Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV) President JOSÉ ÁNGEL RODRÍGUEZ SANTOS is "under suspicion," as there is a "cloud of doubt regarding his salary, which is public information thanks to the Transparency Law" that took effect on Dec. 10. This is not only because of "the amount he makes for an organization that is in debt and dependent on a high percentage of public funding, but also for suspected irregularities in the approval of his salary," both in '13 and '14. Rodríguez Santos' salary was €86,500 in '13, but there are no public figures on his '14 earnings, "despite the Transparency Law" (EL MUNDO, 1/20). ... JOLYON PALMER, the first Briton to win the GP2 Series since LEWIS HAMILTON, "celebrated his 24th birthday on Tuesday by agreeing to become the Lotus Formula One team's third driver this season."
Lotus said that "he would attend all grands prix and F1 tests in 2015 and would drive in a 'significant number of free practice sessions as well as contributing to the car's testing and development'" (REUTERS, 1/20). ...
Former Scottish Championship side Heart of Midlothian and Livingston Manager JOHN MCGLYNN "is back in football after being appointed first-team scout at Celtic."
The coach has succeeded PETER HOUSTON "in the position which is lain vacant since the one-time Dundee United manager returned to the dugout at Falkirk last summer" (HERALD SCOTLAND, 1/19). ... SYLVESTER STALLONE attended Monday’s Premier League game between Everton and West Brom at Goodison Park. He "wanted to film a scene from the upcoming movie 'Creed' at Everton’s home stadium and needed the 40,000-plus fans in attendance to provide the atmosphere." Stallone, 68, "wore an Everton jersey when he appeared on video boards at halftime." He "asked fans to stay in their seats and make some noise while a film crew rolled cameras onto the field and captured the images for the film" (NESN, 1/19). ... League Championship side Norwich City first-team coach MIKE PHELAN has left the club by “mutual consent.” He was among the favorites to “become the club’s new manager” after NEIL ADAMS quit earlier this month. The Canaries, however, made a “surprise appointment” by bringing in ALEX NEIL from Hamilton (PA, 1/20). ... Promoters say that FLOYD MAYWEATHER could “seriously boost the retail economies of Sydney and Melbourne during his first trip Down Under.” The world’s highest-paid athlete, known for his “extravagant tastes, will visit both cities next week and despite the brevity of the trip his penchant for spending will have several high-end shops hoping the boxing superstar and his massive entourage stop by” (Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH, 1/20). ... Judoka HITOSHI SAITO, who captured two Olympic Gold Medals and “later managed one of Japan’s most successful national teams,” died in Osaka Prefecture on Tuesday. He was 54. Saito, who became chairman of the training committee with the All Japan Judo Federation in ‘12, had been “hospitalized in poor health since late last year” (ASAHI SHIMBUN, 1/20).
