James Restall

Week that showed why talking about sexuality still awkward for men’s game Campaign has its critics but the personal stories behind Rainbow Laces are so important to break the taboo of sexuality in our conformist male football culture

After years of working on #RainbowLaces at Sky Sports, one footballer's story really stuck with me - an academy player who was a Muslim and wished he could be cured of being gay. He quit football and never turned pro.

Thanks @restalltimes.bsky.social for letting me share on @timessport.bsky.social

Eight seconds for goalkeepers to release ball – or concede a corner Referees will give time-wasting keepers a countdown under new idea being trialled by football’s lawmakers, while ‘daylight’ offside is being looked at again

A good idea!
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Week that showed why talking about sexuality still awkward for men’s game Campaign has its critics but the personal stories behind Rainbow Laces are so important to break the taboo of sexuality in our conformist male football culture

Thanks to @jonhholmes.bsky.social for writing in @timessport.bsky.social today

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Josh Keeley makes FA Cup history – then takes parents to airport Leyton Orient goalkeeper, on loan from Tottenham and playing his first season of league football, scores last-minute goal to secure third-round tie

Lovely to speak to Orient and Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley about his goalscoring heroics in the FA Cup at the weekend. Piece w/ Bill Edgar

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

Liverpool seriously impressive tonight. Particularly enjoyed the robust challenge from Bradley on Mbappe!

Mo Salah: Can Liverpool make the numbers work to keep him? The 32-year-old Egyptian already has ten goals and ten assists this season but his contract at Anfield expires next summer, presenting a conundrum

Paul Joyce wrote this excellent piece of analysis on the Salah contract situation last week:
www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

What Thomas Tuchel needs to know when he takes charge of England With Lee Carsley’s stint at helm of the national team over, here are some of the key lessons the incoming head coach needs to take note of after the six Nations League games

Brilliant from @jnorthcroft.bsky.social imagining the dossier that Carsley will hand over to Tuchel

www.thetimes.com/sport/footba...

‘We’re not losers, we’re believers’ – meet San Marino’s foreign super fans The fan group, which boasts supporters from all over Europe, had a night to remember when Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation earned their first win in 20 years last week

San Marino are going up! What an incredible story. Tom Allnutt wrote about their super fans in September:

‘We’re not losers, we’re believers’ – meet San Marino’s foreign super fans

www.thetimes.com/article/3ae2...

This would be very on brand for 2024… remakes that are not quite as good as the original

Women’s football’s big weekend: Crunch games and Tube shoutouts The highest attendances in club football this weekend – irrespective of gender – will be for women’s matches and there is potential for drama across the WSL and Championship

Kit Shepard on the weekend where the four biggest attendances in English domestic football are likely to come in the WSL:

Women’s football’s big weekend: Crunch games and Tube shoutouts

www.thetimes.com/article/3c12...

I keep reading BSkyB and think I’m watching football in the 90s

Gianni Infantino’s name engraved on new Club World Cup trophy…twice The Fifa president has had his name engraved on the new trophy for the 32-team tournament, which takes place in the United States next summer

Bonkers, brilliant, sadly depressing story from @martynziegler.bsky.social

Gianni Infantino’s name engraved on new Club World Cup trophy…twice

www.thetimes.com/article/b173...

Thoughts from the England win in Greece…
1) Lots of players seizing an opportunity, namely Watkins, Madueke and Jones
2) This is an incredible era where nine players can drop out and there is still bags of talent
3) Thomas Tuchel will have his own observations so long-term learnings limited!

Rugby stars sign up for Formula 1-style breakaway league Up to 20 top stars have already joined a heavily backed new global competition in the US where the men’s and women’s franchise teams would travel to a different city for each round

Exclusive story from Alex Lowe, our rugby correspondent, on the latest plans to shake up the sport with a breakaway competition:

Rugby stars sign up for Formula 1-style breakaway league

www.thetimes.com/article/20ea...

🗞️ More and more Times and Sunday Times journalists and staff are joining BlueSky.

We’ll be updating this starter kit as they do so, you should give them a follow

👇

Lee Carsley drops Harry Kane, hammers Greece and restores his reputation Greece 0 England 3: Ollie Watkins, Curtis Jones and an Odysseas Vlachodimo own goal give much-changed side all three points in Nations League match

Lee Carsley: football genius. Most of us (me included): fools.

From last night...

www.thetimes.com/article/c8e1...

Sir Alex Ferguson’s finest hour: 40 years on from day Aberdeen stunned Real Madrid It’s a misconception: Sir Alex Ferguson never used the hairdryer at Aberdeen. “Manchester United got the hairdryer,” John McMaster clarifies. “We got the blast

If I'm posting articles, I have to start with this.

www.thetimes.com/article/sir-...

World Cup row adds extra fire for England against Springboks Steve Borthwick’s emotionally charged side can settle a score and shock South Africa on Saturday, but only if they create conflict and play the ugliest game imaginable

Courtney Lawes' brilliant column on England v South Africa ahead of Saturday's huge clash at Twickenham
www.thetimes.com/sport/rugby-... 🏉 🌹 #rugby

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