Plans for a two-week Premier League winter break could be announced before the end of the current season. A break would be held in late January and early February 2020 and staggered to ensure that games could be televised on each weekend. The Football Association council talked about the move on Wednesday after reaching a deal to play the FA Cup fifth round in midweek and without replays. There will still be replays in the third and fourth rounds. That would limit any potential financial impact on English Football League teams missing out on extra gate revenue. The break, which would only be for Premier League clubs, would not affect Christmas or New Year fixtures. A final decision is yet to be reached, but talks are said to be 'at an advanced stage' after an agreement was reached between the FA, the Premier League and the EFL. The FA has long argued in favour of a winter break based on the belief that the Premier League's physical intensity leaves players over-tired for international tournaments. It is planned that the first break would be held before Euro 2020, at which Wembley will host seven matches, including both semi-finals and the final. A UEFA study published a few years ago indicated that a player is four times more likely to be injured in the final three months of the Premier League season than over the same period in other European leagues. There is also the mental benefits of having a break - offering 'refreshment for both mind and body.'
Arsene Wenger is to leave The Arse at the end of the season, ending a near twenty two-year reign as manager. The Frenchman departs a year before his latest contract was due to expire. The Gunners are currently sixth in the league and set to miss out on a top-four spot for the second straight season, with their hopes of reaching the Champions League resting on winning the Europa League. Wenger, sixty eight, won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, including the Double in both 1998 and 2002. In 2004, he became the first manager since 1889 to lead a team through an English top-flight season unbeaten. 'I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years,' said Wenger. 'I managed the club with full commitment and integrity. To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the club.' Arsenal say that a successor will be appointed 'as soon as possible.' Appointed in October 1996, he is the Premier League's current longest-serving manager and has taken charge of a record eight hundred and twenty three games. But some Arse fans have turned on the Frenchman over the past three seasons as a result of their league performances. After winning the 2005 FA Cup, they waited another nine years - three thousand two hundred and eighty three days - for their next silverware. It came as they beat Hull City to win the 2014 FA Cup, before winning the trophy again the following season. The Arse have also struggled in Europe since losing to Barcelona in 2006 Champions League final. Sunday's defeat at yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle was their eleventh in the league this season, equalling their worst tally in a campaign under Wenger.
Being one of the smallest teams in the English Football League means nothing to Accrington Stanley, who have enjoyed unprecedented success this season and will reach new heights next term. It has been a season to remember - victory against Lancashire rivals Preston Both Ends in the Carabao Cup, striker Billy Kee being named League Two player of the season and now promotion to League One for the first time in the club's history courtesy of Tuesday's win against Yeovil Town. These really are the glory days for a team most football fans, for better or worse, still associate with a famous 1980s television advertisement for milk. But how have Accrington reached these lofty heights for a club of their relative small size? Accrington's cumulative attendance in the 2016-17 season was significantly less than, for example, this blogger's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle United's average attendance for each match they played in the Championship last season (fifty one thousand). Since resigning from the Football League in 1962, the reformed Stanley have never played higher than the English fourth tier. The position they were in going into Tuesday's game at The Wham Stadium is in no small part down to a mid-season transformation. John Coleman's side have put together a stunning run of form in 2018, having been ninth in the table following their Boxing Day defeat at Carlisle. Since that loss, Accrington have won sixteen of nineteen League Two matches, with January's defeat by Crawley, a one-all draw at Barnet in February and Saturday's draw against Exeter City the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect second half of the season. Their good form this season has drawn comparisons to the Coleman side that won the Conference National title in 2006. 'I see a lot of parallels with the Conference-winning side,' Coleman told BBC Radio Lancashire. 'The way things have panned out and the way we've won games are very similar to the way we won them in the Conference. The spirit we had then, I see emerging in this squad and I hope it continues.' In his first spell with the club, Coleman led Stanley to three promotions from non-league to League Two, a division in which they have remained since 2007. Coleman left for Rochdale in 2012 and short spells at Southport and Irish side Sligo Rovers followed. Since his return to Accrington in 2014, Stanley have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes. The club came narrowly close to automatic promotion to League One for the first time in their history in 2016, but were denied when Bristol Rovers scored a ninety second-minute goal against Dagenham & Redbridge to take third place on goal difference on the final day of the season. Stanley then went on to lose their play-off semi-final to AFC Wimbledon, with Lyle Taylor's extra-time goal in the second leg the difference between the teams. In the two years since that defeat, players have come and gone - among them Omar Beckles to Shrewsbury Town of League One and Josh Windass to Scottish Premiership club Rangers. With Accrington having the second-smallest average attendance in the EFL, renting a 3G pitch to train on as they do not own their own training ground, as well as an impression among some that they are a figure of fun, does Coleman get annoyed by the comparisons to richer clubs? 'It doesn't annoy me,' he said. 'Any publicity is good publicity as far as I'm concerned. If it's positive publicity then we are going to be forever the David and Goliath story. All the credit has to go to the players because of how hard they work, the desire and determination that they have shown without the greatest facilities to work in on a daily basis. But they put that to the back of their mind and get on with the job.' It has been an eventful season for the club off the field, too. Accrington captured national press attention after the EFL ludicrously 'reminded them of their responsibilities' following owner Andy Holt's announcement that he bought the players food after wins. Supporters have taken this in good spirit, with a couple of home fans attending Saturday's draw with Exeter in topical fancy dress following the club's run-in with the EFL. Despite the publicity - good and bad - Coleman is happy with the impression some have of his team. 'I don't think we're seen as an underdog in the games over the past three or four weeks, but the size of our club and our structure means we are going to be seen as minnows,' Coleman said prior to their game against Exeter. 'We can get ourselves on a stable foot and have a nice ground and a nice stand built and a training ground, and we can then start developing a proper club in this town instead of a club that's always ever-shifting and changing just to get by. We're a self-sustaining club who can compete in the English Football League.'
Meanwhile, a local supermarket has produced a new logo for their bottles to mark Accrington's rise to the third tier. 'If we had a pound for every time milk is mentioned to us we would be rich club,' said Accrington's commercial manager Daniel Bowerbank. The new milk logo has Accrington Stanley's crest on the bottle with the question 'Who are they?' 'It's a classic advert and put Accrington on the map, but hopefully we will be recognised for more now,' said Bowerbank. 'We even had Ian Rush tweeting us about milk - it's great to have little bits like that but slowly we are getting away from it.' But, it is certainly not something the club hides from, so when some local ASDA employees and a photographer turned up at the stadium unannounced to try to plug their milk they were welcomed in. Commercially, Accrington get nothing, says Bowerbank, but they do hope the supermarket shifts a few extra pints of milk. 'If the community want to get behind the football club like that, it's great,' he added. 'What we got was milk to make a few brews for the players and enough to last us the week.'
Blunderland manager Chris Coleman says that Saturday's Championship visit of fellow strugglers Burton Albinos could be their 'last chance' in their bid to avoid the dreaded drop. The Black Cats are bottom of the table, six points from safety, with three games of the season remaining. Burton are just a point above The Mackems and defeat for either would be a huge blow to their survival hopes. 'We have to give everything and hope and pray we get a bit of Lady Luck,' the Welshman told BBC Newcastle. 'The fact there is still a glimmer of hope, an outside chance, is maybe a miracle in itself.' Coleman added: 'Everything is on the game on Saturday. We have just got to win. We need to take care of our business, more than any other game this season.' Blunderland, who have won just one of their past fifteen league games, appear to be on the brink of a second successive relegation. The loser of their game on Saturday will go down if other results go against them - while if Blunderland and Burton draw, they will both be relegated if Notlob and Birmingham both win. The Wearsiders saw their ten-year stay in the Premier League end last year and could drop into the third tier for just the second time in their history, following their sole campaign at that level in 1987. 'If you think about where we are, at the start of the season you never would have thought it,' Coleman said. 'Over the forty three games we have not had enough to make sure we are away from where we are. With three games to go, nobody is going to back us to get out of it. Until it is mathematically impossible. If I am talking to you on Saturday evening with three points in it and two games to play then we are still in the fight. There is a possibility of that and we have to hold on to that and hope for that with everything we have got.' Coleman has won five of his twenty six league games since taking charge in November, but is remaining upbeat ahead of the visit of The Brewers, who are one place and one point above The Mackem Filth in the table. 'We have got a real good chance of getting three points, which could keep us in there,' he added. 'The worst thing will be if teams around us give us a chance and we don't take it. We have got to get the best out of what we have got and be as positive as we can. We are not in a position where we can think it doesn't matter. It always matters.'
A fan has been extremely arrested after running on to the pitch to 'remonstrate' with the referee in Rochdale's goalless League One draw against neighbours Oldham Not Very Athletic in midweek. The supporter charged towards official Peter Bankes after a first-half penalty was awarded to Rochdale. He slipped and was subsequently 'restrained' by Oldham defender Anthony Gerrard and by stewards. A twenty seven-year-old man has been charged with pitch encroachment, possession of class A drugs and 'using threatening words or behaviour.' Oldham have also confirmed that the man has been given a two-year banning order from the club. 'The supporter has admitted his shame and apologised to the club, however we condemn his actions in the strongest possible terms and have made this swift decision,' said a club statement. A Rochdale statement added: 'Rochdale Football Club would like to thank Oldham for acting swiftly and for working closely with us on this matter.' Following a delay, visiting goalkeeper Johny Placide saved Joe Rafferty's penalty which was awarded after Gerrard brought down Joe Thompson in the box.
A policewoman was reportedly 'seriously injured' following an explosion at the Vasil Levski Stadium during Levski Sofia's Bulgarian league match with city rivals CSKA. The officer was hit by broken glass after a device exploded near a stadium entrance, police officials confirmed. 'She underwent surgery but there are many pieces of glass on her face and in the eye,' police chief commissioner Anton Zlatanov said. 'It's not a firework, it's a bomb.' Zlatanov added that 'more than twenty Levski fans' were detained after the match. The Sofia derby ended in a two-two draw.
Fenerbahce and Besiktas' Turkish Cup semi-final second leg was abandoned after the visitors' boss Senol Gunes was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd. Gunes was taken to hospital after being struck in the fifty eighth minute at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Thursday. Besiktas players left the pitch with referee Mete Kalkavan, who subsequently called the game off. Besiktas' Pepe, the former Real Madrid defender, was sent off after thirty minutes, while the match was delayed for five minutes in the first half after projectiles where thrown at Besiktas players. Television pictures appeared to show sixty five-year-old Gunes falling to the ground and clutching his head after being hit during a row between Fenerbahce fans and Besiktas players on the bench. Besiktas chairman Fikret Orman called it 'a sad day,' while the Turkish Football Federation said it would make a decision on the match in the 'coming weeks.'
Everton boss and odious glake Sam Allardyce says that a survey sent by the club to fans asking them to rate his performance on a scale of zero to ten was 'a marketing slip-up.' The survey was part of an exercise with a fan panel designed to discover how 'connected' they feel to the club. Allardyce replaced Ronald Koeman as Everton's manager in November. 'The survey passed out by the director of marketing was a slip-up,' he said. 'His knowledge is about marketing and not football. He got things wrong.' One or two people even believed him. Fans were asked to rate the statement: 'I have a high level of trust in the current manager and coaching staff eg in making the right decisions to get the best out of the team.' Allardyce has guided Everton to a current position of ninth in the Premier League after taking twenty seven points from twenty games since replacing the sacked Koeman. However, there has been growing discontent among some supporters over what they perceive as a negative playing style. As, indeed, there have been at just about every club that Allardyce has been manager of in the past. The former England boss suffered abuse from Everton supporters during and after Saturday's draw at Swansea City, having been subjected to similar treatment after the defeat at Burnley on 3 March. 'It hasn't made any difference to me,' Allardyce sneered. 'I'm planning for the future, until someone tells me otherwise. If that was to happen I'd be more than extremely disappointed.' Everton send out a fan survey several times a year. The club sent the same list of questions to some fans last May, including one about their view on Koeman.
Bradley Wood has been very banned for six years after twice intentionally getting booked during Lincoln City's FA Cup run last season. Wood was found extremely guilty by a Football Association tribunal of two match-fixing offences after telling friends that he would try to get booked in Lincoln's victories over Ipswich Town and Burnley. The FA said that seven people, including 'two close friends,' bet on him to be booked in those matches. The potential winnings totalled around ten grand but not all were paid. Wood, who now plays for Alfreton Town, contested both charges but admitted twenty three other betting offences. The FA Independent Regulatory Commission judgement said the fact that none of the seven had previously bet on bookings and the size of the bets made them stand out. Wood was given a five-year ban for the match-fixing offences and a further year after admitting twenty two charges of betting on the outcome of matches and one charge of passing on information. He was fined three thousand seven hundred and twenty five knicker, ordered to pay costs and has been suspended from all football-related activity until 8 March, 2024. Lincoln City, who reached the FA Cup quarter-finals last season after wins over Ipswich and Burnley, said that they were informed about the investigation in April 2017. Wood was suspended for the final two weeks of his contract and released in May.
