sport news Leeds United catch shirt thief while he was hunting for autographs from players trends now
If they fail to land any silverware this season then Leeds United can at least reflect on the role they played in catching Britain's dumbest criminal.
On Thursday, staff at the club's shop outside Elland Road spotted a man acting suspiciously. Their concerns proved to be accurate when he swiped a number of shirts and raced to a nearby car.
One alert worker took a note of the number plate and called it in to police as the vehicle sped away.
Leeds United can reflect on the positive role they played in catching Britain's dumbest criminal
He swiped shirts from the club shop before going to the training ground where he was arrested
Around half an hour later the motor triggered the automatic number plate recognition system close to the Premier League club's Thorp Arch training base, near Wetherby.
In a ludicrously brazen move, the man appeared to have driven straight to the training ground where he, presumably, planned to hang around outside to ask players to sign them.
Unsurprisingly, he was quickly apprehended by waiting officers. West Yorkshire Police told Sports Agenda a 27-year-old man has been charged with theft and will appear at court at a later date.
Unofficial signed shirts are the scourge of many top-flight clubs, with some having to bring in security after some autograph hunters, who then sell their wares online, turned up outside players' houses.
Police investigating reports of a break-in at the home of Raheem Sterling during the World Cup are still to make an arrest.
The England and Chelsea winger flew home mid-tournament, with his representative saying there had been an armed raid while members of his family were inside the Surrey pad.
Police investigating reports of a break-in at Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling's house during the World Cup are yet to make an arrest - more than eight weeks after the incident happened
Police then said there was no evidence of anyone being armed and that the family were not there.
They added that they were working to establish when the alleged crime had been committed, with the family only discovering certain items were missing when they returned from Qatar.
More than eight weeks later nobody has been held accountable, although the investigation continues.
The continuing shambles at Everton is at least raising smiles elsewhere. Following the sacking of Frank Lampard, a warning over a scam email quickly went viral.
It read: 'If you receive an email with the subject line 'Two free tickets for the next Everton home game' DO NOT OPEN IT — it contains two free tickets for the next Everton home game...'
While the continuing shambles at managerless Everton is at least raising smiles elsewhere
World Athletics are looking for a new communications chief, with the formidable Jackie Brock-Doyle taking a step back. The former London 2012 director, a close ally of World Athletics president Lord Coe, will leave big shoes to fill.
Affectionately known by many as 'The Brockweiler' for her uncompromising style, she has been in the Monaco-based post since 2016. Brock-Doyle will continue to work with Coe in a consultancy role.
In a quietly significant development for racket sports, the LIV golf-type feuding between rival tours that has been holding up the growth of professional Padel tennis could be coming to an end.
Padel, which was all the rage among top football names at the World Cup, has seen its two circuits battling against each other for supremacy, including in European courts of the legal variety.
