Sport

Flicking the switch that turns potential into pedigree can be tricky, with some creative thinking required when left fumbling around in the dark. Patience and persistence can be rewarded, though, and that makes the entire process worthwhile.

In modern football, there are tools aplenty that managers and players can take advantage of in a bid to find those fabled marginal gains. Stumble across a winning formula and the light comes on, illuminating all of those that stand beneath it.

That added clarity can be the difference between winning and losing, from having a player...

South Devon’s highly regarded coarse fishing destination, Cofton Holidays, has crowned Andy Everill as winner of its autumn Cofton Cup Fishing competition.

A keen fisherman, this is Andy’s third consecutive Cofton Cup title and his fourth overall having previously won Cofton Cup II, V and VI. The multi award-winning holiday park, hosted the seventh competition on its Mamhead Match Lake over five days of intensive fishing. The field was narrowed down from 44 anglers in the opening rounds to 22 in the final, with the remainder battling it out for the Plate competition.

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The start of the season has been tough for Leeds United. Coming up last season as a breath of fresh air to the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa’s side simply haven’t been able to replicate the results that saw them defy their relegation odds from Betdaq and sore to the extraordinary heights of a ninth-place finish after a 14-year absence from England’s top flight. The Yorkshire outfit have suffered a dip in form this season, something that needs to be urgently fixed if they are to avoid flirting with a relegation battle.

You only need to look at the likes of Huddersfield Town and...

Exeter’s grass-root community under 13’s football team, Cranbrook United FC, has been sponsored by Purplebricks, Britain’s biggest estate agent brand*, ahead of its new season.

The Purplebricks logo now appears on the team’s new home shirts, funded by the tech-led estate agent. With many players outgrowing their previous kits, the team are delighted to have new shirts to wear to training and matches this season. Without the support from Purplebricks, the children would not have a kit to play in.

The club, run entirely by volunteers, has suffered a significant loss of...