The high level of co-operation between England’s and Israel’s football governing bodies has been marked with a special tour of Wembley Stadium by Israeli players and anti-racism campaigners.

A delegation arrived in Britain on Tuesday and met leading officials from the English game to discuss anti-racism work carried out by both countries’ football associations.

This afternoon, a Jerusalem football team will battle on the pitch for promotion to the professional league — and to change the culture of the game in Israel.

Many fans are sick of clubs’ reliance on tycoon owners, who can send their fortunes up and down like yo-yos. So six years ago, a group of Jerusalemites established a football co-operative.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has backed Israel’s right to host this summer’s Uefa under-21 football tournament.

He said the flagship competition – due to take place at stadiums in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya and Petah Tivka in June – would not obstruct peace efforts in the region.

Chelsea football club is investigating claims that its player Yossi Benayoun was racially abused by the club's own supporters at the weekend.

The Israeli international was the target for boos and antisemitic taunts from a section of the Chelsea fans when he came on as a substitute during the match against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal footballer Lukas Podolski is the latest celebrity backing the campaign to find a bone marrow donor for Harrow grandmother Sharon Berger.

The German international forward was a patron of a drive in Finchley, the first run by the recently launched Delete Blood Cancer UK.

The coroner who led the original inquest into the Hillsborough disaster will be questioned over the level of contact he had with police officers and why he ordered blood alcohol level tests on all those who died.

Premier League club Swansea City has admitted it considered cancelling a training trip to Dubai after striker Itay Shechter was refused entry because of the country’s ban on Israelis.