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      Andy Carroll set for return to football with Reading on free transfer after finishing West Brom contract

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      ANDY CARROLL is set to return to Reading, according to reports.The former England striker spent the first half of last season with the Royals before joining West Brom in January.
      Andy Carroll is set to return to Reading for their Championship campaignCredit: Getty
      He was released by Steve Bruce’s side at the end of last season, but is now set for a return to the game.
      According to The Reading Chronicle, Carroll is close to re-joining the Royals and could even be in training tomorrow – with a view to being ready to play after the international break later this month.
      Belgian side Club Brugge showed an interest earlier in the summer, but turned down Carroll, 33, after medical tests.
      The ex-Liverpool ace was then a shock target for Wolves as Bruno Lage’s side sought an emergency option upfront.
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      Following injuries to Sasa Kalajdzic and Raul Jimenez, the Molineux side considered a swoop for Carroll.
      But when their work permit appeal was successful for Diego Costa, they opted to sign the former Chelsea ace instead.
      Carroll scored two goals in eight games for Reading last term.
      He then netted three times in 15 outings for the Baggies as Bruce’s men missed the play-offs.
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      Reading have so far been this season’s surprise package in the Championship.
      Widely tipped for relegation during pre-season, Paul Ince’s side find themselves third after eight games.
      They beat Stoke 2-1 last time out with Lucas Joao bagging both goals.
      Their trip to Watford was postponed at the weekend following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – but they are expected to be back in action on Wednesday when they are scheduled to host Sunderland. More

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      Blackburn wonderkid Adam Wharton ready to snub Premier League transfer interest to stay at hometown club

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      BLACKBURN kid Adam Wharton is ready to stick with his hometown club despite growing Premier League interest.Wharton, 18, has caught the eye after breaking into the Rovers line-up this season.
      Adam Wharton has impressed since breaking into the Blackburn teamCredit: Getty
      Yet the midfield powerhouse is keen to sign a new deal before his current contract runs out in the summer.
      Wharton made his professional debut as he started the 4-0 Carabao Cup win over Hartlepool last month.
      He followed that up with another fine display against Bradford in round two.
      The rising star featured alongside his defender brother Scott who also came through the Blackburn academy.
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      Then boss Jon Dahl Tomasson gave his teenage ace his league bow.
      Wharton came off the bench at half-time at home to Stoke before being put into the starting XI for the Championship win at Blackpool and defeat against Bristol City.
      Teenage team-mate Ashley Phillips, 17, is also set to sign on at the Championship club despite Tottenham’s interest.
      Blackburn managed to keep hold of star striker Ben Brereton Diaz this summer.
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      The Chile international looked on course to leave for the top flight as Everton, Fulham and Leeds circled.
      However, Brereton Diaz stayed put and will be offered a new deal at Ewood Park.
      But should he move on in January, SunSport revealed Rovers will target Sunderland’s Scottish hit man Ross Stewart as his replacement. More

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      Premier League and EFL call off all weekend’s football following the death of The Queen as sporting world pays respect

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      PREMIER LEAGUE and EFL chiefs have cancelled this weekend’s football following the death of Her Majesty Elizabeth II.After talks between bosses and government officials, the decision has been made to abandon the scheduled programme.
      West Ham paid tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on Thursday eveningCredit: PA
      There was a minute’s silence at Old Trafford ahead of Manchester United’s game against Real SociedadCredit: Reuters
      As a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed.— Premier League (@premierleague) September 9, 2022

      A Prem meeting and a call between sport bodies and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport took place this morning.
      The Government informed sport bodies that they were under no obligation to cancel scheduled games.
      But the decision has been made to call off the weekend’s Premier League and EFL matches after The Queen died yesterday, aged 96.
      Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, had passed away peacefully at Balmoral.
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      The FA have also confirmed that all fixtures across the English football pyramid, including grassroots games, have been postponed, meaning no fixtures will take place at any level.
      Monday evening’s Prem clash between Leeds and Nottingham Forest has also been called off.
      A Premier League statement said: “At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 
      “To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.”
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      They added: “Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course.”
      Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.  
      “As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.  
      “This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”
      Meanwhile an EFL statement said: “Further to discussions on Friday morning it has been determined that all EFL fixtures from 9-10 September will be postponed as a mark of respect by the National Sport to the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
      “This is aligned with the approach that the Premier League and the FA will take with their competitions this weekend.
      “Further information, in respect of how football, Clubs and their supporters will commemorate Her Majesty’s reign will be confirmed at an appropriate point.
      “Details regarding rearranged games will be announced in due course.”
      Confirming the entire English football pyramid will come to a halt this weekend, the FA said: “Her Majesty the Queen was a long-standing patron of the Football Association and has left a lasting and indelible legacy on our national game.
      “As a mark of respect, following the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, English football has united to postpone all football fixtures between 9-11 September.”
      “The FA can confirm that all football fixtures across the Barclays Women’s Super League, Barclays Women’s Championship, the Vitality Women’s FA Cup, and the Isuzu FA Trophy, will be postponed this weekend.
      “We can also confirm that all football fixtures across the National League System [NLS], Steps 1-6, including the Vanarama National Leagues, the Women’s Football Pyramid [WFP], Tiers 3-7, and matches across grassroots football in England will be postponed.
      “The Premier League and the EFL have all confirmed that their fixtures this weekend will be rescheduled for a later date.
      “All flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will continue to fly at half-mast over the weekend.
      “Our thoughts remain with our president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, and the whole of the Royal Family during this time.”
      But the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League will still go ahead as English teams would forfeit any matches they fail to take part in.
      An announcement on the weekend’s football fixtures has been made before fans start travelling up and down the country for tomorrow’s games.
      Prem chief Masters and his board were aware of a potential backlash if they played the matches as scheduled.
      Another factor considered was the potential drain on police resources as towns and cities up and down the land pay tribute to The Queen.
      Talks over whether to move next weekend’s London fixtures due to issues with policing are also set to go ahead.
      Tottenham host Leicester on Saturday 17th, while Brentford vs Arsenal and Chelsea vs Liverpool are scheduled for the following day.
      Games are permitted to go ahead on the day of the Queen’s State Funeral, which is expected to take place on Monday 19 September.
      Again officials have said there is no obligation to cancel fixtures, but sport bodies may want to consider postponing games or readjusting kick-off times on the day as to not clash with the service.
      It had already been confirmed on Thursday that the two EFL fixtures scheduled for today, Burnley vs Norwich and Tranmere vs Stockport, had been postponed.
      Last night’s European games involving Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham all went ahead.
      A minute’s silence was observed before United hosted Real Sociedad in the Europa League and West Ham played FCSB in London.
      Players also wore black armbands in tribute.
      Arsenal’s match against FC Zurich in Switzerland saw a minute’s silence carried out at half-time after the news broke while the game was in play.
      A full Football League fixture list went ahead three days after King George VI, The Queen’s father, died in February 1952.
      But the decision has been made to postpone this weekend’s games as the UK enters a period of national mourning following the passing of Her Majesty Elizabeth II.
      Wembley pays tribute to Her Majesty Elizabeth IICredit: Splash More

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      EFL postpone Friday night fixtures between Burnley vs Norwich and Tranmere vs Stockport after death of The Queen

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      THE EFL have confirmed that today’s fixtures have been postponed as British sport pauses following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.The Queen died peacefully aged 96 on Thursday – marking an end to her historic reign and making her son, Charles, King.
      Burnley’s Championship clash at home to Norwich has been postponedCredit: Getty
      Her Majesty the Queen passed away aged 96 on ThursdayCredit: Splash
      Charles, who will now be known as King Charles III, gave a sombre statement as he led the nation in mourning last night.
      Day Two of the cricket test match between England and South Africa at The Oval was cancelled as the country mourned the loss of its monarch.

      The Queen’s passing comes as…

      The Queen’s beloved horse racing was also stopped – with last night’s meetings at Southwell and Chelmsford both being abandoned.
      The EFL then announced last night that they have postponed the two scheduled fixtures for this evening.
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      A statement read: “As a mark of respect, following the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth II earlier today, the EFL has confirmed that its fixtures scheduled for tomorrow evening Friday 9 September – Burnley v Norwich City and Tranmere Rovers v Stockport County – have been postponed.
      “A determination regarding the remainder of this weekend’s scheduled fixtures will be made following a review of the official mourning guidance, in addition to further consultation with DCMS and other sports on Friday morning.”
      The governing body and Premier League chiefs will make an announcement this morning on whether this weekend’s games are cancelled.
      While the Government is not planning to enforce a shutdown in sport, Prem chiefs are aware of a potential backlash if they play the weekend’s matches as scheduled and a meeting has been called for 11am this morning.
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      Its chief executive Richard Masters is said to have told clubs that they will have to make their own decisions regarding games, with government guidance not “definitive”.
      But an announcement confirming that all fixtures this weekend are postponed is expected.
      A factor is the potential drain on police resources as towns and cities up and down the land pay tribute to The Queen after her 70-year reign.
      A final call will be made by lunchtime with Prem chiefs aware that clubs will be setting off for overnight stays ahead of tomorrow’s games and that fans also will need to know if they are travelling.
      But while there will be no Government action to block sports fixtures from taking place, football, rugby and racing in particular are thought to be leaning towards postponements.
      Matches are still likely to take place over the coming 10 days after this weekend although sports bodies will be expected to mark the passing of Her Majesty Elizabeth II.
      That will see fans and players asked to respect one minute silences before games, the national Anthem also to be played and black armbands worn.
      If the weekend’s football matches are called off it will be a break with precedent from the last time a monarch died in the middle of the football season.
      Man Utd and Real Sociedad’s players held a minute’s silence after the death of The Queen last nightCredit: Reuters
      A full Football League fixture list, including the North London Derby between Spurs and Arsenal, took place on Saturday February 9 1952, three days after the death of King George VI.
      The Government has contacted sports bodies to make it clear they have the final say on whether fixtures should be played – with a green light if there are suitable marks of respect paid.
      European games involving Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham all went ahead yesterday.
      A minute’s silence was held before United and West Ham played, while players also work black armbands in tribute to The Queen.
      Ministers accepted that it would not have been feasible for the games at Old Trafford and the London Stadium to have been postponed when thousands of fans were already at the ground when the confirmation of The Queen’s death came last night.
      READ MORE ON THE QUEEN’S DEATH
      There was also a minute’s silence during Arsenal’s match against FC Zurich in Switzerland after the news broke during the game.
      But it is expected that no sporting events will take place during the Queen’s funeral parade and service, expected to be on Monday September 18, although any night matches would be allowed to get ahead More

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      Former Norwich star Mathias Normann axed from Norway squad indefinitely for playing in Russia

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      NORWAY have AXED Mathias Normann from their squad indefinitely because he is playing for a Russian football team. Normann was on loan at Norwich City last season from Russian club FC Rostov, and following the conclusion of his loan he will return to Russia at club level, but thus far it is unclear who this will be for.
      Mathias Normann celebrates a victory for Norwich last seasonCredit: PA
      And as a consequence of this, Norway have told Normann he will not be selected for their upcoming internationals against Slovenia and Serbia.
      Stale Solbakken, Norway’s head coach and Lise Klaveness, Norway’s Football Federation president, both agree the player cannot play due to the country’s unified stance on the invasion of Ukraine.
      Klaveness said: “Basically, it is not the association’s role to say anything about national team players’ choice of club, but we are now in an extraordinary situation.”
      “All of Norwegian and European football agree to put joint pressure on Russia as a belligerent party, which has also used positions of power in sport very actively.
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      “All Russian teams are banned from international sports competitions. Stale and I agree that Normann cannot represent Norway when he will now play for a new Russian club.”
      UEFA and FIFA came down hard with sanctions on Russian football, banning the national team and clubs from competing in competitions under UEFA or FIFA’s banner.
      The ban caused a mass exodus of players from the country.
      Normann played 23 times for Norwich in the Premier League last season but was unable to help The Canaries steer clear of relegation back to the Championship.
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      He was also previously contracted to Brighton but failed to make a senior appearance before The Seagulls sold him in 2019.
      Normann has 12 senior caps for Norway.
      But until he moves away from Russia club football he is unlikely to add any more caps to his name. More

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      ‘Frustrated’ EFL confirm Huddersfield SHOULD have had goal in 1-0 defeat vs Blackpool after goal line technology breaks

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      THE EFL have confirmed that Huddersfield SHOULD have been given a goal in their 1-0 defeat to Blackpool.That’s after goal line technology at the John Smith’s Stadium FAILED, resulting in a Huddersfield strike being disallowed.
      The EFL admit Huddersfield should have been awarded a goal against BlackpoolCredit: Getty

      The Terriers were left fuming after being denied a point in yesterday’s Championship clash.
      Theo Corbeanu put the visitors ahead after 38 minutes.
      And Yuta Nakayama though he’d prodded home in the second half to level things up.
      But the referee ruled the strike out after claiming the ball had not crossed the line.
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      His Hawkeye technology did not register the ball as having gone over.
      Replays suggested it had indeed crossed the line and should have been given.
      The EFL have now admitted yesterday’s Hawkeye tech at the stadium broke down.
      But despite being left “frustrated” with the incident, the result still stands.
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      A statement read: “The EFL is incredibly frustrated that a technology failure at Huddersfield Town and Blackpool has overshadowed a fantastic weekend of action on the pitch.
      “We have now received an initial assessment from Hawk-Eye, the providers of the Goal Line Technology service in the Championship, that during a second-half incident with Huddersfield attacking, the match officials did not receive a signal to their watch or earpiece as, due to multiple factors, the ball was no longer being tracked following it entering the Blackpool goal area. 
       “Separately, PGMOL have confirmed officials were unsighted due to obstruction by players and therefore unable to award a goal.
       “Whilst the system was tested and functional prior to the start of the game, further information is expected from both Hawk-Eye and PGMOL following a full review of the incident.     
       “Technology is there to support the decision-making processes of match officials in the Championship and it failing in such a manner on Sunday is a matter of great concern.
       “For clarity, the referee’s decision is final and the match result stands.”
      It’s a difficult one to takeDanny Schofield
      Huddersfield boss Danny Schofield was certainly unhappy with the decision.
      Speaking after the game he vented: “It’s a difficult one to take. Straight after the game I went to the bench and watched the footage back and felt clearly it was a goal.
      “I wanted that clarity in my mind before I asked the referee to explain the reason behind not awarding it because I feel as though it’s a clear goal.
      “Watching it back on different angles as well we feel the ball was clearly over the line.
      “He’s pointed as his watch so he’s governed by Hawkeye or goal-line technology – he’s making the decision on that. 
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      “If that’s the case, I’m not blaming the referee for his decision, it’s very difficult without the technology to make it.
      “But if that’s the case it feels like technology has got it wrong this time.” More

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      Birmingham City left it too late on deadline day as Harry McKirdy was already securing transfer from Swindon to Hibs

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY failed in a move for striker Harry McKirdy because they left it too late.The Blues were struggling to find a forward on the final day of the window and made a late attempt for McKirdy only to find out he was on his way to Scottish side Hibs from Swindon.
      McKirdy was chased by Birmingham but had already secured a deal to the Scottish Prem with HibsCredit: Alamy
      The Easter Road side chased the 25-year-old for the majority of the summer.
      They had to submit an extension on deadline day to try and get a move for the former Swindon man over the line after agreeing an undisclosed fee.
      Both the English and Scottish FA had to verify that the deal had indeed gone through in time before the deadline.
      McKirdy came off the bench in Hibs 1-0 win against Kilmarnock on Saturday.
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      Lee Johnson watched on from home after undergoing emergency gall-bladder surgery on Thursday.
      But Joe Newell provided the perfect pick-me-up for recovering Johnson as Hibs saw off Killie.
      Elsewhere, Mansfield Town are raging with Charlton for pulling the plug on a deal for Diallang Jiayasemi.
      The forward had agreed to a loan switch but the move was called off a MINUTE before the deadline.
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      And Oxford United are keen on Wigan left back Tom Pearce and waiting to move for him.
      Pearce is no longer first choice with the Latics and could be on the way out for a loan stint in the next window. More

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      Stoke boss Alex Neil plans transfer raid for Leicester keeper Daniel Iversen after failing to sign him for Sunderland

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      STOKE CITY’S new boss Alex Neil has his sights on Leicester City keeper Daniel Iversen.Neil had the great Dane at Preston on loan and wanted him at Sunderland.
      Alex Neil wants to sign Leicester keeper Daniel IversenCredit: Reuters
      But the new Stoke boss missed out in the last window when he was still at the Stadium of Light.
      However, Neil is going to push his money men to invest in Iversen.
      And he may have a chance with the player if he is stuck as second choice with the Foxes.
      Iversen, 25, has played just one game for Leicester.
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      That being the Carabao Cup triumph over Stockport last month.
      But he impressed during 18 months on loan at Preston, some of which was during Neil’s time in charge.
      Meanwhile, Dean Holden found out the hard way that football can be a hard business as he was sacked by old coaching school buddy Alex Neil.
      Holden took caretaker charge of Stoke City and won his only game but within hours he was axed.
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      That game being an excellent 1-0 win away at Blackburn.
      Ironically Holden had been on the same coaching course as Neil at the famous SFA headquarters in Largs. More