him moving to another country until after the 2023 World Cup. But now it has emerged that Jones had secret meetings with Rugby Australia bosses Hamish McLennan and Andy Marinos in London in November 2021, and again after England had beaten the Manchester United, at the end of the season but Arsenal believe that their status as Premier League leaders puts them in a strong position. West Ham United are expected to sell Rice, who has been unwilling to agree a new deal, at the end of the season and he could cost £80 million. His current contract runs until 2024, with the club having an option to extend for another year. Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, wants to add a winger this month and then a central midfielder and left-sided centre back in the summer. As a young and aggressive player, Rice fits into Arteta’s recruitment model. He has repeatedly said that he wants to play in the Champions League and Arteta’s side are on course to return to the competition, possibly as champions as they hold an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea are ten points outside the top four and may have to lift the trophy to return to Europe’s elite competition next season. Chelsea have shown they have financial power and have twice beaten Arsenal in the transfer window this month, signing Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk for £88.6 million and João Félix on loan from Atletico Gauff next for Raducanu Britain’s Emma Raducanu, 20, enjoyed a comfortable win over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in the first round of the Australian Open, winning 6-3, 6-2, but is likely to find it much tougher in the second round when she takes on the inform American Coco Gauff, 18. Report, pages 56-57 exclusive Gary Jacob More questions for doctor at heart of GB cycling’s doping allegations ‘I’ll fix Farrell tackling’ England captain has to change, says new defence coach Sinfield Freeman faces charges