of the brexit talks, ahead of a crucial eu summit next week. it comes as the dup stepped up its warnings to theresa may, not to compromise over the northern ireland border. two astronauts have escaped unharmed after their soyuz spacecraft was forced to make an emergency high—speed landing in kazakhstan shortly after launch. the rocket malfunctioned on its way to the international space station. one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the us mainland, storm michael, continues to batter the south—east of the country. hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are without electricity. the work and pensions secretary, esther mcvey, has admitted that some will be worse off under the new benefit system — universal credit — but said the scheme encouraged people into employment. in a moment it will be time for sportsday but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. at 6:50pm we'll be speaking to a campaigner for the legalisation

of medicinal cannabis after the home secretary, sajid javid, announced that doctors in england and wales will be able to prescribe cannabis products to patients from the first of november. then at 7pm, beyond 100 days will be discussing how saudi—turkey relations have been affected by the disappearance of the saudi journalist, jamal khashoggi. and later, at 10:1i0pm and 11:30pm, we'll be looking at how this evening's cabinet meeting on brexit is covered on tomorrow's front pages, that's in the papers. my guests tonight are political journalists david wooding from the sun on sunday, and jessica elgot from the guardian. that's all ahead on bbc news. now on bbc news it's time for sportsday. hello and welcome to sportsday, i'm olly foster. can scotland win again in the nations league?

we'll have the latest from haifa ahead of their match against israel. up to 500 england fans are expected in rijeka tomorrow, but they won't be able to get in to watch their game against croatia. and 50 years on, we meet the man behind that salute on top of the olympic podium. we needed a platform and what thatcher young man did, there was a reason for that. hello and welcome to sportsday, i'm 0lly foster. good evening, we're going to start with football because the international break really gets going this evening. two of the home nations, wales and scotland, are in action. we'll also catch up with england and northern ireland who play tomorrow.

but let's start in haifa where scotland are looking to make it two wins out of two in the nations league. they beat albania last month, and injust over an hour they face isreal. alasdair lamont is there for us. myself and the former scotland striker are here in downtown— ahead of tonight's match. billy, from what the manager has been saying, it doesn't look like he's going to make too many changes from the side that beat albania, is that right from the point of view that it was a good performance? 0r point of view that it was a good performance? or does he need to find a way of getting the inform james forrest into the team?” a way of getting the inform james forrest into the team? i think they need to show continuity and belief in the group that got the result against albania. you must be thinking about changing the system away from home. there is anyone change in personnel, losing a striker, losing a central midfielder. continuity, a good

result and getting forest into the tea m result and getting forest into the team is a good risk thing. israel are on a poor run of form themselves, eight defeats, i think it is in the last few matches. surely this is a game scotland should go out and win? away from home, a bit of humility. i think we can win the game but i think we will also take a draw. it is a good chance of stamp out authority in the group. what is your own prediction in terms of a result? i would take a 1-0 in terms of a result? i would take a 1—0 or 2—1 in terms of a result? i would take a i—0 or2—i win in terms of a result? i would take a 1—0 or 2—1 win or even a draw would bea 1—0 or 2—1 win or even a draw would be a decent result. we should have some team news in the next 20 minutes or so. wales are playing a friendly, but it's a high profile one — it's spain and that's why they are playing at the 7a,000 capacity principality stadium in cardiff for the first time in seven years. it was called the millennium stadium

the last time they played there. sapin may have had a poor world cup but the wales manager knows the threat they pose. a new manager, very impressive last month. they scored six goals against the world cup finalists, it is something special. we are in for a tough game, we know that. it is also an exciting one which gives a chance to the players to play against some of the best players in the world. no gareth bale for wales because he has that groin problem. so wales and scotland playing tonight, england lost their opening nations league game to spain, they are in rijeka where they face croatia tomorrow behind closed doors. no fans will be allowed in because of uefa sanctions against the hosts, after a swastika was marked on their pitch in a euro qualifier three years ago. 0ur sports correspondent, andy swiss, is there. welcome to the hillside here above the stadium in rijeka. the reason we

are up here is that with a match taking place tomorrow behind closed doors, some england fans have been looking at this as a potential vantage point. as you can see, you can geta vantage point. as you can see, you can get a view of some of the pitch, about half of it. it is hardly a front row seat. with increased security, the question is whether fa ns security, the question is whether fans will be able to get even this close. despite the fact that they can't get into the stadium, a number of england fans, as many as 500 in fa ct, of england fans, as many as 500 in fact, they are making the journey here to croatia. earlier on i spoke to one of them from the football supporters federation. there are a lot of people who pride themselves on having witnessed every england game in the flesh and those people are very disappointed by a uefa punishment which effectively punishes the english fans who have had nothing to do with racism. a lot of those people will have tried every opportunity for a vantage point, whether from a

every opportunity for a vantage point, whetherfrom a balcony or from a hillside or whatever. the chance of getting into the stadium i think are very slim. where do you think are very slim. where do you think most of the fans will be watching this match from? when you think they will be on friday?” think they will be on friday?” think a lot of people will have a look around the ground for the possibilities of vantage point but i wouldn't be surprised if most people watch it in the park. it promises to bea watch it in the park. it promises to be a strange evening for england's fa ns be a strange evening for england's fans and, of course, for the players. it is a repeat of the world cup semifinaljust players. it is a repeat of the world cup semifinal just a players. it is a repeat of the world cup semifinaljust a few months ago against croatia. in terms of adverse here, it is fair to say that tomorrow night will be very different. it will be very strange indeed. the first time england have played behind closed doors. gareth southgate is holding a news conference right now. northern ireland are in vienna — michael 0'neill‘s side face austria tomorrow, realistically needing to avoid defeat after beginning their nations league campaign with a loss to bosnia—herzegovina last month. austria lost in sarajevo so for us

and them this game has equal importance. they have to win it to be able to put pressure on bosnia who are six points. if we win we can go to sarajevo with the impetus. this format is new to us. i think all coaches are the same, they are not sure how to approach it. the 127 members of the fa council have heard from the chief executive, martin glenn, today about the proposal to sell wembley stadium. fulham's owner, shahid khan, has put together an offer around £900 million. the fa say that there was a healthy discussion. here's our sports news correspondent, richard conway. it is deal or no dealfor it is deal or no deal for wembley stadium, that is the question that the councillors must answer within

the councillors must answer within the next two weeks. today they heard a presentation from the fa board. they are in fail of the sale of the stadium. they want to reinvest the money into grassroots facilities and pictures. they see it as a revolutionary opportunity, a once—in—a—lifetime opportunity to change grassroots football and give them the kind of resources that they feel they have been deprived of a fortune on. to the council must go away now, consult with their own members and decide whether they want to vote in favour. the fa board want a mandate for the council of around 65%. the court up with a few of them as they were leaving wembley and some of them are in favour but some still have questions that they want and the ring. we talked about wembley for about two or three hours. a lot more information and thinking to do and no firm decision either way. not before the 24th winner will be a vote. is their

concern about how the money will be spent? is that one of the overriding concerns? how the money is spent is not just a concerns? how the money is spent is notjust a concern but an absolute factor which will be discussed. we have an awful lot to discuss and that an awful lot of problems and concerns to iron out. we still want more information on that is fair to say. that will be produced on the 24th and that will be women make a decision. you want more knowledge about where the money will be spent? that is correct, yes. in the end, it may come down to a matter of trust. does the fa council, those who represent the counties, the grassroots and the amateur game trust that the fa board will spend this money in a responsible way? having sold the crown jewels, will they then get value for that money went it is reinvested into those facilities? 0r, went it is reinvested into those facilities? or, as some members told me privately as they were leaving, is that a fear that it will be

frittered away and that money will be wasted? that is what they must a nswer be wasted? that is what they must answer and reconcile within these next two weeks before it will come back on october 2a to cast their vote. now to a man who had an enormous influence on the english game for decades. the former aston villa chairman sir doug ellis has died at the age of 94. he had 35 years in the role over two spells, the most recent was from 1982 to 2006 when he sold the club to american businessman randy lerner. ellis had made his fortune as a pioneer of the package holiday industry before becoming a major shareholder and chairman of villa in 1968. he was knighted in 2012 for his services to charity. a minute's silence will be held at their next match at home to swansea on the 20th of october. former aston villa manager brian little, who led the team to the 1996 league cup, the last trophy they won under ellis, said... villa will hold a minute's silence

at their next home game on the 20th october. also coming up in the programme... boy wonder! meet the british speedway champion already making an impression on the world stage. there was a lot of guys bigger than me but i stood my ground and came second. next week is the 50th anniversary of the olympic 200 metres final in mexico city. the american tommie smith took gold in a world record time, the first man to break the 20—second mark. but that's not the reason why the race was so significant. 0n the podium, he and team—mate john carlos, the bronze medallist,

gave a black power salute, highlighting civil rights issues in the us. both were expelled from the games for making such a political gesture. the australian silver mdallist peter norman was also vilified for helping the pair and for wearing a badge supporting human rights. smith spoke to our reporter ade adedoyin today. that was an idea which i brought forth tojohn that was an idea which i brought forth to john and that was an idea which i brought forth tojohn and in fact, peter normanby australian athlete was in the same conversation. my decision for me was for me to raise a fist, bal had, roll my pants up for different reasons. it wasn't done to hate,it different reasons. it wasn't done to hate, it wasn't done for literary negative attention, it was done because i loved what i did and the country are represented and the people who sacrificed for that country to build and to grow. it was

political, yes. i know the change was about to come and it needed a platform. when one can run a race as fast as that young man did, there was a reason for that. were you scared? i was scared one year or one and a half years before that. i thought that would solve my need to show solidarity which i felt about a destructive nation that is needed help. in terms of what you were fighting for and where we are, how much has life really changed? life has changed and hopefully it will continue to change. you have seen other athletes doing things to move forward and they also have a platform. one of them is colin kaepernick. i have already talked to him about it. what was it like meeting him? i would have wanted to

meeting him? i would have wanted to meet him had he not taken any. because he did and recognised the fa ct because he did and recognised the fact that these guys did the same thing, i wonder what they were thinking? the sacrificial stamps that he took revealed his upbringing and the need to be better socially. and not for the sake of money, tommy smith, basically the same thing 50 yea rs smith, basically the same thing 50 years later. right let's have a quick look at some of the day's other sports stories now. it's the first round of the british masters at walton heath. england's eddie pepperell is one of four players tied for the lead on five under par thanks in part to this at the par three ninth, he hits the flag and spins back into the hole... matt wallace and tommy fleetwood are also at the top of the leaderboard. british number one kyle edmund is into the quarter finals of the shanghai masters. edmund, who is ranked 14th in the world, beat chile's nicolas yarry

in straight sets. he faces world number five alexander zverev next. british boxer billyjoe saunders has reliquished his wbo middleweight title. he failed a doping test in august and has been denied a licence to defend his title against american demetrius andrade in boston. england and wigan warriors rugby league player zak hardaker has been given a 20—month driving ban after pleading guilty to drink—driving. hardaker, who is nearing the end of a 1a—month ban from rugby for cocaine use, was arrested in pontefract last month. last month, spain's ana carrasco became the first woman to win a motorbike world championship. she won the title by a single point. she races in the third tier of superbikes and last season she became the first woman to win world championship race. she's 21 and has big ambitions in the sport and she spoke to me earlier. it has been a crazy day because i

have had too many interviews in spain and tv programmes and everything. it is really good for me because i feel really happy to make it for sure. it was a really good result for us and it feels good to bea result for us and it feels good to be a champion. it is a good place to do this sport because we have good weather and this is very important to ride a bike. i started when i was three years old because my family has been always in this world. my father is a mechanic and before i was born he was racing with another rider. when i was three years old he made my first bike and this day started everything. the only thing more difficult was to show people that i can win. it was hard to find a good team, good bike and people who believe in me. in my opinion, in

motorcycling we have shown that a woman can be on the same level as a man which is important to continue and it will be easier to have more girls riding in the world championship. world champion ana carrasco. let's stay on two wheels, and what could be more fun than zooming around a dirt track at 60 miles an hour, on a motorbike with no brakes! sam mcgurk from bradford is 12 and is the british youth speedway champion and he also just finished second in the world final too. dave edwards has been to meet him. ijust i just like ijust like going fast i just like going fast and ijust like going fast and it is just the thing of going into the corners with no brakes and it is fun to think of what it can actually hold for you. 12-year-old sam loves the adrenaline rush of speedway. his

bike can reach up to 60 miles an hour. already the british youth champion, he went into the 125 cc world final in france last month against riders with far more experience. he still came away with a silver medal. it goes up to 16 yea rs old a silver medal. it goes up to 16 years old so there were a lot of quys years old so there were a lot of guys bigger than me but i stood my ground and came second. i'm really happy with that. they go away as soon as happy with that. they go away as soon as the gate rises... the history of speedway goes back about 100 years and attracted big crowds in the post—war era of the late 40s and 50s known as the sport's golden age. but today, british speedway is not in the best of health. attendances have dwindled, clubs have folded, canada next generation of riders turned things around? sam certainly thinks so, he and brother harry potter the burgeoning use scene supported every step of the way by their parents despite the

obvious risks. sam has had a broken arm and it scares me to this day whenever they go out on track, i get nervous when i watch them. especially when it is close racing with other riders as well. but it is pa rt of with other riders as well. but it is part of the package, really. sam has several international races lined up over the next year and he has already arranged to take his schoolwork with him as he chases his dream of doing this for a living. finally, you may have seen the devastating floods that have affected parts of europe, 12 people have died in mallorca. the world number one, rafael nadal, has been helping to try and restore some normality on his home island. he joined other volunteers in the clean—up operation in saint llorenc, that was hardest hit and just a few miles from where he lives. he has also offered shelter at his tennis academy for those affected.