Some headlines from the world of football:
- Wigan’s King jailed for assault: Footballer Marlon King is jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting a woman and is sacked by Wigan Athletic as a result.
- Crowds and losses rise at Bolton: Bolton Wanderers’ parent company record a loss of more than £13m despite an 8% increase in attendances.
- Newcastle reveal stadium name: Newcastle’s stadium is to be known as the sportsdirect.com @ St James’ Park Stadium until the end of the season.
- Up for sale: £10 bags of compost made from floral tributes to the late Sir Bobby Robson: Compost made from the thousands of floral tributes to Sir Bobby Robson goes on sale on North Tyneside.
- Spurs spending passes ‘big four’: Tottenham are revealed as the second highest spenders in the Premier League ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal as the club announce record pre-tax profits.
- Premier League rejects Old Firm: Premier League chairmen reject a proposal to bring Celtic and Rangers into English football’s top flight.
- Non-League side in Grobbelaar bid: Non-League side Winterbourne United attempt to sign former Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
- Fan fined £108,000 for causing game to be adandoned: A Danish football supporter is ordered to pay £108,000 in compensation for causing the abandonment of a Euro 2008 qualifier against Sweden in 2007.
- France reject Irish replay hopes: The French Football Federation turns down the Republic of Ireland’s request for a replay of their controversial World Cup play-off game.
- Defoe nets five as super Spurs hit nine: Jermain Defoe scores five as Tottenham utterly humiliate Wigan 9-1 – their biggest top-flight win and the second-largest winning margin in Premier League history – to move fourth in the table.
- Wigan stars count cost of refund: Wigan’s players are to personally refund Latics fans who bought tickets from the club for the 9-1 hammering at Tottenham.
- Reds say Benitez will not be axed: Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow insists manager Rafael Benitez’s position is safe, despite the club’s Champions League exit.
- Everton’s stadium plan rejected: Everton’s hopes of moving to a new ground in Kirkby appear to be over after the government rejects a planned £400m development.
