2 February New research led by Harvard and reported in the current edition of Nature journal has shown that people who run in bare feet “avoid hurtful and potentially damaging impacts, equivalent to two to three times body weight, that shod heel-strikers repeatedly experience.” “Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but […]

By Nick Harris 2 February 2010 Liverpool’s Spirit of Shankly supporters’ union, which has been campaigning to oust the club’s American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, has today released minutes of a meeting with the club’s managing director, Christian Purslow, that are likely to have an incendiary effect at Anfield, that expose the club’s […]

By Nick Harris 1 February 2010 A UK government report into sports-related betting corruption in Britain, published today, recommends the formation of a pan-sport integrity unit to gather intelligence on suspicious cases and co-ordinate the response.  It is generally accepted that Britain does not have a widespread problem with betting-related corruption but it has been […]

By Nick Harris 1 February 2010 Britain needs a multi-sport anti-corruption unit with wide-ranging powers to tackle the threat of betting-related malpractice, according to a substantial government-commissioned report, published today. The Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, which will be based at the Gambling Commission if it comes to fruition, has been proposed by Rick Parry, the […]

By Nick Harris 31 January 2010 Roger Federer’s win today at the Australian Open takes his tally of Grand Slam men’s singles titles to a new record high of 16, extending his advantage over Pete Sampras, who won 14. The leaderboard as it stands today is: . .

By Nick Harris 31 January 2010 Roger Federer extended his record as the most prolific winner of men’s Grand Slam singles titles in Melbourne today by beating Andy Murray in straight sets to win the Australian Open. Fereder’s 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11) victory gave him his 16th Slam singles title and left Murray, 22, in […]

By Nick Harris 31 January 2010 A new report detailing the most-watched sports events in the world on live TV in 2009 shows the Champions League final has overtaken the Super Bowl for the first time. They were No1 and No2 in the top 20, with the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix a distant third, then […]

By Nick Harris 31 January 2010 In a development that will have huge positive financial consequences for the elite of European football, including the biggest clubs in the Premier League,  the Champions’ League final has overtaken the Super Bowl as the most popular televised event in global club sport. (NB: club sport). An influential report, […]

By Brian Sears 30 January 2010 . A feature of the domination of the Premier League in recent years by England’s “big four” clubs – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – has been how rarely any of that quartet have lost at home to “other” sides from outside their elite group. This is the […]

JOHN ROBERTS wrote for the Daily Express, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and The Independent, where he was the tennis correspondent for 20 years. He collaborated with Bill Shankly on the Liverpool manager’s autobiography, ghosted Kevin Keegan’s first book, and has written books on George Best, Manchester United’s Busby Babes (The Team That Wouldn’t Die) and Everton (The Official […]