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Key events
It’s 20 years since the Glazers got their grubby hands on Manchester United. Jonathan Liew revisits their takeover in 2005.
Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the one figure capable of stopping the takeover dead in its tracks, repeatedly refused to do so, telling a bunch of disgruntled fans on a trip to Budapest to “go and support Chelsea” if they were dissatisfied with the way United were being run.
Ferguson would continue not simply to tolerate the Glazers but to defend them at every opportunity. Seven years later, on a pre-season tour of South Africa, he rounded on United fans who still opposed the regime. “There are a whole lot of factions at United that think they own the club,” he said. “The majority of the real fans will look at it realistically and say it’s not affecting the team.”
What’s at stake on the WSL’s final day
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Chelsea will become the first team to go through a 22-game WSL season unbeaten if they win or draw at home to Liverpool.
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Arsenal and Manchester United are battling for second place, which would mean a later start in Champions League qualifying. They meet at the Emirates with Arsenal needing a draw to stay in second.
Those are the main things. Crystal Palace have already been relegated so there’s no jeopardy at the bottom of the table. Arsenal’s Alessia Russo will win the golden boot unless West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez scores at least a hat-trick at Leicester.
And on this day in 1986, Liverpool did the Double by beating Everton in the FA Cup final. Thanks to the wonders of technology, Scott Murray was able to cover it on the information superhighway.
On this day in 1978… Liverpool retain the European Cup. Here’s David Lacey’s report from that night at Wembley. And if you don’t want to click on anything – anything – written by David Lacey, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Nick Ames, our European sport correspondent, tells some fascinating stories from across the continent. This one, on a town and football club that were devastated by a volcanic eruption in 2023, is particularly good.
Nobody would dream of using the hall for football now. Its pitch is cleaved in two by a fissure up to 25 metres deep; one of the most striking images in a settlement that has been ripped apart. A chasm has destroyed their outdoor practice pitch too. But something remarkable will happen in Grindavík on Saturday: football will lead the way in a recovery few could have foreseen over the past 18 months. Grindavík will play at their Stakkavíkurvöllur home for the first time since the town’s abandonment, hosting Fjölnir in a second-tier fixture whose outcome feels distinctly secondary.
The morning headlines
Preamble
Good morning my dear football friends. Welcome to our Saturday build-up blog, known in Guardian Towers as matchday live (lower case).
This is our home for all the latest news and previews ahead of today’s action, which for our purposes begins at 12.30pm with the final day of the WSL season. Then we’ll have EFL playoffs, five Premier League games, a Bayern Munich title party and much else besdies.
At 11am we’ll have a WSL Q&A with Suzanne Wrack, so please send in any questions for that. You can contact us at matchday.live@theguardian.com or post below the line.
Before we get cracking, these are some of the key matches we’ll be following today.
Premier League (all 3pm kick-offs unless stated)
Women’s Super League (all 12.30pm kick-offs)
EFL playoffs
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Leyton Orient v Stockport (League One, 12.30pm)
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Notts County v AFC Wimbledon (League Two, 8pm)
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