FA Cup matches will be shown live on the BBC until 2025 as part of a new four-year broadcast deal with the Football Association. The new agreement - which starts at the beginning of the 2021-22 season - will see BBC Sport continue to show live fixtures, highlights and online clips. Up to eighteen fixtures a season will be televised - more than ever before. The FA said that the deal was 'exciting,' adding: 'We look forward to working with the BBC for years to come.' Mark Bullingham, the FA's chief commercial and football development officer, said The Scum's fifth-round win at Moscow Chelski FC was the most-watched domestic match of the season, with a final and consolidated Seven Day Plus audience of eight million people across all platforms. 'The popularity of the competition goes from strength to strength and continues to draw some of the largest audiences in sport,' he added. 'The Emirates FA Cup is the best and most historic domestic cup competition in the world and we are delighted to have agreed a new long-term commitment to keep it on the BBC until 2025.' The new deal will also see greater coverage of the competition's early stages, with up to six live matches from across the first and second rounds. Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, said: 'We are delighted to have secured these FA Cup rights until the 2024-25 season, ensuring the millions that tune into free-to-air TV can continue to enjoy the most famous domestic cup competition in the world. This new deal now brings even more games to audiences across the country as the BBC provides top-class sport on all of our platforms. Our FA Cup coverage delivers some of the year's biggest viewing figures, engages a key younger audience and provides memorable sporting moments that unite a nation.'
England's years of living down to expectations may well be over - now the difficult part will be keeping a lid on the rising hopes and anticipation surrounding Gareth Southgate's exciting young side. The euphoria of a surprise run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia was tempered by the sense of a missed opportunity after they were beaten in extra-time by Croatia in Moscow and failed to reach their first final for fifty two years. As Wembley rose in unison at the end of this emphatic five-nil thrashing of the Czech Republic on Friday there was the sense that Russia was simply the start of something special for England and this emerging generation of players. First, though, the context. The Czech Republic were compliant opponents, barely offering a threat and with several accidents waiting to happen in defence - which duly occurred. England,nevertheless, were ruthless and dynamic. They were simply too fast, too mobile, too good and no-one should pour cold water on that. And after their advance to the final stages of the inaugural Nations League in Portugal in June, secured by their first win in Spain in thirty one years and a superb comeback to exact revenge over Croatia at Wembley, there is every reason to believe this England team is not just here to stay, it is going to get better. It was crucial England capitalised on the wave of goodwill that accompanied them back from Russia. The nation loved and admired their football team again - for the first time in an age - and momentum needed to be maintained. On the evidence of the last few games, it has not simply been maintained. It has been gained. And at the head of it all was Sheikh Yer Man City's Raheem Sterling, now the mature, high-class player everyone assumed he would become when he first demonstrated his brilliance at Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws. Sterling, still only twenty four, has become the complete forward under Pep Guardiola's guidance at City. Southgate's careful handling and support during much of a three-year spell in which he never scored an England goal in twenty seven games is now reaping its reward. Southgate never wavered. He insisted he could not understand questions - albeit, not question from anyone that actually matters - about Sterling's place in England's side. These were not words to bolster fragile confidence. They were delivered with conviction and belief. Sterling now has twenty four goals for club and country this season. He is flourishing in the Premier League, Champions League and, importantly, with England. He is naturally gifted but now more clinical - and there is more to come. This is a message that applies to this England side, a team now confident in itself and with the growing confidence of supporters who became accustomed to bitter disappointment. As recently as 2016, they were bundled out of the Euros by Iceland in the last sixteen under Roy Hodgson's management. England's first goal against the Czechs summed up their fluidity, confidence and cutting edge. It was a passage of twenty five passes in which only Dele Alli did not touch the ball. Even goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was involved before the final thrust from Harry Kane's clever pass inside the defence, Jadon Sancho's perfect cross and Sterling's sliding finish. Kane has now scored sixteen goals under Southgate, eleven more than any other player. Sterling is another who is among the first names on the manager's teamsheet. What adds to the excitement is the lengthening undercard of young, precocious talent with the confidence to not simply stand alongside their more experienced, established England team-mates but to push them for their places. Eng land's evolution has picked up pace rapidly since the World Cup - which was crucial - and the evidence of future potential was paraded before elated fans at Wembley. Sancho, just eighteen, wore the England shirt that used to weigh so heavily on so many before him like it was a perfect fit. If anything, the Borussia Dortmund teenager was almost too confident, too eager early on before all of his burgeoning talent came to the fore. Sancho had the vision and composure to play in Sterling for the first, then brought England's fans to their feet with two quick-fire pieces of sleight of foot in the Czech penalty area. And the substitute appearances of twenty-year-old Declan Rice and Moscow Chelski FC's Callum Hudson-Odoi - the youngest player to make his debut for England in a competitive international, aged just eighteen years and one hundred and thirty five days - gave another tantalising glimpse into the future. It was the first time in one hundred and thirty eight years that England had fielded two players aged eighteen or younger in an international. Southgate's own boldness deserves credit here. It is hard to imagine any of his predecessors thrusting a rookie such as Hudson-Odoi into his England debut before he had even made his first Premier League start at Moscow Chelski FC. This is another sign that the emphasis has changed around England. And with the likes of Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws's Trent-Alexander Arnold and Joe Gomez, The Scum's Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw and Sheikh Yer Man City's John Stones all to come back from injury - plus midfield quality in the shape of Southampton's James Ward-Prowse and Leicester City's James Maddison - there will be some very hot competition for places to add to England's edge. England look a team perfectly equipped for the modern game in attack with pace, mobility and threat. The midfield has yet to pass the stiffest tests but Rice's switch from the Republic of Ireland may provide the missing link in that department. The same questions can be applied to England's defence in the face of this flimsy Czech Republic side but this was not a night for quibbling or negativity. This was a night when England delivered on the hype. Two up at half-time it was the sort of game in which, under several previous regimes, England would have treated the second half against clearly inferior opposition as a training exercise and the game would have ended two-nil with a crowd grown bored and borderline disappointed long before the ninety minutes. Instead, after an odd five minutes post half-time, in which the Czech's were first to every ball and half of the England team appeared to still be, mentally, in the dressing room, they recovered their poise and went for the jugular. England are now unbeaten in their past forty qualifying matches in the World Cup and Euros, winning thirty one and drawing nine since a loss to Ukraine in October 2009 - but rarely in that sequence has there been the sort of hope and optimism that surrounds this group of players. Now the good work must continue when England face Montenegro in Podgorica on Monday.
Alex McLeish refused to discuss his future as Scotland manager after leading them to one of their most ignominious defeats in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier in Kazakhstan. The Scotch were two down inside ten minutes and conceded again just after the break to give the Kazakhs only a second win in twenty one qualifiers. On Sunday, they face San Marino, who lost their opener five-nil in Cyprus. 'I'll continue to do my job and won't get drawn into that,' said McLeish. Speaking to Sky Sports News in the immediate aftermath of the abject defeat, the manager conceded the result 'possibly puts more pressure on me.' No shit? McLeish was appointed Scotland coach in February 2018 - eleven years after the end of his first spell in the job - and has won four of his eleven matches to date. His side had previously secured a place in the play-offs for Euro 2020, which they will part host, by winning their Nations League section. Scotland were guilty of abject defending for all three goals in Kazakhstan and offered little threat going forward against the country ranked one hundred and seventeen in the world. McLeish was forced to field a makeshift backline after several withdrawals and the team's inexperience was cruelly exposed. 'It was a poor night for us defensively,' he said. 'We had one chance just before they scored and I was thinking it was looking quite lively for us. But they scored two quick goals and we never reacted. They could have been prevented with better positioning. There's a lot of inexperience in the squad. We have introduced a few new names over the last year or so and it can take time, but I know we don't have time. It's never finished until it's finished. We have players to come back.' In Thursday's other game in the group, Belgium beat Russia three-one in Brussels.
World champions France began their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory against Moldova. Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring after converting from The cum's midfielder Paul Pogba's superb pass.Raphael Varane headed in the second and Moscow Chelski FC striker Olivier Giroud netted a third before half-time. Paris St-Germain star Kylian Mbappe stroked in a fourth before Vladimir Ambros scored for the hosts. In the night's other Group H games, Iceland won two-nil in Andorra while Turkey won in Albania by the same score.
Memphis Depay scored twice and provided assists for Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Virgil van Dijk as the Netherlands thrashed Belarus in their opening Group C qualifier. The Dutch took a first-minute lead when Depay punished a sloppy back-pass before his backheel pass was converted by Wijnaldum in Rotterdam. The Reds midfielder then earned a penalty from a foul by Mikhail Sivakov. Depay converted before he crossed for Van Dijk to head in a late fourth. Ronald Koeman's side, who face England in the Nations League semi-finals in June, host Germany in an eagerly anticipated clash on Sunday. Northern Ireland defeated Estonia two-nil in Thursday's other Group C qualifier.
Germany head coach Joachim Löw whinged Leroy Sane was 'lucky' after a 'vicious foul' on the Sheikh Yer Man Man City forward led to Serbia's Milan Pavkov being sent-off as the sides drew oneall in a friendly on Wednesday. Sane hobbled from the pitch after the foul in added time at the end of the game. Serbia goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic had produced an inspired display to prevent Löw's new-look Germany from securing an opening win of 2019. 'It was a vicious foul,' Löw bleated. 'Sane was lucky and got away with not getting hurt but such fouls can break bones.' Löw's youthful side went behind to Luka Jovic's header in the twelfth minute, before substitute Leon Goretzka hit the equaliser after the break. Germany dominated the early possession but Jovic was on hand to turn in the loose ball from six yards before Goretzka levelled with a fierce strike in the second half.
Birmingham City and Aston Villains have each been fined five grand by the Football Association for failing to control players in their Second City derby. The Championship clubs were both charged over a melee in the fifth minute after a foul on Villains captain Jack Grealish by Blues midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld. Birmingham are also facing a separate charge after Grealish was attacked on the pitch by a fan five minutes later. The Villains won the game on 10 March, with Grealish scoring the only goal. Both clubs accepted the charge. Kieftenbeld was booked for his late challenge, which set the tone for an ill-tempered game at St Andrew's. Grealish was subsequently attacked by Blues supporter Paul Mitchell, who ran on to the pitch and struck the Villains midfielder from behind in the side of the head. Mitchell, of Rubery in Worcestershire, was subsequently sent to The Slammer for fourteen weeks after admitting assault and encroachment on to the pitch. He was also ordered to pay three hundred and fifty smackers in fines and costs and banned from attending any football matches in the UK for ten years. Birmingham, who banned Mitchell from St Andrew's for life, were charged by the FA with failing to control their spectators and they have until 22 March to respond to that charge.
Barnsley midfielder Kenny Dougall has revealed that he tried to play on against Doncaster despite having a broken leg. Dougall is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering the fracture in Friday's goalless draw in League One. But, he subsequently revealed on Instagram that he tried to continue before being substituted in the eighteenth minute. 'Injuries are part of the game and unfortunately I've been hit with another tough pill to swallow,' the Australian posted. 'Full trust in the lads to get us up into the [Championship]. Don't know why I've tried to play on with a broken leg but nobody can say I didn't try.' Barnsley said in a statement that Dougall will be assessed by a specialist this week but he is not expected to feature again this season. Tykes striker Kieffer Moore has already been ruled out for the rest of the season due to concussion. Daniel Stendel's side are second in the table, two points ahead of third-placed Blunderland, having played a game more.
Doncaster Rovers have sacked Niall Mason after he admitted a charge of sexual assault in January. Mason received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for assaulting a woman in 2018. A judge at Sheffield Crown Court also placed Mason on the sex offenders' register for seven years. A Doncaster statement read: 'Rovers have cancelled the contract of Niall Mason after he withdrew an appeal against his dismissal by the club.' It continued: 'Rovers opened internal disciplinary proceedings immediately following his guilty plea for a sexual offence at Sheffield Crown Court.' Defender Mason had been a regular for the promotion-chasing League One side until shortly before his court appearance in January, but was suspended following his sentencing.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been extremely charged with 'improper conduct' by UEFA over a goal celebration in the win over Atletico Madrid in the last sixteen of the Champions League. The thirty four-year-old appeared to mimic Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who turned to fans and grabbed his crotch during his side's two-nil first-leg victory. Ronaldo made the gesture after his third goal of his hat-trick in the return leg as Juve won three-nil. UEFA will rule on the case later this week. Simeone was fined twenty thousand Euros for his celebration. Juventus have been drawn to play Dutch side Ajax in the quarter-finals.
A Colombian footballer has been arrested for, allegedly, having The Sex in public and then, allegedly, trying to bribe police officers who caught him after, allegedly, giving them a false name. Jhon Fredy Hurtado, who plays for Quiche FC in Guatemala's top flight, was reportedly arrested in the city of Santa Cruz Del Quiche. FC Quiche does, undeniably, sound like a Sunday League team containing eleven Gruniad Morning Star readers. Local media claim police found him having The Sex in his parked car - with someone else, obviously, he wasn't having The Sex by himself -- and extremely arrested him for 'obscene exhibitions.' The report adds that officers claim Hurtado told them he was called Guillermo 'El Pando' Ramirez Garcia, a former footballer. Both Hurtado and the woman he was with, named in the media as Rocio Adely Giron, are then said to have offered a bribe of ten knicker and a mobile phone to let them go. Police say they rejected the handout and the pair were romtly inched by The Fuzz. Hurtado has been charged with attempting to bribe an officer. A police report reads: 'In the moment they were caught, the gentleman who said he was called 'Pando' Ramirez was found on top of Rocio Adely Giron (both without clothes) and both were asked if they would be kind enough to get changed, after which the motive for the arrest was made known.' Quiche FC have moved to distance themselves from the scandal, saying in a statement: 'The player did it in his free time, which is why the club exempts itself of any legal or penal responsibility that the player has.' The club's board are set to meet to decide what action to take. Hurtado will also be 'hauled in for talks' so he can 'present his defence.' Guillermo El Pando Ramirez was a Guatemalan player who was suspended for life from any football-related activities due to his participation in money laundering and fixing games.
Football fans who claim they believed they were buying a share in 'a real life club' are, reportedly, demanding their money back from an app firm. Thousands allegedly signed up to OWNAFC after its director claimed it would enable them to 'make decisions over the running of a club it took over.' Customers said that they thought paying forty nine knicker would mean they 'had a share in a club' and would be 'entitled to help run it.' OWNAFC denies wrongdoing and said that the forty nine quid was 'to access the app.' It said that shares would only be on offer once a club was actually bought. Gunnercooke LLP, the legal adviser to OWNAFC, said it 'accepted' the business 'needed to be more open with customers.' Hednesford Town FC had considered a take-over by the app but 'a collective decision' was made to 'not go ahead.' One customer, who wished to be known as Nicholas, snitched to the BBC: 'I paid the money on behalf of my thirteen-year-old son because it seemed really exciting. But, after I paid, we received an e-mail about FAQs and in there it said I hadn't paid for a share, but that we would be "entitled" to a share. My son is really upset. He had spent his own money on this and now there appears to be no recourse.' Plus, he's discovered that his father is a moron which is, frankly, a blow for any teenager. In a statement issued on behalf of OWNAFC founder and director Stuart Harvey, Gunnercooke LLP said: 'In no way has the business done any wrongdoing and we strongly reject any accusations of fraud. The concept for OWNAFC was aimed at allowing fans to take an active part in the running of a football club via a mobile application.' A spokesman said that those who paid forty nine quid 'unlocked features' of the app 'allowing them to engage in the experience of running a real football club, by making all boardroom decisions upon deal completion and takeover.' He added: 'All OWNAs, subject to age restrictions, will be entitled to one share in the limited entity that takes over the club. However, it is not mandatory for an OWNA to take a share if they choose not to.' A 'non-executive advisory board' is being appointed and, as part of this move, Harvey will be 'stepping aside' from the business, added Gunnercooke LLP. Harvey said that he had closed down the company's social media pages due to online abuse and threats to his family. The company brochure stated that 'All OWNAs will have the option of buying one share within the club at the nominal value.' It also said that the choice of club to take over would be 'the first decision that you and your fellow OWNAs will make.' But customers said they were 'still unclear' as to what their forty nine notes had,actually, bought them. A customer, who only wanted to be known as Mark, nark'd: 'It's about the fact that ninety nine per cent of the people who paid, like me, are just genuine football fans wanting to be part of something that could make a difference.' The company's website also said 'by making payment of forty nine pounds, you are securing your position as football club OWNA and unlocking all features of the OWNAFC app.' It added: 'once the club purchase is complete, you will unlock the app features and really put your theories into practice.' Meanwhile, customers have been applying for refunds through their bank. Watchdog Action Fraud confirmed that it had received 'reports' relating to OWNAFC within the past two weeks and, as part of its process, informs the National Fraud Intelligence bureau, which then contacts the relevant police force. Greater Manchester Police, the force in which the business is registered, said that it had not yet received any reports. One of the clauses in the website's terms section states that refunds are only offered 'if a takeover is not completed within three months of a club accepting our offer. If no offer is made to a football club by 1 June 2019 then refunds will be offered,' it says.
Weapons, fireworks and drugs have reportedly been found on a coach carrying Paris St-Germain fans to a Women's Champion's League game against Moscow Chelski FC. Up to fifty PSG fans were denied entry to the quarter-final tie at Kingsmeadow. Police were first called to reports of vandalism at the stadium then, later, to serious disorder at Waterloo and Wimbledon stations. A coach that travelled overnight from Paris was searched and one arrest was made. In a statement, the Met Police said: 'Weapons, including knives and knuckledusters, were recovered along with class A drugs. One man from the coach was arrested for possession of class A drugs and the remaining passengers were escorted from the area by police.' Reports suggest a door at the stadium had been broken and parts of the ground had daubed with pro-PSG graffiti. BBC Sports reporter Jacqui Oatley tweeted: 'I'm told there were weapons - knuckleduster and knives - plus drugs on board. They damaged Chelsea's Kingsmeadow ground this morning before returning later. Banned from PSG men's and youth games but not women's.'
Sheffield United Women forward Sophie Jones has been banned for five games after being found guilty of racially abusing Tottenham player Renee Hector. Hector claimed that she 'received some monkey noises' from an opponent during a Championship match on 6 January. Jones, whose Blades deal has been terminated by mutual consent, claimed that she is 'not guilty' and the 'hearing took place in a kangaroo court.' She has also been fined two hundred smackers and must attend an educational course. Defender Hector made the allegations in a social media post after Tottenham had beaten the Blades two-one. Spurs, who said the alleged incident was reported to the referee by Hector during the game, also reported it to the Football Association. 'There is no place for racism in our game,' said Hector on Twitter. 'A zero tolerance policy is imperative in stamping this out from football therefore I welcome this verdict. No-one should be subjected to racist abuse on or off the pitch and I felt a responsibility to call it out for what it was.' The FA set up an independent panel to hear from both sides, with the charge of using abusive and/or insulting words - that included reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race - found proven. An FA spokesperson said: 'The case against Sophie Jones was heard by an Independent Regulatory Commission comprising two independent lawyers and a former football player and manager. The written reasons in the case will be published in due course, which will provide a detailed account of the evidence given and the findings of the Commission.' Sheffield United confirmed that Jones' contract, which was 'due for review' at the end of the season, had been 'terminated by mutual agreement.' In a statement, Jones has since suggested her football career is over. 'It is with a heavy heart that I feel I am unable to continue within football and play under an organisation that I do not have any confidence in,' she said. 'I would like to state on record that I do not condone racism in any form and I will continue to stand by this statement. I strongly stand firm that I am not guilty with regards to the charge that the FA have brought against me. I am struggling to come to terms with this decision and how the FA can come to a verdict based on probability from the two witness accounts verbally given, instead of reviewing the case and its evidence, in its entirety.' In their own statement, The Blades added: 'The club works closely with the English Football League, the FA and Kick it Out and would like to reiterate that it does not condone racism or any form of discrimination.'
The father of former England footballer Adam Johnson said it was 'good' to have his son home after his release from prison. The former Blunderland and Sheikh Yer Man City winger was extremely jailed for six years in 2016 for engaging in sexual activity with a fifteen-year-old fan. Johnson's father spoke to reporters outside his thirty one-year-old son's house in Castle Eden. Witnesses said Johnson's father was seen leaving HMP Moorland near Doncaster in the early hours. A Mercedes with blacked-out rear windows he was driving was later seen arriving at the former player's mansion near Hartlepool. Johnson said that his son 'might' make a statement later and asked reporters to leave the home's gated entrance. Johnson, who played for England twelve times before being sent to The Slammer, was released part way through his jail term. On the first day of his trial, the winger pleaded very guilty to grooming the girl and one charge of sexual activity, relating to kissing her. Blunderland immediately terminated his sixty grand-a-week contract following his admission of guilt. Jurors found him guilty of sexual touching but cleared him of one charge relating to another sexual act. As a sex offender, Johnson will have to register his address and bank details with police and inform officers of any intention to travel abroad. His trial at Bradford Crown Court heard that Johnson first began communicating with the girl at the end of 2014 while his partner, Stacey Flounders, was heavily pregnant with their first child. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a Blunderland season ticket holder and was 'infatuated' with Johnson. He told the jury that when she sent him a friend request on Facebook he 'recognised her' as a Blunderland fan. They exchanged hundreds of online messages before Johnson met up with the girl in his Range Rover on 30 January 2015 after agreeing to sign football shirts for her. It was in the car that the kissing and touching took place.
