The girlfriend of West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is set to appear in court after being accused of causing life-changing injuries to a pedestrian. If found guilty, she could face a prison sentence.
Wan-Bissaka, formerly of Manchester United, is not believed to have been present when the incident took place. April Francis, 27, is alleged to have hit a woman with her car in September 2025.
The couple have been together since 2020, according to The Sun, and have a child together. Francis will now appear in court next month after being charged with dangerous driving.
Police Issue Statement on Wan-Bissaka’s Girlfriend
After the police and prosecutors reviewed the evidence, the 27-year-old was charged by postal requisition earlier this month. Causing injury by dangerous driving is one of the most serious driving offences that can be committed. As a result, the maximum punishment if found guilty is a five-year jail sentence.
The news broke shortly after her boyfriend played in West Ham’s 3-1 Premier League victory against Sunderland. Francis will now appear at Colchester magistrates’ court in Essex in February.
The Sunderland captain was embroiled in a war of words with the West Ham fans on Saturday.
A spokesman for the Essex police told The Sun: “A woman is due to appear in court charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a collision in Brentwood.
“At around 8.50am on Tuesday September 23 last year, officers were called to a collision involving a car and a pedestrian in Hartswood Road.
“The pedestrian, a woman aged in her 50s, suffered life-changing injuries.”
The statement concluded: “An investigation has continued since then, led by our Roads Policing Unit. This has resulted in a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving against April Francis, 27, of East London.”
What Comes Next For the Couple?
DR Congo international Wan-Bissaka is in the midst of a relegation battle as the Hammers look to avoid the drop into the EFL Championship. Meanwhile, Francis will be heading for court on February 17
The Crown Prosecution Service have stated: “She is due to appear for a first hearing at Colchester magistrates’ court on February 17.” The couple, meanwhile, have yet to comment on the matter.
Switzerland and Qatar served up one of the most dramatic openers of the 2026 World Cup, with a 94th-minute header from Boualem Khoukhi snatching a point for the 2022 hosts in San Francisco.
But long before that late equaliser, Group B’s curtain-raiser had already generated its share of chaos, centred on a penalty incident in the 17th minute that left broadcasters, pundits and former officials demanding answers.
Some of these will stay in the minds of fans forever.
Remo Freuler latched onto a headed ball inside the penalty area and attempted to deftly lift it over the advancing Qatar goalkeeper, Mahmud Abunada. The challenge that followed was heavy enough to keep both players on the ground. Honduran referee Hector Said Martinez had made his call immediately: Penalty to Switzerland. Breel Embolo stepped up and converted without any fuss.
FIFA Slammed Over Switzerland vs Qatar Decision
Carlos Barria via Reuters
Replays appeared to show Freuler in an offside position as he received the ball, and VAR duly initiated a review. What followed frustrated everyone watching. No offside lines or semi-automated graphics were shown. The review concluded, the penalty stood, and viewers at home and inside the stadium were left entirely in the dark.
Watch the incident below:
Gary Neville didn’t hold back: “They’ve got the evidence of the automated decision — why are they not showing us?” he said, comparing FIFA’s approach to a “dictatorship.” Ian Wright was equally damning, calling the lack of transparency “scandalous.”
ITV commentator Lee Dixon, who had been convinced VAR would intervene, said: “There must be something wrong with my monitor.”
A statement has been released by the kit manufacturer after FIFA banned the kit design on the eve of the tournament
Former FIFA Referees Offer Contrasting Views
Darren Yamashita (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
Former referee and PGMOL boss Keith Hackett went further than most. Responding on X to former Norway international Jan Aage Fjørtoft, who’d questioned why VAR was reviewing a penalty rather than the apparent offside. Hackett was blunt: “This goal should have been ruled out for offside. Technology fail.”
ITV’s referee analyst Christina Unkel offered a different perspective. She explained that under FIFA’s protocol, semi-automated offside graphics are only shown when a review results in an overturn, which is why the lines and the graphics never appeared. She also defended the technology itself, insisting it operates at a precision far beyond what the human eye could ever detect:
“The technology that’s been implemented in this World Cup is at a higher level so it’s going to be even sharper and crisper.”
He is currently in Boston but will not be able to travel to Canada for his team’s opening game.
Qatar ultimately had the last laugh, with Khoukhi’s late header denying Switzerland all three points. But the questions raised around the penalty are unlikely to disappear quietly.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Tommy Fury defeated Eddie Hall in their bizarre exhibition contest in the main event of a Misfits Boxing card at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday night.
Billed as ‘The Beauty vs The Beast’, there was a massive 108lbs weight difference between the two participants, with former World’s Strongest Man Hall enjoying a massive weight advantage.
The fight was signed over six two-minute rounds, in a marked departure from the three-minute rounds typically seen in boxing.
Hall made an impressive start in the first, constantly pressuring his smaller opponent and finding success with a big right hand towards the end of the session.
‘The Beast’ continued his good work in the second, using his imposing frame to prevent Fury from getting into his rhythm. His exertions in the first four minutes looked to have taken their toll on Hall in the third, as he was noticeably feeling the pace. Tommy was able to use Hall’s tiredness to land a few stiff shots and find his way into the fight.
Fury again used his movement well in the third, although Hall still found his way through with a few blows. Ultimately, though, the extra weight Hall was carrying was reflected in his cardio.
Although he swang heavily up until the final bell, Hall couldn’t find the blow he needed to end the fight, with Fury taking the win on the judges’ cards.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
James McClean has always been one to speak up when he believes a moral line has been crossed.
The former Republic of Ireland international, who earned 103 caps for his country, has spoken out in a characteristically forthright fashion following a decision that had Irish fans up in arms.
The context is the FAI’s confirmation that Ireland’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel, scheduled for the 4th of October, will be moved to a neutral venue and played behind closed doors, rather than at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
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The organisation cited operational challenges and potential disruption as the driving factors behind the decision, with UEFA approving the request following consultation with various stakeholders, including the Palestinian Football Association, which expressed its appreciation for Ireland’s stance on the conflict while respecting the FAI’s course of action.
McClean Accuses FAI of Cowardice
For McClean, the compromise satisfied nobody and stood for nothing. “I think we’ve missed a massive opportunity here,” he told RTE Sport (via the Irish Mirror). “I think the decision to move to a neutral venue behind closed doors, of all the decisions we could have made, is by far the worst one.
“The FAI have missed a massive opportunity to stand on the right side of history.”
“If you’re going to go ahead with the game, at least have the courage to face the backlash that was going to come with it being played in Dublin. But to move it away is a cowardly move.”
The Irish pair have finally swept their different under the carpet after a lengthy feud.
The Derry City man also drew on Ireland’s own history to make his point: “If there’s one country that can relate to the oppression and famine and what’s going on in Gaza, it’s the people of this country.”
The FAI’s lengthy statement on Saturday made clear that the decision wasn’t taken lightly. They’ve been engaged with UEFA on the issue for almost two years and submitted a formal motion in November 2025 that called for the suspension of the Israel Football Association from UEFA competitions. That motion was passed at the FAI’s general assembly, but UEFA’s competition rules left the association with limited room to manoeuvre.
The former Wrexham man, who has recently joined Derry City, couldn’t help but rile up the opposition fans one last time.
Had Ireland refused to fulfil the fixture entirely, the consequences would have been significant: Six points forfeited, potential relegation to League C in the Nations League, damage to UEFA and FIFA rankings, and perhaps most frustratingly, a boost to Israel’s own competition standing as a direct result.
It’s a seriously difficult position, and the statement reflects an organisation trying to balance sporting obligation against increasingly vocal moral pressure. Whether moving the game to a neutral venue reads as a reasonable compromise, or a failure of leadership, will depend largely on where those who read into it stand. McClean, for his part, has made his view rather clear.
