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Rangers transfer news: Liam Kelly joins club as Hamza Igamane edges closer to Ibrox move | Football News

On: June 27, 2024 By: admin

Rangers have completed the signing of Liam Kelly after the goalkeeper signed a two-year deal at Ibrox.

The Scotland international is manager Philippe Clement’s fifth summer signing, after the arrivals of Jefte, Clinton Nsiala, Connor Barron and Oscar Cortes – while Mohamed Diomande made his loan move permanent.

Kelly returns to the club on the expiration of his Motherwell contract – having left Rangers in 2018 and played for Livingston, Queen’s Park and the Fir Park club.

He will provide competition to No 1 Jack Butland, while Robby McCrorie could depart in search of first-team action. Kelly was part of the Scotland squad at Euro 2024 – but did not feature in Germany.

Kelly said: “It is unbelievable to be back at Rangers, when I left, I probably never thought I would be back, but I am so delighted to be here. I know the size of the club, I spent 14 years here, so it is a great feeling, and I am looking forward to the new challenge.

“You always have faith in your own ability that you can play at the top level and this club is the highest level. I am joining a really talented group of players and a really talented group of goalkeepers, so I am excited.”

Clement added: “I am delighted we have been able to secure the signing of Liam. We have had some really positive conversations, and he is a goalkeeper with experience in Scotland and in the Scottish Premiership which will be valuable for our squad.

“Under Colin Stewart, we have a really strong goalkeeping department, and the addition of Liam will only further strengthen that as we prepare for the 2024/25 season.”

Director of football recruitment, Nils Koppen said: “We are thrilled to welcome a goalkeeper with Liam’s experience into our squad.

“He is someone who knows the demands of this club and league, and enjoyed a positive past few seasons at Motherwell. It is important we continue to strengthen all aspects of the squad, and it is fantastic we have been able to add Liam to the group.”

Meanwhile, striker Hamza Igamane is also closing in on his move to Rangers.

He is set to join from Moroccan club AS Far Rabat where he scored seven goals and provided six assists in 20 appearances this season.

Boyd: Rangers need stability

Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd on Sky Sports News:

“Clement will obviously want to bring in his own players. It’s more difficult with the players under contract trying to move them out.

“The ones he’s brought in in the past have done reasonably well but you have to start winning things on a regular basis.

“There have been rumours Connor Goldson and James Tavernier will move on. They’re under contract. It’s not going to be easy to force them out. They need someone to come along and take them off your hands, if that’s the case.

“But a continuous turnover of 10, 12 players every summer is no good. Rangers need to get stability.”

The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership officially opened on Friday June 14.

The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.

The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

Red Bull: Has reigning world champions’ 2021 cost cap penalty brought 2024 F1 field closer together? | F1 News

On: June 24, 2024 By: admin

There’s no doubt Formula 1 is the most competitive it’s been since the 2022 ground effect regulations were introduced.

Max Verstappen may have won the last two races in Canada and Spain but he did not have the quickest car at either race as Lando Norris settled for second at both events.

Red Bull started the year with utter dominance as Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix by more than 20 seconds and went on to take relatively comfortable victories in Saudi Arabia, Japan and China.

But, since Norris’ maiden F1 win at the Miami Grand Prix in May, Red Bull’s advantage has been wiped out.

Verstappen won by less than one second from Norris in Imola and was only sixth at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won on home soil.

“Since Miami, Lando has probably been the standout competitor and we are going to have to be at the top of our game to win,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports F1.

“It’s tight – but we keep winning which is the most important thing. McLaren are doing a great job, Ferrari aren’t far behind, Mercedes are improving, but we are keeping our noses in front. It’s important we keep pushing because there is a long way to go.”

Old Red Bull penalty having an impact?

As has always been the case in F1, the field converges when regulations remain the same but Red Bull’s sudden lack of dominance has come as a surprise.

McLaren’s Miami upgrade has put them on par, or ahead, and Mercedes have definitely closed up too.

One explanation could be the wind tunnel regulations, which handicaps the stronger teams.

Red Bull have had the least amount of wind tunnel time for the last two years after they won the constructors’ championship in 2022 and 2023.

F1 2024 January to June Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions


Team	% of Aero Testing limit	Wind tunnel runs per ATR period	Wind tunnel runs per week
Red Bull	70	224	28
Mercedes	75	240	30
Ferrari	80	256	32
McLaren	85	272	34
Aston Martin	90	288	36
Alpine	95	304	38
Williams	100	320	40
RB	105	336	42
Sauber	110	352	44
Haas	115	368	46

However, for most of last year, Red Bull had a further 10 per cent cut on their original handicapped wind tunnel time after they breached the 2021 budget cap regulations, so they only had 63 per cent from October 2022 to October 2023.

Of course, Red Bull still managed to design an incredible machine for the start of this year but is their limited aerodynamic testing in the wind tunnel finally having an effect?

“It’s all relative. We had a double whammy last year on the tunnel time for this year’s car but it all evens itself out,” said Horner as he referenced the penalty Red Bull had in 2023.

“When you run at the front, there’s nowhere to hide and you get found out because everything is scrutinised. Every strategy call, every pit stop, every start. It’s a different pressure and philosophy you have to have. That’s where the team haven’t lost that edge of big moments, delivering pit stops and strategy calls.”

The wind tunnel time pecking order is actually reset from the start of July. The amount of wind tunnel time each team gets is decided by the constructors’ standings after Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg.

Even without last year’s penalty, Red Bull have had 15 per cent less time in the wind tunnel compared to McLaren for the last six months. If McLaren stay in their current constructors’ championship position of third, this will change to a 10 per cent disadvantage for Red Bull for the rest of this year.

“We have got tremendous strength in depth in the team and stability for the long-term,” said Horner. “What you are seeing now is work that’s been going on over the last few months and there is more in the pipeline.

“You are into diminishing returns and it’s really incremental. On Friday, it looked like we were fourth quickest car but the engineering team did a great job over the weekend and turned it around. We are very aware we need to keep bringing performance to the car.”

Horner: Verstappen doesn’t mess about

Verstappen has been on top form this year and arguably made the final, crucial, difference in the last two races to extend his lead in the championship to 69 points over Norris.

He qualified on the front row in Canada and Spain, when team-mate Sergio Perez didn’t feature near the front, then executed a perfect strategy from Red Bull in both races to notch up his 60th and 61st wins in F1.

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen overtook George Russell early on and withstood a late Norris charge with a performance Horner describes as “brilliant”.

“He is so decisive, he just doesn’t mess about,” said Horner. “I think that is one of his key qualities – you know if he is there, he is going to go for it. The other drivers know that.

“I think it’s tight. It’s small margins. Max and Lando were 18 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Lando in particular had longevity but in the end we got the job done and bagged maximum points.”

F1’s triple-header continues at the Austrian Grand Prix this coming week – with the Sprint format returning at the Red Bull Ring. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday’s big race at 2pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

London Irish: German investor edging closer to takeover as conversations with fans scheduled | Rugby Union News

On: June 12, 2024 By: admin

Former Premiership side London Irish entered administration in June 2023 and have been in talks with German investor Daniel Thomas Loitz; Loitz will have video call on Wednesday with fans re “significant update”; stream international rugby in 2024 with a NOW Sports Month Membership

US Open 2024: Rory McIlroy insists he is ‘closer than ever’ to elusive fifth major victory at Pinehurst No 2 | Golf News

On: June 11, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy insists he is “closer than ever” to ending his decade-long drought for an elusive fifth major title this week in the US Open at Pinehurst No 2.

McIlroy has won three times this year, defending his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title on the DP World Tour before back-to-back PGA Tour victories at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship, although remains without a major since his 2014 PGA Championship success.

The world No 3 has posted 20 top-ten finishes in majors since that one-shot victory at Valhalla, more than any other player during the same period, with McIlroy remaining confident of ending that run and adding to his major tally.

“I’ve always said I still feel like being the most successful European in the game is within my reach,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference. “I’ve got obviously Seve [Ballesteros] and Sir Nick Faldo to pass there in terms of major wins.

“I’m really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors.

“Obviously getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while, but I’m more confident than ever that I’m right there, that I’m as close as I’ve ever been.”

McIlroy has enjoyed considerable success on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, winning the FedExCup three times and ending top of the Race to Dubai standings on five occasions, although the 35-year-old is reluctant to set a target for a number of major victories he wants to reach.

“I wouldn’t say I have a particular number of wins [as a target],” McIlroy added. “I think the only thing about trying to pick a number is that you’re setting yourself up for failure or disappointment.

“Tiger [Woods] wanted to surpass Jack [Nicklaus]. It looks like he might not get there, but are we going to call Tiger’s career a failure? Absolutely not. It’s arguably the best. He’s played the best golf anyone’s ever seen.

“There’s always going to be that tinge of what could have been. I don’t want to do that to myself. If someone would have told me at 20 years old I’d be sitting here at 35 and this is the career I’ve had, I would not have believed them and I would have been ecstatic.

“I still have a good little bit of time here, hopefully for the next 10 years. I still like to think I’ve got a good run ahead of me. Whatever those numbers are, whatever the totals add up to, I’ll accept that and feel like I’ve done pretty well for a little boy from Northern Ireland that dreamed of playing golf for a living one day.”

How ’embracing patience’ has helped McIlroy

McIlroy claimed his breakthrough major victory in the 2011 contest, having squandered a four-shot lead during the final round of The Masters earlier that year, then managed just one top-10 in his following seven US Open appearances.

The 35-year-old has finished no worse than ninth in his last five US Open starts, including a runner-up finish to Wyndham Clark last year, with McIlroy now taking a different mindset to how he approaches the events.

“I’ve been on a pretty good run of US Open performances over the last few years,” McIlroy explained. “Obviously had a close call at LACC [Los Angeles Country Club] last year, obviously Wyndham [Clark] just pipping me to the post there.

“I feel like I really struggled at US Open setups, 2016, ’17, ’18 in particular. I sort of had a bit of a, I guess, come-to-Jesus moment after that, tried to really figure out why that was, then my performances from 2019 and after that have been really, really good.”

“On what has caused the switch in results, McIlroy added: “I would say embracing the difficult conditions, embracing the style of golf needed to contend at a US Open, embracing patience. Honestly, embracing what I would have called “boring” back in the day.

“Explosiveness isn’t going to win a US Open. It’s more methodically building your score over the course of four days and being okay with that. Honestly, it’s just more of a reframing of a mindset than anything else.”

Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.

Jamie Chadwick ‘getting closer to F1’ after historic US win in Indy NXT series | F1 News

On: June 10, 2024 By: admin

Jamie Chadwick believes we are “getting closer” to seeing a female driver in Formula 1 after becoming the third woman in the history of Indy NXT to win a race.

Chadwick finished first after starting on pole position for the Indy NXT race at Road America to become the first woman to achieve success on a road course in the US racing series.

Chadwick, in the No 28 VEXT car of Andretti Global, claimed her maiden victory in the feeder series to IndyCar.

She had the race in full control but was forced to show her skill in a two-lap shootout at the end following a red flag and then could finally feel the “relief” of getting a race win under her belt.

“It is always one of those feelings, you get mixed emotions afterwards. The adrenaline wears off and then you get the feeling of relief more than anything else. I am just so, so happy” Chadwick told Sky Sports.

“It wasn’t easy by any means, but from my side I was just really happy to execute the race like we did and just so happy for the team.

“We have been pushing for a result all year and to get that under our belts I am so happy.”

Chadwick, who is also a development driver for Formula 1 team Williams, is enjoying pushing herself in America and believes that, despite work still needing to be done, we are close to seeing a woman “line up on the Formula 1 grid”.

“Formula 1 is the pinnacle of the sport. There is a lot more I need to achieve than one race win at this point but I think we are getting closer,” she said.

“I think what is great is we are seeing the effect in the sport where we are really keen to push more women into it and get more women having success at high levels.

“There is a lot of work to be done, we really need to get more women involved in the sport because there is no reason, in my opinion, we can’t see someone line up on a Formula 1 grid.

“In terms of time, it is too difficult to say at this point but hopefully we are not too far away now.

“There is something in visibility in sport and showcasing to young girls that if they can see it they can be it.

“It is about just giving young girls the opportunity to try the sport in the first place.

“When I first started in karting, it was my older brother that helped me get into it and without him I probably would have never given it a go.

“I went to the kart track and I was the only girl for many of the first few years of my career.”

Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from June 21-23 live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

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