SPORTS AGENDA: Shock as the BBC axes its football results service at 5pm

The traditional reading out of the classified football results – a staple for generations – is no more thanks to the latest baffling move from the BBC’s brains’ trust.

For decades fans have relied on the 5pm results service, made famous by the late James Alexander Gordon and latterly Charlotte Green. Many have returned to their cars after games to tune in to the classified results which followed the flagship tones of BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sports Report.

But on Saturday, they were nowhere to be heard, prompting listeners to wonder what was going on. Sadly, it appears that Beeb bosses, again showing a staggering disregard for their audience, have dropped the guillotine on what was a British institution.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: ‘With the addition of the 5.30pm live Premier League match to our coverage, Sports Report has been condensed into a shorter programme. We will still offer a comprehensive goal service throughout the day on air and on the BBC Sport website as well as Final Score on BBC One. We would like to thank everyone who has read the classified football results on 5 Live over the years.’

The traditional reading out of the classified football results – a staple for generations – is no more thanks to the latest baffling move from the BBC’s brains’ trust

Leeds United’s shirt deliveries delayed  

The arrival of Leeds United shirts has been delayed – after shipping containers on a boat being used to bring them in from south east Asia plunged into the sea.

Only 10,000 away jerseys have been made available so far. A severe outbreak of Covid in Singapore, where the adidas kits are manufactured, was responsible for an initial hold-up. But the accident has caused further delays. The club usually sell around 300,000 jerseys, and there are concerns over the impact the issues may cause, especially with a World Cup and a keen market for England tops fast approaching.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are not the only ones to star in an Amazon documentary. After the success of Take Me Home, which tracked the club’s rise to the Premier League, crews returned to Elland Road to take a look at the Leeds’s conveyor belt of talent. The Academy, which features the development of young guns Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Cysensio Summerville, who all came off the bench in Saturday’s victory over Wolves, is out now.

The arrival of Leeds United shirts has been delayed – after shipping containers on a boat being used to bring them in from south east Asia plunged into the sea

Joe Gelhardt (C) will feature in a new Amazon documentary looking at the club’s academt

Lionesses’ Euros triumph has knock-on effect 

The Lionesses’ Euros triumph already appears to be having a knock-on effect. One of Sarina Wiegman’s stars was recently in discussions with a brand over a sponsorship deal. 

Her representatives were left dismayed when they found out one of the England men’s team’s players had a better deal with the same brand than the one offered to their client. 

The firm offered to match the fee before being reminded the male player had not won a Euros. As a result, the Lionesses player signed a deal worth more than that of her male counterpart.

The Lionesses’ Euros triumph against Germany already appears to be having a knock-on effect

Chelsea’s new owners looking to provide Thomas Tuchel with the goods 

Chelsea’s new ownership is learning quickly as it seeks to ensure manager Thomas Tuchel has the players he needs to ensure a successful first season for the Americans. 

Todd Boehly has been heavily involved in transfer activity and will continue to back the German, in some cases – such as that of recent £62m signing Marc Cucurella – being forced to pay over the odds. 

It is a far cry from early negotiations, in which a heavily incentivised pay system was discussed. The Americans quickly found targets preferred higher, guaranteed basic salaries.

Chelsea’s new ownership including Todd  Boehly is learning quickly as it seeks to ensure Thomas Tuchel has the players he needs to ensure a successful first season for the Americans

MCC’s controversial decision could be overturned 

The controversial decision by MCC to ditch the traditional Eton v Harrow and Oxford v Cambridge matches at Lord’s could soon be overturned. 

Amid outrage from members, an online SGM has been arranged for September 27 with votes cast electronically or via post. 

The MCC committee had decided to replace both with the finals of competitions open to schools and universities.

Benni McCarthy is a hit with the Old Trafford faithful  

Benni McCarthy appears to be a popular addition to Manchester United’s coaching staff, with insiders disclosing an almost Pied Piper affect at the club’s Carrington training ground. 

The former Ajax, Porto and Blackburn striker – a boyhood United fan – has been holding extra shooting practice after being asked by Bruno Fernandes.

McCarthy’s sessions have proved popular, with Christian Eriksen quick to join in. When Cristiano Ronaldo and new signing Lisandro Martinez found out they were also quick to get involved.

Benni McCarthy appears to be a popular addition to Manchester United’s coaching staff

Leicester fans fume at Kasper Schmeichel

Leicester fans may have been unhappy to see Kasper Schmeichel leave the club for Nice, but Premier League referees are breathing a sigh of relief. 

An insider from the PGMOL has admitted Schmeichel was one of the hardest players to officiate being renowned for getting his point across to the officials during his 11 seasons at Leicester.

Leicester fans may have been unhappy to see Kasper Schmeichel leave the club for Nice

Modern Pentathlon’s hopes are hanging in the balance  

Modern Pentathlon’s hopes of staying in the LA28 Olympics seem to depend on the introduction of James Bond-style obstacle racing to replace the globally inaccessible equestrian discipline. However, there is a small but noisy protest group trying to keep it.

The self-styled Pentathlon United is dominated by Brits, some of whom are believed to have commercial interests in the equestrian side. But their protests are running out of steam with only 213 out of 98,000 registered athletes worldwide opposing the removal of the equestrian discipline in a recent survey. 

This is a drop from 650 opponents in 2021 but many opponents from that first survey were of East European origin and not even registered pentathlon athletes.

Modern Pentathlon’s hopes of staying in the LA28 Olympics seem to depend on the introduction of James Bond-style obstacle racing to replace the equestrian discipline

The BBC to view Birmingham 2022 as success after Tokyo Olympics

The BBC will view Birmingham 2022 as a high point after their Tokyo Olympics experiences. With Discovery Eurosport now the dominant rights holder for the Olympics it has limited the BBC’s ability to cover all sports. 

However, Birmingham 2022 has seen the BBC – as host broadcaster – cover everything from lawn bowls to Alex Yee’s triathlon triumph.

The BBC will view Birmingham 2022 as a high point after their Tokyo Olympics experiences

Birmingham 2022 officials steals the show with the press 

One Birmingham 2022 official made himself popular with the press pack – sick of driving into the centre of the city and then having to take a bus to the Alexander Stadium – when he pinpointed a street 10 minutes from the venue where they could park. 

However, the popularity did not last long when the official and the hacks returned to find they had all received parking tickets.

Birmingham city council skimp out on cheaper track at the Alexander Stadium

As some had feared, the decision by Birmingham city council to opt for a cheaper track at the Alexander Stadium rebounded with a host of disappointing times. 

None of the competitors in the men’s 100m final broke the 10-second barrier, while in the women’s equivalent Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah clocked 10.95 secs as she took gold, well off the 10.65 secs she claimed Olympic glory with last summer. 

The track is inferior to the surface the American manufacturer installed for the World Athletics Championships.

As some had feared, the decision by Birmingham city council to opt for a cheaper track at the Alexander Stadium rebounded with a host of disappointing times

New Zealand win the battle for the best hospitality house

New Zealand won the battle for the best hospitality house at Birmingham 2022. While Team England gained plaudits after taking over the modern Cube venue in the centre of the city, the Kiwis have blown everyone else out of the water, thanks to their swanky venue at the exclusive Edgbaston Golf Club. 

Their period house came with stunning views, with athletes taking to the course during downtime. Australia, meanwhile, went for the Walkabout pub on Broad Street, the stag and hen do capital of the city.

Team England’s suffer awkward moment  

An embarrassing moment came when athletes arriving at Team England’s base were greeted by a ‘wall of champions’ featuring images of former England greats who won Commonwealth Games gold. 

While there was no image of the current England athletic team’s manager Kelly Sotherton, the collage did feature Jessica Ennis-Hill, who won a bronze behind Sotherton’s gold at the 2006 Commonwealths.

Kelly Sotherton was missing from the ‘wall of champions’ featuring images of former England greats who won Commonwealth Games gold

Contributors: Kathryn Batte, Simon Jones and Jonathan McEvoy