‘An outstanding person’: tributes paid to former Team GB footballer Gemma Wiseman

Wiseman, who has died at the age of 33, represented England and Great Britain’s deaf women’s teams

Tributes have been paid to former Team GB footballer Gemma Wiseman after her death at the age of 33.

Wiseman represented England and Great Britain’s deaf women’s teams and helped guide GB to third place at the 2016 World Deaf Football Championships.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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‘T-shirt row’ causes Saudi Arabia-based Turkish Super Cup final to be postponed

  • Galatasaray and Fenerbahce were set to play in Riyadh on Friday
  • Tribute to founder of modern Turkey was reportedly rejected

The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Friday was postponed over what the clubs have described as “some problems” in the event’s organisation.

At the heart of those issues, according to media reports, was the wish of the two teams to wear T-shirts featuring the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during the warm-up before the evening kick-off.

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British Asian man sues Liverpool FC over racial discrimination

Asad Farooq, 25, claims club rejected his job application in favour of someone less experienced

A British Asian man is suing Liverpool Football Club, claiming it racially discriminated against him by rejecting his application for a job in favour of someone less experienced.

Asad Farooq, 25, has a degree in stadium and event management, and has worked for Tottenham Hotspur and at the Qatar World Cup, but was not invited for an interview when he applied to Liverpool in November last year for a job in administration.

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Blair was keen to relocate Wimbledon FC to Belfast in late 1990s, papers show

Then PM thought move ‘would be excellent’ but Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam was sceptical

Newly released state papers show that the former prime minister Tony Blair backed proposals for Wimbledon FC to move to Belfast but his Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam was more sceptical.

Previously confidential state papers include a note from 1997 described as “following up earlier informal discussions about the possibility of an English Premier League football club relocating to Belfast”.

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Police investigating alleged racist remark aimed at Luton’s Carlton Morris

  • Luton confirm South Yorkshire police are looking into incident
  • Morris spoke to officials during team’s win at Sheffield United

Luton Town have confirmed South Yorkshire police are investigating an alleged racist comment towards Carlton Morris in his side’s Boxing Day win at Sheffield United.

“We can confirm that Carlton Morris reported an alleged racist comment from the crowd during this afternoon’s Premier League fixture at Bramall Lane,” a club statement said.

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Businessman who tried to buy Sheffield United accused of ‘elaborate’ fraud

US watchdog sues Dozy Mmobuosi for allegedly faking documents and making up companies out of ‘thin air’

A Nigerian businessman who appeared to be closing in on a takeover of the Premier League football club Sheffield United is being sued by the US financial watchdog for a fraud, in which he is alleged to have faked documents and made up companies out of “thin air”.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Monday it had filed charges against Dozy Mmobuosi, claiming he inflated his companies’ financial performance by hundreds of millions of dollars to defraud investors.

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Bournemouth v Luton abandoned after Tom Lockyer suffers cardiac arrest

Premier League match halted and Luton Town captain was taken away on a stretcher, described as ‘alert and responsive’

Luton’s Premier League match at Bournemouth on Saturday was abandoned after their captain, Tom Lockyer, collapsed on the pitch after a cardiac arrest.

The match was stopped in the 59th minute as medics tended to Lockyer, who collapsed off the ball.

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‘I need mum and dad here’: the charity helping young Afghan footballers reunite with relatives

The Refugee Council is welcoming those who fled the Taliban and providing legal advice on resettlement in the UK

Donate to our charity appeal here

Two years on from their arrival in South Yorkshire, young footballers Elaha Safdari, Najma Arifi and Narges Mayeli are still baffled by the array of regional accents in the UK. “I’m always like, ‘Pardon? Can you please repeat? What did you say?’” laughs Arifi, now 20.

This barrier is only a minor hurdle for the trio, who were forced to flee for their lives when the west pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

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Man jailed for six months after racially abusing Rio Ferdinand at football match

Jamie Arnold, 33, made racist remarks and gestures at former England defender, who was working as a TV pundit, court heard

A football fan who racially abused the former England international Rio Ferdinand has been jailed for six months and banned from watching live matches for seven years.

Jamie Arnold, 33, uttered racist remarks and made monkey gestures at the former Manchester United defender, who was working as a pundit for BT Sport, a court heard.

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Footballer Ravel Morrison fined £1,000 for using dead person’s blue badge

Ex-Manchester United player pleaded guilty to using disabled person’s parking permit he said he bought for £50 in Old Trafford

Ravel Morrison, the former Manchester United footballer, has been convicted of fraud after being caught using a deceased person’s blue badge to park.

During his interview under caution, the 30-year-old had claimed he had bought the badge from “someone in Old Trafford” for £50. Morrison, of Westbrook, Warrington, was subsequently charged with one count of fraud.

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Cristiano Ronaldo faces US$1bn lawsuit for promoting Binance NFTs

Class-action lawsuit alleges footballer’s promotion of world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange was ‘deceptive and unlawful’

Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with a class-action lawsuit seeking at least $US1bn in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related “non-fungible tokens,” or NFTs, issued by the beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida on Monday alleges the footballer’s promotion of Binance was “deceptive and unlawful”.

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Dozens of Wales fans arrested in Armenia before Euro 2024 qualifier

Foreign Office says it is supporting families after 32 Wales football fans arrested in Yerevan

More than 30 Wales football fans have been arrested in Armenia before Saturday’s European Championship qualifier in Yerevan.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) confirmed that 32 supporters had been arrested in the Armenian capital and that the Foreign Office was involved.

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Football fan gets suspended sentence after mocking mascot Bradley Lowery

Dale Houghton taunted Sunderland fans with picture on his phone of young supporter who died in 2017

A football fan who mocked mascot Bradley Lowery during a match against the youngster’s favourite team has been given a suspended sentence by a judge who said his actions were “utterly appalling” and “disgraceful”.

During a match at Hillsborough stadium in September, the Sheffield Wednesday fan Dale Houghton, 32, taunted Sunderland fans with a picture on his phone of Bradley, who died in 2017.

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Matildas star Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis confirm they are engaged

The pair confirmed the news in a US magazine after weeks of speculation fuelled by Mewis wearing a large diamond ring

The Australian football star Sam Kerr is engaged to her partner and fellow professional player, Kristie Mewis.

Mewis confirmed the news in People magazine, after several weeks of speculation fuelled in part by social posts featuring her wearing a diamond ring on her engagement finger.

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Rebel group claims military action delaying release of Luis Díaz’s father

  • Liverpool player’s father kidnapped in Colombia
  • Group warns military in local area putting him at risk

The rebel group holding Luis Díaz’s father claims military action in the local area is not only delaying the release of their hostage but putting him at risk. Díaz’s parents were kidnapped more than a week ago – his mother was freed quickly – and despite pledges from the National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN) to expedite the return of Díaz Sr, it is taking longer than expected.

“On November 2, we informed the country of the decision to release Mr Luis Manuel Díaz, father of the player Luis Díaz,” said a statement, signed by the unit leader, Commander Jose Manuel Martinez Quiroz.

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Saudi Arabia confirmed as sole bidder for 2034 men’s football World Cup

  • Fifa urged to pull plug if human rights commitments not met
  • Second World Cup in the Gulf in 12 years all but a formality

Saudi Arabia was confirmed on Tuesday as the sole bidder to host the 2034 men’s World Cup, raising concerns over Fifa’s ability to deliver on its human rights commitments.

After Australia decided against a bid, having been given a 25-day deadline by Fifa to express interest after the deadline was unexpectedly brought forward to 4pm GMT on Tuesday, the prospect of a second World Cup in the Gulf within 12 years is all but a formality. The lack of a competitive tender and the alacrity with which the process has been conducted, however, have prompted alarm among human rights groups. Amnesty International called on Fifa to pull the plug if human rights commitments were not fulfilled.

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Mohamed Salah makes donation and calls for aid to be allowed into Gaza

  • Striker said to have made significant donation
  • ‘The people of Gaza need food and supplies urgently’

Mohamed Salah has appealed for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza after making a donation to help those affected by Israeli air strikes.

The Egypt and Liverpool striker, one of the highest-profile Muslim footballers in the world, made the donation to the Egyptian Red Crescent on Sunday. The amount was undisclosed but is said to be significant.

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Swedish and Belgian PMs lay wreaths for Brussels terror victims

Questions raised about how attacker slipped through net to kill two football fans heading to Euro 2024 qualifier

The Swedish and Belgian prime ministers have paid tribute to two Swedish men shot dead by a gunman in Brussels on Monday night, as authorities scrambled to work out how the attacker had slipped through the net.

In Brussels on Wednesday, the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, took part in a brief ceremony for the victims, laying wreaths and a Swedish football scarf and jersey among bouquets of flowers.

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Nice suspend Youcef Atal for social media post on Israel-Hamas war

  • Club suspend defender Atal ‘until further notice’
  • El Ghazi also suspended by Mainz for pro-Palestinian post

Youcef Atal was suspended by Nice for a social media post about the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ligue 1 club said on Wednesday.

The Algerian international, who has been at the Ligue 1 side since 2018, has since deleted the post. He had been on international duty and was summoned to speak with the club as soon as he returned.

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Zimbabwe women’s football coach in custody after indecent assault claim

  • Shadreck Mlauzi arrested after return from tournament
  • Female staff member reported allegations to Harare police

The coach of the Zimbabwe women’s football team has been remanded in police custody after being accused of indecent assault against a female member of staff during an international tournament.

Shadreck Mlauzi, who was reappointed as coach at the end of last month having previously guided Zimbabwe to the 2016 Olympics, was arrested on Tuesday after returning to Harare from the Council of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) women’s championship in South Africa.

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