Sport

Victory for the Dale condemned a lacklustre Crawley to a fourth straight league defeat and took Rochdale to 13th after they scored their 12th away goal in three fixtures, having conceded just two.

Despite scoring the only goal in the friendly against Norway on Wednesday night, the England captain’s performance in an advanced role brought him widespread criticism.

There is perhaps no other broadcaster currently working within the beautiful game who has achieved the kind of iconic status Chris Kamara has earned in his time as a football pundit.

The Red Devils will need to put in a much stronger performance against the relegated London Broncos at the AJ Bell Stadium on Sunday after last week’s 42-6 drubbing away to Wakefield Wildcats.

The heptathlete was ready to make a huge impression on the world stage after securing a personal best of 6,682 points in July – a world-leading-score in 2014 – before injury struck.

It is not very often fans celebrate the loaning out of a player, but Cleverley’s deadline day departure to Aston Villa had United fans rejoicing like it was 1999.

The Sharks will be hoping to build upon last season’s sixth-place finish, considered by many to be something of an over-achievement having narrowly avoided relegation the year before, as they take on Bath on Saturday.

A new £620,000 state-of-the-art football pitch it is hoped will help earn Manchester the prestigious honour of being named ‘City of Football’.

Manager David Flitcroft says his team’s mentality to not go home after training has been the reason the side are challenging at the top of League Two this season.

With losses to Chelsea in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and the FA Cup, City are determined not to make it a third defeat as they enter uncharted waters on Sunday.

Rochdale play Crawley Town for the first time this weekend with manager Keith Hill in need of a result rather than a pretty performance.