Latest news with #TomokiIwata
Glasgow Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Celtic star Kyogo tipped for shock Birmingham City move
The 30-year-old left Celtic Park six months ago to join Rennes in Ligue 1 for around £10 million. However, his time in France hasn't gone as planned, and he has fallen down the pecking order. Now, Japanese news outlet Sponichi Annex claims that Kyogo is likely to move to England's second tier to play for Birmingham City. This would see him reunited with former Celtic teammate Tomoki Iwata and working under head coach Chris Davies. It's reported that the former Hoops player is keen to explore a move to England. Birmingham City won League One last season and are aiming for back-to-back promotions. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Kyogo will need regular playtime to secure a spot in Japan's squad.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Stansfield and Iwata nominated for PFA awards
Birmingham City's Jay Stansfield and Tomoki Iwata have both been shortlisted for the PFA League One Players' Player of the Year impressed in his debut season with the Blues, with a highlight reel including scoring an impressive goal from outside the box during their FA Cup defeat by whose signing broke League One's transfer record, was the division's second highest scorer, with 19 scorer Charlie Kelman, who was on loan at Leyton Orient from QPR, has also been nominated, along with fellow forwards Davis Keillor-Dunn of Barnsley and Wycombe Wanderers' Richard Kone and Peterborough midfielder Kwame Poku, completing the winner will be announced on 19 August at Manchester Opera House.
Scotsman
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Rangers and Celtic outcasts smash record as 10-goal Scotland international confirms historic promotion
Several ex-Rangers and Celtic players were involved in an EFL promotion chase at the weekend. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A trio of Old Firm outcasts helped Birmingham City break a new EFL League One points record at the weekend as the Blues ran out 4-0 winners against Mansfield Town at St Andrews. Ibrox flops Kieron Dowell and Ben Davies are both currently spending the season on loan to the Midlands outfit, while ex-Celtic midfielder Tomoki Iwata joined permanently on transfer deadline day in September. All three have been key figures in Chris Davies' starting XI as they have romped to the third tier title, losing just three of their 44 league games this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They all started Sunday's game against the Stages as the home side secured the win that helped them smash Wolverhampton Wanderers' 11-year record for most points gained in a league season (103). Goals from Keshi Anderson and Willum Willumsson put Birmingham in the driving seat before the half-time break, but it was 27-year-old Rangers loanee Kieron Dowell that stole the show in the second period. Bulleting home a header from close range on 50 minutes, Dowell then turned provider with an exquisite back heel that played in ex-Celtic midfielder Tomoki Iwata to tap home his seventh league goal of the season, sealing all three points that confirmed Birmingham had broken the league record for most points in a league season (105). Former Rangers youngster Alex Lowry suffered a damaging defeat with his new side at the weekend. | SNS Group 'As we got started and got going, I was aware of what Wolves had done previously,' said head coach Davies. 'It is an incredible achievement and I'll keep saying this and saying this: to get 105 points in a season, people might take it for granted but it's not something to be taken for granted. 'The consistency that they've shown week in, week out. That was their 58th game of the season! That 105 points, I really don't think that'll get touched again. It was a really special day for the club, I was aware it would be amazing no matter what but I wanted to make sure we signed off unbeaten and with a great performance. We had all that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Despite Wrexham languishing 16-points behind Birmingham in second place, the Welsh side had reason to celebrate themselves on Saturday after a 3-0 win over playoff contenders Charlton Athletic confirmed an astonishing third successive promotion since the club's takeover by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. With 38-year-old former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher named on the substitutes bench, the Red Dragons took a two goal lead after just 18 minutes through Oli Rathbone and Sam Smith, before the latter grabbed a second late on to cement second place in EFL League One and promoted to the English second-tier.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Willock doubles up as Newcastle edge out Birmingham in thriller
A wet evening, a slick pitch and two committed teams and suddenly the FA Cup doesn't seem in quite such a troubled state. A remarkable tie, played at remarkable pace, stuffed with incident and endeavour, and illuminated by a stunning goal from Tomoki Iwata, was settled in favour of the Premier League side by two goals from Joe Willock. Yet Birmingham will draw not merely a lot of pride from their performance but also encouragement that if they are promoted out of League One, they will be able to cope at the higher level. Birmingham might also wonder whether Willock's first goal crossed the line. 'It's a 50-50 chance the decision goes in your favour and it didn't,' said the Birmingham manager, Chris Davies. Although Bailey Peacock-Farrell's feet were well behind the line when he reacted sharply to punch away Willock's close-range shot, whether the whole of the ball had crossed the whole of the line was an extremely close-run thing. With no goalline technology, the decision fell to the linesman Nigel Lugg, a former warehouse operations manager from Croydon, and he judged it had. Related: Birmingham City v Newcastle United: FA Cup fourth round – live But even if that was tight, there could be no real sense of grievance for the home side given that when Ethan Laird, in an extremely necessary moment of self-preservation, ducked his head to allow Iwata's 25-yard shot to flash over him and into the top corner, he was in an offside position. It would have taken the stoniest of hearts to rule that effort out, but a video assistant referee probably would have done. This wasn't a day for such modern concerns. The weather was ideal for the fourth round of the Cup, a thick veil of drizzle casting everything in an appropriately nostalgic soft focus, before yielding to heavy second-half rain. It was a game of robust challenges and boisterous old-fashioned excitement, filtered through a modern lens. Although promotion is clearly the priority for Birmingham, this was a game that mattered, something clear from the dozen or so lads in Burberry caps and scarves outside New Street station chanting unconvincingly about much how they hate Geordies to the pre-match light show featuring the local rapper Jaykae. Suitably whipped up, Birmingham were ahead within 43 seconds against a Newcastle side that featured only two players who had started Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final win over Arsenal, Laird lashing in after Kieran Dowell's corner had been headed back across goal by Keshi Anderson. For 20 minutes, Birmingham dominated and, had Nick Pope not made a fine save to keep out an Anderson volley, there might not have been a way back. 'I thought we did well to navigate the early part of the game,' said Eddie Howe. But William Osula's surges down the right always offered hope and contributed to two goals in the space of four minutes. After Willock's controversial equaliser, Callum Wilson, boot raised to shoulder height, nudged in from even closer range after Osula, two yards out in front of an open goal, had somehow smacked the ball into the back of his standing leg. 'He was in the right place at the right time,' said Howe. 'I don't see a huge number of players in world football who can do what Callum does. His movement and game management are second to none.' Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'. If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you're on the most recent version. In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications. Turn on sport notifications. Iwata, running on to a bouncing clearance to smack in his extraordinary goal, had the scores level by half-time. Newcastle never looked entirely comfortable, but ultimately they did find the winner, Willock pouncing to drill Sean Longstaff's cross-cum-shot between the legs of Peacock-Farrell on 82 minutes. Birmingham, as Davies acknowledged, had just begun to tire, and while Willock's run was not picked up, that does not at all detract from the quickness of the instincts or the sharpness of the finish. 'I think he's such a talented lad,' said Howe, who was delighted by how Willock had adapted to a more advanced role. 'I really want to see him back to his best. It's been a stop-start season. He's got the running capacity to play in that position and play in those one-v-one actions.' It wasn't Newcastle's best performance but, given the changes, it was never likely to be: this was about getting the job done – and they did that.
