Ex-GB international runner and coach Phil Banning pleads guilty to 18 counts of indecent assault

Phil Banning, the former director of coaching for Wales and UK indoor 1500m champion, has been jailed for seven and a half years for abusing young athletes.

On Monday (August 12) Hampshire Constabulary said 68-year-old Banning, from Penhow, Wales, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of indecent assault relating to four girls who were under the age of 16 at the time of the offences, including one girl who was under 13.

Described as ‘sinister’, Banning is said to have ‘manipulated, abused and violated’ schoolgirls during the 1970s and 1980s in Andover.

After an international career which saw him represent Great Britain at the 1975 European Indoor Championships, Banning returned to Andover Athletics Club as a qualified coach where he met the four girls.

“Under the guise of acting as coach and mentor, he was pursuing a regime of abuse against certain members of the club,” prosecutor Tim Moores told Winchester Crown Court.

The court heard that Banning would assault the girls during car rides home after training, as well as during sports massages. One of the girls is said to have been aged just 11 years old when she was assaulted in Banning’s car.

According to Hampshire Constabulary, Banning – who must sign on the sex offenders register for life – mouthed ‘sorry’ to the women in court as he was sentenced.

“Welsh Athletics acknowledges the conviction and subsequent sentence handed down to Phil Banning following his appearance at Winchester Crown Court,” read a statement from the governing body. “Officers of Welsh Athletics have been liaising closely with UK Athletics and the Gwent and Hampshire police forces throughout the extended investigation which has led to this verdict.

“Whilst this conviction does not relate to Mr Banning’s time working as a coach in Wales, we encourage anyone with any concerns or further information to contact the NSPCC on their 24 hour helpline 0808 800 5000.

“Welsh Athletics would like to stress the importance that it places on Safeguarding and Child Protection, and will continue to work with UK Athletics, the Child Protection in Sport Unit (NSPCC) and our member clubs to ensure that the sport remains a safe environment for junior and senior athletes alike.”

As a GB international athlete, Banning set a British indoor record of 3:42.2 when winning the 1975 UK indoor title ahead of Steve Ovett and then improved that mark to 3:41.9 in winning the UK v Belgium match at Cosford.

That was the quickest time in Europe that year but he dropped out during the European Indoor Championships and was never at the same level again.

More on the case can be found here.

BBC Scotland will screen live matches online from the new Super6 season.

One tie from each round of fixtures will be shown on the BBC Sport Scotland website, with the feature live games played at 14:00 UK time on Sundays.

The final of the Super6 will also be televised live on BBC Scotland over the weekend of 27-29 March 2020.

Every Super6 team will have at least three matches broadcast live, with the season kicking off on 9 November after the World Cup.

The six sides will play 20 competitive matches each season made up of 10 Super6 fixtures, played home and away, two Super6 play-off fixtures and eight cross-border matches.

The competition involves Ayrshire Bulls, Southern Knights, Boroughmuir Bears, Watsonians, Stirling County and Heriot.

"Super6 is a bold new competition that is designed to bridge the gap between the domestic and the professional game in Scotland," said Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson.

BBC Scotland's sport commissioning executive Grigor Stirling said: It's an exciting addition to the game in this country and we're delighted we'll be showing matches on the BBC Scotland sport site, with the added bonus of broadcasting the final live on the BBC Scotland channel."

Gareth Anscombe has been ruled out of the Rugby World Cup after injuring a knee in Wales' 33-19 defeat by England.

Fly-half Anscombe, 28, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and hobbled off in the first half of the World Cup warm-up at Twickenham.

No timescale has been given on his return.

His absence leaves Dan Biggar, Jarrod Evans and Rhys Patchell as the three fly-halves in Wales' extended World Cup squad.

Wales have already lost British and Irish Lions back-rower Taulupe Faletau to a collarbone problem, while Cardiff Blues scrum-half Tomas Williams is awaiting a scan on a shoulder injury.

It is a major blow for Wales with Anscombe having established himself as Warren Gatland's first choice 10 ahead of Biggar during the last year.

Biggar replaced Anscombe against England and is in pole position to be the starting fly-half at the World Cup in Japan.

With Anscombe ruled out, there are 40 players in Gatland's World Cup squad which will be reduced to the final 31-strong party at the beginning of September.

It is also a blow for Anscombe's new side Ospreys after he joined from Cardiff Blues in April 2019, with the New Zealand-born player in danger of missing most of the 2019-20 season.

In the build-up to the England game, Gatland said criticism of Wales playing four warm-ups was "fair".

Wales play England again in Cardiff on Saturday, 17 August followed by another double-header against Ireland in Cardiff on 31 August and 7 September in Dublin as they prepare for the World Cup in Japan.

Wales' Pool D campaign begins against Georgia in Tokyo on Monday, 23 September followed by games against Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.

Analysis

Former Wales fly-half and captain Jonathan Davies

It's very disappointing, mainly for Gareth Anscombe himself and the squad. That's the risk you take when you're playing these friendlies, you've got to watch out for injuries.

Taulupe Faletau is a world-class player and you want to have your best players available during the World Cup, so to lose Faletau and then Anscombe is two big players and two big blows.

They are two tremendous footballers and for me I think perhaps that's what Wales are lacking.

If they pick Dan Biggar it will affect Wales' style of play a great deal because they are different types of player. In the Six Nations Anscombe played football and then Dan came on to close the game.

Jarrod Evans and Rhys Patchell have the opportunity now to step up in training and those two are very similar to the way Anscombe plays.

Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlam and uncapped Bath wing Ruaridh McConnochie have earned shock call-ups to England's Rugby World Cup squad, with centre Ben Te'o a glaring omission.

The inexperienced pair are included in coach Eddie Jones' 31-man group, along with another Test rookie in Gloucester scrum-half Willi Heinz.

Te'o was involved in an off-field incident at the training camp in Italy.

Versatile back Piers Francis is included at his expense.

The World Cup in Japan runs from 20 September to 2 November, with Jones naming his squad weeks in advance of the World Rugby deadline of 8 September.

"We have taken the decision to go early because of what we learned from previous campaigns," he said.

"We want the squad to know early and now we can get on and be the best prepared England side there has ever been, ready to win the World Cup."

England World Cup squad

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester, 86 caps), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter, 12), Tom Curry (Sale, 11), Ellis Genge (Leicester, 10), Jamie George (Saracens, 37), Maro Itoje (Saracens, 27), George Kruis (Saracens, 32), Joe Launchbury (Wasps, 59), Courtney Lawes (Northampton, 72), Lewis Ludlam (Northampton, 1), Joe Marler (Harlequins, 58), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins, 22), Jack Singleton (Saracens, 1), Sam Underhill (Bath, 9), Billy Vunipola (Saracens, 42), Mako Vunipola (Saracens, 53), Mark Wilson (Newcastle/Sale, 13).

Backs: Joe Cokanasiga (Bath, 5), Elliot Daly (Saracens, 31), Owen Farrell (Saracens, 70), George Ford (Leicester Tigers, 56), Piers Francis (Northampton, 5), Willi Heinz (Gloucester, 1), Jonathan Joseph (Bath, 41), Jonny May (Leicester, 45), Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath, uncapped), Jack Nowell (Exeter, 33), Henry Slade (Exeter, 22), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester, 33), Anthony Watson (Bath, 34), Ben Youngs (Leicester, 86).

Duo's dramatic rise

Ludlam's rise to the World Cup squad has been meteoric. He was included in a training squad for the first time in June, and has impressed enough to make the plane to Japan, with Brad Shields missing out.

World Cup-winning scrum-half Matt Dawson said the 23-year-old "just looks like an international player" during his impressive debut against Wales on Sunday.

McConnochie's elevation has been even more dramatic. The former sevens player only switched to the XV-a-side game a year ago, but enjoyed a breakthrough season at The Rec.

Jones' decision to select only two tighthead props in Kyle Sinckler and Dan Cole and two scrum-halves in Heinz and Ben Youngs has freed up a place.

McConnochie, 27, is included as one of six back-three players, along with Joe Cokanasiga, Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson, Jonny May and Jack Nowell, although Nowell is struggling with injury.

Like McConnochie and Heinz, hooker Jack Singleton is named just 24 hours after winning his first cap.

Te'o and Shields miss out

Conversely, Te'o's fall from grace has been drastic. The cross-code star has long been a favourite of Jones, having been fast-tracked into the set-up for the tour of Australia in 2016 before he had played club rugby in England.

Even when injury restricted his involvement at Worcester, Te'o was still regularly drafted into England camps by Jones.

But he was not involved in the build-up to the game against Wales, with Jones telling the BBC on Saturday that Te'o "was not in the best 31".

While Jones has refused to confirm or deny whether Te'o was involved in an altercation in Treviso, it is understood the player was the aggressor in an incident involving Mike Brown.

Brad Shields' absence is also notable. The former New Zealand Under-20 flanker was fast-tracked into the side in the summer of 2018 by Jones, but is currently sidelined with a foot problem.

Jones had already omitted a string of experienced players, with former captains Dylan Hartley and Chris Robshaw missing out, along with Brown, Danny Care, Nathan Hughes and Danny Cipriani.

"A lot of good players have missed out. We feel for them. I feel for them personally," Jones said.

"But the World Cup is an incredible tournament where opportunities can present themselves, and all those players who have missed out have been told they have to be ready."

Analysis

Paul Grayson, former England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Live

Ludlam has watched, sat behind some good players. He is 23, physically mature, and when the door opens you have got to be ready.

When you get the chance, you have to step up and he has done that. He showed tenacity and an understanding of the team dynamic [against Wales].

He carried the ball in attack, made plenty of tackles in defence, and showed the physical resilience when he got that stinger to the shoulder. He got off the ground, got away from the physio, got back into the defensive line even, to paint the picture that there is no gap.

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – Jonathan Preston outlasted the competition to win Sunday’s Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint feature at Weedsport Speedway.

Preston outran Danny Varin to the checkered flag in the 25-lap feature.

Paulie Colagiovanni, Chuck Hebing and Shawn Donath completed the top-five.

Nick Guererri won the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman feature over Austin Germinio, Bob Henry Jr., Andrew Smith and Zach Sobotka.

The finish:

Jonathon Preston, Danny Varin, Paulie Colagiovanni, Chuck Hebing, Shawn Donath, Jeff Cook, Tommy Wickham, Larry Wight, Kelly Hebing, Sammy Reakes IV, Danny Peebles, Matt Tanner, Kyle Moffit, Tyler Cartier, Emily VanInwegen, Scott Holcomb, Dave Axton, T.J. Karlsen, Erik Karlsen, Jason Barney, Josh Flint, Billy VanInwegen.

PELETIER, N.C. – It took just shy of five hours to complete the rain-delayed Solid Rock Carriers 150 at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway on Sunday, but after two lengthy delays, Connor Hall hoisted the trophy and the $10,000 check in the attrition-filled race.

Hall, 22, took the lead on the opening lap of the race, passing Chris Burns with a power move on the outside, and dominated for much of the race – only surrendering the lead for three laps shortly after the halfway break.

After the race, his second $10,000 victory in the past month and his third Carteret County Speedway win, Hall was ecstatic about his triumph but also relieved the arduous race, which spanned for 4 hours and 57 minutes in length, had finally reached its conclusion.

“I’m just glad it’s over,” Hall said in victory lane.  “I would like to think the Hampton Heat was the longest race of my life, but I’ve never had one where we had to fix the track and do a rain delay in the same race.  As much as I wanted them to just call it and make it easy on me, I’m glad we stuck it out and I’m glad Carteret County stuck it out.  I’ll give them credit.  They got it done.  They did a good job.”

Hall won the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway in July – a grueling race which was held amid excessive heat.  Once again, in Sunday’s Solid Rock Carriers 150, Hall was able to hit his marks during the daytime and in primetime.

“I drove far from a perfect race,” Hall stated.  “My guy [Tim] Allensworth, I missed a shift on a restart and we had been sitting from that patch.  I guess I just got kind of out of the rhythm.  Luckily, we weren’t wrecked.  I’ve got to thank Tyler Horne for peddling it.  We did run a good race.  We stuck through it, and it was fun.  The breaks didn’t do anything to my car because Carteret realized we did need to reset air pressures.  I thank them for letting that happen.  The night definitely helped this car.  As soon as the sun went down and saw some colder weather coming, I knew it was going to be game on.”

Allensworth, who went on to finish second, appeared poised to mount a serious challenge to Hall on a lap 104 restart.  Allensworth was able to draw even with Hall’s dominant car and was in the preferred line, but his challenge was cut short when Chris Burns and Stacy Puryear tangled for the second time behind the leaders on the race’s 106th lap.

A couple of laps, and over an hour, prior to the lap 106 incident, Burns had spun off Puryear’s front bumper.  In the following incident, it was Puryear who went around after exchanging some contact with Burns.  After getting his car re-fired, as the field was still under caution, Puryear and Burns tangled, resulting in heavy damage to both cars and both cars being parked for the remainder of the race.

Puryear was unavailable for comment after the race and Burns declined to comment, other than to congratulate Hall on his victory.

The 150-lap Limited Late Model spectacle was marred by weather all weekend.  First, the race was postponed from its original Saturday date.  Then, after the field had completed 26 laps and was under caution when Brandon Head blew a motor, the sky opened, prompting a 107-minute delay.

The second delay, which lasted for over 80 minutes, came on lap 103 when part of the track surface came apart, prompting a sinkhole to form.  Safety crews were able to successfully patch the surface and conclude the race.

Allensworth went on to finish second to Hall – a result he was both disappointed and content with.

“Second’s always the first loser,” Allensworth commented.  “We were hoping to get one more spot but Connor ran a great race.  We got in so much trouble.  I think we passed the most cars here today.  We went to the back twice and came back through.

Brandon Clements finished in third while Tyler Horne and T.J. Barron rounded out the top-five.

Zach Miller picked up his third Legends win at Carteret County this year, passing Jason Alder early in the 35-lap race and pulling away.  His Miller Performance Motorsports teammate Caleb Heady finished in the runner-up spot while Alder came home third.  Jordan Lamothe and Jaiden Reyna rounded out the top-five.

Travis Miller picked up his second consecutive Battlefield Tire Pros Mini Stock feature win, this time holding back a challenge from Stephen Sanders.  Chase Singletary won the Mini Cup feature race while Morgan Odum held off younger sister Carmen to win in the Jr. Mini Cup race.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Chris Windom won Sunday night’s Brandeis Midwest Sprint Car Series feature at the Terre Haute Action Track.

Windom outlasted Justin Grant to win on the third night of a busy racing weekend for the non-winged sprint car series.

Carson Short finished third with Chase Stockon and Dakota Jackson rounding out the top five.

The finish:

Chris Windom,Justin Grant, Carson Short, Chase Stockon, Dakota Jackson, Kyle Cummins, Dustin Smith, Isaac Chapple, Paul May, Critter Malone,Kendall Ruble, Josh Hodges, Collin Ambrose, Chayse Hayhurst, Kent Schmidt, Tom Harris, Jarett Andretti, Max Adams, Chris Babcock, Mitch Wissmiller.

MILTON KEYNES, England – Aston Martin Red Bull Racing will race with a new driver line-up following the annual Formula One World Championship summer break.

Alexander Albon is being promoted to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to drive alongside Max Verstappen, while Pierre Gasly will return to the Red Bull sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso.

The pair will debut in their new rides during next month’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

“Red Bull are in the unique position of having four talented Formula One drivers under contract, who can be rotated between Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso. The team will use the next nine races to evaluate Alex’s performance, in order to make an informed decision as to who will drive alongside Max in 2020,” said Red Bull officials in a team statement. “Everyone at Aston Martin Red Bull Racing looks forward to welcoming Alex to the team and supporting him during the next phase of his F-1 career.”

Gasly has struggled during his first season with the Red Bull primary team, failing to reach the podium in 12 races this year, while teammate Max Verstappen has two wins and a pole during that same span.

Meanwhile, Albon has shone in his debut season in F-1, with the Englishman already having earned points in four races – including a career-best sixth-place result during last month’s German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring.

This is the second time Red Bull has demoted one of their primary drivers in recent history. They made the same move with Daniil Kvyat in 2016, making way for Verstappen’s F-1 debut. Verstappen went on to win his Red Bull debut, during the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Roberto Luongo's No. 1 jersey will be retired by the Florida Panthers on March 7.

The Panthers announced the ceremony date for their now-retired goaltender on Monday. Fittingly, the opponent will be the Montreal Canadiens -- Luongo's hometown team.

Luongo will become the first Panthers player to have his number retired. The Panthers previously retired 93 for the team's first president, Bill Torrey. That number commemorates the franchise's inaugural game in 1993.

Luongo retired in June after 19 NHL seasons, most of them with Florida. His 489 career victories are third in NHL history behind Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy.

Team owner Vincent Viola calls Luongo "a cornerstone of Panthers history and an icon of the game."