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A return to the international scene as a coach has allowed Paul Collingwood to see first hand how the game has developed in the few years since he played

George Dobell in Barbados08-Mar-2014It is one of the ironies of England cricket at present that, in attempting to instil a new confidence and exuberance into the team, the management have decided to dispense with the most confident and exuberant player.Now is not the time to get into the rights and wrongs of the sacking of Kevin Pietersen. Lines have been drawn; conclusions reached. Further debate is, like a radio phone-in on capital punishment, superfluous. No-one is going to change their mind at this stage.But what has become apparent over the course of this brief tour is that a new spirit is emerging within this England squad. Without not just Pietersen, but other battle-weary and slightly cynical regular squad members, a sense of enjoyment and wonder has crept back into the set-up. Many of this T20 squad are young men still thrilled with all the travel, all the cricket and all the new experiences. It feels like a fresh start.That is all well and good. But just how deep that recovery is we may discover over the coming weeks. Ultimately this team’s mood will be goverened by its success on the pitch and, after an encouraging start to their new age in Antigua, the competition will become that much harder in Barbados where they face a West Indies team considerably strengthened by the return of Chris Gayle.In the context of their grim winter and the early stages of the rebuilding job with which they are faced, England’s ambitions for the next few weeks should be modest. To win this series and progress to the semi-finals of the World T20 should be considered a considerable success. The more realistic goal is to see improvement: to witness the continued development of players such as Jos Buttler and Alex Hales and see better death bowling. Anyone expecting more has not been watching.The management of expectations has been a reiterated theme of England briefings of late. When Andy Flower said in Sydney that things may get worse before they got better, this is what he meant. The likes of Ben Stokes and, just below the surface, the Overton twins, are prodigiously talented but they are raw and there will be days they make mistakes. Ashley Giles and co. are at the start of a long-term process.But, come triumph or disaster, the England management are also keen to encourage within the new team the retention of positivity and exuberance. They do not want safety-first cricket; they do not want a team that plays the averages or seeks respectability. They know that, to win major T20 events, aggression is required.Certainly that was the message of Paul Collingwood the day before the start of the T20 series against West Indies at the Kensington Oval. Collingwood, captain when England won the World T20 here in 2010, is back at the scene of his greatest victory with the squad as part of a seven-week deal designed to bring new energy not just to the fielding, but also the batting, planning and positivity of the squad.”When we won the World T20, our philosophy was ‘we’ve never won anything being conservative, so we may as well have a go on the other side of the line’,” Collingwood said.”I’m a big believer in straying on the more aggressive side of the line. Not vocally, or anything like that, but how you play your cricket, with a lot more intent. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but hope you come up with more wins than losses.”

I’m a big believer in straying on the more aggressive side of the line. Not vocally, or anything like that, but how you play your cricket, with a lot more intent. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but hope you come up with more wins than lossesPaul Collingwood on his ‘brand’ of cricket

Losses are inevitable, though. So part of Collingwood and the other coach’s roles is to ensure that, whatever happens over the next few weeks, England continue to play attacking cricket.”I sensed when I first came in a bit of a lack of confidence from what’s happened over the winter,” Collingwood said. “But Graham Thorpe has worked fantastically well with the batsmen, giving the guys a simple plan and backing their ability. They bounced back well from being one-down in Antigua and the way that Joe Root and Jos Buttler played was exceptional. Michael Lumb and Moeen Ali can take a lot of confidence from the way they’ve played, too. It’s amazing how quickly things can turn around.”The Barbados pitch, though nowhere near as quick as the surface on which England won the World T20 in 2010, will bear little comparison to those expected in Bangladesh. Spin is expected to play far less a role here than it did in Antigua or will in Bangladesh, with the threat of Gayle, in particular, likely to dissuade England from the early introduction of a spinner.As a consequence, it is likely that the balance of the England team here will provide no more than a rough pointer to the one expected to play in Bangladesh. So, rather than allowing the likely Bangladesh XI more match practice, England will aim to win these games and hope that the resulting confidence is more beneficial than”It’s going to be difficult to find a strategy that will work here in Barbados and also would work in Bangladesh,” Collingwood agreed. “Looking at the pitch here, spin is one of the things that could be hit a long way. Personally I think confidence is a key thing going into a World T20. If you can go in with a few wins under your belt, that is more crucial than going in with a settled team.”Nor will Collingwood be seeking to replicate the formula that proved successful in 2010. He accepts that the T20 game has evolved and, having recently returned from a coaching assignment with Scotland that saw them qualify for the 2015 World Cup, is admirably candid about his own limitations as a player.”The game has changed a lot in those four years since we won,” he said. “You would think it has got the same principles and the same strategies but they wouldn’t work in this game. The scores that people are getting these days are a lot higher.”Back then we went on a nine-game unbeaten run and the top score was 149 against us. That doesn’t happen these days. The game has changed massively – for the better – and we have to come up with new strategies to overcome these powerful batsmen. It’s no longer a nudge-and-nurdler kind of game.”A lot of it about power and trying to hit the ball 360 degrees. For the bowlers, it’s about execution: you’ve got to come up with different things, whether it be Jade Dernbach with his slower balls or whatever.”There is no chance, absolutely no chance, that I would get into this England side. I wouldn’t get in the Scotland team now. I told them that.”The game’s moved on at a rapid rate. Guys for Scotland were hitting it 100 metres and Afghanistan lost five new balls in the first six overs of a Twenty20 in Sharjah. They went out of the stadium. I’ve never hit a ball out of the stadium.”Collingwood insists he has no intention of taking on a more permanent coaching position within the next six months. He is about to enter what is almost certain to be his final season for Durham and, knowing the club has had to cut its squad for financial reasons, is loathe to leave them in the lurch. As he puts it: “Durham are down to the bare bones in terms of personnel, so to lose a captain would be a bit harsh at the last second. I’m determined to play for Durham this summer.”A future in coaching appears assured, though. And while there might be a certain irony in Giles and Collingwood advocating an attacking approach that was the antitheses of their own playing careers, it would surely take a gruesome set of results over the next few weeks to see the former denied the chance to build a new England and the latter appointed as one of his deputies.

Bangladesh are used to the roar of an expectant crowd – even in Canberra and Melbourne they had a taste of that – but Nelson will provide a very different environment for a crucial match

Devashish Fuloria in Nelson04-Mar-2015The only sound one could hear after the crackle of the ball hitting the bat was crickets and other bugs. It was followed by a chuckle from the batsman, Mushfiqur Rahim, as he thumped ball after ball practicing at the pitch that was used in the two previous games at the ground. All sounds in Nelson’s Saxton Oval have an individuality. Noise, the kind that keeps buzzing across the subcontinent, is probably an alien concept here.Mushfiqur was alone in the middle taking throwdowns from Richard Halsall, the fielding coach, not far from the cameras focused on him, but thousands of miles away from Dhaka. In some sense, Nelson is anti-Dhaka, which is probably a welcome change for the team that has felt that passionate support back home uplift them in good times, while crush them at times when things do not go right.You heard that roar in Canberra when Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss. The likelihood of that happening in Nelson on Thursday is remote. “Playing in Bangladesh, definitely a different atmosphere,” Mashrafe said. “People come and support. Yes, there is some pressure but we enjoy that. You know playing in Bangladesh is always enjoyable and yes definitely in Nelson we won’t get that support but it happens. Hopefully we play our best cricket and people will support from back home.”What the serenity will not hide though is the importance of the game for Bangladesh. Their opener against Afghanistan threatened to slip through the fingers before Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur rescued the innings, a washout against Australia handed them a welcome bonus, but the hit they took against Sri Lanka in Melbourne showed there was a heavy price to pay for letting your guard down.”Yeah, we expect to win. When we lost, we also lost some confidence,” Mashrafe said. “So this is an opportunity to win this match and go with some confidence into the game against England.”Halfway through the group stage, the teams are always going to have one eye on the points table. Sitting on three points with three games remaining, Bangladesh need to win this to keep their chances of qualification to knockouts alive. They are expected to beat Scotland but consider the challenge: Bangladesh’s second ODI win came against Scotland, but they are the only Test-playing nation to drop a game against Scotland – a T20 three years ago. It is the first time in five years they are playing in New Zealand. Among the Test-playing nations, Bangladesh are one of the sides who could crumble in alien conditions fairly easily. Scotland, on the other hand, have played all their matches in New Zealand. And that’s not only it. They had another tour to the country earlier in the season.If they overcome these tricky corners, then they need to beat either New Zealand or England. It is easier to see which opposition Bangladesh would be targeting, one they beat in the previous World Cup. Asked whether Scotland and England posed the same threat, Mashrafe took time to answer but said the team did not want to look to far ahead.”Still, England is a better team,” he said. “They have a great chance as well. I think next match is really important but first, we need to play well against Scotland and then think about the later one.”If we can win this match, we have two chances till the game against New Zealand,” he said. “If we lose this one, then we have only one.”The pitch at Saxton Oval is going to aid batsmen, like it did in the previous two matches. But Mashrafe was more concerned about the fast bowlers who took a battering against Sri Lanka. “I think they will feel better on this pitch and bowl well,” he said. “We are really thinking how we can play our best cricket, win this match and go through. It is true that Scotland have played most matches here, and it will help them, but we are ready.”Ready, Bangladesh may be, but relaxed, they are not, even when a quiet Nelson coaxes everyone to be. “It’s an international game, you can’t be relaxed,” Mashrafe said, before adding, “maybe only after you start well.”

“One of my goals and dreams the last year was to break into England’s top four”

Valkerie Baynes14-Jul-2022No sooner had Sophia Dunkley established herself in England’s middle order, she set her sights on making a place in the top-four her own. No sooner had England switched focus to the next Women’s World Cup cycle, she is doing just that.In her first international outing at No. 3, Dunkley scored 22 from 24 balls as England convincingly beat South Africa in their first of three ODIs at Northampton. The knock was in keeping with her proactive batting style, which Dunkley said she was reluctant to give up heading into the second match at Bristol on Friday. It was also a key part of England’s bid to shake up their batting line-up, with the successful addition of new opener Emma Lamb and Danni Wyatt shuffling back down into the middle order.”One of my goals and dreams the last year was to break into England’s top four,” Dunkley said. “So the fact that I have an opportunity now to bat at three, it’s an amazing feeling. It’s something I’ve done in regional cricket for the last two years, so not completely new, but obviously a different level in internationals.”Naturally the bowling’s a little bit tighter, you don’t get as many bad balls, and you get a lot of pressure built on you in the powerplay, so it’s about learning how to deal with that and how I want to go about it. It’s probably not going to come overnight, and the next two games might not go as well as I’d like, but it’s about building for the future, how I see myself doing that role in the long term.”Dunkley’s first knock as England’s No. 3 included three powerful fours, driven through cover and twice hammered past long-on before she fell lbw to Nadine de Klerk.”I don’t want to take away too much of my natural aggression and intent because I think that’s still really important to push us on as a team,” she added. “So it’s finding the balance really and just doing the low-risk things for longer. I’ve had some good practice in the nets so I’m feeling good.”Related

• Sophia Dunkley sets sights on top-four batting spot for England

• Danni Wyatt set for return to middle-order despite World Cup semi-final century

• Lamb's maiden ton, all-round Sciver, fiery Brunt help England go 1-0 up

• Emma Lamb seizes England's opening vacancy on 'amazing' day in Northampton

• Nadine de Klerk: Ismail available, South Africa must up intensity

When opener Tammy Beaumont fell in just the third over of the match, Dunkley had the best view in the house as Lamb carved out a maiden century in just her fourth international appearance.Lamb had opened alongside Beaumont in the drawn Test which kicked of the multi-format series between the sides in Taunton last month and took a massive step towards establishing herself at the very top of the order in the ODI format with her knock.”Emma batted outstanding in the last game,” Dunkley said. “I’m so pleased for her. I’ve played a lot of cricket with her growing up, and grown up with her in the academy, so when we were batting together we were joking about how it was like the old times and it was nice that we could do that in an England shirt together.”It was amazing to watch her do her thing and show the world that she deserves to be an England opener, so I’m sure it’s the first of many for Emma.”It will be one day shy of 13 months since Dunkley made her Test debut against India – also in Bristol – where she notched up an unbeaten 74 in a keenly contested draw.She went on to play an important part in the white-ball part of India’s tour before finishing the English summer playing in all five ODIs against New Zealand. A trip to Australia as part of England’s ill-fated Ashes tour was followed by the World Cup, where she made a couple of half-centuries, including in England’s semi-final defeat of South Africa.”Personally it’s been a pretty crazy year and there’s been a lot of different cricket, playing in an Ashes and a World Cup was a surreal experience,” she said. “Now coming in batting at three is something different so yeah, it’s been lots of experiences, ups and downs, but a great year of cricket all round.”And she was expecting South Africa to come back fighting after a muted display in the first ODI, when their batting failed to fire. Katherine Brunt returned to international action with an imposing first spell and figures of 3 for 18 from nine overs before Chloe Tryon’s 88 gave the tourists some hope. Then their bowlers struggled against Lamb’s accomplished display and a brutal 55 off just 36 balls from Nat Sciver, who had also taken four wickets.South Africa’s bowling could be boosted by the return of Shabnim Ismail, who is available for selection in what would be her first appearance of the tour after recovering from a calf strain, with England leading four points to two.”We bowled really well in the first innings last game and it made it really hard for them to get a big score on the board,” Dunkley said. “Credit to our bowlers and Katherine up front bowling in that amazing spell, five overs for five runs.”We’re just really clear as a batting unit that we want to go out and be positive, so it was a great to be able to put that into practice and we definitely put pressure on their bowlers so I’m sure they’re going to come back hard at us in the next game.”

What a start to the new campaign it has been for Scottish champions, Celtic, with the Old Firm outfit boasting a 100% record in all competitions thus far, having begun impressively on all three fronts.

In the Premiership, the Hoops have started the defence of their crown in imperious fashion with five wins and five clean sheets racked up so far, while on the continental front, Brendan Rodgers’ side saw off Slovan Bratislava on the start of their Champions League journey.

Having also shaken off a nervy start at home to Falkirk to book a place in the last four of the League Cup, the Glasgow giants are flying right now, even after losing key man Matt O’Riley.

The Denmark international sealed a £25m move to Brighton and Hove Albion at the tail-end of the summer window, bringing an end to a fruitful two-and-a-half-year stay at Parkhead, in which he provided 62 goals and assists in just 124 games across all fronts.

An integral figure under both Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers – although a particularly pivotal presence under the latter – the former MK Dons man left a gaping hole in the club’s midfield ranks, with concerns brewing over just how he would be replaced.

Postecoglou

Rodgers

Total

Games

72

52

124

Goals

8

19

27

Assists

16

19

35

Minutes played

4535

4561

9096

Stats via Transfermarkt

£11m man Arne Engels has, however, shown signs that he could be the player to do just that with four goals and assists so far, while fellow youngster Paulo Bernardo also has a strong case to make, having overcome an initial slow start to life in Scotland.

Paulo Bernardo's start at Celtic

Signed on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2023, Bernardo no doubt felt the pressure to try and emulate the success of his compatriot, Jota, with the wing wizard – who chalked up 54 goals and assists in 83 games for the club – having thrived after also joining from the Lisbon outfit on an initial temporary deal two years earlier.

In truth, it proved to be a sticky start to life in his new surroundings for young Bernardo, having been restricted to just three league starts before Christmas Day, while failing to register a single goal or assist.

That lack of impact – which also included no goal involvements from his six Champions League outings (four starts) – drew notable criticism at the time, with club legend Chris Sutton writing in December that he couldn’t ‘think of one memorable thing the lad has done since he signed’.

Just a few days later, however, Bernardo responded impressively after netting his first goal in the 3-0 win away Dundee, before producing his first truly ‘memorable’ moment after thumping home against Rangers in the Old Firm the following game.

With two assists also to come at St Mirren in early January, the playmaker certainly left Sutton – among others – eating humble pie, with pundit Mark Wilson among those.

Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, via Football Scotland, the former Rangers man stated: “I wasn’t having him. He played in big games but I just didn’t see him do anything.

“He would run about, hardly get involved or hardly get a touch of the ball. He wouldn’t tackle and you’d see him almost get close to somebody, it almost looked like he was running on treacle. But the game at Dens Park, he looked like a player. He gets his goal, maybe a wee bit fortuitous. But after that he’s been great, he’s been brilliant.”

Having ultimately ended the 2023/24 campaign with four goals and three assists, the 22-year-old looks set to kick on again this season following his £3.5m permanent capture.

Paulo Bernardo's 2024/25 campaign in numbers

The Almada-born starlet may only have one goal to his name so far this season, but what a goal it was, with the midfielder drawing his side level against Falkirk with a stunning volleyed effort.

That moment of quality served as a reminder of why the club were so keen to keep him at Celtic Park on a permanent basis, with the task now for Bernardo to force his way into the starting lineup consistently, alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.

The threat of Engels – and fellow new arrival Luke McCowan – is there, although, on recent evidence, it could be Bernardo who takes on O’Riley’s mantle, having particularly shone in the Old Firm win earlier this month.

62 minutes

57 touches

76% pass accuracy

3 key passes

1 ‘big chance’ created

1 ‘big chance’ missed

4/4 dribbles completed

10/15 ground duels won

2/3 aerial duels won

14x possession lost

That 3-0 triumph saw the Portuguese at his best, as he notably registered three key passes, won 12 duels and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles during his 62-minute showing.

Such a statement display had his former critic, Sutton, positively purring, with the striker-turned-pundit backing Bernardo’s credentials as the man to fill O’Riley’s void:

‘Bernardo said upon signing that he was after O’Riley’s shirt even if the Dane stayed and this was a polished performance which again suggests he’s got the tools.’

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What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

As Sutton stated, the player himself said earlier this summer that he was keen to take his teammate’s place in the side – even if O’Riley were to stay – with the hope now that he can back up that confidence with a consistent run of positive performances.

All in all, it’s fair to say that Bernardo has overcome that sticky start in green and white, emerging as a real key member of Rodgers’ fiercely competitive midfield unit.

Ange struck gold on Celtic star who's now worth more than Idah & Engels

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1 ByRobbie Walls Sep 23, 2024

Ruben Amorim has revealed Manchester United will not have money to spend in the January transfer window despite the need for new signings.

Article continues below

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• Man Utd going through rough patch
• Fresh blood in January would benefit team
• Amorim admits winter reinforcements unlikely

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United's 2-0 loss to Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday marked their fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions. This dismal run has amplified concerns about the squad’s inability to adapt to Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 formation. However, the Portuguese coach does not expect financial support to address these issues when the transfer window opens in January.

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  WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking candidly to reporters on Monday night about the possibility of January transfers, Amorim stated, "We don't have that possibility in January. You know the situation better than I [do]. It's not the case I am not arriving here and I can spend a lot of money, changing all the team. You know the situation so it's not a point to talk about it."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to any incoming activity in January will depend on outgoing transfers. The Red Devils are open to both loan deals and permanent moves, which could free up some funds. If finances allow, signing a left wing-back would be the club’s top priority.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite growing calls to adapt his tactical approach, Amorim remains steadfast in his commitment to the 3-4-3 system, which he has used throughout his managerial career. He dismissed suggestions that reverting to the 4-3-3 system favoured by his predecessor Erik ten Hag could solve the team’s problems and instead argued that switching back to a previously unsuccessful setup would not provide the answers United need.

  "I have to sell my idea," he said. "If I change all the time it is going to be even worse. But I understand they have a lot of difficulties because they spent two years playing one way. You can feel it, I can feel it but I have to sell my idea, I don't have another one.

  "When you have a change of coach, especially in this type of club, it is because they were not winning. They play in the system they were bought for and were losing. So I am going to change to that system? This team was already in problems."

Owning a football club is one of the hardest journeys a business person can embark on. However, more recently, we have seen some of the world’s most established stars, celebrities, sportsmen and sportswomen get involved with the task themselves.

From musicians like Ed Sheeran and Stormzy, to actors such as Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, here are some of the biggest celebrity owners in football.

Will Ferrell, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas & Michael Phelps Leeds United

One of football’s most fascinating ownership structures comes from West Yorkshire. Leeds United were taken over by 49ers Enterprises in the summer of 2023 in a deal worth £170m.

49ers Enterprises Global Football Group LLC is the investment arm of the American football team San Francisco 49ers. In 2018, they purchased a 15% stake in the Championship club, which then increased to 44% in 2021. The American syndicate now has full control of the Whites, who returned to the Premier League in 2025.

The most incredible thing about the investment group is not their multi-club portfolio, but the superstar lineup of celebrities and sports personalities who have now invested in their firm.

They include actors Will Ferrell and Russell Crowe, golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, Olympic legend Michael Phelps and NBA basketball players Larry Nance Jr. and Russell Westbrook – all of whom collectively come under the blanket as Leeds United co-owners.

Magic Johnson, Will Ferrell & Mia Hamm Los Angeles FC

Speaking of large consortiums, that’s exactly what you’ll find at Los Angeles FC in MLS.

Like his ownership of Leeds United, Will Ferrell is part of a 26-person ownership of LAFC, who joined MLS in 2018 as part of the league’s expansion and won the MLS Cup for the first time in 2022.

The club was also valued at more than $700m (£524m) in February 2020, which was a record for any Major League Soccer team.

Ferrell is a minority owner alongside Golden State Warriors co-owner Peter Guber, NBA legend Magic Johnson, former United States footballer Mia Hamm and her husband, Nomar Garciaparra, who was a baseball player for the Boston Red Sox.

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ByMark Marston Dec 5, 2023 Mesut Ozil & Kate Upton Club Necaxa

It’s not quite the consortium that Leeds or LAFC have at their disposal, but Mexican football team Club Necaxa must be credited for attracting some very well-known stars to their club in recent years.

It was reported in 2021 that former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil had joined actor Kate Upton, alongside her husband, MLB pitcher Justin Verlander and fellow Hollywood star Eva Longoria in buying around half the shares of the Liga MX franchise.

This was part of a group formed by real estate investor Al Tylis and Sam Porter, an executive at MLS club D.C. United. More recently, it was revealed that an American duo of actors had also added Necaxa to their already popular portfolio…

Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney Wrexham AFC

You definitely haven’t heard of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney being part-owners of Necaxa in Mexico, but you will, of course, have heard of the pair’s ownership of Welsh club Wrexham AFC.

If you didn’t know already, Reynolds and McElhenney are the owners of Wrexham, after the pair bought the club for £2m in 2021.

They have since successfully guided their beloved club to the Championship, which is three steps above the National League, where the club resided when they first took over.

Through their company PR McReynolds, they have also recently added Necaxa to their portfolio. It is believed the deal also benefits Wrexham, as part of Necaxa’s ownership group purchased a 5% stake in the club, so expect to see some pre-season friendlies with Welsh and Mexican fans in attendance!

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ByStephan Georgiou Oct 8, 2024 Michael B. Jordan AFC Bournemouth

You may have watched Bournemouth rock some pretty cool, commemorative-style shirts in recent years. That’s because the Cherries went into the 2024/25 campaign celebrating 125 years since the club was founded, which also caused minority shareholder and Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan to release two special kits of his own.

Jordan purchased a stake in the club as part of a minority investment group back in December 2022, alongside Bill Foley, who is a shareholder of Hibernian and owns the NHL ice hockey franchise Vegas Golden Knights.

LeBron James Liverpool

LeBron James became a part-owner of Liverpool in 2011 when he bought a 2% stake in the club for £4.7m.

According to a recent evaluation of the club by accountancy firm KPMG, James’ investment is now worth over £37m, with the club having got itself back to the top of world football by winning the Premier League and Champions League in recent years under the now departed Jurgen Klopp.

In March 2021, it was revealed that James and business partner Maverick Carter had become the first black partners at Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the owners of Liverpool.

The group, who also owns the Boston Red Rox, bought the Merseyside club in 2010 for £300m. Forbes estimated in May 2024 that Liverpool were worth £4.3bn, so it is likely that figure is even higher now.

James already had prior links with FSG, having co-produced a television show with Tom Werner, who has the second-largest stake in FSG behind owner John Henry.

Ed Sheeran Ipswich Town

Ed Sheeran became Ipswich Town’s part-time owner in August 2024. Sheeran has held a front-of-shirt sponsor on Ipswich’s kits since 2021, and has purchased a 1.4% stake in his beloved club through Gamechanger 20 Ltd, who bought the team from Marcus Evans for £40m three years ago.

However, the club confirmed that the music superstar would not join the board of directors, though he would be awarded with his own executive box at Portman Road, which was personally designed for the 2024/25 season.

The pop star, who has 67.5m monthly listeners on Spotify, also collaborated with the club to design their Suffolk-inspired pink third kit.

Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha AFC Croydon Athletic

Moving slightly down the leagues, AFC Croydon were bought by UK rapper Stormzy and former Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha.

The club was supporter-owned from 2012 after former team Croydon Athletic struggled financially once it emerged that their owner, Mazhar Majeed, had been jailed for 32 months for his role in a match-fixing scandal.

They play at the Mayfield Stadium in Thornton Heath in the Isthmian League South East Division, which is the eighth tier of English football. Both Zaha and Stormzy grew up in the south London borough of Croydon and are part of a three-man consortium involved with buying the club.

Stormzy grew up in South Norwood, while Zaha spent his childhood on Thornton Heath. Danny Young, former head of player care at Crystal Palace, is the third man involved with buying the club. He spent almost ten years at Palace as the club’s head of kit, a player liaison officer and head of player care.

Tom Brady Birmingham City

It was announced in August 2023 that seven-time Super Bowl champion and one of the NFL’s greatest-ever players, Tom Brady, would become a part-owner of Birmingham City.

Brady owns 3.3% of the club, but his shares are actually in Shelby Companies Ltd, which was the organisation used by US investment firm Knighthood Capital Management to buy the EFL club last year.

The man who spearheaded that takeover was American hedge fund manager and co-founder of Knighthood Capital Management, Tom Wagner. He bought 45.64% of Birmingham City and St Andrew’s Stadium and it is believed it was his friendly relationship with Brady that attracted the NFL icon to the club.

The pair have worked on previous projects, specifically investing in a major league pickleball team with tennis star Kim Clijsters.

David Beckham Inter Miami

David Beckham signed for LA Galaxy in 2007 after rising to one of football’s most popular figures at Manchester United and then Real Madrid.

According to sports business expert Joe Pompliano, Beckham made over $50m (£37.4m) of income per season in MLS, which was a 155% increase from the money he made at Real Madrid. Pompliano also claimed Beckham made $800m (£600m) by the time he retired from professional football in 2013.

At LA Galaxy, Beckham’s lucrative contract also included an option to purchase an MLS expansion team at a discounted rate, and he did so with the addition of Inter Miami to his business portfolio in 2018.

Inter Miami made their debut on the pitch in March 2020 and were already the 10th-most valuable MLS franchise – valued at 24 times the original $25m expansion fee.

But that was only the beginning, as in June 2023, Lionel Messi turned down an epic offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal to join Beckham’s side following the conclusion of his contract at PSG.

Since then, the club have won their first major piece of silverware by winning the 2023 Leagues Cup title and continue to dominate viewing and financial figures in MLS, all to the pleasure of Mr Beckham himself.

England attack comprised five right-arm seamers and Root’s part-time offbreaks

Matt Roller16-Dec-2021Graham Thorpe, England’s assistant coach, has defended their selection and bowling plans after Australia racked up 221 for 2 on the first day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide after David Warner admitted his surprise at their short-ball barrage.England made two changes to the side that was thrashed by nine wickets at the Gabba, bringing in James Anderson and Stuart Broad in place of Mark Wood and Jack Leach; as a result, their attack comprised five right-arm seamers of a similar pace and Joe Root’s part-time offbreaks.Jos Buttler dropped two catches off Marnus Labuschagne – including one particularly straightforward one late in the day – and England’s seamers beat the bat on a number of occasions, but ultimately a return of two wickets in 89 overs with the pink ball served to highlight the attack’s lack of variation.Related

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Asked if England should have included either a frontline spinner or a genuine fast bowler like Wood with a point of difference, Thorpe insisted that they had selected a strong attack. “No, I think we picked the right team for this match,” he said. “Actually, I thought that on another day, we could have grazed the edge more and it could have been different on day one.”England reverted to a short-ball plan at stages during the day, with Ben Stokes used as an enforcer and bowling to six-three leg-side fields. Stokes was England’s most expensive bowler, conceding 50 runs in his 13 overs, but did take the wicket of Warner, slapping a cut straight to cover.”That’s a tactic they have obviously tried to put through to us,” Warner said. “I don’t know why they were doing that. For us, you have to play each ball on its merits. Obviously here [the boundaries are] short square, so you have to back yourself to have a gameplan and stick to that. They mix up their fields as well with different field placements and then from your perspective it’s about how you’re going to adapt to that situation.”You get into positions where you are almost in one-day mode as well. There are gaps in front of the wicket, [you play] a couple of flat-bat shots. Once you get one or two boundaries away and you start leaking, you have to change tactics. But they didn’t do that. It worked into our plan a bit, and the ball gets softer.”The length that they bowled here today isn’t hitting the stumps,” he said, comparing conditions to the 2019 series in England when he had struggled against Broad. “That length there is hitting the stumps in England, and that’s the difference. I batted out of my crease and Marnus [Labuschagne] did as well to be able to leave the ball on a good length and we backed ourselves that the ball was going to go over the stumps. That was something that we learned from the Gabba.””It unsettles,” Thorpe had insisted earlier. “It gives you an option and a way of attacking. I don’t think you can attack like that all the time due to what it physically takes out of your bowlers. They may all be right-arm bowlers but for me they’ve all got a slightly different style about them as well. We stuck at it well but we didn’t quite get the rub today.”I don’t think our plans were too bad. If we’d bowled poorly, we would have gone for a lot more throughout the day. It’s not a case of feeling sorry for ourselves when we come in tomorrow again, it’s a case of trying to do very similar things and when it comes to our turn to bat, doing things for a long period of time.”I think you saw that from the two players today, they did things well for long periods of time, and you can take advantage in the last session at times if you have an attack which is a little bit more tired. It’s very important that we’re able to make some inroads tomorrow.”Having lost five World Test Championship points and their collective match fees due to a slow over-rate at the Gabba last week, England managed to bowl 89 of the scheduled 90 overs on the first day in Adelaide, though they required five overs of Root bowling negatively with the old ball in order to catch up.While over-rates are likely to remain a problem with a five-man seam attack, Thorpe played down the issue. “I think there’s bigger things going on in the world than over-rates,” he said. “You get through as quick as you can [but] reviews are taking time to get through, sometimes batsmen aren’t ready and minutes get lost throughout the day’s cricket.”It’s just one of those things in Test cricket. We’d like it to be more perfect but it isn’t. We would have liked some more overs [under floodlights] with a newer ball but it’s challenging at times. Everyone thinks it’s straightforward getting through 80 overs at the perfect time but it isn’t. It’s much harder [because of] temperatures, make-up of your team and the stoppages that go on throughout the day.”

The motivation of making amends for missing this year’s World Test Championship final is an added driving force behind Australia’s push for an Ashes whitewash after they took a 2-0 series lead.Convincing victories in Brisbane and Adelaide mean that they can retain the Ashes with victory in Melbourne during the Boxing Day Test which would be a third consecutive success in a home series with England having not won a game since Sydney in 2010-11.The 2017-18 fixture at the MCG is the only one of the last 12 Ashes Tests in Australia that England have not lost courtesy of Alastair Cook’s double century on an awful pitch. Since then the surface has been rejuvenated and a recent Sheffield Shield pitch was rated by those who took part as one of the best the MCG had produced with pace, bounce and movement.Related

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In their previous dominant scorelines, Australia’s victories achieved after the Ashes had been secured widened the gap and helped their ranking, but now with the World Test Championship points on offer any further wins could be crucial as was evidenced by Australia narrowly missing the final in the previous cycle.”That’s what the Test Championship has brought in, it’s not just about winning the series you are currently playing but you are playing for something bigger than that as well,” Marnus Labuschagne said.Ultimately it was an over-rate fine in last season’s MCG Test against India which cost Australia a spot in the WTC final, but had they secured another win along the way they would also have qualified. That could have been achieved against India at the SCG, where the tourists battled to a draw, or the series-decider at Brisbane. Going further back there was the loss at The Oval in the 2019 Ashes where England leveled the series and, of course, the famous Headingley result.Australia have some tough overseas assignments in this WTC cycle•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“We had heaps of other opportunities that we could have made that game,” Labuschagne said. “Watching that final, I was in England, it was a great spectacle and awesome to watch. I think it’s important for us to take the Test Championship really seriously and it’s something we want to win. It certainly hurt me last time sitting and watching.”Australia are currently second in the WTC table having played just two Tests of the latest cycle. Their overseas portion of the competition will be demanding with tours of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India while next summer’s home schedule involves West Indies and South Africa. Regardless of the opposition, they are determined not to be caught out by the same mistake.”Over-rates really shouldn’t be that big of a thing but we are always just trying to make sure we are getting through the overs and we learn our lesson from the [last] instance,” Labuschagne said. “Would be silly of us not to have learnt from that experience then all of a sudden find ourselves in a similar situation in 12-24 months time.”England, who are languishing at seventh, have already been docked eight points for their over-rate at the Gabba.Labuschagne also has personal motivation heading into Boxing Day as he looks for a maiden Test century at the MCG with a high score in his two outings of 63. In a warning to England, despite his first-innings century in Adelaide and match tally of 154 runs he was still not satisfied with his contribution.”Even though I scored runs this game I’m still disappointed I didn’t go and make a really big score and really shut the game out, especially after being dropped and getting a chance off a no-ball,” he said. “There’s a lot for me to learn from [Adelaide] and take into Boxing Day and make sure if I get to a hundred make it a really big score.”

Fast bowler backed after injury setbacks, and will stay with club at least until 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2022Toby Roland-Jones will stay with Middlesex at least until the end of 2023, after signing a contract extension that will take him into his 13th year with the club.Roland-Jones has endured an injury-plagued few years, including a knee cartilage injury that took four months out of his 2021 season, following back and shoulder problems that had limited his involvement since 2018.However, he reaffirmed his importance to Middlesex with a five-wicket haul against Derbyshire on his first-class comeback in September, and with Richard Johnson having been appointed as the club’s new head coach, Roland-Jones will remain a key part of their plans for the coming seasons.”I am absolutely delighted to commit to Middlesex Cricket for the next two years,” Roland-Jones said. “I feel hugely fortunate that my passion for the club and the game continues to grow, as it has since the day I joined, back in 2010.”The excitement and potential in this squad gives us every opportunity to return this club to the level it should be at, and I look forward to playing any part I can to make that happen.”With the appointment of Richard Johnson as First Team Coach yesterday, we have a high-quality coach returning to the club, and someone who has previously worked with and helped so many of our players in the earlier parts of their careers. I know the players can’t wait to get started under him, and I’m sure he returns as eager as we all are to bring the club success.”Related

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Roland-Jones has made a total of 224 appearances for Middlesex across all three formats of the game, with a total of 545 wickets. His debut for the club came in 2010, when he picked up two five-wicket hauls in eight appearances, and in 2015, he made his maiden first-class hundred against Yorkshire at Lord’s.His place in club folklore was secured in the final match of the 2016 season, when he claimed a hat-trick against Yorkshire to secure the County Championship title. His final wicket completed a ten-wicket haul, and took his tally for the season to 54 at 28.22.The following year, Roland-Jones made the first of his four Test appearances, claiming five wickets on debut against South Africa at The Oval, but his hopes of starring in that winter’s Ashes were curtailed by the diagnosis of a stress fracture in his back.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s head of Men’s Performance, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to agree this extension to Toby’s contract. He is a huge character in our dressing room, a great influence to the rest of our group, and a key player for us on the field.”We saw at the back end of last season what he is capable of as a player, just like we have witnessed for many seasons beforehand, and I am certain that we’ll be seeing much more of that over the next two seasons.”

تحدث مدرب برشلونة هانز فليك، عقب مباراة فريقه أمام جيرونا، في منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وتغلب برشلونة على جيرونا برباعية لهدف في إطار مباريات الجولة التاسعة والعشرين للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وافتتح فليك حديثه قائلاً: “لقد حصدنا ثلاث نقاط، وهذا كان الأهم، هذا ما أعجبني أكثر في المباراة، وكذلك الطاقة التي أظهرناها بعد الاستراحة”.

وعن روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، أفاد: “إنه لاعب مهم وحاسم، يسجل أهدافًا، تحدثتُ إليه وأخبرته أنه يجب عليه تسجيل هدفين، لا أحب الحديث عن لاعبين فرديين، لكنه لاعب استثنائي، وأنا سعيد جدًا أيضًا من أجل فيران توريس”.

وأستطرد: “تحدثت إلى ليفاندوفسكي في بداية الموسم؛ أردنا أن نكون واضحين بشأن دوره ووضعه وأسلوب لعبه… من الجيد لجميع اللاعبين أن يروا أن المدرب يؤمن بهم”.

وأكمل: “يريد أن يكون الفائز بـ بيتشيتشي (الهداف)، يريد الفوز، لكن الأهم هو الفريق، ويركز أيضًا على مساعدة زملائه في الفريق، بالنسبة لي، الأمر كله يتعلق بالفريق، وأشعر أن الجميع يتحركون للأمام في هذا الاتجاه”.

وأكد: “وهذا أمر رائع بالنسبة لي ويساعدنا كثيرًا؛ يمكنك رؤيته على أرض الملعب، ولكنني سعيد جدًا أيضًا من أجل فيران توريس، أعتقد أننا قمنا بعمل عظيم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ليفاندوفسكي: تقدمي في العمر لا يؤثر علي في برشلونة.. وهدفنا الفوز بالثلاثية

وأردف: “من الطبيعي أن يكون هناك شكوك بعد هدف التعادل، جيرونا فريق جيد يجيد التعامل مع الكرة، أجرينا تبديلات لأننا كنا نعاني من إرهاق اللاعبين، في هذه المرحلة من الموسم، لدينا لاعبون مثلهم، وهذا أمر طبيعي”.

وبشأن خصمه جيرونا، أشار: “جيرونا يلعب بشكل جيد للغاية، ومن الطبيعي أن يسببوا لنا صعوبات، كان هناك أيضًا لاعبون متعبون، وكانت التبديلات ناجحة”.