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GK sent off for urinating in hedge in FA Cup tie
A goalkeeper was sent off in an FA Cup tie for "urinating in a hedge" during a first qualifying round match.
Blackfield & Langley FC's Connor Maseko was caught short in the 76th minute of his side's 0-0 draw against Shepton Mallet FC when the ball went out for a goal-kick.
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The referee decided to show Maseko a red card for the incident, with Blackfield & Langley co-manager Conor McCarthy saying "sometimes when you have to go, you have to go."
"The ball went out for a goal kick," McCarthy told the BBC. "He needed to go to the toilet so he went up against a hedge and their players started shouting saying 'what's he doing?' to the ref. The ref went up to him and decided to send him off.
"He protected himself. He was inside the hedge. Sometimes when you have to go, you have to go.
The replay of "urinate gate" is Tuesday 6th September as @bandlfc make the trip back to The Playing Fields in the @EmiratesFACup. After an unusual red card in the first tie (possibly a first) we are looking for a match sponsor. Plumbers or portaloo companies, take advantage!
— Shepton Mallet AFC (@Mallet_AFC) September 3, 2022
"I was gobsmacked. I didn't expect that [the red card].
"We're all pretty shocked by the decision."
The tie will be replayed, and Blackfield & Langley's official account tweeted to say they hoped they would get "plenty of toilet breaks on route" while Shepton Mallett also posted to say they were looking for a match sponsor, urging "plumbers or portaloo companies" to take advantage.
"See you Tuesday evening (hopefully get plenty of toilet breaks en route)," Blackfield & Langley said.
Premier League to review controversial VAR calls
The Premier League will review as a priority with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the refereeing body, two controversial VAR decisions which saw Newcastle United and West Ham United have crucial goals disallowed on Saturday.
Newcastle thought they had scored the 51st minute when Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell put the ball in his own net. But Lee Mason, one of two full-time VARs in the Premier League, advised referee Michael Salisbury to rule out the goal for a foul by Joe Willock on Vicente Guaita.
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- How VAR decisions affected every Premier League club
However, Willock appeared to be pushed into the Palace goalkeeper by Mitchell. The game finished goalless.
West Ham also had a goal chalked off when Jarrod Bowen was penalised for fouling Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy just before Maxwel Cornet scored what would have been a last-minute equaliser.
VAR Jarred Gillett told referee Andy Madley that the goal should be ruled out as Bowen caught Mendy with his trailing leg, but there appeared to be little influence on the goal itself. West Ham lost the game 2-1.
At the start of this season the Premier League created a newly formed independent panel -- featuring a representative from PGMOL and the Premier League and three former players -- to assess all major incidents with the findings presented to the clubs involved at the end of the week.
But this review into the weekend's incidents is separate and intends to look at how and why the VAR became involved to disallow the two goals.
The Premier League introduced its Elite Referee Development Plan earlier this year in an effort to improve standards, with former World Cup final referee Howard Webb to leave MLS to become the new chief refereeing officer at the end of the year.
Mike Riley will step down from his role as general manager of PGMOL as part of the restructuring, while several new positions have been created to try to improve the training and management of professional referees in the English game.
Liverpool, Everton condemn racist mural defacing
Liverpool and Everton have condemned the defacing of murals after offensive graffiti was painted on multiple buildings before Saturday's Merseyside derby.
Murals including those of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah were vandalised in the build-up to the match, with racist graffiti identified.
The two Liverpool clubs have said they will work with Merseyside police to identify those responsible, adding that "hate has no place in football."
"Both Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs jointly condemn the defacing of buildings and murals ahead of the Merseyside derby," a joint statement from the clubs read.
"Both clubs will work together with Merseyside Police and will support the investigation in finding those responsible. Hate has no place in football.
"Together, Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs and their supporters will continue in representing our city in the fight against all forms of discrimination."
On the pitch, Everton and Liverpool played out a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park as Conor Coady had a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Rajat Patidar 176, Joe Carter 197 the highlights of drawn game
New Zealand A 400 (Carter 197, Solia 32, Mukesh 5-86, Sarfaraz 2-32) and 133 for 4 (Ravindra 40, Chapman 23, Kuldeep 2-38) drew with India A 571 for 6 dec (Patidar 176, Easwaran 132, Varma 121, Ravindra 2-112)
New Zealand A got off to a steady start in their second innings with Bowes and Ravindra putting on 51 runs for the opening wicket. Kuldeep and Yash Dayal left the visitors wobbling before the game ended in a draw.
The second unofficial Test between the two sides will take place in Hubbali from September 8.
Sanjida Akter and Marufa Akter called up to Bangladesh squad for Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier
Sanjida is a left-arm orthodox spinner who has played four T20Is since making her debut in 2019. She was in the Commonwealth Games Qualifier squad, but wasn't in the World Cup side. Marufa is an uncapped medium-pacer who was the second-highest wicket-taker in the Women's National Cricket League T20s last month.
These two players have replaced medium-pacer Suraiya and left-arm seamer Trisna, who was surprisingly left out despite taking 12 wickets in the same T20 competition as Marufa.
The squad will travel to Abu Dhabi on September 8 for a pre-event conditioning camp which will go on for five days.
Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sharmin Akter, Shamima Sultana, Fargana Hoque, Rumana Ahmed, Ritu Moni, Lata Mondal, Salma Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Fahima Khatun, Sanjida Akter, Marufa Akter
Worcester Warriors: Players and staff paid delayed wages
Worcester Warriors players, coaches and staff have now been paid their delayed wages, BBC Hereford and Worcester reports.
It is understood that Warriors' players have all been paid in full, with other staff being paid 65% of their salaries.
Premiership Rugby said in a statement the club would be able to participate in the new season after the assurances over payments.
HMRC hit Warriors with a winding-up petition over unpaid tax, believed to be in excess of £6m, in August.
A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: "We will continue to work together to provide the Worcester Warriors owners with the best opportunity for developing their future sustainability plans."
Worcester start the new season with a trip to London Irish on Saturday, 10 September.
Mbappe scores brace off Messi assists in PSG win
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain geared up for their Champions League opener with a routine 3-0 win at 10-man Nantes to stay top of the Ligue 1 standings on Saturday.
France forward Mbappe found the back of the net either side of the interval to take his season's tally to seven before being replaced by Neymar as coach Christophe Galtier looked to spare the duo before PSG host Juventus on Tuesday.
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PSG have 16 points from six games and lead second-placed Marseille, who beat AJ Auxerre 2-0 away, on goal difference.
PSG opened the scoring when Mbappe beat Nantes keeper Alban Lafont from inside the box after being set up by Lionel Messi in the 18th minute.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men six minutes later when Fabio Da Silva was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Vitinha.
Mbappe doubled the lead nine minutes into the second half at the end of a quick counter attack. The 23-year-old found Messi in the box and the Argentine slid the ball towards Mbappe who tapped in at the near post.
Nuno Mendes then made it 3-0 in the 68th minute, firing home after Neymar's strike had bounced off the post for PSG's 24th goal in Ligue 1 this season.
Olympique Lyonnais, who have a game in hand, climbed up to third on 13 points after Karl Toko Ekambi's double and a goal by Alexandre Lacazette gave them a resounding 5-0 victory against Angers.
Lens are fourth, also on 13 points, and travel to Stade de Reims on Sunday.
Earlier, Marseille continued their near-perfect start with a solid victory at promoted Auxerre with Alexis Sanchez showing his worth with his third goal since joining from Inter Milan as a free agent during the close season.
Igor Tudor's side prevailed through an early Gerson goal and substitute Sanchez's late strike while Cengiz Under caught the eye with a sterling display in the first half, four days before their Champions League trip to Tottenham Hotspur in London.
Marsch hits out at 'lack of respect' from referees
Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch accused Premier League officials of a "lack of respect" after his team were denied a penalty and the video assistant referee (VAR) did not ask the on-field official to review the incident in Saturday's 5-2 defeat by Brentford.
Brentford went up 1-0 after being given a penalty following a long VAR check, but Marsch was left fuming as Leeds' Crysencio Summerville was brought down in the box when they were down 3-1 and the review system did not intervene.
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Marsch was shown a red card for arguing with the officials and he accused them of double standards.
"I've got to figure out how to have discussions with the league or with referees to help understand how some decisions get made," Marsch said in his postmatch interview.
"I was speaking with the fourth official, trying to be as respectful as I possibly could, even when a penalty was given that I probably didn't think was a penalty.
"And then you don't see it reciprocated, the respect. That's what I would call it. That lack of VAR visit, in the end to me, is a lack of respect."
On a day of controversial decisions, West Ham United boss David Moyes called the VAR's move to rule out an equaliser in their 2-1 loss at Chelsea "scandalous" and "ridiculously bad."
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe also disagreed with the officials after his side had a goal chalked off following a VAR decision in a 0-0 home stalemate with Crystal Palace.
Marizanne Kapp: Invincibles dropping Dane van Niekerk 'could have been done better'
"Honestly speaking, I'm not a big fan of that," Kapp said. "I think it's good to have that wildcard but what other teams did well is they kept that as a back-up player. I'm big on keeping a side settled and going with your same playing XI unless someone is really badly out of form or injured or all of that. So I'm not big on changing the squad and changing captains. It's not something I believe in.
"So it's definitely a different experience. It helps that you have that fourth overseas, for when players get injured because, especially with us last year, myself and Shabnim, we were injured for quite a few games and obviously then your team-mates, it's kind of unfair if they play the other teams and you have two international players not playing. So it's a 50/50 but I'm not a big fan. I'm a big fan of having that overseas as a back-up, but chopping and changing is not something I really like."
The situation for Invincibles head coach, Jonathan Batty, was complicated by the fact that van Niekerk, who was player of the tournament in 2021, had not played any competitive cricket since the WBBL last November, having suffered an ankle fracture at the start of the year. The injury caused her to miss the Women's ODI World Cup in New Zealand, as well as the Commonwealth Games, and Kapp said she didn't think van Niekerk was given a "fair shot" at winning her spot back with Invincibles.
"I know it's hard and it's a team sport," Kapp said. "Ultimately you want your team to do well and Batesy has been brilliant for us and she's been in such good form. So I understand completely why she had to play. But for me, it's just how it was done, more than anything else. We are all professional cricketers, and big enough to know if someone else is doing better or if someone is performing better, so we knew she [Bates] had to be in the playing 11. But I just feel like it could have been done better.
"To be honest, if that was me, and I was coming here as last year's MVP and captain and all of a sudden I'm just out without getting an opportunity, I would be pretty upset. I felt like she [van Niekerk] actually handled it well. I understand from the coach's point of view, but there is that human element to it as well.
"It's been very tough on Dane. She's been working so hard to get back into things and she probably didn't get a fair shot at playing, so you don't kind of know where she is form wise. But having trained with her in preparation for the Hundred, she's been hitting the ball the best I've probably seen throughout her career, so I'm excited to see her back in action especially for South Africa, to remind the world of how good she really is. I've always said, everyone's speaking about me but if Dane's back and firing like what she used to, she is probably one of the top three allrounders in the world."
For now, Kapp is arguably in a league of her own, having collected the match award in the final of a major short-form competition for the third time in a little over 12 months. She missed the Commonwealth Games for personal reasons but there is the prospect of a home T20 World Cup on the horizon, when both Kapp and van Niekerk will likely be integral to South Africa's chances of pushing for a maiden trophy success.
"I'm just going off to the Big Bash again this year, so I have that to focus on again, playing for the Scorchers. But after that, yes, definitely, I'm really excited for that World Cup. I've not played an international game at my home ground in Port Elizabeth, so it's something I'm really excited about and the form that I'm in, I really feel like I can contribute a lot more. I was really sad to miss out on the Commonwealth Games, especially the form that I've been in. I'm enjoying my cricket. Hopefully I can contribute a bit more towards South Africa when we play again."
Alan Gardner is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
Victoria Azarenka wants safeguarding improved for female players
Victoria Azarenka says tennis needs to improve safeguarding to stop "vulnerable young ladies getting taken advantage of".
WTA Player Council member Azarenka made her comments after French player Fiona Ferro accused her former coach Pierre Bouteyre of rape and sexual assault.
A lawyer for Bouteyre told AFP he "recognises the relationship occurred but denies any coercion".
"It's a very sensitive subject," said world number 26 Azarenka.
"You won't hear those stories unless players come out and tell those stories," the 33-year-old Belarusian added.
"It happens right and left on the tour, which is unfortunate.
"Our job is to be better at safeguarding. As a player council, it's almost like the number one subject to us. Because we see those vulnerable young ladies getting taken advantage of in different situations.
"It's really sad and really makes me emotional. If I had a daughter, I would have a question would she want to play tennis, that would be a very big concern in that way for me."
American Pam Shriver, a winner of 22 Grand Slam doubles titles, told BBC Sport in April that she wants to see safer tennis coaching for all levels after revealing she was in an "inappropriate and damaging" relationship with former coach Don Candy during her playing career.
Azarenka added: "Just the recent story with Fiona Ferro that came out. I don't know how to put it in words sometimes.
"All you can do is check in on the person and give your hand, 'What I can do? What I can help with?'
"I applaud her for being brave. I hope this situation, she's going to come out of it stronger and tennis is not ruined for her because of that. That's, I think, a very, very heavy topic. But it's the topic that has to come out more."
The French Tennis Federation has said it is supporting Ferro and its sports integrity unit was looking at the matter.
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