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      What stunned Curtis Davies told Sierra Leone when he was handed shock international call-up at 38

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      CURTIS DAVIES has revealed his stunned reaction to being called up by Sierra Leone at the age of 38.The Premier League cult hero enjoyed a long career in the top-flight with spells at West Brom, Aston Villa, Birmingham and Hull.
      Former England U21 international Curtis Davies hit the headlines last weekCredit: Getty
      Cheltenham Town’s 38-year-old defender received a shock call-up from Sierra LeoneCredit: Getty
      The centre-back spent the last six seasons playing at Derby but is now at League One outfit Cheltenham Town.
      Back in his younger days, the Leytonstone-born ace won three caps for England Under-21s and even received two call-ups to the seniors from Fabio Capello in 2008 – without ever stepping onto the pitch.
      However, Davies hit the headlines last week after he was a surprise call-up for African nation Sierra Leone.
      He missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Benin as he is still waiting for international clearance but he hopes to finally make his international debut in Tuesday’s friendly clash with Somalia.
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      Now he has opened up on how the whole scenario unfolded, starting with answering an Instagram message requesting the chat before Sierra Leone’s physiotherapist called him.
      He told old BBC Sport Africa: “I was like, ‘You know I’m 38, right?’”
      Davies, who is eligible to play for the African country as his father is from there, was first contacted about a potential call-up a decade ago but nothing ever materialised.
      He continued: “It’s always been a big thing in the back of my mind, but I didn’t think the opportunity would come again.
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      “It will be amazing. I’m proud to be English and proud to be Sierra Leonean – more so because I never expected it to come.
      “The fact that it’s come this late in my career almost makes it more special.
      “When I first got the call, I was trying to get promotion back to the Premier League – that was my focus.
      “The next time, I was trying to stay in the Premier League with Hull. It was a little bit difficult for me, in terms of my club career, to make the decision.”
      Davies then explained how his father, who was born in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, moved to England in 1970 and then decided to stay once the rest of his family returned to Africa.
      And it is not just the football he is looking forward to – it is finding his roots.
      Davies added: “When his family all went back in ’74 or ’75, he chose to stay – to try to find the English dream, I guess.
      “My culture is black British culture. I grew up around Jamaicans, Africans, Somalis – all kinds of different black people, but not necessarily Sierra Leoneans.
      “My dad had effectively acclimatised to the English way of life, other than cooking okra soup.
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      “I was quite removed from the [African] culture – I’m honest enough to say that. There was never even an opportunity for me to go back.
      “It’s never too late to finally engage with and find your roots.” More

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      FA Cup draw: League One leaders Portsmouth face tough trip to non-league side as Wrexham travel to League Two rivals

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      NON-LEAGUE Chesterfield will host League One leaders Portsmouth in the first round of the FA Cup.The draw for the first round was made on Sunday afternoon as EFL clubs and non-league sides learned who stands between them and the next stage of the competition.
      The draw for the first round of the FA Cup was made on Sunday afternoonCredit: Getty
      The draw was broadcast live on ITV1Credit: ITV
      One of the standout ties saw Chesterfield – who beat Kettering 5-0 in the fourth qualifying round on Saturday – drawn at home to Championship-chasing Pompey.
      Meanwhile, League Two outfit Wrexham will travel to fellow fourth-tier side Mansfield.
      And in a classically romantic FA Cup tie, eighth-tier Cray Valley will travel to The Valley to face League One side Charlton.
      Oxford United are the second-highest ranked team behind Portsmouth as they sit just one point behind the South Coast side in League One.
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      They have been drawn at home to Maidenhead United – third-bottom in the National League.
      Other big clubs hosting non-league opposition include Bolton taking on Solihull Moors and Barnsley hosting Horsham.
      A total of 40 games were drawn, with 32 non-league sides still in the competition.
      The ties will take place between Friday, November 3 and Monday, November 6.
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      Premier League teams do not enter the competition until the third round in January.
      Last year’s best FA Cup performance from a side in the third tier or below came from Grimsby as they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Brighton.
      Full draw:

      Curzon Ashton vs Avely or Barnet
      Alfreton Town vs Worthing
      Chesterfield vs Portsmouth
      Bolton Wanderers vs Solihull Moors
      Exeter City vs Wigan Athletic
      Leyton Orient vs Carlisle United
      Kidderminster vs Fleetwood Town
      Hereford vs Gillingham
      Ebsfleet United or Slough Town vs Grimsby Town
      Charlton Athletic vs Cray Valley
      Oxford vs Maidenhead United
      Newport County vs Oldham Athletic
      Swindon Town vs Aldershot Town
      Crewe Alexandra vs Derby County
      Mansfield Town vs Wrexham
      Marine vs Harrowgate Town
      Barnsley vs Horsham
      Port Vale vs Burton Albion
      Peterborough United vs Salford City
      Eastleigh vs Boreham Wood
      Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers
      Billericay Town or Sheppey United vs Walsall
      Shrewsbury Town vs Colchester United
      Bristol Rovers vs Chelmsford City or Whitby Town
      Lincoln City vs Morecambe
      Sutton United vs AFC Fylde
      Reading vs MK Dons
      Doncaster Rovers vs Accrington Stanley
      Chester vs York City or Needham Market
      Scarborough Athletic or Oxford City vs Forest Green Rovers
      Notts County vs Crawley Town
      Stockport County vs Worksop Town
      Yeovil Town vs Gateshead
      Stevenage vs Tranmere Rovers
      Braintree Town or Chesham United vs Maidstone
      Bromley vs Blackpool
      AFC Wimbledon vs Cheltenham Town
      Cambridge United vs Bracknell
      Northampton Town vs Barrow
      Ramsgate vs Hemel Hempstead or Woking More

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      Meet the EFL’s ‘newest owner’, wacky maths whizz William Storey who owned a pet cheetah and was a pro gambler and farmer

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      BRITISH businessman William Storey is reportedly set to make his mark in the English Football League.The 45-year-old, who founded drinks brand Rich Energy in 2015, is understood to be interested in buying League One outfit Reading.
      William Storey is reportedly interested in buying ReadingCredit: Getty
      Storey is a British businessman and mathematician
      Reports claim that he is ready to wrap up a deal worth £50million and clear the club’s huge debt, but the Royals have denied that a deal has been agreed.
      An official statement released on Thursday afternoon read: “Reading Football Club would like to clarify that the process of the sale of the club is ongoing and, contrary to reports, there is currently no agreement in place with any party.
      “Several parties have approached the club in recent weeks with declarations of interest in purchasing the club.
      “All approaches are being assessed on their own merits to find the most suitable buyer to ensure a healthy future of the club and, at this stage, no single individual or entity has exclusivity in this process.
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      “We thank our supporters for their continued support, patience and understanding. As ever we will endeavour to keep our fans as informed as possible, and further updates will be provided as and when it is appropriate to do so.”
      Despite Reading’s reluctance to let any information of a potential takeover slip, Storey has remained firmly in the frame.
      The businessman has been desperate to invest in a football club in recent years, having failed in a bid to take over Sunderland in 2020 and Coventry City last year.
      But his potential involvement with Reading – who currently sit 22nd in the League One table after being relegated from the Championship last season – has raised some eyebrows given his fiasco in Formula One.
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      He once owned a pet cheetah while working on a farm in Zimbabwe
      Storey (R) pictured with Bernie Ecclestone (L) having previously worked in F1 as a team sponsor for HaasCredit: Linkedin William Storey
      Storey and Rich Energy signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Haas F1 team in 2018, but it was amicably terminated the following year due to the team’s poor performances.
      He was involved in another sponsorship saga last year, this time with British Superbike team OMG Racing Yamaha.
      However, the team issued a bizarre statement stating that they were not sponsored by Rich Energy’s owners – including storey – but but by “the global sales and distribution rights holder” for the drinks produced by the company.
      Aside from his attempts to take the sporting world by storm, Storey has led a very interesting life.
      He was educated at the Russell School in Petersham before moving to the Tiffin Boys’ School in Kingston upon Thames.
      The former F1 team sponsor studied mathematics at St Andrews University and gambled to pay his way through his studied after discovering an algorithm.
      He told RiverTribe: “I started at university and to supplement my income I developed a trading algorithm for horseracing using mathematics, which was my degree.
      “A meeting with Irish punting legend Barney Curley fired this passion. For two years I was a professional gambler and in recent years made significant bets on the outcome of the US elections and on the Referendum.
      “This philosophy on risk undoubtedly informs my business strategy.”
      Storey, who once had a pet cheetah called Boy and worked as a farmer in Zimbabwe, also claims he had a trial at Queens Park Rangers in 2000.
      Speaking to The Daily Mail in 2020, he admitted: “I trained with QPR for about a month when Gerry Francis was the manager.
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      “It was round about 2000 with the first team. You had the likes of Iain Dowie, Peter Crouch was there at the time too.
      “I trained for about a month and played a couple of reserve games as a trialist.” More

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      Watch hilarious moment lone wind-up merchant gets on pitch and has rival EFL supporters trying to storm past stewards

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      A CHEEKY Swindon Town fan burst onto the pitch to wind-up rival supporters – before he was pelted with tennis balls.The incident occurred on Wednesday as Reading hosted the Robins at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
      A Swindon fan burst on the pitch to wind-up Reading fans last nightCredit: X formerly Twitter
      Security then escorted him out of the ground past the angry Royals mobCredit: X formerly Twitter
      The Royals suffered relegation from the Championship last term and their opening to this campaign in League One has been marred by administration fears and a four-point deduction.
      Fed-up fans have been venting their fury at the ownership of the club as they sit 22nd in the third tier.
      A number of protests have been staged against owner Dai Yongge over recent weeks, which include supporters throwing tennis balls on the pitch.
      But they got a bit of welcome relief from their dire league position as they took on Swindon in the EFL Trophy.
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      Reading thrashed Swindon 5-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Harvey Knibbs and further strikes from Paul Mukairu and Harlee Dean.
      However, during the encounter, a Swindon fan charged from the away end and raced towards the corner flag in front of the Reading supporters to wind them up over their troubles.
      He goaded them by holding out his arms and appearing to chant at them before a number of tennis balls began being hurled towards him.
      A number of irate fans then piled forward in the stand to try and get on to the pitch to confront the pitch invader, forcing sewards to hold them back.
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      Another steward then managed to escort the lone Swindon supporter off the pitch before he was man-handled and taken out of the ground when another appeared on the scene.
      But it was the Reading faithful that got the final say as the invader was taken through an exit in the corner right next to those who he had just been winding-up.
      They continued to pelt and hurl abuse at the Swindon fan as the two stewards struggled to drag him past the baying mob. More

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      League One club unveil plans for £100m new stadium and face race against time or risk being HOMELESS in three years

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      OXFORD UNITED have unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art new £100million 16,000-seater stadium.The O’s are contracted to play at their current Kassam home until 2026.
      Oxford United have unveiled their new stadium plansCredit: Oxford United
      The O’s want to move into their new home by 2026Credit: Oxford United
      The new stadium will seat 16,000 fansCredit: Oxford United
      Rather than extend their agreement, however, they are instead looking to move.
      Oxford have revealed plans to build a new stadium at The Triangle in Kidlington.
      In addition to their playing facilities, the Os’ plan to incorporate a 180-bed hotel, restaurant, conference centre and health and wellbeing space.
      They also aim to build a community plaza, featuring a new club shop as well as further retail, restaurant, bar and cafe facilities.
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      While Oxford’s current Kassam Stadium home infamously only has three stands, with a car park behind one of the goals, their new home would feature an enclosed bowl.
      The modern design includes a tight bowl that will take fans closer to the action.
      Oxford want both their men’s and women’s teams to use the their proposed new ground.
      While they believe that the new stadium site is better connected by public transport than the Kassam.
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      Oxford want to turn their new ground into a community hubCredit: Oxford United
      The project would cost around £100millionCredit: Oxford United
      Speaking about the project, Oxford chief executive Tim Williams said: “With our right to use the Kassam Stadium coming to an end in 2026 and no option to renew the lease, we must find a new home.
      “The club is committed to developing a proposal which is highly sustainable and community focused whilst providing a state-of-the-art destination for all.
      “The further detail we have released today shows how seriously we take these principles, and I am delighted to share the first glimpse of our stadium with the whole of Oxfordshire.
      “I hope everyone from Kidlington, the surrounding areas and across the county will come to the exhibition and take a look at the plans.
      “We want to hear all your feedback.”
      Oxford chiefs will be meeting fans to discuss the project and answer questions in the coming weeks.
      Oxford’s current Kassam Stadium home only has three standsCredit: Rex More

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      Joey Barton branded a ‘disgrace’ by furious fans after ‘throwing his OWN player under the bus’ in brutal rant

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      BRISTOL ROVERS boss Joey Barton has been slammed by his own fans after a brutal rant at player Luke Thomas.The League One side lost 2-0 to Peterborough on Saturday and the outspoken manager’s frustrations boiled over in a post-match interview.
      Joey Barton publicly slammed Luke Thomas after Bristol Rovers’ loss to PeterboroughCredit: Alamy
      Luke Thomas played on when injuredCredit: Getty
      Barton initially lamented bad luck over missed chances in the first-half before turning on Thomas to blame him for the defeat.
      The former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder ranted and threatened to fine him.
      Barton told to the BBC: “We had a mountain to climb due to Luke Thomas’ decision to play on in the second-half. I’ve never known anything like it.
      “He reported he was a bit stiff one minute before we are going back out, having had 13 minutes to speak to the physios.
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      “He was told to go out and test it. But two minutes into the second-half his side is compromised because he can’t run, he feels the hamstring.
      “In his infinite wisdom, I don’t know why he presses the ball and doesn’t sit on the pitch so the ref can stop the game and we can get the sub on.
      “In the midst of that chaotic spell of two minutes, we are compromised from within and they score the second goal.
      “I wish I could fine him and I’ll be speaking to the CEO about that because it’s a ludicrous decision, he shouldn’t get paid this week for what he’s done because he has put us 2-0 down.
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      “It’s frustrating, we have got to be better than that. You come to a good place like Peterborough, you can’t play with ten men, especially in wide areas because they will punish you.”
      Asked if it was a mistake caused by the 24-year-old’s inexperience, Barton snapped back, continuing: “When does young man stop?
      “How many times can we put his lethargy in moments down to being young? At some point the penny has got to drop.
      “If you are injured, fine, come off the pitch, nobody has got a problem with that.
      “Going back out and making stupid decisions just compromises your team-mates and all our hard work is undone because of a decision by one of our players.
      “I’m so frustrated with him, we have given him enormous backing at this club and he lets himself down with stupidity.”
      In another interview he called Thomas “one idiotic young boy – I can’t even call him a man.”
      Bristol Rovers fans felt sorry for the midfielder as they slammed Barton for throwing him under the bus.
      One said: “This is horrible. Thomas had been amazing this season and I’m sure Rovers fans won’t be holding this against him.”
      Another added: “Very poor, been one of if not the best player for us these season. Not a fan of that.”
      A third commented: “Joey Barton throwing arguably our best player this season under the bus is a disgrace. Guy has worked hard every game this season and deserves credit, not criticism.”
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      More raged: “You can be the best manager in the world, but if you throw your players under the bus like this the dressing room very quickly turns on you. A manager throwing excuses instead of looking at himself.”
      Barton has previously caused controversy over remarks made post-match, once using the term “holocaust” to describe a performance and he also revealed he regretted extending one player’s contract. More

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      Justin Allen: Guardiola’s comments show everything that’s wrong with the Prem… I’d love to see him try to boss Exeter

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      PEP GUARDIOLA made two ridiculous comments during the last week that illustrate everything that is wrong with Premier League elites.Don’t get me wrong, Guardiola deserves our respect and adulation for what he has achieved at Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. We all marvel at the exhibition of football his teams produce.
      Pep Guardiola made two ridiculous comments last week
      Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was not happy with taking a two-hour bus journey home after their Carabao Cup loss at Newcastle
      But I’d love to see him try managing an EFL club to see how he’d get on.
      When he whinged about his precious City lambs forced to make a two-hour 123-mile coach journey home from Newcastle after Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie rather than fly, I wondered how he might cope if he was in charge of clubs like Exeter and Carlisle?
      Neither team have the luxury of jetting to matches — like the majority of clubs outside the top flight.
      When the Grecians, managed by Gary Caldwell, travel to deepest Cumbria — and vice versa — both teams face a SIXTEEN-HOUR journey … on a coach! That would have surely sent Pep into meltdown.
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      In August for that Saturday game, Exeter broke up their epic trip by taking their team on a five-hour bus ride on Thursday to Mottram Hall in Cheshire where they stayed overnight.
      They then did another three hours to Penrith on Friday to train with another overnight stay before playing the Cumbrians 3pm the next day.
      Exeter boss Gary Caldwell has a far harder job than Pep Guardiola
      Pep Guardiola should try swapping places with Carlisle boss Paul Simpson
      But as soon as the players were showered and changed after the game, they were herded onto a coach to take them directly back to Devon. They arrived into Exeter at almost 2am.
      At least their journey was a happy one after a 2-0 win.
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      Only Bristol Rovers sit within a two-hour radius for the Grecians in League One.
      Pep would also be sent into a spin if he swapped places with Paul Simpson at Carlisle. They are a geographical outpost in the third tier.
      Championship side Plymouth, another team out on a limb, coach to most games. 
      They did fly to Hull on Friday ahead of their clash on Humberside — although had to take a six-hour bus ride home afterwards, getting back around midnight.
      You didn’t hear Pilgrims boss Steven Schumacher whinging.
      It’s good Guardiola’s chairman isn’t Forest Green’s Just Stop Oil campaigner Dale Vince. He’d never endorse flying.
      And I dread to think how many times the likes of Erling Haaland would have to hang around doing keepie-uppies while waiting for them to charge their soon-to-be-unveiled electric bus!
      But when Pep went on to later say he was “not going to waste one per cent of energy for the Carabao Cup” before complaining about how tired his first-team stars are, I had to laugh.
      Pep backed up his reasoning by saying he couldn’t play stars such as Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias because they were “exhausted”.
      City skipper Walker, who has played most, had clocked 11 matches for club and country this season ahead of being left out at Newcastle — only being substituted once, in the 89th-minute of the Premier League opener against Burnley. 
      Yet Exeter captain Will Aimson has not missed a single minute of THIRTEEN matches — while team-mate Alex Hartridge has also started 13 and played more minutes than the Man City star.
      Kyle Walker has played 12 matches for club and country this tem and is “exhausted”
      But Exeter City captain Will Aimson has played 13 and is not “exhausted”
      I decided to give Aimson a call because I was intrigued to know if he was “exhausted” having played more matches than Walker, who is now up to 12, over the same time period.
      “No, I’m feeling great,” Aimson told me as he was excitedly preparing for game No13 against Northampton on Saturday.
      And how is he finding riding on buses before and after games — especially the huge schlep for Carlisle?
      He laughed: “I had a couple of seasons previously at Plymouth so am used to it!“But we pass the time well — playing a few games, catching the late Premier League kick-offs if they’re on and building a rapport.”
      There are countless lower league footballers like Aimson who play 90 minutes twice a week and must endure long coach journeys to and from games.
      You also must remember clubs in the six divisions immediately below the Premier League play eight extra league games a season.
      And it’s even more difficult when you get into non-league. Imagine being a semi-pro at Dover Athletic and having a job on a building site but having to endure a 10-hour round coach trip to Truro City in the National League South.
      I wonder how “exhausted” some of those players are.
      But, thankfully, not everyone in the golden corridors of the Premier League have such a blinkered view of competitions like the Carabao Cup.
      Take West Ham’s Tomas Soucek for example.
      I had a chat with the Czech midfielder after the Hammers survived a huge scare at League One club Lincoln to win 1-0 on Wednesday thanks to his winning goal.
      Tomas Soucek loves playing lower-league teams and scored the winner at Lincoln
      And he told me: “I love these cup matches against lower league opponents because you can see how excited their players are to face a Premier League club.
      “The atmosphere at EFL grounds like this are sometimes better than it is in the Premier League.
      “It’s not a big stadium but the atmosphere is perfect. I love it because we all know where we came from. It’s great to play in this competition.”
      The atmosphere at EFL grounds like Lincoln are sometimes better than it is in the Premier League.Tomas Soucek, West Ham
      Soucek has hit the nail on the head. These matches are huge for clubs like Lincoln. 
      The Carabao Cup is worth an estimated £50MILLION a season to the EFL — which is a lifeline to clubs in the three divisions below the Prem.
      Yes, I know — it’s small change to Guardiola when you consider he spent £210m on four signings this summer. 
      Let’s hope £78m Josko Gvardiol didn’t get too exhausted playing 90 minutes at Newcastle and having to hop on a coach for that damn two-hour ride home.
      Wednesday are a huge turn off
      I MUST have witnessed the shortest fan attendance of the season at Hillsborough on Friday night.
      A Sheffield Wednesday supporter, looking flustered and out of breath, arrived 10 minutes late for their game against Sunderland. 
      He took to his seat, then looked up at the scoreboard to see his team were already 2-0 down, promptly stood up again and walked out!
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      What a sad indictment of how bad things have become for the Owls that fans cannot bear to watch another minute of the shower of rubbish being served up in front of them.
      He would have been better off staying at home to watch Dragons’ Den. Who knows maybe some boffin could invent something new on the show — like a winning Sheffield Wednesday football team! More

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      Match SUSPENDED as furious fans launch tennis balls onto the pitch in bitter protest

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      READING’S match with Burton had to be suspended after fans launched tennis balls onto the pitch.The home supporters’ latest protest saw hundreds of balls fly onto the pitch at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
      Reading’s match against Burton was suspended on SaturdayCredit: REX
      Reading fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protestCredit: REX
      It is the second time in as many home matches that fans have protested against owner Dai Yongge.
      Stewards were forced to come onto the pitch to clear the balls, prompting referee Sam Purkiss to suspend the match.
      Players from both sides headed down the tunnel whilst the protest was handled, with play only paused for a matter of minutes.
      The two sides had been level at 0-0 at the time, with neither side able to find a breakthrough before the interval once the action resumed.
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      Reading were plunged into further turmoil this week with the EFL placing them under yet another transfer embargo.
      The Royals were also threatened with a further points deduction if they failed to pay their players on time.
      Ruben Selles’ side have already been docked four points this season, leaving the club in the League One relegation Zone.
      Yongge is open to selling the club, though, in a potential boost to supporters.
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      Stewards and ground staff cleared the balls from the pitchCredit: REX
      A club statement announced: “The club continues to suffer significant cashflow issues.
      “In striving to establish external investment, we can confirm there has been significant interest.
      “Discussions and due diligence processes with a number of these potential investors continue apace.
      “Our owner, Mr Dai, is openly inviting further credible offers of interest and declarations of intent from parties eager to pursue a potential sale of the club.”
      Supporters stepped up their protests against owner Dai YonggeCredit: REX More