South Asians in Football Weekly: Singh breaks record | Khan moves on

The latest edition of South Asians in Football Weekly is out after another eventful week for the community in the Beautiful Game…

Jas Singh kept his eighth clean sheet in a row at the weekend to enter the record books at National League North leaders Tamworth FC for the most minutes played by a goalkeeper without conceding a goal in 91 years of club history.

Safe hands Singh kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Farsley Celtic, and has now gone 808 minutes since conceding a goal – breaking a club record previously set during the 1988/89 season by Dale Belford, a year before Singh was born.

The victory against Farsley Celtic has sent Tamworth 12 points clear of Scunthorpe at the top of the table in what is looking increasingly like an unstoppable march to promotion to the National League.

Goalkeeper Singh counts Shrewsbury Town, Telford United, Kidderminster Harriers, Gloucester City and Solihull Moors among his previous clubs. He won non-League Player of the Year at the 2013 Asian Football Awards and was named Tamworth’s Players’ Player of the Year in 2022.

Singh appears to have now put himself firmly in contention for a place in next month’s England C non-League squad.

Sky Sports News revealed at the beginning of the year that England are heading back to Wales to play Cymru C next month, with that match now pencilled in for March 19 at Llanelli Town’s Stebonheath Park.

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‘Singh is a player’

“Singh is a player,” England technical talent coach Jas Batt told Sky Sports News.

“And he’s not just a player who has turned up out of nowhere, he’s played a few hundred games at a really good level.

“Jas is one of a number of exceptionally talented British South Asians playing at the higher end of non-League football.

Image: England U21 coach Michael Johnson, Sky Sports News’ Dev Trehan and Midlands talent developer Jas Batt at Sporting Khalsa FC

“But he’s a brilliant role model in his own right, and he’s shown that with the work that he has put in to get to this milestone and write his name into the history books at Tamworth.

“It’s a great achievement and Singh and Tamworth have been a great partnership.”

Khan ‘has inspired countless people’

Women’s FA Cup hero Sam Khan has announced her departure from Luton Town Ladies.

Former Actonians striker Khan made an emotional return to her hometown club ahead of this season, and scored one of the most famous goals in Luton Town Ladies’ modern history with her FA Cup third-round strike against Keynsham Town in December.

Khan’s winner set up a tie with WSL Brighton in a cup run that earned Luton almost £50,000 in prize money.

Sam Khan celebrates after her goal earned Luton Town Ladies a place in the Women's FA Cup fourth round
Image: Sam Khan celebrates after her goal earned Luton Town Ladies a place in the Women’s FA Cup fourth round

Her Game Too Luton Town ambassador Hina Shafi told Sky Sports News: “Sam Khan’s contribution to Luton Town Ladies is there for all to see.

“Her FA Cup goal will live long in the memory and she’s inspired countless people on and off the pitch during her time at the club.

“Sam’s talent is not in question and I’m excited to see where she goes next.”

Layla Banaras celebrated her 18th birthday with a debut for Wolves in their Women’s FA Cup fifth round tie with Brighton.

Banaras, who made her debut in senior football for Birmingham City in last season’s competition, came on for the last 20 minutes in a front of a record crowd at New Bucks Head as Brighton prevailed 4-1.

Sky Sports News revealed at the beginning of the month that Birmingham City starlet Banaras was joining Wolves on a dual registration until the end of the season.

Managerial merry go-round affects trio

Dilan Markanday has a third new manager at Blackburn Rovers with John Eustace arriving at Ewood Park as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s replacement.

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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn and Stoke.

Rovers are away at Eustace’s former side Birmingham City on Tuesday night, with the man who signed Markanday for Rovers – Tony Mowbray – now in the home dugout at St Andrew’s.

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Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray bemoaned his side’s wastefulness in front of goal after they lost 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday.

Brandon Khela’s loan move from Birmingham to Ross County was exclusivly revealed by Sky Sports News and was confirmed just days after Mowbray’s appointment at St. Andrew’s.

But the man who signed Khela, Derek Adams, left the Dingwall side last week. Khela and Yan Dhanda are now playing under Don Cowie as County continue their fight to stay in the Scottish Premiership.

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Source : Sky Sports