List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Premier League clubs have agreed measures for tackling the rise in tragedy-related chanting at football matches, with criminal prosecution of offenders a principal aim. It comes in response to a rise in the number of incidents of chants and other behaviour taunting victims and survivors of football-related tragedies, often between rival clubs. A Manchester United supporter was arrested following the FA Cup final at Wembley earlier this month after he was seen wearing a football shirt which appeared to make an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool fans. Manchester City and Chelsea have both apologised to Liverpool in recent months for Hillsborough-related chants sung by their fans, and appealed for supporters to stop. United supporters have themselves been targeted repeatedly with chants that reference the Munich air disaster of 1958 in which 23 people died, eight of them players. The measures, which were agreed unanimously on Wednesday at the league’s AGM, come after a working group of stakeholders from across the game was established six months ago, and will also look at issues surrounding regulation and enforcement, online abuse and education. A Premier League statement said the measures would seek to “address the unacceptable rise in anti-social behaviour involving football tragedy-related chanting, gesturing, graffiti, online abuse and other behaviours last season. “(These) issues have continued to cause significant distress to the victims’ families, survivors and affected-club supporters, in addition to damaging the reputation of the clubs involved and football in England and Wales. “The action will focus on criminal prosecution, the regulatory environment, enforcement, online abuse, education and communications. “Following further football partner sign off, full details will be publicly announced ahead of the season as part of the Love Football, Protect the Game campaign which was launched last year.” The league also confirmed that it had agreed unanimously to amend its owners’ and directors’ test to prohibit fully-leveraged buyouts, in which prospective owners borrow all of the required funds thus loading the club with debt and interest charges. The Glazer family’s £970million purchase of United in 2005 was largely propped up by loans, with the owners strongly criticised in the years since for taking money out of the club to service the debt. Attendance figures for the 2022/23 season were also published with the average crowd for Premier League games hitting a record 40,267, up from 39,950 the previous campaign. Stadiums were on average at 98.7 per cent capacity last season compared with 97.7 per cent the year before. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Frazer Clarke says he has nothing to prove against Mariusz Wach Harry Brook feels Test cricket is pinnacle as he prepares to fulfil Ashes dream Billy Vunipola back in Steve Borthwick’s England plans ahead of the World Cup

UNC basketball rumors: 5-star 2024 commit Ian Jackson in makes first cut for Team USA U19 teamIt will still be more than a year until Ian Jackson sets foot in Chapel Hill, but the UNC basketball commit is already showing Tar Heels fans exactly what they can expect from him -- namely, being one of ...

David Brooks does not want to be picked on sentiment on his return to the Wales stage. Brooks is back in the Wales squad for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at home to Armenia – the first time he has featured for the Dragons since October 2021 when he was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma while on international duty. The 25-year-old winger announced he was cancer-free in May last year and returned to club action for Bournemouth in March, starting the Cherries’ final two Premier League games. Brooks signed a new four-year Bournemouth deal last August and says he must be chosen for Wales on merit. “I was out of contract this year before I signed my new one,” Brooks said. “Even before talks had kicked in I wanted to make it clear I wasn’t there for sympathy. “I don’t want to be there if I’m not going to play or wasn’t in the plans. “Once they saw me training and how I was determined to get back to, I did earn what I was given. “It’s the same with Wales. I don’t just want to be called up to be a spare part. I’m working hard to get back in the Bournemouth XI and be starting for Wales as well.” Brooks underwent chemotherapy treatment following his cancer diagnosis, the draining effects of which he has said left him with night sweats, weight loss and struggling to climb the stairs. Now he is close to peak playing condition – “I probably need to change a bit of the fat to muscle” – and says that returning to the Wales camp where he was diagnosed was a “very nice feeling”. Brooks said: “The first step after the treatment was to get back into the Bournemouth dressing room and be part of that. “As soon as that was completed, to get back in the Wales set up was the aim. The lads have welcomed me with open arms.” On meeting up with Wales’ chief medical officer, Jonathan Houghton, who detected that Brooks’ had cancer symptoms, Brooks said: “I do owe him a lot, he’s obviously done a lot for us. It’s always nice to see him. “Whenever my mum and dad see him they burst out crying and give him a big hug. I can’t thank him enough. “Getting that awful news drops and crushes your world, at that moment you hope it will get better and go back to normal at some point.” Brooks won the last of his 21 Wales caps against Denmark at the delayed 2020 European Championship in June 2021. His perspective on life might have changed in that time, with Brooks saying “he did not have a single care about football” when he was diagnosed “as I just wanted still be on Earth”. But Brooks said: “I just love playing football and so as soon as I got the diagnosis, that was snatched away in the blink of an eye. “But it’s not the end of the world if you don’t end up playing football. Football is not life or death, the main thing is being happy and healthy. “My ambitions haven’t changed. I still want to try and get to the very top. “The hunger and drive is the same for all the lads. We all have the same goal of reaching the Euros, the World Cup – that’s what everyone wants to play in. “There’s a lot of new faces, people I’ve not met prior to this camp, and a lot of new staff. “But the brief time I’ve worked with them over the past week, we’re all pushing in the same direction and trying to achieve the same goal.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jon Rahm looking forward to US Open test that has ‘everything’ Steve Smith holds fond memories of Edgbaston as he prepares for Ashes battle Michael van Gerwen down in the mouth over World Cup absence

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Sunderland have reached an agreement to sign 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham from Birmingham for an undisclosed fee. The Black Cats have been targeting Bellingham for some time and will complete the deal when he returns from international duty with England Under-18s. Jobe is the younger brother of England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who also completed his move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid on Wednesday. Jobe made his debut for the Blues at the age of 16 in January 2022, and made 22 appearances for the club in last season’s Sky Bet Championship campaign. Bellingham told Sunderland’s official website: “I’m delighted to sign for Sunderland AFC and I can’t wait to get started. “The opportunity for young players to move here and progress is clear, so I believe this is the perfect club for me to continue my development. “I’m grateful to everyone at Birmingham City for their support over the past 11 years and I wish them the best for the future, as I begin the next chapter of my career at the Stadium of Light.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The end of the Premier League season brings about a change of pace and focus, a chance to rest and reflect on other matters...unless you’re a sporting director, of course. Outside of the playing staff it’s very much all systems go straight away, with the summer bringing with it the opening of the transfer window and a chance to upgrade, replace or revamp certain sections of the squad for every club - and this year will be no different. From Chelsea’s mid-season overhaul meaning a surplus of squad players to the usual host of names being out of contract, there will be lots of changes to keep track of across England’s top flight and beyond once the official registration periods begin. As the EFL note, dates for transfer windows have to reflect “alignment with other European Leagues” as well as Fifa’s decree that transfer windows can be open “for a maximum of 112 days in any one season”. And now fans know exactly when they can expect the unveilings to potentially begin at their clubs ahead of the 2023/24 season, with confirmation that the summer transfer window will open in the Premier League on Wednesday 14 June, with the final-day scramble for late additions seeing the window shut on Friday 1 September at 11pm. Among the players rumoured to be on the move within the Premier League are Chelsea duo Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, Crystal Palace winger Wilf Zaha, Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, and Leicester attacker James Maddison - while the saga of the summer could be around West Ham and England central midfielder Declan Rice. Liverpool have already confirmed the quartet of James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are departing, while the future of Man City star Ilkay Gundogan remains uncertain. Brighton will be hoping to hold onto a few of their excellent performers from this season, but Roberto De Zerbi has already acknowledged that Alexis Mac Allister is likely to leave. Newcastle are sure to add more quality to their ranks after making the Champions League, while Manchester United’s spending power could depend in large part on the club takeover and who eventually completes a purchase. Later in the campaign, the winter transfer window will open as usual on Monday 1 January, while that mid-season opportunity for additions will end on Thursday 1 February 2024 at 11pm. Meanwhile, the EFL has also confirmed their opening and closing dates for the 2023/24 summer and winter transfer windows and in both cases they align with those of the Premier League, with the same day and time for closing. Read More Ciaran Clark and Matty Longstaff leaving Newcastle When are the Premier League fixtures released? Jodi Jones relishing chance to take on England after overcoming injury despair

Brighton have announced the signing of James Milner on a free transfer from Premier League rivals Liverpool. The former England international has agreed a one-year contract at the Amex Stadium, with the option for a further 12 months. Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi told his club’s website: “I’m very glad to welcome James to Brighton. “He’s an excellent addition for us and I’m sure he will help to bring us to an even higher level.” Milner, who won 61 international caps between 2009 and 2016, began his career with Leeds and has also played for Newcastle, Aston Villa and Manchester City. The 37-year-old won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup during eight years at Anfield. He will join Brighton following the expiration of his Reds contract on June 30 and add experience to De Zerbi’s squad ahead of the club’s maiden Europa League campaign. Seagulls technical director David Weir said: “His experience speaks for itself with the amount of games he has played and the trophies he has won throughout a decorated career. “These games include European competition, which will be of huge value to us as we embark on our first season in Europe.” Milner is currently third in the list of all-time Premier League appearances with 619, behind Gareth Barry (652) and Ryan Giggs (632). The veteran midfielder, who can also operate at full-back, is Brighton’s second signing of the summer following the club-record arrival of Brazilian forward Joao Pedro from Watford. Read More When does the Premier League transfer window open and close this summer? Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer Liverpool begin midfield overhaul by completing Alexis Mac Allister signing

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Manchester City and Sevilla will meet in the Uefa Super Cup in the annual showpiece starter to the European season. The event has been played annually for more than 50 years, and sees the winners of the Champions League and Europa League meet at a neutral venue. Between 1998 and 2012, the Super Cup was held in Monaco, but for the last decade has visited different European cities, with Real Madrid beating Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki last year. While not considered a major trophy, the match nonetheless provides the two competing sides with an ideal chance for some early-season silverware and the chance to build momentum into the more consequential business to come. When is the 2023 Uefa Super Cup? Manchester City take on Sevilla in the annual meeting between the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League on Wednesday 16 August at Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis near Athens in Greece. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST. The match was originally due to be held in Kazan, but the Russian city was stripped of hosting rights in January due to the invasion of Ukraine. After securing their first major European crown, this will mark Manchester City’s first involvement in the fixture, while regular Europa League challengers Sevilla will make a seventh appearance. The Spanish club last won the Super Cup in 2006, recording a surprise 3-0 victory against Barcelona in Monaco. Atletico Madrid were the last Europa League winners to secure Super Cup triumph, beating cross-city rivals Real Madrid in 2018 to win the trophy for a third time. Read More Real Madrid announce transfer of Jude Bellingham from Dortmund for initial £88m Sportswashing is about to change football beyond anything you can imagine Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer

A's fans threw trash on the field.

Ciaran Clark is leaving Newcastle this month, the club have confirmed. The 33-year-old defender, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, joined the Magpies from Aston Villa in August 2016 and was named player of the year as they won promotion back to the Premier League in his first season. Clark went on to make 127 appearances during his time at St. James’ Park, which comes to end this month upon the expiration of his contract. Also leaving is academy graduate Matty Longstaff, but he will remain at the club and continue to receive treatment on an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered towards the end of 2022. The 23-year-old scored the winning goal on his Premier League debut against Manchester United in October 2019 and went on to play 20 times for the club, having also spent time on loan at Aberdeen, Mansfield and Colchester. Matt Ritchie is staying for another season after the club triggered an option to retain the services of the 33-year-old, while contract offers have also been made to defender Paul Dummett and goalkeeper Loris Karius. Newcastle have taken an option on goalkeeper Mark Gillespie’s deal to keep him for another 12 months and defender Dan Burn gets another year on his deal after activating an appearance clause. Striker Chris Wood will make his move to Nottingham Forest permanent at the start of next month after he spent the second half of last season on loan with Steve Cooper’s side.

Ella Toone says she feels “ready and prepared” to launch into a World Cup summer with England on Monday, three weeks after the conclusion of the Women’s Super League season. Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman had long planned for a pre-tournament camp to start on June 19, but there was uncertainty when she named her World Cup squad on May 31 as talks continued over the timing of players being released for duty ahead of the showpiece in Australia and New Zealand, which gets under way on July 20. The European Club Association had in April highlighted July 10 as the earliest date for player release under FIFA regulations, and in mid-May the two bodies proposed June 23-29 as a guideline timeframe that they said “(struck) the all-important balance between players having sufficient rest while allowing adequate time to prepare”, with exact dates to be agreed between clubs and national associations. Last week the June 19 start for England’s camp was confirmed by the Football Association, which said it was “grateful for the mutual understanding of the clubs, as we have collectively worked towards a solution with the wellbeing of players at the heart.” Regarding the recent uncertainty, Toone told the PA news agency: “It’s not been ideal, but for us it’s what we can control and that was making sure we had rest and recovery, making sure we were physically and mentally getting ourselves back to where we know we need to be. “Now I’m back on it, working hard and can’t wait to go into camp.” Toone, part of Great Britain’s Tokyo Olympics squad in the summer of 2021 before helping England win the Euros last year, has been a regular starter for her country across 2022-23 and featured in a Manchester United side that achieved WSL and FA Cup best efforts as runners-up in each competition. The 23-year-old Wigan native – speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session in Manchester – says it has been a “long season, but one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed” and has declared herself “really happy” with the agreed camp start date, adding: “I’ve had time to switch off and now I feel ready and prepared. “We have a lot of trust in our England staff and they thought the 19th was right for us and so did we as players. “It’s a World Cup, my first World Cup, so I can’t wait to get going.” Toone feels it is important player welfare and scheduling is something that continues to be looked at closely as the women’s game keeps developing, saying: “We’ve seen quite a few injuries in the WSL this season. “We have to make sure we get that rest and recovery right, as teams and as players. The women’s game is growing massively, as a club we are in the Champions League now as well so that’s extra games. It’s definitely something we all need to focus on because injuries are a big part of the game right now.” England captain Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 top-scorer Beth Mead will not be at the World Cup after sustaining ACL injuries, and Fran Kirby is also absent due to a knee problem from a 23-player group scheduled to face Portugal in a warm-up match at Milton Keynes on July 1 before flying to Australia four days later. Toone said: “It is an amazing squad. We know how much talent we have in England now. We’re obviously missing a few big names and people who were massive in the Euros win, but we’ve got to look forward and be confident in the team that’s going.” Fun Football is an initiative to give children aged five to 11 free access to the game, and Toone said: “It’s great for the next generation of young girls. “It’s something we probably missed out on and wish we’d had when we were growing up. It’s an amazing thing that McDonald’s are doing for communities and for young girls and boys to start out on their journey.” :: Ella Toone was speaking at a special McDonald’s Fun Football session to celebrate the opening of sessions in Lionesses’ hometowns during the Women’s World Cup. Toone hopes to encourage the next generation of young girls to get involved. Sign up to your nearest free session at mcdonalds.co.uk/football Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ciaran Clark and Matty Longstaff leaving Newcastle John Hollins: A Stamford Bridge fixture who turned reading game into an art form Harry Brook is hoping to realise his Ashes dream against Australia