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      Fans rage ‘bring back the Super League’ as they fume at proposed FA Cup shake-up that would ABOLISH replays

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      FANS have raged “bring back the Super League” as they fumed at the proposed FA Cup shake-ups.The new plans for the competition from the start of the 2024/25 season include replays being abolished.
      Fans have fumed at the proposed changes to the FA CupCredit: PA
      According to the Daily Mail, the world’s oldest cup competition is set to undergo the biggest shake-up in its history.
      The report claims that the FA are to hand control of the competition to the Premier League.
      It is a move that would mean top flight clubs have control of the entire domestic calendar.
      FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is set to accept an offer from the Premier League that includes the abolition of replays.
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      There is also the chance that the early rounds of the competition will be played in midweek.
      The final would no longer be played on its own weekend and would instead take place on a weekend with Premier League fixtures.
      This is likely to be the penultimate Saturday of the season, allowing the final day to still take place on a Sunday.
      Additional changes include a 10-year deal to sell foreign television rights for all overseas markets as well as the domestic rights, which are currently held by the BBC and ITV.
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      The Premier League will also make an increased payment to the FA to fund grassroots football.
      However, fans are not impressed by the proposed changes, with one tweeting: “Bring back the Super League. Let the top 6/7 p*** off and focus on money, rest of the pyramid can go back to how it was before.”
      Another fumed: “Replays scrapped which made shit loads of money for lower league sides. Brilliant lads nice one again .”
      The proposed changes to the FA Cup would come into effect from the 2024/25 seasonCredit: PA
      A third fan added: “Midweek games and the final being played on a normal game week. Grim, doing everything they can to ruin the game.”
      One more also commented: “Bending over backwards for ‘elite’ clubs once again.”
      The FA have not yet commented on the reports. More

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      I scored a last-minute screamer to relegate Coventry just so I could go on my brother’s stag do, says Paul Merson

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      IN 2001, Paul Merson scored the goal that relegated one of his club’s rivals.But the joy of the goal was far from the first thing on his mind when Aston Villa took on Coventry.
      Paul Merson revealed his manager warned him he wouldn’t be allowed to go on his brother’s stag-do if Aston Villa lostCredit: Getty
      Merson duly scored the winner to relegate CoventryCredit: Getty
      Arsenal legend Merse told Sky Sports in 2020: “It was the year where the FA Cup final was played before the final day of the season, and my brother had a stag the weekend of the FA Cup final, I’d organised it in Orlando.
      “We were playing Coventry on the penultimate game week of the season.
      “I went to Villa manager John Gregory, asked him if I could go to Orlando after the game and he said: ‘Not a problem, you can go, we haven’t got a game!’
      “We came in 2-0 down at half-time at Villa Park. Our season was over anyway.
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      “But Gregory said to me: ‘You’re not going to Orlando tomorrow if this game doesn’t get turned around.’
      “And then, low and behold, I scored the winner with the last kick of the game, and Coventry went down. The next day, I went to Orlando!
      “You can imagine what I said to Gregory when I got back in.
      “I was putting my suntan cream on when he was having his post-match chat!
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      “People say that goal sent Coventry down, I don’t believe that and I hope it didn’t. It’s a long season, and don’t just blame it on one goal.”
      Merson spent 12 years at Arsenal, winning two league titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Cup Winners’ Cup.
      But he is also fondly remembered for his four years at Villa where the team qualified for Europe and reached the FA Cup final.
      And now he entertains viewers on Saturday afternoons on legendary Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday.
      Merson is now a regular Sky Sports pundit on Soccer SaturdayCredit: Getty More

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      Shirtless Jack Grealish leads Man City bus parade as Erling Haaland mixes with jubilant fans cerebrating Treble win

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      MANCHESTER CITY fans braved rain and lightning to watch their Treble-winning team’s open-top bus parade on Monday evening.The parade was delayed by more than an hour due to the horrific conditions, but that did not deter the thousands of supporters that gathered to catch a glimpse of their squad.
      Jack Grealish with the Champions League trophyCredit: Getty
      Grealish was front and centre in all of the celebrationsCredit: Getty
      Striker Haaland mixes with jubilant fans
      Phil Foden celebrating amid mountains of confettiCredit: PA
      Manchester City held their trophies aloft as they celebrated the TrebleCredit: PA
      Pep Guardiola smoked a cigar during the celebrationsCredit: Reuters
      The head coach gave a thumbs up to the crowdCredit: AFP
      Guardiola posed with some of his backroom staffCredit: Getty
      A topless Grealish made his way to the parade on the tramCredit: Getty
      He has been in a party mood ever since Man City’s Champions League triumphCredit: Getty
      Aymeric Laporte, left, Erling Haaland, centre, and Ruben Dias, right, were also on the tramCredit: Getty
      John Stones was snapped on public transport with his team-matesCredit: Getty
      (L-R) Stefano Ortega, Ilkay Gundogan, Stones and Nathan Ake on the tramCredit: Getty
      Dias was pictured with the Premier League trophyCredit: Getty
      The open-top bus parade was met with swarms of sky blueCredit: Getty
      It was an incredible scene on the streets of ManchesterCredit: PA
      Fans came out in their droves to welcome the squadCredit: Getty
      The stage was set for Man City’s historic homecomingCredit: PA
      Foden was snapped firing a confetti cannonCredit: Getty
      Jack Grealish was wearing a high-vis jacket on stageCredit: Reuters
      He was loving every minute of the celebrationsCredit: PA
      Some of the Man City players squirted a drink into Grealish’s mouth on stageCredit: Reuters
      Haaland came onto the stage topless with a Man City shirt over his headCredit: Getty
      The Norwegian was buzzing throughout the celebrationsCredit: Getty
      Guardiola got the crowd going when he came on stageCredit: PA
      Haaland celebrated up close and personal with the fansCredit: Getty
      Fireworks brought the house down on an incredible nightCredit: Getty
      And many of the squad may their way to the parade via the tram, with Jack Grealish pictured topless on the public transport.
      Erling Haaland, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake and Stefano Ortega were also snapped on the tram.
      And Haaland was dubbed a “menace” for pouring Champagne on Grealish during the chaotic scenes.
      Pep Guardiola, who was seen smoking a cigar during the celebrations, and his stable of superstars enjoyed a sensational homecoming after becoming just the second English team in history to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same campaign.
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      The Man City players seemed to be loving the celebrations through the streetsCredit: PA
      Sky blue flares lit up the streets of ManchesterCredit: PA
      Fans braved the rain and lightning to be a part of the occasionCredit: Alamy
      Haaland holding up the Champions League trophyCredit: AFP
      Supporters hung from traffic lights to get the perfect viewCredit: Reuters
      Kyle Walker and Manuel Akanji with the Champions League and Premier League trophiesCredit: Getty
      Gundogan and Dias enjoying the bus in the rainCredit: Getty

      Fans waved flags and sang to the heavens as City made their way through town an open-top bus.
      Key men such as Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Grealish basked in the adoration as they made their way through the streets of Manchester.
      And when they eventually made it to the stage, Grealish, dressed in a high-vis jacket, said “I don’t think I’ve slept”.
      The party is sure to continue into the night, with players living the high life ever since Saturday’s final whistle in Istanbul.
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      City landed the Premier League first, overturning an eight-point deficit to leapfrog Arsenal and win their third-straight title by five points.
      A second domestic trophy soon followed, with Guardiola’s men beating rivals Man Utd in the FA Cup final.
      And City solidified their position as one of the greatest sides in history by lifting their first Champions League with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Saturday.
      The club have been enjoying themselves ever since, with Grealish leading the way with a brilliant rap song from INSIDE City’s team bus.
      Stars then reportedly jetted to party island Ibiza for a major celebration after landing in Manchester on Sunday.

      But three players stayed home for a chilled-out dinner, with De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Stefan Ortega the only aces turning up to a hired-out restaurant.
      Meanwhile, the Ibiza party crew only landed back in Manchester on Monday afternoon, hours before the start of the parade.
      Yet they all managed to look their best for the historic celebration with their fans.
      City won the Premier League title first after chasing down ArsenalCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The FA Cup then followed with victory over Man UtdCredit: Getty
      The Treble was completed by the Champions League final win against Inter MilanCredit: Getty More

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      England football chiefs replace Snickers sponsor in new health drive

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      BARS of Snickers chocolate have been subbed by England footie chiefs in a new health drive.The treat, a partner of the England and Scotland teams, has been replaced by healthier Kind cereal bars.
      Snickers will no longer be sponsoring the England football teamCredit:
      FA officials did not want stars including Harry Kane and Beth Mead to be associated with Snickers after last year launching The Greater Game scheme to inspire youngsters to be healthier.
      Instead they will now be ­promoting Kind bars, which have a lower sugar and calorie count, and Extra chewing gum.
      The move is part of a new sponsorship deal with Kind owners Mars ­covering this year’s women’s World Cup and 2025 Euros, and the men’s Euros in 2024 and the World Cup in 2026.
      Kerry Cavanaugh, UK marketing boss of Mars Wrigley, said: “For this latest chapter of our FA partnership it felt right to focus on a new healthier product.
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      “Our Kind bars and Extra gum are a better fit for that than Snickers.”
      Navin Singh, FA commercial director, said: “This evolving partnership aligns perfectly with our passion to encourage ­balanced lifestyles.”
      Mars, which bought the Kind brand in 2020, has been an FA sponsor since 2009.
      Last year the FA ended a 20-year sponsorship tie-up with fast food giant McDonald’s, the longest in the FA’s history.
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      Man City hero Ilkay Gundogan finally receives FA Cup medal after missing out to little-known star who didn’t make squad

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      ILKAY GUNDOGAN set his sights on a winners’ medal in Saturday’s Champions League final — having been denied one on the Wembley balcony.Skipper and man-of-the-match Gundogan and fellow Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne missed out on getting their gongs from Prince William after beating United 2-1 in the FA Cup final.
      Ilkay Gundogan is spotted lifting the FA Cup without a medal around his neckCredit: Rex
      The Prince of Wales was forced to explain he had run out of medals
      Sergio Gomez was not in the squad but received a winners medal
      The Prince of Wales seemed to then explain to the pair that he had run out of them.
      Keeper Ederson later passed a medal to De Bruyne as they celebrated but two-goal hero Gundogan missed out completely.
      Instead, Spanish left-back Sergio Gomez, who was not even in the squad, was seen wearing a medal in the official photos.
      Teams get 20 medals for the starting XI and nine subs, plus one for the manager, on Cup final day.
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      Clubs are given an extra 19 to ensure all staff get a medal — including players not in the matchday squad — and Gundogan got his later that day.
      After lifting a second trophy in a fortnight, he said: “Now for the one we really want.”
      The City captain also played a key role in their Prem triumph, scoring twice against both Leeds and Everton in the run-in.
      But he admitted the Champions League is the one they covet most — as they prepare to tackle Inter Milan in Istanbul.
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      Gundogan said: “What we have done in the last few months is amazing and obviously we already have two titles. But we know that we want this one even more than all the other ones before  — and that is our target for next week.”
      Asked if he was doing weight training to help  lift all this silverware, he smiled: “My arms are  naturally a bit pumped up. I feel privileged! So, extra effort is not needed.
      “But this feels great, it feels special to lift this trophy and hopefully I can do it one more time.”
      Gundogan, 32, is now set to agree a new deal with City to stay beyond the end of this season.
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      The German, who got the fastest goal in FA Cup final history after 12 seconds, knows what City must do to beat Inter.
      He added: “It is about doing the same things we’ve done for the last two weeks. We don’t have to do anything special.
      “The simplicity of doing our things makes us special. It is about putting effort into the training sessions, preparing ourselves as well as possible and winning the game.” More

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      Laura Woods compares herself to Sam Allardyce over awkward TV moment and asks ‘why does this keep happening?’

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      LAURA WOODS has compared herself to Sam Allardyce after having an awkward moment on live TV.The popular talkSPORT host led ITV’s coverage of yesterday’s FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City.
      Laura Woods made a hilarious comparison about herself and Sam AllardyceCredit: INSTAGRAM/LAURAWOODSY
      Woods posed in the same way as Big Sam’s iconic pre-match graphicCredit: SKYSPORTS
      Fans abandoned BBC in their droves to catch a glimpse of Woods as City emerged 2-1 victors.
      And her stunning choice of outfit was hailed far and wide by football fans across the nation.
      However, Woods did have a hilarious moment to forget on the Wembley turf.
      A brilliant still showed her with her arms folded and head raised towards the sky.
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      It prompted comparisons with an iconic pre-match photo of Allardyce, who also folded his arms while looking upwards.
      Woods poked fun at the situation by uploading pictures of both images to her Instagram.
      And the presenter quipped: “Why does this keep happening?”
      It was certainly a day to remember for Woods, who pulled in big numbers for ITV.
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      Woods won over the nation during the FA Cup finalCredit: Insatgram @layurawoodsy
      The talkSPORT star was the face of ITV’s coverageCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      She toasted City’s FA Cup win by taking a selfie with England star Jack Grealish.
      And later, she also had kind words for fellow presenter Emma Louise Jones.
      The BBC presenter stunned in a glamorous wedding outfit.
      And this prompted Woods to respond: “Sweet baby Jesus on a bike in the Sahara x.”
      Woods is one of the most popular pundits aroundCredit: Instagram / @laurawoodsy
      The ace has an army of fans on social mediaCredit: Rex More

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      Dejected Man Utd stars arrive back in Manchester consoled by their Wags after FA Cup final heartbreak

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      LISANDRO MARTINEZ was among the United stars that returned to Manchester alongside their sympathetic Wags this afternoon.The Red Devils were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City in yesterday’s FA Cup final.
      Lisandro Martinez covers his face as he walks with girlfriend Muri LopezCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Jack Butland returns home with wife Annabel PeytonCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Fred walks side by side with wife MoniqueCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Martinez picked up a season-ending metatarsal injury during April’s Europa League clash with Sevilla.
      But the Argentine was among the Red Devils’ travelling party as they descended upon Wembley yesterday.
      As he returned to Wilmslow Station this afternoon sporting bleached blond hair, Martinez covered his face with his hands.
      He was accompanied by girlfriend Muri Lopez as he got home.
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      Fred, meanwhile, smiled in his shades as he walked with wife Monique.
      And reserve goalkeeper Jack Butland was joined by wife Annabel Peyton.
      United stars were also backed by club legends from the stands at Wembley yesterday.
      Sir Alex Ferguson took his obligatory seat in the crowd.
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      Martinez has been nursing a metatarsal injury since AprilCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Fred started yesterday’s cup finalCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      While Bryan Robson and Denis Irwin were also in attendance.
      The latter two club icons travelled back with the team and were also seen at Wilmslow Station this afternoon.
      City’s Wags had a rather better day out yesterday.
      The glamorous group got together at Wembley to back their men to glory.
      And they will surely do it all over again in Istanbul next week, as their partners aim to seal a historic treble.
      Red Devils legend Bryan Robson was in attendance at WembleyCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke
      Denis Irwin was part of United’s travelling partyCredit: Eamonn and James Clarke More

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      Arsenal fans joke ITV pundit Ian Wright won ‘Embarrassing Dad’ award for touchline antics with son Shaun at FA Cup final

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      ARSENAL fans joked that Ian Wright won the “Embarrassing Dad” award at the FA Cup final as he tried to hug son Shaun on the touchline.The duo appeared as pundits on ITV’s coverage of the showpiece Wembley clash between Manchester United and City.
      Shaun Wright-Phillips jokingly made to get away from his dadCredit: Twitter / @IanWright0
      The 41-year-old grinned as he evaded Ian WrightCredit: Twitter / @IanWright0
      Wrighty, 59, won the ‘Embarrassing Dad’ award for his touchline escapadeCredit: Twitter / @IanWright0
      While standing on the touchline alongside his boy, Wrighty tried to give Shaun a big hug in front of fans making their way to their seats.
      Wearing a big grin, Wright-Phillips jokingly tried to push his dad away.
      The 41-year-old laughed as he made to get away from Wright, giving a brief wave to the crowd before seeing that his old man was chasing him.
      Their father-son exchange ended with both howling with laughter.
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      And fellow pundit, and Shaun’s ex-Man City team-mate Joleon Lescott, also laughed along.
      Wrighty posted the clip to his Twitter account, captioning it: “You are never too old to hug me in front of your friends!!!”
      Alongside laughing emojis, one fan responded: “And the “Embarrassing Dad” Award goes to…”
      While a second related, writing: “I have this struggle with my little one every day!”
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      Arsenal fans joke ITV pundit Ian Wright won ‘Embarrassing Dad’ award for touchline antics with son Shaun at FA Cup finalCredit: Twitter / @IanWright0
      A third tweeted: “Love it!”
      And another added: “Just like my boys.”
      Wright, 59, and Shaun made history earlier this month by becoming the first father-son punditry duo to appear on Match of the Day.
      Introducing them, host Gary Lineker said: “We’ve got a Wright pair in the studio, Ian and Shaun. Welcome Shaun.”
      The father-son duo recently appeared on Match of the Day togetherCredit: BBC More