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".

Cardiff City have named former Fenerbahce boss Erol Bulut as their new manager.

Bulut, 48, replaces Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi, whose short-term contract was not renewed at the end of last season even though he steered the club to Championship safety.

The appointment completes a global search for a successor to Lamouchi.

"Erol's enthusiasm and hunger for success impresses me greatly," said Cardiff owner Vincent Tan.

"When we spoke, it became clear that his intensity and hard work ethic matched the core cultural traits that I want our club to return to.

"His excellent record in European football represents a standard of managerial experience that we have not had at Cardiff City before.

"His experience in this field, I hope, will allow us to attract a higher profile and standard of player in the coming years."

Cardiff have not disclosed the length of Bulut's contract.

They had had also considered former Watford manager Oscar Garcia, and were also linked with the likes of Nathan Jones and Vitor Campelos, who has impressed with Portuguese club Chaves.

Bulut has been a manager for six years, but the move to Cardiff will see the former Turkey Under-21s international work outside his homeland for the first time.

He started his coaching career at Yeni Malatyaspor in 2017 before taking over at fellow Super Lig club Alanyaspor in 2019.

Cardiff City season review: Bluebirds must do better after brush with League One
When Andy Campbell sent the Bluebirds soaring in Cardiff play-off final - 20 years on
Bulut's Alanyaspor side were beaten finalists in the Turkish Cup in his one season at the helm.

He moved to Fenerbahce - where he had spent four years as a player - in the summer of 2020, but departed in March 2021 with his team third in the Turkish top flight.

Bulut was soon back in management with another Super Lig club, Gaziantep, where he was in charge for 18 months before leaving following a disappointing run of results in January 2023.

Born in Germany, Bulut began his playing career at Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Fenerbahce, where he won a league title in 1995-96.

He then rejoined Eintracht Frankfurt and had spells on loan at Trabzonspor and Adanaspor before moving to Greek club Panionios, then returning to Turkey with Bursaspor.

A left-wingback, Bulut's nomadic career continued as he had spells at 1860 Munich, Olympiakos - where he won two Greek league titles and one cup - and Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk.

He returned to Greece for spells with Olympiacos Volos, OFI Crete and Veria before hanging up his boots in 2012.

"This summer allowed us to consider applicants for the manager's position from across Europe and, having taken our time with the process, I'm extremely confident that we have chosen the best candidate to take us forward," Tan added.

"Erol has vast experience both as a player and as a manager, having played Champions League football and managed European sides across 200 league games to date.

"This level of experience is needed at this time and I think will prove invaluable to the squad."

Lamouchi's departure from Cardiff was announced on 17 May after the former Nottingham Forest boss held talks over future plans with Tan.

Lamouchi was one of three Bluebirds managers last season, following Steve Morison and Mark Hudson.

The Welsh club finished just one place above the relegation zone, five points clear of 22nd-placed Reading, who were were deducted six points by the EFL for breaching the terms of an agreed business plan.

It was Cardiff's lowest finishing position since they were promoted to the second tier in 2003.

There are four of us. The number never grows. Sports Babble itself doesn't grow, or change.

The club is stuck on re-wind repeat.

Much as I've enjoyed doing this, and there are some lovely people on this site, is there really any point?

I'm old. I'm increasingly sure that I'll never see Chesterfield back in the EFL.

Shall we stop? I don't want to join the idiocy of Bob's Board either - that's certainly not my intent.

So this final looming ever closer and kicking off tomorrow at the bizarre time of 5.30pm - bad show SFA, should've stuck to the favoured 3.00pm KO that suited all parties. Anyway, Ange and co fully focused on the ultimate prize of another Scottish Cup, but a world record "treble" achievement, one of 8 x "trebles" if they are successful. I think Ange knows what his starting line-up will be after testing things out v the Dons last weekend. I reckon this is a potential 4-0 or 5-0 victory for the Hoops - depends very much if ICT can "hang in there" during the early stages of this match when Celtic will likely "go for the jugular" and try to party as early as poss. As usual, bad refereeing could play a part in causing some probs for the Hoops although all players will be well primed to be careful and aware of that threat.

Brentford have signed midfielder Ethan Brierley from Rochdale for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal, with the option of a further year.

The 19-year-old came through Dale's academy, making 45 senior appearances during his time at the club.

He will now join Brentford's B team in order to continue his development, the Bees said following his signing.

"He played for a side that have had a difficult season, but he was able to flourish," boss Neil McFarlane said.

"We're hugely excited to play a role in the next stage of his development. He is an all-round midfielder who will handle the ball and he's somebody we will look to improve, as we do with all of the players who step foot in the building."

Brierley made 25 league appearances for Rochdale in 2022-23, during a season when the club were relegated from the English Football League to the National League.

Steve Cotterill is set to resign as manager of League One club Shrewsbury Town, BBC Radio Shropshire reports.

The 58-year-old was appointed in November 2020 and leaves after Town finished 12th this season, 18 points outside the play-off places.

Shrewsbury were eight points off the top six with 10 games to go, but lost eight of those matches as any hopes of a late promotion charge faded.

It is understood Cotterill has not been sacked, but has chosen to leave.

The former Birmingham and Bristol City boss missed the second half of the 2020-21 season with Covid-19 pneumonia, which saw him spend 33 days in hospital and later say he was "lucky" to still be alive.

Cotterill's impending departure comes a month after Shrewsbury chief executive Brian Caldwell left the club after seven years in the role.

At the time, Cotterill said his reaction to Caldwell's exit was "sadness".

He told BBC Radio Shropshire: "The club has lost a good guy. I will miss him without a shadow of a doubt.

"When I came here two and a half years ago, the chairman said he wanted me and Brian to work closely together - and we did just that. He was very supportive, especially when I had Covid."