Gore dies: Sylvia Gore, who was England’s first goalscorer in women’s international football, has died at the age of 71. The FA and Manchester City Women, the club for which she became an ambassador in March, announced Gore’s death yesterday. Gore made history on November 18, 1972, netting the opening goal in a 3-2 victory over Scotland as England played their first official match.
West Bank clubs: Members of the European Parliament called on FIFA to act against Israeli clubs based in settlements in the occupied West Bank and prevent them from participating in officially sanctioned play. Sixty-six members of the 751-member European Parliament signed a letter addressed to FIFA urging action at next month’s FIFA Council meetings. The five clubs the MEPs referred to as being in breach of FIFA rules are all minor, non-professional outfits.
Butland: Stoke manager Mark Hughes has confirmed that goalkeeper Jack Butland will be out of action for at least 10 weeks after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury. “All reports are that (Butland’s) operation went really well,” Hughes said. “It’s a little bit of scar tissue that was restricting movement of his tendon. It will be 10 weeks until we see him.”
Baston: Swansea hope record signing Borja Baston will feature for the first time at home to Chelsea tomorrow. The striker has struggled with a thigh injury since his £15.5 million move from Atletico Madrid but he could make the bench alongside new central defender Alfie Mawson, who joined from Barnsley.
Probe: UEFA is investigating the Greek match-fixing allegations surrounding the man who is trying to buy Nottm Forest, Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis. He denies the charges and claims the public prosecutor is biased against the perennial Greek champions. Marinakis, who spent £60m on one of Greece’s four main TV channels last weekend, has been in talks with Forest’s Kuwaiti owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi for several months.
FA Trophy: First round – Kalkara vs Għajnsielem 2-3; Nadur vs Għarb 7-1; Msida vs Luqa 1-0.
Championship: Reading vs Ipswich Town 2-1.