The difference in time zones between the World Cup hosts – the USA, Canada and Mexico – and the UK means many of England and Scotland’s matches will extend into the late hours or even the early morning. For instance, Scotland’s opening fixture against Haiti on Sunday is not expected to conclude until nearly 4 am.

The victim had been living at her now former friend Donna English’s home in Sunderland.

But, Newcastle Crown Court was told that following a disagreement, English told her to leave.

English contacted the woman on November 20 last year claiming she owed a sum of money for rent, which the victim disputed.

Donna English, jailed for 13 years for suspected ammonia attack on ex-housemate who she blinded in one eye and left partially-sighted in the other (Image: The Northern Echo)

Turning up to her address on Carley Road, Southwick, English then three times squirted a substance from a bottle towards the victim.

It caused injuries to her face, eyes, head, hands and inside her mouth.

The substance was believed to be ammonia.

Following surgery and hospital treatment, the victim, in her 20s, was left completely blind in her right eye and partially sighted in her left.

She now relies on friends, family and carers to support to her with everyday tasks such as cooking and shopping, and she is unable to leave home alone.

The woman named English as the perpetrator to police officers arriving on scene following a 999 call made by her father.

English was found hiding in a nearby garden and the 41-year-old later charged with grievous bodily harm, which she denied.

But, following a five-day trial at the court, she was found unanimously guilty by a jury, earlier this year.

On Monday (June 8) she was jailed for 13 years.

In her personal statement, read to the court, the victim said: “The assault on November 20 has changed my life forever.

“My right eye is now completely blind and my consultant has informed me that the sight loss is permanent.”

She added: “The assault and the injuries I have suffered have had a massive impact on my mental health.

“Since the assault, I often feel hopeless and that I have no future.”

Detective Constable Catherine Jowett, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our thanks go to the victim in this deeply upsetting case.

“She has been through a horrendous ordeal since November 20 last year and has been left with life-changing injuries.

“We also commend her for her immense bravery in having to speak at court as part of the trial and relive the vicious attack with which she was subjected to.

“Hopefully, now that her attacker has been jailed, she can begin to move on with her life, although we appreciate that permanent damage has been caused to her.”

Det Con Jowett added: “Donna English’s actions were reprehensible and completely unacceptable.

“Thankfully, we were able to make quick inquiries and get her into custody before being charged with a serious offence to which a jury found her guilty.

“Let us be clear, there is absolutely no place whatsoever for violence in the communities we serve and, although incidents of this nature are rare, we will always do our utmost to bring offenders to justice.

“English now has a significant period of time behind bars to reflect on the pain and misery she has caused to her victim.”

The Wednesday letters page wishes more had been shown of the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, as a reader thinks there’s too many Xenoblade games.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The B-Team
That was a pretty strange Nintendo Direct. There was plenty in there and yet so little that seemed new or shocking. It wasn’t even the leaks that did it either, because Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake was the only thing that got leaked and they only showed that for 30 seconds. Xenoblade Genesis didn’t get leaked at all but… is that franchise really that popular? It seems so generic and un-Nintendo.

The third party support was encouraging but it was all Japanese. I don’t know that there was a single Western game in that whole 55 minutes. Maybe some of the indie games and I guess Minecraft?

Nintendo has already admitted they’ve been pandering too much to their Japanese audience, but it was really obvious here. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer Japanese developers nine times out of 10, but at the same time Xenoblade Chronicles, Splatoon, and Fire Emblem is nowhere near the top of my list when it comes to Nintendo games.

It’s been obvious since the start, but for some reason Nintendo is concentrating on its B-list franchises and while I kind of get, in that there’s nowhere to go for a lot of the big ones, it seems mad to me that we could enter year three of the Switch 2 and have not even a hint about a new Mario, Smash Bros., or Animal Crossing. Even Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is over three years old at this point, so throw us a bone Nintendo.
Cranston

Nintendo-ish Direct
I thought that was a very good Direct with a particularly strong third party showing and a few nice surprises (Pikuniku 2!).

I was a little surprised that there was so little Nintendo in the Direct. I am happy the rumours of the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake were real, but I would have liked some gameplay. No doubt it’ll turn up on Nintendo Today one random afternoon.

I felt like we probably didn’t need quite so long on thumb wars and Splatoon Raiders is getting a Direct and was in Treehouse, so maybe didn’t need as long.

Less reliance on indie titles to pad it out though, just a lot of big name third party ports. The extra power of the Switch is clearly working for Nintendo getting other devs involved.

I think besides actual Zelda gameplay, the only thing I really missed from that Direct was a teaser for a new Mario or something. Otherwise a solid 9/10.
Euclidian Boxes

Japan friendly
Really not good enough for the first Nintendo Direct in nine months. Unacceptable, even, considering this should’ve been the big one, their console is only a year old and we’ve now gone almost that whole time with no new announcements for big first party games. Y’know the very thing that people come to the Nintendo table for. If you don’t care about all the Japanese role-playing sequels, the biggest thing to look forward to is a remake they refuse to show.

How Nintendo can expect to fuel Western interest in the Switch 2 is a mystery when almost the entirety of the biggest news event of their gaming year consists of lower effort entries in legacy handheld series clearly targeting the Japanese market, yet more Japanese role-players, ports of old games, and so little else.

People talk about Nintendo fans unconditionally lapping up whatever is dished out. Well, I’m a Nintendo fan and I’m starting to think it’s the Japanese market that’s to blame, as this felt like little more than contempt for any other market. I remember speculating a few months ago, when seeing the divide in Switch 2 performance per region, that there was a risk that Nintendo would just double down on servicing Japan. It’s hard to see this as anything other than that right now, which is worrying for their direction.

Maybe that’s unfair but the alternative is that this was some sort of conscious crisis management Direct. No Mario Kart DLC, negligible new Donkey Kong-tent, no DuskBloods release date (or gameplay), yet another Xenoblade game next year when the last one isn’t even that old.

None of this is what the Switch 2 needs right now and it seems realistic to expect little more than a proper reveal of the Zelda remake in terms of big news from them until well into 2027 (if Ocarina Of Time even makes it out before then).

The best excuse I can come up with is they must be sitting on stuff like Ocarina Of Time footage and bigger news for 2027 until the Switch 2 price increases kick in, at which time rolling out better news might negate the impact. But I don’t feel like making that excuse for them right now. This should’ve been a bone thrown to patient existing Switch 2 owners and it genuinely feels like it would’ve been better if it hadn’t happened at all.
Panda

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Wrong side of bed
RE: Nintendo Direct I only skimmed most of it but wow that was bad! Games known about already that aren’t really system sellers, ports of old games from the PlayStation 5 (PlayStation 4 with Devil May Cry 5), a really poor looking Wii Sports, and unbelievably only a one minute cut scene of the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake…

Part of me is happy that Nintendo are doing so bad with the Switch 2 at the moment, so I don’t feel the need to max out my credit card and get one. Maybe towards the end of next year when a few more games have come out.
Simon

GC: Nintendo is not doing badly with the Switch 2.

Don’t ask us
What can I say, new Gears Of War going Xbox only, very disappointed but in a way, a minor win for me.

Sure, me and the troops were getting it on PlayStation 5; looking forward to it, only to have it whipped away, it would appear at the last minute.

Plus point though, one month of Game Pass for me on my mothballed Xbox Series X then that’s it done. Nice bit of gaming on the cheap, cracking strategy there Microsoft, appreciated.
RAMBO1STBLOOD (PSN ID)

Caveats and exceptions
Gears Of War E-Day and Clockwork Revolution were probably the biggest first party games at the Xbox showcase that hadn’t already been announced for other consoles. Making Spyro an exclusive would of been a statement but Microsoft seem to be treating the Activision stuff as it’s always been, multiformat. They are legally bound for Call Of Duty to stay multiformat for 10 years, as part of the Activision Blizzard sale.

Barring the obligatory Call Of Duty look, the games also opened and closed the show with the message console exclusives are back.

The two games I would imagine are among the biggest they have ready for release in the next year or so not already announced for PlayStation 5 or Switch to make an exclusive statement with.

They won’t want to renege on the stuff already announced as multiformat, because Sony and Nintendo are now partners to them. Xbox currently can’t go back to being fully exclusive due to the money spent and assets owned in relation to their console install base and Game Pass subscription numbers.

So now they are painfully trying to find a balance between being a third party publisher and console platform that at least maintains where the majority of its last reported 35 million Game Pass customers are. I don’t think the plan is to compete with Sony and Nintendo for dominance in the console space again.

The question is how many future games will be exclusive as just the two announced won’t be enough to appease disgruntled customers or attract new ones. I’m not sure there’s a sweet spot to be found and partial console exclusivity will always feel like an unsatisfying half measure.
Simundo

GC: There’s also no clear logic to it. As you yourself say, Call Of Duty is a completely separate issue to Spyro, or any other games Activision might publish, and there seems even less reason why Senua wouldn’t be an exclusive but Gears Of War and Clockwork Revolution are.

Ganbare Bakeru
Just a quick game recommendation – I recently found a great platformer/action game called Bakeru on the Switch. It’s a real gem and I am really enjoying go through it – fun combat, enjoyable special powers and not too difficult, so is an easy play.

There is a demo on the Switch store so anyone can give it a go.
Simon

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The end of not-E3 season
I am absolutely floored at what an amazing time this is for gaming. It might just be the greatest two weeks in gaming history. Because we’ve had four back-to-back gaming showcases. We’ve been treated to some amazing reveals and just some amazing news, trailers, and announcements.

Wolverine gameplay, Metro 2039, a Saw game by Bloober Team, Gears Of War: E-Day and it’s an exclusive – which is fantastic news for exclusivity for Xbox. Resident Evil Code: Veronica is being remade. Stellar Blade’s sequel has been announced. A State Of Play for Phantom Blade 0, which is very highly anticipated for me personally. State Of Decay 3. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and as if these announcements weren’t enough, we’ve also seen Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Silent Hill Townfall, Modern Warfare 4, and Halo Campaign: Evolved is releasing in a month’s time.

God Of War Laufey is official and it features Faye. The original trilogy will be remade, presumably for the PlayStation 6. As if that wasn’t even enough. As if that wasn’t enough gaming goodness we’ve had a Nintendo Direct that’s given us Kingdom Hearts 4. The myth that was just a fragment of our imagination, is real indeed. Xenoblade Genesis, which is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, is happening and there’s finally Nintendo Switch 2 versions for the original trilogy releasing.

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is releasing in September. It looks great and it’s another addition to the most stacked month in a very long time. But the one announcement for me that stands above all of them, the one that means the most to me personally, is the reveal of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake, which was just announced as the show closer for the Direct.

As a gamer who’s admittedly never played the original, I regret that I never had the chance to as a child. This is everything to me. Not just because Zelda is my favourite franchise but because Ocarina Of Time is an example of the magic of gaming. According to me personally, it’s the single greatest game Nintendo has ever made in their history. Their greatest gaming achievement. I understand that’s a debatable topic of conversation, but to see this remake is truly real, that it’s set for this year and it will revive a legendary title that stands amongst the very best that gaming has to offer. That’s just very heartwarming for this fan.

So I’ll say it right now. This is the best two weeks of gaming I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s such a fantastic time to be a gamer and that’s not even mentioning that dummer will be arriving soon. So that means we’ll be entering the marketing phase of GTA 6 very soon. Yeah, I’m just so excited and so very happy to see this all just giving me a reason to smile and feel giddy inside. That’s not even mentioning the other blessing the gaming gods have bestowed upon us: Persona 6’s announcement. Yeah, we’re so blessed.
Shahzaib Sadiq

Inbox also-rans
It’s great to know that the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake is real but would it have hurt to actually show it? Plus, that voiceover guy was awful.
Orion

I enjoyed the Nintendo Direct but I don’t think it’s going to change the mind of those that aren’t happy with the Switch 2. There was a lot of stuff in there that seems pretty niche. Do we really need that many Xenoblade games?
Colbat86

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

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MORE: Games Inbox: What will be in the Nintendo Direct today?

MORE: Games Inbox: Why is Gears Of War: E-Day not on PS5?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will Summer Game Fest 2026 be worth staying up for?

After the US denied entry to Somali referee Omar Artan ahead of the World Cup, Liz Kendall said the tournament “works best when it is inclusive, and they include talent” from everywhere

The World Cup is meant to bring the world together. Yet before a single ball has been kicked, Donald Trump’s America has already turned the beautiful game into an ugly spectacle of suspicion, exclusion and chaos.

The treatment of Somali referee Omar Artan is a disgrace that FIFA needs to own.

A respected international official, chosen on merit to officiate at the biggest tournament on Earth, was subjected to an 11-hour interrogation, detained in a holding cell and sent packing despite holding the correct documents.

His alleged crime appears to be the country stamped on his passport.

This comes amid reports of fans and officials facing mounting barriers, while even Iran’s ticket allocation has become embroiled in controversy. The image being projected to the world is deeply troubling.

Football should be about fairness, inclusion and opportunity. Instead, America has turned the tournament into an immigration checkpoint.

The World Cup has always been a festival of sport. Instead, it risks becoming a symbol of division.

We must Save Lives For Sam

Becky Adlington is one of the greatest swimmers Britain has ever produced.

An Olympic champion who conquered the world’s biggest stages, she knows water better than most.

Yet even she found herself fighting for her life after being dragged into a rip current at Bondi Beach.

Her ordeal is a stark reminder that water is unforgiving. It does not care about medals, fitness or experience. One moment of panic can prove fatal.

That is why our Save Lives For Sam campaign is so important.

Following a heartbreaking series of drownings, we are demanding practical measures that save lives: better warning signs, more rescue equipment and proper water safety education.

Too many of these deaths were preventable. The excuses have run out. Ministers must act before more families suffer unimaginable loss.

Age brings wisdom

Calling someone a “dinosaur” or “over the hill” may seem harmless, but campaigners say these everyday phrases help fuel ageism. They have a point. Nobody should be written off because of the date on their birth certificate. Age brings experience, wisdom and perspective that cannot be taught.

A little more thought about the words we use would age well.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The race for California governor this fall will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in the nation’s most populous state.

Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, The Associated Press determined Tuesday. He’ll face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and health secretary under President Joe Biden.

The winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead the state that is home to roughly 39 million people, Hollywood, a booming tech industry and a vast farming region that helps feed the nation. By itself California represents one of the largest economies in the world.

The next governor will have to take on stubborn issues including a high cost of living, housing shortages and homelessness.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in California

Hilton is banking his campaign on voters being frustrated enough to do something they have not done in two decades: elect a Republican to statewide office. The last time that happened was when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term in 2006. Hilton has campaigned as an outsider who would bring change after more than 15 years of one-party rule.

“If you’re happy with the way that California is being run, Xavier Becerra is your guy,” Hilton said in a recent interview. “If you want change, vote for me.”

But simply having an ‘R’ next to his name stacks the odds against Hilton, since Republicans make up just about 25% of registered voters compared with Democrats’ 45%. Trump’s endorsement likely boosted Hilton with GOP voters during the primary but could be a major liability in the general election.

Becerra was a chief architect of the state’s so-called resistance to Trump during the first years of his presidency after then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, appointed him attorney general in 2017. In that role Becerra filed at least 120 legal actions against the federal government.

Becerra has made pushing back against Trump’s incursions a central piece of this campaign, as the president has repeatedly gone after the state during his second term including by curbing a signature plan to reduce planet-warning emissions from cars, withholding aid for wildfire recovery and suing over state policies supporting transgender student-athletes.

“Donald Trump is doubling down on decline and counting on people being too fearful, distracted or gullible to fight back,” Becerra told a crowd on primary night. “As governor I will never back down from the threats of small cowards in big offices.”

Results conclude a chaotic primary

It took nearly a week to determine the general election matchup for governor due to California’s notoriously slow vote-counting process. Ballots are mailed to every eligible voter and they are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at an election office within seven days. Counties process and count mail ballots in roughly the order they are received, so the last ones returned are the last ones counted.

The Associated Press determined Friday that Becerra had won enough votes to advance to November. Hilton had been vying for a second spot against Democrat Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager turned climate activist who poured $215 million of his personal fortune into the campaign and blasted Californians’ screens with ads.

Steyer steadily narrowed Hilton’s lead for second place every day since Election Day. But he was never on track to fully close the gap. AP advanced Hilton to the general election on Tuesday after determining there weren’t enough outstanding votes for Steyer to catch Hilton.

Election data shows that large numbers of Democratic voters held onto their ballots until the final days of the election. That helped explain why Steyer did better than Hilton in the votes counted after June 2, Election Day. Steyer is splitting Democratic votes with Becerra, whose lead over Hilton and Steyer continues to grow.

Steyer conceded Tuesday and urged his supporters to back Becerra.

“It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not,” he said in a statement.

Affordability is a central issue

How to make the state more affordable was a major theme throughout the primary. Hilton promised to make Californians’ first $100,000 free of income tax, create a loan program for first-time homebuyers and freeze in-state tuition at public colleges. Becerra, meanwhile, said he would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates.

The two have one thing in common: They both come from immigrant backgrounds.

Hilton moved to California from the United Kingdom in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021. Back in the U.K., he was an adviser to Conservative Party officials including former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Hilton has poked fun at his British accent by comparing himself to the Austria-born Schwarzenegger.

“I know that some of you may be watching and saying, ‘Who is this guy with a funny accent?’” he said on election night. “Well you know there was actually an immigrant who was governor of California not that long ago.”

Becerra was born to Mexican immigrant parents in Sacramento and also raised there. He said his family’s story mirrored his “underdog” campaign for governor.

“Like my parents, I never gave up,” he told supporters on election night. “I never stopped believing in the beaconlike goodness of California. And thankfully, neither did you.”

Becerra would be the state’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s.

__

Associated Press journalists Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington contributed.

Serena Williams and Victoria Mboko defeat third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe to reach the second round at Queen’s. The unseeded pair came through a tie-break in the opening set before racing away with the second set to win 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.

READ MORE: Williams rolls back the years on return at Queen’s

Available to UK users only.

The victim of a Belfast knife attack, named locally as Stephen Ogilvie, is in a serious condition in hospital, as anti-immigration protests erupt across the city following the incident

The victim of Monday’s terrifying knife attack on a Belfast street has been named locally as Stephen Ogilvie.

The PSNI confirmed that the man, in his 40s, remained in a serious condition in hospital on Tuesday, being treated for severe injuries to his eye, face and back.

A 30 year old man was charged with attempted murder after the victim sustained “significant injuries” to his face, neck and back on Monday evening.

Full details of the attack, which took place on Kinnaird Avenue in the north of the city, emerged after harrowing footage of the stabbing was widely circulated online.

The video shows bystanders, including one wielding a hurling stick, stepping in to restrain the attacker as he continued to assault the victim in the residential street, close to the busy Antrim Road in north Belfast.

A kitchen knife was recovered at the scene.

The brutal attack has drawn widespread condemnation, sparking large-scale protests across the city.

Senior police officers and political leaders urged restraint amid fears that planned anti-immigration demonstrations could turn violent.

The suspect is a Sudanese national. On Tuesday, police disclosed further details about the arrested man’s immigration status and how he came to be in the UK.

He crossed into Northern Ireland via the Irish border in February 2023, having flown to Dublin from Paris.

The suspect lodged an asylum claim upon arrival and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028 in September 2023. Detectives have confirmed there is no suggestion that Monday’s knife attack was terror-related.

The 30 year old suspect also faces charges of possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill. He is set to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

As properties and vehicles were set alight and protesters continued to fill the streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland’s First Minister took to social media to condemn the violence.

Michelle O’Neill has stated that “groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice”.

In the five years since Myanmar’s military chief led a coup to overthrow the democratically elected government, civil war has torn the country apart.

Thousands have been killed and millions displaced by the conflict between the military and an alliance of ethnic and rebel groups.

More than two years ago, the rebels made a series of sweeping gains, but things have taken a turn for the worse for them. Forced conscription and increased drone power has put the military on the offensive in most parts of the country.

The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville travelled to Myanmar without the permission of the authorities – the only way to report from rebel-held territory.

During his 10 days there, he spent time with rebel fighters and travelled to hospitals and front-line positions in Bago and Karen states to see how the war is unfolding.

A Yorkshire start to an international season was a canny choice, and better still, the typically Yorkshire weather forecast of rain at 6pm and 7pm to greet support acts Seb Lowe and The Guest List turned out to be wrong. There was no need to go chasing rainbows; that could wait until the end under the darkening Halifax skies.

Built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell woollen cloth, the 18th century architectural splendour of the Grade I listed Piece Hall makes a natural amphitheatre for outdoor concerts – hence the busier-than-ever 2026 programme – and Shed Seven supporters turned out in full number, 6,500 filling the courtyard and the tiers above that transform as if by magic from two to three tiers. This is Yorkshire’s answer to summer opera at Arena di Verona, no less!

Shed Seven’s anniversary show at The Piece Hall, Halifax. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

The York band had last played here in their first gig out of Covid lockdowns on September 25 2021: strange circumstances, where proximity was gradually being reintroduced; circumstances too where drummer Alan Leach and guitarist Joe Johnson were in their last days before taking an “indefinite break” from the line-up.

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The Sheds returned on the crest of their second wave: two number one albums in 2024, a new album and biggest ever ShedCember tour on the way, and drummer Rob Maxfield’s gold drum kit and guitarist and keyboards player Tim Wills settled into their groove alongside the familiar axis of bassist Tom Gladwin, guitarist Paul Banks and frontman Rick Witter.

Shed Seven supporters turned out in full for the band’s anniversary show at The Piece Hall, Halifax. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

Saturday’s focus, however, was on the past. Advance notice had suggested the set would open with 1996’s A Maximum High in track order, but Witter had promised surprises in his York Press interview. Wasn’t that Dirty Soul, the opening track to 1994 debut album Change Giver, cutting through the Halifax air after the band entered to Elmer Bernstein’s The Magnificent [Shed] Seven theme tune? Indeed so, to be followed by early favourites Mark and Dolphin.

The grimy Shed Seven graffiti that formed the backdrop in black and white should have been a clue. Then Witter, as alert as ever to the audience vibes, chipped in: “We know why you bought your tickets. We’re not stupid! It’s coming but not quite yet.” Cue Speakeasy, Witter’s first mention of his mum being in the audience, and Ocean Pie.

By now, the brass band, such a swell innovation at the Sheds’ brace of York Museum Gardens shows in 2024, and five-part Shed Seven Choir, as featured at Scarborough Open Air Theatre and Glastonbury last summer, had made their entry.

The Shed Seven scrawl made way for A Maximum High’s album cover – matched by trombonist Tim Hurst, saxophonist Andy Cox and trumpet player Jamie Brownfield’s T-shirts – and Witter jettisoned his black shirt in favour of a sparkling red number. He could have gone for gold, but maybe that was in the glitter.

Like any album, A Maximum High has its highs and lows, but those highs a very high – Getting Better, Where Have You Been Tonight?; Going For Gold and On Standby, all from the A-side, where track two, Magic Streets, held its own, preceded by Witter’s story of the song referring to “a house of ill repute above the Early Learning Centre”. “It’s about prostitutes. No-one knew!” he revealed.

After the audience sang its lusty version of On Standby before Witter joined in, there followed the lesser lights of Out By My Side, Lies This Day Was Ours, Ladyman and Falling From The Sky, some brought out of the vaults for the first time in two decades.

The Sheds gave them their all, Banks’s guitar parts especially so, but it was a lull, nonetheless, saved by the knowledge of what was coming next: schooldays’ crowd favourite Bully Boy, as belligerent and cocksure as ever, and Parallel Lines, the one helluva party album closer, with a light show to boot.

The swanky Shed Seven logo, familiar from the past few years, returned for the rushing thrill of encores: High Hopes, latter-day landmarks Talk Of The Town and Let’s Go Dancing and the swaggering finale of Disco Down and Chasing Rainbows, sung by one and all as they exited as always.

Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka needs to be carefully steered back to full fitness as England head into a World Cup where they must “dare to dream”.

History is against 1966 winners England, head coach Tuchel pointed out.

But his view is that “a bit of luck”, plus sharp focus and self-belief, could make his team serious trophy challengers if they come through the early rounds.

Having his most important players available may be key, and Saka ranks highly among that contingent.

The Arsenal winger missed part of the climax to the domestic season because of an Achilles injury, though he did return in time for the club’s run-in as they won the Premier League title.

Tuchel said Saka, who has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for the Three Lions, still requires careful attention before the tournament – which has raised some concerns given he is a key player.

“We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo [Saka] who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign,” Tuchel told a news conference.

“He made himself available at the end of the season and did so brilliantly, but he was managed in between matches. That continues a bit at the moment – we are building him up.

“We just came from training and everyone was involved including Bukayo.”

Tuchel said he must assess Saka and the rest of his England squad before deciding who starts the final warm-up match against Costa Rica on Wednesday (21:00 BST).

Having made 11 changes at half-time in Saturday’s 1-0 win against New Zealand, Tuchel will give some players a longer run-out to build their fitness before the tournament opener with Croatia on 17 June.

John Stones is among the players who could benefit from more game time having played a peripheral role at Manchester City last season.

“Of course [Stones can start]. Everyone can start – everyone is fit and ready and John is one of them,” said Tuchel.

“Before this, we have two more matches to play and hopefully we take the next step. Hopefully we all stay healthy and have the full availability for Croatia.

“No-one needs a break. Everyone is available which is very good news. No [injury] complaints after the first match.

“[We’ve had] one day of recovery and two good training sessions. We are ready to give it a push tomorrow – meaning more than 45 minutes.

“Players will play 60, maybe 70 minutes. We will make this decision in the afternoon.”