After an iconic Ashes series in 2005, the England cricket team won team of the year, Shane Warne won the Overseas Personality award and Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the most memorable moments.
Follow the Sports Personality of the Year Awards on BBC Sport.
After the iconic Ashes series in 2005, England’s cricket team won the award for “team of the year,” Shane Warne won the Overseas Personality Award, and Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff received the title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Some of the most memorable moments are examined by BBC Sport.
Follow BBC Sport’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
The High Court has ordered the troubled former Super League team Red Devils of Salford to pay off outstanding debts.
Following Wednesday’s hearing, the company that owns the 152-year-old club, Salford City Reds (2013) Limited, adjourned a winding-up petition on four occasions before being liquidated.
The club initially adjourned the petition in June after declaring confidence in His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) that they would be able to obtain a bridging loan, before being adjourned once more in early September, late October, and once more in November.
The Red Devils’ demise comes at the end of a turbulent year for the organization, which saw a massive player exodus, late pay, significant losses, and ultimately the club’s loss of Super League status in the end-of-year grading.
The club stated in a statement that it was aware of the severity of this circumstance and the uncertainty it presents to everyone involved.
This is a very emotional moment for the original club staff, who haven’t changed since then. Although it saddens one to see things get this far, the club feels relieved that a challenging period has finally come to an end.
“We want to thank all the fans who have supported us throughout the entire process. We have lost count of you because of your passion and commitment. We hope that Salford’s cherished name and history will remain true to the club’s legacy and continue to be a part of it.
The court’s decision removes the veil on a forgettable year for Salford, with their fortunes from their previous season in stark contrast to their Super League and playoff success in 2024.
However, their financial issues started to take hold at the end of the previous season.
Well before the start of the season, the club requested a 20% advance on their 2025 distribution plans, and Dario Berta’s consortium’s takeover was completed on the eve of the campaign’s start.
Despite that takeover, things gradually got worse, though, with the club still suffering from financial issues year after year.
The Rugby Football League placed a young team under a sustainability cap after the Red Devils lost 82-0 in the season-opening defeat at St Helens, which affected team selection.
With numerous departures, including notable players like Marc Sneyd, Nene Macdonald, and Ryan Brierley, Salford struggled the entire season, with team selection and lack of player availability, leaving a weakened side after a string of severe defeats.
Due to “significant” welfare concerns, the club only had two senior players available, which caused a fan protest, when their Super League game against Wakefield in August was postponed.
Even on the field, things were similarly chaotic as Salford City Council pulled out of negotiations over the club’s May purchase of their home at Salford Community Stadium and chief executive Chris Irwin resigned less than three months after taking the job.
Chief Operating Officer Claire Bradbury resigned from her position in the meantime after claiming that the club’s ownership had suggested she “sleep with someone at the Rugby Football League” to ease their situation.
Kurt Haggerty, who had planned to take over as head coach starting in 2026, later left the organization and was later replaced by Bradford Bulls, who will take Salford’s place in the top flight next season.
Following the announcement which teams would compete in the upcoming 14-club Super League, head coach Paul Rowley left for St Helens, but players have steadily continued to join the club as the off-season progresses.
The future of rugby league in Salford and how it will play is a mystery.
In October, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Salford mayor Paul Dennett met with the RFL to discuss a possibility of a second-tier Championship entry for the Red Devils of Salford.
Matt Newsum, a rugby league reporter for BBC Sport,
The outcome of today marks a somber year for Salford fans, who have watched their club crumble for the past 12 months.
The on-field product was harmed by the failed takeover, which the RFL acknowledged was approved back in the early months of the year as the only option was extinction.
Given that there are theoretically few assets for a receiver or liquidator to sell, creditors who will be left behind by this scenario will be interested in what happens next. However, fans have a chance of a more promising future.
There are many sports organizations that have emerged from the debris of bankruptcy. Bradford Bulls, a renowned rugby league brand, was one of the many that did this in 2017.
With the council having previously backed the game and the sport itself, there will be an appetite within the city to restart rugby league.
Troubled former Super League club Salford Red Devils have been wound up by the High Court over outstanding debts.
A winding-up petition filed against Salford City Reds (2013) Limited – the company that owns the 152-year-old club – was adjourned on four occasions prior to being liquidated as a result of Wednesday’s hearing.
The petition was initially adjourned in June after the club said they were confident of attaining a bridging loan in order to pay a tax bill to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before it was adjourned again in early September, late October and again in November.
The Red Devils’ demise comes at the end of a turbulent year for the club, with a mass player exodus, late wage payments, heavy defeats and ultimately the loss of their Super League status for 2026 in the end-of-year grading.
In a statement, the club said: “We understand the gravity of this situation and the uncertainty this creates for everyone connected with the club.
“For the original club staff that remained up until this point, this is an incredibly emotional moment. Whilst there is sadness in seeing things come to this point, there is also a sense of relief that an extremely challenging period for the club has finally come to an end.
“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to all the fans who have stood by us through everything. Your passion and loyalty have meant the world to us. More than anything, we hope that the club’s proud name and history can live on and continue to represent the people of Salford.”
The court’s decision brings down the curtain on a year to forget for Salford, their fortunes this past season in stark contrast to a successful 2024 campaign where they finished fourth in Super League and reached the end-of-season play-offs.
It was at the end of last season, however, that their financial troubles began to bite.
The club requested an advance of their 2025 distribution payments well before the start of the season and, on the eve of this year’s campaign, a takeover from a consortium led by Swiss businessman Dario Berta was completed.
Matters gradually worsened despite that takeover, however, with financial issues continuing to plague the club over the course of the year.
A sustainability cap was imposed on Salford by the Rugby Football League which affected team selection, leading to the Red Devils fielding a youthful side for their record-breaking 82-0 season-opening defeat at St Helens.
Team selection and lack of player availability hampered Salford the entire season, with numerous departures – including high-profile players like Marc Sneyd, Nene Macdonald and Ryan Brierley – leaving a depleted side on the end of a succession of heavy defeats.
Their Super League game against Wakefield in August was called off because of “significant” welfare concerns, with the club having just two senior players available – leading to a fan protest.
Off the field, things were similarly chaotic, as chief executive Chris Irwin resigned less than three months into the job and Salford City Council pulled out of negotiations over the club’s attempt to buy their Salford Community Stadium home in May.
Meanwhile, chief operating officer Claire Bradbury quit her role after she alleged the club’s ownership suggested she “sleep with someone at the Rugby Football League” to ease their situation.
Fan protests ramped up as the season drew to a close, with the club eventually losing its Super League status from next season having finished outside of the top 12 in this year’s IMG gradings.
Kurt Haggerty, who had been set to take over as head coach from 2026, left the club late in the season and has gone on to be appointed by Bradford Bulls, who will replace Salford in the top flight next term.
Head coach Paul Rowley departed for St Helens in the aftermath of the announcement of which teams would contest next season’s 14-club Super League while players have steadily continued to exit the club with the off-season beginning.
As for where rugby league in Salford goes next, and in what form, the situation is unclear.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Salford mayor Paul Dennett held a meeting with the RFL earlier in October to make the case for a possible Salford Red Devils phoenix club being able to enter the second-tier Championship next season.
BBC Sport’s rugby league reporter Matt Newsum
Today’s outcome is a sorry end to a nightmarish year for Salford fans, who have watched their club disintegrate to this point over the past 12 months.
The failed takeover, which the RFL admitted was ratified back in the early months of the year as the only alternative was extinction, never delivered the promised funding and, as such, the on-field product was decimated.
Those creditors who will be left behind by this scenario will ponder what happens next given theoretically there are few assets for a receiver or liquidator to sell, but for fans there is potentially a brighter future.
There are many teams across sport that have risen from the debris of a liquidation as ‘phoenix’ clubs – Bradford Bulls, back in 2017, are an example of a famous rugby league brand that did just this.
There will be an appetite from within the city to get rugby league up and running again, with the council having been supportive of the game previously, and also within the sport itself.
By November 2027, Russia will no longer import any additional gas from the EU.
On Wednesday, the “provisional agreement” between the European Council and the group of member states’ 27 governments was revealed.
The agreement advances efforts to end all energy imports into the bloc from Russia, which continue to give Moscow crucial funding to fuel its war on Ukraine, despite the fact that the parliament and some member states have requested earlier.
By the end of 2026, member states will no longer import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia as per the agreement. By November 2027, imports of pipeline gas will be discontinued.
Over the past four years, efforts to stop purchases have struggled because many member states are so heavily dependent on Russian energy. Before Moscow unleashed its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, the bloc’s overall reliance was close to 50%.
According to a statement from the European Council, the move “aims to end Russian energy dependence following Russia’s significant impact on the European energy market” regarding the weaponization of gas supplies.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, welcomed the announcement, saying: “Europe is finally shutting down the supply of Russian fossil fuels.” Now is the time to achieve energy independence.
EU leaders applauded the conclusion of the long-awaited agreement that would finally put an end to Russian gas imports. This required a compromise between the member states and the European Parliament regarding the cut-off date.
Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen declared, “We’ve chosen Europe for energy security and independence. Blackmail has stopped. No more Putin’s tyranny of the market. We support Ukraine with all of our strength.
Before the end of 2027, Russia will no longer import gas. Our proposed import ban was approved by @Europarl_EN and @EUCouncil.
Russia will never again be allowed to use its energy supply as a weapon, as we have stated in our letter.
Europe is currently pursuing independence.
Long-term pipeline contracts will be prohibited as of September 30th, 2027, provided storage levels are sufficient, and not later than November 1st, 2027, as per the agreement. By June 17th, 2026, short-term contracts will no longer be permitted.
Beginning January 1, 2027, long-term contracts on LNG will be exempt, with the end date of April 2026.
The European Parliament and the European Council have yet to give final approval to the timelines.
Invoking the EU import ban will allow European companies to use “force majeure” to legally justify breaking existing agreements.
The EU still relies heavily on Russian gas at this time, with the majority of its member states switching suppliers more logistically challenging than oil.
Russian gas was imported into the EU from a proportion of 45 percent in 2021, but it was still 19% in the previous year.
Russia continues to be a significant importer of LNG despite Europe’s reduced pipeline deliveries, accounting for 20% of imports in 2024, or roughly 20 billion cubic meters (US$), only trailing it (45%) behind.
However, there have also been political challenges.
Sanctions against Russian energy have long been opposed by Hungary and Slovakia, which are diplomatically closer to Moscow and import the most of it. They have also hampered EU efforts to pass them.
Additionally, the agreement calls for the European Commission to create a strategy to end the sanctions that prevent the two landlocked Central European nations from continuing to purchase Russian oil in the coming months.
After Terence Crawford’s belt was removed, Briton Hamzah Sheeraz will battle for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title.
After rising three weights to defeat the Mexican, Crawford won the belt from Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September, becoming the undisputed champion.
President Mauricio Sulaiman and Crawford have now been removed from the WBC because they allege Crawford didn’t pay his sanctioning fees.
In what will be Sheeraz’ second super-middleweight fight, he will face Christian Mbilli of Canada for the title.
Last February, the Slough fighter fought off an underwhelming 12 rounds draw with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames.
With 29 wins and one draw on his record, 30-year-old Mbilli is also undefeated in 23 fights while Sheeraz is unbeaten in 23.
The contest’s start date has not been determined. Sheeraz moved up to super-middleweight in July, defeating Edgar Berlanga, in five rounds, while Billi and Bilili did so in September.
