Championship

BURNLEY manager Vincent Kompany has banned a tradition that was routine under previous boss Sean Dyche. The Clarets secured promotion back to the Premier League at their first attempt on Friday.
Vincent Kompany heavily changed things when he took over at BurnleyCredit: PA
Sean Dyche is now in charge of EvertonCredit: Getty
Kompany was appointed gaffer over the summer and quickly made changes to the way things were run.
The Athletic report that it was normal during Dyche’s ten years at the club for players to bring in cakes when it was a member of the squad’s birthday.
Kompany found this out when players came to the training ground in pre-season on the day Jack Cork turned 33-years-old.
The new man in charge immediately put a stop to this and cakes were banned for all, including for the birthday boy.
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Sauces were also taken off the table and not allowed.
Kompany had previously seen stars become unhappy over a lack of cake at Manchester City when Yaya Toure was reportedly left upset in 2014 when the club failed to mark his celebration.
However, there has been no such issues at Burnley, who sit eleven points clear at the top of the league.
But there is no time to party just yet with Kompany keen to get his hands on the title.
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He said: “There needs to be silverware. Then we’ll talk about the drinks.”
Burnley face second place Sheffield United tomorrow with a win all but securing they will lift the trophy on May 8. More

WATFORD were left feeling stung as goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was sent off after almost dropkicking a rival. At the end of Watford’s clash with Huddersfield, Watford threw the kitchen sink at Neil Warnock’s side in an effort to score a last-minute equaliser.

Daniel Bachmann was sent off after this ‘dropkick’
He was involved in a flare up with rivals during the aftermath
In doing so, goalkeeper Bachmann was sent forward at a late free-kick.
However, both he and Watford got more action than they might have hoped.
After Huddersfield initially cleared their lines Bachmann then tried his best to get to a loose ball as a defender attempted to carry it away.
His unorthodox approach to doing so – flying boot first into a chest-high tackle – gave the referee no choice but to send him off for dangerous play, having received a yellow card only moments before.
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And as if getting his marching orders wasn’t enough, the Austrian was then involved in a bust-up with players and argued with officials.
The 28-year-old was eventually ushered down the tunnel by team-mates.
With no goalie on the bench, Leicester loanee Hamza Choudhury was given the gloves for the closing stages of the game.
Fans rushed to social media to comment on the bizarre sequence of events.
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One fan said: “😂 This is incredible.”
A second commented: “Going to play this in repeat….”
Another added: “Dan Bachmann dropkicking the opposition player might just be the most entertaining thing I’ve seen from Watford this season.” More

THIS is the shocking moment a Wigan Athletic fan was knocked out by an alleged Sheffield United supporter in a brawl.Footage shows a fight erupting on the platform of Sheffield train station between a group of men.
A Wigan supporter was allegedly knocked out by a Sheffield United fan in a station brawlCredit: Twitter: @FBAwayDays
The football fans appear to be winding each other up at first with pushing and shoving.
But thugs from both sides then begin throwing punches at each other dangerously close to the train tracks.
As more pile in, one man is knocked out cold to the ground as the woman filming gasps.
A bystander then comes rushing over to move him on to his side.
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Despite the unconscious fan lying on the station platform, the melee continues to rumble on.
The video was posted on Twitter account @FBAwayDays with the caption: “A Wigan Athletic fan was knocked out cold by a Sheffield United fan yesterday…”.
It is not clear who all the fans supported or if there have been any arrests.
One viewer tweeted: “So avoidable and incredibly dangerous near the train tracks.”
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Another wrote: “This is one of the most pathetic things I’ve ever seen.”
While one person fumed: “This is appalling. It’s only a game but taking it too far for some can lead to this.
“A caught-up bystander could have fallen on the tracks as well.”
The fight came as promotion-chasing Sheffield United beat Wigan, who are currently bottom of the Championship, 1-0.
The Sun Online has contacted British Transport Police and South Yorkshire Police for comment.
The fight broke out near train tracksCredit: Twitter: @FBAwayDays
The group began throwing punches at each otherCredit: Twitter: @FBAwayDays More

FANS were left in stitches after Neil Warnock replied with a cheeky one-liner when asked about Huddersfield’s amazing form.The veteran manager, 74, took charge of the struggling Terriers in February.
Neil Warnock lifted Huddersfield out of the relegation zone with victory over WatfordCredit: Getty
And he has lifted them out of the Championship relegation zone following a 3-2 win at Watford.
It is the third win in a row for Huddersfield, and a member of the club’s media team asked Warnock how the team have managed to turn things around.
He replied: “It’s having a good manager isn’t it?”
Fans loved the quip, which is typical of Warnock’s care-free attitude.
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One supporter reacted saying: “The look at the camera there. Got to like this fella.”
Another added: “Neil is brilliant😂👏”
A third said: “What a bloke! We love him too! ❤️💙”
Another remarked: “The guy’s a legend. Knows his football. Total respect to him.”
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In recent years Warnock has shown his softer, humorous side – especially since joining Twitter.
And he was back on social media with a brilliant gag on Valentine’s Day to leave his followers in stitches.
Warnock posted a photo of himself posing in front of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton.
He captioned the post: “From one dinosaur to another 🤣 Not extinct yet 😉🤞” More

BLACKPOOL manager Mick McCarthy has left the club by mutual consent after less than three months in charge. The club lost 3-1 to fellow strugglers Cardiff yesterday, which leaves the Tangerines on the verge of relegation to League One.
Mick McCarthy has left BlackpoolCredit: Getty
His assistant Terry Connor has also resigned.
Blackpool are in the midst of a horror run of form, failing to win seven of their last eight games.
They find themselves seven points away from safety in 23rd place in the Championship table.
In a statement, McCarthy said: “After recent performances and results, I have thought long and hard and feel this is the best decision for everyone concerned with the football club.
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“I’ve loved my time here and thank everyone for their support. I wish everyone well going forward.”
Blackpool confirmed that former player and development lead coach Stephen Dobbie will take charge until the end of the campaign.
McCarthy was only appointed boss in January but failed to turn the team around after taking over from Michael Appleton.
He won just two of his 14 games at the helm, losing nine.
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The ex-Republic of Ireland, Wolves and Sunderland boss was recently quizzed by a journalist who questioned “surely this [run of defeats] can’t go on?”
McCarthy bluntly replied “it can” as fans stressed it didn’t fill them with hope.
Blackpool under Dobbie have six games to save their season and face a trip to promotion-chasing Luton next. More

BURNLEY and Vincent Kompany are back in the big time after blowing the Championship away.The Clarets sealed an immediate return to the Premier League thanks to Connor Roberts’ 66th-minute winner.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany and Jack Cork enjoy the promotion feelingCredit: Getty
Matchwinner Connor Roberts and Nathan Tella rejoice on a huge nightCredit: PA
Josh Brownhill’s shot is deflected in by Ashley Barnes for Burnley’s openerCredit: Getty
Ashley Barnes got the party started before Chuba Akpom’s penalty put the champagne on ice.
But Kompany was jumping for joy opposite old Mancunian rival Michael Carrick when Roberts latched on to Nathan Tella’s low cross to clinch promotion.
The ex-Manchester City colossus has been a revelation since taking over from Sean Dyche.
It was Grim Friday 12 months ago when manager Dyche was sacked as Burnley stared relegation from the top flight in the face.
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And it looked like it could take years before they dined at the top table again once Nick Pope, Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Maxwel Cornet were flogged in the fire sale.
Yet fast forward exactly one year and it’s the best Easter weekend any Clarets fan could wish for.
Dyche had a pub named after him in Burnley – and it might not be long before Kompany is handed his own boozer.
Forget about a transition year, they have bossed the second tier from the start – last losing way back in November.
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Evolving from Dyche-ball was Kompany’s biggest task and the ex-Etihad skipper, alongside his snarling sidekick Craig Bellamy, has played a blinder.
The league’s top scorers and tightest defence, this Burnley are a joy to watch.
They have played with a style and swagger rarely – if ever – seen at Turf Moor, with another £120million coming into the coffers now to splash this summer.
And Kompany has managed something no other Championship boss has, beating Carrick’s Boro at home.
They had to win to get the job done on the night following Luton’s lunchtime draw at Millwall, and it was delirium in the away end after just 12 minutes.
Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury got the move rolling down the left before it was worked to Josh Brownhill 20 yards out.
The midfielder’s daisycutter was heading to the bottom left corner but Barnes was not taking any chances, deflecting beyond Zack Steffen.
The veteran’s fifth of the season and 50th league strike for the Lancastrians, replays showed he was marginally offside – but worrying about VAR can wait a few months yet.
And it really should have been 2-0 soon after when top scorer Tella scampered in behind Darragh Lenihan, only to fire wide when through on goal.
Boro’s own chances of automatic promotion looked remote going into this given they were nine points behind Sheffield United in second.
Carrick has done his own incredible job, catapulting the Teessiders from the bottom three into the play-off mix.
Connor Roberts celebrates putting Championship leaders Burnley back in frontCredit: Rex
They failed to register a shot on target in the first half but were awarded a penalty inside a minute of the restart when Josh Cullen clipped Cameron Archer.
Akpom took his season’s tally to 26 in expert fashion and the Riverside was bouncing.
As Carrick whirled his arms around to gee the crowd up, Kompany called for calm.
They rode out the immediate storm and came back with a second win, bagging the priceless second.
Tella created it down the right, darting to the byline before pulling back to the unmarked Roberts to bury from close range.
There was pandemonium in the corner again but it soon turned ugly when the celebrating Johann Berg Gudmondsson was hit on the head by a missile hurled from the home end while handing an object thrown onto the pitch to the linesman.
Boro pushed for a late leveller yet, despite being so electric under Carrick, are hitting a bad patch at just the wrong time.
Two straight defeats have blown their chances of gatecrashing the top two, and they need to pick themselves up quickly to ensure a top-six finish.
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They sit seven points above Norwich in seventh with six games to play, starting at Bristol City on Monday.
But tonight was all about Burnley. And if Prem fans haven’t been watching, get ready for a Burnley like no other. More