Former professional tennis player MATTHEW FOX, who was "charged
with fixing tennis matches," has links to "some of Australia’s top
tennis players." Fox, who will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sept.
25 "on charges of using corrupt conduct information for betting
purposes and trafficking and possessing cocaine, had a brief period as a
tour player" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/1). ... Singers TOM JONES and ED SHEERAN
"are to headline the entertainment" at this year’s Australian Football
League Grand Final in Melbourne on Sept. 27. The two British stars "will
perform at a pre-match concert" at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as well
as at a post-game event at the stadium. Joining Jones and Sheeran will
be Aussie singer OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, "who will perform the national anthem before the game," and veteran singer MIKE BRADY (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/1). ... ManU Manager LOUIS VAN GAAL "urged
the Glazer family not to start judging his work" at ManU until the end
of the season, "despite the manager’s huge spending spree this summer."
Van Gaal: "You can only judge after one season and not in weeks or
months. I think we have to rebuild a team and this needs time" (LONDON TIMES, 9/1).
... The int'l athletics federation (IAAF) will "not be able to use
biological data obtained in blood analysis" of Spanish runner MARTA DOMÍNGUEZ until
there is a "definitive resolution" in Domínguez's doping case.
Following a request by the athlete's lawyers, a Spanish judge ruled that
"using the biological data could impede in the case" (EFE, 9/1).
MURRAY'S DECISION: Tennis player ANDY MURRAY said that "he
would play tennis for an independent Scotland if the country votes
'Yes'" on the Scottish independence vote. He added that "he still firmly
believes that Scotland will vote 'No' next month, but that his future
would be clear either way." Murray: "If it happened where, if Scotland
became independent, then I imagine I would be playing for Scotland" (EUROSPORT, 8/30).
JOINING THE TEAM: Former Australia PM JOHN HOWARD was "lured into a formal role" in cricket. In an appointment "being seen as a big coup for the game in the state," the nation's second longest-serving leader has been named a patron of Cricket New South Wales. Howard's nomination "was confirmed by members at Monday night's annual general meeting" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 9/1).
