Paul Hayward
@paulhayward
Sportswriter at The Observer. Journalist since 1987. Author of 'England Football - The Biography.'
As part of Uefa's promise to boycott World Cups unless Fifa's privatisation plan is dropped, a rare admission of what happens when sport sells itself to "external investors."
On Infantino's plan to sell the World Cup to oligarchs... Surprise, surprise...
A major shock here at Birkdale. Donald Trump has NOT picked up the phone to interfere in a sporting decision.
Thomas Tuchel is being very cunning here. He's blaming the players for his substitutions (they'll see that, and won't like it.) He's within his rights to say England don't keep the ball as well as other top nations in big knockout games, but he's casting himself as a bystander.
Attended the launch today of a commendable initiative by @SussexCCC to boost cricket in state schools in the county. The private-public sector imbalance in English cricket isn't sustainable - or acceptable. It's called 'Breaking Boundaries.'
This is actually Andy Burnham's second bid for power. The first was in 1933 (check the resemblance). From the artists-against-fascism exhibition at the Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne.
Good work by Telegraph sport to get hold of England's new drinking rules. A shortened version of them would be: "Lads. Lads, come on."
From another hot World Cup day in Mexico. Bobby Moore's shirt from the Brazil game in 1970. Notice the clever scientific adaptation of...perforations.
Arthur Fery's nosebleed problem struck again in the fifth game of the first set v Zizou Bergs. The last Brit standing in the singles needed a medical time-out but is playing again now.
Love the personal touch of some of these scattergun PR emails. Hi Surname..
"We waited a year for this bloody match so we're not leaving early." So says defiant a Trent Bridge spectator as the Hadlee Waiting Area, corridors and concourses become havens from 35-degree heat.
The plot thickens on the Rex Rooms rumpus. If an ECB minder needed stitches from a punch why are Saracens taking no action against their player? It looks like they're sulking because the ECB sped-up their decision.
Ten years ago this month, during Euro 2026. Remember waking there thinking my country had just blown its brains out.
It's an astonishing fact about 1966 that McCartney, Jagger and Ray Davies, who were stars 60 years ago, are still going strong. From England's team, only Geoff Hurst survives. I wrote about England, then and now, for The Observer's World Cup package..
Found this gathering of ex-England captains at Lord's yesterday quite moving. One thought: same job but very different characters. There's no such thing as a captain archetype....
Made me laugh. Read through this piece and a third of these billionaires live in Dubai, Monaco, Switzerland etc. There are donors to Reform and the Tories (remember their PM churn?)
Man City don't play again in the Premier League for 9 days but Guardiola isn't taking any chances with fatigue (8 changes) here at Wembley. Southampton (6 changes) play Ipswich on Tuesday night as their amazing promotion drive continues.
While Chelsea lurch about, sacking managers and torching money, look where these three stable clubs are in the table...
From LIV Golf to Dead Golf? Sport was deluded if it thought gulf state generosity was forever. Via NYTimes..
For some reason my eyes saw this as "Ben White arrested." I thought - booed, scored, gave away a pen, then nicked...He really went through the menu last night.
The new Crusades. Or, religious gibberish from a sociopath who's placing us all in danger. You decide.
Nice mention for Bath City and Eastbourne Borough on TNT in this Real Madrid-Man City game. Antoine Semenyo played in this eight years ago...as a sub.