Archive August 14, 2025

A bold new era of football on BBC Sport: Your game, your season

Welcome to the new football season.

You know the feeling. That buzz in your stomach. That hopeful voice in your head saying “this could be our year”. The highs, the heartbreak, the glorious unpredictability of it all.

From the first whistle to the last-minute drama, we’re right there with you. On the edge of our seats, refreshing the live page, wincing at referees or VAR, shouting at the TV, arguing in the group chat. We are fans. Just like you.

And that’s what this new era of football on BBC Sport is all about… you.

This season, we’re not just covering the games. We’re following the fans. Every goal, every story, every stat, every moment. Brought to you where you want it, when you want it, and how you love it.

Whether you’re shouting for Liverpool or loving Lionesses, whether you back Chelsea Women or Cheltenham Town, you’re at the heart of everything we do.

Kelly Cates, Gaby Logan and Mark Chapman are BBC Match of the Day's new presenting team

We’re taking you inside the game more than ever before. That means new shows. New formats. New voices. New perspectives. More radio commentaries than we’ve ever had across the leagues. More updates on the club pages on our app and website up and down the pyramid.

We’ll also be showing you the key parts of Premier League games sooner. On Saturday and Sundays there will be highlights on iPlayer, our app and website available at 8pm (weekday matches or late weekend kick-offs are more like half an hour after full-time).

BBC Sport’s flagship football show, Match of the Day, returns with a brand-new presenting trio ready to bring insight, energy and entertainment every week.

Full-time reaction on the BBC Sport app, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport’s YouTube channel along with TV’s excellent Final Score programme will ensure you’re up to date (including how your fantasy team has done).

Then tactical breakdowns and unpicking of the big talking points that go beyond the obvious will take you closer to the players, the managers and the moments that matter, on the main show later that night. And it’s the same again for Champions League Wednesdays.

We’re bringing in a true legend of the game, Wayne Rooney, to host a brand-new show diving into the football debates that are dominating your algorithm every week.

Wayne will bring his authority, honesty and experience to cut through the noise and give you the game as it really is. You’ll find it on iPlayer, Sounds, the BBC Sport app and website, YouTube and other social channels and it’s going to be funny, punchy and a perfect companion to the week.

BBC Radio 5 LiveGetty Images

On 5 Live, we’re turning up the volume with 209 Premier League commentaries this season, more than any UK broadcaster.

That’s why we’re the true home of the Premier League. In Scotland and Northern Ireland there is extensive live coverage of the Scottish Premiership and NIFL Premiership across the season.

BBC Local Radio has you covered outside of the top flight too with more than 5,000 commentaries a year across the English football pyramid.

And of course, all the things you already love are still here. Live pages that bring the drama to your fingertips. Fixtures, results, and tables to help you plan your week (and your mood).

The Monday Night Club, Football Focus, The Women’s Football Show and a host of 5 Live shows and podcasts bringing brilliant debate and deep insight. Live coverage of the men’s FA Cup, Women’s Super League, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland World Cup qualifiers and Champions League highlights.

And yes, the BBC Sport socials will still have you doomscrolling and laughing in equal measure.

This is football, like you’ve always loved it but reimagined for right now.

This is your game, your voice, your season.

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Brady questioning my work ethic was very unfair – Rooney

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Wayne Rooney says it was “very unfair” of NFL great Tom Brady to question his work ethic as head coach at Birmingham City.

Rooney was sacked by Birmingham, where Brady is a part-owner, after 83 days in January 2024.

The former England captain was speaking on a new podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, which starts on Friday and will air twice weekly on BBC Sounds, YouTube and iPlayer.

Responding to Brady, the former Everton and Manchester United striker said he was “really disappointed with the comment”.

Brady, who became a minority owner at Birmingham in August 2023, queried Rooney’s attitude during a documentary following him as he got involved at St Andrew’s.

In one scene, following a visit to the club’s training ground in November 2023, the seven-time Super Bowl winner told colleagues he was “a little worried about our head coach’s work ethic”.

“I think Tom came in once, which was the day before a game where the days are a little bit lighter anyway, and I don’t think he really understood football that well,” Rooney said.

“But what he does understand is, he’s a hard worker, we know that.”

Championship club Birmingham were taken over by Knighthead Capital Management LLC in June 2023, with Brady joining two months later.

In October 2023, with the team sitting sixth in the Championship, the new ownership controversially replaced manager John Eustace with former England captain Rooney.

However, Manchester United’s record goalscorer only lasted 15 matches in the post before being replaced after the team had plummeted to 20th in the table.

Tony Mowbray succeeded Rooney, but stepped aside, initially on sick leave, eight matches into his reign after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Birmingham, who used seven managers – including caretaker appointments – during the owners’ first 10 months, were relegated to League One at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really,” said Rooney.

“Hence the fact that the players weren’t really the players who could take the club forward.

“You had Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett after me, who also struggled as well.”

In the summer of 2024, with Chris Davies now installed as manager, Birmingham’s new owners invested £30m in transfers, an unprecedented figure for League One.

The club broke the Football League record for most points in a season, finishing top of League One in 2024-25 with a tally of 111.

“Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively,” said Rooney.

“He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest athletes of all time and Birmingham do look like they’re getting it right now, which is good and I think what they have done is got the players out that they needed to get out.”

In the same documentary in which he queried Rooney’s application, Brady also referred to Birmingham players from that disastrous 2023-24 campaign as “lazy and entitled”.

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What celebs got in their A-levels from Spice Girl success to Jeremy Clarkson’s flop

While some famous faces flourished at school and received straight As and their top university choice, a lot weren’t quite as successful but when on to achieve more than they could have expected

While some celebs went on to their chosen university, a lot failed to get their A-levels

Some of the world’s most famous and successful celebrities didn’t exactly shine in their A-levels – and some never even finished them.

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson proudly reminds us each year that he scraped a C alongside two Us. On the other end of the spectrum are stars like Emma Watson, whose academic drive rivals that of her Harry Potter alter ego, Hermione Granger.

As students nationwide open their results envelopes today, we take a look at the famous faces who aced their exams, and those who proved you don’t need straight As to make it big. It comes after a headteacher spotted a pupil stealing from school, but the explanation is heartbreaking.

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Tom Daley

Tom Daley
Tom Daley left with As and A*s(Image: Daily Mirror/Andy Stenning)

It seems there is no end to Team GB diving hero Tom Daley’s abilities as he’s gifted off the diving board and in the classroom. Despite training around the clock for his Olympic diving career, Tom still managed to study and took his GCSEs in small batches to fit around his pool commitments.

For his A-levels, he earned an A* in Photography and As in Spanish and Maths, getting his results the year after he secured an Olympic bronze at London 2012. In a later video message, he said reading his results on email was “the most nerve-wracking thing ever, having to open that and see it come through”. He added: “I never have to go to school ever again. I am kind of going to miss it but I mean I’m very happy to come away with straight As and yeah, very happy.”

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Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson got a C and two Us

The nation is eagerly awaiting with anticipation as to what message of support Jeremy Clarkson will tweet out this year. It’s now become tradition for the former Top Gear host to post an iconic results day tweet, which always revolves around how he left school with disappointing grades and now has a lot of money.

It’s very well known now that he got a C and two Us in his A-levels, which isn’t exactly in top gear. First starting in 2014, he tweeted: “If your A level results aren’t joyous take comfort from the fact I got a C and two Us. And I have a Mercedes Benz.” In subsequent years’ tweets he revealed he was sitting in a St Tropez villa, on a super yacht, having truffles prepared by a chef and deciding which of his Range Rovers to drive.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson
Emma Watson got straight As

The Harry Potter star was another celebrity who grew up in the limelight and still managed to achieve excellent results. The fact Emma Watson managed to study for her exams while shooting one of the biggest film series of all time is an achievement in itself.

Proving she’s just as smart if not smarter than her character Hermione Granger, gained straight As in English Literature, Geography and Art in 2008. The popular actress then went to study English Literature at the highly-acclaimed Brown University in America.

Jon Snow

Jon Snow
Jon Snow was chuffed he got any A-Levels at all(Image: Channel 4)

Acclaimed Channel 4 journalist Jon Snow had a tricky time with his A-levels. The presenter only managed to get a C in English Language and failed geography and biology completely, so decided to switch college. While he was at sixth-form college he had an affair with a librarian nearly twice his age and would sneak off into her car during his lunch breaks while studying at Scarborough Tech.

Confessing all to the Evening Standard in 2014, he explained: “I was warned off by my lecturer, who told me I was very unwise to be seen going off in the lunch hour in the librarian’s car.” He managed to “scrape a place reading Law at the University of Liverpool” but did not complete his undergraduate studies as he was expelled for his part in a 1970 anti-apartheid socialist protest. “I was really chuffed I got any A-levels at all, I was a complete dunderhead,” he once said.

Clare Balding

Clare Balding
Clare Balding had to retake her exams(Image: PA)

The famed sports broadcaster who is often seen at Wimbledon or Royal Ascot had quite the journey to the top of her profession. In her A-Levels, she did not get great results and ended up failing History and Latin, but she took two years out after school to retake the exams and perfect her interview technique, which later landed her a spot at the prestigious Cambridge University.

Deborah Meaden

Deborah Meaden
Deborah Meaden left school without any A-Levels(Image: BBC/DragonsDen)

Deborah Meaden is proof you don’t need the top grades to become a business tycoon. The Dragons’ Den star, who has three honorary degrees, left school at the age of 16 before doing her A-levels.

Deborah launched her first business straight out of college at the age of 19, a glass and ceramics import company, then took on the first British franchise for Italian clothing company Stefanel. She now owns a portfolio of successful businesses, splashing out a whopping £4,786,000 in the Den alone, and is worth around £40million.

Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell left school early(Image: Getty Images)

The music mogul didn’t have The X Factor at school as he left early with just three O-Levels (the exams taken before the days of GCSEs). After taking a few ‘menial’ jobs, including as a runner on 1980 horror film The Shining, Simon Cowell’s dad managed to get him a role in the mail room at EMI Music Publishing.

He left after failing to get a promotion to try out other jobs, then came back and the rest as they say is history. Simon proved he Got Talent without achieving top marks.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson
Richard Branson doesn’t have a single A-Level(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sir Richard Branson has done quite well for himself considering he dropped out of school at 16 – and is now worth a whopping $5 billion. The Virgin boss has previously stated his belief that the key to success isn’t necessarily grades but applying strengths and focusing on goals.

Speaking on results day in 2016, Richard warned students not to get too caught up in grades and pointed out “you can reach success in spite of failed exams”. “If you didn’t get the results you were hoping for, don’t despair,” he tweeted. “There is lots more to be learned from failure than success, and if you have the will to succeed, not having a paper with A,B or C written on it isn’t going to hold you back.”

Geri Horner

Geri Horner
Geri Horner got an A in English Language(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

Before she became a pop sensation with the Spice Girls, Geri Horner showed a particular flair for English. Ginger Spice scored an A in English Language at Camden School for Girls, but she didn’t bother with university as it was all about ‘girl power’.

Instead, Geri worked as a nightclub dancer in Majorca and became a glamour model at the age of 19.

The singer then joined the Spice Girls as they went on to become the best-selling female group of all time.

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Sheridan Smith in floods of tears while filming new ITV drama after painful family death

Sheridan Smith has been left with raw emotions after filming her new ITV drama I Fought The Law following the death of her brother

Sheridan Smith in tears filming new ITV drama after heartbreaking family death(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Sheridan Smith was left emotionally shattered whilst filming her latest drama I Fought The Law.

The BAFTA-winning star portrays campaigner Ann Ming, whose daughter Julie was brutally killed in 1989. The role brought back painful memories of her brother’s heartbreaking death from cancer when she was merely eight years old.

She revealed: “This is the first real life story I’ve taken on since becoming a mum and there are different things I tap into now being a mother myself, especially with what Ann went through.” It comes after a Midsomer Murders star was revealed as Sheridan’s replacement in a ‘gripping’ thriller.

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“I’ve played parents that lose their kids before, and having lost my older brother, I would always think about what my mum must have gone through. While playing Ann, those feelings were much more raw to tap into.”

The programme follows Ann’s battle to overturn an 800 year old double jeopardy law in her quest for justice for her daughter. Taking on such a weighty subject matter took a devastating toll on Sheridan, reports the Daily Star.

Sheridan is playing Ann Ming in the ITV drama
Sheridan Smith was left emotionally shattered whilst filming her latest drama I Fought The Law(Image: PA)
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She continued: “Whenever I play a real person, I really want to feel how they felt. I didn’t go to drama school and I haven’t been trained as an actor, so I don’t really know how to turn those feelings on and off.

“I just really try to go there emotionally. Ann was obviously in a state of angst from the minute Julie went missing, because she had that mother’s instinct, she just knew.

The real Ann is a consultant on the series
The real Ann is a consultant on the series(Image: PA)

“And she fought and fought for justice. So she was in a state of anxiety for years, and I really tried to go there.”

Shooting I Fought The Law has proved the most challenging role Sheridan has ever undertaken. Yet she’s not grumbling because her struggles pale in comparison to what Ann experienced.

She explained: “I love playing real people because this job is all about people’s hearts and getting their stories out there, so if it causes me a few months of distress, that’s nothing.

Sheridan said she is 'honoured' to be playing Ann
Sheridan said she is ‘honoured’ to be playing Ann(Image: PA)

“It’s just important for me to do Ann justice. Playing her has hit me more than any other role.

“There were some really intense days on this job, but the emotion was a fraction of what it must have felt like for Ann, so you just get on with it.”

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The programme will broadcast this autumn on ITV1.

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Smotrich says illegal West Bank settlement ‘buries’ Palestinian state

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced he will approve thousands of housing units in a highly controversial and long-delayed illegal settlement project in the occupied West Bank, saying the move “buries the idea of a Palestinian state”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Smotrich announced his intention to approve tenders to build more than 3,000 homes in the E1 area settlement project that would connect Jerusalem and the existing Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, located several kilometres to the east.

“Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the government,” he said.

Smotrich, who is also a minister in Israel’s Ministry of Defence with broad responsibility for approving settlements in the occupied West Bank, hailed the project as “Zionism at its best”.

“After decades of international pressure and freezes, we are breaking conventions and connecting Maale Adumim to Jerusalem,” Smotrich added.

Israel Gantz, chairman of the Yesha Council – an umbrella organisation of illegal settlements in the West Bank – and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, also praised the “tremendous and historic achievement for the settlement movement”, according to Israel National News.

Gantz said it was a “true revolution in strengthening the settlement enterprise”, the outlet said.

Development of the E1 settlement – which is illegal under international law – has been frozen for decades.

Observers believe that its location will hinder the realisation of a future Palestinian state.

The planned settlement would effectively divide the occupied West Bank into northern and southern regions, preventing the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian territory connecting occupied East Jerusalem to major cities such as Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Israel postponed the plan in 2022 following US pressure. But in recent months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has approved road-widening projects in the area and begun restricting Palestinian access.

Maale Adumim mayor Guy Yifrach praised the new settlement, saying it will “connect Maale Adumim to Jerusalem and serve as a Zionist response of settlement and nation-building”.

“The Palestinians aimed to establish a stranglehold through illegal construction – this project will thwart that effort,” he said, according to Israel National News.

On Wednesday, Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said a total of 4,030 new housing units had been approved in the occupied West Bank.

Some 730 are west of the existing Israeli settlement of Ariel, while 3,300 had been approved in a new Maale Adumim neighbourhood that will connect it “with the industrial zone to its east”.

“The 3,300 housing units in Maale Adumim represent an increase of about 33 percent in the settlement’s housing stock – an enormous expansion for a settlement whose population has been stagnant at around 38,000 for the past decade,” it said.