business 
Manchester United are exploring an early termination from a 10-year lease agreement at their London offices in Kensington in the latest cost-cutting measure proposed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. United moved into the Kensington Building less than two years ago after the expiry of a 10-year rental agreement on another office building in Mayfair, but with … Read more
The FA Cup ball criticised by the Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, “delivers against all of the testing requirements”, the Football Association has said. Guardiola compared the ball unfavourably to those used in the Premier League and Champions League after his side’s fifth-round victory over Plymouth on Saturday and said it was “not proper”. An … Read more
An egregious non-call by referee Steve Willis allowed Gervonta Davis to salvage a draw on the judges’ scorecards in Davis’s WBA 135lb title defense against Lamont Roach at Barclays Center on Saturday night. Davis (now 30-0-1, 28 KOs), has been fighting professionally for 12 years. At age 30, he’s an elite fighter with a fervent … Read more
A brutal season for the Phoenix Suns hit a low Sunday night with a humiliating 116-98 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. “We didn’t play up to our standards at all,” All-Star forward Kevin Durant said. “We embarrassed the fans and we embarrassed ourselves the way we played. I want us to be better.” There’s … Read more
The day before Eliud Kipchoge’s first attempt at a sub-two-hour marathon in 2017, a Nike vice-president described it to me as “a moonshot”. Now, though, the track and field equivalent of landing on Mars is apparently just 3min 59.37sec away. That was the startling conclusion of a study in the Royal Society Open Science journal … Read more
Novak Djokovic’s partnership with coach Andy Murray will continue at Indian Wells this week and at the Miami Open this month, the PA news agency understands. Murray is heading out to Indian Wells, California, on Monday for the BNP Paribas Open, which starts on Wednesday, with the Miami Open following on 19 March. Djokovic confirmed … Read more
A pale pastel sun has settled over the Somerset coast. Two voices carry through the still of the dusk, over the shrieking seagulls and the roar of the surf. “ZOMBIE, ZOMBIE, ZOMBIE-BIE-BIE,” the voices chime. Fifty yards down the beach, William O’Connor smiles and waves. Most streets, most weeks, the world’s 49th-best darts player could … Read more
“It was pandemonium,” Maria Tallchief wrote in her memoir about her “Firebird” debut, in 1949. “The theater had turned itself into a football stadium, and the audience was in a frenzy.” The only thing that went wrong was that they hadn’t rehearsed the curtain calls. Tallchief was New York City Ballet’s first star, a thrilling … Read more
What links Jack Robson, Lal Hilditch, Herbert Bamlett and Ruben Amorim? They’re the only permanent managers in Manchester United history with a career negative goal-difference. Other than Amorim, the other three worked between 1914 and 1931. Sunday’s FA Cup exit against Fulham, admittedly, did not contribute to that. It was possible, even, in the aftermath … Read more
Bompastor bemoans Chelsea’s ‘intentions’ Chelsea dropped points for only the second time this season in Sunday’s toe-to-toe battle with Brighton at Broadfield Stadium. The league leaders and reigning champions trailed 2-1 at half-time against opponents who played with flair and skill. But Mayra Ramírez came to the rescue when her shot on goal was deflected … Read more