North west counties football league division one

Hartlepool United , the club where Brian Clough started his managerial career and which survived re-election a record 14 times, saw their 96-year stay in the Football League end in heartbreaking fashion when Mark O’Brien’s 89th-minute winner kept Newport County up and relegated the north‑east club. On a dramatic afternoon, two goals in nine minutes from the 18-year-old substitute Devante Rodney looked to have saved Hartlepool , turning a 1-0 deficit at home to Doncaster into a 2-1 lead. Matthew Bates’s side had started the day in the relegation zone and two points behind Newport but with the south Wales side drawing 1-1 against Notts County at Rodney Parade, Rodney’s strikes, the first of his professional career, seemed to have rescued them. However, with the home fans in the 6,799 crowd at the Victoria Ground preparing to celebrate a great escape, a cross dropped to O’Brien in the Notts County penalty area and the Irish central defender turned to fire past Adam Collin, … [Read more...] about Mark O’Brien’s late goal saves Newport County and sends Hartlepool down

“Which football clubs have been sponsored by news organisations and have they ever played a game against another team, also sponsored by a news organisation?” ponders Rich Cunningham. Roger Thomas has twiddled his dial and tuned in to provide the first answer for this one. “In the 1983-84 season Reading were sponsored by Radio 210, a local station serving the city. The sponsorship had to be stopped because of regulations banning numbers on shirts due to the risk of confusing them with the players’ shirt number. Radio 210 had pop music, news bulletins and some decent presenters. The voices of Steve Wright, Mike Reid and Bob Harris could be heard on the Berkshire airwaves before they found national fame.” Justin Horton reminds us of the late Robert Maxwell’s involvement at Oxford United. “They have twice been sponsored by newspapers: in 1981-82 by the Sunday Journal and for much of 1984-85 by the Sunday People , the latter of course then owned by the late Maxwell whose name … [Read more...] about Which football clubs have had news organisations as their shirt sponsors?

Wayne Rooney and Derby’s entire first-team squad will miss the FA Cup tie at Chorley on Saturday following the coronavirus outbreak which has closed their training ground. It is understood Derby will field a team of under-23 and under-18 players. FA Cup rules state that clubs are expected to fulfil their fixtures if they have 14 eligible players available – including from the under-23 and under-18 squads – though there is scope for appeal. A number of first-team players and staff returned positive tests for Covid-19 on Monday, with the club’s training facilities subsequently closed. The fixture at Victory Park has been selected for live TV coverage and is scheduled to kick-off at 12.15pm GMT. Derby’s academy director, Darren Wassall, is expected to take charge and may be without several members of the under-23 squad who have trained with the first team in recent days. The development increases the chances of the National League North side causing an upset but their manager, … [Read more...] about Derby County to field youth players at Chorley after Covid outbreak

Dover’s chairman, Jim Parmenter, has threatened to “cease football operations” and place all of the club’s staff on furlough this week if the National League continues without funding. The 66 clubs in the National League, National League North and National League South began the season in October on the understanding that initial grant funding would continue into 2021 if fans were not allowed to attend matches. However, this has not been the case. At the beginning of the month, National League clubs were given four weeks to vote on the status of the season. In a statement, Parmenter said: “I am really concerned that the current direction of travel will force clubs to take financial risks they would not otherwise take, and I am determined that Dover Athletic will not be one of those clubs. “We play football for our fans and our community and in their absence, I can see no logic in burdening the club with hundreds of thousands of pounds of debt to … [Read more...] about Dover’s chairman Jim Parmenter threatens to ‘cease football operations’

POLICE have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of racially abusing West Brom's Romaine Sawyers on social media. The Premier League club contacted West Midlands Police on Friday morning to report the incident. And the constabulary took to Twitter last night to confirm someone was being held. West Midlands Police said: "We’ve arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing West Bromwich Albion player Romaine Sawyers online. "The 49-year-old man from Kingswinford was this evening taken into police custody for questioning. "Our dedicated football hate crime officer is also investigating another report of a racist comment towards the same footballer. "We will not tolerate racism." Sawyers, 29, was targeted online during the midweek defeat to Manchester City. The Baggies midfielder, from Birmingham, played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday as Sam Allardyce's side lost 5-0 when he was attacked with a vile message. West Brom said on Friday morning: " West … [Read more...] about Police arrest man, 49, on suspicion of racially abusing West Brom’s Romaine Sawyers on social media during Man City loss