Edgbaston’s LV= Insurance Test match named as Government pilot

Edgbaston Stadium’s hosting of the second match of the LV= Insurance Test series between England and New Zealand will be the first pilot event within the second phase of the Government’s world-leading Events Research Programme.

Taking place in Birmingham from Thursday 10 to Monday 14 June, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 18,000 spectators each day, 70 per cent of total stadium capacity. Each individual ticket holder must present a negative COVID-19 result from an NHS Rapid Lateral Flow Test, completed within 24 hours in advance of the day they are attending, and give consent to take part in the programme.

The pilot event will be used to analyse testing protocols for all spectators in attendance, the use of social distancing and face coverings when moving around the stadium, and gathering further evidence on the risk of transmission at mass participation events. As part of these Government protocols all ticket holders will need to be aged 16 and over.

The process was today agreed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and supported by Public Health England, the England & Wales Cricket Board, Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston’s own Safety Advisory Group.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium, said: “Whilst public health is the priority, the first stage pilots have shown how people can safely start to enjoy the things they love; live sport and music. It will be great to welcome cricket fans to Edgbaston and give the England team a huge boost as nothing beats the atmosphere that crowds create here.

“Edgbaston is unique as a cricket venue in having such a large stadium footprint, but we also have a vastly experienced operational delivery team, which has hosted many major events and a spectator pilot last summer. We have always been hopeful of featuring in the pilot programme and are delighted for the thousands of ticket holders who will now be able to attend.

“The city’s authorities have worked with us to make this happen so I would like to thank Councillor Ian Ward and his team for their support and also Andy Street, Mayor, for his help along the way.”

Ticket holders will be contacted by Edgbaston with next steps regarding their tickets and the opportunity to claim a refund should they no longer wish to attend. Those with under 16s as part of their booking will be provided with options regarding their tickets.

Any remaining tickets for these first three days and the additional tickets for days four and five will be released on general sale in a limited time window between 10am on Wednesday June 2 and 5pm on Friday June 4.

Chief Executive of the ECB, Tom Harrison, said: “Having crowds back into cricket grounds is so important for the game and for our fans too. The last 15 months have shown just how big a role cricket plays in many people’s lives, and we cannot wait to welcome a growing number of fans back to our stadia over the coming months.”

Edouard Mendy criticises media for using his image in Benjamin Mendy stories

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has criticised media outlets for mistakenly using his image in stories about Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy.

France full-back Benjamin has been charged with six counts of rape and one of sexual assault, and remains in custody, with photos of Edouard and his cousin, Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, were used in the articles.

Education Through Sport Football Tournament

Bechem United FC  and Diaspora Africa Forum in collaboration with Miracle Africa International Foundation is organizing the First Annual Football Tournament in Accra Ghana, hosting prominent football teams and scouts from various countries such as Mali, Togo, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and France.

In an effort to make an impact in society and to showcase what young Africans have to offer Diaspora African Forum launched the initiative Education through Sport.

Edwards and Aspinall to defend titles at UFC 304

Britain's Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall will defend their titles at UFC 304 in Manchester on 27 July.

EFL Cup final set to have standing areas

Some supporters will be permitted to stand during the EFL Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United. The match, on 26 February, will be the first major domestic English men's final in almost 35 years in which standing will be allowed.

Both clubs will be allocated 867 seats within new standing areas located behind each goal at Wembley Stadium. Premier League and EFL clubs have been allowed to introduce standing areas since the start of the 2022-23 season.

EFL side Coventry City close to a return to Ricoh Arena

It has been reported that EFL Championship side Coventry City are close to finalising a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena next season. It is understood a deal with rugby union side Wasps - the owners of the ground - is all but agreed and could be confirmed as early as Friday. The Sky Blues have shared Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium since August 2019.

The English Football League will discuss the issue at a board meeting tomorrow, when some of the details are expected to be signed off. The deal, which contains break clauses, will be for up to 10 years, although Championship side Coventry will be guaranteed a minimum of seven years back at the Ricoh Arena.

Club owners Sisu still aim to build a new stadium on the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick. An agreement to end Coventry's groundshare deal with Birmingham is yet to be reached, with a significant cost understood to come with ending the deal. Coventry left Highfield Road in 2005 to move to the Ricoh Arena but, after a long-running rent row escalated, they spent the 2013-14 season at Northampton Town's Sixfields.

The Sky Blues returned to the Ricoh in September 2014, followed by Wasps moving in three months later. The ground, part-owned by the city council, was then sold to the Premiership rugby union club. City then spent the next four full seasons there but Sisu could not reach an agreement with Wasps to play the 2019-20 campaign there and found alternative arrangements at St Andrew's.

For the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the club have been tenants at Birmingham City 's St Andrew's stadium, 22 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Previously, they were groundsharing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium for three seasons.

Coventry City had been looking at options for a new stadium after being involved in a rent dispute with Ricoh owners Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).

EFL’s first Tamil Footballer, Yoganathan looking to inspire British Asians

Vimal Yoganathan made history by becoming the first Tamil professional footballer in England and he hopes to inspire people from his background.

The 18-year-old made his Barnsley FC debut in 2023, with there hardly ever been any British Asians in professional football. But Yoganathan hopes to help change that.

He said: “It’s really exciting for me to be the first Tamil and it’s good to be able to do that at Barnsley.

“It shows the diversity of the club all the way through. I hope there is more I can do for the community.

“I want to be an example for South Asians and I am hoping I have done that. There isn’t a difference because of your ethnicity – if you are white, Black or South Asian brown, you can be a footballer.”

Yoganathan is also proud to be Welsh, having been brought up first in Trelawnyd, Flintshire then near Wrexham. Earlier in 2024, he made his debut for Wales under-19s.

He continued: “Playing for your country is something any footballer wants to do. I feel like I did well on my first cap. Hopefully, I can stay in the squad for the next games.”

Vimal Yoganathan made his debut for Barnsley in a League Cup match against Tranmere Rovers. He then played three times in the EFL Trophy and once in the FA Cup.

He was on the bench for the league game at Shrewsbury Town in February but is yet to make his league debut. Yoganathan said: “It’s been a good season from a personal point of view.

“There have been a few milestones. I played in my first ever professional game then continued it on throughout the season with a couple more appearances.

“I played in all the cup competitions which was good. I signed my first professional contract.

“Towards the end of the season, a lot of players were coming back, and I struggled to get into the team. But I continued my form in the 18s and 21s.”

More youth team players are expected to train under new Barnsley head coach Darrell Clarke from pre-season. “Towards the start of next season, I want to show I am good enough to be in and around it,” Yoganathan said.

“If the opportunity comes to start a couple of games, I will be ready.” One of his highlights was his performance in the FA Cup replay win at non-league Horsham.

While Barnsley were removed from the cup for fielding an ineligible player that day, Yoganathan attracted attention with some impressive skills. He was in the Liverpool academy from the age of nine to 15 then had a short stint at Burnley before a successful trial with Barnsley in 2022.

He confessed: “Being released by Liverpool was quite a tough thing to go through after seven years.

“Looking back, it’s just part of football. It built resilience and improved my character. It’s almost a blessing in disguise.

“Would I have got the opportunities I am getting at Barnsley at Liverpool? Probably not.

“Liverpool and Barnsley have some similarities and some differences. The style of play, with the high press, is quite similar and that is the same all down the age groups.

“The core values of working hard and staying resilient and being brave, are the same. Barnsley is a lot more humble and more of a family.

“It was quite nice to be welcomed into that. From the scholars to the first team, we’re all under one roof.

“There is obviously a pathway at the club, which has been established for a while. Fabio (Jalo) and Chaps (Theo Chapman) have played for the first team in league games.

“A couple of others my age made debuts – Emmaisa (Nzondo) and Jono (Bland). It’s good that there is a pathway and we are encouraged.”

In addition to football, Yoganathan attends regular meetings with the Professional Footballers’ Association’s ‘Asian Inclusion and Mentoring Scheme’. Riz Rehman, who helps run the programme, said: “There are a lot of young South Asian players, like Vimal, who have come through academies and are on the fringe of the first team at clubs across the country.

“If they start to make breakthroughs we will start seeing a lot more coming through underneath them. We know how tough the journey can be for any player.

“Vimal has access to senior pros who have been through everything he is going to go through. He can reach out to them.

“We set up a meeting with Neil Taylor (former Wales international who is also South Asian). Then we have young players aged 12 to 16 and Vimal can use his experiences to help them. It’s a network which connects players.

“We do online meetings, Zoom calls, face to face meetings at St George’s Park and in London. We’re also inspiring them to do other things.

“Football is a great career if they play to 35 but we offer other education pathways as well.”

EFL’s Forest Green Rovers announce first ever female boss in men's football

Forest Green Rovers have named Hannah Dingley as their new caretaker boss, making her the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football. The League Two side just sacked Duncan Ferguson after just six months in charge.

The EFL team announced Dingley, the club's academy head, would be put in caretaker charge of the first team. Her first match in charge was said to be a friendly at Melksham Town. The 39-year-old said: "I'm really excited for this next step of my career.

Egyptian side Al Ahly beat Kaizer Chiefs to win record tenth African crown

Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in Morocco to become the first side in history to be crowned African champions ten times.

Eight England Lionesses included in women's Fifa Fifpro World 11 shortlist

Eight of England's Lionesses have made the 23-player shortlist for the 2023 women's Fifa Fifpro World 11.

Eight England players quit IPL and return to UK to begin quarantine

Eight of the 11 England players who were at the Indian Premier League (IPL) have returned to the UK after the tournament was suspended.

The group, which includes Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and brothers Sam and Tom Curran, will quarantine for 10 days in government-approved hotels. Limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan is still in India, along with pace bowler Chris Jordan and batsman Dawid Malan. They are expected to leave the country any time now.

Nobody connected to England is thought to have tested positive for Covid-19. British and Irish nationals can travel home from India, which is on a travel red list, but they must isolate in approved accommodation.

Australians at the tournament will have to stay in Sri Lanka or the Maldives before going home due to a government travel ban. The IPL recently said that it had "unanimously decided" to postpone the season after an emergency meeting.

India has just recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since the pandemic began, with the country recording more than 20 million cases, and so far reported more than 222,000 deaths from the virus. The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore was postponed after two KKR players tested positive.

A Sunrisers Hyderabad player also tested positive before Tuesday's match against Mumbai Indians. The match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals had earlier been called off after Chennai bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji tested positive.

The IPL, taking place across six venues in India, is the richest franchise tournament in world cricket, with eight franchises representing different Indian cities in matches of 20 overs per side. The Twenty20 tournament features global cricketing superstars purchased by the franchises at auction, including India icon Virat Kohli.

Fourteen England players were signed up for the 2021 season, although injury had ruled out Jofra Archer. Teams were staying within secure areas of hotels and resorts in the various cities and did not have contact with people outside the bubble.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has no plans to arrange a charter flight for the England contingent in India as it is the responsibility of the franchises to get the players and staff home. When the players leave India, they will have to be tested before departure and upon arrival in the UK before quarantining.

Though none of those connected to England is believed to have tested positive for Covid-19, it is unknown whether any have been in close contact with those who have. An ECB spokesperson said: "We are in close contact with our players and staff in India as arrangements are put in place for them to return home safely."

Cricket Australia said it was working with the BCCI to ensure the "safe accommodation and repatriation" of its players. Last week, Australia banned all flights from India until 15 May and CA said it that it will not seek exemptions.

Cricket South Africa said it would ensure all South African players were helped to get home.

Eight reasons to be at International Series England

International Series England will take place at the renowned Close House from 17-20 August, 2023, and there are plenty of compelling factors that make attending the highly anticipated tournament a must. The elite field consists of 22 LIV Golf players headlined by former World No.1 Lee Westwood alongside fellow former Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell.

Eight-time Olympic champion Bolt awaiting coronavirus test results

Jamaican former sprinter gold medallist Usain Bolt is awaiting results of a recent coronavirus test while self-isolating.

The 34-year-old revealed on social media he will "stay at home" as a precaution despite not having any symptoms.

"Just to be safe, I'll quarantine myself and just take it easy," he said.

He held a birthday party in Jamaica which is understood that Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling was one of the guests.

"I did a test on Saturday, because I have work," Bolt added. "I'm trying to be responsible, so I'm going to stay in and stay here for my friends.

"Also I'm having no symptoms, so I'm going to quarantine myself and wait on the confirmation to see what is the protocol on how I should go about quarantining myself from the Ministry of Health."

The sprinter retired from athletics in 2017 following the World Championships in London.

He began training with Australian club Central Coast Mariners in 2018 but did not pursue a career in football.

England are due to play Iceland in the Nations League on Saturday, September 5, before taking on Denmark on Tuesday, September 8.

Eight-year-old Jamaican sprint sensation named among fastest in the world following history win in New York

Eight-year-old Jamaican sprinter, Bella Brown, has captured the spotlight at the Millrose Games in New York, solidifying her place among the fastest young athletes in the world.

Eilidh Doyle announces retirement from Athletics

Eilidh Doyle has today announced her retirement from athletics, following a distinguished career which has seen her win Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth medals.

Doyle has been a versatile athlete throughout her career, winning a European title over the 400m hurdles, a world indoor bronze medal over 400m, and countless 4x400m relay titles at all the major championships and Games.

In the latter, she was part of the bronze medal winning quartet at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Three silver medals for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games were another proud achievement in the Pitreavie athlete’s career, especially her 400m hurdles silver in Glasgow in 2014.

Her last major medal came on home soil at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships where she was part of the silver-medal winning team in the women’s 4x400m relay. Doyle has taken the decision in consultation with her coach and husband Brian Doyle, and in agreement with Olympic Head Coach Christian Malcolm and Performance Director Sara Symington.

On her retirement, Eilidh said: “I remember so clearly being nine years old and joining Pitreavie Athletics Club as a bit of fun. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined where the sport would take me over the next 25 years. Not all of it has been easy but my love for athletics has always been constant and still remains so to this day.

“Athletics has all my heart, focus and love but today I announce my retirement as a competitive athlete.

“I take with me so many amazing memories but, most importantly, I step away happy in the knowledge that this is the right time for me to go. I’m not saying it was an easy decision to make, but it was the right one and I am grateful I got to choose when it happened. 

“The sport has brought me so much more than just medals. I have made lifelong friends, experienced incredible atmospheres, made history and even met my husband because of it.

“Now we have our wee boy, Campbell, and so much more to look forward to as a family. I do find it fitting however that my last international competition was winning a silver medal in front of a home crowd in Glasgow. Athletics will always hold a special place in my heart and

now I get to enjoy it from the other side as a fan. 

“I have so many people I need to thank, who have been part of my journey, and over the next couple of weeks I hope to be able to thank you all personally. To everyone who has supported me and cheered me on over the years, I am so grateful to you all.  I would like to give special thanks however to those who were there at the very beginning and introduced me to the sport I love, my mum, my dad, my big sisters and my big brother.

“Finally, I say thank you to Brian, not only for being my coach, my soft tissue therapist, for looking after the dog when I was travelling the world and, more recently, for looking after Campbell to let me train, but for being my supporter, challenger and for showing me how easy it was to pursue my dreams. 

“What an adventure it has been and now I look forward to the next one, whatever it may be.”

Olympic Head Coach Christian Malcolm said: “Eilidh has been one of the UK’s leading athletes in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay for a number of years, and her service to the sport has been outstanding. Although it would have been good to see Eilidh compete at the Tokyo Olympics, I understand her decision and I am pleased she has made a decision that she and her family are happy with.

“Eilidh has achieved so much in the sport and has won medals across the board for the British team. She has also been a fantastic role model for athletes on the team, particularly in the relay set-up, and it is no surprise we have been so successful in that event in recent years with her presence in the squad.

“I wish Eilidh all the best in retirement, and an exciting and healthy next adventure in her life. She will always be part of the British Athletics family and would always be welcome back to get involved in any capacity in the future.”

Elephants and Bafana Bafana through to Afcon semis

Hosts Ivory Coast kept up their incredible escape act at the African Cup of Nations after coming from behind to beat Mali and will meet South Africa in the semi-finals after they beat Cape Verde on penalties following a 0-0 draw.

Elephants and Eagles sour to super Afcon finale

Sebastien Haller scored the winner as 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Côte d'Ivoire beat DR Congo to set up a final meeting with Nigeria after Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning penalty as the Suer Eagles booked their place in this weekend’s anticipated 'super' final.

Ellie Baker wins 1500m in new championship record at action-packed UK Athletics Indoor Championships 2023

Ellie Baker set a new championship record to win 1500m gold on day two of the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on Sunday. The 24-year-old, who held off Katie Snowden to claim a maiden British title and break Zola Budd's 1986 mark with a time of four minutes 6.73 seconds, said: “I knew I was in great shape coming into the indoor season, but it hasn’t been showing in my races which for me has been super frustrating, but I kept my mindset and to come away with the Championship record and my first British Champs Gold, in my very first British Champs competing in the 1500m it’s all a lot of firsts and I’m delighted with everything. I think my coach will want me in the 1500m field more frequently after this!”

Ellyse Perry and Moeen Ali to lead Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred

International superstar all-rounders Moeen Ali and Ellyse Perry will take centre stage this summer after being confirmed as Birmingham Phoenix captains for The Hundred. Ali, born just a few miles away from Edgbaston, will lead his hometown team for a third time, having skippered Birmingham Phoenix in the inaugural final in 2021.

Perry meanwhile will captain for the first time in the tournament, replacing Sophie Devine, who will still play for Birmingham Phoenix. Perry has a wealth of experience, captaining Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash, whilst being a senior figure in the Australia Women’s national team.

Elson seals mile silver at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships

Callum Elson secured Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s first medal at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships as he took the silver medal in the Men’s Mile race, while the women’s half marathon quartet took team bronze in the penultimate event of the programme in Riga, Latvia.