Wales are two wins away from qualifying for their second successive World Cup and only a third in their history. Craig Bellamy's side host Bosnia-Herzegovina in their play-off semi-final on 26 March and, if victorious, will face Italy or Northern Ireland in Cardiff five days later for a place in the 2026 World Cup. The draw for the World Cup takes place in Washington DC on Friday.
As Wythenshawe were down to 10 men after Will Calligan's red card, Holker, who won 4-3 on penalties after the game finished 2-2, had to nominate a player from their team who would not take a spot-kick. They selected their goalkeeper and were allowed to do so, but by the laws of the game that would then have meant he should have taken no part in the shootout.
Ben Gibbons, is co-founder of Circular 11, based in Christchurch, which has been running its recycling business for four years. He said it takes hard-to-recycle mixed plastics, like those found under the pitch at Wembley, and use it to make planks, which can then be used in manufacturing. "Obviously we all know that plastic waste is a big issue but we're just trying to harness that property and use it in a slightly more constructive way," Mr Gibbons said.
That system once formed the backbone of Indian football. District and state leagues fed into national tournaments, and professional players could climb step by step from district clubs to state teams and eventually the national setup. The Indian Super League (ISL) changed all that, breaking away from the national system more than a decade ago. It has been drifting further from the base of the pyramid that once produced its players ever since.
The simple answer is that players can choose what size shin pads they want to wear. The International Football Association Board (Ifab), responsible for the laws of the game, say that shin pads are a mandatory piece of equipment players must wear while playing. Law 4.2 states that shin pads must: Be made of a suitable material Be of an appropriate size to provide reasonable protection and be covered by the socks And players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shin pads
The FA have marked the start of the grassroots football season with a lively new short film that shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes who make the game tick away from the limelight. Rather than focusing on elite football, the film follows four familiar grassroots characters The Organiser (Sandra), The Ringer (Nick), The Coaching Parent (Rashida), and The Groundskeeper (Greg) showing them swap their daily grind for the chaos and charm of matchday.