Category Sports News

Premier League games are a regular fixture for some football fans. They also purchase season tickets for away games and travel throughout the nation with their team.

For some, attending a top-tier game in England is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they can reclaim and take extended breaks from their daily lives for.

James from South Korea paid £900 for a ticket purchased from an unlicensed resale website last weekend to travel 5, 500 miles to Brighton to watch his beloved Tottenham play for the first time. He was denied entry to the stadium when he attempted to.

When James attempted to scan the ticket, it had already deactivated. He was given the instructions to go to the ticket office, where Brighton staff informed him that his ticket had been fraudulently purchased.

He appeared to be upset outside the stadium, saying, “I’m disappointed, I didn’t understand this rule.”

“I was told to try to get the ticket refunded,” I was told.

More than a hundred more people like James also had their tickets canceled in the same way.

Reselling is prohibited in the UK, but many websites still have locations abroad.

According to the BBC investigation, resellers frequently rack up hundreds of tickets using fake identities and fake identities to sell them for higher prices, leaving customers with extortionate prices or completely out of pocket after purchasing ineffective tickets.

According to Tom Greatrex, president of the Football Supporters’ Association, “long-term supporters are finding it impossible to get tickets because they are made available through secondary agencies.”

Brighton claim they are attempting to stop ticket sales at exorbitant prices through unlicensed websites. They are using new technologies.

Joseph Sells was on duty for the Tottenham fixture this season to try and solve the issue. This year, they hired him into a new staff position as tickets investigation officer.

According to Sells, “We’ve discovered hundreds of unauthorised resale tickets] today, and by moving at the black market rate, we’ve prevented about £100,000 of transactions that would have been touts,” according to Sells.

“We’re making significant investments to stop the issue from the beginning using the most recent technology,” he said.

A family brought six tickets, totaling £6, 000, to watch the Manchester City game a fortnight ago.

“That’s very upsetting, of course. If you want to attend a game, you can purchase directly from the club. It’s a sad story, but we’re repeating it.

Later, Brighton later reported to the BBC that 285 touted tickets had been revoked and that 12 individual season ticket holders had their tickets for upcoming matches also been identified as touts.

The Premier League is already enacting new regulations for digital ticketing, including those that, according to them, will make it harder to sell tickets.

Sells claims that while he shares resources with other clubs, Brighton’s software searches for suspicious transactions and searches resale sites for tickets with seat numbers.

He claims that we are essentially teaching a model how to spot bad behavior before it enters the club. Each transaction is given a risk score.

Let’s say someone in Estonia uses a United Arab Emirates prepaid card to make purchases. This will flag the system.

The model “teachs how to spot more anomalies daily” claims the model.

Fans at Brighton are given a letter outlining the incident and ending with the phrase “To obtain a refund you should contract your card issuers who will assist you as a victim of fraud in reclaiming monies you have paid to the seller.”

Fans whose tickets are blocked on entry can also purchase any remaining seats in the stadium, either from season ticket holders who are unable to attend or from those in the hospitality section.

The clock is running for five minutes. The ball is at the goalkeeper’s feet. He hits it long rather than pass it to a defender. A flick-on is given to the big striker. On goal, a forward chases it down and makes it happen.

It resembles vintage football.

No, this is not Chelsea versus Manchester United in the Premier League on September 20, 2025.

It seems like we have already been there, especially now that modern coaches are putting more emphasis on set pieces and “going long,” and they have abandoned a possession-based game.

Bolton Wanderers was led by Sam Allardyce from the second tier to Europe before taking over a number of other clubs, including Newcastle, Blackburn, and West Ham, with a style of football that is once again a fixture in the Premier League.

Allardyce tells BBC Sport, “We faced a lot of criticism at the time.” However, many people, especially at the larger clubs, or even the press, were not overly positive about our performance because we were ahead of the game.

He didn’t get suspended; instead, he opted to sit in the stands and watch the game.

The Spaniard claimed, “I’ve been watching rugby coaches analyze matches from above for a long time.” I’m always open to anything that can enhance our performance, he says.

Rewind 25 years and Allardyce was one of the few coaches who preferred the stands over the touchline.

He claims, “You have the bigger, better overview.” You lack emotional ties.

Allardyce saw the value in his assistants, the sports scientist, the physio, and the fitness coach in his interaction with the bench, as well as his walkie-talkie.

“Anything I wanted to show the players I could actually show them directly rather than just talking in the dressing room.”

He states, “I did Blackburn in the stand, Newcastle in the stand, and Bolton in the stand.”

Why, then, did he stop acting?

What is the manager doing in the stand and not yell at the players when I visited West Ham in 2011?

“Why are you doing that?” asked the directors,” not just the fans.

The pressures on his seating arrangements were severe from the outside.

I ultimately gave up on it. I occasionally returned to it, but never as frequently as I did at those three clubs.

You need to give your home fans the right environment to see that you’re doing what you should, even though I didn’t think it was.

A big man was liked by his system, and so did Mark Viduka, Andy Carroll, and Christian Benteke-Allardyce, too.

They played a crucial role in a football tactic that placed an emphasis on the first pass going forward.

Some notable summer signings include those made by Manchester United, Newcastle signed Thierno Barry, and Newcastle signed Ben Sesko (6’5″), while Erling Haaland (6’5″) has continued to excel at Manchester City since joining in 2022.

The choreography of expertly woven passes from the back seems to have lost its relevance as a result.

Allardyce says it’s great to see forwards playing as the frontman for a change.

“For the past three or four years, they have been sat in the middle and said, “When am I going to get a kick?” “

Frontmen will no longer be as bored as they have been in four years. The frontman will understand that because he enjoys being forced to either hold the game up or down the channel.

Are we seeing the end of what Allardyce refers to as a “pandemic” of playing out from the back as Manchester United and Manchester City discard goalkeepers brought in as much as their ability with their hands as their feet?

He claims that “it’s changing once more.” The negative statistics are that giving the ball away in your own half more frequently results in goals for the opposition when they are defending themselves and scoring.

Allardyce led Sunderland to Premier League safety in 2015 after taking over the club that was 19th in October and without wins in eight games.

Although having a striker like Jermain Defoe who scored 15 goals for the Black Cats was undoubtedly helpful, set-pieces were unlikely to be their weapon.

“Corners and free kicks are very important,” said one journalist. Use long throws, of course. You don’t use a player if they don’t feel comfortable. However, Allardyce cautions against doing so.

No team scored more goals than Sunderland in dead-ball situations during the same season, with the exception of penalties. By two points, they managed to avoid being dropped.

According to Allardyce, “in my time, our players’ overall goals would be trying to be greater than the average Premier League stats were.”

We had to be better than the rest of the bottom eight, if not in open play but with set-pieces, to score more.

More than any other Premier League campaign this year, set-pieces have been the cause of 27.7% of non-penalty goals so far this season than any other campaign.

The Premier League team’s most potent scorer in this area over the past two seasons, set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, was even honored with a fan-painted mural close to Emirates Stadium.

Allardyce considers the Frenchman and his fellow dead-ball trainers to be cutting-edge.

The 70-year-old continues, “There are more and more set-play coaches than ever before.”

“Arsenal have done very well on that,” they said. Because everyone had to work hard to stop them against that particular corner, they have slightly changed this year.

However, how can you make the most of a corner?

Who puts the ball in the box is what makes it beautiful. Nearly all of Arsenal’s players “put the ball in the right places,” says Allardyce.

Allardyce never shied away from challenging himself, and his advice to any aspiring coach who is hesitant to test their own tactical innovation is simple: be different.

He claims that the practice of “you can only play this way,” which has been around for a while, has spooked coaches, especially young coaches.

Because of the criticism, not just from the fans, but also from some journalists, coaches are hesitant to use a great tool.

So could teams switching things up, using long throws, or simply throwing the ball straight out of the kickoff, another rugby-inspired tactic, be the new normal?

Everyone else on the pitch is aware of what’s coming after a few weeks. You begin the coaching process in that direction, Allardyce says.

“The surprise factor is enormous, particularly in the first fifteen minutes. When coaches haven’t yet developed our system, I’ve seen them jump and dance on the touchline.

We used that tactic for a number of results before going back to where we felt most at ease.

2025 Ryder Cup

Dates: September 26 through September 28th, 2018 Bethpage Black, New York

After all the talk of a Bethpage “bearpit” in the run-up to this week’s Ryder Cup, Monday’s opening exchanges between the captains in New York couldn’t have been more adorable.

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley, both of whom are expected to bring a spikiness to Bethpage, will deliver the bonhomie.

They are founding partners in a nearby restaurant, live four miles apart in Florida, and are members of Jack Nicklaus’ “Bear’s Club.”

In his opening remarks, Donald mentioned their “strong friendship” and “deep, mutual respect” for one another.

“I’ve rooted for Kate,” Donald said. I would text him if he won or did well in a tournament. Sometimes we have dinner together or we practice together.

Bradley retorted, “Luke Donald is the only person in the golf world that I like more.”

Because we exchange texts and joke jokes, I consider it fortunate that Luke is on the other side. I enjoy drinking and hanging out with Luke Donald.

At Bethpage’s renowned Black Course, spectators were restricted access to the property until Tuesday, which echoed a surreal calm.

Donald’s dozen will then play all 18 holes of this hilly course on Long Island, about 40 miles east of Manhattan, giving Europeans a firsthand experience of the support provided by New York.

And the thousands of fans in the stand that encircles the first tee and the adjacent 18th green might “welcome” them. But will it be as enthralling as the nearly 5, 000-seat stand that horseshoed the first tee in Rome in 2023, creating a cauldron?

Rory McIlroy explained that Donald is taking no chances by providing his players with virtual reality headsets that can be programmed to mimic the ” sights and sounds” the away team are anticipating.

Before departing for a practice round, Bradley assembled his team on the first tee early on Monday and played the national anthem.

He said, “Every second the guys are together and can have a powerful moment, it brings them closer together.”

That was a lot of fun. For about a year, I had the idea of doing that, and the guys’ reaction to how emotionally charged they were.

Bradley chose not to be the US team’s wildcard pick despite placing 11th in the qualifying standings, which would have ended the debate over whether he would become the team’s first player-captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.

And when he asked if he felt resentment toward his choice, he said, “I’ve given it a second.

“Sometimes I catch myself glancing down the fairway, admiring the men, and considering how badly I want to do that.

However, I feel like I should be working on a bigger goal: getting our guys ready to play at the highest level.

Both captains, of course, expressed their desire to win this week. After all, that’s what we’re here for. Will the US win a third straight away game to extend their winning streak at home, or will defending champions Europe win their first contest since 2012?

Donald said, “We haven’t even managed to win three of our previous four away Ryder Cups,” It hasn’t come very close. That gap needs to be filled, in my opinion.

However, both skippers are in agreement on how to end the week in harmony.

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati has made history by becoming the first player to win the women’s Ballon d’Or three times.

Bonmati, 27, took the award with her international team-mate, Arsenal winger Mariona Caldentey, coming second.

There were five England players in the top 10. Arsenal trio Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson came third, fifth and seventh respectively, with Chelsea duo Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton ninth and 10th.

Bonmati also won the award in 2023 and 2024. It means Barcelona players have won the honour in each of the past five years after midfielder Alexia Putellas earned the prize in 2021 and 2022.

The award, officially called the Ballon d’Or Feminin, recognises the best footballer of the year and is voted for by a jury of journalists.

Outside the top 10, Arsenal defenders Emily Fox and Steph Catley came 25th and 29th respectively, with midfielder Frida Maanum ending 27th. Chelsea pair Sandy Baltimore and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd finished 15th and 23rd, while former Blues midfielder Pernille Harder was 20th.

Scotland and Real Madrid midfielder Caroline Weir finished 30th in the vote.

After scoring Spain’s winning goal in their Euro 2025 semi-final against Germany, Bonmati said she could “write a book” about the weeks that had gone before it.

The 27-year-old was in hospital with viral meningitis just days prior to the tournament starting, her participation in significant doubt.

As it was, Bonmati’s remarkable return from her hospital bed to match-winner helped Spain all the way to the final, which they eventually lost on penalties to England.

“If Spain are going to win a game, it will be a player like Bonmati that is able to take the game by the scruff of the neck in these moments and get that goal,” former England midfielder Fara Williams said on BBC One.

Williams was right – Bonmati has always been a difference-maker. And that is why she has been crowned women’s Ballon d’Or winner for an unprecedented third time.

While Spain were unable to add to their World Cup triumph two years earlier, it was still another spectacular season for the Barcelona midfielder, who won a domestic treble with her club and also reached the Champions League final.

The 2024-25 campaign was one without either of the biggest prizes for club or country with Bonmati, yet it was successful nevertheless.

She was once again vital to Barcelona, netting 12 times and assisting a further six goals in the league.

It may not have been an unblemished season in the league for her club, but they still finished eight points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.

In the Champions League she shone – despite Barcelona being unable to retain their title and losing the final to Arsenal.

Bonmati was named the competition’s player of the season by Uefa, registering nine goal contributions in her 11 appearances and scoring in their 4-1 semi-final second-leg win at Chelsea.

Understandably, suffering from a bout of viral meningitis just days before the tournament began meant it was not a perfect Euros for Bonmati.

Yet, after returning, she helped make history.

Bonmati had almost missed the tournament, but came back and scored the winner in extra time as Spain beat Germany to reach the final.

“Scoring in a game like this one is super special. If I can help the team write history, it’s very special,” she said.

Sometimes, it takes a player of Bonmati’s calibre to make the difference in the pivotal moments – and that is what she did, getting the all-important goal in a knockout stage which was otherwise somewhat muted.

1: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain)

2: Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)

3: Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)

4: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)

5: Chloe Kelly (Manchester City, Arsenal, England)

6: Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)

7: Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)

8: Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)

9: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)

10: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)

15: Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)

20: Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark)

23: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden)

25: Emily Fox (Arsenal, USA)

27: Frida Maanum (Arsenal, Norway)

29: Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia)

Spurs and Liverpool both want Savinho to join Manchester City, while Real Madrid and Real Madrid both want William Saliba, and Liverpool and Barcelona want Julian Alvarez.

With Liverpool and Barcelona interested in signing the Argentina international, 25-year-old Julian Alvarez, 25, is considering leaving Atletico Madrid next summer. (Fichajes – Spanish)

Manchester United‘s agent wants to work with Barcelona to sign on-loan England international Marcus Rashford, 27, for £26 million, which is less than United’s valuation, which is closer to £35 million. (Star)

A “major goalkeeper signing” for the summer has also been given priority by United. (Sun)

Real Madrid continue to be interested in signing France international William Saliba, 24, after watching him play against Manchester City on Sunday. (TBR Football)

Marc Guehi, 25, the captain of Crystal Palace and England defender, is eager to sign for Liverpool as a free agent when the Premier League champions arrive next summer. He nearly signed for the club on deadline day. (GiveMeSport)

Harry Kane, 32, the England captain, could leave Bayern Munich for £56.7 million the following summer if he declares his intention to do so before the winter transfer window closes. This is in accordance with his contract. (In German, subscription required)

Savinho, 21, is a 21-year-old winger from Manchester City, and they may go over a potential deal with Tottenham in January. (Teamtalk)

In the meantime, Tottenham are prepared to make a $35 million offer in January for 28-year-old Brais Mendez from Real Sociedad. (Fichajes – Spanish)