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Why Wrexham captain James McClean has been allowed to bypass soccer rules about how to leave a pitch

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Why Wrexham captain James McClean has been allowed to bypass soccer rules about how to leave a pitch

Wrexham captain James McClean will be allowed to leave the pitch using the shortest route to the tunnel in a bid to improve his safety due to the supporter abuse he receives.

The English Football League (EFL) has written to the safety officers at all 72 of its clubs to inform them of McClean’s exemption, and the same process can be introduced for other players should they face similar incidents of abuse.

Substituted players have been required to leave the field of play via the nearest touchline or goal line following a law change brought in ahead of the 2019-20 season in a bid to address time-wasting.

The 35-year-old former Republic of Ireland international has regularly been the subject of abuse from opposition supporters while playing in England since declining to wear a poppy on Remembrance Sunday in 2012.

Multiple teams have been charged by the Football Association (FA) for misconduct following behaviour towards him, and he has claimed to be the subject of “more abuse than any other player in England”.

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The letter states it hopes the proposed substitution process will “help to reduce these incidents and also help to manage Mr McClean’s departure from the pitch without incident”.

In September, McClean appeared to have objects thrown at him from supporters situated in the home end at St Andrew’s as he left the pitch after being substituted in the 83rd minute of Wrexham’s defeat to Birmingham City.

The letter sent by the EFL and first reported by the Daily Mail reads: “You will be aware that James McClean is often on the receiving end of abuse from some sections of support. This has, in the past, resulted in FA sanctions against the club due to the chanting becoming racially, or religiously motivated and therefore, classed as a hate crime. Missiles have also been thrown.

“It has now been agreed that on occasions in the future when Mr McClean has to leave the field of play, for whatever reason, he will leave by the shortest route towards the tunnel.”

McClean was born and grew up in the Northern Ireland city of Derry, and does not wear a poppy on Remembrance Weekend because he feels it would be a mark of disrespect to his community over the Troubles and, in particular, Bloody Sunday, when 14 men, all Catholics, were shot dead by British soldiers during a protest march in 1972.

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In June 2023, Millwall were charged with three cases of misconduct by the FA over anti-Catholic chants aimed at McClean, then at Wigan Athletic, from sections of supporters during their Championship fixture.

Blackpool faced similar charges during the 2022-23 season and were fined £35,000 by the FA, after supporters were deemed to have behaved in a way that was “improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting with either express or implied reference to religion”.

Barnsley were fined £20,000 and told to implement an action plan in 2020 after a section of their supporters aimed anti-Catholic and anti-Irish chants at McClean during his time at Stoke City.

Kirk Broadfoot, then a defender for Rotherham United, was banned for ten matches after an FA commission found him guilty of using “abusive and/or insulting words” towards McClean in 2015.

McClean joined Wrexham from Wigan in 2023 following spells with Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland.

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James McClean, Wrexham’s new signing who suffers ‘more abuse than any other in England’

(Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

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Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to Miami attempted murder charge

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Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to Miami attempted murder charge

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Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge stemming from a May shooting in Miami.

Brown’s lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said in an email that he has already filed a written not guilty plea to the attempted murder charge. Brown could be in a Miami courtroom as early as Wednesday morning for a bond hearing, Eiglarsh said.

Eiglarsh said Brown was simply protecting himself from a person he had problems with before.

 

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 Antonio Brown attends his album release dinner at Panda on April 28, 2022 in New York City.  (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

“The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim’s violent behavior. Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself,” Eiglarsh said.

The charge stems from an event in Miami in May, with the alleged victim just so happening to be the same person who waved a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February.

Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu was arrested in June on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly, revealing a link between the shooting incident and the Super Bowl.

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Antonio Brown attends Friday’s at Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on February 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Several videos on social media showed Brown getting into a fight with multiple people following matches at an Adin Ross boxing event in May. The popular streamer hosted a 10-match card sponsored by Stake, Kick and Brand Risk Promotions.

One video showed Brown appearing to fight in a parking lot as a crowd moved toward an alley. Then a gunshot appeared to ring out, sending spectators running in the opposite direction.

Brown admitted that he had “slammed” one person’s security guard. He said he told one of the officers that he hadn’t done anything. The Washington Post reported the next month that a warrant was out for Brown’s arrest.

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Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts with Antonio Brown #81 during the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 26, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The former NFL star has had multiple legal issues in the past. He was sued in 2019 over allegations of rape and sexual misconduct, which he eventually settled with his accuser. He pleaded no contest to felony battery and burglary charges in June 2020. Brown was arrested again in 2023 over allegations of unpaid child support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Combate Global MMA franchise to move production to Burbank from Miami

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Combate Global MMA franchise to move production to Burbank from Miami

In a small win for California’s film and TV industry, mixed martial arts franchise Combate Global will relocate production from Miami to Burbank.

The franchise, which will air on Spanish-language network Estrella TV after a six-year run on Univision, will film 20 live events at Estrella’s new networks studio, starting in February. That space seats 500 people and has been used to film the talent competition show “Tengo Talento Mucho Talento.”

The franchise wanted to relocate to Southern California because of the bigger media market, said Campbell McLaren, chief executive of Combate Global and co-creator of the UFC.

The move is expected to create about 60 jobs, and is estimated to have an economic impact of more than $1 million on an annual basis for the 20 shows, which is up from the eight produced this year, he said.

“It’s a bigger market, access to more talent, access to more behind-the-camera talent, access to more on-camera talent,” McLaren said. “We feel we’re making a big, big step.”

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The move also allows the franchise to target the large Mexican American market in L.A. — Combate Global currently has its largest viewership in Mexico — as well as others who have not been as exposed to the mixed martial arts events, such as the Korean community. The sport’s Japan vs. Mexico nights have also been popular and could find broad appeal in in L.A., McLaren said.

“It’s a move to super serve our core audience,” he said. “We’re going to have real audience traction.”

The news comes as California tries to lure film and television productions back to the Golden State after many have relocated to other states and countries in search of more lucrative tax incentives.

Over the summer, state legislators bulked up the state’s film and TV tax credit program and agreed to more than double the annual amount allocated to it. So far, dozens of projects have been awarded tax credits, including 22 series and 52 movies. (Combate Global did not receive a tax credit because sports do not qualify for the program.)

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Eagles grind out low-scoring victory over Packers to win third straight game

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Eagles grind out low-scoring victory over Packers to win third straight game

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It was another primetime slog for the NFL, but the Philadelphia Eagles don’t mind coming away with a 10-7 victory on “Monday Night Football.”

The Eagles improved to 7-2 on the season as they came off their bye week and earned a road victory. Meanwhile, the Packers have lost back-to-back home games to fall to 5-3-1.

It was the first time since the Houston Texans and New York Jets met on Dec. 23, 2023, that an NFL game was scoreless at halftime. And the final result was the same as the Denver Broncos-Las Vegas Raiders game on “Thursday Night Football,” which kicked off the Week 10 slate. 

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Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

The Eagles finally broke through on the opening drive of the second half, as Jalen Hurts connected with Dallas Goedert on multiple passes to reach the red zone. The drive stalled after a delay of game on third-and-long, leading to a 39-yard Jake Elliott field goal.

Given how the game was going, a 3-0 lead felt much larger than usual. But the Eagles eventually found the end zone in the fourth quarter after Saquon Barkley caught a short pass near the line of scrimmage on third-and-7.

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Barkley signaled to Hurts, knowing he had daylight if he could make one Packers defender miss. He hit a quick spin move, stayed in stride and sprinted down the left sideline. With A.J. Brown blocking in front, Barkley appeared to have a chance to score until his former New York Giants teammate Xavier McKinney brought him down after a 41-yard gain.

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Just one play later, Hurts dropped back and took his first deep shot of the game — and it paid off. DeVonta Smith timed his jump perfectly, hauling in a 36-yard touchdown pass over Packers safety Evan Williams to make it 10-0 after Elliott’s extra point.

The Packers, who had been shut out despite multiple trips into Eagles territory, knew they had to respond. Jordan Love led an 11-play drive capped by Josh Jacobs’ six-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to three.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is tackled by. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) in the second half at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025. (Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images)

With momentum on their side, the Packers got the stop they needed to give Love one final chance. Starting at their own 10-yard line, Green Bay faced a crucial fourth-and-1 at its own 44. Jacobs fumbled under pressure behind the line, and Philadelphia recovered. Even if Jacobs had converted, an illegal formation penalty would have negated the play.

The Eagles chose to go for it on fourth-and-6 after forcing the Packers to use their timeouts. Though Brown appeared to have a chance at a game-sealing touchdown, Hurts’ pass was underthrown, giving Green Bay a slim chance for a last-second drive.

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Love moved the offense just far enough to set up a 64-yard field goal attempt that would have been the longest ever made at Lambeau Field. But Brandon McManus missed badly, and the Eagles celebrated as frustrated murmurs echoed through the Green Bay crowd.

In the box score, Love — playing without tight end Tucker Kraft for the remainder of the season and losing receiver Romeo Doubs to injury midway through the game — finished 19-of-32 for 158 yards. Jacobs rushed for 75 yards on 21 carries.

DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a 36 yard touchdown pass against Evan Williams of the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

For the Eagles, Hurts went 15-of-26 for 183 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 27 yards. Barkley was limited to 60 rushing yards on 22 carries but contributed the 41-yard catch-and-run that set up the score. Smith led all receivers with four receptions for 69 yards and the lone touchdown.

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