Football fans are being given the chance to join a choir singing the traditional hymn ‘Abide With Me’ before this year’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
The BBC’s Songs Of Praise is planning to put together a choir with one fan representing each of the 64 teams which made it to the third round of the competition.
Fans are being urged to give their personal memories, such as witnessing a giant-killing, with a panel of judges choosing the best stories.
Abide With Me was first sung at the FA Cup final in 1927.
Mackay-Steven seals Celtic switch
Celtic boss Ronny Deila began preparing for next season by signing Dundee United winger Gary Mackay-Steven on a pre-contract agreement.
The Parkhead side confirmed yesterday that the 24-year-old Scotland cap will join the Scottish champions this summer.
Mackay-Steven, who started his career with Ross County, made his first-team debut for United in July 2011, and has gone on to make almost 130 appearances for the Tayside club.
Dundee United claimed the player had rejected several attempts to extend his contract.
South Korea upset Asian Cup hosts
South Korea upset Australia 1-0 at the Asian Cup on Saturday to top the Group A standings and secure a potentially easier path to the final while leaving the host nation facing a treacherous route.
Striker Lee Jeong-hyeop scored a perfectly-executed goal in the first half to give his team a surprise lead then the Koreans held on against a wave of Australian attacks to clinch the victory.
The win meant South Korea finished at the top of the Group A standings with three wins and will play either Uzbekistan or Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals.
As Group A runners-up, Australia will play the Group B winners China with the defending champions Japan lurking as a possible semi-finalist.
Hammers speaking to new sponsors
West Ham say they are in talks with potential new sponsors after current backer Alpari UK went bust.
The foreign exchange broker’s clients racked up huge losses in the wake of Switzerland’s shock move to abandon the country’s peg to the euro.
West Ham said they would not be affected by the company’s collapse.
“The board would like to reassure supporters that Alpari (UK) Limited’s situation will have no impact on West Ham United.
“The club remains in a strong financial position. The club has received huge interest and is already in advanced discussions with potential new shirt sponsors for next year.”
Lopez likely to feature for Torino
Maxi Lopez will feature for Torino in today’s Serie A clash at bottom side Cesena.
The Argentinian forward made his debut with Torino coming on as a substitute in Wednesday’s 3-1 home defeat to Lazio, a result that saw the Maroons crash out of the Coppa Italia.
“Lopez showed the right spirit,” coach Giampiero Ventura said.
“He is a good signing. I’m sure he will give us a helping hand.”
Lopez, who joined Torino on a permanent transfer from Chievo last week, is hoping to spark the club’s season into life.
“I want to repay the trust shown by the club with good performances on the pitch,” the 30-year-old said.
“I hope I can score many goals to help the team finish high up in the standings.”
Sampdoria edge closer to Eto’o
Champions League berth chasing Sampdoria are on the verge of signing Everton striker Samuel Eto’o.
The Cameroon forward has reportedly agreed to join the Genoa outfit on a 18-month contract while he has reduced his wages by 40 per cent in order to return to Serie A.
“Eto’o has chosen to move to Genoa and he is really charged up,” Eto’o’s representative Claudio Vigorelli told the Italian press.
“His family lives in Milan and he wants to be close by. He dreams of playing in a team like the Genoa outfit where he would like to end his career.
“In the past few hours he received an offer from (Brazilian side) Santos which was more advantageous from a financial standpoint but Samuel is not interested.”
Milan sign Suso from Liverpool
Milan have signed Liverpool’s little-used Spanish winger Suso, the Premier League club confirmed yesterday.
The 21-year-old moves to Italy for an undisclosed fee with British media reports claiming he has signed a four-year-deal with the Serie A club.
Suso failed to establish himself at Liverpool after joining in 2010, making 21 appearances for the club, and spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Almeria in Spain.
Filippo Inzaghi’s Milan are eighth in the league table, five points adrift of third-placed Lazio and a Champions League qualifying place.