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      EFL club issue update on new £130million stadium as part of stunning complex with gym and 180-bed hotel

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      AN EFL club has issued a “really positive” update on plans for a new £130million stadium.Oxford United are planning on moving from the 12,500-capacity Kassam Stadium to a new 16,000-capacity eco-friendly ground.Oxford United are planning on moving to a new 16,000 seater stadiumCredit: https://twitter.com/_LiamWalker_The club currently plays at the Kassam StadiumCredit: PAThe U’s have been at the Kassam Stadium since it opened in 2001.The club has now submitted a confidential pre-application request to Cherwell District Council over plans for the new stadium.The plans include a potential stunning complex, which would include a 180-bed hotel and a gym.The land known as the Triangle north of Oxford would also see a restaurant, conference centre, health and wellbeing space, and community plaza created.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLJonathan Clarke, Oxford United Development Director, said: “Requests for additional information are common with large-scale developments.”This is another really positive step forward in the process.”We remain fully focused on obtaining the necessary planning permission and preparing to build.”The club is also keen to improve the ecology of the stadium.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThis means that a transport model has been updated to allow for buses and bicycles to pass through matchday road diversions A footpath and cycleway has also been proposed to provide “additional connectivity and enhanced sustainable transport options”.Ipswich Town Football Club announce plans to redevelop 53-year-old stand in ‘exciting project’ with hotel and aquatics centre The club will also increase the number of on-site cycle parking spots from 150 to 446.It has also been claimed that the new stadium will be “the first all-electric stadium in the UK”.The U’s are currently sitting in 16th place in the Championship after a mixed start to the campaign.Manager Des Buckingham has overseen the team pick-up 17 points from their opening 15 games.Who are these famous footballers? More

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      Shock moment former EFL boss grabs his own player and furiously shoves him after receiving red card

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      FORMER EFL boss Pep Clotet furiously grabbed and shoved his own player after the forward was sent off.Clotet, 47, managed Oxford and Birmingham between 2017 and 2020.Pep Clotet grabbed striker Raimonds KrollisThe furious Spaniard then appeared to shake KrollisClotet, 47, managed Birmingham during his stint in EnglandCredit: PADuring his time at St Andrew’s he helped to nurture Jude Bellingham.Since leaving Birmingham, Clotet has had three spells with Italian side Brescia, as well as stints at SPAL and Torpedo Moscow.Last month he took charge of third tier Triestina.Languishing at the bottom of Serie C, the club’s board would have hoped for their new manager to inject some fight into his troops.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBut this probably wasn’t what they had in mind.In the 33rd minute of tonight’s home clash with Giana Erminio, goal-shy striker Raimonds Krollis was shown a straight red card.As the Latvian trudged off the pitch, Clotet caught his attention.Instead of heading straight down the tunnel, Krollis walked towards his manager.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAt this point, an enraged Clotet grabbed the forward by the collar of his shirt and began to shake him.Krollis, 23, appeared dejected and did not try to free himself from his manager’s astonishing outburst.How to cure England’s Bellingham, Foden and Palmer headacheTriestina had to play with ten men for around an hour.And combustible Clotet’s mood won’t have been helped by how the game ended.Just three minutes from time, Giana Erminio grabbed a late winner via Gabriel Avinci.The result leaves Triestina rooted to the bottom of the table with just six points from 14 games.Since taking over on October 21, Clotet has amassed two points from four games.Triestina have not won since beating Arzignano all the way back on August 24.Clotet managed Jude Bellingham at BirminghamCredit: PA More

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      League One star reveals he stopped a stranger from ending his life in chance meeting by train tracks

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      JAMES BROPHY knows better than most that people can become so desperate they think life is no longer worth living.If the truth of that was ever brought home to him, it was on Easter Sunday morning this year — when he stopped a stranger from ending it all.James Brophy has opened up about the emotional moment with the strangerCredit: RexAnd while the Cambridge winger did not exactly start this season full of joy himself after a nightmare start, he declared: “One point from your first nine games? That’s just football.“What that man was going through that morning, that’s something very different all together.“People can find themselves in some very dark places and I’m afraid mental health issues are something I’m all too familiar with.“My grandfather suffered from depression and one of my brothers suffers from it too — so I know how really tough that can be.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“So if I would ever see someone considering what that man was considering, I would always stop.“I was speaking to him probably for about 20 to 30 minutes, just trying to talk to him about life, really.“I said to him: ‘Look, I can’t feel your pain, or I can’t compare what you’re feeling’.“But I told him about stuff that’s happened in my family and friends and shared stories with him.Most read in EFLMacauley Bonne also spoke to the stranger after arriving at the sceneCredit: Rex“Then the police arrived and about 30 minutes later, a police counsellor came and she was really good.“She took over the conversation from me and got him to a place where he was able to sit on the kerb.“When I got to him he was on the bridge with a railway track on it that takes you into Cambridge. He was on the other side of the barrier on the railway side, ready to jump.“In fairness to the policewoman, I couldn’t talk him into getting over the other side of the barrier.“My team-mate Macauley Bonne turned up too — he had seen my car and thought it had broken down. He was a big help through it all, talking to the bloke.“I’m just glad the police were able to get him safe and away — I just did what I thought needed to be done.“You can say what you like about that morning and my role in it.“But what else could I have done but stop? In my mind it was just the right thing do and I’d do it again.”The 30-year-old and Bonne, 29, later got a visit from Chief Superintendent Jon Hutchinson in praise of their actions — while the club called the pair “inspirational”.And things have lightened up on the pitch too after that terrible start.The U’s have won three games in a row without conceding a goal going into Saturday’s clash at Peterborough.Brophy even scored his first goal in three years to see off Woking in last week’s 1–0 FA Cup first-round win.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe added: “In football just like in life, you’ve got to just keep on going no matter the challenges — a bit like me not scoring for so long!“Garry Monk’s a top manager, we’ve got good players here — sometimes things can come down to the finest of margins. It’s how you deal with tough times and we’ve shown we can do that.”Help for mental healthIf you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.The following are free to contact and confidential:Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@mind.org.uk or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. More

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      EFL club face being forced to LEAVE iconic ex-Premier League stadium and have been ‘offered’ two sites for £100m ground

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      CHARLTON ATHLETIC have been offered two potential sites for a new stadium – as they face the prospect of being turfed out of The Valley. The League One side has called the iconic stadium home for over 100 years. Charlton’s future at The Valley could be under threatCredit: RexThe club have been offered two potential sites to build a new ground should they have to moveCredit: RexBelgian businessman Roland Duchatelet, the club’s controversial former owner, currently owns The Valley. Charlton signed a 15-year stadium lease with Duchatelet when he still had control of the club. He sold the Addicks to East Street Investments in 2020.Last year the club changed hands again, with Global Football Partners now in charge.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe current ownership group are looking to renegotiate the terms of the lease, which has 11 years remaining. According to City AM, the club have held “positive talks” with Duchatelet, with an eventual view to buying the ground outright.But should any deal not materialise, Charlton could be forced to move out of The Valley within the next decade. The club has been offered two potential sites for a new stadium on the Thames by property developers. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe City AM report claims a new stadium is “projected to cost at least £100m”.A Charlton spokesperson said: “The Valley is the home of Charlton Athletic and the club have no plans to leave the stadium. ‘We had a can of beans between 20’ Charlton’s Matt Godden on struggles at old club – What the EFL?!”We have a medium-term lease on the stadium and our only interest is securing the club’s long-term tenure at The Valley.”Charlton currently sit 12th in League One with 19 points from their opening 13 games.Former Charlton chairman Roland Duchatelet currently owns the groundCredit: AFP – GettyBoss Nathan Jones is looking to get the Addicks back into the second tier for the first time since 2020. Charlton enjoyed a seven-season spell in the Premier League between 2000 and 2008. They have since bounced between the Championship and League One, with ownership issues dominating the club’s past few years. More

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      Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and 70s legend spotted at iconic League Two club despite being a Wolves fan

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      LED ZEPPELIN star Robert Plant has stunned fans after he was spotted at League Two club Accrington.The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was seen enjoying a tour on around the Wham Stadium.Robert Plant, second from right, paid a visit to Accrington while on his way to HarrogateCredit: https://www.instagram.com/asfcofficial/The Led Zeppelin star is a lifelong Wolves fanCredit: RexPlant, 76, stopped by the club while on his way up to Harrogate.He is a lifelong Wolves fan and club vice-president, but the musician admitted he had always liked Stanley.Supporter liaison officer Robert Houseman said of Plant’s told the Lancashire Telegraph: “As soon as he walked into the shop, I recognised that this charismatic guy was an entertainer, but I couldn’t place his face.”He told me he was a Wolves fan but had always had a soft spot for Accrington Stanley and had always wanted to visit the club.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“He was on his way to Harrogate where he was working. “Offering him a quick look around the stadium and a short history of the club.“He took a few pictures and as we left, I asked him about his line of work and who he was.”That is when I realised, I had just spent 20 minutes with Robert Plant, the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”He posed for a couple of photos, leaving with his bag of Stanley souvenirs.”London band Led Zeppelin split apart in 1980 after rising to fame in the 1970s to become a household name.Lincoln’s Ethan Erhahon reveals players STOLE the physio’s car and he was offered a ‘scrap’ with a fan – What the EFLFamed for songs including Stairway to Heaven and Whole Lotta Love, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.For all their fame, they somehow never managed to achieve a number one single, but did have seven albums who hit number one in the charts.Plant currently works with low-key acoustic band Saving Grace, whom he has been with since 2019.Accrington sit 20th in League Two, having won just three games from 13 in the division this season. More

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      Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buy UK’s oldest lager brewery in shock side hustle

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      RYAN REYNOLDS and Rob McElhenney have invested in a shock side hustle.The Wrexham AFC owners have taken co-ownership of the UK’s oldest lager brewery.Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have invested in Wrexham LagerCredit: InstagramThe pair made the announcement in a social media videoCredit: InstagramWrexham Lager is already the sponsor of the Welsh football club and has now been added to the owners’ empire.The pair said: “Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and a storied history and we’re excited to help write its next chapter.”Reynolds and McElhenney have also joked that they have “learned a lot” since entering the football world.They announced their latest purchase on social media in a video in which Morse code was used to translate their message.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThis was to enforce the message of the 1882-founded brewery’s history.They added: “We’re now proud co-owners of Wrexham Lager, brewed since 1882, which is why we’re using 1882 technology.”The connection between club and community, the intricacies of the offside rule and the occasional need for beer — especially after finance meetings.”They have been doing wonders for the town of Wrexham and strongly share our passion for once again seeing Wrexham Lager enjoyed in all the far-flung corners of the globe.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThey took over Wrexham in a £2million deal back in February 2021 when it had been slumped in the National League.The club has since risen up the English football leagues having won back-to-back promotions to League One.Wrexham’s James McClean catches beer thrown by Birmingham fans and pretends to drink it as he winds up supporters in huge League One clashThey used telegraph keys as a nod to the age of the breweryCredit: InstagramWrexham have settled into life in League One well and are currently third in the division.They have won seven of their opening 13 games and are sitting just four points outside of the automatic promotion spots.However, the club was dumped out of the FA Cup by League Two outfit Harrogate Town in the first round.Meanwhile, the club has also agreed to a three-year partnership with M&S Food, which will see it support community initiatives.It is the first time M&S has partnered a league side, after sponsoring the UK’s four national teams. More

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      English manager SACKED by EFL club after emergency meeting just TEN MONTHS into reign with side 23rd in League One

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      SHREWSBURY TOWN have sacked manager Paul Hurst with the club languishing second bottom of League One.Hurst returned to manage The Shrews for the second time in January 2024 – but sees himself back out the exit door just 10 months later.Paul Hurst has been sacked by Shrewsbury 10 months after his reappointmentIt comes after Shrewsbury were knocked out of the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2013Hurst, 50, had been instrumental in keeping the club in League One last season. But the EFL gaffer has been given his marching orders after a dismal run of two wins in 19 games this season.The brutal decision was made following an emergency board meeting held this morning.The final nail in the coffin came after Shrewsbury were knocked out of the FA Cup first round following a 2-1 defeat to League Two side Salford on Saturday.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSThe last time the club failed to make it past the first round was in 2013.A club statement read: “It is with regret that Shrewsbury Town can confirm we have parted company with head coach Paul Hurst and assistant boss Chris Doig.”We would also like to thank them for the outstanding work they did in their first spell – which saw us reach the play-off final and the final of the EFL Trophy. “It was that success that led to the Chairman taking responsibility for re-hiring Paul and Chris earlier this year. Most read in EFLFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS”And everyone at the football club is hugely disappointed their second spell hasn’t worked out and we find ourselves in our current position. The search for a new head coach is now underway.”Despite saving them last season, Hurst won just six of his 37 games during his charge of his second stint at New Meadow.Former Watford and Gillingham hero Andy Hessenthaler shares crazy EFL story after being attacked by the owner I What the EFL?!He previously managed the club for 19 months from 2016 to 2018.The former full-back led The Town to the play-off final in 2018, which they ultimately lost to Rotherham.The Englishman left Shrewsbury just three days later to replace Mick McCarthy as boss of Ipswich Town.But Hurst was sacked from the The Tractor Boys after five months in charge, before stints at Scunthorpe and Grimsby.Moreover, the Salop’s remain one of the favourites for the drop this season after finishing 19th last term.Club chiefs are searching for a new manager for the second time this year after Matt Taylor was dismissed in January.Hurst rejoined Shrewsbury when the club was sitting 20th in the table.Salford co-director Roy Keane attended Hurst’s last game in charge More

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      Ex-Sunderland hero desperate for Harrogate to down Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham and seal star FA Cup dream

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      PAUL THIRLWELL almost helped his boyhood club reach the FA Cup Final – now he is desperate for one of his Harrogate Town players to secure their own fairytale.The 45-year-old grew up following Sunderland home and away alongside his parents and brother, which included a trip to Wembley for their 1992 final defeat to Liverpool.Paul Thirlwell, left, played for Sunderland against Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup semi-finalCredit: AlamyThe ex-Premier League midfielder is hoping for some cup joy on Sunday with Harrogate TownCredit: X @HarrogateTownThirlwell then burst on the scene aged 20 as the Black Cats thumped Chelsea, who included stars like Marcel Desailly and Gianfranco Zola, 4-1 in the Premier League in 1999.But it would be a midfielder he came up against that day that would help inflict FA Cup heartbreak on him four seasons later when player-manager Dennis Wise guided Millwall to a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford in the semi.Thirlwell told Sun Sport: “We’ll probably never get a better chance to get to the final with it being two Championship teams at the time. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way but it was a great experience. It’s just a shame we got done as we’d have faced Man United.“I’d played against him [Wise] before on my debut but everyone knows what he was like, tenacious and knowing all the dark arts.READ MORE ON FOOTBALL“But Millwall had some good players like him, Tim Cahill who scored on the day and went on to have an unbelievable career, Danny Dichio, but they also had that edge that made them so tough to play against.“Of course you want to win, but when you look back and think that you played in a semi-final then you appreciate now that it is quite a big achievement.”These days Thirlwell is assistant manager to Simon Weaver at League Two Harrogate Town, a club he finished his playing career at after spells with Sheffield United, Derby and Carlisle.“I moved to Wetherby and was totally unaware that it was next to one of the club’s directors. “He maybe spoke to the gaffer and then mentioned me and after a chat we hit it off straight away.Most read in FA CupFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS“I didn’t just want to go anywhere as a player as I’d dipped my foot into the coaching so I wanted a bit of both.“I got involved with coaching the U21s here and then we went full-time and the opportunity arose to become assistant manager and wow, here we are still here nearly a decade later.”Major A-list celebs Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney expand Wrexham empire with new breweryDuring that time they have climbed from non-league into the EFL and enjoyed FA Trophy joy in 2020.But as they prepare to host Hollywood-owned Wrexham, who are pushing for League One promotion, Thirlwell says that he is desperate for long-serving star Warren Burrell, 34, to get his big FA Cup moment this year.He said: “You’d probably have to speak to some of the younger lads now but I think definitely for people of my era that the cup still has the magic.“I keep trying to tell our lads, who are all Arsenal, United, Spurs supporters, that we have to get Warren, who is a huge Liverpool fan, to Anfield. It’s one of those places that he’ll never play at unless it comes in the cup, so just things like that make the cup massive for me.”Harrogate’s long-serving defender Warren Burrell would love a trip to AnfieldCredit: RexAnd Thirlwell, who admitted the game being televised adds an “extra edge”, says the whole club from top to bottom want to put on a show against the big-spending Welsh side owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.“When you get a big club at home in the early rounds then you are hoping that it gets on the tele and as it happens we have,” Thirlwell said.“And I do think it helps, not that anybody tries harder, but it does give you an extra edge when you know it’s on TV.“But everyone at the club wants to get everything right on the day as you are showcasing the whole club.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHe added: “We are one of, if not the, smallest club in the Football League but we have a go on and off the pitch as best we can.“We are realistic to the point that usually bigger clubs do win these games but we are going into it with optimism and want to cause an upset. Someone will this year so why not us?”Who are these famous footballers? More