Following the retirement of the indomitable Charles Sale, we have launched a new-look SPORTS AGENDA column, edited by LAURA WILLIAMSON, which will run every Monday in the Daily Mail. 

SECRET TRYSTS FOR BIG SIX OVER TV RIGHTS CLASH

If Richard Scudamore thought he had pacified the Premier League’s Big Six with a larger slice of overseas TV rights before he stood down as executive chairman, it seems he was mistaken.

Powerbrokers at Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are still very much an item, with the exclusive private dining rooms at Mosimann’s in Belgravia understood to be their regular haunt for secret meetings. Sports Agenda has been told they even have a WhatsApp group.

Manchester United chief Ed Woodward (left) has a chat with Richard Scudamore (right)

Such is their desire to continue acting together in pursuit of a bigger share of TV rights cash, they made sure they met Susanna Dinnage before the TV executive suddenly changed her mind on becoming Scudamore’s successor.

Senior figures in the game think it was this testosterone-charged encounter just before Christmas that persuaded Dinnage to stay as global president of Animal Planet.

The search for a new chief executive, led by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, continues in vain. Last week Richard Masters, the Premier League’s managing director, was confirmed as interim chief executive at Companies House, but the PL are anxious to hire an administrator with more television know-how.

Dinnage’s expertise in TV and digital media was thought ideal given some insiders feel the organisation will explore whether to launch their own streaming service. UEFA announced similar plans last week and will unveil the originally named UEFA TV from 2021.

In a bizarre coincidence, who should turn up at the same Portman Square hotel which hosted last week’s PL shareholders meeting, but Gary Lineker — a man who just happens to know quite a bit about football and TV. 

‘I’m here for a lunch,’ said the former England striker, understandably slightly perplexed to bump into a pack of sports journalists in a London hotel on a Thursday.

GHOULS PROFIT FROM SALA TRAGEDY  

The toll that Emiliano Sala’s death has taken on Neil Warnock has left many convinced he will leave Cardiff City this summer, even if he keeps the side up. But Nantes have far greater grounds for soul-searching.

When Sala had reconciled himself to the Cardiff move, he wanted to be in the squad for the league game at Newcastle on January 19. But Nantes dragged their heels, insisting he play one last game, against Angers on January 20. 

A dispute ensued, which meant Sala reached Cardiff too late to play at Newcastle. At a loose end that weekend, he took a flight to Nantes to say his goodbyes and never made it back.

The ghoulish arguments over Sala’s transfer fee were sadly predictable, but there are others in football trying to profit from the tragedy.

Several agencies have received emails from a chartered flight company hawking its services in light of the ‘tragic loss of a light aircraft carrying a Premiership (sic) football star’.

Some people have no class.

A chartered flight company is trying to profit from the tragic death of Emiliano Sala

How depressing that Britain’s fantastic Fed Cup performances or the British Athletics indoor trials were not live on terrestrial television. 

Fair play to BT Sport for showing the tennis drama from Bath, but Britain’s fastest woman Dina Asher-Smith was not alone in venting her frustration at trying to follow the action on the track, which was streamed on British Athletics’ and the BBC’s websites to no great fanfare. 

‘I’m so disappointed with the presentation,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘You’d easily miss trials happening.’ It’s no coincidence that both events involved female athletes. You can’t be what you can’t see. 

There was much surprise in the Hawthorns press room for West Bromwich Albion’s FA Cup replay against Brighton when it was revealed that the busy atmosphere was due to the BBC having an astonishing 120 people accredited for the match to work across local and national TV, radio and online outfits. 

The Beeb also brought with them 24 cameras and even a drone to broadcast a match which limped into extra time before Brighton put everyone out of their misery and won 3-1.

The attendance was only 8,645, yet more than three million viewers watched on BBC 1. A BBC spokesperson said: ‘There were not 120 members of BBC staff there and this number is wildly exaggerated.’

The BBC brought with them 24 cameras to broadcast West Brom’s FA Cup replay with Brighton

The ECB’s director of communications, Chris Haynes, has been given the elbow over his handling of The Hundred, the 100-ball-a-side tournament which will be launched next year. 

The advert to recruit his successor — who must be an ‘inspirational leader’, no less — promises a competitive salary but also the use of the free on-site gym and subsidised canteen at Lord’s, plus a ‘30 per cent discount on New Balance items’. Now you’re talking…

TAYLOR RIDES TO RESCUE OVER KICK IT OUT BOOK

A book to mark the 25th anniversary of Kick It Out, written by prolific scribbler Harry Harris, will go ahead after intervention from PFA chief Gordon Taylor.

Harris’s approaches to a number of top clubs, the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League asking for £10,000 each to fund the project were met with ‘a lukewarm response at best’, Sports Agenda has learned. 

Some pointed out that they already help to fund football’s anti-discrimination body, which is being investigated by The Charity Commission following an allegation of sexual assault.

Step forward Taylor, whose own organisation is also being investigated by The Charity Commission amid concerns over its expenditure. ‘The whole thing was wobbling and Gordon came to the rescue,’ said Harris.

The book, which is to be published by coffee-table tome specialists St James’s House, is due out in May or June. Proceeds will go to Kick It Out.

A book to mark Kick It Out’s 25th anniversary will go ahead after Gordon Taylor intervened

The 11 Championship clubs who signed the letter complaining about Leeds United’s ‘spy’ being caught snooping on Derby County want to know every detail the rival club has on them, rather than see Leeds or manager Marcelo Bielsa punished. 

But there is also some disgruntlement that nobody from the Leeds hierarchy has bothered to ring round to apologise for or explain their actions. 

The Football League have asked for more time to investigate ‘Spygate’, with a fine for Leeds thought to be the most likely outcome. 

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted to spying on other club’s training session last month

SALE AWAY… AFTER ALWAYS HITTING THE BULLSEYE

The indomitable Charles Sale has retired after 20 years as this newspaper’s brilliant Sports Agenda columnist. England manager Gareth Southgate led the praise for our Charlie at the Football Writers’ Association’s tribute evening at The Savoy last month. 

Southgate also presented him with the ‘infamous’ dartboard used for player against press matches at last summer’s World Cup.

After a media blackout followed Sale’s story that goalkeeper Joe Hart had organised a darts tournament for squad members at Euro 2016, Southgate’s England introduced a regular competition between press and players in Russia last summer. 

The duels came to encapsulate ‘how much better relationships with the media are under Gareth’s more enlightened regime’, said Sale, who was beaten by Gary Cahill in the inaugural clash between players and the media in Repino last June.

We wish Charlie a long and happy retirement, and hope he enjoys reading your new-look Sports Agenda column, which will run every Monday in the Daily Mail.

Charles Sale has retired after 20 years as this newspaper’s brilliant Sports Agenda columnist

Contributors: Matt Lawton, Ian Herbert, Sami Mokbel, Riath Al-Samarrai, Paul Newman, Laura Lambert, Mike Keegan and Amitai Winehouse. 

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton has England hopes after impressing against Brighton

• Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton is eager to earn an England recall 
• Heaton has been in excellent form for Sean Dyche’s side of late
• The 32-year-old’s form has led to talk of involvement in Euro 2020 qualifiers 

By

Adam Shergold for the Daily Mail

Published:
17:30 EST, 10 February 2019

|
Updated:
17:40 EST, 10 February 2019

It was after witnessing his Burnley side ship five goals to Everton on Boxing Day that Sean Dyche made the ruthless decision to axe Joe Hart and install Tom Heaton as his No 1.

Burnley had won one league match in 12 with Hart in goal — conceding 30 times in the process. 

Since Heaton’s recall they have gone seven league games unbeaten. 

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton wants to earn a recall to the England squad

His form has inevitably led to talk of an England call-up for next month’s opening Euro 2020 qualifiers. And Gareth Southgate could do a lot worse. 

Heaton, with three caps to his name, has not played for England since June 2017.

Heaton was in inspired form as Burnley secured a 3-1 victory over Brighton

‘Obviously I harbour ambitions to be back involved,’ said Heaton. ‘I’ve always had a massive hunger for that stuff, I can’t shy away from that.

‘But there is a lot of water to go under the bridge yet and I’m very conscious of not getting carried away.’

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‘It’s nice to show some people who have doubted me in the past that I can do it’: Mark Wood pleased with his excellent bowling against West Indies

• Mark Wood was happy to prove doubters wrong after bowling over West Indies 
• Multiple surgeries have kept him out of action, but he’s back at his best for now
• He claimed a maiden five-wicket haul on a day in which 16 wickets fell in total 

By

Richard Gibson For Mailonline

Published:
17:44 EST, 10 February 2019

|
Updated:
17:44 EST, 10 February 2019

Mark Wood injected the pace England’s attack so badly lacked earlier in the series as he marked his return to Test cricket by blitzing West Indies in St Lucia.

Wood claimed a maiden five-wicket haul on a high-octane second day in which 16 fell in all, to enhance the prospects of the tourists narrowing the Wisden Trophy defeat to 2-1. Joe Root’s team resume today 19 without loss in the second innings, a lead of 142 runs.

The 29-year-old’s 13th Test appearance certainly proved unlucky for the Windies batsman as England belatedly returned fire – one Wood delivery, clocked at 94.6-mile-per-hour, was the fastest recorded on the tour.

Mark Wood was happy to prove doubters wrong after bowling over West Indies on day two

Wood took five wickets on day two, helping England to bowl out their opponents for just 154

‘That was past my expectations and was probably a bit of the adrenaline running through me. I wasn’t really looking at the speed gun, to be honest,’ Wood said.

‘I felt in good rhythm and all I was focused on was the batter. At one point Moeen Ali ran up to me and asked whether I wanted a mid-on. I said: “I think someone’s there.” But he told me I hadn’t had one for five or six overs.’

The Durham fast bowler has long been viewed as one of the country’s primal talents due to the extreme speed he can generate but a body subjected to three ankle operations has not always proved robust enough for the task.

Wood has had multiple surgeries which kept him out of action, but he’s back at his best now

‘I am pretty pleased with how it’s gone. It’s nice to show some people who have doubted me in the past – I have even doubted myself – that I can do it,’ Wood added.

‘There have been some horrible dark days through injury that have knocked my confidence and self-belief but I thought in my own mind I was an England player. It was a relief to show it.’

Admitting to becoming emotional afterwards in the dressing room, Wood revealed this display topped his efforts against Australia in 2015.

‘For me it was better. Everyone wants to take the winning Ashes wicket, don’t get me wrong, but I would trade it in for a few more five-fors,’ he said. 

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