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Ireland to host England at Aviva Stadium in Six Nations
Ireland will host England at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in the fourth round of the 2027 Women’s Six Nations on 8 May. The fixture follows Ireland’s successful debut at the venue this year and gives the team another major home occasion against the reigning world champions. A record 31,294 spectators watched Ireland beat Scotland 54-5 at…
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Next Generation 2021: why slow and steady sometimes wins the race
The Guardian’s Next Generation series, which identified 80 promising young players in 2021, has yielded contrasting outcomes five years later, demonstrating that early breakthrough does not guarantee lasting success. The story uses two players as a case study to explore how young talent develops at different paces and the unpredictable nature of footballing careers, even…
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Will Pocognoli change keeper after loss to Switzerland?
Scotland lost 3-0 to Switzerland in Sebastien Pocognoli’s first home match as coach, with Jack Hendry’s early red card leaving the team a man down. Angus Gunn was criticised for his part in two goals, prompting questions about whether Pocognoli should change goalkeepers for the coming matches. Pundits Andy Halliday and James McFadden said Gunn…
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State pension double lock due in 2030 may erode pensioners’ spending power
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the triple lock on the state pension would be replaced in 2030 by a “double lock”, which would raise payments by whichever is higher: inflation or 2.5 per cent. The change matters because millions of pensioners rely on the state pension for much of their household income, and the article…
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Trump attacks UK over terror suspects; universities probe assault claims
President Trump has criticised British police after counter-terrorism suspects were released on bail. Bath and Cornell universities face investigations into sexual assault allegations involving students.
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Which footballers scored on their professional debuts?
The article answers whether any footballer has scored with the first touch of their professional career, gathering examples sent in by readers. It distinguishes this from scoring with a first touch for a new club and recalls several players who did it on their professional debuts. Examples include Luke Medley for Bradford in 2007, Raphael…
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The Premier League footballers studying to become sporting directors
Premier League footballers including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall of Everton and Taiwo Awoniyi of Coventry City have graduated from the PFA Business School with postgraduate diplomas in global football sport directorship. The 2026 cohort celebrated their achievement at a ceremony at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, with graduates including several well-known players and former major European honour winners. These…
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£1.2bn on transfers with £830m inflated in accounts – Man City’s ‘asterisk era’
Manchester City have been found guilty of Premier League charges relating to misleading accounts and a “disguised funding scheme” during 2009–18. The ruling has prompted questions about whether the club’s success in that period was achieved within the rules, and some clubs are seeking legal advice about possible compensation. City spent about £1.2bn on transfers…
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A-League opener overshadowed by Manchester City verdict as APL reviews findings
The Premier League’s decision to find Manchester City guilty of 115 breaches of financial rules is overshadowing the start of Australia’s A-League season. Because Manchester City has ownership links to Melbourne City (an A-League club) and board member Simon Pearce connects both organisations to the Australian Professional Leagues, the scandal threatens to damage the reputation…
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Gazan child needs repeated operations as infected air strike wounds worsen
Six-year-old Raseel al-Balawi has undergone more than 20 operations since she was injured in an air strike in Gaza in late July. Her case highlights the struggle to treat severe wounds amid continuing bombardment and the near-total destruction of infrastructure that children and medical services depend on. Witnesses say an Israeli helicopter struck Raseel’s tent…