'We didn't show up': Scotland's Robertson apologises after Ukraine defeat
Scotland went 2-0 down before pulling one back through Callum McGregor in the 79th minute
By Eastern EyeJun 02, 2022
Scotland captain Andy Robertson rued his side's limp display in Wednesday's World Cup playoff against Ukraine and apologised to fans after the defeat in Glasgow ended their hopes of a first appearance at the global soccer showpiece in 24 years.
Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk fired Ukraine to a 3-1 win in the national team's first competitive game since Russia's invasion of their country. They face Wales on Sunday for a spot in the finals in Qatar.
"It's hugely disappointing as we've waited a long time for this game. Our performances beforehand were really good but to be honest we didn't really show up," Robertson told reporters.
"That's the World Cup gone for another four years ... all we can say is sorry to the fans in here and back home."
Scotland went 2-0 down before pulling one back through Callum McGregor in the 79th minute but were outplayed by a superior Ukrainian side who dedicated the victory to people back home.
Substitute Dovbyk sealed the win in stoppage time with a goal on the counter-attack after Scotland threw players forward in search of an equaliser.
"We had to try and stay in the game but we didn't manage that ... unfortunately, it's passed us by now and, after a really positive campaign, we've let ourselves down tonight," added Liverpool left back Robertson.
The Edinburgh Marathon returns this weekend with thousands of runners set to take part in one of the UK’s most scenic and popular running events. The 2025 Edinburgh Marathon Festival includes a series of races, with 10K, 5K and junior events scheduled for Saturday 24 May, followed by the full marathon, half marathon, and relay races on Sunday 25 May.
First held in 1982, the Edinburgh Marathon has grown into the second largest marathon in the UK after London, selling out every year for the past 17 years. Participants from around the world gather in the Scottish capital to take on the challenge while enjoying the unique mix of historic landmarks and coastal views the route has to offer.
Route overview
The full marathon starts in the city centre on Potterrow. Runners will head along George IV Bridge and through the New Town, taking in some of Edinburgh’s most iconic sights. The route then passes the Royal Mile, offering a historic backdrop as runners make their way through the capital.
After exiting the Royal Park, the course leads eastwards towards the coast, passing through the seaside neighbourhood of Portobello. Here, runners will enjoy the fresh sea air along the promenade before continuing on to Musselburgh.
The marathon route then takes participants past the historic Musselburgh Links, considered the oldest golf course in the world, with records of the sport being played there as early as 1672. From there, the course continues east to the grounds of Gosford House, before turning back along the coast.
The finish line is located near Musselburgh High Street, where crowds of supporters are expected to gather and cheer on participants as they complete the 26.2-mile course.
Weather and atmosphere
Unlike last year’s rainy race, this year’s marathon is expected to benefit from milder conditions. Forecasts for Saturday suggest light showers during the day, transitioning to overcast skies in the evening. Sunday’s weather looks more favourable for runners and spectators alike.
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival supports a range of charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Alzheimer Scotland, the British Heart Foundation and the MS Society. The event not only promotes fitness and community spirit, but also raises significant funds for good causes across the UK.
INDIA named top-order batsman Shubman Gill as the new Test captain, the cricket board said Saturday (24), as it announced the team for next month's all-important tour of England.
Gill, 25, succeeds Rohit Sharma, who retired from Tests recently along with Virat Kohli. He will take charge in the five-Test series in England starting June 20.
Gill will lead a team in transition after Rohit, 38, and Kohli, 36, walked away from the five-day format in the space of six days this month to leave a big void.
"Shubman Gill-led TeamIndia are READY for an action-packed Test series," the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement. His vice-captain will be Rishabh Pant.
Gifted with a wide range of shots, Gill has led Gujarat Titans into the playoffs of the current Indian Premier League T20 tournament.
"Obviously, he's very young but we've seen the improvement," chief selector Ajit Agarkar told reporters after the team announcement in Mumbai.
He said that, as well as Gill's IPL performances, the board "take feedback from a lot of people" and the choice was a "unanimous decision".
"It's obviously going to be a high-pressure job. But we're hopeful that we've picked the right guy. I mean, he's a terrific player," Agarkar said.
"It's a big job, big transition," he said, especially with "two of our big players retiring".
"We were all confident that he is the guy to take us forward", he said.
However, pace bowler Mohammed Shami has been left out of the 18-member squad due to fitness concerns, Agarkar said.
"He's had a little bit of a setback over the last week or so," Agarkar said, adding medical scans had ruled Shami out for the series.
Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah is in the squad, although he will not be able to play all five Tests. Bumrah's workload is being managed while he recovers from a career-threatening back injury -- a key reason for him not getting the Test captaincy.
Bumrah was Rohit's deputy in India's last Test tour of Australia.
Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj returns after he was dropped from the ODI team for the Champions Trophy this year.
Batsman Karun Nair, who hit an unbeaten 303 against England in Chennai in 2016, will make a comeback eight years after he last played a Test for India.
Gill's opening partner at Gujarat, Sai Sudharsan, who leads the IPL batting chart with 638 runs, also made the cut.
Agarkar said coach Gautam Gambhir and Gill will decide the batting order and who will replace Rohit and Kohli as opener and number two batter.
Gill has played 32 Tests, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05, with five hundreds, since his debut in Melbourne in 2020.
He has been a mainstay of India's batting in Test and ODI cricket and played a key role in the team's 50-overs Champions Trophy title in Dubai this year.
The Tests in England will be India's first in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
The opener is at Headingley, followed by the second Test at Edgbaston from July 2.
Lord's hosts the third Test from July 10, with the fourth at Old Trafford beginning July 23 and the final Test at The Oval from July 31.
Red Dead Redemption 2 players have long praised the game for its expansive open world, rich with activities ranging from bounty hunting and fishing to gambling and train robberies. However, fans are now questioning the purpose of a prominent area on the map that remains inaccessible during regular gameplay.
The region in question, named Tempest Rim, is located in the northwestern part of the map within the state of Ambarino. While it appears clearly marked on the game’s map, players are unable to reach it through normal means. This has left many in the Red Dead Redemption 2 community puzzled over its purpose.
One Reddit user, Alotofbytes, asked: “What is the point in half of Ambarino being out of bounds? Why even bother having it there in the first place if we can't get to it?” This sentiment is echoed by other fans who have discovered unconventional ways of exploring the hidden zone.
Some players have reported using glitches to access the area. One method involves making protagonist Arthur Morgan excessively drunk near the game’s boundaries. In certain cases, the character will pass out and, upon waking, respawn beyond the game’s normally accessible regions.
“I glitched into it with the help of multiple alcoholic beverages,” wrote Reddit user RockandStone101. Another user, Whovian1156, added that a similar trick allows access to the game’s version of Mexico, another location that is technically visible but inaccessible through official means.
Joking about the glitch, Redditor Strgwththisone commented: “Devs hate this simple trick. Once, after a bender, I woke up to find all my bandit challenges magically completed.”
Despite being released in 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One—and later on PC—Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to attract new players, many of whom are still discovering hidden details and undocumented secrets across its massive map.
Speculation around a possible remastered version of the game continues to build, and fans are hopeful that such a release might include expanded access to currently restricted areas like Tempest Rim.
For now, the purpose of the region remains unclear, and its presence on the map continues to stir discussion within the gaming community. Red Dead Redemption 2 remains available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
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Kenton Burchell, Group Trading Director at Bestway Wholesale
Bestway Wholesale recently hosted a special celebration at its Abbey Road depot in partnership with Guinness, as part of the company’s ongoing 50th anniversary festivities. The event featured an exclusive appearance of the Premier League trophy, providing an exciting experience for Bestway’s retailers, colleagues, and football fans alike.
The appearance of the iconic silverware was organised by Guinness to mark the first year of its four-year partnership with the Premier League. The visit offered attendees a unique opportunity to see and photograph the trophy up close, adding a memorable touch to Bestway’s milestone year.
The event featured a lively and engaging atmosphere, with a number of football-themed activities and giveaways. A penalty shootout challenge gave guests the chance to win prizes such as Premier League match tickets, complimentary Guinness stock (6x4x440ml), and Amazon vouchers. Each visitor also received a limited-edition Guinness football glass to commemorate the occasion.
The success of the Abbey Road event reflects Bestway’s ongoing strategy to enrich the customer experience The Word Consultancy
In addition to the on-site celebrations, Guinness used the event to launch its national Gift With Purchase campaign. The promotion offers 85,000 limited-edition Guinness glasses to customers who purchase Guinness packs in convenience stores across the UK. This initiative is part of the brand’s wider commitment to supporting the convenience retail sector and helping retailers tap into match-day sales opportunities.
Kenton Burchell, Group Trading Director at Bestway Wholesale, highlighted the significance of the event and the value of such brand collaborations. “We take great pride in delivering innovative and exciting brand activations for our customers, and our collaboration with Guinness and hosting the Premier League trophy was a real highlight,” he said. “Events like these bring energy and enjoyment to our depots and strengthen the connection between our customers and the brands they love.”
As Bestway continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary throughout the year, more customer-focused events and pop-up activations are expected at depots across the UK. The success of the Abbey Road event reflects Bestway’s ongoing strategy to enrich the customer experience through impactful partnerships with major global brands.
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England's Shoaib Bashir celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Zimbabwe's Craig Ervine, catch taken by Harry Brook Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
ZIMBABWE made a positive start as they began their reply to England’s imposing first-innings score, reaching 73 for one wicket at lunch on the second day of the one-off test at Trent Bridge on Friday (23).
The 21-year-old Brian Bennett was unbeaten on 36 off 38 balls alongside captain Craig Ervine (30 not out) at the end of the morning session, trailing by 492 runs after England had declared their first innings on 565-6.
Bennett hit three boundaries in the first over off debutant Sam Cook and was aggressive as the visitors looked to put behind them an attritional opening day for their bowlers on Thursday (22).
But Cook did get a first test wicket as he squared up Ben Curran, who got a thick edge to steer the ball to Harry Brook at second slip in the fifth over of the Zimbabwe innings. Curran, whose two brothers have played test cricket for England, made six runs.
Essex paceman Cook, 27, rewarded for a career that had yielded 321 first-class at an average of 19.5 before this match, was the first England debutant to send down the opening over of a Test innings since James Kirtley at Trent Bridge in 2003.
Zimbabwe had been pummelled on the opening day as their poor bowling was sent to all corners by a rampant English batting line-up, who amassed 498-3 with Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope all scoring centuries.
England batted for a further 45 minutes on the second day, losing three wickets in the 8.3 overs they faced on Friday morning before declaring.
Pope, eyeing a double century after being 169 not out overnight, added only two runs to his total before a faint edge off Tanaka Chivanga to wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga saw him depart nine balls into the new day’s play.
Captain Ben Stokes, in his first knock since the December test against New Zealand, was bounced out by the tall seamer Blessing Muzarabani for nine, falling to a good catch at fine leg by Curran squinting into the sun.
Brook was dropped on the ropes by substitute fielder Wellington Masakadza off Chivanga before rushing to his half century off 48 balls.
But when he played on to Muzarabani two balls later and was out for 58, England declared with Jamie Smith unbeaten on four at the other end after being dropped by Tsiga off Chivanga in the previous over.
Muzarabani was the best of the Zimbabwe bowlers with 3-143 off 24.3 overs.
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