Day: November 24, 2022

Just because the FIFA World Cup is on, it doesn’t mean you can’t get your live football fix this weekend as there will be 40 clubs looking to book their place in the Emirates FA Cup third round proper.

There are 20 second round proper ties taking place across Saturday and Sunday, with four of those being televised.

The lowest-ranked side left in the competition is Alvechurch but despite being 19th in the Southern Premier Central, they beat League One side Cheltenham Town 2-1 to reach the second round.

The seventh-tier side will now face a trip to another League One club Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, with the 3pm kick-off being shown live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and on their website.

Forest Green Rovers also hit the headlines in the last round when former Premier League footballer Connor Wickham scored from just inside the South Sheilds’ half during their 2-0 win.

There are eleven non-League clubs in the second round and one of them, National League North side King’s Lynn Town, will kick off the weekend’s FA Cup action at 12.45pm on Saturday against League Two Stevenage, once again in front of the BBC One cameras.

The two other games broadcast on English language UK channels will be shown on Sunday and are Ebbsfleet United versus Fleetwood Town at 12.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub, with the same channel showing Newport County against Derby County at 3.15pm later that day.

Wrexham AFC, who are co-owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will be hosting Farnborough FC at 3.15pm on Saturday and that game can be seen on Welsh language station S4C.

Farnborough FC are one of a number of clubs making history by reaching the second round proper for the first time. Another one of those is National League South side Chippenham Town, after their impressive 1-0 win over League One Lincoln City.

Chippenham will be hoping to cause yet another upset against League One opposition on Sunday when they travel to Burton Albion.

Another tie of note will see 1939 and 2008 champions Portsmouth hosting Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday afternoon, with three-time winners Sheffield Wednesday welcoming Mansfield Town at the same time.

There are several FA Cup-winning sides in the second round and the weekend will be rounded off by 1978 champions Ipswich Town’s game at home to Buxton at 5pm on Sunday.

The victorious sides at this stage of the competition will receive £67,000 and be entered into the Emirates FA Cup third round proper draw on Monday night.

The draw will be made at Anfield between 7pm and 7.30pm on Monday, live on our official Emirates FA Cup Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts as well as on BBC Two.

The third round proper will then take place across the weekend of Saturday 7 January.

Meanwhile, the top goalscorer list for the Emirates FA Cup season so far can be seen below. From that list, only Alvechurch’s Danny Waldron remains in the competition going into the weekend.

Louie Theophanous – Beckenham Town 8

Jon Clements – Biggleswade Town 8

Warren Mfula – Sheppey United 7

Daniel Waldron – Alvechurch 6

Thomas Peers – Curzon Ashton 6

Joseph Taylor – Lewes 6

Connor Williams – Wincanton Town 6

Jordan Murphy – Worcester Raiders 6

Ashley Chambers – Coalville Town 6

Charlie Morris – Romford 6

Source: The Football Association

An independent Appeal Board has dismissed an appeal by The FA against an independent Regulatory Commission’s decision in relation to a case involving Imran Louza and therefore he will face no further action.

It was alleged that the Watford FC midfielder had breached FA Rule E1.1 by spitting at an opposing player towards the end of their game against Swansea City AFC in the EFL Championship on Wednesday 5 October 2022.

The independent Regulatory Commission found the charge against Imran Louza not proven and The FA subsequently appealed against that decision.

Both the independent Appeal Board and independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for their respective decisions can be found below.

Source: The Football Association

The Emirates FA Cup third round proper draw will take place on Monday 28 November, with clubs from the Premier League and EFL Championship joining the 2022-23 competition at this stage.

There are second round proper ties taking place on both Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November, with clubs vying for a spot in the draw and a chance to take on one of English football’s elite level teams.

And all eyes will be on the draw when it’s made at Anfield between 7 and 7.30pm GMT on Monday evening, live on our official Emirates FA Cup Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts as well as on BBC Two.

The third round proper will take place across the weekend of Saturday 7 January, with winning clubs collecting £105,000 from the competition prize fund.

Ahead of Monday’s draw, you can see all of the clubs involved and their ball number below.

1. AFC Bournemouth

2. Arsenal

3. Aston Villa

4. Birmingham City

5. Blackburn Rovers

6. Blackpool

7. Brentford

8. Brighton & Hove Albion

9. Bristol City

10. Burnley

11. Cardiff City

12. Chelsea

13. Coventry City

14. Crystal Palace

15. Everton

16. Fulham

17. Huddersfield Town

18. Hull City

19. Leeds United

20. Leicester City

21. Liverpool

22. Luton Town

23. Manchester City

24. Manchester United

25. Middlesbrough

26. Millwall

27. Newcastle United

28. Norwich City

29. Nottingham Forest

30. Preston North End

31. Queens Park Rangers

32. Reading

33. Rotherham United

34. Sheffield United

35. Southampton

36. Stoke City

37. Sunderland

38. Swansea City

39. Tottenham Hotspur

40. Watford

41. West Bromwich Albion

42. West Ham United

43. Wigan Athletic

44. Wolverhampton Wanderers

45. Cambridge United or Grimsby Town

46. Wrexham or Farnborough

47. Accrington Stanley or Barnet

48. Ebbsfleet United or Fleetwood Town

49. Ipswich Town or Buxton

50. Barnsley or Crewe Alexandra

51. Forest Green Rovers or Alvechurch

52. Portsmouth or Milton Keynes Dons

53. Shrewsbury Town or Peterborough United

54. Hartlepool United or Harrogate Town

55. King’s Lynn Town or Stevenage

56. Charlton Athletic or Stockport County

57. Bristol Rovers or Boreham Wood

58. Dagenham & Redbridge or Gillingham

59. Oxford United or Exeter City

60. Sheffield Wednesday or Mansfield Town

61. AFC Wimbledon or Chesterfield

62. Burton Albion or Chippenham Town

63. Walsall or Carlisle United

64. Newport County or Derby County

Source: The Football Association

Defending champion Thomas Pieters will be joined at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Island by former winners Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry for the 18th edition of the opening Rolex Series event of the 2023 DP World Tour season, from January 19-22.

Yas Links Abu Dhabi on Yas Island – the home of sport and entertainment in the Middle East – will host the prestigious tournament for the second consecutive year, which has long been a fixture on the global golf schedule, having first been staged in 2006.

Abu Dhabi Sports Council has confirmed free general admission tickets for all tournament days, giving fans in the UAE the opportunity to witness the world class field in person for free, including defending champion Pieters and his fellow Ryder Cup stars Lowry and Fleetwood. Tickets are available via abudhabichampionship.com

Pieters became the first Belgian to win a Rolex Series event after outlasting a star-studded field in challenging breezy conditions at Yas Links, signing for a level par 72 and a ten under total, to earn him the coveted Falcon Trophy and a sixth victory on the DP World Tour.

His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are proud to host the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links following a successful debut earlier this year. We’re delighted this tournament is so well established on the DP World Tour and global golf calendar, and we’re excited to welcome back reigning champion Thomas Pieters, and former winners Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry.”

Abdulfattah Sharaf, HSBC UAE CEO and Head of International Markets, said: “We are delighted to support the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as it returns to Yas Island for the second consecutive year. Last year was a milestone for the tournament entering a new era, and as part of our commitment to supporting new visions and opportunities across the UAE, we look forward to taking this fantastic sport to more people.”

Taghrid Al Saeed, Executive Director, Group Communications and Destination Marketing, Miral, said: “As the biggest event on the Abu Dhabi golfing calendar, we are excited to bring back the tournament to Yas Island once again. We strive to continuously host world-class sporting events on Yas Island in our efforts to position the Island as a top global destination for sport, leisure and entertainment. We look forward to welcoming guests from across the world, not just golf fans, to enjoy an action-packed schedule of events and outstanding hospitality.”

Tom Phillips, Head of Middle East for the DP World Tour, added: “This prestigious Rolex Series event is always an excellent way to kick of the year and we are delighted to be returning to Yas Links for the 18th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Following the success of last year’s move to Yas Island, we have no doubt this year will be another unforgettable tournament with some of the world’s greatest golfers gathering in Abu Dhabi for a four day festival of golf and entertainment.”

Defending champion Thomas Pieters said: “I’m looking forward to coming back to Yas Island for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Winning a Rolex Series event gave me a lot of confidence going into the 2022 season, knowing you can match it with the best in the world is huge, and it’s always a great feeling to come back as defending champion to any tournament.”

Fleetwood, a two-time winner in 2017 and 2018, said: “I’ve always enjoyed starting the year in Abu Dhabi at this prestigious tournament. I’ve based myself in the UAE, it’s a brilliant part of the world, and a place I’ve been successful on the golf course, so it will be nice to play in front of family and friends to begin my DP World Tour season. Yas Links was a new challenge and look forward to coming back for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship once again.”

“The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is always a great tournament and the perfect start to the 2023 season,” added Lowry, a winner in 2019. “Coming back as a past champion is always nice and Yas Island is a world class destination for sport, plus you add in the amazing fans, and it makes for a winning atmosphere.”

Earlier this month, the DP World Tour confirmed all Rolex Series events will have a total prize fund of $9million – an increase of $1million from the 2022 prize. The 2023 tournament will be the second of four events forming the Middle East swing, as Abu Dhabi prepares to host two weeks of world class golf across multiple venues..

The successful move to Yas Island in 2022 heralded a new chapter for the tournament which highlights Abu Dhabi as an international sports hub with the season ending F1 Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship also taking residency at the world-class venue.

Yas Island is Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure, retail and entertainment hub, leading the way in supporting the emirate’s Economic Vision 2030. The new venue offers a unique blend of stunning views, first-class hospitality and a diverse range of award-winning leisure and entertainment attractions, enhancing the experience for fans, whether they attend in person or watch from around the world.

Yas Links Abu Dhabi, designed by Kyle Phillips, opened in 2010 and ranked 34th in Golf Digest’s 2022 global list of Top 100 courses. It also hosted the golf element of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games.

Free general admission tickets for the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship are on sale at abudhabichampionship.com, with a range of premium experience tickets available starting from 1,200 AED.

Source: Abu Dhabi Sports Council