Bristol Rovers compelled to issue unfortunate apology

Apology of the week: That would be the one that Bristol Rovers were compelled to issue after the unfortunate wording in an email they sent to a representative of their supporters club regarding the introduction of a new electronic season ticket system for next season.

In it, they stated that disabled fans who would prefer to have a physical season ticket card rather than one only accessible on their mobile phones would be given one free of charge, but that other supporters would have to pay a £15 fee.

The apology? “Bristol Rovers Football Club would like to apologise for any offence caused by an error in wording in a recent communication regarding disabled supporters. No harmful intention of meaning was ever intended ... the club is proud of our work with the club’s Disabled Supporters Association ... we recently achieved bronze in the EFL Equality Code of Practice.”

You’ve a feeling that bronze might now be withdrawn. That “error in wording”? “We will provide all disabled fans ... with free cards upon request. As for normal fans and older fans, they can purchase the card for £15.” Oh my.

West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta charged with getting booked for betting purposes

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West Ham confirm Julen Lopetegui as new head coach

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Dublin Europa League final defies all prematch expectations

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Atalanta 3 Bayer Leverkusen 0: Europa League final as it happened

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Word of Mouth

“I never said I wasn’t happy at Chelsea. I never said that. I said maybe I’m happy, maybe I’m not happy.” Mauricio Pochettino clears things up.

“I knew Declan Rice would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal. He has transformed them from a good team into an awesome one. Hopefully he will move on to one of Real Madrid and Barcelona because he’s too good for Arsenal.” You’d never guess Teddy Sheringham once played for Spurs.

“Declan Rice is a very good player and he would absolutely have fit in here. But I am very happy with Mason and he is also a very robust player.” Erik ten Hag somehow keeping a straight face while comparing Rice and Mount’s seasons.

“In England, out of 12 months, 10 are winter – it’s raining.” Pep Guardiola, tired of being drenched.

Chilavert holds long grudge against Menotti

Those of a certain vintage will remember Jose Luis Chilavert from his days as Paraguay’s goalkeeper – a fine one he was too, but he was probably best known for his goals, him being rather handy from free-kicks and penalties especially. A spiky character, he had his fair share of run-ins during his career, his feud with Cesar Luis Menotti, coach of Argentina when they won the World Cup in1978, especially fierce.

Before a game between Vélez Sarsfield and Independiente in 1998, Chilavert playing for the former and Menotti coaching the latter, Menotti left the goalie feeling a touch peeved when he said: “Chilavert should be taken to schools and universities so that children can learn what man was like 40 million years ago – because first came Chilavert, then the monkeys, and then the human being.”

Did Chilavert – 26 years later – let bygones be bygones when it was announced a week ago that Menotti had died at the age of eighty-five? According to Marca, no, not really. Responding to the news on Twitter, Chilavert wrote: “We monkeys are still alive and we don’t have drug addict children. In the 90s we f***ed them all with Velez.” A long-held grudge, that.

More Word of Mouth

“I think James McClean is the hardest-working player I have ever come across in my life. I used to get in early [to the gym], probably an hour before the rest of the lads got in, and he’d be there sweating his tree off. I’m like ‘you’re an absolute animal!’ He was like that every day.” Former Wrexham goalie Ben Foster on the machine that is our James.

“They just went out and bought whoever was available and done well on YouTube.” Paul Merson on Chelsea’s player-purchasing strategy.

“My dreams are not this beautiful.” After his two goals against Bayern Munich sent Real Madrid in to the Champions League final, Joselu Mato on whether he’d ever dreamt of such a day.

Quote

“For me that’s a booking and no more. Okay, by the letter of the law, it’s probably a red card.” Kenny Miller, on Sky Sports duty, confirming/denying that Rangers’ John Lundstram deserved to be sent off for nearly removing Alistair Johnston’s right leg.

By the Numbers: 5

By @irish_abroad’s calculation, Sheffield United’s Sam Curtis became the fifth Irish teenager (after Evan Ferguson, Alex Murphy, Nathan Fraser, and Mark O’Mahony) to play in the Premier League this season, the most for 12 years.

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