Former football coach PAUL MCCANN was charged with a string of alleged sexual offenses "as part of an investigation by Cheshire police." A police spokesperson said, "A former football coach will appear in court this week charged with a number of sexual offences. Paul McCann, aged 57, from Cheshire, is set to appear before South Cheshire magistrates' court on 3 January 2018" (London GUARDIAN, 1/2). ... League Championship side Preston North End defender KEVIN O'CONNOR "scored his first big victory" of '18 by winning a millionaire lottery. He was visiting family in Ireland when he found out he had won €1M ($1.2M) (BBC, 1/2). ... Two-time Olympian and world cycling champion CAROLINE BUCHANAN "suffered serious injuries in a car accident in her native Australia." Buchanan, 27, "posted an image on Instagram of herself in hospital with a bloodied face and wearing a neck brace." She wrote that she had a broken nose and sternum and a collapsed lung (BBC, 1/3). ... Williams Formula 1 team "appears poised to announce a two-year contract" with SERGEY SIROTKIN for the team's driver opening. Williams previously "wavered over its choice of replacement" for retiring FELIPE MASSA, "also seriously testing and considering" former BMW and Renault driver ROBERT KUBICA. But Sirotkin, a 22-year-old Russian, "backed heavily" by the VLADIMIR PUTIN-linked SMP Bank, "appears to have won the day with a two-year deal now being reported by Germany's Auto Bild" (AUTOWEEK, 1/3). ... British Cycling "finally confirmed the departure" of endurance coach HEIKO SALZWEDEL "three months after he was shown the door." The German guided BRADLEY WIGGINS, ED CLANCY, STEVEN BURKE and OWAIN DOULL to Gold in the team pursuit at the Rio 2016 Olympics during his spell as men's endurance coach. However, "some elite cyclists had asked for a new approach" for the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games (LONDON TIMES, 1/3). ... Bollywood actor SHAH RUKH KHAN backed India national women's cricket team captain MITHALI RAJ to coach the Indian men's team in the "near future." Mithali, who led India to the Int'l Cricket Council Women's Cricket World Cup final last year, appeared on "TED Talks India Nayi Soch," a TV show hosted by the actor. Shah Rukh said, "I want to see you (Mithali Raj) as the coach of the men's cricket team one day" (DECCAN CHRONICLE, 1/3).
RETAINING COUNSEL: Rugby player JARRYD HAYNE hired a "high-profile" U.S. lawyer and said that he will defend a rape allegation made against him in a civil case in California. Hayne "declined to answer questions on the matter when he fronted the media" after returning to National Rugby League club Parramatta Eels on Wednesday. Hayne's lawyer, MARK BAUTE, "was confident he would be cleared." Baute successfully defended NBA player DERRICK ROSE over rape claims in a federal civil case in '16 (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/3).
