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      League Two club sack manager with stunned fans left saying ‘didn’t see that happening’ after mixed start to season

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      GILLINGHAM have sacked manager Neil Harris.The League Two side fell to eighth in the table following their 2-0 defeat at Crewe on Tuesday night.
      Gillingham have sacked manager Neil HarrisCredit: PA
      Harris, 46, joined Gillingham in January 2022 having previously managed Millwall and Cardiff.
      The former striker couldn’t prevent the Gills from League One relegation during his first half-season in charge.
      He subsequently guided them to a 17th finish in League Two amid a takeover last term.
      In a club statement, the Gills confirmed: “Gillingham Football Club has today decided to part company with Manager Neil Harris, who has been in charge at Priestfield for just over 20 months.
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      “Having joined the Club in February of 2022, Neil nearly kept the team in League One, getting relegated on the last day of the season on goal difference, making up a 10-point deficit in the process.
      “The Club has decided it now wishes to go in a different direction and will begin the process of identifying a Head Coach to take the team forward.”
      Harris’ assistant David Livermore has also departed Priestfield.
      Gillingham have confirmed that Keith Millen will step in as interim boss while they conduct their new manager search.
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      Millen, 57, has previously managed Bristol City and Carlisle United, as well as Swedish side Orgryte IS.
      He also had three spells as Crystal Palace’s caretaker boss.

      Fans have had a mixed reaction to Harris’ dismissal.
      One tweeted: “Never saw that coming.”
      While a second wrote: “Bit of a dip in form and sacked? Seems a strange one.”
      Another fan replied, however: “Bit of a dip of form? We’ve not played well even when winning.”
      A further social media user commented: “Do feel for Neil but was never going to be anything but a mid table side watching a defensive minded team I do feel he has created a brilliant team that can really achieve in this league but hasn’t been able to execute it I wish him all the best thank you for everything!”
      And a fourth added: “That’s come out of the blue! Not too sad about it though, hopefully a new manager will get the best out of what is a very talented squad.”
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      Harris won 31 of his 90 games in charge of Gillingham, drawing 25 and losing 34.
      The Gills are set to host MK Dons on Saturday.
      Keith Millen has stepped in as caretaker bossCredit: Rex More

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      Fans say ‘hang it in the Louvre’ as Swindon Town pull off ‘worst kick off of all time’ ahead of crushing defeat

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      FANS have said “hang it in the Louvre” after Swindon Town took “the worst kick off of all time”.Swindon kicked off their away clash at Notts County with a routine that had clearly been worked on on the training ground.
      Swindon had worked on the kick off on the training groundCredit: EFL Ifollow
      Kemp rolled the ball back nonchalantly….Credit: EFL Ifollow
      … To no oneCredit: EFL Ifollow

      But it went horribly wrong, with Swindon number 10 Dan Kemp rolling the ball behind him to no one.
      Kemp’s pass was clearly meant for one of Swindon’s on-running wingers but didn’t find its target.
      Notts County quickly swooped in and took possession before passing the ball around the back.
      One fan tweeted: “Swindon have just taken the worst kick off of all time fair play.”
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      They then added: “not including it in your ‘extended highlights’? cowards.” Before tagging Swindon on Twitter.
      One fan sarcastically added: “Masterful.”
      Another wrote: “Hang it in the Louvre”
      Notts County went on to win the game comfortably 3-1 thanks to goals from Ireland and Premier League veteran David McGoldrick, Macauley Langstaff and Daniel Crowley.
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      Tyrese Shade netted Swindon’s only goal of the game.
      The victory continues County’s excellent start to the season following their promotion from the Conference last year.
      The Magpies are top of the table, three points ahead of AFC Wimbledon, who are in second.
      Swindon sit in the play-off places in sixth, ahead of Mansfield and Gillingham on goal difference. More

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      Under-fire Man Utd legend has one game to save his job after horror run of form sees them edge toward relegation zone

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      UNDER-FIRE Bradford boss Mark Hughes looks to have one game to save his job.The ex-Premier League outfit have only won three of their first 10 contests in the EFL’s basement division this term and were booed off following a 3-1 home defeat to Walsall.
      Mark Hughes is on the brink of being sacked by BradfordCredit: Getty
      The League Two side have endured a nightmare start to the seasonCredit: Getty
      Bantams fans also joined in a chorus of “You’re Getting Sacked in the Morning” with mocking Saddlers fans, who saw their team win on the road for only the second time in 19 fixtures.
      Ex-Walsall striker Andy Cook gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot but Liam Gordon and Aramide Oteh had turned the tables by half-time before Freddie Draper completed the scoring on 56 minutes.
      An hour-long inquest was staged in the home dressing room after the final whistle and a loss at second-bottom Tranmere on Tuesday night would almost certainly spell the end of Hughes’ 20-month tenure at Valley Parade.
      Centre-back Sam Stubbs argued, however, that it was the players who should have shouldered 100 per cent of the responsibility for the woeful Walsall display, adding that he did not blame the fans for venting their fury.
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      The former Exeter defender said: “The supporters should be frustrated, because there’s a standard they want to see and we have to take responsibility because every player needs to improve by 10 per cent after that.
      “There’s no excuses and the performance was 100 per cent down to the players.”
      Oteh netted his second Saddlers goal since a summer move from Crawley, having previously scored four times during a loan spell with Bradford back in 2019/20.
      The 25-year-old attacker benefited from a spot of fortune when the ball ricocheted off him after striking home midfielder Kevin McDonald following a Ross Tierney corner.
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      But Oteh argued that his goal owed more to set-piece practice than luck.
      He said: “It was just instinctive really.
      “We’d been working all week on corners and a similar situation happened then as well.” More

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      Unemployed former Premier League star plays match for League Two club after being handed career lifeline

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      A FORMER Premier League stalwart who is now unemployed has been offered a career lifeline in League Two.Not many will have paid too much attention to the Cheshire Senior Cup showdown between Stockport County and Tranmere Rovers this week.
      A Premier League veteran appeared for Stockport County on trial this weekCredit: Getty
      But for one ex-Sheffield United, Aston Villa and Burnley ace it was a hugely important night.
      The 34-year-old Matt Lowton was released by Burnley during the summer after eight years at Turf Moor.
      Following his arrival from Villa in 2015, he became a key man under Sean Dyche and helped them to the Championship title in his first season there.
      The right-back went on to make 203 appearances for the club and scored three times but last term he began to fall out of favour after Vincent Kompany took charge.
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      He moved to Huddersfield Town on loan in January as Kompany led Burnley to the title and back to the Premier League.
      Then Lowton, who helped the Terriers beat relegation, began pre-season on trial at Birmingham.
      However, Brum boss John Eustace opted against offering the veteran a contract, leaving him jobless going into the campaign.
      Despite the transfer window now being closed, free agents are able to sign for a new club outside of it.
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      Matt Lowton is on trial with a League Two clubCredit: Getty
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      And it has now emerged that he has been offered an opportunity elsewhere in the Football League.
      Lowton is currently on trial with League Two outfit Stockport as he looks to earn himself a contract.
      And that led to him being handed a start for them on Tuesday in their 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers in the Cheshire Senior Cup. More

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      AFC Wimbledon chief quit after ‘hidden bug caught him calling employee f***ing s**g and saying he wanted to MURDER her’

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      AFC WIMBLEDON’S managing director quit after a hidden bug recorded him making vile sexist and abusive comments about a colleague, who he called a “f***ing s**g” he wanted to “murder”.The League Two club confirmed on September 4 Danny Macklin would leave his post four days later.
      Danny Macklin was recorded allegedly using vile sexist and abusive comments before his AFC Wimbledon exitCredit: Twitter @dannymacca81
      Rebecca Markham, works as the ticketing manager at the clubCredit: Twitter @AFCWimbledon
      No reason was given for his sudden departure at the time but they simply thanked him for his “hard work” in the role in a brief 62-word statement.
      But now The Times report Macklin resigned because he was exposed by a hidden recorder placed in his office by a club security officer.
      Macklin, 42, was caught talking about wanting to remove ticketing manager Rebeca Markham from her job.
      He called ex-Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham and Fulham employee Markham a “f***ing s**t”, a “f***ing b****” and a “f***ing s**g” in a horrendous onslaught.
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      In one recording released by The Times, Macklin was heard saying to two female colleagues, “I f***ing want to put her [Markham] through a f***ing window.
      “I’ve never wanted to kill someone, but I’d like to kill her. F***ing slut.
      “I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone more in my life. Someone has got to punch her in the face.”
      He also added: “Ah, s**t, f***ing b****.
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      “I’d like to put her through a f***ing window.
      “I f***ing want to murder her… I f***ing hate her… f***ing s**g.”
      The comments came just two months after Macklin and Markham had been part of AFC Wimbledon’s involvement in the Her Game Too campaign to fight sexism in football.
      Then, Macklin had said: “We welcome initiatives that encourage more girls and women to attend our games, or take part in activities.
      “The repeated use of chants that are not family-friendly will prevent us from attracting new fans.”
      However, the ex-Leyton Orient CEO – who also worked as commercial director at Southend United and Essex County Cricket Club – left his job after the clandestine device caught his expletive-laden, derogatory rant.
      ROYAL THREAT
      British army veteran Matthew Wells planted the bug amid concerns about the alleged abuse of staff at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
      The 57-year-old, who joined the army aged 16 and served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, threatened to take the recording to the Prince of Wales if AFC Wimbledon failed to act.
      Wells met Prince William, president of the Football Association, in the army.
      He told a friend: “I couldn’t believe what I heard. The way he was talking about Rebecca was terrible.
      “I think the club has responded properly. When they had the evidence, they acted quickly.
      “I think Danny was under a lot of pressure at work but that does not excuse the comments.”
      Macklin posted a lengthy parting message thanking colleagues and supporters after ten months at AFC Wimbledon.
      He then posted on LinkedIn that he is going to spend “much-needed time with my young family before taking my next challenge”.
      AFC Wimbledon denied they had covered up Macklin’s alleged disgusting behaviour after The Times revealed the shocking recording.
      ‘UNACCEPTABLE AND UTTERLY INAPPROPRIATE’
      The South-West London club – who returned to Plough Lane in 2020 – said: “AFC Wimbledon strives to be a responsible, inclusive and modern fan-owned club.
      “As such, it takes its obligation to act properly and set an example, as well as its duty of care towards employees and fans, extremely seriously.
      “Behaviour such as that being alleged was and is not tolerated, nor is it representative of the culture at the club.
      “Once we became aware of the matter we acted appropriately in accordance with our responsibilities and values to promptly resolve it. For legal reasons we are not able to say more.”
      A club official added: “What was said would have been unacceptable in any era and is utterly inappropriate for today.”
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      Markham declined to comment while Macklin refused to address the recording when approached by The Times.
      He said: “For legal reasons I make no comment.” More

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      EFL hit with major broadcasting issue leaving fans fuming as several clubs forced to release statements

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      EFL clubs have been forced to release statements after a major broadcasting issue with streams.A statement from a number of clubs revealed the third-party supplier of the streams, StreamAMG, reported internal issues with all of their broadcasts across the EFL.
      A number of clubs have released statements after an EFL broadcasting issueCredit: Getty
      Only overseas fans were affected as there is no broadcasting option for UK-based supporters to watch 3pm matches.
      Watford, Bristol City, Southampton and Blackpool were among the clubs to release statements addressing the problem.
      The issue left fans fuming online.
      One furious fan replied to Watford’s statement by saying: “REFUND! DISGRACE!”
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      Under another club post a second fan replied: “Refund please! 🤷‍♂️.”
      A third asked: “Can we get a refund then?”
      “So frustrating 🤬,” commented a fourth.
      A fifth fumed: “So I pay $320 AUD to not watch the stream per year? What are you going to do to rectify? Not good enough!”
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      Another added: “Not good enough, not the first time it’s happened. Full refund or not paying for each game in the future.”
      StreamAMG’s Twitter bio says: “We build exceptional streaming experiences and deliver to audiences worldwide.”
      The company was founded in 2001 and acquired by the PA Media Group in 2017.
      They are based in London but have their operated software and systems development house based in Malta. More

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      Premier League close to agreeing £130m new funding package for EFL, but parachute payments could be at risk

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      PREM clubs are set to finally agree a new extra £130million-per-year funding package for the EFL.But the cash boost will be conditional on lower division clubs accepting strict financial control rules.
      Burnley achieved promotion back to the promised land of the PremCredit: PA
      In contrast, Leicester went down, and clubs dropping to the Championship in future must now must wait to see the fate of parachute paymentsCredit: Getty
      And there is STILL no agreement on the future of parachute payments for relegated teams 
      EFL chiefs have been pushing for a massive increase of £1bn from top flight TV revenues over a three-year cycle, in addition to the current £1.6bn over the period.
      That demand was fiercely resisted by Prem club chiefs, who pointed out that many EFL club owners had deeper pockets than they did.
      But with growing pressure from the Government for the Prem and EFL to reach a deal before being ordered to accept a figure, a compromise is being hammered out ahead of next week’s meeting of the 20 top flight clubs.
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      The proposal to be put before the clubs will be for the extra cash to be distributed on a “merit” basis, determined by the final position in each of the three EFL divisions.
      As part of the agreement, clubs will also agree to costs limits of their own, limiting spending on wages and transfers to a fixed percentage of revenues.
      That will mirror – most likely at a higher threshold – the rules being introduced by UEFA over the next three seasons, which will see a maximum of 70 per cent of revenues allowed to be spent by 2025-26.
      The supposed deal would see teams at the top of the Championship nearly doubling their current annual £5.2m Prem windfall to nearer £9m.
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      But many of the Prem clubs outside the Big Six remain determined to keep the principal of parachute payments and only accept a limited reduction in their value.
      Parachute payments are currently worth up to £106m over three years for established Prem clubs like Leicester who fall out of the top flight.
      And some of the smaller Prem clubs are arguing that they should have less tight spending restrictions in the event of relegation and the clubs they join in the Championship. More

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      Tranmere Rovers SACK manager Ian Dawes after just one win in seven as they replace him with former Premier League boss

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      TRANMERE ROVERS have sacked manager Ian Dawes and named an ex-Premier League boss as his temporary replacement.The 39-year-old only took charge of the League Two club in May after an initial seven-game spell as caretaker.
      Nigel Adkins has been named as caretaker manager of Tranmere RoversCredit: Alamy
      The League Two club sacked manager Ian Dawes after six-straight defeatsCredit: Alamy
      However, Rovers have produced a miserable run of six-successive defeats and yesterday’s 2-0 setback at Colchester proved to be the final straw.
      Technical director Nigel Adkins, the former Southampton, Charlton, Hull and Sheffield United boss, will lead the team on an interim basis.
      Chairman Mark Palios: “Ian Dawes got the team playing some attractive football but we haven’t been able to convert that into points on the table.
      “Injuries have no doubt played a significant part in that, but football is a results game.
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      “I felt we needed someone more experienced at the helm to steer us through this period with a depleted squad, as confidence will be key.”
      Dawes had three interim spells in charge of Tranmere in all.
      They finished last season with a 12th-placed finish in the fourth tier.
      However, they have taken just three points from their opening seven games this term.
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      Adkins, who led Southampton to the Premier League previously before he was sacked and replaced halfway through their first year back in the big-time by Mauricio Pochettino, was appointed technical director in May.
      He had been mentoring Dawes throughout their brief stint working together.
      Adkins, 58, last managed Charlton Athletic until he left The Valley in October 2021. More