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BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Sir Gareth joins the greats as football's seventh knighted manager
Gareth Southgate added his name to an elite footballing list when the former England manager received his knighthood at Windsor Castle on 54-year-old, who stepped down from the England post after almost eight years following defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, was awarded the honour for services to influence, however, stretched beyond the field of play as he became one of football's most respected is only the seventh football manager to be given the joins the list of knights that also includes:England's World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf RamseyManchester United legends Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex FergusonEngland, Barcelona, Newcastle and Ipswich great Sir Bobby RobsonLiverpool legend and Premier League-winning manager with Blackburn, Sir Kenny DalglishSir Walter Winterbottom, England's first international manager, who led his country from 1946 to 1962So what are the reflections now on Southgate's England tenure, and why has he been selected for the knighthood honour? You can let us know your thoughts in the comments section. A nearly manager of a nearly team? On the list of football manager knights, only Winterbottom and Southgate have not won a trophy in their managerial fell short of being the winner England and the Football Association wanted as they tried to end a barren sequence for the men's senior team stretching back to the 1966 World Cup along the way, Southgate did much to restore the image of his squad and the lost successive European Championship finals, to Spain in 2024 and to Italy at Wembley in were also beaten in a World Cup semi-final by Croatia in Moscow in 2018, meaning Southgate's reign will ultimately be judged as that of a nearly manager of a nearly may be regarded as a harsh judgement, but reality shows that Southgate could not overcome the obstacles to that elusive England success with a richly talented squad, as well as in circumstances that favoured them, such as against Italy in a home can be built on the finest of margins, and this was Southgate' the wider context, however, that record stands comparison to – and indeed improves upon – that of any of his predecessors following Sir Alf's World Cup knighthood accolade is reward for the exemplary manner in which he served England and the Football Association on so many levels: as a distinguished full international, coach of the under-21s, then as senior team manager when he succeeded Sam Allardyce, who left after one game, in late inherited chaos and almost turned it into measured in honours, Southgate's career may not be able to stand alongside those other names who claimed the game's biggest prizes - as a player he won the League Cup with Aston Villa in 1996 and again when he captained Middlesbrough in 2004 - but his significance and influence in the recent era is unquestionable. 'The perfect ambassador for England' Southgate not only placed England back on what had become unfamiliar territory by leading them to the latter stages of showpiece tournaments, but he also lightened the load of a shirt that was too heavy for so many before he took made players relish playing for England again, making a somewhat unloved national team popular once more, with the peak of that feelgood factor coming between the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, which was largely played at established himself as a mature, measured and civilised leader, who had a hinterland that stretched beyond football, proving priceless in moments when diplomacy was meant Southgate was comfortable tacking thorny issues that arose during his tenure, such as racism. He stepped forward on a night of shame in Sofia in October 2019, when a Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria, which England won 6-0, was stopped twice after Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling were the targets of racist dealt with a hostile Bulgarian inquisition, making his point forcibly but always with the caution that England had problems of its own in this regard and should never believe it was something that only existed also accepted the LGBTQI+ community would feel "let down" when England backtracked on wearing the 'OneLove' armband at the Qatar World Cup after they were warned captain Harry Kane would receive a yellow card should he do was not just England's manager, he was the perfect ambassador for the FA when the game's waves spread beyond what happened on the pitch. Southgate 'made players and supporters dream again' On the pitch, Southgate's legacy will always be those agonising near misses, with the finger being pointed in his direction for conservative tactics, especially when early leads and domination ended with defeat to Croatia in the World Cup last four, as well as that defeat on penalties to Italy at someone so often portrayed as "too nice" – something mistaken for his basic decency – Southgate showed steel as a player and again as a before he was appointed as the permanent manager, caretaker boss Southgate effectively signalled the end for Wayne Rooney's England career by dropping the captain and record goalscorer for a World Cup qualifier in Slovenia before he was eased time with England ended after the 2022 World Cup, while Jack Grealish was cut from the Euro 2024 relationship with England's supporters fluctuated, from the adulation between 2018 and 2021 to the toxicity of a night at Molineux in June 2022 when the personal abuse was such that it had a profound impact on the Euro 2024 campaign, a somewhat joyless and mediocre affair in which much of the goodwill for Southgate had been diluted, also saw the manager pelted with empty beer cups and jeered by fans after a goalless draw with Slovenia in was poor payback for what Southgate had given those England fans, only adding to the sense that this was an era drawing to a close, and perhaps the manager would not be sorry to see the back of flickered fitfully in Germany, reaching the final which ended in the familiar pain of defeat at Spain deservedly won was a disappointing conclusion, making for a natural end to his time as England manager in which Southgate had made players and supporters dream the short-term disappointment eased, it was right that Southgate should be judged with total respect, and befitting of his reign that he should have his investiture moment.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Ipswich Town Football Club plans approved for new car park area
Ipswich Town Football Club's plans to develop a car park area behind one of its stands have been club's proposal is for land behind the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand at its Portman Road Stadium, opposite the fire and police stations and crown Borough Council has approved the plans for 185 spaces to be developed, which would be used mostly by staff on matchdays. The authority said in the planning application: "The proposal would be acceptable having regard to air quality, flood risk, trees and biodiversity, design and character, car parking policy, highway safety." The club said six electric vehicle charging points would be installed during the development. About 17 of the spaces would also be returned to the nearby Travelodge hotel. The entry and exit point to the car park on Chancery Road would be modified while another separate entry and exit point would be created on Russell Road for hotel the club said these facilities would "support the larger training ground development and the associated Category One status for the club's Academy". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
‘It's time' – England could host World Cup after seven decades as Fifa chief tells FA to ‘seriously think' about it
ENGLAND could host the World Cup after a SEVEN-DECADE wait following a top Fifa figure's encouragement to bid for the tournament. The nation hasn't bid for the tournament since the controversial 2010 vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar, in which it was alleged that Fifa members were bribed to vote for the host countries. 4 4 4 England hasn't staged a World Cup since the historic 1966 tournament, which saw Sir Alf Ramsey's troops win the competition on home soil. And Fifa vice-president Victor Montagliani believes it's high time the tournament returns to these shores. During an interview with The Times, he said: "I can't see why, not just England but the United Kingdom shouldn't be hosting the World Cup. "I think it would be a fantastic World Cup and I think they should seriously think of putting their foot forward to host. "We all know what the game means in the UK and I think it's time.' The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, while the 2030 tournament set to be split across Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South America. Saudi Arabia will stage the 2034 tournament having run unopposed for the hosting rights. The Women's World Cup will take place in the UK in 2035 and could be a potential catalyst for the men's tournament to return to these shores in 2038 or 2042. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 Speaking on Fifa's rotation model, Montagliani said: "I support what we have done in recent history, I think it's the only way. "Now it shouldn't be the Fifa president's decision alone, he has a board, he has a council. 'But I think the old way we used to do it where people just waste their money and then all these shenanigans happen. That's ridiculous. Let's get away from that. 'Let's become a proper business. Let's have an event management strategy so that we're properly rotating it, everybody gets a crack at it. 'The reality is that the World Cup generates 80 to 90 per cent of Fifa's income, which then sends 80 per cent of that back to its members for the development of football. "And if Fifa doesn't generate that money there is a significant number of the 211 countries that do not have the funds to develop football.' Next year's North American World Cup will be the first tournament to include 48 teams. But South American footie chiefs have called for future tournaments to be expanded to an incredible 64 TEAMS, a total Montagliani believes would devalue the prestige which comes with qualifying for the competition He said: "Sixty-four teams is just too much in my opinion. We still haven't kicked the ball for 48 teams, although I think we'll be fine. 'We're OK where we are and I'm not comfortable with any more — scarcity is still important. "It still needs to be difficult to get to a World Cup and I think at 48 you're still going to have some nations you may think should be at a World Cup but fail to qualify.'
