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      Ryan Reynolds hilariously doubles down on golf-themed plot to get Gareth Bale to join Wrexham on free transfer

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      WREXHAM co-owner Ryan Reynolds has doubled down on his side’s attempts to lure Gareth Bale out of retirement. The Welsh club are still celebrating their promotion to League Two after beating Boreham Wood 3-1 last weekend to secure the National League title.
      Gareth Bale has been enjoying retirement by playing some of the best golf courses in the worldCredit: Twitter/@GarethBale11
      Reynold’s and McElhenney have overseen Wrexham’s return to the Football LeagueCredit: PA
      Bale, 33, retired from football after the World Cup in Qatar and appears to be enjoying his retirement.
      Reynold’s took to Twitter to double down on the golf themed plot to try and get Bale to join Wrexham.
      He said: “I will shave a professional-grade golf course into Rob’s back if you’ll give Wrexham a season.
      He then replied to his own tweet saying: “Update: after an online image search, it appears Rob does not have the requisite body hair to support this plan.”
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      There has yet to be a response from Bale to the latest attempt to convince him out of retirement.
      Reynold’s tweet came in response to Bale’s congratulatory message to Wrexham’s other co owner Rob McElhenney ,which prompted an exchange between the pair.
      The 33 year old took a break whilst on the golf course to send a message of congratulations to McElhenney on Wrexham’s promotion.
      In the short clip the former Real Madrid star said: “Hi Rob, just want to congratulate you on your promotion and everything you’re doing at Wrexham.”
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      McElhenney then posted the clip to his Twitter account, alongside a cheeky message.
      Tagging the five-time Champions League winner, he wrote: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ❤️”
      Bale responded to that tweet by suggesting he wanted to play at St Andrews, the home of golf, by tagging in the R & A.
      The Wales legend tweeted: “Depends what course @RandA”
      Bale finished his career by making 14 appearances and scoring three times for LAFC as the club won the MLS Cup.
      Wrexham have already convinced one former Premier League star out of retirement as Ben Foster signed a short term deal in March. More

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      Furious Ipswich chiefs STORM OUT of EFL Awards after controversy as ceremony turns awkward

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      PLYMOUTH boss Steven Schumacher landed the League One manager of the season gong at the EFL Awards on Sunday.And that did not go down well with Ipswich.
      The EFL Awards took place in London on Sunday nightCredit: Rex
      Kieran McKenna looks set to lead Ipswich to promotionCredit: Alamy
      Seconds after Schumacher was announced the winner, everyone on the Tractor Boys’ table at the London bash left the room and went home.
      Plymouth are currently top of the League One table on 95 points after last night’s 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers.
      But there are two games to go – and Ipswich are just one point behind after a 3-0 win at Barnsley.
      Both teams look set for automatic promotion to the Championship.
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      But the result clearly infuriated the Portman Road clan at Grosvenor House in London as gaffer Kieran McKenna was overlooked.
      McKenna is excelling in his first senior management role after spells with Tottenham and Manchester United’s academies.
      He worked as the assistant for Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick but made the switch to Suffolk in December 2021.
      McKenna is enjoying a fine first full campaign and picked up the EFL’s League One manager of the month award for March.
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      Schumacher collected the gong in September and October while Barnsley’s Michael Duff has three.
      Ipswich did, however, have some success at the end-of-season gala.
      Conor Chaplin and Leif Davis were both named in the League One team of the season.
      But Cameron Humphreys was pipped to the young player of the year by Plymouth’s Bali Mumba.
      Ipswich’s five players nominated for awards were in attendance in the capital alongside CEO Mark Ashton and COO Luke Werhun as well as the club’s media team.
      Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher collected the gongCredit: Rex More

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      Wrexham owner Rob McElhenney makes ambitious transfer approach for Gareth Bale to come out of retirement

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      WREXHAM owner Rob McElhenney has made a cheeky attempt to convince Gareth Bale to come out of retirement.The Welsh hero retired from the game earlier this year after representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar.
      Gareth Bale posted a video congratulating Wrexham
      Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds lift the National League trophyCredit: PA
      Bale, 33, is clearly enjoying retirement, and took time out to congratulate McElhenney on Wrexham’s promotion.
      In a short video clip, the former Tottenham and Real Madrid star said: “Hi Rob, just want to congratulate you on your promotion and everything you’re doing at Wrexham.”
      McElhenney posted the clip to his Twitter account, alongside a cheeky message.
      Tagging the five-time Champions League winner, he wrote: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ❤️”
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      Bale finished his club career with LAFC in MLS, appearing 14 times and scoring three goals.
      He subsequently scored at the World Cup for Wales in their 1-1 draw with the USA.
      Wrexham have already convinced one former Premier League star to come out of retirement this season.
      The newly-crowned National League champions signed Ben Foster ahead of the run-in, with the former England goalkeeper playing a huge part in getting them over the line.
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      Ben Foster saved a late penalty against Notts CountyCredit: Getty
      Foster’s highlight was surely his last-gasp penalty save that sealed victory against title rivals Notts County.
      McElhenney and co-owner Ryan Reynolds were emotional last weekend as their team sealed the title.
      The former could be seen in tears as joyous Wrexham fans flooded the pitch in glee.
      Reynolds and McElhenney’s actions have seen them named the “best owners in football” by fans online.
      Bale brought the curtain down on his illustrious career after the World CupCredit: AP More

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      Premier League legend wanted by Walsall as new manager after sensationally quitting his club despite winning title

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      WALSALL will look to see if Kevin Phillips wants to be their next boss.The Saddlers sacked Michael Flynn this week.
      Michael Flynn was sacked by Walsall this week after a dismal run of resultsCredit: Getty
      They now want Kevin Phillips after the Sunderland legend led South Shields to promotionCredit: PA
      Now they are keen on Sunderland legend Phillips, who has impressed as a boss with a title win at non league South Shields.
      The ex-England striker, 49, and North East club announced the mutual decision following their final day 3-0 defeat to Stafford Rangers.
      Despite the result, South Shields are still looking forward to playing National League North football this term.
      A club statement read: “Since promotion to National League North was confirmed earlier this month, discussions over the future direction of the club have been held between Kevin and chairman Geoff Thompson.
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      “It has now been decided it is in the best interests of all parties to go their separate ways as the club continues on its road to a more sustainable model.”
      Phillips added: “I feel that this is the right time for me to depart, for a number of reasons.
      “To be manager of South Shields has been an amazing experience and I’m very grateful for everything Geoff has done during my time at the club.”
      The 2000 Premier League Golden Boot winner worked as a coach at Leicester and then Derby and later Stoke after retiring from playing in 2014 before taking over South Shields a year ago.
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      Walsall axed Flynn having won just once in League Two since the start of the year.
      That miserable run left them floundering in mid-table, with his final match in charge being Tuesday’s 3-0 home defeat to Harrogate.
      Assistant coach Wayne Hatswell also left the Bescot Stadium with Mat Sadler placed in charge for the rest of the campaign. More

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      Football star receives death threats on social media as sick fans blame him for not stopping goal

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      BRADFORD CITY star Romoney Crichlow has deactivated his social media accounts after claiming to receive death threats from fans.The defender was in action for the Bantams yesterday as they took on Gillingham at Valley Parade.
      Romoney Crichlow has played 35 times for Bradford this seasonCredit: Rex
      The Huddersfield loanee had his pocket picked by Timothee Dieng in the 12th minute, with the Gills ace going on to score.
      After the 2-2 draw, Crichlow revealed on Snapchat that he had deactivated his other social media accounts following a barrage of vile messages.
      He wrote: “The way I’m getting death threats in my DMs right now, I had to deactivate my socials. This is going private now.
      “I always take accountability for my mistakes but no time to dwell, still got a job to do! Three games left to get the job done.”

      Crichlow, 23, is on a season-long loan at Valley Parade from Huddersfield.
      He has appeared 35 times in all competitions – helping Mark Hughes’ side in their promotion bid.
      After revealing the abuse he had received, fans rallied round the centre-back.
      One wrote on Twitter: “This is absolutely disgraceful whoever has sent this to Rom deserves a lifetime ban.”
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      Crichlow revealed on Snapchat that he would be deactivating his social media accountsCredit: Snapchat / RC
      A second commented: “Find them, ban them, prosecute them.”
      While a third Bantam tweeted: “What in the hell 😳 some of our fans are beyond a disgrace.”
      Another added: “Disgusting people. No true fan does anything remotely like this, shame on them.”
      Bradford rallied after Dieng’s opener.
      Andy Cook’s header levelled for Hughes’ men on 48 minutes, and it looked as though League Two’s top scorer had won it for Bradford when he converted an 84th minute penalty.
      Gillingham came roaring back, however, with Oliver Hawkins equalising seven minutes into stoppage time.
      The draw saw Bradford fall to seventh in the table, four points off the automatic promotion spots and only above the non-playoff positions on goal difference.
      They travel to second-placed Northampton on Saturday before a mid-week trip to Crewe.
      On the final day Bradford host Leyton Orient, with Richie Wellens’ side having already been crowned champions. More

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      Fan arrested mid-game after appearing to SPIT at Ipswich goalscorer as club condemn him

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      A FOOTBALL fan was arrested mid-game after appearing to spit at an opposition player.The disgraceful incident occurred during Peterborough’s crunch League One clash against visitors Ipswich.
      A Peterborough fan was arrested after appearing to spit at Ipswich’s Wes BurnsCredit: Alamy
      The incident occurred after Burns fired his side ahead in an eventual 3-0 win
      The hosts needed a win to keep their playoff dream alive.
      But they got off to a terrible start when Wes Burns gave Ipswich the lead after just 17 minutes.
      The wide-man turned towards Peterborough fans as he celebrated by cupping his hands to his ears.
      But for one home supporter, it was too much to take.
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      The man was caught on camera leaping from his seat as Ipswich players joined Burns for a group hug.
      The fan then appeared to lean forward and spit at Burns before swearing.
      And as the game continued playing, Peterborough took their official Twitter account revealing the supporter in question had been nicked by cops.
      A statement read: “The football club can confirm that a gentleman was arrested by police following an incident after the first goal scored by Ipswich Town this afternoon.
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      “There is no place in the game for incidents like this. The club would like to thank the police for swiftly dealing with it.”
      Other fans were delighted with Peterborough’s quick actions.
      One said: “Well done for responding.”
      Another declared: “No room for it, fantastic effort from the club in taking action swiftly.”
      Unfortunately for Peterborough, their fortunes did not improve over the course of the game.
      Ipswich found a second in the 57th minute through Conor Chaplin.
      And Freddie Ladapo made it 3-0 with eight minutes remaining.
      The result means Ipswich remain second in the table, one point behind Plymouth Argyle.
      Meanwhile, Peterborough have dropped to seventh, with Derby leapfrogging them into the final playoff place. More

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      I played just one half of football for Tottenham – getting promoted out of League Two was a bigger achievement

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      KEVIN DEARDEN ranks his League Two promotion with Torquay United over his Premier League debut with Tottenham Hotsppur.The goalkeeper came through the ranks at White Hart Lane in the early 1990s.
      Kevin Dearden played one games for Tottenham’s first teamCredit: Getty
      He found himself initially stuck behind his hero Ray Clemence – before Erik “The Viking” Thorstvedt and Bobby Mimms came along.
      Dearden was around the first team squad at Spurs but wasn’t handed an opportunity… until an injury to Thorstvedt during a clash with Nottingham Forest during the 1992-93 season saw his number called.
      Speaking to Planet Football, Dearden recounted: “I’d been there a long time, I was 22, I felt that I was ready – I’d been on loan, I’d played in League One, League Two and the Championship with Hull.
      “I was on the bench, I obviously I didn’t wish anyone any injury, but I felt I was ready if called upon.
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      “Erik dived at the base of the post, he fractured his finger or his thumb, and at half-time I was told I was on.
      “I didn’t have much time to think about it, I just went out and it means I didn’t take in the enormity of it.
      “We were losing 2-1 at half-time and that was the result in the end, so I always tell everyone that I never let a goal in in the Premier League!”
      Despite a promising debut, Dearden would never play for Spurs again.
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      He continued: “The next game I was on the bench against Oldham at home, and they were a bottom four or five team, and I thought if I was to ever start a game for Spurs this was it.
      “But they brought Ian Walker back in and that told me the writing was on the wall. I knew then my time was up and it was just a case then of where to, really.”
      After just one Spurs appearance and nine loans away from White Hart Lane, Dearden finally left permanently.
      He moved to Brentford, where he would get his wish of regular first-team football – playing over 200 times in six years.
      Following two subsequent seasons with Wrexham he moved on to Torquay – where he would enjoy the highlight of his career.
      Dearden added: “The year we got promoted with Torquay from League Two to League One I look back on more fondly. I felt I achieved something with a group of players.
      “The budget was minuscule, we had a skeleton squad, but we had a togetherness and a team ethic which was second-to-none.
      “For Torquay to get promoted that season was unbelievable and we almost stayed up the following year. I look on that more fondly than the Spurs game, as it seems a very, very long time ago now.”
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      Having earned his coaching badges while still a player, Dearden moved seamlessly into his new career after hanging up his boots in 2006.
      Now 53, he works as a goalkeeping coach with hometown club Luton, having also done the same job at Brentford, Millwall and Leyton Orient.
      Dearden’s one Spurs appearance ranks below promotion with Torquay UnitedCredit: PA More

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      EFL star forced to retire aged 26 due to cancer battle as he writes emotional letter to fans

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      BRISTOL ROVERS defender Nick Anderton has been forced to retire at the age of 26 amid his battle with cancer.The ex-Preston, Blackpool and Carlisle man took to social media on Friday to confirm the news in an emotional post.
      Nick Anderton has announced his retirement from footballCredit: Rex
      It comes four months into his chemotherapy treatment for a rare form of bone cancer, osteosarcoma.
      He has been forced to hang up his boots due to an operation on his femur which required a “complete knee replacement”.
      Speaking the day before his 27th birthday, he said: “I’ve had six months to prepare some words for this moment and I still don’t know what to say.
      “It’s been extremely difficult to come to terms with but I’ve decided today is the day to announce at the age of 26 I have to retire from professional football.
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      “This is due to an operation I had in October 2022 to remove a cancerous tumour from my right femur. This resulted in a complete knee replacement, and a further 12cm of my femur replaced.
      “There was optimism that I could return to playing after the initial planned operation/treatment but a scan five days prior revealed it would not be safe if they didn’t replace the full joint, therefore the operation changed.
      “Looking back on the last 10 years, I have nothing but fond memories.
      “To every club I’ve represented, thank you for the opportunity. To every manager and coach I’ve worked under, thank you for the time you’ve invested in me. To every player I’ve shared a dressing room with and every player I’ve competed against on the pitch, thank you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
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      “I want to say a massive thank you to every single person who sent messages, donated and said a prayer. Your kind words and support for my family throughout this journey has been incredible and we can’t thank you enough.
      “It’s given me even more motivation to continue fighting and to complete every single millilitre of chemotherapy that I need.
      “Thank you, Nick.”
      Anderton was diagnosed with the illness back in July after undergoing a scan on what he believed to be a leg injury.
      He made 245 senior appearances during his nine-year professional career.
      Last season, he played a crucial role in helping Bristol Rovers secure promotion to League One on the final day of the season.
      They did so in the most incredible fashion, beating Scunthorpe 7-0 to go up on goals scored.
      His No16 jersey is hung up in the Rovers dressing room before every match.
      And the club’s fans have been giving a round of applause in the 16th minute of their games.
      The Rovers squad shaved their heads in solidarity with Anderton in January.
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      A fundraiser has also been set up for him which has raised £46,000 to date.
      And Rovers manager Joey Barton completed the Manchester Marathon last weekend following a promise he made to Anderton. More