Hearts 2-0 Aberdeen: What Thelin said
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Daily Record
14 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Pep Guardiola tells Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers what he wants to hear about Simpson-Pusey as 'trust' made crystal clear
Rodgers knows Guardiola trusts Simpson-Pusey implicitly and you don't have to look far for cold hard proof of that Brendan Rodgers hinted Pep Guardiola's 'trust' in Jahmai Simpson-Pusey may have been one of the driving factors behind Celtic's decision to bring him in. And there's no denying the Man City boss rates the youngster after he delivered a public glowing verdict on the 'unbelievable' 19-year-old. The centre-back arrives at Parkhead after something of a breakthrough season at the Etihad where he managed six top-team appearances, which included starts in the Premier League and Champions League. on top of a number of cup outings. That experience with some of the best players in the world made it a no-brainer for Rodgers to bring him in and, speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted the faith shown by Guardiola in him last season made it an easy decision to bring him in. Rodgers said: "He's a young player that I feel can come into this environment and really support us in the games that we play. "We need a number of centre halves and he is one, with his profile and attributes that fit how we play. "He has got good pace. He is a good defender first and foremost but he can also play football because at Celtic, you need to be able to build the game from behind and progress it quickly. He can do that. "He has had some senior games with Manchester City and has had the trust of Pep (Guardiola) to put him in. Now he comes here for a year and continues that education at a massive club." And you don't need to look far for a sign of that 'trust' Rodgers is referring to. Simpson-Pusey is fancied to have a big future and, if Guardiola is to be believed, then it's a major coup for Celtic to bring him in. He threw him in for his Premier League debut against Brighton back in November, having previously started him against Sporting CP in the Champions League. City, struggling for form, lost that game 2-1. But Simpson-Pusey was one of the bright spots as he looked capable beside Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker in the back line. Speaking after the game, Guardiola said: 'Jahmai Simpson-Pusey played really good again, with this composure – the duels, everything was good. We have a central defender to help us for the next years. 'I'm really pleased. Always, there is good news when a situation is going bad – and this is one of them. It's not easy for him. 'Normally, the young lads come in with the support of the team – Rodri in front of them, the best Kyle Walker and other defenders. He's playing in a position that is difficult for him, and he performed unbelievably.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trio of British track cyclists target three new world records
A trio of British Olympians and para-cyclists will be attempting to break three track cycling world records this month. Double Olympic silver medallist Matt Richardson is aiming to break the record for the fastest flying 200m lap and to break the nine-second barrier for the first time, while Paris team pursuit silver medallist Charlie Tanfield is attempting to set a new men's elite Hour Record, which is currently 56.792km. Para-cyclist Will Bjergfelt is targeting the men's C5 Hour Record, which has stood for more than a decade, and is hoping to become the first para-cyclist to ride more than 50km in the process. The current record of 47.569km was set by Andrea Tarlo in 2014. Richardson, who formerly raced for Australia before switching to represent GB last summer, briefly held the 200m record during the Paris Games before his rival Harrie Lavreysen broke it, setting the benchmark of 9.088 seconds. Speaking to media including The Independent before the event, Richardson says his motivation 'is to become the fastest track cyclist of all time.' He and Lavreysen – who picked up three golds in Paris – have developed one of the sport's closest rivalries and the chance to go clear of the Dutchman is a major drive behind the record bid. He says: 'For me, it's a bit of a race between Harrie and I to be the first person to do it. It's been on my radar for the last couple of years. It's going to happen at some point, and once someone goes sub-nine [seconds], they'll be the first person to do that, forever. Records get beaten all the time but barriers stay with that person.' Bjergfelt was a successful road and mountain bike rider before he was hit head-on by a car in 2015 and suffered life-threatening injuries, with his right leg shattered into 25 pieces. He returned to racing in the C5 para-cycling category, winning a world silver medal on the track in 2019 and a world road race title in Glasgow two years ago, and was the first para-cyclist to ride the Tour of Britain. The Bristol native says, 'The Hour Record is iconic. I jumped on it straight away because it's something I've wanted to do for a long time. 'I definitely want to see if I can crack 50km. I would be the first C5 para cyclist to break that barrier, so that would be pretty special. I feel like I've done some pretty incredible things since I became a para-cyclist, so I want to put it out there that if you have an impairment or a disability, there's so many amazing things you can do, and it shouldn't hold anyone back who has aspirations. I want to try and inspire people to get involved.' All three world record attempts will be taking place on 14 August at the Konya Velodrome in Turkey, which hosted a round of the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup in March. Richardson momentarily thought he had eclipsed Lavreysen's record at the Nations Cup, clocking a time of 9.041 seconds in qualifying, but the UCI voided his time as he strayed beyond the official bounds of the track. But the seeds were sown for future attempts. Bjerfelt says, 'With British Cycling this year being inspired by Matt's ride at the World Cup, everyone got really excited about the velodrome in Konya. That pre-empted the whole [idea], let's go back there and smash a record, and open it up to everyone.' Richardson explains, 'What makes this so appealing for a flying 200m is it's a very similar shape to the Paris velodrome [in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines], which is deemed probably one of the fastest sea-level tracks because of how wide and steep it is, but they've basically plonked it at 1200m of altitude. For a flying effort it's pretty optimal.' That steep banking allows riders to pick up more speed as they fly down to the bottom of the track, while the lower air pressure at altitude contributes towards lower air density, which means the riders will face less resistance. As Bjergfelt says, 'with the same power, you travel a lot faster'. Of his brief spell as official world record holder during the Paris Games, Richardson says, 'It was a bit of mixed emotions, because I didn't realise I'd broken it when I had, because you're so locked in to the competition. 'My first thought was 'that was a quick time', and then it dawned on me when I heard them announce that whoever wants to be the fastest qualifier now is going to have to break the world record. I was like, 'I got it, didn't I?!' And then 30 seconds later I watched Harrie go round the track, and was like 'and it's gone'.' Bjergfelt, who has had to balance the rigours of his training schedule alongside his full-time job as an aerospace engineer, says there is more to consider than just riding as hard as possible for an hour. 'We did relative tests in May up in Manchester and the one thing that I found there was that after around 40 minutes my hand became quite numb, so that's going to be interesting, pushing through the different barriers that you get. 'With the Hour Record you have to be really, really conservative in the first 40-45 minutes: you still want to be on pace to beat the record, but you have to be really within yourself, because it's an effort that comes back to bite you. In that last 10-15 minutes, that's where hopefully I'll be on pace, and at the same time I should have enough left in the tank to get the maximum out of myself.' All three riders will be on equipment designed to push them as far and as fast as possible, on the Hope-Lotus Olympic bikes from Paris last year, as well as wearing customised skinsuits. 'It's the fastest bike I've ever ridden on the track,' says Bjergfelt. 'Technology has moved on so far since the Hour Record was set in 2014. It'd be wrong if I didn't really smash the record to bits.' Richardson is similarly confident that history will be made next week. 'Nothing's ever a done deal, ever, but I'm pretty confident that I'm in a really good place to get the job done.'
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ray French obituary
Although Ray French was a dual rugby international, winning four caps for England at rugby union and then, after signing professional terms to play rugby league, appearing four times for Great Britain, it was as the BBC's rugby league commentator that he came to national prominence. French, who has died aged 85 after living with dementia, succeeded Eddie Waring as the BBC's voice of the sport in 1981, spending 27 years in the role. Waring had established a public profile, beyond his verbally eccentric rugby commentaries, via frequent appearances in light entertainment shows and knockabout comedy routines. And, like Waring before him, French too became a somewhat divisive figure among a cohort of rugby league supporters who believed he entrenched a stereotypical perception of their sport. With his distinctive Lancashire enunciation, catchphrases and characteristic lexicon, his critics accused the national broadcaster of choosing a figurehead designed to 'keep the sport in its place': an idiosyncratic pastime of northern England. However, to focus solely on his presentational style would be to mask the depth of knowledge French had for both codes of rugby, especially league. His command of the history of the two codes and his personal experiences of the prejudices constantly marring their relationship were leitmotifs running through his spoken and written work, imbuing his delivery with authenticity. He also called some of the most celebrated matches during his BBC tenure, including the 1985 Challenge Cup final between Wigan and Hull, oft-regarded as the greatest final of all, and 12-man Great Britain's against-the-odds victory over Australia at Wembley in 1994 when fellow cross-coder Jonathan Davies scored one of the finest tries seen at the stadium. 'Davies, he's got some space. He's going for the corner, he's got his head back. And the Welshman is in for a magnificent try' are words longstanding supporters can recite verbatim. Despite such highlights, French always said his most professional achievement at the BBC was during the second half of a commentary when, stuck high on a gantry, he was so desperate to relieve himself that, while still speaking, he was forced to use a bucket held by his match summariser. Meanwhile, his books – which include My Kind of Rugby: Union and League (1979) and Ray French … and Rugby (2010) – explore the complex socioeconomic and political relationships between the two rugby codes. And despite the longstanding animosity between them, often based on class and misplaced prejudice, he did much to break down barriers he considered absurd. Indeed, French was an advocate of a single rugby code, noting that 'the strength of rugby union is along the M4 corridor from London into Wales, while the strength of rugby league is along the M62 corridor in northern England. If rugby stopped dividing its resources, we'd have a game to challenge football.' Raymond James French was born on 23 December 1939 in St Helens. His father, Richard, worked in the local glass industry and his mother, Ellen, was a homemaker. Although raised in a rugby league-supporting family, in 1955 a scholarship took him from Rivington Road school to Cowley Grammar in nearby Windle where he first encountered rugby union. There his prowess as a robust back-row forward attracted the interest of the St Helens rugby union club. He quickly won Lancashire county honours and the attention of the England selectors. He won four international caps, playing second-row in England's Five Nations matches in 1961. Despite England's disappointing campaign, French prospered amid a mediocre pack and looked set for further call-ups. However, St Helens, his hometown professional rugby league club, had been monitoring his progress and in late 1961 offered him a £5,000 contract which initially he turned down. But the opportunity to play his favoured code eventually proved irresistible. He became part of the club's formidable forward pack, playing an integral role in Saints' double-winning season of 1965-66 as they won the Championship and Challenge Cup. However, although he had become club captain, St Helens sold French to local rivals Widnes in 1967. He wasn't especially pleased, describing it as 'feeling like a piece of meat on a supermarket shelf' but it would be at Widnes where he earned his rugby league international honours, travelling to Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain's 1968 World Cup squad. Unfortunately, the team's lacklustre performances meant many squad members, including French, would not be selected again. Meanwhile, while still playing professionally at St Helens, French studied for a degree in English, Latin and Russian at Leeds university. He graduated in 1962 and applied for teacher training at Loughborough university, only to be turned down because he was a rugby league professional. He eventually qualified back at Leeds and taught English at his alma mater Cowley, where he stayed until retirement. It was during his time at Cowley that French began commentating on rugby league for local radio, eventually progressing to the BBC. He was awarded the MBE in 2011 for services to rugby league. The man-of-the-match award in the 1895 Cup Final for lower-division teams is named after him, reflecting his love of, and involvement in, grassroots rugby. He married Helen (nee Bromilow) in 1963. She survives his, as does son Gary and daughter Susan. Raymond James French, rugby league player, journalist and sports commentator, born 23 December 1939, died 26 July 2025
