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      Premier League chairman reveals 40,000-seater new stadium plan as he confirms ‘it’s on the to-do list’

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      A PREMIER LEAGUE chairman has admitted that he hopes to raise his club’s stadium capacity to 40,000.Their current ground houses 29,673 supporters.A Premier League club has revealed exciting new plans for their stadiumCredit: BBCTheir chairman has revealed that he’d love to increase the capacity to 40,000Credit: BBCAhead of this season, the former FA Cup winners made some promising improvements.They upgraded media facilities upon their return to the top flight.While they introduced new VIP executive lounges.Among their next goals is to significantly increase the stadium’s capacity.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSIpswich Town have been planning to redevelop the Cobbold Stand, which was built in the 1970s and houses away fans, as well as home supporters.During an appearance on BBC Radio Suffolk, chairman Mark Ashton was asked about the Cobbold Stand by Town fans.He said of the stand, which houses 750 season ticket holders as well as the away end: “It’s on the to-do list – it’s not the top of the to-do list, I must be honest with you.”Why? Because I’m certainly not going to take a stand down in the midst of a Premier League season, that’s just not the right thing to do.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSIpswich’s Cobbold Stadium houses 750 season ticket holders as well as the away endCredit: GettyAshton has instead thought of a solution that would prevent those 750 season ticket holders being left stranded during a redevelopment.He added: “There’s a train of thought that says ‘no’, the next development there is the West Stand.Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis wants 50,000-seat City Ground “Which sees an increase in capacity in the West Stand, of surprise, surprise, circa 4,000 people.”So when you take down the Cobbold Stand people don’t lose their season tickets and they could move across.”While the expansion of Portman Road is on the radar, Ipswich are instead prioritising making improvements to their Playford Road training facility.They are set to submit a planning application for the training ground upgrades in the next fortnight.On the pitch, Kieran McKenna’s men are yet to win in 10 Premier League matches this season.They have been competitive, however, collecting five draws thus far.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis weekend they will seek their first Prem win in more than 22 years when they take on McKenna’s former side Tottenham.The contest will take place in North London on Sunday afternoon, with Spurs first travelling to Istanbul for a Europa League clash with Galatasaray.Boss Kieran McKenna is hoping to mastermind Ipswich’s first Prem win in more than two decadesCredit: Rex More

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      Michael Oliver and David Coote accused of new VAR blunder – but little-known rule proves they got decision SPOT ON

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      PREMIER LEAGUE referees have come under fire once again, this time on the European stage.Michael Oliver and David Coote have been lambasted by fans after being accused of making a huge blunder during Girona’s clash against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League tonight.Premier League officials have been slammed after fans accused them of making a mistake in a Champions League fixtureCredit: RexFans slammed Prem official Michael Oliver for missing what they thought was an obvious error during PSV vs GironaCredit: AlamyPSV star Malik Tillman took a throw-in with his foot on the pitchCredit: xThe long throw-in directly resulted in a goalCredit: xOliver was the man in the middle for the league phase match, while Coote was acting as the VAR for the fixture.And fans have slammed the pair for what they thought was an error in the early stages of the game.Both Oliver and Coote appeared to miss the fact that PSV star Malik Tillman seemingly stepped onto the pitch while taking a long throw-in to set up the game’s opening goal.The former Rangers and Bayern Munich midfielder delivered a huge throw into the box that was tucked away by Ryan Flamingo in the 16th minute.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut fans and viewers were convinced that Tillman had stepped onto the pitch with his left foot when still holding onto the ball.On social media, one slammed: “No-one talks about referees in the Champions League until it comes to Michael Oliver and David Coote allowing a scandalous goal to count in the PSV vs Girona game. “Speaks volumes about the standards of PGMOL really”While another fumed: “PSV just scored a goal where their player was on the pitch when he threw the throw in in.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”No wonder our officials get a bad rep they really are poor.”However, a little-known rule means that Coote and Oliver actually got the decision CORRECT.Malik Tillman’s foot was actually touching the line, meaning the action was legalCredit: xMan Utd legend Paul Scholes names his top 5 toughest Champions League opponents of all time Uefa’s ruling around throw-ins only requires a player to “have part of each foot on or behind the touchline”.Tillman’s right boot was well behind the line, while his the heel of his left foot was still making contact with the byline – meaning his throw-in was perfectly legal.Despite getting this decision right, Oliver and Coote were guilty of making a huge blunder in the Premier League last month.The pair was accused of “getting Erik ten Hag sacked” after their mistake saw West Ham awarded a match-winning penalty in the Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to the Hammers – a match which ultimately proved to be the Dutchman’s last.The Times have since reported that the PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb believes that the pair made the incorrect decision to award a penalty that day.On that occasion it was Coote who was the match official at the London Stadium, while Oliver was acting as the VAR.David Coote incorrectly awarded West Ham a penalty against Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyCoote’s decision saw United lose and Erik ten Hag sackedCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd legend Paul Scholes names his top 5 toughest Champions League opponents of all time

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      PAUL SCHOLES has named his five toughest opponents from his days playing in the Champions League.The former Manchester United and England midfielder has certainly come up against some of the competition’s greatest ever players.Paul Scholes has revealed his top five toughest opponents in the Champions LeagueCredit: Youtube/The OverlapScholes won the competition twice during his playing daysCredit: AFPScholes, 49, played 124 TIMES in the Champions League, winning the competition on two occasions.And across his 17 seasons amongst Europe’s elite, Scholes faces the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus. But, somehow, the United icon managed to whittle down his top five opponents in conversation with The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.When quizzed on who those top five stars were, he said: “‘I played some incredible teams – that great Barcelona team, the Real Madrid team when it was the proper Galactico’s, Juventus…READ MORE ON MAN UTD”I’ll go for [Lionel] Messi, Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Clarence] Seedorf.”I’m trying to think of midfield players and that Real Madrid team was incredible – Redondo, Ronaldo, [Luis] Figo, [Zinedine] Zidane, and Raul.””When we were trying to win Champions Leagues, those teams were ridiculous. It’s the same with England, the teams we had to come up against like France and Spain.”When pushed for a definitive top five by co-host Jamie Carragher, Scholes stuck with a Spanish league theme.Most read in FootballScholes named Lionel Messi as one of the best players he played against in EuropeCredit: ReutersHe also said Zinedine Zidane was amongst his best competitorsCredit: GettyAndres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez were also named by ScholesCredit: GettyFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAdding: “Messi, Xavi, Iniesta there’s two straight away. Zidane [and] …I love R9 [Ronaldo Nazario].”Scholes didn’t just come up against some of the best players around, but played alongside them too.Manchester United vs Chelsea: Player Ratings Breakdown (2)His Champions League exploits saw him line up alongside the likes of David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane.But despite regularly being alongside world class team-mates, Scholes admitted he and his United pals couldn’t touch Barcelona’s midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets in the 2009 Champions League final.He said: “They never gave you time to tackle them.”They know where everyone is on the pitch and they know where the opposition are so you think you can get to them but before you know it it’s gone.”All of a sudden you’re just running around in circles.”I think Xavi and Iniesta were different players. Xavi was amazing at controlling a game, along with Busquets. He probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves because the three of them were sensational.”Iniesta was a little bit different because he could go past people.”Scholes added Ronaldo Nazario to his list of incredible opponentsCredit: GettyScholes also discussed facing Barcelona’s midfield trio of Sergio Busquets, Iniesta and XaviCredit: AFP – Getty More

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      Man Utd season ticket holders ‘want Old Trafford DESTROYED’ over redevelopment as new stadium support revealed

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      THE majority of Manchester United season ticket holders want to demolish Old Trafford in order to build a new stadium on the same site.United’s Ineos chiefs surveyed supporters in September as they look to finalise plans for their historic home.Man Utd surveyed fans regarding the future of Old TraffordCredit: GettyThe Red Devils distributed the survey to season ticket holders and club members and received more than 50,000 responses.Man Utd have confirmed that 52 per cent of respondents are in favour of demolishing Old Trafford and building an entirely new stadium.While 31 per cent would rather redevelop the current ground, and 17 per cent are unsure.United’s season ticket holders were generally most in favour of building an entirely new ground.READ MORE MAN UTD NEWSThe club’s older season ticket holders showed the strongest support for the plan, while younger supporters generally preferred the redevelopment idea.In addition to the survey, United chiefs have also consulted their Fans’ Advisory Board.The Red Devils had initially been expected to make a decision regarding their stadium by the end of this year.But the final decision has now been delayed until 2025.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSUnited could build a new 100,000 seater stadiumCredit: https://www.manutd.com/enThe Red Devils could build the new stadium on the current siteCredit: https://www.manutd.com/enMan Utd are expected to make a decision by the springCredit: https://www.manutd.com/en”New Trafford” could be circular in shape with a 100,000-seat capacity and huge roof.It’s said that the Old Trafford regeneration project could generate 92,000 jobs and more than 17,000 homes – in addition to increasing tourism by 1.8million each year.Man Utd legend Paul Scholes names his top 5 toughest Champions League opponents of all time Man Utd will fund the project themselves, although public money may be made available to cover related transport and infrastructure costs.In addition to the recent survey, the Red Devils are holding a series of focus group meetings with fans.Director of fan engagement Rick McGagh said: “We are delighted that this survey received the most responses in the club’s history.”It shows how important this work is, and to have this level of engagement at this stage is a really positive place to start.“We know how important our home is to fans, and we need to listen to them and gain all their views and insights in order to develop the world-class stadium they deserve.“We are able to view the results through different lenses to understand if our season ticket holders feel differently about anything than say our official members.READ MORE SUN STORIES”And if younger fans have different views to older fans. This insight is incredibly helpful and allows the project team to understand the differences as well as the commonality in our fanbase.”The final decision over the plans, which could cost as much as £2billion, may not be made until next spring.Ratcliffe could propose a new venue on the land next to the current ground More

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      I’m a former Premier League star from a trailer park, if I hadn’t been a footballer I’d have grown weed

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      PREMIER LEAGUE legend Rafael van der Vaart has revealed he would be growing weed if it was not for football.The former Tottenham and Real Madrid midfielder, 41, reflected on his career with fellow Dutchmen Wesley Sneijder and Marco van Basten.Rafael van der Vaart has claimed he would grow weed if he was not a footballerCredit: Times Newspapers LtdThe Dutch icon played for Tottenham, Real Madrid and AjaxCredit: GettyOn Ziggo Sport’s chat show, Van der Vaart was quizzed on what “normal job” he would be doing if he was not a famous face.And he hilariously replied: “I grew up in a trailer park, so I’d probably run a weed shed.”Sneijder and Van Basten were left in hysterics and exclaimed: “That’s a normal job.”Fans were also left in stitches, with one saying: “You can see he was shocked by their reaction, man was actually serious.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnother added: “Gotta appreciate the honesty.”A third reacted: “Dutch legends are really different than the rest.”Van der Vaart grew up in the town of Heemskerk in the north of Holland and the trailer park he once called home belonged to a Dutch cultural minority called the Woonwagenbewoners.The name translates as “caravan dwellers” and they have ties to Irish travellers.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSVan der Vaart joined Ajax at the age of ten after learning to play football on the street.On his upbringing, he said: “That was the way my family lived. My father was born there and it is a lifestyle. Football’s weirdest contract clauses revealed including non-Arsenal agreement and a private jet promise”Maybe it is not a normal lifestyle but I always liked it. “I always played football on the street. It was an easy life, then I was ten and went to Ajax and played there for almost 12 years.”Van de Vaart played over 500 times for clubs including Real, Spurs, Hamburg and Ajax – scoring 171 times.He was also capped a staggering 109 times by Holland, scoring 25 goals.Who are these famous footballers? More

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      Joshua Zirkzee ‘on track for swift Man Utd exit with Ruben Amorim unconvinced on striker’

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      JOSHUA ZIRKZEE is on course for the exit door at Manchester United just four months after arriving, according to reports.The 23-year-old arrived from Bologna in July in a deal worth £36.5million.Joshua Zirkzee could be heading for the Man Utd exit door just months after arrivingCredit: GettyReports say Ruben Amorim wants to bring his own players in fromCredit: RexZirkzee scored on his debut against Fulham, but has not found the back of the net in 14 games since. SunSport exclusively revealed that Erik ten Hag did not want to sign the former Bayern Munich striker and how he arrived at Old Trafford overweight, with it taking time to shift that extra weight.However, with the imminent arrival of Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim following the sacking of Ten Hag, Zirkzee’s time in England may have already run its course.Italian outlet Calciomercato report that Amorim, who will take over as Red Devils head coach on November 11, is unconvinced by the forward.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLInstead, Amorim, 39, will look to bring in his own attacking options.The report suggests that a return to Italy could be on the table, with AC Milan and Juventus both potential destinations.But such a transfer will only happen if it is on loan, with Ineos wanting to back the attacker after they billed him as good value for money in the summer. If Zirkzee is allowed to leave the club, that could lead United transfer chiefs to try and poach some stars from Sporting. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSEx-Coventry star Viktor Gyokeres is one star who could be targeted, given how he is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past two seasons.Similarities have been drawn between the Swede and United ace Rasmus Hojlund, who impressed against Chelsea last Sunday despite being largely starved of service in the final third.Joshua Zirkzee reveals he has ‘tried’ to lure Germany star to Man Utd Amorim’s first game in charge of United will be against Ipswich on November 24.Before that, interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of games against PAOK on Thursday – as they look to win their first game in Europe for a year – and Leicester on Sunday.Since taking charge of the squad, Van Nistelrooy has overseen a 5-2 win over Leicester in the League Cup and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.It is understood the players would like to see the Dutchman retained within Amorim’s coaching staff once he arrives.Amorim himself remains in charge of Sporting, where he has won two league titles, and will take on Manchester City on Tuesday evening before facing Braga in his final game with the Eagles.Three Sporting stars Amorim could swoop for after joining Man UtdRUBEN AMORIM has ruled out poaching any of his Sporting Lisbon players in the January transfer window.But the Portuguese side’s chiefs expect Amorim will come calling in the summer – with his cheque book wide open.Here’s are three Sporting starts United could swoop for… but they won’t come cheap:VIKTOR GYOKERESAge: 26Position: StrikerCost: £84millionSwede has shone since joining Sporting last summer from Coventry — catching the eye of all Europe’s top clubs.Hit 43 goals in 50 games last season and boasts 18 strikes already this term.GONCALO INACIOAge: 23Position: DefenderCost: £50millionBall-playing centre-back was handed his debut by Amorim and has since become a key figure in Sporting’s recent title successes.Can also slot in at left-back if required and has 12 caps for Portugal.MORTEN HJULMANDAge: 25Position: MidfieldCost: £40millionDane is one of the top holding midfielders in Portugal — and made skipper by Amorim.He could be the man to replace Casemiro. More

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      Declan Rice does NOT travel with Arsenal squad for Champions League clash against Inter Milan

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      ARSENAL will be without Declan Rice for Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan.The England midfielder, 25, did not travel to Italy with his Gunners team-mates.Declan Rice featured against Newcastle on SaturdayCredit: GettyRice played the full 90 minutes as Arsenal were beaten 1-0 at Newcastle on Saturday.But he did not take part in training on Tuesday morning.It is not yet clear why Rice was absent.But Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will have to do without the £100million man as his side take on the Italian champions.READ MORE ON ARSENALRice has missed just one game across the Premier League and Champions League so far this season.That was September’s clash at Tottenham, following his red card against Brighton in the previous match.While Arteta is set to be without Rice, he has received a fitness boost elsewhere among his squad.Captain Martin Odegaard took part in training and has travelled to Italy.Most read in Champions LeagueBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSMartin Odegaard trained with his team-mates this morningCredit: GettyOdegaard, 25, has not played since suffering an ankle injury on Norway duty in September.But he could feature against Inter.Jamie Carragher SAVAGES Arsenal on Monday Night Football and says they’re ‘like a Mourinho team without the trophies’Arteta, 42, is without a trio of defenders for the match.Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu will be absent due to knee injuries, while Kieran Tierney has not yet returned to full training following a thigh issue. More

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      Man City’s title bid is being derailed by the loss of Pep Guardiola’s secret weapon he feared it was a ‘mistake’ to sell

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      MANCHESTER City’s title bid is being derailed by the absence of a key player from last season.And we’re not talking about injured midfield lynchpin and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.Julian Alvarez was a key figure in Manchester City winning their fourth title in a rowCredit: GettyBecause although the Spain midfielder was undeniably crucial to the triumphs of his club and country, Julian Alvarez was front and centre (and sometimes wide) in Pep Guardiola’s side in 2023/4.And selling Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for a massive profit in the summer is no longer looking like quite as good a deal for City.It was not only the Argentinian World Cup winner’s 11 goals and nine assists in 36 PL appearances that was important to City.Nor was Alvarez just a useful replacement for Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne when they were injured.READ MORE FOOTBALLThe versatile star also gave Guardiola the freedom to rotate his attacking options during or between games, keeping them out of the “red” zone and giving them the chance to perform at their peak more often.But Alvarez wanted to be the main man, playing regularly in a No 10 or No 9 role. That was not going to happen any time soon, so when Atletico offered him the chance to swap Manchester, where he had never really settled, for Madrid, he wanted the move.And City regarded as good business a fee of up to £81.5m for a wantaway player who cost an initial £14m in 2022.Yet Guardiola knew at the time that the sale of Alvarez could come back to bite his team, admitting “if we have many, many injuries it will be a problem”.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGuardiola added: “Maybe it is a mistake, I don’t know, but I don’t like leaving players without playing for a long time. Pep Guardiola admits Man City were ‘hungover’ for FA Cup final defeat against Man Utd following Premier League title bash “When everyone is involved with a chance to play, the performance of the teams is always better.”Unfortunately for City, they have a lot of players without a chance to play at the moment.On the flipside, title rivals Arsenal are also feeling the effects of losing key players.And the Gunners are more dependent on their starting 11 than City and so less equipped to cope with injuries.Last season, four of Mikel Arteta’s squad played more than 3,000 minutes in the Premier League – William Saliba, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes.Not a single City player did the same, with Rodri’s 2,937 league minutes putting him top of their workload charts but also behind Ben White (2,995) and only just ahead of Bukayo Saka (2,933).Phil Foden, second in the City rankings with 2,865, would have been eighth in the Arsenal list.The Gunners are undoubtedly suffering from the loss of injured captain Odegaard, whose skillset would be difficult for anyone to replace.But a slight drop-off in form from 2023/4 ever-present Saliba and partner Gabriel is also being felt, because of injuries and a lack of match sharpness among the defensive cover.Last weekend both Arsenal and City learned once more what can happen even to them if their best players are not fit and/or firing.Josko Gvardiol gave City hope at Bournemouth but the champions slipped to a 2-1 defeatCredit: AlamyFor most of the defeat against Bournemouth, Guardiola’s men looked pretty toothless, with Haaland struggling to make an impact and a lack of options on the bench to replace him.Andoni Iraola’s men were good value for their win.And Arsenal gave one of their flattest performances of the last two and a bit seasons at St James’ Park, as hosts Newcastle deservedly completed back-to-back home victories over the Gunners.At one point on Saturday, all three favourites for the title were losing.But although Liverpool came back to beat Brighton and return to the top of the league, no one at Anfield will be complacent.So far the Reds are coping well with the absence of the injured Diogo Jota, such is the array of attacking options that Arne Slot has.Yet how would they perform if player of the season so far Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister were to be unavailable for an extended period, despite the good form of Curtis Jones?And what if captain Virgil Van Dijk was out? When the Dutchman, like Rodri, suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out for much of the 2020/1 season, Liverpool’s title defence collapsed.While Van Dijk and fellow centre back Joel Matip spent months on the sidelines, then Kop boss Jurgen Klopp desperately tried to plug the gap by moving central midfielders Jordan Henderson and/or Fabinho into the back four.The entire balance of the team was thrown off and the Reds only just scraped into the top four.READ MORE SUN STORIESCity’s overall strength in depth and potential spending power in the January transfer window mean they should still be well capable of maintaining a title challenge. But in a battle that could come down to a handful of points, the sale of Alvarez, as much as Rodri’s injury, may prove crucial. More