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Harry Kane insisted England should be proud of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign despite a flat end to the year with a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia. England topped their group, finishing six points ahead of Italy, to book their place in Germany with two games to spare. Kane told Channel 4: “Difficult game, we knew it would be and it was tough against a decent side playing on a pitch that is difficult to play our style of football on. “We went 1-0 behind against the run of play with a soft penalty. It was good to get on the pitch. It was important for us to get a goal back and a shame we couldn’t get a second.” England equalised seconds after Kane came on as a substitute and pressured Jani Atanasov into scoring an own goal. “I’m pretty sure it was an own goal,” he added. “If anyone was going to get a second it was us. “We can be really proud of how the qualifying campaign has gone.” Kyle Walker captained England from the start, with Manchester City team-mate Rico Lewis making his debut a day before his 19th birthday. “I think after the qualifying we’ve had it was always going to be tough here but we dug in and got a point,” Walker told Channel 4. “It’s football. It’s been a short week, two games when we’ve already qualified. It’s no excuses, we know we should be taking three points from here but it’s something to work on for the future.” Lewis was harshly penalised for the penalty which led to North Macedonia’s opening goal. Enis Bardhi saw his spot-kick saved by Jordan Pickford but was first to the rebound to lash his side ahead “The man to my right has probably received an unfair decision there,” added Walker. “He deserves this cap and happy birthday for tomorrow.” Lewis said: “Overall I’m very happy – not with the decision that went against me – but I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better. I’m not really focused on any tournaments, just on myself and what I can do to get better.” Boss Gareth Southgate thought the penalty decision against Lewis was “really harsh”. “He was excellent,” Southgate told Channel 4. “His composure with the ball and the way he responded to that really harsh setback, he’s a super footballer and he was excellent.” It was not the end to the qualifying campaign Southgate wanted, but he added: “The really big results were in March against Italy and Ukraine. It meant coming here tonight was a completely different test. “I thought that given we had already qualified and everything had been achieved the mentality of the players was excellent. “The quality on the ball was good on a difficult pitch. Just that final pass or finish was difficult to find. But I thought there were lots of positive performances.” Read More Phil Taylor to retire from darts at the end of next year Everton’s 10-point penalty ‘grossly unjust’ and should be suspended, says MP Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans

England toiled to a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign came to a lacklustre close. Gareth Southgate’s side secured qualification to next summer’s finals in Germany last month and a forgettable draw in Skopje was at least enough to confirm them among the top seeds for December’s draw. Debutant Rico Lewis endured a night to forget at the Tose Proeski Arena as he conceded a controversial first-half penalty which Jordan Pickford saved before Enis Bardhi turned home the rebound. Captain Harry Kane came off the bench and played a part in the leveller as Jani Atanasov scored an own goal but England failed to find a winner. England showed six changes from the team that limped to a 2-0 win over Malta on Friday night as Kyle Walker captained his country for the first time – but it was another disjointed display from a team Southgate is aiming to lead to the top of the world rankings. Declan Rice was among those to come back into the starting line-up but, having called on England to conclude their unbeaten 2023 with a “bang” it instead ended with a whimper. England were as toothless in the first half as they had been in the drab victory over Malta on Friday night, although Rice did come close to opening the scoring with a low strike that cannoned off the base of the post. A tame header from Ollie Watkins followed before the hosts started to get a foothold, mainly due to England’s own poor defending. Midway through the half and Harry Maguire gifted possession to Bojan Miovski, who slipped in Eljif Elmas. Manchester United defender Maguire then seemed to barge Elmas off the ball inside the box but no penalty was forthcoming despite the protestations of the home side. However, Macedonia would be awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the break, Lewis’ stray hand catching Miovski as he attempted to head clear, with referee Filip Glova pointing to the spot after consulting his pitchside VAR monitor. Pickford made a fine stop to keep out Bardhi’s spot-kick but the Macedonia skipper was alive enough to turn home the rebound. England had been as blunt as the side that toiled against Malta three days ago and it took until first-half stoppage time for the visitors to have a shot on target, albeit a tame effort from Lewis. Trent Alexander-Arnold then stung the palms of Stole Dimitrievski and, in the last action of the half, England were left calling for a penalty of their own as Maguire stooped to meet the resulting corner and was caught by Elmas’ boot – this time, though, Glova was unmoved. England thought they were level less than two minutes after the restart but Jack Grealish saw a close-range finish ruled out for offside following another lengthy VAR check. Watkins, given a chance to once again show he has the capabilities to be the back-up to Kane at the Euros, had an ineffectual evening and was replaced by the skipper for the final quarter of the contest. Kane – who was missing from the starting XI of a competitive England game for the first time in over two years – was immediately involved, his run to meet Phil Foden’s corner saw him tracked by Atanasov, who inadvertently deflected the set-piece into his own goal. Southgate shuffled his pack as Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer and Kalvin Phillips came on in the closing stages but, other than a wayward free-kick from the former, there were no real chances for England to seal victory. Macedonia head coach Blagoja Milevski had said on the eve of the contest that his side would show a “new face” from the one thrashed 7-0 at Old Trafford in June and they certainly put England’s nose out of joint here. Southgate will call for an improved performance in the two March friendlies when Brazil and Belgium visit Wembley but it was ultimately another successful, and unbeaten, qualification campaign under the 53-year-old. Read More North Macedonia vs England LIVE: Euro 2024 qualifier result and reaction Gareth Southgate wants vastly-improved display from England in North Macedonia Jarrod Bowen adds to England withdrawals after injury in training Kieran Trippier withdraws from England squad ahead of trip to North Macedonia Lauren James brilliance sinks Liverpool as five-star Chelsea take control of WSL I always want more for myself – Phil Foden targets England goals and assists

Northern Ireland saved their best until last as they ended a miserable Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on a high note with a 2-0 win over Group H winners Denmark. Second-half goals from Isaac Price and Dion Charles got Windsor Park roaring again as Northern Ireland recorded only their third win of the year, and the first against anyone other than San Marino. The match was effectively a dead rubber – Northern Ireland’s hopes of progressing to next summer’s finals were over by the summer while Denmark booked their ticket with a 2-1 win over Slovenia on Friday night – but this was a much-needed win for Michael O’Neill’s men after a testing few months. The injury problems that have plagued them from the very start continued to the bitter end with Daniel Ballard ruled out of this one, but the young players O’Neill has had to lean on so heavily should take great encouragement from a win over the top-ranked nation in Group H. Victory came thanks to two fine goals. On the hour, Jamal Lewis spun away from his man and ran down the left, playing the ball inside to Dion Charles who shuffled it on to Shea Charles. The Southampton man then saw the run of Price, whose shot beat Kasper Schmeichel at his near post. Then with nine minutes left Conor McMenamin, just on as a substitute, burst down the left, beat Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen and played a low ball across goal for Dion Charles to sweep home. At the other end, it was a good night too for Conor Hazard. O’Neill had been unhappy with how the Plymouth goalkeeper had conceded the second goal in Friday’s 4-0 loss to Finland, but the stand-in stopper came up with two big saves in the first half here, then another in stoppage time. O’Neill had made three changes from Friday’s heavy defeat. Ciaron Brown replaced the injured Ballard, Dale Taylor came in for Ross McCausland and Shea Charles returned from suspension at the expense of Jordan Thompson. As they did in Helsinki, Northern Ireland began well, and they were gifted a golden opportunity eight minutes in when Rasmus Kristensen’s poor header fell into the path of Dion Charles only for the Bolton striker to see his shot rattle the far post. Eoin Toal then headed wide from a deep cross, but gradually Denmark, sporting seven changes from Friday’s win as Kasper Hjulmand assessed some of his squad players, began to exert control and the spark went out of Northern Ireland’s performance. Hazard watched Morten Hjulmand’s half-volley fly over the crossbar before Mohamed Daramy cut in from the left to hit a shot which perhaps struck Paddy McNair on the arm although the Middlesbrough man, wearing the captain’s armband, had his hands across his chest. Hazard made a reaction save to deny Andersen from a corner, and then used less orthodox methods to keep out a long-range effort from ex-Chelsea man Andreas Christiansen, diving to his right and then kicking it clear after it took a deflection off Toal. The crowd had gone quiet as Denmark bossed play, but it all changed in the second half. Toal had headed narrowly wide from a Lewis cross just before Price finished off Northern Ireland’s best move of the night, perhaps of the entire campaign, to wake Windsor Park from its slumbers. Denmark substitute Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg blasted a shot wide soon after, but McMenamin then came off the bench to tee up the decisive second. After Hazard made another good save to deny Jonas Wind, the match-winner in Copenhagen back in June, in stoppage time the final whistle was greeted with a huge cheer as the frustrations of a long campaign were expunged. Read More Northern Ireland keen to go out on high note against Denmark – 5 talking points England continue unbeaten Euro 2024 qualifying run with victory over Malta Michael O’Neill urges Northern Ireland to stick to plan Finland put Northern Ireland to the sword in Helsinki Jarell Quansah keen to become ‘top centre-back’ after Liverpool breakthrough On this day in 2004: John Toshack becomes Wales boss on five-year deal

England toiled to a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign came to a lacklustre close. Gareth Southgate’s side secured qualification to next summer’s finals in Germany last month and a forgettable draw in Skopje was at least enough to confirm them among the top seeds for December’s draw. Debutant Rico Lewis endured a night to forget at the Tose Proeski Arena as he conceded a controversial first-half penalty which Jordan Pickford saved before Enis Bardhi turned home the rebound. Captain Harry Kane came off the bench and played a part in the leveller as Jani Atanasov scored an own goal but England failed to find a winner. England showed six changes from the team that limped to a 2-0 win over Malta on Friday night as Kyle Walker captained his country for the first time – but it was another disjointed display from a team Southgate is aiming to lead to the top of the world rankings. Declan Rice was among those to come back into the starting line-up but, having called on England to conclude their unbeaten 2023 with a “bang” it instead ended with a whimper. England were as toothless in the first half as they had been in the drab victory over Malta on Friday night, although Rice did come close to opening the scoring with a low strike that cannoned off the base of the post. A tame header from Ollie Watkins followed before the hosts started to get a foothold, mainly due to England’s own poor defending. Midway through the half and Harry Maguire gifted possession to Bojan Miovski, who slipped in Eljif Elmas. Manchester United defender Maguire then seemed to barge Elmas off the ball inside the box but no penalty was forthcoming despite the protestations of the home side. However, Macedonia would be awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the break, Lewis’ stray hand catching Miovski as he attempted to head clear, with referee Filip Glova pointing to the spot after consulting his pitchside VAR monitor. Pickford made a fine stop to keep out Bardhi’s spot-kick but the Macedonia skipper was alive enough to turn home the rebound. England had been as blunt as the side that toiled against Malta three days ago and it took until first-half stoppage time for the visitors to have a shot on target, albeit a tame effort from Lewis. Trent Alexander-Arnold then stung the palms of Stole Dimitrievski and, in the last action of the half, England were left calling for a penalty of their own as Maguire stooped to meet the resulting corner and was caught by Elmas’ boot – this time, though, Glova was unmoved. England thought they were level less than two minutes after the restart but Jack Grealish saw a close-range finish ruled out for offside following another lengthy VAR check. Watkins, given a chance to once again show he has the capabilities to be the back-up to Kane at the Euros, had an ineffectual evening and was replaced by the skipper for the final quarter of the contest. Kane – who was missing from the starting XI of a competitive England game for the first time in over two years – was immediately involved, his run to meet Phil Foden’s corner saw him tracked by Atanasov, who inadvertently deflected the set-piece into his own goal. Southgate shuffled his pack as Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer and Kalvin Phillips came on in the closing stages but, other than a wayward free-kick from the former, there were no real chances for England to seal victory. Macedonia head coach Blagoja Milevski had said on the eve of the contest that his side would show a “new face” from the one thrashed 7-0 at Old Trafford in June and they certainly put England’s nose out of joint here. Southgate will call for an improved performance in the two March friendlies when Brazil and Belgium visit Wembley but it was ultimately another successful, and unbeaten, qualification campaign under the 53-year-old. Read More Phil Taylor to retire from darts at the end of next year Everton’s 10-point penalty ‘grossly unjust’ and should be suspended, says MP Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans

England conclude their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign as they travel to face North Macedonia on Monday night. Gareth Southgate’s side laboured to a 2-0 win against lowly Malta at Wembley on Friday night and will be looking for a much-improved performance in what is one of their last competitive fixtures before next summer in Germany. Follow North Macedonia vs England LIVE North Macedonia sit fourth in Group C although they gave Italy a scare on Friday night before eventually fading to a 5-2 defeat to leave the Azzurri on the brink of qualification for Euro 2024. Here’s everything you need to know. Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is North Macedonia vs England? North Macedonia vs England is due to kick off at 7.45pm GMT tonight, Monday 20 November, at the National Arena Tose Proeski in Skopje. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Channel 4, with coverage on the channel from 7pm GMT. A live stream will be available via the Channel 4 website and app. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news Gareth Southgate has had to deal with a host of injuries in this camp with Jude Bellingham, James Maddison, Levi Colwill, Callum Wilson and Lewis Dunk all pulling out, while Kalvin Phillips was unavailable for personal reasons. Kieran Tripper has since also departed the squad due to a personal matter, Jarrod Bowen is injured, while Marcus Rashford might not be risked on Monday after being substituted following a collision with Trent Alexander-Arnold in the game against Malta. North Macedonia head coach Blagoja Milevski, meanwhile, may look to rotate his team following their defeat against Italy, with Jani Atanasov - scorer of a brace off the bench against Italy - potentially in line for a start. Predicted line-ups North Macedonia XI: Dimitrievski, Ashkovski, Serafimov, Musliu, Dimoski, Atanasov, Elezi, Alioski, Ristovski, Bardhi, Elmas. England XI: Pickford; Walker, Konsa, Maguire, Lewis; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Gallagher; Grealish, Kane, Saka. Odds North Macedonia win 18/1 Draw 13/2 Malta win 1/7 Prediction A much-improved England performance, albeit against sterner opposition. North Macedonia 1-4 England. Read More North Macedonia vs England LIVE: Euro 2024 qualifier latest updates Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Gareth Southgate wants vastly-improved display from England in North Macedonia Jarrod Bowen adds to England withdrawals after injury in training Kieran Trippier withdraws from England squad ahead of trip to North Macedonia Is Scotland vs Norway on TV? Channel, time and how to watch

England have travelled to Skopje for their final outing of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign as they take on North Macedonia this evening. The Three Lions are hoping to see out qualifying without a loss as they are unbeaten through their seven matches so far, winning six and drawing once against Ukraine. They have already secured a place at the tournament in Germany next summer and are guaranteed to finish top of Group C. Gareth Southgate’s side defeated Malta 2-0 at Wembley on Friday night but they were sluggish and disjointed throughout meaning the manager will be looking for a much-improved performance in tonight’s contest. North Macedonia sit fourth in the group having only beaten Malta so far. Earlier in the campaign they drew 1-1 with Italy and put up a good fight against the European champions last time out before fading to a 5-2 defeat. With home advantage on their side as well, the hosts will make things challenging for England if they are not at their best. Follow all the action from this Euro 2024 qualifier below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Thanksgiving is a food-focused occasion, with friends and families gathering to gorge on traditional dishes such as roast turkey, stuffing, sweet potato and pumpkin pie. For those who follow vegan or vegetarian diets, it can therefore be quite difficult to navigate the dinner table when the annual harvest holiday comes around. Fortunately, there are numerous vegan and vegetarian alternatives to the traditional animal-based offerings. From lentil loaf to pumpkin pie, here are some of the best vegan and vegetarian recipes for you to try this Thanksgiving: Starters Stuffed mini pumpkins Make the most of the proclivity of pumpkins that have been grown over the autumn with this inventive recipe by Tieghan Gerard, creator of Half Baked Harvest. In her recipe, Gerard stuffs the pumpkins with nutty wild rice and shredded Brussels sprouts, before roasting them in the oven. Gerard recommends baking the pumpkins for around 10 to 20 minutes before serving them hot for all the family to enjoy. Grain-filled soup For a healthy soup with a burst of flavour, try this spicy grain soup recipe by chef Mary Ellen Diaz, from the First Slice soup kitchen. This soup recipe combines ingredients including barley, brown rice, bulgur, garlic, chilies, shiitake mushrooms and black beans for a healthy concoction. Arugula and wild rice salad Kathryne Taylor, creator of popular vegetarian food blog Cookie and Kate, has created a recipe for an arugula and wild rice salad that will provide your Thanksgiving guests with a refreshing and tasty start to their meal. This salad features ingredients including wild rice, almonds, arugula, cranberries, crumbled feta and honey syrup. Mains Butternut squash risotto Butternut squash is a quintessentially autumnal ingredient, perfectly apt for the Thanksgiving table. This Everyday Food recipe shared by Martha Stewart takes 45 minutes to make and combines Arborio rice with garlic cloves, olive oil, fresh thyme, white wine, vegetable broth and butternut squash. Jumbo stuffed pasta shells Angela Liddon, founder of Oh She Glows, specialises in creating inventive and delicious plant-based recipes. This recipe for pasta shells stuffed with an assortment of vegetables and fresh herbs was inspired by Terry Walters, author of the Clean Food cookbook. Liddon uses tofu to create a vegan mixture that tastes like ricotta, which she uses to stuff the pasta shells. Glazed lentil, walnut and apple loaf Another recipe that Liddon has adapted from Walters is the glazed lentil walnut and apple loaf, a dish that will provide Thanksgiving guests with a treat that's both savoury and sweet. Liddon combines ingredients including uncooked green lentils, finely chopped walnuts, garlic cloves, diced sweet onions and raisins among others to create the unconventional loaf. Desserts Vegan pumpkin pie It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a serving of pumpkin pie. Jessica Hylton-Leckie, founder of vegan food blog Jessica in the Kitchen, has devised a vegan pumpkin pie recipe that's sugar-free, gluten-free and made with all natural ingredients. Cranberry apple crisp Make the most of fresh autumn fruits with this innovative vegan and gluten-free cranberry apple crisp recipe by Jessica in the Kitchen. The dessert dish is best served warm with a dollop of dairy-free ice cream added on top. Vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies These vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies look mouth-wateringly good and are likely to delight friends and family galore. Hylton-Leckie uses a combination of vegan cream cheese, pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and an egg yolk substitute for the pumpkin cheesecake swirl portion of the recipe. The vegan brownie is made from vegan chocolate chips, oat flour, sea salt, baking soda, flax eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, water and vanilla extract. Read More Vegetarian and vegan alternatives to classic Thanksgiving recipes Does turkey really make you tired? Best time to host Thanksgiving dinner Martha Stewart reveals why she ‘cancelled’ Thanksgiving this year Why do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? Full list of US 2023 federal holiday dates From a race to a movie day, Friendsgiving celebrations that aren’t a sit-down dinner

Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro 2024. Wales must overcome Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday and hope Croatia do not beat Armenia in order to secure a top-two spot in Group D. The Dragons are guaranteed a play-off place in March but it is not a route Wales want to tread, with Page and Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, addressing the topic with the players ahead of the sell-out Cardiff City Stadium clash. Page said: “We’re having no talk of play-offs. If we’re talking play-offs, we may as well call the game off on Tuesday. That’s our mentality and attitude. “We’re fully focused on the job we’ve got and we don’t want any regrets when that final whistle goes. “We were aware that (play-offs) would be the talking point because of the disappointment of the Armenia game. “I addressed that at a meeting with the players and I got Mitch to speak about it as well. “We’re not admitting defeat and thinking ‘why not?’ because potentially we can qualify if the other result goes our way. “What I don’t want to do is walk off at the end of the game, the result’s gone for us, and we could have taken charge of it.” Wales had automatic qualification in their own hands before Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Armenia when Page’s side were perhaps fortunate to return home with a point. Croatia took advantage by winning 2-0 in Latvia to move into second spot behind already-qualified Turkey. Page suggested that he would be kept informed of events in the Croatia game in Zagreb on Tuesday as Wales seek to bounce back from their disappointing weekend performance. Luton defender Tom Lockyer is expected to replace the suspended Chris Mepham and make his first competitive appearance since September 2021. Brennan Johnson and Daniel James could also return to sharpen up the attack against opponents who beat Wales 2-0 in June and warmed up for their trip to Cardiff by beating Germany 3-2 in a Berlin friendly on Saturday. Page said: “What we do need, from minute one, is energy. “Off the back of (Turkey’s) result against Germany and the threat they pose, we have to have energy in that team. “This is the first time in a while that we’ve had two competitive games in quick succession. “We’re not blessed with a pool of players coming in that are not playing too much domestically. “There potentially could be changes, or at least coming off the bench and having an impact.” Wales are attempting to make a fourth major tournament in five and qualified for the last two – Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup – on emotion-charged nights at the Cardiff City Stadium. Skipper Ben Davies said: “We’ve put in some amazing performances in Cardiff over the years, and we’ve had some special nights there. “We’re not panicking as a group, we still have a chance. Our job is pretty simple, we have to win our game. “Playing in major tournaments for your country is the pinnacle and that dream is still there.” Read More Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach

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Barcelona midfielder Gavi has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club have confirmed. The 19-year-old suffered the injury playing for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia on Sunday, limping off the pitch in the opening 25 minutes. Barca said in a statement that tests carried out on Monday morning have shown he has “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus”. He will undergo surgery in the coming days. The extent of the injury is a big blow for Barcelona, who are currently third in LaLiga, with Gavi having established himself as a key player in their squad since making his debut at 17 years old in August 2021, making 111 appearances already. He won the league title with Barca last season and has played 15 times for them this term. Spain went on to win the match against Georgia 3-1 and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres celebrated his second-half goal by holding Gavi’s shirt up. Speaking after the match, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente described the win as “bittersweet”. He said: “It’s one of the most bittersweet victories I’ve ever had. As far as I can remember, it’s the hardest, the bitterest of moments, to see an important player like Gavi sustain an injury like that. “It’s a very difficult moment for the player, for his club, for the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), for the national team and for all his team-mates. In the dressing room it felt like we had lost. This is the ugly side of football. “Football is a risky activity occasionally, something we often forget to appreciate. It was an unfortunate incident, but Gavi was perfectly fit to play the game and it was just unlucky, really, really unlucky.” Read More Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered

It has been a fun season for Monday Night Football and Week 11's showdown can easily be hyped as the game of the year.

Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have welcomed the decision for the club to take over the Racecourse Ground lease and allow them to push ahead with stadium development. The lease is currently held by Wrexham Supporters Trust, who wanted a binding covenant that the Hollywood-owned League Two club could not be moved away from the ground. WST members have now agreed to surrender the Racecourse lease under the terms of a deal that will see Wrexham continue to play at the ground until at least June 30, 2115. Wrexham will also make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease. Co-chairmen McElhenney and Reynolds said: “We were delighted to receive the support of the directors of the WST and share their understandable desire to protect the long-term future of the club. “Our legacy at the club will not be defined while we are its custodians, so we wanted to address the anomaly in the WST lease for the Racecourse Ground that did not include the requirement for the team to actually play at the stadium, only not allow it to be used for any other purpose. “We didn’t want anyone in the future to be able to exploit that position. “The payment of £187,000, is an equivalent amount to that contributed by fans to save the club. “To know that we will provide the funding to effectively pay everyone back who contributed to save the club is worth every penny and gives us a great deal of satisfaction. “We would appeal to the 824 members who have a vote, to do so in favour of the proposal and allow the club to continue on this wonderful journey we are all on.” Wrexham plan to redevelop the Kop stand – the site currently stands empty – and boost capacity to around 15,600. It had been hoped to be built in time for the start of the 2024-25 season, but funding issues have meant the project will be delayed. Wrexham expect the stadium development will see the men’s national team to play at the Racecourse – the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches, having staged its first Wales home game in 1877 – more often. Wales visited Wrexham last month – a friendly against Gibraltar – for only the second time since 2009. A Wrexham statement read: “The club were delighted to be informed that the Directors of the Wrexham Football Supporter’s Society Limited (‘WST’) would be recommending to their membership that they should accept our proposal to surrender the lease for The Racecourse Ground. “The surrender of the lease is required by the club to enable the funding for the Kop Development/UEFA Stadium Category 4 status to be secured. “The negotiations between the club and those representing the WST have been undertaken against the backdrop of wanting to ensure that everyone’s interests were protected. We believe that we have achieved this objective. “As part of the deal, the club will make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease, a payment of £1,000 per annum (increasing by 3% per annum) and meet the legal costs of the WST connected with the surrender of the lease. “The most significant non-financial commitment made by the club was the positive commitment that the men’s first team will continue to play at the Racecourse Ground until at least June 30, 2115.” The news comes after Wrexham’s 2-0 defeat at Accrington and the club’s continued war of words with Stanley chairman Andy Holt. Wrexham condemned Accrington’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices by £5 for Saturday’s league game. Holt took a swipe at Wrexham and their successful docu-series on social media after the game, saying: “Accrington 2 Hollywood nil. I think @VancityReynolds should cut prices by a tenner @ Wrexham_AFC. “Safe journey home folks. Get that on @netflix Ryan lad.” Read More Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach The sporting weekend in pictures Steve Clarke happy to toast Scotland fans after ‘strange’ draw with Norway Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory