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Sir Alex Ferguson has described Sir Bobby Charlton as a “tower of strength” for him in a heartfelt tribute to the Manchester United great. Charlton, one of the finest players the English game has ever produced, died last weekend at the age of 86. After an illustrious career in which he won the World Cup with England and helped United win the European Cup, Charlton went on to serve the club as a director and ambassador. He remained a prominent figure at Old Trafford throughout Ferguson’s glittering 26-year reign as manager, which began in 1986. In a eulogy to be published in the matchday programme for Sunday’s derby fixture against Manchester City, Ferguson reflected on his appointment and the “personal connection” he had with Charlton. He wrote: “The directors came to meet me in Glasgow and asked what my vision was for the job. I said I would take the same approach I had at Aberdeen, by looking to build up the whole club, not just the team, and that I would do that by developing young players. “As I was explaining this, I saw Bobby nudge one of the other directors and he said, ‘that’s what we want’. He’d made his mind up. From that moment on he was a tower of strength for me. “It’s no surprise to me that we’ve seen tributes to Sir Bobby from everywhere in the world, on every TV channel and in every newspaper, because he was without question the greatest English player of all time. “People loved him because of all those thunderbolt goals, but it was more than that. My dad used to say that humility in success is a sign of greatness, and that was Bobby. “He never used to boast about his own achievements; it was always about the team and the club.” Charlton’s death came soon after that of Ferguson’s wife, Lady Cathy. He added: “I am so sorry for Lady Norma (Charlton), who was always by Bobby’s side, especially as his health declined, and my thoughts have been with the whole family these past few days. “Unfortunately, I have also suffered the painful loss of my beloved wife, Cathy, this month, and I want to thank the club, the fans, and everyone who has sent me their condolences.” Read More We have a way to go – Erik ten Hag sure Man Utd on right track despite criticism Jude Bellingham brace helps Real Madrid to comeback El Clasico win at Barcelona Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite South Africa edge New Zealand to win Rugby World Cup for record fourth time Jamie George demands ‘clarity’ over hybrid contracts for England players Gary O’Neil labels Newcastle penalty ‘scandalous decision’

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Everton fans have staged a protest outside the Premier League’s headquarters in London in response to the club’s 10-point punishment for breaching financial regulations. The Toffees were handed the sanction by an independent commission last week after they exceeded losses permitted under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules by £19.5million in the three seasons ending in 2021-22. Manager Sean Dyche expressed shock at the “disproportionate” penalty on Friday, a sentiment shared by the fans who gathered outside the Premier League’s offices in Paddington, west London. Paul, 36, who lives in East Dulwich but is originally from St Helens, is a season-ticket holder who will be at Sunday’s game against Manchester United. He told the PA news agency that the points deduction “felt draconian”, adding: “It just feels like the rules were deliberately vague to give flexibility for this kind of situation. “I think Everton have been deliberately targeted because of the threat of an independent regulator, and that feels wrong.” Alan Newton, 46, who lives in London but is originally from Maghull, held a season ticket for 10 years. He told PA: “Nobody’s saying that we’re not guilty as a club of anything, but the points that have been taken off is far too harsh a penalty. “Do I think that some of the other bigger clubs are going to get penalties like this or it’s going to play out the same? Probably not. “I think the likelihood is we’ll get a reduced penalty, it’ll set a precedent for other clubs and we’ll see what happens next.” The points deduction has left Everton 19th in the table and above bottom side Burnley only on goal difference. However, Amy Panayi, 28, who lives in Gravesend but is originally from Liverpool, does not believe the club will be relegated. “If we just get consistency with your teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, I will take a 10-point deduction,” she told PA. “I will say I don’t think we will go down, because there’s too much fight (and) heart there.” Read More Australia see off Finland to reach Davis Cup final for second-successive year Neil Robertson not worried by slide down rankings ahead of UK Championship Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool can benefit from Alexis Mac Allister’s deeper role Kevin Sinfield says time is of the essence as he prepares to run for MND again LTA urges British tennis fans to show ‘respect’ after Novak Djokovic row at Davis Cup Erik ten Hag prepared for Everton to be ‘mad’ and urges Man Utd to match them

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Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny will hope to finally exorcise the ghost of Cristiano Ronaldo as he targets a priceless Euro 2024 qualifier victory in Greece. Kenny will send his troops into Group B battle at the OPAP Arena on Friday evening desperate to open their account at the second time of asking after they lost 1-0 to France in Dublin in their opener. He will do so still reflecting on the famous World Cup qualifier win over Portugal which was snatched from his grasp by Ronaldo’s late double in September 2021, and game in which Ireland led through John Egan’s header with just a minute of normal time left on the clock. Asked if he was encouraged by the fact that some of his team’s better performances had come away from home, Kenny replied: “You can’t look back. “Of course we have analysed all the performances and the obvious one is the game in Portugal, of course, which we lost late. “We have learned so much about the team over the last year and you can see the team improving, but this is a stern test. We have learned so much about the team over the last year and you can see the team improving, but this is a stern test Stephen Kenny “Greece are a really good team, they are at home, and it will be a brilliant atmosphere, I’m sure, and it is one that we want the players to rise to and put in a big performance.” Kenny and his players arrived in Athens after using a nine-day training camp on Antalya, Turkey to acclimatise to the heat and humidity they expect to face at the home of AEK Athens. Greece boss Gus Poyet has billed the game as must-win for both nations with the Netherlands as well as France – minnows Gibraltar complete the group – also vying for qualification, but Kenny is taking a more pragmatic view. He said: “We are looking for that historic away win, that’s our objective, that’s what we want. “Greece have a very good home record, they have been in good form over the past year – we respect that. “Nothing will be easy, we will have to fight for everything and it’s only the second game of the group, so I don’t think anything is decided so early, but it is certainly going to be an important game for both teams.” It could be a particularly big night for Ireland’s 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson, who would dearly love to wrap up a memorable season, during which he has burst on to the Premier League scene at Brighton, made his senior international debut and scored his first Ireland goal. Asked if the challenge to the teenager was to finish the campaign in style with a telling contribution in Athens, Kenny said: “Evan has emerged quicker than we could have anticipated. He’s done brilliantly for Brighton in the Premier League. We’re delighted to have him. “He’s trained really well this week. Such a young player, you wouldn’t want to put too much on his shoulders because we’ve got five good young forwards in the squad. “But he has got terrific ability and we’d love to see that emerge over the next week.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ashes rivals unite in honour of Nottingham victims on opening day of series Ben Stokes urges his England players to become a part of Ashes folklore Kane thanks team-mates and Bellingham takes five – Thursday’s sporting social

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England manager Sarina Wiegman insisted she has not waded into a rumoured row surrounding World Cup bonuses. Wiegman’s side open their campaign in earnest on July 22 when they face Haiti in Brisbane, but they will first take on FIFA world number-seven ranked Olympic champions Canada behind closed doors on Friday at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast stadium. Some reports ahead of England’s arrival Down Under claimed the Lionesses were unhappy with the Football Association about performance-based payments, but Wiegman was adamant it has not been a topic of discussion in camp. “Players haven’t spoken to me about it,” she told Sky Sports. “We’ve been focusing on football and that is what I have seen. “They’re focused on football in meetings. I don’t see any problems. I know that it is something that needs to be solved and I hope for a quick solution. “I am not involved in those discussions. I hope it’s solved quickly before the tournament starts.” Under a new model, players will receive payments directly from FIFA, with amounts increasing the deeper teams go in the tournament. They range from 30,000 US dollars (£23,367) per athlete for the group stage to USD 270,000 (£210,305) allotted to each champion. Previously, it was up to individual national governing bodies to decide how money was allocated. Some federations have agreed to additional payments in 2023, though multiple reports have suggested the FA has no current plans to do the same. The PA news agency has contacted the FA for comment. The Dutch boss, who led England to their first major trophy at last summer’s home Euros, was more forthcoming when asked how her team feels about FIFA’s solution to the ‘One Love’ armband debate that swirled around the men’s World Cup in Qatar last autumn. Captains of the nations involved in the ‘One Love’ campaign, including England and Wales, were threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card if the rainbow bands were worn, because they would have been a breach of FIFA equipment regulations. The bands were seen as a potent symbol of tolerance in a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Instead, FIFA has partnered with the UN to create eight stakeholder-sanctioned armbands that can be swapped out or worn throughout the month-long tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Alongside inclusion, the other causes being highlighted are ‘unite for indigenous peoples’, ‘unite for gender equality’, ‘unite for peace’, ‘unite for education for all’, ‘unite for zero hunger’, ‘unite for ending violence against women’ and ‘football is joy, peace, love, hope and passion’. Team captains will also have the option to wear a ‘football unites the world’ armband for the entire tournament, if they do not wish to choose a single cause or support different causes round by round. None directly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, of which a record number of players in the 2023 World Cup – including some Lionesses – are a part, so the decision has drawn some criticism. Wiegman added: “I think the players are happy with the solution. I think first of all it is good there is a solution ahead of the tournament. “I think that with the armband, the team can have a voice and now it is up to the team what armband they want to wear. I think we are in a really good place with it. “The players will decide and they will live by their values anyway. And we as staff will support them in any choice they make.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon final places and world number one ranking up for grabs on day 11 Joe Marler reveals ‘weird encounter’ with Steve Borthwick over England hopes Alice Capsey says England can play even better after levelling Ashes series

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