More stories

  • in

    FA Cup third round fixtures: TV channel, live stream and kick-off time with FREE games on BBC and ITV

    The FA Cup is a truly magical competition in the football calendar.We have seen surprise winners in the past, with Wigan notoriously defeating Manchester City at Wembley thanks to a goal from Ben Watson.
    Wigan Athletic beat Man City to the FA Cup back in 2013Credit: PA
    However, in more recent years the bigger teams have taken the competition seriously and fielded strong teams throughout,.
    Here at SunSport we have all the TV information for England’s iconic tournament.
    Full FA Cup third round fixtures and where to watch
    Friday, January 6

    read more fa cup
    Saturday, January 7

    Preston vs Huddersfield – 12:30pm
    Reading vs Watford – 12:30pm
    Tottenham vs Portsmouth – 12:30pm – BBC Red Button / BBC iPlayer
    Gillingham vs Leicester – 12:30pm – BBC One / BBC iPlayer
    Forest Green vs Birmingham – 12:30pm
    Crystal Palace vs Southampton – 12:30pm
    Hull City vs Fulham – 3pm
    Middlesbrough vs Brighton – 3pm
    Fleetwood vs QPR – 3pm
    Ipswich Town vs Rotherham – 3pm
    Bournemouth vs Burnley – 3pm
    Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest – 3pm
    Chesterfield vs West Brom – 3pm
    Millwall vs Sheffield United – 3pm
    Boreham Wood vs Accrington Stanley – 3pm
    Shrewsbury vs Sunderland – 3pm
    Brentford vs West Ham – 5:30pm
    Coventry vs Wrexham – 5:30pm
    Luton Town vs Wigan – 5:30pm
    Grimsby vs Burton – 5:30pm
    Sheffield Wednesday vs Newcastle – 6pm – BBC One / BBC iPlayer
    Liverpool vs Wolves – 8pm – ITV4 / ITVX

    Sunday, January 8

    Bristol City vs Swansea – 12:30pm
    Cardiff vs Leeds United – 2pm – ITV1 / ITVX
    Stockport vs Walsall – 2pm
    Hartlepool vs Stoke City – 2pm
    Norwich vs Blackburn – 2pm
    Aston Villa vs Stevenage – 4:30pm – BBC Red Button / BBC iPlayer
    Man City vs Chelsea – 4:30pm – BBC One / BBC iPlayer

    Most read in FA Cup
    Monday, January 9

    Oxford United vs Arsenal – 8pm – ITV1 / ITVX

    Liverpool lifted the FA Cup last year after beating Chelsea in the finalCredit: AP
    How to watch FA Cup third round FREE
    The chosen televised clashes will either be shown live on the BBC or ITV.
    Matches are available to watch on a range of channels from BBC One and the Red Button to ITV 1 and ITV 4.
    The games will also be available to live stream on your mobile and tablet devices from the BBC iPlayer or ITVX. Both apps are free to sign up for if you have a television licence.
    Furthermore, you can watch the games on the BBC iPlayer and ITVX websites. More

  • in

    Laura Woods admits she was suspended for ‘being naughty’ and sneaking into boys’ toilets while at school

    LAURA WOODS admitted she was suspended from school as a child for a “combination of naughty things”.The ITV and talkSPORT presenter revealed one of her “strikes” came after she snuck “into the boys’ toilet”.
    Laura Woods admitted she was suspended from schoolCredit: Getty
    Woods, 35, revealed she was suspended for a “combination of naughty things”Credit: Getty
    Woods admitted she used to climb out of the window during Spanish class, and once went into the boys’ toiletsCredit: Getty
    Woods, 35, is a two-time winner of the SJA Sports Presenter of the year award.
    She also received widespread plaudits for her coverage of the World Cup in Qatar.
    But Woods admitted on the Happy Hour podcast that at times she was quite the troublemaker.
    When asked what she was like at school, Woods said: “I got suspended [at school] for a combination of lots of naughty things.
    Read More In Sport
    “I climbed out of a window, but it was on the ground level. I climbed out of the window, I don’t know why.
    “I climbed out the window during Spanish class, they closed the window behind me and then I would wave to my teacher through the window.
    “But I’d do it without her noticing. That was the crux of it, like get out before she notices.
    “And that got me in a lot of trouble, just generally being like, fairly naughty in general.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    “We went into the boys’ toilet, and that was apparently really naughty as well.
    “So those were all kind of strikes that led up to me being suspended.”
    Woods’ work has seen her build a large following on social media.
    And she recently had the perfect response to a vile sexist troll by slamming them for the size of their manhood.
    Woods is a successful presenter and broadcasterCredit: Instagram / @laurawoodsy
    Woods recently returned from Qatar where she worked on the World Cup for ITVCredit: Instagram / @laurawoodsy More

  • in

    ITV presenter Laura Woods in brutal slapdown of sexist troll as she mocks his ‘small’ manhood

    LAURA WOODS came out on top as she took on a sexist internet troll.The broadcaster has been in Qatar for the last month as part of the ITV team covering the World Cup.
    Laura Woods has hit back at a sexist comment on her social mediaCredit: Getty
    She is considered as one of the best in the business, having won the SJA Sports Presenter of the year on two occasions.
    During her coverage, she was often praised for her professionalism and analysis alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright.
    However, Woods still has to put up with online abuse from internet trolls.
    One user commented on her Instagram post telling her to “get back in the kitchen”, to which she brilliantly responded.
    READ MORE ON LAURA WOODS
    Woods wrote: “Ohhh Mick.
    “Nothing screams ‘I have a small penis’ more than this old phrase. X.”
    Her response was loved by her 582k followers as many posted support of her action to take on the troll.
    One wrote: “He later drove himself to hospital needing treatment for deep burns.”
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    A second commented: “She’s a goddamn banter black belt.”
    A third said: “I wish more figures in the public eye would take on the trolls like this. Superb stuff.”
    A fourth added: “Yet another example of why you’re the best in the business Laura.”
    It is the latest example of her owning her critics, as in May she got now over a Tottenham fan who fired a dig at her beloved Arsenal. More

  • in

    Who is football pundit Karen Carney and what team did she play for?

    KAREN CARNEY had an incredible career on the pitch that led to much glory.However, it is her work behind the desk that is now impressing as she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
    Karen Carney joined ITV for their World Cup coverage this winter.Credit: Getty
    Who is Karen Carney?
    Karen Carney was born in Solihull, England, on August 1, 1987, to parents Michael and Marie.
    Her mother Marie worked at Sainsbury’s and father Michael worked as a firefighter, raising her along with her other two sisters.
    The energy she had as a child saw her playing out with friends often which led to her interest in the beautiful game.
    Carney recalls playing football from the age of six but it was not until she was aged eleven that her mother saw her play for the first time.
    By the age of fourteen, she was a full-time footballer, and two years later she decided to move away to focus on her passion.
    She attended St Peter’s RC Secondary School before graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2009.
    In 2013, Carney completed her Masters degree in Sports Psychology at University of Gloucestershire.
    She was named in the 2017 New Year Honours List, receiving the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
    Most read in Football
    In 2022, Carney achieved her Masters of Business Administration with a distinction while studying at the James Lind Institute.
    In 2022, Karen was inducted into the Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame.
    Who did she play for?
    Karen is one of England’s most capped players of all time and achieved success at three clubs during her glittering career.
    Attracting a lot of interest from the age of ten, there was only one club that Carney ever had interest in joining, Birmingham City who she supported.
    She made her senior debut at the age of fourteen and won the FA’s Young Player of the Year award in 2005, a year before her eighteenth birthday no less.
    It was a great year for the young talent as she made her England debut against Italy, coming off the bench to score in their 4-1 victory.
    Four months later, her last-gasp strike, secured victory for The Lionesses in their opening game of the European Championships against Finland.
    After nine years at Birmingham, she left her hometown club to join league and cup holders Arsenal.
    She enjoyed a lot of success with The Gunners before heading to Chicago Red Stars, following assistant Emma Hayes.
    In 2011, she returned to Britain to ply her trade, heading back to her spiritual home of Birmingham City.
    At Wembley that season, Carney put in a “woman of the match” performance against Chelsea that saw her score the winning spot-kick to secure Birmingham’s first FA Women’s Cup triumph.
    She remained at City until 2015, topping the league’s scoring charts in 2014, before reuniting with Emma Hayes at Chelsea.
    An integral part of the champion’s side, she won more honours with The Blues, including a Spring Series, league title and FA Cup.
    Across 14 years, Carney earned herself 144 caps for England, scoring 32 times in the process and becoming a Lioness legend.
    When did she retire and how long has she worked in punditry?
    Karen retired from football in 2019 after finishing fourth with England in the Women’s World Cup.
    The Lionesses lost 2-1 in the third-place play-off to Sweden.
    She started her broadcast career working with the BBC and BT, covering all football for their platforms.
    Carney is now Sky Sports’ lead pundit for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League, and part of the matchday team for the Premier League and the EFL.
    In 2019, she was the newly appointed Chair of the Future of Women’s Football Review for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
    In this role she will be looking into ways the government can nurture and expand the game in the UK.
    Karney then jumped across the pond to cover the UEFA Champions League, delivering nationwide commentary for CBS in America.
    Most recently, she was part of the ITV team that brought us the 2022 World Cup from Qatar.
    Is Karen Carney married and does she have any children?
    Despite much interest in her personal life, Karen has managed to keep the media spotlight off her.
    Constantly asked about her love life, despite being cagey on the matter, she confirmed that she is not married.
    Read More on The Sun
    As to whether she is currently in a relationship, this seems to also be somewhat of a grey area but from what we gather she is currently single.
    Karen does not have any children. More

  • in

    Gary Neville slapped with hundreds of Ofcom complaints after ‘political’ rant over nurse strikes

    GARY Neville has been hit with 605 Ofcom complaints after a political rant during the World Cup final.The football pundit, 47, was blasted for comparing strikers’ working conditions in Britain to migrant workers in Qatar.
    Gary Neville has had 605 Ofcom complaints after a political rant before Sunday’s World CupCredit: ITV
    On Monday it was reported that telly regulator Ofcom had asked ITV bosses to explain the tirade during the run-up to Argentina’s clash with France.
    And a spokesman added today: “We are assessing this content as a priority and have asked ITV provide us with details about the broadcast to inform that work”.
    Neville has refused to apologise for the rant, where he attacked the UK government for “demonising” striking nurses.
    He slammed the World Cup host nation for its “abhorrent” treatment of workers, and said people should “detest poor accommodation and working conditions.”
    READ MORE ON GARY NEVILLE
    He continued: “We can never accept that in this region or any other region and it is just worth mentioning we’ve got a current government in our country that are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and terrifyingly nurses.
    “We can’t have people being paid an absolute pittance to work, we can’t have people in accommodation that is unsavoury and disgusting. It shouldn’t happen here.
    “That shouldn’t happen here with the wealth that exists. 
    “But it shouldn’t happen with the nurses in our country either where our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”
    Most read in Football
    But Harry Redknapp said his speech was “completely ridiculous”.
    And former-Three Lions player Danny Mills also slated the rant.
    Asked on GB News if Neville should have made the speech, he said: “I don’t think so.
    “You have a platform as a pundit, as a person on telly, you clearly have opinions, but there are people better read, better versed to understand all the situations in this.
    “We saw it at the start of the World Cup with the BBC not putting not showing the opening ceremony on the main channel. And then a bit of a monologue from Gary Lineker.
    “It’s OK to have opinions, but if you want to do that, do it on your own social media channels because I think you have more influence.”
    Today it was revealed that staff at his own luxury hotel are on minimum wage.
    Neville has previously admitted to being a ‘champagne socialist’ More

  • in

    Gary Neville blasted as staff at his luxury hotel are paid minimum wage after he slammed government over nurse pay

    GARY Neville has been blasted after it was revealed staff at his luxury hotel are on minimum wage.The football pundit’s Stock Exchange Hotel is recruiting full-time waiters and waitresses for £9.50 an hour and bartenders for £9.50-11.
    Gary Neville was slammed for launching into political rant during coverage of the World Cup finalCredit: ITV
    He has previously admitted to being a ‘champagne socialist’
    It comes after Neville, 47, used ITV’s World Cup broadcast on Sunday to accuse the Government of paying nurses “an absolute pittance”.
    The minimum wage waiters and waitresses at his restaurant would be earning £19,600 a year for a 40-hour week. Nurses typically earn around £34,000 on average.
    The waiter/waitress ad at his luxury hotel in Manchester reads: “We are looking for talented Waiters who have a passion for delivering an exceptional guest experience and a desire to learn and grow within our team.”
    It demands previous relevant experience and says experience at a luxury five-star hotel would be a distinct advantage to candidates. 
    READ MORE ON GARY NEVILLE
    They are also expected to have “exceptional service standards and attention to detail” and to “provide the highest level of service to guests at all times”.
    Conservative MP Lee Anderson told the Daily Mail: “It would appear staff within his hotel are working for a lot less than the public sector workers he claims are struggling to make ends meet. 
    “This multi-millionaire needs to shut up. 
    “When we want to watch the football World Cup, guess what we want to do, we want to watch football and chat about football. 
    Most read in Football
    “So please keep your opinions off the football channels when you’re talking and commentating.”
    Last week it emerged that former staff felt “overworked and underappreciated” at a separate hotel.
    In a scathing review on job site Indeed, one worker said: “If you love being overworked and underappreciated then you’ve found you calling.
    “Typically understaffed and overworked. Training is non existent.
    “Always work over my contracted hours and never get overtime pay, I was told to take time in lieu but that’s impossible when they are no staff to cover that.
    “Management only interested in turning a profit and don’t really care how they achieve this.
    “I wouldn’t recommend working here right now as I know for a fact that most of the key staff are looking to move on due to the conditions.”
    Another ex-waitress gave the hotel just two stars as she vented on the employee forum Glassdoor.
    She branded the working situation as “unfair” and said there were “no pros from my personal experience.”
    “I didn’t feel welcome in the team and management was not treating everybody equally,” she added.
    And despite Neville hijacking ITV’s coverage to attack poor working conditions, one former hotel staffer blasted his business as “greedy”.
    Read More on The Sun
    “Senior management is more concerned about cutting costs rather than generating money, providing a good service and good working conditions,” they added.
    Neville’s World Cup rant has since caused hundreds of complaints and Harry Radknapp called it “completely ridiculous”. More

  • in

    ‘Hypocrite’ Gary Neville’s ‘political’ rant over strikes at World Cup sparks hundreds of complaints to watchdog

    GARY Neville’s World Cup rant sparked more than 440 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom.The pundit has come under fire after hijacking ITV’s coverage to compare the working conditions of strikers in the UK to migrant workers in scandal-hit Qatar.
    Gary Neville has come under fire for his political tirade in the lead up to Sunday’s World Cup finalCredit: ITV
    Harry Redknapp told Jeremy Kyle the rant was ‘ridiculous’Credit: TalkTV
    Ofcom has reportedly put ITV under pressure to explain the ex-England ace’s political tirade in the run-up to Sunday’s World Cup final.
    The regulator has said it is assessing Neville’s on-air statements “as a priority” as he potentially faces an investigation over whether he breached the broadcasting code.
    And ITV sources have warned bosses will be “reminding our sports presenters” to avoid politicising its coverage, reports DailyMail.
    Since the extraordinary rant, several other footballing pundits have hit out after feeling he crossed a line.
    READ MORE ON GARY NEVILLE
    Harry Redknapp dubbed the ex-Manchester United star a “hypocrite” and said his speech was “completely ridiculous”.
    He told TalkTV: “How can you compare what’s going on out there with what’s going on with train drivers and nurses.
    “We want to see nurses get more money, of course we do, they’re fantastic.
    “But you can’t compare the two situations. It’s completely ridiculous.”
    Most read in Football
    And former-Three Lions player Danny Mills also slated the rant.
    Asked on GB News if Neville should have made the speech, he said: “I don’t think so.
    “You have a platform as a pundit, as a person on telly, you clearly have opinions, but there are people better read, better versed to understand all the situations in this.
    “We saw it at the start of the World Cup with the BBC not putting not showing the opening ceremony on the main channel. And then a bit of a monologue from Gary Lineker.
    “It’s OK to have opinions, but if you want to do that, do it on your own social media channels because I think you have more influence.
    “When you start getting into mixing politics right across the board, I think it’s very, very dangerous.”
    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also waded into the debate as he told the pundit to stick to football.
    He told the Mail: “I think when most people are tuning in to watch Gary Neville they want to hear about the football and watch the football. They don’t want to discuss politics.”
    His official spokesman added that Neville’s comments were “clearly not legitimate or appropriate”.
    ‘ABSOLUTE PITTANCE’
    Neville has refused to apologise for the rant, where he attacked the UK government for “demonising” striking nurses.
    He slammed the World Cup host nation for its “abhorrent” treatment of workers, and said people should “detest poor accommodation and working conditions.”
    He continued: “We can never accept that in this region or any other region and it is just worth mentioning we’ve got a current government in our country that are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and terrifyingly nurses.
    “We can’t have people being paid an absolute pittance to work, we can’t have people in accommodation that is unsavoury and disgusting. It shouldn’t happen here.
    “That shouldn’t happen here with the wealth that exists. 
    “But it shouldn’t happen with the nurses in our country either where our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”
    Despite his lecture over workers rights, several former employees have hit out at working conditions in his hotel.
    Ex-staff at his Hotel Football in Manchester say they were “overworked and underappreciated”.
    In a scathing review on job site Indeed, one worker said: “If you love being overworked and underappreciated then you’ve found you calling.
    “Typically understaffed and overworked. Training is non existent.
    “Always work over my contracted hours and never get overtime pay, I was told to take time in lieu but that’s impossible when they are no staff to cover that.
    “Management only interested in turning a profit and don’t really care how they achieve this.
    “I wouldn’t recommend working here right now as I know for a fact that most of the key staff are looking to move on due to the conditions.”
    And while Neville hijacked ITV’s coverage to attack poor working conditions, another former hotel staffer blasted his business as “greedy”.
    “Senior management is more concerned about cutting costs rather than generating money, providing a good service and good working conditions,” they added.
    Read More on The Sun
    Following the backlash to his speech, an Ofcom spokesman said: “We are assessing this content as a priority and have asked ITV provide us with details about the broadcast to inform that work.”
    An ITV spokesman said: “Gary Neville was expressing his own personal views in the context of a discussion about the treatment of workers in Qatar within a live broadcast. His views are his own and were not endorsed by ITV.”
    Gary Neville has been slated as a ‘hypocrite’ for his World Cup political rant More

  • in

    BBC beat ITV in World Cup ratings war as almost 20MILLION UK viewers tune in to watch final

    BBC thrashed ITV with their World Cup final ratings as 20MILLION Brits tuned in across both channels to watch Argentina beat France.Viewers were treated to one of the all-time great spectacles as Lionel Messi inspired his country to a penalty shootout victory after a remarkable 120-minute match ended 3-3.
    Most UK viewers chose to watch BBC’s coverage of Argentina’s win over FranceCredit: Getty
    ITV only managed to attract an audience of around four million for the finalCredit: Rex
    Both BBC and ITV broadcasted the final simultaneously, but it was very one-sided with regards to the share of the audience.
    BBC managed to attract 14.9m people for their coverage spearheaded by former England striker turned presenter Gary Lineker.
    Meanwhile, ITV, boasting pundits such as Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright, could only muster a viewership of 4.3m.
    But the overall total number of people tuning in was significantly up on the 2018 final between France and Croatia.
    READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
    Just 11.4m Brits watched Didier Deschamps’ men lift the trophy in Russia, compared with 19.2m this time around.
    The figures for 2022’s final do not yet account for those who streamed it on services such as iPlayer and ITVX.
    It also does not include those watching in pubs.
    A number of factors can explain this huge rise in ratings – most notably the blockbuster duel between Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
    It’s safe to say the pair delivered as they registered five goals between them to captivate football fans around the world.
    Then there is also the fact that the tournament was played in winter, so the general public are more likely to be indoors compared with the summertime.
    Speaking after the ratings were announced, Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, said: “One of the greatest World Cup Finals of all time, Argentina and Messi’s victory last night closed off a thrilling four weeks of football.
    “A first ever winter World Cup was a new experience for fans and the BBC has once again demonstrated the value of sport when made freely available to all, breaking new streaming records and providing the highest quality coverage, analysis and entertainment across TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online and BBC Sounds.”
    The most watched BBC match of the 2022 World Cup was Wales vs England – which peaked at an audience of 17.6 million – followed by the final, Holland vs Argentina, France vs Morocco and Spain vs Germany. More