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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

John Hollins turned reading the game into an art form across almost 600 Chelsea appearances, but one moment of typically impeccable timing trumped a career’s worth of pivotal interventions. The Guildford-born Chelsea youth-team graduate popped up with a telling pass just when the Blues needed him most – trailing 2-1 to Leeds with mere minutes to play in the 1970 FA Cup final. As Leeds geared up to play out for victory at Wembley, Hollins dropped into space on the inside left and whipped in a pinpoint near-post cross that Ian Hutchinson flicked home. All the folklore from that 1970 FA Cup run tends to revolve around the brutal replay, where both teams hacked each other to bits before Chelsea ground out glory with a 2-1 triumph after extra-time at Old Trafford. But without Hollins’ solitary moment of quality in that scrappy first final on a boggy Wembley pitch, the Blues would never have had the chance for any of that Manchester madness. The versatile midfielder, who moved to right-back later in his career, amassed 592 Chelsea matches in a career rich in both quality and longevity, although he only managed a single England cap, against Spain as a 20-year-old in 1967. Born into a footballing family – his older brother David went on to play for Wales – on July 16, 1946, Hollins quickly made his mark at youth level and went on to make his senior Chelsea debut aged just 17. That first appearance came in 1963 and for the next 12 years he proved a Stamford Bridge fixture. Hollins featured in the first leg of Chelsea’s 3-2 aggregate win over Leicester in the 1965 League Cup final, but that 1970 FA Cup triumph was to provide the centre-piece of his Blues career. When Chelsea claimed the European Cup Winners’ Cup a year later, Hollins missed the crucial replay win over Real Madrid in the final through injury. In the 1971/72 campaign Hollins found the net a career-high 17 times, helping the Blues to the League Cup final where they lost to Stoke. He left Stamford Bridge in 1975 and four-year stints at QPR and Arsenal followed. He came within a penalty shootout of winning a second European Cup Winners’ Cup with the Gunners, scoring his spot-kick as Arsenal were beaten in the 1980 final by Valencia. He returned to Chelsea for the 1983/84 campaign and helped steer the west Londoners to promotion back to the First Division before retiring having made more than 900 first-class appearances in his career. An immediate step into coaching followed, with Hollins staying on at Chelsea and eventually replacing the retired John Neal as manager in 1985. The Blues mounted an early title challenge in Hollins’ first year at the helm only to slip to a sixth-place finish, in a season that also comprised victory in the Full Members’ Cup. By March 1988 Chelsea had slumped to a four-month winless league run, however, and Hollins was duly relieved of his duties. Hollins went on to play one game for Irish side Cobh Ramblers before joining the coaching staff at QPR, for whom he had a brief stint as caretaker boss in the 1997–98 season. Spells as manager of Swansea, whom he led to the Third Division title in 2000, and Rochdale followed becoming assistant to Nicolas Anelka’s brother Claude at Raith Rovers in 2004. He left after a month, with the pair reportedly not seeing eye to eye. He also managed Stockport, Crawley and Weymouth. Hollins, who has died at the aged of 76, is survived by his wife Linda, son Chris, a TV broadcaster who won Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, and daughter Liz.

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.

Two teenage students and a man in his 50s were stabbed to death, and a further three people were injured after a stolen van plowed into them, in a spree of violence across the English city of Nottingham early Tuesday morning.

Former Chelsea player and manager John Hollins has died aged 76, the club has announced. Hollins made more than 400 appearances for the west London side as a player between 1963 and 1975 before a three-year stint as boss from 1985. Chelsea board member Daniel Finkelstein said: “He was a hero to the fans of this club, and very much that to me. “He was at the heart of one of Chelsea’s greatest teams and, as well as contributing to its trophy success, he expressed its spirit.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Female football supporters from Wales’ South Asian communities will watch the national team play for the first time on Friday through a new initiative designed to create a more diverse fan base. The sold-out signs are set to go up for Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium with Rob Page’s side hoping to take another step towards next summer’s finals in Germany. Among the 33,000-plus capacity crowd will be women benefiting from a partnership between Her Game Too Cymru, Amar Cymru – the group launched in 2020 to give the South Asian community a voice in the national team – and the Football Association of Wales. Thirty tickets were made available to women from South Asian communities to attend the game. With the offer oversubscribed, fans that missed out have been invited to a Cardiff restaurant on Monday to watch Wales’ Euro qualifier in Turkey. Roopa Vyas is a director of Her Game Too, the campaign group run by fans to raise awareness of sexism in sport, and has followed the Wales national team at home and abroad. “We want to show the Red Wall is the friendliest fan base around,” said Caerphilly-born Vyas, who has a Ugandan father and an Indian mother. “I have gone to games off my own back but I know the barriers that exist and it not easy for people from Muslim, Hindu, Bengali, Somali and other communities to do that. “Amar Cymru is a progressive group that want to get female fans to games and they came to me as they knew I went to games and could shine a light on it. I have gone to games off my own back, but I know the barriers that exist and it not easy for some people to do that Roopa Vyas, director of Her Game Too “Hopefully we can go back to the FAW after the game and show them it was successful.” Shazia Zahoor, born in Cardiff of Pakistani heritage, once played for Dinas Powys Ladies alongside current Wales captain Sophie Ingle and will be among fans experiencing her first international action on Friday. “I’ve been a football fanatic since I was 13 and wanted to play but the culture did not encourage it,” said Zahoor, who will be joined at the Wales game by her sons Ibrahim, 11, and Zakariya, five. “Even now I would feel uncomfortable talking to my father about playing football. “I’m thrilled to be going to a Wales game and taking my two boys. It will be lovely to see other Asian women there because it really is breaking down barriers.” The FAW want to create a more diverse fan base and has had mascots with South Asian heritage at home games and discussed establishing prayer rooms for fans at the Cardiff City Stadium. Members of Amar Cymru – which translates to ‘My Wales’ and resonates with the South Indian, Bangladeshi and Punjabi communities – attended a Wales match for the first time in September 2021. Jalal Goni, the organisation’s founder, says the landscape of Welsh football has changed even in that short time. “When Amar Cymru started in lockdown it was pre-dominantly made up of males, but Wales being at the World Cup changed things,” said Goni. “Females were saying how we can watch it and we had an event for the USA game at the World Cup that included arts and crafts and other things for the family as well as the football. “The World Cup opened up the stadium experience for females. We know the older generation in our communities would not support females going to a male dominated event but we are breaking that stigma down.” Goni, who will be part of a 10-strong Amar Cymru delegation in Turkey as the group attends a stand-alone Wales away fixture for the first time, added: “There is a lot riding on it. “Female fans will be dressed differently in head scarves and cultural dresses and we hope there will be no negative comments. “It is a massive step but the FAW have done a tremendous job in reshaping Welsh football, certainly since Euro 2016. “Attending Wales games has become more of a family experience and we feel we are ready for this.”

Real Madrid have announced the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund – with the England midfielder agreeing a six-year contract at the Bernabeu. The 19-year-old moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020 but has long dreamt of playing for the La Liga giants. Dortmund confirmed in a statement last week that Real have agreed to pay an initial €103m (£88.5m) to land Bellingham. Now Real have confirmed the deal is complete. “Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund have agreed on the transfer of the player Jude Bellingham, who will remain linked to our club for the next six seasons,” their statement read. “Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, at 12:00 noon at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Jude Bellingham as a new Real Madrid player will take place. “After, Jude Bellingham will appear before the media.” He scored his first England goal in their World Cup win over Iran but is absent from the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in Euro 2024 qualifiers this week due to injury. He has long been keen on a move to the 14-time European champions and recently said that he sees the Champions League as “the biggest stage”. “The goal has always been winning,” he said last month. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “Everyone should have that goal I feel like as professional footballers.” Bellingham was recently named Bundesliga Player of the Season after his starring role for Dortmund, who missed out on the title in agonising fashion on the final day of the campaign. PA Read More Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer Football rumours: Man United, Real Madrid and Chelsea fight for Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit Manchester City quintet set to arrive for England duty on Tuesday evening

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Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to part ways with Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as Ange Postecoglou's rebuild begins to take shape.

At least 11 states have enacted 13 restrictive voting laws this year, according to a new analysis from the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's law school.

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Rico Lewis is a surprise omission from the England Under-21s squad for their Euro 2023 campaign this summer. Lee Carsley’s Young Lions head to Romania and Georgia hoping for a first European Championship success since 1984, but they will be without the young City star after he was not included in the 23-man squad. Lewis, just 18, played 23 times for City during their treble-winning season. Folarin Balogun is a notable absentee following his recent decision to represent the United States. Head coach Carsley had been hopeful that Balogun would decide on his future after this summer’s tournament, but the 21-year-old informed the Football Association of his choice to play for the US last month. His absence means Cameron Archer is the only out-and-out striker in the squad, with Rhian Brewster injured. Tottenham right-back Djed Spence, City forward James McAtee, who is injured, and Club Brugge goalkeeper Joe Bursik also missed out. But there is a plethora of Premier League experience in there, with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Emile Smith Rowe, Oliver Skipp, Anthony Gordon, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott among the 23-man squad gunning for glory. England begin their campaign against the Czech Republic in Georgia on June 22. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live