Mooney said continued investment into all levels of the game will form a key part of the FAW’s future plans.
Following reforms of governance and structure in recent years, next year’s strategy is set to focus on “high performance” and “grassroots”.
That will include on increasing recent investments into improving facilities and new funding for the domestic game, including “long overdue” injection in the men’s Cymru Premier and financial boost for the women’s Adran Premier “to capitalise on momentum”.
Mooney accepts there will be a need to boost revenues to keep up with the investment plans, pointing to better relationships with partners, new sponsorship deals on the back of international success and plans to utilise the association’s cash reserves.
“We don’t budget to qualify for tournaments, but we have Euro 2028 coming here and we know that we highly likely to play in it with the qualifying is set up, so it would be foolish not to plan on that basis,” said Mooney.
“We have to battle complacency by investing wisely in the sport and the results will mean a bigger game in Wales.
“We’ve had good days, but there are much better days to come if we deliver on this new plan next summer.”
It was a week Crescenta Valley football coach Hudson Gossard will never forget.
It began with him having to switch from defensive coordinator to offensive coordinator after coaching changes. Then his wife had to undergo surgery. Then he had to take care of final preparations for Crescenta Valley to open its new stadium on Sept. 5.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere,” Gossard said. “High school kids dream of playing on their own high school campus. It was something awesome, something special.”
Gossard was almost in tears after what happened before the game against South Pasadena. He said before every game he receives a kiss from his wife, Codi. She was driven from the hospital and surprised him with a kiss.
“She’s a saint,” he said.
Gossard went to the press box to call the plays just like his father, Dennis, who passed in June after some 50 years being involved with Crescenta Valley football.
Crescenta Valley ended up winning the game 42-21. The emotions and memories won’t be forgotten.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
NEWCASTLE UNITED’s proposed plans for a new stadium to replace St James’ Park have seemingly stalled as the club plans to address other business concerns first.
Newcastle United’s proposal for a new stadium has hit a roadblockCredit: Getty
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The plans were expected to propose a new ground on the site of nearby Leazes ParkCredit: Getty
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The club’s Saudi-led ownership are prioritising other aspects of the club before revisiting the plansCredit: Getty
Plans for a new 65,000-seat ground on the site of nearby Leazes Park were set to be revealed earlier this year before being delayed.
Now it seems these plans have been pushed back until the club is on more stable ground in other areas.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, the owners had prioritised other issues, namely the appointment of a new chief executive, a new sporting director and the production of a new training ground.
Headway has already been made on the list, with the club announcing David Hopkinson as their new CEO last week.
The executive has spent time working with football giants such as Real Madrid, and most recently held a role as a President and COO overseeing the business of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers in the US.
Reports suggest Nottingham Forest sporting director Ross Wilson is in line to make the change to the North East to address the second point.
This follows the departure of incumbent sporting director Paul Mitchell, who chose to leave the club in June ahead of the summer window.
The holdup, it seems, remains on the final point, with Newcastle still unable as yet to find a suitable site for the development, having made one initial offer before negotiations fell apart.
Ground has reportedly been broken on designs for the training ground in collaboration with Populous, the architects behind Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The hope is to make further progress on the training centre in Autumn, but until then, it seems plans for a new stadium will remain on the back-burner.
Fans stunned at size of Newcastle’s Isak replacement Nick Woltemade as he dwarfs over Liverpool star
Calls for a new ground have grown as Newcastle look to establish themselves in the Champions League.
Their current 52,000 capacity ground will host Barcelona on Thursday as the Magpies look to get off to a flying start in the competition.
The band are taking a break after smashing box office records on their latest tour
Coldplay celebrated the end of their record-breaking 10-show run at Wembley Stadium with a dazzling, multi-coloured night of musical magic.
Playing hits from every era of their 25-year career, they filled the stadium with light, and even indulged themselves with a giddy version of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody. “This is the song I warm up to in the car park,” joked singer Chris Martin.
The show closed the latest leg of their Music Of The Spheres Tour, which has circled the world four times since 2022. It is now the highest-attended tour in history, with more than 12m tickets sold.
On stage, Martin promised it would resume “somewhere in southern Africa in about 18 months”.
Friday’s show was held almost a week late, after a strike by London transport workers forced the band to postpone.
“I know it caused a lot of inconvenience for a lot of you,” Martin told the crowd. “In return we’re going to play a show fifteen times better than any show we’ve ever played before. That’s the pledge.”
They might not have achieved that goal – Coldplay have already set themselves a ridiculously high bar – but this was stadium stagecraft at its absolute finest.
Getty Images
Coldplay are the first band to power a concert at Wembley Stadium entirely by renewable energy with no generator use.
The concert is a sensory overload, full of LED writstbands, raining confetti, laser lights, spinning inflatables, 3D glasses that turn everything into hearts and stars, and even a brief puppet show (the operators, Drew and Nicolette, happily got engaged during last Saturday’s concert).
Martin is the glue that holds it together. He bounds across the stage like a puppy – or is it a youth pastor? – covering the length of the catwalk several times within the first few songs.
His plan isn’t just to bridge the gap between the band and the audience, it’s to dismantle it entirely.
“I see you,” he says repeatedly, identifying uber-fans at the front and distant figures in the vertigo seats.
“I see you over here with a Brazilian flag. And I see you, too, in the top corner with lights on your bodies. You look like you’re from the movie Tron.”
It’s a schtick, for sure, but it fosters an incredible sense of unity. Those LED wristbands play a huge part, too, making everyone in the audience part of a giant tapestry of light. And there’s a communal euphoria in singing along to hits like Paradise, The Scientist, Yellow and Sky Full of Stars.
After the first 30 minutes, I realised that I’d barely looked at the giant screens above the stage.
The audience is the show.
Coldplay
The Wembley concerts alone were attended by more than 800,000 people
That’s a contrast to most stadium concerts, where the message is more like: “Look upon me, puny mortals, and be astonished by my divine talents and somewhat improbable physique.”
Coldplay don’t bother with any of that. Martin’s bandmates Guy Berryman, Will Chamberlain and Jonny Buckland would rather that no-one noticed them at all. Instead, they’d rather make a fuss over their special guests.
In London, that means Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Orchestra – a group of youth players who’ve supported the band at all of their Wembley dates. They come out twice, for Viva La Vida and feelslikeimfallinginlove, twirling their cellos and jumping up and down as they provide the stirring string accompaniment.
Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna, meanwhile, hogs the spotlight during We Pray, hitting some quite extraordinary high notes.
Who has played the most shows at Wembley Stadium?
Getty Images
Coldplay – 16 nights on the Music of the Spheres tour, 2022-25*
Taylor Swift – Eight nights on the Eras tour, 2024
Take That – Eight nights on the Progress tour, 2011
Oasis – Seven nights on the Live ’25 tour, 2025
Michael Jackson – Seven night on the Bad tour, 1988
* Including six nights in 2022 and 10 night in 2025
Getty Images
Coldplay formed in London in the late 1990s, initially under the name Starfish
Musically, Coldplay’s set-list is stacked. There’s a thrilling version of Clocks that shudders with discordant guitar riffs before resolving into a powerful chorus; and an extended acoustic version of Sparks has fans swooning.
Something Just Like This, an abominable song on record, becomes a euphoric mini-rave on stage; while Fix You is simply majestic.
With the tour about to go on hiatus (or maybe because he keeps self-administering throat spray) Martin is on whimsical form.
He describes Coldplay as “the third best soft rock band in London”; randomly sings the opening lines of Wonderwall; and, during Paradise, invokes the dancehall star Shaggy, for no discernible reason.
“That song was by Shaggy,” he declares, inaccurately.
Towards the end of the show, he stops everything to celebrate Buckland’s 48th birthday, presenting the guitarist with a Lego Batmobile and promising, “I’ll give you £1m if you build it before Fix You”.
Then, preparing to play the album track Jupiter for the first time, he announces: “This could be terrible. But if it is terrible, don’t worry, we’re going to play Yellow in a minute.
“Will Champion could fart in the microphone, as long as we play Yellow.”
Coldplay were the first group to use LED wristbands at their concerts, and the technology has evolved to allow incredibly sophisticated light shows
Martin later admits that his sense of humour “gets me into trouble every day”. But not as much trouble as married tech CEO Andy Byron, who was caught in a loving embrace with his HR executive on the giant screens of a Coldplay concert in the US earlier this year.
The moment – during part of the show where Martin serenades audience members with an improvised song – went viral, and has reportedly led to at least one divorce. So when the jumbotron section of the show starts on Friday, Martin issues a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer.
“Whatever happens here, stays here. Guaranteed. So if you’ve just embezzled the company funds, come on camera now. It’s fine.”
Before long, a young couple flashes up on the screen.
“Holy crap, don’t put me through this again,” the singer grimaces, only agreeing to play a song after they’ve flashed their wedding rings at the camera.
Coldplay
The band are due to take a well-deserved break
The spontaneity and humour is part of what makes every Coldplay show unique, even when most of the set is painstakingly planned out.
On Friday, fans at the final London date showed their appreciation.
It was a bittersweet moment. Fans know the band have a long break planned. And even if they use their gap year to make new music, Martin has announced it will be their final album.
Coleraine were one of three Irish Premiership clubs to miss out on progression to the next stage of the funding process, along with Crusaders and Portadown.
League of Ireland side Derry City also missed out, while Institute and Limavady United were the other clubs from the north west of Northern Ireland not included in the list announced by Lyons on Thursday morning.
“Geographically, for me, the north west has been shafted again,” Higgins said.
“You might say it is sour grapes because of my connection to Coleranie Football Club and Derry City, but I’ll not talk about either – I’ll talk about Institute.
“If there’s one club that needed support it was them. For me, it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Higgins was referring to the loss of Institute’s home ground in Drumahoe, in 2017 after flash flooding left the stadium unusable with Japanese Knotweed.
Institute now play their home matches at Derry City’s Brandywell Stadium and Drumahoe is now being demolished.
Higgins said Stute had been “dealt the worst hand out of everybody” and felt the process was unfair.
“In 2017 they lost their ground through no fault of their own. It’s a brilliant football club run by brilliant people, and they’ve been absolutely trampled on from what I can see.
“They had a disaster eight years ago and they’ve been given no backing at all. That surprises me in one sense, but when you look geographically where they are based, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Speaking at the announcement of funding in Belfast on Thursday morning, before Higgins gave his reaction, Lyons said the location of clubs had not come under consideration.
“This hasn’t been done in terms of geography, it has been done in terms of need and other criteria that we set out,” Lyons said.
“Yes, you can look at the two big ones in Belfast but there are many others throughout Northern Ireland.”
SALFORD’S owners are today facing questions over trying to buy their stadium using a FAKE bank statement.
Isiosaia Kailahi and Curtiz Brown have dragged the club through the mire — and High Court — since taking charge in February.
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Isiosaia Kailahi (right) and Curtiz Brown (not pictured) are at the centre of financial legal accusationsCredit: Alamy
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The ownership’s running of the club has led to fan protestsCredit: Gary Carter
Now SunSport can reveal how they tried to convince the city’s council they had the money to purchase the Salford Community Stadium — valued at £14million — by using contested documents.
The bank that received the statement as proof of funds has claimed the documents are not genuine.
Concerns were raised after the discovery that the transactions on it are dated months in the future.
Kailahi and Brown’s deal was originally meant to be one for the club and the ground combined — with a plan to develop the land around it later on.
Yet the financial state of the club — which would have gone under in February had this not happened — meant the club purchase had to be brought forward.
An email from Kailahi to Salford City Council dated January 21, on which the statement was attached, raised questions as he criticised the authority for ‘going ghost’.
Kailahi wrote: “We understand there is scepticism by members about us and how this deal is being handled, which may not meet with council’s standards.
“I would remind those in doubt, we started discussions about the potential acquisition of AJ Bell Stadium in early 2023 with the council going ghost on us without any correspondence after a few weeks.
“I ask members to note the time I have spent in Manchester — which is months on end — working on this acquisition and the Red Devils deal, away from my family, this should at least give me some benefit towards our intentions.”
But a statement from Emirates NBD bank, in the name of Brown’s Built UAE company, raises more questions than answers.
Legendary BBC commentator Ray French known as the ‘Voice of Rugby League’ dies aged 85 as tributes pour in
Claims of a closing balance worth almost £22.3m could convince many they are the real deal.
Yet transactions dated December 2-11 2025 raised red flags — and, when SunSport contacted Emirates NBD, it confirmed our suspicions.
They said: “The Bank is prohibited by federal UAE law from disclosing any information about customers.
“But, the Bank can confirm none of the documents enclosed with your email, which purport to originate from the Bank, are genuine.”
When SunSport approached the businessmen for comment, Brown insisted: “Every document we have supplied has been true and accurate when provided, including any financial statement.
“If a statement you have been shown is false, we know nothing about this and have not been nor cannot be responsible for any document provided outside of our oversight.”
Salford City Council walked away from talks over the stadium in May — three months after they requested names, addresses and bank details of all consortium members.
Seven months on, they are still waiting.
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Kailahi (right) was part of a consortium that took over in FebruaryCredit: Alamy
Brown told SunSport: “We have yet to reach this point in the negotiations.
“As soon as we reach the point involving the transaction that requires the supply of this information, it will be duly and fully provided in the usual way.”
When the takeover that ‘saved’ the club first went through, a statement quoting Swiss financier Dario Berta was issued on February 7.
It said: “The new owners have cleared all club debt and will deliver significant investment for the club’s future growth. This is the start of a very bright future.”
Yet debts have grown, including the £626,000 that forced HMRC to bring the winding-up petition that is now adjourned until October 29.
A £5m bridging loan, first mentioned in June — believed to be coming from Ben Doweck and Eli Cohen — secured the second delay but it is understood there will be no more.
Some 18 players, the kitman and even the man under the mascot’s costume have all walked away.
So did the man meant to coach Salford next season, assistant Kurt Haggerty.
Wage issues, when they have come, have been largely sourced from firm WeDo Finance, and concerns over pension payments forced their hand.
Chris Irwin, employed by them as chief exec, was sacked — after it was first claimed he resigned.
This casts even more doubt on the duo, working under the Sydney-based Jacobsen Venture Group title.
Fans protested at their home match with Catalans last Thursday.
It followed marches to the stadium after they forfeited a Super League fixture against Wakefield, and to their game at Warrington, which many feared would be their last.
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Salford fans protested en masse on ThursdayCredit: Gary Carter
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The club have found themselves on uncertain ground in recent monthsCredit: Gary Carter
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Issues behind the scenes have caused many club figures to walk awayCredit: Gary Carter
And the mess raises questions of the Rugby Football League, chiefly: how did they even get the club?
SunSport was handed a certified bank statement of an account at Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, checked and signed by an independent accountant.
Because of the need to save Salford, that was considered enough to get the club.
Yet their wider aims stalled after the production of the Emirates NBD statement.
And it is believed Salford City Council did not get as far as checking its validity as it had not received the information regarding the consortium it had asked for.
Kailahi, also known as Sire, and Brown faced controversy before.
In April, SunSport reported on a California court case in which Kailahi was involved after ticket firm Eventbrite claimed it paid him £500,000 for a contract his Stadium Salford Group had not entered into properly.
In response, Brown fired a message.
It said: “You made everyone at the club unemployed with your article. Sire is shutting the club down and will name you as the reason.”
According to documents, Kailahi lost the case but is appealing. Brown spoke to SunSport again in February, as fathers sent their young children to hug him and thank him for saving the club.
He said, with words that may now appear hollow: “We just love rugby league and Salford fans are passionate about rugby league.
“We’ve seen the trouble they’ve been in, and we’ve always lightly followed Salford because of the connections we’ve had here.
“You’ve seen what we plan going forward. It’s not about rugby league, it’s about the community.
“It’s about getting the fans involved.
“It’s basically just for the fans of Salford. We’re in it to win it now.
“We’re coming here to include ourselves in what could be a better Salford.”
A bloodied female and her male companion were escorted out of SoFi Stadium during the fourth quarter of the Rams season opener Sunday along with two other spectators who had engaged in the same violent altercation.
The woman and her companion were wearing jerseys of the Houston Texans, who the Rams defeated 14-9. Video clips on social media showed her face covered with blood when security guards led her from Section 428 high above the end zone.
The incident appeared to begin with words and shoving between the woman in the No. 99 jersey of retired Texans legend JJ Watt and a woman wearing a Rams jersey. The altercation escalated, with the man wearing the No. 7 jersey of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud pouring a cup of beer on the head of the woman in the Rams jersey.
Two men in Rams jerseys one row above the brawl stood and began shoving and grabbing the two Texans fans until security personnel arrived about two minutes into the incident.
The two men from the row above removed their jerseys — one of former Rams great Aaron Donald and the other of Rams receiver Puka Nacua — but additional security personnel arrived, handcuffed both men and escorted them away.
SoFi Stadium, which opened in 2020, has been plagued by brawls. Oakland chef Daniel Luna was in a medically induced coma for weeks after Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics discovered him lying on the ground in the stadium’s Lot L during the NFC Championship Game between the Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
It took three days and an inquiry from The Times before Inglewood authorities acknowledged the incident. Bryan Alexis Cifuentes, 33, was charged with one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury after video showed that he dropped Luna with one punch. Cifuentes pleaded not guilty and investigators determined that Luna started the altercation when he shoved Cifuentes.
Luna sued the Rams and L.A. County, claiming that because he was drunk deputies should have put him in a form of protective custody after he was denied entrance to the stadium because he didn’t have a ticket.
The suit was dismissed by Inglewood Superior Court Judge Ronald F. Frank, who wrote that “the Sheriff’s Department did not create the peril in which plaintiff found himself. [Luna] alleges that he was already inebriated when he was detained initially. The sheriffs took no affirmative action which contributed to, increased, or changed the risk which would have otherwise existed.”
At least four fights have broken out at Chargers games at SoFi Stadium. The most recent was a brawl in a game against the Raiders in September 2024. A video provided to KTLA shows showed a group of Chargers fans fighting a shirtless man.
Several fights broke out off the field during the game, including one on a concourse exit that involved a dozen or more fans. No fans were arrested, according to the Inglewood Police Department.
After a game between the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in November 2022, a man was thrown over a railing. A person who recorded a video of the incident told KABC-TV Channel 7 that the fight began after one man bumped into another. A third man tried to intervene and was thrown over the railing onto the concrete steps below.
A 2022 poll of more than 3,000 fans by Sportsbook Review concluded that many NFL stadiums are more violent than SoFi Stadium and that fans generally feel safe attending games at the venue.
Crimes in and around stadiums occur all too often, with 39.2% of poll respondents reporting having witnessed or fallen victim to at least one crime in or outside a stadium. Only 5.4% of fans had witnessed a crime at SoFi, and only one of those polled said they had been a victim of a crime while attending a Rams or Chargers home game.
Sportsbook Review updated its rankings last week, with SoFi moving up from the 15th to the 11th most dangerous NFL stadium. M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, is ranked as the most dangerous; Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, is ranked as the safest.
Issues accessing tickets from the MLB app caused problems at the entry gates for fans trying to enter Dodger Stadium before Monday’s game between the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies.
It’s unclear how many fans were affected, but the problem wasn’t confined to fans entering Dodger Stadium — the issue has been ongoing since at least last weekend at MLB ballparks across the country.
“MLB’s ticketing system TDC is experiencing difficulties across multiple venues for retrieving tickets and fan entry,” the Dodgers said in a statement. “The league is working with the Dodgers and other franchises to address the issues.”
The Dodgers notified season ticket holders Monday about the situation, urging them to reset their passwords on the MLB website. They instructed them to contact the team’s member services department if they were unable to access their tickets or couldn’t reset their passwords.
An MLB representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A BUNDESLIGA club unveiled its stunning new-look tunnel ahead of their clash with champions Bayern Munich last month.
FC Augsburg have been renovating their tunnel for the last few months as part of a desperately-needed refurb.
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Bundesliga side Augsburg recentl renovated their tunnel at the WWK ArenaCredit: REUTERS
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The tunnel has been designed in a simlar style to ancient Roman ampitheatresCredit: FC AUGSBURG
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The tunnel’s design is an homage to the club’s Roman rootsCredit: FC AUGSBURG
And the new-look tunnel players will walk out of going forward is truly a sight to behold.
The club has paid tribute to its Roman roots with a tunnel inspired by the city’s ancient amphitheatres.
The gates to the tunnel have drawn inspiration from amphitheatres in the Eternal City and Verona and features several aspects of the club’s badge.
Its walls have been stunningly designed to appear as if they’ve been covered in ancient Roman stones and have been laid out in a pattern befitting the time period.
The stones are beautifully highlighted by accent lights and an illuminated club badge.
A beautiful mosaic pattern comprised of Italian stones makes up the midway point of the tunnel, which the club proudly showed off on social media.
Augsburg CEO Michael Stroll said of the revamp: “We’ve long spoken about our desire to modernise our players’ tunnel.
“Our previous tunnel was functional, but didn’t really catch the eye.
JACK GREALISH marked his full Everton debut with two assists as the Toffees won the first match at their new stadium.
Goals from Iliman Ndiaya and James Garner led David Moyes men to a 2-0 win over Brighton.
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Jack Grealish bagged two assists on his full debut for EvertonCredit: PA
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The Toffees were in top form as they beat Brighton 2-0Credit: Getty
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It was Everton’s first match at their new Hill Dickinson stadiumCredit: Getty
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The home fans were in fine form at the magnificent arenaCredit: PA
Jordan Pickford also starred as he saved a penalty from Danny Welbeck.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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SPORTING’S stadium underwent an incredible transformation during the summer.. but they’re STILL working on it with the 2025-26 season underway.
The iconic Portuguese ground – which was only built in 2003 for a cost of £150million – was given a bit of a facelift during the offseason.
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Sporting ripped up their playing surface, lowered it and added another bank of seatsCredit: Sporting CP
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The Portuguese giants re-laid the pitch using a hybrid surfaceCredit: Sporting CP
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Sporting managed to get the new surface ready for their first home game last weekendCredit: Sporting CP
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The stadium has a number of upgrades, including the all-new dugoutsCredit: Record
And it left the arena looking utterly unrecognisable – particularly after the entire pitch was ripped up and left looking like a building site.
Following the end of the 2024-25 season – in which Cristiano Ronaldo‘s old club won the league in no small part down to Arsenal new-boy Viktor Gyokeres‘ goals – Sporting got to work on the makeover.
Most-notably, the pitch was ripped up and replaced by a hybrid surface.
And it passed the first test with flying colours, as Primeira Liga officials gave it a 10/10 for the club’s 6-0 win over Arouca in their first home game of the season.
But it wasn’t just re-laying the pitch – the entire playing surface was LOWERED to allow the club to add 2,000 more seats around the base of the stadium.
That boosted the capacity from 50,095 to 52,095.
And that new feature – not ready for the Arouca battering – WILL be ready for the massive derby game against Porto on August 30 with seats now being installed.
The dugout area has been completely renovated, too – with the bench now boasted a capacity of 28 players and coaches.
On top of that, Sporting have opened a new “Emerald Lounge” for corporate ticket holders.
Club chiefs also splashed out £15m on repurchasing the adjacent Alvalaxia entertainment complex earlier this month.
Celtic star Daizen Maeda spotted doing press-ups in technical area after being subbed-off against Sporting Lisbon
Their plan is to re-home their club museum – which features their most important trophies, including replicas of individual Ballon d’Or gongs won by former players, Ronaldo and Luis Figo.
For now, the exhibition has been moved inside the stadium and is open to the public until the permanent residence is completed.
There is more work to be done inside the stadium, still – with the big screens currently being installed.
For now, supporters have a tiny scoreboard displayed on advertising hoardings on the side of the pitch.
But in time, the plan is to install multiple big screens.
Their plan moving forward is to cash-in on their corporate lounges – renting them out on non-matchdays for private events.
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TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Shohei Ohtani was four weeks into his major league career when former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt pitched a gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Ohtani, then a rookie with the Angels and now a global superstar with the Dodgers, was 23.
Today, Ohtani is 31, and McCourt still has no official response to his pitch.
In an effort to accelerate a decision, as The Times reported last month, McCourt’s lobbyists latched onto a state bill designed to expedite transit projects and persuaded legislators to add language that would put an even speedier timeline on potential legal challenges to the gondola.
That bill is scheduled for consideration by an Assembly committee Wednesday, and more than 100 community members rallied Monday in opposition to the bill — or, at least, to the part that would benefit the gondola project.
The Los Angeles City Council last week approved — and Mayor Karen Bass signed — a resolution urging state legislators to drop the gondola part of the bill or dump the bill entirely.
“We are fighting a billionaire,” City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez told the crowd. “How you doing today?”
There were snacks and stickers, T-shirts and tote bags, even bandanas for dogs (and there were lots of very good dogs). There were signs, both earnest and amusing (“Frank McCourt and the Aerial Cabins of Doom”).
Even if McCourt wins in Sacramento, Hernandez said, the City Council must approve the gondola project. In 2024, the council authorized a Dodger Stadium traffic study, intended to evaluate alternatives to the gondola, which could include expanding the current bus shuttles from Union Station and introducing the park-and-ride buses such as the ones that have operated for years at the Hollywood Bowl.
Last month — 16 months after the council authorized the study — the city’s department of transportation invited bidders to apply to conduct the study, via a 56-page document that explains what the city wants done, how to do it, and when the work should be completed.
Sixteen months?
Colin Sweeney, spokesman for the transportation department, said the preparation of contracts requires compliance with various city rules, coordination with several city departments, and availability of city staff.
“This process can take up to 24 months,” Sweeney said.
An artist’s rendering of the Dodger Stadium landing site of a proposed gondola project that would ferry up passengers to games.
(Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies / Kilograph)
The traffic study is due next fall. If it is delivered on time, that could be nearly a three-year wait for one study in advance of one vote for one of the several governmental approvals the gondola would require.
Is the city — or, at least, the elected representatives opposed to the gondola — slow-walking the project?
“We’re not slow-walking nothing,” said Hernandez, whose district includes Dodger Stadium. “This is how the city moves.”
The councilmember pointed to the tree behind her.
“It takes us 15 years to trim a tree,” she said.
Excuse me?
“We’ll trim this tree this year,” Hernandez said, “and we won’t get to it again for 15 years.”
The industry standard, she said, is five years.
In L.A. she said, it can take 10 years to fix a sidewalk, three to five years to cut a curb for a wheelchair, nine months to one year to repair a street light.
“When you have enough resources, you can do things like put a new section into a bill to fast-track your project,” Hernandez said. “When you have money, you can do that.”
But I wanted to flip the question: If McCourt can spend half a million bucks on lobbyists to try to push his project forward, and if he is approaching a decade with no decision, what hope do the rest of us have?
We need housing. We need parks.We need shade. And, yes, we need better ways to get in and out of Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez speaks during a news conference in December.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“Do I believe we need to fast-track really good projects that have shown that there are financial plans behind them that will benefit the community?” Hernandez said. “If there are ways to do that ethically, let’s do it. But, if we’re talking about fast-tracking a project because you’ve got access to change state law, that’s not something we should be doing.
“Do I think there’s a lot of barriers to achieving good projects, whether they are housing developments or other transportation? I do. I think we can cut through some of that. I think we should.
“We need to deliver quicker for our people.”
It’s not just the city of Los Angeles. The gondola project has slogged through Metro since 2018.
Love him or loathe him, like the gondola or hate it, does Hernandez believe McCourt — or any other developer — should be able to get a yes or no on his proposed project within eight years?
“I believe he should, yeah,” Hernandez said. “One hundred percent. I think he should.”
Even if the gondola is approved, who knows whether any fan would be able to ride it to see Ohtani play? For now, the gondola is not approved, not financed, and not under construction. Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers expires in another eight years.
Chaotic footage was captured Saturday night at Rose Bowl Stadium of a man brutally beating a woman in the stands during a Rüfüs Du Sol concert. Other concertgoers expressed shock over the incident, and some attendees said they were concerned about crowd control and safety measures at the sold-out show.
The video, shared by festival news platform Festive Owl, shows a man knocking a woman to the ground and repeatedly throwing punches at her while other attendees try to pull him back.
“This man punched me in the face, knocking me out and causing significant bleeding, while he continued attacking our group,” the woman wrote in a message shared by Festive Owl. She is asking for the public’s help in identifying the man after the attack, which took place in Section 12-H, Row 20 at the venue.
The victim said the man became agitated after a drink was accidentally spilled on him. According to the woman, he then yelled that the spill was intentional and stormed off before returning 30 minutes later screaming and threatening violence.
“I tried to calm the situation and apologized again — and the next thing I remember I woke up in a medical tent an hour later and missed the entire show,” the woman wrote.
The Australian electronic music trio said in a statement shared on social media Monday night that they were heartbroken to hear about the act of violence that took place during the opening act of their show. They encouraged anyone with information on the incident to contact the Pasadena Police Department.
“This type of behavior is completely unacceptable anywhere and the fact that this happened at one of our shows was devastating to hear about,” the group wrote. “Local law enforcement is actively investigating the situation.”
The concert organizers were criticized on social media, with fans complaining about long lines, the packed venue and poor crowd control, with some citing fears that it could have turned into a tragedy similar to the fatal crowd crush at 2021 Astroworld.
“It was honestly out of control. It was a circus. It was not safe, and I’m very angry,” a concertgoer identified as Derek told NBC4 News.
Christina Molina told KTLA News that the venue was so packed people were watching the show from the walkway.
“I literally had people pressed up against my back, all of them blocking that entire walkway,” she told the station. “Crowd control was nonexistent.”
The Foothill League doesn’t have to take a back seat to any league when it comes to tradition and success, from producing state champions to being the league where Hall of Fame coaches Harry Welch and Mike Herrington once saw huge success.
All seven schools that are part of the William S. Hart Union High School District took part Saturday in the first Foothill League media day at Saugus High. There’s much to admire about the league, including that all seven schools have athletic trainers and six of the seven head coaches are also full-time teachers.
Valencia running back Brian Bonner on why he stayed four years at the same high school: “The coaches showed me a lot of love the past four years. If I’m doing fine at Valencia, there’s no reason to leave and go somewhere else.” pic.twitter.com/mK9rJx9vAQ
Hart, Canyon and Valencia have produced their share of NFL players. And this season, Valencia has the talent to make a run in Southern Section Division 2 or 3 with the return of running back Brian Bonner, a Washington commit, and quarterback Brady Bretthauer.
Coach Larry Muir is entering his 20th season as head coach and still teaching four classes of U.S. history each day. “He’s a lot nicer in the classroom,” Bretthauer joked. “He picks on the football player.”
Bretthauer also revealed how he motivates his linemen to block. “If I get sacked, no In-N-Out,” he said.
Even though Muir is challenged daily to balance his time and commitment from teaching to coaching football, Muir said he wouldn’t want it any other way. “I love being in the classroom,” he said. “I literally don’t feel I go to work. “
The rivalries in the league guarantee the sports-crazed Santa Clarita Valley weekly entertainment. About the only issue is a lack of stadiums. Canyon and Valencia have stadiums and College of the Canyons also hosts games.
“It’s playoffs every week,” Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley said. “There are no slouches.”
Golden Valley will have a four-year starter in lineman Evan Nye, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior.
Castaic is turning to junior Aidan Mojica, a former tight end, as its new quarterback. There’s a promising sophomore linebacker in Lucas Duryea, who will be eligible at the end of September after transferring from Chaminade.
West Ranch has a first-year head coach in TJ Yonkers. Its top returning defensive player is Max Piccolino, who had 15 1/2 sacks last season.
Carson Soria, a former receiver, is moving to quarterback for Canyon. He’s also the punter, so beware of trick plays.
Hart quarterback Jacob Paisano will be trying to get the ball to junior Matix Frithsmith in a variety ways, whether Frithsmith is playing running back or slot receiver. Two of Hart’s players are the sons of principal Jason D’Autremont.
Saugus has the son of Valencia principal Kullen Welch playing for them, which should make for an interesting game when those two schools play. Beckham Welch is an offensive lineman for the Centurions.
Saugus coach Jason Bornn, who organized the media day, wondered how many championships would be won if the talent in the area was concentrated at one or two schools rather than seven.
“If we only had one or two high schools, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco wouldn’t have a chance,” he said.
More than 40 years after L.A. produced the most financially successful Olympic Games in history, the 2028 Summer Olympics will feature a new advertising revenue path for the Games.
In an Olympic first, venues used for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics will be allowed to have corporate sponsor names after LA28 and the International Olympic Committee came to a tradition-bucking agreement announced Thursday.
Historically, the IOC has sought to limit corporate influence by keeping venues free from advertising. Major sponsors are still ubiquitous at the Games, where only Visa credit cards are accepted and Coca-Cola products monopolize the concession stands, but venues and fields of play have remained commercial-free. The traditional clean venue policy has forced L.A. organizers to refer to SoFi Stadium, which will host Olympic swimming, officially as “2028 Stadium” or “the Stadium in Inglewood.”
Not only will the new agreement help logistically by not requiring well-known venues to adopt generic temporary nicknames, but it will ease costs as existing signage can remain in place outside of the venue.
“Our job is to push and our job is to do what’s best for the Olympics in Los Angeles,” LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman told The Times. “Our job in those conversations [with the IOC] was to explain why this was more than just about money. It was about experience and value and opportunity.”
Wasserman said the private organizing committee has contracts for about 70% of the projected $2.5-billion domestic sponsorship goal. Any money that comes from the new naming opportunities are additions to the previously estimated revenue, Wasserman said. Needing to cover the budget of $7.1 billion, LA28 has added eight corporate sponsors this year, already surpassing the total from 2024.
“The momentum is meaningful and real,” Wasserman said. “We feel good about where we are, but we certainly don’t take that for granted.”
For venues that already have sponsorship names, such as Crypto.com Arena, BMO Stadium or the Intuit Dome, the existing company can sign on as a founding-level partner to retain its naming rights during the Games, the highest level of domestic sponsorship. Otherwise, the venue will be renamed without a sponsor.
The changes have already begun. LA28 announced that Honda Center will retain its name for the Olympic volleyball competition after the Japanese automaker established its deal with LA28 in June. Squash will make its Olympic debut at the newly named Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios as the company also holds U.S. broadcasting rights to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Broadcasters can now refer to the venues with their corporate sponsor names, providing a major global stage. Any signage outside of the venue will remain in place for existing structures. Naming rights are available for the 19 temporary facilities with first bidding opportunities going to members of The Olympic Partners (TOP) program.
But the field of play will remain free from visible sponsorships.
“The IOC is always looking to recognize and support the critical role and contributions of Olympic commercial partners, both TOP and domestic. We also want to support LA28 in their efforts to create new approaches and commercial opportunities, whilst maintaining the principles of the ‘clean venue policy’ that is unique to the Olympic Games,” an IOC spokesperson said in a statement to The Times. “It is a reality that many venues in L.A. and in the U.S. already have commercial naming rights and have become commonly recognized as such by the general public. Therefore, following discussions, the IOC is supporting the LA28 initiative that takes into account market realities of venue naming and generates critical revenue to stage the Games.”
With less than three years before the Olympics open on July 14, 2028, the Games delivery process has come with challenges. Soon after the IOC’s coordination commission left the city to glowing reviews of LA28’s planning progress in June, immigration raids and protests began in Los Angeles. This month, President Trump named himself the chair of a task force to oversee the federal government’s involvement in the Games, but concerns about safety and visas for would-be international visitors have persisted.
In L.A., where the city recently closed a nearly $1-billion budget deficit, transportation updates have lagged behind and leaders are in negotiations with Olympic organizers about services including security, trash removal and traffic control. Though LA28 has promised to cover all expenses related to the Games, taxpayers still face potential risk.
If the group goes over budget, L.A. would be responsible for the first $270 million of the deficit.
The pay is nonexistent, but the perk could be viewing games in the U.S., Mexico and Canada for free during the FIFA World Cup next summer.
FIFA launched the application process for the World Cup volunteers Monday. How many are needed? A staggering 65,000 across the 16 cities that will host the expanded 48-team format over 39 days beginning June 11, the largest volunteer program FIFA has ever attempted.
“Volunteers are the heart, soul and smile of FIFA tournaments,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. “They get to show off their local pride, gain a behind-the-scenes view of the tournament and make memories and friendships that can last a lifetime, while supporting a historic event.
“We hope interested individuals will join us as we welcome the world to North America in 2026.”
In addition to stadiums, volunteers will provide support across at training sites, airports and hotels.
FIFA estimates 6.5 million fans will attend the World Cup, with 3.7 million attending games in the U.S., 1.5 million in Mexico and 1.3 million in Canada. The 2022 final with Lionel Messi leading Argentina past Kylian Mbappé and France, drew a record 1.42 billion viewers, including 26 million in the U.S.
“The Super Bowl, which is fantastic, has what, 120-130 million viewers? The World Cup has 6 billion,” Infantino told Fox Sports in April. “A World Cup is 104 Super Bowls in one month.”
Volunteers in the past ranged from students to seniors. No experience is required but applicants must be at least 18 years old. Interested individuals can apply at fifaworldcup.com/volunteers.
Those whose applications are accepted will be invited to attend the Volunteer Team Tryouts, which are expected to begin in October. Training will take place in March 2026.
‘Volunteers are the heartbeat of FIFA events and champions of their host city — sharing their pride and passion with fans from all corners of the globe, welcoming visitors to experience the unique culture of their host city and supporting the extraordinary event that is a FIFA World Cup,” FIFA said in a statement.
Los Angeles is one of 11 U.S. host cities, with eight games scheduled at SoFi Stadium, including the U.S. team’s opener June 12. After playing its second match in Seattle on June 19, the U.S. will conclude group play at SoFi on June 25.
Included in the games to be played in Inglewood are two round-of-32 games and a quarterfinal. Only one venue — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — was awarded more games with nine.
“We’re happy with with how it turned out,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “We look forward to being in L.A. [and] probably one of the best stadiums in the world and to get to play there twice in the group stage.”
Other U.S. hosts cities include Seattle, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami and the San Francisco Bay area. Games in Mexico and Canada will be held in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Toronto and Vancouver.
“FIFA changed my life,” longtime volunteer Craig Collins said on a video. “Why do I want to volunteer again? I can give back to an organization that has provided for me without knowing it.
Collins became the one-millionth person to join the FIFA volunteer community in April 2025.
“I’m excited to apply for the 2026 volunteer program and hope to show off my community to the world once more.”
VIKTOR GYOKERES is wearing the No14 shirt made famous by Thierry Henry and the Swede is also looking to become an Arsenal legend.
Unfortunately for the club’s big summer signing, he had just 14 touches on his Emirates debut before being replaced in the 62nd minute, so this will not be a night he looks back with fondness.
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Viktor Gyokeres was upstaged on his Emirates debut as Arsenal crashed to defeatCredit: AFP
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Forgotten £72m flop Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring against his old clubCredit: Getty
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But things only got worse as Arnaut Danjuma went on to score the La Liga sides thirdCredit: Reuters
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Martin Odegaard bagged a late consolation from the penalty spot but it wasn’t enough to win the game in normal timeCredit: AFP
Play Dream Team now!
Play The Sun Dream Team ahead of the 2025/26 season
Not that it really matters, obviously.
If Viktor Gyokeres fires the goals to end Arsenal’s role as permanent Premier League bridesmaids to clinch the title, and there is no reason why he cannot, the Swede will be forgiven if he takes time to adjust in north London.
On the night all eyes were on the new arrival from Sporting Lisbon, absolutely no-one had taken any notice of Villarreal’s Nicolas Pepe.
Villarreal’s Ivory Coast international scored the first goal and Karl Etta Eyong made it 2-0 before new arrival Christian Norgaard scored with a header.
Yet while we have spent the last few weeks talking about the need of a top striker, Mikel Arteta’s team will have to defend better than this, and sub Arnaut Danjuma made it 3-1 before Martin Odegaard pulled one back from the penalty spot.
Villarreal then won a penalty shoot-out 4-3 with another new arrival, Noni Madueke, missing the decisive spot-kick.
Gyokeres, who cost £8.5million less than Pepe, made his club debut as a 77th minute substitute against Spurs in Hong Kong but was given a heroes’ welcome at a packed Emirates.
If Arsenal are to get the best out of their new all-singing, all-dancing goal machine, they will have to give him more ammunition.
Equally, Gyokeres did not have a proper pre-season as he barely trained in Lisbon.
Arsenal’s 2025-26 third kit ‘leaked’ and fans absolutely love it
He will soon be in better shape and has another run-out on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao.
Gyokeres tried to score his first goal in spectacular style but failed to connect with an attempted bicycle kick from Bukayo Saka’s cross and he had few other chances.
In terms of the way he moves and the fact has blonde hair, it was a bit like having Nicklas Bendtner back at the Emirates although it is safe to say Gyokeres will do a bit better than the cocky Dane.
Arteta also gave second half Emirates debuts to Christhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Madueke.
Yet the comedy moment of the night was Pepe opening the scoring from close range and then refusing to celebrate.
Pepe arrived from Lille for that massive amount in 2019 and scored just 27 goals in 112 appearances before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in 2023.
Many Arsenal fans probably did not realise that Pepe was even playing in this fixture although there was a mixture of jeers and applause when his name was read out after scoring.
Etta Eyong scored at the far post for 2-0 before former Brentford captain Norgaard pulled one back with a far post header before the break.
The biggest roar of the night came just after the hour when 15-year-old Max Dowman was unleashed.
Villarreal caught Arsenal on the break with former Bournemouth forward Danjuma making it 3-1 before Dowman won a penalty and Odegaard, who replaced Gyokeres, got Arsenal’s second.
There was still a shoot-out although Madueke saw his shot saved with one fan shouting: “send him back to Chelsea.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal – yet again – have fitness concerns.
Both defender Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered an injury on the tour, along with Kai Havertz, were missing from the squad.
Parking at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, is a distinctly different experience than parking at Dodger Stadium.
It’s about to be similar, however, when it comes to price.
City crews installed about 400 signs in downtown San Diego last week to let drivers know about new street parking-meter rates taking effect Sept. 1, calling it a special event zone. The hourly rate will increase from $2.50 to $10 starting two hours before games or concerts at the stadium, and will remain at that rate for six hours.
Getting to the stadium an hour before a three-hour game and perhaps enjoying a drink or meal at one of the establishments in the Gaslamp Quarter a short walk from the stadium can lift the cost of parking from $15 to $60.
And it could get worse. The variable parking rate policy change that the San Diego City Council approved in June allows the city to charge as much as $20 an hour, but officials are starting with $10.
The Padres were taken by surprise by the city’s action and objected to the increase, complaining that it was implemented without significant input from the team.
“We look forward to better understanding the city’s plan,” Padres spokesperson Vanessa Dominguez said.
Watching the kerfuffle must be amusing for Dodgers officials, who long have taken it on the chin for seemingly exorbitant parking fees and an enormous, barren parking lot that has all the charm of, well, an enormous, barren parking lot.
Parking at Chavez Ravine is not nearly as fun as at Petco Park, where the dozens of nearby restaurants, bars, shops and music venues make it akin to attending a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
General admission parking at Dodger Stadium is $35 if prepaid and $40 at the gate, but it’s a long hike to the seats. Preferred parking — translation: a shorter walk — is $60, the same as the six-hour meter charge will be at Petco.
Dodgers fans have their complaints about parking — primarily a postgame snarl to get out of the Stadium that makes navigating the 405 seem like a breeze — and drama too often colors the experience.
A tailgating ban is enforced so diligently that fans can’t even enjoy an El Ruso taco leaning over the trunk of their car without being scolded by a security officer. Safety is difficult to ensure as well: Fans have been beaten senseless walking to or from their cars.
And through no fault of the Dodgers, a procession of vehicles identified as federal agents attempted to enter the stadium on June 19, a day immigration raids capped two weeks of roundups by arresting “30 illegal aliens in Hollywood … and nine illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Federal officials said the gathering of vehicles was to conduct a briefing, and the Dodgers denied the vehicles entry into the stadium.
Parking near Petco Park is relatively safe, with well-lit lots and streets part of the fabric of a neighborhood packed with revelers. And Padres fans don’t require a metered street spot to park. The team runs several lots a few blocks from the stadium where parking can be reserved ahead of time. Rates range from $10 to $40.
The quadrupled special-event metered rate changes near Petco were included in a sweeping package of new parking rules throughout San Diego designed to increase revenue.
No more free parking on Sundays. Soon, no more free parking at the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and Mission Bay Park. Free beach parking will be a perk of the past.
The city doubled meter rates to $2.50 an hour in most places. And meter hours around the city will be extended by at least two hours later this summer. The increase is expected to bring in about $4 million through the remainder of the fiscal year, and at least $9.6 million annually starting next fiscal year, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
“This city is a playground for folks,” San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said at a recent meeting. “It is really important to me that San Diegans not be subsidizing the vacations of tourists who have the financial capability of coming here and enjoying this city.”
Most Padres fans are San Diego-area residents, although when the Dodgers visit the city to their south the crowd is noticeably peppered with folks wearing Dodgers gear. As the rivalry between the teams has grown in recent years, Petco has become a favorite destination for Dodgers fans.
Groups like Pantone 294 — the Dodgers official blue-tone color is listed as Pantone 294 — organize “takeovers,” with hundreds of Dodgers fans purchasing tickets in the same section of an opposing ballpark. For the short trip to San Diego, fans can join others on tour buses or drive their own cars.
When it comes to parking those cars, fees will have risen. Savvy fans who don’t mind taking the time can reduce the cost by parking near a San Diego trolley or MTS bus station: The fare remains $2.50.
Twelve years after a breakup that didn’t stick — and one year shy of the 20th anniversary of its biggest album — My Chemical Romance is on the road this summer playing 2006’s “The Black Parade” from beginning to end.
The tour, which stopped Saturday night at Dodger Stadium for the first of two concerts, doesn’t finally manifest the long-anticipated reunion of one of emo’s most influential bands; My Chem reconvened in 2019 and has been performing, pandemic-related delays aside, fairly consistently since then (including five nights at Inglewood’s Kia Forum in 2022 and two headlining appearances at Las Vegas’ When We Were Young festival).
Yet only now is the group visiting sold-out baseball parks — and without even the loss leader of new music to help drum up interest in its show.
“Thank you for being here tonight,” Gerard Way, My Chem’s 48-year-old frontman, told the crowd of tens of thousands at Saturday’s gig. “This is our first stadium tour, which is a wild thing to say.” To mark the occasion, he pointed out, his younger brother Mikey was playing a bass guitar inscribed with the Dodgers’ logo.
So how did this darkly witty, highly theatrical punk band reach a new peak so deep into its comeback? Certainly it’s benefiting from an overall resurgence of rock after years dominated by pop and hip-hop; My Chem’s Dodger Stadium run coincides this weekend with the return of the once-annual Warped Tour in Long Beach after a six-year dormancy.
Then again, Linkin Park — to name another rock group huge in the early 2000s — recently moved a planned Dodger Stadium date to Inglewood’s much smaller Intuit Dome, presumably as a result of lower-than-expected ticket sales.
The endurance of My Chemical Romance, which formed in New Jersey before eventually relocating to Los Angeles, feels rooted more specifically in its obsession with comic books and in Gerard Way’s frank lyrics about depression and his flexible portrayal of gender and sexuality. (“GERARD WAY TRANSED MY GENDER,” read a homemade-looking T-shirt worn Saturday by one fan.) Looking back now, it’s clear the band’s blend of drama and emotion — of world-building and bloodletting — set a crucial template for a generation or two of subsequent acts, from bands like Twenty One Pilots to rappers like the late Juice Wrld to a gloomy pop singer like Sombr, whose viral hit “Back to Friends” luxuriates in a kind of glamorous misery.
Gerard Way, from left, Mikey Way and Ray Toro perform as My Chemical Romance.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
For much of its audience, My Chem’s proudly sentimental music contains the stuff of identity — one reason thousands showed up to Dodger Stadium wearing elaborate outfits inspired by the band’s detailed iconography.
In 2006, the quadruple-platinum “Black Parade” LP arrived as a concept album about a dying cancer patient; Way and his bandmates dressed in military garb that made them look like members of Satan’s marching band. Nearly two decades later, the wardrobe remained the same as the band muscled through the album’s 14 tracks, though the narrative had transformed into a semi-coherent Trump-era satire of political authoritarianism: My Chemical Romance, in this telling a band from the fictional nation of Draag, was performing for the delectation of the country’s vain and ruthless dictator, who sat stony-faced on a throne near the pitcher’s mound flanked by a pair of soldiers.
The theater of it all was fun — important (if a bit crude), you could even say, given how young much of the band’s audience is and how carefully so many modern pop stars avoid taking political stands that could threaten to alienate some number of their fans. After “Welcome to the Black Parade,” a bearded guy playing a government apparatchik handed out Dodger Dogs to the band and to the dictator; Way waited to find out whether the dictator approved of the hot dog before he decided he liked it too.
Fans react as My Chemical Romance performs.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Yet what really mattered was how great the songs still are: the deranged rockabilly stomp of “Teenagers,” the Eastern European oom-pah of “Mama,” the eruption of “Welcome to the Black Parade” from fist-pumping glam-rock processional to breakneck thrash-punk tantrum.
Indeed, the better part of Saturday’s show came after the complete “Black Parade” performance when My Chem — the Way brothers along with guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro, drummer Jarrod Alexander and keyboardist Jamie Muhoberac — reappeared sans costumes on a smaller secondary stage to “play some jams,” as Gerard Way put it, from elsewhere in the band’s catalog. (Its most recent studio album came out in 2010, though it’s since issued a smattering of archived material.)
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance performs.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” was blistering atomic pop, while “Summertime” thrummed with nervy energy; “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” was as delightfully snotty as its title suggests. The band reached back for what Way called his favorite My Chem song — “Vampires Will Never Hurt You,” from the group’s 2002 debut — and performed, evidently for the first time, a chugging power ballad called “War Beneath the Rain,” which Way recalled cutting in a North Hollywood studio “before the band broke up” as My Chem tried to make a record that never came out.
The group closed, as it often does, with its old hit “Helena,” a bleak yet turbo-charged meditation on what the living owe the dead, and as he belted the chorus, Way dropped to his knees in an apparent mix of exhaustion, despair, gratitude — maybe a bit of befuddlement too. He was leaving no feeling unfelt.
