England in the semi-finals and Manchester United's infamous five
On the podcast today; an extraordinary comeback from the Lionesses against Sweden that culminated in a hugely entertaining penalty shootout. Whatever 'proper English' means in the context of this team let's hope they can manage it for two more games.
Elsewhere, possibly the game of the tournament and certainly the best save so far as Germany beat France on penalties and there's some depressing and predictable online racism aimed at Jess Carter to discuss.
Plus, Manchester United's five-man bomb squad, concerns for Brentford and your questions answered.
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Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Lionesses captain Leah Williamson sends emotional nine-word statement to fans as she laps up Euro 2025 victory parade
After an emotional, erratic 10 minutes for Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, which saw her bawling her eyes out down the Mall, she uttered the words every English football fan wanted to hear: 'Stay with us — this story is not done yet.' England celebrated their second European crown in style on Tuesday afternoon with an open-top bus parade that delivered them to the gates of Buckingham Palace, drawing a 65,000-strong crowd. It was a marked upgrade on the Trafalgar Square celebrations following their 2022 triumph, which was hastily assembled and capped at 7,000. This time, the event was planned in advance and emphatically dispelled defender Esme Morgan's concerns that there would not be enough people to fill the space. A choked-up Williamson told the crowd: 'I'm in the trenches, I am holding back tears. I have been crying all the way down the Mall, this is unbelievable.' Then the 28-year-old Arsenal defender added, with a nod to the upcoming World Cup in Brazil in 2027: 'Stay with us — this story is not done yet.' Lucy Bronze, who defied logic by playing the tournament with a fractured tibia, was asked by former England international Alex Scott whether she planned to hang up her boots. The defender replied simply: 'Not yet!'
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Two days of solid partying and no sleep... but the Lionesses are still at peak bounce! JANE FRYER on England's Euro winners
The decibel levels were pretty high already on The Mall – horns blowing, fans shouting and helicopters thumping overhead. But when the open-top bus finally crawls along behind the bobbing white hats and sliding trombones of the Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines Portsmouth, the 65,000-strong crowd goes completely bananas. Screaming girls draped in England flags are hoisted on to shoulders. Women in full football kit clutch each other and yell. Middle-aged men jump up and down. Flags and mobile phones fill the sky, and everyone lurches forward for a glimpse of our returning champions. Who, somehow, after a gruelling tournament with an awful lot of extra time, two days of solid partying (with a short break for a Downing Street reception) a couple of 4am finishes and almost no sleep, are still at peak bounce. Jumping and dancing and punching the air. There's Chloe Kelly skipping and singing. Michelle Agyemang at the back. Captain Leah Williamson weeping. Coach Sarina Wiegman waving like a mad woman from the middle of the bus as someone shouts 'Sarina for Prime Minister!' And, of course, the great 140-cap veteran, Lucy Bronze. 'Oh my God, she's a bloody legend. She's insane,' says Sam Bottomley from Herne Bay, who is next to me in the crowd with her twin daughters Mia and Paige. 'All these male footballers rolling around on the floor with a bent back finger and she's played the whole tournament with a broken tibia. That's Proper England – resilience and teamwork – and what better influence for young girls?' And boys, Sam! All of us, for that matter. Which, presumably, is why so many people came today. Some, from hundreds of miles away, arriving in the wee small hours to grab a front row seat. And every hour since, thousands and thousands more, in a great wave of flags, football strips and excitement sweeping across London's Royal parks. Mums and daughters, like Amelia and Kara, from Stevenage. 'As soon as they won, I got my daughter to ring my boss and ask for the day off!' says Amelia. 'We had to be here.' Grannies – 'we've never really had a women's sports team to support before' says Helen, 68, from Winslow. Toddlers with smeary face paint. A dog called Winifred who's watched every match at home in Brighton and, today, is dressed top to paw in football finery. Silas, from Camden, who has an Abyssinian cat called Kanga snuggled around his neck wrapped in an England flag. There is great excitement when Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are spotted in the front of the crowds with their new daughter Athena and Edoardo's son Wolfie – though I somehow doubt they were putting up camping chairs at dawn. Oh yes, and a chap called Tom from Cirencester, here in a sports jacket with his three young sons and nine-week-old baby girl – 'I wanted her to witness a piece of history.' Not just because the Lionesses have won again. And on penalties. But how they did it. How they help each other. Share the glory. The lack of fuss. Which, according to Graham, a heavily tattooed Millwall fan from Bexley with the biggest flag here, is what it's all about. 'I used to follow the men's, but it's a bit boring now. 'The women are more exciting because there's no theatrics, they just get on with it.' In fact, as we waited and waited for the parade, I don't think I've ever been in such a friendly, warm, lovely crowd. Some just want to say thank you. Others to pay homage. All seem happy with even the slightest glimpse of our new champions. Which is presumably why no one makes a fuss when the Lionesses finally reach the big stage in front of Buckingham Palace, and it turns out that the sound quality is disappointingly poor. So rubbish that most of us can't hear when Hannah Hampton tells the crowds never to give up on a dream if it makes you happy. Or when 19-year-old student Michelle tells her team how much she loves them all. But we can see the great Lucy Bronze looking daunting with a red and white Euro Champions scarf tied round her head and full skiing sunglasses. 'Oh my God!' says a lady near me on crutches. 'I've got the same leg break as her; I've been on crutches for 12 weeks and she's played an entire football tournament!' And there's coach Sarina dancing when her favourite singer, Burna Boy, comes on as a surprise and the whole of the Mall erupts into a giant disco. And, oddly, we can suddenly all hear very loud and clear when Chloe Kelly laughs off the idea of feeling any stress – 'Pressure! What pressure?' – and sends TV presenter Alex Scott into a stricture when, in all the excitement, she tells us how very proud she is to be English and that it's all 'so f***ing special'. But, again, nobody cares. Because she's right – it is. It really is. And she did apologise very nicely afterwards.
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Kai Rooney's Manchester United defeat Rangers in front of bumper SuperCupNI crowd at Coleraine Showgrounds
Kai Rooney did swagger and sway past the Rangers defence, often at will, with some of his trickery and skills very reminiscent of his famous father Wayne. As Manchester United beat Rangers 2-0 to move to the cusp of topping Group C of the Premier section, Kai was outshone by one of his Red Devils team-mates. If this performance is anything to go by, the name Abdoulaye Douka Nkoto is one to watch out for in the future; his two second-half goals being just as spectacular as his acrobatic celebrations after he broke the deadlock early in the second-half. Those who packed into the stand and filled the terraces will be keeping an eye out for him in the future. The Rangers performance was again lit up by the lively Kyle Glasgow in midfield, but the best he could do on the night was a shot that was well-saved by the Manchester United goalkeeper. Rooney did have a chance to add to the goal he scored on opening night against West Cork Academy, but when he stepped up to take the penalty that his initial shot helped win, Rangers stopper Sam Reid dived to his right to save. Reid had conceded the penalty when he initially saved a low shot from Rooney, who had cut in from the right, with his dive towards the ball as it spilt from his grasp bringing down a United attacker as he tried to pounce on it. Rooney's first involvement saw him pick up the ball on the right and jink inside, just like his father did many times at Old Trafford, then making robust challenges of the type that Wayne was known for as well. It wasn't until the second-half of the match, though, that fans really got excited thanks to Nkoto. Rangers Luca Rankin had just clipped the bar with a free-kick at one end when United's No.7 unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the box and then celebrated in style with a couple of backflips more reminiscent of another United old boy, Portuguese winger Nani. Rooney did fire an effort over the bar from close range after a low cross was driven in from the left — he had just a split second to take the shot — before that missed penalty midway through the second-half. As it was, Nkoto still had more class to show when, just a couple of minutes from the end, he weaved his way through on the left before arrowing a shot just inside the far post from a tight angle. The fans might have come hoping for a Rooney show, but it was Nkoto who provided the thrills and spills. County Tyrone are next up for Manchester United, and they will go into that game with renewed confidence after beating West Cork Academy 1-0. A 3-0 victory over 2024 winner Brighton has put County Down on course for the SuperCup Semi-Finals. They face a derby against County Armagh, who had an exciting 2-2 draw with Intercontinental. Hamilton Academical have put themselves into top spot in Group B thanks to a 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, and they now go up against County Fermanagh, who got their first point when drawing 3-3 with Tigres. Southampton are likely to emerge as Group D winners after they defeated County Londonderry 2-0, and in the same group, County Antrim lost 3-0 to UAE visitors Ichifuna. Junior Blackburn Rovers Junior coach Daniel Stubberfield is using the famous names from the SuperCup NI's past to inspire his team as they seek to win this year's tournament. In the future, it could be Ty Livesey who is doing that to the next generation after he scored his second hat-trick of the week when Rovers defeated County Tyrone 5-0. The striker showed that there is much to his all-round game with three different types of finish, the best being a stunning free-kick that arrowed into the top corner. The talented Charlie Taulty had put Blackburn into an early lead with a beautiful curling shot and the powerful Darnell Williams had added the third before Livesey netted his two late strikes to secure the match ball. 'We're really pleased with the start. I came last year and we really underperformed in the group,' said Stubberfield. 'We are here to win it. We have high hopes for this group of players. We think we've got a really strong group this year. 'We've got a lot of goals; the two games that we've played, you can see that. We've got a lad who's got two hat-tricks and must have a fighting chance of competing for the leading goalscorer trophy. 'We're very blessed as coaches, we've got a really good mix of players that should give them a chance of doing well in every game. 'You've only got to look at Facebook and see pictures or videos of David Beckham, Marcus Rashford and all these guys who have been here and had the experience that our boys are getting this week. 'For us to do that, that would be incredible for the club. 'We've won a tournament in Portugal previously that the club were really proud of and made a big deal of. 'There's a long way to go, but it would be a huge moment for the club if it was to happen. It's a very famous competition and we're really privileged to be here.' County Armagh set up a Group A decider with Blackburn thanks to a fantastic 5-0 win of their own over Crewe Alexandra. Alfie Davidson, Ryan Savage, Eoghan Mallon and Carter Walker all scored in the first 30 minutes of a superb performance. County Antrim are on course to top Group B after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 thanks to goals from Michael Mulholland and Noah Stewart, while County Londonderry drew 3-3 with Charlton Athletic. Celtic are well-placed to take first place in Group C following a 4-1 win over Bohemians and they now face County Fermanagh, who were 4-0 winners against Chicago City. A 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle keeps County Down's hopes of topping Group D alive, although they will have to beat West Ham United, who were 3-1 winners against St Patrick's Athletic. Minor Kieran O'Connor was beaming with pride after his Cliftonville Minor team booked their place in the Semi-Finals of the SuperCup NI, hailing their performance as one of the best he has seen from any team at Irish League level. His praise was fully justified, too, as the Reds responded within two minutes of going behind against Surf Select before completing an impressive 6-2 win. Keegan O'Connor, Rylan Perry, Aidan Green and Shea McCarthy to put Cliftonville in a comfortable position after Giovanni Reilly had opened the scoring. Even after Moses Moshkovsky had given the American side some hope, McCarthy added a second before Ronan Smith completed the six-hit. 'Two wins out of two and mathematically in the draw for the Semi-Final, we have to be delighted and we're really looking forward to tomorrow now against Leeds,' said O'Connor. 'We have to be quietly confident. We have quality, we have heart and desire and you just don't know in tournament football.' 'Particularly the first-half, that's as good as I've seen from a local team in terms of the quality of the ball, their positioning and quality off the ball and moving the ball on a very sticky, slow pitch was fantastic.' Loughgall Youth grabbed a last-minute 1-1 draw against English giants Leeds thanks to Daniel Farrell. Shamrock Rovers moved to the brink of securing their passage to the Semi-Finals from Group A when they defeated Ballmena United 5-2, and Crusaders kept their hopes alive with a 3-0 success against Ross County. Linfield will go head-to-head with Al Jazira Club for top spot in Group B after the Blues emerged 3-2 winners over Kilmarnock while Al Jazira won 3-1 against Glenavon. Blackburn Rovers are favourites to win Group D after a 2-0 win against Coleraine and the Bannsiders will face IDA Bermuda, who beat Shankill Juniors 3-0, in a battle for second spot. In the Girls Premier Section, Northern Ireland suffered a 2-1 defeat to Shamrock Rovers, while Manchester United defeated Northeast Rush 4-1. Brighton and Aston Villa are joint top of their group after a 2-2 draw. In the Girls Junior Section, Manchester United claimed a resounding 7-1 win over FC United, Larne and Surf Select drew 2-2, and Crusaders had a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock. Girls It was another eventful day in the Girls' Sections of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, with plenty of footballing talent on display. After easing to a victory yesterday, hopes were high in the Premier section that Northern Ireland could have claimed a second win on the trot against Irish side Shamrock Rovers, but the League of Ireland outfit had other plans. After an open start to the game at Monkstown where both sides tested the other in defence, it was Northern Ireland who opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Ruby Adair was the girl who broke down the right wing before firing an effort across the keeper from an acute angle that found its way into the net. However, on 24 minutes the scores were back level. Kassie McLoughlin raced onto a long ball, running into the Northern Ireland box before tucking a superb finish into the bottom right-hand corner. Just as the home team pushed for a winner 16 minutes into the second period, they were dealt a blow at the other end as Rovers grabbed a winner. Matylda Stemaszlek drilled home from 10 yards after the Northern Ireland defence had cleared off the line from Lara Dallaghan to send the visiting support into widespread cheers around the ground. Elsewhere in the Premier section Manchester United crushed Northeast Rush 4-1, while American side Surf Select ran out 2-0 winners against Irish team Finn Harps. In the evening kick-off at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, Brighton and Aston Villa played out an enjoyable 2-2 draw in front of a crowd that enjoyed another dose of summer night football. In the Junior section, there were more goals at Monkstown in the early kick-off with Manchester United sinking FC United 7-1. There were draws for two of the local sides, with Larne finishing 2-2 against Northeast Rush and Crusaders managing a 1-1 draw with Scottish side.
