Reading sign Cambridge keeper Stevens
During his time at Oxford United, Stevens made 74 appearances and at Cambridge he played 52 times, keeping 13 clean sheets. "We're delighted to sign a keeper of Jack's stature and calibre to the club," first-team boss Noel Hunt said."He's someone who goalkeeping coach Rob [Shay] has known for many years, and has a great pedigree in this division."As a person, he is exactly the type of character we want around the dressing room, and I'm really looking forward to working with him."
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The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
Euro 2025 has been a wild ride. Are you enjoying the drama?
The end is in sight and so is the trophy. And, somehow, England still have their eyes on the prize. Euro 2025 has been a tournament of unlikely comebacks for Sarina Wiegman's team. They lost their opening game to France but rallied and made it through to the knockouts; they went 2-0 down to Sweden in the quarter-finals but came back to win a preposterous penalty shootout; and they looked beaten in their semi-final against Italy but somehow found an equaliser in the 96th minute and a winner in the 120th minute. The champions are not letting go of their trophy lightly. Have you been enjoying the drama? Whether you have watched matches in Switzerland, fan parks, pubs or on the edge of your sofa, we would love to hear from you. Is there a buzz of excitement about the final? Which teams have impressed you? Who will be crowned champions on Sunday? Does this tournament feel like a step up in quality from the previous Euros three years ago? You can share your thoughts on Euro 2025 using this form. Please include as much detail as possible. Please include as much detail as possible. Please include as much detail as possible. Please include as much detail as possible. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
The Herald Scotland
23 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Eilish McColgan backing Glasgow Games to be success with a year to go
Back on terra firma, Finnie took her place at Kelvingrove alongside dignitaries, Games competitors both past and present, a gaggle of photographers and reporters, and an even larger phalanx of PR folk and media management types, the latter surely one of Scotland's growth industries. Tourists and passers-by curiously poked their heads in from time to time, too, wondering what all the fuss was about. The trick, of course, is to ensure there are still similar levels of intrigue by the time these watered-down, largely unloved and unwanted Games get underway in 12 months' time. Glasgow has taken the hit - if not financially - by agreeing belatedly to take on the burden of hosting, sparing the Commonwealth Games from likely extinction after Victoria, Australia backed out of the arrangement and agreed to pay £100m just to wash its hands of it. The hope is, of course, that Glasgow can recapture some of the magic of its 2014 predecessor when the sun shone and the event went on to become a Scottish medal-laden success story. The presence of Usain Bolt undoubtedly helped, too and how the organisers could do with similar magic dust from somewhere with fewer events and no free-to-watch road events to draw in the general public. They have done well to bring on board Eilish McColgan as one of their ambassadors. The athlete is not just the reigning 10,000m Commonwealth champion from 2022 but a refreshingly outspoken figure who will happily put her voice out there to lend her support. McColgan was cagey about definitely committing to defending that title having made the career transition to primarily road racing but the Dundonian believes the cream of British athletics will get behind these Games and help to make it a triumph. 'Obviously I've not qualified and I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know what the future holds but I'll definitely be making it high on my agenda to try and be here as an athlete and compete,' she said. 'My main ambitions now are certainly on the road. But I think for me it's hard to turn down an opportunity to race in Glasgow at a home championship. How often do I get to do that? 'I don't think we are ever short of top athletes competing. I keep seeing people saying, 'do you think the top people will show up?' but your Laura Muirs, your Jake Wightmans, your Josh Kerrs, they're there all the time as I think there's something so unique about representing Scotland. 'We're very patriotic, we're a small nation but it's just special. We don't get the chance to do it very often so everyone does turn up. I remember Jake saying when he won the world championships, 'I need to get myself ready now for the Commonwealth Games'. 'You think, 'you've just won the worlds, it's the biggest title there possibly could be'. But for him, it was actually just equally as important that he made sure he got ready for Commie Games. 'Even in the England team, you have KJT [Katarina Johnson-Thompson], who's an Olympic medallist, you'll have Keely Hodgkinson, everyone turns up. I don't know if it is just something unique, you're representing your smaller nation and you don't get the chance to do that very often. 'It showcases something, maybe it's the community side of it, I don't know what it is. But I think the top athletes will be there regardless.' The comparisons with 2014 will be inevitable but not necessarily helpful, with the Scottish public expecting one thing only to be delivered a much smaller facsimile, like the mini model of Stonehenge descending onto the stage in Spinal Tap. McColgan, though, doesn't believe it's an issue. 'I think people are just excited that the Games are coming back to Glasgow. I think Glasgow has done a great job in stepping in at the last minute. There could have been an alternative world where this didn't even happen at all so I think kudos to them for actually putting it on and making it work. 'Yes, it's going to be scaled down but there's still a hell of a lot of events, there's still going to be a a lot of sports taking part where young kids can go along, be inspired and go along to their local club because that really is the knock-on effect. 'The amount of kids that we had joining the Hawks [Hawkhill Harriers in Dundee]... we have a waiting list to this day and it's all come from Glasgow [2014] and it's just spiralled. People often say, 'is there a legacy? how much does it impact?' 'But I think the waiting list at my local club is a great example of that and it's not just Dundee. I'm sure it's in other corners of Scotland as well, clubs all across Scotland. So for me, that's a really important part of it.' A broadcast deal is yet to be agreed but McColgan is confident the BBC or another station will step in to show it in the UK. 'I think it's really important,' she adds. 'I mean you'll have kids from all corners of Scotland, not even just Scotland across the world, that will see athletes from their local town, their local club and think, 'yeah, I want to do that'. 'If it's not on TV, it's not broadcast, then you can't see it and you can't believe in it. And for me that's really important.'
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-Arsenal star sentenced last month for part in £600k drug smuggling plot signs for new team
A former Arsenal academy star has already been picked up by a new team - just a month after he was handed a four-year prison sentence for his role in a drug smuggle plot. The player came through the ranks at the north London club, before going on loan at a number of Football League sides such as Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers, and Cardiff before leaving the Gunners. He had stints at a number of clubs in England, Scotland and even India and Thailand, before joining Greenock Morton, where he was later sacked after his arrest back in September last year. The player in question, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been arrested after an estimated £600,000 worth of cannabis was seized while being brought through Stansted Airport by two women, one of whom was his girlfriend. Though Emmanuel-Thomas initially claimed to be innocent, he eventually changed his plea to guilty at a hearing in May at Chelmsford Crown Court. He then received a four-year prison sentence, but was released on parole having already served 10 months at HMP Chelmsford, and he has now already found himself a new club. Emmanuel-Thomas has been snapped up by National League South side AFC Totton, and the 34-year-old's playing career is now set to resume. 'We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club,' Totton revealed in a statement. '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!' During the case, the prosecutor - David Josse KC - told the court that the interception of the two women carrying the drugs had taken place at the airport. He added that it the became 'apparent' that Emmanuel-Thomas has been involved in 'their recruitment' to travel to Thailand. 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.' Emmanuel-Thomas' lawyer Alex rose, said: 'The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000.' He added that the former Arsenal academy star, who played five times for the first team, had made a 'catastrophic error of judgement', following a period of 'significant financial hard times' that had led him to 'succumbing to temptation'. Emmanuel-Thomas wrote in a letter read out in the court: 'This past year has been the most harmful and eye-opening of my life. At times it has been unbearable.' He also noted that he 'completely regrets but takes full responsibility for' his actions.
