CK Updates
World Cup 2026: Is MetLife Stadium the right choice to host the final?
Ask locals and they will confirm that the stadium has long had a poor reputation.
“For lack of a better word, the technical term for MetLife Stadium is ‘blah’,” says long-time New Jersey sports columnist Steve Politi. One of his readers once compared its appearance to a giant prison toilet, another to a big air conditioner.
The stadium is home to two American football franchises, the New York Giants and the New Jersey Jets – and Politi explains that, by design, the stadium had to fit a lot of different people’s wants and needs.
He said the result was a soulless, large empty building that, for many fans, did not quite live up to its $1.6bn price tag.
Opened in 2010, the stadium has a modern metallic louvered exterior, with programmable lighting that can glow in any colour. It is one of the largest stadiums used in the NFL, and adjustments can be made for concerts and other events, with an open-air bowl that fits 82,500 spectators and 200 luxury suites across four levels. It has hosted everything from a Super Bowl and Wrestlemania to Paul McCartney and Beyonce concerts.
The multi-purpose venue is five miles west of Manhattan on a former swamp surrounded by highways, a 750-acre area known as the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The area is generally difficult to navigate without a car, and even then it is very congested.
Fans who took rideshares had to navigate winding lanes of traffic and closed roadways to find their way to the correct drop-off zone.
Those who took shuttles, or the 20,000 people who took the train, had an easier experience. Although they were frustrated by the high price – $98 a ticket for NJTransit tickets – and having to wait in large crowds to board the trains, most were pleased with the efficient commute itself.
“There was a little bit of a delay to get in, but it was OK,” says 56-year-old Jason Bentham, who travelled over from Manchester. His main complaint about his experience, though, was the high cost of beers at the stadium. Of the three venues he visited – he also went to Boston – his favourite was Atlanta, which is air conditioned, unlike MetLife Stadium.
“The stadium [in Atlanta] was amazing,” he says. “It was scorching hot when I was outside so when we got inside it had the roof on and it was all air conditioned, unbelievable stadium… and the beers were not as expensive.”
Still, the city he enjoyed the most overall, hands down, was New York, where he also watched the darts competition at Madison Square Garden and enjoyed the atmosphere and bars of the city.
To Fifa, that is the appeal of MetLife Stadium – its access to the largest media market.
Gymnast Ruby Evans has won Wales’ first Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow with victory in the floor final.
Evans, 19, performed the final routine of the women’s programme and defeated England’s Abigail Martin into silver, with her team-mate Shantae-Eve Amankwaah securing bronze.
Evans left the arena in tears on Sunday after her disappointing sixth in the all-round individual competition, that after Wales finished fourth in the team event.
Now, after Welsh identical twins Abigail and Emily Roper won bronze medals within a couple of hours of each other on Monday, Evans has delivered gold.
It was the first victory for Team Wales in Scotland and a ninth medal alongside two silver and six bronze.
There is also a guaranteed podium position for boxer Connor Williams after he reached the semi-finals.
An amateur cricket match has made global headlines after a fielder was accused of cheating by clicking his fingers to get a wicket.
The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League has started an investigation into a second XI Division 2 game between Saltburn and Norton.
A viral video on social media appears to show a Saltburn fielder clicking his fingers as the ball passes Noman Shabir’s bat before being caught by wicketkeeper Josh Bowes. Saltburn appeal and the umpire gives Shabir out.
It has been suggested that the finger-clicking was designed to trick the umpire into thinking the batter edged the ball.
Saltburn won by 159 runs and are top of Division 2 by 17 points.
“The league have received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday,” the league said in a statement on X.
“A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.”
Last week Bowes took eight catches in Saltburn’s 22-run win over Shildon Railway. The men’s Test record for catches by a keeper in an innings is seven.
Bowes leads the league standings with 31 catches, 10 more than any other player.
Rory Cotterill, who captained Middlesbrough second XI during a 29-run defeat by Saltburn last month, responded to a social media post containing the video and alleged two further incidents of cheating by Saltburn in that match.
The original video of the incident has had more than three million views on X, with publications in Australia and New Zealand among those to report it.
The BBC has contacted the league and Saltburn. Norton declined to comment.
First Test, Tarouba (day three of five)
West Indies 311 (Hope 92; Ali 4-50) & 126-7 (Chanderpaul 35, Abbas 3-14)
Pakistan 282 (Masood 109; Greaves 5-27)
West Indies lead by 155 runs
West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves took five wickets without conceding a run in an incredible spell of bowling on day three of the first Test against Pakistan.
Greaves, who is playing in his 17th Test, claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul to help dismiss Pakistan for 282 in response to West Indies’ first-innings total of 311.
The 32-year-old Barbadian’s spell – five consecutive wicket maidens – was all the more remarkable given he had bowled six overs earlier in the day for 27 runs without taking a wicket.
“When I came on captain Roston Chase just said ‘continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and to see if I can get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said.
“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand the team looks to me to be that solid player for them [and] try to dig us out of situations.
“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game.”
Pakistan captain Shan Masood was Greaves’ first wicket at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad when he was bowled for 109 in the 64th over following a superb set-up.
Greaves had pushed the ball wide to the left-hander from over the wicket before he tailed a delivery back into Masood who played down the wrong line and inside edged on to his stumps.
Aamer Jamal had his middle stump uprooted in Greaves’ next over as the seamer speared one through his defences.
Greaves then trapped Ali Usman lbw before he had Mohammed Rizwan and Mohammad Abbas both caught behind as Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 38 runs.
West Indies reached stumps on day three on 126-7 in their second innings – a lead of 155 runs – to leave the match finely poised.
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CK Updates11 hours agoSaltburn-Norton match investigated over alleged ‘finger clicking’ cheating
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CK Updates24 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Scotland’s Archie Goodburn on battling brain cancer
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CK Updates5 hours agoCommonwealth Games 2026: Gymnast Ruby Evans wins first gold for Wales
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CK Updates17 hours agoWest Indies v Pakistan: Justin Greaves takes five wickets for none in incredible spell