Home Sport Sports Columnists Pat Murphy

West Brom prove they can hold their own

West Brom's players re-acquainted themselves at Wembley on Saturday with one of the most fundamental old saws of football: that you have to score when playing well. Read

Why Sir Steve got it wrong over OIympic protests

It's too naïve to expect consistency from modern politicians when trying to navigate the rapids of international sport and morality, but we're entitled to expect more from the alleged role models who carried the Olympic torch through London on Sunday. Read

England sums don't add up in Twenty20 world

Judging by the hawkish tones of English cricket’s new boss, the threat posed by the Indian Premier League can easily be swatted away. Read

Fabio Capello - is he having a laugh?

Fabio Capello may look suitably inscrutable behind those designer shades, but let no one suggest he lacks a sense of humour. Read

Trescothick retires with his head held high

No-one is entitled to upbraid Marcus Trescothick for retiring prematurely from international cricket due to a stress-related illness. Read

Ambrose must seize his England chance

Warwickshire will be glad they have re-signed Tony Frost as wicketkeeping cover for the new season after Tim Ambrose's hundred for England in the Wellington Test. Read

Ashton loses his focus over Cipriani affair

Brian Ashton's ridiculous decision to drop Danny Cipriani from Saturday's Calcutta Cup match for being in a night-club for just six minutes has not harmed the international prospects of the young tyro. Read

The Peace process at West Brom

West Bromwich Albion chairman Jeremy Peace gets his chance to answer criticisms levelled at him by Pat Murphy. Read

Graceless Gunners miss point

Arsene Wenger's graceless diatribe on Saturday afternoon may have been partially retracted by him later that day, but it only served to install two victims from one split-second incident in the Birmingham v Arsenal match. Read

Scudamore put in place by Blatter

It's droll that a devastating blow to the Premier League's global ambitions has been dealt by an administrator who specialises in many such crackpot ideas. Read

Greed isn't good for football

Every time I hear a Premier League executive salivating over the latest scheme to conquer the world, images of the film Wall Street come to mind. Read

Troubles mount up for McLeish and Blues

Ominously, Birmingham City are in the bottom three of the Premier League for the first time this season. But manager Alex McLeish remains admirably positive and dignified in the face of a run of league form that reads played eleven, won two. Read

Slow Lerner needs a PR lesson

I see the publicity-shy Randy Lerner has broken his silence again, talking about his gift of £5 million to the National Portrait Gallery. Read

Graveney the scapegoat for ECB failings

David Graveney has been sold short by the England and Wales Cricket Board in losing his post as the chairman of selectors to Geoff Miller. Read

Only an injury crisis can stop Villa

These are heady days at Villa Park as the prospect of qualifying for Europe next season is at last a serious one. Read

Why aren't we up for the Cup?

Steve Bruce is an unashamed traditionalist but his concern about the future of the FA Cup shouldn't be dismissed as the ramblings of an old buffer. Read