Striker Ieuan Owen says it is a "dream come true" to join Kilmarnock from top-flight Welsh side Barry Town United. Kilmarnock have paid an undisclosed fee for the 20-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal with the Scottish Premiership club. Owen, who scored 19 goals in 42 games last season, was voted young player of the year in the Cymru Premier and his signing is hailed as a "real coup" by Kilmarnock.
Royal Lyceum, EdinburghDawn Steele stars in Ron Ferguson’s warm-hearted tale of a town whose fortunes are tied to those of its coal mine and local teamBlack diamonds are what they used to dig up from the Fife coalfields. The Blue Brazil is the unlikely nickname of Cowdenbeath football club. Together, in the 1993 book by Ron Ferguson, they represent the bittersweet hopes of a downtrodden town: the coal that brought work, fatal accidents and unemployment; the team that brought moments of joy and a litany of loss. You would call it a triumph of the underdog, except this team never triumphs.“Some things are more important than winning,” is the catchphrase of the ex-miner and diehard Cowdenbeath fan (Barrie Hunter) who haunts this warm-hearted adaptation by Gary McNair, first aired as an audio drama in 2021. More important, the playwright would argue, is a sense of community, of shared experience, of learning not to be defeated by pit closures, job losses, relegation and death. It is about “how to lose and keep going with hope”. Continue reading...
Aston Villa have their own Champions League hopes to worry about but when they face Liverpool on Friday night, live on Sky Sports, both teams could yet have a major effect on the fortunes of others in the race for Europe next season.
Manchester City were not in action on Sunday, yet their fortunes swung with every moment of Arsenal's clash with West Ham. Pep Guardiola had light heartedly offered his support to the Hammers beforehand, signing off his press conference with a playful "come on you Irons". The late Arsenal winner means City's task is unchanged - keep winning and wait.
The three points picked up from Falkirk on Saturday could yet prove to be huge for Hibs' season. The football gods have been incredibly unkind to Hibs this season, so we're maybe due some good fortune. With Jamie McGrath still suspended, Campbell has the chance to make sure he's starting against Motherwell if he can back up Saturday's performance with a similar impact against Rangers.
It was the city of Hull where Millwall’s dreams of the top flight last came true all the way back in 1988. Kevin O’Callaghan’s penalty at the old Boothferry Park a mile across town was enough to ensure a 1-0 victory and promotion to the First Division. So with Hull the opponents again and the stakes at their highest, this felt like something of an omen.But in the end, the events in East Yorkshire this time around nearly 40 years on from one of their greatest triumphs will ultimately be consigned to a footnote in this tie. All the drama and the headlines will instead unfold in south London on Monday evening after a first leg that was littered with tension, but shy of genuine moments that could decide the promotion fortunes of these teams. Continue reading...
If Leeds are able to retain their top-flight status, the majority of supporters are likely to point to wins against relegation rivals Wolves, Burnley and West Ham as the defining moments of the season. The 49-year-old is more likely to point to a 3-2 defeat by Manchester City in late November as the moment his side's fortunes changed - and the numbers back it up. After goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City 2-0 up inside 25 minutes, Leeds were left fearing the worst.
