At an extraordinary general meeting in July, delegates backed an FAI motion to proceed with the games amid concerns that boycotting would cause “significant and lasting harm” for the association.
However, the decision has come under increasing pressure, with a ‘Stop The Game’ campaign launched by Irish Sport for Palestine calling for a boycott.
The armed Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza. The United Nations believes the retaliation has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.
Israel has regularly denied committing genocide or war crimes and has said its actions in Gaza have been justified as a means of self-defence.
Earlier this week, FAI director of football John Martin said the games had created a “very uncomfortable situation for everyone” and insisted players “shouldn’t be in a position where they get criticised”.
“We want to represent Ireland with the best games and performances that we can. That’s the agreement with all of us,” added Hallgrimsson.
“Obviously we don’t all share the same opinion. That’s just human nature.”
The Nations League games mark the Republic of Ireland’s first competitive action since their World Cup play-off semi-final defeat by the Czech Republic in March.
Since the penalty shootout loss in Prague, they have played four friendlies, beating Grenada and Qatar and drawing with North Macedonia and Canada.
Jackson Renger, the star outside linebacker on Los Alamitos’ Southern Section Division 2 championship football team last season, packed his bags and boarded a flight on Aug. 14 to begin life as an Ivy Leaguer at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Armed with a 4.4 grade-point average and memories of winning a championship with his best friends, Renger is entering the world of college football while competing in an academic environment featuring the best of the best.
“I’ve been told football might be the easiest part,” he said. “I’m coming in to be surprised.”
The Ivy League continues to recruit players from Southern California. Former St. John Bosco quarterback Caleb Sanchez is entering his junior year at Columbia, which has 10 Southland products on its roster. St. John Bosco defensive back Dorian Franklin is committed to Harvard.
Aiding Renger are eight other players from Southern California on the Cornell roster.
“They said it will be fine and help me,” he said of the transition.
Renger visited Cornell three times last year but has done little preparation this year for what he will be facing in his balancing act of football and academics. He’s going to trust his skills and previous experiences.
“My biggest concern is the academics,” he said. “Throw on top of that football, that’s going to be a real challenge. They said you have to be on top of your stuff and can’t let either get on top of you.”
When Renger left home last month, he packed what he could, flying to New Jersey to visit family, then drove to New York with his parents before moving in on a Sunday. He had hernia surgery in July and spent six weeks recovering and still believes he should be able to contribute on the field as a freshman.
One thing he didn’t bring to Cornell was a warm jacket for snow. He didn’t trust the stores in Orange County.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” he said. “They’re going to sell me something useless.”
So he’ll trust the stores in New York or maybe receive recommendations from teammates once the snow comes.
He’s going off to college to explore and test himself on and off the field. That’s what Ivy Leaguers do.
“Cornell is such a unique and big school,” he said. “I’m not sure what I want to do. I want to try different things when I’m there.”
Football has taught him the most important lesson for anyone who plays sports — never quit.
“This is a whole new challenge. I’ll put my head down and try,” he said.
Friends are welcome to send mittens, ski caps and hot soup when the snow comes. Football begins on Sept. 19. The Southern California natives are sure to shake hands after games and discuss happenings back home while never forgetting that “Winter is Coming.”
The breath of a dragon won’t save them but a warm coat will.
A look at players from local schools on Ivy League rosters:
Harvard: DB Chase Mason, San Juan Hills; DB Iroc Cordova, Inglewood; K Dylan Fingersh, Capistrano Valley; OL Nate Turk, Loyola; DL Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon.
Brown: DL Caden Harman, Sierra Canyon; DL Mitch Mooney, San Marino.
Yale: DB Dillon Rickenbacker, St. John Bosco; WR Davis Wong, Brentwood.
Columbia: WR Caden Butler, Chaparral; WR Bryce Coleman, Crean Lutheran; WR Elliot Cooper, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; DB Ethan Fullerton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; QB Caleb Sanchez, St. John Bosco; DL Austin Coronado, Glendora; WR Jarod Sersansie, JSerra; DL Will Matthew, Orange Vista; TE Santiago Hernandez, Harvard-Westlake.
Cornell: WR Cameron Shannon, JW North; DL Darryl Davis, Culver City; TE Brandon Gilbert, Murrieta Valley; TE Adrian Ortiz, Redondo Union; LB Jackson Renger, Los Alamitos; K AJ Salo, Chaminade.
Dartmouth: OL Ryan Turk, Loyola; LB Timothy Ioane Jr., Tustin.
Princeton: LB Fifita Tauteoli-Moore, Corona Centennial; QB Wyatt Becker, Sierra Canyon; RB Kai Honda, Gardena Serra.
The victory marks one of the biggest wins in the show’s 17-year history, leaving host Bradley Walsh beaming
Bradley congratulated the team following a huge win on The Chase (Image: ITV)
The Chase has delivered one of its most unforgettable episodes, with four contestants securing a jaw-dropping prize.
Earlier this week, The Chase returned to ITV with a brand-new series, with returning host Bradley Walsh at the helm, and it was Friday’s episode (September 11) that left viewers on the edge of their seats.
Paul, a seasoned quizzer with a background as both a doctor and comedian, gave the game his all but fell short in the final moments.
The contestants began with a 19-point lead after correctly answering a broad range of questions, including naming Laurel and Hardy as the subjects of the film Stan & Ollie, and identifying “running” as the sport associated with the Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers.
Paul was tasked with answering more than 19 questions in two minutes, with the team successfully gaining four out of five pushbacks. The Chaser was eliminated after answering 16 questions before the timer ran out.
As the buzzer sounded, Tom, Beth, Rohit, and Chloe were declared the winners of the £80,000 pot, with each contestant walking away with £20,000.
The team hugged one another as one player could be heard saying, “I can’t believe it,” as Bradley congratulated them. “Well played, £20,000 each, congratulations”, the host added.
Chloe shared her wishes to spend her winnings on equipment for dogs at her local park, while Beth wants to share her cash with her grandparents on “lots of trips”.
Other huge wins on The Chase
Tom, Beth, Rohit, and Chloe’s win now stands as one of the largest in the show’s history. Last year, contestants Karen and Ian won an equal split of £100,000 after Paul failed to catch the players in the final chase.
The Chase saw another record-breaking moment when three contestants split £120,000, each taking home £40,000 after defeating Mark Labbett, also known as The Beast.
In 2018, another memorable wins, including a £100,000 victory in 2018 shared by a team of four consisting of Gayna, Tim, Luca, and Diane.
Meanwhile, Eden, a 20-year-old contestant, holds the record for the largest single-player win, having taken home £75,000 in 2021.
Pakistan have responded to their series defeat by England by taking the extraordinary step of dropping seven players, calling up five uncapped players and releasing their head coach.
After two one-sided defeats in the first two Tests, the tourists have revamped their squad and backroom staff for the third and final match of the series at Edgbaston.
Five of the players dropped – Muhammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad – have featured in the series so far, while Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Jafar have been sent home without playing.
A total of seven players have been called up. Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have previous Test experience and join the quintet of uncapped newcomers.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm seamer Mohammed Imran Jr, wicketkeeper Said Baig and all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah have all received call-ups.
In addition, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his assistant Umar Gul have been released to be replaced by Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke.
The third Test in Birmingham begins on 9 September.
Pakistan have been abject in the opening two Tests, losing the first at Headingley by an innings and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs. They have been bowled out for less than 200 in each of their four innings.
The response is remarkable. For a touring team to send home seven players and the head coach mid-series is unprecedented.
Pakistan have a history of making eccentric decisions in the wake of defeats. On England’s last tour of Pakistan in 2024, the hosts responded to losing the first Test, when England made a total in excess of 800, by playing the second Test on the same pitch in Multan.
On that occasion, Pakistan used garden heaters and fans to dry the surface, to assist their spinners. The home side won the next two Tests to win the series 2-1.
“The Conference of Champions” captivated the college football world.
A conference anchored in deep regional ties, historic rivalries and a century of shared traditions.
Since its breakup in 2024, the old Pac-12 has become a distant memory. But fans will get a throwback to the “Pac-12 After Dark” era when UCLA and California open the season Saturday at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.
The battle between two new coaches, with former James Madison coach Bob Chesney leading UCLA against former Oregon defensive coordinator and Cal alum Tosh Lupoi, will mark the first time the sister schools have faced off since 2023; that matchup, coincidentally, was the old Pac-12’s final regular season game.
UCLA players congratulate kicker Mateen Bhaghani (94) after he kicked a 54-yard field goal against Penn State on Oct. 4 at the Rose Bowl.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
While just 13 Bruins remain on the roster since their 33-7 loss three seasons ago, a pair of former Golden Bears who were on the winning side — running back Jaivian Thomas and kicker Mateen Bhaghani — now wear UCLA jerseys.
The Bruins’ roster features three other former Bears — senior wide receiver Mikey Matthews, senior outside linebacker Ryan McCulloch and fifth-year defensive lineman Tyson Ford — along with linebackers coach Vic So’oto and director of player personnel Nic So’oto, both of whom spent last year at Berkeley.
For Thomas, in particular, Saturday represents not only a return to his former school, but also a homecoming for the Oakland native.
“I’m going back home, about 15 minutes away from Berkeley. It’s where I started my college career,” Thomas said. “I want to stamp that game, and once I found out we played them, it was marked on my calendar. I’m excited for that game, and I want to go down there and get this win, start off the year right.”
Thomas, who attended McClymonds High less than five miles from Memorial Stadium, said the stands will be “stacked full” of family members.
And while the return to Cal will not be a homecoming for Bhaghani, a San Diego native, the game is important to him too.
“It’s almost a dream come true to go play at the school that my career started at,” Bhaghani said. “I’m going to enter the game as any other, but it’s a significant game for me, and I definitely want to perform to my level.”
As much as Bhaghani wants to downplay the personal significance of the season opener, he acknowledged he has been counting down the minutes to his return.
And that includes talking with Thomas and Matthews about their excitement.
“I’ll go up to them almost every day and be like, ‘Hey, two weeks, three weeks,’ so they know it’s important for all of us, and with this day and age in college football, it’s important to put a lot of pride into those types of games,” Bhaghani said.
UCLA receiver Mikey Matthews runs with the ball against Washington at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 22.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Bhaghani is not alone in his belief in revitalizing the historic rivalry between UCLA and Cal. In an era when conferences increasingly lack regional ties, the fanfare and excitement of annual battles between old rivals is on the decline.
But Cal general manager Ron Rivera wants to bring back the Bear Bowl — and not just for this season.
“Just the fact that we are playing UCLA again, that’s huge for both universities. They’re one of our natural rivals and we are going to rekindle that and hopefully we can keep that going, kind of like what we do with Stanford,” Rivera told reporters. “It’s one of those natural things you want to see. It’s a big deal for a lot of the L.A. kids that come up here and play, that they’re playing against those guys.”
Both schools’ decision to renew the rivalry already has paid off, with Lupoi and Cal deciding Wednesday to remove the tarps off the seats in the south end zone of Memorial Stadium as a sold-out crowd is expected, potentially the largest in more than a decade.
While adversarial crowds often are a home-field advantage, Matthews understands the challenge that lies ahead but is excited to be back and playing in front of the Cal faithful.
“We definitely have to come out fast. It’s going to be pretty packed over there, so we just got to let them know that we’re going to be on that timing and everything over there,” Matthews said. “But it’s going to be cool going back to see everything, and I like that environment and atmosphere over there because they have great fans over there as well.”
Despite the excitement and anticipation surrounding potentially one of the biggest games of Week 1, not everyone is treating it as such.
Ford, for one, said he’s looking at the opener like any other game on the schedule.
“It’s the most exciting game because it’s the next game,” Ford said. “After that, the next game will be the most exciting. I’m just ready to go, whoever we play, it doesn’t really matter.”
Bhaghani is less reserved in his view of the matchup.
“I wear the blue and gold with a lot of pride and I really do believe UCLA is the best public university in the country,” Bhaghani said. “I really do put a lot on that game, and everybody on our team will, as a season opener, two schools with brand new head coaches. It’s going to be a shootout, and we’ll come out on top.”
The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.
The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.
The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowl players and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.
“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”
The Pro Bowl has waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.
Abuja, Nigeria – Khamila Sani Ibrahim remembers growing up in Kano State in northern Nigeria, where opportunities for girls to play organised sport were limited and seeing girls on the basketball court was uncommon.
When visiting her grandparents during school holidays, she had to find ways to fit basketball around family expectations.
“It is very hard for me to train in basketball,” Ibrahim said. “I only go out to play when they are not around, or I tell them that I’m going to visit my friends, and from there I go to the court.”
Across northern Nigerian communities, sports such as basketball and football have historically been viewed as male-dominated spaces. For girls who want to play, the obstacles can include limited access to courts and equipment, a shortage of coaching and funding, and fewer chances to compete.
Finding a place on the court
Now, through Grassroots To Greatness (G2G), an initiative dedicated to female empowerment in sports, girls are finding opportunities to train, compete and develop their skills.
Jawahir Bello, a youth sports advocate, founded the initiative after seeing how few opportunities were available to girls in the region.
Basketball players gather during a Grassroots To Greatness tournament empowering girls in sport in Nigeria [Courtesy of Grassroots To Greatness]
At tournaments, players wear custom hijabs, long sports vests and athletic tights.
“Our core value is about participating in sports without doing anything that goes against our cultural values or our identity as Muslims,” Bello told Al Jazeera. “Whether you put on a hijab or innerwear under your jersey, modesty is key. You come out modest, decent and fully covered.”
Although she anticipated resistance from some communities when launching female-only tournaments and community training sessions, Bello said she has been encouraged by community stakeholders who have welcomed the initiative.
To mobilise participants, G2G partners directly with local grassroots coaches who already run community teams on the ground.
A tournament of their own
When Ibrahim represented Kano State in a multi-state G2G tournament featuring female players from up to nine different states, she found herself in an environment unlike the male-dominated local teams she had previously played with, where girls were often underestimated.
“What G2G did for us was incredible,” Ibrahim said. “They provided jerseys, custom hijabs, basketballs, cover for our transport and even financial stipends for all the teams, regardless of who won or lost. It made us feel seen and valued.”
Fatima Diouf, another young player based in Abuja, started playing basketball at her school when she was 11. She joined the G2G programme to test her skills against tougher competition. Though her team fell short of the finals, she left with lessons she says will stay with her.
Players receive financial support at the end of a tournament organised by Grassroots To Greatness [Courtesy of Grassroots To Greatness]
“I have learned a lot beyond just basketball. I learned teamwork, confidence, discipline and how to keep improving,” Fatima told Al Jazeera.
The struggle beyond the court
For Ibrahim, getting time on the court is still not always easy. She has had to push past self-doubt and the dismissive attitude of male peers who assumed girls could not compete at the same level. She also struggles to balance intense training with domestic chores and schoolwork.
Mansur Abdullahi, assistant coach of Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national football team, the Falconets, says grassroots coaches and organisations can help create opportunities for young athletes that larger sports structures may not reach.
“Official sports bodies have big structures, but local groups provide the actual trust and cultural understanding,” he said. “So it’s only through community-led initiatives that more professional teams will understand what’s acceptable for girls and boys and how to frame sports so it fits the existing values instead of clashing with them.”
Dreaming of the next level
For many participants, the tournaments are a chance to test themselves against new opponents and think about what could come next.
Before joining G2G, Ibrahim’s father had reservations about whether competitive sports would compromise family standards. But once he attended her games and saw the athletic wear and the structured environment of the initiative, he became one of her biggest supporters.
Girls take part in a Grassroots To Greatness basketball training session in Nigeria [Courtesy of Grassroots To Greatness]
“I want to secure a college sports scholarship in the United States and eventually turn professional. More than that, I want other Muslim girls across northern Nigeria to see that sports build your health, strength, and confidence, and that nothing should hold you back from chasing your dreams,” Ibrahim told Al Jazeera.
Seeing the network of coaches, stakeholders and organisers at the tournament also broadened Diouf’s perspective and allowed her to imagine playing across Africa.
For G2G, the ambition goes beyond organising female-only tournaments. Bello wants the programme to show girls there is a place for them in sport and that they can compete without feeling that they have to give up who they are.
“You can keep your identity, stay covered and still achieve something in life,” Bello said.
Fernandes rewarded for outstanding season with record assists in the league; Shaw builds on league win and Golden Boot.
Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was crowned the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year, while Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw scooped the Women’s award for the second time.
The award wins on Tuesday highlighted the individual brilliance of both players, with contrasting fortunes for their respective teams during the season.
Portuguese international Fernandes broke the Premier League assists record during an outstanding 2025–26 season, setting up 21 goals as he surpassed Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s previous mark.
The 31-year-old also scored nine times as United overcame a poor start to finish third in the Premier League under Michael Carrick and earned a return to the Champions League.
Fernandes also won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award in May.
“It is obviously a very proud moment. They are the ones you go on the pitch against, and it’s probably not easy to vote for someone you play against, so it is a very good moment,” said Fernandes.
Khadija Shaw won the Women’s Super League with Manchester City [Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters]
Shaw was rewarded for scoring 21 goals on the way to a third straight Golden Boot and securing City’s first Women’s Super League title in a decade.
City also saw further success as Nico O’Reilly was named Men’s Young Player of the Year.
The 21-year-old scored twice in the League Cup final as City beat Arsenal and was part of the side that also won the FA Cup last season.
“I’m very proud of the season I had,” said the England international. “I won two trophies with my club and managed to play at the World Cup with my country. I’m over the moon with how it turned out.”
O’Reilly was joined by City teammates Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo in the Team of the Year.
Champions Arsenal had five representatives in David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, with Fernandes and Brentford’s Igor Thiago completing the XI.
The sunset of his NFL playing career came almost 30 years ago.
So what is Bucky Brooks doing before sunrise, unlocking the gate outside the Granada Hills High football field?
He’s getting in touch with his roots the way dozens of former NFL players are from coast to coast, teaching the game he loves to the latest generation.
Share via
Granada Hills football coach Bucky Brooks, a former NFL player, talks about why he coaches high school football and why it attracts many former NFL players. (Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)
“There’s nothing like it,” said Brooks, 55, of coaching high school football. “The athletic part of you dies when we retire. There’s nothing that gives you that same feel of being the gladiator in the ring. But this is the closest thing. Even though you’re not playing, you live vicariously through their experiences.”
“I’m where I need to be,” said Palmer, whose son, Fletch, is a quarterback and junior on this season’s team. “I missed so much when I was playing because I was so involved in so much.”
After retiring in 2018, he contemplated going the route of a lot of former players and working NFL games as a color analyst.
“I almost signed a contract doing TV stuff,” said Palmer, whose daughter, Bries, is a freshman at the school. “I wouldn’t be around when my kids come by my office at lunchtime, or when somebody has a stomachache and needs to take a class period to take a nap on my couch. I love that.”
Santa Margarita will open the season Friday by playing host to Jones High of Orlando, Fla. — a team coached by former Atlanta Falcons defensive back Elijah Williams.
“The standard’s been set, the culture’s been built, and now you’ve just got to carry it on,” Palmer said.
“This class that we have right now has done a phenomenal job. We’re running more stuff than we were last year, just because it’s these kids’ second year in the program.” He added the receivers, in particular, are playing with confidence because of their detailed route work — precise depths, footwork, releases that are “NFL routes” as opposed to “seven-on-seven stuff.”
If you’re an up-and-coming quarterback, there has to be an extra layer of pressure and expectation if your father played the position at an elite level. Philip Rivers understands that. His son, Gunner, a four-star quarterback in the class of 2027 who plays for his dad at St. Michael Catholic High in Fairhope, Ala. The younger Rivers will be headed to North Carolina State, following in the sizable footsteps of his father.
Likewise, Philip Rivers followed his own dad, Steve, a legendary Alabama high school coach.
Granada Hills coach Bucky Brooks watches his players run drills during a recent practice.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
“I grew up wanting to be my dad’s quarterback, and now I’m getting to coach my son and relive it all again 30 years later,” said Philip Rivers, who also has a younger son, Pete, on the team. “Everything goes too dang fast. There’s some long days throughout the years, but it all goes too fast. You wish you could slow it all down.”
All of this gives Philip a better understanding of his own father.
“My dad’s in the state Hall of Fame,” he said, “but he never won a state championship. His championship trophies were in his desk drawer, the letters players had written him over the years. We want them to be better men for having been in our football program. That’s the mission.”
Almost three years ago, former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck was hired as varsity football coach at Ensworth High in Nashville. He gave up his job as primary game analyst for “ACC Primetime Football” in part to coach his son, Taylor, now a quarterback at Wyoming.
Granada Hills coach Bucky Brooks huddles with defensive players during a recent practice in preparation for the 2026 high school football season.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Coaching high school football became a family affair, with parents Don and Mary Beth selling their Boston house of 50 years and moving to Tennessee, and Don — the former NFL tight end who died last year — joining his son’s staff. Matt Hasselbeck, Tim’s brother and a former Super Bowl quarterback, came on board as well as Ensworth’s offensive coordinator.
“We all had coaches who made an incredible impact on our lives,” Matt said. “And we probably had coaches who had a negative impact as well. … I didn’t seek out coaching. I said I’d do a three-day clinic. I just don’t remember stopping.”
By Archie Manning’s count, about 30,000 high school players have been enrolled in the 30 years of the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodeaux, La. The weeklong camp focuses on quarterbacks and receivers, and college players from around the country serve as counselors, as do brothers Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning.
“I tell Peyton and Eli, ‘Listen, when these kids get home, their granddaddy is going to ask them, ‘Did you meet Peyton and Eli?’” said Archie of his two NFL quarterback sons. “And I want them to say, ‘Yes.’ OK, so get your butt around to everyone. They try to get in front of every kid.
“The kids we deal with are just so eager and excited, and that’s what makes it so fun.”
Back at Granada Hills, where he has coached since 2019, Brooks is looking to instill in his players some of the lessons he learned from the all-star cast of NFL coaches he played for as a defensive back — among them Marv Levy, Mike Holmgren, Tony Dungy, Marty Schottenheimer and Jon Gruden.
“We all feel an obligation to give back,” Brooks said. “Your Pop Warner coach, your high school coach, your college coach. … I want to take those same lessons people gave me and give it to the next people.”
Granada Hills coach Bucky Brooks talks to his players before practice.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
That requires sacrifice. Brooks has worked as a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated and analyst for NFL Network. Now, he’s a commentator for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ TV Network, meaning he finishes a high school game and flies to where the Jaguars are playing.
Sometimes, that means hopping on a plane to London after coaching a Friday night game. His assistant coaches, mostly a group of his former Granada Hills players, have to pick up the slack sometimes with the subsequent practices early in the following week.
“It’s been a great leadership lesson for me,” Brooks said. “I’ve learned to delegate and let other people take over.”
Hope Not Hate said current attempts to tackle online abuse often focused too heavily on what happens after a racist post had already been seen.
Players can block users, report messages and platforms can suspend accounts, but Hermansson says those measures do not address the way abusive content is amplified.
“X doesn’t take racism seriously enough,” he added. “We’ve seen it for a number of years now. There is no change or improvement.”
He said social media companies already had the tools to alter how their algorithms recommended content, particularly during periods when abuse is surging.
“It’s actually a relatively small number of accounts and originating tweets that then get tons of replies,” he said.
“I think it’s entirely feasible to stop this, or a vast amount of it.”
Hope Not Hate said one option would be to downrank posts attracting large volumes of abuse, meaning they were recommended to fewer people.
Before the new Premier League season the group called on UK’s media regulator Ofcom to use its existing powers under the Online Safety Act more effectively and address predictable spikes in hate.
They want Ofcom to outlaw the algorithms fulling abuse and also to designate major sporting events as “high risk”.
This would require platforms to deploy strict safety-by-design rules, remove abuse proactively and downrank rapidly escalating viral hate through algorithmic adjustments.
In a statement to BBC Sport, Ofcom said: “We’re pushing tech firms hard to make their services safer, and we’ll be holding them to account if they don’t.”
Ofcom also cited a new partnership with police and footballing bodies before the World Cup to tackle online abuse.
![Basketball players gather during a Grassroots To Greatness tournament empowering girls in sport in Nigeria [Courtesy of Grassroots To Greatness]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jawahir-Bello-says-she-wants-more-of-these-initiatives-set-up-by-the-girls.-Grassroots-To-Greatness-.webp?w=640&ssl=1)
![Some of the young female players receive financial support at the end of a tournament organised by Grassroots To Greatness [Grassroots To Greatness]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Some-of-the-girls-received-cash-prizes-at-the-of-the-tournament-organised-by-G2G.-Grassrots-To-Great.webp?w=640&ssl=1)
![Young female players take part in a Grassroots To Greatness basketball training session in Nigeria [Grassroots To Greatness]](https://i0.wp.com/occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Khamila-Sani-Ibrahim-trains-every-day-to-become-grounded-in-the-sport.-Grassroots-To-Greatness-17877.webp?w=640&ssl=1)
