League Two side Grimsby Town have signed Stevenage striker Danny Rose on a two-year deal.

The 29-year-old helped Stevenage to promotion to League One last season.

Stevenage said the move was for "an undisclosed five-figure fee" after Rose scored nine times in 52 appearances in their promotion-winning campaign.

Rose began his career with home town club Barnsley and has also played for Bury, Mansfield and Northampton.

"We like Danny a lot and have for the last couple of seasons now. When you ask defenders who play against him, they say that he is a nightmare to play against," Grimsby manager Paul Hurst said.

"He's not 6ft 5ins but he's very good in the air, he gives us a physical presence at the top end of the pitch.

"He's perhaps not prolific in terms of numbers but, if you look at his career, he has been involved with teams at the right end of the division.

"He's got a lot of know-how, a lot of experience and he can certainly bring a lot to the squad in the dressing room and at the training ground."

Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp will leave the club this summer.

Jack O'Connell, Enda Stevens and Kyron Gordon will also depart, while Ismaila Coulibaly, Wes Foderingham, Oliver McBurnie and Oliver Norwood will all stay after their deals were extended.

Sharp, 37, has won promotion from the Championship twice and scored 129 goals in 377 appearances across three spells.

Sharp, O'Connell and Stevens were part of their promotion to the Premier League in 2018-19 and this season.

Sheffield-born Sharp made his debut for the Blades in 2004 before joining Scunthorpe a year later.

After returning to Bramall Lane in 2007, he departed again in 2010 for Doncaster and then had spells at Southampton and Leeds.

In 2015 he began his third stint with the club when they were in League One.

Hi all,

Hope you're all doing well!

Yesterday I fell across this video and got me thinking about the role of a scrumhalf and what makes those that are good at it the "best". I recommend watching the video, it's really well-edited and quite funny so I'll link it in this thread!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXlo6jEvY8

I think the video's point about cheat lines is really good. A scrumhalf that can get the ball in their hands, more than just passing, will be extremely effective!

What are your thoughts?

Who do you think is the best scrumhalf in the world and why are they so good?

Thanks!

Worcester, Wasps and now London Irish gone bust, seem o remember those halcyon days when it was an amateur sport now professional clubs are struggling to survive

Barnsley have signed defender Kacper Lopata on a four-year deal following his short spell with National League side Woking.

The 21-year-old came through Brighton's academy before joining Sheffield United in 2020 and later Southend United.

Lopata left the Shrimpers midway through this season and joined Woking until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

"[Barnsley] has a great history of developing players and I thought I could do just that here," he said.

Chief executive Khaled El-Ahmad added to the club website: "We are pleased to be able to have signed Kacper on a long-term deal. He is a young player whose development we look forward to seeing at Oakwell."

Despite his short time with Woking, Poland Under-21 international Lopata helped the Cards to a fourth-placed finish in the National League.

Middlesbrough will sign Manchester City youngster Terrell Agyemang next month.

The 20-year-old left back, who can also play in midfield, will be released by the Premier League champions at the end of his contract on 30 June.

Londoner Agyemang, born to Ghanaian parents, moved to City last summer after impressing on trial.

The Charlton academy product was released by the Addicks in 2022 but played 13 games for City's under-21s this season.

He was part of the City squad that won the Premier League 2 title this term, finishing 13 points clear of second-placed Liverpool.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65813665

Just under two days after the Scottish Cup final and it is more or less confirmed the Celtic manager is heading to White Hart Lane in North London to join up with the dubious Daniel Levey in a big team rebuilding project. One criticism from many Celtic fans is why the club didn't "tie him down" to a longer contract thereby ensuring a a reasonable sell on fee. It's likely that Ange didn't wanna sign up to that - his choice. Anyway, as previously suggested, could this "open the door" to a return for "super-cool" Brendan Rodgers, the showman (compared with Ange's persona)??? Euro Champs League group footie is definitely the "carrot" to attract a decent replacement. Interesting times ahead!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65736747

So the perennial "survivors" do it again after looking "down and out" v Partick Thistle at 0-3 (agg score) in the 1st half of the 2nd leg play-off match. This is a match to watch as it had everything with both sets of players giving maximum effort and commitment, a game that resembled the events in the Qatar World Cup final last year. The game finally decided in a pk shootout. Great sympathy for the Jags who gave a lot to the Scot Prem play-offs and really should've managed out this tie after going 0-1 ahead (0-3 agg) in the 1st half - a sore defeat to take after being 20 mins away from Scot Prem footie next season. One huge question mark attached to the ref adhering to a Police request to stage the pk shootout in front of the Ross Co fans??????? Why??? And why dismiss the standard practise of tossing a coin to choose???

As expected, and in spite of all the "noises" from Tynecastle, it comes to pass that Hibs grab the last Euro footie spot after Celtic win the Scottish Cup final v ICT to set a world record of 8 x domestic "trebles". Not my preferred choice btw as explained in previous threads, but there you go! We'll be participating in the Euro Conference League play-off ties in July.

A YOUNG football star has appeared in court accused of assault and stalking.

Teenage Preston North End forward Finlay Cross-Adair is accused of seven counts of assault, stalking and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in a family relationship
The Championship club's director Peter Ridsdale, previously chairman of Leeds United, was sitting in the public gallery for the player's hearing at Preston Magistrates' Court.

The alleged stalking is said to have happened between May and June this year, while he is accused of carrying out the coercive behaviour between January and June.

Magistrates granted the 18-year-old bail with conditions including not to enter Longridge and to reside at his grandparent's address in Waingate in Grimsargh, Lancashire, as well as not to contact the victim nor any witnesses and to attend club training six days per week.

Cross-Adair is next due to appear at Preston Crown Court on June 30 for a plea and trial preparation hearing, LancsLive reported.
and a huge PNE fan – who has worked his way through the North End youth ranks".