Tim Randall’s Sports Round-up

Football

Havant & Waterlooville FC
Hawks Manager Lee Bradbury has shuffled the pack after the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs at the end of last season. Out go Scott Bevan, Nigel Atangana, Jake Newton, Sahr Kabbi, Christian Nanette, and Dennis Oli. In come Ryan Young (goalkeeper), Josh Huggins (full back), Harry Medway (leftback/ central defender), Brian Dutton (midfield) and forwards Bradley Bubb, JJ Hooper and Shamir Mullings. Bradbury has looked to strengthen an already impressive defence and pose a greater threat in attack in a bid for promotion to the Conference Premier League.

Portsmouth Footbal Club
The Division Two side has signed two of Hawks players from last seasons team. Talented French midfielder Nigel Atangana has already impressed in Pompey’s pre season fixtures and can be expected to prove a shrewd signing for the Blues in the coming campaign. Also now with Pompey is goalkeeper Scott Bevan. Manager Andy Awford has appointed Bevan as their new goalkeeping coach.

Tennis
Following Andy Murray ‘s sudden exit from Wimbledon amid speculation that he had made a serious error in appointing Amelie Mauresmo to his coaching team, I can confirm that Amelie has been in Miami at Andy’s training camp and has fully integrated into Andy’s coaching team as predicted in this column immediately prior to Wimbledon. Andy has been working hard with Amelie and the rest of the team on improvements to his game and in preparation for the American hard court season which culminates in the American Open, the final 2014 Grand Slam event.

Rugby
Pre-season training has started at Havant RFC. The senior squad has been in the gym for conditioning sessions and onto the pitch to work on skills, team organisation and match fitness. The first few sessions have been very positive with the squad pushing themselves hard. With 3 men’s sides this coming season the pressure is on the players to put in the work to get on the first XV team sheet for the opening league game on September 6th. There are a number of gaps in the first XV team list on the Club’s website leading to speculation about new arrivals for the campaign ahead.

Their opening league game at home to Chobham on September 6th.

Ladies Rugby
England Women are in France attempting to win the Ladies Rugby World Cup Final for the first time since 1994. Although they reached the finals in 2002, 2006 and 2010, they met New Zealand on each occasion and lost. The draw for this year’s World Cup in France means that they are expected to meet New Zealand again in the final. England Ladies star player Maggie Alphonsi told the BBC recently that she is very confident that the England team is determined not to suffer the pain of defeat in the finals in France and they are ready in this tournament to win the World Cup for a second time.

England’s chances of winning the World Cup may have increased as Ireland Women have beaten New Zealand in the preliminary round and may not qualify for the next stage. England meanwhile had comfortable wins over Samoa and Spain.

World Cup Football
Speaking recently, after carrying the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton on its way to Glasgow, Bryan Robson, the former England captain said that you need world class players to compete in major international competitions and that England has not got nearly enough in the present squad. There is a crop of young players doing well in the Premier League, some of whom played in the World Cup Final in Brazil. Producing promising young English players with the necessary technical skills rests with those Football League and Premier League Clubs with Academies that are capable of developing talented English youngsters with the necessary determination and work ethic to succeed at the highest level.

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