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Wrexham striker Paul Mullin has opened up about his son Albi's autism diagnosis in his newly-released autobiography.

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Mullins writes about son's autismSays it puts football in perspectivePays tribute to owners' outlook on lifeGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin revealed how one particular scene in the hit series encapsulated his emotions around his family, in particular his son Albi, who was diagnosed with autism in January. Wrexham's talismanic striker also paid tribute to co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney for putting real life matters ahead of football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MULLIN SAID

Writing in his newly-released autobiography Mullins shared: "When it came to the last episode of season one and that infamous play-off game in May 2022 against Grimsby, I wasn’t in any way prepared for how what I saw on screen would affect me. Footage of me taking a penalty was interspersed with clips of me playing with Albi in the garden. It showed what I already knew so well – that taking a penalty in a football match can never compare with being at home with my beautiful son.

"They got that so right. Yes, it was a big moment, but the perspective that Albi has brought into my life meant that when I kicked that ball I felt no pressure. I was ice-cold. It was just a kick in a game. I put the ball on the spot and scored. I admire that about Rob and Ryan – they’ve never fallen into the ‘football is everything’ trap. Yes, it’s massive, and it matters to people on a very deep emotional level. But it’s nothing compared to the health and happiness of your loved ones. Truth is, if someone said, ‘Stop football tomorrow and all your worries with Albi will be over,’ I’d shake their hand and say, ‘Sound.’ "

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mullin has been a prominent supporter of autistic charities since his son's diagnosis. The Liverpudlian often wears boots with logos supporting awareness of the condition and has regularly attends events promoting greater inclusion for autistic children in sport.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Wrexham were the first club in Wales to be awarded the Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society in September 2023. The award recognised the club's efforts to make football more accessible and inclusive for autistic fans.

The Barcelona striker will line up against United at Camp Nou on Thursday but he came desperately close to moving to Old Trafford 11 years ago…

The multiverse theory proposes that there are beyond our observable universe there, other realities – and timelines – exist as well.

Academic Tom Siegfried told the in 2022 of the possibility that "we’re just one of many universes that are different, and we live in the one that’s nice and comfortable."

Considering their fortunes over the past decade, Manchester United fans may not entirely agree with that description.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013 the Red Devils have not come close to lifting another Premier League trophy, and there's only been a smattering of other silverware to satisfy their supporters' appetite for glory.

There has been a series of sliding-doors moments in that time, in the form of failed transfers, baffling managerial appointments and off-field controversy. One of the biggest 'What if?' moments has to be United's failed pursuit of Robert Lewandowski in 2012.

Fresh from losing out on the Premier League title to bitter rivals Manchester City on the final day of the season, United were on the lookout for a new striker and eventually settled on Arsenal's Robin van Persie.

However, before acquiring the Gunners' then-talisman, United had all-but-secured the signing of Lewandowski. The 24-year-old had seriously impressed at Borussia Dortmund the previous season, netting 22 times in the Bundesliga as Jurgen Klopp's side secured a domestic double.

“After my second year in Dortmund, I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson,” Lewandowski toldin 2020. “He wanted me to come to Manchester.
“I was very interested. I can even say I was ready. But Dortmund didn’t want to let me go. It didn’t upset me more than that because things were going well with Borussia.”

How different would things have been if United and Lewandowski teamed up? Below, GOAL walks you through that alternative history…

Getty ImagesNo 13th title for Fergie

Upon signing for United, Van Persie took the No.20 jersey. His reason for donning the shirt would prove to be prophetic.

"I took the No.20 shirt because I'm here to win a 20th title with United," he famously declared.

And Van Persie did exactly that, with his Golden Boot-winning haul of 26 goals playing a massive role in the club's 2012-13 championship triumph.

Would Lewandowski have been able to hit the ground running so emphatically? It would have been a seriously big ask.

Not only would he have been joining a new league, the Man Utd centre-forward berth is the most scrutinised position in world football, pressure that may have inhibited the still blossoming Poland international at that stage of his career.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMoyes' messiah

David Moyes was given the impossible job of replacing Ferguson at the end of the 2012-13 season and only lasted until April, with United languishing down in seventh.

Moyes' issues were plentiful, but one of the most pressing was a lack of firepower. Injuries restricted Van Persie to just 18 Premier League appearances and 12 goals, while Wayne Rooney hit 17.

Would a prime Lewandowski, with a season of English football under his belt, have enabled Moyes to cling onto the hot seat for a while longer?

He certainly would've been a big help, that's for sure.

Moyes remaining in charge would've also helped United avoid the managerial upheaval and uncertainty that characterised the club during the 2010s and early 2020s.

Getty ImagesDortmund continue to battle Bayern

It's hard to imagine now, such has been Bayern's iron grip on top spot in recent years, but there was a time when the Bundesliga was a two-horse race.

Indeed, energised by a bespectacled advocate of "heavy metal football", Dortmund even enjoyed back-to-back German title triumphs between 2010 and 2012. BVB also challenged Bayern in Europe, famously meeting the Bavarians in the 2013 Champions League at Wembley.

Key to Bayern re-establishing domestic dominance was their systematic dismantling of their closest rivals. They snapped up Mario Gotze after that Champions League victory in London and, the following summer, Lewandowski joined his former Dortmund team-mate at the Allianz Arena.

But what if Lewandowski hadn't been available on a free transfer? Would Bayern have really bossed the Bundesliga to the same extent without the ace attacker?

And what if Dortmund had made some money on the Pole by selling him to United two years previously?

After all, if BVB have proven themselves good at one thing, it's recruiting the next generation of superstars. Might they have continued challenging Bayern for the Bundesliga if they had been able to afford a better replacement than Ciro Immobile?
In this alternative reality, where Lewandowski didn't end up in Munich, Dortmund might also have been able to hold on to the likes of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan for a lot longer, given they would have been challenging for more titles.

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Getty ImagesBayern sign Diego Costa?!

Of course, the above begs the question: Who would Bayern have turned to if they hadn't been able to snap up Lewandowski?

Well, someone who was on the market that summer was Diego Costa…

Fresh off of a 36-goal haul for Atletico Madrid, Chelsea swooped for the notorious frontman after he helped dump the Blues out of the Champions League semi-finals.

If Bayern had entered the race for his signature, though, the Brazil-born Spain international could have ended up in Bavaria instead.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has shared his thoughts on Roy Hodgson following his decision to step down as Crystal Palace manager.

Hodgson parts ways with Crystal PalaceKlopp reveals admiration for 76-year-oldLiverpool boss also moving on in summerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp has shared his admiration of Hodgson in the wake of his departure from Crystal Palace. The Eagles have confirmed Hodgson has stepped down from his role as manager following a recent health scare that saw him taken to hospital. Hodgson is now back home and "doing well" but has been replaced at Selhurst Park by former Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

AdvertisementWHAT JURGEN KLOPP SAID

Klopp told a press conference: "I think I said a couple of times I don't really understand why he is still doing the job! With my situation he'll probably understand a bit better, but I don't understand what he is doing! One of the greatest I ever met, definitely, for that long time in the business [he is a] human full of experience. [He] trend-set in the beginning; he kept his idea. It's always like this when it's not going well. That's the problem in our business then people forget a little bit how good the times were before. I think Crystal Palace could be like that if there were some supporters who were shouting for him to get the sack. They definitely forgot how good a job he did in the few times when he was there.

"I hope he is doing well. I hope because that obviously was a shock last week when I heard about that he was taken ill in training. That's nothing that should happen at all. I hope he is doing well and when he is doing well then I wish him just the very best of times that he can have and stay healthy. That would be the most important but it's a bit of a shame that I couldn't say properly goodbye to him because we faced each other quite frequently and like each other a lot. But, yeah, that's not the biggest problem."

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Hodgson's managerial career spans 48 years and has seen him take charge of 17 club sides and four international teams, including England.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND PALACE

Glasner is set to take charge of Palace for the first time on Saturday against Burnley as he bids to guide his new team away from the relegation zone. As for Liverpool, the club are looking at potential replacements for Klopp, with the German boss having already backed former midfielder Xabi Alonso to replace him in the Anfield hotseat.

Sri Lanka are aware of Sachithra Senanayake’s value as a spinner and a lower-order batsman, and have persisted with him despite other options

Mohammad Isam19-Feb-2014Sachithra Senanayake’s two wickets in the first ODI against Bangladesh broke a run of five wicketless matches for him, all played against Pakistan in the UAE two months ago. But Sri Lanka are aware of his value as a spinner and a lower-order batsman, and have persisted with him despite other options.Senanayake was picked as the specialist spinner ahead of Ajantha Mendis, and proved his worth with the wickets of Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah in the same over as Bangladesh slipped from 133 for 4 to 133 for 6 in the 29th over. He was also effective earlier in the game with the bat, helping Thisara Perera add 82 runs for the ninth wicket after Sri Lanka had slumped to 67 for 8.”We have to handle the pressure,” Senanayake said. “Pitches here are really nice so we can bat through. If I get a chance, my mission is to bat till the last over. I feel I am lucky to be there in the end. We do basic things with Marvan Atapattu. He wants the bowlers to bat every day. I think because of that the bowlers are batting really well.”Senanayake had recently batted Sri Lanka to a win against Pakistan. With four runs required off five balls, he took a couple off Shahid Afridi before crashing the ball to the point boundary.There may have been a dearth of wickets, but Senanayake has concentrated on the basics. He attributed it to his mental strength. “I think I am a cool guy. I don’t take pressure,” he said.”There isn’t any competition. If captain and coaches want to go with me, I am satisfied. It is not a big issue for me. If Ajantha [Mendis] is doing well, he should play.”

Northamptonshire chief executive David Smith has promised a shake-up at Wantage Road after the county’s fifth loss in six matches but insisted head coach David Ripley’s position is safe.

Jon Culley at Wantage Road03-Jun-2014Northamptonshire chief executive David Smith has promised a shake-up at Wantage Road after the county’s fifth loss in six matches left them adrift at the foot of the Division One table but insisted head coach David Ripley’s position is safe.Smith was at the helm when Ripley’s predecessor David Capel was sacked in mid-season two years ago but, speaking after the 271-run defeat by Yorkshire, Smith said that responsibility lay with the players for Northamptonshire’s poor start following promotion last season.”That’s our fifth loss in six games and it is clearly not good enough,” Smith said. “The level of performance is not good enough. There is a huge difference between the standard of cricket in Divisions One and Two and clearly at the moment we are well adrift but it is not a coaching issue, it is a playing issue and we have to address that.”We rely on our senior players but there are some senior batsmen who are not getting runs. We have not got a single hundred yet in the Championship.”Based on the evidence so far some of our players have found the step up to be one too far. But we knew there was a gap and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. We want the kind of players who relish the opportunity and relish the fight.”We can’t be picking the same team and making the same mistakes, therefore we have to look to make changes, and so the side we pick against Sri Lanka this week will provide the opportunity for other players to put their names forward.”Smith said Ripley retained his full support in what he described as “a project” aimed at putting this club back on its feet.”David is under no pressure whatsoever. We have a project at this club, David and I will work together and over the next three to four years we will get this club back on its feet.”He and the coaches are working tirelessly to put things right. In terms of accountability and responsibility the players have to put their hands up. They are letting themselves down at the moment because they are better than that.”Derbyshire got to grips with the first division but too late and we want to avoid that happening to us. We have 10 games left and we have to ensure that our level of performance is far more competitive than it has been.”We won promotion on merit and earned the right to be here. Now we have to earn the right to stay in the first division.”

A round-up of the Plunket Shield matches that ended on December 21, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2014Third-innings eighties from Ben Smith and Will Young helped Central Districts pull away to a 245-run win over Auckland at Eden Park. Smith and Young put on 146 for the third wicket, and four other 20-plus scores lower down the order helped Central Districts set a target of 376. Auckland never got close, with the new-ball pair of Doug Bracewell and Ben Wheeler picking up three wickets each, for the second time in the match, to bowl them out for 130.Both first innings had produced low scores, with eighteen wickets falling on the first day. Matthew Quinn and Michael Bates combined to bowl out Central Districts, who had been sent in to bat, for 159, before Bracewell and Wheeler returned the favour to skittle Auckland out for 117. Auckland were well in the game when Quinn struck with successive deliveries to reduce Central Districts to 11 for 2, but the Smith-Young stand turned the tide. Smith made 89 off 195 balls and Young 87 off 171, with each of them collecting 10 fours.A five-wicket haul from Neil Wagner proved decisive as Otago beat Canterbury by 82 runs in Rangiora. Replying to Otago’s first-innings 369 – which contained half-centuries from Aaron Redmond, Michael Bracewell and Mark Craig – Canterbury were bowled out for 201, Wagner finishing with figures of 5 for 76.Opener Ronnie Hira put Canterbury in a strong position with a 125-ball 100, studded with 15 fours and a six, but his dismissal triggered a collapse that saw the last eight wickets fall for 46 runs. The first-innings lead of 159 was to prove crucial, as Otago managed to set Canterbury a daunting total despite folding for 139 in their second innings, with Hamish Bennett picking up four wickets.Chasing 299, Canterbury were in with a shot at 98 for 2, before Wagner dismissed Peter Fulton to break an 82-run stand with Neil Broom. Broom was out for 58 after the addition of nine runs to Canterbury’s total, and wickets fell steadily thereafter. Henry Nicholls was the only batsman to resist, before he was last out for a 107-ball 59.

A round-up of the Group A matches of the Ranji Trophy that took place on December 6, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2013
ScorecardPunjab’s Mandeep Singh scored 56 against Vidarbha•ESPNcricinfo LtdHalf-centuries from Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia helped Delhi end day one 268 for 6 against Odisha in Sambalpur. Manhas fell eight runs short of his third century of the season, while Bhatia was batting on 71 at stumps.Sent in to bat, Delhi were 9 for 2 after medium-pacer Suryakant Pradhan struck twice in the sixth over of their innings. First to go was Unmukt Chand for 3, followed by Virender Sehwag, who fell for a duck that left him with 69 runs in seven innings this season at an average of 11.50.Delhi recovered through Gautam Gambhir and Manhas, who put on 103 in 26.4 overs before Deepak Behera dismissed Gambhir for a 93-ball 32. Manhas added 40 for the fourth wicket with Vaibhav Rawal before he was out to Basant Mohanty for 92, having struck 18 fours and a six in his 115-ball knock.At this point, Delhi were 152 for 4 with just over half the scheduled day’s play – 46 overs – to go. Having scored at 3.45 an over for the first half of the day, Delhi’s run rate dropped to 2.52 over the second half. But they only lost two more wickets. The left-handed Rawal made 35, and wicketkeeper Rahul Yadav – who replaced Puneet Bisht – scored 11, as they forged useful stands of 31 and 37 with Bhatia. Bhatia, who hit 11 fours in his 141-ball innings, saw out the last 21 overs in the company of Varun Sood. The pair ended the day two short of a half-century stand.
ScorecardHaving chosen to bowl on a Lahli pitch known to assist the quicker bowlers, Karnataka dismissed Haryana for 247. The wicketkeeper Nitin Saini played the lone hand with his fifth first-class century, while none of the other batsmen passed fifty.After a 53-run opening stand between Rahul Dewan and Avi Barot, Karnataka’s seamers – the four of them would go on to bowl all but seven overs of Haryana’s innings, and take all ten wickets – struck to leave Haryana 104 for 4. Saini and Sachin Rana put on 72 for the fifth wicket, before Abhimanyu Mithun claimed his first wicket, dismissing Rana for 36, leaving Haryana at 176 for 5.Their lower order didn’t trouble Karnataka’s bowlers too much; between them, numbers seven to eleven made 11 runs. But they combined to add 71 with Saini, who scored over 62% of the 175 Haryana made while he was at the crease before he was last out for 109. Saini struck 11 fours and three sixes in his 152-ball innings.
ScorecardVidarbha bowled Punjab out for 184, before ending the day at a solid 75 for 1 in Mohali. The visitors were 109 behind at stumps, with Faiz Fazal and Ravi Jangid together in an unbroken 56-run partnership.Having chosen to field first, Vidarbha’s seamers quickly got to work. Left-armer Shrikant Wagh bowled Manan Vohra for 4, before Amol Jungade had Uday Kaul caught behind to leave Punjab 16 for 2. Punjab staged a brief recovery through Mandeep Singh, who made 56 and added 32 with Jiwanjot Singh and 37 with Taruwar Kohli, before they suffered a double-jolt. Mandeep first edged Wagh to wicketkeeper Urvesh Patel and Taruwar was run out the next ball; Punjab were 85 for 5. That soon became 117 for 7.Punjab eventually reached 184, with their last three wickets adding 67 runs. Sandeep Sharma made 20 of them, and VRV Singh smashed 30 off 13 balls.

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Celtic fans are in a panic over the fitness of Filip Benkovic.

When Brendan Rodgers mentioned a knock at Tuesday’s media conference it didn’t seem too concerning, with Jozo Simunovic and Kris Ajer linking up for the double header versus St Johnstone. A double header against Valencia next month is an entirely different prospect.

The loss of Dedryck Boyata and Benkovic has been a summer time bomb that Celtic fans have dreaded. But if it becomes reality now, there could be pressure on what remains of the transfer window to bring in a ready-to-play replacement.

The story of a season ending injury was first reported by The Scottish Sun and needless to say, it has created quite the reaction amongst Celtic supporters.

Rightly so – the 21-year-old has been in excellent form during his season-long loan from Leicester City, making 26 appearances for the Scottish champions in all competitions.

Here’s a quick look at how Hoops fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

Edgbaston and Old Trafford have been awarded extra fixtures by the ECB after a T20 and an ODI handed back by Durham were reallocated

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2013Edgbaston and Old Trafford have been awarded extra fixtures by the ECB after a T20 and an ODI handed back by Durham were reallocated. Edgbaston will host India for a T20 international next year while Old Trafford was awarded a second Australia ODI during the Ashes summer of 2015.Both matches were initially part of Chester-le-Street’s package when the allocations were made in 2011. However, in May, Durham decided to return two of the four fixtures they were due to host in 2014 and 2015, with chief executive David Harker saying they had decided “to be cautious over what we could expect to sell to the public”. The ECB then re-initiated the tender process.Edgbaston will now host India for an ODI and a T20 in 2014, as well as a Sri Lanka ODI and the domestic T20 Finals Day. Old Trafford, which will this summer host its first Test since 2010, has been awarded two Australia ODIs for 2015, as well as T20 featuring New Zealand.The ECB’s chief executive, David Collier, said: “We congratulate the two venues on being awarded these fixtures which will form part of a very exciting programme of international cricket both next summer and in 2015.”

The full hearing on the alleged match-fixing and spot-fixing in the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) began in Dhaka on Sunday

Mohammad Isam19-Jan-2014The full hearing into the alleged match-fixing and spot-fixing in the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) began in Dhaka on Sunday. Only one of the ten accused was present, though it is not entirely clear whether he faced the tribunal members, while another didn’t attend or send a legal representative.The other eight accused were represented by lawyers, including Yasin Patel who is the legal representative of Mohammad Ashraful and Darren Stevens, who was seen walking out of the tribunal building at the end of the day.Later, the individual legal representatives of Mahbubul Alam and Mosharraf Hossain, the Dhaka Gladiators franchise and its CEO, Gaurav Rawat, spoke to the media. Barrister Nawroz MR Chowdhury, representing Dhaka Gladiators, said that he had raised the question about ICC’s role in this tribunal.”Today’s preliminary hearing was about whether the ICC has the jurisdiction to bring allegations against us and whether the BCB has given the ICC the authority to do so,” Chowdhury said. “We put forward all the irregularities. The judges have asked for a day to consider whether they can work through these irregularities. The ICC also spoke. If the tribunal feels it is right, they will start the hearing from Tuesday.”Their specific claim regarding the ICC is whether the governing body, in regulating the BPL corruption matter, is acting as an employee of the BCB. “We have questioned the ICC’s contract with the BCB, which we consider faulty,” Chowdhury said. “Even if we consider the contract to be correct, will we see the ICC as the BCB’s employees? We want to know if a superior authority can work as the inferior of an inferior authority.”A press release from the BCB’s anti-corruption tribunal confirmed that the hearing will continue on the morning of January 21.