List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

It's more than just matching his jersey. Beyond his love for basketball and his support for the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart has green hair for a reason.During the Boston Celtics' 2022 playoff run, Marcus Smart debuted a brand-new hairstyle. Right before the Celtics faced the Bucks in ...

N’Golo Kante’s impending departure from Chelsea for Al-Ittihad and the prospect of several colleagues following him to the Middle East has thrust Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in football under the spotlight. The potential flow of players from the big-spending Stamford Bridge club to the Gulf state has raised eyebrows in recent days amid allegations that the move could be a ploy to help it meet Financial Fair Play requirements. Here, the PA news agency takes a look recent developments and how the Premier League could be affected. Why are Chelsea offloading players? The Blues have spent over £600million on players since American businessman Todd Boehly completed his takeover in May last year, including a £106.8million January swoop for World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. They also splashed out £52million for RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku earlier this week. Sales of the likes of Timo Werner and Jorginho have offset that expenditure only minimally and with the club having reported a loss of £121million for the 2021-22 season, Financial Fair Play rules which dictate that clubs can only make losses of £105million over three seasons are an issue. Which players are reportedly involved? Kante’s departure to the Gulf state may not be the last from Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with switches to Saudi clubs. They are not alone either – Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is expected to complete a move to Al-Hilal with former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Al-Nassr in January having established a clear pathway. Why are so many players heading for Saudi Arabia? The money on offer may have something to do with it. The Middle East state’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, took controlling stakes in four Saudi Pro League clubs – Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr – earlier this month as part of the wider ‘Vision 2030’ plan to diversify the Saudi economy. The country’s rulers also believe a thriving professional sports scene will help drive up grassroots activity levels in the kingdom. The Saudis have signalled their intention to mount a bid to host the 2030 World Cup, and raising the standard and profile of the domestic league could prove crucial to that mission. PIF has the financial clout to recruit big names to the cause with Karim Benzema having already agreed to join Al-Ittihad. It is not the first time an emerging league has adopted similar tactics. Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore all played in the North American Soccer League at the end of their respective careers, while China has lured a host of top-flight stars to its Super League in recent years. Public Investment Fund – that name sounds familiar? It should. PIF holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United, who have invested in excess of £250million in new signings since the Amanda Staveley-led consortium in which it is the major partner completed its buy-out at St James’ Park in October 2021. The Magpies surged to a fourth-place finish in last season’s Premier League and secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years to the delight of a fanbase which has been reinvigorated despite concerted criticism over the source of the club’s new-found wealth. PIF, whose governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is Newcastle’s chairman, is also a key player in the controversial merger between the LIV Golf series and the PGA and DP World Tours which has prompted fresh accusations of sportswashing. Why all the fuss about Chelsea? This is where it gets interesting. Private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group provided around 60 per cent of the funding for Boehly’s £2.5billion takeover and has underwritten much of the investment since; PIF is an investor with Clearlake. Financial experts have suggested such is the size of Clearlake’s portfolio that while some PIF money may form part of its holding in Chelsea, there is no direct link and therefore no risk of breaching Premier League rules which prohibit ownership of two clubs. However, the perception in some quarters is that any existing relationship between the Blues, the sovereign wealth fund and the four domestic clubs it now controls could allow them to sell on players for inflated fees and thereby reduce their FFP burden. What has been said about the situation? Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, co-owner of League Two Salford, is unimpressed. Speaking to BBC Sport, Neville said: “The Premier League should put an instant embargo on transfers to Saudi Arabia to ensure the integrity of the game isn’t being damaged. Checks should be made on the appropriateness of the transactions.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Newcastle hoping to push through club-record deal for AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali Government and PFA want review of pitch perimeter safety after serious injury CAS: Impossible to put timescale on final decision in Kamila Valieva doping case

Newcastle are hoping to push through a club record-breaking deal for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali within days, the PA news agency understands. Sporting director Dan Ashworth has been pictured in the Italian city after he flew out to try to negotiate the terms of a move which it is understood would exceed the club’s £60million swoop for Sweden striker Alexander Isak last summer. Reports from Italy have suggested the 23-year-old, who is expected to captain his country in their opening Group D fixture against France at the European Under-21s Championships on Thursday evening, has agreed to the switch. A successful conclusion to the talks would take Newcastle’s transfer spending under their new owners past the £300million mark. Head coach Eddie Howe has identified Tonali as the holding midfielder he needs to allow Bruno Guimaraes in particular to thrive in an advanced role. Howe has vowed to strengthen his squad for the new campaign, during which the Magpies will play Champions League football for the first time since the 2002-03 season, as he attempts to challenge on both the domestic and European fronts. The 45-year-old guided the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish and the Carabao Cup final last season as they took a major step forward, but he is expecting a response from the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea this time around in the race for the top four. Howe has been at pains to point out the spending restrictions under which the club must operate, but at the same time has signalled his intention to recruit quality rather than quantity this summer. Tonali, who was a substitute in the senior Italy side’s 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifier defeat by England in March, made 48 appearances for Milan in all competitions last season and started both legs of their Champions League semi-final defeat by city rivals Inter. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Government and the Professional Footballers’ Association have called for a review of pitch perimeter safety after a non-league player suffered a serious injury last season. A letter has been sent by Sports Minister Stuart Andrew and PFA chief executive Maheta Molango to the chief executives of the Premier League, the EFL, the National League and the Football Association in a bid to avoid a repeat of what happened to Alex Fletcher. The 24-year-old required emergency brain surgery after he suffered a fractured skull colliding with an advertising board reinforced with concrete blocks in a match for Bath last November. The letter, seen by the PA news agency, calls on leagues and the FA to be more proactive in setting guidance and expectations for clubs in this area, and also to involve players in risk-assessing the pitch perimeter, given they have the best idea of what the dangers are. It asks the authorities to review whether lessons can be learned from the serious player collisions which have taken place and make improvements where necessary to ensure playing areas are as safe as possible. It is believed to be the first letter of its kind between the Government and the union, and the hope is that the timing of the letter – between seasons when stadium upgrades tend to take place – could be advantageous. PFA director of external affairs Ben Wright said: “After the incident where Alex Fletcher was so badly injured, we met with the Minister to highlight what we felt was a lack of clarity over the regulations that are in place to ensure player safety. “Although safety is ultimately the responsibility of the stadium owner, the PFA’s view is that the direction given to clubs in this area is not as strong as it could be. Collectively, football should do everything it can to make sure incidents like Alex Fletcher's don’t happen. This is a step in the right direction and we appreciate the Minister's support. PFA director of external affairs Ben Wright “We’re pleased that the Minister wants to see the leagues and the FA take a bigger role in ensuring player safety. “They are able to give guidance, share best practice and set an expectation that clubs will be proactive in their approach. “As part of that, we want clubs to work with players to identify potential risk factors that those who aren’t on the pitch every week might not necessarily see. “It’s the time of the year where clubs take the opportunity to do work on stadiums ahead of the new season, so it’s a good opportunity for them to think about this. “Collectively, football should do everything it can to make sure incidents like Alex Fletcher’s don’t happen. This is a step in the right direction and we appreciate the Minister’s support.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live CAS: Impossible to put timescale on final decision in Kamila Valieva doping case Ellyse Perry a thorn in England’s side as rain leads to early tea on opening day Wrexham to host former finalists Wigan on Carabao Cup return

Wrexham will host former finalists Wigan on their return to the Carabao Cup. The Welsh side, who will be participating in the competition for the first time since 2007-08 following their promotion to League Two, were paired with the 2006 runners-up in Thursday’s first-round draw. Notts County, who came up from the National League along with Wrexham, were handed a home tie against Lincoln. Leicester, Leeds and Southampton must play in the first round following their relegation from the Premier League. Leeds will host Shrewsbury, the Foxes will head across the midlands to Burton and Southampton will travel to Gillingham. The ties will be played in the week beginning August 7. The first-round draw, featuring sides from the Championship, League One and League Two, was split into northern and southern sections. The majority of top-flight sides will enter in the second round with those involved in European competitions going straight through to the third round. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The 2023/24 season is already fast approaching and the first major cup draw for the new campaign saw new English Football League entrants Wrexham mark their return with a home tie against Wigan Athletic in the Carabao Cup. While the Welsh outfit - now co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney - were promoted from the National League last term, the Latics suffered relegation from the Championship and will begin life in League One with minus eight points due to not having paid salaries on time. With the first round draw for the competition split into Northern and Southern sections, all 72 EFL clubs are included in the draw at this stage - before Premier League clubs enter at the second- and third-round stages. In the south, QPR face Norwich City in one of the ties of the round, while Millwall play Reading in another enticing encounter. In the north, relegated Leeds host Shrewsbury while Leicester head to Burton. Here’s the first-round draw in full and the complete schedule for the 23/24 campaign in the Carabao Cup. Full Carabao Cup Southern section first round draw: Plymouth Argyle vs Leyton Orient Forest Green Rovers vs Portsmouth Swansea City vs Northampton Exeter City vs Crawley Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers Newport County vs Charlton Athletic Stevenage vs Watford Cheltenham vs Birmingham City Sutton United vs Cambridge United MK Dons vs Wycombe Wanderers Millwall vs Reading AFC Wimbledon vs Coventry City Bristol City vs Oxford United Gillingham vs Southampton QPR vs Norwich City Peterborough United vs Swindon Town Cardiff City vs Colchester Carabao Cup Northern section first round draw Notts County vs Lincoln City Bolton Wanderers vs Barrow Hull City vs Doncaster Rovers Mansfield vs Grimsby Stoke City vs West Brom Sheffield Wednesday vs Stockport County Leeds United vs Shrewsbury Preston North End vs Salford City Rotherham United vs Morecambe Harrogate vs Carlisle United Burton Albion vs Leicester City Accrington Stanley vs Bradford City Derby County vs Blackpool Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town Barnsley vs Tranmere Rovers Blackburn Rovers vs Walsall Huddersfield Town vs Middlesbrough Wrexham vs Wigan Athletic Sunderland vs Crewe Full Carabao Cup schedule for 2023/24 Round One - w/c 7 August 2023 Round Two - w/c 28 August 2023 Round Three - w/c 25 September 2023 Round Four - w/c 30 October 2023 Quarter-Final - w/c 18 December 2023 Semi-Final (first leg) - w/c 8 January 2024 Semi-Final (second leg) - w/c 21 January 2024 Final - Sunday 25 February 2024 Read More Carabao Cup draw LIVE: First round fixtures featuring all 72 EFL clubs Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed ‘Serial winners’ can help England finally celebrate silverware – Tyrone Mings Guardiola’s Man City trophy haul in full after treble triumph Saudi Arabia money has turned transfers into ‘chaos’ – will it last? Fifa urged to make human rights key consideration for World Cup 2030 host

The first major cup draw for the 2023/24 season takes place on Thursday ahead of the new campaign starting, with English Football League clubs set to find out how they will start life in this year’s Carabao Cup adventure. All 72 EFL sides feature in the first round, which is split into north and south sections for purposes of the draw. The victors will be joined by 12 Premier League teams in the second round, before the remaining eight join in at the third-round stage. For now though it’s all about the lower league sides and the start of their journey, on the day they also discovered their league fates with the 23/24 fixture lists revealed. Manchester United won the competition last term but now another opportunity for silverware arises, with League Cup round one matches starting from week commencing 7 August and the final set for Wembley on 25 February 2024. Follow the Carabao Cup first round draw live below: Read More Opening day fixtures 2023/24: Every Championship match in first round of games Opening day fixtures 2023/24: Every League One match in first round of games Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed

Fulham are serious contenders in the race for Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse. The Cottagers are targeting the midfielder, who is interested in a move to Craven Cottage, the PA news agency understands. Southampton are likely to ask for close to £30million for their captain – who has three years left on his contract – after relegation from the Premier League last season. West Ham want Fulham’s Joao Palhinha to replace Declan Rice, which would then see the Cottagers line up Ward-Prowse. Arsenal have had two bids rejected for Hammers skipper Rice this week, although champions Manchester City are reportedly preparing their own offer. The Hammers are also interested in England international Ward-Prowse but he would prefer a switch to west London. The 28-year-old sees Marco Silva’s style as the best fit for him as he looks for a route back to the top flight. A move to Fulham would also see him link up with former Saints team-mate Harrison Reed, with the pair having come through the academy at St Mary’s. Brentford, given their threat from set pieces, also held an interest in Ward-Prowse but they were quickly rebuffed by the Saints star. He will leave the club this summer having been unable to keep Southampton in the Premier League after they finished bottom. They had three managers as Nathan Jones replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November – but lasted just 14 games before being sacked – and Ruben Selles was unable to save the Saints. Southampton appointed Russell Martin on a three-year deal from Swansea on Wednesday, with the Swans looking to bring Michael Duff in from Barnsley. Martin will have to mount a promotion charge in the Championship without Ward-Prowse, who has made 409 appearances and scored 55 goals for the Saints and is one goal short of David Beckham’s Premier League free-kick record of 18. Saints could also lose Romeo Lavia, with the midfielder wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham in talks to sign Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario England remove Australia’s openers before lunch on opening day of Women’s Ashes Man City linked with Declan Rice bid as treble winners look set for busy summer

Rumours linking Manchester City with West Ham’s Declan Rice gathered pace on Thursday as the treble winners remained the focus of considerable transfer speculation. Reports suggested City were poised to launch a bid for the highly-regarded England international, who is expected to leave the London Stadium this summer. Rice has already been the subject of interest from Arsenal, who have reportedly had two bids – the second worth up to £90million – rebuffed by the Hammers. City did not comment on the reports when contacted by the PA news agency. It is already shaping up to be a busy summer at the Etihad Stadium, with the club seemingly not standing still following their successes of last season. Captain Ilkay Gundogan looks set to leave City for Barcelona having apparently turned down a new contract. It is understood the Germany midfielder has been offered a three-year deal by the Spanish champions on more lucrative terms than those proposed by City. City were keen for the 32-year-old to stay but were unwilling to match Barca’s overtures. City had tabled a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. Given the player’s age, this was a pragmatic decision and Gundogan will depart with their blessing. He made 304 appearances in seven years at City and won 12 major trophies, culminating in this year’s treble triumph. As skipper he lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies. He also played a key role in the run-in, not least scoring both goals in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United – the first of which came in record fashion after just 13 seconds. City already have one midfield replacement in the pipeline having agreed an initial fee of £25million with Chelsea for Croatia international Mateo Kovacic. The final deal could be worth £30million if certain conditions are met. The 29-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, had been entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. He would arrive at City as a four-time Champions League winner after three successes with Madrid and one at Chelsea. A deal for Rice, if pursued, would dwarf that. West Ham accepted after their recent Europa Conference League win that their 24-year-old captain was likely to move on before next season. They reportedly value him in the £100million bracket. He has one year remaining on his contract but the Hammers have an option to extend that by 12 months. There is also uncertainty over the future of three other senior City players in defenders Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo, and midfielder Bernardo Silva. All three have been linked with moves away. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Zak Crawley defends England ‘entertainers’ ahead of second Ashes Test Lachlan Coote retires from rugby league after fifth concussion in two years Billy Gilmour delighted to end challenging season on high with Scotland win

A look at the team that has produced the most first-rounders in NBA Draft history.

Billy Gilmour was delighted to end a challenging season on a high with an impressive display in Scotland’s 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Georgia. Gilmour won the official man-of-the-match award after making light of the sodden conditions with an excellent display of possession football. The midfielder was making his first competitive start for Scotland this season after forcing his way into the Brighton team in the final weeks of the campaign. Gilmour had been unfortunate to see the man who signed him from Chelsea, Graham Potter, leave for Stamford Bridge a week after the transfer. He took some time to get into Roberto De Zerbi’s team and also had to cope with being the victim of a stalking campaign last autumn by a woman who was sentenced in court to a suspended prison term on Tuesday. The 22-year-old started five of the last eight games of the Premier League season, which included a 6-0 win over Wolves, a draw with Manchester City and wins over Manchester United and Arsenal. And he was able to depart for his summer break in good spirits after helping Scotland maintain their 100 per cent record in Group A of the European Championship qualifiers. “I am really happy with my first start in a while,” the former Rangers youth player said. “I am just happy to be back out there playing, with a smile on my face, doing what I love. It’s a good feeling. “It’s been a challenging season. Towards the back end I got quite a few opportunities at Brighton, so I am thankful and happy. I have worked hard. It was a good way to end the season.” Scotland moved eight points clear at the halfway mark of their group, although Spain have two games in hand and are nine behind. Gilmour said: “We have shown a real togetherness. We are doing well as a team and the manager is making sure we are working hard and challenging each other every day in training. It’s really good for Scotland. Everyone is pushing each other.” Scotland overcame torrential conditions and a near two-hour delay to clear water off the pitch to beat Georgia through goals from Callum McGregor and Scott McTominay. “It was tough,” Gilmour said. “One minute the game was going ahead and the next it’s not. “It was a crazy night but mentally we had to be focused and ready and big thanks to the fans staying behind and the ball boys helping out, cleaning the pitch and making sure it was playable. “The first 10-15 minutes was crazy, just to adjust, you think you can win it and then it holds up. But we got it sorted. Everyone stuck together, helped out and we got three points.” Gilmour was focused on the game rather than being distracted by the prospect of finishing the match on Wednesday and delaying summer breaks. “I was too busy sitting down trying to keep myself ticking over,” he said. “There might have been a couple of shouts of ‘replay tomorrow’ but it was fine after we got the water off the pitch. “Football came first, obviously with the national team. We were all focused on that and leave summer until after the game. Now we can go and have a break and enjoy.”

The 2022/23 campaign has barely finished and Luton Town’s fans’ celebrations probably haven’t yet fully finished - but already it’s time to look ahead at the new English Football League campaign and the three EFL divisions. In the Championship, Leeds United will be among the front-runners after their relegation, down from the top flight along with Southampton and Leicester City. They’ll be joined by returning faces to the second tier, with Ipswich Town promoted from League One alongside Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth - who clocked up a massive 101 points last term. Further down the league ladder, all eyes will be on Wrexham as they make a return to League Two, under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Each of those 72 clubs will find out their fixtures for the 2023/24 season later this month, while we already have dates for the EFL Cup and the play-off finals too. Here’s all the information you need to know. When are the EFL fixtures released? The fixtures for the 2023/24 EFL season, covering the Championship, League One and League Two, will be released on Thursday 22 June. All fixtures will be confirmed at once. What is the schedule for the 2023/24 season? As usual, the EFL calendar begins a week before the Premier League season does, with the three football leagues carrying more clubs in them and thus needing more time to fit in additional matches. The regular seasons will begin on Saturday 5 August 2023 and are due to finish by Sunday 5 May or Sunday 12 May 2024. Then it’s on to the play-offs in each of the three leagues, with the play-off final dates set as follows: League One Play-Off Final - Saturday 18 May 2024 League Two Play-Off Final - Sunday 19 May 2024 Championship Play-Off Final - Sunday 26 May 2024 What about the EFL Cup? Fans of lower-league teams always have hope for silverware in any given campaign, thanks to the EFL Cup. This season the dates for games and an eight-match run to Wembley are as follows: EFL Trophy Group Stage MD 1 - w/c 4 September 2023 EFL Trophy Group Stage MD 2 - w/c 9 October 2023 EFL Trophy Group Stage MD 3 - w/c 11 November 2023 EFL Trophy Round of 32 - w/c 4 December 2023 EFL Trophy Round of 16 - w/c 8 January 2024 EFL Trophy Quarter-Final - w/c 29 January 2024 EFL Trophy Semi-Final - w/c 19 February 2024 EFL Trophy Final - Sunday 7 April 2024 The Carabao Cup, also known as the League Cup, is also an EFL-run competition. The full schedule for that competition can be found here. Read More 2023/24 fixtures revealed for Championship as Saints start Sheff Weds Leicester confirm Pep Guardiola’s assistant as surprise new manager Liverpool loan out young defender Ramsay after injury-hit debut season Full fixture list for League Two’s opening day Full fixture list for League One’s opening day Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed