Untung99

After mismanagement by their previous owner saw Bury kicked out of the EFL back in August 2019, fans bought back Gigg Lane in February 2021. Since then, volunteers have been renovating the ground ready for the club’s first league match at its spiritual home. Photographer Jon Super was there to record a momentous day for the club and their fans Continue reading...

Saudi Pro League’s moves for ageing stars echo other leagues – but there is no reason why stars at their peak should not follow Football is far from perfect but it is a thing we love. It has existed in its present form for more than a century and a half. It has its rituals and its routines. It has taken on a cultural significance way beyond what is reasonable. It is a way for parents to commune with children, for exiles to maintain their links to home, a source of pride and identity for areas otherwise left behind. It lubricates the cogs of social interaction. It is everywhere: on televisions, on radios, on phones, in background conversations in offices and pubs and schools. And it is under threat – at least in the form in which we recognise it. Continue reading...

Young winger scored the winner and put in a dazzling display against Denmark on her first start in a World Cup finals On a cool winter Sydney evening that was marred by yet more injury woes for England, Lauren James increased the temperature in the stadium with a dazzling display that announced her emergence on to the global stage. Her early goal stunned Denmark and set Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses on course for a 1-0 win that left them on the verge of progression to the knockout stages of the World Cup. At just 21, James is the future of this England team, and it was only really a question of “when” rather than “if” she was going to make her mark on this tournament. Despite being involved in the senior setup for just under a year, she is, as Leah Williamson so aptly put it, their “cheat code”. On her World Cup debut against Haiti, she had injected life into the Lionesses’ rather stop-start opening performance as a substitute. It was a display that forced Wiegman into a rare change to ...

* Kay Wadsworth’s daughter Kimberly took her own life in 2018 * Open letter pleads with WSL not to take ‘bloodied cash’ A bereaved mother has called on the Women’s Super League to reject deals with bookmaking firms as it seeks to grow its commercial heft. Kay Wadsworth’s daughter, Kimberly, took her own life in 2018 after a period of gambling addiction. In an open letter, Wadsworth asked the WSL not to take “bloodied cash” in the name of growing the game. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Faye Carruthers is joined by Jessy Parker Humphreys, Ceylon Andi Hickman and Júlia Bellas to discuss Ireland’s elimination from the Women’s World Cup, while Group A is wide open following the Philippines’ historic victory against New Zealand. Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: Ireland surely deserve more than zero points after their performances against Australia and Canada, but tournament football is a cruel game. Continue reading...

* Offer for midfielder thought to be about £35m plus add-ons * Liverpool expected to return for player also wanted by Chelsea Southampton have rejected Liverpool’s opening bid for Roméo Lavia, thought to have been worth about £35m plus add-ons, with the club holding out for a £50m package for the teenage midfielder. Lavia shone despite relegation after joining from Manchester City last summer. 
Liverpool are overhauling their midfield and identified the 19-year-old Belgium midfielder, who also has admirers at Chelsea, as a key target. They are expected to return with a second offer. Continue reading...

After an unconvincing win against Haiti, Sarina Wiegman has a few problems to address before Friday’s match with Denmark There is a Fran Kirby-shaped hole in the No 10 position that Ella Toone is struggling to fill. To be fair to Toone, few could replace the ingenuity and guile of Kirby. Toone is a different style of player, a very, very good one with bags of potential, but more box-to-box. Against Haiti, Toone had most success shifted to the left and struggled to make things happen down the middle. If Sarina Wiegman is not going to change the shape to make the midfield work most effectively with the sum of its parts, then Lauren James is the more natural successor to Kirby. Against Haiti, James coming on as a wide player, in place of Lauren Hemp, felt like a missed opportunity. Yes, Hemp was on a yellow card and perhaps it was a slightly precautionary move but James showed in the pre-tournament friendly against Portugal just how well-suited she is to the number 10 role. Continue read...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Currently on a money-making summer jolly in Japan where they have pre-season kickabouts lined up with Al-Nassr, Cerezo Osaka and Inter, Paris Saint-Germain are hawking tickets for an open training session for just shy of £20 apiece. All comers are welcome, as long as they pony up a score. Any wheelchair users wishing to attend can do so too, as long as they have the requisite ticket … which costs the exact same amount. Continue reading...

Amanda Ilestedt’s 90th-minute winner gave Sweden a 2-1 win over South Africa in their Women’s World Cup Group G match on Sunday after a fortuitous equaliser from Fridolina Rolfö had cancelled out Hildah Magaia’s opener. In pouring rain in Wellington, Ilestedt jumped highest and squeezed the ball home to save her team’s blushes after they were left frustrated by the African champions for much of the opening hour of the game. Continue reading...

Dmitry Baiduk shared a pitch with Harry Kane as an under-21 but refusing to support Alexander Lukashenko has meant exile Dmitry Baiduk scrolls through his phone and stops at a team lineup from June 2015. An under-21s friendly at Oakwell between England and Belarus does not linger in many memories but he can picture it clearly, recalling the moment he came on late in the game to share a pitch with Harry Kane, Danny Ings, Jesse Lingard and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Nobody can take that away but these days the images prompt a question: “Would Kane be able to imagine what has happened to me since?” Continue reading...

High expectations, recent goal drought and uncertainty over best XI mean England could do with a strong start against Haiti ‘Pressure is a privilege.” Those were the words Leah Williamson uttered on the eve of last summer’s home Euros. Just over a year later, England, with those winners’ medals still gleaming, have to deal with a different kind of pressure, perhaps more increased than ever before. The Lionesses open their World Cup against Haiti in Brisbane with the expectation of a nation on their shoulders. No matter the injuries or the raft of new faces, the wealth of talent within their squad means many will consider this the best opportunity England have had to lift the coveted trophy. When asked about this pressure, Sarina Wiegman brushed off the notion with characteristic composure. “[It] is always on England,” the manager said on Friday. “Everyone expects England to win anyway – that’s for tomorrow but also last year for the opening of the European Championship. That’s not di...

The England team have inspired a generation of girls to play. But a lack of clubs, pitches and coaches is choking progress Chloe Kelly’s ebullient celebrations as the Lionesses were crowned European champions last summer marked a distinct uptick in the mood around women’s football in England. At the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia, they are high on confidence, knowing they go into the tournament as one of the favourites. And the Lionesses seized on their new high profile and swell of public affection, writing a striking open letter last year in which they declared: “Currently only 63% of girls can play football in PE lessons. The reality is we are inspiring young girls to play football, only for many to end up going to school and not being able to play.” Continue reading...

* Captain to lead out team against co-hosts Australia on Thursday * McCabe: ‘It’s crazy to think we’re actually here now’ Republic of Ireland’s captain, Katie McCabe, said the Irish supporters have made the team feel like they have a “home away from home” as their World Cup debut on Thursday beckons. Fans turned out to greet Vera Pauw’s side as they touched down in Sydney before their opening match against the co-hosts Australia. “It is crazy to think we’re actually here now,” McCabe said. “We only landed a short while ago, greeted by a number of Irish fans … to see the numbers that have travelled and the pictures of how much support we have here, it’s really special. I think the whole team feel that, not just the players but the staff as well. We want to do the nation proud.” Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! There are various notions of what, if anything, differentiates humans from other animals, one being the power of imagination. And, though animals haven’t yet abused that power to dream up horrors such as MK Dons, Pepsi Max mango and the Conservative party, they also haven’t devised inspired names for football clubs – Inter Miami, for example. For those wondering what makes it quite so special, the genius is that it parodies the name of another club, Internazionale, who are known by the unknowing as Inter Milan, but also because “Inter” sounds like “Into”, creating not just a pun but a double pun. There’s playing on the words … and then there’s dancing on them like they’re the soft, fleshy inside of Stephen Hughes’s right thigh. If yesterday’s Football Daily thinks that Declan Rice’s purchase for £105m ‘could ultimately prove a snip’, I wonder what the £35m paid by Liverpool for Alexis Mac Allister, who made Rice Krispies of the midf...

Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Robyn Cowen and Marva Kreel look ahead to 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand * Women’s World Cup 2023: your guide to all 736 players On today’s podcast: have you stuck your wallchart up? Will it be England? USA? Australia? Spain? Who are you rooting for and is the shirt of your favourite team washed and ready to be worn for the next four weeks? Get ready for your complete guide to the 2023 Women’s World Cup! Continue reading...

* Kane ‘has signalled’ he wants to join, says honorary president * Bayern have made two rejected bids, the latest of over £68m Bayern Munich’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness, is confident the German champions will buy Harry Kane this summer after saying the Tottenham striker has signalled he wants the move. Bayern have made two unsuccessful bids, the most recent of just over £68m last Sunday, but Hoeness said they had not been able to get the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, to name a price. Levy has made Kane a huge contract offer to extend his deal beyond next June. Continue reading...

Former Republic of Ireland winger is eager to find a new club at the age of 37. ‘I enjoy competing. I know I can still play’ Aiden McGeady is one of the most talented Scottish footballing exports of a generation but destined never to be regarded as such. His decision to represent the Republic of Ireland had the strange knock-on effect of deleting his name from conversation regarding the finest products of youth systems – in this case Celtic’s – in his homeland. It could have been a case of enjoying McGeady while he lasted. Now 37 and after a spell at Hibernian was curtailed by injury, he finds himself at a career crossroads. McGeady has the appetite to keep playing but understands his options may be limited. “I know how it looks,” he says. “At my age it’s a hard sell for a manager. ‘Let’s go and sign a 37-year-old who hasn’t really played for a year.’ I’m totally fit now, I was training right up until expiry of my contract at Hibs on 30 June. Continue reading...

* Coach hails ‘night to celebrate’ with 1-0 win over France * Caitlin Foord urges fans to pump up the volume Australia’s win over world No 5 France just six days out from the Women’s World Cup was the final step in their preparation and a “night to celebrate”, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said. After failing to convert chances in a the first half, a goal from 20-year-old Mary Fowler from a Hayley Raso pass sealed the victory even after veterans Sam Kerr, and Caitlin Foord were substituted off. Continue reading...

* Netherlands defender signs five-year contract * Timber says he has been an Arsenal fan since childhood Arsenal have announced the signing of the defender Jurriën Timber from Ajax. The 22-year-old becomes the club’s second summer acquisition after Kai Havertz, and confirmation of Declan Rice’s move from West Ham will follow. Arsenal are paying €40m (£34.3m) plus €5m in add-ons for Timber and have given him a five-year deal. Timber has 15 Netherlands caps and is believed to have been signed predominantly to play at right-back. He is also comfortable at centre-back and can operate in midfield. Continue reading...

US-born midfielder has overcome injuries from a car crash to make a remarkable comeback on biggest stage * Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free weekly newsletter Comebacks are synonymous with football. The media are full of stories of athletes fighting the odds to regain their place at the top. You would, however, be hard to find one as satisfying and welcome as that of the Republic of Ireland’s Sinead Farrelly. The 33-year-old is heading to her first World Cup after only 140 minutes of senior international football, marking one of the most remarkable returns. After a playing career in which she has overcome serious injury and experienced sexual abuse, she is a favourite to be named in the Irish lineup that will face hosts Australia in their sold-out tournament opener. Continue reading...

England’s playmaker is relishing her opportunity on the World Cup stage after the misery of injuries Jordan Nobbs knows far too much about the frustration of being all dressed up with nowhere to go. She was tipped to switch the lights on for England at the 2015 World Cup in Canada but played only one group match before sustaining a complicated hamstring injury. Her bronze medal still provokes bitter-sweet emotions. Then, four years later, she sat out the next World Cup, in France, nursing a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, before knee ligament damage ruled her out of Euro 2022. “It means that, now, I’m still waking up with the butterfly feeling,” says the 30-year-old Aston Villa midfielder. “Everyone dreams of playing in major tournaments. Everyone knows the journey I’ve been on, so to be part of this World Cup in such a talented squad is an unbelievable feeling.” Continue reading...

Coach Randy Waldrum has accused the Nigerian federation of failing to pay wages, while players have threatened a boycott * Moving the Goalposts: sign up for our free weekly newsletter Randy Waldrum, the head coach of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, ought to be looking forward to leading the nine-time African champions – the most successful national team on the continent – to their World Cup opener against the Olympic champions, Canada, at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium on 21 July. The American has never hidden the fact that leading a team to a World Cup finals, for the first time as a coach will be a career high point. In contrast, Nigeria are a staple at the World Cup, with the Falcons qualifying for every tournament since the inaugural 1991 edition in China and reaching the quarter-finals at the 1999 tournament in the United States. Continue reading...

England midfielder talks about opening up as a person, developing her game at Bayern Munich and her partnership with Keira Walsh A title-winning season in Bayern Munich’s midfield has done wonders for Georgia Stanway’s game but, perhaps more importantly, it seems to have changed her life in all the right ways. “As a person, I’m just so much more open,” says one of the shining lights of England’s Euro 2022 triumph. “I went to a country where no one knew me and I could be whoever I wanted to be. No one was going to judge me. I’ve developed so much. I was never the most sociable person but in a new environment I’ve wanted to go out for tea every night. In Germany, I’ve wanted to see people.” Continue reading...

Former Hammer joins fellow signings Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber in a timely revamp – a bold statement of intent It is a far cry from the inefficient, uncertain Arsenal people had come to know. When Mikel Arteta takes his squad to the Adidas training facilities in Bavaria this week he can reflect that, a few further tweaks aside, he is working with the group he believes can win the Premier League. Pre-season has hardly begun in earnest but their coffers are £200m lighter and the next phase of Arteta’s plan to restore the Gunners’ supremacy can begin without recourse to a deadline-day trolley dash. Continue reading...

* Club has rejected Internazionale bid for striker * Belgian unlikely to be part of Pochettino’s plans Chelsea are holding out for £40m for Romelu Lukaku, who has emerged as a target for Juventus and Al-Hilal, and have rejected a bid from Internazionale for the striker. Inter took Lukaku on loan last season and are exploring ways to sign the Belgium international on a permanent basis. However, Inter are struggling financially and their initial proposal has fallen well below Chelsea’s valuation. Chelsea are open to selling Lukaku, who has been a major disappointment since joining from Inter for £97.5m two years ago. The former Manchester United forward has not settled at Stamford Bridge and is unlikely to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans next season, even though the squad is short of reliable goalscorers. Continue reading...

* Young Lions face Spain in European Under-21 decider in Georgia * Head coach calls on his players to rise to ‘big occasion’ Lee Carsley has warned Spain that if England Under-21s are at their best in Saturday’s European Championship final it will be a “hell of a performance”, with the coach urging his side to put on a show for the television cameras. Carsley’s team are yet to concede and he believes Channel 4’s late deal to broadcast the game from Georgia can act as inspiration. It will be the only match televised in the UK from the tournament. Continue reading...

* England defender feels refreshed after injury lay-off * ‘It was maybe a blessing in disguise’ Esme Morgan has spoken of her happiness at achieving her target of being selected for England’s World Cup squad having been out of action for almost 12 months with a lower leg fracture. The young Manchester City defender believes her time on the sidelines has been mentally refreshing as well as making her grateful to simply be playing again. Morgan missed most of the 2021-22 season for City after sustaining the injury in a Women’s Super League game against Tottenham in September 2021, the knock-on effect of which was missing out on being part of the Lionesses squad that triumphed at last summer’s European Championship. Continue reading...

* Netherlands midfielder played for Arsenal from 2019 to 2021 * Aston Villa sign Parker, Manchester United land Evans The Netherlands midfielder Jill Roord has returned to the Women’s Super League with a move to Manchester City. The 26-year-old, who was with Arsenal from 2019 to 2021, joins from Wolfsburg, the Champions League runners-up, on a three-year deal. City are understood to have paid a club-record fee of more than £300,000 to sign Roord, scorer of 31 goals in 69 appearances for Wolfsburg. She has played 86 times for her country, helping them win Euro 2017 on home soil and finish as runners-up at the 2019 World Cup in France. Continue reading...

* Iraola left Rayo Vallecano in La Liga to replace Gary O’Neil * ‘This sense of underdogs, we have to use to our advantage’ Andoni Iraola has said he will relish the underdog tag once more as he prepares to lead Bournemouth in the Premier League. Iraola, who replaced Gary O’Neil last month, established Rayo Vallecano in La Liga after guiding the club to promotion and previously led the second-tier Spanish side Mirandés to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Last season Iraola’s Vallecano side beat Real Madrid and Barcelona and he is adamant Bournemouth can give Premier League rivals a bloody nose. Iraola acknowledged there were similarities between Bournemouth and Vallecano, where he spent three years. The Spanish club finished 11th of 20 last season and also play in a modest stadium. Continue reading...

* England defender believes demands on players are excessive * ACL injuries require more research, says Chelsea defender Millie Bright has called for work to be done in relation to scheduling in the women’s game, stressing players are “not robots”. Bright has been named England’s captain for the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after Leah Williamson was ruled out of the tournament with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Bright is recovering from a knee issue and said burnout is “always in the back of your mind” as a player. Continue reading...

* Caitlin Foord says club experience can help handle pressure * ‘We’re capable of achieving great things,’ says Steph Catley The Matildas will go into the Women’s World Cup in just over a fortnight with the strongest squad ever, said forward Caitlin Foord after the team announcement on Monday. “The depth we have within the team is something we’ve maybe been missing,” she said. “So to be able to have 23 players that can play any game or in any position and still be able to get the job done – I think that’s what’s most exciting about this one. Continue reading...

* The 23-year-old has signed five-year contract * ‘I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the fans,’ says Tonali Newcastle have signed the Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali for an undisclosed fee on an initial five-year contract. The 23-year-old arrives at St James’ Park from Milan having represented his country 14 times at senior level and captained the side at the European Under-21 Championship finals this summer. Continue reading...

* Weah, 23, completes transfer to Juventus from Lille * Winger has scored four goals in 31 appearances for USA United States winger Tim Weah completed a transfer to Juventus on Saturday, fulfilling a dream his father once had of playing for the storied Italian club. The 23-year-old Weah, who is the son of former Fifa Player of the Year and current Liberian president George Weah, signed a five-year contract with Juventus on the day the transfer market opened in Italy. Continue reading...

What I expected to be a breezy 20 minutes’ chat turned into a three-hour interrogation. Some of it even made the cut From time to time in this job, an offer of extracurricular work in the role of a talking head on a TV show or documentary presents itself. It is a measure of the extremely high regard in which I am held in the sportswriting and broadcasting business that the handful to have found their way into my inbox tend to be at the snake-belly lowbrow end of the spectrum. While more exalted and successful colleagues in possession of far more intellectual heft tend to turn up on heavyweight productions about Ayrton Senna, Lionel Messi or Paul Gascoigne, my invitations tend to be restricted to shows destined to be forever repeated on a late-night Dave loop. All filler and very little killer, they tend to involve the discussion of blunders and bloopers, or simply remembering things. Due in no small part to my inherent laziness coupled with a dread of appearing on television born of e...

* Ziyech’s £8m move to Al-Nassr collapses after knee issue * Captain Azpilicueta set to join Atlético Madrid on a free Chelsea have bolstered their attacking options by buying Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal. The striker has joined for around £32m and signed an eight-year deal. Jackson’s contract contained a £30m release clause but Chelsea secured favourable payment terms by agreeing to a slightly higher price. The Senegal striker, who finished last season by scoring nine goals in eight games, also had interest from Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Everton. Continue reading...

* Teams will have choice of eight Fifa-sanctioned armbands * England yet to decide which armband they will wear Fifa has confirmed that players at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will not be able to wear the rainbow armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights or OneLove armband, but will instead be able to choose from eight alternative options. There will be no change to the regulations that stopped teams from wearing the OneLove armband at last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, with sanctions possible should a team choose to breach the rules. However, teams will be invited to choose from eight Fifa-sanctioned armbands highlighting a variety of social causes. Continue reading...