and how gareth southgate has made the international experience one to savour. the last couple of years, you can see the steps that we've been making as a team on the field off the field, but, of course, the most important is on the field. and the darts goes on despite another covid withdrawal and the defending champion claiming the tournament should be delayed. hello again. not only is the festive period a much—loved tradition in the premier league hidden amongst it is the half way point of the season. and manchester city have arrived there on the back of nine straight wins. if things go their way tonight, they could be nine points clear. they play at brentford and then again at arsenal on new year's day, as they attempt to negotiate this crucial part of the season, one that's become even more fraught with complications brought about by covid and injuries. we have long weeks, but now we have 29 and the first, the two away fixtures against difficult, tough opponents. but the premier league is like this, that is the most difficult competition when you are able

the racism suffered by gareth southgate's england side was as ugly as it was depressingly familiar. earlier racist incidents, like the one in bulgaria during qualifying, helped to form the decision for players to take the knee before games. a lot of the times when, you know, the racism comes up, or something's happened, we tend to address it for that period, that five days, or that week. and then, we normally brush it up under the carpet, and things are all fine now. and when the next scenario happens, that's when we go again. 0n the whole, we just wanted to keep highlighting that. yes, there's been times that we've sat down and say, "is the message still powerful?" and we've said yes. as a group and as a collective, we try to keep that going. the tournament that began with players taking the knee, ending in vile racist abuse aimed towards them. but even then room for hope. although there was a horrible reaction that night from too many people, but still a minority, i thought there was a brilliant counter reaction, where the majority of the fans and public were saying, "we're not ha

today the england manager gareth southgate was asked what he'd say to players wondering whether to get vaccinated. i think everybody has that responsibility. we are notjust looking after ourselves, we are looking after other people and, actually, all of the restrictions and all of the devastation to health and the economy, down to the fact that we won't get clear unless the numbers are high. the league is a little bit complicated because we've got players who are fully vaccinated have also still caught the virus. so we know that is a complex situation for them, which games to play and which not. in the end, everybody has to pull together to get through something like this. tottenham are out of the europa conference league after uefa confirmed their postponed match against rennes earlier this month must be forfeited. the game was due to be played in london on december the 9th, but was called off after a covid—i9 outbreak in the tottenham squad. spurs say they're disappointed by the ruling of the uefa appeals body and its refusal to allow more time for the match to be rescheduled." ren

they won team of the year for reaching the euros final, with gareth southgate coach of the year. while the lifetime achievement award went to american gymnast simone biles. but this has been emma raducanu's year, and it was her night. emma raducanu! andy swiss, bbc news. and with news of all the sport taking place today, here's lizzie. thanks, huw. good evening. england's cricketers need a miraculous turnaround to avoid going 2—0 down in the ashes series. they'll start the final day of the second test against australia four wickets down and needing another 386 runs to win. patrick gearey reports. forjoe root and england, it is the ashes tour which keeps getting more sore. our nurse do they get up from this? joe root had also been hit there in the warm up so was missing whenjos there in the warm up so was missing when jos buttler there in the warm up so was missing whenjos buttler helped england try to keep hold of australia. the captain returned to a phoney war. the aussies scoring runs they probably wouldn't need, and waiting for the right time to put england in. 467 for the r

the england manager gareth southgate says it's vitally important that he and his squad use their platform to make a difference as they continue to fight against racism. england players began taking the knee during the euros in the summer, and southgate says he knew things had to change during england's 5—1win against montenegro in march 2019. southgate's comments came during an interview with raheem sterling while the forward was guest editing for radio 4's today programme. i wasn't aware until close to the end of the game when danny rose got booked and there was a reaction from the crowd. i didn't realise earlier in the game that from the other side of the pitch there had been racist abuse going on. when we got back into the changing room and i am having a go at danny forgetting booked. i had to apologise on the plane because it suddenly emerged this had been going on during the game. i didn't like the fact the boys could mention in the changing room at half—time or report it. so for me it was like, this is awful, how is this environment where our players are allowed to be abused on

sterling — who was guest editing radio 4's today programme — says manager gareth southgate has transformed the environment and should be credited for it. while southgate remains modest, he agreed that things had to change in the england changing room. i remember us talking about the pressure the team were feeling. but really a lot of the pressure on the team when we took over because of what happened he has a go. not your fault as a generation, but the generations before when the fans had been disappointed with the team and there was a build—up of 15 years and they were talking it's 20 years, it is 25 years. that is not your fault, it is the failures of the past. i remember we did some videos of what had gone wrong in the past. you know, my penalty needed to be in there because, that is gone, how do we make our own history? we have talked quite a bit about doing things our way.— talked quite a bit about doing thins ourwa . ., , , ., things our way. from my first game in the squad — things our way. from my first game in the squad to _ things our way. from my first game in the squad to

he's also been speaking to the england manager gareth southgate about how they dealt with the abuse suffered by some england players had after they lost the final of the euros. it's a game of huge stakes, you know. people are probably intoxicated a lot of the times, say and do things that are, you know, try to... sometimes, when i'm angry, i try to do the utmost thing at one person that i can try to insult them as much as possible. just trying to be horrible because you want to get a reaction out of that person or you want to get a reaction because you are angry. at the same time, you know, we can't let that, you know, disrespect or belittle another human being, what their skin tone is. so i feel on that aspect, that's the really disappointing thing. you know, it's frustrating being it, you being frustrated shouldn't result in negative comments for someone's skin colour. i think what hurt me was that this was a group of players who had brought everybody together for 30 days or whatever it was on a brilliantjourney, and then, the first time we ever set back and the defeat, now, all of a sudde

the big thing for him and gareth southgate, he sees southgate as a mentor. that is key to it. having aspirationalfigures mentor. that is key to it. having aspirational figures that you can speak with, who can help you, guide you. it'sjust really speak with, who can help you, guide you. it's just really interestingly he continues to use his platform to platform to try to bring about some good. i remember speaking to him a few years ago at an fa cup final and interviewing him pitch side, because he grew up in the shadow of wembley and that inspired him as a kid, and there were some schoolchildren who had been given tickets by his foundation to come to the game for the first time. you know how footballers can glaze over when you ask them questions. when he spoke about those next generation of fans being at wembley, watching somebody who had come from where they had come from, then play for his team and his country, he came to life, because that is so important to him. to make sure people see a pathway into the game. role models. footballers are often so removed and protected and

today the england manager gareth southgate was asked what he'd say to players wondering whether to get vaccinated. i think everybody has that responsibility. we are notjust looking after ourselves, we are looking after other people and, actually, all of the restrictions and all of the devastation to health and the economy, down to the fact that we won't get clear unless the numbers are high. the league is a little bit complicated because we've got players who are fully vaccinated have also still caught the virus. so we know that is a complex situation for them, which games to play and which not. in the end, everybody has to pull together to get through something like this. tottenham are out of the europa conference league after uefa confirmed their postponed match against rennes earlier this month must be forfeited. the game was due to be played in london on december the 9th, but was called off after a covid—i9 outbreak in the tottenham squad. spurs say they're disappointed by the ruling of the uefa appeals body and its refusal to allow more time for the match to be rescheduled." ren

england manager gareth southgate thinks players need to take responsibility and take the vaccine. i think everybody has that responsibility. we are notjust looking after ourselves, we are looking after other people. actually, all of the restrictions and all of the devastation to health, and as i said earlier, the economy, are down to the fact that we won't get clear unless the numbers are high. so, the league is a little bit complicated, because we've got players who are fully vaccinated, who have also still caught the virus. so we know that is a complex situation for them, which games to be played and which not. but, in the end, everybody has to pull together to get through something like this. meanwhile rafa nadal has tested positive for covid—19 after making his comeback from injury in an exhibition event in abu dhabi last week. the twenty time grand slam champion returned the positive test on arrival back in spain. he said he was having "some unpleasant moments but hopes to improve little by little." nadal has not played a tour event since august, and the australian open beg

commentator: gareth southgate to take the free kick. _ looking for ehiogu! ugo ehiogu was a brilliant, towering defender. he played for middlesbrough, rangers, aston villa and england. he was a coach at spurs when he suffered a cardiac arrest. he was just 44. i mean, our world changed sort of in a second, as you can imagine. but, he had been monitored, he had been checked out. there were no signs at all. so it was completely out of the blue. the children are getting a lesson in how to save a life of someone collapses. chest compressions and a defibrillator. leading the class, the spurs club doctor, ravi gill. good, good technique. i like that. modern day defibrillators are very easy—to—use, very safe, very effective. so the earlier it can be recognised and chest compressions given, use of the defibrillator given, can really make a significant impact saving someone's life. watching the lesson, former referee chris foy and ugo ehiogu's team—mate at aston villa, dion dublin. he probably had the best body that i have ever seen in my life. abs and pecs. i'm

the england manager gareth southgate has told this programme that he supports the covid vaccination programme. it comes after research found 25% of players in the english football league haven't had a jab. speaking to sally at sports personality of the year, he said it is everybody�*s responsibility to tackle the virus. the only way through is it to fight the virus collectively, for health reasons, for the economy, for everything. so, yeah, ijust think we all have that responsibility to, erm, think of other people as well as ourselves in times like this. does that mean by getting vaccinated? well, i don't see another way out of the situation we're in. interesting to hear him speak so directly about it. we heard jurgen klopp, the liverpool manager, say the same thing last week, that actually, footballers probably should be all being vaccinated. i know it is not mandated at the moment. we see lots of games being cancelled at the moment. plat moment. we see lots of games being cancelled at the moment.— cancelled at the moment. not much auoin on cancelled at the moment. not much going on over