Diamond hails 'remarkable' resilience at Newcastle
Friday's game against Gloucester marks the final one at Kingston Park for captain Callum Chick and hooker Jamie Blamire, two Newcastle stalwarts, who are heading to Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers respectively next season.It continues a talent drain of homegrown players from the club, which included Adam Radwan's move to the Tigers in mid-season, which Diamond said were all in the best interests of those individuals, given the current circumstances.Newcastle have shipped 130 points in losing their two most recent games away to Bath and Saracens as the gulf between them and the Premiership's best sides has been exposed.But before that they were on the wrong end of close games with Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints. "We should have won at Exeter," said Diamond. "We should have won against Northampton. End of story. "That would have put a completely different slant on our season. It would have been four wins with Gloucester at home to come."
The ex-Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors boss knows his squad is not the most talented in the Premiership, but he said that the shrinkage from 13 to 10 clubs in the league has left them more isolated at the bottom.There should have been a relegation play-off at the end of this campaign but Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders do not meet the criteria for promotion, meaning Newcastle's status quo remains. "What's happened because we've gone from 13 teams to 10, we are the only whipping boys in the league," he said. "There used to be three sides who were like that, so you could always pick up five, six, seven wins. Now there is only us who sides would have down to beat on paper, home and away. "When did that last happen to Newcastle, when teams were afraid of coming up here? That is what we need to change moving forward."
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The Guardian
a few seconds ago
- The Guardian
Euro 2025: our writers hand out their awards from the tournament
England seemed to have lost it once, twice, three times against Sweden on a night of nail-shredding drama that sharpened the sense that destiny had rich bounty in store for Sarina Wiegman's side. It was also the first match, no doubt of many over the coming years, that made a hero of Michelle Agyemang. Nick Ames The final between England and Spain was exactly what I expected from two heavyweights of the game. It was a gladiatorial tactical battle between Spain's possession-loving football and England's defensive diligence. A fitting ending to a brilliant tournament. Sophie Downey France and Germany's quarter-final in Basel, which the Germans won 6-5 in a high-quality penalty shootout, provided compelling drama from start to finish and it was a game that had it all; a mindless red card, disallowed goals, VAR drama and the best save I can ever recall seeing live as Ann-Katrin Berger seemed to defy physics to claw the ball off the line. Ultimately it was a match that saw Germany doggedly progress despite playing 107 minutes of the game with 10 players. It was a remarkable knockout tie. Tom Garry Sweden 2-2 England. That game had just about everything. The prospect of an England comeback felt almost impossible approaching the 80th minute, but within a matter of seconds you just knew that they were going to do it. The drama! Emillia Hawkins Sweden 2-2 England. Everyone will remember the stirring England comeback and the dramatic penalty shootout but this is a game that also deserves to be remembered for Sweden's devastating opening burst, a standard of pulsating attacking football that stands with any produced at this tournament. Jonathan Liew France v Germany. This game had everything. A red card, a penalty, resolute German defending, THAT Ann-Katrin Berger save and a penalty shootout. The fact Germany were the first team at a women's Euros to progress after going down to 10 players showed just how hard they worked. Berger also put in some great saves during the shootout – goalkeeper of the tournament for me. Sarah Rendell It has to be the final doesn't it? England's rollercoaster ride of a tournament concluded in a thrilling showpiece between magical world champions Spain and the Euro holders. It was the final everyone wanted and it delivered. England were battlers, tactically astute and disciplined, Spain were Spain, master technicians on the ball. Suzanne Wrack Hannah Hampton was little known to the wider public a month ago and had replaced a national treasure in Mary Earps between the posts. She left Switzerland having earned the same status by producing exceptional performances of which multiple penalty saves were only part. Calm, composed on the ball and with cat-like reflexes, Hampton deserves every credit. NA Michelle Agyemang. What a player. The 19-year-old was given an opportunity and seized it with both hands. The way she impacted games caught the eye but equally the way she came on in high pressure situations and handled them without panic. Will surely be a star for England for years to come. SD Chloe Kelly made a gamechanging impact in all three of England's knockout ties and therefore has to win this, in my eyes, although the best technical footballer was Aitana Bonmatí. Kelly came up clutch in the big moments, whether it was with her two lethal crosses to create England's two quickfire goals in their comeback against Sweden, or her lively performance and late winner against Italy, or her assist for England's equaliser in the final followed by her nerveless, title-clinching penalty. TG Aitana Bonmatí. It's crazy to think that she was hospitalised with viral meningitis just days before Euro 2025 started. Another great tournament for the midfielder despite the penalty miss at the end. EH Patri Guijarro has been the standout player for Spain at this tournament, the one who makes everything work: absorbing pressure, providing an outlet in buildup, creating space, creating angles and snuffing out counterattacks. JL Honourable mentions must go to Klara Bühl and Iman Beney who were incredible but for me it has to be Lucy Bronze. The defender started every game and played 598 minutes for England in total and the performances, particularly her leadership and skill against Sweden, were crucial to the Lionesses retaining the trophy. The fact she did all that with a fractured tibia is unbelievable and she once again lived up to one of her middle names: 'Tough'. SR Aitana Bonmatí may have scooped player of the tournament but, for me, it was her midfield companion Patri Guijarro that deserves all the plaudits. She became the second player on record, since the 2011 World Cup, to have completed 100-plus passes and won possession more than 10 times in a knockout stage game at a major tournament – after the Denmark great Katrine Pedersen. SW We can quibble over Ann-Katrin Berger's positioning all we like, but for sheer did-she-really-try-that at such a knife-edge point in Spain's semi-final against Germany, the winner from Aitana Bonmatí stands above them all. NA Cristiana Girelli's wonder strike against Portugal. The 35-year-old always delivers for Italy and did so in spectacular fashion on this occasion. SD Clàudia Pina's curler into the top corner against Belgium takes this for me, although her near-identical finish against Switzerland in the quarter-final was almost equally worthy. We should also throw more praise at Vivianne Miedema's strike against Wales and Lauren James' superb first-half goal against the Netherlands. TG Lauren James v Netherlands. Not necessarily just because of the strike – which was great in itself – but also because of the buildup. That long pass from Hannah Hampton through to Alessia Russo in attack was absolutely exquisite. EH Vivianne Miedema v Wales. Not just the screaming finish into the top corner from distance, but the quick feet and clever body feints to create the space for herself. JL Clàudia Pina had a fine tournament and her goal against Belgium was an absolute stunner. It was similar to the rocket she scored against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final. A sensational strike from outside the box. SR There may have been prettier goals this tournament but the context of Michelle Agyemang's equaliser against Italy made it all the more remarkable. At just 19 years old, with less than a minute left of added time and with England 1-0 down and facing an exit from the tournament, the coolness with which the Arsenal forward scored through the legs of both a defender and the keeper was stunning. The celebrations also birthed one of the photos of the tournament, Girls on the Ball's Rachel O'Sullivan's renaissance-painting-esque shot capturing the celebrations of the bench and players' families. SW I loved being present in Geneva, where the best and loudest atmospheres materialised, for Switzerland's dramatic draw with Finland. The roof blew off when Riola Xhemaili equalised, sending the hosts through to the last eight, and it felt like a genuinely transformational moment in the country's relationship with women's football. NA Obviously, England lifting the trophy but I feel incredibly lucky to get to work major tournaments with some of the best in the business. The way we all pulled together to help each other this last month is what it is all about. SD When Riola Xhemaili scored a 92nd-minute goal to send Switzerland into the knockout stages, I was watching the action on a screen that evidently had around a 10-second delay compared to other televisions, and therefore hearing the roar – before actually seeing the goal myself – of noise and cheers echoing all around the streets of Zurich, as an entire city was glued to the game and celebrating joyously, was a sound I'll never forget. That was the moment I fully appreciated how emotionally-invested the host nation had become into their women's football team, which was really heartening. TG Michelle Agyemang's goal v Italy. From the verge of heartbreak to absolute ecstasy. The fact a 19-year-old kept England's hopes alive on just her fourth appearance for the senior team, four years after she was a ball girl, is incredible. EH Getting recognised by Ellen White's husband at half-time during the final. Happy to report Ellen and Callum are both avid Guardian readers. JL Michelle Agyemang became a star overnight with her equaliser against Sweden but the fact she did it again against Italy was quite something. The roar when she was shown on the big screen getting ready to come on in the final shows what she already means to England fans. A special summer for a special player. SR The interaction with the players. Many of them know that some of us have been on this journey with them for a very long time. It's been an incredible privilege to tell their stories and this tournament had stories in abundance. The jokes, the looks, the interviews. They are a very likeable group. SW Resource and attention need to be concentrated on countries that risk being left behind. England, Germany, France and Spain – for all their specific local issues – are going to be just fine. It is time to make sure clubs and national teams outside the leading pack are equipped to develop in both sporting and economic terms: 'The head must not leave the body', as a number of top Uefa executives are fond of saying. NA Just more of everything. More investment, more coverage, more fans, more viewership. The sky is the limit at the moment. SD The next Euros in 2029 needs to feature larger stadiums to try to surpass a million spectators, and there are some strong contenders with Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and a joint Denmark-Sweden bid all in the running. In England, the challenge now has to be to improve the grassroots facilities for girls and women across the country and make sure the huge influx of young girls who have taken up the sport in the past few years can be retained within the sport into their teenage years and adult lives, for a long-lasting legacy. Lastly, the Women's Super League needs to capitalise on the national team's success by reversing last season's decline in average attendances. TG It's been fantastic to see how Switzerland as a nation has embraced women's football this summer. Hopefully we see the same with other nations. Given the success of the Lionesses once again this year it would also be great to see a steady increase in TV viewing figures and attendances across England. EH This is a thornier question than it appears. Huge levels of interest at big events do not necessarily translate to mass appeal at domestic or grassroots level. But as long as the funding is there (and fairly distributed), and as long as the institutional will to grow the game remains (looking at you, Jim Ratcliffe and Daniel Levy), we can anticipate another few years of cautious, optimistic growth. JL Hopefully this Euros win will see attendances in the WSL rise again and for other leagues across Europe to reap the same reward with most teams impressing one way or another at the tournament. But the next step now is to focus on and celebrate the football and the players. This Euros win for the Lionesses felt like it was all about the football rather than having to prove something to others. SR The sky's the limit. The impact of the win in 2022 was evident in the support for England this time round. That will be elevated again. This team has changed the face of women's football and society for the better. Their platform is bigger than ever and there can be little doubt that they will take full advantage of that increased authority to challenge things and fight for more for women and girls. SW
Times
12 minutes ago
- Times
India's Gautam Gambhir clashes with Oval groundsman before fifth Test
The India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated altercation with Surrey's head groundsman during the team's training session at the Kia Oval on Tuesday morning. Gambhir was seen pointing his finger at Lee Fortis and shouting 'you can't tell us what to do'. Fortis responded and eventually the pair were separated by Sitanshu Kotak, India's batting coach, and other members of support staff. The Times understands that the argument arose because India had wheeled their bags over an area of the square that was being prepared for future matches and that the team had encroached out of the area set aside on the outfield for their training session. Surrey are hosting 60 days of cricket at the Oval this summer and the groundstaff were trying to protect the square before the fifth Test, which begins on Thursday, and for future fixtures, including five days of Hundred matches, a limited-overs match against South Africa in September and several home Surrey matches. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Kotak defended the India head coach and his players, saying they had done nothing wrong, and accused Fortis of being 'not the easiest person to deal with'. 'When we were having a conversation near the pitch, they had sent a man to send a message for us to stay 2.5m away from the pitch,' he said. 'What he said about the head coach is his opinion and I don't want to comment. We did nothing wrong, we were wearing rubber spikes. 'None of the bowlers were even wearing spikes. You can be protective, but not arrogant. [The pitch] is not an antique that you can't touch. He said, 'We are trying to grow the grass.' At the end of the day, it's a cricket pitch.' Fortis was asked by India reporters at the ground about the flare-up but did not expand on what caused the row, although he suggested that Gambhir had been 'touchy'. 'There's quite a big game coming up,' Fortis said. 'You saw what he [Gambhir] was like this morning. You'll have to ask him. There's no side to the story. I'm OK, we've nothing to hide here. It does look a bit like you're ganging up on me. If you turn the cameras round and show what this is.' India have confirmed that they will not be lodging a formal complaint against Surrey or Fortis. England take a 2-1 lead to the Oval, the final Test in what has been a heated series with a number of flashpoints. Late on the third day of the third Test at Lord's Shubman Gill accused England of not playing in the spirit of cricket after what they perceived as deliberate time-wasting tactics, which resulted in the India captain telling Zak Crawley to 'grow some f***ing balls'. That tension spilt over into the fourth Test at Old Trafford when England were annoyed by India declining the offer of an early handshake by Ben Stokes to end the match in a draw, with the visiting side wanting to bat on to allow Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to reach centuries. Stokes has since been accused of being petulant by some commentators and pundits, who have argued that India were perfectly within their rights to bat on. There is nothing within the regulations that says teams have to accept the draw with an hour of play still left in the match, even though that option is on offer. Gambhir is under pressure as India's head coach after a string of poor results — since he took over, India have won only two and lost eight of 12 Tests and his future may hang on the result of this final Test. If India can win and draw the series that will be seen as a good result for the touring side, but if they lose and therefore lose the series, it will be a third consecutive Test series defeat. Fifth Test, the OvalThursday, 11amTV Sky Sports Cricket/Main Event
Channel 4
30 minutes ago
- Channel 4
Lionesses parade through London crowds after Euros victory
Tens of thousands of England fans turned out in central London this afternoon to cheer on the Lionesses who celebrated their Euro 2025 victory with an open top bus parade. Jubilant supporters cheered and waved England flags as the team drove past on their way to a ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. Captain Leah Williamson declared their story was 'not done yet'. Producer: Ed Gove Editor: Einab Leshetz
