misses

“I’m disappointed, but what can you do. As you get older, your action starts to go a little bit at the most extreme points of the match.

“But, take nothing away, Shaun was awesome and he’s got a great chance of going on to win it for a second time.”

Resuming the final session 13-11 in arrears, Murphy started in scintillating fashion with two total clearances to haul level, only for Higgins to chisel out the next two to restore his two-frame lead.

Murphy’s fourth century of the match sparked another surge after the interval and, as Higgins began to miss some easy balls, the Englishman went into overdrive, winning the last four in a row to confirm victory.

China’s Wu Yize will face Murphy in Sunday’s final after Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen missed a simple black to secure victory before falling 17-16.

Murphy was full of praise for Higgins.

“I just came out today knowing, if I got my chances, I could score,” he said. “At the interval, I was just saying to myself, ‘you’ve done it before, now you can do it again’.

“But John Higgins – what a player and what a man. The harder it gets out there, the tougher he gets and the better he plays.

“If I’m half the player when I’m in my 50s, I’ll be very proud.”

Wrexham’s dream of reaching the Premier League is over, for this season anyway.

And for Ryan Reynolds, it was tough to stomach.

“I am completely gutted by today’s result but incredibly proud of our season,” the actor wrote on X after the Welsh club he co-owns missed out on a place in the playoffs in the second-tier Championship by drawing 2-2 with Middlesbrough in a dramatic final round of the regular season on Saturday.

That allowed Hull to jump ahead of Wrexham and into sixth place — the fourth and final spot in the playoffs — courtesy of a 2-1 win over Norwich in a match played at the same time.

The winning goal for Hull, by Oli McBurnie in the 67th, appeared to be scored from an offside position but there are no video reviews in the English Football League.

It ended Wrexham’s unprecedented run of three straight promotions under its famous owners — a streak that began by getting out of the fifth tier in the 2022-23 season and has been documented in the globally popular, Emmy Award-winning “Welcome to Wrexham” series.

Still, seventh place marked the Wrexham’s highest finish in its history, bettering the 15th position it achieved in the second tier in the 1978–79 season.

“We’ve come a long way in five years and this was the best result in our 150+ year history,” Reynolds wrote alongside a graphic that showed how Wrexham has risen from the National League. “More to do. But for now, we have so much to be proud of, Reds.”

Elsewhere, Ipswich secured the second automatic promotion spot behind champion Coventry — and an immediate return to the Premier League — by beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0.

Ipswich is owned by U.S. investment group Gamechanger 20 Limited and counts pop star Ed Sheeran as a minority shareholder.

Joining Hull in the playoffs, which begin next week and are over two legs, are Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough.

Millwall will face Hull, and Southampton will meet Middlesbrough.

Best-ever finish by Wrexham

It was a memorable campaign by Wrexham in its first season in the second tier since the 1980s.

However, the short-term pain was acute, and Wrexham’s players sat on the ground and looked disconsolate after the final whistle — even though the Hull-Norwich match hadn’t finished.

Wrexham started the day in sixth place, ahead of Hull on goal difference, and conceded in the fourth minute to Middlesbrough, only to score through Josh Windass and Sam Smith for a 2-1 lead by the 41st.

Middlesbrough hit back immediately with a 43rd-minute equalizer but Wrexham finished the stronger, squandering a string of great late chances for a winner that would have secured a playoff place on goal difference.

Wrexham’s Josh Windass squats on the field and looks dejected following a draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

(Michael Steele / Getty Images)

In the end, Wrexham finished two points behind Hull.

“This squad as it stands, with a preseason together, will be even stronger next year,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, who oversaw a summer spend of around $40 million last year.

“Of course we’ll always look to add to that to try and give ourselves an even better chance … we know where we’d like to strengthen and what we need to improve on. We’ll do that and we’ll make this squad as strong as we possibly can to mount a challenge next year.”

Douglas writes for the Associated Press.

Disabled mum Carol Hutchins was left ‘very upset’ after missing her TUI holiday to Fuerteventura from Manchester Airport

A disabled woman has been left “very upset” after missing her holiday to the Canary Islands due to issues with her mobility scooter battery.

Carol Hutchins had been eagerly anticipating a sunny getaway at the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, scheduled for late October. However, the mother-and-daughter pair’s dream holiday came to an abrupt end at Manchester Airport, where staff informed them Carol’s scooter couldn’t be loaded onto the aircraft.

Carol has been left “very upset” by the cancelled holiday and the fact she’s more than £1,000 out of pocket. There is no indication that TUI failed to follow protocol. However, Carol and Layla’s experience acts as a cautionary tale for Brits travelling abroad with a mobility scooter.

A TUI spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that Ms Hutchins wasn’t able to travel on her holiday, and we recognise how upsetting that must have been for her. This was due to them not having the required documentation and battery identification information for their electric mobility aid, which meant it couldn’t be cleared to fly under safety guidance. The TUI airport team supported her on the day and explored alternative options, which she chose not to accept.”

Carol arranged her holiday to the sun-drenched Canary Islands at the TUI Doncaster branch on 23 October 2025. As the reservation was made within a fortnight of departure, the travel agent contacted the welfare team while Carol was in the shop, to ensure the mobility scooter was included in the booking. When a mobility aid is included in a holiday booking, customers are sent the Conditions of Carriage, which contain crucial instructions passengers must adhere to before their flight, reports the Mirror.

They specify: “The battery or batteries should clearly be labelled showing the type and the watt-hour (Wh) rating. Failure to show this can lead to refusal of battery or batteries. Please carry the manufacturer’s operating instructions with you, which will help you and the airport staff to block the vehicle’s electric circuits and remove the battery if necessary.”

According to TUI, the Conditions of Carriage were sent to Ms Hutchins four times via email as her booking was amended, and provided twice more alongside ticket documentation.

When Carol and Layla arrived at Manchester Airport on October 29, her battery lacked any visible identification label, meaning airport personnel could not lawfully approve it under safety regulations.

An on-site duty manager liaised with the resort team in Fuerteventura to locate an alternative mobility scooter she could utilise during her holiday.

However, according to Layla, Carol did not feel at ease travelling without her own scooter or with the prospect that she might be without one for a time once at her destination.

According to TUI, Carol and Layla declined the offer of two alternative flights and goodwill vouchers.

TUI’s website features a section that outlines what customers using mobility scooters need to know and do before they travel.

Before flying with your electric mobility aid, you’ll need to:

• Check your battery type and specifications
• Provide battery details to TUI in advance
• Bring manufacturer documentation to the airport

TUI accepts these battery types:

• Non-spillable batteries (like AGM, Gel Cell, SLA)
• Lithium batteries with specific watt-hour limits:
• Single battery: maximum 300Wh
• Two batteries: maximum 160Wh each
• However, wet cell (spillable) batteries are not permitted on TUI flights.

Important pre-flight steps:

• Share your device’s battery details with TUI as early as possible
• Bring manufacturer documentation showing battery specifications
• If documentation is unavailable, check the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) website or contact your device manufacturer
• Remember that spare or removable batteries must be carried in the cabin