Oxford United took the long road back to the second tier of English football. After they were relegated from what was then Division One in 1999, they spent the next quarter of a century dropping and then climbing again. Where some teams bounce around from one level to another, Oxford committed to the way down and then the way back. They changed direction only once, in 2009-10, when they were promoted after four years in the Conference.
Bayern Munich sold youngster Nestory Irankunda this summer to Watford, but nested in the deal was a favorable buy-back option for the Bavarians. That's according to a report from Sport Bild, as captured by @iMiaSanMia_GER: Bayern has a buy-back clause for Nestory Irankunda of 4.5-5 million €. He was sold to FC Watford in the summer for 3 million €. [Bayern-Insider, @cfbayern, @altobelli13]
Once again scrapping it out at the foot of the Championship table, Gary Rowett's men open this weekend's fixtures holding just a two-point buffer from slipping into the relegation zone. Despite snatching 1-1 stalemates against Norwich and Middlesbrough on either side of November's international break, the former Millwall boss has seen his squad register just a single victory from any of their previous seven Championship appearances.
Image source, Shutterstock Sheffield Wednesday have signed former Norwich and Southampton winger Nathan Redmond on a short-term deal until January. The 31-year-old had been without a club since leaving Burnley in May. He has been training with the Owls, who are bottom of the Championship, during his time as a free agent. Redmond's career has included 276 Premier League appearances, including 195 for Southampton between 2016 and 2023, during which time he gained one cap for England.
Portsmouth owner Michael Eisner says the English football pyramid is a "financial disaster" for clubs at Championship level - but says the introduction of an independent regulator offers hope "extraordinary losses" will be a thing of the past.
Middlesbrough have appointed Kim Hellberg as their new head coach. The 37-year-old who had been in charge of Swedish side Hammarby, replaces Rob Edwards, who left for Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month. This is a first job for Hellberg outside his native Sweden, although he had been in talks with Championship rivals Swansea City earlier this month. Hellberg will take over officially later in the week, with Adi Viveash remaining in interim charge for the home game with Championship leaders Coventry City
The victorious Spartans of De La Salle pose for a group photo with their plaque after defeating Pittsburg in an NCS Open Division high school football championship game, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025 in Pleasant Hill, Calif. (D. Ross Cameron for the Bay Area News Group)
Preston looked the more dangerous side in the opening stages, with Lewis Dobbin and Liam Lindsay both going close before Michael Smith and Odeluga Offiah both saw efforts blocked in quick succession. Andrew Hughes tested Aynsley Pears in the Blackburn goal before Offiah had another chance in the box, though this time his strike failed to hit the target, but a frantic end to the first half followed.
Sierra Canyon won its second Southern Section Division 1 girls' volleyball title in four years Saturday night and ended Mater Dei's bid for a three-peat with a 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 victory at Cerritos College. The Trailblazers (39-3) are expected to be seeded No. 1 in the Open Division when CIF SoCal Regional brackets are released Sunday afternoon. The state playoffs are set to begin Tuesday and wrap up Nov. 22 at Santiago College.
When the ball was thrown in her direction with the championship on the line, Avery Olson was ready. There was no time on the clock when the JSerra junior defender ran step for step with Orange Lutheran receiver Josie Anderson, who dove but could not reach it in the end zone - an exciting finish to the Southern Section Division 1 girls' flag football final Saturday night at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.
Boss Rob Edwards has been stood down from Middlesbrough's game against Birmingham on Saturday amid Wolves' interest in appointing him as their new manager. Wolves saw an approach to speak to Edwards rejected by Boro on Thursday and the manager was locked in talks with members of the Championship club's hierarchy on Friday. Edwards did not hold his pre-game news conference, nor did he oversee the team's final training session before the game with Birmingham.
This week's Championship action has not just deepened long-standing hangovers suffered by the three clubs relegated from the Premier League but pointed to issues more wide-reaching than simply having to adapt to life back in the second tier.
The opening Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November is drawing ever closer, but first England touch down across the Tasman for a limited-overs tour of New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch on Saturday with the first of three T20s. White-ball cricket as a warm-up for the greatest Test series of them all might seem curious but the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka follows hot on the heels of the Ashes.
