Sport
Letters: the insanity of Labour’s attack on private schools
Bad education Sir: Lara Brown (‘Class warfare’, 1 August) lays bare the baleful consequences – intended and unintended – of…
Americans, do your duty: support England
Soccer is not a quintessentially American sport. Just as Brazil is forever the country of tomorrow, soccer is always the…
Why does the UAE value British racing more than we do?
You might remember that I mentioned His Excellency Mansoor Abulhoul, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the UK, a couple…
Buckle up for the smack-downs: the media behemoth that is modern wrestling
Part sport, part soap opera, part stunt show, part Hollywood franchise, wrestling is now a billion-dollar business
How to rescue English cricket
There was always something of John Cleese’s Sir Lancelot about Ben Stokes, ever eager for a flamboyant rescue mission in…
The joy of chucking little wooden blocks around
Neil Squires delights in the Finnish game of Mölkky, whereby players aim to knock over 12 numbered wooden skittles using a single throwing pin
Why are the Belgians so bad at football?
Whisper it if you must, but it looks as if Gianni (‘Today I feel gay…’) Infantino might have got it…
My first trip to Britain’s best racecourse
The importance of Royal Ascot can never be overstated. It was beautifully summed up by His Excellency Mansoor Abulhoul, the…
The Derby is the most interesting race of the year – and I missed it
In 1949, the 18th Earl of Derby revived the tradition of the Derby Club dinner in London, three days before…
Who cares if cricketers drink?
Cricketers Have Beer, Shock: well, who knew! This wretched incident in some joint in Chelsea involving Ben Stokes and Gus…
Might England just do it in the World Cup?
The World Cup has never been just a football tournament. Even if we don’t realise it at the time, it…
Why real Americans can’t stand football
It’s World Cup time again, and Americans from Bangor to Batavia don’t even bother to stifle their quadrennial yawns, while more fervent patriots are praying to…
I’ll be praying for Arsenal’s God squad
Looking forward to the World Cup? I do hope so. You can complain and say that a gargantuan tournament without…
Declan Rice is an island of decency in modern football
As all but the most tribal fruitcases would agree, Arsenal’s Declan Rice is an island of decency in the rather…
I admit it: I was wrong about the Premier League
Yes, of course, one sometimes yearns for the old days. The friend who, appearing in court on a charge of…
In London, Sabastian Sawe demolished the impossible
Suddenly last Sunday in London nearly 60,000 amateur runners were able to say they had competed in a race in…
My miracle match against the Vatican’s cricket team
Many have come to Rome seeking spiritual guidance: Thomas à Becket, Lord Byron, Lionel Richie. I came for a different purpose:…
The inner secrets of Rory McIlroy
It’s easy to be sceptical about top sportsmen turning to psychologists for help. A bit precious, no? After all, what’s…
It’s time to let go of Tiger Woods
It’s not the newest joke in the world, but worth a quick rerun right now after the latest in a…
Arsenal’s boy wonder is the future of English football
It certainly never happened to me when I was a lad – even after a particularly insightful essay on the…
The endearing Englishness of Harry Kane
There’s something ineffably endearing about Harry Kane (though I am sure plenty of Bundesliga defenders would disagree), a sort of…
The lost brilliance of football’s Pink ’Un newspapers
If you can remember Pink ’Un newspapers and the days when FA Cup shocks really were shocks, then God bless…
Can Arteta hold his nerve?
The second half of the Premier League season is brimming with stories and subplots. Hundreds of players are hoping to…
The rise and fall of the football presenter
What does it mean to be a ‘good’ sports presenter? Really, it should mean nothing. They aren’t important. They should…
Does running 42 Lakeland fells in less than 24 hours really bring ‘serenity’?
The Keswick hotelier Bob Graham achieved this in 1932 – and nowadays running improbable distances is considered almost normal, as well as an important factor in mental wellbeing
