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Tag English Championship

Sport

Aston Villa return to English Premier League with win over Derby County

Return
London, May 27, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Aston Villa returned to the English Premier League (EPL) after a three-year absence, beating Derby County 2-1 in the English Championship playoff final at Wembley on Monday.

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn put Aston Villa 2-0 up, before Martyn Waghorn pulled one back for Derby County in the 81st minute.

But Dean Smith’s side held on for the victory under intense pressure.

The playoff final is considered the most lucrative single game of football in the world, with promotion earning Aston Villa an estimated 170 million pounds ($215.51 million) in revenue.

Norwich City and Sheffield United had already secured promotion to the top flight for next season after finishing in the top two positions in the second-tier English Championship.

Aston Villa, European champions in 1982, were relegated in 2016 and lost to Fulham in last year’s playoff final.

El Ghazi opened the scoring just before the break with a diving header from Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross from the right.

McGinn doubled the advantage in the 59th minute when a deflected shot from El Ghazi looped into the area.

Derby County goalkeeper Kelle Roos came out but was unable to capture the ball under a challenge from McGinn, who bundled it home.

Derby County, managed by former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, got back in the game when substitute Jack Marriott’s low shot was turned in by Waghorn.

They piled on the pressure in the final minutes, but were unable to break through.

Aston Villa’s local-born midfielder Jack Grealish, who was close to leaving the club before the start of the season, showed his class throughout and was delighted with promotion.

“I’m speechless. It was such a hard game… It means the world to go up, we know where this club belongs. I’ve stayed here and we’re back there now. I’ve led my boyhood team to the English Premier League,” he said.

A 10-match winning streak during the run-in propelled Smith’s Aston Villa side into the playoffs where they got past West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion in the semi-finals.

Smith said the club had an exciting future with the backing of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens.

He had began the season at Brentford and took over from Steve Bruce at Villa Park in October.

“It feels very good. The lads are a terrific bunch. They take on different ideas, they deserve it. I believe pressure is what you put on yourself, we work hard every day, the only difference is expectation.

“We’ve got two owners have got a lot of money, and are in it for the long haul. The potential now is massive,” he said.(Reuters/NAN)
MUYI/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Norwich City beat Blackburn to seal promotion to English Premier League

Promotion
Norwich (UK), April 28, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Norwich City sealed promotion to the English Premier League (EPL) with a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in the Championship in England on Saturday.

Also, Sheffield United are on the brink of joining them after a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town.

Norwich needed just a point to be sure of a return to the English top flight after a three-year absence.

And goals from Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic were enough to secure all three, sending Norwich back to the top of the standings.

Norwich are nine points clear of Leeds United — who have two games left to play — in third.

Sheffield United are six points clear of Leeds, after goals from Scott Hogan and Jack O’Connell helped them secure a third successive win.

Sheffield United’s far superior goals difference to Leeds’ (13) means it would take a monumental turnaround to deny them a return to the Premier League after 12 years. (Reuters/NAN)
KIA/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Mikel rues “unlucky’’ Middlesborough’s missed chances

Disappointment
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, April 4, 2019 (NAN) Nigeria and Middlesbrough midfielder Mikel Obi on Wednesday expressed his disappointment over Middlesbrough’s inability to convert their several goalscoring chances.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Middlesbrough struggled in front of goal as they failed to beat Bristol City in Tuesday’s Championship clash at the Riverside Stadium.

This was in spite of creating a lot of goalscoring chances.

Middlesbrough’s hopes of securing a playoff ticket consequently suffered a huge setback following a 0-1 loss to the visitors.

Mikel was quoted as saying on the club’s website that Middlesborough would have been out of sight with the first half chances that came their way.

He had added that it was a familiar story in the club.

The 31-year-old signed for Middlesbrough in January on a deal until the end of the season after leaving Chinese side Tianjin Teda as a free agent in December 2018.

“For the last three games, I don’t understand how some of our chances didn’t go in. It’s unbelievable. Sometimes football is very cruel like that.

“We come out to try and put in a good performance and make sure we don’t disappoint the fans.

“We keep getting these chances. The lads are doing everything possible so that we take the lead when we’re on top, get one or two and then we can settle, but it’s just not coming.

“We all sat there in the changing room scratching our heads after the game wondering how on earth we didn’t get a goal. How did we not come away with something? How does one of those not go in?

“We have done everything but score. We’ve hit the woodwork, had shots blocked on the line, hit the last defender… whatever we do they are just not going in for us right now.

“But we have to keep going,’’ he said.

NAN also reports that Middlesbrough are currently in the eighth position with 58 points from 39 games on the English Championship’s 24-club log.(NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

England’s lower leagues plan to vote for extended transfer window

Leagues
London, March 22, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) England’s close season transfer window deadline could be split next season with League One and Two clubs preferring to close their window at the end of August rather than Aug. 8.

Aug. 8 is the the deadline for the English Premier League (EPL) and second-tier Championship in England.

English Football League (EFL) clubs had last year voted to fall in line with their top-flight Premier League counterparts.

This would have meant they would close the transfer window for incoming permanent registrations on the opening day of the season.

The move was designed to prevent other clubs from approaching players and disrupting plans after the season was already underway.

However, the EFL said representatives from the 48 clubs in the third and fourth tier of English football held discussions in recent months and backed a different approach.

They agreed to move the deadline to the end of August for all signings.

“EFL clubs have been given the opportunity to determine the direction of travel, with our priority ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the arrangements as soon as possible.

“This will help to ensure plans can be put in place for next season,” EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said in a statement.

The clubs will be asked to formally vote on a finalised proposal for a longer window at the Extraordinary General Meeting in April. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Leeds United appoint Argentine Bielsa as new manager

Appointment

Leeds (UK), June 15, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Leeds United have appointed former Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager, the English championship club said on Friday.

The 62-year-old replaces Paul Heckingbottom, who was sacked after the club finished 13th in the English second-tier league.

Bielsa, who signed a two-year deal at Elland Road with an option for another year, has previously managed clubs in Argentina, Spain and France besides coaching the Chilean national team.

“It has always been my ambition to work in England,” Bielsa, who coached Argentina between 1998 and 2004, said in a statement.

“I have had several opportunities…

“However, I have always felt it was important to wait for the right project to come along and so when a club with Leeds United’s history made me an offer, it was impossible to turn down.

“I am excited for the challenge ahead as we work hard to achieve great things at this football club.”

Bielsa has been out of work since being sacked by French Ligue 1 side Lille in December following a run of three wins in 13 games.

Leeds, three-time English champions, are set to start the season with a new manager for a fifth consecutive year. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/AFA

Edited by Felix Ajide

 

Sport

Wolves seal Championship title as Sunderland are relegated

Championship

Wolverhampton (UK), April 21, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Wolverhampton Wanderers sealed the second-tier Championship title in style by routing relegation-threatened Bolton Wanderers 4-0 at Molineux on Saturday.

On a day when the goals rattled in, Wolves won the division for the second time in 10 years.

But there was misery for Sunderland who were relegated for the second straight season.

The playoff fight looks likely to go down to the wire with seven clubs struggling for the two remaining slots alongside Aston Villa.

Villa beat managerless Ipswich Town 4-0, and whichever of Fulham and Cardiff City do not go up automatically.

Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win over rivals Derby County means they need just four points from their final two games to secure a playoff slot.

Bristol City’s chances were not helped by an extraordinary 5-5 draw with Hull City, a game they twice led by two goals but required an injury-time strike to salvage a point.

Brentford are well-placed to grab the final playoff spot after beating west London rivals Queens Park Rangers 2-1, a game in which they also missed a penalty kick.

At the other end, Sunderland were relegated for the second consecutive season after Liam Boyce gave Burton Albion a late 2-1 victory that boosted their own survival hopes.

Birmingham were also lifted by a 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United, a result that probably ended the Blades’ playoff hopes.(Reuters/NAN)

KIA/OLAL

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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)