Edgbaston Foundation launches cricket initiative ahead of Mayor’s Giving Day

As part of the Mayor’s Giving Day in the West Midlands, Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, has partnered with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on a new cricketing initiative which is designed to get more children active.

Launched with Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Captain Will Rhodes at Edgbaston Stadium, the Edgbaston Foundation and WMCA are giving away 1,000 children cricket bats across the region over the next year to encourage more youngsters to stay fit and get involved in the game.

To kick start Mayor’s Giving Day this year Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Men’s Team Captain Will Rhodes have already virtually handed over the bats to some of the region’s worthy recipients. The project follows on from previous bat giveaways and last year’s inaugural Mayor’s Cricket Cup at Edgbaston, where West Midlands Mayor Andy Street invited adults and children of all ages and backgrounds to take part in the first of its kind intergenerational tournament on the stadium’s hallowed turf.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Through the Edgbaston Foundation and Warwickshire CCC we’re committed to using cricket to make a difference within our local community by making the game more accessible than ever before.

“The last few months have been a tough for everyone but getting out into the great outdoors has provided some welcome relief. We hope that by providing more equipment and opportunities like All Stars and the upcoming Dynamos programme, we can get many more youngsters involved in cricket.”

With a further 1,000 cricket sets pledged by the Edgbaston Foundation in collaboration with the WMCA over the next 12 months, it will have taken the charity’s total giveaways to 4000 over four years.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Even though we are in different times this year the principle is exactly the same.  The ability to give children and community groups the ability to play sport by donating these bats and balls is part of the combined initiative of ‘giving’. 

“Edgbaston Foundation are supporting the Mayor’s Giving Day for the second year running and as always, I am extremely grateful for all their work within the community and by providing this kit will enable so many young people to be part of this great sport.  Who knows we may see a new star from within our Region.”

Edgbaston hosts Club’s first Vaisakhi Cricket Cup

Edgbaston came alive with a carnival of colour, music and cricket as the Club celebrated the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi with a fun cricket competition.

Around 80 people took part in the Vaisakhi Cricket Cup at Edgbaston’s indoor centre – including many women and children who are new to the sport – as mixed teams played off in a softball tournament. The action was accompanied by bhangra beats from Birmingham Sikh drumming group Eternal Taal, while a lunch was provided for all entrants.

Edgbaston hosts Table Cricket tournament for region’s schools

Children from special schools across the region came to Edgbaston as Warwickshire hosted the county table cricket finals. Almost 50 pupils from five schools competed in a series of round robin matches at the Club’s indoor centre in the event which is specially designed to make cricket accessible to children with disabilities.

Edgbaston Stadium unveils new plaza, one of the largest outdoor community spaces in Birmingham

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has unveiled its new Plaza and stadium entrance, which features one of the largest outdoor community spaces in Birmingham. With 14,800 sq m, the Edgbaston Plaza offers more space than both Centenary Square and Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre and the new community space is the first stage to complete within the new Edgbaston Stadium Masterplan.

Edgbaston to host India Test and T20I following change to 2022 schedule

One of Test cricket’s biggest fixtures is coming to Birmingham in 2022 with the England men’s team meeting India at Edgbaston Stadium from Friday 1 to Tuesday 5 July in a Test series decider. Following discussions with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Edgbaston has agreed to step in and host the rearranged fifth LV= Insurance men’s Test match, which was originally scheduled to be played in September 2021, due to the unavailability of the original venue.

Edgbaston to host Ireland International T20 versus Bangladesh

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has reached an agreement with Cricket Ireland to host a men’s Twenty20 International (T20I) match between Ireland and Bangladesh on Friday 29 May 2020.

Edgbaston, which is already hosting a One-Day International (ODI) between world champions England and Ireland on Saturday 12 September as part of a seven-day England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) major match programme in 2020, is one of four English venues to be named by Cricket Ireland as a host for the four-match IT20 series.

Neil Snowball, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium and Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our programme of major match cricket and to bring another international cricket fixture to Birmingham and to the wider West Midlands region.

“Ireland fans bring great colour and noise wherever they play in the world, so we’re very excited to host them for the first time, whilst Bangladesh fans won so many plaudits and created a great atmosphere in their visits to Edgbaston during the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy.

“Our masterplan for the redevelopment of Edgbaston has been created to ensure that Edgbaston remains one of the leading cricket venues in the world and to enable us to host a broader portfolio of events and fixtures.

“We’re looking forward to working with the Cricket Ireland team and we hope that this can be the start of a partnership, which could lead to further opportunities in the future.”

Ireland’s schedule for the T20I series with Bangladesh begins at the Kia Oval in London on Friday 22 May, with following fixtures at the Essex County Ground in Chelmsford on Sunday 24 and the Bristol County Ground on Wednesday 27 before the fourth and final fixture is played at Edgbaston on Friday 29 May.

Cricket Ireland Chief Executive, Warren Deutrom, said: “Edgbaston is quite simply one of the most iconic and heralded grounds in England, and this will be the first time in 15 years Ireland has played at the ground. We have in fact, back in our Associate days, played Warwickshire three times at the ground, but apart from these encounters, Ireland’s greatest association with Edgbaston is through our players who have played for the County.

“Icons of our game like William Porterfield and Boyd Rankin, as well as one of our brightest emerging talents, Mark Adair, have played in recent times here. We hope to see the local fans, regardless of allegiance, come out and enjoy what will undoubtedly be a competitive spectacle.”

Edgbaston to host Pakistan ODI with 80 per cent capacity

Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has again been confirmed as part of the Government’s Events Research Programme (ERP) and will operate at 80 per cent capacity for the Royal London International (ODI) between England and Pakistan.

Taking place on Tuesday 13 July, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 19,000 fans, including under 16s, in the stadium bowl and hospitality lounges without social distancing as part of the research study.

All attendees will be required to show a negative COVID lateral flow test result, this is necessary for anyone aged 11 years and older, or proof of two vaccinations (first and second dose) at least 14 days before the fixture to secure entry.

Any ticket purchasers who no longer wish to attend can request a refund for all tickets in their booking via our online form and all requests must be made before our deadline at 4pm on Thursday 1 July.

Today’s announcement follows on from Edgbaston’s successful hosting of the LV= Insurance Test Match between England and New Zealand, which accommodated around 60,000 spectators (70 per cent capacity) across four days with the same spectator entry requirements.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive at Edgbaston, said: “It’s fantastic for sport in the West Midlands that so many cricket fans will be able to enjoy another blockbuster fixture in England versus Pakistan at Edgbaston.

“The recent Test match gave us a fantastic opportunity to build a new model for large scale sporting events and I’m pleased to see elements of this first trial being carried forward for the Pakistan match.  Technology played a big part in this and we will again focus on using this as a way of creating a safe environment whilst enhancing Edgbaston’s reputation as one of the best atmospheres in world cricket.”

Edgbaston’s hosting of the recent LV= Insurance Test Match saw the Birmingham venue introduce its new smart phone app with mobile ticketing, queue time checker, food and drink click and collect and a delivery to seat option for disabled spectators.

During the Test Match, 95 per cent attendees entered Edgbaston through a digital ticket, which could be accessed via the app. This app received 314,344 views across the four days of play for tickets, retail purchases, spectator information and food and beverage orders.

Edgbaston to stage first ‘Go Green Game’ sustainable international match day

Edgbaston Stadium is set to stage its first sustainable international match day after announcing the sold-out Men’s Vitality IT20 against New Zealand on Sunday 3 September as its Go Green Game.

The stadium has underlined its green credentials in the last 12 months after reducing waste by a third, running kitchens on 80 per cent locally sourced produce, rolling out a low-energy LED light project, and continued use of e-cups that’s prevented 562,000 plastic alternatives being wasted.

Edgbaston unveils Major Match cricket programme for 2022

More of the biggest games in world cricket are coming to Birmingham in 2022 with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announcing seven Major Match days for Edgbaston Stadium next summer. Edgbaston will host Joe Root’s England men side for an LV= Insurance Test Match against South Africa from Thursday 25 to Monday 29 August and a mouth-watering Royal London International (ODI) versus India on Saturday 9 July.

The venue will also host the biggest day in the county cricket calendar, with Vitality Blast Finals Day returning to Edgbaston for the 14th time on Saturday 16 July.

Edgbaston’s LV= Insurance Test match named as Government pilot

Edgbaston Stadium’s hosting of the second match of the LV= Insurance Test series between England and New Zealand will be the first pilot event within the second phase of the Government’s world-leading Events Research Programme.

Taking place in Birmingham from Thursday 10 to Monday 14 June, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 18,000 spectators each day, 70 per cent of total stadium capacity. Each individual ticket holder must present a negative COVID-19 result from an NHS Rapid Lateral Flow Test, completed within 24 hours in advance of the day they are attending, and give consent to take part in the programme.

The pilot event will be used to analyse testing protocols for all spectators in attendance, the use of social distancing and face coverings when moving around the stadium, and gathering further evidence on the risk of transmission at mass participation events. As part of these Government protocols all ticket holders will need to be aged 16 and over.

The process was today agreed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and supported by Public Health England, the England & Wales Cricket Board, Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston’s own Safety Advisory Group.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium, said: “Whilst public health is the priority, the first stage pilots have shown how people can safely start to enjoy the things they love; live sport and music. It will be great to welcome cricket fans to Edgbaston and give the England team a huge boost as nothing beats the atmosphere that crowds create here.

“Edgbaston is unique as a cricket venue in having such a large stadium footprint, but we also have a vastly experienced operational delivery team, which has hosted many major events and a spectator pilot last summer. We have always been hopeful of featuring in the pilot programme and are delighted for the thousands of ticket holders who will now be able to attend.

“The city’s authorities have worked with us to make this happen so I would like to thank Councillor Ian Ward and his team for their support and also Andy Street, Mayor, for his help along the way.”

Ticket holders will be contacted by Edgbaston with next steps regarding their tickets and the opportunity to claim a refund should they no longer wish to attend. Those with under 16s as part of their booking will be provided with options regarding their tickets.

Any remaining tickets for these first three days and the additional tickets for days four and five will be released on general sale in a limited time window between 10am on Wednesday June 2 and 5pm on Friday June 4.

Chief Executive of the ECB, Tom Harrison, said: “Having crowds back into cricket grounds is so important for the game and for our fans too. The last 15 months have shown just how big a role cricket plays in many people’s lives, and we cannot wait to welcome a growing number of fans back to our stadia over the coming months.”

Edouard Mendy criticises media for using his image in Benjamin Mendy stories

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has criticised media outlets for mistakenly using his image in stories about Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy.

France full-back Benjamin has been charged with six counts of rape and one of sexual assault, and remains in custody, with photos of Edouard and his cousin, Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, were used in the articles.

Education Through Sport Football Tournament

Bechem United FC  and Diaspora Africa Forum in collaboration with Miracle Africa International Foundation is organizing the First Annual Football Tournament in Accra Ghana, hosting prominent football teams and scouts from various countries such as Mali, Togo, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and France.

In an effort to make an impact in society and to showcase what young Africans have to offer Diaspora African Forum launched the initiative Education through Sport.

Edwards and Aspinall to defend titles at UFC 304

Britain's Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall will defend their titles at UFC 304 in Manchester on 27 July.

EFL Cup final set to have standing areas

Some supporters will be permitted to stand during the EFL Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United. The match, on 26 February, will be the first major domestic English men's final in almost 35 years in which standing will be allowed.

Both clubs will be allocated 867 seats within new standing areas located behind each goal at Wembley Stadium. Premier League and EFL clubs have been allowed to introduce standing areas since the start of the 2022-23 season.

EFL side Coventry City close to a return to Ricoh Arena

It has been reported that EFL Championship side Coventry City are close to finalising a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena next season. It is understood a deal with rugby union side Wasps - the owners of the ground - is all but agreed and could be confirmed as early as Friday. The Sky Blues have shared Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium since August 2019.

The English Football League will discuss the issue at a board meeting tomorrow, when some of the details are expected to be signed off. The deal, which contains break clauses, will be for up to 10 years, although Championship side Coventry will be guaranteed a minimum of seven years back at the Ricoh Arena.

Club owners Sisu still aim to build a new stadium on the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick. An agreement to end Coventry's groundshare deal with Birmingham is yet to be reached, with a significant cost understood to come with ending the deal. Coventry left Highfield Road in 2005 to move to the Ricoh Arena but, after a long-running rent row escalated, they spent the 2013-14 season at Northampton Town's Sixfields.

The Sky Blues returned to the Ricoh in September 2014, followed by Wasps moving in three months later. The ground, part-owned by the city council, was then sold to the Premiership rugby union club. City then spent the next four full seasons there but Sisu could not reach an agreement with Wasps to play the 2019-20 campaign there and found alternative arrangements at St Andrew's.

For the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the club have been tenants at Birmingham City 's St Andrew's stadium, 22 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Previously, they were groundsharing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium for three seasons.

Coventry City had been looking at options for a new stadium after being involved in a rent dispute with Ricoh owners Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).

EFL’s first Tamil Footballer, Yoganathan looking to inspire British Asians

Vimal Yoganathan made history by becoming the first Tamil professional footballer in England and he hopes to inspire people from his background.

The 18-year-old made his Barnsley FC debut in 2023, with there hardly ever been any British Asians in professional football. But Yoganathan hopes to help change that.

He said: “It’s really exciting for me to be the first Tamil and it’s good to be able to do that at Barnsley.

“It shows the diversity of the club all the way through. I hope there is more I can do for the community.

“I want to be an example for South Asians and I am hoping I have done that. There isn’t a difference because of your ethnicity – if you are white, Black or South Asian brown, you can be a footballer.”

Yoganathan is also proud to be Welsh, having been brought up first in Trelawnyd, Flintshire then near Wrexham. Earlier in 2024, he made his debut for Wales under-19s.

He continued: “Playing for your country is something any footballer wants to do. I feel like I did well on my first cap. Hopefully, I can stay in the squad for the next games.”

Vimal Yoganathan made his debut for Barnsley in a League Cup match against Tranmere Rovers. He then played three times in the EFL Trophy and once in the FA Cup.

He was on the bench for the league game at Shrewsbury Town in February but is yet to make his league debut. Yoganathan said: “It’s been a good season from a personal point of view.

“There have been a few milestones. I played in my first ever professional game then continued it on throughout the season with a couple more appearances.

“I played in all the cup competitions which was good. I signed my first professional contract.

“Towards the end of the season, a lot of players were coming back, and I struggled to get into the team. But I continued my form in the 18s and 21s.”

More youth team players are expected to train under new Barnsley head coach Darrell Clarke from pre-season. “Towards the start of next season, I want to show I am good enough to be in and around it,” Yoganathan said.

“If the opportunity comes to start a couple of games, I will be ready.” One of his highlights was his performance in the FA Cup replay win at non-league Horsham.

While Barnsley were removed from the cup for fielding an ineligible player that day, Yoganathan attracted attention with some impressive skills. He was in the Liverpool academy from the age of nine to 15 then had a short stint at Burnley before a successful trial with Barnsley in 2022.

He confessed: “Being released by Liverpool was quite a tough thing to go through after seven years.

“Looking back, it’s just part of football. It built resilience and improved my character. It’s almost a blessing in disguise.

“Would I have got the opportunities I am getting at Barnsley at Liverpool? Probably not.

“Liverpool and Barnsley have some similarities and some differences. The style of play, with the high press, is quite similar and that is the same all down the age groups.

“The core values of working hard and staying resilient and being brave, are the same. Barnsley is a lot more humble and more of a family.

“It was quite nice to be welcomed into that. From the scholars to the first team, we’re all under one roof.

“There is obviously a pathway at the club, which has been established for a while. Fabio (Jalo) and Chaps (Theo Chapman) have played for the first team in league games.

“A couple of others my age made debuts – Emmaisa (Nzondo) and Jono (Bland). It’s good that there is a pathway and we are encouraged.”

In addition to football, Yoganathan attends regular meetings with the Professional Footballers’ Association’s ‘Asian Inclusion and Mentoring Scheme’. Riz Rehman, who helps run the programme, said: “There are a lot of young South Asian players, like Vimal, who have come through academies and are on the fringe of the first team at clubs across the country.

“If they start to make breakthroughs we will start seeing a lot more coming through underneath them. We know how tough the journey can be for any player.

“Vimal has access to senior pros who have been through everything he is going to go through. He can reach out to them.

“We set up a meeting with Neil Taylor (former Wales international who is also South Asian). Then we have young players aged 12 to 16 and Vimal can use his experiences to help them. It’s a network which connects players.

“We do online meetings, Zoom calls, face to face meetings at St George’s Park and in London. We’re also inspiring them to do other things.

“Football is a great career if they play to 35 but we offer other education pathways as well.”

EFL’s Forest Green Rovers announce first ever female boss in men's football

Forest Green Rovers have named Hannah Dingley as their new caretaker boss, making her the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football. The League Two side just sacked Duncan Ferguson after just six months in charge.

The EFL team announced Dingley, the club's academy head, would be put in caretaker charge of the first team. Her first match in charge was said to be a friendly at Melksham Town. The 39-year-old said: "I'm really excited for this next step of my career.

Egyptian side Al Ahly beat Kaizer Chiefs to win record tenth African crown

Egyptian heavyweights Al Ahly beat Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 in Morocco to become the first side in history to be crowned African champions ten times.

Eight England Lionesses included in women's Fifa Fifpro World 11 shortlist

Eight of England's Lionesses have made the 23-player shortlist for the 2023 women's Fifa Fifpro World 11.

Eight England players quit IPL and return to UK to begin quarantine

Eight of the 11 England players who were at the Indian Premier League (IPL) have returned to the UK after the tournament was suspended.

The group, which includes Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and brothers Sam and Tom Curran, will quarantine for 10 days in government-approved hotels. Limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan is still in India, along with pace bowler Chris Jordan and batsman Dawid Malan. They are expected to leave the country any time now.

Nobody connected to England is thought to have tested positive for Covid-19. British and Irish nationals can travel home from India, which is on a travel red list, but they must isolate in approved accommodation.

Australians at the tournament will have to stay in Sri Lanka or the Maldives before going home due to a government travel ban. The IPL recently said that it had "unanimously decided" to postpone the season after an emergency meeting.

India has just recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since the pandemic began, with the country recording more than 20 million cases, and so far reported more than 222,000 deaths from the virus. The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore was postponed after two KKR players tested positive.

A Sunrisers Hyderabad player also tested positive before Tuesday's match against Mumbai Indians. The match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals had earlier been called off after Chennai bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji tested positive.

The IPL, taking place across six venues in India, is the richest franchise tournament in world cricket, with eight franchises representing different Indian cities in matches of 20 overs per side. The Twenty20 tournament features global cricketing superstars purchased by the franchises at auction, including India icon Virat Kohli.

Fourteen England players were signed up for the 2021 season, although injury had ruled out Jofra Archer. Teams were staying within secure areas of hotels and resorts in the various cities and did not have contact with people outside the bubble.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has no plans to arrange a charter flight for the England contingent in India as it is the responsibility of the franchises to get the players and staff home. When the players leave India, they will have to be tested before departure and upon arrival in the UK before quarantining.

Though none of those connected to England is believed to have tested positive for Covid-19, it is unknown whether any have been in close contact with those who have. An ECB spokesperson said: "We are in close contact with our players and staff in India as arrangements are put in place for them to return home safely."

Cricket Australia said it was working with the BCCI to ensure the "safe accommodation and repatriation" of its players. Last week, Australia banned all flights from India until 15 May and CA said it that it will not seek exemptions.

Cricket South Africa said it would ensure all South African players were helped to get home.