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      Taylor hopes Man City can knock Chelsea off the WSL’s summit in crunch clash for title

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      GARETH TAYLOR thinks it will be a huge coup if Man City can swipe Chelsea’s WSL crown during his first term in charge. And the Academy Stadium boss has thrown his weight behind plans to provide the women’s game’s top referees with access to training given to Prem and EFL match officials.  
      Gareth Taylor hopes his team can pick up maximum points against ChelseaCredit: Getty
      A win for the Blues would put them in pole position to retain their WSL crownCredit: Getty
      City, who are without injured skipper Steph Houghton, will battle with the Blues for the first time since their 4-2 Conti Cup quarter-final loss to the champions in January. 
      And Taylor expects his side will face a stiff test as they look to avenge that defeat and pick up their tenth win on the bounce before a clash with Birmingham. 
      Should City triumph the club will be two wins away from securing their second WSL title and their first since Taylor took charge in September 2020.
      Taylor, 48, said: “This is obviously a result we need. But we know afterwards that we need another two wins. 
      “It’s important for us that we focus on this game and get this job done. To win the title would be big, let’s not dance around it.
      “It’d be a huge achievement for us especially considering the run that we needed to go on in order to be successful. 
      “In the WSL unfortunately with just 12 teams and only 22 games, it doesn’t really allow for any inconsistency at all. 
      “We’ve lost one game this season to Chelsea, they’ve lost one game to Brighton. Everything’s fairly tight. 
      “It’s not really been a season where you’re able to kind of run away with points. 
      Manchester City are currently two points behind league leaders ChelseaCredit: Zuma Press

      City’s game against Chelsea comes a day after the FA revealed PGMOL ref chiefs will oversee the management of WSL match officials from next season. 
      The standard of refereeing in the league has at times been questioned by club bosses with some officiating decisions coming in for criticism. 
      It is hoped the move will help ramp up the quality of officiating following growing calls for full-time refs at the highest levels of the women’s game. 
      Taylor added: “To come under one governing body is going to help everyone, it’s going to help the officials, it’s going to help referees. 
      “We’re always wanting to look at ways that we can revolutionise the game and add quality and this is a really positive step forward.”
      Taylor has backed plans for WSL match officials to receive training and support given to Prem refsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Meanwhile, Ann-Katrin Berger reckons the outcome of Chelsea’s clash with City will determine who will become the WSL’s top dogs this term.
      And the Blues stopper, who has kept 10 clean sheets in 14 league games this term hopes her side can pick up a second win at the Academy Stadium.   
      Berger, 30, said: “We’re two strong teams that know how to win. And I think it will be harder for us because it’s not on our ground.
      “But I think because we won for the first time there this year, we can have a little more confidence in this game.” 
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Ann-Katrin Berger believes Chelsea can take confidence from their win against Man City in JanuaryCredit: Rex
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      FA coy over WSL partnership future as Hall of Fame announced on league’s tenth anniversary

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      KELLY SIMMONS remained tight-lipped over whether the WSL’s megabucks partnership with Barclays is set to continue beyond 2022.And The FA’s women’s game director says two third-tier teams will make the step up to the Women’s Championship next term.
      The Women’s Super League is celebrating its tenth birthdayCredit: Getty
      FA women’s game director Kelly Simmons says a WSL Hall of Fame is set to be createdCredit: Getty
      Simmons was speaking to journalists before the launch of a Barclays Women’s Super League Hall of Fame today to mark the tenth anniversary of the division.
      Her comments come just over two years on from the finance giants agreeing to a three-year WSL sponsorship deal with the FA worth in excess of £10million.  
      And the addition of two clubs from the women’s game’s third division to the Championship will see the number of second-tier teams increase from 11 to 12.
      Simmons told reporters: “We are in various stages of discussions in terms of what the next partnership might look like. 
      “I can’t say any more than that at this stage as it is too sensitive, but we’re in discussions. 
       “I think it’s really important (for the Women’s Championship) to go to 12 (teams). 
      “Because the seasons (below this division) have not been completed, clubs can join via the application process. 
      “We don’t want another season – assuming we can get two clubs that can meet the criteria – with an odd number of teams in the Championship.”
      Over the past decade, the Women’s Super League has evolved from an eight-team, semi-pro contest, into a full-time professional 12-team league competition.
      The FA are tight-lipped over the future of their Women’s Super League partnership with BarclaysCredit: Rex

      Last season saw the division’s first-ever North London derby break the record for the biggest crowd at a WSL clash with 38,262 fans watching Tottenham take on Arsenal.
      And the record attendance for that game – which Simmons described as her favourite – was a far cry from the number at the WSL’s first-ever fixture. 
      On that day a then 19-year-old Gilly Flaherty scored the winner for the Gunners in front of a crowd of 2,510 fans at Tooting and Mitcham’s Imperial Fields ground.
      [embedded content]
      Reflecting on the game West Ham skipper Flaherty, 29, told BBC Football Focus: “There was a lot of hype around the game with the WSL starting. 
      “It was a massive day and a massive occasion. It’s something I dreamed of scoring the first WSL goal because I’m a defender. 
      “The forwards were thinking ‘that could be me, I’m going to get the first goal in the WSL’, but I robbed it off them. 
      “You don’t think until years down the line how significant that goal was.”
      Gilly Flaherty scored the first ever goal in the WSL when Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 on 13 April 2011Credit: Rex
      Simmons added: “I could never have envisaged the league having been on such a journey of growth and development when we launched it ten years ago. 
      “The support we have received from clubs, the media, fans and stakeholders has been overwhelming.
      The biggest game for me was Tottenham v Arsenal with the record crowd. 
      “The fans were phenomenal but the atmosphere was incredible, 
      “You could hear the Arsenal end and the Spurs end. It really created a special atmosphere, a spine-tingling one
      “I was sat in that game and I thought that’s what, over the next 10 years, women’s football can become regularly. 
      Simmons cited Arsenal legend Kelly Smith, 42, and Chelsea’s Fran Kirby, 27, as two of her favourite players from the past decade. 
      Simmons says Arsenal heroine Kelly Smith is one of her favourite WSL playersCredit: The FA – Getty Images
      Simmons said: “I think Kelly Smith was just unbelievable to watch, just so technically gifted and personally for me just an incredible, incredible footballer.
      “And then there are players like Fran Kirby, who have had to come through such adversity and still play with such great passion and a smile on face. 
      “So many of them work so hard off-pitch to promote the game and be a wonderful role model and inspire girls to play.”
      Next season will see the top-flight take another massive leap forward with at least 40 WSL clashes due to be broadcast on Sky Sports and the BBC next season.
       Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Women’s Super League clashes are due to be aired on Sky Sports and the BBC in the 2021-22 seasonCredit: Rex
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      Birmingham City Women slam budget, work conditions and lack of medical help in complaint to club

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY WOMEN have complained to their club’s board about working conditions, medical care and fitness facilities for their players.The Telegraph claims a formal letter it has seen – signed by every single member of Blues’ first-team squad – has been sent to club chiefs. 
      Birmingham Women’s first-team squad have formally complained to the club’s board about working conditionsCredit: Rex
      The letter, which was first reported by journalist Shebahn Aherne on Sky Sports News, lists a number of problems.
      Concerns include a lack of support with travel on game days, access to changing rooms and worries about playing finances affecting match-day squad numbers. 

      It claims that some salaries for playing staff are reportedly below the minimum wage and that current conditions for players ‘prevent us from performing our jobs to the best of our ability’.
      And it is thought gym facilities provided for the women’s team do not meet elite sporting standards with their physio and rehab room based in a portakabin. 
      Other concerns highlighted include poor-quality pitches provided for players and claims that some coaching personnel are not employed full-time which would contravene Women’s Super League licence regulations. 
      The Telegraph reports there are fears the club may not be committed to providing the finances needed to pay for a full-time women’s side next term.
      And just three players are thought to have a contract for next season.
      It is claimed the women’s squad – who are currently ninth and battling for survival in the WSL – had numerous pleas for meetings with board members declined before their complaint letter was sent. 
      However, Birmingham City officials are thought to have denied this. 
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      Birmingham Women have concerns about gym facilities, pay and a lack of medical supportCredit: Getty

      A club official told the Telegraph: “The letter was received, in the last week, and responded to. 
      A request to meet with the board was made in the letter and the request was the first formal request to be received.
      “It’s no secret we have one of the lowest budgets in the league, Covid has only compounded this. 
      “This certainly makes it difficult to compete, but we’re doing our best on and off the pitch in what is a very difficult time for professional football.”
      Birmingham, who reached the semi-finals of the 2020 Women’s FA Cup, have endured a challenging season with injuries leaving their squad severely depleted earlier this term.
      And pitch conditions at the Damson Park ground they use for home clashes has led to some fixtures being postponed. 
      Birmingham are battling to retain their place in the Women’s Super LeagueCredit: Rex
      In January team boss Carla Ward said she would only be able to field TEN players for a game against Tottenham due to several players being out of action. 
      After talks with team medics, there were concerns over the physical wellbeing of players which led to the club applying for the fixture to be postponed. 
      However, after the FA refused their request the club decided to call off the game due to an ‘unprecedented shortage of player availability’. 
      The decision would later lead to Tottenham being awarded a win and three points by an independent tribunal much to Birmingham Women’s disappointment.
      The tribunal found the club had breached rule 11.3.18 by failing ‘to fulfil an engagement’. 
      We’ve had it all chucked at us and I’m absolutely delighted with this team as they’ve shown pure resilience and a mentality and a mindset not to roll over. Carla Ward
      Birmingham, who are three points and three places above the drop zone, are due to take on Reading in the league after the international break following an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Coventry. 
      Prior to their game with Chelsea Ward, who took charge of the club in August 2020,  praised the grit her team have displayed this season. 
      Carla Ward has hailed the resilience of her side who battled with an injury crisis earlier this seasonCredit: Zuma Press
      Ward said: “We’ve had it all chucked at us and I’m absolutely delighted with this team as they’ve shown pure resilience and a mentality and a mindset not to roll over. 
      “It’s easy to roll over when things aren’t going your way, but they’ve had a real attitude of making sure that they’ve got a siege mentality. 
      “Before I took this job I know there were a lot of people saying Birmingham would get rolled over week-in, week-out, and we haven’t done.
      “No matter what happens, I can honestly say I will be very proud of this group because we’ve achieved a points number that Blues didn’t achieve last season.”
      Birmingham are due to play Reading in their next WSL fixture following a Women’s FA Cup clash with CoventryCredit: Rex
      Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      UK football agent among three arrested as part of major police investigation into alleged FA hearing fraud

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      THREE men including a UK football agent have been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged FA hearing fraud.The trio were collared by the North West Regional Organised Crime unit as part of their ‘Operation Peony’ probe.
      Police have arrested three men, including a UK football agent, as part of an investigation into alleged FA hearing fraudCredit: Alamy
      In a statement confirming the arrests, police said they were ‘in relation to an ongoing investigation into allegations of perverting the course of justice and fraud at an FA Arbitration Hearing in 2015’.
      It has been alleged that phone retailer Sport Mobile, which provided devices for a large number of major figures in British sport, was able to edit bills – and either ‘invent’ or delete calls and texts.
      The probe centres on allegations that an agent’s bills were altered by the addition of a number of ‘fake calls’ before the hearing in which he was in dispute with a leading player.
      Sport Mobile has denied the claims.
      But the police unit announced in January that the probe had uncovered evidence suggesting legal disputes in football and other sports may have been corrupted by the submission of misleading and false documents.
      It is suggested that the sports bodies have been fooled into taking the documentation supplied as accurate when it has been doctored to deceive them.

      Confirming the arrests of the men, who cannot be named, police said: “The men, who were arrested on Tuesday 30th March, were taken to police stations in the North West, Shropshire and Hertfordshire.
      “All three men have since been released under investigation. 
      “The arrests, search and interviews are the latest in a NWROCU-led investigation that has focused on allegations of doctored phone billing being used in legal proceedings.”
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      Wembley to host biggest post-Covid crowd of 4,000 fans for FA Cup semi-final between Leicester and Southampton

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      LEICESTER’S clash with Southampton has been selected as the FA Cup semi-final that will have 4,000 spectators.But the crowd at Wembley on April 18 will be restricted to local residents living in the borough of Brent.
      Fans are set to trek up Wembley Way later this monthCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      As many as 4,000 seats could be filled for the clashCredit: REUTERS
      And the decision means the tie between Chelsea and Manchester City the previous evening will be played behind closed doors.
      The FA asked the Government to be allowed to use one of the semi-finals as part of the “pilot” programme ahead of the May 17 date for the return of crowds of up to 10,000.
      That was signed off by the DCMS but Brent Council asked for its residents to be the ones given access on safety grounds as a condition of green-lighting the trial.
      It is likely that health service and local authority employees will be invited to walk through the turnstiles, rather than fans of either side who happen to live in the borough.
      Wembley bosses are hoping to be allowed up to 20,000 fans for the FA Cup Final on May 15, as part of the ramping up efforts ahead of Euro 2020.
      The FA will tell Uefa next week that it will be seeking to allow 45,000 fans – and maybe more – for the four knockout games in the Euros it will be hosting, including both semi-finals and the Final.
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      Leicester reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1982 with a victory over Manchester United in the quarter-finals.
      Southampton eased past Championship club Bournemouth, winning 3-0.
      Only the Saints have won the cup previously, in 1976, but their pair have lost a combined seven finals between them.
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      FA will tell Uefa they want 45,000 fans at Euro 2020 latter stages in boost for stadium return

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      FA CHIEFS will tell Uefa they want Wembley to hold 45,000 fans for the latter stages of Euro 2020.And that capacity could even be increased towards 60,000 if the vaccine roll-out and Covid scenario in the UK continues to go in the right direction.
      Fans could pour back into Wembley for the latter stages of Euro 2020Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Uefa has ordered all 12 potential hosts for the tournament to confirm their preferred crowd numbers by next Wednesday.
      A number of cities, including Dublin, Munich, Bilbao and Rome are thought to be struggling to get the green light from their regional or national governments to commit to fans in the stadium, even though Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has made that a precondition.
      A final announcement on venues is expected 48 hours after the deadline, on April 9.
      PM Boris Johnson has already confirmed the Government will be happy for the UK to host more games than the seven set for Wembley if Uefa needs help.
      And the possibility of up to two thirds – and maybe more – of Wembley’s full capacity being available for the four knockout games, including both semis and the final, is a further sign of FA confidence.
      Meanwhile, today’s meeting of Uefa’s ruling executive committee will formally disband the “30 per cent maximum” crowd figure announced in October for matches in European competitions.
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      That temporary measure, introduced after the successful return of fans at the Super Cup Final, has remained on the Uefa statute book over the winter and spring but will be updated to take current Covid conditions into account.
      A number of test events are planned across England before the planned reopening of venues on May 17.
      A crowd of 4,000 local residents is set to watch one of next month’s FA Cup semi-finals for one pilot.
      As many as 10,000 will be allowed into matches once the restriction is lifted but a 20,000-strong ‘test’ could be green-lit for the FA Cup final.
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      The FA were guilty of five years of failure to protect children in game from paedophiles, independent inquiry finds

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      THE Football Association were guilty of five years of failure to protect children in the game from paedophiles and sexual predators.The independent Sheldon Inquiry into historical child sex abuse in football has found those in charge of the national sport did not think it was important enough to rush through desperately needed regulations to safeguard youngsters.
      The FA have been found guilty of failing to protect children in football from paedophiles and the body was also criticised for failing to ban serial abuser Barry Bennell (pictured)
      Bennell is currently serving 34 years in prison for a string of offencesCredit: Rex Features
      And the FA were also criticised for failing to ban two of the most high-profile and serious abusers, Barry Bennell and Bob Higgins, from working in the sport.
      The report says there was an ‘institutional failure’ by the FA to act quickly enough when they were told they needed to put measures in place in 1995 to help prevent minors being abused.
      It took five long years before bosses finally came up with their first comprehensive protocols, something respected QC Sheldon says was not good enough.
      Sheldon wrote: “I have concluded that, following the summer of 1995….the FA should have engaged more deeply with the issue of child protection and should have acted more quickly to bring in comprehensive measures to safeguard children in the game.
      “The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game.
      “These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse.
      During this period (October 1995 to May 2000, when the FA launched its comprehensive child protection programme), the FA did not do enough to keep children safe.”
      The 710-page report was commissioned by the FA in December 2016 in the wake of the revelations made by former football Andy Woodward about his abuse at the hands of serial paedophile Bennell.

      That started a wave former players coming forward to tell how they also suffered at the hands of abusers at clubs across the country, leading to a series of criminal prosecutions.
      The report covered allegations made between 1970-2005, and there are known to be at least 692 survivors and over 240 suspects identified since then.
      Sheldon found that the FA body would have acted quicker had they been publicly shamed in a ‘catastrophic event’ similar to the sport of swimming when top coach Paul Hickson was convicted of rape.
      He said: “Unlike the sport of swimming whose governing body (the ASA) introduced comprehensive child protection arrangements within a short time after the Hickson conviction, the FA did not consider that football had experienced a ‘catastrophic’ incident of abuse which demanded a swift response.
      “XX explained to me that if the FA had experienced a catastrophic incident like the ASA had with Hickson, then the FA would have acted more quickly.”
      Though the FA came in for heavy criticism, there is no evidence to suggest claims some at the top of the game knew of abuse claims but decided to cover them up.
      ‘APPALLING ABUSE’
      The FA’s knowledge of serial paedophile Bennell, serving 34 years in prison for a string of offences against former players, and ex-Southampton youth coach Higgins was also examined.
      Because of the historical nature of the allegations, no evidence could be found to show the FA definitely knew both were abusing youngsters other than claims of hearsay which could not be proven.
      But it was shown that despite concerns about their behaviour neither Bennell or Higgins, convicted on 29 counts of child sexual abuse, were ever banned from the game.
      Sheldon said: “I very much hope that this Report will be read carefully by all persons involved in administering the game of football today, including the FA and the clubs who were associated with perpetrators of abuse.
      “Understanding and acknowledging the appalling abuse suffered by young players in the period covered by the Review is important for its own sake.
      “Survivors deserve to be listened to, and their suffering deserves to be properly recognised.
      “As well as recognising and facing up to what happened in the past, it is also important that this terrible history is not repeated, and that everything possible is done now to safeguard the current and future generations of young players.
      “I hope that this report will make some contribution towards that.”
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      Roy Keane should NOT be involved in football for X-rated challenge on Alf Inge Haaland, says ex-FA chief Bernstein

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      ROY KEANE’S continued involvement in football is ‘appalling,’ according to former FA chief David Bernstein.
      The Irishman, never shy of giving his harsh views on Sky Sports, admitted to deliberately harming ex-Manchester City ace Alf-Inge Haaland during the Manchester derby 20 years ago.

      Roy Keane deliberately set out to hurt Alf-Inge HaalandCredit: Fotosports International

      Roy Keane stoops over Alf-Inge Haaland after his horror tackleCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      Norwegian ace Haaland, then aged 28, would never play another full 90 minutes again, after being on the end of Keane’s horrific tackle.
      The Manchester United skipper was initially handed a three-match suspension and a measly £5,000 fine.
      But after Keane admitted to the horror challenge being deliberate in his 2002 autobiography, he was slapped with a further five-game ban and £150,000 fine.
      For Bernstein, then chairman of Man City, neither punishment was enough.

      He told The Athletic ahead of this weekend’s Manchester derby: “I’ve never forgotten it. From a personal point of view, that was the worst individual thing I’ve been directly involved in, and the worst I’ve ever seen on the pitch.
      “As a human being, it was an awful thing to see. Roy Keane stood over him and basically said, ‘Take that, you b******.’
      “It was done in cold blood. I have never forgiven Keane for that. I think, frankly, it’s dreadful he’s accepted in football the way he is. After doing something like that, I think it’s absolutely appalling.”
      While Haaland played for Leeds in 1997, he accused hot-head Keane of feigning injury following a coming together between the pair.

      Former Man City chief David Bernstein remains appalled to this day by KeaneCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Keane leaves an FA disciplinary hearingCredit: PA:Press Association
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      And in his book, Keane admitted to taking his revenge four years later, writing: “I’d waited long enough. I f***ing hit him hard. The ball was there (I think).
      “Take that you c***. And don’t ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.”
      While Keane has had no problems getting work since the incident, winning more trophies with United and Celtic before jobs in coaching and broadcasting, Bernstein can’t bear to watch him.
      The 77-year-old added: “Whenever Keane turns up on television, I switch off. I just won’t watch it. I’m appalled that he’s still involved with football. It’s just not right.
      “Things happen, injuries do happen, but to do it deliberately and admit it the way he did, to sell his book, I think is completely beyond the pale.”
      Haaland’s prodigiously talented son Erling has recently been linked with both Manchester clubs, after taking Europe by storm since signing for Borussia Dortmund in January 2020.

      Alf-Inge’s son Erling is now among Europe’s elite strikersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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