It will cost Sutton United in excess of £500,000 to install a grass pitch and meet the requirements of the English Football League next season.

The U's began work on Monday to tear up the artificial 3G surface at Gander Green Lane after sealing the National League title and a historic promotion.

EFL rules state all matches must be played on grass surfaces.

"The cost of laying the pitch is quite a substantial one," Sutton vice-chairman Adrian Barry told BBC London.

"Promotion to the EFL brings with it a lot of other commercial opportunities for the club, which will hopefully offset the cost to a degree."

Sutton become the second club in two years forced to swap their artificial pitch for grass, following Harrogate Town last summer.

The Yorkshire club started the 2020-21 campaign groundsharing at Doncaster after winning promotion to League Two via the play-offs.

"It is a very well-documented story that the EFL don't allow 3G surfaces in their competitions," Barry said.

"The rights and wrongs of that situation can be debated. Harrogate faced exactly the same problem last year, and it will continue to be a problem.

"We knew the rules and what was required of us. We'll abide by them and look forward to proudly taking our place in the EFL."

Sutton also intend to build a new grandstand for away supporters and install upgraded floodlights and automated turnstiles before taking their place in the EFL for the first time in the club's 123-year history.

The penalty spot from which Jamie Collins scored the winner against Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth round in January 2017 will be kept behind the bar at the club, while other patches of the pitch will be auctioned off to fans.

Impact on community clubs
However, the loss of the artificial pitch will be felt by a host of other sides.

Sutton's academy, three women's and nine girls' teams and three disability sides all made use of the surface.

The pitch at Gander Green Lane was used seven days a week and was available to hire, providing valuable income for the south London club.

"From the point of view of our community setup, it means there are a lot of sides displaced as a consequence," Barry said.

"It is a major factor for us, but we knew what would happen if we were successful on the pitch.

"The usage of the surface will be very reduced.

"We are a community club and are working really hard to rehouse those over the summer. That is going to be a challenge for us."

Stoke City have released midfielder Jordan Cousins but John Obi Mikel and centre-back James Chester will remain at the Championship club.

Cousins, 27, made 45 appearances in two seasons with the Potters.

Former Chelsea man Mikel, 34, and ex-Aston Villa defender Chester, 32, have had contract extensions activated.

Mikel won a Champions League and two Premier League titles with Chelsea and is a former Nigeria international, regularly captaining Stoke last season.

He played 41 times for the Potters in 2020-21 after joining from Turkish side Trabzonspor, while Wales international Chester played 33 times.

Nottingham Forest defenders Michael Dawson and Yuri Ribeiro, winger Sammy Ameobi and midfielder Samba Sow have left the Championship club at the end of their contracts.

Defender Michael Hefele and goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo have also departed as the Reds confirmed their retained list.

Dawson, a homegrown player, made 118 appearances across two spells.

Ameobi, Sow and Ribeiro played 76 games between them last season, as Forest finished 17th.

They amassed 180 matches in total for the Reds.

Michael Dawson and the other internationals heading into coaching
Loan players Cyrus Christie, Luke Freeman, James Garner, Anthony Knockaert and Filip Krovinovic have all returned to their parent clubs while Glenn Murray announced his retirement on Monday.

Dawson's second spell at Forest ended without a chance to say goodbye to supporters amid Covid-19 restrictions, which the Northallerton-born centre-half said was "frustrating".

However, his performances in his first spell, in particular as part of Paul Hart's promotion-chasing team of 2002-03, ensured his place in club folklore.

He and midfielder Andy Reid were eventually signed by Tottenham for a combined £8m in January 2005.

"Forest has been a massive part of my life since I first put the shirt on at the age of nine," he said.

"It will always be close to my heart and I leave with some fantastic memories. To start as a schoolboy, get in the first team under Paul Hart and then be able to come back later in my career has been a dream come true."

Luton Town have released winger Kazenga LuaLua and midfielder George Moncur at the end of their contracts.

Former Brighton player LuaLua, 30, scored eight goals in 87 appearances for the Championship Hatters.

Ex-Barnsley and Colchester man Moncur, 27, scored 11 times in 59 games during his two-and-a-half years with the club.

Full-back Brendan Galloway and keeper Harry Isted will also leave Nathan Jones' Luton, who finished 12th in the second tier this season.

Martin Cranie, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Ryan Tunnicliffe have all been offered new deals to stay at Kenilworth Road while options have been taken to extend the contracts of Gabriel Osho, who finished the season on loan at Rochdale, and final day debutant Dion Pereira.

Given that Wrexham have an even longer history than us of getting every decision wrong I think we should take a careful look at their release list. We could do much worse than signing Faicre Kelleher (age 25) centre back and Theo Vassell (age 24) full or centre back.

Given also that I have no idea what we are doing with Grant Smith, who to me is a way better keeper than the flashier Montgomery, perhaps we should take note that Solihull are releasing Ryan Boot and if we can find room for a man as old as Nathan Tyson to extend his career successfully then perhaps we could take Jamie Ward too.

I reckon all of these players could contribute to getting us out of the National League next season, assuming we haven't already achieved it this season of course.

I've no idea of the length of contracts our current squad is tied into by the way, but we must be releasing several judging from our furloughing policy.

Quarter-Finals

Notts County 0-1 Chesterfield
Hartlepool United 0-1 Bromley

League Table After Matchday 57
Lord Snoots = 540
Amelia = 508
Spireitematt = 454
Devon = 442
Dancing = 402
St Charles = 398

Here is the thread for the Euros so not to block up the real football thread that that we care about sorry i meen use to care about
this thread will be mostly made up off us taking the piss out off hibijibi at the start and himself getting his own back afterwards when our set off losing divas let us down once more

ill not bother with any for the bml but for boredom you can put youre predictions down per game and put the possible winner down before the circus starts

observations after a 5 minute glance

The group off death has France Germany and Portugal all thrown in it

Our group is close behind with Croatia scotland and the czechs who nobody ever knows if they will turn it on or not theyve beaten England once last year so we will surely be going into that very cautious indeed. the jocks have a solid team aswell and are less diva like so that could throw some problems at the losers but i think we will sneak into the next round just

Belgium and Spain seem to have paid UEFA off with there groups and will the italians or dutch turn up are my views.

My head says the Belgium's or at least definate semi finalists or finalists but i just cant see them winning it as they are as much use as England at winning trophy's

Winners Netherlands

England out in quarters

Scotland and Wales out in the group stages

Friday june 11th the tournement kicks off with Turkey v Italy ripping chunks out off each other and diving around like ponces no doubt our first game is against Croatia on the sunday while the jocks play on monday


Have fun remember not to make any particular plans for this shite and carry on regardless of the idiot media saying its coming home wank time and time again infact try to forget there is even a tournement whatsoever as it has very little importance considering the state of the fu..cking world

Barrow have appointed former Forest Green boss Mark Cooper as their new manager on a three-year deal.

The 52-year-old was sacked by Rovers in April after five years in charge.

The Bluebirds avoided relegation back to the National League in 2020-21 in a season where they sacked both David Dunn and Michael Jolley as manager.

"The board and the owners have done everything they could to try and get me; they made it clear that they wanted me," he told the club website.

Rob Kelly ended the season in caretaker charge and guided them clear of the relegation places after Jolley was sacked in February after just two wins from his eight game.

However, the former assistant, who also had a brief spell in charge when Dunn was sacked, told the club he did not want the job on a full-time basis earlier this month.

Ian Evatt led the Holker Street side back to the Football League in 2020 after a 48-year absence but left to take over at Bolton in July last year.

Replacement Dunn was sacked in December after a run of nine games without a win and his replacement Jolley fared little better.

"As soon as we knew of his interest, we ensured that we pulled out all the stops to bring him to the club," chairman Paul Hornby said.

"Mark's experience was just what we were looking for in this league. It really feels like a huge step that Mark considers Barrow can match his own ambitions for success and it shows how far we've come and that we're moving in the right direction."

Cooper, who will be assisted by Richard Dryden, led Forest Green to promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history in 2016-17 and has also had spells in the Football League with Peterborough and Swindon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57286385
This has definitely been a shock for the Celtic hierarchy and it goes hand in hand with the whole disappointing COVID footie season 2020-21 - unbelievable!! And the reasons given for Howe's sudden retraction are baffling TBH!! Surely there are alternatives rather than employing certain footie people to make up his backroom staff. Is this just an excuse and lets watch what happens in the footie management merry go round in the coming weeks - see where he ends up!! Anyway Celtic need to move sharpish after being misled by this time waster - months of chat/negotiation blootered by a highly questionable character who IMO deserves a "mouthful" for wasting time and energy!! In other words, "Just say yes or no" instead of pissing about in the manner that this guy did it!!! By all accounts, it looks like Chris Wilder, the ex Sheffield United manager, is the favourite to get the job. However, I wouldn't place any certainty on that appointment although I have no doubt that Celtic have an alternative target. They need to get their fanbase onside quickly - too many f### ups!!