Latest news with #RyanAllsop
North Wales Chronicle
21-04-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Birmingham's quick-fire double enough to see off Burton
Blues were given a run for their money in a keenly-contested first half as Burton looked for a result to bolster their hopes of avoiding relegation. For all their possession in the first half Birmingham rarely troubled Max Crocombe in the Burton goal, with Ryan Allsop much busier at the other end as the home side threatened with the pace of Rumarn Burrell and Owen Dodgson's crosses causing problems. Birmingham went in front when Sampsted fired in his first goal for the club from the edge of the box after a corner was half-cleared, and Stansfield doubled City's advantage with a coolly-taken finish from Kieran Dowell's pass. The second half was something of a non-event, with City controlling the game at a much lower tempo. Fabio Tavares provided a moment of real quality in added time to beat Allsop for a Burton consolation – his first goal at the Pirelli Stadium. Albion's League One fate remains in their own hands after Bristol Rovers' home defeat to Stevenage kept them just outside the bottom four.
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Boyhood Birmingham fan Allsop relishing Wembley 'dream'
Birmingham City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop has been to Wembley before - once as a fan, twice as a player and he has been on the winning side each when he heads back for this Sunday's Vertu Trophy final against Peterborough United, it will be his first visit as a Blues player - and, for Allsop, at the age of 32, that is beyond the stuff of dreams for the boyhood fan."It was an easy decision to come here to join my boyhood club," said the summer signing from Hull City, who was Chris Davies' first signing as Blues boss. "And I've played at Wembley twice before, for Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final and for Lincoln City when it was the Checkatrade Trophy. And I've been on the positive side both times."To play at Wembley is a dream - but to do it for your boyhood club is something else." The 1-0 Trophy win over Shrewsbury Town with the Imps in 2018 was in front of a crowd of 41,261, barely half the number who will be there on Sunday. Two years later, when Wycombe beat Oxford United 2-1, it was the summer of the Covid pandemic and the only people who saw it were at home watching on TV. But they both still left their mark on him."Everything is so intense," he said. "Hopefully I can use my experience well."The atmosphere and all the emotion surrounding it is something you can't really describe. I remember playing for Lincoln that day and I came in from the warm-up just drained from the atmosphere."Uppermost in his mind when he walks out, on what is still the world's most famous football pitch, will be his nearest and was his dad who first started taking him to Blues games more than 20 years ago - and who was sat alongside him at Wembley when the club last went there and won, the extraordinary 2011 League Cup final triumph over Arsenal, the same year the club were last relegated from the Premier League."A really memorable day - and a massive day for the club," Allsop Allsop was already a St Andrew's regular by then."I remember I used to have soccer school on Saturday mornings and I'd rush home, have lunch and then go to the game with my dad. "I'd always want to go in the Blues shop. I remember getting a shirt and a Beau Brummie [mascot]."My favourite player was Peter Ndlovu but I loved them all really, Gary Rowett, Martin Grainger, Darren Purse, Michael Johnson, Ian Bennett, Martin O'Connor, Dele Adebola, Stern John, Stan Lazaridis, all these sort of players." When Blues did go up to the Premier League for the first time under Steve Bruce in 2002, they did it in Cardiff, as Wembley was still under its seven-year reconstruction. But, having been there as a fan 14 years ago, Allsop is so full of pride to now go back as a Blues player."I've got the chance to play for Blues at Wembley in front of my family - and not many can say that."My family are the ones who have motivated me and been beside me in everything I've experienced in football and life. "My three children, my wife, my mum and dad, they've ferried me about for ever and they never miss a game. My auntie too. She hasn't missed a game all season."I'll feel emotional when I see their faces. Then it's a case of putting my game face on and concentrating on the job in hand." 'To be able to call myself a Blues player is special' Following the departure of John Ruddy to Newcastle United and the release of Neil Etheridge following relegation last season, Blues signed two keepers this summer - Allsop and Bailey actually started the season as second choice, making only three cup appearances, before getting his first league start in the 1-0 home win over Huddersfield Town on 1 there has been no looking back since, having let in only 18 goals in his 32 league appearances and he said just playing for Blues every week fills him with pride."To be able to call myself a Birmingham City player is special," he said. "I'm so proud to put the shirt on and I just want to give 100% and make people feel proud of me."I try to take it in all the time when I'm playing for Blues at St Andrew's and the fans are singing. I just want to make sure I'm taking every single moment in."Ryan Allsop was talking to BBC Radio WM's Richard Wilford.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Birmingham City to 'focus on the process'
Birmingham City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop says the League One leaders will continue to "focus on the process" as they move closer to promotion. Saturday's 1-0 win over Lincoln stretched Blues' lead at the top to 11 points with 12 games to go. They also have a game in hand over nearest challengers Wycombe Wanderers. Chris Davies' side have a 12-point cushion to the play-off places too with third-placed Wrexham, six points clear of Stockport, the likeliest challengers to the top two. The win over the Imps was decided by Kieran Dowell's 70th-minute penalty and ensured Blues did not let momentum slip any further after suffering only their third defeat of the season at Bolton four days earlier. "We wanted to bounce back and show what we're about really, like we have done all season and obviously the boys are working tirelessly hard," Allsop told BBC Radio WM. "I think it shows in every game that we play, the energy that we show and the pressing and the way we play with the ball. "To sustain that for the amount of games we have done so far... Obviously, we've got a few more games to go yet and we want to sustain that even further." Birmingham hopeful on Allsop and Laird injuries Blues do it game by game by game - Gardner-Hickman The Lincoln victory was also a personal triumph for Allsop, back in the side after missing the Bolton defeat with an ankle injury, suffered late on in the win over Wycombe on 1 March. Allsop said he "feared the worst" immediately after getting hurt, having had a similar injury in the past. "I was quite worried straight away when it happened - it's an injury I've sustained before so obviously I feared the worst but the scan results didn't come back too bad," the 32-year-old said. Allsop duly delivered a 20th clean sheet on his return to the side and was quick to praise the "phenomenal" defensive unit in front of him. "We're a high energy team - the striker always starts that off for us - and then obviously the boys at the back have been phenomenal," he said. "Teams slow the game down and try to make it difficult for us and rely on the counter-attack or set play, so we have to deal with it, which we've done magnificently this season." Birmingham have the chance to move 14 points clear if they can beat Stevenage at home on Tuesday and Wrexham lose at Reading. But despite a return to the Championship edging ever closer, Allsop says Blues boss Davies is drumming in the importance of not getting distracted by that. "The gaffer talks about focusing on the process," he said, "and that's very much what we're doing - focusing day to day, week to week, making sure we come and perform to our highest level and keep that consistency and obviously keep that winning mentality."
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Birmingham City to 'focus on the process'
Birmingham City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop says the League One leaders will continue to "focus on the process" as they move closer to 1-0 win over Lincoln stretched Blues' lead at the top to 11 points with 12 games to also have a game in hand over nearest challengers Wycombe Davies' side have a 12-point cushion to the play-off places too with third-placed Wrexham, six points clear of Stockport, the likeliest challengers to the top win over the Imps was decided by Kieran Dowell's 70th-minute penalty and ensured Blues did not let momentum slip any further after suffering only their third defeat of the season at Bolton four days earlier."We wanted to bounce back and show what we're about really, like we have done all season and obviously the boys are working tirelessly hard," Allsop told BBC Radio WM."I think it shows in every game that we play, the energy that we show and the pressing and the way we play with the ball."To sustain that for the amount of games we have done so far... Obviously, we've got a few more games to go yet and we want to sustain that even further." Allsop 'feared the worst' after Wycombe injury The Lincoln victory was also a personal triumph for Allsop, back in the side after missing the Bolton defeat with an ankle injury, suffered late on in the win over Wycombe on 1 said he "feared the worst" immediately after getting hurt, having had a similar injury in the past."I was quite worried straight away when it happened - it's an injury I've sustained before so obviously I feared the worst but the scan results didn't come back too bad," the 32-year-old duly delivered a 20th clean sheet on his return to the side and was quick to praise the "phenomenal" defensive unit in front of him."We're a high energy team - the striker always starts that off for us - and then obviously the boys at the back have been phenomenal," he said."Teams slow the game down and try to make it difficult for us and rely on the counter-attack or set play, so we have to deal with it, which we've done magnificently this season." Birmingham have the chance to move 14 points clear if they can beat Stevenage at home on Tuesday and Wrexham lose at despite a return to the Championship edging ever closer, Allsop says Blues boss Davies is drumming in the importance of not getting distracted by that."The gaffer talks about focusing on the process," he said, "and that's very much what we're doing - focusing day to day, week to week, making sure we come and perform to our highest level and keep that consistency and obviously keep that winning mentality."
