Sportsday - rolling football news

1. Stones, Shelvey and Vardy to start for England in San Marino
2. Latest: Georgia 1-0 Scotland
3. Faroe Islands v Northern Ireland (19:45)
4. GET INVOLVED #bbcsportsday

Thank you and good night

That is all for Sportsday this Friday. Be sure to follow our live text commentary on the Georgia v Scotland game and Northern Ireland in the Faroe Islands from 19:00 BST.

Sportsday will return on Monday. Good evening.

Somewhere, over the rainbow

John Southall

BBC Radio Five Live football reporter in the Faroe Islands

What awaits at the end of the rainbow for Northern Ireland?

Michael O'Neill's side are one point behind leaders Romania in Group F and two points clear of third-placed Hungary.

BBC Sport

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'Northern Ireland needs this'

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says qualifying for Euro 2016 would be of "huge significance" for the country's football development.

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Victories over the Faroe Islands on Friday and Hungary on Monday could be enough to seal Northern Ireland's place in the finals in France.

"The motivation is there because Northern Ireland needs it. Simple as that," said O'Neill. "We need it as a country and as a group of players, as a group of supporters."

How they stand

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O'Neill 'expecting difficult game'

Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill is not underestimating the challenge posed by Faroe Islands in their Euro 2016 qualifier.

Here's what he had to say...

The Faroes have made steady progress, so we are expecting a very difficult game. They are a physical team and have improved their performances and results. We will prepare in the right manner and we won't treat them lightly.

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UK football starts #RefugeesWelcome campaign

What can you do to help solve the migrant crisis?

#RefugeesWelcome campaign spiked online last weekend after supporters in a number of German football stadiums unfurled banners with the slogan calling for donations to refugee projects.

Inspired by the German fans, Dena Nakeeb has started a replica campaign in English football grounds.

"Why not unite and use football for the basis of something so positive?" she asks in her interview on BBC World Service.

BBC

Watch Buffon's milestone preview

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon could pick up his 150th cap against Bulgaria on Sunday. The 37-year-old is already the most capped player in Italian football history.

John Hartson and Graeme Le Saux will be discussing his achievements with Dan Walker on Football Focus, at 12:10 BST on Saturday, 5 August live on BBC One and online.

Watch a preview here.

BBC

Three keepers, one team...

Usually a 10-0 drubbing is enough to grab our attention. But it was the use of three goalkeepers by Malaysia that really caught our eye following their comprehensive defeat to United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday.  

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Khairul Bin Che Mat let in four and lasted just 28 minutes, his replacement, Selamat, conceded another three and was taken off on 62', leaving it to Khairul Azhan Khalid to see out the misery.

No fewer than 76 goals were rattled in by Asian teams in Thursday's 15 games - an average of 5.067 per match, one of the highest on record.

Stones, Shelvey and Vardy in

So, the big news from that press conference is that England will definitely start with John Stones in defence, Jonjo Shelvey in midfield and Jamie Vardy in attack in San Marino tomorrow. Interesting. 

Of course, there is little chance of England losing the game tomorrow so it is a good place to try out the trio in a competitive game.

You will be able to follow that game on BBC Radio 5 live and via live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website.

England press conference

England manager Roy Hodgson: "There is no need for headlines reading: 'Hodgson says England will win the Euros.' We will be working hard at our game. One thing that is in our grasp is to win all our 10 qualifying games." 

England press conference

England manager Roy Hodgson:  "I can say that Jonjo Shelvey will start the game as will John Stones and Jamie Vardy. I am not prepared to fill in the blanks.

"Stones has done very well and the way he has handled the transfer speculation has been remarkable. It won't affect his play."

England press conference

England manager Roy Hodgson on Wayne Rooney and the England goalscoring record: "It is not something we talk about because it is obvious Wayne will break the goalscoring record. When he does it will be a proud moment. At the moment his main concern is to win the remain matches we have in qualifying. I won't mind if he doesn't score as long as we win them all."

England captain Wayne Rooney: "It is nice to score but the important thing is the team. The main thing is for me to do my job and for us to win the game."

England press conference

The England press conference has started. Here is what Roy Hodgson had to say about the pitch in San Marino...  

"They have done very well considering the pitch was only laid four or five weeks ago. As long as the pitch is watered tomorrow we will get a playable surface. We feared, knowing it was new, it could be a lot worse."

'A long, long way away'

Paul O'Connell has admitted Ireland are a "long, long way away" from winning the Rugby World Cup after last week's 16-10 defeat to Wales in Dublin.

"I'd love to win a World Cup but it's a long, long way away now," said O'Connell. "And I'll tell you, the Monday morning after the Wales game, when we reviewed it, it felt a long, long way away as well. For me I don't think there's any value in me or us getting distracted by that. I think the week after you lose you wonder almost why you're playing any more, and Monday was tough.

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Ireland face England at Twickenham on Saturday before opening their Pool D campaign in the World Cup by taking on Canada in Cardiff on September 19. 

Keep the faith

England players familiarise themselves

The England players are having a walk around the pitch in San Marino...

Alistair Yeomans

And the manager is here ahead of his press conference...

Alistair Yeomans

Scotland have work to do

Half-time in Georgia. Scotland trailing 1-0. Lots of work for Gordon Strachan's men to do. Big 45 minutes coming up.

Follow the game here.

Rankin set for Wildcats switch

Hull FC full-back Jordan Rankin is set to join Wakefield Trinity Wildcats at the end of the season.

BBC Radio Humberside reports that the 23-year-old Australian has agreed a deal with the Belle Vue side.  

Bad news for Scotland

Scotland trail Georgia with 10 minutes to go until the break as  Valeri Qazaishvili  fires in low from just outside the box.

You can follow that game here.

Qualification beckons for England

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty is out in San Marino and taking in the sights...

Watch 91-shot table tennis rally

A 91-shot rally would be something to behold on a tennis court, let alone the tiny dimensions of its table-based equivalent.

Yet somehow Frenchman Adrien Mattenet and Swedish player Par Gerell managed such a feat at at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour.

Watch the video here.

BBC

Watch Qatar beat Bhutan 15-0

A while ago we brought you news of United Arab Emirates' 10-0 thrashing of Malaysia that saw three keeper changes to try to stem the flow of goals.

Well, somehow Qatar's 15-0 win against Bhutan escaped our attention. Luckily our multimedia team were on the ball.

Watch all 15 goals here.

BBC

All back to Sixfields for pizza and beer!

Northampton Town manager Chris Wilder says the camaraderie between managers at lower-league level is important. 

Wilder faces Dagenham, managed by ex-team-mate Wayne Burnett, on Saturday. 

"There's a few that don't come into the category, but the office is well stocked with beers, a bottle of wine and a few boxes of pizza," Wilder said.

"It's important, it's a tough job. We're all after the same result - there's a lot of good quality managers at this level and the league below."

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Guess the hairstyle

Do you know your Gareth Bale top-knot from your Andy Carroll tie-back? If you back yourself to identify a footballer barnet then why not have a crack at theMatch of the Day kickabout quizon that very subject?

You can do so here.

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England press conference

England boss Roy Hodgson will be speaking ahead of the game against San Marino on Saturday. And the press are getting ready for him, including BBC Radio 5 live reporter Alistair Yeomans, who has sent on these photos...

Alistair Yeomans

The pitch in Serravalle is looking a bit dry, though...

Alistair Yeomans

Although the backdrop is something different for the England boys...

Alistair Yeomans

Forest complete double signing

Nottingham Forest have put the finishing touches to two transfers. Here are the details...

Lancashire promoted after draw

Lancashire clinched the second promotion spot from Division Two of the County Championship by batting through the final day for a draw with Kent at Canterbury.

The Red Rose county only needed five points from the game to be sure of top-flight cricket next summer and collected eight, despite being outplayed for much of the game.

Skipper Steven Croft (72) and Alex Davies (58) shared an unbroken stand of 120 before the match came to an end.

Ready in Tbilisi

You can also follow the game via live text updates here.

All ready to go in Georgia

Fernandinho keeps the faith

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has declared that he and his team-mates always had manager Manuel Pellegrini's back, even when things weren't going so well last season. 

"Having trust in your manager is the most important thing for a footballer. You can play not more relaxed, but able to try things," the 30-year-old told the Manchester Evening News.

EPA

Of course, it is a lot easier to say that when you have a 100% win record and are top of the league but City fans will surely be happy at the harmony that appears to be spreading through the Etihad.  

Who ya gonna call? Kev the Witch

Tongue firmly in cheek? Check. Here goes then. Burnley's injury woes appear to be behind them thanks to the magic of "Kev the Witch", according to the Telegraph.

Lukas Jutkiewicz, Sam Vokes, Kevin Long, Dean Marney and Ashley Barnes have all suffered cruciate knee ligament injuries at Turf Moor, which Kev puts down to an evil spell.

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Kudos to the Telegraph for this great piece of insight: "Kev performed the incantation... on Wednesday. Burnley have not suffered a single cruciate ligament injury since."

Read the full article here.

Henson feared rugby career was over

Bristol centre Gavin Henson says he feared his career was over after breaking his shin in May. 

The 33-year-old is on the verge of a comeback after being named as a replacement for Saturday's Championship opener against Bedford Blues. 

"It was so painful, I honestly thought it was the end," Henson told BBC Radio Bristol.

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GB beat Germany to make final

The Great Britain men's wheelchair basketball team are into the European Championship final after a thrilling 77-68 win over Germany in Worcester.

They will face either Turkey or the Netherlands in Sunday's final where they will be chasing a third title in a row.

The GB women will face Germany at 18:15 BST in their semi-final. You can watch that in our live session here.

BBC

Sammer issues plea for support of migrants

Bayern Munich's sporting director Matthias Sammer says he hopes people will continue to offer their support for arriving migrants.

Bayern announced Thursday it would set up a training camp for youths as well as donate 1 million euros (£805,000) to separate refugee projects. 

"When you see these people on TV or in photos, how they've nothing as they flee war and atrocities, how they leave everything behind in the hope of a better life, then we have to offer every refugee in Germany our hand," said Sammer.

In addition, Bayern player Javi Martinez has been visiting refugees at the city's railway station as Europe deals with the current humanitarian crisis.

The Spanish midfielder posted the above picture on Twitter.

Tabb court case begins

Former referee Michaela Tabb's court case against World Snooker has begun in Bristol and will conclude next week.

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Tabb, 47, appearing under her married name of McInnes, is claiming sexual discrimination, unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

Snooker's highest-profile female referee left the circuit in March having officiated in two world finals.

World Snooker, the body that runs the professional tour, denies the allegations.

Remaining fixtures

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How they stand

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Team news

Gordon Strachanhas named hisScotlandteam to face Georgia...

SFA

Get with the programme...

Conor McNamara

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

You can listen to the game on BBC Radio 5 live from 17:00 BST and follow our live text commentary from 16:00 BST

Steadfast Lancashire eyeing promotion

BBC Sport's Isabelle Duncan at Canterbury:

"Lancashire continued to put up the Great Wall of China after lunch, losing only one wicket. 

"Haseeb Hameed's marathon 138-ball innings came to an end when he was bowled by Calum Haggett, splaying two of his stumps, for 44. 

"Steven Croft and Alex Davies put up a stout defence for the remainder of the session. With 31 overs remaining, a draw is on the cards which will seal Lancashire's promotion."

Sussex win despite Clarke century

An unbeaten 104 by highly-rated batting prospect Joe Clarke was not enough to save Worcestershire from an innings defeat by Sussex on the final day at New Road.

They were bowled out for 237 and are eight points adrift at the foot of the Division One table, with only two games left to play.

Middlesex heading for draw

BBC WM's Mike Taylor at Edgbaston:

"Middlesex are almost safe in this game, despite lurching on a few occasions through a tense afternoon session. 

"Jeetan Patel spun out three batsmen in various states of bemusement. Nick Compton tried to attack him and clear away some close fielders, but fell to a fine catch by the substitute Laurie Evans at mid-off. 

"Neil Dexter's countering of Patel has so far been more successful, and another 45 minutes or so of batting should secure the draw."

'The facts speak for themselves'

AP

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has once again blamed Manchester United for the failure of the David de Gea transfer, saying they "lacked experience". Inevitably, United have responded...

"The facts speak for themselves. The FA are prepared to back our case that documents were in on time. We all like to blame others but if you let one slip through your fingers into the back of the net, then ultimately the culpability is yours."

Manchester United spokesman

Gloucestershire begin run-chase

Gloucestershire made a promising start to their task of scoring 302 to beat Leicestershire on the final day at Grace Road.

Skipper Will Tavare's enterprising declaration during the morning enabled the home side to increase their lead and leave Gloucestershire a run-chase.

Dan Redfern top-scored with 74 for Leicestershire, who failed to separate Tavare and opening partner Chris Dent before tea, with a minimum of 42 overs remaining.

Picture this

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport in Tbilisi

Gordon Strachan said on Thursday that he was unsure if this was a 'must win' game but the Tartan Army believe their country's qualifying campaign comes down to these 90 minutes at the Boris Paichadze Stadium, which hosted the recent Uefa Super Cup final.

BBC Sport

Here, Tbilisi looks nice, doesn't it...

Green cards for football's gentlemen

Referees in Italy's Serie B are reportedly going to trial a novel new way to reward sportsmanship on the pitch this weekend by issuing green cards for good behaviour.

At the end of the season they will be tallied up and the players with the most will receive a prize that is yet to be decided upon.

Players can be rewarded for stopping the game to allow an injured opponent receive treatment or admitting a foul which had been missed, for example.

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When Everton keeper Paul Gerrard went down injured, West Ham's Paolo Di Canio caught the ball from a cross rather than score an open goal

Price is right...

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport

Cheapest ticket in international football? £3 to watch Georgia v Scotland at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena on Friday...

BBC Sport

You can listen to the game on BBC Radio 5 live from 17:00 BST and follow our live text commentary from 16:00 BST

Your longest sporting waits

Shane Daly: Waiting to see if Alan Shearer would join Man United back in 1996. Spoiler alert! He didn't. £15 million, what a steal.  

The rest is history, Shane...

Keep your longest sporting waits coming. Tweet us at #bbcsportsday or post on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

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Swindon sign Estonian international

Hamilton fastest in second practice

Lewis Hamilton is proving blonds have more fun and, apparently, go faster round a race track. 

The newly-dyed Mercedes driver has topped the timesheets at Monza for the second practice session, going fractionally quicker than his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

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Both Force Indias - noted for their straight-line speed - have nabbed fourth and fifth.

You can find our live coverage here.

Batty hat-trick seals promotion

Skipper Gareth Batty finished the match with a hat-trick as Surrey beat Derbyshire at The Oval to seal promotion back to County Championship Division One.

Batty dismissed Tony Palladino, Mark Footitt and Ben Cotton with successive deliveries for figures of 6-51 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 149.

In-flight entertainment

San Marino, here they come. Raheem Sterling has posted this picture of himself and Fabian Delph on their way for Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifier...

Raheem Sterling

Georgia v Scotland build-up

Former international Willie Miller hopes Scotland can stay focused in their qualifier against Georgia despite an eagerness to reach Euro 2016.

The national side have not qualified for a major tournament since 1998.

BBC

"We are desperate to get back on to the big stage but desperation doesn't win football games," Miller told BBC Radio Scotland.

"You've got to play with a calm head and I'm sure Gordon Strachan will emphasise that to his players."

Sir Alex leads the way

If anyone has earned the right to write a book about leadership it is former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. The winner of 38 trophies in 26 years at United, Ferguson's book is simply titles 'Leading' and is currently being serialised - nay read out loud via the medium of video by the Scot himself - on the official United Facebook page.

Here is an ominous extract on discipline: “People will give a manager plenty of opportunities to crack the whip so it’s best to pick and choose your moments. You don’t have to dish out a punishment very often before everyone gets the message."

Manchester United Facebook page

'Alive and kicking'

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan says he cannot understand why some feel Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier in Georgia is a "must win".

The Scots are currently third in Group D behind Poland and Germany.

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"We've been asking this question since the first game in Germany and hopefully we're still asking it up until the last game against Gibraltar," said Strachan.

"If you're asking that question then we're still very much alive and kicking."

Your longest sporting waits

Enyi Nnanta:  Waiting for Rooney to shoot on Sunday against Swansea when through on goal in the 88th minute... still waiting.

Ian Brennan:  Liverpool fans waiting for a Premier League title, and if Harry Redknapp is right it could be a lot longer!  

Keep your longest sporting waits coming. Tweet us #bbcsportsday or post on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Fleming 'buzzing' after US Open win

British doubles specialist Colin Fleming has said he is "buzzing" after beating fifth seeds Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli to make it into the US Open second round.

The achievement is all the more impressive considering he had never played with his partner, Treat Huey of the Philippines, before. 

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The pair only agreed to pair up on the mobile phone app Whatsapp in the run-up to the tournament.

Fleming, 31, said: "I'm buzzing with the result... I don't know who we face next. We had such a tough first round draw I didn't look any further than that."

Just ignore the giant chipmunk...

Distraction techniques are nothing new in sport, but broadcasting a giant chipmunk onto a big screen to put off the opposition kicker is taking things to a whole new level.

Check out this picture from the match between TCU Horned Frogs (yes, really) and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

Romania ranking puzzles boss

Much was made of Wales' promotion above England in the Fifa world rankings on Thursday (some borne out of jealousy, admittedly), but spare a moment to look at this Guardian piece about Romania, currently the seventh best team in the world.

Don't try convincing team coach Anghel Iordanescu, though. "We are not seventh in the world," he said. “Our teams are out of Europe earlier than they have been for 11 years and our players who are in the strong leagues are – with only a few exceptions – fringe players for small clubs."

BBC

There are some great stats in there, including how Romania earned more ranking points (786.91) in four games than Copa America winners Chile. Go figure...  

Three keepers, one team...

Usually a 10-0 drubbing is enough to grab our attention. But it was the use of three goalkeepers by Malaysia that really caught our eye following their comprehensive defeat to United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

Getty Images

Khairul Bin Che Mat let in four and lasted just 28 minutes, his replacement, Selamat, conceded another three and was taken off on 62', leaving it to Khairul Azhan Khalid to see out the misery.

No fewer than 76 goals were rattled in by Asian teams in Thursday's 15 games - an average of 5.067 per match, one of the highest on record.

Mings out for the season

Bournemouth haven't had a lot of luck with injuries this week. Following on from the news that Max Gradel will miss the rest of this year, another new signing - their record one no less - is now out for the rest of the season.

Defender Tyrone Mings has a serious knee injury and his campaign is over. He has tweeted today...

And the answers were...

A Question of Sport Teaser

Earlier we asked you to name the seven drivers to have made the podium in the last three Italian Grands Prix.

The answers were: Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Sergio Perez, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Schmidt praises England squad

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt could be playing mind games ahead of their Rugby World Cup warm-up against England on Saturday. 

More likely he's just being genuine about the "nice balance" Stuart Lancaster has found between power and finesse in his squad.

PA

Jonathan Joseph, Henry Slade, Alex Goode and Jonny May got particular mention from Schmidt, who added: "I'm just happy they are not in our pool.

'England will get better and better'

According Rugby Football Union's professional rugby director Rob Andrew, the current England squad will not reach their peak around 2017-18. However, that doesn't mean they can't win this year's World Cup, says forwards coach Graham Rowntree.

Reuters

"As Rob said, we know that we can win a World Cup with this group of players. And that excites me," Rowntree said. "This team will only get better and better with experience, let's all agree that. I can see that from working with the guys day in, day out. We will absolutely get better with experience and we will be become more experienced in three years' time." 

Fantastic plastic

Alistair Bruce-Ball

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

Speaking of plastic...

Fan crafts Hughes tribute

When Australian batsman Phillip Hughes died last year after being struck on the head by a ball, people across the world paid tribute by placing their bat on show.

Just over nine months later, one fan has completed his own personal tribute to Hughes - a hand-built, plastic miniature stadium.

Shaminder Singh

Shaminder Singh bought parts from around the world, spending nearly £3,000 and seven months putting his creation together at his Coventry home. The stadium has stands named after cricket legends Sir Ian Botham and Richie Benaud and also a garden dedicated to the Queen.

To see more pictures of Mr Singh's creation, head on over to BBC News.

Get Involved

Earlier, we pointed you in the direction of an article in the Daily Mail, suggesting that City are Manchester's best-run club...

England women heading down under

The England and Wales Cricket Board have announced that seven England women’s players will be heading to Australia to play in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Big Bash League this winter. These are the players in question and the teams they will represent:

Charlotte Edwards & Katherine Brunt: Perth Scorchers

Heather Knight: Hobart Hurricanes

Kate Cross & Lauren Winfield: Brisbane Heat

Sarah Taylor: Adelaide Strikers

Danielle Wyatt: Melbourne Renegades

Laura Marsh: New South Wales

Reuters

Sussex close in on crucial win at New Road

BBC Sussex's Adrian Harms at New Road:

"Despite losing 12 overs to a combination of bad light and rain, Sussex are closing in on victory at New Road. 

"Chris Jordan with two and Ashar Zaidi have taken the wickets and with the weather improving Sussex have a further 67 overs to take the remaining four Worcestershire wickets."

Drinking to success - part 2

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport in Tbilisi

BBC Sport

Asked Andrew (left) and Ross (right) how they were feeling "Drunk and quietly confident" was their response. They reckon Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney will be key for Scotland.

You can listen to the game on BBC Radio 5 live from 17:00 BST and follow our live text commentary from 16:00 BST 

Friday's Sports Panel

England hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh, World Athletics Championship medalist Martyn Rooney and England's player of the Ashes series Anya Shrubsole are currently on BBC Radio 5 live with Eleanor Oldroyd.

Listen live here

Hameed leads Lancs resistance

BBC Radio Manchester's Scott Read at Canterbury:

"Plenty of fight and determination showed by Lancashire this morning as they look to deny Kent a win and seal promotion in process.

"Runs dried up as Kent bowled six successive maidens, but crucially for Lancashire they have seven wickets in hand heading into the afternoon."

Thinking caps on...

A Question of Sport Teaser

Time for today's Question of Sport teaser. We'll bring you the answers a little later on.

Name the seven drivers to have made the podium in the last three Italian Grands Prix.  

Chambers impresses against former county

Northants paceman Maurice Chambers picked up two wickets on the final morning against his former county Essex, but the rain-hit game at Cheltenham looks set for a draw. 

Chambers bowled Tom Westley early on before removing Jesse Ryder just before lunch. Essex hold a lead of 236 and with just two sessions remaining a positive result looks unlikely. 

Click here to see the full scorecard.

Italian Grand Prix - second practice

BBC commentator James Allen is ready as second practice for the Italian Grand Prix looms large. It starts at 13:00 BST.

Find all our live text and radio coverage here.

Draw on cards at Edgbaston

BBC London 94.9's Kevin Hand at Edgbaston:

"Middlesex are 29-1, still 18 runs behind in their second innings, at lunch on the final day. Warwickshire were all out for 254 this morning, with Tim Ambrose leading the way with 89.

"The visitors must now bat out the majority of the day to ensure a draw in their bid to finish second in the table."

Surrey closing in on promotion

BBC London 94.9's  Mark Church at the Oval:

"Three early wickets for Surrey but a partnership between Wayne Madsen and Wes Durston then steadied the Derbyshire ship. 

"The hosts know if they win today they will be promoted and the Curran brothers gave them the perfect start which saw Derbyshire in deep trouble at 9-3."

Glos set to face run-chase

Gloucestershire's declaration 146 runs behind at Grace Road has set up the possibility of a positive result to the game against Leicestershire.

Live radio commentary available here.

Weir's honour 'besmirched'

Rangers say Raith Rovers may have "besmirched the honour of" Ibrox assistant manager David Weir by querying the recall of a player.

Raith asked the Scottish FA compliance officer to investigate a potential rule breach after Rangers' Ryan Hardie was recalled from the Scotland Under-19s.

Reuters

Rovers player Craig Wighton remains with the Under-19s squad in Bulgaria as the club prepare to face Rangers.

But Rangers say Hardie's return "was done with the approval of the SFA".

Question is, how do you respond to a besmirching? A duel at dawn?

City are kings of Manchester

"This is a new era at City, who are trying hard to eliminate expensive mistakes. They have become Manchester’s better-run club, adopting a sophisticated strategy that is different from the impulsive, scattergun nature of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and chief executive Ed Woodward." - Neil Ashton, today's Daily Mail.

City are Manchester's best run club. Discuss.

AP

Silver for British quartet

Another silver for Britain in France, this time in the lightweight quad. Emily Craig, Ruth Walzcak, Brianna Stubbs and Eleanor Piggott were second to the German crew.

Davies hangs up his boots

Getty Images

Abendanon signs new Clermont deal

Former England and Bath full-back Nick Abendanon has signed a new three-yearcontract with Clermont Auvergne. The 29-year-old has committed to a new deal that runs until June 2018, and also holds the option to extend for a further year in due course.

"Nick is a model of integration who perfectly fits our game and progresses it through his performance and involvement," said Clermont's sporting director Jean-Marc Lhermet.

AP

Drinking to success - part 1

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport in Tbilisi

BBC Sport

HOT HOT HOT!!!  This heat is going to play a massive part in Tbilisi as Scotland try and take another step towards the finals in France next year.  There's a massive Scottish contingent in the in Georgian capital soaking up the rays and taking advantage of the cheap hospitality with the cost of a beer costing less than a quid.

You can listen to the game on BBC Radio 5 live from 17:00 BST and follow our live text commentary from 16:00 BST

Wales could go second in world

Wales - the second-best football team in the world. Let that sentence sink in, because the chances are it may well become reality soon.

In a nutshell, a win against Israel on Sunday will put them fourth, and if Germany were to draw either of their two forthcoming qualifiers they will move third.

Fifa

If all that falls into place then a win for Cyprus against Belgium, also on Sunday, will push them into second place and make them, officially, the best team in Europe.

Read the full breakdown here...

Merritt tweets after surgery

American 110m hurdler Aries Merritt has tweeted this following his kidney transplant...

The Olympic champion and world record holder, 30, has a rare genetic disorder, which was diagnosed in 2013. Despite his illness he went on to take bronze at the World Championships in Beijing.  

Silver for Walsh

Imogen Walsh has clinched Britain's eighth medal of the regatta, taking silver in the lightweight single final...

Happy birthday

Well done to those of you who worked out that the former Newcastle player who turns 49 on Friday is John Beresford.

Also celebrating are five-time Open winner Tom Watson (66), former Northern Ireland, Birmingham and Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor (44) and British sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis (33). 

Good morning, Raheem

We can't guarantee everybody feels as fresh as Manchester City midfielder Raheem Sterling on a Friday morning...

Pellow talk

Clydebank FC's Wet, Wet, Wet-sponsored kit got a mention at 09:16, and one user has delivered.

We'd love a shot of the kit being worn on a soaking wet Sunday afternoon if possible.

Justin Wilson funeral next week

The funeral of British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, who died last month after he was struck by debris before crashing into a wall during a race in Pennsylvania, will be held near Silverstone next Thursday. 

A statement on his website said the September 10 funeral will be held at Paulerspury, Northants.

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On the road to the Euros

Conor McNamara

BBC Radio 5 live commentator

Who needs car keys? Still, the Tbilisi taxi driver got our man to the Boris Paichadze Stadium on Thursday...

Yet another British gold

The British team are in rampant form in France, with Joel Cassells and Sam Scrimgeour taking gold in the lightweight pair to ensure a seventh medal in seven finals after a gold and three silvers in Thursday's the Para-rowing events.

Home and away

No stone unturned. That appears to be the mantra of England head coach Stuart Lancaster ahead of the World Cup. 

Lancaster's men will use the away dressing room at Twickenham for Saturday's clash with Ireland. The reason? Because a coin toss has decided they will use the away digs for their Cup opener against Fiji on 18 September and Lancaster wants his players to familiarise themselves with new surroundings.

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Gold for British coxed pair

Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell and Matthew Tarrant, coxed by Henry Fieldman, will clamber on to the top step of the podium...

Davies hangs up his boots

We brought you his Twitter picture of his football boots hanging on the wall earlier (08:39), now here's some more on the news that free agent Kevin Davies has decided to retire after 22 years in the game.

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De Gea row rumbles on

The war of words between Manchester United and Real Madrid over David de Gea rumbles on. After the statement-off, Real president Florentino Perez has now slammed United executives for a lack of experience.

"We sent the contracts to United at 13:30 on Monday and they took eight hours to send them back," Perez said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. 

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"They must have had a lot of work. From then on we had little time. I sensed that afternoon that we wouldn't make it in time because I knew the lack of experience by United in these issues. 

"We had the same situation with [Fabio] Coentrao just as Athletic [Bilbao] had with Ander Herrera. We didn't get the contracts until 00:02, past the deadline. We and FIFA have proof of this. It's a shame and I don't understand why they needed so much time for the contracts, I don't understand a series of issues." 

Over to you, United...

Silver for Britain's women's four

In the first final of the day at Lake Aiguebelette in France, Britain have earned a medal...

Remember this?

Following the news earlier that Lewes FC are now sponsored by 70s band Squeeze (09:16), a few of you have been tweeting some other band-club tie-ups that we weren't aware of. 

Here's a beauty...

Former All Black found

Former All Black Terry Lineen , who we told you earlier had gone missing in Heathrow airport en route to visiting his son, ex-Scotland player Sean Lineen, has been found, reports www.stuff.co.nz. 

The 79-year-old has reportedly been taken to hospital after having been discovered at 07:00 BST on Friday.

Dutch aiming to scrape through

Netherlandslost 1-0 at home to Iceland in their Euro 2016 qualifier on Thursday, leaving them with the prospect of securing the best third place finish spot to book their place in France.

Mathematically they can still top Group A, but boss Danny Blind admitted the runner-up place is their most likely route for progression, saying: "That's the option we have left."

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Meanwhile, Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is (almost) raising a glass: "It would be very nice to have a beer now... but we need to keep our players' feet firmly on the ground."  

Hamilton fastest in first practice

New hair and a new engine for Lewis Hamilton. A familiar result though - the Englishman has topped first practice at Monza.

Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg was second, 0.463secs behind. Ominously, Hamilton's car was 1.588 seconds faster than the rest of the field - headed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

We'll have live text and radio commentary of second practice, which starts at 12:55 BST.

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Mourinho on the record

More accolades to hang on the wall for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. Here he is with his certificates from Guinness World Records. 

Mourinho's achievements:

• Longest football unbeaten home run by a manager (nine years)
• Most Champions League titles with different clubs (two)
• Youngest manager to reach 100 Champions League matches (49 years 12 days) 
• Most points in a Premier League season (95)
• Most games unbeaten at home in the Premier League (77)

Concern for missing ex-All Black star

There is concern over the whereabouts of former New Zealand All Black Terry Lineen , who has disappeared at Heathrow airport while travelling to see his son, ex-Scotland rugby union player Sean Lineen .

Lineen senior, who was making his way to Edinburgh to visit his son from his home down under, was last seen on CCTV footage making his way to the arrivals area of the main terminal having missed one flight and refusing to fly on a later one.

"We are out of ourselves with worry. Sean has flown down to London to find him," said Mr Lineen's wife Lynne.

Italian Grand Prix - practice

"I have a wet bum," says Force India's Nico Hulkenberg over team radio. "It smells like petrol."  

The German is now back in the pits at Monza, where Lewis Hamilton is currently fastest from team-mate Nico Rosberg in first practice.

Live text and radio coverage here.

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Get Involved

Conor Smith: Waiting to find out if that Sterling shot versus Italy (2014 World Cup) went in or not.

James Richardson:  Waiting for Spurs to sign a decent striker.

Ryan Pilcher:  Hibs not winning the Scottish Cup since 1902 and losing 10 finals since then including a 5-1 defeat to Hearts. Just saying.  

Keep your longest sporting waits coming to #bbcsportsday or post on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Selby to fight Montiel in October

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Lee Selby is set to make the first defence of his IBF featherweight title against former world champion Fernando Montiel in his US debut on October 14.

The Welsh fighter put on a classy performance in May to take the title from Russia's Evgeny Gradovich.

The fight at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, is the first bout since signing up with advisor Al Haymon and will be part of his Premier Boxing Champions series.

Happy birthday to who?

How much?!

Considering the kind of money that got thrown around in the last transfer window on some players, how much is Germany forward Thomas Muller worth?   

Reuters

Top scorer in the 2010 World Cup, second top scorer in the 2014 edition in Brazil, and the scorer of five goals in three Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich this season, Muller has apparently attracted a bid from an unknown club this summer. We'll let Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge tell you the rest...

I'm talking about figures which were very high indeed. If I were a bank manager then I would have had to accept it. But as a football club we allowed ourselves to close the door on it, and this door is remaining closed. I can promise that to everybody. But one thing is for certain, in view of the increased television money in England things are not going to get any easier for Bayern in future.

Karl-Heinz RummeniggeBayern Munich president

Get Involved

Right, time to get you involved...

When (because it surely is 'when' now) Wales take part in Euro 2016, it will be 58 years since their last major tournament appearance.

So we want to hear about your longest sporting waits. 

It could be that your team has gone years without winning a trophy, or even that you've not been able to beat your brother at a particular sport for years.

Let us know at #bbcsportsday or on the BBC Sport Facebook page

Villas-Boas' Zenit spell 'in balance'

Former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is having a tough time at Zenit St Petersburg.

He's been handed a six-match ban for pushing the reserve referee during a 3-1 loss to newly-promoted Samara.

AP

The punishment may be suspended after just two matches, but the club said: "For Zenit the ban of the club's manager is definitely a serious problem. The club will announce the decision on the case after discussing the situation with its head coach."

Villas-Boas has already reportedly asked the Russian club to release him from his contract at the end of the season but they refused.

Wales one match from Euro 2016

If Wales are to make history and reach next year's European Championships - they'll have to repeat it. 

Israel stood in their way en route to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, and guess what, the same team stand in their way this weekend.

Form is on their side though, Wales remain unbeaten and three points clear at the top of Group B. It all comes down to this Sunday at 17:00 BST. 

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On this day

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In 2008, Kevin Keegan resigned as manager of Newcastle, citing his relationship with the club's hierarchy over transfer policy.

Lewes Squeeze into new kit

Here's a rare topic - bands that sponsor football teams. It's a shortlist of two so far here at Sportsday, Clydebank FC and Wet, Wet, Wet, and now Lewes FC and Squeeze (Jools Holland's old outfit).

Don't go pulling any muscles, lads...

Fancy your chances, Johanna?

Johanna Konta dumped ninth seed Garbine Muguruza out of the US Open on Thursday. Judging by who's left, she may just fancy her chances.

Rutherford takes Diamond League title

Fresh from his gold medal-winning performance at the World Championships, Greg Rutherford added the Diamond League title to his collection in Zurich on Thursday.

He admitted the win "put any demons to bed that people might have thought it was a bit flukey again, as everybody keeps saying".

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Rutherford jumped 8.32m to beat America's Marquis Dendy, pocketing a cheque for $50,000 (£32,773) in the process.

Watch Diamond League highlights on Saturday, 5 September at 14:30 BST on BBC One.

Italian Grand Prix - practice

The cathedral of speed, Monza, is open. First practice is about to get going at 09:00 BST if that tickles your fancy. 

To whet your appetite, we've put together the Italian Grand Prix's top five overtakes. Try not to wince at Vettel's 200mph+ antics.

You can follow our live text and radio commentary here.

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Lose yourself

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So, you are broadcasting live from a pub in Wales at the very moment Gareth Bale plants a header in the Cyprus net. What do you do?

Celebrate, of course...

Well played Carl Roberts of News 9.

Konta's record-breaking win

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World number 97 Johanna Konta continued her rich vein of form with a record-breaking win over Wimbledon finalist and ninth seed Garbine Muguruza at yesterday's US Open.

She won 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 after three hours and 23 minutes - the longest-ever women's match in New York.

The 24-year-old has now won 15 matches in a row and is into the last 32 of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Davies hangs up his boots?

Free agent Kevin Davies has posted this not-so-cryptic picture on Twitter. More on that as we get it...

Wales one match from Euro 2016

Short on time and want to know how the players fared last night? Look no further than here, where we've put together our player ratings from Cyprus v Wales.

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Murray makes US Open third round

He loves making us sweat, doesn't he? Andy Murray was certainly doing a bit of that at the US Open on Thursday night as he came back from two sets down to beat France's Adrian Mannarino.

The Scot was in serious trouble before recovering to win 5-7 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-1 in stifling conditions at Flushing Meadows.

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He now faces Brazilian 30th seed Thomaz Bellucci in the third round on Saturday.

Read the full report here.

Wales one match from Euro 2016

Chris Coleman had a simple message for Wales fans after Thursday's win: "Get excited."

He believes that ending his country's 57-year absence from a major tournament would be just reward for the supporters.

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"My message to them is to get carried away. Enjoy this - they've waited a long time," Coleman said. "But we can't get carried away. I can't, the players can't, my staff can't and we won't."

Watch his interview here.

Wales one match from Euro 2016

"Kick us and we'll kick back" was the message from Wales midfielder Andy King ahead of their Thursday night match against tough-tackling Cyprus, but in the end it was Gareth Bale's head that did the talking. The word "thunderous" has never been more aptly used.

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Scoring opportunities were sparse in a flat second period until the world's most expensive player headed Jazz Richards's cross into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations from the travelling fans.

One match to go for Wales fans then France awaits. Read our full report here.

Friday's papers

British tennis player Johanna Konta dominates the back of the Times after her record-breaking victory over Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza in the second round of the US Open.

The 24-year-old has now won 15 matches in a row and is into the last 32 of a Grand Slam for the first time. 

The Times

Friday's papers

A clutch of football stories adorns the Daily Mail today (promise we didn't steal their Prince of Wales headline earlier), but their splash is on former England rugby player Rob Andrew's claims that Stuart Lancaster's team could come unstuck at the World Cup through lack of experience.

Daily Mail

Friday's papers

More Wales and Arsenal reaction from the Express, plus a disconsolate Eoin Morgan is pictured after England's ODI loss to Australia.

Daily Express

Friday's papers

The Mirror splits its back page across three main stories - Wales's Euro 2016 qualification victory, Germany coach Joachim Loew's claim that Premier League spending is pouring cash into his country's development system, and former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson's accusation that Arsene Wenger is "cheating" fans by failing to sign a striker despite knowing Danny Welbeck is injured until Christmas.

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Prince of Wales

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Good morning, and welcome to Sportsday. It's an especially good morning for Wales fans, who saw Gareth Bale push his side to within one match of qualifying for Euro 2016 with a 0-1 victory against Cyprus on Thursday night. More on that very soon.

For now, let's hit the newsstands and take a look at Friday's papers...