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Chris Kamara is set to be the latest familiar face to leave Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday.
Sources say the popular 64-year-old has ‘seen the writing on the wall’ with the impending departure of long-serving host Jeff Stelling, who will go at the end of the season.
Kamara has built up a cult following and would be sorely missed by many. It is understood he has kept his intentions quiet as he does not wish to steal his pal Stelling’s thunder.
Chris Kamara is set to be the latest familiar face to leave Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday
Another who may follow suit is former Celtic and Aston Villa striker Alan McInally. The Scot, 59, formerly a staple among the studio pundits, has been reporting on the road from lesser lights across the EFL in recent times.
Some have wondered if that is part of a ploy to put pressure on McInally as the broadcaster seeks to head down a younger route.
A Sky spokesperson said they had no plans to part company with him.
LEEDS SECURITY OPERATION WILL HIT TAXPAYER IN THE POCKET
The vast security operation carried out for Leeds United’s clash with old rivals Manchester United last Sunday will hit the taxpayer in the pocket, it is believed.
Those familiar with the situation say the bill will be more than £200,000, with Leeds asked to shell out just a quarter of that because they only have to cover the costs of police officers inside the ground and in the immediate vicinity.
Officers were drafted in from a number of forces while the police helicopter — at a cost of around £2,000 per hour — hovered above.
A relatively small number of arrests were made thanks in part to torrential rain keeping fans away from each other, much to the police’s delight.
Leeds upped their security operation for the visit of Manchester United earlier this month
AGENTS CIRCLE AROUND KALVIN PHILLIPS
Leeds star Kalvin Phillips is being circled by the big guns of the agency world. The 26-year-old, who was previously linked with a move to Manchester United, is represented by former Leeds defender Kevin Sharp.
Phillips’ deal expires this summer and there will be no shortage of takers should he decide to make a switch.
But it is understood Sharp is confident his services will be retained given his long history with and support of the player.
LEANING ON INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS IS LAZY FROM THE IOC
On the face of it, the International Olympic Committee’s letter on Friday which called upon international federations to cancel any events in Russia was a demonstration of strong leadership.
However, with no Olympic events due to be held in Russia and no Russian IOC sponsors, many felt that leaning on the governing bodies to take action was the easy route.
There is still anger that an earlier IOC statement only criticised Russia for breaking the Olympic truce and not for the invasion of a sovereign nation.
ENGLAND POWER CUT MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE?
A power cut during a press Zoom call with an England rugby player at their Pennyhill Park training HQ wreaked havoc before the Wales clash.
The outage was the third to hit since the Six Nations started. Given coach Eddie Jones’s frosty relationship with the media, the latest cut has left some more cynical writers wondering if it is more than a coincidence.
England rugby coach Eddie Jones has a historically frosty relationship with the media
PARALYMPICS FEAR BEING OVERSHADOWED
There is concern among the Olympic and Paralympic community that the Beijing Paralympics next month will be overshadowed by events in Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion will cause issues for national Paralympic organisations such as the routing of flights away from Russian territory.
Flights to the Beijing Winter Olympics went directly over Russia, which is no longer possible.
IBA SET TO DEFY THEIR OWN PRESIDENT
Reports that the International Boxing Association (IBA) are about to move the new Global Boxing Cup from Russia are all the more impressive when you consider that the IBA’s very active president is none other than the Russian, Umar Kremlev.
MANCHESTER UNITED TEAR UP SPONSORSHIP DEAL
Manchester United’s new chief executive Richard Arnold tore up the club’s lucrative sponsorship deal with Russian airline Aeroflot following last week’s invasion.
Although it was the right thing to do, the move will hit United to the tune of around £8million a year. Arnold brought the majority state-owned carrier on board in 2013 when it was hoped Russia would become a part of the international community.
An additional cost has also been incurred with United bringing in contractors on Friday to paint over the giant Aeroflot sign on the floor of the car park behind the Stretford End.
A first coat has been applied to the sign, which can be seen by planes approaching Manchester Airport, but it is understood resurfacing work will be needed to remove all trace.
Manchester United have torn up a lucrative sponsorship deal with Russian airline Aeroflot
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE LOOMING FOR MCC COMMITTEE
MCC members have been collecting signatures for a vote of no confidence in the club’s cricket committee over the lack of consultation and communication — other than a two-sentence announcement by chief executive Guy Lavender — that the Varsity match and Eton v Harrow fixture would be cancelled after this summer.
Members say that without these two fixtures bringing in big crowds, MCC would not have become the club it is. A total of 120 signatures is needed for an AGM resolution while 180 are required for an EGM.
Lavender wrote to members to say the decision was not taken lightly, claiming that delivering ‘the highest quality pitches for professional cricket’ was ‘the overwhelming priority’.
Lavender added: ‘This decision did not arise as a result of any ‘anxiety to kowtow to the woke police’ as recently reported. I have no doubt that members wish to enable young people to play at Lord’s based on their talent and success in reaching the finals of competitions.
MCC members have been collecting signatures for a vote of no confidence in the committee
‘Faced with constraints on the number of matches able to be played on the main ground, the committee made this decision in support of this aim.’
COACH BEARD’S SCOUTING MISSION
Ted Lasso’s assistant Coach Beard went on a scouting mission at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The Apple TV show actor Brendan Hunt took in Chelsea’s Champions League victory over Lille in the directors’ box, along with producer Chip Hamilton.
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