Archive April 20, 2025

Former cricket umpire Jeff Evans has died at the age of 70.

The Welshman officiated in 258 first-class matches and more than 400 limited-overs matches, as well as five women’s internationals in a 22-year career at the top level of the domestic game.

Born in Llanelli in 1954, he started his umpiring career in the South Wales Cricket Association before working his way up through the Minor Counties to reach the professional level in 1999.

Evans, a Welsh speaker, was at the time one of the few umpires not to have played first-class cricket.

A popular figure on the circuit, he bowed out aged 65 with a series of Glamorgan fixtures during the Covid-affected 2020 season, before finishing with a West Country derby between Somerset and Gloucestershire.

His local club Drefach CC said: “It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend and long-standing member Jeff Evans, a respected umpire known all over the world. “

The news of Evans’ death brought tributes from the Welsh cricket world.

“I’m devastated by the news,” said long-serving BBC Sport Wales commentator Edward Bevan. “He was a lovely man, so helpful to everyone on the professional circuit, and a great coach of schools cricket. He will be missed by many in the cricket fraternity. “

Former Glamorgan captain and coach Robert Croft said on social media: “Heartbreaking news. A long-time friend, with so many wonderful memories all the way through schools cricket to first-class cricket. “

Ruben Amorim made his point with his very first answer after watching Manchester United’s worst ever Premier League season hit a new low.

“If we don’t score goals nothing matters, because in the end it is the result that counts,” said the Portuguese, whose downbeat mood could not have been a bigger contrast to the elated and enthused figure he cut in the same room after Thursday’s nine-goal Europa League epic with Lyon.

United’s latest setback against Wolves was the ninth time in 22 league games since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November they have failed to score.

Of the remaining 13, they have scored two or more on seven occasions. Remarkably, two of them were at Manchester City and Liverpool.

They have led for just a total of 218 minutes – discounting injury-time – during Amorim’s time in charge.

The nearest the 22-year-old came on this occasion – a day when United managed just two shots on target – was failing by inches to connect with a low Alejandro Garnacho cross at the far post, when a touch would surely have diverted the ball in given he was less than a yard out.

Aside from that, it was the usual mixture of industry and physical will from Hojlund.

The argument is he just needs a goal to restore confidence and get him firing again. The truth is, aside from a run of five goals in four games early in Amorim’s reign and eight in eight games in the middle of last season, Hojlund has been unconvincing as someone capable of leading the line or making a big impact in a top Premier League team.

He simply doesn’t compare to Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka or even, this season at any rate, Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest.

Amorim cannot offer an unfiltered opinion on Hojlund. All he can do is vow to keep working with him as dropping the Dane is not part of the plan.

“The only way I know is to work on him and show him the videos,” added the United boss. “He needs to score a goal and he won’t score if he is out [of the team] so I try to manage that during games. “

Amorim emphasised the point Hojlund alone should not shoulder either the responsibility or the blame for United’s goalscoring woes.

Aside from the bottom three, only Everton and West Ham have scored fewer than their 38 this season.

“If you look at the games we have several players that miss big chances, not just Rasmus,” said Amorim. “Of course, for Rasmus, the game is to score goals because he’s a striker, but it’s a team thing. Our team should score more goals, it’s not just Rasmus missing chances. “

United have now lost eight Premier League home games this season, their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962-63. They still have two more chances – against West Ham and Aston Villa – to suffer a ninth and equal the return from six decades ago.

With a 15th league loss of the campaign – a club record in the Premier League era – Amorim has no option other than to try to eke out any positives from the woeful experience he is going through.

Against Wolves, that centred on the performances of 20-year-old centre-back Tyler Fredricson, who had a solid first-team debut, and Harry Amass. The 18-year-old wing-back impressed once to raise further questions over why he was omitted at the start of the campaign when United were desperate for a left-footed player in defence.

Amorim knows United’s season hinges on their Europa League campaign.

He must find a way of ensuring victory over Athletic Bilbao in the semi-final and then against either Tottenham or Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt to take some comfort from a torrid period, where it is hard even for him to tell fans everything will be OK in the end.

“We tell the fans the truth that we lack a lot of things in our team, that we miss chances, and that if we don’t score goals we are not going to win,” said Amorim, when asked about his message to supporters.

“We have a lot to do and to focus on improving the team step by step. Understanding that until the end of the league it’s going to be like this and then we need to do something.

“Of course we have a plan and we talk about that every day, but the season is not over so let’s focus on that. “

Amorim’s situation was made worse by Wolves’ league double over them – which sealed their Premier League status – and because their Portuguese manager hire, Vitor Pereira, has had a seismic impact at Molineux in the way United have not experienced.

It was quite instructive, long after Amorim had departed the scene, to listen to Pereira explaining how he had lifted the club clear of relegation trouble following his December arrival.

“The most important thing is to create a connection with the people,” he said. “That was my first target. I wanted to bring energy, confidence and trust when I look to the players to help me.

“Through spirit and in our time together, we speak about our lives and create a connection with the supporters to make them believe.

“I went through our tactical idea and principles from the first day we worked together. The players know I like good football, my team playing with the ball. Sometimes it is not possible but then we need to know how to defend. Today we had a record number of free-kicks and corners against us, but in the end they didn’t score. “

The race to secure Champions League football is heating up with five teams in the reckoning separated by just two points.

Newcastle are third on 59 points while Aston Villa, in seventh, have 57 points.

The top five teams in the Premier League will be guaranteed to be playing Champions League football next season.

Manchester City, Aston Villa and Chelsea all boosted their chances with victories over the weekend.

Nottingham Forest have spent a large portion of the season in the top three but now find themselves down in sixth, although they will leap back up to third if they win at Tottenham on Monday night.

As many as 11 European places are up for grabs and there will definitely be a minimum of eight teams – up from the usual seven – playing in Europe next season, but things could change in the coming weeks.

It means Crystal Palace down in 12th still have something to play for.

Liverpool: Tottenham (H); Chelsea (A); Arsenal (H); Brighton (A); Crystal Palace (H)

Arsenal: Crystal Palace (H); Bournemouth (H); Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A)

Newcastle: Ipswich (H); Brighton (A); Chelsea (H); Arsenal (A); Everton (H)

Nottingham Forest: Tottenham (A); Brentford (H); Crystal Palace (A); Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Chelsea (H)

Manchester City: Aston Villa (H); Wolves (H); Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A)

Chelsea: Everton (H); Liverpool (H); Newcastle (A); Manchester United (H); Nottingham Forest (A)

Aston Villa: Manchester City (A); Fulham (H); Bournemouth (A); Tottenham (H); Manchester United (A)

Bournemouth: Manchester United (H); Arsenal (A); Aston Villa (H); Manchester City (A); Leicester (H)

Fulham: Southampton (A); Aston Villa (A); Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H)

Brighton: West Ham (H); Newcastle (H); Wolves (A); Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A)

Brentford: Nottingham Forest (A); Manchester United (H); Ipswich (A); Fulham (H); Wolves (A)

Depending on how things pan out this season there will be between eight and 11 teams from the Premier League taking part in Europe next season.

A minimum of five of those will be in the Champions League, which is higher than the usual four because of England’s performance in Uefa’s coefficient rankings.

The maximum number of Premier League teams who could be competing in the Europa League is three.

Two places will likely go to the team who finishes sixth and the FA Cup winners.

However, if the cup winners have already secured a European place it will then go to the next highest placed side that has not qualified for Europe.

There will be one Conference League place awarded to a Premier League team.

Currently, that will go to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle, but that could change if Eddie Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League.

As Newcastle currently sit inside the top four that looks likely.

This could happen, but it is highly improbable.

It would require Arsenal to win the Champions League, Manchester United or Tottenham to win the Europa League and Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy, and all three winners to finish outside the top six.

Nearly two years ago, when Brendan Rodgers was mulling over a return to the role of Celtic manager, he caught up with captain Callum McGregor.

During Rodgers first spell at the helm, the midfielder was learning from the armband-wearing Scott Brown while continually nudging his level up a notch.

All the ingredients were there when Rodgers left, but when he returned, the McGregor masterpiece was fully made and the pair, who previously enjoyed so much success together, vowed to make more.

With three trophies in the cabinet since the Northern Irishman came back, another Premiership title edging ever closer, and a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen to come, the indomitable duo of Rodgers and McGregor are sticking to their word.

“We were talking about trying to win as many trophies as we can, be as dominant as we can, keep pushing the club,” McGregor said of that chat with Rodgers after opening the scoring in Sunday’s thumping cup semi-final win over St Johnstone.

“He’s a manager that’s done so much for my career and put so much trust and faith in me, so, every time I go on the pitch I try and repay that for him.

With 23 trophies in 11 years, former Scotland international McGregor knows a thing or two about doing just that. He’s a serial winner.

Level on accolades with Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill, only Bobby Lennox and current team-mate James Forrest are ahead of him on the roll of honour.

Should Celtic seal the Premiership title – they can do so on Saturday against Dundee United – Forrest will move ahead, on his own, as the most decorated Celt.

Rather than focus on his own player of the match performance, he was keen to heap praise on his long-time pal who has “dedicated his life” to the club.

McGregor, 31, is at the stage where reaching, and winning, finals is “normal”.

The Celtic captain will now prepare for a 15th domestic cup final. He’s never lost any of the previous 14. It’s a winning feeling that he craves.

“If you ask any football player, success is addictive,” he added. “It becomes a habit. You just keep wanting more and that’s what we’re trying to instil in the team.

“When we get to these moments, they become normal. You have to win, you have to play well.

No matter Celtic’s dominance in the last decade-plus, it’s still frankly outrageous that winning has become so commonplace.

But such has been the way of it under Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is on the cusp of his own slice of history, as the first Celtic manager to oversee three trebles.

His first was secured in the most dramatic of fashions against Aberdeen in 2017, with Tom Rogic’s extra-time goal clinching the Scottish Cup.

Since then, what used to be a rare achievement has become a yearly target for Celtic, Rodgers and “the glue” to it all, McGregor.

Even from afar, the understanding the pair have is evident. The manager fleetingly singles players out, but he’s never shy to do so with his captain.

“He is such a unique player, the tempo setter for the team,” Rodgers told BBC Scotland after the St Johnstone game. “He’s tactically so good, he really is a coach on the pitch.

“He sees all the pictures we want and he knows when to release himself to shoot or create goals. A wonderful player who is the glue for this team. “

When McGregor is missing – rare as that is – it’s undeniably noticeable. See the defeat by Rangers last month for a recent example.

Nearly two years ago, when Brendan Rodgers was mulling over a return to the role of Celtic manager, he caught up with captain Callum McGregor.

During Rodgers first spell at the helm, the midfielder was learning from the armband-wearing Scott Brown while continually nudging his level up a notch.

All the ingredients were there when Rodgers left, but when he returned, the McGregor masterpiece was fully made and the pair, who previously enjoyed so much success together, vowed to make more.

With three trophies in the cabinet since the Northern Irishman came back, another Premiership title edging ever closer, and a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen to come, the indomitable duo of Rodgers and McGregor are sticking to their word.

“We were talking about trying to win as many trophies as we can, be as dominant as we can, keep pushing the club,” McGregor said of that chat with Rodgers after opening the scoring in Sunday’s thumping cup semi-final win over St Johnstone.

“He’s a manager that’s done so much for my career and put so much trust and faith in me, so, every time I go on the pitch I try and repay that for him.

With 23 trophies in 11 years, former Scotland international McGregor knows a thing or two about doing just that. He’s a serial winner.

Level on accolades with Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill, only Bobby Lennox and current team-mate James Forrest are ahead of him on the roll of honour.

Should Celtic seal the Premiership title – they can do so on Saturday against Dundee United – Forrest will move ahead, on his own, as the most decorated Celt.

Rather than focus on his own player of the match performance, he was keen to heap praise on his long-time pal who has “dedicated his life” to the club.

McGregor, 31, is at the stage where reaching, and winning, finals is “normal”.

The Celtic captain will now prepare for a 15th domestic cup final. He’s never lost any of the previous 14. It’s a winning feeling that he craves.

“If you ask any football player, success is addictive,” he added. “It becomes a habit. You just keep wanting more and that’s what we’re trying to instil in the team.

“When we get to these moments, they become normal. You have to win, you have to play well.

No matter Celtic’s dominance in the last decade-plus, it’s still frankly outrageous that winning has become so commonplace.

But such has been the way of it under Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is on the cusp of his own slice of history, as the first Celtic manager to oversee three trebles.

His first was secured in the most dramatic of fashions against Aberdeen in 2017, with Tom Rogic’s extra-time goal clinching the Scottish Cup.

Since then, what used to be a rare achievement has become a yearly target for Celtic, Rodgers and “the glue” to it all, McGregor.

Even from afar, the understanding the pair have is evident. The manager fleetingly singles players out, but he’s never shy to do so with his captain.

“He is such a unique player, the tempo setter for the team,” Rodgers told BBC Scotland after the St Johnstone game. “He’s tactically so good, he really is a coach on the pitch.

“He sees all the pictures we want and he knows when to release himself to shoot or create goals. A wonderful player who is the glue for this team. “

When McGregor is missing – rare as that is – it’s undeniably noticeable. See the defeat by Rangers last month for a recent example.