Children to no longer be allowed to head footballs

Children aged 11 and under in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will no longer be taught to head footballs during training.

This comes as new Football Association guidelines for coaches also puts limits on how much heading older children should do.

The ruling follows Glasgow University research that showed former footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease.

The English Football Association of Wales said its guidance for coaches on children heading the ball was currently under review with the findings being made available later this year.

In a joint announcement from the FA, Scottish FA and Irish FA, coaches were advised that there should be "no heading in training in the foundation phase" - which covers primary school children, or under-11 teams and below.

There are also new rules for age ranges up until 18, with headers being kept a "low priority" and gradually becoming more frequent in training until the age of 16.

There will be no changes to heading in youth matches, where the FA said headers are rare.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "This guidance is an evolution of our current guidelines and will help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football.

"It is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching without impacting the enjoyment that children of all ages take from playing the game."

An inquest into the death – in 2002 - of ex-West Bromwich Albion and England striker Jeff Astle found heading heavy leather footballs repeatedly contributed to trauma to his brain.

His daughter, Dawn Astle, who has campaigned for changes in rules over headers, said she was "pleased" with the ruling and that it was "sensible" following the research.

Published in October last year, the University of Glasgow study found that former professional footballers were more likely to die of degenerative brain disease - and five times more likely to die from Parkinson's disease.

There was no evidence in the study that linked incidences of the disease with heading the ball, but the FA said the new guidance had been issued to "mitigate against any potential risks".

Ms Astle added that there should now be guidelines for training for footballers aged 18 and over.

Children's grassroots sport to be halted

Children's grassroots sport played outside of school will be suspended during England's four-week lockdown, says culture secretary Oliver Dowden. There were calls for youth sport to be exempt when the new restrictions come into effect from tomorrow. But Dowden confirmed it would only be permitted in school.

"Unfortunately we need to pause grassroots sport outside school to reduce the transmission risk from households mixing," he tweeted. "As soon as we can resume this, we will."

Elite sport can continue behind closed doors during the lockdown.

Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, who coaches a junior team, criticised the decision to suspend children's sport in a series of tweets.

Quoting Dowden's tweet, he said: "Have you or any of your senior government officials been to a grassroots game since lockdown? Do you have any idea what it's like for thousands of grassroots volunteers? Do you know the impact of this decision on youngsters' mental and physical wellbeing?"

Youth Sports Trust chief executive Ali Oliver earlier said that under a quarter of secondary schools do not offer physical education.

"To lose some grassroots clubs will leave us with a legacy of a generation who are inactive and unable to find a way into sport," she said. Former Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee chair Damian Collins had written to Dowden asking the government to allow youth sport to continue in England after 5 November.

He called on the government to extend the definition of elite sport to include academy players at Premier League clubs and those in development centres such as the England Rugby developing player programme and Sport England's talented athlete scholarship scheme.

"Young people will currently be allowed to continue with sport at school, and we believe that the risks to the spread of the coronavirus from outdoor grassroots youth sport would be minimal," he said, in a letter also signed by former sports ministers Tracey Crouch and Helen Grant.

"There would, however, be clear and lasting benefits for these young people if the government could support this." Leisure centres and gyms will close, as will other indoor and outdoor leisure facilities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that there would be no exemptions.

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American Sha'Carri Richardson was fourth with a time of 22.45. Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah did not race after dropping out with an Achilles injury.

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The sport returned to the US in 2021, following a break due to the pandemic, to a huge reception with a record-breaking crowd in Austin that witnessed Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton battle it out.

City bar backing grassroots women’s rugby team

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Having already won the Premier League title, City now go into next Saturday's Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul with the opportunity to emulate United's feat of 1999. And City captain Gundogan was the big game match-winner again, assuring his place in history with the quickest goal in FA Cup final history, a stunning volley after only 12 seconds eclipsing Louis Saha's strike for Everton after 25 seconds against Chelsea in 2009.

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The English Premier League is hoping to restart the season’s action on June 8, which would mean that players would be expected to return for training by May 18.

The Premier League’s current champion’s record goal scorer said: “The majority of players are scared to return because they have children and families.

“I’m scared, but I’m with my girlfriend here and I am not going to be in contact with other people.

“I am locked in my house and the only person I could infect is her”.

He went on: “They are saying that there are people that have but don’t have any symptoms but they can still infect you. That is why I am staying here at home.

Aguero believes that when players do return to action, they will be ‘quite nervous’ but also ‘extremely careful’.

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Closing Ceremony of the Friendly Games

The united roar was the loudest ever experienced in any major sporting venue in the Midlands – and probably beyond.

It left a feeling in the heart that was unique in anyone’s experience – leaving a proud boast that this may never again be witnessed anywhere in the Commonwealth – ever! It truly was a privilege and an honour to be part of this - the greatest sporting event ever.