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After more than 35 years as BBC Sport’s voice of football, Sunday’s Euro 2008 final from Vienna will mark commentator John Motson’s last major television showpiece.

Having first appeared on Match of the Day in 1971, the 62-year-old has covered nine European Championships, nine World Cups and 34 FA Cup finals. But Germany-Spain will be his last live TV broadcast.

“I am coming to the end of my career, I know that,” says Motson.

“I’d been thinking about it at the start of the season, but now I’ve decided I don’t want to be tearing around South Africa for the 2010 World Cup at the age of 65. It’s physically and mentally challenging.”

Motson will continue to commentate on Match of the Day and Radio 5 Live - “I don’t want to make it sound like I’m disappearing for ever,” he says - but in opting not to work on the 2010 World Cup, he is aware it is the end of an era somewhat.

“Eighteen tournaments is about right for me,” he says. “I don’t want to go on too long, maybe end up going to South Africa and people say I’m past my best.”

BBC SPORT | Football | End of the Motson era

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Airbus Military has today rolled out the first complete A400M military transport aircraft from the Final Assembly Line facility in Seville, Spain.

Designed initially to a recognised requirement for a new airlifter for European air forces, the A400M incorporates the state-of-the-art materials and technology that are being continuously perfected in today’s civil aircraft fleets. Features such as electronic flight controls, carbon composite structures and an automated handling system will bring new standards of operability and safety to military aircrews.

Versatility is the characteristic that best describes the A400M, it being conceived with both tactical and strategic capability. With a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4700 nm, the A400M is designed to carry all loads and vehicles in the European Staff Requirement (ESR) inventory, serve as an aerial delivery platform and act as an in-flight refueller for both fast jets and helicopters.

The A400M is the first truly new military transport aircraft of its category designed in over 30 years, with twice the capacity and twice the payload of the current aircraft types that it will replace. It is all set to become the new standard in military airlift.

Air-Attack.com News - First A400M Military Transporter Rolled Out

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Everton boss David Moyes will sell striker Andy Johnson - with big spending Middlesbrough favourites to head the £7million-plus chase. 

Moyes met Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright last week to review the club’s lack of transfer progress and talk over problems finding the cash he wants for new captures.

And now Johnson, signed from Crystal Palace for £8.6million two seasons ago, will be sacrificed to swell the kitty. Word has already spread round the Premier League he is available.

Moyes thought he was going to have cash to spend this summer, but problems with Everton’s ground move and financial issues with backers, means he will not have as much as he wanted.

Selling Johnson is the best way to raise cash, although some of it would have to be spent on a replacement.

Moyes likes the look of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake but thinks he is over-priced by Wolves at £5million.

Double squeeze on transfer kitty

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Behold the biggest Lego airplane in the world, made after the largest passenger airplane in the world, the Airbus A380. Made at a 1:25 scale-9.5-foot long, 10.5-foot wingspan, 3.2-foot tall—the Lego A380 uses 220 pounds (100kg) of bricks.

That’s a mindblowing 75,000 pieces in eight colours—15 Lego Millennium Falcons.

Biggest Lego Airplane In The World: Lego Airbus A380 Is Biggest Lego Airplane in the World

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The survival of red squirrels at a reserve in Merseyside is under threat from a deadly virus carried by the more common grey squirrel.

At least 30 animals in and around the Formby Squirrel Reserve, near Southport, have died from Squirrel Pox Virus since November.

Staff and volunteers are on alert and search the woods looking for sick animals to stop the disease spreading.

Anyone who sees a sick or dead red squirrel is asked to call the reserve.

When red squirrels are infected, they become lethargic and develop scabs and lesions around their mouth and eyes, staff said.

Treatment is said to be difficult and is rarely successful.

BBC NEWS | England | Merseyside | Red squirrels in disease threat

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Typhoon, the RAF’s newest fighter aircraft, has passed its latest major hurdle on the way to becoming a fully fledged multi-role combat aircraft, with flying colours.

While taking part in Green Flag, a major exercise held at Nellis United States Air Force (USAF) Base in Nevada, seven Typhoons from XI Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, dropped munitions and fired their cannons with such precision that they have been declared combat ready by the target date of 1 July 2008.

Air-Attack.com News - Typhoon proves its air-surface capability

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Boeing should get a second chance to bid for a $35bn US Air Force contract, a US government agency has said.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld Boeing’s protest against the awarding of the air tanker deal to rivals Northrop Grumman and EADS.

It said that the Air Force had made a “number of errors” that could have swung the outcome of the competition.

The GAO’s ruling is not binding, but it puts huge pressure on the Air Force to put the process out to tender again.

The GAO said in a statement: “The Air Force made a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition.

“We therefore sustained Boeing’s protest.”

The decision is a massive victory for Boeing, paving the way for it to win back all or part of the contract, which was for 179 new aircraft.

It was welcomed by many US lawmakers, who had been angered over the possibility that US jobs could be lost to Europe, particularly with the economy so fragile.

BBC NEWS | Business | US tanker deal thrown into doubt

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The Spanish press is convinced that a deal will be done for Arteta to leave for Atletico Madrid this week.

It’s been looking like it would happen for some time. His heart and his family are in Spain, and the danger signs were there when he didn’t ridicule his agent for comments made to the Spanish press weeks ago.

Add to that the fact that he seems to fly back to Spain for treatment for every injury and you have a picture of discontent.

icLiverpool - Signs not looking good over Mikel Arteta

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The page states that Forza 3 will ship on two discs, have some sort of “assist system”, will be loaded to the brim with content (400 cars, 100 tracks, etc) and will have car deformation. Really though, the biggest news here is the possible hint (if the survey page is to be believed) that the game was constrained by the limitations of the DVD format …

Rumor: Forza 3 will have 2 discs, 400 cars, more - Xbox 360 Fanboy

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Well, well, well, what have we here? Looks like we’re finally getting some real evidence that Microsoft really does have some sort of response to Nintendo’s Miis on the way. It’s been rumored for some time now and the above shot of the linked flash page seems portend the end of the rumors. Given more credibility by the fact that the link mentions an NDA (that we, and the person who sent us the link, never saw or signed) these “Xbox Avatars” certainly look to do everything that Miis do and more.
Taking into account that Microsoft doesn’t seem too troubled by the rest of the year, this, along with the rumored “Newton” controller, could possibly be what they’re betting the farm on.

Rumor: “Avatars” are Microsoft’s take on Mii’s? - Xbox 360 Fanboy

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