September 30, 2026 - Celebrity News

Scott Steven Rogers and England’s Amputee National Team’s Journey in Disability Soccer

Celebrity News Staff on September 30, 2026

Over the last two decades, amputee soccer has experienced significant international growth. Where once it was a relatively obscure competitive sport, it has now grown into an organized international sport with continental and world championships and growing national programs. There is now a World Cup of 24 teams overseen by the World Amputee Football Federation, as well as new tournaments from the European Amputee Football Federation, designed to boost top international participation. In addition to international development, many countries have developed coaching and developmental programs to help their national teams improve.

England is one such nation that has gone through this kind of development. In the first few years of the 2020s, the England amputee program had one of its biggest periods in recent history, leading to the team winning its first major international title in over three decades. One person who took part in this period was English football coach Scott Steven Rogers, whose rise from first-team coach to head coach happened at the same time.

Rogers was born on September 16, 1977, in Blackpool, England. His career has been built upon a blend of educational and football training achievements. Having graduated from the Bachelor of Science in Sports Science program offered by Edge Hill University, Rogers has achieved further success by earning a qualification in secondary physical education. Over the years, Rogers has had extensive experience in both the educational and football coaching fields. He received his UEFA B coaching license. Rogers has been working in youth football development programs for more than two decades, including at Accrington Stanley, Blackburn Rovers, and Wigan Athletic.

Rogers entered international disability football in late 2020, joining the coaching staff of the England Amputee National Team under head coach Owen Coyle Jr. At the time, England was attempting to build on previous international performances while competing against established amputee football nations such as Turkey, Poland, and Spain. The appointment marked Rogers’ first involvement in international disability sport. It coincided with a period during which amputee football was receiving increasing institutional and public recognition across Europe.

His participation in England’s first major international tournament was the 2021 European Amputee Football Championship in Kraków, Poland. This championship brought together numerous top European national teams. It allowed for assessing the level of development and competitive nature of the sport. England reached the quarterfinals but was eliminated by Spain after a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Further, the national team managed to win against France and Italy, finishing fifth. Turkey remained the European champion and thus maintained its position of supremacy in international amputee soccer.

Rogers was part of England’s technical staff at the 2022 Amputee Football World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey. This tournament featured 24 national teams and 80 matches over 10 days. Thus, it could be considered the biggest international event of amputee sports ever held. England ranked ninth at the tournament with a relatively young team. As for the World Cup itself, Turkey, the host nation, beat Angola 4-1 in the final.

After the World Cup, the England Amputee Football Association entered a period of transition. Following Coyle’s exit, Rogers was appointed interim head coach in December 2022 and later took responsibility for preparing the national team for the new format of European competitions. In April 2023, he was named permanent head coach. He became responsible for guiding England through the first-ever European Amputee Football Federation Nations League competition.

The first-ever EAFF Nations League competition took place in Krakow in June 2023, with teams including England, Poland, Spain, and defending European and World champions Turkey participating. England kicked off the tournament positively, beating Turkey 1-0, Poland 2-1, and Spain 1-0. England won all the matches in the tournament, scoring four goals and conceding just one. England was top of Division A and won the first Nations League. According to reports on the England Amputee Football Association’s official website, this was Turkey’s first defeat since 2014.

England’s success was not only important in the competition itself but also a significant historical milestone for the English program. It marked their first important international trophy in 34 years. It was an indicator of their growing competitiveness in developing sports for people with disabilities. On February 18, 2024, the National Football Museum in Manchester officially marked its success by adding the EAFF Nations League trophy to its exhibit in the England Football Hall of Fame.

Besides the coaching role, Rogers was able to increase the visibility of disability football by taking on media-related jobs that included punditry and match analysis on amputee football games shown on television. These activities occurred at a time of an upsurge in the general public’s knowledge of disability sports in England, along with increased media coverage and institutional recognition. In 2026, Rogers’ involvement in disability sports was formally acknowledged when he was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s Birthday Honors.

The years 2020 to 2026 were a significant period in the history of England’s amputee national soccer team. Over the years, the team competed in some of the most important international games, won its first major championship after more than three decades, and was recognized by the national sporting institutions. The role that Scott Steven Rogers played in the England set-up happened during a period when amputee soccer was gaining recognition not only in England but also internationally.

Billy Joel Unveils Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Box Set With 54 Unreleased Recordings

Celebrity News Staff 2 on September 30, 2026

Billy Joel announced Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition on September 29, 2026. The four-CD and Blu-ray box set comes out December 11. It contains 67 audio tracks, 54 of them previously unreleased, plus 32 video performances, 24 of them never released before.

Key Takeaways

The set includes “Oklahoma,” a Billy Joel song that has never been released before, in both demo and live versions.
Fan favorite “Handball” gets its first official audio release.
Four tracks come from the abandoned first recording sessions for Turnstiles, which featured Elton John’s rhythm section, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson.
The complete Billy Joel Tonight concert film, shot in December 1976 at Connecticut College’s Palmer Auditorium, has been transferred, restored, and mixed in HD.
A newly restored concert from New York’s Bottom Line on June 10, 1976, and a Dolby Atmos mix of the original album are also included.
The box includes a 40-page hardcover booklet with previously unseen photographs and new liner notes by music journalist David Fricke.

Turnstiles Is Billy Joel’s New York Homecoming Record

Turnstiles came out on May 19, 1976, and it marks a turning point in Billy Joel’s story. After several years in Los Angeles waiting out a bad record contract, Joel moved back to New York. The album he wrote about that move includes songs that defined his career: “New York State of Mind,” “Summer, Highland Falls,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” and “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway).”

Joel produced Turnstiles himself, and how it got made is central to the new box set. The first sessions took place in Colorado with producer James Guercio and members of Elton John’s band. Joel wasn’t satisfied with those recordings. He dropped them and re-recorded the album in New York with his own touring band, the musicians who would go on to form the core of his sound for years.

That makes Turnstiles the album where Billy Joel built his sound around his own band. Fifty years later, the 50th Anniversary Edition documents that shift in detail.

What 54 Vault Tracks Reveal About The Making Of The Album

The box set is structured more like a documentary than a standard deluxe reissue. Across four discs, it follows the album from early sketches to the stage.

The Abandoned Colorado Sessions Finally Surface

The most historically important material is the four tracks from the Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson sessions. For decades, fans knew about the scrapped version of Turnstiles mainly through stories. Hearing those recordings next to the finished album lets listeners compare the two approaches and judge the decision for themselves.

The box set’s session notes also show the new approach taking shape. An early take of “Miami 2017” lists bassist Doug Stegmeyer and drummer Liberty DeVitto, dated January 23, 1976. Stegmeyer and DeVitto became the rhythm section of Joel’s band throughout his run of classic albums, and here they appear on tape at the start of that partnership.

Demos And Early Versions Show The Songs Taking Shape

The first disc is devoted to demos and early versions. It includes material recorded at CBS Studios and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. These recordings show how the songs developed before their final form: changing arrangements, lyrics still in progress, and Joel working out the balance between his solo piano writing and a full band.

“Oklahoma” is the key find. A Billy Joel song that fans have never heard is rare at this point in his career, and the set includes it as both a demo and a live performance. That suggests Joel took it into rehearsals or onto the stage before it was left off the album.

Two 1976 Concerts Capture The Band On Stage

The live material places Turnstiles in the year of its release. The third disc is devoted to Joel’s June 10, 1976, show at the Bottom Line, the Greenwich Village club that was central to New York’s live music scene in the 1970s. Released three weeks after the album came out, it captures Joel playing the new songs in the city they were written about.

The fourth disc and the Blu-ray cover Billy Joel Tonight, recorded December 5 and 6, 1976, at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, in New London. Parts of those performances aired in a 1977 television special. The new edition presents the full concert film, transferred, edited, restored, and mixed in HD, with a soundtrack that adds previously unreleased recordings from the same shows.

Two more archival pieces complete the set. The second disc pairs the original album with previously unreleased alternate versions and a 1976 radio interview with Philadelphia DJ Ed Sciaky, recorded June 18, 1976. Tracks from Souvenir, a 1977 promotional LP, are included as well.

A Catalog Release Built For Collectors And New Listeners

The box set also serves listeners focused on sound quality. A Dolby Atmos mix of the original album puts Turnstiles into immersive audio formats, which fits a wider effort to update classic catalogs for current playback systems.

For collectors, the physical package is substantial. The 40-page hardcover booklet includes previously unseen photographs and archival material, along with new liner notes by David Fricke. The official Billy Joel store limits orders to four per customer, an early sign of expected demand.

Legacy artists are active beyond archival releases, too. Classic rock acts are still announcing new work, as shown by Deep Purple’s plans for a 24th studio album and a world tour. The Turnstiles reissue takes a different approach: it goes deep into the history of one album instead of adding new music to the catalog.

Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition arrives December 11 through Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. It is available for pre-order now.

FAQs

When Is The Billy Joel Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Edition Released?

Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition comes out December 11, 2026. Pre-orders are open through Billy Joel’s official store.

How Many Unreleased Tracks Are On The Turnstiles Box Set?

The set includes 67 audio tracks, and 54 of them are previously unreleased. It also has 32 video performances, 24 of which have never been released.

What Is “Oklahoma” On The Turnstiles Box Set?

“Oklahoma” is a Billy Joel song that has never been released before. It appears on the 50th Anniversary Edition in both demo and live form.

What Concerts Are Included In The Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Edition?

The set includes a newly restored June 10, 1976, concert at New York’s Bottom Line and the full Billy Joel Tonight concert, filmed in December 1976 at Connecticut College. The Billy Joel Tonight film is presented in HD on Blu-ray.

When Was Turnstiles Originally Released?

Billy Joel originally released Turnstiles on May 19, 1976. It was his fourth studio album and includes “New York State of Mind,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” and “Summer, Highland Falls.”