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Bad news for snooker/ Ronnie fans - They are the same thing really aren't they?

Ronnie O'Sullivan will not be defending his UK Snooker Championship title in York in November.

The deadline to enter the tournament, which begins on 24 November, was 28 October, but the 39-year-old five-time world champion has declined to enter.

He has not played in a competitive match since losing 13-9 to Stuart Bingham in the quarter-finals of the World Championship in April.

Read more here.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

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England centre Sam Burgess will stay at Bath and continue in rugby union, according to his coach Mike Ford.

The 26-year-old has been given time off to consider his future and has been in talks with his former rugby league side South Sydney Rabbitohs, less than a year after switching codes.

Burgess was controversially picked for England's dismal World Cup campaign.

Image source, PA

The Daily Mail , externalare reporting Everton striker Romelu Lukaku's agent, Mino Raiola, claims Toffees manager Roberto Martinez says the 22-year-old Belgium international can leave if a "good offer" comes in for him. He has been linked with Paris St-Germain.

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They were the stars of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and they are doing it again at the2015 IPC Athletics World Championshipsin Doha.

Hannah Cockroftled home a British 1-2-3 to win gold in the T34 800m. 

Paralympic champion Cockroft, beat team-mate Mel Nicholls into second with 14-year-old Kare Adenegan in third.

Fellow BritonsAled DaviesandRichard Whiteheadalso won gold to make it 10 golds in total in Doha.

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More on Middlesborough's win agaisnt Manchester United on Wednesday evening and manager Louis Van Gaal has said it was a "lucky" win for the Championship side.

They won the shootout 3-1 to progress to the last eight after a goalless 120 minutes at Old Trafford.

"It is more like the casino, red or black," Van Gaal said. "We trained yesterday on penalties, but it is like that. I cannot take them."

Andreas Pereira scored his but England trio Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Ashley Young all missed from the spot.  

Read more here.

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Chelsea forward Pedro, has apparently told friends he regrets moving to the club from Spanish giants Barcelona in the summer and according to the Express,, external would be happy to return to the Nou Camp.  

(We can empathise. We think we would prefer to live in Barcelona too, Pedro... If anyone asks, blame the British weather).

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Some football news from Scotland now and we are taking no credit for the opening line of Richard Wilson's match report...

Leigh Griffiths broke Hearts with a match-winning display as Celtic reached the Scottish League Cup semi-finals with victory at Tynecastle.

The striker opened the scoring in the second half and then quickly created the second for Tom Rogic.

Hearts were defensively strong in the opening period but could not cope with Griffiths' skilful enterprise.

Read Richard's report here.

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More from last night's League Cup action...

Kevin De Bruyne scored his sixth club goal in nine games to help Manchester City beat Crystal Palace to reach the League Cup quarter-finals.

Wilfried Bony put the Premier League leaders in front when he powered in a header, before Belgian De Bruyne slotted home a second at the far post.

Read the full match report here.

Image source, AP

Another day another Fifa scandal. Technically this one was from yesterday but it's quite a biggie so we will bring you up to date...

Suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter has suggested there was an agreement in place for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup - before the vote took place.

The 79-year-old told Russian news agency Tass of a "discussion" in 2010 about future World Cups.

Listen to the interview with Mr Blatter here.

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Better news for Liverpool fans (in case Manchester United losing wasn't enough for them),Jurgen Klopp earned his first win with the Reds on Wednesday evening.

Nathaniel Clyne's maiden Merseyside goal saw off Bournemouth in the League Cup fourth round.

Reds keeper Adam Bogdan stopped Junior Stanislas's close-range shot with his legs as Bournemouth started brightly.

Read the full match report here.

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In case you missed it at the top our the BBC Sport home page, Middlesbrough shocked Manchester United on penalties to reach the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

England trio Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Ashley Young all missed in the shootout, as the Boro players celebrated in front of their jubilant 10,000-strong travelling support.

Are Middlesbrough the new Germany?

Read the full report from the match here.

And the Mirror carried a line on Chelsea's under pressure manager Jose Mourinho...

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Others concentrated on Fifa, and FA chairman Greg Dyke's comments to politicians...

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Many, instead, focused on Jurgen Klopp's first win as Liverpool manager, Nathaniel Clyne's goal earning a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Image source, Express

Most of the newspapers failed to feature Middlesbrough's penalty shootout win over Manchester United on the back pages of their first editions because of how late the tie finished, but the Independent managed to knock together this...

Image source, Independent

Good morning and welcome to Thursday's edition of Sportsday. 

We have loads going on this morning including five Premier League news conferences today - Leicester and West Ham before 10:00 GMT. 

Better get started then. 

Here is a selection of this morning's back pages to kick off...