Christian Atsu passes away in earthquake

FORMER Premier League footballer Christian Atsu has recently been found dead in Southern Turkey, after the country was struck by deadly earthquakes earlier this month.

Global tributes have poured in for the Ghanaian winger, who’s likely remembered in the UK for his 2017-2021 spell at Newcastle United and the 121 appearances he made for the club. Joining the Magpies on loan from Chelsea in 2016, he went on to play a crucial role in securing the club a Championship title that season. This earned him a permanent transfer, and he was later pivotal in helping to re-establish Newcastle’s position in the Premier League.

Impressing for not only club but country, he also made 65 appearances for Ghana, leading them to the African Cup of Nations final in 2015 — something of a career highlight. In his sensational AFCON performance that year, he won both Player and Goal of the Tournament, the latter thanks to an audacious strike against Guinea in the quarter final.

In his final game for Turkish club Hatayspor, played just hours before the disaster, Atsu scored the winner with a well-placed free kick in the 95th minute. The footballing world mourns a true talent.

Callum Martin

John Motson: 1945-2023

Toby Brisley, Sport Editor, reflects on his life in football

LAST month, the renowned football commentator John Motson passed away at the age of 77. Motson, or Motty, as he was more commonly known, had a career lasting 50 years with the BBC. He commentated on various competitions, including league games,

World Cups and European Championships. However, he was perhaps most famously associated with the FA Cup, reporting on 29 FA Cup finals over the course of his career.

Motty was synonymous with wearing a sheepskin jacket during games over the winter, and his voice was one of the most recognisable in English football — with him commentating on over 2,000 games over the course of his career.

Tributes poured in the week after his passing, with minute silences being held before league matches as well as FA Cup games in his honour. Some consider him to have been the voice for a generation of people who grew up around football. Whether it was listening to him live on the radio, or watching Match of the Day on Saturday nights, his voice was everywhere. It is clear that English football has lost one of its most knowledgable football commentators.

WE'RE at the halfway point of the Six Nations in 2023. So far, it would be fair to say a lot has happened. Scotland who finished the first weekend as apparent grand slam contenders have (yet again) had their hopes dashed by a re-energised French side. Italy have been daring and plucky in what should have arguably been one of their toughest starts to a championship for many years. England have gone back to basics and although the fruits of their labour are far from apparent, it looks like they are heading in the right direction. France have been as chaotic as they’ve been brilliant, losing to Ireland, beating Scotland and edging Italy. Wales have… the less said the better.

But how do things stand? How will everything end? Who will win the world cup? What is Wales’ attack actually trying to achieve? I will attempt to answer these and many more questions throughout this article in what will hopefully be a state of play of the midway point in the 2023 Six Nations.

The place I want to begin is in Rome. The year is 1998 and arguably the most passionate Italian man ever to walk the earth has just been born. Michele Lama-