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      Former Premier League stadium given bizarre new name and fans LOVE it as they predict ‘proper comeback’

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY have announced a new name for their stadium.The ground, currently called St Andrew’s, will now get a new name thanks to a multi-million pound naming agreement.
      Birmingham City are re-naming St Andrew’sCredit: Rex
      The club have announced they will be re-naming the stadium as St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
      The club have agreed the naming rights with their co-owners Shelby Companies Ltd, which is majority owned by Knighthead Annuity and Life Insurance company.
      The company – known collectively as Knighthead – bought a controlling stake in the club last year and have now expanded their relationship with Birmingham by announcing the new deal.
      The agreement will see not only the name of the stadium changed but also the training ground.
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      The Birmingham training ground will now be known as the “The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds.”
      While the deal also includes a “fan entertainment zone” which will be built on club property for fans to enjoy.
      All three changes are expected to be competed by the end of the current Championship season.
      And the club have announced that Kingthead Park is just the “first step” in a plan to built a “sports quarter” in the heart of Birmingham in the future.
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      Fans are encouraged by the partnership which will see almost £10m per year paid to the club for every full year of the deal.
      Some took to social media to share their opinions, with one writing: “Birmingham City have just entered ‘serious club’ territory.”
      A second added: “Feels like we could become a proper comeback story.”
      While another wrote: “This is fantastic news. Owners on another level and us the fans, the club and the city itself are lucky to have them. Good times are coming…”
      And a fourth posted: “Absolutely great news somebody pinch me.”
      Birmingham also announced that Knighthead would be donating £100,000 per year to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation from the 2024/25 season onwards.
      The club have seen things change massively since the original investment from the group in July last year.
      Knighthead’s investors include NFL legend Tom Brady who has made himself known around the club and shown up to support the Blues on multiple occasions.
      However things on the pitch haven’t quite been following suit.
      Birmingham sacked manager John Eustace earlier this season to bring in Wayne Rooney as the new gaffer.
      But the former Manchester United icon’s spell in charge was absolutely disastrous.
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      Rooney’s side won just two of his 15 games as gaffer and the 38-year-old was sacked after just 84 days in the dugout.
      The club now face an uphill battle to avoid an exit from the Championship as they flirt with the relegation zone in 20th place with new manager Tony Mowbray at the helm.
      NFL legend Tom Brady has invested in Birmingham CityCredit: PA
      Wayne Rooney was sacked after a nightmare spell as Birmingham bossCredit: Getty
      Tony Mowbray is now the man in chargeCredit: Reuters More

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      Neil Warnock hints at stunning management return after snubbing ‘tempting’ offers following Huddersfield exit

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      NEIL WARNOCK has turned down several offers to return to management.The 75-year-old has been out of work since leaving Huddersfield in September.
      Neil Warnock left Huddersfield eight games into this seasonCredit: Getty
      Warnock was replaced by Darren Moore eight games into this season, with the former West Brom boss having already been sacked by the Terriers this week.
      Veteran boss Warnock has not ruled out returning to the dugout before the end of the season, should the right opportunity arise.
      Asked by The Athletic if he’d received any offers since leaving the John Smith’s Stadium, he said: “Oh, aye, there’s been a few of those.
      “Two or three came in October-November, almost straight away. Then, there’s been a couple more during the last couple of weeks.”
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      On what sort of job would tempt him back, Warnock added: “I’ve had everything from Championship through to League Two, there were tempting offers among them.
      “But I also fancied having that time with the family for Christmas and also my 75th.
      “Then, if something cropped up in February, maybe we’d have a look at that.”
      Having been out of work for the last four months, Warnock has been able to spend plenty of time with his family in Cornwall.
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      On how his wife Sharon has felt about him being around more, Warnock joked: “There have been moments, yes, when she’d gladly have sent me back to work. I’m a bit thick about anything but football.
      “At times, I must frustrate the hell out of not just Sharon but the kids as well.
      “They all say I’m messy, or no use round the house. I can just about change a plug, but that’s about as far as I go.
      “Nothing else. So, yeah, she’s probably ready. But it will have to be something that really interests me, something to really get my teeth into.
      “I did think Manchester United might have come in by now — but not a peep!” More

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      Huddersfield next manager odds: Wayne Rooney and Neil Warnock amongst pack behind favourite Paul Heckingbottom

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      HUDDERSFIELD TOWN are in the market for another new manager having sacked Darren Moore.Moore was appointed Huddersfield boss back in September of last year after Neil Warnock left the club.
      Huddersfield are on the lookout for a new boss
      Warnock – who was a fan favourite after keeping the club in the division last season – is amongst the favourites to make a dramatic return to the John Smith’s Stadium.
      The Terriers won just three of the 23 games under Moore, leaving them one spot and three points clear of the relegation zone.
      He was relieved of his duties just three days before playing former club Sheffield Wednesday.
      And it’s Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom who is the clear frontrunner with Sky Bet to replace Moore as the new Huddersfield boss.
      Heckingbottom was sacked as the Blades manager at the start of last month, though they’ve won just once since and been knocked out the FA Cup.
      Next Huddersfield manager oddsSky Bet odds

      Paul Heckingbottom 4/6
      Michael Duff 5/1
      John Eustace 6/1
      Neil Warnock 9/1
      Alex Neil 10/1
      John Mousinho 11/1
      Nathan Jones 12/1
      Wayne Rooney 14/1

      He’s 4/6 with the bookmaker to join Huddersfield, with ex-Swansea boss Michael Duff second favourite at 5/1.
      Duff was appointed Swans boss in the summer of last year and was sacked less than six months later.
      John Eustace is then 6/1, just ahead of Warnock who is 9/1, Alex Neil at 10/1 and John Mousinho who is 11/1.
      Nathan Jones is still looking for a return to management and is 12/1, with Wayne Rooney a 14/1 shot.
      Rooney will be looking to atone for his disastrous Birmingham spell, where he took over from Eustace with the Blues in the play off hunt before winning two of the next 15 matches and losing his job less than three months later.

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      Huddersfield sack Darren Moore after just four months with struggling club deep in relegation battle

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      DARREN MOORE has been sacked as manager of Huddersfield Town.Moore took over Huddersfield in September last year after Neil Warnock left the club.
      Huddersfield have parted ways with Darren MooreCredit: PA
      Moore’s final game as Huddersfield manager came in a 1-1 draw with QPR yesterday.
      The club sit precariously above the relegation zone in 21st place in The Championship.
      QPR are currently three points behind the Terriers and Moore said he was hopeful that the draw would be enough to keep him his job.
      When asked by Sky Sports after the game whether a point was enough, Moore said: “I hope so, we’ll see but I hope so. Hopefully he [Owner Kevin Nagle] saw with the performance today that the team was very, very committed, and hopefully he saw with his eyes that we should’ve won the game today.”
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      But the club have instead taken the opportunity to part ways with the former West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday manager and will begin their search for a successor immediately.
      The club cited Moore’s record as manager as part of their decision, which consisted of three wins, 11 draws and nine defeats.
      Nagle said in the club statement: “We have to make this decision to give us the best chance of maintaining our Sky Bet Championship status come the end of the season.
      “Darren is a fantastic man, and he has worked tirelessly since taking the job back in September. I know I speak for everyone at the club in wishing him the very best for the future.
      Most read in ChampionshipDarren Moore’s record in charge of Huddersfield

      3 Wins
      11 Draws
      9 Defeats

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      “We appointed Darren on the strength of his credentials as a manager, but it is now clear that this has not worked as we envisaged and hoped. There have absolutely been mitigating circumstances, such as the high number of injuries that Darren has had to cope with, but we have still not seen enough on the pitch in terms of results or the direction of travel in playing style and performances.
      “I believe that our current squad is capable of more, particularly on the back of the work we have carried out in this transfer window, and we’re quickly moving to identify the right person to lead them through a crucial period of the season. We hope to make that managerial appointment soon.”
      Chief Executive Jake Edwards also thanked Moore for his efforts in charge of the club.
      Edwards added: “I want to begin by echoing the Chairman’s comments in thanking Darren for his total commitment to the club during his time here.
      “This was not a decision that we made lightly, but we believe it is one that we had to take. We still have 17 games to be played this season, and that still gives us the chance to positively impact our results and position in the league table.
      “We’re looking for our next appointment to have a big short-term impact, but also to fit with our longer-term strategy of building an attack-minded, progressive style of football over a number of seasons.”
      While some Huddersfield fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) have suggested the club return to former manager and fan-favourite Neil Warnock, he is not among the current favourites to take the job.
      John Eustace, Nathan Jones and Gary Rowett have all been linked with taking over the Huddersfield hotseat.
      Huddersfield next manager odds (SkyBet)

      Paul Heckingbottom 4/6
      Michael Duff 5/1
      John Eustace 6/1
      Neil Warnock 9/1
      Alex Neil 10/1
      John Mousinho 11/1
      Nathan Jones 12/1
      Wayne Rooney 12/1 More

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      Meet five sacked managers this season who have quickly returned to the game – but will they be a success?

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      I WAS watching that hilarious episode of hit TV comedy Alan Partridge this week where he had written his autobiography Bouncing Back.It charted a so-called comeback from his disastrous broadcasting career and break-up from his wife.
      Tony Mowbray is hoping to help Birmingham recover from their failed Wayne Rooney experiment
      That got me thinking about football managers who have been sacked but bounced back.
      And this season there have been five bosses who have been shown the door – but have quickly returned into management.
      Here I take a quick look at those managers who are bouncing back.
      MICHAEL BEALE (Sunderland)
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      Michael Beale was axed by Rangers and is now under pressure at Sunderland
      IF you’re managing Rangers, and Celtic are above you in the table, you’re always standing on quicksand and he was duly slung out of Ibrox.
      But the Londoner – who walked out on QPR last season just weeks after pledging his devoted loyalty to them – took over at the Black Cats in December.
      Like Alan Partridge, his story might be quickly pulped if he loses his job at the Stadium of Light.
      Mackems fans were not impressed with the three straight defeats which was halted by Saturday’s vital 3-1 win against Stoke.
      TONY MOWBRAY (Birmingham)
      Talking of Sunderland, what the hell were they playing at in the first place by sacking Tony Mowbray?
      This affable man was doing a superb job for the Black Cats, getting them into the play-offs last season against the odds and had them punching around those spots again this time around.
      But he has landed himself into the self-inflicted chaos at St Andrew’s after they decided the Wayne Rooney project was not a good idea after all. No s**t Sherlock, John Eustace had them flying.
      Mowbray has won one and drawn the other of his two league games so far with his priority simply to just keep Birmingham up.  Groundhog Day for Blues fans.
      DARREN MOORE (Huddersfield)
      Darren Moore was axed on the eve of the season by Wednesday
      MADCAP Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri decided to get rid of the manager who inspired his team to promotion on the eve of the season.
      Darren Moore had even helped his side come back from 4-0 down against Peterborough in the play-offs semi-finals en route!
      The ex-West Brom boss took over at Huddersfield but is hardly bouncing back and is on dodgy ground, managing three wins from 23 games so far.
      MATT TAYLOR (Bristol Rovers)
      HAVING done a decent job with Exeter, he got a big Championship break by being named Paul Warne’s replacement at Rotherham last season.
      Despite keeping the Millers in the second tier, they struggled this time around and he was booted out of the New York Stadium in November with the club third bottom. 
      But he swiftly replaced gobby Joey Barton following his sacking and had an instant impact with four wins and a draw from his first six games. However, it’s been tough since and their 3-1 win over Oxford on Saturday halted a five-game losing streak.
      GRAHAM ALEXANDER (Bradford)
      THE Bantams boss has had some bad luck when it comes to losing his jobs at previous clubs.
      Scunthorpe decided to get rid of him after he led them to the brink of the Championship, they’re now in the National League North.
      Numbnut Gary Neville crazily dismissed the Burnley legend when they were unbeaten after five games and fifth in League Two … all this after taking Salford into the EFL and guiding them to an EFL Trophy final.
      And this season MK Dons wielded the axe after just 16 games – showing little patience.
      Yet he has arrived at Valley Parade and despite a decent start they have gone off the boil, failing to win in their last seven League Two games. They need to let him have a summer to sort it all out and go again next season. 
      Newport ‘builders’ work on a Sunday?
      THERE must have been some timely structural repairs going on in Rodney Road, Newport, this week.
      Some houses along the street which runs parallel to County’s Rodney Parade suddenly needed scaffolding erected.
      It’s incredible that those ‘builders’ not only were prepared to do overtime by working on a Sunday – but also stayed on site until a good couple of hours after 4:30pm.
      That’s what you call dedication. They must have great ratings on Checkatrade.
      Alfie, 10, gives Walsall team talk
      WALSALL boss Mat Sadler let 10-year-old fan Alfie Donnelly do his team-mate before their League Two game with Sutton.
      Alfie has multiple, complex heart conditions that have left him needing four lots of open heart surgery.
      The Saddlers invited the youngster to the training ground to meet and interview his favourite player Joe Riley as well as go to the Bescot Stadium to rile up the players before kick-off as well as read out the teams over the PA system.
      Boss Sadler said: “We all love Alfie. He’s always smiling and is an inspiration to us all.”
      Little Alfie Donnelly, 10, gives his Walsall heroes a team talk
      Elokobi is just what the EFL needs 
      SURELY any EFL club looking for a new manager should be on the blower to Maidstone United’s George Elokobi. 
      I suggested, tongue in cheek, that maybe even Liverpool should look at him!
      But, seriously, what he did before the FA Cup game against Ipswich at the gates of Portman Road on Saturday was incredible – giving the Maidstone fans a passionate from-the-heart motivational speech alongside the players.
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      This is exactly the sort of thing football needs. There are too many dullards working at bigger clubs who would stop this sort of raw passion being allowed to happen or seen.
      We need less of them and more of George Elokobi.  More

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      Ipswich offering Blackburn striker Sam Gallagher three-year-deal as they close in on £2million transfer

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      IPSWICH TOWN are offering Sam Gallagher a three-year deal to tempt him to leave Blackburn Rovers.Striker Gallagher is out of contract in the summer although Rovers have an option on him.
      Ipswich are swooping for Blackburn striker Sam GallagherCredit: Rex
      So far the Tractor Boys have failed to agree a fee but the player is up for it.
      Ipswich are close to reaching £2 million but Blackburn would struggle to find a replacement at this stage.
      Elsewhere in the Championship, Preston are making late checks on Wigan keeper Sam Tickle ahead of a surprise move.
      North End have fancied Tickle before but he has been closing in on a new deal with Latics where he came through this season.
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      However Ryan Lowe’s scouts are back on Tickle’s trail and could step in, especially if they have late interest in Freddie Woodman.
      Birmingham City have also short-listed Tickle who has made the big breakthrough this season.
      Meanwhile, North End’s local rivals Blackpool will make a final attempt to land midfielder Owen Moxon from Carlisle – but face competition.
      The Cumbrians know Moxon won’t extend his contract and may now sell him.
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      However other League One clubs including table-toppers Portsmouth are circling as the auction starts.
      WHISPER
      Which Championship supremo had a secret meeting with an out of work boss at a hideaway location?
      The club official’s team has been struggling for results lately and remarkably he had a long chat with a manager with experience in the second tier.
      Despite public shows of support for the current manager all may not be quite so cuddly in private. More

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      Leeds launch loan transfer bid for Everton defender Ben Godfrey after £10m Atalanta move collapses

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      LEEDS have made an official loan approach for Everton’s Ben Godfrey.SunSport revealed Godfrey, 25, saw a £10m move to Serie A club Atalanta collapse this month as a result of the abolishment of favourable tax break rules in Italy.
      Godfrey’s move to Atalanta has fallen throughCredit: Getty
      But Everton boss Sean Dyche has given the green light for the centre-back to leave Goodison Park as the club look to reduce their wage bill and help their case towards FFP rules.
      The tax law, officially known as Crescita Decree, has been abolished.The law allowed high income earners from foreign countries a 50 per cent tax bill discount.
      Previously, it has been a big attraction for overseas players to join and increase the competitiveness in Serie A.
      The Crescita Decree is remarkably similar to the ‘Beckham Law’ in Spain, which allows high-income foreign earners to pay just 24 per cent income tax for their first six years in the country.
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      Beckham took advantage of it following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
      But the Italian equivalent no longer stands after discussions in the Italian Council of Ministers have led to the rule being binned, making Godfrey’s potential rule too expensive for Atalanta.
      Godfrey has struggled for game time this season and has made just three appearances in all competitions for Everton, including only one Premier League start.
      Godfrey, who has 18 months left on his deal, has made 80 appearances for the Toffees since signing from Norwich in 2020 for £25million.
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      Ben Godfrey has struggled for minutes this seasonCredit: The Sun
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      He has not featured regularly for Everton, however, since a broken fibula forced him to miss the opening half of last season.
      Daniel Farke’s fourth placed Championship side are eager for new additions this month as Leeds push for promotion straight back to the Premier League. More

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      Champions League giants launch shock £15million transfer bid for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke

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      ITALIAN giants Lazio have entered the race for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke and made a fresh £15 million bid last night.Sunderland knocked back a similar bid from West Ham last week and are determined to keep hold of the former Leeds junior who joined Spurs in a £10million deal five years ago before his ‘undisclosed’ move to the North East.
      Lazio are pushing to sign Jack Clarke from SunderlandCredit: Getty
      Clarke, 23, has attracted interest throughout his second full season at the Stadium of Light from West Ham, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Brentford and last summer Sunderland turned down four bids from Burnley.
      Spurs have a 25 per cent sell-on clause which could affect Sunderland’s valuation of one of their crown jewels but the prospect of Champions League football with Lazio, who are scheduled to meet Bayern Munich in the round of 16 next month, is bound to interest Clarke.
      The York-born winger, who has scored 13 goals in 29 Championship games this season, has been in talks over a contract extension since the summer but the Wearside club have so far failed to secure his signature.
      Last week sporting director Kristjaan Speakman insisted Clarke, outstanding in yesterday’s 3-1 win over Stoke, would not be sold in this transfer window.
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      He is currently concentrating on bringing in four players before Wednesday’s deadline including Manchester United forward Amad Diallo, who was such a huge hit on Wearside last season.
      Speakman said: “I get the news about selling players but our ambition is to retain our best players, develop them, go higher in the league.
      “I get the nervousness around selling players but there are players we all love and our ambition is to retain them and keep developing.”
      Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard is expected to leave the club this month.
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      The 30-year-old refused to play for the Black Cats against Stoke yesterday and instead demanded a move away.
      An official statement from the club read: “On Friday morning, Alex Pritchard informed the club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s match day squad.
      “The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect. The club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.” More