Rob Edwards admitted it would be an “incredible story” for Luton midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu to reach the Premier League having been at the club since they were in the National League. Mpanzu joined from West Ham in 2014 when Luton were languishing in the fifth tier of English football and a win on Saturday in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final against Coventry would be his fourth promotion in 10 seasons. Over 300 appearances and nine years later, the 29-year-old is potentially 90 minutes away from reaching the top-flight and facing off with his former side next season. “It would be (a great achievement). I need to stress that it would be an incredible story,” Edwards said. “I know people have gone from the National League to do incredible things but to do it with one club would be a great story and if we are able to do it there’s not one person I would be more happy for than Pelly. “He is such an important person around the place and an incredible man, he deserves it but it doesn’t mean we are going to do it, we have to make it happen but it would be great for him. “He’s the heartbeat of the group because he’s been here so long, an honest guy, very hard-working and he’s just stepped up. To do one more level would be incredible.” He's the heartbeat of the group because he's been here so long, an honest guy, very hard-working and he's just stepped up Rob Edwards on Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu Mpanzu felt his transfer to Luton was a risk but since praised the club’s mentality and belief as a key factor to their stark success over the last decade. And Luton’s current longest serving player believed he would one day return to the Premier League. “It has been a risk but here we are moments away from the Premier League, it’s been a good experience and I don’t want it to end on Saturday,” Mpanzu added. “I knew my ability would get me back there (Premier League), obviously you have got to have a great team around you and support, but when you have belief and know you can rise back to the top, Luton have done that in a short space of time. “Going from non-league to the Premier League with one club would be crazy.” Defender Dan Potts played with Mpanzu at West Ham before rejoining his former team-mate at Kenilworth Road in 2015. Mpanzu looked back at the pair’s comeback story since leaving the Hammers, saying: “He followed me here and he told me he was signing. “I told him the team is going places and he’s been a good signing. He’s stuck with me through thick and thin. “It’s mad we were both at West Ham and now one game away from the Premiership so it’s been a real journey with him also.”

The Nationals and Cardinals game today, July 16, was impacted by inclement weather. Check here for weather updates on the Cardinals rain delay.Another day, another Cardinals rain delay to deal with as St. Louis tries to close out the series against the Nationals.Friday's game had to be ...

A banner calling on Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and the club’s fans to help free a human rights activist was flown over the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. A plane carrying the banner ‘UAE: Free Ahmed Mansoor’ circled over the ground early on in the Premier League fixture between City and Liverpool. Human rights campaign group Amnesty International organised the flyover and is calling on the United Arab Emirates authorities to act. Sheikh Mansour is the country’s deputy prime minister. Amnesty also wants City fans to “see the bigger picture” and join the campaign to free Ahmed Mansoor. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in the UAE in 2018 and Amnesty says he has been kept in an isolation cell throughout his sentence so far and forced to sleep on the floor. Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group took over City in 2008, a move which has led to a transformation in the club’s fortunes. The club secured a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble last season. Today’s plane stunt is a way of saying, ‘Look up from the pitch and see the bigger picture - a huge injustice has occurred, and the owners of Man City are the ones who can right this wrong’ Amnesty UK Amnesty’s UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said: “The UAE has been sportswashing its global reputation through Manchester City while at the same time jailing Ahmed Mansoor and others simply for their peaceful human rights activism. “Man City’s amazing success under Pep Guardiola owes a great deal to Emirati funding and we’re calling on City fans to join us in this campaign to free Ahmed. “Today’s plane stunt is a way of saying, ‘Look up from the pitch and see the bigger picture – a huge injustice has occurred, and the owners of Man City are the ones who can right this wrong’.” Other human rights campaign groups have written to Manchester City Council this month, calling on it to ask the UAE government to release Mansoor. “Manchester City Council has a deep and long-standing relationship with entities controlled by individuals operating in leadership roles within the highest echelons of the UAE government, which places upon it a special responsibility to show support and solidarity with victims of repression by that government,” a letter to the council, dated November 13, said. A second plane flew over the stadium in the second half of Saturday’s match, trailing a banner reading ‘Premier League = corrupt’ as part of a protest by Everton fans against the club’s recent points deduction. Read More Erling Haaland makes history before Trent Alexander-Arnold earns a point Man Utd have reached ‘turning point’ ahead of crucial week – Erik ten Hag On This Day in 2020: Gunners welcome their fans back in style Miami Dolphins take down New York Jets in 21-point win Pep Guardiola puts Jurgen Klopp on pedestal as ‘by far’ his biggest career rival Mauricio Pochettino wants managers ‘involved in decisions’ around referee reform

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes says it is “business as usual” for her side as they prepare for Saturday’s Super League finale, looking to wrap up another title. Ahead of the season’s concluding round of fixtures, the Blues – who have won the WSL five times and for each of the last three seasons – are two points clear of second-placed Manchester United, with a goal difference better by five. Chelsea, aiming to complete a league and FA Cup double, play bottom side Reading away, while Marc Skinner’s United are at Liverpool. Hayes told a press conference: “I think back to every campaign, we’ve only won the league by a couple of points at best, maybe (with) a game (to spare) somewhere along the line, so this is just business as usual for us. “The preparation is what we’d prepared for at the very beginning of the season. “It’s not like we’ve won leagues comfortably in the past – so nothing is different from our perspective. We’ve always known from previous experience it goes to the last game.” A win to seal the title would be a seventh successive league victory for Chelsea, who have scored 24 goals in the past six games, conceding once. It's not like we've won leagues comfortably in the past – so nothing is different from our perspective Emma Hayes Reading, meanwhile, have lost each of their last five games, conceding 16 times across their last four. The Royals pulled off a shock 1-0 win at home against Chelsea last season, and Hayes said: “We don’t think about that. What we think about is we are exactly where we want to be – a position to control the outcome. “I have to keep reminding the team we’re 90 minutes away from winning the title and all of my energy’s focused on doing that.” Regardless of what happens on Saturday, United – guaranteed at least second, their first finish in a Champions League berth – have had their best WSL campaign to date, as well making a debut FA Cup final appearance, when they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea and Skinner has said he feels his side do not “get enough credit”. Asked about that comment, Hayes said: “They should. They’ve had an outstanding year. I’m sure Marc will build on that and make them even more competitive next year.” Reading need to win to have any chance of surviving, lying two points adrift of 11th-placed Leicester, who have an inferior goal difference by three and go to Brighton. Reading boss Kelly Chambers said: “If you just give up now or don’t believe then, for me, what’s the point of stepping out there on Saturday? “There’s still a glimmer of hope there for us and we just have to give everything we can. If we are beaten by the better team, I can accept that – what I can’t accept is that we don’t turn up and fight for everything.” Third-placed Arsenal look set to seal the final Champions League spot, currently three points clear of Manchester City and holding a goal difference advantage over them of 11. Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners host fifth-placed Aston Villa, whose 21-goal forward Rachel Daly was named WSL player of the year on Friday, while Gareth Taylor’s City play Everton at home. It would be the first time since 2014 that City have finished outside the European places. Taylor said: “It’s fine margins between being successful in the season like Chelsea and where we’re at coming up short. “With the group we have and the support, if we can squeeze more out of these players with another season, it’s exciting times.” Saturday’s other match sees West Ham entertain Tottenham. Meanwhile, according to Football Association statistics released on Friday, WSL attendances are up 173 per cent this season compared to the last, with the 2022-23 average being 5,272, up from 1,931. The cumulative attendance for the current WSL campaign stands at 664,211, and all of the three highest-ever WSL crowds were achieved this season. They were 47,367 for Arsenal against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium in September, 44,259 for Manchester City v Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in December, and 42,700 for Arsenal against Chelsea at the Emirates in January. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live If she hates me, OK – Aryna Sabalenka on first-round clash with Marta Kostyuk Pep Guardiola convinced Man City can make most of opportunity to win treble Pep Guardiola fears Vinicius Junior racism row won’t make a difference in Spain

When Mariners fan Keith Beach was asked whether he might be interested in using the seats from a friend of a friend for a big league baseball game, he immediately inquired about when and where

Manchester United host Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday. Preview includes team news, predicted lineups, how to watch on television and live stream, prediction and more.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club have confirmed. The 19-year-old suffered the injury playing for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia on Sunday, limping off the pitch in the opening 25 minutes. Barca said in a statement that tests carried out on Monday morning have shown he has “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus”. He will undergo surgery in the coming days. The extent of the injury is a big blow for Barcelona, who are currently third in LaLiga, with Gavi having established himself as a key player in their squad since making his debut at 17 years old in August 2021, making 111 appearances already. He won the league title with Barca last season and has played 15 times for them this term. Spain went on to win the match against Georgia 3-1 and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres celebrated his second-half goal by holding Gavi’s shirt up. Speaking after the match, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente described the win as “bittersweet”. He said: “It’s one of the most bittersweet victories I’ve ever had. As far as I can remember, it’s the hardest, the bitterest of moments, to see an important player like Gavi sustain an injury like that. “It’s a very difficult moment for the player, for his club, for the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), for the national team and for all his team-mates. In the dressing room it felt like we had lost. This is the ugly side of football. “Football is a risky activity occasionally, something we often forget to appreciate. It was an unfortunate incident, but Gavi was perfectly fit to play the game and it was just unlucky, really, really unlucky.” Read More Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered

Caleb Williams remains the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and repeat for only the second time in college football history. But a challenger has joined him atop the odds board.

Oak Hill has been hosting major golf tournaments since 1956

The Los Angeles Dodgers were turned down by the pitcher they pursued after Justin Verlander was taken off the market when he invoked his no-trade clause.Justin Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros despite Houston having no prospects to offer and not nearly enough cash to be considered the ...

Barcelona announced a new structure of its sporting operations on Wednesday, which included the return of La Masia graduate Bojan Krkic to the club.

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens lead the AFC North through Week 10 for the fourth time in five seasons