More stories

  • in

    Abandoned football stadium where David Beckham’s Man Utd suffered historic upset razed to ground after 90 years

    A HISTORIC abandoned football stadium where David Beckham’s Manchester United suffered a famous upset has now been demolished.Home to York City FC, Bootham Crescent was razed to the ground after 90 years to make way for a unique housing development worth £7million.
    Manchester United suffered a famous upset against York City in 1995 despite prevailing on the nightCredit: Getty
    The legendary stadium has been torn down for a housing developmentCredit: Getty
    Bootham Crescent being torn down for new homesCredit: Google Maps
    Despite hosting countless matches and even surviving the Second World War, the iconic ground was ripped up after being sold to Persimmon Homes.
    The Minstermen left the 8,256 capacity ground in 2020 with the York Community Stadium in Huntington becoming their new home.
    But the National League side’s original patch still has a place in many York supporters’ hearts.
    Older fans may well remember some of their finest moments taking place at Bootham Crescent.

    Iconic moments included a historic FA Cup win over Arsenal in 1985 – followed by a 1-1 draw against a formidable Liverpool side in the same competition.
    But perhaps one of the greatest results witnessed at the hallowed ground was in fact a 3-1 loss to giants Manchester United in 1995.
    United were six games unbeaten in all competitions when York showed up for the first leg of the League Cup second round tie.
    City took on the Red Devils in the then-named Coca Cola League Cup, and defeated the Prem leaders in a shock 3-0 victory in the first leg at Old Trafford.
    Most read in Football
    United put out a full strength team for the return leg at Bootham Crescent two weeks later.
    Stars like David Beckham, Roy Keane and mercurial forward Eric Cantona – who had just returned from a nine-month ban – all took to the pitch.
    And despite losing on the night thanks to two goals from Paul Scholes and another from Terry Cooke, York managed to hang on.
    The plucky underdogs went through 4-3 on aggregate thanks to Scott Jordan’s strike at Bootham Crescent.
    Stung by their League Cup embarrassment, United rallied together and went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup Double that year.
    The new Bootham Crescent development will eventually provide 93 new homes.
    19 properties will then be transferred to the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust to be made available for social rent and discount sale.
    A wide mix of properties will be available including, two, three, and four bedroom houses as well as one and two bedroom apartments.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    Persimmon announced that there will be plenty of options for homebuyers at a range of prices, which will be released in due course.
    York got their first win of the season against Southend United last Saturday.
    David Beckham also played for the club in 1995Credit: Getty More

  • in

    FA Cup draw made for third round qualifying with 40 fixtures announced and prize money revealed

    THE FA CUP has now reached the third qualifying round stage – with the tournament edging closer to the first round proper. Non-League clubs have gone into the hat for the third-round qualifying draw with 40 fixtures and prize money announced.
    Manchester City won the FA Cup last season after beating Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    Tier 6 clubs- The National League North and South entered the second qualifying round.
    While some clubs in the competition have gone through as many as four matches to get to this stage.
    There are only two ninth-tier sides remaining – Reading City and Emley who both earned themselves replays to Winchester City and Mossley respectively.
    Also, the shock result from eighth division side Nantwich Town who beat Banbury United 2-1 means they will play Chester in the next round.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Meanwhile, Yeovil who were relegated to non league in 2019 and thrashed ninth-tier AFC Stoneham 7-1 in the second qualifying stage have been drawn to play Didcot Town.
    Canvey Island will make a trip on Tuesday to Essex rivals and Jamie O’Hara’s former team Braintree after a 1-1 draw at Park Lane to decide who goes into the next round.
    Also, Bath City scraped through into the next stage after their last-minute win against Larkhall Atheltic and now go head-to National League South rivals Weymouth.
    Now the remainder of non-league teams in the FA Cup continue to fight their way into the first round proper where they are met with League One and Two teams.
    Most read in Football
    And wins at this stage of the competition for the non-league teams are crucial as the prize money really starts to ramp up.
    FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
    Winning clubs at this stage will not only reach the fourth round qualifying stage but will also pick up £5625 from the competition’s prize fund while losing clubs will also collect £1875.
    This is a fraction of the £2million FA Cup winners earn.
    Manchester City won the tournament last time out, as part of a historic treble in 2022/23.
    And while teams at this stage have no thoughts of going all the way, they will have an eye on drawing a Football League side in the first round.
    FA CUP THIRD ROUND QUALIFYING Third round qualifying games will be played on September 30th 2023 at 3pm.
    1 Blyth Spartans or Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Worksop Town
    2 Whitby Town vs Morpeth Town
    3 Darlington vs Farsley Celtic or Scarborough Athletic
    4 Leek Town vs South Shields
    5 Lancaster City vs Ashton United or Atherton Collieries
    6 Hyde United vs Spennymor Town or Marine
    7 Chester vs Nantwich Town
    8 Curzon Ashton vs Runcorn Linnets or Chorley
    9 Alfreton Town vs Mossley or Emley
    10 Macclesfield vs Warrington Rylands
    11 Hereford vs Cambridge City
    12 Stourbridge vs Mickleover
    13 Hitchin Town vs Kettering Town
    14 King’s Lynn Town or Aveley vs Hornchurch
    15 Gorleston vs Hemel Hempsted Town
    16 Halesowen Town vs Enfield Town
    17 Bishop’s Stortford or Biggleswade Town vs Barton Rovers or Wroxham
    18 Coalville Town vs Tamworth
    19 Bromsgrove Sporting vs Ware or Chelmsford City
    20 Rushall Olympic vs Boston United
    21 Peterborough Sports or Redditch United vs Needham Market
    22 Canvey Island or Braintree Town vs Scunthorpe United or Brackley Town
    23 Billericay Town vs St Albans City
    24 AFC Totton vs Berkhamsted
    25 Bracknell Town vs Poole Town
    26 Wingate & Finchley or Farnborough vs Weston Super Mare
    27 Dover Athletic vs Haringey Borough
    28 Merthyr Town or Taunton Town vs Sheppey United
    29 Yeovil Town vs Didcot Town
    30 Salisbury vs Slough Town
    31 Gosport Borough vs Welling United
    32 Torquay United vs Hungerford Town
    33 Reading City or Winchester City vs Maidstone United
    34 Carshalton Atheltic vs Northwood or Cray Valley
    35 Horsham or Marlow vs Hanworth Villa
    36 Lewes vs Hampton & Richmond Borough
    37 Chesham United vs Margate or Folkstone Invicta
    38 Cray Wanderers or Ramsgate vs Plymouth Parkway or Frome Town
    39 Worthing vs Whitehawk
    40 Weymouth vs Bath City More

  • in

    Gary Lineker can’t resist cheeky sex joke to Alan Shearer on Match of the Day after awkward moment at live Wolves game

    GARY LINEKER left Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy in stitches on Match of the Day with a cheeky sex joke. The host could not resist the quip with the show set to feature highlights of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Wolves.
    Gary Lineker made a cheeky sex joke as he introduced Match of the DayCredit: Getty
    Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy found it hilariousCredit: BBC
    Lineker, Shearer and Murphy were previously the victims of a prank when the two sides met in January.
    Wolves were facing Liverpool in a FA Cup tie live on the BBC when sex noises began to blast around the studio.
    The trio continued broadcasting as panic, awkwardness and confusion set in as to where the sound was coming from.
    It eventually emerged prankster Jarvo69 had planted a phone to play the noises.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Lineker began yesterday’s show by hilariously referencing the incident, saying: “I’m joined by Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy, and I’m a bit nervous, to be honest.
    “We’ve got Liverpool and Wolves to come up a little later, and the last time you two were on with that game things got a little steamy.
    “Please tell me you’ve turned your phones off.”
    Lineker joked about the situation before in his first broadcast after it occurred, saying on Match of the Day: “Six games on the way, let’s hope we’re not rudely interrupted.
    Most read in FA Cup
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
    “Jermaine Jenas and Danny Murphy here. Danny, have you turned your phone off?”
    Jarvo revealed after the prank he sneaked into the studio by posing as part of the TV crew in the days leading up to the match to plant the device.
    He told SunSport: “These things are all about confidence. We got in because we made it look like we were meant to be there, so no one bats an eyelid.
    “There were about four staff working in the studio. We tried not to speak to them much, just saying ‘How are you?’
    “Our plan was to strap it under a chair or the table, but they might’ve got suspicious if we started moving stuff around.
    “So we strapped it to the top of the wall and because of the colour no one could see it.
    “We had a cheers with the beers afterwards then it was a waiting game, hoping no one had found the phone.”
    Lineker and Shearer awkwardly spoke over the loud sex noisesCredit: BBC
    A phone was planted in the studio by a pranksterCredit: @GaryLineker More

  • in

    Iconic old stadium where Arsenal were thumped is now private hospital and home to 87 flats after £12m sale

    ARSENAL were handed a 3-0 beating by Oxford United at the iconic Manor Ground in 1986.The two clubs feel worlds away now, but in those days the Gunners had to make the trip to the Manor Ground for Division One matches.
    Oxford United played at the Manor Ground between 1925 and 2001Credit: Getty
    John Aldridge, left, Dave Langan, middle, and Billy Hamilton, right, celebrate in the Manor Ground dressing roomCredit: PA
    Oxford paraded the League Cup ahead of their 1986 clash with ArsenalCredit: Getty
    Oxford had recruited Tottenham legend Steve Perryman to assist in their survival bid during the 1985-86 season.
    Having made a record 866 appearances for Spurs, Perryman added the experience and know-how to help Oxford far exceed their goals for the season.
    Not only did the U’s thump Arsenal 3-0 on the final day to survive in Division One.
    But 15 days earlier they had also won the League Cup.
    Read More Football Stories
    Ray Houghton, John Aldridge and Billy Hamilton scored against the Gunners in front of 13,651 fans crammed into the Manor Ground – witnessing their side turning over a team that featured the likes of Tony Adams and Charlie Nicholas.
    Oxford’s old home featured a mish-mash of stands oozing with character – unlike many of the modern symmetrical domes you see today.
    By this point the U’s had already been at the Manor Ground for over 60 years, having moved there in 1925.
    It saw some great times during those decades, but the 1990s would be brutal.
    Most read in Football
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
    Oxford played their final match at the Manor Ground in 2001Credit: Getty
    The old school stadium featured a mish-mash of standsCredit: Getty
    Having been in the top flight for three years during the previous decade, Oxford suffered three relegations in the 90s.
    Their iconic old home also began to fall apart, prompting the need for a new ground.
    The Manor Ground’s terracing began to crumble, with safety concerns increasing towards the turn of the millenium.
    Only the fact that their move to the Kassam Stadium was imminent prevented league chiefs from taking action.
    Converting the Manor Ground into an all-seater stadium would have cost millions, all the while reducing the capacity to just 2,803.
    Oxford owner Firoz Kassam bought the Manor Ground for £6million with his own company, before building a state-of-the-hospital and 87 flats in its place.
    Kassam then flogged the hospital to Nuffield Nursing Trust for £12m.
    It now features 64 private bedrooms, six modern surgical theatres, a pharmacy and two minor procedural units.
    The U’s, meanwhile, moved to the three-sided, 12,500 capacity Kassam Stadium.
    And it has never had the same charm.
    Speaking to the BBC in 2014, Oxford fan Matthew Cavill said: “(The Manor Ground’s) atmosphere was superb.
    Read More on The Sun
    “Because it was a small, tiny ground, you felt like with a packed crowd you were about on top of the players and it had a slope which I never appreciated until I got older and played there for my school as a full back.
    “The (Kassam Stadium) capacity is over 12,000 and our ground average is about 5,500. It’s got an open end, the car park end behind the goal… The noise gets lost.”
    Oxford’s Manor Ground home was converted into 87 flatsCredit: Google Earth
    The Manor Hospital was also built on Oxford’s former homeCredit: Nuffield Hospital
    The state of the art build is now a private hospitalCredit: Nuffield Hospital More

  • in

    Nottingham Forest could be charged by the FA after two away fans were arrested over ‘Chelsea Rent Boy’ chants

    NOTTINGHAM Forest could be charged by the FA after two away fans were arrested over “Chelsea Rent Boy” chants.New regulations introduced earlier this year mean clubs whose fans use the offensive term can be punished.
    Two Nottingham Forest supporters were arrested at Stamford BridgeCredit: Rex
    The unsavoury chants saw two Forest supporters arrested at Stamford Bridge Saturday afternoon.
    They were ejected from the Chelsea ground before being taken away by officers from Nottinghamshire Police, according to MailOnline.
    The FA introduced new regulations earlier this year enabling them to charge clubs whose fans use the offensive term “rent boy”.
    It comes as the CPS decided to classify use of the phrase – which is a breach of FA rule E21 – as a hate crime.
    Read More in Football
    The Crown Prosecution Service have previously said those who use the words are liable to face prosecution.
    Chelsea fans are also understood to have complained to security staff about other incidents. 
    FA charges do not automatically follow in such cases, which can be left to the clubs involved and police to resolve.
    However, the previous use of the term by Forest fans at a match against Chelsea on New Year’s Day may count against them.
    Most read in Football
    Wolves became the first club to be punished by the FA for homophobic chanting in July when they were given a £100,000 fine.
    The Prem outfit were hit by the fine after their “inadequate response” to rent boy chants during their Premier League game against Cheslea in April. 
    The FA will wait until they have received reports from cops before deciding whether to take formal disciplinary action against Forest.
    Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has overseen a £1billion splurge on new players since taking over the club last May.
    But the Blues were downed by Elanga who scored his first goal for Forest since making a £15million move from Manchester United in July.
    Chants were aimed at Chelsea players at multiple grounds last season – both in the Premier League and FA Cup. More

  • in

    Stormzy mobbed by fans as superstar rapper spotted watching his non-league side AFC Croydon compete in FA Cup

    STORMZY was mobbed by fans while watching his club AFC Croydon play in the FA Cup.The superstar rapper cheered on The Rams as they took on Sutton Athletic in the extra preliminary round.
    Stormzy attended AFC Croydon Athletic’s win over Sutton AthleticCredit: Supplied
    He was mobbed by fans during the FA Cup clashCredit: Supplied
    Stormzy shared an update from the match on his social mediaCredit: Instagram
    Stormzy co-owns the club with Wilfried ZahaCredit: Getty
    Stormzy and Zaha appeared on the cover of the matchday programmeCredit: Instagram
    He would have been delighted with the brilliant start his side made as Nahum Green opened the scoring in the 13th minute.
    Stormzy was treated to a raucous reception as fans gathered to greet the grime artist.
    Earlier this summer the 30-year-old teamed up with former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha to buy the ninth tier non-league club.
    Zaha and Stormzy have been joined by former Crystal Palace head of player care Danny Young.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    AFC Croydon Athletic are the pair’s childhood hometown club and they compete at the 3,000 capacity Mayfield Stadium.
    The club was founded in 2012 following the winding up of Croydon Atheltic.
    Stormzy and Zaha want to take the local community on a journey with the latter keen to build on the work done by his WZ Foundation.
    They have been friends for a few years and worked together on a photoshoot for Elle UK in 2019.
    Most read in Football

    DREAM TEAM IS LIVE – JOIN NOW TO BATTLE FOR THE £50k TOP PRIZE
    Speaking on their friendship, Zaha said: “He is just a friend from the area, really. I’ve watched his growth from just putting videos out on YouTube, no one paying attention.
    “I’ve grown up in Thornton Heath, he’s grown up in Thornton Heath and we’ve got so many mutual friends.
    “We’re both heavily into giving back and we both believe in God, so it’s like God has blessed us with the opportunity and we each like to help out.” More

  • in

    I reached the FA Cup final and made my money as a Premier League manager – now I have a new job as a financial advisor

    FORMER Premier League boss Dave Jones who reached the FA Cup final now has a new job as a financial advisor.Jones managed both Southampton and Wolves in the top flight during his career in the dug-out.
    Dave Jones is a former Premier League managerCredit: PA:Empics Sport
    Jones now has a new job as a financial advisorCredit: Q Financial Services
    However, Jones now has a completely different role after joining Telford-based firm Q Financial Services in March.
    After becoming a financial advisor, he told their website: “I’m very excited to be offered the opportunity to be joining the team at Q Financial Services.
    “They’re a forward thinking, passionate and experienced group of financial advisors that I can’t wait to work with.”
    Jones played for Everton, Coventry City and Preston North End before going into coaching.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    He began his managerial journey in 1995 with Stockport County, who he guided to the second tier and the semi-finals of the League Cup.
    His Edgeley Park achievements saw him earn a first Premier League job with Southampton in 1997.
    During his time on the south coast, Jones was falsely accused of child abuse, with the case thrown out of court in the first week of the trial.
    Jones was completely exonerated by the judge, who said there was “no smoke, no fire” – which the ex-defender would later title his autobiography.
    Most read in Football
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    A key alleged victim was also later found to have fabricated their claims in an attempt to win compensation.
    Speaking to the Independent in 2011, Jones explained: “Of all the things you could accuse me of, this was the worst. I would rather have been accused of murder.”
    Having left Southampton before his exoneration, Jones went on to rebuild his career with Wolves.
    He guided the club to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2003 but was unable to keep them up.
    Jones later managed Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday, reaching the FA Cup final with the Welsh club in 2008 before losing to Portsmouth.
    His last managerial role saw him spend three months in charge of Hartlepool United in League Two in 2017.
    Overall, Jones won 36 of his 131 Prem matches as a manager.
    Jones guided Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Premier League in 2003Credit: PA:Press Association
    He also reached an FA Cup final with Cardiff CityCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

  • in

    When is the FA Cup third round?

    The third round of the FA Cup will take place later this year- as teams eagerly await their opponents. As the football season fast approaches the infamous annual competition does too, with third-round qualifiers happening in late September.
    Manchester City lifts the trophy after FA Cup final beating Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley Stadium last month.
    Then the first round proper gets going on the weekend of November 4, before second round proper on the first weekend of December.
    Then the minnows of the English football pyramid can start to dream about doing what Manchester City did by lifting the trophy.
    When is the FA Cup third round 2023-24?
    The successful teams will then take on the third round next year Saturday, January, 6th 2024.
    Read more in FA Cup
    This year’s FA Cup winners Manchester City will be centre stage after completing the Treble after clinching the Premier League and Champions League titles.
    What TV channel is it on and can live stream it FREE?
    You can watch the third round for FREE on BBC and ITV.
    Fans will also be able to watch it live on BBC iPlayer.
    What teams will be involved in the FA Cup third round?
    As automatic qualifiers for the round, all Premier League teams will be playing.
    Most read in FA Cup
    When is the FA Cup third-round draw?
    We don’t know yet. It is expected to happen by the final week of November.
    When is the FA Cup fourth-round draw?
    The draw is likely to be at halftime on the Sunday of the big game of the third round. More