Lancashire

Latest Updates

  1. Accrington Stanley play at the Wham Stadium

  2. Sam Smith (L) and Jay Rodriguez

  3. Portsmouth forward Callum Lang in action during the game against at Burnley Fratton Park

  4. A Carlisle United corner flag

  5. Three men stand in front of three white Moving People buses. MP Oliver Ryan stands on the left, he has short hair, wears a dark suit, a white shirt and a black jumper. Moving People founder Stuart Coates stands in the middle, he has short hair, wears a dark suit and a white shirt. Councillor Scott Smith stands on the right, he wears dark trousers, a navy blue half zip jumper and a white shirt.

  6. Side-by-side of pictures of Jobe Bellingham and James Trafford

  7. Durham opener Ben McKinney in the last of the three-game Australia tour in Sydney

  8. Parker defends 'boring' Burnley performance

    Parker defends side amid claims Burnley are "boring"

    Burnley boss Scott Parker says his side's defensive strength is "remarkable" amid claims they lack entertainment value.

    The criticism has been heightened after the Clarets' highly-anticipated match against fellow title-chasers Leeds United ended in a goalless draw with the second lowest XG of the season.

    Burnley have scored the least amount goals of any team in the top six with 36, while league leaders Leeds have the most with 55.

    The Clarets have by far the best defensive record across the entire top four divisions, conceding just nine goals in 29 matches.

    "It was only a week ago we scored five goals against Plymouth. We didn't score against Leeds and quickly the narrative swings that we're a really boring team," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

    "But that was the game, it wasn't a classic.

    "What we did manage to do was incredible on the defensive side of things but what we didn't manage to execute was us trying to be a bit of a threat, but we keep working on that."

  9. Stuart Burns has grey hair and a grey goatee beard. He wears black sunglasses.

  10. Ashton Turner in action for Perth Scorchers

  11. Vehicles on either side of the M65 at a slip road junction, with Darwen Hill and the Jubilee Tower on the summit in the background

  13. Liam Manning celebrates while Louie Barry is pictured in a Hull kit

  14. Over 50 members of Lancashire Police staff stand in three rows, with some holding certificates and shields. Some are in uniform. A screen behind them says 'congratulations and thank you to all recipients for your service and dedication'.

  15. Bearded Paul Hamer with grey beanie hat, black and grey checked shirt, black cardigan.

  16. Niall Ennis in action for Stoke City

  17. Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom

  18. Pick of the stats: Portsmouth v Burnley

    Portsmouth and Burnley club badges

    Portsmouth have lost their past two games and saw their seven-game unbeaten run at Fratton Park ended by Millwall on Tuesday night.

    Pompey welcome promotion-chasing Burnley on Saturday afternoon, who are one point off the top two and unbeaten in their past 16 games (W9 D7).

    • After remaining unbeaten across their ten league games against Burnley between 1995 and 2010, Portsmouth have since won just one of their past five against the Clarets (D1 L3).

    • Burnley have won their past two away league games against Portsmouth and will be looking to win three in succession at Fratton Park for the first time.

    • Portsmouth have won each of their past four home league matches and will be looking to win five in a row in the second tier for the first time since February/March 2003 (5).

    • Burnley are unbeaten across their past eight away league games (W6 D2), keeping seven clean sheets in the process. The Clarets last enjoyed a longer undefeated run on the road between December 2022 and September 2023 (14 games) during which they were promoted to the Premier League.

    • Josh Brownhill has netted nine goals for Burnley in the Championship this season, already his most in a single league campaign in English football. Indeed, his five away goals are also his most in a league season to date.

  19. Close up of Stuart Burns. He is standing outside in the sunshine and is wearing sunglasses. He has a white goatee and a shaved head.

  20. A police issue picture of Neil Jeffrey, he has blonde hair, wears a black t-shirt and stares at the camera

  21. Josh Boyden celebrates taking a wicket for Lancashire in the One-Day Cup

  22. Pick of the stats: Blackburn v Preston

    Club badges

    Preston make the 10-mile trip east to Blackburn for an intriguing Lancashire derby on Friday night (20:00 GMT).

    Rovers have dropped out of the play-off places to lie seventh, and though they remain eight places ahead of North End, they only have five points more.

    • Blackburn have failed to win any of their past five league games against Preston (D3 L2), with both losses during that time coming at Ewood Park.

    • Preston have lost just one of their past eight away league games against Blackburn (W5 D2), failing to score in just one of those matches.

    • Rovers have lost each of their past three league games, last enduring a longer losing run in December 2023 (four games).

    • After beating Watford and Middlesbrough both 2-1 in their past two league games, Preston will be looking to win three Championship matches in succession for the first time since February 2024.

    • Altogether, 17 different players have scored for Blackburn in the Championship this season; the joint-most for any team in the division (excluding own goals), along with Hull City.

    23. Protesters on a balcony at the town hall holding black banners which say Break the Silence on Child Abuse with the picture of a schoolgirl underneath

    • An EFL matchball