Birmingham Post

Neal Sizes Up Mountainous Bathurst Task ; Motorsport

It's been an up-and-down season in the British Touring Car Championship but Matt Neal will be aiming for the summit - literally - of Australian motorsport this weekend. The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, which is raced over a mountain course at Mount Panorama in New South Wales, is regarded as the greatest race in Australia and Worcestershire racer Neal will be tackling the event for the fourth time after being invited to drive with the Supercheap Auto Racing team.

Athletics: Radcliffe Takes Short Route Towards Defence of New York Marathon Title

Paula Radcliffe has chosen to warm up for the defence of her New York Marathon title by racing in the 10-mile Great South Run in Portsmouth on October 26, the weekend before she appears in America for her first 26-miler since the Olympic Games in August. Radcliffe received plenty of offers to get her career back on track after the disappointment of the Beijing marathon. She seriously considered running in last weekend's Great North event and the IAAF World Half-marathon in Rio de Janeiro this...

Golf: Comeback Lad Olazabal Sets Modest Target

Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal is set for his third career comeback at the Madrid Masters this week but does not have high expectations after an absence of three months. The 42-year-old, who assisted European captain Nick Faldo at last month's Ryder Cup, has been plagued with injury and fatigue and has not played a competitive round since June, when he narrowly missed out on qualification for the Open. That was less than three months after resuming competition, having been out ...

Rugby Union: Calmness Key in Saints' Intimidating Test

Northampton have been urged to "keep calm" when they enter Toulon's intimidating Stade Felix Mayol tonight. Saints' European Challenge Cup opener pitches them against the big-spending newcomers to French rugby's elite Top 14 but Northampton will also encounter a side short on confidence following four defeats in five games.

Wilkinson Wins Six Nations Hope From London Surgeon

A top London surgeon believes Jonny Wilkinson has "a 90 per cent chance" of being fit again before this season's RBS 6 Nations Championship, writes Andrew Baldock. Simon Moyes says England star Wilkinson can realistically expect a four-month recovery time from his latest injury. The Newcastle fly half dislocated his knee-cap in the Premiership defeat at Gloucester nine days ago. He underwent surgery less than 72 hours later, which was conducted without complications.

Injury-Hit Sanders Eye Spring Comeback

Seb Sanders, last year's joint-champion jockey, is eagerly anticipating his return to the saddle next spring as he continues to recover from a broken leg. A pile-up at Chester on August 30 ended the Tamworth-born Sanders' season, with his exit from Luca Cumani's Speed Gifted leaving him with a fractured femur which ruled him out of the remainder of 2008.

Football: A Stronger Flavour to Mcleish's New Recipe ; Coca-Cola Championship

Sebastian Larsson believes the current Birmingham City squad is stronger than the Blues side that won promotion to the Barclays Premier League two seasons ago. The 23-year-old midfielder said the squad that manager Alex McLeish has assembled has the potential to eclipse the achievements of Steve Bruce's side which finished second to Sunderland in 2007.

Football: Iwelumo Hopes He Makes Up for Six Years of Lost Time

Wolverhampton Wanderers' striker Chris Iwelumo hopes to make up for one of the biggest disappointments of his career when Scotland face Norway in their latest World Cup qualifier on Saturday. The 30-year-old, who has scored eight goals in only seven games since moving to Molineux in the summer, is finally set to make his international debut at Hampden Park on Saturday - six years after missing out on a Scotland cap.

Football: Ebanks-Blake Determined to Prove He has High-Class Pedigree for England

England fans might want to put their shirt on at least one of Stuart Pearce's young charges scoring as England prepare to face Wales tomorrow in the first leg of the play-offs for the European Under 21 Championship Finals in Sweden next summer. WithWolverhamptonWanderers'star striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake being named after a prize-winning racehorse, those who have seen the 22- year-old's skills in front of goal might feel he is a pretty safe bet to find the back of the net in the first leg for ...

Football: Jones Sure Hennessey Will Shrug Off Molineux Axing

Young Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has been tipped by his international goalkeeping coach to bounce back from being axed at the weekend by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Paul Jones, who also had a spell with the Molineux club during his long playing career, is looking after the Wales goalkeepers when they are on international duty.

Football: Ward Plans Conservative Approaches On Spot Duty

Elliott Ward has assured Coventry City supporters that he will never again take a penalty like he did against Southampton. The defender chipped the ball straight into goalkeeper Kelvin Davis's hands during the 4-1 win at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, which was his second miss from the penalty spot in three attempts.

Premier League Debts Are 'Not Sustainable' ; National Football

The dominance of debt-laden Premier League clubs in Europe will soon come to an end as the global financial crisis takes hold, according to a leading football finance expert. West Ham United became the first major victims of the credit crunch on Tuesday when their chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson saw his major stockholding in Landsbanki wiped out when the troubled Icelandic bank was nationalised.

Mowbray Continues His Quest to Find Albion's Missing Link ; Football: Barclays Premier League

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray revealed he will be in the transfer market in January for a player like Kevin Phillips. As rumours linking the club with Real Mallorca striker Oscar Trejo persist, the Baggies manager suggested finding someone who could knit his forwards and midfielders together was a priority when the transfer window opens for business.

England Make Steady Progress

England have moved up one place to 14th in the latest edition of the FIFA world rankings after their wins over Croatia and Andorra. England's unbeaten start to their World Cup qualifying campaign has seen them leapfrog Romania to the position they last held in August.

Wedding Bells Sound Change of Scenery for Manager West ; Fa Cup

Paul West will have to miss Evesham United's biggest game of the season so far - because of former Aston Villa midfielder Hassan Kachloul's wedding plans. Instead of being in the St George's Lane dug-out for Saturday's third qualifying round clash with Chasetown (1.30pm), Robins manager West will be in sunnier climes in St Tropez to attend Kachloul's wedding to fiancee Geraldine.

Youngsters Getting Up to Speed

England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce, a top-class and much- feared full back for club and country in his playing days, admits he is glad he didn't have to mark the lightning-fast forwards at his disposal now - players like Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner, both currently plying their trade with Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League. Pearce believes the quality and depth of the squad he is lining up to meet Wales over two legs this week in the plays-offs for a place in the European U...

Wright-Phillips New and Improved for Another Chance with England

Shaun Wright-Phillips is delighted to have been handed an international recall even if he admits he needed help to pronounce and learn the name of his side's opponents at Wembley on Saturday in Khazikhstan. And the former Chelsea winger admits it has been his return to Manchester City which has salvaged his England career after too many wasted opportunities, warming the bench for three years at Stamford Bridge.

Warriors Still See Hope for Horsman Despite Club Fine and Suspension

Mike Ruddock insists Chris Horsman is not spent as a Premiership force despite the Wales international's recent history of injury and discipline problems. While the Worcester director of rugby would not discuss the circumstances surrounding Horsman's impending appearance in front of a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel, his thoughts on the matter were eloquently outlined in a club statement which revealed the 31-year-old had been fined and banned in anticipation of today's hearing.