Latest news with #RoryHolden
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Champions League star forced to wear shirt with HANDWRITTEN number after awkward blunder
A FOOTBALLER was forced to wear a jersey with his number scribbled on it in PEN during a Champions League clash. The bizarre scenes happened in a qualifier between The New Saints and Shkendija after Rory Holden was left covered in blood. 2 2 Midfielder Holden's original kit was soaked in claret during Tuesday night's first-leg tie at Park Hall. The incident prompted referee Rob Hennessy to order him off the pitch just before half-time. But in a moment of pure Sunday League chaos, TNS didn't have a proper backup kit with his name or number on it. So a staff member grabbed a ballpoint pen and scrawled '18' on the back of a white-and-green shirt to get him back on the pitch. Holden, who starred in last season's historic Europa Conference League run for TNS returned to action wearing the makeshift top. TV cameras caught the bizarre moment the number was inked on the sidelines. Thankfully the hand written number on the back of the shirt wasn't needed for long. The whistle blew for half-time moments later and he reappeared for the second half in a standard printed jersey. Holden was subbed off in the 80th minute with the match ending in a goalless draw. TNS made history last season as the first Welsh club to reach the group stage of a European competition. But this time, they made headlines for a very different reason. The return leg kicks off in Skopje next Tuesday (July 15), with a tie against either FCSB of Romania or Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes awaiting the winners.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Champions League star forced to wear shirt with HANDWRITTEN number after awkward blunder
A FOOTBALLER was forced to wear a jersey with his number scribbled on it in PEN during a Champions League clash. The bizarre scenes happened in a qualifier between The New Saints and Shkendija after Rory Holden was left covered in blood. Advertisement 2 The moment officials took matters into their own hands Credit: S4C 2 Holden returned to the game with a pen written squad number Credit: S4C Midfielder Holden's original kit was soaked in claret during Tuesday night's first-leg tie at Park Hall. The incident prompted referee Rob Hennessy to order him off the pitch just before half-time. But in a moment of pure Sunday League chaos, TNS didn't have a proper backup kit with his name or number on it. So a staff member grabbed a ballpoint pen and scrawled '18' on the back of a white-and-green shirt to get him back on the pitch. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Holden, who starred in last season's historic Europa Conference League run for TNS returned to action wearing the makeshift top. TV cameras caught the bizarre moment the number was inked on the sidelines. Thankfully the hand written number on the back of the shirt wasn't needed for long. The whistle blew for half-time moments later and he reappeared for the second half in a standard printed jersey. Advertisement Most read in Football Exclusive BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Holden was subbed off in the 80th minute with the match ending in a goalless draw. TNS made history last season as the first Welsh club to reach the group stage of a European competition. Man Utd flop Angel Di Maria in tears as he returns to former club a year after transfer postponed due to death threats But this time, they made headlines for a very different reason. Advertisement The return leg kicks off in Skopje next Tuesday (July 15), with a tie against either FCSB of
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Champions League star forced to wear shirt with HANDWRITTEN number after awkward blunder
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FOOTBALLER was forced to wear a jersey with his number scribbled on it in PEN during a Champions League clash. The bizarre scenes happened in a qualifier between The New Saints and Shkendija after Rory Holden was left covered in blood. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The moment officials took matters into their own hands Credit: S4C 2 Holden returned to the game with a pen written squad number Credit: S4C Midfielder Holden's original kit was soaked in claret during Tuesday night's first-leg tie at Park Hall. The incident prompted referee Rob Hennessy to order him off the pitch just before half-time. But in a moment of pure Sunday League chaos, TNS didn't have a proper backup kit with his name or number on it. So a staff member grabbed a ballpoint pen and scrawled '18' on the back of a white-and-green shirt to get him back on the pitch. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL RALF FEAR Ex-Man U boss Rangnick rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after botched op Holden, who starred in last season's historic Europa Conference League run for TNS returned to action wearing the makeshift top. TV cameras caught the bizarre moment the number was inked on the sidelines. Thankfully the hand written number on the back of the shirt wasn't needed for long. The whistle blew for half-time moments later and he reappeared for the second half in a standard printed jersey. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Holden was subbed off in the 80th minute with the match ending in a goalless draw. TNS made history last season as the first Welsh club to reach the group stage of a European competition. Man Utd flop Angel Di Maria in tears as he returns to former club a year after transfer postponed due to death threats But this time, they made headlines for a very different reason. The return leg kicks off in Skopje next Tuesday (July 15), with a tie against either FCSB of Romania or Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes awaiting the winners.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Why TNS player had shirt number written in pen
Welsh champions The New Saints had to send a player into Tuesday's Champions League tie against Shkendija with his squad number written on the back of his shirt with a ballpoint inked their place in history last year when they made it to the group round of the Uefa Conference League - the first time a Welsh league side had reached that stage of a European the Saints made their mark in a different way in their first European tie of the new season as a blood spill left them scrambling for a spare shirt in their Champions League qualifier against first-half added time of the first qualifying round first leg fixture at Park Hall, TNS staff were seen writing the number 18 on the back of a replacement shirt for midfielder Rory Holden. Holden's original jersey was left covered in blood following an incident earlier in the first it has been confirmed referee Rob Hennessy informed the Saints that Holden - - whose goal helped the club to a Conference League group stage win over Astana last season - needed to leave the pitch to swap his the spare jersey having no name or number on the rear, club staff had to write Holden's number on the back of the shirt so he could return to the field of makeshift number was not needed for long, with the half-time whistle sounding soon after and Holden reappearing for the second half with the standard printed name and was withdrawn in the 80th minute of the Shkendija game, which ended return leg takes place in Skopje on Tuesday, 15 July (19:00 BST) with a second qualifying round tie against FCSB of Romania or Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes awaiting the winners. Craig Harrison's Saints are bidding to reach the proper rounds of the competition for the first time in their history having progressed to the group stages of the Conference League last after the first leg draw with North Macedonia-based Shkendija, TNS boss Harrison said: "It was a pretty even game possession-wise but I think we created the better opportunities. In the first half we had three or four opportunities that we should have done better with."In the second half we had a big chance and it's a good save by the goalkeeper to be fair, he's a big lad and he's got his whole frame out and kept it out."Maybe a 1-0 win probably would have been deserved on opportunities. I'm happy with the clean sheet but a little bit disappointed that we couldn't score a goal."
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saints have chance 'to get own back' over Shkendija
Rory Holden celebrates after scoring for Saints against Decic in last season's Champions League qualifiers [Getty Images] Champions League First Qualifying Round First Leg: The New Saints v KF Shkendija Venue: Park Hall, Oswestry Date: Tuesday, 8 July Kick-off: 19:00 BST Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Shropshore and on BBC Sport website and app. Advertisement Boss Craig Harrison believes The New Saints have unfinished business after being drawn against KF Shkendija of North Macedonia in the Champions League qualifiers. Saints met Shkendija in the competition's first qualifying round in 2018. After losing the first leg 5-0 in Skopje, the Cymru Premier champions secured a 4-0 win in the second leg at Park Hall but ultimately fell short, losing 5-4 on aggregate. Harrison had left his first spell as Saints manager the previous year but says some of his staff and current players who played in the game remember the game well. "The way it happened, to get well beaten heavily out there and to win heavily at home and not scrape through by one goal, then I imagine it was a tough night to face," Harrison told BBC Sport Wales. Advertisement "It's an opportunity to get our own back if you like. "Obviously I wasn't at the club at the time but the club itself will want to try and go one step further and try and get through that first round against Shkendija. "It's going to a really tough game and a tough game out there – it's going to be really hot and humid and it will be like it was in Montenegro against Decic." Decic were the side Saints beat 4-1 over two legs in last season's first qualifying round and although the Welsh champions exited the competition in the following round they dropped into the Europa Conference League and created history. Advertisement Saints became the first Welsh domestic side to reach the group stages of a European competition and Harrison acknowledged it will be "tough" to emulate last season's exploits. Harrison's side will be at home in the first leg on Tuesday, 8 July with the second leg in North Macedonia a week later. Shkendija were champions of North Macedonia for a fifth time last season and in 2023 were knocked out of the Europa Conference League by Haverfordwest County. Should Saints progress, they will face either FCSB of Romania or Andorra's Inter Club d'Escaldes in the second qualifying round. Advertisement Teams losing in the Champions League qualifiers will drop into the Europa Conference League. Saints have added to their squad during the close season with Ken Charles, Jacob Owen, Jack Nadin, Nathan Shepperd and Dominic Corness joining the Welsh domestic treble winners. But the headline signing has been that of 23-year-old striker Ben Wilson from Scottish Championship side Airdrieonians for a club-record fee.
