Latest news with #Wembley
BBC News
11 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Southend schoolgirls delighted to play final at Wembley
A primary school football team have shared their excitement about playing at Wembley Stadium just hours before Southend Bournes Green Junior School side is made up of many young Shrimpers fans due to its location in the Essex will contest a national schools cup final at 13:00 BST, two hours before Blues' National League play-off decider against Oldham Flo, 11, said: "I'm quite confident we're going to win, I think we're going to go and smash it." The side won their semi-final after a gripping penalty Year 5 and 6 pupils will now take on AFC Fylde, from Lancashire, at the national said: "We were so amazed, so excited as we knew we were playing at Wembley." Fellow player Eleanor added: "It feels incredible that we've got this opportunity."But it's also a bit nerve-wracking, because we know this is our one chance and we need to give it everything we've got." 'Once in a lifetime' The girls were surprised during the build-up to the game when Southend boss Kevin Maher and skipper Nathan Ralph gatecrashed a school presented the young footballers with a commemorative kit and shared some top tips for of the girls, Micky, said: "It's a once-in-a-lifetime moment and I'm very grateful."Not many people get to go to Wembley and play on the actual pitch."Eliza, whose goalkeeping heroics helped to win the shootout, said she felt a mix of nerves and excitement ahead of the big match."It's really unbelievable that we've got to this stage and we're actually going to play at Wembley," she added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Blues go head to head in Wembley play-off final
Former Carlisle players Joe Garner, left, and Jack Bridge, right, meet in today's National League play-off final (Image: Barbara Abbott / Richard Parkes) Two former Carlisle United players go head to head at Wembley today - for the right to avoid facing the Blues next season. The National League play-off final sees Oldham Athletic and Southend United compete for a place back in the EFL. Advertisement The outcome will complete the line-up of Carlisle's opponents in the 2025/26 season. And there are familiar faces on both sides as the respective clubs bid to escape the fifth tier. For Oldham, striker Joe Garner is making a second Wembley appearance in the space of three years. The veteran frontman was in the United XI that started 2023's League Two play-off final victory over Stockport County. Now he is set for a key role in the National League final, having played a significant part in Oldham's run to Wembley. Garner, who had four spells with Carlisle, has scored in both the Latics' play-off games to this point. Advertisement He netted in their 4-0 eliminator victory over FC Halifax Town. And then the 37-year-old scored to set Micky Mellon's side on their way to a 3-0 win at York City in the play-off semi-final. Garner's four league goals this season have all come at the business end as Oldham eye a return to the EFL after a three-year absence. The frontman left Carlisle to join the Boundary Park club in January 2024, at the end of his fourth United spell. In total since 2006, Garner scored 33 goals for the Blues in 120 appearances. Standing in his and Oldham's way is a Southend side that includes former Blues midfielder Jack Bridge. Advertisement The 29-year-old has already had a significant impact on the Shrimpers' play-off run so far. He came off the bench to scored their extra-time equaliser at Forest Green Rovers that forced a 2-2 draw and a penalty shoot-out. And Bridge was among the players to convert from the spot as Kevin Maher's side progressed to the final. Bridge had also started Southend's 4-3 eliminator win over Rochdale to boost the club's bid to return to the EFL after four years in the fifth tier. The midfielder was on Carlisle's books from 2019-2020, making 35 appearances and scoring three goals. Oldham are 6/4 favourites to win the final with Southend 15/8. Kick-off is 3pm.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Wembley Stadium Prepares For New Record Attendance For Nonleague Soccer
The Vanarama National League season will come to a close on Sunday, June 1st, as Oldham Athletic take on Southend United in the promotion final with the two teams doing battle for one place to return to the English Football League ahead of next season. Build-up for the game has largely been occupied by controversy over ticketing arrangements, with the National League initially advising Wembley of an expected attendance of 40,000, before knowing which two clubs had qualified for the final. There was a surprise in that these two sides reached the final, Southend only securing their playoff place on the final day to finish seventh, while Oldham finished fifth and were 23 points behind their semifinal rivals York City in the league standings. They are also the two sides with the highest average attendances in the competition. This caused challenges with the ticket limitations, impacted by engineering works on public transport lines servicing the stadium. That is despite Southend United stating that, "we believe that more than 30,000 Southend fans will want to attend Wembley, and that Oldham will want to take something similar". Should both clubs sell out their ticket caps, as is expected, it would mean a new record for the Promotion Final game at this level, which currently stands at 47,029 and was set in 2015 when Bristol Rovers beat Grimsby Town on penalties at Wembley Stadium. Both clubs have gone on to sell above their initial capacity of 17,500, with further tickets available exclusively if tied to a coach package. Oldham has sold 20,832, while Southend has gone even further to sell 28,852. As such, a new record looks likely to be set at Wembley with neutral tickets also sold. This is in spite of fury from supporters of both clubs, who have faced great uncertainty and pressure to secure tickets. "Under normal circumstances, next Sunday's matchw ould likely smash the current Vanarama Nataionl League promotion final attenance record... Unfortunately, the excitement on both sides has been trampled on by the seemingly-amateurish planning of several key stakeholders around next weekend's final," a joint statement from the Shrimpers Trust and Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation reads. "We question the ability to execute on the prestige of a Wembley day out if capacity is capped. Wembley will be a shadow of its potential with a half-full stadium," the statement continues. "This wouldn't happen for the FA Cup final, or for the EFL playoff finals, or for a Taylor Swift concert. If it did then a workable solution would be found. Why is the National League playoff final not being treated similarly?" Southend United confirmed as much on Sunday, when they issued a statement explaining that, "the current allocation of tickets does not come close to reflecting the scale of demand from our supporters, and as things stand we will almost certainly sell out our allocation (of tickets without a coach package) today – resulting in disappointment for tens of thousands of supporters, many of whom have followed the club through thick and thin". The Shrimpers revealed that 1,000 tickets sold within 20 minutes of going on sale in the final batch listed on Thursday night, with some fans still yet to secure their ticket. Both teams have improved as the season has gone on and have been able to beat teams who finished above them in the league to take up their places in this final. As two former members of the English Football League, both of whom have undergone financial struggles and secured new ownership in recent years, this game is crucial to the future of both clubs. 'Play-off games are cup games so anything can happen. What you've got to do is come out the right side of results and we've managed to do that,' Southend coach Kevin Maher, who secured promotion for the Shrimpers as a player 20 years ago in the playoffs, said. 'We've been stronger in the second half of the season, in terms of the number of points we picked up. So that tells you more about us as a team and where we've got to as a squad.' The Blues only brought in new ownership, under the leadership of chairman Justin Rees, in the summer of 2024, and the new ownership, a consortium of largely local businesspeople, could secure promotion in their first season at the helm.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aggie Beever-Jones can become the poster girl for England's next generation, writes TARA ANSON-WALSH
There's a new kit, a 'new England' and now a new star on the scene. At 21, Aggie Beever-Jones has been waiting in the wings, overshadowed as fellow young Lionesses Grace Clinton and Michelle Agyemang made the headlines. At 19, Agyemang even marked her debut last month with a goal just 41 seconds after coming on. But on Friday night everything changed. An injury to Alessia Russo opened the door and Beever-Jones seized the opportunity, delivering a dazzling first-half hat-trick on her first England appearance at Wembley. A performance that was not only emphatic but the culmination of everything she's worked for. 'As cliche as it sounds, Sarina (Wiegman) said, 'It's a new kit, new England today. Go out there and put a graft in',' Beever-Jones said after the match. Beever-Jones made a statement in England's 6-0 thrashing of Portugal - she's good enough to become the poster girl for the next generation She did more than graft — she announced herself on just her third start in an England shirt, making it impossible for Wiegman to leave her out of her plans. Her performance on Friday will come as no surprise to Chelsea fans who have been clamouring to see more of the Cobham graduate, knowing she had grown up near the training ground in Surrey. After two seasons on loan at Bristol City then at Everton, Beever-Jones returned to Emma Hayes' Chelsea side last season where she impressed despite her minutes being carefully managed. This season under Sonia Bompastor, Beever-Jones has gone from strength to strength. Capable of playing across the forward line, she has been the French coach's Swiss army knife as injuries to Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Mayra Ramirez threatened to blunt Chelsea's attack. There have been two stand-out moments in the last few weeks, which both came against Liverpool. The first was a meeting in the FA Cup semi-final, where Chelsea were being held to a frustrating draw when Beever-Jones popped up in added time to head home the winning goal and book their spot at Wembley. Then, in the last game of the league season, with nerves radiating around the team as, again, Chelsea were being held to a draw and their invincible season lay at risk, in the 91st minute Beever-Jones picked up the ball from deep. She dribbled at speed into the Liverpool penalty area before slotting in at the near post to confirm a WSL points record for the Blues. A player for the key moments, on Friday Beever-Jones came to Wiegman's rescue with a hat-trick when the Dutch coach needed to silence the critics more than ever. Characteristically prescient, Hayes said of the forward last year: 'Aggie Beever-Jones — don't forget that name. She's going to be a legend not just for Chelsea but for England.' There certainly won't be anyone forgetting her name now.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
England take victory in six-goal thriller against Portugal
England produced a dominant performance as they defeated Portugal 6-0 in a UEFA Women's Nations League fixture at Wembley last night. The reigning European champions blew their opponents away in a rampant first half performance which saw them net five goals. Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones was the star of the show, netting a 33-minute hat-trick. Advertisement Sarina Wiegman's side took the lead inside the first three minutes with Beever-Jones capitalising on a defensive mishap from Portugal, allowing her to place the ball beyond Inês Pereira and into the bottom corner of the net. The Lionesses' lead was then doubled by Lucy Bronze, just a minute later. She headed into an open goal after Pereira had blocked Beth Mead's initial shot. Portugal's first attempt on goal came in the 10th minute as Andreia Norton's close range header clipped the outside of the post. Beever-Jones netted her second of the match in the 26th minute after a period of attacking momentum from England, the Chelsea youngster heading the ball past Pereira. Advertisement Mead then pushed the advantage to four just before the half-hour mark as she beat her defender and fired into the far corner of Pereira's goal. Beever-Jones claimed her first senior England hat-trick within the opening 33 minutes when she expertly picked out the bottom corner with her right-footed strike. After a dominant first half, the Lionesses continued their attacking play in the second period with two early chances produced for Mead and Grace Clinton. However, neither were successful in adding to the scoreline. Second half substitute Chloe Kelly was able to give the Lionesses a sixth goal of the night when her header from close range beat Pereira. Advertisement England continued to look for more goals but were unable to take advantage as the game ended 6-0 in their favour. Wiegman's side complete their UEFA Women's Nations League campaign with a fixture against Spain in Barcelona on Tuesday evening.
