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    Manager storms on to pitch to get his own fans OFF in X-rated blast… as they celebrate before final whistle

    FURIOUS Northampton boss Jon Brady stormed onto the pitch to get his own fans off as they celebrated promotion BEFORE the final whistle.Some away supporters dashed out as a stoppage-time penalty miss in ANOTHER game guaranteed the Cobblers going up to League One.
    Northampton fans finally rejoice as promotion to League One is guaranteed on the final day of the full schedule, condemning Stockport to the play-offsCredit: PA
    Cobblers’ boss Jon Brady shows his fury with away supporters who went on BEFORE the end of the 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers
    Jon Brady storms on to pitch to get his own Northampton fans OFF in X-rated blast… as they celebrate before final whistle
    Matchwinner Sam Hoskins is happy to be mobbed by Northampton fansCredit: PA
    Brady at first rejoiced with his bench when news of promotion rivals Stockport only drawing 1-1 with Hartlepool came through.
    But when the Aussie saw Northampton fans entering the field he ran towards them, screaming and waving his arms wildly for them to get off.
    Ultimately, Sam Hoskins’ brilliant fifth-minute volley earned the Cobblers a 1-0 win at mid-table Tranmere that was enough for promotion.
    But Stockport would have overtaken Northampton if they beat relegated Hartlepool at home  and the Cobblers only drew.
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    Callum Camps hit a penalty opener for County but Callum Cooke smashed a long-range leveller for Pools, whose heroic keeper Ben Killip then saved Camps’ second spot-kick in the 95th minute.
    That left a group of Northampton fans 155 miles away at their own game in Tranmere getting too excited too early – rushing onto the field and sparking angry gesticulating from Brady.
    However, Cobblers’ supporters didn’t have to wait long to rejoice properly as they match soon ended and they erupted onto the pitch in far bigger numbers.
    Final-day promotion was particularly emotional for Northampton after they missed out in incredible circumstances at the same stage last season.
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    The Cobblers won 3-1 at Barrow in May 2022 but Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers leapfrogged them on GOALS SCORED – thanks to a 7-0 triumph over relegated Scunthorpe.
    Rovers bagged five goals in the last 38 minutes to go level on goal difference with Northampton – but Barton’s men had netted 11 times more.
    This time, though, it was joy unconfined, with long-serving Cobblers’ midfielder Hoskins hoisted high by hordes of fans in the middle of the pitch.
    And Brady too looked ecstatic too as he revelled in his finest achievement as a manager, having taken over two years ago after bossing part-time Brackley Town from 2009-2015.
    Manager Brady let all his joy out, but only at the right momentCredit: PA
    Hoskins is hoisted high on a momentous afternoon for NorthamptonCredit: Rex
    Hoskins and his Northampton team-mates knew how important his fifth-minute goal was on the final day of the regulation League Two seasonCredit: Alamy
    Marc Leonard is on a high after securing the third automatic promotion spotCredit: PA
    Long-serving midfielder Hoskins cracks in the only goal at Prenton ParkCredit: Alamy More

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    Fraser Horsfall eyes promotion heartache for Northampton – a year after his own

    FRASER Horsfall hopes Northampton fans have the same last day woe they and he endured 12 months ago.The defender scored as the Cobblers did their bit to secure promotion from League Two by beating Barrow.
    Fraser Horsfall hopes Northampton feel a sens of deja vu after losing out on promotion last seasonCredit: PRESS ASSOCIATION
    But they were thrown out of the top three as Bristol Rovers overcame goal difference by battering Scunthorpe 7-0 – they flopped in the play-offs.
    Now defender Horsfall hopes for a repeat with County gatecrashing the automatic places by beating already relegated Hartlepool while their rivals fail to win at Tranmere.
    “I’d never gone through something like that in my career, I don’t think I ever will again,” said Horsfall.
    “You think you’re promoted until the 85th minute, only for someone to shout, ‘Bristol have scored seven, you need another goal!’
    “I remember there being 15-20 minutes left and thinking we’re up then my heart sinking when I heard that shout. It wasn’t a good feeling.
    “Honestly, you couldn’t write it – especially with Northampton – but I’m hoping it’s a bit smoother today.
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    “With the start we had and the way they were going, I thought they’d sail away with it but after the first 10 games, we’ve been really good.
    “I’m a Stockport player now and feel like we deserve it. We just need to win to give ourselves a chance, we can’t control anything else.”
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    In the wake of Northampton’s flop, Horsfall moved back north to link up with EFL new boys Stockport – with many hints as to why.
    Striker Sam Hoskins wrote: “All th£ bЄ$t mate.” Defender Aaron McGowan put: “All the Be$t”. Midfielder Mitchell Pinnock posted: “My $kipp£r.”
    But appearances can be deceiving.
    Now a Stockport player, Horsfall hopes to kick the Cobblers out of the top threeCredit: PA:Press Association
    Horsfall added: “They were having a bit of a joke and they got taken out of turn.
    “They’re my friends and it didn’t get to me, I knew they were joking and they meant no harm.
    “And moving home, to Huddersfield, was a big thing. When I was at Northampton, I was away from my family.”
    Horsfall has already seen what winning promotion at Edgeley Park is like – when Stockport beat Halifax to clinch the National League, he was in the away end watching pal Jack Senior.
    But promotion would only put County back towards the pedestal they belong.
    After dropping to National League North and going part-time, training at a local secondary school, Mark Stott transformed them after taking over.
    Horsfall’s side must beat Hartlepool today and hope Northampton do not win at TranmereCredit: Alamy Live News
    Off the field, things are of Championship standard. Now to get one level from it on the field.
    If it happens, the nearby Prince Albert pub may be the scene of celebrations, just like it was when an 11-year EFL exile ended.
    “Everything’s there for us to get promoted and go again to the Championship – everything’s set for the club to go one way, that’s up,” Horsfall told SunSport.
    “Once you play for Stockport, in front of more than 10,000 people, you get the feeling of, ‘This is a proper club.’
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    “I was in Halifax’s end last year, so I saw the crowd near the pitch at the end. All I did was look at my mate to see if he’d get off OK when fans ran on!
    “And there’s a great opportunity for us – if its not automatic, I fancy us in the play-offs.” More

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    Inside Bury’s move back to Gigg Lane as bickering finally put aside to give Shakers bright future

    THANK goodness after four years of heartache common sense has won and Bury FC will be back at Gigg Lane in all its glory this August.For the last few years the town has been bitterly divided.
    Finally the good times will be returning to Gigg Lane with Bury’s return to the pyramid
    Bury’s return to Gigg Lane gives the club a bright futureCredit: Dave Pinegar
    Friends have become foes and mud has been slung in all directions.
    Bury has been a town split down the middle politically between two main parties and diverged on football since the club’s controversial expulsion from the EFL in 2019.
    As the country found out in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, when you have a hung parliament politicians spend more time squabbling in deadlock rather than getting things done.
    In Bury, there were two groups of supporters who saw different ways to move things forward.
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    Previous owner Steve Dale was not going to leave quietly despite only paying £1 to purchase the club in the first place. 
    Had he done so, there was a pathway open for Bury FC to then be placed into the National League or National League North the following season, as per FA rules concerning expelled Premier League and EFL clubs — but he desperately clung on.
    He tried to get the two-time FA Cup winners back into a league by signing the club over to his son Christian — but the FA were not having any of it.
    Throughout this process a number of local businessmen and even consortia attempted to acquire the club.
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    Phoenix team Bury AFC won promotion last year to the NW Counties Premier
    Bury FC will be officially back in football in August after an historic fans vote
    Meanwhile, I met with one group shortly after the expulsion who mobilised and went on to call themselves The Shakers Community Society.
    With Bury FC facing winding-up orders and seemingly certain liquidation, this group nobly set up a phoenix club called Bury AFC — which was 100 per cent owned by a fans’ membership.
    They tapped into the knowledge of other supporter-run clubs like AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester and got the Bury name at least back in football.
    The new club was placed into the North West Counties League Division One North — the 10th tier — and played their home games at Radcliffe FC’s Stainton Park three miles from Gigg Lane.
    Since then they have been promoted to the Premier Division and this season enjoyed average crowds of 1,233.
    But Bury FC pulled an average of 4,044 in their last competitive season in League Two in 2018-2019 so it was blindingly obvious there was a majority of diehard Shakers fans not buying into supporting the new team.
    And many have told me that is simply because watching a phoenix club playing at a small non-league ground down the road would never be able to match the magic of going to Gigg Lane on a Saturday to roar on Bury FC.
    One of the problems the phoenix club has had drawing everyone in was that the actual Bury FC was still in existence, even though it was dormant and in administration.
    So another group of supporters focussed on trying to achieve two massive things for Shakers fans… acquire Bury FC and get the keys to Gigg Lane.
    The Bury Football Club Supporters Society — a group made up of 51 per cent fan membership and 49 per cent business supporters — managed to pull that off.
    Our man Justin Allen at Gigg Lane with members of fans group who purchased Bury FC
    This shirt said it all after the club’s expulsion from the EFL
    After striking a deal with the administrators, they managed to buy Bury FC, the naming rights, history and memorabilia out of the holding company’s shell. It was similar to what happened at Bolton four years ago.
    And since then, the club have managed to secure or be pledged around £2.4million in investment and grants. They have already received £700,000 from the £1m they were awarded by the government — with the BFCSS putting in £1m themselves.
    But where the phoenix team had an issue getting a full united fan base to support them, the other group did not have a senior team to play matches after the FA rejected their application to restart a team and be placed in a league.
    FA bigwigs did not want to see two rival clubs from the small town and preferred the two groups to unite.
    Bury Council said they would award £450,000 to help towards making Gigg Lane a community asset — but only if the two groups merged to run one club.
    A vote had taken place between both organisations last October but the BFCSS just failed to reach the 63 per cent threshold to carry the merger proposal.
    But finally on Friday night common-sense and pragmatism won as the groups voted overwhelmingly to bury their hatchets and unite.
    The revived club will take over Bury AFC’s place in the ninth tier and compete as Bury FC.
    The groups will vote on appointing a new board shortly and follow the German model of running a 51 per cent fan-owned club.
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    It is going to be an emotional first game back at Gigg Lane in August.
    The squabbling and bickering is over and Bury FC are back in business.With a united fan base they can restore their rightful place in the EFL that was so cruelly stolen from them four years ago. More

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    Prem cult hero in horror show as he gives away pen and gets sent off after awful backpass, ending club’s playoff dream

    CURTIS DAVIES put an end to Derby’s play-off hopes after being sent off against Sheffield Wednesday.The 38-year-old underhit a pass back to goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith and immediately came under pressure from Marvin Johnson.
    Davies’ pass back was underhitCredit: Twitter.com / @SkyFootball
    The defender then gave away a penalty and got sent offCredit: Twitter.com / @SkyFootball
    🚨 SCENES 🚨Curtis Davies is sent off for making slight contact with Marvin Johnson 🟥Michael Smith rolls the penalty into the bottom corner and gives Sheffield Wednesday the lead ⚽ pic.twitter.com/WSDH5L9StS— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 7, 2023

    As he attempted to win back the ball, he clipped the heels of the winger, who went to ground in the box.
    The referee immediately awarded a penalty to Sheffield Wednesday and sent Davies off for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

    Michael Smith was then on hand to fire the Owls into the lead.
    Davies’ red card left many football fans divided, with some suggesting that it was far too harsh.
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    One person tweeted: “Never a red.”
    Another added: “Shocking decision.”
    While a third joked: “What a dive that was must have had swimming lessons before game.”
    However, others were adamant that it was the correct decision.
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    One person wrote: “100% red. Awful defending. No attempt to play the ball.”
    Another added: “100% a foul and 100% a red card. Stopped Johnson from stroking it into an empty net.”
    And a third tweeted: “No attempt to play the ball so it’s a red card.”
    Derby went on to lose the game 1-0, leaving them outside the play-off spots.
    This weekend, SunSport revealed that Davies, who enjoyed spells with West Brom and Aston Villa respectively earlier in his career, is eager to spend one more season at Derby. More

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    Ipswich keen to beat rivals to Crystal Palace ace Jesurun Rak-Sakyi loan transfer after sealing Championship promotion

    IPSWICH are determined to beat rivals in their bid to sign Crystal Palace forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.Kieran McKenna’s Championship new-boys are keen to recruit this summer and English prospect Rak-Sakyi, 20, is high on their hitlist.
    Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is a wanted man after impressing for CharltonCredit: Getty
    The Eagles may send Rak-Sakyi out on loan to the second tier after he impressed at League One Charlton this season.
    He has 15 goals and eight assists in 42 Addicks appearances this season and has caught the eye of a number of suitors.
    Luton are also interested in a move for the youngster.
    But that deal would only go through if they fail to win promotion to the Premier League.
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    Rak-Sakyi has performed well consistently while rising through the ranks at Palace, and scored 18 goals in 25 games for their reserves last season.
    But it may be too soon for the youngster to join Palace’s string of bright youthful attackers, which includes Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
    Palace will also be looking at ways to upgrade in the summer including appointing a permanent manager to replace Roy Hodgson, who agreed a deal until the end of the season when he returned in March.
    Former Borussia Monchengladbach manager Adi Hutter appears to be one of the favourites for the role.
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    Meanwhile Palace face the star man Wilfried Zaha leaving on a free this summer.
    Ligue Un side Marseille are plotting a swoop and are said to have made the winger a top priority.
    Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked to Zaha while a move to the continent has not been ruled out. More

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    Wrexham stars continue promotion party as they lounge around Las Vegas pool surrounded by bikini-clad beauties

    WREXHAM’S heroes partied poolside with bikini-clad beauties watching on as they continued to enjoy their Las Vegas promotion holiday.Deadpool star and Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds paid for the National League champs to look dead cool – by revelling Stateside in their promotion to League Two.
    Many of the Wrexham players haven’t quite topped up their tans yet
    The Welsh team are having a cheeky time at Wet Republic in Las VegasCredit: The Mega Agency
    Wrexham’s promotion party in Vegas is in full swing at the FC party on Cinco de MayoCredit: The Mega Agency
    The National League champions were surrounded by bikini-clad womenCredit: The Mega Agency
    Downtime suddenly became glamorous for the Red DragonsCredit: The Mega Agency
    And on day of their four-day trip the Red Dragons are beginning to lap up their glimpse of the Hollywood life enjoyed by the club’s two famous backers.
    The players sipped drinks by the Wet Republic Ultra Pool at the MGM Grand  – as they finally relax after returning to the EFL after 15 years in the fifth tier.
    The toned bunch of squad bods milled around as dozens dipped into the water to cool-down.
    The Brits did stand out a bit, however – as some of the pasty players were devoid of any sun tan in the 24-degree temperatures.
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    English midfielder Elliot Lee drunk his beer from a lime bottle.
    And versatile Irishman Thomas O’Connor was seen checking his phone on a lounger.
    The Wrexham heroes, including ex-England keeper Ben Foster, have already dined at the exclusive Hakkasan restaurant and partied in Sin City.
    The Red Dragons have attracted thousands of fans across the pond, thanks mainly to the pulling power of Reynolds and fellow Hollywood star and co-owner Rob McElhenney.
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    And they got a touch of the celebrity treatment themselves when they arrived in Vegas.
    The players were welcomed in via a big screen with the club badge on it.
    Glamorous girls held up letters spelling out “Wrexham” and Welsh flags were waved.
    Fireworks followed plus loud music from DJ James Hype.
    It follows a momentous season where the Red Dragons DID live up the Hype.
    They amassed a record 111 points, with runners-up Notts County also beating the previous highest total with 107.
    Wrexham show off their toned squad bods by the pool after a glorious seasonCredit: The Mega Agency
    The Dragons are unwinding in style – a ‘million miles’ from North WalesCredit: The Mega Agency
    Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have taken Wrexham back to the big time of league footballCredit: PA More

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    EFL clubs agree £1BILLION TV deal with Sky Sports.. but fans will be devastated by key part of mega-money agreement

    EFL clubs voted for a record new five-year live TV deal with Sky Sports worth almost a BILLION POUNDS.The £935million agreement will see more than 1,000 matches broadcast, starting in 2024-25.
    Fans will see a hefty increase in live EFL games from 2024-25Credit: Rex
    Club chiefs unanimously approved the new deal —  a 50 per cent increase on the current terms in place since 2018 — after being informed of Sky’s offer on Friday morning.
    The EFL were willing to consider ending the Saturday 3pm TV blackout but it WILL remain as part of the new  deal.
    In total, 1,059 league, EFL Cup — including all 93 ties — and EFL Trophy matches will be shown live on Sky or a streaming platform, replacing the iFollow service.
    Currently, Sky televises 138 EFL league games each season.
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    The league entered into an exclusive  negotiating period with Sky  in April.
    The deal is made up of guaranteed payments of £895m — plus £40m in marketing benefits.
    EFL chief exec Trevor Birch called it a “landmark  deal for EFL clubs”.
    He said: “This  will showcase much more of our compelling match action to fans while delivering record rights values as we seek to make our clubs sustainable at all levels.”
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    Birch added: “With some 20 million attending Sky Bet EFL matches each season and significant interest in the League at home and abroad, we look forward to growing our collective fanbase further.”
    Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said: “This is a ground-breaking deal for Sky and our long-standing partners, the EFL.
    “This is the biggest deal in football, in terms of the number of matches being broadcast.”
    Licht also promised: “Between Sky and the league, we’re pleased to be able to make a commitment to fans that will ensure greater notice periods around the movement of matches for broadcast.
    “There’ll also be greater parity in the number of times clubs are selected to be live on Sky Sports.” More

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    Bury return to English football pyramid after FOUR YEARS in cold.. but expelled EFL club must start from near the bottom

    BURY FC will officially return to the football pyramid in August after four years out in the cold.The expelled EFL club will be in the ninth tier competing in the North West Counties League Premier Division following a fans’ vote at Gigg Lane on Friday night.
    Bury FC will be back playing at Gigg Lane in August after historic vote
    Members of the Bury Football Club Supporters Society and the Shakers Community Society overwhelmingly decided in favour of merging.
    BFCSS own the Bury FC name, stadium and history while the SCS own the breakaway team Bury AFC, which was set up in the immediate aftermath of the Shakers’ expulsion in 2019.
    The FA had rejected a standalone application from BFCSS to enter Bury FC into the pyramid this season — but will rubber-stamp the club competing in the pyramid with both supporter groups merging to run it as one entity.
    The ground-breaking vote means that the club will have access to another £300,000 from the government’s levelling up fund, having already received £700,000 to upgrade the stadium. 
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    Also Bury Council will grant the club a further £450,000 towards making Gigg Lane a community hub.
    A spokesman at the club told SunSport: “This is an historic night for Bury FC.
    “Supporters have fought hard to get football back to Gigg Lane and now this is definitely going to happen for next season.
    “It’s been a big journey with a lot of people putting their time, money, support and effort into making this happen.
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    “Now Bury FC once again has one voice, one identity and can truly start the climb back up the divisions with our plan being to win back our EFL status.”
    To do that Bury FC will need to win five promotions.
    A board will be appointed after a further vote of the membership — in a model which will be a minimum of 51 per cent fan owned, to avoid a repeat of a single owner running the club into the ground.
    The club were awarded £1million from the government’s levelling up fund, which was announced by Boris Johnson at Gigg Lane when he was prime minister
    Fans have fought hard to get Bury FC back to Gigg Lane in the football pyramid More