Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is one of many calling for VAR to be scrapped after yet another night of controversy in the Champions League and for Manchester United.
Man United saw what looked like it was going to be a convincing and much-needed win against FC Copenhagen after taking an early 2-0 lead on Wednesday night turn into yet more questionable officiating as Marcus Rashford received a very dubious red card.
After being dismissed by referee Donatas Rumsas, the Red Devils were facing nearly an hour of playing with nine men after a pitch invader, a medical emergency in the crowd and an injury to Johnny Evans saw a whopping 13 minutes added time tacked onto the first half.
No way is that a red card for Rashford! Hate these slow motion replays & still images that make everything look 10 times worse. #Champions_League#COPMUN
Carragher was vocal on VAR and the referee’s performances throughout the United vs Copenhagen game.
Speaking on the sending-off, the likes of ex-United players Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves said, “Not in a million years,” and, “They have to stop re-refereeing these games like that because it’s ruining it. That’s where the game changed…”
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Going on to explain that Rashford was simply “planting his leg down and protecting the ball”, Scholes went on to insist that it was “not a nasty challenge and totally accidental”, adding that “the referee’s understanding of the game has to come into question.”
But the chaos didn’t stop there — not even close — as still playing inside the extended first half, Harry Maguire was simply unfortunate enough to see the ball bounce off his arm and the referee point to the spot for what wouldn’t be the first time on the night as Bruno Fernandes went on to benefit from the same decision at the other end 20 minutes later.
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The handball rule has virtually become any contact with the arm, whether accidental or not, leading to a penalty these days and despite protests from both teams, Diogo Gonçalves converted his spot-kick to equalise before Fernandes did the same to put United back ahead, leading Carra to once again chime in with a call for the increasingly divisive refereeing system to be binned off entirely.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 The game has gone! Get rid of VAR, that’s a disgrace. #ChampionsLeague
Many called Carragher out for being a hypocrite after defending VAR just this past weekend.
Erik ten Hag‘s side ultimately went on to concede two more following defensive mistakes from Diogo Dalot and Raphael Varane but, in his mind, the first two shouldn’t have stood in the first place either.
Not only did the Dutchman point out that the penalty was typically harsh (as he argued has often been the case for them this season) but that a player was stood in front of keeper André Onana for the first goal — the same reason Scott McTominay’s goal was chalked off at the weekend.
Speaking to TNT Sport post-match, ten Hag said his team played some of their best football in the opening 25 minutes or so and were the victims of bad luck once again, insisting that the tide will turn.
“Not only tonight. We have to deal with many decisions against us in other games” 🫣
Posting on X, football writer Kaustubh Pandey argued: “VAR has now lost so much accountability in the eyes of a normal fan in this rush to black/white every important football decision and to go the theoretical way in a very practical sport. It will now never fulfil the original purpose.”
United now have just three points in their opening four games of this year’s UCL having conceded a penalty in each of them and now having lost nine of their opening 17 matches for the first time since the 1973/74 season — the last season they were relegated.
The club is breaking lots of unwanted records under ten Hag but with VAR having resulted in a minus-five in net goal score in the Prem alone, it’s understandable that most Reds feel like so many decisions are going against them at the moment. United fan or not, do you agree with Carragher — would you get rid of VAR?
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You can watch all the highlights of Man United’s Champions League meltdown below:
United can now only qualify if they win their remaining two games and the Danish side beat both Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run returns this summer with three new routes
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this summer, and this year, there’s three new routes to run.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo saw success with similar sold-out events in 2023 and 2024, and is now looking for 2,500 runners to sign up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences when it returns later this year – with all funds raised from the popular event going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.
Participants will this year take on a brand-new route winding through more of the zoo than ever before, and enjoying glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.
Chester Zoo is inviting runners of all abilities to take part this year, as there’s a new 5km run added to the usual 10km route, and even a one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged four-15.
With only 2,500 places up for grabs, organisers say the event is expected to sell out quickly, just like it has the past two years, as runners race to support a very special cause.
All proceeds from this year’s Run For Nature in September will go directly towards protecting Nubian giraffes in East Africa – a species which has seen drastic population declines in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run is returning this summer with three new routes / Credit: Chester Zoo
Runners will receive a wooden medal at the finish line and free entry to the zoo for the remainder of the day, so they can relax and celebrate their achievement among 30,000 amazing animals.
If that didn’t all sound brilliant enough as it is, top fundraisers from the day will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes too, including annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions, and even special behind-the-scenes zoo experiences.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Run For Nature for a third incredible year,” explained Sarah Jones, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
“We’ve now doubled the distance runners spend inside the zoo, so they’ll pass by even more iconic animals, [making it] a really special experience you won’t get anywhere else.”
Run For Nature is back at Chester Zoo this Sunday 21 September, and you can find out more and sign up to take part here.
Danny Jones -
9th November 2023 
