Image source, Leigh Centurions

Championship side Leigh Centurions have signed prop Gareth Hock on a two-year deal after the 31-year-old left Salford on Monday following his latest disciplinary problem.

He is currently serving a six-game ban for twice using his knees against opponents in Salford's 52-6 defeat by St Helens on 12 February.

The Wigan-born player was also expelled from the England squad before the 2013 World Cup following "serious breaches of team discipline".

He received a seven-match suspension in 2014 for making deliberate physical contact with a referee in Salford's match against Hull, and was given five-match and four-match bans for committing similar offences in 2008 and 2013.

Opta Joe on Twitter: , externalTottenham Hotspur have played 43 competitive games this season; more than any other Premier League side. Incessant.

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Richard Gasquet has withdrawn from the Dubai Championships after losing the first set 6-1 to defending champion Rodger Federer.

The Frenchman signalled to the umpire that he could not continue due to what is thought to be an existing back injury.

Federer will now advance to the semi-final to play 18-year-old Borna Coric, who beat Andy Murray 6-1 6-3 earlier today.

Liverpool are expected to be cleared of any financial fair play breaches tomorrow but Hull will be handed a small fine by UEFA.

The CFCB will meet on Friday and is expected to announce that investigations into Liverpool have ended without any sanctions to be brought against the Merseyside club.

It is understood that Hull, who played in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, have agreed to settle for a small fine for FFP breaches.

Last year Levski Sofia and three Turkish clubs each received a 200,000 euro fine and Hull's sanction is thought to be of a similar level.

Nottingham Forest boss Dougie Freedman has heaped praised his team after extending his unbeaten start as manager to five games.

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Victory over Bournemouth moved Forest up to ninth in the Championship, three places above where they were when Freedman replaced Stuart Pearce at the start of February.

"The players have been great," the former Bolton and Crystal Palace manager, 40, told BBC Radio Nottingham. "They've come in every day embracing the challenges I'm putting on them."

"As a coach, it's great to see players that want to learn and want to turn up and want their lives to change - it's as simple as that."

Newcastle midfielder Jonas Gutierrez on Twitter:, external "It was hard but I never lost faith. Big step can be this weekend, so happy to be in the squad again. Always looking forward."

The Argentine was named in the first-team squad for the first time since undergoing surgery for testicular cancer in September.

Swansea City boss Garry Monk says derogatory comments reportedly made about Louis van Gaal by one of the club's directors do not represent his or the club's views.

John van Zweden reportedly told a Dutch TV crew the Manchester United manager was "arrogant" after the Welsh club's 2-1 win.

The Swans have said they will be investigating the allegations.

"They are not the views shared by myself or the club," said Monk

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Pakistan chief selector Moin Khan, ordered back home from the World Cup following a visit to a casino, avoided running into an angry group of youths after he was ushered out of Karachi Airport on Thursday.

The former Test captain slipped away quietly into a waiting car as the angry youngsters stood outside the airport armed with banners and eggs.

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Barcelona have announced that midfielder Sergio Busquets will sign a new contract until the summer of 2019.

The Spain international has the option of a further year and has played 313 times for the Catalan side since making his debut in 2008.

The decorated 26-year-old has won four La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns, and the Copa Del Rey twice, as well the World Cup and European Championship with Spain.

Image source, Michael Poole

Sheffield Steelers coach Gerad Adams says he will "never forget" Telford goaltender Sam Gospel after his Challenge Cup semi-final heroics.

The 20-year-old was called up to face Nottingham Panthers after injuries to all four of the Steelers' keepers.

Gospel saved all three penalties in a shootout to send Sheffield through to face Cardiff Devils, after the tie ended in a 7-7 draw on aggregate.

"He's the reason we're in the final," Adams told BBC Radio Sheffield.

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Former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, turns 41 today.

Former Wales rugby union winger Shane Williams turns 37 today. He is the nations's record try-scorer with 60 touchdowns.

2011 French Open tennis winner Li Na celebrates her 33rd birthday today.

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Burnley manager Sean Dyche has been speaking about Ashley Barnes after the striker escaped any FA action following a tackle on Chelsea' Nemanja Matic last weekend.

"The powers that be make decisions and they made one so there is no relief for me. I will leave them to do their job," he said.

"It is not the ideal situation we know how things get blown up very quickly at this level.

"I just want him to continue playing with the freedom he has been playing. That's it in a nutshell, it's very simple."

James Morrison and Saido Berahino have knocks but should be fit to train on Friday. Same goes for Victor Anichebe.

"We've only got three forwards in the club and it's important all three stay fit. They'll come a time when one of them needs a rest from now until the end of the season," added Pulis.

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"Saido has always shown he has got incredible talent. The thing with him is he needs to concentrate on his football and ignore everything else that goes on outside.

"Brown Ideye since he's scored a goal has looked a different player. But, he's always been a good lad with a wonderful attitude since I came in and scoring a goal has lifted that pressure off him and he's playing with a lot more freedom now."

Asked if he was surprised at the impact he's had since arriving at the Hawthorns, Tony Pulis said: "We've still got 12 games to go and there's eight or nine teams in a dogfight. I won't be saying anything until we've achieved what would be a huge achievement for us."

But what changes have you put in on the training pitch over the last six or seven games to turn fortunes around, the journalist persisted.

"Come and see me at the end of the season when we've stayed up and I'll tell you then," said Pulis, doing his best impression of a schoolteacher.

"But we haven't stayed up yet, we're still in a dogfight with every other club in the bottom eight or nine. Until that happens, I certainly won't be talking the team up or talking anything at this football club up."

Some bits and bobs from West Brom manager Tony Pulis.

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Asked at his news conference how many points the Baggies might need to avoid relegation, he replied: "As many points as it takes to get to that 17th position. It's important you focus on every game, I don't think it's about a points tally at the moment.

"We've just got to focus on the game ahead and for us that's Southampton. Until that game is finished, everything is focused on that and irrespective of how other teams are going and how results go, we've just got to get as many wins as we can."

Coventry City have confirmed that there will be no managerial appointment before this Saturday and Dave Hockaday and Neil MacFarlane will take charge for the home game with MK Dons.

Chairman Dave Waggott has, however, already had meetings with potential successors to sacked Steven Pressley and more are scheduled.

"We want to accelerate the process. There has been very positive interest in the position and some very interesting candidates have come forward," he said.

A Big Bash-style franchise Twenty20 league would be a "great step in the right direction" for English cricket, says England fast bowler Steven Finn.

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Incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves wants an English Premier League to boost crowds.

Finn, 25, said a move to franchise cricket was long overdue.

"I think that for a while now we've been a bit behind the times when it's come to T20 cricket," he told BBC Sport.

A player with a Serbian top flight club was threatened by the team's own supporters at gunpoint after missing a penalty, the world players' union FIFPro said.

Two days after Novi Pazar's Zarko Udovicic hit an 85th minute penalty over the crossbar against FK Rad, FIFPro said several hooligans burst into the dressing-room at the club's training ground, drew a gun and held it in Udovicic's face.

It is "a new low in Serbian professional football", said FIFPro.

Meanwhile, Udovicic has since left the club.

Some breaking news on Formula 1's Fernando Alonso.

According to McLaren boss Ron Dennis, the Spaniard is "devoid of all injuries" and expected to race in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Image source, Reuters

Alonso, 33, is now resting at home in Spain after being flown to hospital by helicopter following Sunday's crash in pre-season testing in Barcelona.

Dennis says Alonso was unconscious "for a few seconds" after the incident at the Circuit de Catalunya.

The new Formula 1 season begins in Melbourne on 15 March.

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Jockey Jason Maguire will miss the Cheltenham Festival for the second year running after his appeal against a 14-day ban was dismissed.

The 2011 Grand National-winning rider was suspended under the "non-triers" rule at Ludlow on 18 February.

Maguire missed the 2014 Cheltenham meeting after being seriously injured in a fall on the eve of the fixture.

His ban runs from 4-17 March, with the four-day Festival starting on 10 March