And this is this.

You can watch live coverage of Barry Hawkins against Mark Allen in the Masters snooker quarter-finals here.

And there will be plenty of reaction to the Wada independent report and the Madrid clubs' transfer bans on the BBC Sport website.

But from us at Sportsday, goodbye.

Well that was that.

It was a busy day in the world of athletics as Wada's independent report claimed "corruption was embedded" in the IAAF.

Madrid rivals Real and Atletico are also facing tough questions after their respective transfer bans.

England edged South Africa in a intriguing first day of the third Test in Johannesburg.

Adam Pope
BBC West Yorkshire Sport

Image source, Getty Images

I've been told tonight that Leeds United have accepted an offer from Everton for right back Sam Byram.

The deal though is not yet finalised I'm told.

Byram is 22 and out of contract and is the most experienced Leeds player at the club with 143 appearances.

He is out of contract in the summer and although offered a contract until 2017 on identical terms to his current deal, believed to be £12k per week, he did not accept it.

Byram is another of the club's academy products and this season has scored three goals playing on the right of midfield.

Image source, PA

Paula Radcliffe has also reflected on her own situation after previously saying she was "effectively implicated" in the Sunday Times' allegations of blood doping in athletics.

"I repeatedly wrote requests Wada and to chairman Dick Pound himself, asking them to include an interpretation of my data from Wada experts," she said.

"That would draw a line under the whole issue and show there were errors made.

"I feel my integrity and reputation has been damaged by those actions, I haven’t even had an apology."

Image source, Telegraph

Although no one is sure whether this is a PR stunt or a genuine idea the 'Ladyball' has certainly caused a stir in the world of women's football, according to the Telegraph., external

The new ball has a 'pink exterior' specifically designed for the 'unique grip of a woman'. 

The BBC's Jacqui Oatley tweeted: "Positive: marketers are waking up to women's football's potential. Negative: they're making an absolute hash of it."

Gabby Logan agrees: "I honestly thought the pink ball was a joke. You couldn't make it up."

Image source, Getty Images

Europe's Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke will put his captaincy skills to the test in this weekend's EurAsia Cup.

"Obviously there's Ryder Cup stuff going on in the back of my mind with possible pairings, but first and foremost, it's about the EurAsia Cup this week," said Clarke.

"The thoughts and everything I'm trying to do is going towards this week.

"If we come back with a few pairings and hopefully if I've learned something from this week come September, then so be it."

Paula Radcliffe
Women's marathon world record holder on BBC TV

Image source, Getty Images

Women's marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe has given her support to IAAF president Lord Coe following the release of Wada's independent report into corruption at the governing body.

"To single out Seb that he had an inclination of what was going on - I don’t believe he did," she said.

"I believe he had heard rumours, knew things needed to change, which is why put he put himself on the line and ran for the presidency.

"If we attack and attack, then he might say it is not worth it and it is then athletics’ loss."

Jo Pavey
European 10,000m champion on BBC Radio 5 live

As athletes we've all lost confidence in the IAAF and don't trust them to police our sport as far as anti-doping and looking after the interests of clean athletes.

It makes you want to call for something independent where the sport isn't policing itself on anti-doping issues because I think we've lost a lot of faith.

I think it's going to take longer than until Rio to restore faith, there's been action taken against Russia but it goes so much deeper than Russia.

Athletes are going to have to take responsibility for the sport ourselves if we can't be trustworthy in people at the IAAF - it needs new organisation.

Image source, epa

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp defended goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after his latest uncertain display in the draw with Arsenal at Anfield.

Mignolet was beaten at his near post for Arsenal's first goal while he was caught out for the Gunners' second as Olivier Giroud got a faint touch to an inswinging corner. 

Klopp said: "On the second goal, on a perfect day he can make a save but there were a lot of mistakes before. We have to defend this better."

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport editor Dan Roan asks Lord Coe if he knew about cover-ups at the IAAF and whether his position as president is tenable.

"What is clear is we didn’t have enough oversight, on the operational delivery of many of these programmes," replied Coe.

"We needed to know more, we didn’t know more, the changes we will make will allow the current council to know more and my successors to know more.

"Our cooperate governance was not good enough, there was too much power, a subsequent maligned influence got into hands of too few people."

"Hey JT, can you put in a word for me with Guus?"

We jest. Striker Saido Berahino seems happy to be back in the fold at West Brom amid rumours linking him with various Premier League clubs this month.

Mike Costello
BBC Radio 5 live athletics commentator

In Britain we get very sensitive about these issues, as they do in Germany and other European countries, lesser so than in the United States.

Jess Ennis finished in fourth place in the 2007 World Championships and the Ukrainian Lyudmyla Blonska who won the silver had already failed a drugs test.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics she tested positive again and was thrown out of the sport but in between she was voted Ukrainian sportswoman of the year.

Imagine Dwain Chambers being voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, that's what we're talking about - not everyone feels as passionately as we do.

When I travel around I get the sense in athletics that many feel the media are looking for cynicism but without the media none of this would've been unveiled.

Image source, Getty Images

It all got a little bit shirty in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with West Brom, with Blues striker Diego Costa back to his pantomime villain 'best'.

But goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has defended his side's part in the handbags, accusing the Baggies of poor tactics and provoking the hosts.

"It was a tough game with them playing only long balls, second balls,” Courtois told the Evening Standard. “They tried to provoke players and it was a bit frustrating.

Sounds like a job well done by Tony Pulis' team...

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Day: Manager of the Month for December has to be Alan Pardew, although the curse seems to have already kicked in...  

Image source, Getty Images

IAAF president Lord Coe has been speaking to BBC Sport editor Dan Roan about his position in the aftermath of Wada's independent report into corruption at the organisation.

"I don't think we're in denial, [Wada chairman] Dick Pound said that, that is his interpretation," said Coe.

"We have to make sure we redouble our efforts to be very clear with people that we are not in denial.

"We know the seriousness of situation we are in, the whole sport does - they feel it personally, I feel it personally and my responsibility is to absorb the lessons of the past and I also have to shape the future."

Image source, Getty Images

A former US professional football player whose career was cut short by disciplinary problems has been found dead inside his California prison cell.

Officials believe Lawrence Phillips, 40, killed himself early on Wednesday.

In the 1990s, he was a star player at the University of Nebraska, making him a sought-after rookie in the NFL.

Phillips played for the St Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers until 1999, but was sent to prison after being convicted of assault for driving his car into a group of teenagers and was convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Roger Black,the 1996 Olympic 400 metre silver medallist, believes dopers could start facing criminal charges in light of Wada's independent report.

"I think there is a case for criminal proceedings to be brought for doping now," said Black.

"The IAAF has not really had a clear structure in place to tackle these things, people at the top have been corrupt but to go forward you have to change the governance of the sport.

"The governance has to be in a position to really make change and that has not been the case up until now."

Simon Wyatt: Got to be Arsenal. They can put away the lower teams reliably. Leicester will get hit by injuries at some point.

Jago: Man City have best players, best squad, best goal scorers and are the best of a bad bunch this year.

Duncan Bown: City will win the league as long as extremely poor refereeing does not cost them any more points.  

Do you mean Manchester City or Leicester City, Duncan? We're guessing not Norwich City though...

Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke boss Mark Hughes has revealed Xherdan Shaqiri is likely to miss this weekend's game against Arsenal with a hamstring problem.

The Switzerland international was forced to sit out Tuesday's 3-1 win over Norwich and, although the injury is not serious, he is unlikely to return against the Gunners.

"He may miss out on Sunday's game," the Potters boss told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The likelihood is he will probably need at least 10 days, possibly more, and that's a real shame.”

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Few things have proven more mysterious than the exact nature of Louis van Gaal's 'philosophy' at Manchester United.

But, if the transfer rumours are to be believed, that philosophy is now 'throw strikers at the problem'.

After Islam Slimani, the next forward to be linked with a move to Old Trafford is Mainz's Japanese star Yoshinori Muto, according to the Mirror., external

The 23-year-old is expected to cost any potential suitor around £15.2m (€20m).