1. Hillsborough: 31 years on
Liverpool Football Club have today paid tribute to the 96 people who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster 31 years ago.
Although a memorial service couldn’t take place to honour the 96, their families and survivors, club captain Jordan Henderson said everyone is “together in spirit”.
“Today was a day when as a club we were all supposed to be together at Anfield, to honour the lives of 96 people who went to a football match and never came home,” said the England midfielder.
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“The fact that we are unable to do so will make this anniversary especially hard for the families and survivors of Hillsborough.
“I’m not one for making speeches but on behalf of all the players at Liverpool, I just want to let everyone affected know that you are in our thoughts today.
“As ever, we are together in spirit even if we can’t be together in person. You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
2. Tour postponed to August
The 2020 Tour de France has been postponed and will now take place from Saturday 29 August to Sunday 20 September.
Cycling’s premier event was due to start on 27 June but the coronavirus pandemic saw president Emmanuel Macron extend France’s lockdown to 11 May. This year’s planned route, from Nice to Paris, will remain the same.
3. Wilder: Fury ain’t the champion yet
Deontay Wilder admits he was a “zombie” in his defeat against Tyson Fury in February.
The American boxer lost his WBC belt in Las Vegas, but he has warned the British heavyweight that he is gunning for him when they go head to head for a third time, which is likely to be in October.
Wilder told the Premier Boxing Champions podcast: “In my eyes I don’t see Fury as a champion. He ain’t the champion yet because we’ve still got one more fight left.”
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4. Saudis set to buy Magpies
One story dominates the back pages and that is the news that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is close to selling the club for £300m to Amanda Staveley, a financier fronting a bid which involves Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and the Reuben Brothers.
5. Greaves is out of hospital
Tottenham and England legend Jimmy Greaves has been released from hospital. The 80-year-old was treated for an unspecified illness but is back home recuperating with his wife Irene.
A statement on his Facebook page said: “He has been very ill and we are hoping he will be fine going forward.”
6. PDC launches Home Tour
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) will launch the PDC Home Tour on Friday. From their living rooms the world’s top players will compete in 32 consecutive nights of live darts action.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn said: “It gives me great excitement that we are able to deliver live darts to fans in these unprecedented times. We’ve spent the last few weeks planning and looking at what is possible, and I’m delighted to be able to present a concept which gives all Tour Card Holders the opportunity to take part.
“The PDC Home Tour will provide a regular supply of live sport to fans, showcasing the talent and unique characters of our players to both existing and new audiences. The event will also give players a chance to play competitive darts in this down period in preparation for the return to normal action, whenever that may be.”
7. IPL postponed indefinitely
Reuters reports that the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) is postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An official, requesting anonymity, said: “We have been informed about it being postponed indefinitely, but we’re still waiting for an email from the board with details.”
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8. Two GPs in one weekend at Silverstone?
The Daily Telegraph says Silverstone could host two Formula 1 grands prix in a single weekend as part of a restructured 2020 race calendar.
Nine F1 GPs have already been cancelled or postponed and according to the Telegraph the British GP circuit could host races on successive days to facilitate a viable world championship.
“If Formula 1 want to use the circuit for more than one round, I’m sure that something’s we can accommodate,” said Stuart Pringle, Silverstone’s managing director. “We remain receptive to any solution that anybody wants to propose. We’re open-minded and we want to try to help navigate a way through this. But it’s desperately difficult.”
9. Griezmann and Martinez to swap?
Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Inter Milan want Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann in exchange for Lautaro Martinez.
Barca have been linked with Argentine 22-year-old Martinez and Inter are considering French World Cup winner Griezmann as a possible replacement.
10. F1 2020 trailer released
Formula 1 has released the trailer for its F1 2020 video game. The new edition of the game will be out on 10 July.
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