Latest news with #BIRMINGHAM
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Lyndon Dykes tips Birmingham team mate for surprise Scotland call-up as he opens up on his own year of hell
'MOST DIFFICULT' Lyndon Dykes tips Birmingham team mate for surprise Scotland call-up as he opens up on his own year of hell Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BIRMINGHAM may have stormed their way to the League One title — but it's been a year to forget for hitman Lyndon Dykes. The Scotland striker was a big-name arrival from QPR last summer, but only scored one goal for the Blues in an injury-plagued campaign. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 But Dykes, 29, hopes to use the close season to get back to peak fitness. He said: 'It's been my most difficult campaign with injuries. Getting injured before the Euros was very disappointing, and being injured during the back end of last season too and being out for a long time has been really tough. 'But I was back on the grass towards the end of the month and I've been working a lot in the gym. 'I'm feeling really good. Being injured and being in a boot for so long, you have to focus on other things. 'I've been focusing on working as much as I can to put a lot of muscle on, and make sure I come back in the best possible shape. 'If you feel good on the pitch, you can perform. That's what I aim to do. 'I didn't want to go down to League One, but what they are trying to do for the future at Birmingham is something that appealed to me. 'This season was a step backwards but it was two steps forward as well. We had a great campaign, we beat the world record for points in a season — 111 points. 'The way Birmingham is growing and the way I'm feeling, it's going to be a very successful future. Hopefully I can be a part of that." Dykes was a key man in Scotland's 2022 World Cup qualifiers with key goals, including three winners against Moldova, Israel, Austria and the Faroes. He believes he can recapture that form — despite not having scored a goal for his country since the win in Norway in June 2023. Dykes added: 'The best feeling in the world is scoring goals. 'I went on a great run for Scotland in the last World Cup qualifying campaign, I got big goals when we needed them. That's what I aim to do again. 'I've been stuck on nine goals for a little bit now so I'm desperate to hit double figures. 'The World Cup is the aim. I was lucky enough to play in the first Euros we qualified for, now I want to be there next summer too. 'If we qualify for the World Cup it would be absolutely amazing for the whole country.' Dykes has been left out of Steve Clarke's squad for the friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein, but he insists they are vital to rebuild morale in the Scotland squad. He said: 'They are definitely important games. It can be difficult, having friendlies in the summer because it's a long season for boys, and there will be some guys playing with injuries. 'But there will be boys looking forward to being in a team environment and getting some minutes to get ready for next season.' Injuries aside, Dykes also spent eight days in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia two years ago, and it took him a while to recover. He added: 'I've been through a little bit, in the hospital with health stuff. You've just got to get through it — it builds your character and makes you stronger in the long run. 'That's why I've switched my brain to think about the positives of some things, like going out to the Euros last summer, and just being around the boys and doing a little bit of TV work there.' Dykes has tipped Blues midfielder Marc Leonard — a former Rangers youth player — as someone Clarke should be watching. He said: 'I definitely think he could make the step up. He hasn't featured in the full Scotland squad yet but he'a a great player. 'From what I've seen of Marc he's definitely got a future, and he could be someone we look to going forward.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
CBS 42 Road to the Final Four: Morning Edition 3/30
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Auburn freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford came off the bench in the Tigers' Sweet 16 matchup against Michigan and recorded 20 points. WKRG Sports Director Simone Eli interviewed Pettiford after Auburn's 78-65 win Friday night. She also received reactions from teammates Chaney Johnson, Dylan Cardwell and Chris Moore on the New Jersey native's performance. Top-seeded Auburn faces No. 2 seed Michigan State in State Farm Arena at 4:05 p.m. Sunday. The game will air on CBS 42. If Auburn wins, it will reach the Final Four for the second time in program history. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Renowned sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar coming to Alabama March 22
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Anoushka Shankar, a sitar player carrying on the legacy of her iconic Indian musician of a father, will be performing in east Alabama later this month for a special performance. Shankar, daughter of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, will perform at the Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University on March 22 as part of its 2024-25 celebrity series. Born in London, Shankar first took up the sitar when she was 8 years old and made music her life ever since, often performing and touring with her father up until his death in 2012. In her own right, Shankar has released eight albums and received 11 Grammy Award nominations. Shankar has also crossed over from Indian classical music to more popular music, recording music with her half-sister, pianist Norah Jones, as heard on tracks such as 'Easy' and 'Traces of You.' The performance will start at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $90. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Former ‘To Catch a Predator' host talks recent Alabama sting operation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Former 'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen joined CBS 42 Morning News to discuss a recent sting operation that resulted in 6 people, including a school teacher, being arrested. As part of the sting operation, the suspects were told they were communicating with an underage teen and they reportedly continued to have an explicit conversation before agreeing to meet up with the teen. The Blount County Sheriff's Office stated that the suspects were instead communicating with an investigator. The six men were all charged with human trafficking, electronic solicitation and traveling to meet a child to perform a sexual act following a sting operation, according to the Blount County Sheriff's Office. Friend of Alabama man killed in ATV crash speaks out Among those arrested was Christopher Thompson, a teacher and bus driver at U.W. Clemon Elementary School. 'Per standard procedure, the employee in question has been placed on administrative leave,' said Jefferson County Schools Director of Communication John Huddleston in a statement. Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon said when officers identified themselves to Thompson at the sting house, he ran to his car and led them on a three-to-five-mile chase before being arrested. 'One of the guidelines that we make that they have to acknowledge at least once, and we try to get them to acknowledge it multiple times that they are indeed speaking with someone who says that they are under the age of consent,' Moon said. Hansen said that Thompson's arrest was disturbing. When he entered the sting house, he had what law enforcement described as a 'Love Kit.' Moon said Thompson was also carrying a gun. 'No matter what he says he was going to do or what his excuses are, there is physical evidence that he was coming to that house to have sex with a child,' Hansen said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn's Denver Jones earns SEC weekly award following win over Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Denver Jones was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday following Auburn's win at Alabama on Saturday. The senior who started his college career at Florida International scored 16 points on an efficient 5-of-9 from the field. He was the primary defender on Alabama guard Mark Sears, and he held Sears to 4-of-17 shooting. Auburn wins No. 1 versus No. 2 showdown over Alabama, 94-85 Sears is Alabama's leading scorer, and Jones did a great job of making him feel uncomfortable all game, as Sears was 2-of-11 from behind the arc. Auburn hosts Arkansas on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
