TikToker to host fan zone at Southend v Oldham Wembley final
Up to 50,000 fans will travel to Wembley for the match, which will mark the end of a turbulent few years for Blues fans who have backed their team through financial turmoil and the threat of extinction.Alexis told BBC Essex: "I think it's fair to say I don't think any Southend supporter thought they'd be in this position at the start of the year, even mid-way through the year. "I think we can go to Wembley with nothing to lose."Alexis said he had been "manifesting" tickets for Sunday's clash after failing to secure a seat.The matchday capacity was initially limited because of the closure of Wembley Park Tube station for engineering works.When the Shrimpers first got in touch, he "thought it would be filming something at Roots Hall… but for some reason I knew I'd end up at Wembley on Sunday".
The content creator said he started posting videos on TikTok about 18 months ago and documented a trip to Thailand earlier this year.Things "just fell into place" when he returned to Essex with his videos amassing 1.7 million likes.He said he filmed a lot of content in Leigh-on-Sea, which he called LOS, because it was "probably one of the best places in Essex, if not the best place"."A few people started saying LOS to me when I walked past them, and I was like, 'right, I'm the LOS man now, that's me'."Asked about the future, he said he had no plans to leave his career in finance, adding: "There's no end goal. Let's just keep seeing where things go, inspiring people and making people laugh."
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The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
How Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly exposed the big lie at the heart of football
At its best, sport delivers drama like nothing else. Unexpected twists, reversals of fortune, the upending of expectation: all of the playwright's principal weapons are on display on the cricket pitch, the rugby field or the athletics track. But the Lionesses seem to have embraced the dramatic with a gusto that few have matched before. Nothing comes easy for these English footballers. Everything is left to the last minute. For them, the straightforward is always to be spurned. And how we have embraced their approach. Eight million of us tuned in to ITV to watch them play Italy in the Euros semi-final last night. By the end, as Chloe Kelly once again delivered the coup de grace as she had three years ago when they won the tournament on home soil, the pundit Ian Wright was by no means alone in his vigorous celebratory cavort around the ITV studio: all eight million of us were leaping from our sofas as one, united in delighted relief. We all went doolally. But until that moment of nationwide release, how they toyed with our nerves, ratcheting up the tension at every turn. Up against a brave, resilient but far less talented Italian team, England's women first fell behind, then waited until the last possible moment to equalise through the substitute Michelle Agyemang, who had only been on the pitch for seven minutes. Even Kelly's winner was not exactly uncomplicated: having seen her penalty brilliantly saved by the Italy goalkeeper, she was obliged to snaffle the rebound. Her celebration, miming that we should all just calm down, there was no need to panic, she was in control, was a lovely summation of the Lionesses' way: they get there in the end. It is almost as if Serena Wiegman and her team need to embrace jeopardy before they can express themselves. For so much of this Euros tournament, they have been off kilter, playing well below their potential. They are the holders, after all. In the quarter final against Sweden, like Italy, another side with little of England's resources and financial backing, they had to turn things around after an abject start. Again, they needed Kelly and Agyemang to deliver a late rescue act from the bench. Even their one convincing win against Holland earlier in the tournament was the product of necessity: having lost their first group game to France, they had to win in order to avoid the ignominy of being the first holders ever to be ejected from the competition before the knockout rounds. Like their male counterparts in last summer's Euros, they may have stuttered and staggered along the way, drawing vituperative criticism for their tactics and the manager's selections, but they have made it to the final. As they have done so, they have once again refuted many of the wearisome misogynistic prejudices that have for so long stalked women's sport in this country. And still do in Italy, where news of their women's defeat in the semi-final is down at the bottom of the front page of La Gazzetta dello Sport 's website, well below updates on the Italian Fantasy Football League. Sure, they may not be as quick or strong as the blokes, but that comparison is a pointless irrelevance when the drama they embrace is as intense as this. Like every drama, this one is all the more compelling because of the characters involved. Take 19-year-old churchgoer Agyemang, who has only ever played four times for her club Arsenal, yet across just 103 minutes of time on the pitch for her country has now scored three times. That is the kind of record that makes Erling Haaland look goal-shy. Then there's Lucy Bronze, the titan of a defender who defied age and injury to smash home the decisive penalty in the shootout against Sweden. Or Hannah Hampton, the smiling goalkeeper who proved with her magnificent save in extra time against Italy, that she deserves to have usurped her predecessor, the stalwart Mary Earps. Maybe, after seeing her in action last night, Nike might feel it worth their while to market a Hampton replica shirt in the way they initially refused to do with Earps's piece of kit. The demand will, without question, be there. Every little girl watching her throw herself into action will want to pull on a Hampton jersey. And many a little boy too. And pay is still much lower than men. While The Football Association agreed a record bonus package with England's Lionesses worth up to £1.7m if they retain their European Championship title this summer, Gareth Southgate's squad would have shared a bonus pot of about £9.6m had they won the European Championship final against Spain last summer. In total, England's women receive roughly one-fifth to one-tenth of what the men earn – largely due to smaller prize pots, less commercial revenue, and historical underinvestment – lest we forget women's football was banned in England from 1921 to 1971 on FA pitches. But while this historical legacy has stunted institutional backing and funding, with rising fan support, this is changing. Because the Lionesses have become part of the national story. They may be paid less, but we are all invested, we are all committed and we are all behind them. What they have proven is that, against apparent assumption, the English are quite good at things. Though for the collective nerve, it might be as well if, on Sunday, when they play the final, they could simply score early and cut out all the concern. Just do it the easy way. With these women, however, you suspect that won't happen. These are, after all, queens of drama.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
England are out of lives - but there are three reasons latest final goes beyond luck
They may have already used their nine lives, but England are through to their third consecutive major tournament final at Euro 2025. Yes, England have been extremely fortunate to make it this far, requiring miraculous escapes to defeat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages and overcome sub-par performances. But if the Lionesses have had luck on their side, there is no denying that reaching another final is an impressive achievement - one that is unprecedented in England's history. Sarina Wiegman 's run of finals is even longer, with the Dutch coach extending her streak to five Euros or World Cup finals in a row with the Netherlands and England. Wiegman was asked for her secret after England's dramatic semi-final victory over Italy and replied with a laugh: 'I'm the lucky one. I can't believe it myself.' She gave the credit to her players, coaching staff and the support of the English and Dutch federations - but Wiegman has also played a role in extending her tournament record. And even if a lot of Wiegman's decision-making at the Euros has justifiably come under question, her approach is built on process and the results are hard to dispute. Empowering her players England's togetherness and the unity of the squad has been a key part of their run to the final. Before the tournament began, England's players were encouraged to open up to each other and share their 'why' - their reason being at the tournament. Forward Lauren Hemp said a shared understanding of every players' journey into people 'connects us more as a team' while captain Leah Williamson said: 'You have to know those things about each other for when times get tough.' Wiegman has also encouraged her players to share tough moments with each other, with Beth Mead explaining: "I think we've made ourselves very vulnerable. I think that gives us so much more togetherness, so much more trust of each other.' During the Euros, Mead has shared how she and Ella Toone have supported each other while they are both grieving the loss of a parent, while the Lionesses also came together to call for action after Jess Carter revealed she had been suffering racist abuse online. 'She [Wiegman] empowers us, which I think is important,' Williamson said. 'Especially coming from a woman. She sees us, gives us space to be ourselves and encourages us to be better - and really does encourage us to be better - in a positive way.' Lucy Bronze spoke of how England are able to 'lift each other up' and their resilience has been required when bouncing back from their opening defeat to France or coming from behind to beat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages. The term 'proper England' has been used throughout the tournament and part of that is Wiegman wanting 'our behaviours and how we want to support each other' to contribute to the team environment, believing that it makes a difference when under pressure. There have been many times during the Euros where a team that has previously tasted success could have folded. But England's togetherness, built through their vulnerability, has helped them push through even when they are not playing their best. Building a winning culture They can't keep getting away with it, right? But the more late goals England score, the more their ability to win by any means possible becomes self-fulfilling. Italy and Sweden both left the Euros with regrets after being unable to finish England off. 'We've shown that multiple times,' Wiegman said after the semi-final. England are winning games in a very different way to Euro 2022, with slow starts and a lack of urgency a frequent theme, but the legacy of their super-subs from that tournament has lived on at Euro 2025. The role of England's bench - and the 'positive clickers' - has been instrumental again throughout . The fact Wiegman has already led England to a major trophy by using her squad in this way ensures that everyone buys in. 'It just becomes more natural,' Wiegman explained when discussing her approach at the start of the Euros. 'You have set the tone at the beginning of how you want things. And then you hope that things become organic and everyone knows how it works. When new players and new staff members come in, they just straight away come into the environment and everyone knows how it is and they grow and adapt to it naturally.' Wiegman's standards remain high and Leah Williamson explained: 'She's a winner, she's very competitive, even when it comes to darts. She has that edge to her.' Wiegman said there was 'relief' after narrowly avoiding defeat against Italy but said: 'We never give up. We say we can win by any means. Against Sweden, with the penalty shoot-out, we were a bit lucky that they missed. Tonight we were going for that goal but it gave us something, too. This team just keeps going." In-game changes and staying calm Wiegman defended the timing of her substitutes against Italy after what appeared to be an agonising wait to bring on Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang following their decisive contributions against Sweden. With Beth Mead replacing the injured Lauren James at half time, Kelly came on for Georgia Stanway in the 74th minute with Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones swapping on for Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson in the 85th. "In the second half we were in their half, played well and created some chances. That's why we waited,' Wiegman said afterwards, but it still felt like a long time to persist with an approach that Italy looked comfortable dealing with - particularly when the impact of Kelly and Agyemang was so obvious when they did eventually come on. Ultimately, Wiegman's changes worked because England won the game - and the Lionesses have now scored five goals from substitutes at Euro 2025, the most in the tournament. It should be pointed out, though, that England's bench is one of the strongest at the Euros, with much more depth than the options available to Sweden and Italy. Wiegman's attacking substitutes towards the end of normal time meant that England, once again, ended up with players who were out of position. Beth Mead dropped into attacking midfield while Lauren Hemp put in a shift at left-back during extra time as England piled numbers forward. Wiegman, though, has guided her improvised team through different chapters of the game, particularly after England have found an equaliser but still have an unbalanced line-up on the pitch. 'You try and get that information onto your team-mates quickly and we adapt, and I think that's probably the difference that sets us apart probably sometimes at the moment tactically,' Beth Mead said after the quarter-final. 'If we can get it right, how does [the opponent] keep up with all those changes? I think that works quite well for us. 'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Mead added. 'There's method in the madness.' Perhaps England fans need to keep the faith as well before the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Liam Dawson ends long wait for Test wicket as England make inroads after lunch
Liam Dawson bagged a first Test wicket in nearly 3,000 days before England captain Ben Stokes dismissed India counterpart Shubman Gill at Emirates Old Trafford. Handed a fourth Test cap eight years after his third because of an injury to fellow spinner Shoaib Bashir, slow left-armer Dawson drew the edge of Yashasvi Jaiswal on the opening day of the fourth Test. India went to tea on 149 for three after Stokes got a leg-before verdict over Gill, whose arrival at the crease drew jeers from the crowd, seemingly becoming public enemy number one having accused England of acting against the 'spirit' of the game last time out at Lord's. After the antagonism between the teams at the home of cricket, where England moved 2-1 ahead in the five-match Rothesay series, tensions were cooler on Wednesday, where Gill called incorrectly as India lost their 14th toss in a row – a statistical improbability rated at 16,384 to one. India's openers had better fortune when play got under way, with Jaiswal twice edging Chris Woakes' first over but, to the bowler's chagrin, both dropped short of the slip cordon. Woakes in particular gave Jaiswal a thorough working-over and, while the young left-hander was judicious outside his off-stump, there were multiple occasions where the ball whistled past his outside edge. Rahul was unruffled, moving past 400 runs in the series and 1,000 in England, while the only breakthrough the hosts managed in a wicketless first session was Woakes breaking Jaiswal's bat handle. Jaiswal showed largely excellent restraint but did flash at the wayward Brydon Carse, agonisingly wide of third slip, before later carving Stokes away for six in the penultimate over before lunch. Woakes got some overdue reward 20 minutes after the resumption when Rahul fenced off the back foot but succeeded only in edging to Zak Crawley at third slip, leaving the opener to trudge off for 46. Jaiswal did go to a battling fifty but, on 58, he pushed hard to Dawson's seventh ball of his comeback, undone by a hint of drift and a lack of spin as an edge was gobbled up by lone slip Harry Brook. Dawson dashed off in a frenzied celebration after claiming his first Test wicket since dismissing former South Africa batter Hashim Amla 2,929 days ago at Trent Bridge. Gill's arrival led to a smattering of boos but he blocked out the noise and showed more intent against Dawson, advancing and thumping him for four, albeit just over the head of a leaping Stokes at mid-on. The recalled Sai Sudharsan, one of three changes to India's line-up from Lord's, was put down on 20 by Jamie Smith, who was hit on the chest after Stokes had got a leg-side strangle. Stokes had more luck in his next over after brushing the front pad of Gill, who paid the price for shouldering arms to a trademark inswinger as he departed for 12 to give England a third wicket of the session.
