When Harvey Barnes departed Leicester City in the summer of 2023, he did so as one of the few players to emerge from their relegation season with reputation intact. Thirteen Premier League goals in a struggling side is a quietly elite return, roughly one every 200 minutes in open play, and the majority scored from intelligent diagonal runs into space that Leicester rarely created in abundance.

There’s a story from Liverpool that has become part of modern coaching folklore. When Jürgen Klopp invited Thomas Grønnemark in as a specialist throw‑in coach, the idea was met with outright scepticism. But within months, Liverpool weren’t just throwing the ball farther; they were throwing it smarter.

Safe standing gives fans the freedom to watch football the way they always have, on their feet, but safely, together, and within the regulations.

Newcastle United have their third sporting director of the PIF era. Ross Wilson, 41, has joined from Nottingham Forest after the club triggered his release, stepping into the vacancy left when Paul Mitchell departed at the end of June. Newcastle say Wilson will be responsible for “sporting strategy, development and recruitment across men’s, women’s and Academy teams,” working closely with Eddie Howe and new CEO David Hopkinson.