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      Unemployed ex-England star plays as trialist for Watford in friendly draw with Arsenal as he desperately seeks transfer

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      AN unemployed ex-England star played as a trialist for Watford in their friendly draw with Arsenal.The midfielder is desperately seeking a transfer after being released by their former club.
      Jake Livermore played as a trialist for Watford against ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Jake Livermore came off the bench for the Hornets in the 1-1 draw on Saturday.
      The match was played behind closed doors, with Ismael Kone putting Watford ahead before Marquinhos equalised for the Gunners.
      Livermore has been training with Watford after leaving West Bromwich Albion when his contract expired last week.
      He spent six years at the Hawthorns, making 216 appearances and scoring nine goals from midfield.
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      The 33-year-old also played Premier League football during his previous spells with Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur.
      Livermore will be hoping to impress Watford boss Valerien Ismael enough to earn a contract for next season.
      His next opportunity to play for the club will come on July 22 when they face Crystal Palace in another friendly.
      The former Baggies captain also has seven England caps to his name, having made his international debut back in 2012.
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      However, he was made to wait five years for his next cap as he returned to the Three Lions set-up in 2017 and made six more appearances.
      He was also named on Gareth Southgate’s list of standbys for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. More

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      Former Chelsea and Man City star joins Leicester as part of Enzo Maresca’s backroom staff

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      EX-CHELSEA and Manchester City keeper Willy Caballero has been appointed assistant manager at Leicester.The 41-year-old left Southampton at the end of his contract after just five appearances in two seasons.
      Willy Caballero has been named as assistant manager at LeicesterCredit: Getty
      Enzo Maresca was appointed Leicester boss last monthCredit: Getty
      And he has now taken a position at the King Power Stadium working with head coach Enzo Maresca.
      Leicester confirmed the news on Sunday morning as they bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
      Leicester’s new manager Maresca, 43, left Manchester City as one of Pep Guardiola’s assistant coaches after helping them clinch the Treble last season.
      Caballero is the fifth addition to the Italian’s backroom staff following the appointments of Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez and Javier Molina Caballero.
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      Caballero won a League Cup during his three-season spell with Man City.
      He then spent four years with Chelsea where he claimed the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League.
      The Argentine left Stamford Bridge in 2021 and joined Southampton.
      But he made just one appearance last season and has now begun a new chapter as a coach.
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      Leicester get their Championship campaign underway at home to Coventry on August 6.
      It is their first season in the second tier since 2013/14.
      Speaking last month about joining the club, Maresca told the club website: “I’m very excited because of the Club [I’m joining] and because we have a big season ahead of us.
      “At the beginning, the target is to play in the best way we can. From there, we can build, day by day, our idea and our philosophy, and the most important thing is to try to win games.
      “First of all, we’re going to give 100 per cent, absolutely, because the Club deserves this. It’s our job, our duty to do that.
      “Then, as I said, day by day, step by step, absolutely we’re going to improve.”
      His only past experience of being a head coach came at Parma where he was sacked after 14 games.
      Meanwhile, Leicester are in the midst of a huge squad overhaul.
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      Youri Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu, Daniel Amartey, Nampalys Mendy, Ayoze Perez and Ryan Bertrand all departed when their contracts expired at the end of last season.
      James Maddison has moved to Tottenham, with Harvey Barnes, Wilfred Ndidi and Timothy Castagne also being linked with moves away. More

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      Everton join Newcastle in transfer race for Championship wonderkid but will have to meet £15m asking price

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      EVERTON boss Sean Dyche wants to win the race for Blackburn midfield gem Adam Wharton.But the Goodison chief will have to find straight cash to beat Newcastle to his signature as he closes in on a major capture.
      Adam Wharton is attracting Premier League attentionCredit: Getty
      Dyche was prepared to let striker Ellis Simms go as part of the deal but Blackburn would rather have cash than take an exchange and Everton are trying to raise it.
      Ironically the sale of Simms to Coventry may help that but they still plan to shift others in a summer revolution.
      Rovers would need around £15million guaranteed for Wharton and Everton could go that far, particularly if they find a buyer for Amadou Onana.
      Dyche could also have a better sales pitch than Newcastle, who see Wharton, 19, as a long-term prospect — and even one they would loan back to Blackburn.
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      Everton may offer the top talent an immediate crack at the Premier League. Their needs are greater and they have lost Tom Davies already from that part of their squad.
      It would be a blow for Blackburn to lose Wharton so soon but owners Venky’s must balance the books after writing another £20m cheque recently following a failed promotion campaign.
      Venky’s are also faced with problems transferring funds from India because of new government regulations in their home country.
      West Ham are keen on buying Onana but behind the scenes they are not being encouraged.
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      The Belgian international may want to go to a club in the Champions League if he moves.
      Meanwhile, Blackburn are offering centre-half Danny Batth, 33 in September, a two-year deal as they plot a raid on Sunderland.
      Rovers want Batth, who is in his last year with the Black Cats and is not getting an extension after that because of his age.
       The Ewood Park club are hoping Batth pushes to leave and former boss Tony Mowbray decides he will not be a starter so they can land him cheaply.
      Luton’s bids for keeper Thomas Kaminski are being brushed aside by Blackburn.
      The Premier League new boys have made a second attempt to recruit the Belgian shot-stopper but the offer starts at under £1m.
      Even with extras that  is miles short of what Rovers want.
      Hatters see Kaminski competing for game time and may have to look elsewhere for cover. More

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      My Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell was gutted when Luton were promoted to the Premier League, says Christian Horner

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      GERI HALLIWELL was gutted to see Luton promoted to the Premier League, claims her husband Christian Horner.The Hatters defeated Red Bull chief Horner’s beloved Coventry on penalties in the Championship play-off final.
      Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner were both gutted to see Luton promotedCredit: Getty
      Spice Girl Geri is a Watford fanCredit: Getty
      Horner was naturally crestfallen to see his team fall at the final hurdle after a brilliant season.
      But he wasn’t the only one in his household holding out for a Sky Blues win.
      Chatting to talkSPORT, Horner said: “They came so close, what a cruel way to go out on a penalty shootout the way they did.
      “I thought they played so, so well this last season.
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      “So hopefully they can go one better [next season] and make it through without the stress of the play-offs.”
      On wife Geri, he added: “As a Watford fan, she was gutted to see Luton get through.
      “I think there is a local rivalry between Watford and Luton.
      “Certainly, my step-father was a bit annoyed about it.
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      “But Geri appreciates all sport and I think she is looking forward to seeing Watford get back there soon as well.”
      The Hornets suffered the ignominy of having to watch their former manager Rob Edwards guide their biggest rivals to promotion.
      Sack-happy Watford bafflingly axed Edwards after just 11 games in charge – only to then watch him succeed at Kenilworth Road.
      Spice Girl Geri wed Horner in 2015 after around 15 months of dating – and they went on to have their first child together, Monty, in January 2017.
      Luton beat Coventry in the Championship play-off finalCredit: PA
      Horner and Geri wed in 2015Credit: Getty More

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      ITV make MAJOR shake-up to football coverage with three pundits axed for new-look EFL show

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      ITV are reportedly set to make big changes to their EFL highlights show.The new-look format will see the running time significantly reduced and pundits axed.
      Jules Breach will remain as a presenter on the new-look showCredit: Getty
      Hugh Woozencroft will rotate presenting duties with Breach as they did beforeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Presenters Hugh Woozencroft and Jules Breach will stay on but will no longer host the show from a studio, claim The Mirror.
      Instead they will be pitchside at an EFL ground, with Woozencroft and Breach to rotate presenting duties.
      Highlights from all EFL matches will continue to be aired along with player and manager post-match interviews.
      But there will no longer be analysis provided by the likes of Sam Parkin, Dean Ashton and Jamie Mackie, all of whom worked as pundits in the previous format of the show.
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      ITV are heading into the second year of their two-year deal to host EFL highlights, with Quest previously airing the show.
      Interest in the league has grown significantly with 21.7million fans attending matches last season – the highest since 1953-54.
      That has helped EFL clubs agree a TV deal with Sky Sports worth almost £1billion.
      The agreement will see more than 1,000 live matches broadcast starting from the 2024-25 campaign.
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      In total, 1,059 league, EFL Cup — including all 93 ties — and EFL Trophy matches will be shown live on Sky or a streaming platform, replacing the iFollow service.
      Currently, Sky televises 138 EFL league games each season. More

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      Relegated Leicester slapped with huge fine by the Government after admitting to illegal deal with JD Sports

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      LEICESTER have been slapped with a huge fine by the Government due to illegal dealings with JD Sports.The relegated club admitted their guilt and will have to pay £880,000.
      Leicester have been hit with a £880,000 fineCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Leicester and JD broke competition law and price conduct over three seasons, which may have led to supporters paying more.
      They both entered an agreement that aimed to limit sales of Foxes products from business competitors.
      In August 2018, JD stopped selling Leicester clothing online for the 2018/19 season.
      Six months later the sports fashion retailer agreed to not undercut the club with sales by applying a delivery charge to all Leicester items.
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      This meant JD’s offer of free shipping on online orders over £70 did not count when a customer was purchasing a Leicester product.
      The investigation by Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) claim this went on for two years.

      JD are exempt from a fine after it reported the illegal dealings.
      Both Leicester and JD cooperated with the investigation.
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      CMA’s executive director of enforcement Micheal Grenfell said: “Strong and unimpeded competition between retailers is essential to consumers’ ability to shop around for the best deals.
      “Football fans are well-known for their loyalty towards their teams. In this case we have provisionally found that Leicester City FC and JD Sports colluded to share out markets and fix prices – with the result that fans may have ended up paying more than they would otherwise have done.
      “Both parties have now admitted their involvement, allowing us to bring the investigation to a swift conclusion.
      “The fine that Leicester City FC and its parent companies have agreed to pay sends a clear message to them and other businesses that anti-competitive collusion will not be tolerated.” More

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      Who is John Berylson’s wife Amy Smith and do they have any children?

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      MILLWALL owner and chairman John Berylson was married to Amy Smith and together they carried out a lot of charity work.The American businessman died in an accident, aged 70.
      Millwall owner and chairman John Berylson died in a ‘tragic accident’ aged 70Credit: Getty
      Who is Amy Smith?
      Little is known about Smith who likes to keep out of the spotlight.
      Smith was enrolled on the MBA degree programme at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration when she got engaged to Berylson.
      She previously graduated from the Beaver Country Day School and received a BA degree from Harvard.
      Her dad was chairman and president of the General Cinema Corporation and president of the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
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      She has played a key role in the couple’s philanthropic actions through the Amy Smith and John G. Berylson Foundation.
      They set up the foundation, which focuses on supporting various causes with a strong emphasis on education.
      The couple have given grants to Brown University, Harvard University, and Birmingham-Southern College.
      Their charitable efforts also extend to health-related organizations, including The Joey Fund.
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      They have collaborated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
      When did Amy Smith and John Berylson get married?
      Their engagement was announced in the New York Times on June 4, 1978, with the article saying they planned to marry in August of that year.
      It is unclear when they actually got married.
      Do they have any children?
      The couple had three children, Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth.
      Like their mum, little is known about them and they stay firmly out of the spotlight.
      Elizabeth Sara Berylson married Robert Benjamin Katz at the Boston Public Library in August 2013, according to a New York Times report.
      She graduated from Harvard.
      Elizabeth previously worked as the manager of client and business development in the New York office of Chanel, developing client loyalty programmes for the retail division. 
      When did John Berylson die?
      Berylson died on July 4, 2023 aged 70 in a “tragic accident”.
      Details of the accident are not yet known.
      In part of a lengthy statement from Millwall, it said: “John, who turned 70 last month, lost his life in a tragic accident on Tuesday morning.
      “John’s sudden and tragic passing will unquestionably impact all those who were fortunate to have known him.
      “He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family, and a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness.
      “He lived a storied life, one full of colour and joy, and was infinitely thoughtful of others with an endless desire to share his immense knowledge and experiences to help people.
      “Rest in peace, John, and thank you. You were loved and adored.”
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      He was also the founder of Chesnut Hill Ventures LLC.
      As well, Berylson was co-founder and managing partner of Berylson Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in Massachusetts, USA. More

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      Who was Millwall owner John Berylson and how did he die?

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      MILLWALL owner and chairman John Berylson has sadly passed away aged 70.The Championship club said they have a “collective broken heart” as tributes to their late chairman amassed from fans and rival teams.
      Millwall owner and chairman John Berylson passes away aged 70Credit: GETTY
      How did John Berylson die?
      John Berylson passed away due to a ‘tragic accident’ Millwall explain in a touching statement.
      The statement read: “It is with a collective broken heart and the deepest of regret that we announce the passing of our beloved owner and chairman, John Berylson.
      “John, who turned 70 last month, lost his life in a tragic accident on Tuesday morning, and the thoughts of everyone at the club are with his wife, Amy, his three children, Jennifer, James, and Elizabeth, and the rest of the Berylson family.
      “John’s sudden and tragic passing will unquestionably impact all those who were fortunate to have known him. He was a truly great man, incredibly devoted to his family, and a person of such remarkable generosity, warmth, and kindness.
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      “He lived a storied life, one full of colour and joy, and was infinitely thoughtful of others with an endless desire to share his immense knowledge and experiences to help people.
      “Under John’s passionate leadership and guidance, Millwall Football Club has enjoyed tremendous success and stability. Since first becoming involved in the club in 2006, he has presided over some of the greatest moments in Millwall’s history, and his influence in providing the platform for those was immeasurable.
      “John continued to speak eagerly about the new season and his vision for the future, and any success moving forward will be in his memory and honour. It will be his legacy.
      “John revelled in the club’s underdog status and mentality. He related strongly to such values and identity and adored Millwall supporters. He was fiercely loyal to all his staff, and both they and the fan base will miss him beyond measure.
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      “For those who wish to pay their respects, a book of condolence, which will be shared with the Berylson family, will be opened at The Den from 11am on Wednesday 5th July online
      “Rest in peace, John, and thank you. You were loved and adored.”
      Who was John Berylson?
      John Berylson was the beloved owner and chairman of Millwall football club.
      He first became involved in the South London club back in 2006.
      The club achieved promotion to the Championship under Berylson’s stewardship in 2010 and 2017.
      The Millwall legend lifted the playoff trophy on the pitch at Wembley six years ago.
      Berylson was also a very successful businessman and is the founder of private equity company Chestnut Hill Ventures LLC.
      He was also a former Harvard graduate and was known for his philanthropy – donating to good causes such as education. More