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      Jamal Lowe was always on a high when he watched Swansea and now is starring for them

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      LITTLE did Jamal Lowe know as a starry-eyed kid tweeting about Swansea that he would one day be playing for them.
      When the rookie was 17 and turning out for Barnet Under-18s, the Swans had just won promotion to the Premier League.

      Jamal Lowe is now starring for Swansea years after falling in love with themCredit: Nigel Keene/ProSports

      And Lowe fell in love with the Welsh club for their swashbuckling style under first Brendan Rodgers and then Michael Laudrup.
      Now nine years later he is hoping to help shoot them back into the big-time.
      After Swansea lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United in 2011, Lowe enthusiastically tweeted: “Watching Match Of The Day. Well done Swansea, great passing side!”
      In another – after seeing them thump Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage – he gushed: “Swansea’s all orange kit is swag.”

      And he was bowled over when he was elevated into the Barnet Under-21s side and had the chance to take on the Welsh kids.
      First he tweeted, “I’m buzzin’ for trips like Swansea away this season” then, after losing 1-0 at The Hive, he wrote, “Swansea was a very good side.”
      So Lowe, now 26, jumped at the chance to move to the Liberty Stadium from Wigan during the summer.

      Jamal Lowe started tweeting about his love for Swansea when he was 17
      And he said: “I don’t know how they found those tweets from all those years ago … incredible.

      “I was a kid tweeting what I was seeing. I was watching Swansea and became inspired about the way they played.
      “Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer are still here from the time I started watching them while Andre Ayew and Kyle Naughton were big players for the club in the Premier League.
      “In my view, it was only Arsenal at the time who were playing that type of tippy-tappy football. They had been newly promoted to the Premier League and stuck to their philosophy all the way. It was just so slick and took everyone by surprise.
      “And, even today, it’s the way the club want to play. It’s ingrained into their DNA.”
      The second-placed Swans travel to Norwich in third for what is the Championship’s game of the day on Saturday.
      Victory could even take the Welsh club top if Reading lose at home to Stoke.
      Boss Steve Cooper’s credentials – like his predecessor Graham Potter – are rapidly rising. Having led England to winning the Under-17s World Cup in 2017, he guided the Swans to the play-offs last season but is hoping to go one better this time.

      Steve Cooper definitely can become a Premier League manager – and we’re all pushing to get him there as we all want to be at that level too.”

      And Lowe said: “What I love about Steve is his approachability. It’s a big thing compared to other managers who are daunting or hard to approach, especially when you need to have a tough conversation.
      “He’s told me his phone number is there if I need to call him or the door open if I need to see him. That’s a huge thing when you’re a new player and are welcomed into the club like that.
      “He definitely can become a Premier League manager – and we’re all pushing to get him there as we all want to be at that level too.”
      If Lowe reaches his dream of playing in the top division, he will have done it the hard way.
      The winger has played in six of the top seven tiers of English football.Having started out with Barnet, he has also had spells at Hayes & Yeading, Boreham Wood, Hitchin, St Albans, Farnborough, Hemel Hempstead, Hampton & Richmond, Portsmouth and Wigan.
      And he is proud of his non-league roots even if at the time he found it challenging – especially after his release from Barnet in 2015.
      He said: “It’s real-life football. The fouls you get in the Championship wouldn’t be given in National League South because it’s rougher.

      Jamal Lowe was on the books at Barnet and played in non-leagueCredit: Barnet FC
      “Non-league is a mixed bag – you get people like myself who want to become pros while there are others who are decent footballers content at that level and go out for a few beers on a Friday night.
      “Then you have the ones who just want to release all their anger on a Saturday. It was a case of dealing with all those things.
      “There are some players who don’t have the same aspirations or goals you have and it can be difficult because they can affect the outcome of the game. If someone doesn’t care as much about the game as you do, it affects the team.
      “It’s not their fault – and I don’t criticise them either – it’s just a factor you must deal with. You can’t hold it against people for wanting to live a normal life.
      “I had to go part-time and worked as a PE teacher and teams started to train in the morning and be more full-time – that was tough because it ruled out a lot of clubs. I could only play for teams that trained on a Tuesday and Thursday evening.
      “It was a very humbling way to progress because when you get to the higher levels like I am now you know how life is down the other side.

      QPR turned me down because they had this lad, Raheem Sterling, playing in my position who was pretty good. To be fair, he hasn’t done too badly since has he?”

      “Don’t get wrong, it would’ve been great to have turned pro at a top Premier League club at 18 and still be there.
      “But this has been a great journey and it’s one that can inspire others never to give up.”
      The irony is Lowe’s dream of being signed by a top academy was dashed by a player who has gone on to win the Premier League and play for England … Raheem Sterling.Lowe laughed: “QPR turned me down because they had this lad, Raheem Sterling, playing in my position who was pretty good. To be fair, he hasn’t done too badly since has he?”

      Jamal Lowe played for St Albans City as he progressed through non-leagueCredit: Jamal Lowe
      Lowe got snapped up by Portsmouth and helped them get promoted from League Two and then spent last season at Wigan, which ended in the heartbreak of relegation after the EFL docked them 12 points at the end of the season.
      He said: “It was one of the most unjust decisions. It was crazy how they told us they’d take the 12 points off our only if it put us into a relegation position but would apply it next season if it didn’t – what sort of decision is that?”
      But things are going great in the Valleys now and Swansea are most definitely looking the business.
      One of the star performers has been Ayew. The Ghana striker top scored last season with 18 goals and has five already this time around.
      It was a huge boost for fans that Swansea managed to keep their talisman.
      And Lowe said: “He’s the ultimate professional, he doesn’t mess about. His quality off the pitch is the thing that surprised me.
      “Everyone knows how good he is on the pitch – but the way he is around the group with some of the older boys and younger boys, he mixes with everyone.

      Andre Ayew celebrates his fifth Swansea goal of the season at Brentford Credit: Huw Jenkins Agency

      “On the field, he has just developed a know-how. He always manages to get in the right place at the right time. It’s massive. Even if it’s a deflection, it drops to him because he is there.
      “The man has done it in every league across Europe that he’s played in as well as for his country. He’s the one we all wants to learn from and turn to for inspiration.”
      Lowe is certainly motivated and driven to reach the top.
      He said: “It’s hard to imagine three-and-a-half years ago I was playing in the National League at Hampton & Richmond – and now I’m just one step away from the Premier League.”

      Lowe will rip out seats himself if fans let in

      JAMAL LOWE says he will personally get a screwdriver and rip out some seats if it means fans will be let safely back into stadiums.

      The Swansea ace cannot understand why supporters were not allowed back into grounds earlier and wants the government to ensure they are once the current lockdown is over.
      He said: “What confuses me is when I go home from a huge stadium with no fans, I switch on television and Strictly Come Dancing is on with a small audience in a studio.
      “It makes absolutely no sense. Football have the biggest arenas in the country, all outside, yet the government cannot allow a restricted number of supporters in. It’s baffling.
      “Club can easily take some of the seats out temporarily to ensure fans are at a safe social distance. You will get so many volunteers who will help with that – and I will be the first one out there, with many other players I am sure, with a screwdriver ripping them out if it means fans return to the games.” More

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      Arsenal and Newcastle icon Malcolm Macdonald on playing full-back for Tonbridge – who are in FA Cup first round action

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      MALCOLM MACDONALD was one of the great iconic strikers of English football in the Seventies.
      Supermac enjoys legendary status at Newcastle, Luton and Arsenal and got capped 14 times by England.

      Malcolm Macdonald (far left) started his football career at Tonbridge in 1967Credit: Tonbridge Angels FC

      But the 70-year-old – who also played for Fulham – would not have had that career without the club that started it.
      And today he will be watching National League South team Tonbridge on TV as they appear in the FA Cup first round for the first time in 48 years when they host Bradford.

      Another old local newspaper cutting shows Malcolm Macdonald (centre) in action against Dagenham in 1967 on a snowy pitch
      Macdonald was just 17 when the Kent side handed him his first contract in July 1967.
      The striker – then a left-back – was running his family’s tobacconist and confectionery shop in the small Sussex village of Forest Row, 17 miles from Tonbridge.

      Supermac told SunSport: “My father had died so my mother sold our house in Fulham to move to Forest Row after Christmas in 1966 and we lived above the shop.
      “I turned 17 in the New Year and started my driving lessons and the instructor, whose name sadly escapes me, was an ex-pro at Coventry and we got talking about football.
      “And I told him I’d been on the books at Barnet as a youth and played for London Grammar Schools but couldn’t find a level good enough for me in Sussex.
      “He recommended I join a senior team in Sevenoaks called Knole Juniors. It was there I got spotted by Harry Haslam, who was Tonbridge manager, and he signed me.”

      It seems hard to imagine that Macdonald then was a full-back when you consider he went on to score 58 goals in 101 games for Luton, 138 in 257 outings for Newcastle and 57 in 108 for Arsenal.
      Macdonald settled on left-back because in his youth he was on the diminutive side and felt he would get bossed about at centre-half, centre-midfield or centre-forward against the older players – and could instead use his blistering pace on the flank.

      Malcolm Macdonald was a Newcastle legend, scoring 95 goals in 187 games

      Malcolm Macdonald celebrates scoring for Arsenal against Newcastle
      And it was by a complete fluke that Haslam stumbled across Macdonald’s potential up front after playing him out of position as a right-back!
      Supermac said: “Tonbridge had an accomplished left-back – a certain Vic Akers, who went on to become Arsenal’s first-ever ladies manager where he won everything and got an OBE. Arsene Wenger was so impressed he made him the club’s kit manager.
      “But Harry told me, ‘I’m going to teach you how to kick with your right foot if it’s the death of me.’
      “I was always happy to use my right peg as I didn’t want to be a one-trick pony.
      “But what I found interesting playing at right-back was when I got forward, I cut inside on to my stronger foot. So I started scoring quite a few goals from there.
      “Once Harry saw that, he’d play me right-back in a Southern League game on the Saturday then centre-forward in the midweek Floodlight Cup games and I started banging in goals on a serious basis.”

      It was when Malcolm Macdonald was switched to right-back that Tonbridge manager Harry Haslam recognised his goalsoring potential
      Back then Macdonald was earning £10 a week but the players also got paid appearance money and bonuses for wins and draws.
      And the ex-England star remembers: “We ended up getting good money because we were playing Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday so the appearance and bonus money mounted up.
      “The club was successful and we were getting crowds up to 1,700 and had a lively bar there as well. It was a great place to be.”
      Haslam – who went on to become a legendary Luton manager by leading them into the top flight in 1974 as well as Sheffield United boss – was a jovial character but taught Macdonald a huge lesson one evening that has remained with him to this day.

      Macdonald (fifth from centre) celebrates with Tonbridge team-mates
      Supermac said: “He was known as ‘Happy Harry’ because he always had this huge smile on his face. He was telling jokes all the time.
      “You’d go inside Tonbridge Football Club and it didn’t matter where you were you’d hear his voice or laugh. It was great to come up in that environment.
      “But during that season I was running the shop for my mum during the day and I’d rely on her to come and do the last hour so I could rush off in my old Hillman Minx car for training or an evening game. If we were playing away, I’d have to leave even earlier.
      “And I was somewhat on the tardy side and would turn up late sometimes. I kept explaining how I was running this shop for my mum. Harry wouldn’t say anything but you could tell he wasn’t impressed.

      Macdonald’s career

      All competitions

      CLUB                              Games  Goals
      1967-68 Tonbridge FC        74         11
      1968-69 Fulham                      13         5
      1969-71 Luton                        101         58
      1971-76 Newcastle               257      138
      1976-79 Arsenal                108         57
      1979     Djurgarden                9          2
                  TOTAL                       562      271
      INTERNATIONAL
      1972     England U23              4        4
      1972-75 England                   14       6

      “On one occasion I was 10 minutes late for a game on a Thursday and the club secretary came into the dressing room with all our wages, paid in cash then, in brown envelopes.
      “I got mine and thought, ‘Bloody hell, this is heavy. I’ve had a real bumper week here.’
      “So I opened it up, there was a bit of money in there but I noticed £10 was missing.
      “But inside the bottom of the envelope was a wristwatch and as I took it out Harry stood in the middle of the room, looking across at me, and said, ‘You won’t be late from here on, son, will you?’
      “It was a lesson learned. In professional football, there is no excuse for being late!”
      Another huge lesson he learned in those non-league days was never to react to bullying centre-halves.

      Inside the envelope was a wristwatch and, as I took it out, Harry looked across at me, and said, ‘You won’t be late from here on, son, will you?’
      Malcolm Macdonald

      Macdonald said: “I learned it doesn’t matter how hard you get hit by a challenge, get up and walk away. The centre half is then thinking, ‘I hit him with the best one I could muster and it’s not even shaken him.’
      “Just once I reacted. We were at home to Merthyr Tydfil. They had a right rough sod who came over and booted me up in the air and smashed my shoulder up.
      “That was one time I couldn’t walk away. I missed a couple of games for that. It was a lesson learned.”
      One man Macdonald was indebted to was former Manchester United left-back Joe Carolan, who spent the last six years of his career at the Kent club.
      And Supermac said: “I learned so much from him. He would sit down with you and talk through everything – a great fella.”
      In total Macdonald scored 11 goals in 74 games for Tonbridge – playing mostly as right-back before being signed by Bobby Robson at Fulham in 1968 for £1,750.
      He said: “Harry left Tonbridge to become Fulham chief scout and although Bobby had never seen me play he told him, ‘Trust me, you’ve got to sign this player.’
      “One year later and they’ve sold me to Luton for 10 times that amount!”
      The rest is history as Macdonald won the Golden Boot with Newcastle in 1976 and Arsenal in 1977 and once famously scored FIVE goals for England against Cyprus in 1975 – a feat that has not been repeated since.

      Malcolm Macdonald, third from left, in action for Tonbridge against Bexley

      Malcolm Macdonald is still loved and idolised in the streets of Newcastle and even appears on a regular podcast called NUFC Matters

      Macdonald, years later while manager of Fulham, returned to Tonbridge after the club went bust and reformed themselves as the now Tonbridge Angels.
      He said: “I’ve always followed Tonbridge ever since I left. I look out for their results in the newspaper every Sunday morning.
      “The club ran into difficulties and rebooted themselves at Tonbridge Angels in the early 1980s and I contacted them to offer bringing down a Fulham team to lay on a friendly to earn them a few quid. They were delighted.
      “I was just so happy to help them get back on their feet.
      “It’s great they are back in the first round again and I’ll definitely be watching and hoping they can win.”

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      EFL ‘give green light’ to Abu Dhabi royal family’s Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s £60m Derby takeover

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      FOOTBALL LEAGUE bosses have reportedly given the thumbs-up for Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s takeover of Derby.
      The struggling Rams are lodged in 23rd in the Championship table and have been in flux since Mel Morris put the club up for sale.

      Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan is part of the Abu Dhabi royal family, which is thought to be worth £115bn

      Derby are struggling near the foot of the Championship tableCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Manager Phillip Cocu is widely expected to lose his job when a new owner comes in.
      And that could be a step closer after the EFL green lit Sheikh Khaled’s £60million purchase of the club, according to the Mail.
      It is said the matter was discussed during a board meeting on Thursday, with no objections raised.
      The finer details of the Abu Dhabi royal family member’s takeover are still to be agreed.

      But they will buoyed by the EFL’s happiness with the proposal despite claims of a conflict of interest.
      Sheikh Khaled, 61, is the cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

      I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available.
      Phillip Cocu

      The investor, who established the Bin Zayed Group in 1988, attended university in the United States and is not a first-time bidder for a major English football club.
      In 2018, he failed with a £2billion bid for Liverpool.

      And a £350million offer for Newcastle failed to come to anything in the summer of last year.
      Sheikh Zayed’s enterprises include construction, real estate and technology and the Abu Dhabi royal family is thought to be worth over £115billion.

      A late 1-0 defeat at home to QPR on Wednesday was Derby’s seventh defeat of the campaign and the new owner is expected to dispense with Cocu.
      The Dutchman has reportedly kept his job to avoid disrupting the takeover process.
      Cocu said last night: “I don’t try to think too much because we have to focus on the team and the players who are available, and that part of the club I leave to Mel Morris and [CEO] Stephen Pearce.”

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      AFC Wimbledon make emotional return to Plough Lane after 29 years away but Doncaster deny Dons fairytale win

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      WIMBLEDON were denied a dream return to Plough Lane after Doncaster proved to be party poopers.
      Joe Pigott looked to have won it for the Dons with just seven minutes remaining, but James Coppinger’s deflected shot in stoppage time spoiled their night.

      Wimbledon made an emotional return to Plough Lane after 29 yearsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A late goal from Doncaster saw the game end 2-2Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      But in fairness, nothing was really going to take the gloss of this evening for AFC Wimbledon as they played their first home game in 29 and a half years.
      It has been a long wait, as I can testify.
      On May 4th, 1991 I was on the terraces for their last game at Plough Lane and, after 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace thanks to an Ian Wright hat-trick, I was part of the crowd who ran on the pitch singing “we’ll never go to Selhurst!”
      In fact, fans did and the ground-share agreement was tolerated in the hope that Plough Lane would be redeveloped to meet the standards set out by the Taylor Report.

      Instead, former Wimbledon chairman, Sam Hammam, sold the club to two Norweigans and the ground was flogged to supermarket chain Safeway.
      It started the club’s demise and the subsequent franchise to Milton Keynes was rubber stamped by the FA in 2002. Their commission’s famous line that it would “not in the wider interests of football” to form a new club. How wrong they were.
      Those fans who followed the club formed their own team and the rise of AFC Wimbledon since their formation in 2002 is one of football’s greatest phoenix stories.
      A rapid rise through the non-League pyramid to reach League One was one thing, but for Dons’ fans there was always something missing.

      Wimbledon moved out of their beloved home in 1991Credit: Rex Features

      The Dons were forced to groundshare with Crystal Palace as part of their long waitCredit: Rex Features

      A return to the club’s spiritual home in Plough Lane that had always seemed so unlikely.
      But after negotiating plenty of red tape, and with those fans again stumping up £11million of the final bill, they are back in Plough Lane, just a stone’s throw from the site of the old pitch.
      Hemmed in by the blocks of flats that are being built around this 9,300 capacity stadium, much of the site is still a hardhat zone.
      It’s not yet ready for those fans, not that they would be allowed in at the moment due to the coronavirus rules.
      Perhaps never has a new ground deserved to be christened by its supporters more, given their dedication and that AFC Wimbledon remains a fans-owned club.
      But what is just another few months when you have been waiting nearly three decades?

      Joe Pigott thought he’d won the game for Wimbledon with an 83rd minute strikeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Cut-outs of fans adorned the seats with supporters not allowed inCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      For some Dons’ fans, though, they could not let this opportunity pass as they sat in the Corner Pin pub nearby.
      Others braved the cold by drinking outside while wearing their blue and yellow scarves at the By The Horns brewery next to the stadium.
      It was poignant that they were led out by captain Will Nightingale, who was not even born when the Dons last played at Plough Lane, but has been at AFC Wimbledon since he was nine years old, as they ushered in a new era.
      And they made a dream start as Pigott put them ahead on 18 minutes.
      After good work from Steve Seddon and Terrel Thomas, Josef Bursik could only parry Thomas’ cross and Pigott pounced for his fifth goal of the season.
      But their lead was short-lived as Wimbledon once again switched off after taking the lead.

      The Dons will be hoping for better fortune from here on outCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Boss Glyn Hodges was not happy with Wimbledon’s performanceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      This time it lasted six minutes as Doncaster broke forward and Matthew Smith was able to fire past Connal Trueman.
      Jon Taylor was then denied by Seddon with an excellent last-ditch tackle as the visitors carved out the better chances.
      Dons keeper Trueman was kept the busier of the two stoppers and needed to be alert to save smartly from Ben Whiteman’s header.
      Trueman then was all full stretch to turn away Reece James’s effort while he was then relieved to catch Tom Anderson’s tame header.
      But Pigott restored the Dons’s lead on 83 minutes when he converted from Seddon’s cross that looked to have won it.
      But once again in stoppage time the Dons let the lead slip as Coppinger’s effort took a wicked deflection and looped into the net.
      Glyn Hodges, Dons boss, said: “It was our worst performance of the season. I tried to take the emotion out of it but it wasn’t to be but we will take a point and move on. 
      “It was not quite the level of play we have been having recently. Came out of the blocks bit ot worse as the game went on and nice to get a point when we probably didn’t deserve it.
      “Glad to get this game out of the way but I know we will have a homecoming once the fans are allowed to come here. There will be a bit of a party then.”
      Darren Moore, Doncaster boss, added: “We dominated the game in long spells and when you conceded a late like that you fear the worst, so credit to the players to keep going.”

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      Government and Premier League left EFL for dead but now Rick Parry has chance to show real leadership

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      THE darkest hour is just before the dawn.
      With winter nights, a national lockdown and the future of the oldest league in the world in doubt, the EFL are at crisis point.

      Rick Parry is leading the EFL through a vital period in its historyCredit: Reuters

      This has been created by the Government’s refusal to allow crowds back into stadiums and the unwillingness to provide any state aid to replace the loss of club’s biggest revenue stream — the fans.
      It was then compounded by the Premier League’s reluctance to bail out clubs down the pyramid without big conditions attached.
      We’ve had players refusing pay cuts and the PFA calling salary caps in League One and Two unenforceable and unlawful.
      Meanwhile, broadcasters are ridiculously getting rebates of TV monies, when TV is the only place live football can be seen.

      Despite these incredibly bleak times, the opportunity remains for real leadership.
      Rick Parry the Football League chairman, has the potential to pull the proverbial phoenix from the flame.
      Project Big Picture has actually started a long overdue conversation. When he was in the Premier League, Parry proposed a 20 per cent distribution of money.
      Now, through skill and chance, he’s managed to be offered 25 per cent of revenues being distributed into the EFL, alongside governance on sustainability and salvation.

      Irony pervades that poacher-turned-gamekeeper Parry, who brought in parachute payments for relegated Prem teams, now describes them as “an evil” needing to be eradicated.
      The EFL bailout has taken too long, been badly handled and mismanaged.
      Not securing decent levels of short-term funding is unforgivable.
      The EFL have never valued themselves properly.
      They have allowed the Prem to disappear over the horizon, while dripping down the toxic mix of inflated salaries and over-zealous ambitions to join their ranks.
      Granted it is difficult but the framework of the league is ridiculous and their outlook often warped.

      In 2002 when ITV Digital collapsed and nearly destroyed the EFL, what was the solution suggested for the league’s own incompetence of not getting parent company guarantees for money? March on Parliament!
      In 2008 when the banking system collapsed, rules stated the only banking facilities available to EFL clubs were the High Street ‘big four’ banks. Due to the “banking crisis” they were closed for business.
      I had to convince the then chairman that 72 clubs should focus on changing the rules to allow third-party funders to help.
      The EFL were recently offered £290million for 20 per cent of their media rights by private equity firm TPG.
      That meant the whole thing was valued at £1.5BILLION. The 20 per cent revenue, if put into a floated business, would be worth at least a billion on its own.
      Now Parry has the chance to fix the problem of these leagues being undervalued. On paper, he has the credentials.

      Raising £400m and creating a framework for a better-funded and managed EFL is well within grasp.

      He must be saying we can do that on our own and achieve maximum value for the EFL, without handing that all away to private equity firms.
      Valuations were before new distributions of football money was mooted.
      Now they are three times greater, so raising £400m to bail out short-term problems and creating a framework for a better-funded and managed EFL is well within his grasp.
      So, cometh the hour cometh the man. In Rick we trust?
      Listen to Simon Jordan and Jim White on talkSPORT at 10am Monday to Thursday.

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      Oldham fans stunned as club announce David Wheater has not been playing after injuring himself ‘lifting his DOG’

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      OLDHAM have announced David Wheater has been out of the side after injuring his back while lifting his DOG.
      The 33-year-old – who will become a free agent at the end of the season – is yet to feature for the League Two side this campaign.

      Oldham centre-back David Wheater is yet to make an appearance for the club this seasonCredit: Rex Features

      There has been some uncertainty over why he’s been omitted, with the club previously suggesting the ex-Bolton man was no longer part of the first team plans.
      It was rumoured there was a fall-out over a proposed pay-cut in the summer.
      But the club have now provided an extraordinary update on his fitness, issuing a lengthy statement explaining why Wheater has been out of the side.
      They said: “The club is aware that the player has publicly announced that he wishes to play for Oldham Athletic and in that respect the club needs to make it known the reasons why this has not been possible.

      “1. David was unable to train due to testing positive with Covid-19 in early September prior to the EFL season commencing and was therefore in isolation for a period of 10 days.
      “2. On returning after the illness, he was selected to play in a game during which he came into collision with a team-mate and sustained a concussive head injury requiring him to rest from training or playing for a minimum of two weeks followed by a graded return to training.
      “3. After the initial period of recovery the player reported a back injury which he stated he had sustained when ‘lifting his dog’.
      “He is still currently under treatment by the medical team for this injury.”

      Wheater was quick to message the club on Twitter that he will be available soon, as he said: “Sounds like I’m free to play then cos (sic) I’ll be fit in a few days.”
      Fans were left stunned that Wheater has been out of action after lifting his dog, as they flooded social media with a number of memes.

      sounds like im free to play then cos ill be fit in a few days
      — David Wheater (@BigWheatz31) November 3, 2020

      One fan commented: “David Wheater’s dog has blood on its paws.”
      Another tweeted: “Am I the only person who is curious as to what breed of dog he has? Need to know what to avoid when dog-hunting!”
      A third added: “This might be one of the greatest statements we’ve ever released. Brilliant stuff.
      “I mean it’s full of lies and utter bull****, not to mention you forgot about your own statement saying he was banished but fair play, I enjoyed this.”
      Meanwhile one stated: “How big is this dog lads?”
      One then messaged: “The dog must be massive #lies.”

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      FA halts all football below Women’s Super League and Championship divisions

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      MATCHES in the top two tiers of women’s football are set to continue from Thursday – the day in which a second nationwide lockdown commences. 
      However, the FA revealed all fixtures and training at non-elite levels of the women’s game will be halted for four weeks following the government’s new restrictions. 

      Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship games will continue during lockdownCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      This includes matches played from Tiers Three to Seven which cover national and regional women’s football leagues and their feeder divisions. 
      And games and training in WSL Academies, the FA’s regional talent centres and girls grassroots football will also be paused until at least December 2. 
      This is despite pleas for youth and kids training in the sport to be given the chance to continue during the second lockdown. 

      The FA says all ‘non elite’ games training in women’s football will be paused during the second nationwide lockdownCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Officials from football’s top body say they will be collaborating with the government to protect the wellbeing of Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship players and staff. 

      Today a Wembley spokesman said: “The Football Association is working with the UK government, clubs and key stakeholders to continue the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship seasons under the elite sport guidance and protocols. 
      “Our number one priority remains the safety and welfare of everyone involved in our game.
      “Whilst the Barclays FA WSL and FA Women’s Championship will continue, ‘non-elite’ football, which includes Tiers 3-7 of the Women’s Football Pyramid, the Regional NLS Feeder Leagues, the Barclays FA WSL Academy League, FA Girls Regional Talent Clubs, indoor and outdoor grassroots fixtures and all training, is to be paused during this period.

      “A special thanks to all women’s football fans for their ongoing support during these challenging times.” 

      At the weekend it was confirmed the men’s Premier League and EFL will carry on as normal during the lockdown. 
      The game shut down for three months when the initial lockdown period commenced in March.  when the initial lockdown period commenced in March.

      Premier League WILL continue despite second lockdown but fans now unlikely to set foot in grounds until 2021 More

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      FA suspends ALL football below National League level for four weeks amid second lockdown

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      THE FA has confirmed ALL football below National League level will be suspended for four weeks from Thursday.
      Despite pleas for youth and kids’ football to be allowed during the second lockdown, the Government has insisted the measures will apply to all levels of the game.

      Clubs below the National League will not be allowed to train or play matchesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And Wembley chiefs have now formally told clubs throughout football that they have no option other than to shut down until at least December 2.
      The new restriction bans “all fixtures and training” for clubs below the National League.
      That means the 10 clubs from below the National League that are due to take part in the FA Cup First Round Proper this weekend cannot train after Wednesday.
      The rules apply to women’s football below Tier Two of the pyramid and also rule out “all fixtures and training for indoor and outdoor youth and adult grassroots football”.

      A Wembley spokesman said: “The FA’s aim is to ensure that the 2020/21 season is completed at these levels.
      “We will liaise with the relevant leagues to provide support and establish appropriate options to do so if required.
      “Re-starting football at these levels has taken substantial determination and commitment from stakeholders across the game.
      “The FA would like to thank everyone for their vital contributions.

      “However, health and wellbeing remain the priority.
      “It is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, league officials, volunteers, parents, carers and facility providers adhere to the UK Government’s new national Covid-19 restrictions during this period.
      “The FA remains in dialogue with the DCMS, leagues, competitions and county FAs and will provide further clarification for ‘non-elite’ football in England following the debate in the House of Commons tomorrow (Wednesday).”
      But the Premier League and EFL are set to carry on as normal during the lockdown.

      Premier League WILL continue despite second lockdown but fans now unlikely to set foot in grounds until 2021 More