Latest news with #ENGLAND
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
England hero details Sarina Wiegman's simple message before Portugal hat-trick
ENGLAND 6-0 PORTUGAL: Aggie Beever-Jones scored three times on her first ever Wembley start for the Lionesses as she stepped in for injured Alessia Russo as Portugal were put to the sword England hat-trick hero Aggie Beever-Jones admitted manager Sarina Wiegman told the Lionesses to go out and 'destroy' Portugal before their thumping 6-0 Nations League win. With Alessia Russo ruled out due to a minor injury, Chelsea striker Beever-Jones led the line in her first ever Wembley start for the Lionesses. And the 21-year-old had a dream night, opening the scoring inside three minutes and completing her hat-trick with barely half an hour on the clock. 'My first time playing at Wembley, actually, for England, so I don't think it could get much better than that,' Beever-Jones said. 'It was incredible. I think Wembley's always been a special place - we won the FA Cup here not so long ago with Chelsea and I saw us win the Euros here, so for me it's obviously a historic place, and for me I was just focusing on getting into the game, trying to do the basics well.' It was England's first game without Mary Earps, who announced her international retirement just days before the game, and their first in their new home kit, and if it can be considered a new era then it began in style. 'As cliche as it sounds, Sarina literally said it's a new kit, new England today, go out there and put a graft in, basically,' Beever-Jones added. 'I think her words were 'destroy them', in her Dutch accent. "But for us it was just executing the game plan, and first half we were really good at that, and in the second half if I'm honest we struggled just because they obviously dropped down and there's less spaces. 'I think for us to get to the next level, how do we hurt teams when they're like that. I think we can look back on today and be really proud of ourselves and be ready to go again on Tuesday.' Beever-Jones treble helped England race into a 5-0 lead before half-time, with Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead also on target. Chloe Kelly came off the bench to add a sixth in the second half, ensuring England know victory away to world champions Spain on Tuesday night will see them top their Nations League group and go into this summer's Euros flying high. "Of course that is what we wanted," Wiegman said after the win. "You go back to business and you want to show it on the pitch. "It was an important game, we want to do well in the Nations League, we want to keep in the running to win it. We needed a win and it is really good to see the team showing up like this.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
How an Australian made sure ‘the real Ashes trophy' finally made it to Lord's
Not to Bligh, though. After Dick Barlow bowled Tom Garrett to complete England's 'Ashes-winning' victory in the third match in Sydney in January, 1883, Bligh had souvenired the fallen bail and shaped it into a letter-opener, complete with ivory blade and an inscription noting the occasion it marked. 'ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA JANUARY 26, 1883 ENGLAND WON BY 69 RUNS THIS BAIL was knocked off by the last ball bowled IN THE MATCH.' This he presented to Lady Clarke, reciprocating the gesture of the ashes urn, but a later custodian of the letter opener, Ian Metherall, suspects it was also to maintain the favour of the Clarkes and a pretext to see Florence Morphy regularly, which he did. Duly, Bligh proposed, Morphy accepted, but Lady Clarke advised prudence, noting the difference in their social stations and the fact that Bligh's parents in England had not been consulted. She wrote from experience; she herself had come from humble origins to marry Sir William and knew the invisible pitfalls. If Bligh's parents approve, she said, the Clarkes would be only too pleased to give the couple their blessing. Loading Bligh returned to England, but the two artefacts of that series, the urn and the opener, remained with the Clarkes at Rupertswood. In the mind's eye, it's impossible not to see them sitting side-by-side on a mantlepiece somewhere in that grand mansion (elsewhere in its wings, some of Ned Kelly's armour lay, but that's another story for another day). Bligh came back to Melbourne the next summer with his parents' sanction and the Clarkes made a lavish production of his marriage to Morphy. Eventually, the couple settled in England, taking with them the urn. At first, they struggled. As the second son of an earl, Bligh was not entitled and had little money until his older brother died, whereupon funds and comforts accrued, and the title of Lord Darnley. Morphy, now Lady Darnley, made the acquaintance of royalty and other notables, including Rudyard Kipling, and for her pastoral work during World War One was made a dame of the empire. When Bligh died in 1927, she donated the Ashes urn to Lord's. Less than two years later, Don Bradman would have clapped his eyes on it for the first time. Meantime, the bail-cum-letter opener passed down through the line of the Clarke's descendants until it rested in a garage belonging to Metherall and his wife Rosemary, a great-granddaughter of the Clarkes, on their farm at Nagambie. Metherall, an importer/exporter, is also a collector of cricket memorabilia and, incidentally, cars. Rosemary's other grandfather was Essington Lewis, a former head of BHP and an arms manufacturer during World War One who sourced prized steel for General Motors to begin to build Holdens in Australia after World War Two. For his efforts, General Motors delivered to him the first Holden ever made in Australia, the hallowed 48-215. Forerunning that car was a prototype built by GM in Detroit. Metherall and Rosemary at one estage had custody of both cars, each of which had travelled many miles before being restored by enthusiasts and finding their way via the Metherall collection to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra in 2004. Metherall says not all in his family were best pleased with this outcome for these heirlooms. Loading Enter – or re-enter - the bail. Driven to elevate its place in the Ashes narrative, but anxious not to cause further family tensions, Metherall says he bought the bail from them outright. He has since become the champion-in-chief of its paramountcy in the Ashes legend. Since Bligh's descendants say the urn is not a cricket trophy, but a 'personal and romantic keepsake', Metherall regards the bail as a symbolic prize in its own right. He has his backers. 'The Bail is an object of equal importance and historical significance to the Darnley Urn as part of the early Ashes story,' wrote long-serving MCC librarian David Studham in 2011. 'Indeed, its status as a genuine artefact from a Test match on the 1882-83 tour makes it even more so. It is unique; no other bails from this first Ashes series are known to exist, and therefore none are held in any Australian public collections. It deserves to be retained in Australia as a significant item relating to such a key part of our sporting heritage, the battles for 'The Ashes'.' Writing in the magazine Australiana in 2006, curator, publisher and broadcaster Tom Thompson was even more blunt. 'It is the real trophy,' he said, 'and as cricket memorabilia trumps the urn by being created from an actual stump gifted by the English captain. The Ashes urn is a faction.' Metherall says his efforts to consecrate the bail's place in history have largely been stonewalled. For a time, he had it on display at the Australian Club and it appeared in the National Museum from 2006-2008. But the Melbourne Cricket Club museum rebuffed him in 2018, saying it had plenty enough Ashes curios; more would mean only clutter. How near a relative the bail is to the urn and how much weight it should be accorded in the game's iconography is a matter of intrigue. Apart from anything else, it was fashioned from a verifiable piece of Ashes furniture, whereas doubts linger about the ashes in the Ashes. One of several theories that now can never be tested is that the urn was presented to Bligh twice, at Rupertswood before the series when it was empty, and again after the series, now containing the burnt remains of the other bail. If true, it would make the pairing irresistible. But we'll never know. Metherall is not easily deterred. Eventually, he found a sympathetic ear in British broadcaster, actor and author Stephen Fry, a past president of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Still, there was a process. The bail is on the National Cultural Heritage Control list, so cannot leave the country without approval. Fortunately, at the Australian end, this was obtained in 24 hours. But British bureaucracy tied up that end like a county medium-pacer. Metherall says he risked a long jail term or a massive fine if he tried to fly it into England without the necessary permissions, because the blade is made of ivory, a prohibited import. A plan to deliver it in February had to be scrapped, but after three months of wrangling, the paperwork finally came through, and Metherall and his precious cargo made their way to London last week, first class (seat 1A), of course. The bail was handed over to Lord's last week and is now on display alongside the venerable urn, together again for the first time since their Rupertswood days. In explaining what he sees as the bail's historic significance vis a vis the urn, Metherall likens it to the pair of historic Holdens he once owned: each tells part of the whole tale. Metherall also says the whole Ashes mystique has been forever misrepresented. 'People don't understand that the Ashes story is not about a little urn,' he said. 'It's actually a love story, between the captain and a pauper.' Bligh suffered frequent ill-health and did not play Test cricket again after that 1882-3 series. The four matches he played then comprise his whole Test career. Its substance is an aggregate of 62 runs, with a top score of 19. Concerning a man who has such venerable place in cricket history, this reads modestly. But like the letter opener he shaped from the bail, it is a humble token that embodies a grand idea that is cherished to this day. As for Metherall, while championing the past, he does not live there. Next on his plate is a project to import unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
England DENIED automatic qualification to Euro 2028 despite hosting after shock rule change.. but will have safety net
ENGLAND and the other host nations will have to earn their place at Euro 2028 despite the tournament being played in the British Isles. But Uefa have confirmed a backdoor route for any of the four countries that does not make it by right. 1 England have been denied automatic qualification to Euro 2028 As expected - with the FA keen for the Three Lions to play competitive games ahead of the tournament rather than a year of friendlies - Uefa's ruling executive committee has now confirmed the qualifying structure. At a meeting in Bilbao, Uefa agreed that TWO spaces will be made available for the host nations who do not qualify by right when the campaign begins in March 2027. Northern Ireland's failure to provide a suitable stadium after the collapse of the plans to play matches at Casement Park means games will now be played in As in Europe's World Cup qualifying schedule, which continues next month, there will be 12 groups, consisting of either four or five teams, with the four co-hosts also taking part. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS The 12 group winners and the best eight runners-up - with points earned against the teams placed first, third and fourth taken into account - will automatically qualify for the 24-team tournament. Two further places will be available from a play-off system involving the other four runners-up and the best-ranked non-qualifiers from the Nations League campaign starting in September 2026, involving between eight and 12 teams. And that leaves two final places for the two best co-hosts who did not qualify through their group finish, although they will not be eligible for the play-offs. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Most read in Football The draw for the qualifying stage will take place in December 2026, at the conclusion of the Nations League. Cardiff's Principality Stadium will host the opening game on June 9 2028, with both semis and the July 9 Final played at Wembley. England squad plays the Traitors Other English venues will be the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Everton's new home at Bramley Moore Dock, the Etihad, Villa Park and St James' Park. Hampden Park and Dublin's Aviva Stadium provide the Scottish and Irish venues.
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
England set to play World Cup qualifier in tiny stadium smaller than FIFTEEN League Two grounds
ENGLAND are set to play in a tiny 8,000-seater stadium when they visit Serbia in September. 2 England will face Serbia at the Dubocica Stadium in Leskovac - with a capacity of just 8,000 Credit: Getty 2 The FA had assumed the notoriously noisy Rajko Mitic Stadium would host the clash Credit: Reuters Red Star's hostile 53,000-capacity Rajko Mitic Stadium was expected to host the clash on September 9. But the Serbian Football Association appears set to host the Group K fixture away from the capital. A tiny stadium in the town of Leskovac has been earmarked for the game. The Dubocica Stadium is located around 170 miles south of Belgrade. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL With a capacity of just 8,136, it is smaller than FIFTEEN grounds in League Two. The development is understood to have surprised some at the Football Association, per PA. Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium hosted big Nations League matches against Spain and Austria over the last year. The Three Lions began qualifying with routine wins against Albania and Latvia in March. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK England will next be in action away to Andorra on June 7. They are then due to play in a friendly on June 10 at 's City Ground. England squad plays the Traitors In a boost to the new England boss, White has not played for the Three Lions since leaving the team's camp at the 2022 World Cup for "personal reasons." White, 27, fit again after knee problems, said: "I'm definitely available. "I spoke to [Tuchel] a few times. He's such a nice, nice man — very honest. I haven't been back for too long. "So it's just about playing now and hopefully making my way back in."
