Downton ready to come out of hiding
PAUL Downton is hoping to return to working in sport two years after being sacked as managing director of the ECB in the wake of the humiliating group-stage exit from the 2015 world Cup.
Downton has purposely spent time away from cricket following his harrowing 14-month tenure with England. while there he cancelled Kevin Pietersen’s central contract and then had to apologise for saying KP had been ‘disinterested and distracted’ during what proved to be his last test appearance in Sydney in January 2014, where the Aussies completed an Ashes whitewash.
But Downton, who has been building up a sports mentoring business since ECB chief executive tom Harrison made him the scapegoat for England’s travails, feels ready to make another contribution to cricket, most likely with Middlesex.
Downton made a low- profile start to his re-engagement with the sport by acting as umpire in a country house t20 game between Lord’s taverners and Lord March’s XI at Goodwood House during the racing festival.
Meanwhile, the biggest surprise of the brief Downton regime is that chief selector James whitaker, who was expected to have been shown the exit at the same time, has survived two years under Downton’s successor, Andrew Strauss. FITNESS instructor Stephen Power, who has made his name as the self-publicist RacingBlogger, posting irreverent clips on social media about the sport, is in trouble with the authorities.
the Racecourse Media Group have warned him that he will have to apply for proper accreditation for filming on the racetrack if he wants to continue doing so. But Racing Post editor Bruce Millington has taken the RacingBlogger under his wing and is appealing to RMG to be lenient.
Meanwhile, there is a danger that famous greyhound tracks around the country could go out of business, as has happened in London with the closure of iconic venues walthamstow and wimbledon. An in-house battle over screening races in betting shops could seriously affect tracks whose races are not being shown. DATING app Tinder have confirmed their interest in sponsoring Manchester United, as first revealed by Sports Agenda. A Tinder spokesperson said: ‘We are in talks with Manchester United to explore potential partnership opportunities. We are excited to see what we can do together.’ United have an opening for a sleeve sponsor but Tinder are also examining other opportunities.