SPORTS AGENDA: Golfers eager for England's Euro 2024 title bid to go out of bounds... while Qatari presence at the tournament goes under the radar

Although England can have no complaints about the hospitality rolled out by their German hosts, one group of locals are cheering on their opponents.

Members of the plush Weimarer Land Spa and Golf Resort are still able to play on one of the 18-hole courses despite England paying around £800,000 for exclusive use of the complex. 

However, the two holes closest to the training pitches are not in use. The club shop and bar are also out of bounds — though a stables has been converted into a shop and temporary watering hole.

‘The members are desperate for England to get knocked out so they can get their two holes and bar back,’ one insider joked.

Member of travelling press becomes a hero 

One member of the travelling press pack has covered himself in glory after saving not one, but two lives in the space of 24 hours. 

Trams run through the centre of Erfurt and have picked up a reputation as silent assassins given a number of near misses. 

Earlier this week, The Sun’s Dave Kidd was strolling through the town square with another reporter, who was on the phone and unaware a tram was approaching. Kidd abruptly and loudly raised the alarm. 

The following day, an elderly member of the public had tripped over a kerb and was in the middle of the track, with a tram incoming. Kidd jumped in front of the vehicle and held out his hand, forcing it to a dramatic stop and averting disaster again. 

On Saturday, an 18-year-old on a scooter was struck close to the train station and taken to hospital.

Germany celebrate with kebabs 

Whereas England have a Michelin-star chef dishing up high-quality, nutritional fare for the players at their luxury training base, hosts Germany have taken a different approach. 

Following Wednesday’s victory over Hungary, which secured progress to the knockout stage with a game to spare, Julian Nagelsmann’s players were treated to doner kebabs. 

The dish is a staple in Germany due to the country’s Turkish population of 1.54million, with takeouts a common sight in every major city. 

Qatari presence at Euro 2024 goes under the radar 

The fact that Qatar are one of Euro 2024’s main sponsors appears to have gone under the radar. 

Qatar Airways are the tournament’s official airline partner and Visit Qatar is on all media boards. 

The move seems to have attracted little criticism, in stark contrast to when the gulf nation — where the LGBTQ+ community is criminalised — hosted the World Cup two years ago. 

Back then, Germany were at the centre of the outcry, with the country’s players covering their mouths before the match against Japan in protest at FIFA’s move to ban the ‘One Love’ armband.

Heartbreaking poverty levels across Germany 

Poverty has been starkly on show in a number of cities across Germany. Locals armed with bin bags commonly wait for trams to arrive at stations close to stadiums. 

As fans alight, they race on and pick up as many empty booze cans as they can, before presumably heading to recycling plants and exchanging them for a few euros.

Albanian star in hot water 

Mirlind Daku may not be looking forward to returning to his club. 

The Albania striker, 26, was given a two-match ban by UEFA after being caught leading chants of ‘f*** Macedonia and f*** Serbs’ with a megaphone following Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Croatia in Hamburg. 

Daku’s club Rubin Kazan have had their say, insisting they will ‘apply disciplinary and economic sanctions’ to the player, who has apologised. 

They also said an ‘informative discussion’ would be held with Kosovo-born Daku ‘to avoid incidents of this type in the future’. 

Howe laying down roots in the North East  

Eddie Howe has often spoken of his desire to stay at St James’ Park for a long time, and the Newcastle manager is clearly laying down roots in the area having applied for planning permission for a gym and garage extension at his four-bedroom pad in leafy Northumberland. 

The 46-year-old, who is from the south coast and has been linked with the England job, has moved his family north and snapped up the £3.2million home, which features a cinema, family room and dressing room. 

Perhaps wary of the North East climate, Howe wants the extension to include a covered walkway link.