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      EFL clash POSTPONED just an hour before kickoff as fans fume ‘you’re a disgrace’

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      BRADFORD’S clash against Notts County has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Heavy rainfall hit Valley Parade this morning and an inspection was called by referee David Rock at 1pm.Bradford’s pitch was deemed unplayable by officialsCredit: RexBut Bradford had already tweeted at 10:15am that the game was on.However, the official then looked at the pitch as he was joined by both sides’ managers.And they came to a decision that the surface was unplayable and they postponed the game.Fans were left fuming after the news was announced just an hour and 15 minutes before kick-off at 3pm.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThousands of fans had already begun their journeys to Valley Parade.Angry supporters wrote online: “You’re a disgrace, we’ve paid good money to stay down here, I’m not going to get that money back.”Another added: “That pitch is not fit for Sunday League.”A third said: “I’ve followed this all morning. It was obvious hours ago. What’s the idea of all the ‘it’s on’ tweets throughout the morning.”Most read in EFLHOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALLMore reacted: “Would not be unhappy for the club to be investigated for the state of this. Laughing stock to all fans in the EFL. Travelling supporters spending money for nothing. It’s utterly shambolic.”It is currently unclear when the League Two game will be rescheduled for.Fans left in stitches at ‘one of the worst penalties you’ll ever see’ during Accrington vs Bradford penalty shootout More

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      I won promotion at Wembley and was told I was losing my job the next morning – I ended up on LinkedIn looking for a club

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      MK DONS keeper Michael Kelly was told he was being released by Carlisle just ONE DAY after they were promoted to League One.The Irish shot-stopper, 27, only played in the EFL Trophy last season as he watched all of the fourth-tier side’s league matches from the bench.Michael Kelly was told Carlisle were releasing him just one day after they secured promotionCredit: GettyBut he was still a part of the squad that beat Stockport on penalties at Wembley to clinch promotion.Yet the following morning, manager Paul Simpson met him at the team hotel to inform him that his contract was not being renewed beyond the summer.Speaking to BBC Look East, he recalled: “He [Simpson] said it wasn’t an easy subject and that he wasn’t going to keep me.”I was shocked. The night before was the best of my life. Getting promoted on the steps of Wembley, it’s what you dream of as a kid. Now you’re trying to process what to do next.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLKelly then spent three months without a club, before MK Dons picked him up in September.He has started eight games this season, four of which have come in League Two where the club occupy a play-off place.But prior to penning a deal, he admits he was even reduced to going on LinkedIn to try and search for a club.He added: “I kept wondering, when am I going to get a phone call? I’ve just got promoted. I should look good. But you have to wait. The toughest part is seeing other players get the call.Most read in Football”My girlfriend and family were on top of me the whole time asking me to ring this person, message this guy, go onto Linkedin and look at this person.”You have got to hold yourself accountable.I broke down in tears in the en-suite’ reveals Steve Sidwell as ex-Chelsea star opens up on way football career ended”You can run all you want and give all you want but personally being around a group, with the guys, they’re the hardest moments to replicate. I don’t mind going for runs but it’s very, very difficult to keep going.”You can have a bad day, which can spiral into two or three bad days when you wonder, why am I bothering? It’s about just getting out there and doing something.” More

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      ‘Just doing my job’ – EFL referee reveals how he dealt with star being racially abused as he’s praised for interview

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      AN EFL referee says he was “just doing my job” after revealing how he dealt with the disgusting Omar Bogle racist abuse.The disgraceful incident occurred in a League Two match on October 28 at Gillingham.Newport star Omar Bogle was racially abused during a game at Gillingham by a fanCredit: X @SkySportsNewsEFL referee Tom Reeves has opened up on how he dealt with the situationCredit: X @SkySportsNewsEFL referee Tom Reeves discusses handling an incident of racism involving Newport County striker Omar Bogle and a Gillingham supporter. pic.twitter.com/epsSL8Vu0m— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 29, 2024

      Bogle, 30, scored two first half penalties to earn Newport County a 2-0 victory away to the Gills.However, it was not the striker’s brace that was the main talking point from the game.After slotting home the first spot-kick, Bogle was racially abused by a Gillingham supporter as he celebrated.The fan ran over in front of him in the stands and made a monkey gesture.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLBen Burchell, 28, who has learning difficulties, admitted a charge of racially aggravated breach of public order at Medway Magistrates court.He escaped a football banning order but received 40 hours of community service and was ordered to pay £200 in compensation to Bogle after pleading guilty to racially abusing the star.Burchell was also told that he cannot attend professional football matches on his own for a period of 12 months without a carer.Tom Reeves was the referee on that day, and now the court case has been held, he has discussed his handling of the shocking incident with Sky Sports News.Most read in EFLHe revealed how it was the first time in his career he had dealt with a fan racially abusing a player but explained how he felt equipped to handle it following his training.Reeves said that “alarm bells” rang when he noticed several Newport players running over to a particular section of the home end.Shocking moment referee is CHASED OFF pitch by pitch invader in Port Vale vs Portsmouth clashHe was then informed about the racial abuse, which led to him approaching Bogle to get a statement from him and give it to his fourth official to make sure it was recorded and make the police and Gillingham safety officer aware.Reeves then said that the fan had been removed from the stadium already by the time he spoke to them, allowing the official to reassure Bogle that it was being dealt with and encourage him to work with him for the remainder of the game.Before the second penalty, Reeves also spoke with Bogle as it was in the same spot as his first.The ref said: “I didn’t want him to celebrate in front of the same group of fans because there could be potential further problems.“I just said to him to think about it if he scores, where he celebrates.”He then explained how he did not want the forward’s emotions to get the better of him as he praised the forward for “working really well” with him.Reeves went on to explain the protocol for such incidents, revealing he checked with Bogle that he was still “OK to continue” and to reassure him again just before the start of the second period.He then got full statements from Bogle and a member of Newport’s team, who on this occasion was the assistant manager, after the game.Reeves said: “The reason we do that is so I can report it to the FA for a full investigation.”Ben Burchell pleaded guilty to racially abusing the forwardOmar Bogle scored two goals during the game, both from the penalty spotCredit: GettyHe said: “We have a particular protocol in place that we follow and there’s certain steps that we go through from the moment the player lets you know about it all the way through to the full time whistle.”Reeves added: “We as referees go there to referee a game of football and don’t expect anyone to go through what Omar had to.“Actually, that night I had messages and phone calls from various people just checking up on me to make sure that I was OK.“But for me, it was ensuring Omar was OK to get through the game, I made sure my report could be reported to the FA so a full investigation could take place.“I was just doing my job, being professional as possible to ensure the game was fully under control and Omar was OK.”After Sky Sports News released the interview, fans rushed to heap praise on Reeves for how he handled the ordeal.One posted on X: “Respect to referee Tom Reeves for the brilliant interview on @SkySportsNews regarding the Newport striker Omar Bogle incident.“Handled the racism incident perfectly.”READ MORE SUN STORIESAnother wrote: “Effective refereeing when the racists are in town. Well done Tom Reeves.”And a third added: “A horrible incident handled expertly by Tom Reeves. Well done, Tom.” More

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      Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney warned of ‘trouble afoot’ at Wrexham after latest dismal result

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      WREXHAM boss fans are worried that trouble is looming after manager Phil Parkinson was spotted having a heated disagreement with his coaches.The argument followed Wrexham’s disappointing 1-1 draw with League Two relegation-strugglers Forest Green Rovers.

      Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson engages in heated exchange with his backroom staffCredit: EFL iFollow via X formerly Twitter
      Before walking off in a mood as his side salvaged a 1-1 drawCredit: EFL iFollow via X formerly Twitter
      Owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham for £2m in 2020Credit: Getty
      The Welsh side scraped a point on Tuesday thanks to a stoppage-time penalty scored by Paul Mullin, after going 1-0 down in the third minute.
      Wrexham’s frustrations were personified by a visibly furious James McClean, who booted the ball away at the half-time whistle.
      The result means Wrexham are without a win in three games, after drawing with MK Dons and losing to Gillingham.
      And that the frustration also seems to be getting to Parkinson, who was spotted having a barney with this staff following their most recent draw.

      Loyal assistant Steve Parkin seemed to be the one bearing the brunt of Parky’s frustrations.
      He was then seen walking off with a stern look on his face, before acknowledging the away fans.
      They’ve since dropped to fourth in the table but remain in good stead to challenge for an automatic promotion place.
      However, their recent form is a cause for concern.
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      Wrexham have won just two of their last seven games, and are winless in their last three outings.
      Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney may need to keep a close eye on their situation as the club bid for back-to-back promotions.
      Cameras at The New Lawn spotted the argument and the clip was quickly shared on social media.
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      One captioned the video: “Trouble afoot?”, while tagging the club’s official account.
      A second fan added: “I’m glad they’re angry. It’s a test of their management to get back on track now. It’s still very much their for the taking.”
      A third wrote: “Robust exchange of views on how we get out of this funk. I don’t mind that.”
      A fourth said: “They eeked out a point after nearly getting dunked on the team in 23rd place in the table. If my manager wasn’t mad, I would be very concerned.”
      Parkinson is known for his passionate outbursts in the dug-out.
      Episodes of the behind-the-scenes TV show Welcome to Wrexham depict plenty of X-rated dressing room rants and fury with officials on the side lines. More

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      EFL fans say ‘the game’s well and truly gone’ as Wycombe reveal bizarre reason star got a yellow card

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      EFL fans declared “the game has gone” after Wycombe star Luke Leahy was booked for a bizarre reason.The midfielder featured for the Chairboys in their 1-0 victory over League Two Bradford in the EFL Trophy semi-final.

      Luke Leahy cheekily dried the ball on a steward’s coat prior to his throw-in
      The midfielder was booked as players are not allowed to dry ballsCredit: Rex
      Wycombe are now through to the Wembley final where they will meet Peterborough, thanks to Matt Butcher’s last-gasp winner which broke Bradford hearts.
      But the game also caught the eye for another, unexpected reason.
      With five minutes of the match remaining Wycombe won a corner deep in the Bradford half.
      Leahy, 31, picked up the ball and decided to dry it off given the stormy conditions in West Yorkshire.
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      But the only method available to the former Shrewsbury player was to dry the ball on a steward’s coat.
      The steward did not seem to mind but referee Tom Reeves did as he brandished Leahy with a yellow card.
      Rules state players are not allowed to dry the ball so the ref was left with little choice, but that did not prevent uproar from fans.
      One reacted saying: “Game has well and truly gone.”
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      Another added: “I’m just glad he won’t miss the final for that because that’s a joke of a card.
      And a third wrote: “Players are now genuinely being booked simply for drying a football
      “Yeah, this sport is well and truly dead if you are being booked for that, pathetic!”
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      ‘I have no words’, says shocked fans as on-loan Arsenal keeper Okonkwo appears to push the ball over his own goal-line

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      ARSENAL fans watched through their fingers… as their on-loan goalkeeper let the ball through his. Arthur Okonkwo, 22, is spending the 2023-24 season with Wrexham as Ben Foster’s replacement.
      Arthur Okonkwo escaped after an almighty blunderCredit: Alamy
      He messed up a routine catch away at MK DonsCredit: X
      The ball bounced towards the lineCredit: X
      He dived back and got his gloves back on the ballCredit: X

      And the youngster made a very lucky escape in the League Two clash against MK Dons on Tuesday night.
      Okonkwo suffered a goalkeeper’s nightmare when a routine catch went horribly wrong.
      Instead of clutching on to the ball, he somehow spilled it backwards, sending it bouncing towards the goal.
      The former Crewe and Sturm Graz loanee desperately scrambled back and made a last-ditch dive to grab the ball before it crossed the line.
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      He ended up seemingly pushing it on to – if not over – the line.
      And plenty were convinced Okonkwo should have been penalised for his blunder because they were convinced the ball went in.
      Some even sensationally insisted this was the latest in a series of dodgy decisions to go Wrexham’s way as part of a bigger conspiracy theory.
      One said: “I have no words.”
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      Another wrote: “Clearly a goal wtf.”
      A third typed: “Did we get away with Okonkwo bringing the ball into the goal and the goal not given? Yes.”
      Some of the best saves from Arsenal youth goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo since his u18 debut
      A fourth quipped: “We got away with that Okonkwo save hahahaha.”
      And a fifth added the “pretends to be shocked” meme.
      Others, though, were not convinced due to the lack of available camera angles.
      One responded: “Tbf, there’s absolutely no way you can say, conclusively, that’s over the line.”

      Another replied: “It doesn’t look great but you’re right, you can’t say for certain.”
      It is not the first time this season Okonkwo’s goalkeeping has been in the spotlight.
      Against Blackburn in the FA Cup last month, the England Under-18 star – who had just returned from jaw surgery – came rushing out of his penalty area, gifting Rovers an easy finish.
      That prompted cutting comments like “he’s lost the plot”, “yikes” and “lettuce hands” online.
      Credit: X
      Credit: X
      Credit: X
      Other than the nervy heart-stopping moment when the ball wriggled free from his grasp, Wrexham fans were absolutely delighted with Okonkwo’s performance at MK Dons as he made a string of massive saves, including in injury time.
      The Red Dragons – co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – headed back to North Wales with a 1-1 draw.
      James McClean fired the visitors in front but Dan Kemp levelled four minutes later before both sides had a man sent off after the break.
      One Wrexham supporter said: “Arthur Okonkwo, what a guy.”
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      Another commented: “Thank goodness for Okonkwo. What a gem.”
      And a third declared: “Arthur Okonkwo is my man crush. Decent point. We move on.”
      Okonkwo scrambled back desperatelyCredit: X
      MK Dons players and fans were convinced it went inCredit: X
      The Arsenal loanee breathed a huge sigh of reliefCredit: X
      Okonkwo made a string of important saves in the 1-1 drawCredit: X More

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      EFL chairman to raise season tickets prices and cost of beer in blunt series of tweets with club in ‘million pound hole’

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      THE chairman of League Two side Accrington Stanley has raised season ticket prices and the cost of beer to fix a “million pound hole.”Andy Holt made the blunt reveal to fans through a series of posts on X.
      Accrington Stanley have raised season ticket and beer prices to make ends meetCredit: Getty
      Chairman Andy Holt said the club was looking at a ‘million pound hole’Credit: PA:Empics Sport
      Accrington were relegated to League Two last season after finishing second-bottom.
      As a result, their finances have taken a huge hit.
      And with promotion back to League One looking unlikely, 12th-place Accrington are finding other ways to beat the pinch.
      Holt confirmed on social media that the first course of action was to raise season ticket prices, generating an extra £34,000.
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      Telling fans to “remember we’re in a million pound hole”, Holt revealed that “matchday ticketing will also increase, bringing in a further £145k.”
      But punters will have to cough up more for drinks and snacks too, with beer and concessions for ALL events at the Crown Ground rising to bring in an extra £70k.
      That amounts to a grand total of £249k, with Holt adding: “If you don’t want to buy a Wispa off the club, I can do nothing about that.
      “It’s your club, as I’m reminded often and agree with. First team costs will fall by a minimum of £250k. This is our future.”
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      Holt went on to reveal that some “forever injured players” are costing Accrington a small fortune.
      He said: “Saturday’s squad of 18 cost the club a total of £621,395.20 a year, out of £1.6million being blown on forever injured players and some that are having operations for long-held injuries.
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      “Some of which they had when they were signed, knowing full well they are not signing a new contract at the end of the season.
      “On top of that we have the cost of physio, medical etc. It’s not good enough. I don’t accept we’re just unlucky.”
      In October, Holt sensationally put Accrington Stanley up for sale on Twitter.
      And after spelling out his plan to receive more income through TV deals, “increased commercial activity” and sell-on fees, Holt provided an update.
      He added: “There is ZERO hope of me funding football losses of over £1m again.
      “I don’t mind investing in facilities. It’s unlikely there will be a sale of the club.” More

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      My dad is a Premier League winning captain but now I’m making my own way in football with the Class of 92

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      CALLUM HENDRY believes he and new boss Karl Robinson still have time to revive Salford’s season.The sub levelled two minutes into injury time in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Swindon and nearly hit a winner in the dying seconds.
      Callum Hendry is hoping for a successful end to the season with SalfordCredit: Rex
      Hendry’s dad Colin won the Premier League with Blackburn in 1995Credit: Getty
      And he backs the Ammies, owned by Manchester United’s famous Class of 92, to make a late play-off surge in League Two.
      Hendry, 26, said: “This point was massive.
      “But the gaffer told us at half-time that he didn’t want to draw this game, he wanted us to go and win it.
      “The season’s not over, no chance.
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      “At the back of most people’s minds, especially in a league like this, is anything can happen.”
      Hendry is the son of Blackburn’s Premier League title-winning captain Colin.
      The former defender won 51 caps for Scotland during his playing career, which also included a league title with Rangers.
      He later returned to Blackburn, where his son began his career, as under-21 assistant manager.
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      Hendry left Rovers for St Johnstone in 2017 before loan spells with Brechin City, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
      He joined Salford in 2022, with Saturday’s goal his 18th in 64 appearances for the club.
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      The forward’s style of play is slightly different to that of his ‘Braveheart’ father.
      And his leveller will have gone down well with Ryan Giggs, who was spotted in the crowd at the County Ground.
      Swindon revamped their forward line in January and threw on returning hero Harry McKirdy, new boy Aaron Drinan and old-stager Charlie Austin to turn the game in the last half-hour.
      Swindon peppered the City goal and finally went ahead with George McEachran’s strike in the 82nd minute before Hendry’s late sucker punch.
      Loanee Zachary Elbouzedi said: “We looked pretty sharp. The only thing missing was the final pass, the final shot. That comes with playing games together.” More