Latest news with #Championship.The
BBC News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Thousands of Wrexham fans celebrate promotion
Thousands of Wrexham football supporters joined players and club officials at an end-of-season promotion celebration at Stok Cae Ras on queues formed outside the ground as the crowd waited for the gates to open before the event to mark promotion to the event featured musical acts as well as the club's annual end of season Ollie Rathbone was named the player of the season with defender Max Cleworth winning the young player award and the player's player of the Mullin won the goal of the season award for his volley in the win over Blackpool on Boxing Day with Elliott Lee the top serving club secretary Geraint Parry was recognised for his contribution with a lifetime achievement won promotion with a 3–0 victory over Charlton Athletic last weekend, sparking huge celebrations with fans thronging the pitch at the end of the were joined after the game by co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who said Wrexham had made "history" despite people doubting their ambitions were realistic. Wrexham will compete in the second tier next season for the first time in 43 years with eyes on reach the Premier League after three successive promotions.
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How final SPFL play-off places were decided
The final play-off spots have been decided in the Scottish Professional Football League's three lower divisions on a dramatic final day of the regular how it panned out. Stenny beat Alloa to League 1 play-off spot With Arbroath crowned League 1 champions, Cove Rangers and Queen of the South had already booked their play-off places, but they, Alloa Athletic and Stenhousemuir could all have ended up started and finished the day second, winning 4-2 away to second-bottom Annan drew 1-1 away to Arbroath to seal third spot, but Alloa blew their hopes with a 2-1 defeat away to Kelty Hearts, who were playing their first game after handing the player-manager job permanently to Thomas O' allowed Stenhousemuir to leapfrog the Wasps into fourth spot after their 2-1 win over bottom side and already relegated means Cove will visit Queens in the first leg of the play-off semi-final on Tuesday, with Stenhousemuir hosting Airdrieonians, who finished second bottom of the second legs are next Saturday. Edinburgh edge Elgin to set up East Fife tie The League 1 play-off places had already been decided, with East Fife runners-up to fourth-tier champions Peterhead, but Edinburgh City and Elgin City were still vying for third lost their city derby away to Spartans 3-1, but they remain in third after Elgin were beaten 2-0 away to East Peterhead, who secured the title and automatic promotion by beating the Fifers last weekend, slumped to a 6-1 defeat away to means Edinbugh will host East Fife in Tuesday's semi-final first leg, with Elgin entertaining Annan, who finished second bottom of League the second legs are on Saturday. East Kilbride set up Bonnyrigg showdown Bonnyrigg Rose face a relegation play-off against East Kilbride to remain in the SPFL despite a 1-0 win away to Athletic, who had spent much of the season at the foot of the table, completed their escape with a 0-0 draw at home to Stirling Albion to edge out Bonnyrigg on goal League champions East Kilbride, meanwhile, completed an aggregate win over Highland counterparts Brora Kilbride, who won their title by seven points from Celtic B, drew 3-3 in Brora following last weekend's 4-1 home visit East Kilbride for the first leg next Saturday, with the return a week later.
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Fantastic' not to be involved in pressure game
Phil Parkinson admits it is "fantastic" that Wrexham's final game of the 2024-25 season at Lincoln City is not a high-pressure Red Dragons head to the LNER Stadium on Saturday (15:00 BST) having already secured automatic promotion into the 57-year-old hopes his side can end another memorable season on a high note as they go in search of a third successive victory to end the campaign on a 10-game unbeaten run."It's been incredible. The occasion of finishing the job off at the weekend in front of our fans with the atmosphere," he told BBC Sport Wales."I said to the lads that it may take a few weeks to be away from it all in the summer for it to actually sink in."The lads have really enjoyed a bit of time away, they came back in on Tuesday and they're looking forward to going to Lincoln to finish the season off."There's a lot of big pressure games this weekend across the divisions and it's fantastic for us that we're not involved in one."We can say that that's a success whilst looking to put in a good performance at Lincoln."
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rooney 'tried his best' says Argyle successor Muslic
Plymouth Argyle head coach Miron Muslic says Wayne Rooney should not be blamed for the club's pending relegation from the former England captain left the Pilgrims on 31 December with them bottom of the second guided Argyle to just four league wins and 13 defeats in 23 Championship matches in taking over in January, Muslic has led Plymouth to eight win and eight losses in 21 barring a freak run of results it will not be enough for Argyle to stay up - they must beat Leeds United on the final day of the season, hope the sides above them lose and manage to turn around a 13-goal deficit if they are to have a third consecutive season in the Championship. "I will never point the finger at others," Muslic said. "I've been here for four months, I've never mentioned Wayne Rooney once publicly, never."I think he tried his best 100%. He tried his best and I tried my best too, and unfortunately it wasn't enough." Muslic says he "needs answers" over the future direction of the club - which is without a technical director and key recruitment he says he is confident that Argyle can bounce back as they return to League One - which they won two years ago with a club-record 101 points. "We should never be afraid of falling down," added Muslic. "We should never be afraid also of being knocked out - we are down and we are actually knocked out"The only way is to get up and try again, and I believe in this, and maybe that's also the reason why I'm sitting here as head coach."
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Boys to men: Ramsey and Wilshere's coaching reunion
Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere made their Premier League debuts two minutes apart in 2008; a 17 and 16-year-old coming on as substitutes for Arsenal in a 4-0 win at Blackburn Saturday, the two men will be reunited in opposing dugouts as fledgling captain Ramsey will be taking charge of Cardiff City for the third – and, for now, seemingly final – time when the already-relegated Bluebirds visit Norwich City in the 34-year-old is still registered as a Bluebirds player but was handed the reins on a temporary basis after Omer Riza was sacked last for Wilshere, 33, the former England midfielder has already retired and has stepped in as Norwich's interim boss following the dismissal of Johannes Hoff Thorup after the Canaries missed out on the Ramsey harbours long-term coaching ambitions, he wants to continue playing next season, though his Cardiff contract expires this he decides on his next steps, the former Juventus midfielder is looking forward to being reunited with Wilshere, his former central midfield partner at Arsenal."I've been watching Jack's career in the managerial role develop over the years, starting with the [Arsenal] Under-18s and going there [Norwich] as a coach, and now having that opportunity [to manage]," said Ramsey."So it will be a bit mad but I'm looking forward to seeing him again." Both players spent the majority of their playing careers at Arsenal, with Ramsey joining from Cardiff in 2008 and Wilshere graduating from the club's manager throughout his time with the Gunners was the great Arsene Wenger, while Ramsey only had one year without the Frenchman, who left in 2018 after more than two decades at the well as winning three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, Wenger earned legendary status for his aesthetically pleasing style of play, as well as his visionary coaching methods which were regarded as revolutionary for British was also revered for his ability to develop young players, with Ramsey and Wilshere among the most successful examples of his tutelage."I think what Arsene instilled in us is having that freedom to go and express ourselves, having that sense of confidence from him to go out there and to do that," said Ramsey."That's something that I'll take throughout my managerial career, is giving the players the confidence to go out there and express themselves."It's why we all fell in love with football, why we all started playing football, is to go out there and enjoy it and to score goals, attack. For me, that will be something that I take forward."
