A little piece of Chernobyl
Plus: Gary Neville's war on mashed potato
Quote of the day
“My love handles are what separates me from the rest of the world” -
Tyson Fury.
FOOTBALL
When the chips are down
When the Financial Times sat down for lunch with Gary Neville at his Manchester Stock Exchange restaurant, they were hoping to pick the brains of one of Britain’s finest business minds. And it was all going well.
Over a starter of steak tartare, Gary regaled his interviewer with wisdom on micromanagement, dealing with failure, and his revolutionary concept of
mini retirements.
But when the reporter’s mushroom tart arrived with a side of mash, Neville couldn’t help reprising his old vendetta against
new fangled potato dishes:
We’re sorry to report Gary’s restaurant closed shortly after the interview.
GOLF
Bunking up
As Saudi money pours into the game, golf’s most hallowed institutions are relaxing their usual stuffy standards to attract a new breed of young fan.
And the great Old Course at St Andrew’s is no exception.
Visit the course’s famous Road Hole bunker these days and you’re more likely to stumble upon a couple
rutting like wild beasts than an ageing member swinging his sand wedge.
Hope they raked it afterwards…
FOOTBALL
A little piece of Chernobyl
Andriy Shevchenko was always freakishly good.
With his uncanny ability to find space in the six yard box, it was like he had eyes in the back of his head.
And it turns out there might have been more to the Ukrainian striker’s superhuman skills than 5am shuttle runs and grandma’s Chicken Kyivs.
This week Shevchenko, who grew up in the shadow of Chernobyl, recalled finding a radioactive football and bringing it home.
"When I walked through the front door, it had been tucked under my arm like a treasured trophy,” he explained.
But when his dad’s trusty Geiger counter “went mad”, Andriy discovered he had “brought a little piece of Chernobyl into the family home, a small atomic bomb”.
The ball was quickly incinerated, which sounds a little risky for nuclear waste…
FOOTBALL
Fowl play
Four months into his reign as manager of Saudi side Al-Qadsiah, Robbie Fowler was feeling smug.
The Qads were unbeaten, top of the second tier, and Robbie had just been named manager of the month.
So when his paymasters called him in for a mint tea and a natter, Robbie was looking forward to a few “peace be upon yous”, maybe even a congratulatory voucher to try out Salt Bae’s new restaurant.
Instead, they sacked him, and replaced him with the great Spanish striker Michel.
According to The Upshot’s Khobar bureau, the club wanted a “proven winner”, but perhaps they finally did their due diligence on Robbie…
TENNIS
Lost Me ‘ed
Another delicious outburst from the tour’s premier headcase, Daniil Medvedev.
As he was booed off court at the Paris Masters, the Russian supervillain
flicked his middle finger at the jeering fans.
He later insisted: “I just checked my nails, like this. It’s nothing more than that. Why would I do that to this beautiful crowd in Paris-Bercy?”
Quick hits
One of Bulgaria’s most exciting young prospects is called
Steven Gerrard Gaote.
Everton chairman
Bill Kenwright, who died last week, played Gordon Clegg in Coronation Street in 1968, and continued to make guest appearances until 2012.
Aussie all rounder
Glenn Maxwell will miss tomorrow’s game with England after falling off the back of a golf buggy.
Check out
the setting for
Greenland’s national championships, played in the town of Qeqertarsuaq. Only a six hour flight from Copenhagen…
AND FINALLY
The handbrake is a little stiff because it was evil in a past life
That's it for today. Thanks to Marshy.