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      Fans finally return to club football with stadiums across England packed for first time in 17 months

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      FOOTY fans in England returned to stadiums in their droves today as the Football League and the Championship resumed action.And unlike fans’ returns to stadiums during the height of the pandemic last year, most punters weren’t wearing masks.
      Footy fans returned to stadiums in their droves todayCredit: Rob Noyes
      The Abbey Stadium was packed for Cambridge United’s League 1 clash with OxfordCredit: Rex
      Pride Park was full to the rafters for Derby County’s Championship opener against HuddersfieldCredit: PA
      Thousands of Manchester City and Leicester City fans make their way down Wembley way ahead of the Community ShieldCredit: EPA
      Some supporters did, however, don face coverings to keep themselves protected.
      There were plenty of smiles in and around the stadiums as fans gathered freely for the first time since the pandemic began.
      The entire world was brought to a screeching halt last March when the coronavirus spread like wildfire.
      Supporters of Premier League teams weren’t allowed to see their sides in action until last December, albeit at a reduced capacity.
      But that changed in May when The Government permitted up to 10,000 fans to attend outdoor sports venues.
      That figure steadily rose during the summer due to the success of the vaccine roll-out.
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      That allowed 20,000 fans to take in England’s Euro 2020 group games last month.
      And the further easing of restrictions permitted a whopping 67,173 footy fans to take in The Three Lions’ heartbreaking defeat to Italy in the final.
      Wembley will be at full capacity this evening when Leicester City lock horns with reigning Premier League champs Manchester City in the Community Shield.
      Thousands of Foxes and City fans descended on Wembley way earlier today to watch their teams vie for the first trophy of the season.
      And there were smiles aplenty as they made the famous walk to the home of English football.
      The permanent lifting of restrictions on July 19 has paved the way for stadiums up and down the country to get back to business.
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      But things are expected to change again in October when vaccine passports will be required to attend large gatherings.
      The Government are expected to make the passports mandatory for those wanting to attend events that hold 20,000 or more attendees.
      The scheme, which has divided opinion, has already been successfully implemented by nightclubs throughout England.
      A Bristol City fan expressed their delight at being back with a signCredit: PA
      Hartlepool United fans crammed into Victoria Park todayCredit: Rex
      Millwall fans go wild after Jed Wallace gave the Lions an early lead against QPRCredit: ©MI News & Sport Ltd
      Jubliant Stoke City fans celebrate in the BritanniaCredit: PA
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      Ex-Man Utd striker James Wilson signs for Port Vale on free transfer after being let go by Salford

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      FORMER Manchester United striker James Wilson has signed for Port Vale.The forward spent last season at League Two Salford City – who are owned by the Class of ‘92.

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      Former Man Utd striker James Wilson has signed a two-year contract at Port ValeCredit: PAWIN £50,000 with Dream Team EurosDream Team Euros is HERE!

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      Wilson, 25, found the net seven times for the Ammies but was released after they missed out on promotion.
      Now he will be hoping to go one better by firing Port Vale into the third tier over the coming 12 months.
      The Valiants confirmed his arrival on Monday, announcing the ace had penned a two-year contract.
      Boss Darrell Clarke told the club’s website: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have managed to bring in James.
      “His pedigree is fantastic and I’m sure he will prove a great attacking threat for us next season.
      “He scored seven league goals last season for Salford and played in a wide position in quite a few of those games.
      “He certainly has the potential to score more goals when leading the line.”
      Wilson burst onto the scene at Old Trafford in 2014 when he netted twice on his Premier League debut against Hull City under Ryan Giggs.
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      He went on to make a further 19 appearances at United but struggled to make an impact during Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils tenure.
      Championship loans at Brighton, Derby and Sheffield United followed his initial breakthrough at United, but goals didn’t flow for the diminutive former England youth international.
      Another loan spell north of the border at Aberdeen followed, with the move to the Dons being made permanent in 2019.
      Wilson signed a two-year contract at Pittodrie, but only started seven league matches before he returned to the Greater Manchester area to try and kickstart his career at Salford in 2020.

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      Mark Wright axed by Crawley after just six-months as club reject chance to extend contract at end of season

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      REALITY TV star Mark Wright has been axed by League Two side Crawley Town after just six months at the club.The 34-year-old joined the fourth tier side at the end of 2020 but has struggled to make an impact since his arrival.
      Things have not worked out for Wright at Crawley TownCredit: Getty
      And now Crawley have declined the opportunity to extend Wright’s contract beyond the end of the season.
      The club confirmed he is one of six players who are leaving the club in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
      A former star of The Only Way Is Essex, things did not get off to a great start for Wright at Crawley.
      In his first start for the club against Harrogate Town in February, he was taken off at half-time with the team 3-0 down.
      His only other appearance for the team was in the FA Cup when he came on as a 90th minute substitute against Leeds in January.
      Wright, whose wife is actress Michelle Keegan, was also humiliated by the video game developers of FIFA earlier this year.
      The Essex-born player was rated the worst player on the latest edition of the game – FIFA 21 – after he arrived at Crawley.
      In response to his 47 out of 100 rating, he joked: “RUDE – I’m switching back to Pro Evo.”
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      Wright’s future in the sport is not known at this timeCredit: Reuters

      As a youth player Wright spent time at West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham, before Southen United and then Grays Athletic in their senior squads.
      After turning out for a number of lower league clubs, Wright hung up his boots at Thurrock in 2011.
      But he returned nine years later at Crawley Town, featuring twice for them in the second half of their 2020-21 campaign.
      It is not yet clear whether he will continue his career as a footballer.
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      Doncaster ready to make Richie Wellens new boss and finally replace Darren Moore just months after Salford axe

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      DONCASTER Rovers are ready to make Richie Wellens their new boss – and bring back their former midfield dynamo.Rovers have picked out Wellens ahead of rivals for the vacancy left by Darren Moore’s departure to Sheffield Wednesday.
      Wellens was sacked by Salford in March
      Wellens played for Rovers at the height of his playing career and leapt at the challenge after leaving Salford a couple of months ago.
      He was sacked by the League Two side after showdown talks with owner Gary Neville in March.
      Wellens had taken Swindon into League One last season but quit to return to his home town of Manchester.
      However, with the ambitious Class of ’92 outfit sitting six points off the play-offs, he was let go.
      It came after SunSport exclusively revealed that co-owner Neville had held a huge inquest into Salford’s shaky promotion campaign.
      Gary Bowyer then took charge until the end of the season to save their push to go up following Wellens’ sacking.
      The tactician secured 20 points from 11 games, but it wasn’t enough and left Salford two points shy of a play-off place.
      And this week he has been handed a two-year deal at the club after appearing to be heading back to his role as Derby U-23s boss.
      Moore left Rovers in March to take over Sheffield WednesdayCredit: PA

      Doncaster have been led by caretaker boss Andy Butler since Moore’s departure in March.
      But results have gone against him, with Rovers winning just four of his 18 league games in charge and finishing a disappointing 14th in League One.
      He will return to running the Belles side, while Wellens is one of three candidates to be shortlisted for the full-time job.
      The former Manchester United starlet, 41, will know his way around the Keepmoat, having played 84 times for Rovers from 2007 to 2009.
      Man Utd legend Gary Neville wants to move Salford City into Man City’s old training base at cost of £80,000 a year More

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      Gary Bowyer agrees two-year Salford deal in U-turn after deciding against Derby return

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      GARY BOWYER has agreed a stunning two-year deal to remain as Salford City boss instead of returning to Derby County.The League Two team have confirmed Bowyer is staying at Moor Lane, just days after he claimed he was rejoining Derby as U23s boss.
      Gary Bowyer has signed a two-year deal to stay at Salford bossCredit: PA
      Gary Bowyer has signed a two-year deal to remain as Manager of Salford City ✍️! #WeAreSalford 🦁🔴— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) May 12, 2021

      Bowyer took charge of Salford in March until the end of the season to save their season following Richie Wellens’ sacking.
      The tactician secured 20 points from 11 games, leaving Salford just two points shy of a play-off place.
      But Bowyer revealed on Sunday he was heading back to Pride Park to resume his duties as U23s chief.
      However, Salford announced in a shock statement on Wednesday that Derby have allowed Bowyer to leave the club permanently.
      And he has now put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Salford in the hope of building on his impressive work, culminating in April’s Manager of the Month award.
      Bowyer beamed: “I’m really excited, it’s all happened very, very quickly and I’m delighted that it has.
      “I have to thank Wayne Rooney and Derby County for their role that they have played in all of this, they’ve been magnificent for me.
      “Now it’s a case of getting to work very quickly, everybody was very accommodating when I was here and made a real impression on me in the short space of time so it was a very easy decision.
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      “We’re really excited now leading into the summer, obviously there is a lot of work to do in terms of organising pre-season games, getting to work on the squad.
      “We’ve got a real good core group here, and we’ll be looking to add the right characters and the right players to hopefully improve the squad further and give us a real opportunity going into next season.”
      Salford captain Ash Eastham added: “The appointment of the Manager on a permanent basis is fantastic news for the Club going forward!
      “His positivity, professional demands and man management skills have been reflected in the team’s performances and results since he joined the club, and we are looking forward to working further with Gary next season.
      “As players we now need to physically and mentally re-charge for what I feel will be a season for our fans to be hugely excited about when the league campaign returns.”
      Man Utd legend Gary Neville wants to move Salford City into Man City’s old training base at cost of £80,000 a year More

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      Bradford want Derek Adams to quit Morecambe and become new manager after League Two play-offs

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      BRADFORD want Derek Adams to quit Morecambe and become their new boss after the play-offs.The Scot has emerged as the first-choice replacement for the Bantams after the sacking of joint-managers Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars.
      Derek Adams is wanted by Bradford to formulate a fresh promotion pushCredit: Getty
      But they will have to wait until he steers his side through the League Two shootout.
      Adams has done a remarkable job at Morecambe after also taking Plymouth to promotion from the fourth-tier.
      Bradford can offer the 45-year-old a far bigger budget and the chance to lead another side to League One – but with a better hope of staying there.
      The Shrimps almost made it into the top-three automatic places with a 2-0 final day win over Adams’ prospective new club on Saturday.
      And they face Tranmere – who have just sacked manager Keith Hill – in the two-legged play-off semis that begin next week.
      Morecambe’s successful campaign was a world away from Bradford’s miserable finish, coming home 15th after a post-Christmas purple patch gave way to a seven-game winless run.
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      Speaking after sacking double act Trueman and Sellars on Monday, chief executive Ryan Sparks detailed the need for ‘experience’ in the dugout.
      He stated: “We feel, at this point, we need more experience to take us forward into the summer and next season which, for us, is a hugely significant one.
      “We have a crucial few months in front of us, and it is important we are in the best-possible position to be able to prepare for them.”
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      Torrential rain sees Salford game delayed by an hour as Class of 92’s side get possible advantage over promotion rivals

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      SALFORD CITY’S final League Two match of the season against Leyton Orient has been delayed by one hour due to torrential rain.The match was scheduled to take place at 3pm on Saturday afternoon but instead has been pushed back to 4pm due to the weather.
      Salford’s game will now take place after all the other League Two matches have kicked offCredit: Getty
      The pitch has been heavily hit by the relentless rainCredit: Getty
      The club, who are owned by Manchester United legends Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, currently sit ninth in the table heading into the final day.
      In order to make the final play-off place they need to win their match on Saturday afternoon and hope both Forest Green Rovers and Exeter City drop points.
      As a result, the delay to the game could be a blessing in disguise for Salford as they will know in the second half of their match whether or not a victory will see them move into the play-offs at the latest possible stage.
      The current play-off places are held by Morecambe, Newport County, Tranmere Rovers and Forest Green.
      Forest Green travel to 18th place Oldham Athletic, while Exeter host lowly Barrow.
      Salford were unbeaten in four games and looked to be closing in on a play-off place before last weekend.
      But they were then beaten by struggling Colchester United last time out, a defeat which could prove costly in their push to reach the third tier.
      Meanwhile in the battle for the three automatic promotion places, table toppers Cheltenham Town have already guaranteed League One football next season.
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      But the remaining two spots could still be filled by Cambridge United, Bolton Wanderers or Morecambe.
      Cambridge start the day one point clear of Bolton and two above Morecambe heading into their home match against Grimsby Town.
      Elsewhere, Bolton face a trip to Crawley while Morecambe host Bradford City.
      Cambridge should have guaranteed League Two promotion eight days ago but were beaten 5-4 by Harrogate in one of the games of the season.
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      Joey Barton refuses to accept Bristol Rovers relegation on CV after dropping into League Two despite poor spell as boss

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      JOEY BARTON believes Bristol Rovers’ relegation shouldn’t be pinned on him after the club’s drop into League Two was confirmed over the weekend.The Pirates’ fate was sealed on Saturday following the 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
      Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers side have been relegated to League Two after losing to PortsmouthCredit: Rex
      Rovers – rooted to the bottom of the League One table after 44 games – are now ten points from safety with just two fixtures left to play.
      And former Fleetwood gaffer Barton has refused to accept that relegation will be on his CV after only taking charge at the Memorial Stadium in February.
      The 38-year-old – who took over when Bristol were two points outside of the bottom four – has lost 11 out of his 16 matches, winning on just three occasions.
      Speaking to the Bristol Post, the ex-Manchester City midfielder said: “For me as a coach, it’s a strange one because deep down I don’t think I will ever accept this is a relegation on my CV, albeit it will live there forever.
      “But I’m absolutely convinced that had we had our processes and things in place, this should never happen. It should never happen.
      “It can happen to you in the top divisions if you don’t have quality in the building, but in the lower leagues you just have to be fit and organised, that’s half the battle.
      “We’ve gone down having a scrap. Portsmouth have had one shot on goal and managed to win the game.
      “We could be out here all day, we ain’t going to score a goal with what we’ve got going on at this moment.
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      Liverpool boast the most-valuable squad in the Premier League
      Before adding: “The sooner this season’s done and dusted, if I could finish it tomorrow and get rid of them all and a report date for pre-season, I would do.
      “But we’ve got fixtures to fulfil and we’ve got to give our all.
      “I’m really, really sad that it’s one of my teams involved in that and hopefully this is the last time this ever happens to me as a coach.” More