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• Milan coach rules out loan switch later this season
• Beckham attended Milan's 1-1 draw with Arsenal

Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri does not believe David Beckham will return for a third spell at the club. Beckham was at the Emirates Stadium to watch his former club in action against Arsenal this afternoon, as the pre-season friendly finished 1-1.

The 35-year-old spent part of last season on loan at the Serie A club from LA Galaxy, having previously had a successful loan period in Italy in 2009.

Beckham - whose camp have already ruled out reports of a possible switch to West Ham - is close to completing his recovery from the ruptured achilles which ended his chance of making it to a fourth World Cup this summer and is due to return to LA Galaxy on 9 August.

New coach Allegri, though, does not believe Beckham will return to Milan at any stage next season. "I do not think so," he said. "David is now recovering from very bad injury at that age it is very difficult to come back. But it has been a great pleasure for us to see him today."

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

Yet again we've had a rather difficult, disrupted pre-season after losing another manager. The new one, Brendan Rodgers, has a really difficult job ahead of him to come close to matching last year's seventh-place finish, but I'm definitely not worried that we'll fall apart. We have a solid squad easily capable of a mid-table finish: it's just a question of whether Rodgers has what it takes to guide the team any higher than that – ideally to another impressive top-half finish. Hopefully, he can put his miserable Reading experience behind him, settle down here and enjoy a much more successful time with Swansea.

Last season 7th Prediction 12th

The new boys

Losing Paulo Sousa hasn't helped us in terms of a coherent plan to strengthen the squad, and we've managed only a couple of free signings from lower league clubs. Rodgers has little time and money now to sign players – and we desperately need a new striker.

Men to watch

Darren Pratley (if he stays) is probably our most important player in midfield. He signed from Fulham in 2006 and keeps being linked with Nottingham Forest. And long-serving defender Alan Tate is always a massive favourite among the fans. He's likely to be as consistently excellent as always.

Best youngsters

Keep an eye on Joe Allen: he's probably the best of the next generation.

Target for the boo-boys

Spanish striker Gorka Pintado is never popular: he played constantly under Sousa last season but never really performs.

Hate figure

Anyone at Cardiff, and Robbie Savage.

Going up Nottingham Forest, Hull, Middlesbrough

Going down Scunthorpe, Barnsley, Watford

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

We finished just five points off the play-offs last season in a campaign that was hit significantly by injuries. The majority of that squad is still intact with some promising new additions thrown in to the mix. A positive start to the season is vital and, of course, we need to stay injury-free, but all things considered the top six is definitely in reach.

Last season 8th Prediction 6th

The new boys

Signing Steve Simonsen has given fans faith in the manager once again, and other new arrivals, such as Robert Kozluk, Johannes Ertl, Daniel Bogdanovic, Nyron Nosworthy and Leon Britton, may not be household names but they're certainly players who understand what's needed in the Championship. We'll miss Darius Henderson though: he would have been a big player for us, but he's out for six months with a hamstring injury.

Men to watch

Maltese striker Bogdanovic scored 14 goals for Barnsley in the Championship last season and is now at the Lane. We're hoping for big things from him.

Best youngsters

Former youth teamer Matthew Lowton is looking promising. He picked up some good experience on loan at United's Hungarian sister club Ferencvaros.

Target for the boo-boys

Jordan Stewart left the club this summer for pastures new, so it won't be him. He didn't have the most enjoyable time during his career here, but Ryan France is still at the club, and although he's not a first-team regular, he always attracts plenty of criticism when he does make an appearance.

Hate figure

Wednesday are no longer in the Championship so our attentions will have to turn to former keeper Paddy Kenny, now with Neil Warnock at QPR.

Going up Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Cardiff

Going down Scunthorpe, Watford, Crystal Palace

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

I'm expecting us to carry on where we left off at the end of last season. We're looking in really good shape overall: we've kept the core of our squad together. So my prediction is based on us finding that form again really early on, establishing consistency and remaining fit and healthy. Injuries to our defenders, though, could cost us the season.

Last season 9th Prediction 2nd

The new boys

Ideally we need another centre-back: that's where the potential weaknesses may emerge. But the manager seems largely to be making do with what we have. And that's fine – there's no reason that the same squad can't build on last season's progress.

Men to watch

Gylfi Sigurdsson is probably the most promising player we've had at the club in recent years. He fits both the star man category and the best up-and-coming youngster. He's great to watch and put in some amazing performances last season. We're just hoping for more of the same this time round. And it'll be good to have Noel Hunt back from injury. He hasn't played a competitive game since knee surgery last October.

Target for the boo-boys

Brian Howard has never really managed to get along with the fans, and Matt Mills had a public falling-out with supporters last season. But it'd be really harsh to tip anyone until the season starts to unfold.

Hate figure

Brendan Rodgers at Swansea will be the man the Reading fans will look forward to booing the most. He almost took us down by trying to impose a style of football here which simply didn't suit the current crop of players. He'd marry himself if it was legal.

Going up Reading, Middlesbrough, Burnley

Going down Scunthorpe, Millwall, Doncaster

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

Having recently met our manager Darren Ferguson at a fans' forum, I'm feeling very positive about the coming season. He arrived only in January but has quickly overhauled the place. It looks like everything is in place for us to do very well compared to last season – I'd say a play-off place is likely.

Last season 17th Prediction 5th

The new boys

I'm very happy with the transfer business so far, and we haven't finished yet. It's not just the players that Ferguson has brought in since he arrived that have pleased fans, it's the outgoings too. The manager has cleansed the club of most of the wasters we were lumbered with and is slowly building a team of players who really want to play for him and the club.

Men to watch

With so many new faces in the team this season it's difficult to say who will be the stars. Matt James, back on loan again from Manchester United, should be up there with the best, and so too will Paul Coutts, who signed from Peterborough in February. Also worth watching is Keith Treacy, who joined in February from Blackburn.

Best youngsters

Former youth players Adam Barton and Danny Mayor are already establishing themselves in the first-team squad. Both could make a real impact this season.

Target for the boo-boys

It's almost impossible to predict who'll get it this season because the manager has removed so much of the dead wood. But I'd say that if Chris Brown is used regularly then he could well be the one.

Hate figure

Preston fans hate everything about Blackpool. Everything. Burnley are a close second.

Going up Middlesbrough, Sheffield Utd, Preston

Going down Scunthorpe, Watford, Millwall

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

It's hard to know what to expect from a first season back in the Championship, but the signs are pretty good. There's definitely a concern over the thinness of the squad in terms of quality, but barring an injury disaster we should still be safe for a mid-table finish at least. Some reckon the momentum of last year, and the nous of our fine manager Kenny Jackett, could mean we're in and around the play-offs, but I think that's over-optimistic. Looking forward to it, though.

Last season Promoted Prediction 12th

The new boys

We've done some decent, if modest, business so far: Jackett admitted that the injury to Shaun Batt – who'll miss the whole season – forced him to address the lack of cover in attack. Signing James Henry full-time from Reading is a great move: we know what he's about, and he's a good age to progress. Kevin Lisbie coming on a season-long loan from Ipswich doesn't set the pulse racing, but Jackett's still looking. Hopefully we'll see some more forwards coming in before the end of the window. At the back, Tamika Mkandawire should prove a really tidy free transfer.

Men to watch

Steve Morison scored a hatful last year. it's another step up in class for the former non-league striker, but he has the class to do it. Alan Dunne had a great season, and Darren Ward should be strong at the back, too.

Best youngsters

Henry is still only 21 – it's going to be good to see him develop here. Teenager John Marquis is among the kids worth watching.

Target for the boo-boys

It'll be Lisbie if he struggles.

Hate figure

There are plenty. It'll definitely be nice seeing Palace again.

Going up: Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Hull City

Going down: Scunthorpe, Portsmouth, Crystal Palace

• The Observer's Fans' Network previews 2010-11

I'm extremely worried. Not only have we had no new signings, but we've weakened, with James Perch leaving (although some fans are pleased about that) and Joe Garner shipped out on loan (who many, myself included, regard as one of our better strikers). Even more alarming is the apparent fallout between the board and the manager. There are lots of rumours doing the rounds that Billy Davies and the board have had enough of each other (over the board's inability to sign anyone and Billy's need to mouth off in public). If things get patched up and we get a couple of signings we'll be fine (though last season was an overachievement). If it falls apart, who knows?

Last season 3rd Prediction 7th

The new boys

Transfers are a major problem. I don't know if Billy's targets are unrealistic, whether the budget is uncompetitive or if our "acquisitions panel" is just really poor at negotiating. Most fans point the finger at the panel.

Men to watch

Wes Morgan and Lee Camp are loved by the fans and Rob Earnshaw absolutely loves us.

Best youngsters

Radi Majewski: he's a proper talent, too good for the Championship (just watch that on YouTube). However, people know about him now so I can see him being double-marked out of the game.

Target for the boo-boys

Perchio has left, so that's one less to boo. So it will fall on Dele Adebola, David McGoldrick and everyone's favourite scapegoat, Luke Chambers.

Hate figure

Derby County, "Non-League" Nigel Clough and Robbie Savage, of course. And QPR manager Colin will always be up there.

Going up Burnley, Cardiff, QPR

Going down Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Crystal Palace

British Asian players are still a rare sight in this country, but one who has made the grade aims to change the old myths for good

The words are ingrained on Zesh Rehman's mind. He was 10 years old, already showing promise with a ball at his feet, but the guy at the edge of the pitch did not even want to know his name.

"I was told I had a weak diet, that I was scared of the weather and genetically not strong enough," Rehman, born to Pakistani parents in Birmingham's Aston district, recalls. "He was a scout and I remember him saying: 'Your lot won't make it.'" Note the "your lot". Alf Garnett would have been proud.

But Rehman did make it. "A lot of boys that age would have been put off but I had a strong mentality," he says. The 26-year-old plays for Bradford City, preparing to begin their League One season against Shrewsbury next weekend, and has also captained Pakistan's national side. OK, that does not give him the status of Imran Khan or Wasim Akram, but there are still thousands of young boys in Pakistan who dream of being him. "I remember my debut in 2005 and I was mobbed. You can't get away from the fact that cricket is huge in Pakistan, but a lot of people don't realise how big football is there, too."

Or, perhaps, what a scandal it is that so few British Asians are involved in football, Rehman being one of only five full-timers in England. "That is in 92 clubs, so it's an alarming statistic when you consider the number [of British Asians] living here," Rehman says.

Latest figures show there are 10 British Asian players enrolled in the Premier League clubs' academies, not even 1% of the total. The problem, in other words, is not going to be fixed quickly, although that will not surprise anyone who has read the academic Jas Bains's reports on how the game has ignored the Asian community. Bains sarcastically titled the original 1996 version Asians Can't Play Football. So little had altered when he updated it 10 years later the next was called Another Wasted Decade.

There are, however, standard-bearers trying to break new ground and, in the process, put an end to so much potential talent being wasted. The Zesh Rehman Foundation has been set up to encourage more Asians into the game. "I can't change the world but if I can make a difference for the next generation it will be worthwhile," he says.

Kick It Out is another vocal campaigner, its research demonstrating within the Asian community "there continues to be a feeling Asian players have been marginalised for far too long".

Slowly but surely, more clubs are beginning to recognise the problem. Bradford, for instance, have increased community projects with local Asians, with Rehman prominently involved. As the England and Pakistan cricket teams battle it out at Trent Bridge today, the Conference South club Woking will host a friendly against a Pakistan international XI, hoping to tempt some of the town's 8,000 Pakistani community to the Kingfield Stadium.

"It's about breaking down the barriers," says the club chairman, Shahid Azeem. "We're living in a multi-cultural society but maybe, for some, there has been a fear factor in the past about how they would be received at football matches and whether they would be out of their comfort zone."

Azeem, once on the books of Aldershot, hopes the match will "demonstrate globally that Pakistan has another side than the negative one often portrayed in the media." He believes young Asians need more role models such as Rehman to encourage them into football.

"Traditionally [Asian] parents do not encourage their kids into sport," he said. "We need one or two players to break through and then hopefully others will follow."

It is, after all, nearly 32 years since Viv Anderson became the first black footballer to play for England and Ron Greenwood announced his team with the words: "Yellow, purple or black – if they're good enough, I'll pick them."

What does not help is Pakistan's routine failure to qualify for the World Cup, or even the Asian Cup. They are currently placed 163rd (out of 202) in Fifa's world rankings, but Rehman believes they can reach the 2018 World Cup. He cites Honduras, with a population of two million, playing in South Africa. Pakistan's population is around 170m.

In England, meanwhile, he will continue trying to "conquer the misconceptions" about Asians and football. "If a scout goes to a match and his head is filled with these myths, the thing is that he won't be watching the players on a level playing field."

Woking v Pakistan Invitation XI, today at 5pm.

The Chelsea manager said his team must try to rediscover the form that won the Double last season

Carlo Ancelotti has urged his players to cure any World Cup hangovers by returning to the cocktail that won them the Double in May. None of the members of Chelsea's squad had a tournament to cherish – in fact most returned from South Africa with their spirits dented, none more so than the embarrassed English and French contingents.

"I think we have to put our minds back to the end of last season," said Ancelotti as he welcomed the last of his international players back to Cobham last week. "Our season was very good and we had a lot of celebration, and now we have to rediscover that. The World Cup was a different story for them and we have to create a good atmosphere now."

From what he has seen on the pre-season pitches, he is confident his team will click back into gear. "They've had to work very hard to improve their condition and I didn't find any problems."

Ancelotti is conscious that emulating their success of last season, particularly after a summer short of rest and relaxation for the bulk of the squad, is a challenging task. "To win more trophies than last season will be difficult," he said.

"Everyone expects us to do our best but it's very difficult in football to repeat. We have the same aim as last year, to stay in competitions. But last year we went out of the Champions League too early so we have to do better."

On the home front, the Italian believes that the Premier League will be even tougher, mainly due to the strengthening done by Manchester City. "It will be more open this year because they have had a fantastic summer in the transfer market. They have bought some fantastic players. In theory Man City could be very difficult opponents. It's difficult to build a team in one summer but Roberto Mancini has the experience to do this, so it can be done."

As for Liverpool, who are expected to push back towards the top four under their new coach, Roy Hodgson, Ancelotti was amused by Joe Cole's assessment that his new club are the biggest in England. "That's his opinion but I don't think it's a reality," he quipped. "Liverpool is a fantastic club with a fantastic history and tradition, but it's normal for a player to say things like that when he joins a new club."

Chelsea are in Germany for a short tour, and it demonstrates how hard it is to integrate World Cup players into a truncated pre-season that they will be used for 45 minutes at most this weekend – with just two weeks to go until the Premier League kicks off. Of the injured players, Petr Cech, Alex, and Didier Drogba will be back in contention for the Community Shield next weekend.

Ancelotti remains coy about the prospects of adding to his squad. He is pleased with what he has seen so far of Yossi Benayoun, whose versatility he intends to maximise. "He's a very intelligent player," said the Italian.

"He has always played as a winger but in the next game I will try to put him as a midfielder in the centre. As a team we have the same potential as last year, but it is possible we will improve."

• Somali-born runner is first Briton to win 5000 and 10,000m
• Dai Greene and Rhys Williams earn 1-2 in 400m hurdles

As Mo Farah neared the line to win gold in the 5,000m a scream rose from the pit of his belly. The 27-year-old, who had just missed out on the European title four years ago when pipped to the line by Jesús España of Spain in 0.09 seconds, was overcome by emotion. Collapsing on the track at the realisation of his achievement – the first ever Briton to win both the 10,000m and 5,000m European titles, a feat even the great Brendan Foster had not managed – he shielded his eyes to cover the tears.

Standing over him, España, who finished second this time, tried to haul the Londoner to his feet. But Farah lay prostrate on the track, muttering a prayer into the blue asphalt. When he could finally stand, he ran to the railings to present his wife, Tania, with the winners' bouquet while five year-old daughter, Rihanna, got the teddy mascot.

Farah won in 13minutes 31.18seconds – 25 seconds slower than the personal best he set earlier this month – but it was a brave performance as, with two laps to go, he moved to the front of the pack and led all the way to the line. In the final 300m España seemed to be catching him, roared on by the home crowd, but Farah kicked again, once more upping the tempo and sprinted down the final straight.

"In the home straight I just had to dig and dig," said the Somali-born runner, who moved to the UK at the age of nine. "Four years ago, it was at that point where he [España] came past me, I just didn't want to look behind, I just wanted to dig and dig and push and push.

"Obviously my mind is on the Olympics now but I'm already looking forward to the World Championships next year."

Chris Thompson, Farah's old friend with whom he had shared the glory on Tuesday night as the 29-year-old won silver in the 10,000m, could manage no better than eighth place, but rushed to congratulate his teammate.

A thrilling British one-two in the men's 400m hurdles brought Britain a first European title in the event since Kriss Akabusi won gold in 1990.

Friends and training partners Dai Greene and Rhys Williams – under the guidance of Malcolm Arnold, who helped Colin Jackson to world, European and Commonwealth titles, and a world record in the 110m hurdles — each produced personal bests to claim gold and silver.

Greene put on a stunning display as he streaked off down the home straight to win in a world-class time of 48.12sec, while Williams ran 48.96, breaking 49 seconds for the first time.

Having led from the final bend Greene, the former Swansea City youth academy footballer, went wild at the line as he celebrated his first ever senior medal. "I felt fantastic out there," added the 24 year-old." I felt I could go faster and I could do it all again in a couple of days. It was mine to win and relief and joy when I crossed that line and I ran a personal best, so it was great."

Williams' dad — Wales rugby legend JJ Williams — was in the stadium to watch his son's success. Nicknamed the "Welsh Whippet" for his speed on the wing, Williams senior must have passed on the sprinting genes having represented Wales at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, finishing 7th behind the great Jamaican athlete Don Quarrie in the 200m quarter-final.

The competitive nature of the two young Welshmen spurred them onto medals, but it also left Williams disappointed at missing out on gold to his team-mate. "I wanted to win," said the 26-year-old. "I'm not going to be too hard on myself. I got a PB but there is disappointment there. Times mean nothing – all I wanted to do was win, but you haven't seen the last of me."

Williams did not join Greene on the lap of honour, preferring to save that privilege for another occasion. "The moment didn't belong to me," he said. "I'm a great believer in that Dai Greene won and it's his moment. Hats off to him, he did well today. This is definitely a step in the right direction to 2012, only difference is my rival comes from up the road and not from another country. I've finally broke 49 seconds — I'm now in the 48 club and I've got to keep progressing as I am."

In the 800m final, Michael Rimmer missed out on the gold medal by a tenth of a second despite leading going into the final straight. The 24-year-old, who had never won a major medal before, junior or senior, appeared to run out of steam in the final metres, coming in at 1min 47.17sec to take the silver. Rimmer looked disconsolate as he left the track, disappointed with the result and the time having run almost three seconds faster in Lausanne last month.

"It's very tough," said Rimmer. "Maybe I'll wake up in the morning and I'll feel better. I'm gutted — if I'm honest I'm going to hate standing on that podium hearing someone else's national anthem, it'll be gut wrenching.

"Hopefully next time I'll be on top of it. I just wanted to win it for Britain — it's been 20 years since we did and I want to apologise to everyone who is watching I really did my best."

• Warrington 24-26 St Helens
• Westwood misses match-winning conversion for Wolves

For the growing number of Warrington supporters who wonder if the Wolves will ever again beat St Helens, this latest defeat was so excruciating that the town could soon be full of gibbering wrecks.

Saints were missing several key players, the penalty count was stacked against them, and Warrington had enough chances to win several games in the last 10 minutes alone. But somehow, as on 39 of the 40 previous occasions the local rivals have met since the switch to a summer Super League in 1996, St Helens kept the Wolves from the door. It was an awe-inspiring defensive performance, in which the England internationals James Graham and James Roby were truly astonishing, although Warrington had only themselves to blame for failing to snatch a draw, as Ben Westwood, their otherwise outstanding second-row, was unable to convert his second try in the 73rd minute.

Instead it was Jamie Foster, a tall wing who turned 20 last week, who proved the Saints match-winner, scoring 14 of their points with two tries and three conversions from five attempts, two of them from wide out. "Young Jamie had some pressure put on him, and under pressure he did really well," said the coach Mick Potter, although it was Graham, Roby and the evergreen full-back Paul Wellens who earned his warmest praise.

Warrington's coach Tony Smith absolved Westwood of blame, pointing to the 47-metre penalty he had already landed in first-half stoppage time, in addition to his wholehearted performance which earned 16 of their points. "I'm sure Benny's going to go to sleep tonight wishing he could have kicked the goal, but that wasn't the reason we lost that game," said Smith. "It was down to us not quite executing, and missing too many opportunities."

They had looked nervous from the start, squandering a couple of try-scoring chances, and the proven winners of St Helens made them pay with tries from Matty Ashurst and Foster's first.

Smith responded with a treble substitution which paid immediate dividends, as Paul Wood barged over from David Solomona's offload, and then Wood released the ball for Jon Clarke to score. That lead did not last long, as Francis Meli dummied through some slack defence for a try that Foster converted from wide out. But Westwood's long-range goal halved the deficit, and 10 minutes into the second half his first try regained the lead.

Briefly, St Helens looked wobbly, the momentum having shifted in Warrington's favour. But then, after Jon Wilkin flicked a superb pass out of a tackle to Wellens, and although he was pulled down by the covering Clarke, the Wolves could not reorganise quickly enough to stop Roby crossing on the right. Again, Foster nonchalantly knocked over the difficult conversion, and now the Saints were ahead – and they extended the lead to six points with a bizarre try as the Warrington hooker Michael Monaghan threw a wild pass inside his own half, which was caught by a gratefulWilkin, who sent Foster over for his second.

But this time the young wing could not convert, setting the scene for a frenzied last quarter in which Westwood scored his second from a delicate Lee Briers kick – but then, crucially, sliced the conversion attempt wide.

The good news for neutrals is that these teams are likely to meet at least once more this season – almost certainly in the first round of the Super League play-offs, as they are now joint second in the table six points behind Wigan, and possibly at Wembley if they come through next weekend's Challenge Cup semi finals. But could Warrington's nerves stand that?

• Team captain Jessica Ennis leads by example with gold
• British amass 16 medals with one day to go in Barcelona

On an unforgettable night in Barcelona's Montjuic Olympic stadium Charles van Commenee's British team surpassed their medals target with a day to spare, adding three gold medals and two silvers to make a total of 16 medals overall.

Jessica Ennis captained Great Britain to a night of euphoria as the medals rained in. Leading by example the 24 year-old heptathlete added a European title to her medal collection of world indoor and outdoor golds. Mo Farah became the first British man to win both the 10,000m and 5,000m European gold medals in a thrilling display, while 400 metres hurdler Dai Greene won Britain's first European title in the event since Kriss Akabusi's gold in 1990, and Rhys Williams made it a British one-two in taking silver. In the 800m Michael Rimmer won silver, his first ever senior medal.

Ennis's team talk at the start of the championships was all about how she had overcome a potentially career-threatening injury, missing out on the 2008 Olympic Games, and returning to become a world champion. The message of enduring through even the most difficult of moments must have served her well as she battled through a tough two days to win her third major title in 12 months. Ennis set a new European Championship record – just eight points off Denise Lewis' British record — pushing the Olympic champion, Nataliya Dobrynska, to a personal best to take the silver medal.

It was a remarkable effort from Ennis, who as recently as three weeks ago was laid low with an inner ear infection. With Dobrynska on form the Sheffield star was allowed no margin for error as the Ukrainian kept up the pressure; the two leading lights of the sport separated by just 18 points heading into the final event of the competition.

In that 800m race, there was a gasp as Ennis was overtaken by Dobrynska coming into the final bend; just one slip-up and she would have lost the gold medal. "I am so happy and so relieved," said Ennis, who won in a total of 6823 points, "it has been a really tough couple of days – I've been pushed all the way and it's a brilliant relief to have crossed that line and have won the gold medal."

Ennis cited the competition as her toughest yet. "Definitely – the girls pushed me all the way and it has been so hard every step of the way. On the start line for the 800m I was so nervous – it was pure nerves knowing had Dobrynska got ahead of me it would have cost the gold medal – I just wanted to make sure I didn't let myself down.

"That was completely different to any other heptathlon I've ever been involved in it was so tough…Berlin was a lot of pressure coming back from an injury but this was a different type of pressure.

"I just gave absolutely everything. It's quite surreal now to think about how I began this year it's unbelievable – I'm so happy, so tired and so really pleased with the whole year."

Ennis finished just 45 points ahead of Dobrynska, while Jennifer Oeser of Germany finished in third place. While the title had never seriously looked in doubt, this was certainly Ennis' toughest test yet.

Unlike at the outdoor and indoor World Championships in Berlin and in Doha, Ennis did not have the luxury of being in cruise control. Dobrynska was much stronger than she had been in Berlin, or Gotzis, where she had faded badly, finishing in seventh place against the world's best heptathletes. Here in Barcelona she was back on the radar, equalling her personal best in the high jump and improving it in the javelin and the 800m. Ennis admitted she could feel Dobrynska breathing down her neck all the way. "Not a surprise at all," she said. "I knew that she wasn't the athlete that I remembered in Gotzis and I knew that she'd come out here a lot stronger and she has."

It is testimony to Ennis that in a performance where she was more steady than sparkling – sealing just one individual personal best when she threw 46.71m in the javelin — the Briton still managed to pull off a personal best overall. The cumulative effect of a consistent performer such as Ennis has always been her star quality, as she won the 100m hurdles in 12.95, high jump in 1.89m, 200m in 23.21 and 800m in 2:10.18, performing well in the shot put with a throw of 14.05m and equalled her best in the long jump with 6.43m.

If there were nerves, Ennis hardly let them show. Only the red dot of a cold sore on top of her lip, the tiniest of blemishes on an otherwise perfectly put together athlete, seemed to indicate the slightest of strains.

"It's [been] a different challenge, I don't expect every heptathlon to be like the one in Berlin, although I wish it could be. It's always going to be difficult and people are going to push you and it's just what you've got to expect from each championship. So it's just another different type of experience really."

When all is said and done, though, all anyone will remember is the gold medal. And for Ennis, perhaps most importantly of all, she has learned that she can win even when the chips are down and the Olympic champion is on her game. That memory, come 2012, will undoubtedly serve her well.

This afternoon Britain could add as many as three more medals to their tally as the men and women's 4x400m relay teams, 1500 metres runners Lisa Dobriskey and Hannah England, and long jumper Chris Tomlinson go into action.

There would surely have been another medal to look forward to in the men's sprint relay final had Mark Lewis-Francis not miscued on the final hand-over with Marlon Devonish to put the British quartet out of contention in their qualifier.

• Aurelio was released in May after four seasons at Anfield
• The 30-year-old full-back has now signed a two-year deal

Fábio Aurélio has re-signed for Liverpool having been released by the club at the end of last season. The 30-year-old left Anfield in May following the expiry of his contract, but Roy Hodgson offered him the chance to train with the club in a bid to earn a return.

Having impressed the new manager and his backroom staff, he has been handed a new two-year contract and is included in the squad for tomorrow's friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany.

"I asked the club to find out whether Fábio had found a new club," Hodgson told the official Liverpool website. "When we ascertained that he hadn't, we invited him back to Melwood so myself and my staff and the medical team could properly assess the player. We were very impressed and I am delighted we were able to re-sign Fábio."

The Brazilian likened his return to Anfield to signing for the first time, and said that it feels like a fresh start with the club. "I feel very pleased and proud," he said. "It feels like I am signing for the first time - everything has changed so it is like a new beginning for me with new confidence and a new boss.

"My aim is to help the team do better than last season. Everything is going really well, so I think we can progress a lot. We have made some good additions to the team and we can be very confident. I have been working for a while by myself since the end of my contract and trying to keep fit in pre-season, so I think I am in good condition."

Aurélio made 71 appearances in four seasons, scoring three goals, after being brought to Anfield in 2006 by Rafael Benítez. He becomes Liverpool's fourth signing of the summer for a total initial outlay of £2m, following the acquisitions of Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole and Danny Wilson.

• Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber take front row of grid
• Red Bull pair are more than a second quicker than the rest

Sebastian Vettel secured his seventh pole position of the season and Red Bull's 11th in 12 races with a lap that left his rivals trailing far behind and scratching their heads. The German was just over four-tenths of a second ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and 1.2 seconds clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in third. The result of the Hungarian Grand Prix appears to be in little doubt.

One team that will be more concerned than most by the startling speed of the Red Bulls is McLaren. Lewis Hamilton qualified in fifth place just behind Felipe Massa's Ferrari, but 1.7 seconds off Vettel's pace. For Jenson Button, qualifying was a disaster and the world champion will start today's race down in 11th.

"For Jenson and me, we just look at the onboard footage and laugh," said Hamilton. "I don't know what Red Bull are doing, but it's incredible. I pulled every inch out of the car and I'm happy with the job I did. We've got to work hard but it's a good position to start tomorrow. It's a long haul down to Turn One so anything's possible. Fourth or third would be spectacular."

The start will indeed be crucial and both Webber and Alonso are aware that it could be the only way to get near Vettel at a track that is second only to Monaco when it comes to difficulty in overtaking.

"The start will be interesting and then the race can be interesting in terms of trying to stay awake," was Webber's typically frank assessment, but both he and Alonso will be aware that Vettel has started the previous two races from pole and failed to get into the first corner in front at both.

"The dirty side is the worst of the calendar," said Alonso, referring to Webber's starting position on the front row. "We have a good chance to overtake at the start."

Vettel is aware that getting off the line has been his Achilles heel in recent races but is not planning on moving right or left when the lights go out at the beginning of 70 laps this afternoon.

"Just go straight" is his intended strategy. "We found the problem from last week so we are confident we can defend. It is important to be on the clean side here," he said.

Even for the mid-grid starters, the left-hand side of the road is the best place to be and for Button it was the only consolation of a terrible session. "I struggled for grip but the good thing is that I'll be starting on the clean side," he said. "Normally, that can make you up a place or two at the start, and there'll be lots of opportunities into the first corner, which is always exciting here. We can still do a lot from 11th and I'll do my very best to pick up some valuable world championship points. I suppose you could say we've just got to be brave."

The Mercedes team will be doing their utmost to put a brave face on the performance of Michael Schumacher but 14th on the grid is not what they pay the seven-times world champion £6m a year for, particularly when he is eight places adrift of his team-mate, Nico Rosberg. It is the fourth time in five races that Schumacher has failed to progress into the final stage of qualifying and the 41-year-old's comeback from three years in retirement is going from bad to worse.

Renault had said they were targeting Mercedes' current fourth place in the constructors' championship, so the French team will be delighted to have both drivers starting in the top 10, with Russian ookie Vitaly Petrov out-qualifying Robert Kubica for the first time.

"Always when you drive around you are never thinking about beating your team-mate," said Petrov. "You just focus on your lap time." Yesterday's effort was a giant leap forward for the likeable Russian.

After today's race, the grand prix circus takes a three-week break in which the sport goes into "lock down" when testing is banned and the team factories are closed. It is a chance for drivers and teams to take a holiday before the final seven races that will decide the world championship. At the back end of the grid the fight for survival will continue, with plenty of stories doing the rounds lately that as many as six of the 12 teams are in financial difficulty. At the sharp end there are not any money worries, just concerns over performance. Ferrari have clearly found something, but not enough at this track on the evidence of qualifying here, and McLaren need to find some downforce if they are to defend their lead at the top of both championships.

Red Bull's drivers might be 21 points off Hamilton at the top of the table as things stand but it is odds on that the gap will have narrowed by tonight.

England 354 & 262-9dec; Pakistan 182 & 15-3

England had to take the long route for victory having lost their opportunity to enforce the follow-on. But it should not take long for England's buoyant pacemen to polish off the tourists.

In the final half-hour the old firm of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, suddenly seeming like veterans against the novices at the top of the Pakistan order, caused havoc in the evening sunshine to bulldoze their way towards victory.

Broad, courtesy of a superb catch at third slip by Paul Collingwood, dispatched Salman Butt, who has suddenly experienced the downside of the captaincy of his national team. Then Broad removed Azhar Ali, who, unlike his first innings, opted for a review. By a whisker the lbw decision of the umpire Tony Hill was upheld.

Then Anderson, with the ball still on a string when he was bowling just as it was on Friday, nonplussed Umar Amin. Pakistan, set 435 to win, were helpless and on the ropes at 15 for three. Despite that epic victory against the Australians at Headingley this expedition to England now looks like a long, long tour for Pakistan. Butt, hurtled into the captaincy, will need all his phlegm to survive.

Throughout the day England retained their control of this game thanks to a bullish, unbeaten century from Matt Prior. The Sussex wicketkeeper, currently ostracised from England's one‑day team, batted with pizzazz in the bright and bizarrely floodlit sunshine of the final session.

Batsmen have struggled at Trent Bridge for most of this match, but Prior had the benefit of batting later in the innings when Pakistan's best bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, were either fading or resting. It was odd that this pair were so protected by Butt as Prior ran amok in the final session.

Against the other bowlers Prior was constantly forthright, swatting the profligate Danish Kaneria for consecutive sixes. By the time Prior had reached his century, with stalwart support from the last man Steven Finn, England's lead was 434 and Strauss declared.

Until the late evening collapse Pakistan clung on gamely for most of the day. The damage was done on the first day when they allowed England – in the form of Collingwood and Eoin Morgan – to race to 331 for four. One of their number, in particular, can recall the day with great satisfaction for his impersonations of Gary Sobers: the swarthy paceman from Peshawar, Umar Gul.

First the 26-year-old paceman made a mockery of his Test batting average of nine by hitting a career-best 65, which enabled Pakistan to avoid the follow-on. Then he snatched three prime wickets, hitting the pitch hard and exploiting increasingly uneven bounce.

For Gul, batting was a cakewalk during the first 20 minutes of the day. He hit three sixes to add to the one he struck on Friday night and, in the process, made a nasty dent in Finn's bowling figures. His runs came from classical, uncomplicated strokes he is not supposed to be able to play.

Gul also made a mockery of all the agonising over whether Strauss would enforce the follow-on (all the old pros thought he should enforce the follow‑on; most of the young pros seemed to think otherwise). By the time Asif was run out Pakistan's deficit had been reduced to 172.

Batting would never seem quite as simple again, especially for the specialists at the top of the order (the tailenders have learnt to enjoy themselves in this match as the ball gets softer). One reason for that was because Gul removed three England batsmen in a rush during the afternoon.

But England were able to retain the initiative even if there were some frustrated batsmen in the pavilion as Prior and the tailenders frolicked in the final session. Strauss was defeated by Aamir and the juggling act known as the Akmals. Umar at second slip fluffed the catch but managed to flick the ball over his shoulder, whereupon Kamran with the gloves was alert enough to dive forward to make the catch. Kamran would have a better day behind the stumps than on Friday (not that difficult) but not a flawless one.

Alastair Cook needs runs. He was positive enough until he was caught down the leg-side, the sort of dismissal that haunts out-of-form batsmen. Kevin Pietersen looked better than in the first innings (also not that difficult) and might also consider himself unlucky. He was the victim of a superb diving catch off his inside edge by Kamran. The wicketkeeper had recovered from the aberrations of Friday, we concluded, until he dropped Collingwood first ball.

This was not a costly drop – Collingwood, lbw without a review, was soon out for one – but another error was bound to deflate bowlers so dependent on their keeper for wickets. Nonetheless they reduced England to 98 for six once Morgan had been run out after a mix-up with Prior, who is becoming involved in too many run-outs for the comfort of his colleagues. But Prior did not let this breakdown in communication with England's latest pin-up disturb his concentration. He received welcome support from Graeme Swann and Broad, who played his best innings for England this year, albeit for a modest 24.

However, to reach his third Test hundred Prior needed the doughty support of Finn. Prior was on 63 when the last man Finn came to the crease. The Middlesex man batted with common sense and a straight bat for 49 minutes, by which time Prior had romped to his third Test century.

• Englishman sees three-shot lead reduced
• Chris Wood and Francesco Molinari one-shot behind

Ross Fisher led by a solitary stroke after he failed to capitalise on an excellent start to his third round at the Irish Open.

The Englishman held a three-shot overnight lead after a second round of 61, and continued his momentum with four birdies in the first seven holes today. But a double-bogey at the eighth brought him back to the field and he dropped further shots at the 15th and 17th to card a level-par 71, allowing Chris Wood and Francesco Molinari to close to within one of Fisher's 12-under-par total.

Wood's 66 was matched only by Richard Bland as the best round of the day, while Molinari recorded three birdies in a solid two-under-par 69 to maintain his challenge. Wood, buoyed by a six-under-par 65 yesterday, bounced back from a bogey on the fourth with a run of five birdies from the fifth to the ninth and another on the 13th put him in contention for the title.

"I was hitting really, really nice shots, and the putts," he said. "That's given me a lot of confidence and it's sort of gone through the rest of my game. I've given myself half a chance for tomorrow."

Molinari, of Italy, turned in a one-under-par 34 after picking up a shot on the par-five seventh for the third day in succession and, after giving that shot back on the first hole of the back nine, he birdied the 11th and 14th to keep himself tied in second place.

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is a further shot back after an eventful round. The Spaniard reached the turn in 31 shots after five birdies and a solitary dropped shot at the third, and he was 12 under par after a three at the 477-yard 12th hole. But a double-bogey six at the last hole marked a frustrating finish to a fine 18 holes and left him to play in the penultimate group tomorrow. He will follow Australia's Richard Green and Irishman Padraig Harrington on to the course after they both finished at nine under after rounds of 69.

The left-handed Green undid some of the good work of his four birdies with a double-bogey six at the 13th, while Harrington dropped a shot at the fourth and two more at the eighth, but also racked up five birdies.

Bland's eight birdies saw him join a group at seven under that also includes Dane Mark F Hastrup and Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey – although the 31-year-old's round could have been even better had he not bogeyed the last two holes.

Defending champion Shane Lowry shot 68 to reach three under, tied with Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke.

But another Irishman, Rory McIlroy, endured a difficult afternoon. He began well with successive opening birdies, but a double-bogey on the sixth undermined that strong start to leave him level par after six.

A birdie on the seventh was followed by bogeys on the eighth, 11th and 14th and he dropped three more shots in the final two holes for a 76 to slip to two under par overall.

Earlier, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had a steady morning's work with a round of 68.

The US Open champion, following rounds of 70 and 72, birdied the second and seventh to reach the turn in 33 without dropping any shots and, by picking up a further shot on the 18th, left himself three under par.

• Midday survives first stewards' inquiry to be televised live
• Dandy Nicholls lifts Stewards' Cup with Evens And Odds

Excitement is guaranteed at this winding, undulating racecourse, where close finishes and trouble in running continually fray the nerves of punters, but Midday managed to raise the tension still higher on her way to winning today's Nassau Stakes. Having cruised into the lead with a furlong to run and with the race seemingly over, she suddenly slowed down and allowed a rival to go past, only to produce a second burst of acceleration to win comfortably.

It was an extraordinary performance that led to her being traded at 64-1 on Betfair, presumably as Stacelita had grabbed the initiative close home. At that point, many in the crowd may have been concerned that Midday had sustained some kind of injury, as had happened to a couple of horses earlier in the week, so quickly did she give up what had seemed a commanding advantage.

In the end, having made things difficult for herself, she won by a length and a quarter and was clearly the best horse in this Group One contest. Were she human, one would accuse her of showboating.

Being a horse, she is at risk of being labelled "ungenuine" or "a bit of a thinker" if she turns today's aberration into a habit. But her trainer, Henry Cecil, was dismissive of any such suggestion as he basked in the affection of the crowd, who gave him a still warmer reception than the one he had received when Midday won the same race last year.

"She likes a strong pace," he said, arguing that a steady early pace had meant the race was effectively contested over a mile, rather than the official distance of a mile and a quarter. "They went very slow and she had to sprint, and then she thought she had done enough."

Not only would Cecil admit no flaw in his filly's make-up, but he smilingly added that he had never really doubted the final outcome. "I thought she'd come back," he said. "She's very genuine, very tough."

Cecil and Teddy Grimthorpe, representing the winning owner, Khalid Abdullah, were cagey about Midday's targets for the rest of the season and would not commit to a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in America, a race she won last year. The immediate aim is likely to be the Yorkshire Oaks in a fortnight's time, though Cecil stressed that any target was ground dependent. "She needs a little bit of give. She's quite heavy in the shoulders, she's stronger, but she hasn't got the best joints, so you've got to be careful."

A stewards' inquiry was held, the officials' concern being that Midday may have crossed Stacelita close home. There appeared little chance that the placings would be altered, though Cecil, who lost this year's 1,000 Guineas in the stewards' room, visibly relaxed when the result was confirmed.

The significance of the inquiry was that as part of an initiative sparked by Racing For Change it became the first in Britain to be shown live on television. At a time when there is a widespread consensus within the sport that something needs to be done to broaden its appeal, this seems an excellent way of adding drama, and there were no complaints from Christophe Soumillon, rider of Stacelita, who said: "It is good for the public to see what happens in an inquiry and how it works, and I have no problem with that."

Billy Cray, the 22-year-old jockey who enjoyed the best moment of his career to date when winning the Stewards' Cup on Evens And Odds, is not yet much of a talker, though he has had little contact with the media to this point. The son of a Bermondsey builder, it seems likely that he has a story to tell, which he hinted at with this line: "I'd never seen a horse until I was 16."

He has no family connection with racing but decided as a teenager, watching the sport on television, that he wanted to be part of it. Evens And Odds' trainer, Dandy Nicholls, who was once more justifying his reputation for brilliance with sprint handicappers, said: "Billy doesn't ride as well as I did but he's always in the right place at the right time."

But no one has been riding at a higher pitch here than Richard Hughes, who notched a ninth success of the Glorious meeting – a record – on Eucharist in a nursery race, and immediately left the track with the intention of competing at Lingfield less than 90 minutes later.

"He's riding out of his skin," said Richard Hannon, the jockey's father-in-law and the trainer who has supplied him with a continual stream of winners this year. "He gave us another heart attack there," Hannon added, referring to Hughes's trademark late challenge. "And what can you do? Just say 'Jesus', and hope things come right. And they do, usually, for him."

Australia 28-49 New Zealand

New Zealand will win their 10th Tri-Nations title if they secure a bonus point victory over Australia in Christchurch on Saturday and prevent the Wallabies from scoring four tries. The All Blacks gained their third successive five-pointer in the tournament at a sandy Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, aided by the home side's indiscipline.

Australia played the last 36 minutes with 14 men after the wing Drew Mitchell, who scored the first of the game's 10 tries when he charged down Dan Carter's clearance, received a second yellow card after preventing Conrad Smith from taking a quick line-out. He had seen yellow in the opening period for leading with his shoulder in a tackle.

Mitchell became the first Wallaby to be sent off against the All Blacks and if his departure did not mark the turning point of the game, his side were 32-14 behind at that point, it ensured there would be no comeback. Australia did score two more tries but New Zealand were by then freewheeling.

Both sides, as expected, looked to run rather than put boot to ball, although the opening two tries came from charged down kicks with Carter quickly atoning for his mistake by blocking Berrick Barnes's kick and picking up to score. New Zealand were more coordinated and ruthless, dominating the restarts to an embarrassing extent.

A year ago, the All Blacks looked lost and vulnerable, uncomfortable with the kicking game the way the breakdown was refereed had spawned but now the attacking team has been given more latitude in the tackle area, their licence to counter-attack has been renewed.

For all the invention of Carter, the power of Ma'a Nonu, the subtlety of Smith and the pace of their back three, New Zealand have added steel in their forwards. Their set-pieces are stronger, they have a blend of mobility and grunt in the tight five and their back row is the most effective unit in the game. Australia look to play in the same way but lack New Zealand's resources.

Mitchell's try put them 8-3 ahead after eight minutes but tries from Carter and Mils Muliaina gave the visitors a seven-point advantage. Australia let the game slip when, after Matt Giteau kicked his first penalty, Owen Franks was sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge. It was the All Blacks who scored in the prop's absence, Richie McCaw exploiting a gap on the blind-side and the wing Corey Jane secured the bonus point after 35 minutes and Mitchell's dismissal was followed by Muliaina's second try.

Adam Ashley-Cooper and Rocky Elsom made sure there was no blow-out, but Joe Rokocoko and Corey Flynn ensured the scoreboard fairly reflected the difference between the sides.

AUSTRALIA Ashley-Cooper; O'Connor, Horne (Beale 57), Barnes, Mitchell; Giteau (A Faingaa 77), Genia (Burgess 75); Robinson, Moore (S Faingaa 47), Ma'afu (Slipper 59), Mumm, Sharpe (Simmons 47), Elsom (capt), Pocock, Brown

Tries Mitchell, Ashley-Cooper, Elsom Cons Giteau 2

Pens Giteau 3

NEW ZEALAND Muliaina (Dagg 77); Jane, Smith, Nonu (Cruden 71), Rokocoko; Carter, Cowan (Weepu 34); Woodcock, Mealamu (Flynn 71), O Franks (B Franks 61), Thorn (Whitelock 57), Donnelly (Vito 73), Kaino, McCaw (capt), Read

Tries Muliaina 2, Carter, McCaw, Jane, Rokocoko, Flynn Cons Carter 4 Pens Carter 2

• Top seed wins 7-6, 6-1 to reach Farmers Classic semi-finals
• British No1's first-serve percentage sits at just 42%

Andy Murray claimed a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Alejandro Falla to reach the semi-finals of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. The top seed had to battle against his serve as much as his opponent, but eventually battled through.

Murray's first-serve percentage was just 42% for the match and an incredible 38% for the second set, but he met an opponent who struggled as much as he did. And after battling through a tough opening set, the second, despite his service struggles, was far simpler as Murray, without a coach after he split with Miles Maclagan this week, sealed a last-four clash with Feliciano Lopez.

The first set went with serve until Murray made the most of the first break-point opportunity of the match to go 3-2 up, but he could not consolidate as Falla levelled immediately at 3-3. Murray created two break points in the seventh game of the set but could not convert, and Falla did likewise before the British No1 held for 4-4.

With the set deadlocked, a tie-break was required to settle it, and Murray initially dominated, taking the first three points, only for Falla fought back to 3-3.

Finally Murray stamped his authority on the match, though, winning four points in a row to take the set. The pair exchanged breaks at the start of the second set, but from there on in it was all Murray.

He won five games in a row in the second set to end Falla's resistance as the Colombian failed to take advantage of Murray's below-par delivery.

"I feel much better than I did yesterday," said Murray. "I had the same sort of thing earlier in this year after the Australian Open when I didn't play for a few weeks.

"Then I played in Dubai, I was really sore after the first match, and then each match after that I started to feel a lot better. Hopefully that'll be the case here."

Lopez, who has lost to Murray in their last two meetings, said of his opponent: "Since the first time I saw him, I realised he was a very talented player and would be one of the best players in the world."

Peter Ebdon's frank admission that he is going to play badly may leave him with no option but to quit snooker

Everybody wants to be famous. And cool. Famous and cool. Fame alone isn't much worth striving for – after all, Josef Fritzl is famous and he's nobody's role model. No, everybody wants to be a celebrity. That's not much of an ambition either, frankly. Until you get there, you're miserable. Once you get there you discover (I'm guessing, obviously) that it often involves doing things you don't actually want to do, like pretending to be happy about meeting Jeremy Clarkson, and that makes you miserable too.

It's not just people who strive to achieve the heady mix of recognition and acclaim that celebrities enjoy. Every sport that isn't football, and for that matter every football league that isn't the Premier League, wants it too. They want to be talked about. They want to be popular. They want to be cool.

Snooker is not cool. Sure, the best players achieve a certain level of fame, but they never enjoy the breakout success of the truly trendy. You know you've hit the big time when you see somebody else wearing what appears to be your own hair, but where the Beatle, the Beckham and the Rachel from Friends led the way, the Ray Reardon strangely failed to follow. Nike never asked Cliff Thorburn to put his name to a range of swoosh-branded patent leather footwear. And then there's the clothes. A fashion-conscious youth who sees a man sporting a dress shirt, waistcoat and bow tie is considerably less likely to praise his dress sense than to steal his mobile phone. No, there's no getting away from it, snooker is not cool.

But it's trying. Last week Ronnie O'Sullivan launched "the future of snooker" – a half-hour, condensed version of the game which television viewers should find very much like watching highlights of the old version of snooker, without anyone having been required to edit out seven hours of rubbish. This is a promising first step.

What the sport really needs, though, is a true star, someone to drag it into the spotlight by embodying the ultimate celebrity package of astonishing skill, swaggering sex appeal and, ideally, a surprising post-retirement talent for ballroom dancing. And while it waits for that person, it's got Peter Ebdon.

Ebdon is an unlikely hero. He's nearly 40, lives in Budapest, once had a ponytail and has a fiancée called Nora. His focus on the game is so absolute that he is widely considered, by his own admission, "a horrible so-and-so". Sure, a musical side-project launched following a successful singing engagement at a friend's daughter's wedding has so far seen him release a couple of singles, but there is absolutely no street credibility to be gained from covering David Cassidy's 1973 No3 hit I'm a Clown (strangely absent from the internet, but ).

Outside snooker and long-forgotten 70s balladry, the 2002 world champion's interests seem no more likely to engage the public. In an interview earlier this year, for example, Ebdon broached one such subject. "I've had Lexus, Mercedes, Honda, top-of-the-range motors," he said, "and by far, the Skoda had the best windscreen-wipers of them all." The interview was not with Heat magazine.

A few days ago Ebdon announced that when he gets to next week's Shanghai Masters qualifying event in Sheffield he will play really badly. "By the time the qualifiers come around I will not have played for 10 days or more," he said. "I know just how bad I can be when I don't feel properly prepared. As always, I will be doing my utmost to win what is a very important match for me but in truth, my levels of expectation will not be very high." He's got a decent excuse for not practising: this weekend in Hungary Nora will become the second Mrs Ebdon. Had he not told anyone, arrived in Sheffield among the favourites and lost, he could have been in trouble. The bookmakers could have become suspicious. The Gambling Commission might have got involved. (Both of which happened when he unexpectedly went down 5-0 to Liang Wenbo in 2008, though no wrongdoing was discovered.)

The announcement was refreshingly honest, showing a willingness to break bad news in full and in advance that was so lacking from, say, the recent election campaign. This is a man to trust, a man of integrity and honour. Just the man, perhaps, to take snooker global.

But now he's in a pickle. Having told everyone he's going to lose, he has to go through with it. What if he turns up in Sheffield, no pressure on his shoulders, elated after his nuptials, and produces the form of his life? The bookmakers could become suspicious. The Gambling Commission might get involved. Perhaps it's best that he doesn't turn up at all – but then he'll have had even less match practice for his next event, and we all know how bad he can be when he doesn't feel properly prepared. No, he's got little choice now but to abandon his career. Bet he didn't think of that.

Still, Ebdon would leave with his head held high, a hero, of sorts, for some. And snooker's search for a saviour continues. Unless, that is, the Ebdonator turns out to be any good at ballroom dancing.

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