Colchester United manager Danny Cowley has said "recruitment is really tough at the moment" after his side were beaten 2-0 by Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly.
First-half goals from Matty Godden and Karlan Grant secured the victory for the Championship club, but after the match Cowley was happy with his side's performance.
"We didn't plan the pre-season to be easy, that's why we've played Norwich, West Ham twice, Peterborough, Charlton - so we always understood that it was going to be tough for the players. That's how we like it," Cowley told BBC Essex.
"Off the back of the goals, I was really pleased with how the team responded. Recruitment is really tough at the moment, there's no hiding place from that.
"We know what we want. We're not willing to compromise at the moment but we are trying to stay as brave as we can to get the players that we want.

#cowley

Here comes the celebrity fashion bride. Luxury brands are turning the wedding aisle into the new Hollywood red carpet. How "Little House on the Prairie" costume designer Mitchell Travers explored the artistry of Native American makers, Americana workwear and homespun dress. Plus, Betye Saar's wearable art at Roberts Projects, Etai Drori's artful new collab and Brunello Cucinelli's film hits U.S. theaters.
French fashion couture house Matières Fécales launched its bridal wear at the L.A. wedding of singer Gabbriette Bechtel pictured here at her final Paris fitting. Source: Matières Fécales
Paris couture sensation Matières Fécales, which just last week dressed Zendaya in a winged goddess gown at "The Odyssey" premiere in New York City, has joined a growing number of luxury brands that are turning the wedding aisle into the new Hollywood red carpet.
The fashion house created three wedding looks for singer/model Gabbriette Bechtel, who married English musician and 1975 frontman Matty Healy last weekend in L.A., in front of a crowd that included Charli XCX, George Daniel, Emily Ratajkowski, Alex Consani and more.
Following the nuptials, the brand issued a press release touting the event as the official launch of Matières Fécale bridalwear. The announcement arrived in my inbox on the heels of one from Saint Laurent with photos and dressing credits for Logan Lerman's Saint Laurent wedding tuxedo, and just weeks after Taylor Swift tied the knot at Madison Square Garden in a still unseen custom Jonathan Anderson Dior gown. (I predict the big reveal will be the September Vogue cover.)

#House #fashion #gabbriette #bechtel

Matty Warhurst leaves Manchester City for Northampton Town.
The teenager moves into League Two for a reported six-figure transfer fee.
Hugo Viana and City have ensured they remain financially interested in the youngster's future with a beneficial clause included in the deal.
Manchester City academy sensation Matty Warhurst has signed for League Two outfit Northampton Town on a permanent basis.
The 19-year-old leaves the City Football Academy after seven years in sky blue following on from his initial acquisition from Oldham Athletic in 2019, and his subsequent transition into Manchester City's academy setup.

#manchester #matty #hugo

Matty Healy and Gabbriette Bechtel have married, just two weeks after the singer's ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift tied the knot with Travis Kelce in New York.
The 1975 frontman, 37, and his model girlfriend, 28, exchanged vows during a glamorous ceremony at Castillo del Lago, a Spanish Colonial Revival Mansion in the Hollywood Hills, which was previously home to Madonna.
The groom wore a black tuxedo to his wedding while his wife slipped into a traditional white gown.Joining the couple in matrimony were many celebrity friends, including Charli XCX and her husband, George Daniel, who is the drummer in Matty's band.
Also among those star-studded guests were Anastasia Karanikolaou, Fai Khadra, Alex Consani, Devon Lee Carlson and her fiancé, Duke Nicholson, Sydney Lynn Carlson, Tyrell Hampton, Alex O'Connor and Quenlin Blackwell.
The couple have been together for three years, having first fallen head over heels in 2023. They enjoyed a nine-month whirlwind romance before Matty popped the question in 2024.

We asked your views on which free agents Coventry City could target this summer.
Here are some of your comments:
Freddie: First, I would push to sign John Stones on a free. He would be an excellent addition with bags of experience to that backline. Secondly, I would avoid trying to bring in someone like Lois Openda, who is neither worth the price tag nor the kind of number nine we need.
Joanne: I would have loved CCFC to sign Kieran Trippier, but it looks like he'll stay at Wolves, even though he didn't seem pleased that they sacked Rob Edwards! So thinking I'd like Stones.
Paz: Yves Bissouma all day! The others are a bit old and the wage demands wouldn't justify it, whereas Bissouma is still in his 20s and has a lot too offer. His standards dropped last season during a very poor campaign for Spurs, but put him in the right environment with the right manager and I think he can do really well. Obviously he'd be back-up to Super Matty Grimes.

Swindon Town have signed experienced midfielder Matty Virtue on a two-year deal.
The 29-year-old has spent the past two seasons at Fleetwood, making 89 appearances before leaving when his contract expired this summer.
He previously played for Blackpool, who signed him from Liverpool in 2019.
Virtue told Swindon's website: "Obviously there's one aim, everyone knows it, and you want to be successful in your football career. The club wants to be successful, so why would I not want to join?"
He added: "It's always nice to come back in; there's always a bit of nerves meeting a new set of lads, and a new staff, but they've all been really helpful and accommodating, and I'm looking forward to kicking on."

North County 11, Hudson 4: Adam Adams went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs, Brodhi Byars was 3 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, J.J. Walker was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, and Will Gage notched two hits and three RBIs to boost visiting North County (5-0-1).
Shamus Rowe, Max Cedeno, Joey Farrell and J.P. Pileeki all singled and scored for Hudson (5-2).
Leominster 7, Framingham 3: Brendan Mariani was 2 for 4 with two runs, while Sawyer Corbin, Danny Nelson and Connor Moriarty all singled and scored to host Leominster (5-1).
Matty Johansson doubled in Ben Morse in the first for Framingam (4-3), Colin Walsh singled in Charlie Jesman in the sixth and Brennan Anderson scored in the seventh.
Northbridge 8, Main South 4: Cody Veneziano went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and run, Jake Costello was 4 for 4 with a run, J.P. Bolduc was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run, Matt Coughlin notched a hit and two runs, and Alex Vosburgh finished with one hit, one RBI and two runs to visiting Northbridge (4-3).

A new New York Knicks documentary is officially in the works, with Ben Stiller set to direct a multi-part series for HBO and A24 following the franchise’s historic championship season.
Stiller, one of the Knicks’ most devoted celebrity supporters, shared details of the project during an appearance on The Roommates Show with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Matt “Matty Ice” Hillman.
The documentary will explore the broader story of the Knicks, tracing the franchise’s journey from the iconic teams of the 1990s through to the championship-winning campaign that finally ended decades of frustration for fans.
While the Knicks’ ******* le run provides a natural climax, Stiller revealed that the project is designed to tell a much larger story about the organization and its place in New York sports culture.
“Obviously I’ve been shooting some stuff on my phone, but it’s kind of gonna be about all eras of the Knicks. There’s a culmination here of something that has been going on for a long time, so it’s super exciting,” Stiller said on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart’s podcast, The Roommates Show.

There is a distinct, sometimes harsh reality to the way modern football clubs operate under elite sporting directors, and yesterday Wearside felt this reality as news broke that Under-21 Lead Coach Graeme Murty is set to depart the Academy of Light.
At a glance, this appears to be a casualty of the sweeping, systemic changes being implemented by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Florent Ghisolfi, and the club's hierarchy as they seek to completely reshape our youth setup and club operations as a whole.
Since arriving in October 2022 from Rangers, Murty hasn't just been a steady hand at the wheel of the Under-21s; he has been a transformative figure. Under his stewardship, the young Lads didn't just compete; they flourished.
He guided them through a spectacular narrative of development, culminating in a brilliant run to the Premier League Cup final at the Stadium of Light. More importantly, he has been instrumental in bridging the daunting gap to the first team, playing a pivotal role in nurturing elite talent such as Chris Rigg, Matty Young, and Tommy Watson.
During what will prove to be his final season at the club, Murty oversaw a campaign that culminated in that impressive run to the Premier League Cup final. Along the way, he fast-tracked a younger crop of scholars who are now regarded as some of the academy's brightest prospects, including Jenson Jones, Finn Geragusian, Felix Scott, and Marcus Neill.