
Sheffield United vs Sunderland - Championship play-offs final: Live score, team news and updates as the Blades look to bounce straight back up to England's top flight
Alexa, play ABBA's best banger.
'Money, money, money, must be funny... in the rich man's world.'
As soon as the play-off final comes around, this is the song that pops into my head straight away.
It's the most lucrative game in football. £170million on the line. Now, that is a hell of a lot of money.
It's more than just the money, though; there is a place in the Premier League at stake.
Sheffield United and Sunderland are the two fighting for it at Wembley. This is a game that could change their club's fortunes, make history, or break hearts.
I love the play-off final, I'd argue that it's the biggest occasion in English football, even bigger than the FA Cup final.
The question is, who will end up back in the big time?
I, for one, am buzzing to watch The Blades and Black Cats hash it out on the Wembley turf. It is going to be a cracker, no matter who ends up going up.
So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Gemma Collins 'calls in police and beefs up security' as terrified star is sent 'abusive and menacing' letter to her home
Gemma Collins has been left 'terrified' and forced to call in police after she received an 'abusive and menacing' letter to her home. The reality star, 44, is said to be petrified and has beefed up her personal security as a result of the ordeal. A source close to Gemma told The Sun how the man behind the twisted letter detailed his strong dislike for her and talked about tracking her down. They said: 'Gemma was left shaken and very scared for her safety after she received a threatening and abusive letter from a man expressing his extreme dislike for her and using menacing language. 'It was really nasty and made reference to tracking her down, so she called the police straight away. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'It was alarming that this man knew her home address, but she already upped security and has round-the-clock guard dogs and has cameras onsite. 'She is always incredibly friendly with all her fans and happy to stop for pictures and a chat so to have someone send such an unpleasant letter has really shocked her.' The insider shared that there is now an ongoing investigation and Gemma is 'grateful' to the police for taking the matter seriously. The added: 'She thought about what had happened to Holly Willoughby and her kidnap threat ordeal so didn't want to take any chances.' MailOnline has contacted a representative for Gemma for comment. Gemma, who was a car dealer before shooting to fame when she landed a role on ITV's The Only Way Is Essex, previously spoke about her experience with stalking. She told how she's had 'scary' people turn up at her shop in Essex and send her terrifying letters. She told how it 'played havoc on her mind' and was the reason she stepped away from her front of house work at her boutique in Brentwood. Appearing on the Daily Mail's Everything I Know About Me Podcast, Gemma said: 'No one would believe the bl**dy crap I've had to deal with. 'I've had a woman stalker that wrote me a letter in white gloves and wanted to kill me. 'You know, people would wish me dead. I'd get all sorts turn up at the shop. Weird. People are weird. And that's why in a way I came away from my shop in the end.' In 2019, Gemma was forced to move out of her home in Essex over stalking fears, with removal vans being pictured at the property at the time. She had been stalked by a man that previously fat-shamed her. It comes after Gemma recently told fans how she had been struck down with pneumonia as she explained her absence from social media. Gemma explained that her condition had been leaving her breathless 'really quickly' but due to medics diagnosing it as viral, antibiotics would be ineffective. She told The Mirror: 'It's shocking, I've had it now for over three weeks and I had steroids given to me by my doctor. It was DJ Fat Tony's wedding and I had to take them to get through that,' 'But I'm off them now and the sickness is really kicking back in. It's so frustrating because I normally have so much energy and I'm always loving life, but now I get really breathless really quickly and I feel like I'm dying.' Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital. Taking to her Stories Gemma shared snaps as she underwent X-rays while praising medical staff for their care. She wrote: 'Thank you to all the amazing doctors helping me your real life angels'. Announcing the news of her condition on Wednesday, Gemma shared a photo of herself in bed looking poorly in bed. She wrote: 'Hey guys sorry been quiet i have Pneumonia. I'm not as fast or on it as I usually am on the daily. 'I am still honouring my work commitments which is taking every bit of energy I have but will be back entertaining you all soon.' On her Story she added an update as she showed she was on a drip and had been visited by a doctor. One post that showed a drip in her arm read: 'I'm having to take it easy which is not like me very slow and get so out of breath and tired so quick.' WHAT IS PNEUMONIA? Pneumonia is a type of chest infection that affects the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The condition causes these sacs to be become inflammed and fill with fluid, making it harder to breathe. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria or viruses, with the most common being Streptococcus pneumoniae. It affects between five and 11 out of every 1,000 adults every year in the UK. Anyone can suffer from pneumonia, however, at-risk groups include: Babies and young children People over 65 Those with long-term heart, lung or kidney disease People with cancer, particularly those having chemotherapy Smokers Those on drugs that suppress their immune systems Antibiotics or mechanical ventilator use in hospitals also raise the risk. Symptoms include Coughing up mucus Fever Chest pain Loss of appetite Fatigue In severe cases, sufferers may cough up blood, vomit or have a rapid heart rate. Treatment is usually antibiotics, which may need to be given intravenously in hospital in severe cases.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Can the Beckham brand survive reports of family feud?
The anointment of Sir David Beckham is a moment of establishment recognition three decades in the making. But as the former footballer was conferred his knighthood on Friday, reports of family drama threaten to overshadow the for his precision on and off the pitch, Sir David has spent decades carefully curating his family's public year is one of celebration for the former England captain - turning 50 at the helm of an estimated £500m for the past few weeks, much of the online interest around the Beckhams has focused on reports that eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz have fallen out with the rest of the expert in reputation management says reports of the feud have begun to affect the family's public image, noting press coverage of the Beckhams has taken on a more soap-opera-like crisis PR Lauren Beeching says recent media conversation has "started to feel more like something you'd see around a reality TV family". Reports of a family fallout began three years ago as stories emerged claiming that Nicola had refused to wear one of Victoria Beckham's designs on her wedding day. Nicola later said she had wanted to, telling the Times Victoria realised her atelier couldn't make it in time so she had to pick a different designer. Nicola denied there was a feud in the scrutiny continued, with shows of unity (from warm social media posts to shared events) being framed as the Beckhams putting the feud behind them, or discouraging rumours of speculation seemed to die down. But reports of a rift returned last month after Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, were absent from David Beckham's 50th birthday celebrations and didn't post a birthday message online. A source told the BBC Brooklyn had chosen not to go to the party as his younger brother Romeo was attending with a woman Brooklyn had previously been linked to. The source added that this woman's invitation had been "a big source of further tension".Sir David and Lady Victoria have never acknowledged the rumoured rift, and have not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. Ms Beeching believes there's now a risk the feud stories could start to shape the family's image, "instead of the achievements they actually want to be known for". "Once you start being spoken about like a reality TV family," she continues. "That reputation starts to slip". As Manchester United's golden boy, David Beckham quickly transcended football to become a global and Spice Girl wife Victoria created Brand Beckham - fusing fame, fashion and football to redefine modern stardom."Their brand has always been about control of narrative, image, and legacy," says Mr Borkowski. "The media didn't chase them. They gave it a trail to follow - blending scandal with strategy and high-end deals."Beckham "made metrosexuality mainstream", he adds. "He showed working-class lads you could wear nail polish, model for Armani, champion grooming rituals - and still bend a free-kick past the keeper at crunch time. All while embodying a very traditional ideal: devoted husband, hands-on dad, family first.""I lived my career through the spotlight," Sir David told BBC Radio 4's Front Row in 2013. "You have to be a certain person, you have to create a certain person, and you have to be yourself."These parallel identities - carefully constructed yet authentic - gave Beckham his unique the Beckham family have always been relatively private, Ms Beeching sees David's 2023 Netflix documentary as a turning point in how the public perceived them."The Beckham brand has always been seen as aspirational, not accessible, but since the documentary, there's been a notable increase in how much the family share on their social media accounts, which puts them closer to being reality stars," she Beeching says recent news has pulled the family "away from legacy-building and into soap opera territory, which was never their lane".The constant rumours about the family's dynamic have led some fans to take on a "Sherlock Holmes role" - so now, every absence in a photo becomes a hidden theory and every Instagram caption has a sub context. Feud is 'built to go viral' Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, tells the BBC fans expect to see social signals of closeness such as mutual follows, birthday posts and supportive comments. "When these signals are missing, people don't assume neutrality, they assume tension." Fans and tabloids were quick to pick up on Brooklyn and Nicola's German Glamour magazine shoot earlier this month as a signal that the rift was far from over - the couple avoided mentioning the Beckhams, but Nicola's love for her own family was referenced several times. Since then, every Beckham Instagram post and like (or lack thereof) has been agonised over, and even if discussion of the feud are eventually put to bed, it's unlikely that social media sleuthing will end. Mr Navarra explains that even if facts are revealed and the rift rumours are quashed, "the social media algorithm doesn't care about accuracy - it cares about engagement". This feud is the "perfect storm as it's built to go viral", and social media doesn't just fuel speculation, it manufactures and rewards it, he course, family drama is also more relatable than a knighthood, and there's always been an insatiable appetite for famous families feuding in the spotlight. Ms Beeching sees parallels between the Beckham family fallout and the rift between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, which continues to make headlines. "The Royal Family lost control over the narrative as Harry and Meghan became more independent, and that's the same here with Brooklyn and Nicola, who are both adults and are forming their own public personas," she says. Like Meghan, Nicola Peltz was already a known figure before marrying Brooklyn. The daughter of a billionaire businessman and model, "Nicola doesn't need to rely on the Beckhams for money or fame", says Wayne Barton, who wrote a biography about Beckham in 2020. In a bid to not be perceived as nepo babies - children of celebrities who get fast-tracked to success - "Brooklyn and Nicola are in search of their own identities, which "may be putting them at odds with the careful public image that the Beckhams have created for the family", he says. Sir David's polished image has, on occasion, been tarnished by scandal - in 2003, he faced accusations of an extra-marital affair with his former personal assistant Rebecca Lampert, the Daily Mail's showbiz editor at the time, says the Beckhams perfected "smiling through" issues - letting actions speak over 2004, the couple staged a photocall skiing together to demonstrate a united front - with Victoria giving what Lampert describes as a pained "rictus grin".Generally, however, the Beckhams have remained tight-lipped when it comes to scandals, such as criticism over David Beckham's involvement with Qatar, and leaked emails in 2017 that included disparaging comments about singer Katherine Jenkins being awarded an honour over him. Brand is 'bruised not broken' Having been in the spotlight for decades, the Beckham brand will survive the feud and it's currently "bruised but not broken", according to Mr Navarra. One way the Beckhams could limit the damage to their brand would be by "showing family unity with a picture on social media or at least acknowledging that all families have their ups and downs", he suggests. But trying to inauthentically manage the situation and making things look overly staged could backfire and the "narrative of a feud will become permanently baked in".Mr Navarra doesn't believe there are many real implications to the Beckham brand right now and the reports aren't affecting their earning potential, brand collaborations or level of interest in them. "If anything, it humanises the family a bit," he explains, but he cautions there could be a greater impact on their reputation if the feud escalates or more damaging rumours come to light.


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Win a pair of Shokz earbuds, worth £169, in this week's Fabulous competition
WE sometimes need a little extra push to get down to the gym or out on a run. Thankfully, Shokz's new OpenFit 2 wireless earbuds are super-stylish, ultra-lightweight and even sweat-proof so you can wear them from park to train to desk (and back). We've teamed up with Shokz to give you the chance to win one of three pairs of Shokz OpenFit 2 in beige - worth £169. Powered by Shokz's DualBoost Technology, you'll enjoy deep, resonant bass and a high-frequency driver for crisp mids and highs. Plus, physical buttons and touch controls make it super-easy to change the volume, skip tracks and answer calls. You'll get 11 hours of listening on a single charge and a 48-hour run-time with the charging case, too. Forgotten to charge them? A 10-minute quick charge will give a two-hour boost of listening time. There really is zero excuse for skipping that workout now (sorry)! Three Fabulous readers can each win a pair of Shokz earbuds in this week's competition. Enter using the form below by 11:59pm on June 28, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.