June 20 – The chant bearing his name has gone viral on social media sites yet he doesn’t necessarily even start for Northern Ireland. Wigan striker Will Grigg has become a cult hero, bursting into the iTunes top 10 thanks to ‘Will Grigg’s On Fire’, either the best or worst suppporters’ chant depending on your point of view but which has taken Euro 2016 by storm.
On the face of it this is an absurd question. How can what happens to England, Wales and Northern Ireland make any difference to how they vote in the EU referendum?
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – Disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner continues to defy attempts by the United States judiciary to have him extradited over the FIFA corruption scandal as so many other ex-powerbrokers have been.
By Paul Nicholson
June 20 – The Copa America Centenario has moved into its semi-final stage with some football style with goals galore in the final two quarter-final matches. After a slow start the oldest international football tournament in the world has burst into life.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 20 – Will the real Super Mario please stand up. That is the clarion cry among German fans ahead of the misfiring world champions’ final Euro 2016 group game against Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland here Tuesday.
June 20 – The Welsh dragon will need to be at its fiery best to beat the Russians to a qualifying spot, and it hopefully will not ignite Russian fans. England can afford to be a little more sedate against Slovakia but that might not be a smart move.
By Samindra Kunti in Marseilles
June 19 – Euro 2016 was again scarred by crowd trouble Saturday with UEFA opening proceedings against Hungarian and Turkish federations after fans let off flares in stadiums. UEFA has now opened cases against eight of the 24 competing nations while supporters of other teams, notably England, have been caught up in public disorder in French cities.
By David Owen
June 19 – Puma were the big winners in the second round of Euro 2016’s battle of brands. Austria’s fortuitous goalless draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Paris on Saturday night ensured that the cat brand’s five teams all avoided defeat in their respective second matches at the tournament.
June 18 – Switzerland and looking to make a point against France. Albania, who have no points at their first major tournament, see their match against Romania as a matter of life or death.
By Matt Scott
June 18 – It is time for state intervention at FIFA after Gianni Infantino’s supposed modernisation of FIFA “plunged it into the Dark Ages of Blatter”, according to the former chairman of the Independent Governance Committee.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 18 – Just when their highly impressive team was stamping its mark on the tournament and emerging as genuine dark horses, Croatia’s fans once again brought shame on the nation.
June 18 – Belgium vs Republic of Ireland – Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne both missed training earlier this week but are expected to play. Romelu Lukaku’s place as Belgium’s lone forward is most under threat should coach Marc Wilmots decide to make changes from the side beaten by Italy.
By Matt Scott
June 17 – Kuwait’s government is reportedly planning to dissolve every one of its national sports federations, including its National Olympic Committee, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] upheld a FIFA decision to ban the Kuwait Football Association over government interference.
By Paul Nicholson
June 17 – The USA became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario with a 2-1 win over Ecuador in Seattle.
June 17 – The draw for the qualifying tournament for the group stages of the 2017 AFC Cup has been held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, though Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown was not in the draw as they await a ruling on their suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).