1960'S - 3. 1964 PONTIAC TEMPEST GTO — 4.6 SECONDS

March 1964

Most knowledgeable enthusiasts reacted negatively when Pontiac announced that their new Tempest sports model was to be called the GTO. They felt, as we did, that Pontiac was swiping a name to which it had no right. Like Le Mans, Grand Prix, Monza, Spyder and 2+2, this was another of those hard-to-digest bits of puffery from the Detroit/Madison Avenue axis. Our first look at the car made us feel a little better, because it is handsome, and then we got a call from correspondent Roger Proulx, raving about the car's acceleration and handling, so we arranged to test a Pontiac Tempest GTO.

1960'S - 4. 1967 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427 — 4.7 SECONDS

May 1967

The Corvette has come a long way since it was introduced in 1953. In the beginning, the Corvette was a cute little two-seater. It sure enough looked like a sports car, but underneath the radical fiberglass bodywork was a puny 235 cu. in., 150-horsepower "Blue Flame" six and a two-speed Powerglide transmission. Everybody laughed. Even Thunderbird owners knew they had something closer to a sports car.

1960'S - 5. 1968 DODGE CHARGER 426 HEMI — 4.8 SECONDS

November 1967

What We Said: “Dodge stylists have shown that they can create a car in the current idiom with originality, combining just the right amount of tasteful conformity with that novelty and freshness which attracts attention. . . . Rated conservatively at 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque, the Hemi propelled the Charger through the quarter-mile traps at just over 105 mph, covering the distance in 13.5 seconds—not bad for 4346 pounds [of] test weight.”

1960'S - 6. 1967 FORD GT40 MARK III — 5.1 SECONDS (TIE)

June 1967

What We Said: “We have never driven a car that attracted so much attention. People would stop dead in their tracks, drop their jaws, and stare open-mouthed. Even cops would react at first with astonishment, then do a double take, and—by the time they figured we must be doing something wrong—we were gone. . . . The overall stability of the car makes the driver feel completely safe at speeds upwards of 120 mph. . . . The Mk. III’s acceleration isn’t much better than that of a hot supercar, as its quarter-mile acceleration of 13.8 seconds at 105 mph indicates, but it keeps on pulling long after most supercars have quit.”

1960'S - 7. 1969 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER 426 HEMI — 5.1 SECONDS (TIE)

January 1969

What We Said: “The Hemi-powered Road Runner is one hell of an Econo-Racer. . . . What is it like on the street? Breathtaking. The Hemi Road Runner has more pure mechanical presence than any other American automobile—even more than the Z/28 Camaro which is another thinly disguised race car we’ve grown to love. . . . The exhaust explodes like Krakatoa and the wailing howl of surprised air being sucked into the intakes turns heads for blocks. Baby, you know you’re in the presence.”

1960'S - 8. 1965 FORD MUSTANG GT 289 — 5.2 SECONDS

October 1964

What We Said: “Driving the hot [271-hp] Mustang is a sensational—if noisy—experience, especially with the ‘short’ final-drive ratios preferred by the drag-strip set. We got acceleration figures almost in the Cobra class with the 4.11 ratio, but this made it an impossible car on the highway. . . . Mustang salesmen will have to work harder next year, but we think the car has secured its beachhead and will go on to further conquests.”

1960'S - 9. 1964 PORSCHE 904 — 5.3 SECONDS (TIE)

September 1964

What We Said: “Even with street mufflers and air cleaners, the 904 comes on like the loudest part of a war movie soundtrack. That old Porsche trait, spitting back through the carburetors, is still there, as was a certain amount of lusty backfiring. . . . The loudest noise at 60 mph is your heart pounding in anticipation, and normal conversation is utterly impossible at 100 mph. . . . For the first time since the original series of 50 Porsches were built in Austria, the engine is ahead of the axle in a Porsche production car. . . . This engine differs from previous Porsche two-liters in having wilder cams, bigger valves, and more fin area. . . . Oh sure, only 130 horsepower. It didn’t seem hardly enough to do any more than pool all our blood along our jellied spine, break our glasses across the bridge of our nose, and leave the impression of our belt buckle on our stomach.”

1960'S - 10. 1966 PLYMOUTH SATELLITE 426 HEMI — 5.3 SECONDS (TIE)

April 1966

What We Said: “As a machine for sitting down in and going fast—and never mind all that jazz about what it looks like or how the windows fit—that’s where Chrysler Corporation’s Hemi-426 really gets the job done. It offers the best combination of brute performance and tractable street manners we’ve ever driven. Passengers, even knowledgeable enthusiasts, can ride around in the car and never know what a bomb it is, unless the driver chooses to unleash the might of all those big Omigawd-ferocious horses. . . . It just doesn’t feel like a seven-liter engine—except for the fact that you’re suddenly doing 120 mph and you don’t know how you got there.”

1960'S - 11. 1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z/28 — 5.3 SECONDS (TIE)

July 1968

The Lime Rock pit straight is a wavy, gray blur. Up front two roaring Holleys are trying to suck a hole in the at­mosphere. "A 7000 rpm redline? Christ Almighty, it's gonna burst." But it doesn't, and Sam Posey snaps the shift lev­er into fourth at seven grand as the speedometer climbs past 110 in one of the absolute wildest street machines ever to come out of Detroit. No question about it: we're in the middle of one of the most beautiful road tests in the annals of mankind.

1960'S - 12. 1969 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427 — 5.3 SECONDS (TIE)

September 1969

What We Said: “One of the most extraordinary things about the Corvette is its overall smoothness. Most cars having an excess of 400 hp are jerky, neck-snapping, uncivilized, and bull-like, but the Corvette’s controls are so well designed that utter novices can jump aboard and drive like veterans—up to a point. . . . Power comes so effortlessly that neither car nor driver is ever called upon to strain in the slightest.”

1950'S - 1. 1958 FERRARI 4.9 SUPERFAST — 5.6 SECONDS

September 1958

It was a Sunday afternoon in late spring. The scene: New York's Hutchinson River Parkway. The two checkered cap collegiates in the top-down TD ahead didn't see us coming. Cruising up at 45 mph in fourth, we silently changed down to third and then to second. Alongside by then, we dropped into synchromesh low, double-clutching purely for effect. Blasting once on the Marchal Stridor air horn, we fled the scene at full throttle, rending the air with not-so-quiet thunder and leaving a faint trace of abused rubber on the concrete.

1950'S - 2. 1958 FERRARI 250GT EUROPA — 5.9 SECONDS

January 1958

What We Said: “The 250 [Gran Turismo line] is a masterpiece. Hardly any other cars in the world compare with it—except other Ferraris. . . . If you’ve driven Ferraris before, you expect to hear the raucous, jangling whir of a pair of overhead camshafts clattering against 24 valves. But when the 250 [Europa] comes to life, there’s an instant when you wonder what’s wrong. It’s too quiet. Then you realize that the builder has succeeded in civilizing one of the world’s most savage powerplants. . . . The combination of this kind of low-speed pulling power with screaming, slam-in-the-back acceleration that hustles you from zero to 120 mph in 24 seconds is just one of the unusual virtues of this rather unique machine.”

1950'S - 3. 1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE (FUEL INJECTED) — 6.6 SECONDS (TIE)

June 1957

Chevrolet's injection is a premature baby, but it's still alive and kicking. It was prematured by a sudden jolt from the collective Plymouth and Ford styling departments, and without a major body change Chev needed a potent sales weapon. The decision to bring out fuel injection was made very, very late in 1956—virtually on the introduction deadline.

1950'S - 4. 1959 CHEVROLET CORVETTE — 6.6 SECONDS (TIE)

March 1959

With each annual change, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette's godfather, has emphasized performance improvements. His theory is that to sell, the Corvette must first go. Styling has had its innings, too, but they have acted with more restraint than one expects from Detroit.

1950'S - 5. 1957 CHEVROLET CORVETTE (DUAL QUAD) — 6.8 SECONDS

June 1957

Starting the dual-quad car was easy, by twisting the ignition switch, though some care was needed to avoid flooding on hot starts. Once warmed up, the idle was low enough at 500 rpm, but it was full of lumps and shook the car bodily. This can be handed to the competition cam, which was installed in both cars and checks out as seen in the sidebar.

1950'S - 6. 1957 PORSCHE 1500 RS SPYDER — 7.2 SECONDS (TIE)

February 1957

The Porsche Spyder is a fantastic machine. It is fast and fiercely powerful, one of the most successful competition sports cars in history, and it has a personality no less complex than Dr. Jekyll's. At brisk highway speeds it is very easy to drive, docile, perfectly manageable, superbly responsive. It is even an easy car to drive "fairly" fast, the way Ken Miles and Richie Ginther have driven it in a long series of spectacular 1500-cc-modified wins. But to drive it really fast, as fast as it's able to go—this is work for a driving genius—for a man, as Miles puts it, "with extraordinarily quick reactions and an exceedingly delicate bottom." Says Miles: "I'm just not that much of a driver.

1950'S - 7. 1958 CHEVROLET 315 DELRAY — 7.2 SECONDS (TIE)

January 1959

What We Said: “For sheer straightaway performance the car is exhilarating, thrilling, and amazing to drive. . . . The sound of this machine, as we took off, was astonishing. The [315-horsepower 348-cubic-inch] Chev 315 . . . comes on right now with that booming, hard-slamming thunder that we’ve learned to associate with wild, full-race V-8s at the drags and at Bonneville. It sounds precisely like what it is: a legitimate racing engine. . . . In cornering it is incomparably better than the ’57 Chev while still retaining a very buoyant ride. The rear lets go very slowly and only does so under hard provocation. . . . This car is an absolute ball to drive.”

1950'S - 8. 1959 FERRARI 250GT CALIFORNIA SPYDER — 7.2 SECONDS (TIE)

September 1959

What We Said: “The feel of the shift lever in action is without peer. . . . Response to the exhilerator pedal is always smooth even at such low revs as 1000 rpm in top gear. . . . Our criticism of the Ferrari 250GT is that it seems to be still too much a special; as it were, a pseudo –road car designed to cash in on the Grand Prix reputation. It’s a lovely reputation, but in some respects we can’t say the same for the car. . . . Lest anyone think the millennium has arrived, we must report that [this Ferrari] is far better suited to the race course than anywhere else.”

1950'S - 9. 1956 CHEVROLET CORVETTE — 7.5 SECONDS

May 1956

Chances are that by the time you read this the '56 Corvette will have made a profound impression on the whole sports car world, and after having had one under me for a couple of days I will be the last to be surprised. This very early production model showed a willingness and ability to be driven fast and hard under almost all conditions and demonstrated an even greater potential for competitive use. In my opinion, the Corvette as it stands is fully as much a dual-purpose machine as the stock Jaguar, Triumph, or Austin-Healey. Without qualification, General Motors is now building a sports car.

Car and Driver Tested: The Quickest Cars from the 1950s to Today

One of the pillars of Car and Driver—and Sports Cars Illustrated, which was our name from our founding in 1955 until 1961—has always been recording objective performance data for a wide variety of automobiles.

This tradition began in 1955, and our approach progressively became increasingly scientific as manufacturers became ever more adept at wringing performance from their wares. It’s worth a note that in the fast-and-loose ’60s, carmakers regularly sent magazines “ringers” that were far quicker than what someone could buy off a showroom floor, and these same companies also often vastly underreported output figures.

One of the most egregious cases of this practice involved a certain 421-cubic-inch 1965 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 that appeared in our March 1965 issue. Capable of demolishing the zero-to-60-mph measure in a blazing 3.9 seconds, that particular Catalina, we openly revealed, had been “properly set up” by famed tuner Royal Pontiac. Massive V-8s began to give way to turbocharged muscle in the ’70s, and the 5.4-second zero-to-60 time put down by the mighty 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 was tied by the 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo.

The trend continued in the ’80s, and the ’90s were all about the supercar. But it’s after the turn of the century when things got real—or rather unreal—with every single car on our list of cars from 2000 to present day bursting from zero to 60 mph before the second hand ticks three times. It’s hard to imagine that cars will continue to get quicker at the same pace we’ve witnessed over the decades, but we’re eagerly awaiting the first car that breaks the mile-a-minute barrier in less than two seconds. You know it’s coming—we’re already at 2.2 seconds with the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Here, find the quickest cars we tested in each decade, starting with the 1950s and continuing through today. Enjoy!

1950'S - 10. 1958 CHEVROLET CORVETTE — 7.6 SECONDS

December 1957

To mark the fourth birthday of the Corvette, its proud parents, the Chevrolet Motor Division, have announced the 1958 model which has undergone some extensive but not too important changes on the surface and a few rather interesting ones underneath. Starting right at the plastic body, the use of aluminum reinforcements in the cowl structure, inaugurated in mid-'57, has been extended to include the so-called "rocker panels" under the door openings. Bumpers are now bracketed to the frame in conventional American style, relieving the front and rear body panels of loads that are not rightfully theirs. These two items raise the weight "less than 100 pounds", but for racing, most of it can be unbolted and left in the pits without the SCCA batting an eye.

TV Entertainer Ronnie Corbett Dies Aged 85

Entertainer Ronnie Corbett has died aged 85 surrounded by his family, his publicist has said.

A statement from his publicist said: "Ronnie Corbett CBE, one of the nation's best-loved entertainers, passed away this morning, surrounded by his loving family.

"They have asked that their privacy is respected at this very sad time."

Born Ronald Balfour Corbett in Edinburgh, Corbett was perhaps best known for his long association with fellow comedian Ronnie Barker in the television series The Two Ronnies.

The pair first worked together on The Frost Report in the late 1960s before developing their own show which included sketches, singing and dancing.

he show is still hailed as one of the most popular TV programmes of the late 20th century.

Tributes from the world of comedy poured in after news of Corbett's death was announced.

Ricky Gervais wrote: "RIP the lovely, funny legend Ronnie Corbett. It was an absolute honour & joy to have known him."

Jack Whitehall tweeted: "RIP Ronnie Corbett, what a brilliant and funny man he was."

Lord Sugar said: "Sad news about Ronnie Corbett, very funny man R.I.P."

Corbett was married to actress and dancer Anne Hart for over 50 years and the couple had two daughters, Emma and Sophie.

Lionel Messi offends Egypt with boot donation to charity

Barcelona and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is said to have offended Egypt after offering his boots to charity.

The 28-year-old's gesture has unfortunately been misinterpreted in Egypt, where it has been regarded by some as a national insult - in Egypt and other Arabic countries shoes can be used as a symbol of disrespect or insult.

A shoe can be considered dirty as it touches the ground.

Appearing on the TV show Yes I am Famous, Messi told the presenter that he would like to donate a pair of his boots for a charity auction.

However, the gesture has become a huge topic of discussion in Egypt, where an Egyptian MP even appeared on television and donated his own shoe to the footballer.

"We have never been humiliated during our seven thousand years of civilisation. I will hit you with the shoes, Messi," Said Hasasin said on Al-Asimah TV.

"This is my shoe. I donate it to Argentina."

A spokesman for the Egyptian FA has also condemned the act.

“Our poor people don’t need him. Shoes work for him," said Azmy Megahed.

“I’m confused, if he intends to humiliate us, then I say he better put those shoes on his head and on the heads of the people supporting him.

"Give your shoes to your country, Argentina is full of poverty."

In 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntada al-Zeidi infamously threw his shoes in protest at former US President George Bush's invasion of the country and continued presence.

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz set to square off again at UFC 200

The fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz that headlined UFC 196 was such a resounding success — for the UFC, if not for McGregor himself — that the company wasted no time setting up a rematch. The pair will square off again on July 9, as the main event at UFC 200.

The UFC announced the news on Wednesday, confirming what had been widely rumored, in a move meant to capitalize on the interest in the pair’s first meeting earlier in March, as well as to give the popular McGregor a shot at redemption. Diaz handed McGregor his first loss in UFC action by submitting the Irishman via a choke hold in the second round, the capper to an event that set company records for pay-per-view buys.

Much of the interest in that contest, apart from McGregor’s ability to draw fans with his trash-talking and striking skills, stemmed from his attempt to leap all the way up to 170 pounds, after having only fought at 145 pounds in his UFC career. McGregor is the champion at that lower weight, but with him fighting again at 170, UFC 200 will also feature a battle for the interim featherweight crown between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.

That will serve as a consolation prize of sorts for Aldo and Edgar, both of whom had been clamoring to take on McGregor. In Aldo’s case, he was looking for revenge, given that McGregor set a UFC record by knocking him out in just 13 seconds to win the featherweight title at UFC 194 in December. Aldo defeated Edgar by unanimous decision in a 2013 bout.

With the UFC celebrating its 200th large-scale promotion at a brand-new arena in Las Vegas, the company has assembled a star-studded card for the event. In addition to McGregor-Diaz and Aldo-Edgar, here are the other fights that have been confirmed: Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne, Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Lauzon, Gegard Mousasi vs. Derek Brunson, Johny Hendricks vs. Kelvin Gastelum and Takanori Gomi vs. Jim Miller.

Thus far, there is no women’s match slated for UFC 200, largely because Ronda Rousey, still recovering from her stunning knockout loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November, has indicated that she won’t be ready to return to the Octagon by then. It is still possible that Miesha Tate, who defeated Holm at UFC 196, could appear on July’s card, possibly in a rematch with Holm.

McGregor had been slated to take on lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 in a rare quest to hold two belts at once, but the Brazilian 155-pound champ injured a foot just 11 days before the fight. That forced to the UFC to substitute Diaz, at the relative last minute and at an even higher weight.

For July’s rematch, both McGregor and Diaz will have an opportunity to train specifically to fight each other, after neither was fully prepared the first time. McGregor reportedly was offered the chance to face Diaz at the latter’s usual fighting weight of 155, but he insisted on remaining at 170, in order to be able to say that he avenged his loss (if that is how it turns out) without requiring a change in circumstance.

Sylvester Stallone Kicks Off The Year's Most Unlikely Celebrity Feud (So Far)

Sylvester Stallone has lambasted comedian Jack Whitehall, kicking off what must be the most unlikely celebrity feud so far this year.

It all started a couple of days ago, when Jack discussed how excited he was to attend the Governors’ Ball - the Academy Awards after-party where actors are given their Oscars statuettes - last month.

Speaking to The Mirror, he remarked: “ I walked straight into Sylvester Stallone afterwards at the Governors Ball. I had to console him about missing out on his Oscar, telling him there was always next year. Or maybe if he did 'Creed 2' he might get a nod. I think it reassured him.

“Also, because he knew I was English, I had to tell him who Mark Rylance [who won in Sylvester’s category] was. I talked him through all of Mark’s performances at the Globe theatre.”

Now, given that Jack is a professional comedian and given that Sylvester Stallone probably isn’t in the habit of crying on people’s shoulders at fancy dos (particularly when his fabulous mother Jackie Stallone is just a phone call away), we think this might have been a joke.

Unfortunately, due to a sense of humour failure, several media outlets went on to repeat the story as straight news.

Oh dear.

Cut to Wednesday afternoon, and a very frustrated Sylvester has taken to social media to blast the reports, accusing Jack of making up the story.

Sharing a screengrab of the Daily Mail’s story, he wrote: “I was very proud of my nomination, worked hard for it , so why would anybody create insulting lies that only distort wonderful memories. Why do it?”

Over to you, Jack…

Last year, we were similarly surprised when a feud erupted between rapper Azealia Banks and ‘EastEnders’ actress Alison Newman, while who could forget the bust-up that broke out on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side’ last year, which involved a host of unlikely characters such as Janice Dickinson, ‘Allo Allo’ actress Vicki Michelle and Aisleyne from ‘Big Brother’.

Jennifer Lopez slays her Carpool Karaoke appearance

Nothing was off-limits as the The Late Late Show with James Corden host hit cruise control with JLo.

But perhaps the ultimate highlight, aside from whether Jennifer, 46, has actually insured her famous derriere for one million big ones, was her text banter with Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio.

It all started when James asked her who the most famous contact was in her phone.

Unsurprisingly, the mother-of-two had a slew of A-listers on speed dial including Chris Brown, Bradley Cooper, Cristiano Ronaldo, The Rock, Fergie and Iggy Azaela. 

“This is the best phone I’ve ever seen in my life,” a delighted James squealed, before he fired off a cheeky text to Leo.

"Hey baby, I'm kind of feeling like I need to cut loose. Any suggestions? Let me know, JLo (you know, from the block),” the hilarious Brit penned. 

Although JLo was mortified, she received a chipper response from the actor, saying: "You mean tonight, Boo Boo? Club-wise?"

Boo Boo. Leonardo DiCaprio calls JLo Boo Boo. We’ll leave that with you to marinate.

Jennifer was horrified when James stole her phone to message Leo!

"The funny part is that he actually thinks I'm serious," she laughed. "He thinks this was me! As if I would say JLo."

Another topic of conversation during their music-filled drive was if she has taken insurance out on her bum.

Putting the rumours to rest for once and for all, JLo explained: “No! There is no such thing as that! I think there is a place in your homeland [England] where you can insure parts of your body. Not here, I don’t think!”

James, who belted out hits Love Don't Cost A Thing and On The Floor during their catch-up, also asked the star about her love life and how young is too young. 

“They have to be legal,” Jennifer, who is dating 28-year-old dancer Casper Smart, said. “I’m a relationship kind of girl. I’m so monogamous it’s stupid,” she added.

The mother-of-two also confessed she had been “married three times [and] proposed to five times.”

A fascinated James asked how she went about rejecting the two other blokes, to which she bluntly revealed: “You just say ‘no, this isn’t right!’”

Rhian Sugden blasts 'liar' on Twitter after Vernon Kay sexting scandal rocks his marriage to Tess Daly

Rhian Sugden has sent a cryptic message aimed at a "liar" on Twitter following the Vernon Kay texting scandal.

The busty 29-year-old broke her social media silence to send the cryptic message in the early hours of Thursday morning, days after it was revealed she had been back in contact with TV presenter Vernon Kay - six years after their flirty messages almost ended his marriage to Tess Daly.

Writing alongside a picture of Disney's Pinocchio, she stated: "A liar should have a good memory. #TwoSides"

Vernon claimed earlier this week that Rhian got back in touch with him in December regarding the 2010 sexting scandal.

Insisting there was nothing inappropriate about their relationship and that wife of 13 years Tess was aware of the contact, he said: “I recognise how it may look when messages are pulled out of context but there was never any inappropriate intent to our communication. I was merely trying to find answers to questions I’ve had since 2010.”

The dad of two, added that Tess “is aware of everything that has been discussed with Rhian”.

However insiders have claimed this is far from the case, with sources telling The Sun the Strictly Come Dancing star had a 24 hour warning from her husband over the story.

Tess has now reportedly given Vernon Kay one last chance on the basis he doesn't speak to the model ever again.

“Tess is utterly devastated but does not want to give up on her family. She met Vernon on Tuesday night and tore strips off him. This has been so humiliating for her. She can’t believe he has been in touch with Rhian again," a source told The Sun.

They added: “She is terrified there are more revelations to come. She couldn’t handle that. It nearly destroyed her family six years ago and she thought they had moved on from it all.

"Vernon has obviously apologised for dragging it up again. Tess has forgiven him but only under some very strict conditions. The main one is that he never speaks to Rhian ever again.”

The 41-year-old was forced to pull out of The One Show on Tuesday and was believed to be having crisis talks with his wife.

Meanwhile, Vernon's dad has said his son "isn't bothered" about the recent drama.

Speaking from his home in Bolton, Vernon's dad Norman said: "As far as I know Vernon and Tess are all right. They're not too concerned. I said, 'Are you all right?' and he said, 'Yeah, I'm not bothered.'"

BREAKING NEWS:

Entertainer Ronnie Corbett has died at the age of 85

Five things that went wrong for Gary Neville at Valencia

Gary Neville's first managerial spell lasted just under four months after the former England and Manchester United defender was sacked by Valencia.

The 41-year-old struggled to make an impression at the Mestalla after replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in early December and was let go after winning 10 of his 28 games in charge.

Here, we look at five things that went wrong during Neville's reign.

Wavering concentration

On several occasions Neville highlighted his side's habit of conceding possession deep inside their own half - something Barcelona took full advantage of as they hammered Valencia 7-0 at the start of February in the Copa del Rey.

Surrendering possession is unhelpful at any time, but disastrous when taking on Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. The errors left Los Che seriously exposed and undermanned in defence and it is a problem they never really resolved.

Starting and finishing games

In 15 of Neville's 16 league games at the helm Valencia conceded the first goal, leaving them with an uphill task. Letting in late goals was also an issue, and they often came in clusters.

In what proved to be Neville's final game in charge, Valencia lost 2-0 at home to Celta Vigo, who scored both their goals after the 80th minute. A 3-0 home loss to Atletico Bilbao also came after the game was goalless with 72 minutes on the clock.

Getting the best from the beast

One of the first things Neville did following his appointment in December was bring former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo - nicknamed 'the Beast' - into the starting XI. However, barring a Copa del Rey hat-trick against Granada, the 30-year-old flattered to deceive and was guilty of a string of glaring misses.

He did score three times in the league for Neville but was not reliable enough in front of goal, evidenced by a number of wasted chances in the 1-0 loss against Sporting Gijon.

Failure to decide on a settled formation

As is the norm when a team has been struggling for consistency, there was plenty of chopping and changing in Neville's tactics.

In fact, he used five different formations in his first eight league games, trying out 4-3-3, 5-3-2, 4-4-2, 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1. Perhaps his dawdling over a preferred method, particularly early on, cost him his job.

Not having his best players fit and firing

Much of Neville's shuffling of his pack was due to injuries to key players. Goalkeeper Diego Alves has been out with a serious knee problem while Enzo Perez also suffered fitness issues.

With Jose Gaya and Sofiane Feghouli also in the early stages of a return to the starting XI in recent weeks, Neville was robbed of some of his better performers.

PA

Dynamo's Failed Magic Trick Leaves O2 Arena Cringing

Dynamo’s live tour kicked off at the O2 Arena earlier this week, and on Wednesday (30 March) night things didn’t exactly go to plan for the magician.

The star, real name, Steven Frayne, has pulled off a number of big stunts over the years, but on the night, it was a trick involving a phone in a glass bottle that messed up and left the audience cringing.

Audience member Tom’s phone was magically transported into the vessel by Dynamo, only when his pal Amy went to ring it, nothing happened.

Keeping control of the situation, Dynamo reminded everyone that they were watching a live show, and “anything could happen”, as he frantically urged Tom’s other mates in the audience to ring the phone.

While he does a stellar job of remaining relatively calm, the clip still makes for painfully awkward viewing.

This isn’t the first time Dynamo has come unstuck, as a previous stunt - that saw him ‘levitating’ over the Shard - was slammed by fans who could clearly see the wires suspending him.

Perhaps it’s best to stick to pulling rabbits out of hats? Just an idea…

Air stewardess also took picture with Egypt plane hijacker - as mother of British hostage calls his photo 'stupid'

A new picture has emerged of an air stewardess posing with the Egyptian plane hijacker, as the mother of a British hostage also photographed with the man wearing a "suicide vest" branded her son's actions "stupid". 

Pauline Innes scolded her son Ben as he arrived back in the UK less than 48 hours after the image emerged of him stood grinning next to a man who claimed to have smuggled a bomb belt on board.

The health and safety auditor from Leeds was one of 72 passengers and crew taken hostage by Seif Eddin Mustafa soon after their EgyptAir flight took off from Alexandria on Tuesday.

As 26-year-old Mr Innes was collected by his mother from Manchester Airport late on Wednesday, she said "I don't know why you did it," according to The Sun.

Now a second picture has been posted on Facebook of an air stewardess also posing for a snap with the hijacker.

Cabin crew member Naira Atef is seen smiling and standing next to to the hijacker during the five-hour stand-off on Tuesday aboard the EgyptAir A320 jet. 

The hijacker - 58-year-old Egyptian Seif al-Din Mohamed Mustafa - displays what appears to be a suicide bomb belt, which was later shown to be a fake.

Mr Innes, from Leeds, is said to have contacted his mother soon after the drama began on the flight to Cairo, which was diverted to Cyprus, to reassure her he would keep a low profile.

However, at some point during the five-hour stand-off, he decided to "throw caution to the wind while trying to stay cheerful in the face of adversity" and pose for a picture with his captor.

The snap, in which the hijacker can be seen wearing a khaki-coloured fabric belt with a series of pouches wired together, went viral after it was posted on social media.

"Mum was very upset seeing me, but I made it safe and sound," he told the newspaper as he arrived back in the UK.

"The past two days have been crazy, unbelievable. But I'm here now and things can get back to normal. I'll be relaxing at home with Mum," he added.

Mrs Innes said that he had not posed for a "selfie" with the hijacker, who was described as "psychologically unstable" by Cypriot officials.

"You can clearly see that it is not Ben who is taking the picture," she said. 

The plane was forced to land in Larnaca amid fears of a terrorist incident. Cypriot authorities later accused Mustafa of diverting the Alexandria-to-Cairo flight.

He made several demands, including seeing his Cypriot ex-wife, with whom he has children. His suicide belt turned out to be fake.

The snap sparked an online debate between those who admired Innes' humour and others who thought that the incident was not a laughing matter.

"I don't know if Ben Innes has Twitter but Sir, I salute your indefatigableness," tweeted user Henry Brubaker.

However, Jonathan T Gilliam wrote: "Ben Innes would be a hero if he had taken pic & sent to cops during hijacking. But he's an idiot bragging to friends."

A university friend told The Telegraph that the incident was "not a surprise at all."

"Ben is a wild man and this is totally in character for him. He was a big rugby guy and very into his banter and didn't have much respect for authority," the friend said.

Innes was among the last of the 55 passengers to be released by Mustafa, who was remanded into custody on Wednesday.

8 Habits Couples Therapists Say Always End A Marriage

And no, having an affair isn't on this list.

TALKING TRASH BEHIND EACH OTHER'S BACKS.

It might sound like advice on avoiding high school drama, but speaking in a mean-spirited way about your partner when he's not around—not just poking innocent fun at his Star Wars obsession—is a red flag that, surprisingly, is pretty common, says Cole. And it could have a lot to do with your friends. "Women may fall into this habit if they're surrounded by people doing the same thing," she says. "If your close group of girl friends are constantly talking poorly about their own husbands, it may feel more normal for you to chime in and say, 'You think yours is bad? Listen to mine.'"

But in reality, it shines a light on a deeper issue, says Cole. "It shows a lack of respect for him and your connection, even if he never finds out," she says, and starts a pattern of negative comparisons that can lead to even more criticism and contempt. Before you know it, your relationship is in a fast, downward spiral.

Egypt hijacking: Who is the passenger pictured grinning next to suspect in suicide belt?

This is the moment an unidentified man posed next to an alleged hijacker who took passengers hostage on board an EgyptAir plane today.

The man, dressed in a pale blue shirt, smiled broadly as he posed for a photograph next to the passenger this afternoon.

Later, he was pictured with his arms above his head as he fled the plane at Larnaca airport.

The man - one of 56 passengers on flight MS181 - has yet to be identified but was seen running from the aircraft with three other men.

This comes as there were reports of four Brits, an Irishman and an American on the Cairo-bound plane.

Earlier, footage emerged of the suspected hijacker calmly passing his way through security before forcing an emergency landing and holding dozens of passengers hostage.

The man can be seen being patted down by airport security at Alexandria International Airport in Egypt.

Just minutes later the pilot of EgyptAir flight MS181 was ordered to divert the flight by a man claiming to be wearing a belt packed with explosives.

The plane - carrying 56 passengers and seven crew to the Egyptian capital Cairo - landed at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus around 20 minutes later and a six-and-a-half hour stand-off began.

The flight landed at around 8.30am local time (6.30am UK time) and was met by armed police on the runway.

The hijacker was identified by officials as Egyptian national Seif El Din Mustafa before a six-and-a-half hour stand-off was eventually brought to a peaceful end.

He was seen passing a letter out from the plane. He also reportedly asked to be put in contact with his ex-wife, who lives in Cyprus, among a host of demands.

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "He is not a terrorist, he’s an idiot. Terrorists are crazy, but they are not stupid."

The woman, named as Marina Parashkou, arrived at the airport to speak with him after being asked by authorities to go to the airport to help end the stand-off.

Cypriot authorities later confirmed the man did not have any viable explosives on his person.

Four British people were believed to be on board. The UK Foreign Office has said it is in contact with Cypriot and Egyptian authorities.

An EgyptAir spokeswoman confirmed a hijacker had taken control of the plane and requested to land in Cyprus.

Dozens of passengers could be seen leaving the plane at around 10am local time (8am UK time).

Five more people were then seen leaving the plane at around 11.30am local time (9.30am UK time).

In dramatic scenes one hostage jumped to freedom from the cockpit window as the remaining four crew members and three foreign passengers were freed at around 3pm local time (1.30pm UK time).

The spokeswoman later confirmed: "Official sources at EgyptAir declared the release of all the hostages and the arrest of the hijacker."

Cyprus government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides also confirmed the end of the hijacking, tweeting: "The hijacker has just been arrested."

A motive for the hijacking remains unclear, but Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades said it was "not something which has to do with terrorism".

Some reports suggested the incident was related to the hijacker's ex-wife, while others reported that he was asking for the release of political prisoners in Egypt.

The suspect's family are now also being questioned by police.

Eye-witnesses described seeing armed police carrying sniper rifles rushing through the airport terminal before passengers were evacuated by police.

All flights to and from Cyprus were cancelled during the stand-off.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman could not confirm whether any Britons were among the passengers.

He said: "We are in contact with the Cypriot and Egyptian authorities after a hijacked plane landed in Cyprus."

Anyone concerned about a UK national should contact the British Embassy in Cairo on 0020227916000.

Hijacker releases some passengers from EgyptAir plane at Larnaka Airport in Cyprus