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      EFL cult hero and former Premier League goalkeeper training with Man Utd academy as he seeks free transfer

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      FORMER Premier League star Joe Lewis is training with Manchester United.The goalkeeper is currently a free agent after seeing his seven-year stay at Aberdeen end in the summer.
      Joe Lewis is training with Man Utd to keep fitCredit: Getty
      Lewis is reportedly training with United’s academy to keep fit while he is on the lookout for a new club.
      The 36-year-old is an EFL cult hero and a former England Under-21 international.
      He came through the ranks at Norwich and then spent five seasons with Peterborough, winning three promotions with the club.
      He then moved to Cardiff in 2012 and played one match while they were in the Premier League the following year.
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      Lewis was loaned out to Blackpool and Fulham before signing for Aberdeen in 2016.
      He earned legendary status at Pittodrie, playing 271 times for the Scottish side.
      Lewis left after losing the No1 jersey to Kelle Roos last season.
      There has been speculation he would hang up his gloves and begin a new career as an agent.
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      Lewis is the most recent veteran to join in with United’s training sessions after Jonny Evans did the same during pre-season.
      The veteran centre-back ended up earning a contract at Old Trafford and he has gone on to play 11 times for the Red Devils this season. More

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      Fans say ‘those genes are STRONG’ after watching Jobe Bellingham interview following Sunderland winner against Leeds

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      JOBE BELLINGHAM has been compared to his superstar brother Jude following his mature interview after Sunderland’s 1-0 victory over Leeds.The 18-year-old’s late winner ended Leeds United’s seven-game unbeaten run in the Championship.
      Jobe Bellingham scored the winner at the Stadium of LightCredit: Reuters
      And fans are all saying the same thingCredit: Reuters
      It took until the 78th minute for the deadlock to be broken as Bellingham headed past goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
      His fourth EFL goal came against the newly relegated Whites, on the same night Jude was helping Real Madrid to victory over Union Berlin in the Champions League.
      The result means it’s two wins from two for interim Sunderland boss Mike Dodds, following the sacking of Tony Mowbray.
      Dodds told BBC radio: “Both brothers have a very similar mindset in terms of their relentless pursuit of where they want to get to.
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      “I  think he can go to the very top. I’ve worked with a lot of young players and he would be up there with the very best I’ve worked with.”
      Fans also spotted that Jobe Bellingham’s eloquent interview technique is remarkably similar to his elder brother’s.
      One supporter wrote: “If my eyes were closed, I would think this is Jude talking just with a higher pitched voice. Those genes are STRONG.”
      A second commented: “Their parents raised two of the most mature teenagers I have ever witnessed.”
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      A third wrote: “Opposition fans love to use the “Living off his brother” shout but they couldn’t be any more wrong.”
      A fourth said: “Wow they both come across so well. A credit to their parents.”
      Jobe Bellingham told Sky Sports: “The game required for me to go deeper.
      “If that’s what’s needed then you have to do it. I’ll play anywhere the manager and coaches want me to play and work my hardest.”
      Both brothers worked with Dodds during his 13 year coaching spell with the Birmingham City academy.
      The versatile midfielder moved to Wearside last summer following a £3million deal with Birmingham, just hours after his big brother’s record £115m switch to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund.
      Sunderland are within the play-off places, two points behind West Brom.
      Meanwhile, Leeds remain third in the league, behind Leicester who dropped to second following Ipswich’s 2-1 victory at Watford. More

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      Charlton vs Cambridge chaos as stadium hit by WATER shortage and 27,000 fans without food or toilets for League One game

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      CHARLTON’S League One clash with Cambridge has been thrown into chaos due to a water shortage at The Valley.An official statement on the Addicks’ social media read: “We are currently experiencing a lack of supply of water to the stadium from our external supplier.
      Charlton’s clash with Cambridge has been affected by a water shortageCredit: Rex
      “The kick-off time remains unaffected but our catering and toilet facilities will be impacted.
      “We will provide a further update in due course.”
      The match started at 3pm as scheduled with the players unaffected.
      Fans were quick to joke about the incident on social media, with one person tweeting: “There’s a lack of supply of fit players as well.”
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      While another wrote: “Oh dear. No shower at full-time. No-one will want to work up a sweat.”
      Charlton currently sit 10th in the League One table, with Cambridge 18th.
      Cambridge appointed Neil Harris as first team manager on Wednesday following Mark Bonner’s departure.
      Speaking about the appointment, Charlton boss Michael Appleton said: “They’ll get a little bit of a lift and the new voice that you get from the manager coming in.
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      “I’ve come up against Neil many times, certainly when he was at Millwall as manager. I know what he’s about and I know how his teams play.
      “Whether he feels he’s got the personnel to do what he would normally want to do, who knows? That makes it a little bit more difficult as you’re second guessing how it might go.
      “Ultimately, I’ve just got to make the players aware and prepared that, from a mentality point of view, the first 20 minutes is going to be massively key.
      “They’ve got a new manager and they’re going to come out of the blocks, but we’re the team at home and we’ll do the same.” More

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      Football League fixtures battered by brutal weather with five games POSTPONED hours before kick-off including Wrexham

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      WREXHAM’S League Two clash with Forest Green has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.An official statement from the Welsh side read: “Following a pitch inspection this morning, we can confirm that today’s fixture against Forest Green Rovers has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
      Wrexham’s clash with Forest Green has been postponedCredit: PA
      “After a heavy downpour of rain overnight, the pitch was deemed unplayable and failed a pitch inspection at 11:30am.
      “Details for the rearranged fixture and ticket information will be communicated in due course.
      “We can confirm however that all supporters who travelled on Official Supporter Travel will be offered free transport to the rearranged fixture.”
      Fans were left devastated following the announcement, with one person tweeting: “Imagine if the EFL actually cared about the fans and ensured inspections were done in a timely manner! Pathetic.”
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      Another added: “Stuck on the M54 for no reason then, absolutely brilliant.”
      A third person wrote: “Should have called it off earlier, no thought for us travelling fans.”
      While a fourth commented: “Forest Green v Wrexham is postponed. A lot of disappointed Americans on this train.”
      The match is one of five League Two fixtures to have been postponed this morning.
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      Barrow’s clash with Gillingham has also been called off due to the weather, as well as Bradford’s match against Salford.
      Mansfield vs MK Dons is among the postponed games, as is Sutton’s clash with Harrogate. More

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      Man Utd legend breaks silence over ‘unfair’ sacking at EFL club but refuses to accept his career is over

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Mark Hughes has finally spoken out after Bradford City “unfairly” sacked him – and claims he is not finished yet.The League Two club axed the former Manchester City boss and ex-Barcelona striker, 60, two months ago.
      Mark Hughes took Bradford to the League Two play-offs last season but was axed on October 4 this term with the Bantams in 18th placeCredit: Alamy
      Hughes celebrates his second successive top-flight title with Man Utd in 1994 alongside Ryan Giggs, Lee Sharpe and Clayton BlackmoreCredit: Getty – Contributor
      But the 72-cap Welshman believes, after “shocking a few people” by stepping down the divisions to take the Bantams job, he can pull off another surprise by returning to management.
      Hughes won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup three times as a United frontman.
      The former Southampton and Everton ace also lifted the FA Cup with Chelsea, as well as twice being named PFA player of the year.
      After hanging up his boots in 2002, he bossed Wales, Blackburn, Man City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke and Southampton, before taking over Bradford in February 2022.
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      And he feels the Bantams acted too quickly to dismiss him, despite winning just three of their first 11 EFL matches this season.
      Bradford sat in 18th place when he departed on October 4 after finishing sixth last term.
      But Hughes told ex-England chief Sam Allardyce’s No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, said: “We did okay last year and got to the play-offs, the best season they’d had at League Two level in this current period.
      “But you’re at risk as a manager early in the season if you don’t set the tone.
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      “Everybody thinks that if you have a bad start, that’s how the whole season is going to pan out. That’s not the case, in fairness.
      “When I got the sack, it was the first time since December I’d lost back-to-back league games.
      “I thought it was a little bit unfair, if I’m honest. But the perception was that I needed to go.”
      Hughes insisted criticism from fans “wasn’t fazing me” and added: “I was quite happy to wait until it turned round.
      “I don’t feel I’m done. I possibly did before the Bradford role because I’d been out for three years. It looked like I wouldn’t get another opportunity, for whatever reason.
      “I had the opportunity to go to Bradford and took it. I probably shocked a few people.
      “But it was just a case of getting back in. I thought it was a good club with a good fanbase.” More

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      Hated former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley keen to buy 24,200-seater stadium as he looks to be new EFL team’s LANDLORD

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      MIKE ASHLEY is keen to take an interest in Reading.But that’s as landlord, not owner.
      Former Newcastle chief Mike Ashley is taking a keen interest in ReadingCredit: The Sun
      Ashley could buy the Madejski Stadium, having already bought Coventry’s arenaCredit: Getty
      The billionaire businessman has looked at the struggling club.
      And he wants to return to football after his exit from Newcastle.
      But insiders say he would put his cash into the stadium like he did at Coventry.
      Ashley bought the CBS Arena, previously owned by rugby club Wasps, in October last year.
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      Coventry reached a last-minute agreement with Ashley two months later to continue playing until the end of last season.
      And they are still there today as they look to push up the Championship table.
      Reading play at the Madejski Stadium, currently named the Select Car Leasing Stadium for sponsorship reasons.
      The arena holds nearly 24,200 fans on match day.
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      But the club is enduring a miserable time in League One after being relegated from the Championship last term.
      The Royals sit second-bottom of the table following just five wins in 18 games.
      They have also been docked four points this season for financial breaches.
      In total, Reading have taken a 16-point hit in less than two years — with 10 of those coming in 2023. More

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      Wrexham goal hero Paul Mullin reveals brutal fines list including hefty penalty for swapping shirts

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      WREXHAM striker Paul Mullin has revealed the ruthless fines system in operation at the club.The 29-year-old scored a sensational 47 goals in 53 games last season to lead the Welsh side back to the Football League after 15 years away.
      Paul Mullin has explained Wrexham’s fines policyCredit: PA
      Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over in November 2020Credit: Getty
      It comes after Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club in November 2020.
      And they are now flying high in the fourth tier, sitting second behind Stockport after 20 games.
      But their recent success has come with the implementation of a brutal list of financial punishments for misconduct.
      And some of the infringements Mullin has confirmed are quite shocking.

      They include £50 for giving away their match shirt, £20 for not eating breakfast before 10.10am, and £200 for being late to a team night out.
      Speaking in his new book “My Wrexham Story: The Inspirational Autobiography From The Beloved Football Hero”, he said: “Helping to enforce discipline, we have an embedded system of club fines.
      “The list is up on the changing-room door: Late for training, the gym, or a meeting – £20. Late on matchdays – £100. Late for the bus – £100. Late for a team night out – £100. Not showing up for a team night out – £200.
      “Not eaten breakfast by 10.10 a.m. – £20. Phone going off – £10. Not wearing flip-flops in the shower – £5. Wearing flip-flops to go to a game – £10.
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      “Cleaning boots in the shower – £10. Giving away a match shirt – £50.”
      Mullin also revealed there are fines for not abiding by health and fitness regulations.
      These include not wearing your GPS for training, putting your trainers on the fitness bed, and not reporting an injury prior to a day off.
      Smaller fines can also incur the wrath of the roulette wheel or the dice.
      The guilty part spins the wheel or rolls the dice and receives anything from not having to pay the fine to being forced to “start a boy band”.
      And Mullin admits he has been on the wrong end of many of the more severe punishments.
      He added: “Unlucky, and you can end up down Tesco buying everyone a shower gel.
      “Then there’s the dice. Each number represents a forfeit, which can be quite excruciating. You might have to do a silent disco in front of the lads or a lap of the pitch in your underpants – not too bad in May, but pretty unpleasant in the sideways sleet of January.
      “If you’re really unlucky you’ll have to create a boy band for a day with the team-mates either side of you in the squad numbers.
      In my case, that’s Ollie Palmer and Liam McAlinden – and not many people want to hear that!
      “Alternatively, you’ll have to buy those same players dinner. A bit simpler, but no less painful, is the requirement that you sling £50 in the players’ kitty. Sadly, I’ve done most of these, the price of repeatedly forgetting to wear my flip-flops in the shower.
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      “Before the Christmas do, we all have to spin the roulette wheel regardless of whether we’ve violated a fines rule.
      “Last year I got stung for £50 without even having done anything – ‘What? No way! What’s going on here!’” More

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      League Two clash SUSPENDED after power cut as pitch is plunged into darkness mid-match and away fans sing cheeky chant

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      GILLINGHAM’S clash with Wimbledon was temporarily SUSPENDED due to a floodlight failure.The power outage occurred in the 64th minute when the League Two game was goalless.
      The lights went out during the game between Gillingham and Wimbledon
      The players were forced off the pitch during the darkness before they returned to complete the gameCredit: X
      Both sets of players made their way off the field, before Gillingham confirmed the cause of the issue was a power cut in the area.
      They tweeted: “Well, we’ve been here before….
      “Floodlights have gone out! Players heading back to the dressing room area.
      “We understand there is a power cut in the local area. We will keep you updated, may well be a short wait.”
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      The disruption led the travelling Wimbledon fans to mock Gillingham as they waited for play to resume inside Priestfield.
      They could be heard chanting: “You can’t pay your bills.”
      And Wimbledon’s social media acknowledged the singing as they posted: “The players are leaving the field for the time being and heading to the dressing rooms. These weren’t the updates we had planned! 😅
      “The Dons fans are enjoying themselves in the dark by the sound of it 👏.”
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      The lights came back on after 16 minutes.
      The players were then given a five-minute warm-up before the action resumed.
      And Gillingham went on to win the match 1-0 thanks to an 85th-minute strike from Conor Masterson. More