AFC Wimbledon v Plymouth preview

Friday 27th December 2013 15:08

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Team news for Sunday's League Two clash between AFC Wimbledon and Plymouth Argyle at Kingsmeadow Stadium.

AFC Wimbledon are set to be without George Francomb when they host Plymouth.

The winger was sent off during the Boxing Day defeat by Southend and faces a three-match ban unless the Dons successfully appeal against the decision.

Skipper Alan Bennett needs a fitness test on the ankle injury which kept him out on Thursday while midfielder Harry Pell remains sidelined with a knee problem.

But George Porter returns from a ban and fellow wideman Chris Arthur (ankle) should be involved again after his first appearance in two months as a sub against the Shrimpers.

Plymouth manager John Sheridan must decide whether to recall full-back Durrell Berry for the clash with AFC Wimbledon.

Berry missed Plymouth's 3-2 victory at promotion-chasing Oxford on Boxing Day through suspension and may be kept out of the side by 17-year-old stand-in Ben Purrington, who made a real impression on his debut.

Fellow left-back Jamie Reckord was ruled out of the trip to the Kassam Stadium with an ankle injury and he is unlikely to add to his 16 appearances for the Pilgrims, with his loan from Wolves set to end on January 1.

Sheridan will look to in-form strike pair Caolan Lavery and Reuben Reid for inspiration as his side aim for a third straight win.

Woking, Richmond and Wimbledon pantos make wishes come true

The Ambassadors Theatre Group will donate part of their panto proceeds to the When You Wish Upon A Star charity

Jeremy Legat and Henry Winkler in Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre

The New Victoria Theatre, Woking, and its parent company Ambassadors Theatre Group (ATG), along with panto producers First Family Entertainment (FFE) have joined forces with the charity When You Wish Upon A Star this panto season to make dreams come true this Christmas.

When You Wish Upon A Star is aiming to raise a whopping £65,000 to charter the Orient Express and take children suffering from life threatening illnesses on a magical train ride to visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter.

FFE and ATG have pledged to donate 50p from every pantomime programme sold to this cause. ATG's theatres will also be fundraising during the panto season to help When You Wish Upon A Star reach their target.

Kevin Wood, FFE's Chief Executive, said: 'We are thrilled to be supporting this wonderful charity. Pantomime and Christmas are both closely associated with children and can be very magical indeed when combined.

'We hope that by pledging to support When You Wish Upon A Star, we may be able to wave our own magic wand to help make some dreams come true for these poorly children.

'We ask everyone who comes to our pantomimes this year to please help us spread some panto magic by giving generously to make this trip a reality.'

Margaret Rowarth, National Events Manager for When You Wish Upon A Star, said: 'The amazing people of Family First Entertainment and the Ambassador Theatre Group are working together to spread lots of fairy dust, for many of our very special children. We are thrilled to have their support and in July 2014, they will turn the dreams of some very sick children, into a reality.'

FFE are producing 10 fun- filled family pantomimes for the Christmas 2013/2014 season with a star-studded line up including Jo Brand in her pantomime debut and Matthew Kelly in Aladdin at the New Wimbledon Theatre; Justin Fletcher in Cinderella at New Victoria Theatre Woking and Henry Winkler as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Richmond Theatre.

New Wimbledon Theatre Tickets £11.90-£47.40. Box office 020 8545 7900 or www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre . Tickets £13.90 - £32.40 (plus a £2.85 transaction fee), on 0844 871 7645 (fees apply). Groups booking line 0844 871 7601 or online at www.atgtickets.com/woking (fees apply). Visit www.atgtickets.com/woking to catch all the latest exciting news for all things Panto and to book your tickets for this wonderful spectacle.

Richmond Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7651 (fees apply) or www.atgtickets.com/richmond (fees apply). Tickets: £10 - £32.50 (premium seats £37.50). Family tickets from as little as £40.

Click here to view more theatre events

Injuries and Other Wimbledon Weirdness

The tennis year was full of riveting story lines: the dominance of Serena Williams, the triumphant comeback of Rafael Nadal, the long-awaited Wimbledon title for Andy Murray and Britain, a record-setting year for the Bryan brothers, the steep decline of Roger Federer.

But no single day was more memorable to this harried reporter than June 26, the third day of my first Wimbledon.

Nadal's first-round loss two days earlier, one of only seven losses he would have all year, should have been an omen.

But I had barely settled into my desk at the All England Club before the next harbinger came. John Isner injured his knee three points into his second-round match and retired after 15 minutes. About an hour later, Victoria Azarenka's knee, twisted in a gruesome fall in the first round, forced her to withdraw.

Player after player paraded into interview rooms not to talk about wins and losses but shoulders and knees and the unusually slippery grass. By the end of the day, seven players withdrew or retired because of injuries.

But soon top players were coming in to talk about losses, too. By the end of the day, 12 seeded players, including seven former No. 1s, lost.

Before the seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky began the final match on Centre Court, the nervous jokes had started about how a Federer loss would be the most appropriate ending to the day. When Federer fell behind, two sets to one, reporters from all over the world were grumbling at their TV screens, 'We don't need any more news today!'

(It was not a slow news day for sportswriters anywhere. Across the Atlantic, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with murder.)

Of course, Federer lost, his earliest exit in a Grand Slam tournament in 10 years. That was how the day had to end.

Thus, hashtags were born: #wimbledone, #wimblegeddon, #wimbleweird. By the time Williams lost in the fourth round a few days later, who could be surprised anymore.

It might have been an utterly strange, once-in-a-lifetime day, but it told a bigger story, one that did not end on that wild Wednesday.

Isner's early exit was perhaps the most painful symbol in a historically bad year for American men in singles.

Marin Cilic called it a 'very black day' when he withdrew that afternoon with a knee injury. But a few months later, it was revealed that Cilic had withdrawn after learning he had failed a doping test at a tournament a few months before.

After her loss to a qualifier that day, Maria Sharapova played only one more match on tour this year, hampered by injuries.

Even Federer's shocking loss was merely the biggest blip in a year full of them.

Former Crystal Palace and Wimbledon FC chairman Ron Noades dies

Former Crystal Palace and Wimbledon FC chairman Ron Noades dies

12:13pm Tuesday 24th December 2013 in News By Andrew Bloss, Reporter

Ron Noades had been battling lung cancer

Former Crystal Palace chairman Ron Noades has died.

The Purley resident passed away last night. He had been battling against lung cancer for the past year.

Mr Noades oversaw one of the most successful periods in Crystal Palace's history, which saw the Eagles reach the FA Cup Final and finish third in the old First Division. His stewardship ran from 1981 to 1998.

He was also chairman of Wimbledon FC in the late 1970s.

Fans and former players have taken to internet forums and twitter to express their condolences.

Geoff Thomas, who captained Palace when Noades was in charge, tweeted: 'Just heard the sad news that my Chairman when I was at Crystal Palace Ron Noades past away last night.

'Our thoughts and love go to his family.'

On the BBS, a Palace fans forum, one poster said: ' RIP Ron, the Chairman who presided over arguably our greatest period as a club.

Although not a favourite among many he done a lot of good for the club, and he seemed like a nice enough guy the couple of times I met him.

'Such a shame on the timing. Condolences to the Noades family, thanks for the memories Uncle Ron.'

Earlier on this year Mr Noades talked about his battle against lung cancer.

He was diagnosed in November 2012 and had recently been reliant on oxygen cylinders as he only had 19 per cent use of his lungs.

The 76-year-old went through courses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brain radiotherapy to fight the disease.

He said despite his ill health, he would carry on working with his businesses and doing charity work with his wife Novello.

Leave your tributes to Ron Noades below or email abloss@london.newsquest.co.uk.

Major transport disruption as storm damage shuts rail network

Major transport disruption as storm damage shuts rail network on First Capital Connect, Southern and South West Trains

7:03am Tuesday 24th December 2013 in News By Matt Watts, Assistant Editor

A fallen tree blocked Church Road in Croydon overnight

Fallen trees and flooding from the storm overnight have caused major problems on the transport network this morning.

Southern trains said it had cancelled all services until further notice because it is unable to properly assess the damage from the storm until daylight. It does not expect trains to run again until much later this morning.

First Capital Connect is advising people to only travel if necessary. It has suspended Thameslink services on the Wimbledon/Sutton Loop until further notice due to Network Rail testing the route to make sure it is safe to run trains.

South West Trains has said it will not be running trains on any routes until at least 10am.

Trams have also been affected with the Croydon tramlink service suspended between Lloyd Park and New Addington due to damage caused by flooding at Addington Village.

The road network has also been affected by flooding and fallen trees.

In Croydon, the A232 Shirley Road has been closed both ways due to flooding between A232 Addiscombe Road and A232 Wickham Road.

The A212 Wellesley Road was closed in both directions due to an accident between Station Road and A222 St James's Road at about midnight, but it reopened shortly after 7am.

Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon has been closed due to flooding between Chaldon Way and B2030 Coulsdon Road.

In Cheam a fallen tree closed A232 High Street in both ways overnight at A217 St Dunstan's Hill but this has now been reported as cleared.

Rail companies are advising people to check their websites and the national rail website before attempting to travel.

A statement from Southern trains on their website this morning said: 'The stormy weather overnight into this morning has caused considerable difficulties for our rail network and the surrounding road network.

'As a result, several lines of route are suffering from a combination of flooding, blockages from fallen trees, power supply failure or potential landslips.

'We will not be able to gauge the full extent of this damage or the prospect for operating services safely until daylight. Currently we are working closely with our colleagues in Network Rail to prioritise the clearing and proving of routes to be safe before trains can operate.

'This means that train services are suspended until this work is complete and we do not expect this to happen until much later this morning.'

Flooding at Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon (Pic: Daniel Hutchings)

First Capital Connect said: 'Severe weather is impacting our network. We advise you to travel today only if your journey is necessary.

'There will be no trains on the Wimbledon/Sutton Loop until further notice due to Network Rail testing the route to make sure it is safe to run trains.'

'Services are likely to remain disrupted for the rest of the day so anyone travelling is advised to do so as early as possible to ensure they reach their destination on Christmas Eve.'

Services are already expected to shut down from 8pm for engineering works over the Christmas period.

Keep checking this website for travel updates.

Has the storm caused you problems in the run up to Christmas? Has there been storm damage near you? Send your pictures and stories to mwatts@london.newsquest.co.uk or leave a comment in the space below.

Major transport disruption as storm damage shuts rail network on First Capital ...

Major transport disruption as storm damage shuts rail network on First Capital Connect, Southern and South West Trains

7:03am Tuesday 24th December 2013 in News By Matt Watts, Assistant Editor

A fallen tree blocked Church Road in Croydon overnight

Fallen trees and flooding from the storm overnight have caused major problems on the transport network this morning.

Southern trains said it had cancelled all services until further notice because it is unable to properly assess the damage from the storm until daylight. It does not expect trains to run again until much later this morning.

First Capital Connect is advising people to only travel if necessary. It has suspended Thameslink services on the Wimbledon/Sutton Loop until further notice due to Network Rail testing the route to make sure it is safe to run trains.

South West Trains has said it will not be running trains on any routes until at least 10am.

Trams have also been affected with the Croydon tramlink service suspended between Lloyd Park and New Addington due to damage caused by flooding at Addington Village.

The road network has also been affected by flooding and fallen trees.

In Croydon, the A232 Shirley Road has been closed both ways due to flooding between A232 Addiscombe Road and A232 Wickham Road.

The A212 Wellesley Road was closed in both directions due to an accident between Station Road and A222 St James's Road at about midnight, but it reopened shortly after 7am.

Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon has been closed due to flooding between Chaldon Way and B2030 Coulsdon Road.

In Cheam a fallen tree closed A232 High Street in both ways overnight at A217 St Dunstan's Hill but this has now been reported as cleared.

Rail companies are advising people to check their websites and the national rail website before attempting to travel.

A statement from Southern trains on their website this morning said: 'The stormy weather overnight into this morning has caused considerable difficulties for our rail network and the surrounding road network.

'As a result, several lines of route are suffering from a combination of flooding, blockages from fallen trees, power supply failure or potential landslips.

'We will not be able to gauge the full extent of this damage or the prospect for operating services safely until daylight. Currently we are working closely with our colleagues in Network Rail to prioritise the clearing and proving of routes to be safe before trains can operate.

'This means that train services are suspended until this work is complete and we do not expect this to happen until much later this morning.'

Flooding at Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon (Pic: Daniel Hutchings)

First Capital Connect said: 'Severe weather is impacting our network. We advise you to travel today only if your journey is necessary.

'There will be no trains on the Wimbledon/Sutton Loop until further notice due to Network Rail testing the route to make sure it is safe to run trains.'

'Services are likely to remain disrupted for the rest of the day so anyone travelling is advised to do so as early as possible to ensure they reach their destination on Christmas Eve.'

Services are already expected to shut down from 8pm for engineering works over the Christmas period.

Keep checking this website for travel updates.

Has the storm caused you problems in the run up to Christmas? Has there been storm damage near you? Send your pictures and stories to mwatts@london.newsquest.co.uk or leave a comment in the space below.

NOT DONE YET!! Mahesh Bhupathi says he will play on till Wimbledon next year

Tennis - Bhupathi was supposed to call it quits after 2013 season

Tennis Stories 24 Dec 2013 - 06:52 / by Prakash / reads 10.Source:

Tennis - While Leander Paes is still going strong and wants to play till the Rio Olympics in 2016, his former friend and partner Mahesh Bhupathi had said that he would quit the sport at the end of the 2013 season.

Now Bhupathi says he is hoping to play on till Wimbledon in 2014 and wants to play a light schedule with the hope of making the ranking cut-off for Wimbledon,

Speaking in Mumbai where he was part of an Indian Tennis Players Association event, Bhupathi commented, 'The target is to try and make the cut for Wimbledon. I don't know my schedule for the year though. If I can play six tournaments this year I will be happy. I am anyway travelling for work. I had to go to Sydney for work; I had to go to Melbourne for four days of work. So I might as well play. Plus, I love the game.

'I am hoping to play in Dubai at least since I (with Michael Llodra) won the title last year and have to defend those points. I have to make enough points to make it to Wimbledon. I am playing with Rajeev Ram in Melbourne, we'll see after that.'

Bhupathi has dropped to no. 35 in the world rankings after a lackluster season in 2013.

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