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Bangladesh cricketers stage T20 league boycott

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Bangladesh’s cricketers have begun a boycott of all forms of cricket in response to comments made by a national cricket board director, which have led to his removal.

Both of Thursday’s matches in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) have been postponed, while the national side’s participation in February’s T20 World Cup is in doubt.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced it has removed M Nazmul Islam from his position as chair of its financial committee after he suggested players should shoulder the financial burden if Bangladesh were to withdraw from the World Cup.

The comments came amid political tensions between Bangladesh and host nation India.

The BCB has formally requested that all Bangladesh’s matches are staged elsewhere in order to participate in the tournament.

All of Pakistan’s fixtures are to be played in Sri Lanka, with the BCB seeking a similar arrangement.

Asked about the financial implications should Bangladesh be required to withdraw, Islam said: “Why [would there be]? Are we asking them for the crores and crores of taka [Bangladesh’s currency] that we are spending on them? Answer me first.

“We are spending so much money on them, they are not being able to do anything in different places. Have we got any international awards? What have we done at any level?

“Let us now ask them for the money back after every time they couldn’t play. Give us back. Why should there even be a question of compensating the players?”

One Bangladeshi crore is equivalent to just over £60,000.

Islam’s comments drew a swift response from Mohammad Mithun, president of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).

“The remark made by the BCB director has hurt the cricket fraternity greatly and it’s not acceptable,” Mithun told reporters on Wednesday evening.

“We demand his resignation. If he doesn’t resign before tomorrow’s match, we will announce a boycott of all cricket, starting from the BPL matches tomorrow.”

Neither side arrived for Thursday’s match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express, with that fixture and the later match between Rajshahi Warriors and Sylhet Titans confirmed as being postponed.

The BCB, in removing Islam from his position, stated: “Following a review of recent developments and in the best interest of the organisation, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president has decided to release Mr Najmul Islam from his responsibilities as chairman of the finance committee with immediate effect.

“The BCB reiterates that the interests of the cricketers remain its highest priority. The board remains fully committed to upholding the honour and dignity of all players under its jurisdiction.”

It said all cricketers should “display the highest standards of professionalism and dedication to the betterment of Bangladesh cricket during what is a challenging period for the game” and called for BPL matches to be played as planned.

Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 7 February against West Indies in Kolkata, with a match against England on Saturday, 14 February due to take place at the same venue, Eden Gardens.

The Bangladesh Premier League has six group games left to play, leading into a four-match knockout stage, finishing with a final in Dhaka on Friday, 23 January.

source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fernandes not seeking to leave Man Utd in January

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is not planning to seek a move away from the club this month.

Reports have emerged in recent days suggesting Fernandes is considering his future at Old Trafford following the dismissal of head coach Ruben Amorim.

Fernandes met one of Amorim’s coaches, Carlos Fernandes, in the wake of Amorim’s sacking, heightening fears for some that the 31-year-old might be looking for an exit route.

However, sources with an understanding of the situation say that despite the upheaval, which led to Darren Fletcher being made interim boss for two games and Michael Carrick taking over as caretaker for the rest of the season, Fernandes remains committed to the club.

It was always his plan to reassess the situation in the summer, when he will have one year left on his contract.

Despite turning down a huge offer from Al-Hilal last summer and continued interest from the Saudi Pro League, Fernandes would look to stay in Europe if he did leave United.

The former Sporting player admitted recently he was “hurt” by the knowledge United were willing to sell him and said he felt senior officials lacked the courage to tell him because Amorim’s preference was for Fernandes to stay.

source: www.bbc.co.uk

Alpine have released Australian Jack Doohan before the 2026 Formula 1 season.

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Alpine have released Australian Jack Doohan before the 2026 Formula 1 season.

The 22-year-old drove in six grands prix for the Renault-owned team at the start of last season before being replaced by Argentine Franco Colapinto.

Doohan stayed on with Alpine for the remainder of last year, reverting to the role of reserve driver he had held since since 2023.

Alpine have retained Estonian Paul Aron as a reserve driver, while Colapinto stays on as a race driver alongside Frenchman Pierre Gasly.

Alpine said they had “reached a mutual agreement with Jack Doohan to not continue his driving services with the team for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season and allow him to pursue other career opportunities”.

They added: “The team would like to thank Jack for his commitment and professionalism to the team for the past four years, both on and off track, and wishes him all the best for the future.”

F1 pre-season testing starts at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 26-30 January with a private session in which teams are allowed to run on three of the five days to test out their new cars, following the introduction of major rule changes that include new designs for chassis and engine.

Two three-day tests follow in Bahrain on 11-13 and 18-20 February before the first grand prix of the 24-race season in Melbourne, Australia on 6-8 March.

source: www.bb.co.uk

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Mourinho wants to show Chelsea ‘I am here’ on return

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he dressing room was in shock.

Some Chelsea players were in tears and others hid their faces as Jose Mourinho went to each of them to say his goodbyes.

Eighteen years have passed since Mourinho’s first spell at the club ended, but that “sad day” at the training ground stuck with Salomon Kalou.

“It was not just a manager we were losing,” said Kalou, who played for Chelsea from 2006-2012. “It was a great person, a mentor, someone who was willing to help you and fight for you.

“The reason why he’s the ‘Special One’ is because he affects people. He brings something very special to a club.”

Not everyone has such fond memories of Mourinho, of course, from his subsequent second coming at Chelsea or, indeed, some of the clubs he has managed since.

Yet Benfica will hope the aura returns on the biggest stage of all – the Champions League – as Mourinho brings his new side back to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

And the 62-year-old won’t just be content with taking a seat at Europe’s top table again, as close friend Jose Peseiro explained.

“He wants to go and beat Chelsea to show everyone ‘I am here’,” he said.

 

An unexpected opportunity

Such a prospect felt a long way off when Mourinho was sacked by Fenerbahce last month.

But an unexpected opportunity arrived sooner than even Mourinho could have imagined – from the club that eliminated his former side in the Champions League qualifiers.

Mourinho was in Barcelona with his wife Matilde when the call came from Benfica president Rui Costa.

“Is it worth talking?” Costa asked him, after dismissing Bruno Lage following Benfica’s shock defeat by Qarabag.

It showed the tricky situation Costa was in before next month’s presidential elections.

But Mourinho was receptive.

In fact, Costa later claimed – in an interview with TVI – he had agreed a two-year deal worth about 3m euros (£2.6m) net initially, rising to 4m euros (£3.5m) next season. That is a fraction of what he earned at his peak.

The contract includes a break clause that will enable either party to terminate the deal 10 days after the final game of the season if they wish.

Twenty-five years on from his first brief spell at Benfica, which started with one president and ended with another, Mourinho was willing to walk into the eye of another political storm in Lisbon.

But this is a different Mourinho, compared to the relative novice who had never previously managed a club in 2000.

Few know that better than Jose Morais – his assistant at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

“Jose brings more than experience, ambition and a winning mentality,” he said. “He brings the ability to shape a team into something greater than the sum of its parts.

“When he first came to Benfica, nobody really knew what he was capable of and, yet, he lit a fire.”

Mourinho went on to win 26 major trophies at Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester United and Roma.

But it is a decade since he lifted a league title. It has been over five years since he took charge of a match in the Champions League proper. And he is coming off the back of a bruising spell at Fenerbahce.

Can he really roll back the years?

Still brutally honest

The hair is whiter now.

Mourinho has portrayed himself as “more altruistic” and “less egocentric”, which will no doubt amuse those who have followed his career.

The Benfica manager has even insisted he has not returned to his homeland to “wage war” after reaching out to Porto president Andre Villas-Boas – his former colleague – and Sporting president Frederico Varandas.

Yet the obsession remains.

“Others accept defeat, but he fights that,” Peseiro said. “Even now, he doesn’t accept losing. He lives for football.

“Normally, when you age, you understand. ‘I lose, no problem, it’s life’ – but he’s still the same. He has less friends than others because the focus is football, football, football. He’s a passionate guy. He doesn’t like to lose. He wants to win.”

It won’t come as a surprise, then, that in his first week at Benfica, Mourinho took aim at the video assistant referee.

He also spoke directly to referee Sergio Guelho at half-time to ask why he had not booked Rio Ave goalkeeper Cezary Miszta for slowing the game down during a 1-1 draw.

And he’s not exactly been shy in critiquing his own side in public, claiming they were “naive” after conceding a late equaliser.

Sound familiar?

Kalou was 20 when he joined Chelsea and walked into a heavyweight dressing room fresh from winning back-to-back Premier League titles under Mourinho.

The Ivorian quickly realised his new manager was a straight talker.

“What I liked about him the most was his honesty,” he said. “He will never sugar-coat anything. As a player, I respected that.”

Kalou felt the full force of Mourinho’s sharp tongue even after the Portuguese left.

After watching Kalou score against his Inter Milan side, in 2010, Mourinho knocked on the Chelsea team bus post-match and asked his former player to come outside.

“When you were with me, you didn’t score like this,” he told him. “Be careful!”

Football has changed, of course.

But Mourinho made it clear to his Benfica players following his appointment that he would be “very direct”.

As well as pledging he would say a “lot of good things”, he also vowed to tell them “a lot of bad things”.

‘Jose’s fire has not dimmed’

A fluke of the fixture calendar means Mourinho is already preparing to take his Benfica squad to Stamford Bridge.

And history tells us it’s rarely dull when he is in the opposition dugout.

Mourinho declared “Judas was number one” after Chelsea fans turned on him during his time at Manchester United.

Another time, the Portuguese – whose family home is not far from the stadium – held up three fingers to signify the number of titles he won at the club.

He even went on to take the Spurs job in 2019, having once claimed he could not do so because he “loved Chelsea supporters too much”.

Perhaps, then, it is not a surprise you won’t find a photograph of Chelsea’s most successful manager on the legends wall outside Stamford Bridge, and his trademark Armani overcoat is not as prominent in the club’s museum as it once was.

But his contribution has not been forgotten.

Season ticket holder Tim Rolls has even predicted Mourinho will get a “very positive” reception on Tuesday.

“He did so much for the club,” he said. “He won three league titles and turned the club around. It’s 20 years since that first league title under him.

“I know he was manager of Spurs, but that was a while back and, if you look at in the round, he was a great thing for Chelsea Football Club. I don’t think there will be any hostility at all.”

There is certainly a different feel to this game as Mourinho is not managing a domestic rival.

But the Benfica manager has already talked about “forgetting feelings”, which won’t come as a surprise to those who know him best.

“We all evolve,” Morais said. “Time asks that of us. But the passion and ambition remain the same. Jose’s fire has not dimmed.”

Additional reporting by Nizaar Kinsella

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Hurt’ Martin resolute in Rangers mission

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Premier Sports Cup: Rangers v Hibernian

Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow Date: Saturday, 20 September Time: 17:45 BST

Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app

Rangers head coach Russell Martin admits criticism “hurts” and “is difficult” but is resolute in his view the Ibrox side can succeed under his stewardship.

Defeat by Hearts last week left Rangers 10th in the Scottish Premiership, without a league win this season. That followed a heavy Champions League play-off loss to Club Brugge last month and, overall, Martin has only overseen three wins in 12 since taking charge in the summer.

A fan group plans to protest against Martin and chief executive Patrick Stewart prior to Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Hibernian. Chairman Andrew Cavenagh is in Glasgow for the match and was at Ibrox on Friday.

“The protest and stuff, I can’t control at all,” said Martin.

“I have to respect it, I have to understand their frustration and their annoyance, but I feel every bit of it as well. It’s an amazing opportunity for us as a team to come through this period and grow through it and to be so strong from it.

“Hopefully, at that point then everyone will come together. We just need to win football matches.

“It’s a really difficult balance because it hurts professionally, because we’re working so hard to try and give the supporters what they want – a team that wins and wins a lot and does it in a certain way. I’m more frustrated than anyone.

“Listening to someone tell me the team doesn’t look like it’s coached is difficult.”

It is possible that Rangers could be bottom of the Scottish Premiership by the time they play their next league match.

Martin is the first Rangers boss since John Greig in 1978 to not win any of his first five league games in charge, but he says he cannot take the fan protest “personally”.

“I don’t know any of them and they don’t know me and they don’t know how hard we’re working,” he said.

“It’s much harder for the people around me like my family and stuff to deal with than it is for us because it’s a professional thing you have to accept. People worry about you.”

The head coach revealed he had been struggling with a chest infection around the time of the loss to Hearts and that a close family member had this week been admitted to hospital for three days.

With Cavenagh’s visit in the spotlight, Martin said: “I knew he was coming a couple of weeks ago. He’s been great. He’ll watch training today as he does when he comes in.”

Stewart and director of football Kevin Thelwell were defended by Martin following Rangers’ summer overhaul of signings and departures.

“You’ve got people that really care about making this club sustainable and successful again and to do it in a way that the club continues to have some success,” said Martin.

Raskin back in squad and ‘in good place’

Midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who was left out against Hearts, is in the squad to face Hibs on Saturday.

Raskin, who was pictured attending last week’s match at Ibrox, also missed the recent 0-0 draw with Celtic, though Martin had said the Belgium midfielder’s situation was “resolved”.

Previously, Martin had spoken about Raskin needing to rebuild “trust” without fully explaining the reasons behind the non-selection.

“I’m looking forward to having him back in,” Martin said of the Belgium international. “He’s trained really well. He’s in a good place.

“Maybe it’s a necessary thing for this group to improve, to understand what is really important.

“I think it’ll be a really important period for Nico in his growth as a human being and a player and I think it’ll be good for me in the long term to really learn from it.”

source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Age is just a number’ – Vardy begins life in Italy

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Former Leicester striker Jamie Vardy said “age is just a number” as he opens a new chapter of his career with Italian side Cremonese.

The 38-year-old, who is regarded among Leicester’s greatest players, left the club at the end of last season, calling time on a 13-year spell at the club where he scored 200 goals in 500 appearances.

He notched 24 of those in their Premier League title-winning 2015-16 season.

Vardy signed for newly-promoted Serie A side Cremonese on a free transfer earlier this month and he could make his debut for the northern Italian side on Monday, against Verona.

Asked if he, and other veterans such as Kevin de Bruyne and Luka Modric who have also moved to Serie A this summer, are still motivated to perform at the highest level, he replied: “You must be one of the doubters. You’re one that I’ll have to prove wrong

“For me age is just a number. As long as my legs are doing exactly what they used to and still feel as fresh as they do then I will carry on.

“At the moment there are no signs of them slowing down so I’ll keep going and I will be giving my all for this club.

“I will learn Italian, but [for now] it is not a problem: football has its own language, with the ball,” he said.

Cremonese have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, opening their campaign with a surprise 2-1 win over AC Milan before beating Sassuolo 3-2.

“The main task is making sure we stay in the league, and that’s how it was when I was at Leicester,” Vardy said.

“It was never any, ‘we are going to go for this’, it was always, ‘we need to stay in the league’, that’s the main thing. So all you do, you go out, you take each game one-by-one, give your all, what will be will be.”

source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘I don’t have anything to prove’ – Postecoglou

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Ange Postecoglou says he doesn’t “have to prove anything to anyone” as he starts his reign as Nottingham Forest’s new boss.

Postecoglou was appointed on Tuesday, with the club sacking Nuno Espirito Santo late on Monday after 21 months in charge at the City Ground.

The Australian returns to management three months after he was sacked by Tottenham following a dismal Premier League season, in which they finished 17th.

However, Postecoglou ended Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought by leading them to the Europa League title in May.

The 60-year-old was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented at Spurs, but he was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his high-intensity principles as Spurs lost 22 of their 38 league matches last season.

Asked if he wanted to prove doubters wrong, Postecoglou said: “I don’t see it as a point to prove. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

“I do like my teams to play exciting football and score goals and get fans excited. I make no apologies about that, that’s just the way I am.”

He joked that he would find out “who the true Ange believers” are as he makes the switch from Spurs to Forest.

Postecoglou’s first game in charge will be on Saturday as Forest travel to Arsenal.

 

 

‘I might have to win trophy in first season’

Tottenham endured their worst-ever Premier League campaign last term, but the win over Manchester United in the Europa League final secured Spurs’ first major trophy since 2008.

It also backed up Postecoglou’s claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.

He won the Australian title with both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese league with Yokohama F Marinos – all in his second season or second full season in charge. He also won trophies in both of his seasons at Celtic.

Asked about his second-season promise in his first news conference as Forest boss, Postecoglou pointed out that he has also won titles in his first season at a club.

“I won the double with Celtic in my first year. I may have to [win a trophy this season] to have a second year here,” he said.

“I’ve said already I want to win trophies and that’s what I’ve done my whole career and that’s what I want to do here.”

Postecoglou explained that he didn’t expect his time at Tottenham to come to an end after winning a trophy, but he said he “must have done something right”.

“There is no Spurs supporter I come across now who doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner,” he said.

“I love creating things that are lasting. Every club I’ve been to, I’d like to think I’d be welcome back because I left a mark.”

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in Monza practice

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Italian Grand Prix

Venue: Monza Dates: 5-7 September Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday

Coverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc got Ferrari’s home race weekend off to a positive start by finishing one-two in first practice at the Italian Grand Prix.

Briton Hamilton, who has a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race, was 0.169 seconds faster than his team-mate.

Leclerc, who had an incident-packed session, ended it 0.364 seconds clear of Williams driver Carlos Sainz in third place.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fourth fastest, ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Norris comes into the weekend with a 34-point deficit in the championship to team-mate Oscar Piastri, whose car was driven in this first session by McLaren protege Alex Dunne.

The Irishman, who races in Formula 2 this season, ended the session 16th fastest.

McLaren have traced the engine failure in last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix that dented Norris’ title hopes to a broken oil line – a McLaren issue rather than a problem with the Mercedes engine.

Leclerc’s fastest time was his third attempt to do a lap on the soft tyres after aborting his first two runs.

The second incident led to a scare because Leclerc passed a Sauber just after a red flag was thrown because of gravel on track, despite braking as hard as he could.

He was worried he would receive a penalty, but stewards immediately reviewed the incident and accepted there was nothing he could do.

Verstappen was 0.575secs off Hamilton, while the second Williams of Alex Albon was seventh.

A number of drivers ran wide during the session, and the red flag was as a result of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar running off track at the Ascari chicane and spraying the circuit with gravel.

Gravel at the second Lesmo, deposited by Norris, also needed to be cleared.

Other drivers to run wide and kick up gravel included Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who was ninth fastest behind George Russell’s Mercedes.

Russell ended the session parked on the grass beside the track before the Roggia chicane as a result of a power loss, which left him stuck in seventh gear with the rear wheels locked.

Hadjar completed the top 10.

source: www.bbc.co.uk

Injured Stones pulls out of England squad

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Defender John Stones has withdrawn from the England squad for the next two World Cup qualifiers because of injury.

Manager Thomas Tuchel says he does not want to take any risks with the 31-year-old, who arrived at the training camp with a “muscular issue” that has not improved.

Stones has started all three of Manchester City’s Premier League games this season.

Tuchel said: “He came with minor issues and didn’t progress as we thought and hoped he would, so he left camp this morning.

“Everyone else is available. We had 21 players yesterday in training and 21 players today in training and hopefully make sure everyone is available for tomorrow.”

Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah are Tuchel’s other centre-back options.

England play Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday before travelling to Serbia on Tuesday.

‘Stones absence a blow for Tuchel’

Stones being ruled out for these World Cup qualifying matches is a blow for Tuchel.

Tuchel is a huge admirer of the talent that Stones has and has spoken about the unique qualities that he can bring to any England side.

Stones has yet to play for Tuchel since he became England manager and missed the last two camps through injury.

And injury has again robbed Tuchel of Stones’ talent and his experience will be missed when England head to Serbia next week for their toughest match of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Tuchel has been trying to get his tactical message across to the players this week and is still trialing his midfield options in his third camp, and Stones was one of the players he thinks could fit there.

The manager referenced that Stones could be a number six option as England are without a natural player of that type in the squad.

The German is now going to have to hope that the muscular issues that have forced Stones to pull out are not too serious and that he can include the City defender in his squad in October.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lewis-Skelly signs new five-year Arsenal deal

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England defender Myles Lewis-Skelly says he wants to create a “legacy” at Arsenal after signing a new five-year contract with his boyhood club.

Lewis-Skelly broke into the first team last season and established himself as a regular under Mikel Arteta, making 39 appearances in all competitions.

The 18-year-old’s previous deal was due to expire in 2026.

Arsenal finished second in the Premier League last season, 10 points behind Liverpool.

“I want to win everything there is to win in the game,” Lewis-Skelly told the Arsenal website., external

“I want to win trophies on the biggest stages whilst being a person that’s always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.

“I know I’ve taken a lot of experience from the games about the positive moments, the mistakes that I’ve made. I’m definitely more ready now for the next season. I just want to keep learning and keep improving.”

Lewis-Skelly was shown two red cards in the league last season, although his sending-off against Wolves was overturned.

Eight days later he scored his first league goal during a 5-1 win against Manchester City, before mimicking Erling Haaland’s meditation celebration.

In March Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on their England debut, registering in a 2-0 win against Albania at Wembley.

He won a third cap during the 3-1 defeat by Senegal this month.

Lewis-Skelly was a central midfielder in Arsenal’s academy but has excelled at left-back, with licence to step into midfield, since making his Premier League debut as a substitute against Manchester City in September.

“I’ve embodied the values of Hale End and come through,” Lewis-Skelly said.

“I’ve still got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can keep staying humble and being a good person, that’s the most important thing to me.”

He was dribbled past only once in the Premier League, the best record of any player to have made at least 15 starts.

He also won the most duels (six) per 90 minutes and ranked third for fouls won (3.1).

Lewis-Skelly has a 93.6% pass accuracy, the fifth highest in the division among players who featured for at least 1,000 minutes last season.

He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Season award.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk