York scored a dramatic equalizer 13 minutes into injury time to draw 1-1 at Rochdale on Saturday and clinch an extraordinary return to the main English Football League pyramid.
There were a number of pitch invasions after Josh Stones' goal, which came from virtually the last kick of the game, broke minor-league Rochdale's heart.
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York City fans celebrate on the pitch at the final whistle after the National League match between Rochdale and York City in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City players and staff celebrate with the trophy after defeating Rochdale in the National League match in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City's Josh Stones after the National League soccer match between Rochdale and York City in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City players and staff celebrate with the trophy after defeating Rochdale in the National League match in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
Rochdale, which needed to win to pip leader York to the National League title and a return to the fourth tier of the EFL, had gone in front through Emmanuel Dieseruvwe’s header five minutes into added time.
Dieseruvwe’s goal sparked a pitch invasion from home supporters that delayed the game for six minutes.
However, Stones then forced the ball over the line following a scramble after York threw 10 players forward, a goal confirmed after referee Will Finnie consulted his watch and goal-line technology, sparking another pitch invasion, this time by visiting fans.
York, which recorded 108 points to win the league, recently spent five seasons in the sixth-tier National League North.
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York City fans celebrate on the pitch at the final whistle after the National League match between Rochdale and York City in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City players and staff celebrate with the trophy after defeating Rochdale in the National League match in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City's Josh Stones after the National League soccer match between Rochdale and York City in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
York City players and staff celebrate with the trophy after defeating Rochdale in the National League match in Rochdale, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said. He was 56.
ATC Management told broadcaster RTE Hansard's family was “deeply shocked and heartbroken.”
News of his death brought tributes from fellow musicians including Bruce Springsteen, who said on Instagram he was “heartbroken” at the loss of “a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man.”
Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the Irish capital, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.
Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the hit 1991 movie “The Commitments” and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly,” which he co-wrote for the indie musical “Once" with co-star Markéta Irglová.
“Once,” a love story about two struggling musicians, was later adapted for Broadway, again with songs by Hansard and Irglová. It won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including best musical.
Hansard was long-serving front man for rock band The Frames, half of rock duo The Swell Season with Irglová and released solo albums including “Didn’t He Ramble,” which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2016.
Ireland's President Catherine Connolly said he was one of Ireland’s great singer-songwriters.
“Glen was one of the vital driving influences of the Irish music world, bringing people together in the sharing of live music," Connolly said. "He will be sorely missed by all who knew him or experienced his work.”
Actor-comedian Chris O’Dowd said Hansard’s “energizing melodies and soulful, searching voice made the tough times more manageable, the stagnant times more beautiful, and the joyful times even more memorable.”
Hansard started out as a busker on the streets of Dublin. He became famous for leading the Christmas Eve busk outside Dublin's Gaiety Theatre, where members of the public gathered to see famous Irish musicians perform in aid of a homelessness charity.
Former Irish president Michael D. Higgins said Hansard was a “wonderful musician and performer” who also "placed great emphasis throughout his life to the importance of tackling the problems of society."
At the funeral of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2023, Hansard performed a rousing version of The Pogues' song “Fairytale Of New York” with Irish singer Lisa O’Neill that had the congregation dancing in the aisles of the church.
Hansard is survived by his wife, Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa, and their 3-year-old son, Christy.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Hansard was awarded an Oscar in 2007. He received the award in 2008.
FILE - Glen Hansard appears at the 58th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 15, 2016. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Marketa Irglova, left, and Glen Hansard appear after performing during the 80th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE - Grammy-winning Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard performs at The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn., on March 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File)
FILE - Glen Hansard performs at Lollapalooza in Chicago's Grant Park on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014. (Photo by Steve C. Mitchell/Invision/AP, File)
