Football

All Saints United moved to 34 points from 14 matches with a 2-0 win over Willikies on Sunday.

Shafeeq Joseph and Daryan James got the goals for the new league leaders in the 57^th and 77^th minutes, respectively.

FC Aston Villa boast a similar record in 14 matches thanks to a 1-0 win over Piggott’s Bullets on Saturday.

The game seemed to be heading for a draw before Shahoi Dorsett sealed the crucial three points for Villa with a 95^th minute penalty.

Former leaders Grenades are now third, one point behind All Saints and FC Aston Villa after suffering a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Greenbay Hoppers on Sunday.

The Hoppers went 4-0 up in the span of 28 minutes as Rodney Lawrence (26’), Javorn Stevens (31’), a 45^th minute Chad Williams own goal and an Akeem Christian own goal in the 54^th sealed the fate for Grenades.

They got a consolation goal through Barrington Blake in the 56^th minute. The Hoppers are now fifth with 21 points from 13 games.

Old Road is fourth, nine points behind Grenades after a 5-1 win over Swetes in the week’s opening game on Friday.

It was Swetes who took an early lead when Shackwon Simon scored in the 16^th minute.

Stefan Smith equalized for Old Road eight minutes later and the teams went into half-time with no further goals added.

Things changed quickly in the second half as Jaheim Hazelwood gave Old Road the lead six minutes after the restart before a Raheem Deterville double in the 61^st and 71^st minutes gave them a 4-1 advantage. Jabarry Chandler put the final nail in the coffin in the 88^th minute. Swetes are sixth in the table with 21 points from 14 games.

Saturday’s other matches saw Empire beat Ottos Rangers 3-0 and Parham secure a 3-1 win over Cedar Grove Blue Jays.

Empire’s goals came from Rakeem Joseph in the seventh minute, Nyque Watkins in the 13^th minute and Shemar Scott in the 45^th minute.

They are now 10^th in the league with 17 points from 13 games while Ottos Rangers are eighth with 19 points from 13 outings.

Parham took the lead J’Twan Brown in the 45^th minute before Malcolm Stewart doubled the lead in the 48^th minute. The Blue Jays got a lifeline in the 50^th minute through a Keon Greene penalty before Stewart got his second of the game in the 81^st minute to secure the win.

With 15 points from 14 games, Parham are now 12^th in the standings while their opponents are 14^th with 10 points from 13 matches.

Sunday’s other game saw Liberta Blackhawks and SAP combine for 12 goals, with the latter securing an 8-4 win.

Shavorn Phillip gave the Blackhawks the lead in the 28^th minute before SAP equalized through Tyrique Tonge in the 30^th. It was 2-1 Liberta a minute later as Louron Anthony scored before SAP equalized once again, this time through Danniel Osbourne in the 42^nd minute.

The only word to adequately describe the second half was ‘goal-fest.’

Fifteen minutes after the resumption, Tonge got his second of the game to give SAP their first lead before Phillip got his second of the game a minute later for Liberta to make it 3-3.

SAP then broke the game open through a Peter Byers double in the 73^rd and 77^th minutes before Tonge got his third and fourth of the game in the 81^st and 87^th minutes to make in 7-3, effectively ending the game.

Malique Martin got Liberta’s fourth goal in the 89^th minute but the scoring was capped off in the 90^th minute when Byers completed his hat-trick, the second for SAP on the day.

SAP are now 11^th in the table with 16 points from 13 games while the Blackhawks, with only two points from 11 games, are last in the standings.

Ninth-placed Tryum and 15^th placed Five Islands will do battle on Monday to close out the game week.

All Saints entered the 18^th and final game on May 5 on 46 points, trailing Grenades FC by two points.

They then defeated Garden Stars 3-1 in their final game while Grenades were held to a 1-1 draw by Ottos Rangers FC who played the ultimate spoiler role as their relegation to the first division was already confirmed before this game.

In the end, both All Saints United and Grenades FC finished with identical records of 16 wins, one draw and one loss from their 18 games.

However, by virtue of a goal difference of 55 compared to 48 by Grenades, All Saints United were crowned champions.

The top five were rounded out by Old Road FC, FC Aston Villa and Hoppers FC with totals of 38 points, 33 points and 29 points, respectively.

The ABFA issued a statement congratulating All Saints on winning the title as well as acknowledging the contributions of all the teams to a successful season.

“The ABFA Executive members extend heartfelt congratulations to the management, coaches, and players of All Saints United for their triumphant victory in clinching the 2023/24 ABFA Premier League trophy. We also commend Grenades FC and Old Road FC for their outstanding performances, securing second and third place respectively, and contributing to the thrilling championship race,” the statement read.

It continued, “this season has been filled with excitement, with the premier division delivering a nail-biting finish. The first and second divisions are also gearing up for an equally thrilling climax. We express gratitude to our dedicated fans whose unwavering support has made this season unforgettable.”

Joining the aforementioned Rangers in next season’s first division will be Sap FC and Empire FC who finished 13^th and 15^th, respectively.

Swetes FC, who finished 12^th, will fight for their spot in next season’s Premier league in the playoffs with Police FC and Attacking Saints who finished third and fourth in the first division.

Potter’s Tigers and Five Islands FC were the top two finishers in the first division and have booked spots in next season’s Premier League.

Individually, Old Road’s Raheem Deterville was crowned as both the season’s golden boot winner and MVP.

All Saints United’s Jayden Martin and Blake Thompson took home prizes for best goalkeeper and best defender while FC Aston Villa’s Tyrik Hughes was named best young player.

League A

By the end of the window next Tuesday, December 5, three teams will know if they have qualified for the Women's Gold Cup group stage and another six teams will be slotted for the Women's Gold Cup Prelims.

Mexico will get their first crack at winning Group A of League A on Friday at Puerto Rico with El Tricolor holding a two-point edge on the Boricuas. If Puerto Rico and Mexico draw, Mexico win the group and Puerto Rico would seal their place in the Prelims, as they currently sit three points ahead of Trinidad and Tobago, who close the window against Mexico on December 5.

Panama can win Group B in a Wednesday visit to Jamaica, as the Canaleras own a two-point advantage on Guatemala. However, should Panama drop points, it could open the way for Guatemala or Jamaica on Sunday to win the group. A Jamaica win against Panama could set the stage for a dramatic final matchday on Sunday, with all three teams alive for a first-place finish.

Haiti only require a draw at Costa Rica to clinch Group C of League A on Thursday. However, a Ticas win could make for an interesting final matchday in the group next Monday. Costa Rica host St Kitts and Nevis, but would need to win by a wide margin, with Haiti currently at plus-25 goal difference.

League B

The winners of the three League B groups will advance to the Women's Gold Cup Prelims versus the second-place group finishers from League A.

Guyana can win Group A of League B with victory over Dominica on Wednesday, provided Suriname drop points at Antigua and Barbuda. Should Guyana and Suriname win their first matches of the window, Guyana can clinch the group win and a Prelims spot with a draw in their final fixture against Antigua and Barbuda.

El Salvador have already punched their Prelims ticket as winners of Group B of League B, but in Group C, Bermuda and Dominican Republic are in a dogfight, with the former slightly ahead by a point.

On Friday, Bermuda host St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Dominican Republic head to Barbados. Should those two sides win, a final matchday clash between the Dominican Republic and Bermuda in Santo Domingo, would be a winner-take-all affair.

League C

A group win is there for the taking for three teams in League C. With a six-point cushion, Belize can win Group A with a draw at Bonaire on Thursday.

Cuba can clinch Group B should St Lucia fail to beat Guadeloupe on Friday. However, a St Lucia win, would set up a final day contest, with Cuba only needing a draw to win the group.

Grenada have already emerged as winners of Group C, but Curacao still have work to do in Group D. They have a two-point lead over Anguilla and face Anguilla on Thursday. A draw would be enough to win the group for Curacao.

The competition saw the participation of 280 schools for football and 190 schools for netball. This involved the active participation of approximately 8,210 students, with 5,290 participating in football inclusive of 573 females and 2,850 for netball as the parish champions were decided.

St Patrick’s Primary of Kingston are defending all-island netball champion, and they were drawn in Zone 4 alongside Golden Grove Primary of St Thomas, Lime Hall of St Ann and Mandeville Primary of Manchester.

The schools were provided with gears by INSPORTS, with action scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, January 30, when St Patrick’s takes on Lime Hall Primary.

There will be a new champion in the football as the defending champion Pembroke Hall Primary were eliminated during the St Andrew playoffs.

Permanent Secretary, Denzil Thorpe, speaking on behalf of Minister of Sports, Olivia Grange, said the tournaments mark another special achievement in Jamaica’s grassroots sporting development.

“I am sure we would all agree that the Institute of Sports has been doing an excellent job of unearthing talent, as evidenced by the fact that 12 of the 14 National Under-15 team were discovered by INSPORTS and recommended to the Jamaica Cricket Association,” Thorpe pointed out.

“That is the kind of impact we want coming out of these football and netball competitions, which are arguably the biggest age-group competition of their kind in the English-speaking Caribbean,” he added.

“One of our latest stars, Dujuan “Whisper” Richards who signed for top English club Chelsea recently, came up through the INSPORTS football competition, where he was discovered at Harbour View Primary School during the 2015/2016 season.

“These programmes will enable us to bring to the fore, the best talent there is in a competitive environment, in keeping with the INSPORTS mandate of “unearthing talent” in every nook and cranny of Jamaica,” said Thorpe.

Matches will be played on a home and away basis.

Football Play-Offs 2023- 2024

Zone 1: Unity Primary, Corinaldi Primary, Falmouth Primary, Claremont Primary

Zone 2: Little London Primary, Howard Cooke Primary, Clarks Town Primary, Bethel Primary

Zone 3: Brompton Primary, Mandeville Primary, Bethany Primary, Granville Primary

Zone 4: Ocho Rios Primary, Holland Primary, Ballas Valley Primary, New Forest Primary

Zone 5: Denbigh Primary, St Aloysius Primary, Frankfield Primary, Balmagie Primary

Zone 6: Spanish Town Primary, Rousseau Primary, Watsonton Primary, Calabar Primary

Zone 7: Golden Grove Primary, Greater Portmore Primary, Port Antonio Primary, Enfield Primary

Zone 8: Norwick Primary, Port Maria Primary, Lyssons Primary, Oracabessa Primary

Netball Play-Offs 2023-2024

Zone 1: New Hope Primary, Corinaldi Primary, First Hill All Age, Pell River Primary

Zone 2: Savanna-la-mar Primary, Irwin Primary, Clark's Town Primary, Green Island Primary

Zone 3:Brompton Primary, Little London Primary, Bethany Primary, Flankers Primary

Zone 4: Golden Grove Primary, Lime Hall Primary, St Patrick Primary, Mandeville Primary

Zone 5: Spaulding Primary, Black River Primary, Bethabara Primary, Mona Primary

Zone 6: Naggo Head Primary, Half Way Tree Primary, Frankfield Primary, Nazareth Primary

Zone 7: Lyssons Primary, Bridgeport Primary, Seaside Primary, Oracabessa Primary

Zone 8: Buff Bay Primary, Port Maria Primary, White Horses Primary, Clan Carthy Primary

The twin island republic will host Group D, which includes Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. They will open against St Vincent and the Grenadines next Friday, before tackling Dominica on February 25, and Canada on February 27.

Haynes's side is now in the final phase of their preparations following two warm-up fixtures against Jamaica, and one against their senior Soca Warriors counterparts. They first defeated Jamaica 3-2, but lost the second contest 1-3, and that was followed by a 1-2 defeat to Angus Eve's senior outfit.

Despite those results, Haynes in a recent interview, expressed pleasure with his team's display for the most part.

“We need to have some consistency. We have to work on being much more effective on offence. I think we do a good job getting the ball from the back to the midfield and to the top of the 18-yard (box), but the final product has to become better,” Haynes reasoned.

“All we have to do is keep working hard no matter what happens. We concentrated for the most part...I am thankful it is happening now and not in the tournament. While we didn’t win the game, the experience they got here is something you cannot get in practice,” he added.

The inclusion of the seven overseas-based players meant the tactician was impressed by their rendition, as he initially declared that their selection would be dependent on the quality they could add to his team.

“This (local) group here has made me proud, and I am saying I love it. We have good players coming from overseas, but we have good soccer players here in Trinidad, and if the guys that are coming in are not challenging these guys, this is what I am going with,” Haynes said prior to finalizing his squad.

Only the group winners will progress to the next phase of the Concacaf Under-20 tournament to join the top teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

Justham produced a fine late stop to deny Millenic Alli on a night of frustration for both sides who each extend their National League winless streaks to five games.

Justham had tipped over a curling effort from Angelo Cappello towards the end of the first half, before his opposite number Sam Johnson denied a Dagenham chance for Ryan Hill.

Johnson was back in action just before the hour mark when he produced a superb save to deny Nikola Tavares, but neither side had the cutting edge required to make a breakthrough.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead in the 34th minute but Nicolay Todorov’s effort was disallowed.

Inverness came closest to breaking the deadlock in the second half when Billy Mckay’s header was cleared off the line by on-loan Hibernian defender Kanayo Megwa.

However, the game finished goalless and Inverness stay second from bottom in the table while Airdrieonians remain fifth.

The teams, who will meet for the third time in Caribbean Cup history, played out a goalless stalemate in the Dominican Republic last week, which means it is anybody’s game to take when the ball gets rolling at 7:00pm.

Prior to their goalless scoreline, Cavalier won the first meeting between the two 3-0 last year at Sabina Park. With that in mind, Cavalier should again start slight favourites, especially being at home.

However, the reigning Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champion will have to tread cautiously as Moca will be riding high on the fact that the away goal rule is in effect. That means a 1-1 draw would be enough to see Moca FC through to the Caribbean Cup final and, by extension, next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

Should the contest again end scoreless, then extra time and penalties, if necessary, will decide the winner.

While declaring that his players are ready for the challenge, Cavalier’s Head coach, Rudolph Speid, is wary of the away goal rule.

“I don’t think it’s an advantage for us, because the away goal rule is in effect and we didn’t score one goal away. So, if they score one, we’ll have to score two. So I’m not really pleased, and we don’t have an advantage at this point,” Speid said.

“Moca is a good team, and you can see they have a lot of structure. They have players from Argentina and from all over South America, so they are not an easy team. Those players are well versed in the art of playing, so we have to give them a lot of respect,” he added.

Dwayne ‘Busy’ Atkinson is again expected to be the point man in Cavalier’s attacking line, which has tallied 27 goals across last year and this year’s editions and stands as the team with the best offensive power in the history of the tournament.

They also placed second last year when they lost to Robinhood of Suriname and will be hoping to go one better on this occasion.

For Moca FC, this campaign is about seeking redemption after they were eliminated at this same stage last year by eventual champion Robinhood. They take an unbeaten record into Wednesday’s decisive leg and will be intent on keeping that record intact.

The competition pits a selection of the best players from each competition for an end-of-season clash for a trophy and bragging rights over which section of the country produces the best high-school football talent.

However, interest waned over the years, resulting in the competition being suspended for between 10 and 15 years. In 2016, a selection of players from the two competitions played a match at St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS).

There were also failed attempts in 2012 and 2014 to resuscitate the competition.

However, according to ISSA, 2020 will mark the year when the competition makes a return to the schoolboy football calendar.

Keith Wellington, President of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) announced the decision at the ISSA/Schoolboy Football Presentation Ceremony at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston.

Mr Wellington said the decision to bring back the competition that pits a squad of the best players from the urban-based Manning Cup competition against from the rural DaCosta Cup competition was in response to demand.

There is a lot of interest from a lot of different places, from the schools, the students, even persons who you do not expect to have that sort of interest,” Mr Wellington said. “They have shown an interest and a willingness to support it.

No date would have been set yet but it would be about a week after the Olivier Shield, which is contested by the winners of the Manning and DaCosta Cup competitions.

The ISSA president believes bringing back the match will add value to the schoolboy football season.

“Definitely, and the way we want to do it, we want to have it not just to be a football game but an occasion to expose our best talent to college scouts who might be interested in getting some of these youngsters into club football for the January window,” Mr Wellington explained.

“It will be a little bit more than just a football game.”

Mr Wellington said the competition has not been played for between 10 and 15 years. However, in 2015 a selection from the two competitions played a match at St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS).

For this season’s competition, the only potential challenge would be the Caribbean Americas Soccer Association (CASA)/ Lauderdale Youth Classic Soccer Tournament in Florida but according to Mr Wellington.

“We would have been hindered by the end-of-season tournament in Florida but we have already made alternative arrangements where that is concerned,” he said.

The players will be directed by Head Coach Tashana Vincent and Assistant Coach Alicia James. Both women are former national representatives.

Meanwhile, the squad of players will be comprised of Kimoy Harris, Kryshana  Reid, Ashley Lowrie, Cassandra Smith, Jada-Lee Bryan, Devonae  Lewis, Dejaunae  Lewis, Breanna  Marr, Schennel Goodhall, Adrianna  Morris, Shanae   Ashley, Sajane   Anderson, Italya  Robinson, Bianca McDonald, Destiny   Powell, Jennifer  Williams, Shiona   Ashman, Shantea  James, Lacey   Phillips, Jhonelle   Rose, Jamara   Jones, Dejonea  Smith, Felisha  Ferguson, Rishaune  Gordon, Elizabeth  Miller, Shereece Jameison and Chrisann Tomlinson.

TNT Sports replaces BT Sport from Tuesday, with Laura Woods confirmed as host of its Champions League coverage alongside Reshmin Chowdhury. Jake Humphrey, who fronted BT’s Champions League coverage last season, announced he was stepping back from his role in May.

Lynsey Hipgrave will continue to host live Premier League coverage on TNT Sports, having done so since the start of last season, while Jules Breach replaces Des Kelly as the broadcaster’s pitchside reporter.

Ally McCoist joins the TNT punditry line-up for Premier League and Champions League matches, which will still feature the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole.

“We do want to be contemporary, we do want to be bold, we definitely want to push the boundaries of what sports broadcasting has been in this market over the previous years,” Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe, said.

“It’s a really good opportunity for us to reflect on what’s happened and it’s almost like, ‘Okay, we’ve got a moment in time to refresh and rethink’.”

The rebrand follows the completion of a deal in September last year to form a joint venture that combines the assets of BT Sport and Eurosport UK.

From Tuesday, TNT Sports is available to stream via the discovery+ platform.

UK subscribers with a premium plan will be able to access TNT Sports and Eurosport via the discovery+ platform, allowing them to watch both networks’ live sport in the same place as well as discovery+ entertainment content.

The cost of the premium plan is £29.99 a month, the same as was previously charged for the BT Sport Monthly Pass.

Eurosport’s live rights include the Olympic Games and the Tour de France.

Georgiou said TNT Sports would be keenly focused on the Premier League’s invitation to tender for its next set of domestic television rights later this year.

“We are a premium sports broadcaster and our 100 per cent stated ambition is to remain a premium sports broadcaster, and reviewing our rights portfolio to make sure that remains (the case) is in the bullseye of our agenda,” he said.

“We look at everything that comes up. Obviously the Premier League tender is up at the end of the year. That is a key part of our rights portfolio and something we’re focused on.”

The PA news agency understands the new domestic offering will feature at least 60 more live matches than the current deal but split into a smaller number of packages available for broadcasters to buy, from the current seven down to five.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, breaking that competition's single-season scoring record last term.

He has scored a mammoth total of 899 goals for both club and country, the most of any player in a senior career in the history of the sport.

But speaking on his own podcast with former team-mate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo set his sights firmly on the next major milestone, while also taking a cheeky swipe at the likes at Pele in the process by stating that all his goals would have been televised, unlike the legends of the past.

He said: "Soon I will [score my] 900th and after that it will be 1,000. If I don't have injuries, that is most important, I want that.

"My challenge is to reach 1,000 goals with one difference – all the goals that I score will have video. So I can prove that."

When asked how much longer he could keep competing for, 39-year-old Ronaldo does not see himself finishing up anytime soon.

He said: "I know I’m still looking good. I feel I can still dribble, shoot, score goals, jumping.

"The day that I feel I cannot produce anything, I pack my bags and I go away, but I feel far from that."

The Jamaica Football Federation ensured this wouldn’t be the case on Monday when they held a ceremony honoring four stalwarts of football in Jamaica at the federation’s headquarters.

The first set of honorees included Geoffrey Maxwell, Leander Marshall, Everton “Bob West” McLeary and Allan “Skill” Cole.

According to Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts, this initiative was long overdue and is one that he plans to do annually.

“We really want to use this opportunity to express my personal views and those of the JFF. We would have previously planned similar exercises which really did not work out as we would’ve liked and we took a decision that we would select four or five persons annually,” he said.

“Here we are today showing our love and appreciation for the commitment, love, loyalty and the level of entertainment that these players and administrators have given to the sport,” he added.

Ricketts explained that this initiative is a part of the JFF’s efforts to re-connect with past players.

“The JFF is intent on ensuring that we re-establish a relationship with our past players and persons who would have given support to football over the years,” he said.

“Those were the days when service to sport, and especially football, was straight volunteerism,” he added.

Geoffrey Maxwell represented Jamaica as a defender before transitioning into coaching.

He guided Excelsior High to one Manning Cup title and two Walker Cup titles in the 1980s and also coached Waterhouse to the National League trophy in 1998.

Schoolboy football apart, Maxwell coached at the club level with Santos, Waterhouse, Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, St George's SC, the JDF, and Maverley/Hughenden, among others.

Leander Marshall served as president of the Portmore Football League for over 30 years.

Everton “Bob West” McLeary was a respected administrator to the JFF 30 years ago and sponsored a football competition holding his name. This was part of the KSAFA ecosystem.

Prior to his post at the JFF, he served as a Journalist and a Policeman. He was seriously injured after being knocked down by a vehicle when he was on his motorcycle on Mountain View Avenue in 1994.

Unfortunately, as a result of this accident and the head injuries he sustained, he wasn’t the same. McLeary helped to improve the quality of administration and getting things in place even when resources were not there. McLeary is currently at a nursing home in Manchester.

Allan “Skill” Cole is widely regarded as Jamaica’s greatest ever footballer.

At the peak of his powers, Cole was a midfield maestro local fans compared to Pele. He remains the Jamaica's youngest senior football international, donning national colors against a Brazilian team when he was only 15 years old.

In addition to his local exploits, Cole represented the Atlanta Chiefs in the NASL and Nautico in Brazil.

“First I want to thank the federation for honoring us,” Cole said on behalf of the honorees.

“I cherish these things because I remember in the early days when we were playing football and we didn’t get any form of honor. You see schoolboys today getting citations, plaques and all these things when they score goals, we didn’t get those things. The game has evolved and that is very good” he added.

Cole, who has had his fair share of health issues, made the point that people must be honored more while they are living.

“Honor us before we die. Don’t wait until we die before you honor us. It’s sad and it happens all over the country. Let a man live in his glory,” he said.

Rumours have suggested the 26-year-old Frenchman, who joined the Magpies in a £16million move from Nice in August 2019, is a target for a Saudi Pro League club with some reports naming Al-Ahli as potential buyers.

The PA news agency understands Saint-Maximin, who earlier this summer posted a message on social media in which he said he was “entering a turning point in my career and I will give everything until the end to achieve my dreams”, will not be involved at Ibrox as his future is thrashed out.

Newcastle, who are 80 per cent owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, remain in negotiations with relegated Leicester over winger Harvey Barnes, but are being hampered by the constraints imposed by Financial Fair Play regulations after investing in excess of £300million in the last four transfer windows.

Head coach Eddie Howe has insisted he does not want to lose any of his senior players and name-checked Saint-Maximin in his post-match comments after Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Gateshead amid ongoing speculation.

However, the crowd favourite is one of the few players inherited by Howe who would command a sizeable fee and with frustration mounting at the lack of tangible progress since the £53million capture of AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali earlier this month, the 45-year-old is having to brace himself.

Despite the wealth of their owners and the new revenue stream they have opened up by qualifying for next season’s Champions League, the Magpies are having to be creative to avoid breaching financial rules with the their wage bill also a concern.

Howe has repeatedly insisted he wants to strengthen, not weaken his squad this summer, but has been equally keen to highlight the restrictions under which the club would have to work.

In total there were 1,451 allegations of serious offences against a match official last season, an increase of one per cent on the prior campaign where 1,430 offences were recorded.

Seventy-two allegations of an actual or attempted assault were made in 2022-23, according to data contained in the FA’s Annual Grassroots Disciplinary Review which is being published later on Tuesday.

Of those, 53 led to charges being brought and 42 were proven, with 11 not proven on the balance of probabilities due to insufficient evidence.

To assist in improving conviction rates even further, the FA has now extended a trial using body cameras in grassroots football to eight county associations to act as a deterrent against abuse towards match officials.

The FA said earlier this month that referees have faced no instances of abuse in around 500 matches since the trial began in February.

In addition to the 72 assaults or attempted assaults, there were 391 allegations of physical contact or attempted physical contact and 988 allegations relating to threatening a match official.

Participant behaviour towards referees is in the spotlight following an attack on a referee in Turkey last week. Halil Umut Meler was punched by the president of MKE Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, at the end of a match on December 11.

Koca was arrested over the incident and has since been issued with a permanent ban by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).

Manchester City were fined £120,000 by an independent regulatory commission on Monday after their players surrounded referee Simon Hooper during their Premier League match against Tottenham on December 3.

The review marks the first time the FA has collated data on disciplinary matters from the grassroots game.

Overall, there were 3,636 allegations of serious misconduct – a nine per cent increase on the previous season – with 82 per cent of charges being proven.

There was also a 10 per cent increase in the number of allegations of discrimination, with the average sanction for proven charges being a seven-match suspension.

Alongside the body camera trials, the FA has also introduced points deductions and ground closures for teams involved in serious or repeat instances of misconduct.

The FA has also launched its ‘Enough Is Enough’ campaign to raise awareness of discriminatory behaviour in the grassroots game and how to report it when it occurs.

The game’s national governing body has also launched a joint action plan alongside Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination charity, to proactively tackle incidents of discrimination and serious misconduct in grassroots football.

“Providing this level of transparency is really important to us so that everyone can have a better understanding of the levels of serious misconduct across the game,” the FA’s senior discipline manager Fraser Williamson said.

“It also makes clear that we take all allegations of this nature very seriously and that we will take action against offenders.

“We know that incidents of serious misconduct are on the rise across the grassroots game, however we’re clear that this will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will face consequences.

“We’ve recently implemented a number of interventions across our game to help improve the culture and behaviour of participants, both on the pitch and on the sidelines, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure our game is safe and welcoming for all.”

The 28-year-old France international left the action shortly after his team had taken the lead, apparently indicating to referee Fabio Maresca that he had heard racist abuse from the crowd at the Stadio Friuli.

Maignan was followed by the other Milan players – shortly after Ruben Loftus-Cheek had given them a 31st-minute lead – but they returned to the pitch and play resumed about 10 minutes later.

Udinese hit back through Lazar Samardzic before the interval and substitute Florian Thauvin gave them a second-half lead.

Luka Jovic headed a late equaliser for Milan and substitute Noah Okafor snatched them all three points in stoppage time.

Roma won their first match under new boss Daniele de Rossi just four days after sacking Jose Mourinho with a 2-1 home victory against Verona.

Romelu Lukaku and Lorenzo Pellegrini gave Roma a 2-0 half-time lead and Michael Folorunsho pulled one back for the visitors.

In LaLiga, Athletic Bilbao missed the chance to close the gap on top two Girona and Real Madrid as they lost 1-0 at Valencia, where Hugo Duro headed the only goal in the second half.

Real Sociedad retained their top-six place thanks to Brais Mendez’s solitary first-half strike in a 1-0 victory at Celta Vigo, Las Palmas made it back-to-back wins after beating Rayo Vallecano 2-0 on the road and Villarreal were held 1-1 at home by Mallorca.

Bayer Leverkusen extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points after Piero Hincapie’s stoppage-time goal clinched them a 3-2 win at Leipzig.

Nathan Tella cancelled out Xavi Simons’ early opener for Leipzig and although the home side led again through Lois Openda, Jonathan Tah headed Leverkusen level and Hincapie struck in the third minute of added time.

Second-placed Bayern Munich will bid to close the gap when they play Werder Bremen at home on Sunday.

Stuttgart missed the chance to make up ground on the top two as they lost 1-0 at Bochum, for whom Matus Bero fired a second-half winner.

Donyell Malen scored twice, while Niclas Fullkrug (penalty) and Youssoufa Moukoko were also on target as Borussia Dortmund consolidated fifth place with a 4-0 win at Cologne.

Heidenheim drew 1-1 at home against Wolfsburg, 10-man Freiburg, who had Manuel Gulde sent off late on, beat Hoffenheim 3-2 and Christoph Klarer’s goal in added time earned bottom club Darmstadt a 2-2 home draw against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Allegri conceded the Bianconeri were out of the title race after Saturday's 1-0 home loss to Atalanta, with Juventus sitting well off the pace.

Juve claimed their seventh league win of the season at Salernitana to move up to seventh spot with 24 points from 15 games.

“It hasn’t been an easy time, we lost to Atalanta and could’ve scored more goals this evening," Allegri told reporters after the Salernitana win.

"I said Juventus have given us so much and it is time we have a sense of responsibility and give back to this club. We need to focus, because we’ve failed too many times against the smaller clubs this season.

"I told the lads, we had a lot of young players on the field today, so in these moments, they can suffer under the pressure. Fortunately, they held out well."

"We’re trailing in the league at the moment because we dropped points too many times. These players have talent, but let’s not forget that only with experience, by making mistakes and learning from them, understanding when it’s time to attack or defend, that is how they develop.

"The best thing at these moments is to simplify. We tried the passing moves in training yesterday and today I focused more on the mentality. The words Chiellini said are what I said to the team. We are the ones who now must give back to Juventus, the players, coach, the fans, everyone."

Allegri, who returned to the Turin job in May after Andrea Pirlo was dismissed following a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, called for patience.

“Naturally, we’re going to have ups and downs. I am still getting to know the players, they are getting to know me, and we play every three days," Allegri said.

"We achieved the first target by progressing in the Champions League, now we should have a little more time to work in training.

“Things change, people come and go, but Juventus remain and will always remain. Life goes in cycles, it has to be accepted as a challenge. I accepted this challenge knowing it was difficult, because it’s impossible to win more than nine years in a row, surely?

"Now we must have the responsibility of being at Juventus and the ambition to aim as high as possible."

Juventus suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat at Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday, leaving Allegri's team on the brink of a group-stage exit from the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Juve have taken just 13 points from their first nine matches of the Serie A season, their worst return at this stage of a campaign since 2015-16 (12), and are already 10 points adrift of leaders Napoli.

Bianconeri chairman Andrea Agnelli was forced to reject reports Allegri would be fired following the loss in Israel, after which the Juventus coach revealed the team would hunker down at their Continassa training ground ahead of Saturday's Derby della Mole.

Subsequent reports suggested that decision irritated several players, but Allegri claimed that is not the case on Friday, saying: "These are unfounded rumours. The team has never asked not to retire. 

"We know the moment, we came back on Wednesday, we trained when we arrived and the next morning we were on the pitch. 

"We are focused on trying to get out of this situation which is certainly not beautiful. We know that we cannot come out with just one match, but we must start achieving results.

"I talk to the team every day. Withdrawal is just a moment to be together, it is not a punishment. 

"We had yesterday and today to do double workouts, to give a little more order because it is normal that when there are no results, we tend to see things blacker than they are."

Juventus are winless in their last six away games in Serie A (D2 L4), their longest such run since they failed to win on seven consecutive road trips in 2010, but Allegri says the Bianconeri retain a sense of togetherness.

"It is not my personal challenge, it belongs to everyone," he added. "It is not that one wins and the others lose, it is done all together. 

"The team has worked well for two days, this afternoon we will do the last refinement and then we will arrive tomorrow evening to play against Torino."

Vlahovic has been struggling with a groin injury as Juve prepare to resume the Serie A season against Cremonese next Wednesday following a break for the World Cup.

The Serbia international scored in his only World Cup start in Qatar, finding the back of the net in a 3-2 defeat to Switzerland.

Vlahovic is the Bianconeri's leading scorer this season with seven goals and head coach Allegri is not concerned over his injury issues.

He said after a 1-1 friendly draw with Standard Liege on Friday: "No. I'm never worried, think what philosophy of life I have. I see all things as an opportunity.

"If we had had [Paul] Pogba and all the great players we have, perhaps [Fabio] Miretti, [Nicolo] Fagioli would not have played.

"They are all good to say: 'Don't let young players play'. Young players, unless they are extraordinary players, play if certain situations arise."

Pogba is working his way back to full fitness after missing the World Cup due to a knee injury.

The 29-year-old is waiting on his first appearance of the season after rejoining the Turin giants following his Manchester United exit.

Allegri said of the France midfielder: "Pogba has been running for four to five days, he's been doing work and his knee is responding well.

"Then there's [Mattia] De Sciglio who's working, [Juan] Cuadrado ran and his knee doesn't bother him, [Leonardo] Bonucci's inflammation is slowly improving. We need to be confident and concentrate on what we have."

Allegri was also able to provide an encouraging update on Federico Chiesa's fitness, too.

"Today he had personalised and therefore differentiated work planned, yesterday he was part of the team and I saw him very well, even too much and I stopped him," he said of the Italy forward.

The first half was a celebration, as Dusan Vlahovic put the hosts up 1-0 just 10 minutes in before Alvaro Morata doubled the advantage after 36 minutes.

An Alex Sandro own goal set up a tense finish, though, before Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser to put a slight dampener on an emotional evening at the Allianz Stadium.

Despite seeing his side held at home, Allegri only wanted to focus the impact of Chiellini and Dybala to the Bianconeri.

"Tonight was a wonderful evening, full of emotions – the evening of Chiellini and Dybala," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"One stops and has given a lot to world football, out of passion and love of work. A few videos of Chiellini should be sent to Coverciano [Italy's main youth training centre] to show how he defends.

"On a personal and human level, he also left a lot to me when I arrived at Juventus. He introduced me to Juventus and helped me. 

"Dybala was an important player for seven years, I raised him because he was a child and the fans gave a well-deserved tribute. All with great class.

"He has grown a lot, he arrived as a kid, he won the job. He has done great things and I wish him the best. There was so much emotion that I think talking about something else has little value."

Touching on the future of the club, Allegri pointed to some exciting internal development, as well as his theory on what is required at different stages of the season.

"The ideas are clear, then the market can develop in various ways," he said.

"We have to start from the base this year – many will improve like Vlahovic and [Denis] Zakaria. 

"[Fabio] Miretti played with personality and vertically, which drives me crazy. Morata played a good game, the good foundations are there. 

"The matches up to October travel at certain rhythms, from October to March to others. As a child I used to say that when the daisies bloom, the rhythms drop and you need players of great technique. 

"The players must be chosen when they go fast, then to win they must be fast and with great technique."