The Guardian du lieu suivant : London, Greater London, England • 26

26 The Guardian Friday September 3 1999 www.cricketunlimited.co.uk rwww.footballunlirnited.co.uk Surrey on fop Title ends 28 years of hurt 29 Equestrianism pais mp Rugby Union auro Paul Rees The BBC yesterday scored a rare victory over BSkyB when the beleaguered corporation clinched the United Kingdom television rights for the European Cup and the European Shield in a four-year deal worth 28m. The cable company NTL was included in the deal, enhanced by the return of the English clubs, which will see matches televised live nationally on Grandstand with games in Wales, Scotland and Ireland likely to be screened live locally on Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons. NTL's involvement means ties will also be shown on Eurosportin Britain. The deal reverses a trend for the BBC, which has seen the corporation lose many sporting events to BSkyB, ITV and Channel 4, and enhances the BBC's prospects of regaining the total UK rights to the Six-Nations Championship when the contracts end in 2002. BSkyB presently holds the rights to all England matches at Twickenham, with the exception of the World Cup, but the Rugby Football Union will have to negotiate a joint television agreement with the other home unions, whose championship matches are all currently televised live by the BBC.

Yesterday BSkyB was playing down its European Cup failure; the company had been told from the outset its only chance of securing the rights lay in finding a terrestrial partner. The BBC and Channel 4 were approached, but the BBC was asked to pay millions for rights which did not include the final and Channel 4 demurred because it is bidding for Italian football. The defection of the presenter Des Lynam from the BBC to ITV proved fortunate for European Rugby Cup Ltd, the competition organisers. After his departure, the BBC was strongly criticised for surrendering rights to sporting events and it re-entered European Cup negotiations with a substantially increased bid. By the time BSkyB realised what had happened, it was too late.

BB The Elizabethan splendour of Burghley House forms a stunning backdrop for Kirsty Low and Mendip Snowgoose in yesterday's dressage Photograph: Kit Houghton eauty and the beast speBI In another year, it would be innocuous. This year, it is anything but. "Oh dear," says Mary King, when you say you want to talk about the recent accidents; in three months three riders Peta Beckett, Robert Slade and Polly Phillipps have been killed in horse trials. King, a team gold medallist at the last two European championships, knows only too well the risks, having just recovered from a compound fracture of her ankle and a broken wrist when she fell at Saumur, France, in April. Incidentally, Karen Dixon, too, was back for Burghley, having broken a shoulder and punctured a lung when her horse fell at Branham in June.

King clearly still thrives on the atmosphere and could not wait to return. She describes the sequence of tragedies as, "just freak" and the New Zealander Mark Todd, twice an Olympic champion and the most dominant rider in eventing, concurs. "Sheer, tragic bad luck," he says. No rider will say different, would criticise Beckett, Slade or Phillipps or sug- Tribulation as Burghley trials open under a cloud of three recent deaths Pete Nichols For the majesty of its setting alone, Burghley has few equals in British sport. The annual horse trials one of only three four-star events on the international eventing calendar (Badminton and Kentucky being the others) is set out in the 300-acre deer park designed by Capability Brown almost, it appears, with horse trials in mind.

The cross-country course weaves its way through the undulating grasslands enhancing the difficulty. The arena for the dressage and show jumping phases is sited on a slight rise, affording a glorious view from the back of the East Stand to the Elizabethan splendour of Burghley House itself. The BBC-NTL deal is worth 24m with ERC estimating it will receive another 4m because it has kept the rights for the overseas market, the internet and videos. With the French arm of the television contract worth 26.8m, it means ERC will bank 55m. The fact that the matches will be broadcast largely on television enhances ERC's hopes of landing lucrative sponsorships.

It is looking for six blue-chip backers to contribute at least 4m a year, which would see the French and English clubs receive an estimated 750,000 each. If the BBC had failed virtually to double its previous offer, there would have been pressure for another English boycott of the tournament. "This is an excellent deal," said an ERC insider. "We wanted to ensure that we had a large terrestrial input and the deal we reached with the BBC will serve both British rugby and television well. The fact that matches will be staged live on Grandstand on a Saturday is a significant development for the sport and we expect that Rugby World Cup will lead to a heightening of rugby's profile which the BBC will be able to exploit." There will be more sparring as the Six Nations' contract comes up for negotiation.

BSkyB's public insistence that it was not interested in the European Cup does not square with the negotiations it had with ERC. As in 1995, the satellite company thought it could succeed with a knockdown price only to be thwarted by a terrestrial rival ITV's 5m bid four years ago compared to BSkyB's 500,000. An independent arbitrator is currently considering how much, if anything, the Rugby Football Union should pay its home union partners from the 87.5m deal it negotiated unilaterally with BSkyB three years ago. The Celts are claiming 38in, a sum disputed by the English union which has put in a counter-claim for a share of the championship television money enjoyed by the other three. A decision is expected this month.

land in a final warm-up at Twickenham on September 18 under Will Carting's captaincy. Ireland's coach Warren Gat-land has admitted that he might field a weakened side in the World Cup group stages to ensure an easier passage in the knockout phase. The New Zealander said he may rest some key players for the pool encounter against Australia in Dublin on October 10 because the team finishing second in the group plays the best third-placed team in a play-off and then has a home quarter-final, probably against France. The winner of group while avoiding a play-off, will probably play Wales in front of 72,000 partisan fans in Cardiff. "It would be naive to say we haven't looked at every possibility, and I mean every conceivable permutation of results," Gatland said.

"There is no doubt that a team finishing second in our pool would have an easier route to a semi-final berth. One possible scenario would be that we choose to rest one or two players against Australia. We will monitor the Welsh group very carefully." The pool also includes the United States and Romania, both expected to. be beaten heavily by Ireland and Australia. Bath's No8 Dan Lyle will captain the United States.

He was one of five British-based players named in the squad. Spain Velazco, Puertas, 0 Ripol, A Socias, Inchausti, Frcchilla, A Enciso, Diez, Bastide, A Socias, Loubsens, A Kovalenco, A Etxeberria, A Gallastegui, Alonso, Camps, Zapatero, Torres, Martinez, de la Calle, Zarzosa, Villau, Tuineau, Souto, A Malo leapt), Souto, 0 Astarloa, Diaz, AMalet.AMala. danger gest that, perhaps, each or any had had a lapse in concentration. Yet the quietest thoughts might follow a different line. No top-class competitor likes to put these things down just to chance, for it means the rider has ceded control and control is precisely what each is striving for.

Mark Phillips, who has designed the Burghley course since 1989, insists that the safety of horse and rider has always been his the priority. "Yet, if you are travelling on a ton of horse at 20mph over fixed timber then the potential for something to go wrong is clearly there," he says. Phillips likens it to motor-racing, "If you go round and round often enough," he says, "You will eventually spin off and hit something." The riders know their horses and turn them out in magnificent condition Todd's Word For Word looked almost as glorious as the house itself but while the physical condition is subject to examination in detail, some seemed to fail the psychological tests at the earliest stage. wood. "I'm not a great believer in greens that filter off, I just don't think it's fair.

In my opinion it's not a better course than it was four years ago." But Gillis found the answer to the new Ballesteros greens, rationing himself to only 21 putts. The 31-year-old from Detroit holed from 20 feet for an eagle two at the seventh and from 15 feet for a birdie two at the next. Gillis lies 168th in the money list with less than 15,000 in winnings. He kept his European Tour card by downing a De Glanville leads England again Ballesferos defends new greens after his rivals see red At the inspection yesterday afternoon, Double Trust was particularly fractious after it was announced that the horse had passed. "She doesn't like clapping," said the handler, referring to no more than the sprinkling of applause that had caused the horse to buck.

Todd makes the point that any rider who feels fear should not enter events. But Burghley sets the challenge high enough so the line can sometimes be blurred. The obstacles on the cross-country course are quite awesome: the Bear Pit Log demands the balance of a gymnast, a two-foot log preceding a 15ft drop; the Upper Trout Hatchery necessitates the control of a dancer, fence-step-water-fence in perfect sequence. Eventing has had 15 deaths in the last 17 years, 10 of them since 1993, It has once (1993) had four riders die, but never before have three international riders been killed in such a short space of time. It may be that it is just "tragic bad but one cannot help feeling that it is not the answer they should be giving.

20-foot birdie putt on the last green of the last event last season, and if he keeps up the good work in Switzerland he could well survive again. England's Wendy Dicks shot a one-under-par 70 to lead by one stroke after the first round of the Donegal Irish Open at Letterkenny. Kirsty Taylor was among four players a stroke back on a course which Laura Davies, after shooting a 77, described as "the worst course I've ever played, it made the best players in Europe look like 8LB. HELPLINE: 0171 713 4473 Around the arena, the tented village has its annual incarnation. Saddlers abound and anything remotely horse-related is on offer, be it magazines, prints, bronzes or plain old feedstuff.

Barbour jackets sell for cooler days and Swain Adeney and Brigg commend themselves as whipmakers to royalty. This is mostly middle England, though Kevin's Menswear, with a. caption that is more Barking than Burghley Very large or even bigger, we can clothe any figure remind you that equestrianism does not define itself entirely by class, only by a devotion to the animal. With the weather typically unseasonal as warm as this," mutters one local), Burghley cuts an enchanting scene. Only the disclaimer at the gate, should you approach the grounds from the Barnack Road entrance, clouds the outlook, for it reminds you that the organisers, the British Horse Trials Association and the trustees of the Burghley House Estate do not take responsibility for any accident.

a 30-footer from off the putting surface at the last for a cheeky birdie three, had no regrets over his design handiwork. "I'm not interested in the comments of players with no experience of building golf courses," he said. "If JackNick-laus or Robert Trent Jones had something to say it might be different. My brief was to make a good golf course, not a tough golf course, and I think we have a great course here now. I feel every hole is a real test and a real challenge." An engraved plaque behind ment to the match officials.

We are more than halfway through an investigation based on information provided by St Helens regarding a comment made to Sonny by a non-playing member of the Gateshead staff, and the Gateshead club are co-operating fully with our inquiries." Bradford are confident of beating the Super League record crowd of 21,666, set on their visit to Leeds in June, when the sides meet at Odsal tonight. Leeds must win to preserve their chance of finishing second and earning home advantage in the qualifying play-off against St Helens whereas the Bulls are guaranteed to finish top of the table. Golf Gordon Richardson in Crans-sur-Sierre Severiano Ballesteros was in a defiant mood after requiring 41 strokes to negotiate his new back-nine holes for a sad 78 in yesterday's first round of the European Masters. Lee Westwood, whose 69 left him three behind the little-known American pacemaker Tom Gillis, led a chorus of criticism of the revised layout with its wickedly sloping greens. But Ballesteros, after holing Polly Phillipps: one of three riders killed while eventing over the past three months After revamping the first nine holes before last year's event, Ballesteros has overhauled the back nine for this tournament.

Westwood, one of only nine players to break 70 on a layout which traditionally yields shoals of birdies and eagles, described the new greens as "like Pine-hurst everything runs off "You used to come to this event and accept you had to be 24 under par to win and it was fun now it's like havingyour teeth pulled out," said West- Cardiff and the Sheffield toff to winning starts in a Benson Hedges Cup i it night. Devils beat Brack-11 6-2 while Steelers were 1 winners at London i lights. VicBatchelder Snooker Ronnie O'Sullivan qualified for the semi-finals of the Liverpool Victoria Champions Cup yesterday, defeating John Higgins 4-0. However the 1998 world champion recovered to beat Jimmy White 4-2 and take a place in the last four. Clive Everton Hockey England stay top of their group in the men's European Cup after their second victory in succession, over France 4-1.

Pat Rowley in Padua Phil de Glanville will captain England for the first time in two years when they play the Premiership All Stars in a World Cup warm-up at Anfield next Tuesday. The Bath centre leads an England side that shows seven changes from the one that beat Canada 36-11 last Saturday. The coach Clive Woodward has ignored the claims of another former captain Lawrence Dallaglio. De Glanville replaces his Bath colleague Jeremy Guscott in midfield, while one other three-quarter switch sees Nick Beal taking over from Dan Luger on the right wing. Paul Grayson has a chance at fly-half instead of Jonny Wilkinson while Woodward also changes half the pack.

Into the front row come Jason Leonard and the Leicester hooker Richard Cockerill. Into the second row comes the lock Garath Archer and the side also includes Tim Rodber. Leicester's full-back Tim Stimpson, unluckily left out of the World Cup squad this week, has the consolation of captaining the All-Stars. The All Stars will tackle Eng- United States Billups, Clayton, Gross, Hodges, Kliasigian, L'Huillier, Lehner, Lumkong, 0 Lyle (capl), Mo'unga, Paga, A Parker, Reed, Sucher, Tardits, Anitoni, A Blom, Coulson, Dalzell. Grobler, Hightower, Niu, A Saulala, Scharrenberg, Schurfeld, Sliuman, 0 Stroble, Taliau, Uiagalelei, Williams.

Samoa Leaega, Umaga, Vili, Lima, A So'oalo, Tuigamala, Toala, Vaega, Leaupcpe, Fanolua, Bachop, Va'a, So'oialo, Clarke, Lam leapt), .1 Paramore, Ta'ala, Tolcafoa, Glendinning, Sititi, I Feaunati, Falaniko, Tone, 0 Palepoi, Faivaai, Ale, Reidy, Mika, Leota, 0 Matauiau. Nickle racism allegation investigated by league the wall of the adjacent swimming pool recalls Ballesteros's near-vertical recovery shot for an audacious and astonishing chip-in three at the 18th in 1993. Had he hit that same shot yesterday it would have landed in the pond he has sculpted into the green. "I would have thought of a different way to make a birdie," he insisted after embarrassingly requiring two strokes more than his nephew Raul, an 18-year-old amateur who caddied for him at the Spanish Open two years ago. 9i "Pfl II Ice Hockey Jokerit of Finland are to run Newcastle Riverkings in partnership with the Su-perleague, which has been operating the club since May 1998.

Jokerit, who have the option to buy the franchise, will supply a coach, Jukka Jalonen, and at least seven players. They will also manage the team, although the former general manager Mike O'Connor is commercial manager. law Arsenal 60 Crystal Palace 71 Nottm. Forest 85 Aston Villa 61 Derby County 72 Oxford 14 Barnsley 62 Everton 73 QPR 86 Birm. City 63 Fulham 57 Rangers 87 Blackburn 64 Grimsby 15 Reading 59 Bolton 65 Hudd.Town 74 Sheffield United 88 Bradford City 56 Ipswich Town 75 Sheffield Wed.

89 Brentford 66 Leeds United 76 Southampton 90 Burnley 67 Leicester City 77 Spurs 91 Bury 11 Liverpool 78 Stoke City 92 Celtic 68 Man. City 79 Stockport 12 Charlton 99 Man. United 80 Sunderland 93 Chelsea 69 Middlesbrough 81 Watford 58 Coventry City 70 Millwall 82 West Ham 94 Crewe 13 Newcastle Utd 83 Wimbledon 95 Norwich City 84 Wolves 96 Rugby League Andy Wilson An allegation of racial abuse of St Helens' former Great Britain forward Sonny Nickle during Monday's Super League defeat by Gateshead at Knowsley Road is to be investigated by the Rugby League. The alleged incident occurred as Nickle was being sent to the sin-bin along with Gateshead's Matt Daylight for fighting late in the first half. As he walked towards the tunnel Nickle gestured to the referee, Russell Smith, and could be heard on Sky's coverage of the match saying: "I'm not having that." Greg McCallum, the referees' co-ordinator, said yesterday: "Sonny wasnotmakinga com Calls cost 60p supplied by: ims, PER MIN AT ALL TIMES.

15 MARK LANE, LEEDS LS1 rGuardian fcj INTERACTIVE.