Latest news with #BostonUnited
The Courier
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Courier
Raith Rovers close in on first summer signing as defender targeted
Raith Rovers are poised to make non-league defender Jai Rowe their first summer signing. The Kirkcaldy outfit are understood to be in talks with the 23-year-old as they bid to strengthen Barry Robson's squad ahead of the new campaign. It is thought the right-back has been recommended by contacts south of the border. Rowe is out of contract at Boston United and had been offered fresh terms by the National League club. However, it is understood the former Scunthorpe United and Aldershot Town full-back could instead complete a move to Stark's Park. Rowe began his senior career with Barwell in the seventh tier of English football before spending three seasons with Scunthorpe in League Two. Following relegation in 2022, he stayed on with The Iron before making the switch to Aldershot for a brief spell the following January. He has since spent the last two years with Boston and was a regular last term playing under the former Livingston defender, Graham Coughlan. Described as being capable of playing 'across the backline or in midfield', the ever-present Rowe scored nine times in 55 appearances in 2024/25 to finish as Boston's second-top scorer. Right-back has been something of a problem position for Rovers in recent times. Ross Millen was a regular pick until a falling out behind the scenes led to him being frozen out in February 2024. Since then, Raith have had St Johnstone loan player James Brown, ex-Dundee United defender Kieran Freeman and one-time Chelsea youngster Fankaty Dabo on the right side of their defence. With Middlesbrough's George Gitau arriving on loan in January with an injury and failing to make a single appearance, they finished last season with attacker Josh Mullin filling in admirably at right wing-back. But it was clear they needed more defensive cover and it appears they are hopeful Rowe is the answer. Robson has not yet made a signing since it was announced last month that five players – Freeman, Kevin Dabrowski, Aidan Connolly, Euan Murray and Jake Nicholson – had been freed. With Ross Matthews and Callum Smith having since agreed fresh terms, Jamie Gullan and Liam Dick have also departed, whilst youngsters Andy McNeil and Callum Hannah were also said to be 'in discussions'. There have also been changes behind the scenes, with assistant-manager Colin Cameron being axed in favour of a move for former Brechin City boss Andy Kirk.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Boston reject Hartlepool move for manager Coughlan
Boston United have rejected an approach from fellow National League side Hartlepool United for their manager Graham Radio Lincolnshire understands that Pools want the 50-year-old former Mansfield and Newport County boss to replace Anthony Limbrick - who is still in is under contract with the Pilgrims so the clubs would have to agree to compensation for the move to go finished 11th in the National League in their second season since relegation from the were seven points adrift at the bottom at one stage but a run of 11 wins in their final 18 games saw the Lincolnshire side finish the season in 19th are up for sale and said last month that they were currently behind with critical planning for next season as a potential takeover drags players left the club at the end of the season, while Limbrick - who took over in February - said he wanted to stay in charge."I think this is a Football League club, I've said that before," he said after the final day draw with Forest Green Rovers."I love this little stadium, it's like a small, boutique stadium; when the fans get going, it always feels like there are a lot more than there actually are, I love the passion and the people here."It means so much to them, and it does to us as well. That's why I came here, I want to try and push this club forward and be here for a long, long time."
Politico
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Let the battle for City Hall begin
Presented by WHO'S ON BOSTON'S BALLOT — The field for Boston's much-hyped municipal elections is set — almost Candidates had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file their nomination papers with the city's Election Department. And while there are lots of candidates interested in running, only a handful are officially on the ballot so far. Who's in? Almost all incumbent councilors have already qualified for the ballot, save for At Large Councilor Henry Santana, who hadn't been certified to be on the ballot as of Tuesday night. Michelle Wu tapped her supporters to help collect signatures for Santana, a former director of civic organizing in the mayor's administration who she endorsed in 2023. Who's out? The only incumbent not seeking another term is Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who earlier this year pledged to step down from the council after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges. There's plenty of interest in filling the District 7 seat, which covers Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and some of the South End. Eight candidates are already officially on the ballot: Said Ahmed, who runs the popular Boston United track program for youth; Samuel Hurtado, who served as a senior adviser to former Mayor Kim Janey; Miniard Culpepper, a Roxbury pastor, who ran for state Senate; Mavrick Afonso, a City Hall alum, who's now with the state's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities; Natalie Juba-Sutherland of Roxbury; and a handful of candidates who have run council before: Said Abdirahman Abdikarim, Jerome King and Roy Owens. The other big draw: The citywide at-large race. The fact that all four at-large councilors are planning to run for reelection doesn't seem to have deterred candidates from getting in the race. Alexandra Valdez, the director of Boston's Office of Cultural Affairs, and Yves Mary Jean, who ran for a district council seat in 2019, are both in, as is former District 3 Councilor Frank Baker, who is looking to mount his comeback after forgoing reelection in 2023. Not so crowded: The mayoral race. A bevy of interested candidates pulled papers to run for mayor, but it looks like the most closely watched race on Boston's ballot may not need a preliminary election come September. Only Wu and Josh Kraft have made it onto the ballot so far, though other candidates could have their signatures certified in the coming days. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the 2025 Multi-Chamber Legislative Breakfast at 8:15 a.m. in Malden and chairs a Governor's Council meeting at noon at the State House. Attorney General Andrea Campbell is on GBH's 'Boston Public Radio' at 1 p.m. Sen. Ed Markey hosts a Senate Climate Change Task Force meeting at 5 p.m. in D.C. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a coffee hour in the South End at 10 a.m. and speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of Pok Oi Residence at noon in Chinatown. DATELINE BEACON HILL SHELTER SKIRMISH — Just as Gov. Maura Healey announced that the state would soon be closing makeshift shelter sites at hotels, state Auditor Diana DiZoglio released a report chiding the administration for relying on 'unlawful' no-bid contracts for emergency food and transportation services serving shelters. Those contracts, 'resulted in unnecessarily high costs and inefficiencies,' the auditor's office said. The audit covered a period from July 2021 to June 2024, a chunk of time during which both former Gov. Charlie Baker and Healey were in office. 'We hope, for the sake of history not repeating itself, especially in areas such as the no-bid contracting process, where taxpayers have grown increasingly frustrated and concerned with the appearance of impropriety regarding how and why no-bid contracts were awarded, that this administration will move away from its defensive posture and instead embrace recommended reforms,' DiZoglio said in a statement. Still, the report earned criticism from one provider. 'When you're auditing systems that are essential service — emergency service systems — you need to really understand the emergency service and the system that you're auditing to understand the nuances of how it functions,' Heading Home CEO Danielle Ferrier told Playbook. 'And what I saw in the report that I read is — I did not see, for example, interviews with providers or folks that know the system. And so a lot of the conclusions, from what I read are actually inaccurate because the audit methodology, to me, is, is lacking.' More from the Boston Herald and The Boston Globe. — State board OKs vocational education lottery system by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'State education officials have approved a new statewide admissions policy for vocational and technical schools that includes a lottery system to fill high-demand seats in the programs, but advocates say the changes will still leave some students behind. The proposal, approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday, would require the state's 28 vocational and technical schools to use lotteries to fill limited classroom openings. Currently, applicants are ranked on their academic, attendance and disciplinary records.' FROM THE HUB — Two Boston City Hall employees fired after being arrested last week, mayor's office says by Nick Stoico and Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: 'Two Boston City Hall employees have been fired after they were arrested last week in connection with a domestic incident in a Chinatown apartment, a spokesperson for Mayor Michelle Wu's office said Tuesday. Marwa Khudaynazar, 27, chief of staff for the city's Office of Police Accountability, and Chulan Huang, 26, who worked in the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, had been placed on unpaid leave following their arrests.' MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — As ICE appearances increase across Mass., local communities amp up resistance by Anjali Huynh, Dan Glaun and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, The Boston Globe. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — MBTA board approves 'nuts and bolts' capital budget, leaving billions in critical projects unfunded by Shannon Larson, The Boston Globe: 'On Tuesday, the T's board of directors approved a $9.8 billion, five-year budget for construction projects, while also leaving more than $12.4 billion in needs without funding, familiar territory for the cash-strapped agency. The plan directs the bulk of the investments to critical repairs and service improvements.' WARREN REPORT — Mass. Sen Warren roasts Trump's IRS pick: 'You shouldn't be within 1,000 miles' of the job by John L. Micek, MassLive: 'President Donald Trump's pick to run the Internal Revenue Service shouldn't be 'within 1,000 miles' of the post if he couldn't answer a question about black-letter law, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren argued Tuesday. That criticism came during a tense exchange between Warren and former U.S. Rep. Billy Long, of Missouri, as he faced a barrage of questions before the Senate's Finance Committee.' FROM THE 413 — Northampton mayor unveils $145M budget, defending school funding position by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has officially debuted her $145 million fiscal year 2026 budget for the city, continuing to defend her plan for the school district while warning of possible instability from federal cuts. The new budget represents a 4.8% increase from the previous fiscal year, with $129.5 million in the city's general fund and the remaining to be used across the city's four enterprise funds. Within the general fund, school funding makes up 43% of all expenditures, with $43 million budgeted for Northampton Public Schools and another $11 million for Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Quincy mayor to add 'senior scam and fraud liaison' to city payroll by Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger: 'Mayor Tom Koch wants to add a new 'senior fraud and scam liaison' for the city's department of elder services. The position comes with a $90,000 salary. In hearings on Mayor Koch's proposed $455.8 million budget for fiscal 2026, the city council's finance committee approved $36 million in spending increases for the fiscal 2026 budget, including this new hire which drew questioning from multiple councilors.' — Worcester to add security guards, scanners at City Hall by Adam Bass, MassLive: 'Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista announced Tuesday that City Hall will add security guards on its first floor and install security scanners. Beginning May 27, security compliance officers will be stationed at City Hall when the building is open, according to an email the city issued Tuesday.' — Norton approves two zoning districts to comply with MBTA law by Madison Dunphy, The Sun Chronicle. HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Seth Klarman, Nicole Freedman, Evan Francis of state Rep. Dennis Gallagher's office, Edelman's Amy Larkin Long, Beth Dozoretz, Arthur Brooks and Lacey Rose.
The Herald Scotland
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Non-League Player of the Year left feeling on cloud nine
Having played a central part in one of the most dominant teams in English football this season, including a 12-game winning streak to end the campaign, the former Scunthorpe and Boston United man was left bursting with joy after receiving his well-deserved accolade. 'It's an honour to win this award,' said Elliott. 'It's brilliant to be here and to end a brilliant season with some accolades means a lot. It's an honour. There are a lot of good players across Step 3 and Step 4 so it is brilliant to win this award and I really appreciate it. 'There's a great buzz around the club. We won the league mid-March and finished with 12 wins in a row so there was a real togetherness with the club. 'It is a brilliant place to be and I'm looking forward to next season as well. 'Robbie's a big character. He has his ways but I really enjoy him, he is approachable and we can speak to him. You can give him your opinion and he'll listen. 'He knows when to put his arm around somebody and when to shout and he has managed me well, especially when my confidence was low and wasn't scoring at first.' The National Game Awards is a celebration of the non-League season - highlighting the community, fans, on-field, and off-field successes of the game outside of the Football League. The ceremony is held annually by the Non-League Paper, the UK's number one selling football title and the best place for your non-league news, with this year's edition hosted at Plough Lane – home of AFC Wimbledon. Elliott added: 'There are a lot of good players in non-league. I've played in different steps in Non-League and in League 2 as well and it's really important to celebrate them and the place that football plays in the community across the country. 'It's vital to celebrate non-league and the clubs, players and the fans. It's a brilliant part of our culture."
Boston Globe
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
What's behind the rise of Boston City League boys' volleyball?
The Cardinals, a co-op with players from TechBoston, East Boston, Fenway, and New Mission, are 8-5, including Harvey's first win over O'Bryant, a 3-1 stunner in April. 'I feel like a lot of people underestimate us,' said junior hitter Ivan Tran . 'I go to club practices, and people don't even know who Madison Park is.' Ivan Tran starts off the second set with a kill — AJ (@aj_traub) Added Harvey: 'We've definitely been putting in the work. In years past, I've had to convince basketball players to play for me. As of three or four years ago, I've been able to find guys who aren't basketball players and develop them into volleyball players.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up O'Bryant (6-7) and Latin Academy (8-7) both appeared in the Globe's Top 20 this season, proving what Madison Park is up against. It's had success against new competition, too. Advertisement Boston United, a co-op with Boston Green Academy and the Mary Lyons school, hosted by Quincy Upper, took MP to a fifth set mid-April in its first varsity season. With Charlestown and Brighton also in pursuit of varsity status, the league is set to double in size quickly. 'It's definitely growing,' Harvey said. 'To be a part of it is beautiful.' Kenzie Pratt , Quincy Upper's athletic coordinator who coaches the Boston United girls' team, helped elevate the boys' squad with coaches Jessi Lazcano and Christine Jozitis . Pratt spent six years building a program from scratch in New York and brought her passion to Boston. Advertisement 'It's been really great,' she said. 'Volleyball is one of the most up-and-coming sports right now. Everyone's talking about it, it's something kids want to try. It's a technical sport, so the younger you start, the better.' Setter Kevin Tan gets a kill for BU — AJ (@aj_traub) Boston United went 9-3 as a junior varsity team last season and 'It means a lot to me because I was born in the city and I've been in BPS since I was a kid,' said senior captain Kyle Tan . 'I've always known that the smaller teams are struggling a little bit, and I'm happy to be a part of something new.' Quincy Upper having its own court — rather than playing at Jackson Mann in Brighton — marks a big step in increasing accessibility. 'We're just very thankful to BPS because we have a new school building, so we have a new gym,' said senior captain Madex Negron . 'We have new coaches and a bunch of new teammates. It's just been creating a great experience.' Meanwhile, athletes have access to a more affordable fall league with eight teams, started by O'Bryant coach Paul Pitts-Dilley two years ago, which runs Saturdays for eight weeks. Madison Park and Revere won the first two seasons. O'Bryant coach Paul Pitts-Dilley started an affordable offseason volleyball program for city athletes. Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe 'I have boys that should be playing club, but their parents can't afford the $3,000 to $4,000 that a club season costs,' Pitts-Dilley said. 'If it wasn't for fall ball, we'd be talking about guys who only play in the spring and some open gyms at the Y once or twice a month. Advertisement 'It's not just about winning. We love the sport.' The Lionheart Volleyball Club, founded by Cait lyn Vann last fall, is also making an impact. Along with high schoolers, it hosts clinics for kindergarteners-to-eighth-graders. Harvey helped oversee a recent clinic at the Reggie Lewis Center for which nearly 100 boys registered. Madison Park's Ziandrew Nunes Pina hits around the block of Boston United's Able Fikru. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Lionheart has granted $50,000 in scholarships to kids who can't afford membership and donated to the Latin Academy program. 'What I'd like to do is create an inner city volleyball club where they're getting the same types of training that suburban kids are getting,' Vann said. 'I'm passionate about helping marginalized communities. Providing access is something I want to do.' Newer players benefit from competition against the state's best, and Boston's top teams and club programs provide that. O'Bryant has been a state contender, 'If they allow us to that City championship,' Harvey said, 'We might as well win it.' Will Harvey (second from right) shared a laugh with his Boston United boys' volleyball team during a match against Madison Park. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Still , Latin Academy 'I would never have imagined we'd place so high in the state tournaments as we did a few years ago,' said BLA hitter Teddy Stylianopoulos . 'It's been surreal . . . We have a reputation I didn't think we'd have.' Advertisement Added Latin coach Nick Mone : 'It's really cool being able to see us and O'Bryant compete with the best teams in the state. It's really great to see how many athletes in the city have embraced boys' volleyball.' While teams fight for the top spot, they put their rivalries aside and come together as one. That's the uniqueness of the City League. 'Rivalries run deep, and when I came to Boston, there were people rooting for each other,' Pratt said. 'We want better for our kids. 'When a Boston team does well, it's good for all of Boston.' The Boston City League will soon double its number of boys' volleyball teams with the additions of Charlestown and Brighton. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Set points • The final undefeated non-charter teams fell on Tuesday. Brookline dropped a five-setter to Natick, and Southwick swept East Longmeadow. • Beverly announced Rory Harmon , a 2021 alumna who played defensive specialist, will coach girls' volleyball. Matches to watch Monday, O'Bryant at Latin Academy, 5 p.m. — These two City League teams will meet one last time in the regular season. O'Bryant looks to serve up revenge for its mid-April loss, while Latin Academy eyes a perfect league record in its final conference matchup. Monday, No. 5 Lexington at No. 8 Winchester, 5:15 p.m. — The annual Spike Out ALS match pits the top-10 Middlesex rivals, who always bring their best to the matchup. Tuesday, No. 7 Milford at No. 13 Acton-Boxborough, 5:30 p.m. — Both teams are undeniably solid, but come in searching for momentum amid a tough schedule. Milford has lost four of its last five and A-B has dropped two in a row. Thursday, No. 4 Newton North at No. 1 Brookline, 5:15 p.m. — After Newton North became the first team to push Brookline to five sets, it aims to bounce back against the top-ranked opponent and split the season series. Advertisement Alexa Podalsky can be reached at
