EFL

Subterms

    More stories

    • 200 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      National League dishing out punishment to Dover Athletic shows more incompetence in football’s hall of power

      by

      THE EFL and FA need to take a long, hard look at the credibility of the National League – and it is high time for the Government to start regulating football.Spare a thought for Dover Athletic, docked TWELVE points for next season and fined £40,000 by the bright sparks who run football’s top two tiers outside the EFL.
      Dover Athletic’s picturesque Crabble ground is located in the village of River – but the club will be docked 12 points at the start of next season
      What could their crime be? Running up huge debts they can ill afford and trading while insolvent, which is illegal under Company Law? No.
      This small, well-run club on the Kent coast had the sheer audacity to not do that. To not rip up their model of prudence.
      To not join other clubs in taking out a huge loan that they could be paying off for a decade.
      Faced with the real prospect of doing what football was supposed to be frowning upon after seeing what happened to clubs like Bury, Blackpool, Bolton and countless others, they instead joined thousands of other businesses in the real world by furloughing their staff.
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler and his players were put on furlough in February – almost two months after grant support to National League clubs from the Government ended – and they indicated to the powers-that-be that they could resume playing only once they had funds to afford it.The league however charged them with not having “just cause” to stop fulfilling their fixtures and after finding the club guilty expunged their results from this season’s records. The team had only contested 15 games when they ceased playing.
      What made the sanction stink was that clubs were given assurances by the National League that if fans were not allowed in beyond December, the grant support would continue. Goalposts were moved and suddenly it was no longer grants but loans.
      In Dover’s case, they would have needed to take out £450,000 – and, for a small club, that is a big deal.
      I happen to know Dover Athletic well as a proud Man of Kent.
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
      Jim Parmenter is the Dover chairman who put his whole playing squad on furlough when government grants that were promised beyond December did not materialise
      Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler manages the Kent port team

      As a kid, I used to climb over the fence behind the River End stand at their Crabble ground with a couple of school friends when our pocket money didn’t cover the turnstile fee.
      Aged 19, as a fresh-faced sports reporter for the East Kent Mercury, I covered their matches home and away.
      It’s a great little club that relies on its community and volunteers, like so many in the lower leagues.
      Chairman Jim Parmenter, who I’ve known for the best part of 25 years, is a local businessman who has a decent amount of money to support the club but cannot just bankroll it without any funds coming through the gates.And his own business – a fruit and vegetable importing company – has been hit hard by the pandemic too.
      When he took over a debt-ridden club 16 years ago, they were hours from being liquidated.
      He promised that they would never be put into that position again while he was running the show.
      And without paying out what they cannot afford, they have climbed three divisions, built a new clubhouse, a new, environmentally sustainable stand and opened an academy.
      Dover also won their status as an FA Chartered club.
      The National League’s disciplinary panel that heard this case was supposed to be independent.
      But former FA head of football administration Graham Noakes and FA judicial panel members Peter Barnes and Alan Hardy have all been closely involved with football.
      SunSport’s Justin Allen (right) with Dover chairman Jim Parmenter, director Steve Parmenter and veteran club secretary and local legend Frank Clarke (left) enjoy a pint together
      Parmenter and Ian Wright pose for the camera when Dover and their directors were taken to meet the Crystal Palace legend by SunSport ahead of their 2015 FA Cup third-round tie
      Back in the days when fans came through the turnstiles but without them Dover were expected by the National League to take out a £450,000 loan to finish their season
      And, while there is no suggestion they have done anything wrong, they do not sound very independent to me. Shouldn’t it have been composed of business experts and lawyers?
      Their justification of the sanction is also crazy. Dover submitted compelling evidence, backed by lawyers and insolvency practitioners (people who actually know what they are talking about) that carrying on their season was not viable.
      But the panel, although saying they had regard to the financial information provided and respecting the responsibility of the club’s directors under Company Law, could not have one of its clubs doing things correctly.
      No, because 22 other clubs decided to run up debts, Dover were expected to, as well. Even though, it’s against the league’s own rules.
      The other finding was that the club had received a basic award payment of £70,000 for the season and “were significantly benefiting from not completing the season compared to the other clubs that continued”.
      Again, the club are simply being punished for not joining the rest.
      The National League also says Dover’s actions went against the “integrity” of the competition.
      What tosh. Some clubs have furloughed high-earning players and replaced them with cheaper ones, which is against the government’s furlough rules and some are fielding significantly weaker teams than what started the season.This whole mess, as I wrote in recent weeks, could have been avoided by postponing the season until spring and finishing it when fans are likely to be back.
      As for the Government, why could they simply not have allowed grants for struggling clubs like Dover to continue until the summer? They are having to pay out on the furlough scheme anyway.
      This whole sorry episode – along with those of the other 15 clubs in the sixth tier charged with non-fulfilment of fixtures – is another example of gross incompetence in football.
      Even during a global pandemic, not an ounce of common sense has been shown with those in football’s corridors of power far removed from the real world.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Forest Green Rovers’ Jamille Matt’s fingers bent out of shape in horror injury before distraught striker stretchered off More

    • 225 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Forest Green Rovers’ Jamille Matt’s fingers bent out of shape in horror injury before distraught striker stretchered off

      by

      FOREST GREEN star Jamille Matt suffered a gruesome hand injury just six minutes into his side’s clash with Bolton this afternoon.His fingers were bent at a horrible angle with the striker visibly in agonising pain.
      Matt’s fingers were left sticking out at horrifying angles
      Jamille Matt required extensive treatment on the gruesome injuryCredit: PA
      Matt, 31, was stretchered off just minutes into the gameCredit: Rex
      The Jamaican started up top for Rovers in their televised League Two clash with the Trotters.
      But it ended in nightmarish, premature fashion just a few minutes into the game.
      Following an accidental collision with Bolton’s MJ Williams, the 31-year-old’s fingers appeared to be bent at all kinds of sickening angles.
      And the clearly distressed front-man was subsequently stretchered off.
      It was all a bit much for one fan on social media, who wrote: “Jamille Matt of Forest Green Rovers putting me off my scrambled egg on toast with this horrific injury to his hand against Bolton.”
      While another added: “Jamille Matt’s hand looks vile – looks like he has broken all finger.”
      Matt went into the game enjoying the most prolific season of his career.
      The former Plymouth Argyle, Fleetwood and Blackpool star has scored 15 goals this term, already surpassing the 14 he managed for Newport two seasons ago.
      Both Forest Green and Bolton are chasing automatic promotion into League One.
      Matt clashed innocuously with MJ Williams
      The Jamaican was in agony while receiving treatmentCredit: Sky Sports

      Rovers went into the game sitting in third, although Bolton knew that they could leapfrog their opponents with a win.
      After today’s match, Forest Green will have just nine games remaining, as they chase promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history.
      And manager Mark Cooper will be desperate not to be without his star striker for too long as the season approaches its conclusion.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Mark Wright comments on training with League Two’s Crawley Town More

    • 275 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      Ricardo Santos has helped Bolton go on best unbeaten run in Premier League and EFL – better than Man Utd and Chelsea

      by

      RICARDO SANTOS has played every minute of Bolton’s League Two campaign this season.And the 6ft 5in centre-half, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ by adoring Wanderers fans, is tipped by boss Ian Evatt to lead them back up the divisions after their spectacular fall from Premier League grace.
      Bolton are on the best unbeaten run in the country
      Ricardo Santos has been at the heart of Bolton’s resurgenceCredit: Rex
      It is a far cry from just three years ago when Santos hit rock bottom – crashing into non-league with Barnet after leaving Peterborough and injuring his knee so badly he could not even walk.
      The 25-year-old – who joined the Trotters in the summer from the National League Bees – said: “I had tendonitis and did what Ledley King used to do at Tottenham. I’d train once a week on Friday and then play Saturday and be in the gym for the rest of the week.
      “I was doing that for a while and my knee started hurting seriously. I couldn’t even walk. I thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore’ so sat out and did rehab for eight or nine months.
      “Thankfully it’s all good now and I’m the only Bolton player to have not missed a minute of league action this season.”
      Santos appreciates the good times because he is well versed how football fortunes can change swiftly in either direction.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
      Santos has impressed with his strength, power, pace and passing at Bolton
      The Portuguese-born ace, who was brought up in East London, failed to make the grade first with Dagenham then Dover – forcing him to drop into the EIGHTH tier to get games at Thurrock.
      But within a few months he found himself snapped up by Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson and got plenty of game time in League One before falling out of favour with Grant McCann.
      So he dropped into League Two with Barnet but they were relegated into the National League, which coincided with his injury setback.
      But three managers have shown faith in him when he was at a low ebb in his career – former Gillingham boss Mark Stimson at Thurrock, Posh chief Ferguson and now Evatt.
      He said: “It’s crazy how things change quickly in football – good or bad.
      “Stimson had always liked me from when he coached at Dagenham and kept trying to get me to Thurrock but I didn’t want to go because it was so low down the pyramid.
      “But when I couldn’t even get into the Dover team who were then in National League South, he persuaded me to join on loan and within no time I had an agent telling me about Peterborough.
      “I couldn’t believe it because it hadn’t worked out at Dagenham, it hadn’t worked out at Dover, and suddenly there is a team flying in League One looking at me.”
      Ferguson invited him to train for a day then gave him a 45-minute run-out in a trial game before signing him the next morning.
      Santos said: “I learned a lot in my three years with Peterborough and enjoyed playing for Darren. He always wanted you to be confident playing from the back.
      “I also learned with him you couldn’t take the p***. You had to be professional because he had a hard, strict side to him that you would associate with his dad Sir Alex.”
      Santos enjoyed his time at Peterborough – especially under boss Darren Ferguson
      But after dropping out of the picture under McCann and leaving for Barnet, within 16 months he found himself back in non-league and injured.
      However, little did he know his fortunes were about to change again, when he made his comeback in an FA Trophy game against a Barrow team managed by Evatt.
      He said: “I played the last 15 minutes. Ian had put a quick winger on and kept telling the lad, ‘Get at him’ but the Barnet management told him, ‘No chance.’ Ian said, ‘We’ll see.’
      “But as the boy on the left tried to take me on, I beat him for pace and strength and he said, ‘Wow.’
      “Since then he was interested in me and he contacted me at the end of last season asking me to come to Bolton.”
      Santos’ joy at soring for Barnet in League Two against Orient was short-lived with the club crashing into non-league and the defender suffering a serious knee injury
      It was a no-brainer for a player who has done the hard yards in non-league to join a club that was playing Premier League football as recently as 2012 with ambitions to return to the top level.
      He said: “I hadn’t even been to Bolton’s ground before and the first time I visited I thought, ‘This is crazy.’ It was mad. Even though the club are in League Two, everything is still Premier League standard. I couldn’t wait to get started.”
      Despite his towering frame and being physically strong, he has bags of pace and is a composed footballer with a good range of passing.
      His performances have seen him named in nine EFL teams of the week this season and he won February’s SkyBet League Two Player of the Month.
      Ricardo Santos proudly shows off the SkyBet League Two player-of-the-month award
      Santos is moving back in the right direction thanks to Bolton and boss Ian Evatt
      And despite losing their first five games this season with fears growing that Bolton might become the first former Premier League team to drop into non-league, they are now flying with the best unbeaten record in the country.
      Sitting fifth, on Saturday they travel to third-placed Forest Green Rovers just two points behind them and only five adrift top-of-the-table Cheltenham.
      He said: “We haven’t lost for 12 games and have kept seven clean sheets in that run. We have such confidence and belief that we can win automatic promotion with 30 points still to play for.”
      Such is the respect in the Bolton camp of Santos’ performances that the captain’s armband has been thrown at him four times now.
      The defender said: “I’m so glad that people see me as a leader. I like to think I do that with my performances and my character around the building.

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      “I can chat to everyone and get on with everyone. I like to make everything enjoyable at the training ground and the first thing I do is put music on in the changing room just to make it fun. Football is a serious business but we all first and foremost got into the game because it was fun.”
      Now Evatt wants Santos to go through the divisions with the club.How does he feel about being talked about like that?
      He said: “With the history this club has and to be able to do that and be liked by the manager, I’d love it.
      “Bolton will one day get back to the Premier League. The set-up is Premier League and the owners want to build and don’t mind spending money to get in players. I want to be part of that journey. We’re going the right way.”
      And so – finally – is Santos.
      RICARDO SANTOS ON …
      HIS PORTUGAL ROOTS: My parents are Portuguese so I was born there. We moved to East London when I was two or three.
      BIGGEST INFLUENCES: I’m a big Arsenal fan and used to be a striker as a kid. I idolised Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. I grew bigger and moved back to midfield and eventually centre-half where I was able to dominate.
      WINNING PLAYER OF THE MONTH: I thought it must have been some sort of a joke as I always was under the impression only strikers really win that. Eoin Doyle has been massive for us this season upfront – he has 15 goals already – so I did well to beat him this time!
      HOW HE GOT INTO FOOTBALL: I used to play with my two brothers while growing up in East London. I joined a Sunday team called Stratford FC and then went to Dagenham at 14, where I ended up doing my scholarship.
      LIVING UP NORTH FOR THE FIRST TIME: The locals have been so welcoming and friendly. The weather is a lot different though – rains much more and is colder than down south. I’m happy, though, as I have my other half and two-year-old son living with me. More

    • 263 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Newcastle cult hero Joey Barton goads Sunderland and says he could never manage rivals as his ‘heart is black and white’

      by

      JOEY BARTON has goaded Sunderland fans by claiming: I will never be your manager.The Bristol Rovers boss, 38, reckons some Wearsiders would love to see him in charge at the Stadium of Light.  
      Joey Barton celebrates beating Sunderland as a Newcastle player in 2011Credit: Bradley Ormesher – The Times
      Barton celebrates with Kevin Nolan during Newcastle’s 5-1 win over Sunderland in 2010Credit: Getty
      But he maintains his playing days at fierce rivals Newcastle have put paid to that idea.   
      Barton said: “The red-and-white side of the north-east don’t like me and they’ve made that clear every time I’ve played and managed there.  
      “But, deep down, I think there’s a side to them that secretly does like me  and they would one day probably want me to manage Sunderland. But they just can’t say that out loud because they know I’d reject them. 
      “As much as they want me, I could never do it because my heart is black and white. I love Newcastle.”  
      Barton will love nothing more than denting Sunderland’s promotion bid when lowly Rovers host their high-flying League One rivals today.  
       In a bid to halt a run of three defeats on the spin, Barton has turned teacher.
      He added: “We had a psychology class on Monday — a bit of Jungian archetypes about embracing fear.
      “On Thursday, it was a football history lesson — how the Italians like Franco Baresi defend.”
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
      Barton’s Bristol Rovers face Sunderland on SaturdayCredit: Getty

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Black Cats boss Lee Johnson is on a mission to banish the demons, knowing the side have not won in six matches against Barton.
      He said: “It’s another one of these Sunderland hoo-doos! Another one we have to try and banish.
      “They’re fighting for their lives and I don’t think there is a better person to have at the helm. Joey has been a winner all his career.”
      Danny Simpson in training to return to the field More

    • 238 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      Stockport star Connor Jennings diagnosed with rare form of cancer and will have surgery before missing rest of season

      by

      STOCKPORT COUNTY striker Connor Jennings has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.Jennings, 29, discovered a tumour when undergoing scans for a persistent shoulder problem and low-grade chondroid sarcoma was diagnosed after a biopsy.
      Stockport County striker Connor Jennings has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancerCredit: Getty
      The only course of treatment for the former Tranmere and Scunthorpe forward is to undergo surgery, and County have confirmed he will miss the remainder of the National League season.
      Jennings has enjoyed a long career in the lower leagues and Conference, and scored the winning goal in Tranmere’s League Two play-off final win over Newport Country in 2019.
      County said in a statement: “Connor had been suffering from pain in his shoulder for several months after a fall in training.
      “And following physio treatment was referred for MRI scans to investigate, it was during these scans that a suspected tumour was located within his upper arm.
      “Following subsequent biopsies, this has been confirmed as low-grade chondroid sarcoma which is a rare type of cancer.
      “Although the treatment plan and timings are still being discussed with medical experts, chondroid sarcoma can only be treated through surgery, with a good success rate. 
      “The club are working with Connor to ensure he gets all the support he needs during this difficult period through to his recovery.
      “In the meantime, Connor continues to be around his team mates at Carrington, staying fit and strong, and supporting the club in all its games and activities.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE
      Jennings hasn’t featured for the National League side since February 6Credit: Getty

      “We know County fans will be saddened by this news and understandably may have questions or concerns.
      “At this time, all future updates on Connor’s progress will be provided only via official club channels.”
      Former Grimsby ace Jennings hasn’t featured for Stockport since the 1-0 win against Yeovil on February 6.
      He has appeared in 20 games in all competitions this term, chipping in with three goals.
      England prepare for San Marino World Cup qualifier More

    • 263 Shares169 Views

      in Soccer

      EFL announce first EVER clear round of coronavirus testing out of 5,524 with just two in Prem for seventh week running

      by

      EFL chiefs have recorded their first Covid-free testing round.A total of 5,524 players and staff from across all 72 EFL clubs gave samples last week.
      There were zero Covid-19 cases in the Football League this weekCredit: PA
      None of those tests came back positive, in a landmark week for the EFL.
      League chief executive Trevor Birch said: “These results are a testament to the hard work and efforts of all EFL clubs during what has been a particularly challenging period.
      “For 12 months we, like the rest of the society, have been dictated to by this virus.
      “However, the stringent protocols implemented across the board have ensured that we are now able to turn our attention to returning to a certain level of normality.
      “Our focus must be on maintaining this low transmission rate and then ensure supporters can return in full as quickly as is safe to do so.
      “Football remains one of the most heavily regulated areas of crowd management, with EFL clubs already demonstrating they can stage matches safely during a successful pilot programme earlier in the season.”
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      Premier League clubs have recorded two positive samples in each of the last seven weeks, with the last clear round of top-flight testing coming in the final week of last season.
      Leeds’ Polish midfielder Mateusz Klich has tested positive for the virus and will miss his country’s three World Cup qualifiers including next week’s match with England at Wembley.
      A solitary positive was recorded from the first round of 1,576 tests between Monday and Thursday last week, with a another positive result from the second round of 1,196 tests between Thursday and Sunday.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Boris Johnson risks fresh vaccine row over UK’s ‘greedy’ jab firms More

    • 213 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Sheffield United looking at Oxford boss Karl Robinson to replace Chris Wilder with Slavisa Jokanovic leading target

      by

      OXFORD manager Karl Robinson is one of the managers being considered to replace Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.The Blades are taking their time trying to settle on the right man to lead the club’s attempts to make an instant return to the top-flight once their almost certain relegation is confirmed.
      Oxford boss Karl Robinson is understood to be a potential replacement for Chris Wilder at Sheffield UnitedCredit: Getty
      Former Fulham and Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic is their leading target, as revealed by SunSport last week, but there are others also being considered.
      And it is understood one of those is 40-year-old Robinson, who has gained an impressive reputation operating on a shoestring budget at Oxford and still producing a competitive side playing good football.
      Jokanovic’s CV is strong having twice achieved promotion to the Premier League during his time in charge at Fulham and Watford.
      Robsinon has also caught the eye, not only for how he has nurtured promising young talent into his sides, but also a willingness to embrace and look at new ideas to help improve the overall competitiveness of his players.
      Swansea’s Steve Cooper, who led England to Under-17 World Cup success, is another who has been recommended.
      But he would only be available if he is unable to get the Welsh side into the Premier League this season.
      The Swans currently sit third in the Championship table following their 1-0 defeat against rivals Cardiff on Saturday.
      SunSport understands that ex-Blades gaffer Wilder is keen to return to management as soon as possible.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      However should he find a job within the next six months, he will have his United pay-off cut.
      As part of his settlement, Wilder will continue to be paid by Bramall Lane chiefs for six months.
      But if he takes another job in that time, it means United will pay him less, although he would try hard to find a way around that.
      United crashed out of the FA Cup quarter-final stage for the second consecutive season on Sunday after Chelsea beat them 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
      Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea’s win was a big relief after a big mental effort More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Soccer

      Brazil icon Branco fights for life in intensive care after ex-Middlesbrough ace suffers ‘Covid-19 complications’ aged 56

      by

      BRAZIL World Cup winner Branco is fighting for his life in hospital after being admitted with ‘Covid complications’ last week.The 56-year-old former Middlesbrough star was placed on a ventilator in intensive care but is said to be ‘showing improvement’.
      Brazilian World Cup winner Branco is in intensive care battling CovidCredit: AFP
      Branco (left) won the 1994 World CupCredit: AFP
      Branco checked in to a Rio de Janiero medical centre at the start of last week.
      And after several worrying days he is now ‘reacting well to medication’, according to CNN.
      The latest report from CNN Brazil on Saturday said: “Doctors have begun the process of reducing sedation to remove mechanical ventilators.
      “They hope that in the next few hours he will be able to breathe without the aid of the device.”
      Branco played for several clubs in Brazil during his illustrious career – namely Fluminense, Gremio, Corinthians, Flamengo and Internacional.
      And he also had spells in Europe with Porto in Portugal and Genoa and Brescia in Italy.
      He won the 1994 World Cup with Brazil and didn’t head to Teesside until 1996.
      But he was well past his best and managed just nine games before his contract was paid up.
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
      The 56-year-old played for Middlesbrough (pictured on the line) in the 90sCredit: PA:Press Association

      However, despite his struggles in the North East, upon leaving Branco said: “I am sad to leave Middlesbrough. I have enjoyed my time here.
      “I was able to give my friend Juninho the help and encouragement he needed.”
      Branco now works for the Brazilian Football Confederation.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds More