BBC Radio 5 Live

Former England rugby captain Will Carling was on 5 Live earlier reacting to Chris Ashton’s 10-week ban by European Rugby:

“It’s a huge blow to Chris Ashton. He’s worked incredibly hard to get back. When he first appeared, he was outstanding and it would’ve been great to see him back. It’s very sad he won’t be there and I’m sure Eddie Jones will be frustrated.”

On the incident where he “made contact with the eye” of Ulster’s Luke Marshall in a European Champions Cup game on Saturday.

“I haven’t seen it. But you think anything around the eyes is like, well it should be like, stamping on anyone’s head. You know there are certain things that you’re going to be in trouble for. And certainly, anything that can relate to eye-gouging is serious and so it should be.”

On the behaviour of Ashton

“I’ve never known him being in trouble with disciplinary issues before. He’s not a guy who I put down as a troublesome player. There have been question marks about his defence but that seems the only bit that’s kept him out of the squad until now.”

Image source, Getty Images

Football clubs and fans should meet twice a year to discuss "major issues", according to a government report.

Supporters' trusts should also be given the opportunity to bid for clubs that become insolvent, according to the Expert Working Group on Supporter Ownership and Engagement.

The Premier League has also proposed an extra £1m to help.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said: "Supporters are the lifeblood of the clubs they support."

Read the full piece here

Celtic manager  Ronny Deila says his side could have scored more goals in their 8-1 hammering of Hamilton.

"It was a great performance. It could have been much more than eight," said Hoops boss Deila after a win which moved Celtic six points clear at the top of the Premiership.

"In training we have looked better and better and you could see what kind of tempo we can play at if we play at our best.

"If they [Hamilton] look at themselves they will say they didn't play very well, but we were good and that's important to say."

Image source, Reuters

Our talking point today is those teenagers that did not live up to their potential. And those that did. Here are a few more of your comments.

Richard Hardwick, external Biggest flop is surely the joint, all-time leading scorer for England Under-21s Francis Jeffers? (He shares the record with Alan Shearer).

Tony Dew, external The best consistent young players in the Premier League era Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs,Paul Scholes, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerarrd young talents who all proved themselves and performed season after season from youngsters to superstars.

Matt Jagger:, external Jermaine Pennant and David Bentley never quite fulfilled their full potential.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

World champion Kell Brook will defend his IBF welterweight title against mandatory challenger Kevin Bizier in his home city of Sheffield on March 26.

Brook's third defence of the title he won by beating Shaun Porter in California in August 2014 will take place at the Sheffield Arena.

There's been two new arrivals at Manchester City but they're nothing to do with the January transfer market unless the club wants to either rap or laugh their opponents to defeat.

The two in question are rapper/actor Ice Cube as well as comedian Kevin Hart.

Image source, West Ham United

More on the news that West Ham have signed full-back Sam Byram from Leeds...

 “I'm unbelievably proud and happy to join a club as big as this,” said Byram, who will wear the number 22 shirt. “I'm just looking forward to what the future holds and hopefully I can achieve things with the team going forward.“It's a childhood dream of mine to play in the Premier League, so to have the chance to get into a team like this and I just want to get my head down, work hard and hopefully get a chance."

Byram, a product of the youth academy at Elland Road, leaves the club having made 143 appearances and scoring 10 goals.

West Ham have announced the signing of Leeds full-back Sam Byram for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half year deal.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

"This situation is due to the collapse of player sales and failure to get the deal to sell car park land adjoining the Macron Stadium done quickly enough.

"There are around 300 staff and they were told the news this morning.

"The club is operating on a day-to-day basis, so should the above change, the wages will be able to be paid.

"The players were not paid on time in November but this is the first time the normal staff have not been paid."

Bolton scraped through 3-2 against Eastleigh in the FA Cup last night but the club's financial problems show little sign of easing.

The Championship side released a statement saying: "Bolton Wanderers has stated that due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club’s current funding position, it has been unable to confirm to its staff today that they will receive their wages for the month of January on the due dates.

"Every effort continues to be made by the board of directors and its advisers to pay staff and also resolve the longer term funding issue during what remains a difficult and challenging time for the football club."

Image source, PA

More on the news that England wing Chris Ashton has been banned for 10 weeks for allegedly making contact with the eye area of Ulster centre Luke Marshall...

The independent officer at the hearing in London today upheld the citing as Ashton had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.

It means the player will miss the entire Six Nations campaign, although he has the right to appeal the decision.

Saracens and England wing Chris Ashton has been banned for 10 weeks for allegedly making contact with the eye area of Ulster centre Luke Marshall.

We could well be seeing more scenes like this at Wembley in May...

Image source, Getty Images

We asked you which team would win the FA Cup this season? And you voted in your thousands with Arsenal the clear winners with 24.6% of the vote.

The other options were: 

Liverpool (14.9%), Manchester United (11%), Manchester City (10.5%), Tottenham (8.5%), Chelsea (7.7%), Everton (5.3%), Leicester (3.9%), West Ham (3.3%), Stoke (2.2%), Crystal Palace (1.7%) with 6.4% of you thinking it will be another team.

Image source, Getty Images

The UK will have its own American football franchise within six years, according to NFL spokesman Mark Waller.

London's Wembley Stadium has hosted regular season NFL games since 2007, with Jacksonville Jaguars playing one home game a season there since 2013.

But this is the first time the sport's governing body has committed to a franchise permanently based in Britain.

"The fan base is big enough and passionate enough that it can support a franchise," said Waller.

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League strugglers Swansea have made an enquiry to bring back midfielder Joe Allen to the club from Liverpool.

However, the Welsh side have been told by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp to wait until the summer to seal a move, report Wales Online., external

Allen moved to Anfield in 2012 but has failed to hold down a regular first team place under German boss Klopp.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have been linked with a mega-money move for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi but, if the Argentine is to be believed, the Premier League club and any other European outfit considering a move for him might as well forget about it.

In an interview with France Football and picked up by Spanish newspaper Marca,, external the 28-year-old said: "I'd never play for another European club.

"Barcelona is my home and I want to retire here. However, it's possible I could end my career in Argentina. Anything could happen in the future, but I want to stay here."

Image source, Getty Images

World number one Jordan Spieth is going to defend his Masters and US Open titles this year as well as go for gold at the Rio Olympics but victory in the Ryder Cup is high on his list of priorities.

Europe will play United States in Hazeltine in September, with the Americans having lost six of the last seven biennial contests.

"It's a huge goal this year for me and possibly at the very top of the list to try and get that win as a team," said 22-year-old Spieth.

"We are tired of hearing about changes that need to be made. We are tired of hearing about the past. And we're ready to believe in kind of a younger, more hungry team going forward.

"It looks like it's going to be a younger average-age team than what we've had. There's less scar tissue there."

Image source, Getty Images

Bowler Liam Plunkett has suffered a thigh injury which had made him doubtful to travel to South Africa for England's limited-overs matches. 

Plunkett, named only two days ago as replacement for the injured Steven Finn, was himself ruled out of the England Lions' first one-day international against Pakistan A in Dubai on Wednesday. 

The 30-year-old Yorkshire seamer will need to come through fitness tests to assess whether he can take part in Friday's second ODI

We are talking about teenage players that did not live up to their potential as well as those that have gone on to be big stars.

Tim Miller:, external I remember Jamie McMaster breaking through at the same time as James Milner at Leeds. Don't believe he had quite the same impact.

Pete: , externalRobbie Fowler should have won 80 caps for England. Also, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Micah Richards and Walcott.

Becky Dowst: , externalNicklas Bendtner. Or does it not count if the hype was all of their own making?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's desperation to sign striker Anthony Martial, 20, from Monaco last summer saw them agree to a series of clauses to secure the deal, according to The Times., external

One clause will entitle the Ligue 1 club to 50% of any profit is the France international is sold before the close of the 2018 transfer window.