Author: admin

James Trafford earnings revealed as club record Leeds United deal draws closer

Leeds United look as though they are closing in on a club record deal to sign James Trafford from Manchester City.
Graham Smyth previously reported that Trafford was United’s dream signing to remedy their goalkeeping issues.
But over the last day or so, reports have rapidly accelerated, suggesting that Trafford’s most likely destination will be Elland Road should he leave Manchester City this summer.
And now, Alex Crook has recently made a couple of bombshell revelations regarding the potential deal.
James Trafford to become Leeds’ highest earner per Alex Crook
When speaking live on talkSPORT, Crook said that Trafford could soon be on his way to Leeds.
Previous reports have suggested Trafford would cost around £40million, but Crook claimed that the fee could even be as high as £50million. If this is accurate, this would shatter United’s £36million record fee that they paid to sign Georginio Rutter.
Crook also claimed Trafford would be the Whites’ top wage earner as well should he sign.
According to Capology, Trafford currently earns £93,750 per week.
So this may give us a rough ballpark in terms of what he could earn at Leeds, especially if he gets a pay rise, as he will arrive as the Whites’ undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.
The news that Trafford will be the highest earner upon his potential arrival will be no surprise for supporters. In all honesty, a player of his calibre ultimately deserves it too.
James Trafford would be a revelation at Leeds
For younger supporters like myself, who have no recollection of legendary ‘keepers like Nigel Martyn at Leeds, so Trafford would be the best goalie we have seen play for us in our lifetime.
For as long as he stayed at Leeds, we would never even have to think about upgrading him.
This is why, even if we have to pay a club record fee, Trafford represents immense value.
He’d be our best goalkeeper in over 20 years, and at 23, he still has plenty of time to grow and develop even further.
Leeds signing a player of Trafford’s quality could also make us more attractive as a club for any more ambitious targets the 49ers may have up their sleeve in the future.
0%
Love
0%
Funny
0%
Wow
0%
Sad
0%
Angry
July 24, 2026
Farmland housing decision and leftover government cash among questions put to council leader – AOL

From controversial planning decisions to help for the homeless – along with what next for Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent – the city’s Labour council leader Jane Ashworth was quizzed by BBC Radio Stoke listeners on Tuesday.It came after what could only be described as a whirlwind of a week in local and national politics.On Thursday, the government announced its decision on how local councils will be organised in Staffordshire, which will see the 10 councils in the county scrapped and replaced with two new authorities. Then on Monday, the new Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham entered Number 10 and announced his “cost of living government”. An end to rough sleeping? The first policy pledge Burnham made as the new prime minister was to end rough sleeping, an issues that resonates with the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The government said an additional £340m would be provided to support the policy, which is expected to provide 1,200 homes and “intensive support” for at least 3,000 people in England over a five-year period.But Ashworth said the answer, for her area, was “not simply more accomodation”. The leader said there was a difference between those who needed somewhere to sleep and people who were “entrenched” and unwilling to accept support. According to Ashworth, there were about 50 people “not ready” to accept advice or help from various agencies for their drug or alcohol addictions.Those were the issues she felt needed addressing, to go any way to reduce or “end” the number of rough sleepers in the city. “We need something different, the current system isn’t working, we’re talking to government about the monkey dust problem, so we’ll see what happens,” she added. New council, same debt Stoke-on-Trent City Council will cease to exist from April 2028, to be replaced by a new North Staffordshire Council, as mentioned above.Ashworth believed the change would be a “big, exciting project” and deliver “‘value for money” for residents. The all-in-one authority will serve a population of 495,000 and deliver the running of all services from bin collections to social care. The areas it will cover include Stoke-on-Trent, the Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme borough. While a decision has not yet been made on what this means for council tax rates, the leader dismissed the idea they could be harmonised with the current cheapest ones (Stoke) – meaning residents outside the city paying less. Stoke-on-Trent has, for the last four years, used a government bailout loan to keep services afloat, and that has now racked up £60m in debt. Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell claimed that in other areas that have been through similar reorganisation, they have had debt written off by the government.But Ashworth said she was not confident the new authority would get any financial relief or subsidy from the government to wipe the debt.House building backlash Campaigners from Packmoor Liaison Support Group demonstrated outside Stoke-on-Trent City Council earlier this year over the land decisionAshworth responded to a backlash from listeners about a cabinet decision to allow council owned farmland in Packmoor to be built on. Residents who campaigned against the plans said they wanted the council to prove every brownfield site had been “exhausted”‘ before developing on green belt land. The leader said she felt the practical concerns raised by residents were addressed, which led to the authority agreeing on a proposal to build no more than 816 homes, on more than a third of the land available. The council is tasked with delivering 948 homes a year in Stoke-on-Trent by 2028 as part of the national drive for new housing. In the latest draft of the local plan for the city council area, 73% of the sites earmarked for development are brownfield. The councillor argued that while adopting a “brownfield first” policy was right, the sites were not very big so did not give the authority enough land to meet those building targets. Pledge on Hanley cashThe arguably ill-fated, long awaited and stalled development of Etruscan Square in Hanley is finally due to undergo work, starting in November, according to Ashworth. She said the project would start with demolishing the former Iceland store on the site, before building housing.The site was allocated £20m of levelling up money, secured by the council’s previous Conservative administration.Reports in May revealed that £31m of Stoke’s levelling up funding, was in fact unspent. Ashworth tried to reassure listeners that the money would not run out, and it would be spent in time. Meanwhile, in Tunstall, levelling up seemed to have hit the buffers, with plans to develop the historic Tunstall library and baths site refused. The leader admitted this £3.5m would be allocated to another area, but insisted Tunstall would not miss out and the council would “spend it on something else” in the town.Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
More on this story
Related internet links
July 24, 2026
London produces an epic Women’s 800 meters!

London produces an epic women’s 800m
The London Diamond League will be remembered for Josh Kerr’s magnificent world mile record. Under different circumstances, we could have been celebrating 2 world records. When Keely Hodgkinson broke the existing world indoor record earlier this year, running 1:54.87, she let it be known that she was keen to attack the existing outdoor world record, 1:53.28, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová of Czechoslovakia in 1983 in Munich. Earlier this year she told the British media that it would happen when she was ready, but if it happened in London, that would be special. Unfortunately, a training fall put her knee and the world record attempt on ice. “I literally fell over. It’s one of those uncontrollable things that happen and it was just a shame. I was more good because I had to fly out to America the next day and it was really painful. I hobbled my way to Accident and Emergency at the local hospital”.
Screenshot
Still, winning a Diamond League race in London, in front of 59,000 people, is not to be sneezed at. Keely’s time was 1:56.21, and she commented afterward: “There are mixed emotions today. I am going to take the positives because it has been a tough couple of weeks. Not everything always goes to plan, but I am proud of how I have dealt with it. The only reason I came here today is that I wanted to race in front of a home crowd. I am happy to get that out of the way and focus on the Europeans next. Life is sometimes tough, and it doesn’t always go the way you want it to. I dream big, but I am living in the present”.
Femke Bol, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Track & FieldBoston MA, USAFebruary 3, 2023World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, photo by Kevin Morris
Keely has a new rival in the 800 this year, Femke Broeders-Bol, who has switched from 400 hurdles to 800. Having not run an 800m since 2017, Bol has run 4 this year, the slowest being 1:57.41 and the fastest 1:54.33 in Stockholm. In Paris two weeks ago she ran 1:55.60 for second place behind Audrey Werro and then 1:56.46 in London for second behind Keely.
Keely Hodgkinson won London DL, July 10, 2026, photo by Getty for BritishAthletics
In Paris she told me: “It’s a big mind change to switch from 400m hurdles to 800m, and it means a lot of changes in the training, and in the way of racing with everybody in the same lane. In terms of pressure, it’s pretty similar. I always put pressure on myself; it helps me to perform, and I like that. To discover this new distance, you need to be open-minded. It’s fun; I pretty much feel like a junior. I was very excited for my first race in the Diamond League in the 800. Running in a pack – not in one lane – is something new for me. I have to be smart during the race with what I am capable of doing in a race where Audrey will chase the world record, to not make a mess of my race.”
Of the London race she said: “I had a small training block after coming from Paris with a lot of confidence. I am still learning the 800m, but I am starting to feel what an 800 is like and how I need to divide it up. But today was a different race with a lot of moving around through the first lap. The hardest thing for me is the positioning and how you find the right spot. I learn best by racing. I have to get used to being close to people during races”.
Femke Bol wins the 400m hurdles, Tokyo, photo by Brian Eder, for RunBlogRun
Asked about Femka’s potential at 800, Keely said: “Femka is an incredible athlete. I’m not surprised that she’s had this trajectory. She’s Femke Bol. She is a world champion. She’s been doing this a long time. She looks like she’s having fun, which I think is good. And she’s trying a new event, and it makes sense for her. And I just look forward to us pushing each other. We’re really great friends off the track as well. She’s built like a gazelle. She just runs. And I think she’s been in some really good races and some really fast races, you know, Audrey in Ostrava, Audrey again in Paris. So when you’re in races like that, like the whole field went fast in Paris, there were a lot of 1:55s and 56s. So yeah, I’m happy for her. I think she’s just having fun, like I said before, and I look forward to seeing what that is”.
Audrey Werro wins Bauhaus 800m, in 1:53.98, photo by Diamond League AG
The European Championship next month in Birmingham, Broeders-Bol v Hodgkinson v Werro, could be quite a race. I already have got my seat reserved.
Since 2015, Stuart Weir has written for RunBlogRun. He attends about 20 events a year including all most global championships and Diamond Leagues. He enjoys finding the quirky and obscure story.
View all posts
July 24, 2026
Trump Administration Won’t Block Andrew Tate’s Extradition To The UK

The White House says President Donald Trump will not intervene as Andrew Tate and his brother fight a British request to extradite them from the United States. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a brief answer when asked whether the Trump administration planned to get involved: “No. We’ve already answered that question.”
President Donald Trump Won’t Stop Andrew Tate and Brothers’ Extradition, Leavitt Says
The Tate brothers were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 18 and are in federal custody in Florida while the U.S. court process moves forward. Their next hearing is scheduled for July 27, though the brothers have waived their attendance, according to reporting from their first appearance in Miami federal court.
UK Seeks Their Return
The Crown Prosecution Service has requested the brothers’ extradition to face the original UK allegations and a further set of charges approved after Bedfordshire Police submitted additional evidence. The allegations involve seven alleged victims in total, with the conduct said to span from July 2010 to August 2017.
Andrew Tate, 39, faces 42 UK charges, while Tristan Tate, 38, faces 17. The latest charging decisions add 32 counts for Andrew and six for Tristan, lifting the combined total to 59.
The new allegations against Andrew Tate include seven counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and 19 offences involving indecent images of a child and extreme pornography. Tristan Tate faces one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The earlier cases concern three alleged victims. Andrew had already faced allegations including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain, while Tristan had previously been charged with rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.
Extradition Fight Begins
The brothers appeared in a Miami federal courtroom on July 20, where they were informed of their rights. Their attorney, Joseph McBride, said they would contest the UK request and has described the case as politically motivated; the brothers deny wrongdoing.
A U.S. district judge will assess whether the legal conditions for extradition have been met. If the court certifies the request, the matter proceeds through the U.S. extradition framework, with the final surrender decision handled by the administration rather than directly by the president at a press briefing.
White House Position
Leavitt’s answer closes off speculation that Trump could step in on the brothers’ behalf, despite past public support from figures in his political circle. Donald Trump Jr. called the Tates’ detention in Romania in 2023 “absolute insanity,” though the White House has now made clear it will not interfere with the current process.
The case remains at the extradition stage, meaning the UK allegations have not been tested in a British criminal trial. The CPS said its charging decisions follow an assessment of the evidence and public-interest test; guilt or innocence can only be decided by a court.
July 24, 2026
First bricks laid as second phase of Heath Town regeneration begins

Keon Homes is building 32 new apartments for Wolverhampton Council on the site of the former Duke of York pubThe first bricks have been laid for new council homes on the site of a former pub as part of the ongoing transformation of the Heath Town estate in Wolverhampton.L-R: Dan Ball – Keon Homes’ site manager, Richard Williams – Keon Homes’ MD, and Councillor Steve Evans from Wolverhampton Council at the former Duke of York pub site at Heath Town, Wolverhampton | Wolverhampton CouncilConstruction partner Keon Homes is delivering the scheme of 32 one and two-bedroom apartments on behalf of Wolverhampton Council, on vacant land where the Duke of York pub once stood.The development, facing Wednesfield Road, Tremont Street and Inkerman Street, will include wheelchair accessible ground floor homes.It is part of a second phase of regeneration at Heath Town that aims to deliver more than 100 new council homes across five sites.The first phase saw 40 new council houses built on Hobgate Road and one site on Tithe Croft, off Chervil Rise.This came on the back of an extensive demolition programme of vacant buildings, while existing residential blocks continue to undergo major improvements by Wolverhampton Homes, and three new play areas and a football pitch have been created in recent years.Through a Local Lettings Plan developed with the Heath Town Tenants and Residents Association, the majority of the first phase properties have been allocated to existing council tenants, including those with a local connection to Heath Town.CGI showing how the new homes at Heath Town on the site of the old Duke of York will look | Keon Homes / Wolverhampton CouncilPhil Davey, head of pre-construction at Keon Homes, said: “We have worked extremely closely with the planning team at Wolverhampton Council to agree a high-quality scheme on a very prominent site.“To see work begin is a real milestone moment and the start of bringing the vision to reality for individuals and families across the city.“The development will also benefit from heating and hot water delivered via the Heath Town district heating network, which is currently being upgraded following significant investment.”Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for city housing and assets, added: “One of our key priorities is to increase the number of good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods across the city.Work under way on the Heath Town regeneration scheme on the old Duke of York pub site | Wolverhampton Council“The regeneration of Heath Town is helping achieve that and deliver improvements and new homes the residents can be proud of – it is heartening to see how it is changing the lives of families for the better.“This second wave of new homes will build on that and continue our transformation of the Heath Town estate, which is being built on the strong sense of community.”Other works completed as part of the Heath Town redevelopment include the demolition of walkways and garages in the Hobgate Road area of the estate and the refurbishment of the ground and lower ground floors of Ling House to provide office, meeting and activity space for the Hope Family Centre.Continue Reading

July 24, 2026
Neighbours object to plans for late-night rooftop bar at shisha lounge along busy road in Northampton

Neighbours have objected to plans for a late-night rooftop bar at a shisha lounge along a busy road in Northampton.West Northamptonshire Council’s alcohol and gambling licensing sub-committee will discuss on Monday (July 27) whether to grant a new premises licence for Kaja Lounge, at 6 Harlestone Road, formerly home to Jimmy’s Rooftop Bar. The application, submitted by Saimer Hyka, seeks permission to sell alcohol from midday until 2am every day, alongside live and recorded music, late-night refreshment and opening hours until 2.30am.While no objections have been received from responsible authorities, including the police, three nearby residents have formally objected to the application.Kaya Lounge at 6 Harlestone RoadOne resident said they feared “excessive noise from the venue past any acceptable hour” from loud music, shouting and customers leaving in the early hours of the morning.The objector also raised concerns about light pollution, parking, public safety and antisocial behaviour, adding the venue would create “an unacceptable social environment for such a densely populated residential area” because of the sound, light and disruption it could bring.A second resident said previous music events at the premises “could be heard within nearby homes throughout the day time and into early hours of the morning”, adding there had been “little to no regard for the local community” over noise levels. They also said parking in the area is already limited and later opening hours would make the problem worse.A third objector said “sound will travel incredibly easily without the containment of standard walls and roofing” and warned the proposed opening hours would cause “severe sleep disruption to nearby residential properties”.They also said customers leaving at 2am would disturb nearby residents by shouting, slamming car doors and waiting for taxis, and urged councillors to restrict the venue’s hours, adding “11pm would be fair to the residents of St James”.A report prepared for the committee says the main issue for councillors is whether the application would undermine the licensing objective of preventing public nuisance.Councillors can grant the licence, grant it with conditions, remove some of the activities applied for or refuse the application. A decision must be made by the sub-committee within the period of five working days beginning the day on which the hearing was held.Continue Reading

July 24, 2026
Cambridgeshire Community Foundation surpasses £40million in grants to support local communities

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation is celebrating awarding more than £40million in grants to support communities since it was established in 2004.The foundation celebrated the milestone at a special event in July, supported by CCLA Investment Management and hosted by PEM, bringing together the current and former team, trustees, ambassadors and volunteers.President, vice presidents, staff, trustees, ambassadors and volunteers at the celebration event to mark Cambridgeshire Community Foundation surpassing £40million in grants awarded to support local communities. Picture: Cambridgeshire Community FoundationGrants have been distributed through a range of charitable funds established by organisations and individuals wishing to make a lasting difference in their community. The foundation has supported more than 3,000 charitable and community organisations, helping fund projects that improve health and wellbeing, support young people and older residents, strengthen connections, create opportunities for people facing disadvantages, and more.Its portfolio of over 70 funds includes partnerships with councils, philanthropists and businesses like The Cambridge Building Society, Birketts and Cheffins.Chief executive Michael O’Toole said: “Reaching £40million in grants awarded is a remarkable milestone, but what matters most is the difference that investment has made for people’s lives across Cambridgeshire.“Behind every pound granted is a story of local generosity creating local impact. This achievement belongs to our supporters, partners, volunteers, trustees, staff and community organisations who have worked alongside us over the past 22 years to address need and create opportunity. “We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved together, but we also know there is much more to do. Communities continue to face significant challenges. Cambridge remains one of the most unequal cities in the country, with a 12-year difference in life expectancy between the most and least deprived residents. We are also seeing many disparities across health, employment, education and more between the north and south of our county.“Our ambition is to grow local giving, build new partnerships, and ensure even more funding reaches the organisations making a difference on the ground. “As we celebrate this milestone, we remain firmly focused on the future and on supporting a thriving, resilient Cambridgeshire for generations to come.”Cambridgeshire Community Foundation staff celebrate surpassing £40million in grants awarded to support local communities. Picture: Cambridgeshire Community FoundationOne of the most recent grants that helped the foundation reach this milestone was awarded by The Cambridge Building Society Community Fund to Concrete Rose Collective CIC. The grant is helping to establish a ‘bank of mum and dad’ for care-experienced young people and care leavers facing financial barriers at critical moments in their lives.Its operations lead, Mike Farrington, said: “Most people have a ‘safety net’ of friends or family to turn to when they need a bit of extra financial support. That is not always the case for the young people we support.”Peter Burrows, CEO of The Cambridge, said: “Congratulations to Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for reaching this major milestone. Working together, we have pledged more than £400,000 to good causes and charitable projects – including innovative multi-year grants to support charities like Concrete Rose – to help tackle housing issues and deliver long-lasting change across the communities we serve.”For more on the foundation see cambscf.org.uk.

July 24, 2026
Hidemasa Morita ‘to join’ Hull as Forest ‘close to agreeing’ £34m Diomande deal, Fulham eye Garcia

Leeds United have two summer signings secured and are pushing on with further targets, drawing a line on Shea Charles while tracking James Trafford and Julian Brandt, according to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. Brandt’s father has visited Thorp Arch and alternatives are lined up.Japanese midfielder Hidemasa Morita is set to join Hull City on a free after leaving Sporting CP, BBC Radio Humberside reports. A deal is agreed, with other reports saying a medical is done.Earlier Leeds links were dismissed by club sources and even his agent was baffled, but Morita will be at Elland Road next season in Hull’s black and gold.Fabrizio Romano reports Nottingham Forest are close to a €40m (£34m) agreement for centre-back Ousmane Diomande, with Sporting lining up Ibrahima Ba as cover.Diomande was briefly linked to Leeds but, as a right-footer, did not fit the profile to replace Pascal Struijk. Leeds have since agreed a £34m deal for Tarik Muharemovic. If Forest complete the move soon, Diomande could debut against Leeds on Saturday 22 August at the City Ground.The Athletic reports Fulham have opened talks with Real Madrid over striker Gonzalo Garcia, with new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa driving the pursuit. Madrid are open to an exit, Jose Mourinho likes the 22-year-old but cannot guarantee minutes, and Garcia has 13 goals and seven assists in 51 games since 2023.Fulham need reinforcements, with Raul Jimenez leaving at contract expiry, last season’s top-scorer Wilson joining Leeds after rejecting new terms, and Rodrigo Muniz recently hindered by injury.

July 24, 2026
Stretch of M42 near Staffordshire closed after crash – emergency services on scene

The M42 southbound is closed between J10 (Tamworth) and J9 (Curdworth).A stretch of the M42 is closed as emergency services respond to the scene of a crash. National Highways have warned the southbound carriageway of the motorway between Junction 10 (Tamworth) and Junction 9 (Curdworth) is closed and that Warwickshire Police are at the scene this morning (July 24). In a statement, shared online at around 5.40am, a spokesperson for National Highways said: “The M42 southbound is closed between J10 (Tamworth) and J9 (Curdworth) following a serious collision involving a motorcycle and a car.M42 | Google Maps“Emergency services, including Warwickshire Police, are at the scene. Police have requested the carriageway be closed while they deal with the incident and carry out their investigations.“Drivers should expect long delays on the approach to the closure and are advised to allow extra time for their journeys or consider alternative routes where possible.”Road users are advised to follow the Solid Triangle diversion symbol on road signs. The diversion route is as follows:Exit the M42 at J10 and take the A5 westbound Watling Street.Continue along the A5 westbound to its junction with the A452, Bonehill Road.Take the exit to the A453 southbound and continue to its junction with the A446, Bassetts Pole.Take the exit to the A446 eastbound and continue to the M42 J9 to re-join.Emergency services have been contacted for a comment.Continue Reading

July 24, 2026
Arsenal, Man City & Real Madrid willing to match Liverpool’s €100m Yan Diomande transfer bid as RB Leipzig star awaits green light from PSG | Goal.com English Saudi Arabia

The race for Leipzig’s Diomande has escalated into a full-blown transfer war involving Europe’s elite. While Liverpool were the first to make a move with a formal €100 million offer that was ultimately rejected by the Bundesliga side, they are no longer the only ones willing to pay such a staggering figure.According to Bild, Arsenal are searching for reinforcements following the departure of Leandro Trossard, and Diomande has emerged as a primary target for Mikel Arteta. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Real Madrid are also monitoring the situation closely, aware that the Ivorian represents a generational talent.

July 24, 2026