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Daily Record
13 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies 'working around the clock' to sort transfer embargo, says John Rankin
The Lanarkshire side went down 2-1 to Dunfermline last night as they continued to field trialists Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin insists the club are working 'around the clock' to get the club's transfer embargo lifted and admits fans aren't getting to see their true team for this season. The club have been under a transfer embargo since they were hit with a 15-point deduction in April for breaching multiple SPFL rules, which ultimately relegated them from the Championship last season. The SPFL have refused to comment on how long the embargo will last and Accies insist they remain in the dark themselves. Under SPFL rules, a transfer embargo is automatically imposed when a club fails to pay its players or taxes on time. And with the League One campaign fast approaching, Rankin says the club are doing their utmost to sort the issue. Following a 2-1 defeat at Dunfermline in the Premier Sports Cup last night, Rankin said: "I don't know how close we are to the embargo lifting. I've just got to make sure that we put a team on the pitch that is competitive. "I am desperate to get bodies in and strengthen the squad. We have a really good nucleus but we need strength in numbers. We need that done as soon as possible because right now we look good for 60-70 minutes and then other teams have a stronger bench. "The people upstairs are trying their hardest to make sure we can get this done, and I take my hat off to them because they are working around the clock to get this done. "I don't know what the hold up is but we just want it lifted. "We want the strongest Hamilton team on the pitch and we are not getting to see that right now. We are listing trialists right now and making sure we can get as many minutes into players as we can. We are in danger of getting players injured because certain players are playing too many minutes. "From a player welfare point of view, it's not great but we need to get through these games and make sure we are ready for the league campaign." Accies went down in Dunfermline to a 70th minute Lee Kilday own goal, just seconds after Oli Shaw had cancelled out Andy Tod's 39th minute opener for the Pars. It ended Accies' slim hopes of reaching the last 16 and Rankin was frustrated by how quickly they conceded after pulling level. He added: "I don't think we got what we deserved out of the game, I don't think we deserved to lose. I think when you look at the game as a whole, both teams played some decent stuff at times. "But the most vulnerable bit in the game is just after you score and we showed that vulnerability. "We scored a well-worked goal and then I was disappointed with how quickly things turned. We need to manage that situation better. It's an own goal but we have to be better."
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Arsenal star sentenced last month for part in £600k drug smuggling plot signs for new team
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, a product of the Arsenal academy, was sentenced to four years in prison last month for his part in a £600k drug smuggling plot - but is already back in the game Disgraced former Arsenal footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is back in the game, just one month after being jailed for four years. The 34-year-old was sentenced in June for his part in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot in what was described as a 'catastrophic error of judgement'. Emmanuel-Thomas was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton after his arrest in September last year. The former Arsenal academy product initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty at a hearing on May 7 at Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex. After being found guilty, he was handed a four-year prison sentence, but subsequently released on parole having served 10 months of his sentence at HMP Chelmsford. National League South side AFC Totton have now confirmed his signature ahead of the new season with a brief statement reading: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club. Jay joins us with a wealth of experience in the Championship and we're sure his goals will lead to a successful season here on the South Coast!" Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested after officers from the National Crime Agency seized an estimated £600,000 of cannabis as it was being brought through Stansted Airport by two women he had recruited – his girlfriend and her friend. Prosecutor David Josse KC told Chelmsford Crown Court the 'interception' of the two women – Emmanuel-Thomas's girlfriend Yasmin Piotrowska and her friend Rosie Rowland – happened at the airport. He said it 'became apparent this defendant, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been involved in their recruitment to travel to Thailand'. Before handing down the sentence, Judge Alexander Mills said: "It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer. You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away." The footballer, whose former clubs include Ipswich, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston, Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, was sentenced at the start of June. Alex Rose, for Emmanuel-Thomas, said: 'The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000.' Mr Rose said the defendant was a father-of-two and had made a 'catastrophic error of judgment'. He said a 'period of being out of contract led to very significant financial hard times' and he 'succumbed to temptation'. In a letter read out in court before his sentencing, Emmanuel Thomas wrote: "This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life. At times it has been unbearable." He added that he "never imagined" he could be in this situation, and he "completely regrets but takes full responsibility for" his actions.
South Wales Argus
17 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest winner of WTA match since Martina Navratilova
The 45-year-old defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-4 for her first singles victory since August 2023. It was Williams' first singles match in 16 months and the unranked seven-time former grand slam singles champion will next face Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech. Just 45-year-old things ™️@Venuseswilliams becomes the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since then-47-year-old Martina Navratilova defeated Catalina Castano at 2004 Wimbledon.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen — wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025 Navratilova was 47 when she won her final singles match in 2004 in the opening round of Wimbledon. Williams, who returned to action on Monday with a doubles triumph alongside Hailey Baptiste, said on the WTA website: 'I think it was a big win for me today. 'It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here. So I know I'll have to fight for every match, but I'm up for that. 'There are no limits for excellence. It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result.' Williams strikes a forehand (Nick Wass/AP) Britain's Dan Evans, 10 years Williams' junior and battling to return to the top 100, posted another impressive victory, beating American 13th seed Alex Michelsen 6-4 6-4. Evans won the biggest title of his career in the American capital two years ago but was unable to defend it last year after opting to play doubles with Andy Murray at the Olympics in the Scot's swansong. Evans' win capped a brilliant day for the British players, with Emma Raducanu beginning her build-up towards next month's US Open with an impressive straight-sets victory over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk. My queen 👑🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 23, 2025 Playing her first singles match since stretching world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon, Raducanu held off the Ukrainian world number 27 to pull through a gruelling encounter 7-6 (4) 6-4. 'Extremely good win,' Raducanu said in her on-court interview. 'Playing Marta first round is extremely difficult and we've always had some tough matches. 'I'm happy with the way I fought through the first set and in the second, stayed tough when I needed to.' Rising to the occasion 🔥@EmmaRaducanu knocks out No.7 seed Kostyuk, 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the second round. #MubadalaCitiDCOpen — wta (@WTA) July 22, 2025 With Katie Boulter having lost in the first round, Raducanu is one victory away from moving back to British number one but will have to beat fellow former grand slam winner Naomi Osaka to get there. Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie completed a notable win over second seed and world number seven Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the last 16. Norrie, the world number 41, hit back from losing the opening set to triumph 3-6 6-2 6-3 and score his first win over a top 10-ranked player since reaching the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in 2023.
