Sports
English Club Given Green Light to Build £130m First-of-its-Kind Stadium
Oxford United are set to become trendsetters after getting the go-ahead from the government to build a new 16,000-seater stadium worth £130 million, the same British record transfer fee Liverpool have paid for Alexander Isak. There have been plans for the EFL Championship club to move out of their current ground, Kassam Stadium, by 2027.
The U’s have called Kassam their home since August 2001 and enjoyed many memorable moments at the 12,500-seater. That includes their promotion to the Championship in 2024 and Gary Rowett steering his side to safety last season.
The Secretary of State, Steve Reed, announced that he wouldn’t be calling in the plans for further review after they were approved by Cherwell District Council back in August. Grant Ferguson, the club’s chairman, thanked supporters and everyone else responsible for helping plans come together, labelling them ‘instrumental in getting us to this point’. He said:
“The Secretary of State’s decision to not to call in the planning application for our 16,000-capacity stadium on land north of the city means the Club can now begin to deliver on its vision.”
Oxford’s new stadium will be the first of its kind in the UK, planned to be fully electric, following the government’s approval of the proposed plans. There were concerns that the club would be homeless because their lease on Kassam is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The Yellows can extend this by a further year, which would allow them to spend more than two years building their new home. It will be the first stadium in the country that is fully powered by electricity, with only a few similar ones found around the world.
Antalya Stadium in Turkiye features a solar panel roof which generates around 7,200 kWh per day. The central Southern English outfit’s plans come amid MLS club New York City FC planning a 25,000-capacity stadium that is also fully electric.
Oxford’s proposed new stomping ground is set to be constructed on ‘The Triangle’ site, which is six kilometres north of central Oxford. Its location will help boost the use of public transport as it is planned to be built next to Oxford Parkway railway station and the Kidlington roundabout.
The electricity-powered stadium will also accommodate cyclists with 450 bicycle parking spaces and new pedestrian and cycling paths linked to neighbouring communities. Its developers aim to create a “multifunctional centre of community” that features an event space for 1,000 people, in addition to the 16,000 seats for fans.
Visiting fans and regular matchgoers will be able to stay at a 180-room hotel, dine out at a restaurant, visit a health and wellbeing centre and relax in a public square with gardens. The final stage of the stadium’s proposal involves a detailed application being passed to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for consideration.
Oxford Hierarchy ‘Delighted’ With Planning Approval
Oxford’s current home, Kassam, is regarded as a modernised stadium but one that feels unfinished. Should the team move out in 2027, the club will have spent around 26 years using it.
The club’s chairman, Grant Ferguson, spoke of his excitement regarding the proposals moving forward. He said (via Sun Sport): “This is a crucial step forward in the long process towards safeguarding the future of this great club… with approval secured, our focus can now move to the next phase of the project plan.”
Jonathan Clarke, the club’s development director, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have secured planning approval. We’re now one step closer to delivering on our goal of creating a once-in-a-generation venue for supporters and the wider community.”
Oxford will hope to remain in the Championship by the time they swap Kassam for their all-electric new stadium. Rowett’s side have made a worrying start to the season, though, sitting 22nd with three defeats and one draw in four games.
Sports
Mark Henry Names Kurt Angle as Toughest WWE Superstar He Wrestled
Across his 22-year in-ring career, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry shared the ring with a wide variety of Superstars.
Known as The World’s Strongest Man, Henry is considered to be one of the most powerful men ever to grace the squared circle.
The Silsby, Texas native enjoyed plenty of success in WWE, winning the World Heavyweight Championship twice, in addition to being both a European Champion and the ECW Champion.
Mark Henry Wrestled Many WWE Legends
Henry worked with a wide variety of Superstars during his active career. From icons such as John Cena and The Undertaker to young prospects taking their first steps on the main roster, the 55-year-old has personal experience with them all.
Mark recently sat down with GIVEMESPORT, in association with Casino.org, to speak about his legendary career. While there was one Superstar he couldn’t stand, Henry typically got along with the majority of the locker rooms he was a part of.
Asked to recall the toughest Superstars he had ever been in the ring with, Henry had no hesitation in naming the man who belonged at the top of his list.
Mark Henry’s 3 Toughest WWE Superstars
However, he also gave credit to two Superstars that he shared the SmackDown locker room with between 2005 and 2007.
“Bobby Lashley and Chris Benoit would make the list. There’s been some really tough opponents. Some of these guys were formidable.”
Lashley certainly fits that description, given his extensive amateur wrestling background, together with a 15-2 record in MMA.
One Superstar, though, stood out for Mark above the rest:
“Kurt Angle is one of the toughest Superstars that I’ve shared the ring with. You can put him right there at the top of the list.”
Famously the winner of a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics, Angle made the transition to professional wrestling and WWE just two years after his triumph in Atlanta.
Despite being new to the industry, Angle was a natural in his new role and would win the WWE Championship less than a year after his debut.
He and Henry shared the ring in a number of high-profile matches, including two pay-per-view matches in 2006. Angle defeated Henry to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at that year’s Royal Rumble, before Mark got his revenge via count out at Judgment Day 2006.
Henry’s views on Angle’s toughness are no surprise, given that the Olympic Hero has been ranked among the legitimately toughest Superstars in WWE history.
Kurt officially retired from the ring after losing to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35, calling time on his own Hall of Fame career.
Sports
Lionel Messi Slammed For Trying to Get Marc Cucurella Sent Off NN:
Argentina have certainly played to the edge of the rules during the World Cup, with many accusations from fans of unsportsmanlike conduct in multiple games during their run to the final. Lionel Scaloni’s have been branded as the villains throughout the tournament for their physical, foul-heavy approach against their opponents.
Fans have persistently complained about the Argentine’s time-wasting, provoking of their opponents and constant hounding of the referee, and that behaviour has followed through to the final, with Lionel Messi involved in the incident which caught many fans’ eyes during Spain’s World Cup final win.
Messi’s Incident With Cucurella
With Argentina going down to ten men following the dismissal of Enzo Fernandez, Messi became involved in a confrontation with Marc Cucurella. Messi turned to the referee demanding that the Spanish left-back should be sent off for covering his mouth, an action that is now considered a red card offence following the introduction of a new rule by FIFA, especially for the tournament.
However, referee Slavko Vincic was unmoved by Messi’s complaint, and no red card was shown to Cucurella as play continued. It’s a rule that has been used but also disregarded during the tournament, with Miguel Almiron sent off earlier in the tournament for covering his mouth whilst Harry Kane avoided punishment for doing the same during England’s game against Argentina.
The incident immediately caught the eye of fans, with many left angered by Messi’s conduct.
Fan Reaction to the Messi Incident
Unsurprisingly, the incident infuriated many fans, who took to social media to complain about Argentina’s behaviour, not for the first time during the tournament.
One fan said: “Messi is a disgrace for trying to get Cucurella sent off”.
Most fans were in agreement, with another saying: “Messi trying to get Marc Cucurella off for covering his mouth tells you everything about his career. The Mr Nice guy mask always comes off when he’s under pressure; he’s a fraud.”
A third posted: “Messi is such a Cheat…I don’t know how he managed to deceive the World that he was the Good guy between the two.” One more said: “Messi tried to send Cucurella off for this. He didn’t even cover his mouth like that. Im told to believe Messi is humble, okay man.”
While another summed up the mood, saying: “The thing with Messi’s little guy is shameful Cucurella approaches him to say something friendly and asks the referee to send him off for saying it with his hand over his mouth.”
Sports
Donald Trump Accused of ‘Ignoring’ Gianni Infantino
The winner of the 2026 World Cup has now been decided, with Spain beating Argentina 1-0 in the final. US President Donald Trump was on hand for the celebrations, but an awkward moment with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has quickly gone viral.
Truth be told, it wasn’t the most memorable game and could even rank among the dullest of the entire tournament. The biggest talking point didn’t come until the 93rd minute when Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a second yellow card.
The game then went to extra time, but try as they might, 10-man Argentina could not cling on for penalties. Ferran Torres stepped up with a fine finish to lash home the winner and seal Spain’s second-ever World Cup triumph.
US President Trump Causes Stir During World Cup Final Celebrations
After the game, as expected, US President Trump was seen amongst the celebrations. After handing out the winners’ and losers’ medals – at which point he was snubbed by Argentine defender Cristian Romero – he then made his way to the podium as Spain were finally given the chance to lift the World Cup trophy.
As Rodri took the golden prize in his hands, Trump shamelessly positioned himself at the end of the Spanish group. At this point, FIFA president Infantino was seen quickly hurrying across the stage to move Trump out of the way.
He put a hand on the 80-year-old’s arm but was essentially ignored as Trump remained in sight as Spain captain Rodri lifted the World Cup. Infantino appeared to sheepishly back away a bit, and the two eventually edged further away as the celebrations continued.
Fans Not Happy With ‘Weird’ Trump Behaviour
Multiple clips of the incident have gone viral online, with fans clearly not impressed. One said: “Not Trump ignoring Infantino trying to get him to leave the scene for Spain’s trophy lift. That’s what you get for selling yourself, you corrupt clown.”
Another added:
“Infantino trying to usher Trump off stage for the trophy lift and he’s ignoring him.”
A third noted: “Infantino was literally telling Trump to move out of the way. He wanted to stand there and take photos.” While a fourth said: “Didn’t want to leave the stage where the Spanish team was celebrating despite Infantino trying to lead Trump off several times.”
Somebody added: “He did something similar during the World Club Cup too. Trump just like to be in the limelight. Wants to share headlines, not one to stay in the background. He was really looking out of place there, creating a weird scene.”
A final fan spoke for many as they wrote: “Trump knows exactly what he’s doing here.”
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