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      Premier League could be forced to slash parachute payments – but new regulator will not abolish them

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      PARACHUTE payments will NOT be abolished by the new football regulator.But the Premier League could be forced to slash them if a report into the game finds evidence that the huge sums paid to clubs relegated from the top flight undermine the financial stability of EFL clubs.The Premier League’s parachute payments scheme could be altered under the new governmentCredit: ReutersSport Minister Stephanie Peacock says the payments will not be abolished by a new regulatorCredit: GettyThe EFL has long campaigned for the payments to be scrapped, while the PL insists they are essential and did not want the regulator to have any powers over them.The previous Tory administration proposed legislation that excluded parachute payments from a regulator’s influence.But the new Labour Government has reversed that in the Football Governance Bill that went before the House of Lords on Thursday.Sports minister Stephanie Peacock said: “In terms of parachute payments, we completely understand the importance of them.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL”I’ve met the Premier League on a number of occasions and heard their concerns.”The whole point of the Bill is around financial sustainability. “If the State of the Game report identifies that parachute payments are an issue, then it seems to be an odd situation that the regulator can’t look at them.”It will also be for a panel of experts to assess the situation.Most read in Football”But we have added some wording that makes it clear that they cannot be abolished.”‘If Arsenal lose to Liverpool, they are out of the Premier League title race… the gulf is massive’Peacock – Independent regulator will address imbalance in English footballBy Stephanie Peacock, Sports MinisterSun readers know exactly what it means to don the team scarf on match day. It’s a rite of passage for millions of us every week, our club colours tying us proudly to places close to our heart. For me, it’s the highs and lows that come with being a lifelong Birmingham City supporter.But for far too long, we have seen the hurt and agony when a cherished community football club goes to the wall as a result of a rogue owner running a club into the ground, or a reckless one spending well beyond their means. The impact on local people is devastating. Just ask fans from Bury or Macclesfield when their clubs hit the wall.As Sports Minister, it is my job to help ensure that sport in this country is run well and supported to be fair, competitive and sustainable, so I am delighted that we have been able to deliver on our manifesto commitment to introduce a beefed up Football Governance Bill in Parliament.The new Bill will deliver an Independent Football Regulator that puts fans at the heart of the game. It will make sure football fans are genuinely consulted on things like ticket prices, or proposed stadium moves. This is something our Football Governance Bill will address properly. It will give fans a strong voice on the things they hold dear such as home shirt colours, or club badges.The Regulator will seek to redress the imbalance and strengthen financial sustainability throughout the football pyramid – from the Premier League to the National League. To make this happen, the Bill will give the Regulator the power to assess the impact of parachute payments paid to clubs relegated from the top flight. To be effective, the Regulator needs teeth and it will have the power to see the whole picture of a club’s finances and that is why the Labour government has strengthened the Bill.To ensure the Regulator can truly carry the confidence of the public, clubs and leagues, we have dropped the last government’s requirement for the Regulator to consider government trade and foreign policy when assessing club takeovers.The Regulator will also operate an improved owners and directors test that will be better equipped to weed out unscrupulous and unwanted directors of fans’ beloved clubs.The regulator will not be able to take any action on parachute payments for at least two years in any case.The Government is readvertising the position of chair of the new body in a bid to attract a wider range of candidates.The person who gets the job will be able to shape the State of the Game report, which will be compiled over an 18-month period. More

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      You’ve been saying AZ Alkmaar all wrong and 12 other teams too… here’s why

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      WE ALL think we know our football.But do we know it quite as well as we think? Really?AZ Alkmaar and Athletic Bilbao are both incorrect namesCredit: GettyBecause there are a whole load of teams whose names we’ve been saying wrong for ages – many of us without even realising. A large part of that is down to geography.Of the 92 clubs in English professional football, all but two have the name of their city, town, borough or region in their title.The exceptions are Port Vale and Arsenal – although the Gunners were originally called Woolwich Arsenal when they played in South London. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLAs a result, we often tend to add the place names for some clubs that go by a single name to help us clarify which team we are referring to – more on that later.For other examples, it is a case of mistranslation – or, more specifically, partial translation. Finally, it could simply be a bit of laziness or ignorance.Anyway, with that all said, who are some of the regular football clubs we mispronounce or simply get wrong?Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAZ Alkmaar is a common mistake.The Dutch side are actually called Alkmaar Zaanstreek.Football stars’ weird phobiasThis often gets nicknamed to AZ Alkmaar – but the A in AZ stands for Alkmaar.So AZ Alkmaar would mean Alkmaar Zaanstreek Alkmaar.To make things even more confusing, Alkmaar is the city the club is based in while Zaanstreek refers to the Zaan district in North-West Netherlands. Got it?Sticking in the Eredeivisie, there are regularly mentions of PSV Eindhoven when in actual fact the club’s full name is Philips Sport Vereniging, or PSV for short.There is no mention of Eindhoven, the city where they are based. The same rule applies to various other teams – where the city has been added for overseas fans to grasp exactly where they play.See Zenit Saint Petersburg and CSKA Moscow in Russia – officially Zenit and CSKA – AEK Athens.The Greek outfit are formally Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos – with no mention of the capital city name – while AEK is pronounced as one word rather than A-E-K. TV fixtures in DecemberHere are all the games that will be televised in December…Tuesday 3 December19:30 Ipswich v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Leicester v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)Wednesday 4 December19:30 Everton v Wolves (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Man City v Nott’m Forest (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Newcastle v Liverpool (Amazon Prime Video)19:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Aston Villa v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)Thursday 5 December19:30 Fulham v Brighton (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 AFC Bournemouth v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)Saturday 7 December12:30 Everton v Liverpool (TNT Sports)17:30 Man Utd v Nott’m Forest (Sky Sports)Sunday 8 December14:00 Fulham v Arsenal (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Chelsea (Sky Sports)Monday 9 December20:00 West Ham v Wolves (Sky Sports)Saturday 14 December17:30 Nott’m Forest v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)Sunday 15 December14:00 AFC Bournemouth v West Ham (Sky Sports)16:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)19:00 Southampton v Spurs (TNT Sports)Monday 16 December20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)Saturday 21 December12:30 Aston Villa v Man City (TNT Sports)17:30 Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports)Sunday 22 December14:00 Fulham v Southampton (Sky Sports)16:30 Spurs v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Thursday 26 December12:30 Man City v Everton (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Chelsea v Fulham (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Newcastle v Aston Villa (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Nott’m Forest v Spurs (Amazon Prime Video)15:00 Southampton v West Ham (Amazon Prime Video)17:30 Wolves v Man Utd (Amazon Prime Video)20:00 Liverpool v Leicester (Amazon Prime Video)Friday 27 December19:30 Brighton v Brentford (Amazon Prime Video)20:15 Arsenal v Ipswich (Amazon Prime Video)Sunday 29 December14:30 Leicester v Man City (Sky Sports)17:15 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)Monday 30 December20:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (Sky Sports)We don’t do the same to PSG Paris, Juventus Turin, Schalke Gelsenkirchen or Real Betis Seville. In Spain, it is Atletico de Madrid, not Atletico Madrid or worse still Athletico Madrid.Athletic should be used for the team in Bilbao. But they are Athletic Club or simply Athletic – and definitely not Athletic Bilbao. In Spain, there is just one major club it could refer to whereas in England we have Charlton and Wigan, for example. Across the border in Portugal, it is a similar mistake with Sporting Lisbon. They are actually Sporting Clube de Portugal, Sporting CP or Sporting – but not Sporting Lisbon. It is such a touchy subject that a #NotSportingLisbon campaign was launched to raise awareness for the error. The 2010 Champions League final was contested between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.However, Inter Milan should be referred to as Internazionale or Inter – although the official name is Football Club Internazionale Milano.As for the German giants, Bayern Munich sees half of the name translated into English – Munchen to Munich – but Bayern left in German. So it should either be Bayern Munchen – the official name – or Bavaria Munich. One of the other big teams in Germany also needs flagging.RB Leipzig are part of the Red Bull group along with Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.But the RB in RB Leipzig’s name does not stand for Red Bull – well, not technically.It is no coincidence that the letters are RB – to make people think of Red Bull – alongside the red bulls on their logo.However, the German FA ban corporate company brands in club names.So they found a workaround and called the club RasenBallsport Leipzig instead – RasenBallsport translates as Lawn Ball Sports. Many refer to the Serbian team as Red Star Belgrade when “red star” is simply a literal English translation of their official name, Crvena Zvezda. And finally, the 1985-86 European Cup was won by Steaua Bucuresti, not Steaua Bucharest.READ MORE SUN STORIESAlthough they now have a new name, formally switching to FCSB in 2017 as a shortened version of FC Steaua Bucuresti.But the team is categorically not called Steaua Bucharest – which would be like the half-translation of Bayern Munich – because “steaua” is “star” in Romanian. Atletico de Madrid is the official name of the Spanish giantsCredit: GettyThe 2010 Champions League final was Bayern Munchen vs InternazionaleCredit: AP:Associated PressSporting fans get very frustrated with the incorrect use of Sporting LisbonCredit: GettyThe RB is RB Leipzig stands for RasenBallsport – not Red BullCredit: Getty More

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      Panathinaikos vs Chelsea LIVE SCORE: Latest Conference League updates as Blues look to continue perfect start in Europe

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      CHELSEA continue their Conference League campaign TONIGHT as they travel to Panathinaikos.The Blues will be looking to continue their perfect start in Europe after they thrashed Gent 4-2 in their competition opener.Enzo Maresca’s side are aiming to hit straight back from their 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on the weekend.Kick off time: 5.45pm BSTTV channel: TNT Sports 1Live stream: discovery+Panathinaikos team: Dragowski; Kotsiras, Schenkeveld, Jedvaj, Mladenovic; Cerin, Maksimovic; Mancini, Ounahi, Pellistri; JeremejeffChelsea team: Jorgensen; Cucurella, Disasi, Badiashile, Veiga; Enzo, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Joao Felix, Mudryk, NkunkuFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSFollow our live blog below…Panathinaikos statsPanathinaikos are sixth in the Greek Superleague table after three wins and two losses in their first eight league matches.Diego Alonso’s side have scored a mere seven goals and conceded a whopping six.PAO picked up a 0-0 shock draw at Borac in their first ever Conference League match three weeks ago.That means the Greek giants now sit 19th in the League Phase table.Copy linkCopiedPanathinaikos formationPanathinaikos manager Diego Alonso has chosen a 4-2-3-1 formation for this emotional match.Bartlomiej Dragowski starts in goal with Giannis Kotsiras at right-back and Filip Mladenovic on the other side, while Tin Jedvaj and captain Bart Schenkeveld team up at centre-back.Adam Cerin and Nemanja Maksimovic link up in midfield with Azzedine Ounahi at No10.Daniel Mancini covers the right flank with Facundo Pellistri on the other side, while Alexander Jeremejeff spearheads the attack.Copy linkCopiedChelsea formationChelsea boss Enzo Maresca appears to have opted for a 4-3-3 formation for his heavily rotated line-up against Panathinaikos.Filip Jorgensen starts in goal with Renato Veiga at right-back and Marc Cucurella on the other hand, while Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi team up at centre-back.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and captain Enzo Fernandez link up in midfield.Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku spearhead the attack.Copy linkCopiedPanathinaikos subsLodygin, Lilo, Vagiannidis, Sporar, Tete, Bakasetas, Ingason, Fikaj, Bregou, Duricic, Arao, DabizasCopy linkCopiedChelsea subsSanchez, Bergstrom, Tosin, Madueke, Chukwuemeka, Sancho, Casadei, George, Guiu, Rak-Sakyi, MheukaCopy linkCopiedPanathinaikos XIDrągowski, Schenkeveld, Ounahi, Cerin, Mancini, Maksimovic, Jedvaj, Mladenovic, Kotsiras, Pellistri, JeremejeffCopy linkCopiedChelsea XIJorgensen, Disasi, Cucurella, Badiashile, Neto, Fernandez, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, VeigaCopy linkCopiedThe team sheets are in!!!Copy linkCopiedChelsea statsChelsea completed a whopping 92.6 per cent of successful passes in their first ever Conference League match against Gent three weeks ago at Stamford Bridge.That was the highest return of all matchday one teams in that category.The Blues defeated Gent that night with a score of 4-2, which led them to sixth place in the League Phase table.Tonight marks the West Londoners’ first ever away match in the competition against an opponent they never faced before.Credit: RexCopy linkCopiedHead to HeadThis is the first ever time Panathinaikos and Chelsea face off throughout their entire history.The Blues become the sixth English club PAO meet after 18 matches against the likes of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United.The Athens giants only beat the Gunners and lost 11 of the other games against everyone bar the Toffees.Chelsea are set to face their fourth Greek opponent after Olympiacos, Aris and PAOK, all of which they met on two occasions each.The West Londoners count four wins and no losses across all competitions.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedGood afternoon from AthensWelcome to SunSport’s live blog coverage of the Conference League clash between Panathinaikos and Chelsea at Athens Olympic Stadium (OAKA) in the League Phase – Kostas here, and I will be bringing you all the action from Greece.The Blues pose as the strongest favourites to win this European competition, which would seal a hat-trick of continental trophies after conquering the Champions League and Europa League in recent years.However, the West Londoners will have to do it without Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Romeo Lavia and star man Cole Palmer at least during the first round as they have been omitted from the squad list.Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has also travelled to Athens without Levi Colwill, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson.who stayed in London to rest ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.Panathinaikos manager Diego Alonso, on the other hand, is without Dimitris Limnios, Zeca, Tonny Vilhena, Erik Palmer-Brown, Hordur Magnusson, Ruben Perez, Alexis Trouillet, Lazlo Kleinheisler and Benjamin Verbic who are ineligible after missing out on the squad list.Alonso is also deprived of Philipp Max who is nursing a sprain and star striker Fotis Ioannidis who has been sidelined with an adductor injury.However the Uruguayan tactician has been given a boost with Andraz Sporar passing fit in time after overcoming a knock.Nevertheless, PAO are in a time of mourning after the sudden death of star player George Baldock who tragically died two weeks ago.Credit: GettyCopy linkCopied More

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      The nine highest-earning sports pundits in the UK revealed with Gary Neville closing in on Gary Lineker

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      THE nine highest-earning UK sports pundits have been revealed – and several Premier League icons are on the list.With the football season in full swing, some familiar faces have become regulars on our TV screens.Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are among the top earnersCredit: GettyBBC Sport, TNT Sports and Sky Sports dominate coverage of the game in the UK.And some of their top pundits earn upwards of £1million.SunSport take a look at who pockets the most…Chris Sutton: £190,000-£194,999Former Celtic and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton reportedly earned around £190,000 between 2023 and 2024 for the BBC.Read More in FootballThe one-cap England star regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live as a co-commentator and hosts the 606 phone-in.He also works as a Scottish Premiership pundit on Sky Sports.Chris Sutton works for the BBC and Sky SportsCredit: PAMicah Richards: £205,000A fan-favourite pundit, Richards works for the BBC, Sky Sports and American broadcaster CBS Sports.SportsCasting claims the ex-Manchester City star has earned £205,000 for his work this year.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe also hosts The Rest is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, who also feature among the highest-earning pundits.Micah Richards is a fan favouriteCredit: GettyGabby Logan: £210,000Logan is one of the UK’s most popular sports broadcasters.She fronted the BBC’s coverage of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris as well as some football matches for the channel.Gary Neville reveals he bought and sold a Bentley after three weeks as he ‘felt like a w*****’The presenter has allegedly earned £210,00 this year.As well as her work for the BBC, she also fronts Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage.Gabby Logan regularly fronts sporting events for the BBCCredit: GettyAlex Scott: £220,000-£224,999The WSL icon was announced as the new presenter of Football Focus on BBC One three years ago.She also fronts FA Cup and WSL coverage on the channel and regularly appears on Match of the Day 2.Although her work mainly revolves around sport, the Arsenal legend also presents the One Show occasionally.Scott has allegedly earned over £220,000 this year.Alex Scott also does plenty of work for BBC SportCredit: GettyMark Chapman: £260,000-£264,999Chapman reportedly earns over £260,000 for his BBC work.He is the lead football presenter on Radio 5 Live and also hosts the BBC’s new Champions League highlights show.Chapman also anchors rugby and NFL coverage for the channel.BBC star Mark Chapman presents Match of the Day 2 and is the main football presenter on BBC Radio 5 LiveCredit: GettyAlan Shearer: £380,000-£384,999Shearer is the second highest-earning pundit or presenter at the BBC.The Newcastle legend has worked for the broadcaster for almost two decades and is a regular fixture on Match of the Day.He also works on FA Cup games and features as a co-commentator and pundit on Amazon Prime’s Champions League coverage.Shearer is believed to have earned over £380,000 this year.Alan Shearer is a regular fixture on both the BBC and Amazon PrimeCredit: GettyJamie Carragher: £1,000,000Sportscasting claim that Liverpool legend Carragher will earn over £1m from his football work this year.He features regularly on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Premier League and CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage.He also co-hosts the Stick to Football podcast alongside Gary Neville, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Roy Keane.Jamie Carragher is one of Sky’s top earnersCredit: AlamyGary Neville: £1,100,000Neville has allegedly earned more than his Sky Sports co-star this year.He regularly works for ITV and Sky Sports and also co-hosts the Stick to Football podcast on the YouTube channel he set up.As well as his punditry work, the Manchester United legend co-owns Salford City FC alongside some of his former team-mates.Gary Neville reportedly earns over £1.1mCredit: GettyGary Lineker: £1,350,000-£1,354,999Lineker was the highest-paid BBC employee from 2023 to 2024, earning over £1,350,000.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe fronts the channel’s FA Cup coverage and presents the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards annually.The Leicester icon has also presented Match of the Day for the last 25 years.Gary Lineker is the BBC’s top earnerCredit: Getty More

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      Wrexham appoint architects behind incredible Las Vegas sphere to redesign stadium and make it fit for European football

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      WREXHAM have appointed new architects as they plan to expand their stadium.Plans to rebuild The Kop have been in the works for years, with a temporary structure installed last December.Wrexham plan to increase the capacity of the Racecourse by 5,500 seatsCredit: AlamyOwners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have been left frustrated by delays to constructionCredit: PAThe new stand could host 5,500 more fans after receiving approval from the council.A temporary stand is currently in place with a capacity of 3,000.Work on the new stand was delayed as a drain beneath the site was moved and legal matters had to be resolved, but architects Populous have now been appointed to oversee the project.The group, who worked on Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Las Vegas Sphere, have been tasked with “creating a masterplan” for the Racecourse stadium.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat will include a Kop rebuild which could include upgraded hospitality sections, accessible seating and a provision for safe standing which will make it fully compliant with Uefa category four stadium requirements.Wrexham are hopeful the work will be completed in time for the Uefa European Under-19 Championships in 2026.North Wales is set to host the Under-19 Euros across five venues in 2026, including Bangor, Denbigh, Colwyn Bay, Connah’s Quay and the Racecourse.Wrexham’s executive director Humphrey Ker previously estimated the building process could take 11 months – so the work will likely have to begin before next summer.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSWhile chief executive Michael Williamson said: “We are determined to ensure the new Kop stand and the future vision of the SToK Cae Ras satisfies the needs and expectations of our fans and the local community, and the appointment of Populous as architect for the redesign reflects that.“We appreciate the efforts of those who have worked on this project to date, allowing us to now focus our attention on the activation of areas within the new stand, while remaining consistent with the capacity and volume that was previously presented.” Tom Brady in hilarious reaction after getting X-rated welcome from Wrexham fans for Birmingham clashThe original Kop was abandoned in 2007 and owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have previously expressed their frustrations at the delay to the rebuild.However the delay has given them time to reconsider plans and they will consider ways to build the stand that makes it capable of being developed further.McElhenney has spoken of his ambition to increase the capacity of the Racecourse to 55,000. More

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      ‘That’s a cracking football.. lovely memories’, say fans as retro Mitre ball for FA Cup released

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      THIS season’s official FA Cup ball has taken fans on a trip down memory lane.The FA revealed a nostalgic Mitre football to be used throughout the 2024/25 edition of the world’s oldest football competition. Mitre have unveiled the new Ultimax Pro to be used in FA Cup games this seasonCredit: https://x.com/MitreSportsThe new balls have transported nostalgic fans of a certain age back to their childhoodsCredit: https://x.com/MitreSportsMitre unveiled the Ultimax Pro 3 on Thursday ahead of the FA Cup first round proper next month. The company have supplied official match balls for the tournament since 2018, taking over from Nike. And the latest, featuring an iconic V-shape and dashes of silver, has fans of a certain age remembering the classic Mitre Delta and Mouldmaster. Both of the balls were used throughout English football in the 1990s and early 200s, with the Mouldmaster a staple in playgrounds across the country. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe Mitre official X account wrote: “Introducing the @emiratesfacup Official 24/25 Match Ball. “Inspired by the magic of the cup, and what it means to the fans. “Flashes of silver, etched and scratched to reflect tin foil trophies. Power, precision, perfection.”One nostalgic fan wrote on X: “That is a cracking football. Came along way since the mouldmaster. Lovely memories of that skelping my leg in a gale force wind.”#Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnother said: “Great to mitre balls being used in top games again.”While a third added: “Absolutely love these!Non-league club labelled ‘absolute class’ as they rock up to FA Cup tie in bizarre pina colada kitBut a baffled non-league fan commented: “Why now? We’ve already had 6 rounds!”The first round of this season’s FA Cup will be held between Friday, November 1 and Monday, November 4.The original Mitre Ultimax was used over 20 years ago in the Premier LeagueCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdWhy FA Cup changes are GOOD NEWSBy Martin LiptonTHE FA and Premier League should have done the deal to scrap FA Cup replays years ago.No doubt traditionalists will moan but it is right that the competition has finally been brought into the 21st century.Ending replays will bring extra sharpness and excitement to the ties, with the knowledge that there will be a winner, whether in 90 minutes, extra-time or penalties.If big guns have a bad day, they are more likely to pay the price. Replays after draws give them a fall-back they do not deserve.Giving the FA Cup total and absolute priority over four weekends – and ensuring there is no competing match on the day of the Final – will enhance the profile of a competition that was in danger of falling out of the spotlight.And as long as the FA ensures a better split of the prize money fund, weighting it more towards the earlier rounds, and potentially a similar move with  TV match money, there should be few losers.Read more on the FA Cup.Tamworth’s clash against League One outfit Huddersfield Town will begin a bumper weekend of TV coverage.Other ties set for broadcast include Northampton’s match-up against Kettering Town and Birmingham City’s clash with Sutton United. More

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      Premier League table without VAR revealed with Man City two points worse off and Bournemouth in fifth

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      THE Premier League table would look very different if VAR wasn’t in use.Several fans, players and managers have criticised the use of the technology since it was introduced to England’s top division five years ago.Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has criticised VARCredit: GettyMan City’s John Stones scored a controversial late goal against Wolves at the weekend that was reviewed and given by VARCredit: GettyWolves boss Gary O’Neil claimed officials have a “subconscious” bias towards the Prem’s top clubs after his team conceded a controversial late goal against Manchester City on Sunday.He said: “There’s no chance people are purposely against Wolves.”But is there something in the subconscious around the decision-making, without even knowing it? Are you more likely to give it to Man City than Wolves?”My senses are heightened when we are facing Man City. Are the officials the same?Read More in Football”If I had to upset someone and there’s a big and a little guy, I’m upsetting the little guy.”Wolves could have been one point better off in the league table had John Stones’ dramatic late winner not been given.Birmingham World recently investigated how the standings would look if VAR wasn’t used in the Prem.At the bottom of the table, Wolves and Southampton would be one point better off without the technology.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHow the Prem table would look without VARBournemouth would be four points better off without VARCredit: ReutersHowever, they would both still remain in the relegation zone.Crystal Palace would also be on two points – one less than they are currently on.How Liverpool outsmarted Chelsea with Slot’s genius ‘traffic jam’ trick and Curtis Jones masterclassThe use of VAR has not majorly affected the likes of Ipswich, West Ham, Leicester and Brentford.But the findings suggest Everton would have benefited if VAR wasn’t in use.In arguably the biggest surprise, Bournemouth would be fifth with 15 points without VAR.The Cherries would be four points better off without the technology.Liverpool would remain at the top of the table with 21 points – the same total they currently have.Manchester City would stay in second – but with two points less.The absence of VAR would not affect the current standings of Arsenal and Aston Villa in third and fourth.Man City would have two less pointsCredit: EPA More

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      Arsenal’s craziest Invincible took the team bus for a spin at 17 and nearly put the driver through the window’

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      ARSENAL’S “craziest” Invincible took the team minibus for a spin at 17 years old, according to Jermaine Pennant.Former goalkeeper Graham Stack was the joker of the pack – who almost put Arsenal’s coach driver through the windscreen during one of his moments of mayhem.Jermaine Pennant has lifted the lid on his time spent at Arsenal’s academyPennant recalled an outrageous story about ‘crazy’ Graham StackSpeaking at the launch of Ladbrokes’ “Gaffer of all Accas”, Pennant said: “Graham Stack was part of the academy team I played with at Arsenal.”And he went on to become a part of the first-team in the Invincible season; he didn’t play but he was on the bench a lot that year. “He was always a bit of a loose cannon, right the way through the youth team and into the first-team set-up, but he was a great guy. “I don’t think he’s changed much over the years, by the way; I think he’s still a bit of a loose cannon now – he’s such a great character. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”Boy, you don’t want to get in his crosshairs… he’s crazy! “I’d love to tell you some stories that spring to mind when I think of him, but I don’t think they’d be able to go out! He’s a mad man.”We’d all meet up at Highbury and this coach would take us to London Colney for training. “Graham decided one afternoon, when he got on, and the driver was waiting, that he was going to drive the coach… he’d have been about 17 at the time, and he’s driving it.Most read in FootballPennant came through the ranks at ArsenalFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”The driver was standing in the aisles and Graham’s slammed his foot on the brakes, and our driver’s almost gone through the window!”I think he smashed the whole window to bits. Honestly, there’s just loads of stories like that; he was just a crazy guy. Arsenal fans say ‘time to upgrade the wardrobe’ as Gunners release ‘orgasmic’ new clothing range “He was a good goalkeeper as well, to be fair to him!”Jens Lehmann was the No1 shot stopper for Arsenal’s “Invincibles” team during the 2003–04 season, when the team went undefeated to win the Premier League title.A mischievous local lad who grew up in a pub, Stack was an unlikely choice for Arsene Wenger’s famously tight ship.Stack was sent out on loan to Belgian side Beveren in 2002, but trouble found him again.When two Antwerp ultras rushed the field, Stack, then 21 years old, was forced to knock out a yob who assaulted him.He spent six years at Arsenal without ever playing a Prem game, though he did make five League Cup appearances.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe goalie spent time at Millwall and Reading on loan from the Gunners, joining the latter on a permanent basis in 2006.He also had spells at Leeds, Wolves, Plymouth, Blackpool and Hibs before a four year stint at Barnet, where he made 125 league appearances.Stack was attacked by hooligans who charged onto the pitch More