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This section includes informational sports articles, features I have completed as part of my university studies, interviews, match reports and match previews.

VAVEL

VAVEL •

Stoke City begin campaign at home to Rotherham United: 2023/24 Championship fixtures released

Stoke City will kick off their sixth consecutive season in the second-tier against Rotherham United at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, August 5 at 15:00 BST.

Alex Neil's men will then travel to Portman Road for their first away trip to take on newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday, August 12.

The Potters then play host to Watford and face a trip to Millwall to round off their first month of the season.

Stoke's final game of the season will be at home to Bristol City on May 4, 2024.

Key fix
VAVEL •

Four things we learnt from England's win over Malta

England continued their flawless Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 victory over a lacklustre Malta side.

Gareth Southgate's men took the lead inside nine minutes as Bukayo Saka's cross was turned into his own net by Ferdinando Apap.

The visitors put the game beyond doubt within the half-hour mark as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane scored three minutes apart from each other to extend their lead.

Callum Wilson then netted from the spot late on to score his second goal for his count
VAVEL •

Italy 1-2 England: Post-Match Player Ratings

Harry Kane became England's record all-time goalscorer in Naples as the Three Lions held onto a first-half lead to win 2-1 against Italy in their first Euro 2024 qualifier.

Gareth Southgate's side, who started on the front foot, were ahead after 13 minutes as Declan Rice turned home an uncleared corner to notch the third goal of his England career.

Captain Kane took the opportunity to break Wayne Rooney's record in the 44th minute from the penalty spot with trademark aplomb after Giovanni Di L
VAVEL •

Stoke City vs Norwich City: Championship Preview, Gameweek 38, 2023

Stoke City’s form has improved over recent weeks after three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five league games.

Alex Neil's men took a point away from high-flying Middlesbrough in midweek, after Ki-Jana Hoever's third strike in two games sealed a 1-1 draw.

The Potters sit 14th in the Championship table.

Norwich have been in similar form after three straight wins, before a loss at Sunderland and a midweek draw at Huddersfield Town restored them to reality.

Gabriel Sara scored the op
All of my VAVEL articles can be found here

LancsLive

LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs Birmingham as Leeds loanee Poveda hits vital winner

Blackpool live to fight another day in the Championship after a 1-0 win against Birmingham City on the road at St Andrews.

Pool capitalised on a defensive blunder as Ian Poveda tapped home late on to secure a valuable three points in their fight to stay up. The Tangerines stay 23rd, but are now just three points from safety with two games to go, but Huddersfield have a game in hand in 21st.

It was nearly a disastrous start for Dobbie’s men at St Andrew’s as Tahith Chong tested Dan Grimshaw for
LancsLive •

Stephen Dobbie match transcript as Blackpool keep survival hopes alive

Blackpool were 1-0 victors at St Andrew’s as they gained a vital three points in their fight to survive for another season in the Championship.

Ian Poveda’s late goal was enough to grab a win against Birmingham City and keep the Pool fighting for at least another week. Stephen Dobbie has now overseen two wins from his first four games as stand-in boss, and expressed his pride post-match at his players’ performances today.

Here's everything he had to say.

On the win and belief

“The boys will
LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs West Brom as Seasiders slip to defeat

Blackpool moved ever closer to relegation from the Championship as West Brom netted in each half to win 2-0 at Bloomfield Road.

Stephen Dobbie’s men missed a hatful of chances to score and were made to pay by some clinical finishes from the visitors. A quick start from both sides saw Morgan Rogers go mightily close to an opener for Pool on, after good work from CJ Hamilton on the left side of the box saw his cross turned onto the woodwork by the onrushing Manchester City loanee at the far post.
LancsLive •

Stephen Dobbie match transcript after Blackpool lose to West Brom

The Tangerines lost 2-0 to the Baggies, with time running out for Stephen Dobbie’s men to salvage their Championship status for another year.

Albion scored either side of half-time to claim victory, leaving Pool 23rd and four points from the drop – with 21st placed Cardiff City having two games in hand.

Dobbie’s men missed key chances to level the game in the first half, and the Blackpool interim boss knows that his players cannot afford to miss such gilt-edged opportunities against a side pus
LancsLive •

Everything Dobbie said on Blackpool ‘cup final’ win, Anderson and injury latest

The Seasiders claimed a huge three points in the survival race after Jerry Yates’ early strike was enough to grab a 1-0 win at Bloomfield Road.

Stephen Dobbie claimed his first Pool win after being appointed interim boss last week following Mick McCarthy’s departure, and has expressed his delight at the result and his player’s performances across the pitch.

On the preparation for the game:

“I said (we had to win) to the boys all week, we’ve been on about this as a must-win game. It doesn’t ma
LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs Wigan as Yates nets winner in relegation showdown

Blackpool kept their hopes of beating relegation from the Championship alive with a vital 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic.

Jerry Yates netted early on at Bloomfield Road for what proved to be the winner over the Latics. The Seasiders are now four points clear of Wigan and four points from safety after today's results.

Blackpool have four games left to go in their season and will surely need a near flawless record to stay up. But Stephen Dobbie's first match in interim charge afte
LancsLive •

Stephen Dobbie's key messages to Blackpool players for survival task

Blackpool face Wigan Athletic at Bloomfield Road this weekend, as both teams look to take a vital step towards survival in the Championship - with time running out.

The Seasiders are sat just one place and one point above basement Latics, with interim boss Stephen Dobbie set to step out in front of the Bloomfield faithful for the first time. The 40 year-old has stepped up from Senior Professional Development Phase coach to take the reins for the final six games of the season, with Easter Monday
LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs Luton Town: Loss in Dobbie's first match

The opening exchanges were quiet in terms of chances, with Andy Lyons putting the Seasiders’ first attempt on goal wide after the ball had broke to him in the box. The home side soon applied pressure though, as a flurry of crosses and corners were eventually dealt with by the Blackpool defence with a quarter of an hour gone.

Stephen Dobbie’s men looked a side revitalised as the ball was knocked about with confidence and determination, despite the home side being the clear favourites heading int
LancsLive •

Mick McCarthy’s Blackpool departure means board must get next steps right

With the Blackpool adrift in the relegation places by seven points, the decision has been taken to cut ties with Mick McCarthy and assistant Terry Connor by mutual consent.

The responsibility will now be on former Pool striker and current Senior Professional Development Lead Phase Coach Stephen Dobbie to lead the team until the end of the season, assisted by coaches Matt Blinkhorn and Steve Banks.

McCarthy was brought into the club in mid-January with after Michael Appleton’s seven-month spell
LancsLive •

Blackpool predicted XI vs Cardiff with Thorniley backed for return

Blackpool defender Jordan Thorniley will be available to face Cardiff City, after missing last weekend’s derby fixture just hours before kick-off due to a bug.

Thorniley has made 25 league appearances this season, scoring once, and his omission meant Jordan Gabriel came into the back three alongside Curtis Nelson and James Husband. But he will expect to start against Cardiff - irrespective of whether McCarthy opts for a back three or four.

Speaking on the Thorniley situation, McCarthy said: “H
LancsLive •

McCarthy on Blackpool's Cardiff loss as Yates and Thorniley absences outlined

“It was looking grim when I came in some weeks ago, it’s just not got any better unfortunately. Losing 3-1 at home to our relegation rivals has not madeit look any better, has it?

“It was very similar to last week, I thought we started well, bright and on thefront foot and we created some chances, but low and behold again we managed to concede a goal. Conceding three goals in the first half, I don’t know how many times we’ve scored four but it almost put it to bed, even then at half time.

“Sec
LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs Cardiff City in disastrous home defeat

Some tense opening stages saw the visitors go closest to an opener, with Connor Wickham inches away from turning home a flicked cross. But, the Bluebirds man then netted the first goal of the afternoon with 20 minutes on the clock, after rising highest to head home past Chris Maxwell and give the away side a precious lead.

Things got even better for the visitors after a mix-up between James Husband and Maxwell allowed Midtyjlland loanee striker Sory Kaba to sneak in, and roll the ball home into
LancsLive •

Mick McCarthy fires Cardiff City warning to his Blackpool players

Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy is not taking Cardiff City lightly for one minute, despite the Bluebirds' struggles this campaign and their derby day defeat last weekend.

Sabri Lamouchi’s men are the lowest scorers in the Championship this season and, similarly to Pool, have won just three games in all competitions this calendar year.

McCarthy was of course in charge at the Cardiff City Stadium from January to October 2021, and knows that the Bluebirds will be up for the challenge on Good Friday
LancsLive •

Mick McCarthy stresses importance of Cardiff City clash to Blackpool

Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy has described the Good Friday clash with Cardiff City as one his side ‘can’t lose’ if they want to survive in the Championship.

Pool face the Bluebirds at Bloomfield Road, in what can only be described as a ‘relegation six pointer’ with just two places and four points separating the sides in 21st and 23rd respectively. Both teams lost their derby games last weekend to Preston North End and Swansea City, with the Tangerines having picked up just one win in their last
LancsLive •

Everything Mick McCarthy said on Blackpool's loss at PNE and triple sub

On the defeat and falling behind

"It was really difficult," said McCarthy. "I thought they started better. We then had a couple of half chances which I think we could have done better with, and then we don’t stop a quick free-kick, don’t deal with the cross when it comes in but when he finishes it it’s emphatic and it was so emphatic that it got the crowd up as well."

“I think the free kick for the second was a bit soft, but we’ve got to block it," he said. "It went through the wall; we’ve got
LancsLive •

Blackpool player ratings vs Preston North End as several off pace

The ex-PNE stopper was well-beaten by three cool strikes, but otherwise had a solid showing as he denied both Jordan Storey and Liam Delap well in each half.

A tough afternoon in a midfield two for Pool’s captain. Struggled to keep up with the PNE tempo and was duly booked late on.

Had some joy attacking-wise with crosses into the box, but three goals conceded does not read well for any defender.

Caught out too often by the pace of the North End attackers and struggled to find his men when th
LancsLive •

Ryan Lowe and Mick McCarthy reaction after PNE 3-1 Blackpool

An electric start to the game by North End saw their claims for a penalty waved away after six minutes by referee Andre Marriner, with Ben Whiteman’s strong shot well-saved by Chris Maxwell - and the rebound falling to Tom Cannon, who hit the deck. The Seasiders responded with a chance of their own minutes later, but Keshi Anderson’s tame effort was gathered by Freddie Woodman at his near post.

A fiery encounter then delivered it’s first goal on 12 minutes. A high ball wasn’t dealt with by the

Lancashire Post

Blackpool Gazette

UCLan Live

£15,000 raised for young Runcorn footballer after rare cancer diagnosis – UCLan Live

Being diagnosed with cancer at any age is terrifying but, aged just 14, Runcorn footballer Callum Lane has received a diagnosis that will change his life.

Lane has T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a rare type of fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing and chest pain.

He was enjoying his football at the club he has played for from Under 8’s to Under 15’s, before a short illness led him and his family to discover that he had developed the cancer

‘It will be the best version of Jack…he won’t back down from the challenge’: Trainer Dave Jennings boasts of Jack Cullen’s WBO International Super Middleweight fight chances – UCLan Live

Bolton boxer Jack Cullen’s trainer Dave Jennings insists his fighter will be well up for the challenge as he looks to end Diego Pacheco’s unbeaten record at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool tomorrow for the WBO International Super Middleweight title.

Cullen is top of the bill on an exciting card on Merseyside that sees him take on the unbeaten American in his most high-profile fight to date in front of the DAZN cameras.

It is the 29-year-old’s 26th professional bout, with 21 wins, three losses

Sale Sharks Academy coaches to run in Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital – UCLan Live

Sale Sharks Academy Manager and former professional player Fergus Mulchrone will run in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in May alongside his club colleagues to raise money for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH).

Mulchrone played rugby professionally for Sale and London Irish, and now faces one of the toughest challenges of his post-playing career after announcing this week that he will run the marathon starting and finishing at Headingley Stadium alongside six of his fellow staff at

Charlton Athletic vs Accrington Stanley preview: Stanley look to end torrid away run at struggling Addicks – UCLan Live

John Coleman’s Accrington Stanley will look to pull away from the League One relegation places as they travel to Charlton Athletic this weekend.

Stanley have won just three games on the road so far this season, but face an out-of-form Addicks side that are winless in their last four outings.

The visitors have picked up some valuable points recently, with a 2-1 victory over relegation rivals Forest Green last weekend pushing them further away from the drop before a 3-0 midweek loss to promotion

Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall falter on Premier League Darts Night Five – UCLan Live

Aspinall secured a 6-3 win over Smith in the quarter finals before losing 6-4 to eventual night winner Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals in Exeter on Thursday night.

The result sees St Helens’ Smith remain second in the league standings behind Van Gerwen, with Stockport’s Aspinall rising to third after Gerwyn Price’s loss to the Dutchman in the quarter finals.

It was the second time the two North West arrowmen have faced off against each other this campaign, after the Asp beat the PDC Worl

Sale Sharks Women’s fly-half picked in England squad for the first time – UCLan Live

Lizzie Duffy has been named in Simon Middleton’s 42-player training squad in preparation for the 2023 Women’s Six Nations at the end of this month.

The 21 year-old has made nine appearances for the Sharks ladies so far this season and earned a call-up to the national team for the first time yesterday.

It is a historic call-up, with Duffy becoming Sale’s first ever home grown academy graduate to be picked for the Red Roses.

She has previously been called up to the England U20s, making her firs

Queens Park Rangers vs Blackburn Rovers: Key man Ben Brereton-Diaz set to miss out again – UCLan Live

Blackburn Rovers could be without striker Ben Brereton-Diaz as they continue their battle for the playoffs against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Rovers head to West London sat fourth in the Championship and have not tasted defeat in their last eight outings.

Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side have won their last two games 1-0, both at home to Swansea City and Blackpool respectively.

Chilean international Brereton-Diaz did not play a part against the Tangerines in midweek after picking up a hamstrin

Local rugby coach airs worries over RFU’s proposed new tackling laws – UCLan Live

Preston Grasshoppers assistant coach Dan Orwin is concerned about the “profound impact” that the Rugby Football Union’s recent suggested law change will have on the sport going forward.

The RFU recently released their plans to change the legal tackle height at first-team amateur and youth levels to ‘waist height and below’ from next season – a plan that was met with fierce opposition throughout English rugby at grassroots and professional levels.

It comes in light of concussions in elite rugby

Vicky Irwin: Sale Sharks Women have ‘a point to prove’ after RFU retract league snub – UCLan Live

Sale Sharks Women’s player and brand manager Vicky Irwin has described the club’s “relief” at being granted a place in the Allianz Premier 15s next season after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) had initially rejected their application to remain a part of the league.

The Sharks ladies have played in the top division of women’s rugby in England since 2020/21 and are the league’s sole north-west representative, with Darlington Mowden Park Sharks the only other northern-based club.

The RFU released

The Fly

The Fly •

Hustle announce drafted women’s players — The Fly

Hustle can confirm the addition of three new players to our Women’s squad ahead of this summer’s The Fly competition.

Dylan Whittington, Bex Allies and Jane Lee have all been picked to play for Hustle through the women’s team draft, in which Hustle had the No.1 pick.

All three players have experience of playing lacrosse in tournaments worldwide, and Hustle are excited to see their daring, fast and fearless natures in action!

The three drafted players will be hoping to seize the moment with Hu
The Fly •

Hustle announce drafted men’s players — The Fly

Hustle can confirm the addition of five new players to their Men's squad as they look to power through the competition at The Fly 2022.

Casey Hughes, Josh Turner, George Ievers, Josh Hurry and Ryan Lieber have all been picked to play for Hustle through the Men’s team draft.

As the squad continues to strengthen ahead of the four-day competition in June, Men's head coach Alex Carnegie-Brown has said the chosen players suit the "risky and fearless" brand of lacrosse that Hustle aim to play.

"We

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