Category: 6. Sports

Brentford held its most recent fan advisory board (FAB) meeting in June.

FAB meetings are a part of the club’s ongoing commitment to consulting and involving fans in key decisions and are a key element of the Premier League’s fan engagement standard.

The meeting was attended by club executives together with FAB members drawn from Bees United and Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS). The current FAB members are: Stuart Hatcher (co-chair), Don Tanswell, Chris Tate, Sharon Wright (all Bees United), Angelo Basu (co-chair), Dave Minckley, Matthew White and Allyson Woyak (all BIAS).

The FAB focuses on off-pitch matters and provides a sounding board for the club to discuss strategic issues with fan representatives.

A number of working groups focusing on specific topics and projects such as ticketing, food and drink, fan atmosphere and sustainability also report into the FAB, providing more detailed feedback to help steer the club’s decisions and policies.

In the most recent meeting, the FAB discussed the club’s plans to move to digital ticketing, including detailed implementation plans and how Brentford will help fans transition to the new technology.

The group also spoke about plans for fan consultation and involvement for the season ahead, including the suggested outline plan for the FAB meetings and ongoing working group meetings. Ahead of the meeting, an overview of the working group meetings was shared, totalling some 60 meetings over the last season.

Fan atmosphere was also on the agenda. The group discussed how fans and fan groups could help the team by improving the atmosphere during home games at Gtech Community Stadium. Plans are in place for the fan atmosphere working group to meet ahead of the new season.

Brentford staff also provided an update on the work that’s required to confirm that the club has met the requirements set out in the Premier League’s Fan Engagement Standard for the 2024/25 season.

The club is required to publish a fan engagement plan and other key documents such as a revised Supporter Charter ahead of the start of the upcoming campaign.

Read more about the points discussed at our recent FAB meeting

Get to know your fan advisory board members

FAB member Sharon Wright recently spoke to the club’s sustainability manager James Beale about why sustainability is so important to her and how she’s engaged with Brentford to support our efforts in this area.

If you’d like to find out more about the work that the FAB does or have any points that you’d like to raise with them, you can send an email to [email protected] or [email protected], or contact the club via email at [email protected] and your email will be passed onto the FAB members.

Top seed Jannik Sinner eased into the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday, brushing aside fellow Italian Luca Nardi in straight sets.

Unfazed by the searing heat, Sinner barely broke sweat in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory lasting just one hour and 48 minutes on Court One.

“I’m very happy to come back here to such a special place for me,” Sinner said.

“Playing an Italian is very unfortunate but one has to go through and luckily it was me.”

Sinner last week insisted his surprise decision to part with two of his coaching staff on the eve of Wimbledon would not affect his bid to win the tournament for the first time.

He opted to move on from Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist, as he looks for a new direction following his painful French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.

READ | Elisabetta Cocciaretto stuns Jessica Pegula in first round of Wimbledon

The pair had been employed by Sinner since September 2024, helping him retain the Australian Open crown in January and reach the Roland Garros showpiece in June.

Asked if the decision might jeopardise his Wimbledon challenge over the next fortnight, Sinner was adamant it would be beneficial, with coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill still on his staff.

On the evidence of his dominant display against Nardi the world number one, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May, will be just fine regardless of the coaching shake-up.

“We worked a lot after Halle (grass-court tournament) on the serve and in important moments I felt I was serving very well,” Sinner said.

“First matches are never easy, so I’m very happy with the performance. It’s a new tournament, new challenges.

“If you don’t enjoy to play on these courts, I don’t know where you will enjoy. I will try to keep going.”

Sinner has won three of the past six Grand Slams, but the 23-year-old blew a two-set lead and wasted three match points as Alcaraz staged a comeback for the ages to win the French Open final.

Sinner has failed to reach the Wimbledon final in his four visits, with a last-four appearance in 2023 ranking as his best effort.

The Italian’s Wimbledon preparations were also dented by a shock last-16 defeat against Alexander Bublik at Halle.

Playing world number 95 Nardi for the first time, Sinner had little trouble dispatching the 21-year-old in his first Grand Slam match since that bitter defeat at Roland Garros.

AUSTRALIA – Ripper GC, one of 13 teams shaping the future of golf in the LIV Golf League, has announced a bold new partnership with Golf Australia’s MyGolf program – uniting under the shared mission of taking youth golf participation to new heights across Australia.

MyGolf is Australia’s national introductory golf program for children aged 5–12, providing a dynamic, game-based learning experience built around confidence, friendships, and life skills. Led by PGA Professionals, the program ensures youth participants receive world-class instruction and mentorship, laying the foundation for the next wave of Aussie golfers.

Over the past year, more than 40,000 kids participated in MyGolf programs, a record high and an increase of over 4,000 from the previous year. With 476 active locations nationwide, the program continues to grow rapidly and make golf accessible to more families than ever before.

Now, with Ripper GC signing on as principal partner for at least the next three years, the program enters an exciting new phase: MyGolf powered by Ripper GC. Participants will now be known as “Little Rippers”, reflecting the spirit and energy of the partnership.

Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said it’s an exciting time for Australian kids to get info golf.

“Golf Australia has seen enormous growth in MyGolf participation over the last few years and we have no doubt the program will take another step up with the support of Ripper GC,” Sutherland said.

“Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman , Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones are passionate about creating opportunities for boys and girls to play and love golf. We are grateful for their commitment to inspire the next generation of golfers through MyGolf.

“MyGolf powered by Ripper GC is the perfect starting point for kids to get into golf. We can’t wait to see thousands more Little Rippers pick up a golf club.”

“The goal is simple, to get as many Aussie kids playing golf as possible,” said Ripper GC captain Cam Smith. “Everyone at Ripper GC and Golf Australia is committed to making that happen. We’re proud to be part of something that not only grows the game but creates opportunities for kids everywhere.”

The impact is already stretching beyond the fairways. Over 107,000 students engaged in the MyGolf Schools program, a 37% increase from last year. Female participation continues to rise as well, with nearly half of all participants in Tasmania being girls. Whether on the course or in the classroom, MyGolf powered by Ripper GC is shaping the next generation of golfers and making golf more accessible and exciting than ever before.

Find your nearest MyGolf powered by Ripper GC program here and sign up for Term 3 programs now.

Ask Yuna Kim to share her memories of Italy when she was a competitive figure skater, and the answers come rushing in fondly.

Kim, sometimes nicknamed the ‘Queen of Figure Skating‘, competed twice in Turin during her highly successful career. In 2007, she won the ISU Grand Prix Final, before taking home World Championships silver from the same city in 2010.

In that latter competition, Kim – fresh off the back of being crowned Olympic champion a month earlier at Vancouver 2010 – struggled in her short program, finishing seventh, but rebounded with a stunning free skate (she won the segment) to leap to second overall.

“I competed in Torino twice,” Kim recalled in a recent exclusive interview in Seoul, Republic of Korea. “In 2010, I participated in the World Championships just a one month after the Olympics, so I was really exhausted — but it was still a meaningful way to close out the Olympic season.

“Italy has always been a country I’ve loved, even outside of competition. I’d love to visit again.”

Perfect timing, then, that the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are fewer than 200 days away.

“Many athletes in various sports are aiming for good results at Milano Cortina 2026. I’m supporting them all the way, hoping they can prepare fully without any injuries to deliver their best performance on the Olympic stage,” Kim said.

There’s no doubt figure skating will be top draw for Yuna Kim. But what other events does she hope to catch?

“Aside from figure skating, I’m looking forward to outstanding performances in short track speed skating and snowboard halfpipe,” she said. “Regardless of results, I’m also looking forward to watching spectacular skiing events.”

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks will interview two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown for a second time as they seek Tom Thibodeau’s replacement, a person with knowledge of the details said Monday.

Brown’s return this week will make him the first of the known candidates to get a second interview for the position that has been vacant for nearly a month.

Other candidates could also be asked to return, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the coaching search were to remain private. The Knicks have also talked with former Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins and assistants James Borrego of New Orleans and Micah Nori of Minnesota about the position.

Brown’s second interview was first reported by the New York Post.

Brown led the Sacramento Kings to the playoffs in 2023, their first appearance since 2006, and was voted coach of the year. He went 107-88 there in 2 1/2 seasons before he was fired during this past season.

Brown also won the coaching award in 2009 with Cleveland and is 454-304 in his career.

Thibodeau was fired June 3 despite leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. Like Brown, he also won NBA Coach of the Year honors with two teams.

England retained Jofra Archer in their squad for the second Test because it is “very important” for him to become acquainted with the squad, captain Ben Stokes says.

Archer, 30, was called into England’s Test squad for the first time in four years after a series of injuries but left out of the final XI for the match, which starts on Wednesday.

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The fast bowler has played only one red-ball match since May 2021 and could have been released to play for Sussex in the County Championship this week but will instead stay with England’s squad.

“When someone has been out of the environment for so long – and the last time they were in that environment it was so completely different – for me personally and Baz [England coach Brendon McCullum] as well, we felt if he didn’t play it was important to have Jof around the group, around the people,” Stokes told the BBC.

“Having him back in the squad is great but we want him to play a part in the series and going forward with this group.”

Since taking over in 2022, Stokes and McCullum have revolutionised England’s Test cricket with a positive, sometimes relaxed, approach.

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Archer – one of England’s most exciting debutants in a generation in 2019 – last played a Test in February 2021, when Joe Root was captain and Chris Silverwood coach.

That Test was the last time Archer bowled in two innings of a red-ball match.

He played for Sussex against Durham last week and took 1-32 in 18 overs in the first innings but Durham did not bat a second time as the match ended in a draw.

“You can’t really control how a first-class game will go,” Stokes said.

“Here he can come and bowl. He can help out the lads. He can get used to the environment again and when the opportunity does come he is comfortable in it.

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“There are benefits to both situations and at the end of the day me and Baz decided one what we thought was best for Jof.”

Having missed England’s training on Monday because of a “family emergency”, Archer had a lengthy bowl in the nets on Tuesday.

He bowled a long spell at Stokes, challenged the England captain on a number of occasions and with only three days between this Test and the third at Lord’s could make his Test return next week.

“He’s got the ball swinging quite nicely and effortless pace,” Stokes said. “It’s been a while since I faced him so it was a little bit of a wake-up call for me.”

India’s XI remains unclear

While England’s decision to hold back Archer means they have an unchanged XI from their win in the first Test at Headingley, India’s side remains uncertain.

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Captain Shubman Gill said star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is “available” but a decision on whether he will play will be made on Tuesday evening as he manages his return from a back injury.

The questions do not end there.

Gill appeared to suggest the tourists will bring in a second spinner, off-spinner Washington Sundar or wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, but the decision is complicated by their weak lower-order after their final four wickets added only 29 runs across two innings combined in Leeds.

Kuldeep would provide a greater wicket-taking threat but Washington greater batting depth.

“If we are able to go with four or five premier bowlers with a sixth bowling option and have batting to seven or eight, that would be a good combination,” Gill said.

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India, who have not won any of their eight men’s Tests at Edgbaston, could also bring in batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a century in Australia during the winter and bowls gentle right-arm seam.