LONDON - FOOTBALL Association (FA) officials admitted Monday that the much criticised pitch at Wembley Stadium needs improvement.

The 'old' Wembley was renowned for the quality of its playing surface but the state of the pitch has been a talking point ever since the rebuilt stadium opened two years ago.

LONDON - FULHAM chairman Mohamed Al Fayed has urged other clubs in the English Premier League to show the 'balls' needed to join his call for a wage cap and so create a more even distribution of wealth in the top flight.

'Our expenses bill rose by 17 per cent last year. How can it be right for top players to be earning 15-20 million pounds a year? It's crazy. These wages need to be capped,' he said on the club's website.

BOSTON - DERIBA Merga of Ethiopia overcame the disappointment of his Olympic fade to win the Boston Marathon, and Salina Kosgei of Kenya won the women's race on Monday.

Merga wilted in the Beijing heat and finished fourth after getting passed at the end. But in Boston he pulled away right before Heartbreak Hill and won in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 42 seconds - almost a full minute ahead of Daniel Rono of Kenya and Ryan Hall of the United States.