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      EFL chief Rick Parry warns Uefa new Champions League format could decimate English football

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      EFL chairman Rick Parry has warned Uefa its Champions League expansion plans risk decimating the fabric of English football.
      European chiefs are set to confirm the new plans to come into effect from 2024 after getting the backing of Europe’s biggest clubs.

      Rick Parry has warned Uefa of the threat faced by smaller clubsCredit: PA:Press Association

      But Parry, who was supported by Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, suggested the planned extra 100 Champions League games per season would destroy the League Cup and be potentially fatal for some of English football’s most historic clubs.
      Parry told the European League’s Club Advisory Platform virtual meeting: “The 72 clubs in the EFL are at the heart of their communities
      “The League Cup has been in existence for 60 years and is owned and managed by the EFL.
      “One of the conditions on the formation of the Premier League was that all clubs would play in it.

      “But Uefa proposal poses a major threat to the League Cup, especially with regard to the teams in the Champions League – and it will have a massive effect on EFL revenues
      “We estimate we could lose one third of the revenues we distribute to our clubs – which could pose a very real threat to the existence of those clubs.”
      Parry was echoed by Selhurst chief Parish, who added: “This would have a devastating effect on domestic competitions in England.
      “The League Cup is the largest financial contributor to the EFL and this will be the end of that Cup in its entirety or reduce it to a youth competition.”

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      Clubs like us feel so remote from the decision-making and there is a huge conflict of interest.
      Steve ParishCrystal Palace chairman

      Uefa have reached agreement with Europe’s biggest clubs that there will be no weekend games in its club competitions, leaving the field clear for domestic leagues.
      The deal effectively kills off the planned European Super League, despite efforts led by Real Madrid to breathe life into the dying embers of the breakaway plan.
      But Prem clubs want to thwart the proposal to play two of the 10 games in the initial league phase of the 36-team Champions League “Swiss model” competition in January.
      Uefa will formally announce the new format next month but Parish also blasted Nyon chiefs and the influential European Club Association for ignoring the voices of those left out of the elite group.
      He said: “Clubs like us feel so remote from the decision-making and there is a huge conflict of interest, with Uefa and the ECA now choosing to make changes for the long term in the middle of a pandemic.
      “We are expected to accept them because they’re not as bad as they could have been.
      “But there will be a huge impact on us and the creep is never ending.“
      Parish and Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow also condemned the proposal, backed by the Prem’s ‘Big Six’, for a backdoor safety net to be available for two clubs to qualify for the Champions League through their Uefa coefficient score.

      Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is set to green light Champions League reformsCredit: REUTERS

      Parry fears for the future of the League Cup if the changes occurCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Palace chief said: “If we took it on last season, Leicester were fifth but the two clubs below them [Spurs and Arsenal] would have qualified for the Champions League based on an arbitrary period of success in Europe.”
      Purslow added: “It affects domestic competitions if you boost teams from the Europa League to the Champions League based on what they did in the past.
      “That would give clubs in the Premier League a £45m advantage over a team that may have finished ahead of them. Most people would see that as unfair and not right.”
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      Bolton remember the 33 victims of Burnden disaster on 75th anniversary of stadium tragedy – they must never be forgotten

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      THERE was a time that not even the Bolton captain knew about the Burnden disaster.
      And he was playing for Wanderers only two decades after the tragedy, which happened 75 years ago tomorrow.

      Police and fans on the Burnden Park pitch following the crush on March 9, 1946Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Thirty-three Bolton fans were killed on that fateful day, 75 years agoCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      In fact, the first Gareth Williams, at Bolton from 1967-71, knew about it was when he read it in Sun Sport five years ago.
      Williams’ wife Karen tweeted at me following that article on the 70th anniversary, saying: “My husband Gareth Williams was captain for years at Bolton never knew about this! Shameful
      “He was astounded when he read this article never had been mentioned.”
      It wasn’t shameful that he didn’t know about it – but seems extraordinary now.

      For years, Bolton didn’t really make much of the anniversary of what is the fourth worst stadium disaster in British football history.
      Thirty-three Wanderers fans were crushed to death on March 9, 1946, during an FA Cup quarter- final with Stoke at Burnden Park
      An estimated 85,000 people – some of them just back from World War Two – packed in to see Stoke’s star man, Stanley Matthews.

      The front cover of Bolton’s programme for Tuesday’s match against Cambridge will contain the names of the 33 people who died in the Burnden disaster
      He was shocked when, despite supporters being injured and dying all around them, the match continued.

      Lots of Bolton fans have family members who were there that day – my grandad and great uncle went.
      Many of those supporters didn’t really know how severe the tragedy was, according to Wanderers chaplain Phil Mason, who has spoken to many survivors and their loved ones over the years.
      Indeed, some fans just went to the pub or the cinema afterwards while their panicked relatives listened to radio updates and prayed they would return home.
      And when they did, they got a clip round the ear!
      There is no chance any current Bolton player will be oblivious to the significance of the Burnden disaster.
      At the home game against Cambridge tomorrow there will be a minute’s silence, both teams will lay wreaths.

      My husband Gareth Williams was captain for years at Bolton never knew about this! Shameful
      Karen Williams, Gareth’s wife

      Flags will be half-mast, there will be a list of those who died on the LED advertising boards and the big screen.
      Wanderers will also remember them on social media, the manager and players will read out the names of those who died, and it’ll conclude with a prayer.
      Mason explained: “It was the first major English football stadium disaster and we see ourselves as part of a small family of clubs who have suffered that pain. We all stand together.
      “Nobody should go to a football match and lose their life.
      “We will remember the 33 who died but also the 500 or so who were injured, many of them suffering life-changing injuries.

      Bolton club chaplain Phil Mason conducting the 70th anniversary service five years agoCredit: Rex Features
      “They should never be forgotten.
      “It’s more out there than it’s ever been, you’d have to be walking around with your eyes closed not to see it.”
      Mason, 56, started at Bolton in 2003 but it was before the 2006 remembrance service – the 60th anniversary – that he and the club decided to do “a bit more to remember the tragedy”
      The day was especially poignant for Mason, whose father passed away on the morning of the service, meaning he had to go to Preston to identify the body before heading back and leading the prayers.
      He recalled: “I was feeling the pain of the people who were there, the families of the 33.”
      The current board and staff will play their part in remembering it.
      In his programme notes for the Cambridge match, manager Ian Evatt writes: “The disaster is a poignant chapter in the club’s long and distinguished history and it is our duty as supporters and staff to ensure that their memories continue to shine throughout what we achieve.”

      The plaque at the site of the Burnden disaster – now inside a supermarket
      It is only right that the memory of the tragedy is woven into the fabric of the club and that we Wanderers make the wider football world aware of those supporters from Bolton and Rochdale, Wigan and Blackburn, Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley who lost their lives.
      So well played to fans in the Bolton Wanderers’ Remembrance Group, who raised money for a flag inside the stadium.
      There is a plaque at the site of the tragedy but as the club moved from Burnden Park in 1997, that tribute is now inside an Asda.
      However, there is now a permanent plaque at the site of the Nat Lofthouse statue outside the University of Bolton Stadium.

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      The current Wanderers regime and supporters deserve huge credit for the importance they place on March 9 – as chairman Sharon Brittain writes in her programme notes for tomorrow’s match: “The club commemorates victims of the disaster and we shall do so forever more.”
      Those who died and were injured will never be forgotten.
      RIP the 33. More

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      Sunderland’s Charlie Wyke outscoring Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland in 2021 – only Robert Lewandowski has more goals

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      CHARLIE WYKE is outscoring Lionel Messi – now there’s a sentence Sunderland supporters never expected to read!
      The big striker was mocked by the Black Cats faithful before embarking on a superb 2021.

      Charlie Wyke is the second top scorer in Europe this season

      This year, only Bayern Munich goal machine Robert Lewandowski has outscored him in Europe’s top five leagues and the EFL.
      Wyke has netted more than the likes of Messi and Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland so far this year.
      The Sunderland striker headed home his 25th goal this season in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Rochdale.
      Wyke’s tally matches the Black Cats feats of Darren Bent and Kevin Phillips more than ten and 20 years ago.

      And it has put him in with Europe’s elite.
      It is not just Wyke who is heading up in the world.
      Head tennis has created legends at Sunderland — and they may have been rescued by a new one.
      The two-a-side head tennis battles in the groundsman’s shed at the old Charlie Hurley training ground were the making of the Peter Reid team that transformed the club  in the late 90s as they moved to the Stadium  of Light.

      And when Sunderland’s new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus  met the players for the first time, he insisted on a game with boss Lee Johnson and his backroom staff.
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      Charlie Wyke netted his 25th goal of the season against Rochdale on SaturdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      His assistant Jamie McAllister revealed Louis-Dreyfus has been a regular at their training base since taking charge  last month. McAllister said: “We have seen him a lot. He has been excellent.
      “He’s  been in most days and you can see his hunger and love for the game. He’s very focused with a  clear plan of where he wants to take the club.
      “He is easy to talk to and he is even joining in head tennis. He is all right as well, he beat us the other day.

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      “It’s exciting times at Sunderland, with great vision. He wants to lift the club, take it to the next level.”
      The Black Cats have won six of their last seven and are now five points behind leaders Hull in fourth with two games in hand.
      Dion Sanderson, who scored the first against Rochdale, has been impressed by Louis-Dreyfus. He said “He’s a nice person. He had a chat with all of the lads together and it was good vibes from him. So far, so good.”

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      Man Utd, and Bayern Munich target Max Aarons confirms transfer approaches – and Norwich star reveals how you say surname

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      MAX AARONS almost had more talking to do off the pitch than on it as his Norwich  recorded a seventh straight victory.
      The Canaries right-back spoke to the media after the table-toppers’ latest success and ended up discussing a range of subjects including club, country — and even how to pronounce his surname.

      Max Aarons is being monitored by some of Europe’s top sidesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Mind you, the England Under-21 international is probably used to being the centre of discussion.
      Late last summer Barcelona made a move for him and he has continued to attract lots of interest.
      Fellow giants Bayern Munich are a long-term admirer, while Manchester United have watched him.
      And last month a SunSport exclusive revealed Roma had a huge bid turned down by Canaries supremo Stuart Webber.

      Aarons, 21, said: “Stuart said there was an offer and we all sat down and spoke about it.
      “We decided it wasn’t the best fit at that time. I didn’t want to let it become a distraction and neither did anyone from the club.
      “As soon as it was there we spoke about it and then it was done and it was straight on to getting more wins.
      “As a player you expect to be in the loop. It is about you, so it’s important for everyone to be on the same page.”

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      Aarons is targetting an England place at the Under-21 European ChampionshipCredit: PA:Press Association
      Aarons has also emerged as a target for Jamaica.
      But he said: “I’m fully focussed on England Under-21s at the moment. We’ve got big European Championship coming up.
      “I had a few  family members from Jamaica messaging me, and I just had to say, ‘Listen, I haven’t heard anything’.

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      “It’s Dad’s side of the family. My cousin Rolando, who is at Huddersfield, is in the process of maybe making a decision.”
      Aarons also cleared up how his surname should be pronounced.
      He said: “Air-uns, that’s how everyone says it in my family.”

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      Wigan set for takeover by Bahraini-funded group Phoenix 2021 in £3m deal – ending their administration hell

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      WIGAN ATHLETIC are set to be taken over by Bahraini-funded group Phoenix 2021 – and backed by solid Middle East cash.
      The League One strugglers should finally emerge from their administration nightmare after a deal was agreed at around £3 million to pay their bills in full.

      Wigan caretaker boss Leam Richardson could soon see financial stability off the pitch for the second-bottom League One clubCredit: Rex Features

      Talal Mubarak Al Hammadi is lined up to be chairman, with a British group of advisers headed by former chief executive Mal Brannigan and computer expert Tom Markham.
      The source of the cash has been verified by the EFL who were keen to be sure that the money was clean during extensive tests.
      Phoenix 2021 is based in Manchester but owned by a Gibraltar firm Europa Point Sports and wealthy former investment banker Abdulrahman Al Jasmi also has a ‘significant interest’ in the background.
      Europa Point already have a football team while Al Jasmi has years in the financial world in the middle east – but Al Hammadi will be the ‘face’ of the group.

      Talks have been going on for months but only came to a head when Wigan failed to do a deal with a Spanish group.
      Meanwhile, Celtic are reportedly closing in on Wigan striker Kyle Joseph, 19.
      The Scotland Under-19 star has also been linked with Tottenham, Arsenal and Rangers.
      But the Daily Mail suggest the Hoops are set to tie up a pre-contract deal with the London-born ace.

      Joseph has made a huge impact since making his Latics debut in October.
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      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      He grabbed his first goal in the win at Sunderland in December.
      And he soon impressed the ever-increasing number of scouts with a hat-trick against Burton.
      If Joseph moves, Wigan will be entitled to compensation, although his contract expires in June.

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      Chelsea ace Luke McCormick wanted by Millwall in summer transfer with 22-year-old impressing at Bristol Rovers

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      CHELSEA midfielder Luke McCormick may have played his way into a move to Millwall.
      McCormick has caught the eye on a loan spell at League One Bristol Rovers and the Lions hope to tie up a deal for him in the summer.

      Chelsea’s Luke McCormick could be set for a move to the Championship in the summerCredit: Rex Features

      The 22-year-old is set to leave Stamford Bridge before going into the last year of his deal.
      That should see a switch across London to join Gary Rowett’s Championship outfit.
      A short spell with Shrewsbury in 2019 saw the midfielder make his debut in senior football.
      McCormick has played 30 games on loan at Rovers this campaign but missed Saturday’s defeat to Hull through suspension.

      Gas boss Joey Barton backed the youngster to bounce back after earning a second yellow against Burton for kicking the ball away.
      He said: “Macca’s obviously very disappointed, but he’s a young player and he’s here on loan to learn lessons, and that will be a lesson he will learn and carry on into his career.
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      “It’s disappointing, but we win together and we lose together. He’ll be superb for us between now and the end of the season and I’m sure he will turn in performances that will go some way to making up for that error.”

      Meanwhile, Millwall are set for another year in the Championship while sat firmly in mid-table with 11 games to go.
      A defeat to Blackburn on the weekend left the capital club 11 points off the play-off places but 14 clear of the drop.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Celtic ‘closing in on Kyle Joseph transfer with Scots set to beat Tottenham to 19-year-old Wigan youngster’

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      CELTIC are closing in on a deal to sign Kyle Joseph from Wigan, reports say.
      The Scotland Under-19 international’s contract expires in June and he has plenty of clubs interested in signing him on a free.

      Celtic are closing in on a deal to sign Kyle Joseph from WiganCredit: Rex Features

      As a result, he has not extended his contract, instead choosing to explore his options.
      According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are set to conclude a pre-contract which will bring the forward to Scotland.
      Tottenham and Arsenal were among those linked with the teen, who has five goals in 16 games so far this season.
      Joseph has made a huge impact for Wigan since making his debut for the club in October.

      He grabbed his first for the Latics in the win at Sunderland in December.
      And he impressed the ever-increasing number of scouts by firing a hat-trick against Burton shortly afterwards.
      If Joseph decides to move, the Latics will be entitled to compensation for the striker.
      Rangers – on the verge of a first league title since 2011 – were also said to be in for the youngster.

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      The Ibrox side are now 21 points clear of the Hoops in the Premiership table.
      And with Celtic only having 21 total points left to play for, anything less than a win over Dundee United would end the title race.
      Already Rangers fans have started the party while Rangers players were filmed dancing in their dressing room.

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      Puscas shares a name with a legend but wants to be a hero in his own right by rifling Royals into the Premier League

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      GEORGE PUSCAS shares a surname with one of football’s greatest icons.
      But the Reading striker does not like to draw parallels with the Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas because he is from Romania.

      George Puscas celebrates his goals for Reading and Romania by simulating shooting a rifle

      Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas was one of the greatest footballers of all time

      Yet while he is not proud to be a namesake of a man seen as a God by bitter rivals in a neighbouring country, he loves what the names means.
      Puscas, back in his native land, means “Rifleman.”
      He said: “To be honest, I am Romanian and have nothing to do with his name. I’ll do it my way. I’ll be the Romanian Puscas.
      “The name back home in Romania means rifleman.”

      The 24-year-old loves celebrating his goals by simulating firing a rifle and he was doing just that on Tuesday as he scored on his first start against Blackburn after a three-month lay-off with a hernia injury.
      And with Brentford losing four out of their last six games, the Royals are only six points behind the second automatic promotion spot.
      Puscas – who needed an operation – told SunSport: “It’s been a few tough months. I was doing all the treatments but it wasn’t getting better.
      “I had to do the surgery but now I’m feeling fit and good.

      “We’re looking of course towards second and achieving great things.
      “But we don’t look at the table every day so if we simply take it step by step we’ll see where it takes us.”

      Puscas would love to play in the Premier League.
      Had history taken a different course, he might have been there already.
      For aged just 16 Arsenal brought him over to London for a one-week trial after scouts flew to Romania to watch him playing for Bihor Oradea.
      He said: “Arsenal had been following me since I was just 15 playing for my local team.
      “They called and invited me to London. I trained with them and even did a session with Arsene Wenger coaching. I did well.
      “Arsenal said they would wait a year before signing me for their academy so I went home and in that time Inter Milan offered me a contract without trials.
      “At that age, you just see them both as big clubs and Inter wanted me at that moment so I went there.”
      Puscas got his Serie A breakthrough at the San Siro under the management of former Manchester City Premier League-winning coach Roberto Macini.

      Arsenal had been following me since I was just 15 playing for my local team. They called and invited me to London. I trained with them and even did a session with Arsene Wenger coaching. I did well.
      George Puscas

      He said: “Making my debut under him was my favourite moment.
      “Mancini was a great coach. He was a striker and used to stay with me after training to teach me a lot of things.
      “It was my first experience moving to another country. I met all the big footballers who were there and got a lot of help from people like Javier Zanetti, Rodrigo Palacio and Esteban Cambiasso.”
      It is no wonder with the superstars at Mancini’s disposal that Pucas only made seven appearances for Inter and ended up being loaned out to Bari, Benevento and Novara.
      He was eventually sold to Serie B Palermo in 2018 and enjoyed a great season football-wise, making 33 outings and scoring nine goals.
      But the club were first docked 20 points for financial irregularities before the authorities relegated them two divisions to Serie D.

      George Puscas celebrates his winner against Blackburn with the creator Lucas Joao
      Inter exercised their buy-back option before promptly selling him to Reading on a five-year deal in August 2019.
      Puscas quickly established himself as a fans’ favourite at the Madejski Stadium for his hard-working performances.
      And now pairing up with 20-goal Luas Joao up front, the Royals certainly have the firepower to cause anyone in the Championship a serious threat.
      He said: “I enjoy playing with Lucas. We find each other well on the pitch. He deserves his 20 goals.
      “But all the team are good. It is because of everyone that we as strikers get our chances.”
      Puscas is one of the characters in the Reading dressing room. He even broke into the club’s training ground during the first lockdown – just so he could train on his own.
      Boss Veljko Paunovic revealed how the Romanian is always entertaining the players in their WhatsApp group by posting funny messages and videos.
      Puscas laughed: “I like to keep the atmosphere nice because I know there’s a lot of pressure here.
      “All the things I text and videos is to put a smile on everyone’s face.
      “At the end of the day, we do our best. We might lose one game but must keep going and think about the next one.
      “I’m always close to the players because we believe we can achieve big things.” More