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    Premier League announce brand new competition launching in less than two weeks with hefty prize money up for grabs

    THE PREMIER LEAGUE have announced a brand new competition that will boost elite youth development in the country.The Prem has teamed up with the National League to launch the National League Cup.The Premier League has teamed up with the National League to launch a new competitionCredit: GettyThe tournament will help young players from Premier League and EFL clubs gain additional opportunities to test themselves against senior opposition from the fifth tier.It will also offer the chance for National League clubs to play regular matches against the best Under-21 teams in England at their own stadiums.The competition comes with a combined prize of £1million, provided by the Premier League. The amount will be distributed only amongst the National League clubs.Read More on FootballBlackburn Rovers, Brighton, Fulham, Leeds, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Brom, West Ham and Wolves have been confirmed.They will be joined by Aldershot Town, Altrincham, Boston United, Braintree Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United, Halifax Town, Forest Green Rovers, Gateshead, Maidenhead United, Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, Sutton United, Tamworth, Wealdstone and Woking.The National League Cup kicks off on October 1 with a group stage consisted of four groups of eight.The two best-placed teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSPremier League Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes said: “We’re excited to launch this new competition in partnership with the National League.“The competition will provide additional opportunities for young players in the under 17-21 age groups to gain valuable experience of playing against First Team opposition, something many of our current Premier League stars have experienced in their development.Best ten new Premier League kits for next season“We’re pleased to be able to support in the operation of the competition and look forward to seeing the wider benefits it will bring to National League clubs.” More

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    Meet the EFL icon, 36, with more hat-tricks than Haaland this season in ninth tier as he’s dubbed ‘absolute cheat code’

    ERLING HAALAND has been sensational so far this season but has not scored as many hat-tricks as this ninth tier hero.Brett Pitman has shown that the Manchester City star is not the only striker to be on fire this season.Brett Pitman has scored three hat-tricks this seasonCredit: @BMRFCHe has managed one more than Erling HaalandCredit: GettyThe former EFL ace – wo played for a number of top sides – has scored three hat-ticks this season for Baffins Milton Rovers FC in the Wessex League Premier Division.Pitman, 36, netted his latest three goals in the 3-1 win over Cowes Sports and it’s quickly seen him dubbed a ‘cheat code’ by fans.He netted his first with a clinical first-time finish before firing home from the spot.The striker completed his hat-trick with a thumping effort from the edge of the box.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBaffins’ manager Danny Thompson hailed the striker’s latest performance.He told club media: “The two goals he scored from open play, especially the third, was a great finish.”You know what you are going to get from Brett when he is in front of goal, you back him all day long to finish.”Pitman’s success in front of goal since joining Baffins has seen him lauded by fans on social media.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSOne posted: “An absolute cheat code.”A second wrote: “Put my mortgage he could do it week in week out for City.”Daniel Sturridge suffers wardrobe malfunction live on Sky Sports during Chelsea’s defeat to Man City A third commented: “His finishing has always been top drawer.”A fourth said: “Might be the best player ever to be honest.”Another added: “Thinks he’s a Prime Higuain.”Pitman started his career at Bournemouth and helped the club to reach the Premier League in 2015.Former Cherries boss Eddie Howe has admitted that Pitman is “one of the best” he has ever worked with.However, he remained in the Championship after moving to Ipswich Town.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe striker continued his career in the EFL with stints at Portsmouth, Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers.Pitman dropped into non-league football in 2022 as he joined AFC Portchester before moving to Shaftsbury and now Baffins.He started his career at BournemouthCredit: Action Images – ReutersPitman also spent three seasons at PortsmouthCredit: Rex FeaturesWho are these famous footballers? More

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    EFL minnows ‘to pocket FOUR TIMES more money if they LOSE to Chelsea’ as integrity of Carabao Cup called into question

    EFL minnows Barrow are reportedly offering their players FOUR times more money to LOSE to Chelsea than if they record a shock Carabao Cup win.And the stunning revelation has called into question the integrity of the competition.Barrow are reportedly offering players £1,000 in a bonus to lose to Chelsea – or £250 to winCredit: GettyThe Premier League giants are the heavy favourites against their League Two opponentsCredit: EPALeague Two Barrow were handed a dream draw away at Stamford Bridge in round three of the domestic cup after beating Derby on penalties in their previous tie. But now according to The Telegraph, the match has raised concerns. The newspaper claims Barrow’s bonus schedule shows the players would receive £250 if they somehow secured a victory in West London on September 24.However, they are set to bank a whopping £1,000 each if they lose the match.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThis therefore could imply a significant additional reward for defeat – and the possibility of incentivising underperformance, even if last season’s runners-up Chelsea are the heavy favourites. The EFL declined to comment but it is thought the organisation spoke to the Bluebirds to clarify an explanation – even though the bizarre bonuses do not appear to break any specific regulations. SunSport also understands the bonus sheet contained errors and has since been rectified – with the club wanting to reward their players for playing a top-tier team with an appearance fee, rather than offering a ‘bonus’ for losing. Bonuses must be agreed between the club and its players before being submitted to the EFL before the start of the season – but the EFL do not have jurisdiction over them. Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIt is reported that Barrow’s players will receive £250 each for any wins in rounds one to five of the Carabao Cup.Even winning the final at Wembley would only bank the players an extra £1,000. National League boss ‘loses plot’ in outrageous rant at OWN FANS as supporters call it ‘best post-match interview ever’However, the deal also offers £1,000 if they lose to a Premier League club from round three onwards – and £750 for defeat to a Championship side. In the FA Cup, things are far simpler.Barrow have agreed to pay out £400 for a round-one win, then £800 for round two.By round three and beyond, that figure increases to £2,625 per win per player.Again, defeat to a Premier League team would ensure a £1,000 bonus – and £750 if a Championship club knock them out.Barrow are currently third in League Two after an impressive start to the campaign.READ MORE SUN STORIESTheir three wins and a draw from five matches has Stephen Clemence’s side on ten points – two behind leaders Doncaster. SunSport has contacted Barrow for comment. Barrow beat Derby on penalties in the previous roundCredit: Getty More

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    Sky Sports make subtle broadcast change to avoid rude word in League Two clash as fans blast ‘utter woke nonsense’

    FOOTBALL fans have slammed Sky Sports’ “woke nonsense” after they made a subtle change in their League Two broadcast on Thursday.Harrogate Town caused a shock by beating league leaders Doncaster Rovers 2-0 to kick off the weekend’s football early.Fans were not happy with the scoreline graphicCredit: XTwo first-half goals from Ellis Taylor and Josh March wrapped up the three points to send Harrogate 13th.But fans poked fun at Sky Sports and accused the broadcaster of “woke nonsense” over their scoreline graphic.Sky Sports traditionally cut Doncaster down to ‘Don’ for the graphic.But against Harrogate they changed the team name to ‘DR’ – the club’s initials.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd in doing so they prevented EFL fans from being able to laugh at a graphic which would have read ‘HAR – DON’.Fans were up in arms and complained about the change, with some upset they have ruined the “HAR-DON derby”.One reacted saying: “Sky changing Doncaster from DON to DR to prevent the HAR-DON derby. Utter woke nonsense.”Another added: “Wait all year for Harrogate vs Doncaster on Sky for the inevitable HARDON scoreboard only for the Sky Woke Brigade to ruin our fun.”Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSUltimate sports presenters rich listTV sports presenters make a mint.The biggest and best are signed up on yearly deals with the likes of the BBC, ITV and Sky for your viewing pleasure.Laura Woods is dominating the media landscape at the moment, leading TNT Sports’ coverage and ITV’s.Alex Scott and Jermaine Jenas are two of the fresher faces for the BBC’s sporting output.Then, it’s the old guard of Gary Lineker and Mark Chapman who also command hefty fees for their Match of the Day programmes.SunSport has taken a look at how those big names rank and compiled a list of the top 10 highest earning stars that grace our TV screens.With number one worth a whopping £29.4million more than number 10!Read the story and see the full list here.A third wrote: “Can’t believe Sky Sports have changed Doncaster’s abbreviation from ‘DON’ to ‘DR’ 🙄”Spoiling our annual bit of immature fun!”Steve Bruce dealt huge blow just days after being named Blackpool boss as striker banned for appearing to SLAP opponent More

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    Former Premier League club share bizarre list of items BANNED from stadium as fans joke ‘FFS can’t take my xylophone’

    BRADFORD have left fans in hysterics after a list of items banned from their stadium was revealed.The League Two side have started the new season in good form, losing just one of their opening five games in the fourth tier.Bradford’s list of items prohibited from being taken into their stadiumCredit: X @officialbantamsFootball fans have mocked some of the items listed by the League Two clubCredit: GettyGraham Alexander’s men sit fifth in the table as they look to return to League One for the first time since 2019.But it is not their on-field performances that have seen them ridiculed by the footballing community.A picture of a sign from outside the University of Bradford stadium shows exactly what is prohibited.It includes the usual things such as big bags, flares, knives and alcohol.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut there are also a number of bizarre items named by Bradford.They include large umbrellas, musical instruments, drones, push chairs, hip flasks, and hammers.Reacting on social media, one person said: “Can’t even take a hip flask in now… the world has gone mad.”Another joked: “Shame, I’ll have to take my guitar home now.”Most read in EFLCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSWho are these famous footballers?And a third added: “Oh ffs not gonna be able to take my xylophone to Bradford away now.”Another took umbrage with the 500ml restriction on liquids, replying: “I do think the older generations should get A BIT of a pass bringing 1L flasks of tea or coffee, as people have mentioned below, they aren’t the problem.”XI amazing players worth £78m available for free More

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    Roy Keane hilariously trolled by EFL side over ‘who do you think you are’ comments with brilliant response

    ROY KEANE was trolled by League Two side MK Dons following his rant about the club.The pundit tore into sides lower down the pyramid that insist on playing the ball out from the back.Roy Keane was trolled by a club he slammed for their style of playCredit: PACallum Hendry scored a brilliant team goal for MK Dons against WalsallCredit: RexHe blasted MK Dons for their lack of urgency in a recent match he watched against Salford, suggesting their goalkeeper took too long on the ball as they searched for an equaliser in a match they lost 1-0.Keane said: “You mentioned Salford and MK Dons, you know about the arrogance of people playing out.“The craziness I find when players are coming out and playing out the back when they’re losing.“The goalkeeper’s coming out and he’s taking seven or eight touches.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“I was at Salford vs MK Dons. I was going to hang around the dressing room after the match and just see the MK Dons goalkeeper and ask him, you know when you’re losing with 15 minutes [to go] you’re f***ing losing.“MK Dons. Who do you think you are? Get it forward. It’s as if they don’t know what the score is.”But MK Dons have had the last laugh after scoring a brilliant goal from a free-flowing passing move that started with keeper Tom McGill against Walsall on Saturday.The club shared a clip of the goal on X with Keane’s quotes added as voiceover as Callum Hendry found the back of the net.Most read in EFLCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSMK Dons captioned the post: “Playing out from the back 😮‍💨”MK Dons won the match 1-0 and their fans were delighted to get one over on Keane. Roy Keane slams ‘arrogant’ England as ‘awful’ despite interim boss Lee Carsley winning on debut against IrelandOne fan said: “A very bad day for Mr Keane.”Another added: “We’re so back, no better f*** you than how we played today.” More

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    Premier League clubs don’t give a s**t about little clubs… I’m frightened to death about the future, says EFL legend

    PETERBOROUGH chief Barry Fry has slammed the Premier League for “not giving a s**t” about the little clubs.League One Posh pocketed a £4million sell-on fee from Ivan Toney’s £40m move from Brentford to Saudi club Al-Ahli last week.Barry Fry claims the Prem does ‘not giving a s**t’ about the little clubsCredit: GettyPeterborough chief Fry is ‘frightened to death’ about the future of EFL clubsCredit: GettyBut Fry, 79, Posh’s outspoken director of football, says EFL teams have just experienced the worst transfer window he has ever known.Premier League clubs splashed out a staggering £2billion in the summer, with Chelsea the biggest spenders at a whopping £208m.And that is £1bn more than Italy’s Serie A clubs, the next-highest spenders in Europe’s major leagues.But what irritates Fry the most is the way the top-flight outfits are holding back on a new funding deal for the 72 EFL clubs.Read More on FootballFry, one of the best transfer operators in the lower divisions, hit out: “I am frightened to death about the future of EFL clubs.“I’m a lover of football and unless Financial Fair Play gets sorted out, clubs are going to go under in the lower leagues.“Premier League clubs don’t give a s**t about anybody but themselves — they forget where they’ve come from half of them.”West Ham’s vice-chairman Karren Brady argued in her SunSport column last week that the “lower leagues are earning and generating more cash than ever before”.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSShe pointed out that Championship clubs enjoyed £300m in player sales business, with Sky paying out £935m to EFL football across five years.Brady also noted that under chief executive Richard Masters, the Premier League were adding £1.6bn over three years to “help the game flourish right down to park  leagues”.Top ten Premier League managers’ WagsBut Fry, who managed Birmingham City when Brady was managing director of the Blues, believes the EFL are getting a raw deal from the top-flight clubs.He added: “We have, going through the EFL right down the pyramid, the best system in the world, and it’s going to be destroyed by the Premier League.“We do not have a distribution which is fair or getting the Government to put a regulator in there to determine what  they do.“I feel that there is no way the Premier League will allow the Government to dictate to them and they are leaving it as late as possible to come up with a deal.“But it doesn’t help the clubs in the EFL, who are under enormous pressure, as this is the worst window ever in dealing with transfers for the lower leagues.“Look at the money being spent? F*** all! It’s frightening and we needed it sorted out, like yesterday!’Like a pack of cards’“It’s like a pack of cards. Once one or two clubs go to the wall, a load of them will fold.”And Fry believes the business climate is not helping club owners to cope with all the financial pressures of running a football team either.He said: “It is very, very difficult for owners because all these people are  struggling in their own businesses now.“They haven’t got the spare cash to help out their football clubs.READ MORE SUN STORIES“We have the greatest pyramid system, ever, ever in the whole world, and we should be bending over backwards to keep it and help every club up and down the country.“That’s because every club is so, so important to their community and they should be treasured.”Can you name the famous fathers? More

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    Get Barnsley, Wrexham and Notts County all to win at 4/1, plus get £60 in free bets with William Hill

    INTERNATIONAL weekend is upon us but there’s still plenty of action down the English football pyramid.William Hill are offering a fantastic price boost with Barnsley, Wrexham and Notts County all to win available at a boosted price of 4/1!Wait, there’s more! Brand new William Hill customers who register an account and stake £10 will be rewarded with £60 in free bets and bonuses to spend on the footy!Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles hereGet Barnsley, Wrexham and Notts County all to win at 4/1 – CLAIM HEREHow to claim..William Hill £60 welcome bonusVisit the William Hill website HERE*Register an account using the Promo Code: T60Once your account is registered, click ‘opt in’ on the ‘Vegas Promotion’ pageDeposit a minimum of £10 in your main account to receive a £20 Vegas Bonus for use on Selected GamesThen place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any football marketOnce that’s settled, your account will be credited with £40 in free betsWilliam Hill: Claim £60 welcome bonus – click here*Just the three games in League One this Saturday and William Hill have boosted two of the sides to win with the addition of Notts County from the division below.Barnsley have won two on the bounce and are looking to make it three when hosting Bristol Rovers.Wrexham have started life in League One well and are second after four games.Shrewsbury head for the Racecourse Ground on Saturday looking to end the unbeaten start, though the Shrews have just three points to their name at this stage.And finally Notts County are at home to Accrington, with the visitors notching just two points at the start of this season.If YOU think these three will collect maximum points, then take advantage of William Hill’s price boost with the trio now available at 4/1 to all win their matches on Saturday.Get Barnsley, Wrexham and Notts County all to win at 4/1 – CLAIM HEREWilliam Hill free betsNo William Hill account? No problem!This is your opportunity to take advantage of William Hill’s welcome offer, which is giving brand new customers a whopping £60 in free bets and bonuses!If you’re new to William Hill, you can sign-up using the links provided on this page and then you can reap the rewards!Simply register an account using the Promo Code: T60. Once your account is registered, click ‘opt in’ on the ‘Vegas Promotion’ page. Deposit a minimum of £10 in your main account to receive a £20 Vegas Bonus for use on Selected Games.After that, place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 at odds of 1/2 or greater on any football market. Once that’s settled, your account will be credited with £40 (4 x £10) in free bets.*18+. Play Safe. New players only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Payment methods & country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk More