• January acquisition makes homophobic tweet that is deleted• FA give player until Monday evening to explain his commentThe former Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison has caused controversy after posting a homophobic threat on Twitter.After being provoked on the networking site, West Ham United's January signing tweeted: "Crack head? Go suck out u little faggot your a guy that talks if u see me you try slap me I'm in manchester every week." The tweet was later deleted.West Ham said the FA had contacted the player to ask him to explain the comment, a club statement reading: "Ravel and the club will cooperate fully with the FA's request and have until Monday evening to respond."A spokesman for the Justin Campaign, which aims to tackle homophobia in football, said: "It's disappointing to hear that yet another professional footballer in England has used homophobic language."The 19-year-old has seen his career blighted by a number of incidents including charges of witness intimidation and an altercation with his girlfriend.Morrison had been hailed as the greatest youth talent to emerge at Old Trafford since Paul Scholes but joined the Hammers for a fee thought to be in the region of £1m, rising to £2m, on transfer deadline day after the manager Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly ran out of patience with his behaviour.West Ham UnitedChampionship 2011-12Championshipguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

West Ham youngster Cristian Montano has rejoined Notts County on loan until the end of the season.

• Press refresh or turn on the auto-update for the latest• Email paul.doyle@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts• Or get in touch via Twitter, if that's your thing• Follow all tonight's games here9 min: The Ayew brothers have plenty of space out wide in view of Zambia's qutie narrow formation. But they can go through the middle too, via Gyan, who has just picked his way past two defenders and then fired a low shot from 25 yards that Mweene could only parry.PENALTY to Ghana! Asamoah goes down easily ... and then gets up to take the spotkick himself ... and sees his low sidefooter palmed away by Mweene!6 min: Kalaba pulls a corner out to the edge of the box, where Chamanga arrives at speed and let fly, but his shot is charged down.3 min: The duel between Inkoom and Kalaba will be one of the most interesting features of this match and the Zambian has struck the first blow, dispossessing Inkoom before skipping pat two players and sending in a reasonable shot that gets deflected wide. There follows an admirably inventive corner routine which creates a shooting opportunity for Chamanga, who blasts over.1 min: On a moist pitch the game gets going.3.53pm: Apparently organisers claimed a crowd of 35,000 was expected at the Estadio de Bata. Instead it looks small than 8,400 that were with me at St Mary's last night to seee Millwall beat Southampton. Less chance of catching frozen extremities down Equatoral Guinea way, though ...3.51pm: Promising start by Matt Smith on ITV: Hervé Renanrd had a spell in Angola as assistant manager so he'll know their players pretty well," suggests Smith, failing to explain why knowledge of Angolan players will help him plot victory over Ghana.3.28pm: Hello and welcome to the latest installement of what has been a tremendous tournament so far, full of enterprise and drama. Most folks expect the final to be a repeat of the 1992 showdown, in which Ivory Coast prevailed over Ghana in an epic penalty shoot-out, but Ghana have been somewhat laboured in the tournament so far and it is certainly possible for a slick and clever Zambia side to beat them today (and. of course, Mali could eliminate the Elephants later). Here are the line-ups:Zambia: Mweene; Kasonde, Sunzu, Himoonde, Musonda; Nkausu, Sinkala; Chansa, Kalaba; Katongo, Chamanga Ghana: Kwarasey; Inkoom, Boye, Mensah, Lee Addy; Boateng, Annan; Dede, Asamoah, Jordan; GyanPaul will be here from 3.30pm GMT with live, minute-by-minute coverage of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Zambia and Ghana. If you get here first, here's Jonathan Wilson on the Mali team's plea for peace.There were a lot of tears in Libreville on Sunday. There were the tears of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, overwhelmed by having missed the decisive penalty in Gabon's shootout defeat to Mali and there were the tears of Seydou Keita as he used his side's progress to the semi-final for the first time in 10 years to highlight the crisis overwhelming his country.Keita began the tournament fronting an Oxfam campaign to raise awareness of the food crisis sweeping the Sahel after a year of poor rains. His words on Sunday were even more emotive, and came with a ringing immediacy. His face as he stepped up to take the final penalty looked drained, but his nerve remained sure and he converted with a precise, low shot.The tears then were from Aubameyang, distraught in the centre-circle. He has been one of the players of the tournament, a powerful and mobile forward who had come to embody his country's emergence as possible winners. Sylvia Bongo, the first lady, took to wearing an Aubameyang 9 shirt, as did a lot of the crowd. As he stepped up to take his penalty, his anxiety was obvious; it wasn't an awful shot, but neither was it particularly near the corner and Soumbeila Diakité saved relatively comfortably low to his left.For the full story, click here.Africa Cup of Nations 2012ZambiaGhanaAfrica Cup of NationsPaul Doyleguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Relates to dangerous tackle in match against Ireland• Citing against Ireland's Stephen Ferris was not upheldThe Wales second row Bradley Davies will miss the rest of the Six Nations after receiving a seven-week ban on Wednesday for foul play, but the citing against Ireland's flanker Stephen Ferris was not upheld.Davies was cited for dropping his opposite number Donncha Ryan to the ground head-first in an off-the-ball incident during the victory over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.He received a yellow card for the offence which happened after he took exception to the way Ryan had tried to clear the Wales prop Adam Jones from a ruck. The two tussled as play carried on with Davies picking up Ryan and turning the replacement second row before dropping him.The incident was seen by the touch judge David Pearson who advised the referee Wayne Barnes that it merited a yellow card. The Wales coach Warren Gatland admitted afterwards that Davies should have been sent off and he has spent this week reminding his players about the need for discipline.Davies was cited for foul play and an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee, chaired by Anthony Davies, heard the case in London. The three-man panel found that Davies lifted Ryan beyond a horizontal position and failed to bring him to the ground safely, as required under the laws of the game. It decided the offence merited a top-level entry in terms of premeditation.That made Davies's ban 10 weeks, and he was given an extra two because the panel felt there was need for a deterrent punishment. However, mitigating factors, including an admission of guilt and a previous good disciplinary record, meant Davies was given the maximum possible reduction of five weeks.He will be free to play again on 26 March, nine days after Wales's final Six Nations match against France.Wales conceded a try while Davies was in the sin-bin, but rallied with two scores in the last five minutes to win the match 23-21 and record a third consecutive victory over Ireland for the first time since the end of the 1970s.Wales have to reshuffle the second row for the visit of Scotland to Cardiff on Sunday. They are already without the injured Alun Wyn Jones, although he is close to making his comeback, and Luke Charteris. The uncapped Lou Reed is their main specialist option but Gatland could move Ryan Jones from the back row with Dan Lydiate fit again after missing the Ireland victory because of an ankle problem."Ryan has been on top of his game as a second row and back row for Ospreys and we are really happy with the way he is playing at the moment," said the Wales scrummaging coach, Robin McBryde."We have that option, even if it would not give him as much freedom to run around the field as he did so well on Sunday and we have Lou, an up-and-coming second row who was with us in Poland and he has plenty to offer. He does not look out of place. We also have Aaron Shingler who covers the back five for the Scarlets."We are keeping our eye on Alun Wyn Jones, whose rehab at Ospreys is going very well. He might have a bit of involvement at the weekend and we are monitoring Luke, but he is a little further behind than Alun Wyn. We will be ready."The Wales outside-half Rhys Priestland said that the squad had been told by the management this week about the need to be disciplined. "Bradley reacted in the heat of the moment and he knows that he should not have," he went on. "He was a bit silly and we have spoken this week about how indiscipline can cost us games."Wales expect to have their captain, Sam Warburton, available to face Scotland. He missed the second-half in Dublin after suffering a dead leg and has yet to train this week but McBryde said: "The signs are looking good and the medical team is confident Sam can take a full part in training on Friday."The disciplinary committee ruled that the separate case against Ireland's Ferris should not be upheld "after careful analysis of the video evidence and consideration of the player's and his representative's explanation of the tackle".Wales rugby union teamSix Nations 2012Six NationsRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

• Owner of Nottingham Forest found dead last Saturday• Pathologist unable to give a definitive cause of deathAn inquest has been opened and adjourned into the death of Nigel Doughty, the owner of Nottingham Forest.Doughty was found collapsed in the gym of his home in Skillington, near Grantham in Lincolnshire, by family members last Saturday afternoon.An inquest at Lincoln Cathedral Centre on Wednesday heard that post-mortem tests carried out on the 54-year-old had so far proved inconclusive.Doughty was described as fit and well by his family when he told them he was going to work out in the gym in a separate annex at his home at around midday on Saturday. Just over an hour later, at 1.15pm, he was found in the gym "collapsed and lifeless".Emergency services were called and paramedics attended the property. They attempted to resuscitate Doughty, but he was confirmed dead at the scene at 1.59pm.Police attended and confirmed there was no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. They believed Doughty, who was born in Park Village, north west London, had died of natural causes.A post-mortem examination was carried out by a pathologist at Queen's medical centre in Nottingham on Monday. The pathologist was unable to give a definitive cause of death and further histological and toxicological tests have been carried out, the coroner was told.Doughty's wife, Lucy, formally identified his body in Grantham on Tuesday.The coroner Colin Allerston adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed pending the results of the further tests.Nottingham Forestguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

The GuardianZambia v Ghana - live!The Guardian1 min: On a moist pitch the game gets going. 3.53pm: Apparently organisers claimed a crowd of 35000 was expected at the Estadio de Bata. Instead it looks small than 8400 that were with me at St Mary's last night to seee Millwall beat Southampton.Soccer-Ghana v Zambia - African Nations Cup teamsReuters AfricaNorth Africa's lengthy Cup of Nations domination endsBBC SportMills wishes Black Stars well; charges them to resist provocationMyjoyonline.comGhanaWeb -Ghana Broadcasting Corporation -BBC Newsall 312 news articles »

• Brazilian club order striker to remain inside team's hotel• Adriano has been repeatedly fined for missing trainingThe Brazilian club Corinthians are keeping their striker Adriano "detained" inside the team's hotel in an effort to force him to lose weight.The club said Adriano, who has been fined several times for missing training, would be put on a strict diet inside the hotel at the team's headquarters, eating only what doctors give him and training three times a day.The Corinthians fitness trainer Fabio Mahseredjian said the team chose to detain the former Internazionale striker because he has failed to improve his physical condition. He has played rarely since recovering from surgery on his Achilles tendon last year and is in danger of not being included in the squad for the Copa Libertadores.Mahseredjian said: "In the hotel we have more control over him… He knows we're trying to do the best for him. All of us are dedicated, but it depends on him. Weight loss comes only through diet: you cannot lose weight through physical activity alone."Corinthiansguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Preston's home League One fixture against Brentford has been rescheduled for next month.

Brentford's League One trip to Preston has been rescheduled for next month.

This week's update includes news and results from Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Canoeing, Hockey, Sailing and Speed Skating

Telegraph.co.ukIreland forward Stephen Ferris cleared while Wales lock Bradley Davies handed ...Telegraph.co.ukWales lock Bradley Davies will miss the rest of the Six Nations championship after he was suspended for seven weeks for his spear tackle on Ireland's Donnacha Ryan in Sunday's clash in Dublin. Wales second row Bradley Davies grabs Irish counterpart ...Davies to miss rest of Six Nations after seven week ban for spear tackleDaily MailSix Nations 2012: Bradley Davies banned for remainder of tournamentThe GuardianDavies handed lengthy banSkySportsReuters UKall 116 news articles »

Notts County's home League One fixture against Stevenage has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 22.

British skipper Ian Walker believes his crew is inching towards top honours as race moves towards Auckland.

Chauncey Billups' torn achilles tendon is blow to Los Angeles Clippers in NBA Pacific DivisionThe Los Angeles Clippers were dealt a blow as starting guard Chauncey Billups was ruled out for the rest of the NBA season with a torn left Achilles tendon, the team said on Tuesday. He will also miss this year's London Olympics. The five-times All-Star suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' win over the Orlando Magic when he tried to change direction after missing a three-point shot. Los Angeles acquired the 35-year-old Billups off waivers in December just before trading for four-times All-Star Chris Paul. The tandem has helped the Clippers (15-7) to a first-place start in the Pacific Division and turned them into contenders, but the loss of Billups clouds their status. "It was tough. It was deflating," Billups told reporters of his injury during a television interview. "The team is coming together and what we have going on is exciting. To know that this season is over, it hurt." The injury also rules the veteran Billups out of this year's London Olympics after he had been named to the 20-player pool. Billups was averaging 15 points and four assists in 20 starts for the Pacific division-leading Clippers this season, which was shortened to 66 games because of the lockout.NBAUS sportOlympic Games 2012Olympics 2012: basketballguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

BBC SportCaretaker Neil Redfearn to get more Leeds United gamesBBC SportLeeds United caretaker manager Neil Redfearn will stay in charge for at least the next three games, chairman Ken Bates has confirmed. "I'm happy to say that Neil will be in charge for at least the next three games," he told Yorkshire Radio.Leeds United say no to Sven as Redfearn is given chanceYorkshire PostRedfearn earns Leeds chanceYahoo! Eurosport UKLeeds United: Hendrie is backing Redfearn for bossYorkshire Evening PostPontefract and Castleford Express -ESPN.co.ukall 71 news articles »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For Michael Phelps, inspiration comes in all different shapes and sizes.

• Scotland make two enforced changes to side to play Wales• Laidlaw will replace the recently retired Dan ParksScotland have made two enforced changes for Sunday's Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff, with Greig Laidlaw making his first Test start.Laidlaw has been handed the opportunity to impress at fly-half, where he is poised to win his fourth cap in place of Dan Parks, who recently announced his retirement from international rugby with immediate effect following a poor display in last Saturday's 13-6 loss to England at Murrayfield.The Edinburgh prop Geoff Cross has been recalled in place of the Newcastle tighthead Euan Murray, who does not play on Sundays for religious reasons, in the only other change to the starting XV.The uncapped Glasgow Warriors trio Ed Kalman, Duncan Weir and Stuart Hogg have been named on the replacements' bench.Scotland's head coach Andy Robinson has retained Chris Cusiter at scrum-half, with Mike Blair on the bench, opting against an all-Edinburgh combination of Blair and Laidlaw at half-back.Parks's decision to end his 67-Test career, following 266 points and a Scottish record 17 drop-goals, means he will not return to the scene of one of his finest performances for Scotland. The 33-year-old was man of the match when Scotland agonisingly lost to a last-gasp Shane Williams try in the 2010 Six Nations.That game saw Thom Evans suffer a career-ending neck injury and his brother Max has been named on the wing for Scotland this weekend.Laidlaw won his first two caps as a replacement scrum-half and made his first Scotland appearance as a fly-half in an impressive substitute performance against England – something which may have hastened Parks's decision to call time on his eight-year Test career.The 26-year-old nephew of the former Scotland and Lions scrum-half Roy Laidlaw is also in line to be the frontline goal-kicker, having held those duties for Edinburgh.Robinson said: "Congratulations to Greig on his first start. He is a gifted footballer who is acclimatising very well to the differing demands of the stand-off position from having spent most of his career at scrum-half. Having lost last weekend, I believe the time is right to move on and look to develop our emerging talent at stand-off."Weir is among those emerging talents. He scored 20 points, including a solo try, in Scotland A's 35-0 win over England Saxons, contributing to his elevation to the Test squad. Hogg also scored a try in the match at Galashiels.Robinson added: "I've always stressed the importance of the A team and the part that both Duncan Weir and Stuart Hogg played in the game at Netherdale last week is another reason for my continued excitement and belief in Scottish rugby."Cross is the only change in the pack, coming into an all-Edinburgh front row of hooker and captain Ross Ford and loosehead Allan Jacobsen, with Kalman taking his place on the bench. Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton have been named at second row, with Alasdair Strokosch, Ross Rennie and David Denton in the back row.Outside Cusiter and Laidlaw are Sean Lamont and Nick De Luca at centre, Max Evans and Lee Jones on the wings and Rory Lamont at full-back.Scotland team to play WalesR Lamont (Glasgow Warriors); L Jones (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Scarlets), M Evans (Castres); G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), C Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (capt, Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), J Hamilton (Gloucester), A Strokosch (Gloucester), R Rennie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Edinburgh).Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), E Kalman (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), M Blair (Edinburgh), D Weir (Glasgow Warriors), S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors).Scotland rugby union teamWales rugby union teamSix Nations 2012Six NationsRugby unionguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Follow latest news and reaction as jury consider their verdict in Harry Redknapp and Milan Mandaric's tax evasion trial.

• Coach Jacques Brunel names side for match in Rome• Aironi lock Marco Bortolami will earn his 90th capThe Italy coach Jacques Brunel has made two changes to the side that lost the Six Nations opener against France for the game against England in Rome on Saturday.The Aironi lock Marco Bortolami will earn his 90th cap as he replaces Benetton Treviso's Cornelius van Zyl at No5. Bortolami will partner his club team-mate Quintin Geldenhuys, while the Clermont-Auvergne centre Gonzalo Canale will start in place of Alberto Sgarbi, who has been omitted from the squad.Brunel has made three alterations to his bench. The Benetton Treviso captain Antonio Pavanello could make his Six Nations debut, while the 20-year-old centre Luca Morisi has a chance to earn his first appearance.The veteran flanker Mauro Bergamasco has also been included in the 22-man squad after recovering from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of last year's tournament and last weekend's 30-12 defeat by France.Saturday's game will mark Italy's first-ever Six Nations game at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, with the venue expected to be sold out.Italy team to face EnglandA Masi (Aironi Rugby), G Venditti (Aironi Rugby), T Benvenuti (Benetton Treviso), G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), L McLean (Benetton Treviso), K Burton (Benetton Treviso), E Gori (Benetton Treviso); A Lo Cicero (Racing-Métro Paris), L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), Q Geldenhuys (Aironi Rugby), M Bortolami (Aironi Rugby), A Zanni (Benetton Treviso), R Barbieri (Benetton Treviso), S Parisse (Stade Français).Replacements: T D'Apice (Aironi Rugby), L Cittadini (Benetton Treviso), A Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Mauro Bergamasco (Aironi Rugby), F Semenzato (Benetton Treviso), T Botes (Benetton Treviso), L Morisi (BancaMonte Parma Crociati).Italy rugby union teamEngland rugby union teamSix Nations 2012Six NationsRugby unionguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Australia quick Mitchell Johnson is interested in joining Glamorgan for this year's Friends Life T20 tournament.

ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger remains confident of top-four finish this season

Adrian Sutil will appeal the court verdict after receiving a suspended sentence for assaulting Lotus F1 team co-owner Eric Lux last year.

• Howard Hobson, 57, banned from football for three years• Defendant 'extremely embarrassed' by his behaviourA Manchester United fan who shouted racist abuse at a black player has been fined £200 and banned from football matches for three years.Howard Hobson, 57, shouted the abuse and made monkey noises at Stoke City's Trinidad-born player Kenwyne Jones during the first half at Old Trafford on 31 January, Trafford magistrates court heard.The defendant was asked to explain his actions by JPs after pleading guilty to a single charge of a racially aggravated public order offence."I'm not racist," he told the bench. "I have coloured people in my family and most of my best mates are coloured. I don't know what came over me. I'm deeply sorry."After the half-time interval when Hobson returned to his seat he was spoken to by stewards and taken away and then transferred to a police station in Salford.Hobson, of Weaver Walk, Openshaw, Manchester, who is not a season-ticket holder at Old Trafford, told officers he had come to the match straight from his job as a fork lift truck driver and drank four bottles of beer but was not drunk.He admitted making some comments about the Stoke player "in the heat of the moment" and accepted he used the words "black bastard". He said he could not remember using the words "wog" or "monkey" but accepted what the witness had reported him as saying.Rachel Goode, mitigating, said the defendant was "extremely embarrassed" by his behaviour."He has serious concerns he will lose his job as a result of this," she told the bench. "He can't really explain his actions on that day. It's out of character for him. He has family and friends of mixed race and he's now branded a racist."Hobson was fined £200 and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. The football banning order means he is not allowed to enter a football ground in England and Wales for three years or he could be arrested and he must surrender his passport when England play internationals abroad.Manchester UnitedStoke CityRace issuesguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsene Wenger remains confident Arsenal have the strength of character needed to force themselves back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

Yahoo! Eurosport UK (blog)Suarez row deepens bitter divideYahoo! Eurosport UK (blog)By Eurosport | Jim White – 1 hour 47 minutes ago Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra will come face-to-face once againThe fall-out from a few ill-spoken words continues. At Wembley, the England coach and FA chairman sit down together to discuss whether the ...Luis Suarez hoping 'nothing unusual happens' in Man United v LiverpoolMetroSuarez: Abuse from United fans will only spur me onMirrorFootball.co.ukManchester United v Liverpool: Luis Suarez's strong character will help ...Telegraph.co.ukThe Independent -The Guardian -ESPNall 280 news articles »