News Headlines

DeMerit relishing challenge of Chelsea

Watford's captain sees the trip to Stamford Bridge as a stepping stone to facing England in the World Cup for the USAis a footballing life less ordinary. Bartender, bouncer, painter and decorator, sculptor, product design graduate, successful IT businessman and non-League central defender until the...

Gerrard on the mark to spoil Church service

With live coverage on terrestrial television at the end of such a dull afternoon, the nation was looking to Reading to conjure some of that old Cup magic. They are neither the club nor the team they were when Liverpool last played in Berkshire two years ago, but they made a decent fist of...

Simon Grayson: 'I want to be a Premier League manager here'

The two substitutes received a rousing ovation as they jogged towards the section of the QPR ground where Leeds United's supporters were massed. The man wearing No 12, Eric Cantona, reciprocated. The No 14, Simon Grayson, told him: "Don't worry. That's for me, not you."

Kranjcar finds old one-two to put Posh down

Not since 1965, when they dumped Arsenal out, have Peterborough got the better of a top-flight team in the FA Cup and the gulf looked as wide as ever here. The outcome would have been a good deal worse for Posh had goalkeeper Joe Lewis not put in such a heavyweight performance.

Outside the Box: Murray's foot-in-mouth gaffes keep us all amused

What's said in the dressing-room stays in there – so says a time-honoured football maxim. Matt Murray does not adhere to it, fortunately for the wider world, the Wolves keeper having used his time while recovering from a serious knee injury to chronicle Molineux's finest foot-in-mouth gaffes....

FA Cup round-up: Bell strike quietens Pompey chimes

On a day short on FA Cup Third Round shocks, Coventry City of the Championship inflicted further pain on financially beleaguered Portsmouth when they held the Premier's bottom club to a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park. The Sky Blues led thanks to David Bell's 20-yard shot, but Kevin-Prince Boateng...

Earnshaw 'too casual' as Forest pay the penalty

An absorbing stalemate saw Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City extend their unbeaten sequences to 17 and 12 games respectively, although the replay neither club wanted could have been avoided but for the latest spot-kick aberration by Forest's Robert Earnshaw.

Boateng saves Porstmouth blushes against Coventry

THERE'S a new twist to the chants echoing around Fratton Park these days.