Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview

Jenson Button may have wrapped up the Formula 1 World Championship two weekends ago in Brazil with Brawn GP bagging the constructors' crown in the process, but there is still plenty at stake at the Yas Marina.

Second placed Sebastian Vettel is desperate to hold on to his two-point advantage over Rubens Barrichello, while just one point separates third-placed McLaren from Ferrari in the current constructors' standings.

The nuances of the circuit should play nicely into the hands of McLaren and Lewis Hamilton, with the Briton likely to round off his mixed season with a third win.

For starters, the nature of the track lends itself to KERS power - something McLaren appear to have got to grips with better than any other team - while Hamilton is adamant he wants to finish a tough 2009 with a bang.

Any expectation that Button will end his fairytale season in style is far fetched, the new world champion himself admitting - even with all the pressure now off him - that his car simply isn't quick enough to do the job.

Who will win this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and is there any point in the race with the world championship now wrapped up? Post your comments below...

Welcome to Sid James Park

What's in a stadium name? Quite a lot if you're Arsenal (£100m over 15 years) or the New York Mets ($400m over 20 years).

But what about Newcastle United, whose owner Mike Ashley has sparked outrage on Tyneside, and much mirth on Wearside, by revealing that he would welcome offers for naming rights to St James' Park to generate sponsorship money for the club.

Ashley was already a hate figure in the eyes of many Newcastle fans. Now he's the devil incarnate, having threatened the heritage of what Geordies regard as the most sacred ground in football.

St James' has been the Magpies' roost since 1892, since when the club's fortunes have fluctuated with alarming regularity.

Ashley no doubt hopes that he can pull off what the Gunners achieved when they left their hallowed home of Highbury for the Emirates Stadium having played the name game with lucrative aplomb.

But his chances of success are remote, for all sorts of reasons. The truth is that Newcastle have become a joke club, with suggested names ranging from Sid James Park to the Ashley Coal Arena.

Toon fans have had much to moan about in recent years, but this really is the pits. And look what happened to them in the north east.

So what should St James' Park be called? Or is Mike Ashley barking up the wrong tree? Have your say below

Gatland slams the Premiership

Wales coach Warren Gatland has slammed the Guinness Premiership, saying the standard of rugby simply is not high enough.

The outspoken Gatland said: "The Premiership, having watched the games, is the weakest Premiership I have seen since I have been up here. It is the weakest in terms of quality of the teams involved."

No doubt Premiership bosses up and down the land have taken offence to Gatland's comments but the simple fact is that he is telling the truth.

The season has been a poor one so far and the league has been dominated by a team, Saracens, that prides itself on a kicking game rather than any real attacking flair. Sides like Bath, Gloucester, Harlequins and Sale have been, at times, woeful. If anything, the game has gone back to the dull, dark ages.

The state of affairs is also worrying for England boss Martin Johnson ahead of a trio of arduous Tests against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Looking at his squad, he doesn't appear to have the players at his disposal to match any of those three foes. Worrying times indeed for England and its domestic set-up.

Is Gatland right in his comments about the Premiership or is it just gamesmanship by the Wales coach? And is this bad news for England? Post your comments below...

Haye beats Valuev...Your views

David Haye has been crowned the new WBA heavyweight champion after a majority decision over Nikolai Valuev in Germany of all places.

While it wasn't a great spectacle, Haye's tactics paid off as he dodged Valuev's attack and weaved around the ring, unleashing point-scoring punches to bring the belt back to Britain.

Haye even managed to rock the giant Valuev in the final round. Had he caught the Russian earlier in the fight, he may well have become the first man to knock out the 7ft Russian.

But did the judges get it right? There were some pundits who thought Valuev did enough to retain his title. He did control the centre of the ring and had Haye on the back foot, but he never really tested his opponent's chin.

Now plenty of doors open for Haye. John Ruiz, who claimed a victory on the undercard is in line to fight the Brit, but expect Haye to be calling out those Klitschko brothers soon after that.

Did Haye deserve the win? Were you surprised to see the judges go against Valuev? Send in all your comments and post-fight thoughts in the boxes below.

Latest F1 gossip... Piquet in talks with Campos

Ahead of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, our F1 expert brings you more pitlane rumours including a possible route back into the sport for Nelson Piquet Jr.

Read this and all the latest F1 gossip and post your thoughts and rumours below.

Who will win the Premier League?

Does anyone really want to win the Premier League?

Ten games in and there is little doubt the title race remains more open than ever as all the self-proclaimed 'Big Four' exude weaknesses.

Chelsea have already lost at Wigan and Aston Villa and look vulnerable from set-pieces, but they still justify favouritism. Manchester United, meanwhile, have blundered their way through most of the season, were abject in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool and lack a game-breaker without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Arsenal keep chucking away points as a by-product of arrogance and inexperience, while Liverpool, Sunday's performance aside, rely far too heavily on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

The pretenders to the throne - Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa - are equally flawed. Given the chance to make up ground, Spurs lost at home to Stoke, City threw away a two-goal lead to Fulham and Villa limped to a draw at Wolves. But if any of them are to break into the top four, this year is the one.

Who will win the Premier League? Can the monopoly on the top four spots be broken? Send in your views below...

British Grand Prix in doubt

The British Grand Prix is once again in major doubt after Donington Park revealed it had failed to raise the £135m required to revamp the circuit and host the 2010 race.

Unless a last-minute rescue package is found, the race will almost certainly not take place at the venue next summer.

Silverstone bosses have repeatedly said they are willing to step in to host the race, but are understandably looking for a cut-price deal from F1 promoter Bernie Ecclestone after being initially overlooked as the venue for this year's race.

Their differing position to Ecclestone's could yet mean the unthinkable for a country with the current driver and constructor world champion in Jenson Button and Brawn GP - no home race for next season.

This would be catastrophic for motorsport in the UK. Ecclestone needs to see sense and, for once, think less about the money and more about the good of the sport he claims to love so dearly.

Can F1 cope without a British Grand Prix and likewise can the British motoring industry? And should Ecclestone back down over his pay demands? Post your comments below...

Liverpool crisis: Benitez to blame

Rafael Benitez can bemoan injuries, lack of transfer funds and his warring board of directors all he wants - but for the real reasons behind the crisis engulfing Anfield, the Spaniard needs to check out the man in the mirror.

Four successive defeats, ninth position in the table and the real possibility of group-stage elimination in Europe was certainly not in the script having pushed Manchester United so hard in the league last season.

Even the most pro-Benitez among Reds fans - still blinded by rose-tinted memories of Istanbul - must concede that Benitez's dreadful record in the transfer market lies at the heart of the club's ailments.

Since joining in 2004, Benitez's nett spend on transfers is £113,650,000. Only Chelsea and Manchester City have shelled out more over the same period (and City's figure is skewed by their huge spending over the last year). Sir Alex Ferguson, by comparison, has a transfer deficit of just £27,600,000.

On average, Rafa has spent nearly £19million on players per season. Yet still his squad is awash with mediocrity. Liverpool have the most bloated squad in the Premier League, yet few would argue that there are more than five players of genuine class amongst their massed ranks.

Here is a list of the players brought to Anfield last season - Philipp Degen, Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavalieri, Robbie Keane, Vitor Flora, Alberto Riera and David Ngog. Total cost: £39million. I'll leave it to Anfield regulars to decide whether that's value for money.

Injuries to such class acts as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres would take their toll on any club, but if Benitez continues to surround his few quality players with over-priced dross he can expect little more than continued failure and disappointment.

Do you think Benitez should be replaced as Liverpool manager? What do you think of his record in the transfer market and is this responsible for the Reds' poor start? Tell us below.

From the Touchlines: Injury crisis for England

Barely a day goes by without news of a latest injury setback for England boss Martin Johnson and it would not be an overexaggeration to now call it a crisis.

The latest big name to be added to the list of casualties is prop Phil Vickery, who faces at least three months on the sidelines as he undergoes neck surgery yet again.

That announcement leaves Johnson without a potential first-team front row with hooker Lee Mears and prop Andrew Sheridan already having been ruled out of the November internationals against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand with injury problems of their own.

Others who will be missing in action include full-back Delon Armitage, centres Riki Flutey and Toby Flood, flanker Tom Rees and also Danny Cipriani, who had been tipped for a recall following his return to form this season.

Should any more fall beside the wayside then Johnson will be fielding an almost fully second-string side against two of the best sides in the world next month. It also throws up the question whether the rigours of the modern game are now just too much, a fear recently raised by player chiefs concerned at the growing number of injuries.

Can anything be done to stop the growing injury list in rugby? And who should make the England side for the November internationals following their injury crisis? Post your comments below...

Thumbs up for beach ball ref

Spare a thought for the referee at the centre of Beach Ball Gate, which has sparked more debate than Wayne Rooney's metatarsal.

Mike Jones's punishment for allowing the goal that sent Liverpool packing at Sunderland is a trip to London Road for Peterborough's Championship clash with Scunthorpe.

That's a disgrace. Far from condemning the guy to temporary exile from the Premier League, Mr Jones should be applauded for adding some much-needed spice to the top-flight season.

The Premier League has become little more than a predictable four-horse race in which the gloriously random nature of sport has been all but eliminated.

Gone are the days when an errant dog or a bog of a pitch could spring a surprise result, or when a 'smaller' club could cultivate a healthy crop of youngsters and take the league by storm in true Brian Clough or Bobby Robson fashion.

To be fair to Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, he didn't blame the beach ball for the defeat against the Black Cats, but his team's failure to score a goal or two.

That's a refreshing change from the post-match whinging that goes on so often these days.

So it's thumbs up to Mr Jones for providing the best and most talked about incident of the season so far. Football needs more of such unpredictable moments, not fewer.

What do you think of Beach Ball Gate? Should the goal have stood, or should Mike Jones be struck off the Premier League list? Have your say below