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Birmingham City stole most of the headlines in League One last season by sealing a title success on a gigantic 111 points, but Wrexham also gained plenty of airtime themselves when clinching yet another promotion.

This was the Red Dragons’ third promotion success in a row, unbelievably, with Phil Parkinson the manager who has amazingly steered the Welsh giants back into the spotlight away from non-league obscurity, to now being one division below the Premier League.

Wrexham will know that their next step up to the Championship will be their most difficult jump to navigate so far, with plenty of new signings ready to enter the building to ensure the next step-up isn’t so difficult, which includes this exciting striker target potentially joining Parkinson’s ranks.

Wrexham now interested in former PL ace

As per an exclusive report from football journalist Graeme Bailey, Wrexham are now in the race to land Leeds United attacker Joe Gelhardt this summer.

Unfortunately, they aren’t just a lone suitor having a peek at the two-time Premier League goalscorer, with Chris Davies’ Birmingham also keen on landing a loan deal for the explosive centre-forward, as Leeds look to get rid temporarily after sealing their own dramatic promotion.

Whilst the 23-year-old has found himself stuck on the periphery at Elland Road as of late, he still has plenty of plus points next to his name that will intrigue Parkinson and Co.

He could even be viewed as a better signing for Wrexham to make than the newly promoted side going after an injury-prone Danny Ings, with the soon-to-be free agent forward more known now for his lengthy absences away from the first-team, than his clinical finishing ability.

Ings’ G/A record for West Ham

Season

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

24/25

17

1

2

23/24

30

1

1

22/23

22

3

2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Why Gelhardt would be a better signing than Ings

Indeed, the table above makes for some pretty grim reading on the ex-Liverpool striker’s end, with Ings only managing five goals for West Ham over his last three unmemorable seasons.

Whereas, in Gelhardt’s defence – despite tumbling down the pecking order in West Yorkshire as of late – he has still proven he can cut it in the Championship when handed a chance to impress out on loan at Hull City last season.

This spectacular effort back in January would get the ball rolling for Gelhardt in his fresh location, with the ex-Hull number 30 going on to bag another four strikes in league action, away from just this wild shot looping over Paul Nardi’s head.

This will instantly put Wrexham at ease about whether the 23-year-old is well-suited to the demands of the Championship after barren patches of form at Leeds. On the contrary, Ings last played at the demanding level all the way back in 2014, with a concern brewing that he just doesn’t have the legs required to kick back into gear in the EFL.

Gelhardt’s league numbers for Hull (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Gelhardt

Games played

22

Goals scored

5

Assists

0

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

5

Total duels won*

5.2

Stats by Sofascore

To Wrexham’s relief, Gelhardt showed he has plenty left in his tank at Hull last season, with a bite present in his game too when winning 5.2 duels on average per Championship clash, away from also creating five big chances on top of his goal tally of five.

The newly promoted side have also been there and done that when it comes to veterans leading the line, as seen in Steven Fletcher being on their books last campaign, with the loan capture of the 23-year-old “wrecking ball” – as he was once labelled by Jamie Redknapp for his aggressive approach – signalling a newer approach centred on the future.

While Ings’ name might be more instantly recognisable, his best years seem to be behind him now.

When it comes to Gelhardt, however, plenty more could still be in the offing.

Related Big Rathbone upgrade: Wrexham still in race to sign "outstanding" PL star

Wrexham could be about to land a big upgrade on Oliver Rathbone by signing this Championship-experienced ace.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 12, 2025

Rangers have tasked new sporting director Kevin Thelwell with finding a new permanent manager this summer, and one of the candidates has confirmed a positive conversation with the incoming Ibrox chief.

49ers expect Thelwell to begin work 'as soon as possible'

Rarely will we see an Old Firm fixture with so little on the line, as the Gers welcome Celtic to Ibrox on Sunday with nothing to play for but professional pride and local bragging rights. Their arch-rivals will put their title celebrations aside to try and redeem the consecutive defeats suffered in the previous two derbies, but for Rangers nothing is more important right now than their search for a new permanent manager.

Barry Ferguson’s intermin bounce was short-lived, and 49ers Enterprises have tasked incoming sporting director Thelwell with finding the next permanent man in charge. According to a report by The Daily Mail, the American investors expect a significant summer rebuild at Ibrox and want the former Everton chief to get a new man in the dugout as soon as possible.

Dream XI Mourinho could build at Rangers: No Tavernier & £8.5m star signs

Mourinho could build a solid starting XI should he take the Rangers job

1

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 22, 2025

The rumour mill is of course already churning, with perhaps the most exciting link so far the enigmatic and decorated Jose Mourinho. The infamous Portuguese tactician has admitted he would be open to managing one of the two great Scottish clubs, but would demand serious backing from the Ibrox boardroom.

Steven Gerrard still feels like the most likely arrival, given the Liverpool legend’s previous success in the role and current availability, with the club thought to be considering moves for both Gerrard and former RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose.

The dark horse in the race is Ferguson, who despite winning just three of his seven Premiership matches so far would do his chances no harm with another victory over Celtic this weekend, and has confirmed in the build-up to Sunday’s action that he has already held conversations about the role with Thelwell.

Ferguson holds 'private' talks with new Rangers chief

Speaking to the press on Friday, via The Daily Record, the 47 year-old revealed what sounds like positive discussions with Thelwell: “I had a long meeting with Kev. It was good. it’s the first time I’ve sat down with him, I was impressed by him. Obviously, what was said will remain private, you know I’m going to say that.

“It was great to bang heads together. He got my feelings, he totally understood them. Very impressive and it’s something that I think will work really well for the club. Are plans starting to take shape? They need to,” said the interim boss.

In truth, the former Gers captain probably needed to make a serious charge at the Europa League to properly get his hat in the ring, with 49ers Enterprises likely wanting Thelwell to make a splash with a big name like Gerrard or Mourinho.

That said, the stand-in boss has done okay with a team he didn’t build, and with several incomings and outgoings expected this summer, perhaps someone who knows the club inside out could be exactly what’s needed to steady the ship and get things moving in the right direction.

Something feels different. For better or for worse (though usually better), Liverpool were tight-lipped on transfers with Jurgen Klopp at the helm.

It often felt like a contentious subject, but FSG’s savvy crew managed to make it work, combining with the German manager’s vision to drive Liverpool toward the full gamut of major honours.

However, something’s changed in this new iteration, this restructured hierarchy. Arne Slot, on the brink of winning the Premier League in his first season at the Anfield helm, has confirmed that Liverpool are planning for major investment this summer, with captain Virgil van Dijk echoing the sentiment as the final touches are placed on his expected new deal.

Liverpool are set to spend, all right. However, the Merseysiders will also want to cash in on a few to maximise the scope for investment.

Darwin Nunez is the anticipated surplus as plans are mapped for a new, more prolific centre-forward. However, the struggling Uruguayan isn’t the only forward at risk of being sold, with Luis Diaz also emerging as a candidate for sale.

And that’s despite his stunning recent form for the Reds.

Luis Diaz's late-season form

Liverpool are set to lift the Premier League title in the coming weeks, and Diaz has been instrumental in keeping Slot’s squad ticking over of late, rebounding from a frustrating patch of form to rack up the contributions in recent fixtures.

He’s scored 15 goals and laid on eight assists across all competitions for Liverpool this term, but Diaz may well be among those sold this summer.

Directly involved in goals during just one of Liverpool’s opening nine Premier League fixtures of 2025, a 2-1 victory over Wolves in February, Diaz has since registered a contribution across his past five outings, scoring in each of the Reds’ recent matches, having assisted in three successive games prior.

A man playing for his future? The winger has been routinely linked with a move to Barcelona over the past several years and Caught Offside have recently revealed that Liverpool would entertain offers in the £69m ballpark this summer.

Contrary to what the form book might suggest, Liverpool should indeed cash in on their Colombian maverick for maximum value this summer.

He’ll have turned 30 by the time his current deal expires in June 2027 and has ebbed and flowed in front of goal for much of his time at Anfield.

Liverpool could bank a pretty penny by selling him now, while his stock’s sky-high, and anyway, the Reds have identified the perfect successor to sign this summer.

Liverpool chasing Diaz successor

According to Football Insider, Liverpool may finally get their hands on Anthony Gordon this summer, with the Newcastle United winger among the most likely Magpies to be sold for a big profit.

Liverpool were in talks to sign the England international last summer but a deal came to nought when alternative means to circumvent PSR were struck.

It’s reported that Liverpool have retained a strong interest and, furthermore, cashing in on the winger would suit United more than their other big-money stars, Bruno Guimaraes and Liverpool-linked Alexander Isak.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Why Liverpool should sign Anthony Gordon

Having been awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year for 2023/24, Gordon came close to moving back to Merseyside and linking up with Liverpool are being released from their academy as an 11-year-old.

Though it didn’t come to fruition, Liverpool have retained their interest in a “special” player – as said by producer Andrew Musgrove – who has been an essential part of Eddie Howe’s success at St. James’ Park over the past several years, indeed beating Slot’s Liverpool in last month’s Carabao Cup final.

He’s registered 44 goal involvements for Newcastle since the start of last season and has even seen club chiefs place a £100m price tag on him in the past to deter pesky suitors. However, now that United’s stance has changed, that lofty valuation may well be whittled down.

Playing into Slot’s tactical approach, Gordon is also a positionally flexible forward. Chiefly a left winger, the 23-year-old has featured regularly on the right to accommodate Newcastle’s needs while also finding prolific success from a more central berth.

Though Gordon’s arrival would see Diaz sold, this could allow him to work well with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, who is settled on the left flank, where his in-cutting shooting ability is best served.

While he’s been more potent in front of goal of late, the underlying data suggests Gordon, who is five years the South American’s junior, has the potential to outstrip him.

Gordon vs Diaz – Underlying PL Data (24/25)
Stats (* per game)	Gordon	Diaz
Shots (on target)*	2.0 (0.7)	2.0 (0.8)
Pass completion	80%	86%
Key passes*	1.9	1.6
Dribble (success)*	1.3 (45%)	1.5 (39%)
Ball recoveries*	3.3	3.0
Tackles + interceptions*	1.3	1.2
Duels (won)*	4.7 (51%)	3.8 (39%)
Stats via Sofascore

There’s also the case to be made that Gordon has failed to hit the same heights this year after his success in 2023/24, whereas Diaz has actually made improvements since Klopp stepped down at Anfield.

This might appear to sway things in the Liverpool man’s favour but it actually reinforces the argument for his sale this summer, replacing him with a younger star in Gordon, who mirrors many attributes and has the potential to go from strength to strength under Slot’s wing.

Given that Liverpool’s interest stretches back to last summer, there’s every reason that he could be a success in a title-winning Reds squad, and given that Diaz’s potential sale could make it possible, it might just be one to keep a close eye on as the market opens its stalls.

Slot can axe Jota for Liverpool teen who's a "better finisher than Nunez"

Liverpool’s centre-forward options have left plenty to be desired this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 15, 2025

The World Series will return to Toronto after the Blue Jays won Game 4 on Tuesday night 6–2 to even the series vs. the Dodgers 2–2.

While the Blue Jays have been in Los Angeles the past two days, Toronto fans still packed Rogers Centre with thousands of fans sitting in the stadium for watch parties. And those fans in Toronto were definitely happier on Tuesday night with the win rather than on Monday night after the nearly seven-hour, 18-inning long Game 3 that resulted in a Dodgers win.

Videos captured the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night after the Blue Jays recorded the final out in the bottom of the ninth. It's safe to say the stadium went absolutely nuts. Take a look of the 30,000 fans erupting in cheers as their team secured the Game 4 victory.

It'll be electric to see what the Rogers Centre is like come Friday when the series returns to Toronto for Game 6. In the meantime, the Blue Jays still have one more game in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

عقد أوسكار رويز، رئيس لجنة الحكام الرئيسية باتحاد الكرة، اجتماعًا اليوم مع عدد من الحكام بمقر الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم.

وجاء الاجتماع من أجل مراجعة وتقييم بعض الحالات التحكيمية التي شهدتها المباريات التي أداروها خلال الأيام الماضية.

طالع|أحمد حسن يوضح حقيقة استبعاد محمد شريف من منتخب مصر بعد اعتراضه

وشهد الاجتماع عرضًا تفصيليًا لعدد من القرارات التحكيمية عبر تحليل الفيديو، استعدادًا للمباريات المقبلة، وذلك في إطار حرص اللجنة على رفع الكفاءة الفنية وتطوير أداء الحكام في الدوري المصري.

وحضر اللقاء كل من وجيه أحمد، وعزب حجاج، بالإضافة إلى محمد الحنفي عضو اللجنة الفنية.

ويسعى أوسكار رويز، رئيس لجنة الحكام الرئيسية باتحاد الكرة، لتطوير منظومة التحكيم في مصر، ومعالجة الأخطاء في ظل شكوى العديد من الأندية.

How long will Daniel Farke be given to turn around the ongoing Leeds United mess?

After so much joy at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa was put out of his misery 26 games into the 2021/22 season in the Premier League, mustering up just a measly five victories.

By way of comparison, the German is only two victories away from matching that amount right now, with 15 fewer league games under his belt.

Of course, Bielsa was handed more time in the hot seat due to his iconic status in West Yorkshire, but Jesse Marsch was also given 20 league games the following campaign when the Leeds ship looked to be sinking.

A trigger-happy dismissal might not be forthcoming, then, but Farke will know he needs to turn fortunes around quickly, as a whole raft of players continue to underperform.

Bielsa and Marsch were no strangers, either, to players joining the Leeds ranks and ultimately flopping, with Robin Koch one costly error that must still generate grimaces at the Premier League newcomers.

The numbers behind Koch's move to Leeds

It’s fair to say there were an awful lot of misses in the transfer department when the South American and his Wisconsin-born counterpart occupied their dug-outs.

Faces such as Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, and Rasmus Kristensen all joined for big bucks, and then disappeared when relegation was served up at the end of the gloomy 2022/23 season, with Sinisterra and Adams alone costing a whopping £41m to pick up at the time.

Thankfully, the bruised Whites managed to recoup £40m when selling the disappointing duo to AFC Bournemouth. On the contrary, the aforementioned Koch would return to his native Germany for zilch after a largely woeful three seasons in England.

In the end, Leeds were probably just happy to get their former £12m purchase off their roster, even if it was on a free transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the German only managing to collect a dire ten clean sheets from 73 Premier League appearances.

Once branded as being simply “not good enough” by The Athletic’s Beren Cross and looking like a “fish out of water” by pundit Danny Mills, it really was a transfer saga that hurt Leeds, and it still does, arguably, considering Koch has since returned to his more well-known comforts of the Bundesliga and has excelled. This season, he has two goals from ten league appearances, winning a mighty 5.4 duels won on average, too, for Frankfurt.

For context, the no-nonsense Joe Rodon has averaged 5.3 duels won back in the Premier League, but he’s far from a transfer misfire.

Rather, it’s another expensive defensive recruit who could be deemed Leeds’ biggest disaster signing since Koch

Leeds' biggest disaster since Koch

The most frustrating aspect of Koch’s Leeds career, looking back, is that he had a promising debut campaign in West Yorkshire, even if it was ravaged by injury.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Only 13 starts came his way, but four clean sheets were collected, with a final day showing to close out the 21/22 campaign, even seeing him win seven duels against Tottenham Hotspur.

Unfortunately, Jaka Bijol can’t even cling to any early promise at the moment, having cost £3m more than Koch when leaving Udinese behind.

It should have been a giveaway that the Slovenian might struggle, considering Farke was hesitant to chuck the ex-Serie A titan into his starting XI at the start of the season, with the German eventually chucking Bijol into the Premier League deep-end against West Ham United in late October.

Games played

3

Goals conceded

6

Losses

2

Clean sheets

0

Tackles won

3

Duels won

12/19

He did win six duels against the Hammers as Farke’s men got the better of their relegation rivals 2-1, but his showings against Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest since must be leaving a similarly bad taste in the mouth that the German defender once left.

He found himself in no man’s land when Morgan Gibbs-White had all the time in the world to head home this decisive goal at the City Ground, with the out-of-sorts number 16 only managing to win one lacklustre tackle across both heavy away defeats.

The £45k-per-week defender will surely be fearful for his starting spot moving forward; therefore, as Pascal Struijk waits in the wings, with Bijol also yet to show off his prowess in the air, which saw him bag four goals for Udinese in Serie A action.

If Farke is to persist with Bijol, he could go on to be viewed as a Koch-type weak link for oppositions to hone in on, with a potential relegation on his CV also no doubt making him hard to shift for anywhere near his £15m valuation, like the forgettable 29-year-old.

He does still have time to turn around his Elland Road playing days, but the early signs are not good, as Leeds have been here before with a hyped up European import that never lives up to his high price tag.

Leeds stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt in January as Hull eye Harry Gray

He’s been on fire in the Championship.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 19, 2025

Fifties from Ross Whiteley, Amrit Basra and Caleb Jewell see Derbyshire rack up 341 for 8

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025A destructive innings from Ross Whiteley inspired Derbyshire Falcons to a crushing 127 run victory over Notts Outlaws in the Metro Bank Group A One-Day Cup match at Derby.Whiteley hit eight fours and four sixes in a 52-ball 80 to propel the Falcons to 341 for 8 at the Central Co-op County Ground, their highest List A score against the visitors.After Caleb Jewell’s 60 established a platform, Amrit Basra scored 72 from 54 balls, his maiden List A fifty, which helped lead a recovery from 161 for 5 before Whiteley and Zak Chappell launched a savage onslaught. Chappell smashed a 26-ball 47 as the seventh wicket pair plundered 100 from 46 deliveries with 72 coming off the last six overs.Only Brett Hutton with 1 for 40 from his 10 overs escaped relatively unscathed and despite 58 from former Derbyshire opener Ben Slater, the Outlaws came up well short on 214 with Ben Aitchison taking 4 for 34.Jewell gave a taste of what was to come by driving James Hayes for three fours in his second over. But Hutton again showed his nous and experience in a typically tight opening spell that brought the wicket of Harry Came who sliced a big drive to deep backward point in the ninth over.Jewell and Yousaf Bin Naeem added 56 before over-ambition proved their downfall in the space of four overs. Bin Naeem pulled Lyndon James for six but when he tried to repeat the shot was caught behind and Jewell got a bottom edge trying to pull a ball that was too close to him.A stunning one-handed diving catch by Tom Moores removed Brooke Guest and when Martin Andersson missed a slog sweep at Joe Pocklington, the Falcons were wobbling. But the promise of Basra combined with the proven one-day quality of Whiteley to revive their fortunes.Basra impressed in the opening match at Cheltenham and he played with confidence from the start, pulling Hayes for six and driving James for another maximum. The pair added 72 from 54 balls before Basra sliced Rob Lord to third man but Whiteley and Chappell demolished the bowling in a display of brutal hitting.Lord’s last six balls went for 31, the most scored by Derbyshire from a single over in a List A game, with the Outlaws helpless to stem the tide of runs until Whiteley skied Daniel Sams to cover.By then, the damage was done and the Outlaws pursuit of a distant target became even tougher when Haseeb Hameed edged Aitchison to first slip in the fourth over. Slater and Jack Haynes found the ropes with regularity until Haynes edged a pull at Chappell and with the asking rate steadily climbing, Sam Seecharan skied Andersson to long-off.James sliced to third man and when Slater and Moores went in the space of four overs, the game was up for the Outlaws.

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto decided to spend a portion of his Monday doing what he does best: pitching—the simulated version of him, anyway.

Yamamoto was crowned World Series MVP on Saturday night after his stellar October performances, from his historic complete game in Game 2 to his clutch close-out in the final key innings of Game 7. After winning baseball's biggest prize, the Japanese star prepared for the team's World Series parade on Monday while his teammate, Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, had some fun with a Yamamoto simulator in batting practice.

In an Instagram Story shared by Sasaki, the Yamamoto simulator was seen pitching to Sasaki in a practice facility before Monday's championship parade. It seemed like there was some sort of contest going on, as what was presumably Sasaki's other Dodgers teammates could be heard egging on the Yamamoto machine.

"Strike him out! Strike out Roki!" one person said.

The Yamamoto simulator proceeded to do just that, and Sasaki took the loss in stride, captioning the video, "Yoshi is nasty."

Watch that funny moment below:

Yamamoto is just getting his Dodgers' career started, but after two title-winning seasons in L.A., he's already made his indelible mark in MLB history. Coming of this year's Fall Classic, the 27-year-old became the first player to win three games in a World Series since 2001, and just the fourth ever to record a win in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.

Clearly, he's not finished yet, and neither is fellow Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

MatériaMais Notícias

Estudiantes, da Argentina, e Grêmio se enfrentam nesta terça-feira (23), pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. A bola vai rolar a partir das 19h (de Brasília), no Estádio Jorge Luis Hirschi, em La Plata, na Argentina, com transmissão da ESPN e Star +.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasDicasEstudiantes x Grêmio: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na 3ª rodada da Fase de Grupos da LibertadoresDicas22/04/2024Onde AssistirGrêmio x Cuiabá: onde assistir, horário e escalações do jogo pelo BrasileirãoOnde Assistir20/04/2024DicasGrêmio x Cuiabá: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na 3ª rodada do BrasileirãoDicas19/04/2024

➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Quer apostar nesse jogo?

Com o Grêmio pressionado e precisando da vitória, a expectativa é de um jogo duro na Argentina. As odds disponiveis no Lance! Betting mostram isso de forma clara, apontando 2.15 para um triunfo do Estudiantes, 2.15 no empate e 3.52 para uma vitória do Imortal. Portanto, Nossa sugestão de aposta aqui é que ambos os times marquem, que tem cotação de 2.07. Ou seja, apostando R$100, você ganha R$207!

APOSTE AGORA!

Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Estudiantes-ARG e Grêmio (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
ESTUDIANTES-ARG X GRÊMIO
3ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS DA LIBERTADORES
🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 23 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Jorge Luis Hirschi, em La Plata (ARG);
📺 Onde assistir: ESPN e Star +;
🟨 Árbitro: Gustavo Tejera (URU);
🚩 Assistentes: Martin Soppi (URU) e Horacio Ferreiro (URU);
🖥️ VAR: David Rodriguez (COL).

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

ESTUDIANTES-ARG (Técnico: Eduardo Domínguez)
Matías Mansilla; Eros Mancuso, Federico Fernández, Zaid Romero e Eric Meza; Santiago Ascacíbar e Enzo Pérez; José Sosa, Thiago Palacios e Mauro Méndez; Guido Carrillo.

continua após a publicidade

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Portaluppi)
Marchesín; João Pedro, Geromel, Kannemann e Fabio; Villasanti e Dodi (Pepê); Gustavo Nunes, Cristaldo e Soteldo; JP Galvão (Diego Costa).

Tudo sobre

EstudiantesFutebol NacionalGrêmioLibertadores

A non-league match had to be called off at half-time after the referee was targeted with alleged sexist abuse. The game featuring AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx could not continue beyond the first half after sexist abuses were hurled at a female referee officiating the game. The FA are now set to conduct the necessary investigations to get to the bottom of the incident.

• Match abandoned after official targeted with sexist abuse

  A Northern Premier League clash between AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx had to be abandoned at half-time after a female referee was allegedly targeted with sexist abuse on the pitch. AFC Rushden later released a statement condemning the act, which read: "A comment of a sexist nature was allegedly directed toward the female match official towards the end of the first half. Attempts to identify the individual were unsuccessful. We are deeply concerned and disappointed that such behaviour has occurred at one of our matches. Discriminatory language or actions of any kind have absolutely no place within our community club or the wider football community."

  Home side Coventry Sphinx too released a statement, which read: "We will undertake an investigation into the incident and will respond to any queries received from the league and the FA."

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  FA to conduct investigation

  The FA have told that a thorough investigation will be conducted to identify the offender, after contacting the officials, the home and away clubs, and other authorities. 

  Diamonds chariman Rob Usher said: "The club fully respects the protocols put in place. The club is currently conducting an investigation into the alleged behaviour of a spectator and as such feels that further comment is inappropriate until such a time as this investigation is concluded."

  Speaking to the club's official media, Diamonds manager Elliot Sandy said: "Someone in the crowd had accused her personally and she requested that the person be removed or the game would be abandoned. That person was removed, as far as I’m aware, and we carried on, but she came in again at half-time and she did not feel her head was 100 per cent in it. We will undertake an investigation into the incident and will respond to any queries received from the league and the FA"

  He added: "I obviously condemn what’s happened today; there’s no place for it in football and I feel really sorry for her that it has actually happened."

• Diamonds seek help from fans

  Diamonds have also urged the fans gathered at the venue to help them identify the offender, saying that anyone who witnessed the incident should contact the club at the earliest.

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  What comes next?

  Diamonds were leading 1-0 in the first half after Bruno Andrade converted a penalty in the 36th minute. It remains to be seen when the match will be rescheduled by the league and the FA. Diamonds are currently languishing in the 20th position in the eighth tier of English football with 19 points from 16 matches. Sphinx, on the other hand, are currently placed ninth in the league with 25 points from 17 games.