Alex McLeish stressed the need for Rangers “to get off to a flier” next season while Celtic reset following the departure of Ange Postecoglou.

The dominant Hoops claimed the domestic treble last season but are searching for a new boss after the former Australia manager left last week to join Tottenham.

Rangers manager Michael Beale is continuing the revamp of his squad with the recruitment of midfielder Kieran Dowell from Norwich, defender Dujon Sterling completing a move from Chelsea and goalkeeper Jack Butland joining after his release from Crystal Palace, with the promise of more to come.

McLeish, boss at Ibrox between 2001 and 2006, offered some advice to his former club, saying: “They have to make a great start.

“While Celtic may be with a new manager, new coaches, planning a strategy maybe not the same as Postecoglou’s, there could be a little bit of disruption and Rangers have to start extremely well.

“The big thing is recruitment.

“I am sure Michael has a good eye for players and if he has the right signings…they have to get off to a flier.

“I’m sure he has brought young and vibrant players in but when you come to a club like Rangers you’ve got to hit the ground running and that’s just the facts.”

Former Manchester City boss Joe Royle says Pep Guardiola’s current side is “one of, if not the best” English football has seen.

City completed the treble on Saturday night with victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final and Royle has no doubts where Guardiola’s class of 2023 ranks in the all-time list.

Royle, 74, who led City from the third tier to the Premier League after back-to-back promotions in 1999 and 2000, told the PA news agency: “There’s no doubt about it. They’re one of, if not the best English club side there has been.

“They’ve got to be talked of as one of them. They can play off the cuff or play in various systems and they can counter very quickly.

“They’ve got world-class individuals, they’ve got the team ethic and they’ve got a very, very strong squad, covering every position.”

Manchester United became the first English side to win the treble – league title, FA Cup and Champions League – under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999, the same year City dropped into the third tier for the first time in their history.

The debate will now rage among both clubs’ fans over which is the greater achievement and Royle said: “A treble is a treble.

“They’re both equally matched when compared to their rivals in their era and both City and United fans will rightfully claim that their side’s treble was the best.”

Under Royle, City ended their one season in the old Second Division, now League One, in thrilling fashion by beating Gillingham on penalties in the play-off final at Wembley.

Gillingham had led 2-0 in the final minute of normal time before last-gasp goals from City pair Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov took the tie to extra-time and then penalties, with Royle’s side winning the shoot-out 3-1.

“It was an unforgettable way to win promotion,” Royle said. “And when you consider how far City have come since then, there’s no secret.

“The current ownership, with their financial support, have changed City from a side that did sink to the third tier.

“We got back into the Premier League, but we certainly didn’t have the funding that the side does today in order for us to stay there and we went straight back down again.

“But it’s been mostly on the up since then. It can never be too quick for a club to get in the Premier League.

“The current side, look where they’ve gone now. They’ve completed the treble and deservedly so. You can never get there too quickly.”

Guardiola’s City have been crowned English champions in five of the last six seasons, but, after finally securing the Champions League Royle, is not sure if they will now dominate Europe in a similar manner.

“Football is a season-by-season game isn’t it?” he added. “Certainly anyone who finishes ahead of them next season, in England or Europe, is going to be doing very well.

“The money has been spent very well. They’ve generally bought very well. It’s one thing having money and another thing using it wisely and City have been very good at that.”

Harald Brattbakk claims Kjetil Knutsen has “all the qualifications to become a success” if he ends up at Celtic.

The Bodo/Glimt boss is one of several names reported to be in the frame to replace Ange Postecoglou, who moved to Tottenham last week.

Reports also claim talks between the Norwegian and Ajax about a possible move to the Dutch club broke down.

Knutsen steered Bodo/Glimt to a 5-1 aggregate win over Celtic in the Europa Conference League last year.

Former Celtic striker Brattbakk, best known in Scotland for scoring the clinching goal in the Hoops’ 2-0 victory over St Johnstone in 1998 which won the league and ended Old Firm rivals Rangers’ dreams of an historic ’10-in-a-row’, said: “He would be a good candidate.

“He was picked by Bodo/Glimt, they had been scouting him for years, so they knew his qualities.

“He has all the qualifications to become a success.

“But it also depends on – if he should come – what conditions he would be working under as well.

“You know that in Scotland, one thing is winning the league but what you do when you come to Europe, that is the next step.

“But he has also proved with less resources that he can do well. So he would definitely be a good candidate.

“It would also depend on the squad he gets but he has also been very good at picking the players he needs and wants.

“Maybe he has more room to play at Celtic than at Bodo/Glimt so it will be interesting to see how that story unfolds.”

Brentford have completed the permanent signing of German forward Kevin Schade for a club-record fee believed to be around £20million.

Schade, 21, initially joined the Bees on loan from Freiburg in January and has now signed a five-year contract.

Brentford director of football Phil Giles told the club’s official website: “When Kevin joined us on loan in January, we agreed with Freiburg that the move would become permanent this summer if certain conditions were met, which included Brentford remaining a Premier League team for next season.

“We have all been pleased with Kevin’s contribution so far, both on the pitch and his professionalism off it, so to have him with us now until 2028 is fantastic for the club.

“We all hope both Kevin and Brentford can make further progress from here and look forward to the challenge.”

Schade made 19 appearances for the Bees over the second half of last season.

Harald Brattbakk believes the Norwegian public are underestimating Scotland ahead of the crucial Euro 2024 qualifier in Oslo on Saturday.

Steve Clarke’s side began their campaign in March with a 3-0 home win over Cyprus and a thrilling 2-0 victory over Spain, also at Hampden Park, to leave them top of Group A with six points from six.

Norway, for their part, have one point after a defeat by Spain and a draw in Georgia.

Former Celtic and Norway striker Brattbakk, speaking at Hampden Park, where he was promoting Viaplay’s coverage of Scotland’s games against Norway and Georgia, said: “People in Norway don’t look at the Scottish team beating Spain, they just look at why we lost.

“The Scotland team is flying a little bit under the radar.

“I know everyone in the Norway team is taking Scotland seriously but if you ask the man in the street they will say Scotland is just a little hurdle to get over – but it is not.

“The Scottish team is strong, they have so many good players. You may not have heard of everyone but a lot of them play in the Premier League, there is some really good quality in the team. But the man in the street is underestimating Scotland as they are now.

“I was comparing the two squads in terms of Premier League players and that is obviously in favour of the Scotland team.

“We do have the two brilliant players in Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland and I would also say that is also the problem for Norway because we might be depending too much on them.

“So in that respect the game on Saturday will be more even than people will think.

“Norway will be depending on getting those two players to do well but on the other side the Scottish side is, maybe player by player, an inch better. So it is more close than people will think.”

Alex McLeish believes Scotland’s stunning win over Spain has got teams “terrified” to face Steve Clarke’s side.

The Scots got off to a terrific start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in March with a 3-0 home win over Cyprus and a more unlikely 2-0 victory over Group A’s top seeds, also at Hampden Park.

With six points from six, Clarke’s side will travel to Norway for their June 17 clash  before hosting Georgia in Glasgow three days later.

Speaking at Hampden Park, where he was promoting Viaplay’s live and exclusive coverage of the Norway and Georgia matches, the former Scotland boss said: “Every game is a threat and we can’t go into any game with complacency.

“The fact that we have beaten Spain has probably got everybody terrified of playing against Scotland so we now have that status.

“Any game is tough at international level, it is a whole new ball game but at the same time we have become a little bit fearful to a lot of countries who are going to play against Scotland because of recent results.

“The Spanish one elevated us to another level.

“First and foremost one of the things people fear is when they see results such as the Spanish one and they think, ‘Scotland beating Spain, God’s sake’.

“That is a wee bonus  but of course you have to reach the same levels in every game.

“It is not going to be easy but if we can get a positive result, there is no looking back, we have to be positive.

“If we get the results we expect now from the Scotland national team that will stand us in good stead.”

Clarke’s side, in the first match of the double-header, have to stop Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

The 22-year-old helped Pep Guardiola’s side write themselves into history after finally claiming Champions League glory when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Istanbul final on Saturday night, to complete the treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League triumphs.

The former Aberdeen and Scotland centre-back was asked how he would deal with Haaland, who scored 58 goals for club and country last season,  if he were still playing.

McLeish said: “What a player he is. He is phenomenal.

“How would I deal with him? Well back in the day I would have dealt with him in a different way than you can now because of VAR etc.

“He is a handful but a great challenge for our defenders. They have grown in stature and to go against Haaland is another challenge for them. You can’t take your eye off him for a second.

“It is about concentration. The boys at the back have the capabilities of dealing with those types of players but you cannot let him be free at all in the box.”

Boss Stephen Robinson vowed to “keep building” at St Mirren after agreeing a new deal until the summer of 2026.

Assistant manager Diarmuid O’Carroll has also agreed a new contract that keeps him in Paisley for the same period.

Robinson, who took over in February, 2022, led the Buddies to their most successful top-flight campaign since 1985 as well as finishing in the top six for the first time in the cinch Premiership’s current format.

Last season saw the Paisley side finish with 46 points, the highest points tally in the current format as well as winning nine home matches in a season in the top flight for the first time since 1987.

Robinson told the club’s official website: “I’m delighted and very grateful to the board and the fans for their support.

“Now it’s time to keep building and keep taking the football club forward.

“The contract was always going to get signed. There was a trust basis that we just wanted to finish the season and make sure we concentrated fully on that.

“I enjoy what we’re doing and enjoy the challenge of trying to defy the odds next season and get into that top six.”

Reflecting on tenure, the Northern Irishman said: “It’s been excellent.

“The club has grown over the period we’ve been here. We’ve tried to put structures in place that maybe weren’t previously here that can take the club and make it sustainable in the higher reaches of this division.

“It’s about building the club and doing everything in our power to make us sustainable first and foremost and successful at the same time.

“I thought it was very important that we got Diarmuid tied down as well on a longer-term deal as he’s been a part of the relative success we’ve had.

“He’s a young, clever coach. He’s very bright on and off the pitch in terms of analysis and technical awareness as well.

“He’s working at international level which is great for St Mirren in terms of player contacts. I’m delighted we’ve got both contracts sorted and was very keen to make sure Diarmuid stayed alongside myself as well.

“I get the credit at times and the stick when it doesn’t go well. It isn’t just one man that makes any football club successful, you surround yourself with good people.

“I think that’s the biggest thing we have here in Gerry Docherty, Jamie Langfield, Allan McManus, Garry McColl – to name the ones that work close to me. That’s important for the football club.

“The guys we have need to be very good and go above and beyond in their jobs. Every one of them does that and Diarmuid epitomises that.”

O’Carroll added: “I’m absolutely delighted to extend my deal at St Mirren.

“It was a very straightforward process once the contract was offered. I’m extremely excited at the direction the club is going both on and off the pitch.

“I’ve loved my time at the club since joining last February and I’m confident that myself, the manager and the staff can continue to drive standards and hopefully maintain our progression on the pitch.”

AC Milan have paid tribute to their former owner Silvio Berlusconi, who has died at the age of 86.

The Milan-born former Italian prime minister saved the club from near-bankruptcy when he bought it in 1986 and the Rossoneri went on to lift eight Serie A titles and five European Cups under his presidency.

The controversial businessman later went on to become president of Monza, who earned promotion back to the top flight through the play-offs in 2022, and was still in the role at the time of his death.

Berlusconi was treated for leukemia earlier this year but was reportedly hospitalised last week and died on Monday morning.

Milan said in a statement on their Twitter account: “Deeply saddened, AC Milan grieves the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi and wishes to reach out to the family, associates, and most cherished friends to share our sympathies.

“Tomorrow, we will dream of new ambitions, create new challenges and seek new victories. Which will represent the good, the strong, and the true that lies inside us, in all of us who shared this adventure of binding our lives to a dream called Milan. Thank you, Mr President. Always with us.”

Berlusconi ran the Serie A giants from 1986 to 2017 before selling to a Chinese investment management company.

Carlo Ancelotti, who played for and later managed Milan during Berlusconi’s reign, posted a message of sympathy.

“Today’s sadness doesn’t erase the happy moments spent together,” wrote Ancelotti, who won two league titles and two European Cups as a player at the San Siro before going on to lead them to the league title and two Champions League successes as manager.

“There remains infinite gratitude to the president, but above all to an ironic, loyal, intelligent, sincere man, fundamental in my adventure as a football player first, and then as a coach. Thank you President.”

Monza, meanwhile, also paid their respects to Belusconi, who took control of the club in 2018 through holding company Fininvest.

“(Chief executive) Adriano Galliani and all AC Monza mourn the loss of Silvio Berlusconi: ‘A void that can never be filled, forever with us. Thank you for everything President’,” read a message on the club’s Twitter account.

Aston Villa have announced that Christian Purslow is to step down from his role as chief executive after five years at the club.

Purslow joined Villa in September 2018, shortly after owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took over at Villa Park with the club in the Championship.

Villa are now established back in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa Conference League next season.

In a statement on the club’s website, Purslow said: “It has been a total privilege to lead Villa for the last five years.

“I am proud that I leave the club in a much better position on and off the pitch than when I arrived.

“We are re-established in the Premier League, we now have a very competitive professional women’s team, we have outstanding academies for boys and girls, we have created a world-class training ground and secured planning permission for an expansion and modernisation of our wonderful stadium.

“Thank you to everyone at Villa and our supporters who have made my time here so enjoyable.”

Edens and Sawiris added: “We would like to thank Christian for his outstanding leadership of the club over the last five seasons.

“He has overseen a transformation of the club both on and off the pitch and delivered the ambitious turnaround plan he presented to us when he arrived in 2018. We are grateful for all he has done.”

Manchester City reached the pinnacle of the European game with victory in the Champions League final on Saturday, which also saw them complete the treble.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what could come next for the club.

Could this be the first of many European triumphs for City?

The club will certainly hope so. While winning the Champions League may have been a long-held ambition and the culmination of everything hitherto done in a now 15-year project under Abu Dhabi ownership, it was not a one-off target. The club have advanced considerably on and off the field and they intend to establish themselves firmly among the continent’s heavyweights. Winning every season is obviously not realistic but they want reaching the latter stages each time to become the norm.

Will Pep Guardiola carry on at the helm?

The inspirational Catalan has been the central factor in City’s success. The club identified Guardiola as the man to bring them European glory long before they even appointed him and their set-up is tailored to him. Their trust in him has paid off handsomely and they will naturally want him to stay as long as possible. There is uncertainty as Guardiola has never favoured long-term commitments. All his contract renewals at City have been relatively short. After winning the Champions League there is a feeling he could see his business as done when his current deal expires in 2025. On the other hand, he does seem firmly wedded to the City project and spoke on Saturday of not wanting the club to win one Champions League “and disappear”. City fans can expect at least a couple more campaigns from him.

Will he need to reshape the team?

With the way City have charged through the closing stages of the season to sweep up three trophies, there would seem little reason to make major changes. A specialist left-back would be desirable after Joao Cancelo left on loan in January and seems likely to move on, but that position has been a recurring problem throughout Guardiola’s tenure and has hardly hindered them. Some new signings may be necessary if the influential pair of Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva leave. Gundogan is out of contract this summer and yet to commit while Silva is apparently open to a new challenge and could go if a suitable offer arrived. City are hopeful both will stay, however. Other than that, there seem no pressing issues.

Can they maintain their standards?

It would surely be impossible for City to remain at the same level they have been this season. Last year Liverpool produced a very high standard and came within a whisker of winning the quadruple but, after their exertions took their toll, fell away this term. City will be anxious to ensure any downturn is not as dramatic. Five Premier League titles in six years, however, suggests Guardiola has a good idea how to prevent this.

There is an elephant in the room though isn’t there?

Yes. The Premier League’s Financial Fair Play investigation into City may be out of sight at times but it has not gone away. City are facing more than 100 charges for alleged rule breaches. This could loom over them for some considerable time but, with little clarity over the process or the nature of the charges, it will be business as usual in the meantime.

What the papers say

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.

After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.

Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the Italian club Romelu Lukaku, who is currently there on loan, and Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly as they look to sign Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

James Maddison: Newcastle United are said to be narrowly in front of Tottenham in the battle to secure the 26-year-old Leicester midfielder, valued at £40million, Sky Sports report.

David Raya: Brentford’s Spanish goalkeeper is weighing up offers from Tottenham and Manchester United, with Spurs reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old, according to Goal.com.

Millions of dollars were invested to establish Mount Pleasant Football Academy in 2016 with hopes that it would one day become the standard bearer of Jamaica's football. 

Two years later in 2018, Mount Pleasant secured promotion to the nation’s top-flight league and five years later, the wait by fans in the garden parish of St Ann for a Jamaica Premier League (JPL) title, came to an end.

A brace by Sue Lae McCalla in the 7th and 89th minutes, saw Mount Pleasant to its first national championship, as they edged Cavalier Football Club 2-1 in a keenly contested final at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Collin Anderson had earlier pulled Cavalier level in the 83rd minute with his 20th goal of the season, becoming the first player to record such a tally since Reno's Craig Foster in the 2014-15 season.

McCalla, who also won a JPL title at Portmore United, jokingly told a member of the coaching staff ahead of the game that he would score two goals, one at either end of the park, and it indeed proved most prophetic.

As such, of the 24 goals scored in his Premier League career, the 30-year-old said none was more important than the two on the night.

"Before the game I told the masseuse that I had two goals to score, one in the top goal and one at the other end so it was destined to happen. I came out here to lead by example and win my team the title, so this means a lot and will go down as part of my legacy," McCalla, who wore the captain’s armband for 65 minutes plus, said in a post-game interview.

With the first title now in hand owner Peter Goule displaying the spending power to further improve a team that drafted a number of the country's best players over the years, Head coach Theodore "Tappa" Whitmore believes this could mark the start of many more JPL honours to come. 

"Words can't explain the feeling at the moment, we set out on a journey, and we have completed that journey now with a win and I am very proud of the work done by everyone from the players to the support staff and management," the former Reggae Boyz captain said.

"It was a tough season, we went through a lot, the road wasn't easy, but we made the necessary adjustments along the way, and we finally did it this afternoon. The support of the Goules is very important to our charge and this is just the beginning of lots more trophies to come," Whitmore added.

The showpiece promised much between two teams of some quality, and it didn't disappoint the well over 10,000 fans, many of whom journeyed from St Ann.

So, it was only right that Mount Pleasant gave them something to cheer about and McCalla sent them into frenzy when he firmly headed Devonte Campbell's weighted corner past Vino Barclett.

Mount Pleasant lost inspirational captain Ladale Richie to injury in the 25th minute, but it mattered little as his teammates gallantly fought on to add to their tally.

They should have done so on a number of occasions, but a lack of proper positioning and poor decision-making at times, denied them at that point.

In the 32nd minute, Devonte Campbell rounded the well-advanced Barclett in a blistering counterattack, but failed to get a proper cross in with Trivante Stewart and Kimonie Bailey waiting in the six-yard box.

Four minutes later Stewart dazzled his marker with some nippy footwork and made space for a cross which went begging, as none of his teammates were on hand to apply the finish at the far post. 

Cavalier had the best of their few looks at goal in the 37th minute later when Nickache Murray's delightful pass inside the danger area found an unmarked Jerome McCleary, who failed to make it count.

And Stewart got away from defenders but had his delayed effort charged down by Barclett, who left his line well on that occasion to ensure it remained 1-0 at the break. 

The second half offered very little to write home about, but just when it seems it was done and dusted for Mount Pleasant, Anderson popped up with a timely goalmouth finish that threatened extra time.

However, it was not to be, as cometh the hour, cometh McCalla, who again rose highest to expertly head past Barclett from Ricardo Morris's corner a minute from time.

While the relief for the Mount Pleasant camp was unmistakable as they were flocked by jubilant fans that invaded the Sabina Park field, the disappointment of Cavalier's Head coach Rudolph Speid and his players, was clear for all to see.

“I thought it if we had gone to extra time we would have taken over because they were making a lot of changes and their quality was going down. But two headed goals by Sue Lae McCalla, I wouldn’t have dreamed that would have happened and it is unfortunate that we couldn’t hold on for the extra time,” Speid said.

Women’s Super League clubs saw aggregate revenues rise by 60 per cent in a record-breaking 2021-22 season, according to new figures published by Deloitte.

Clubs brought in combined revenues of £32million, up from £20million in the previous season, with the increases driven by new commercial and broadcast deals.

The higher revenues helped clubs bring down their aggregate wages-to-revenue ratio from 92 per cent to 78 per cent despite wages rising to a combined total of £25million, up 37 per cent on the previous campaign.

Clubs made an aggregate pre-tax loss of £14million, according to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance, which will be released in full on Thursday.

From the start of last season, WSL and Women’s Championship clubs enjoyed the fruits of the largest broadcast deal of any professional women’s football league, worth a reported £8million per season.

WSL clubs took a 75 per share and Championship clubs 25 per cent, with an equal fixed amount per club, plus a share based on league position.

Deloitte noted that revenues should continue to rise. A new title sponsorship deal which began this season includes a £30million investment into the WSL and Women’s Championship from 2022-25, while clubs are also benefitting from increased attendance.

Matchday revenues accounted for nearly 10 per cent of WSL clubs’ combined revenues during 2021-22 with an average league attendance of 1,923, but with crowds up by nearly 200 per cent to 5,616 per match in the season just finished, those numbers should increase considerably.

Zoe Burton, director in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “The women’s game achieved significant leaps in revenue in the 2021/22 season.

“The Lionesses’ success at the UEFA Women’s Euros is pinned as an inflexion point for the popularity of women’s football, so it’s telling that even before this historic win revenues had begun to grow in the Women’s Super League.

“We have already seen new records set for attendance, viewership and the value of commercial partnerships in the 2022/23 season.

“Organisations should not be shy about the commercial opportunities available in women’s football, and we are now reaching the point where clubs can seek to maximise the value associated with the women’s game by unbundling revenue streams to target a unique fanbase.”

Deloitte found that WSL clubs continue to receive significant backing from their wider organisations, with group income accounting for around 40 per cent of revenue across the league. That backing will be used to cover the losses made by WSL clubs.

The range in wage costs across the WSL clubs increased from £2.7million in 2020/21 to £3.6million in 2021/22.

Wembley will become the UK’s first dementia friendly national stadium in a bid to keep sports fans affected by the condition “at the heart of the action”.

The Football Association and official charity partner Alzheimer’s Society have collaborated to improve the match-day experience for people living with dementia, who can find sporting venues disorientating and overwhelming.

Football’s governing body has also backed Alzheimer’s Society’s new Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide, while both the Premier League and the Racecourse Association have pledged their commitment to becoming dementia friendly.

Alzheimer’s Society chief executive officer Kate Lee said: “We want to see all sports showing their commitment to giving fans with dementia a smooth journey from sofa to stands.

“We’re really pleased to see our landmark guidance be so well received by organisations across multiple sports.

“We hope it helps foster a more inclusive, accessible and welcoming environment for sports fans with dementia, so they can continue to be at the heart of the action.”

After an audit of Wembley Stadium by people affected by dementia, measures have been put in place to improve accessibility and increase understanding of the condition.

Public-facing staff such as matchday stewards will be given bespoke training and there will be increased visibility of services available, such as dedicated lifts and Wembley’s shuttle services.

Stadium director Liam Boylan said: “The changes we’ve made at Wembley are the first steps in ensuring that those who are affected by dementia are not excluded from the beautiful game and can continue to enjoy the sport they love, safe in the knowledge that their support and wellbeing is our top priority.

“Sport has an unrivalled ability to inform, educate and put a spotlight on important issues and we look forward to continue working closely with Alzheimer’s Society.”

The Dementia Friendly Sports Clubs and Venues guide was created and funded by Alzheimer’s Society’s Sport United Against Dementia Board, with contributions from the Premier League and other sporting stakeholders.

The Premier League’s head of community Nick Perchard said: “The importance of creating an inclusive atmosphere for fans is of paramount importance to the Premier League and its clubs.

“We look forward to seeing this landmark guidance rolled out further into the game and making a meaningful difference to families affected by dementia.”

The Racecourse Association’s communications manager Paul Swain added: “We’re working closely with Alzheimer’s Society and backing its landmark guidance to keep fans at the heart of unforgettable racing moments as part of British horseracing’s ongoing commitment to inclusion.”

Alzheimer’s Society said 900,000 people in the UK live with dementia – “enough to fill Wembley 10 times over” – and attending sporting venues presented unique challenges.

Many find matchdays too disorientating and overwhelming due to large crowds and noise levels, plus the inability to communicate, Alzheimer’s Society said.

Jonathan Pinkney, son of Brighton season ticket holder John Pinkney, who lives with dementia, said: “Dad has been a life-long Brighton fan, but his dementia diagnosis changed everything.

“He gets anxious if it gets too busy and crowded, especially when queueing. But on the few occasions I have needed help from Brighton’s stewards, they have been incredibly supportive.

“Going to a football game is great because for 90 minutes it’s just dad being dad, like he always was. That’s why Alzheimer’s Society’s work to make stadiums dementia friendly is fantastic.”

Swansea partnered with Alzheimer’s Society Cymru in 2021 and set up a working group of fans affected by dementia before implementing a series of improvements.

Among those, first and last steps within the Swansea.com Stadium have been painted red to assist fans with perception issues.

Swansea’s head of hospitality and fan engagement Catherine Thomas said: “We strive to make a real difference to families impacted by dementia.

“As well as providing ear defenders if noise mitigation is required at our games, we also have an inclusion room, which can provide a quiet space to watch the game during matches, while our disability liaison officers have undergone dementia friends training and are on hand to help in any way they can.”

The FA’s partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, which began in 2021 and has been extended until July 2024, has raised over £400,000.

Alzheimer’s Society estimates that by 2025 one million people will be living with the condition in the UK, and many millions more carers, partners, families and friends will be affected.

Dementia deaths are rising year on year and 225,000 people will develop dementia in 2023 – one every three minutes – while one in three people born in the UK today will go on to develop the condition.

England lost Unicef’s Soccer Aid match for a fifth successive year as the World XI triumphed again with a 4-2 victory at Old Trafford.

Manchester United fan Usain Bolt, wearing 9.58 on the back of his shirt in recognition of his 100 metres world record time, slotted past David James to give the visitors a 24th-minute lead.

The game, which had raised over £14.6million for Unicef at the final whistle, opened up in the second half after both sides had replaced their professional goalkeepers with celebrities.

England scored twice within eight minutes of the restart to seize the lead.

Actor Asa Butterfield sliced a shot past mixed martial artist Leon Edwards and Paul Scholes rolled back the years from 20 yards to add another to his extensive Old Trafford goals catalogue.

Robbie Keane struck a superb quickfire double past Paddy McGuinness to put the World XI back in front.

TV presenter Kem Cetinay sealed matters 10 minutes from time as he became Soccer Aid’s top scorer with five goals.