West Ham were already planning to sell players this summer after posting a £104.2m loss for the last financial year.

The impending relegation would only place more pressure on the club’s finances.

The Hammers, however, are giving little away when it comes to future planning.

For now, they remain hopeful of succeeding in their survival fight, even if it looks from the outside as though it is an impossible task.

Much will depend on the thoughts of chairman David Sullivan and the other significant shareholder Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech businessman who now also owns the Royal Mail.

There are some players whose departures would seem obvious.

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been looked at by a number of clubs, including Manchester United, and the Portugal star is a saleable asset.

Winger Crysencio Summerville has found his form over the past couple of months and also might attract attention.

Axel Disasi will presumably return to Chelsea when his loan expires on 30 June despite his good performances in defence. Adama Traore joined from Fulham on a permanent deal in January but to the end of the season, with an option for an additional year, which is yet to be triggered.

The big decision will surround skipper Jarrod Bowen.

Along with Tomas Soucek and Alphonse Areola, the man whose last-minute goal famously won the Conference League final, is one of only three starters from that night still at the club.

Bowen, 29, is a crowd favourite and his father-in-law is actor and celebrity West Ham fan Danny Dyer.

If he could be persuaded to lead West Ham‘s attempt to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, it would represent a major coup.

However, the club – and Bowen – know there would be a queue of clubs keen to sign him for a decent fee, which would cover some of the club’s financial hit.

“But whether West Ham can extract full market value for them, given age and potential clauses in contracts, remains to be seen,” football finance expert Kieran Maguire said.

“Some players will have relegation clauses, which usually are no more than 25%, so the total wage bill will decrease significantly.”

About 40,000 people descended on Burnhope in July 1926 when the annual miners’ gala moved from Durham for the first and only time in its history.

The event took place in the village, about seven miles from the city, after the gala could not be held in Durham because miners were locked out of their pits during the general strike.

Burnhope Gala Centenary (Image: STUART BOULTON)

The “forgotten gala’s” centenary has now been commemorated with a community celebration aimed at preserving the village’s heritage.

Burnhope residents Cindy and David Brockington realised the anniversary was approaching and asked the community to help organise a commemorative event.

Burnhope Gala Centenary (Image: STUART BOULTON)

Hayley Gibson volunteered and became the event manager for the Saturday celebrations.

She said: “The idea was brought up by the village heritage group after they realised it was 100 years since the village held the miners gala.

“Saturday was absolutely fantastic we had Morpeth pipe band and Backworth Colliery and Consett brass band playing.

“Loads turned out and we made a real day of it on a field offered up by a resident.

“We had stalls, live music, entertainment, a funfair and loads more.

“We paraded through the village and they were followed by the miners’ banners, it was a real spectacle.

“The most special part was a group of men all from Burnhope village joined a band together just for this celebration called the Pitt Village Pirates.

Burnhope Gala Centenary (Image: STUART BOULTON)

” It was really special, everybody got involved and the feedback we’ve had this morning has just been phenomenal, we even had volunteers from the age of ten, Maisie, who had her own stall to 90-year-old Harry who helped us restore the banners.”

Burnhope Gala Centenary (Image: STUART BOULTON)

The original 1926 event was attended by Miners’ Federation secretary AJ Cook, who was “smuggled” into the village on a farmer’s cart.

Cook, remembered for the phrase “Not a penny off the pay, not a second on the day”, spoke at the gala for about 90 minutes.

Kynren – The Storied Lands will showcase miniature pony Phantasma and towering Shire horse Marshall Bugsy.

The major live-action park is set to open on July 18.

Standing at 18 hands and still growing, Bugsy, one of fewer than 200 grey Shires believed to remain worldwide, dwarfs his 32-inch stablemate, Phantasma.

The 32-inch miniature pony Phantasma, with Lucy Watson (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The pair are among the four-legged stars of the attraction.

Both horses are being trained by Kynren yard manager David Turner Richardson and deputy yard manager Lucy Watson, who have been with the attraction since its launch in 2016.

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Bugsy, one of fewer than 200 grey Shires believed to remain worldwide (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The duo is heavily involved in training the park’s growing team of horses for the large-scale live performances featured throughout the new daytime park.

Visitors to Kynren – The Storied Lands will see horses playing starring roles across several productions, including The Trusty Steed, Land of the Vikings, and Legend of the Wear.

Bugsy is currently being trained to join the performance team, while Phantasma is already a firm favourite with the team thanks to his outsized personality.

Sam Ransom kept turning up at the family’s home to make their life a misery

A controversial pizza shop owner terrorised his ex-girlfriend and her family. Sam Ransom, the 35-year-old franchisee of the Papa Johns takeaway in Caerphilly, repeatedly snuck onto the family’s property at night to damage their cars, security lights and other items.

In 2022 we reported on Ransom’s treatment of a 17-year-old minimum-wage employee who had asked for a free pizza while working an overtime shift at the restaurant. Ransom called him a “loser”, told him to “stop looking for handouts”, bragged about his own wealth, and then sacked the teen.

And this week Ransom, from Blaenau Gwent, was sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court after he was found guilty of a theft and criminal damage spree targeting his former partner and her family. He was furious about the end of their long-term relationship and decided to cause havoc at the family’s Bridgend home on three consecutive weekends. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

One of the victims, the father of Ransom’s ex-girlfriend, watched the sentencing from the public gallery. When Ransom entered the courtroom at the start of the hearing, he gave the dad a long stare and smirk.

Prosecutor Laura Thomas said the woman had been in a relationship with Ransom for around 10 years. After their breakup Ransom turned up at the home on each of the first three weekends of January 2025.

The spree started with him ripping down a house sign that had been screwed onto the entrance to the property’s driveway. “A replacement sign was put up a few days later and that, again, was taken down and thrown into a river near the house,” said Ms Thomas.

“The defendant and another person entered the driveway multiple times on the evening of January 11. They damaged the lights that edged the driveway leading to the house, and again caused damage to the house sign.”

In that incident, Ransom and his accomplice threw stones at the property, causing damage to a downpipe and dents to the paintwork of a Kia Niro belonging to his ex-girlfriend’s brother.

The following weekend Ransom returned and again ripped off the house sign before turning his attention to his ex-partner’s Toyota Aygo.

It was night-time and the family were in bed when they heard an “almighty bang and smashing noise”, said the prosecutor. “They called police, petrified, and a neighbour came out to check what was going on. They could see the rear window of the Toyota had been completely smashed. The two bricks that caused the damage were still lying on the driveway.”

Ransom, of Station Road in Nantybwch, Tredegar, pleaded not guilty to three counts of criminal damage and one of stealing house signs and security lights, but the magistrates found him guilty of all offences. The victims made an application for £4,043 in compensation for damage.

The court heard Ransom had previous convictions, dating back to 2024, for assaulting an emergency worker and obstructing police. In that case he had received a community order.

Ransom’s solicitor Declan McSorley said: “My client is particularly hardworking, running a series of businesses from multiple locations across south Wales. He fits his relationships into his work, which is excessive in hours, as opposed to working on relationships.”

Mr McSorley said he agreed with the probation service’s recommendation of a community order. The magistrates decided to follow that recommendation, imposing a 24-month order.

Presiding Justice Norman Craggs imposed 10 days of rehabilitation activity, 26 sessions of a ‘building choices’ programme, 150 hours of unpaid work, a £114 victim services surcharge, £650 in prosecution costs, and restraining orders protecting the victims for two years each.

The presiding justice added: “We are not ordering compensation because there is a strong indication that civil proceedings may follow and they will be picked up then.”

When we approached the Caerphilly branch of Papa Johns for comment, Ransom messaged us from a WhatsApp account with a profile picture that showed US President Donald Trump alongside the words “fake news”. He told us “look forward to ur [sic] fake news” but declined to comment on his actions in detail or express any remorse.

In our 2022 report on Ransom’s actions towards the 17-year-old employee, a spokesperson for the pizza chain said: “Papa Johns UK restaurants are 100% franchisee-owned and we require all franchisees to be good employers. We are currently investigating this matter and it would not be appropriate to comment further until that investigation is complete.”

Papa Johns UK has not yet responded to our approach for comment on Ransom’s recent crimes.

If you would like to contact us about a story we should be investigating, email us at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk

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Paris Saint-Germain have been handed a major injury scare with Ousmane Dembele forced off 13 days before the Champions League final against Arsenal

Ousmane Dembele was forced off injured just 27 minutes into Paris Saint-Germain’s final Ligue 1 fixture of the campaign against Paris FC.

After being substituted by Goncalo Ramos shortly before the half-hour mark, he made his way straight down the tunnel. Arsenal are set to face Luis Enrique’s side in less than a fortnight in the Champions League final.

While early reports in France indicate his substitution was merely a precaution, the full severity of his injury remains unclear at this stage.

Dembele had been deployed as the striker in a strong PSG starting XI against Paris FC on Sunday, alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha and Marquinhos. The former and Bradley Barcola were taken off just before the 60-minute mark with PSG going on to lose 2-1, though they have already won the title.

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Niggling injuries have troubled Dembele throughout this season and not having him at full fitness for the Champions League final, following his three goals in the previous round, would be a significant blow for Enrique.

Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho are the other PSG players nursing injuries, though there is optimism that all three will be available to face Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta meanwhile, is hopeful that Jurrien Timber will return from the problem that has sidelined him for the past two months.

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In his most recent update on the Dutchman, Arteta said: “He’s progressed a bit in the last few days… We’re going to try to get him fit and available as quick as possible. Let’s see.

“Obviously, he’s been out a while, unfortunately. He’s such an important player for us, and he’s doing everything that he possibly can to help the team in any capacity.”

Arsenal’s main focus remains the Premier League title, with a fixture against Burnley at Emirates Stadium scheduled for Monday night.

While that encounter would usually be the last of the weekend, Manchester City are in action afterwards owing to the FA Cup final against Chelsea, which they claimed to secure a showdown with Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Victory would pile immense pressure on Pep Guardiola’s outfit before their journey to Bournemouth on Tuesday, where anything short of three points would virtually guarantee Arsenal the title.

Should it reach the final day, the Gunners travel to Crystal Palace while City welcome Aston Villa. Both opponents have European finals either side of those fixtures.

For Unai Emery’s Villa, they meet Freiburg in the Europa League next Wednesday, while the Eagles face Rayo Vallecano following Arsenal’s visit.

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London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has criticised the government’s plans for a possible north of England bid for the Olympics and Paralympics, saying that excluding the capital city would be “a missed opportunity”.

Ministers have commissioned UK Sport to conduct an “initial strategic assessment” into whether the region could host the Games in the 2040s.

The funding agency would examine the potential cost of staging the event for the first time since London 2012, as well as socio-economic benefit and any bid’s chance of success.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the government was “starting the firing gun” on the project.

But in response, a spokesperson for Sir Sadiq said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and the Mayor has openly expressed his ambition for the capital to be part of a future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Sadiq believes that a potential country-wide bid, using all the assets we have in the UK, including the publicly-owned London Stadium would deliver the very best possible Olympics.

“Using London’s existing world-class infrastructure would help deliver the greenest and most sustainable Games, as well as unlocking huge economic growth both here in London and around the country.

“Not including the capital in an Olympics bid would be a missed opportunity, and mean our country fails to unleash the full benefits of a UK-wide games.”

Earlier, Nandy said, “For too long we have been told the Olympics is simply too big and too important to be hosted in the north.

“Not any more. It’s time the Olympics came north and we showed what we can offer to the world.

“We know that we can pull off the most incredible, not just bid, but Olympics. So we’re kick-starting that with a phase-one study about the investment, the resources, the infrastructure, the transport that we’re going to need.”

The findings of UK Sport’s study will determine whether to proceed with a more detailed “technical feasibility study”, with a final decision on any bid resting with the British Olympic Association (BOA).

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Hundreds of cheering fans waving Bulgarian flags welcomed Eurovision Song Contest winner Dara upon her return home on Sunday.

Visibly tired but smiling, the 27-year-old singer arrived at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport waving the Eurovision trophy. Bulgaria’s major television stations made changes to their regular programs to air live coverage from the airport.

“This award marks the beginning of my future international career,” Dara said.

The singer won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Saturday with her infectious party anthem “Bangaranga,” giving the southeast European country its first-ever victory in the competition.

“We have done something great for Bulgarian music, and I hope this sends a message that Bulgaria’s performers and artists deserve stronger support,” Dara said.

She said that Bulgaria is “an exceptionally talented nation that will continue to receive more and more attention.”

Dara, whose real name is Darina Yotova, beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final of the European pop music competition. Her song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine proved a hit with both national juries in participating countries and viewers around the world, whose votes together decide the winner.

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev was among the officials at the airport. Terziev said that the capital city is ready to host the next edition of the European song contest in 2027 when Bulgaria will mark the 20th anniversary of joining the European Union.

The Balkan country’s political leaders joined the outburst of national pride.

Parliamentary speaker Mihaela Dotsova called Dara’s win an “inspiration for the nation,” while President Iliana Yotova said that it was a “triumph for Bulgaria” and Prime Minister Rumen Radev proclaimed it “a victory with global resonance.”

The Wellbeing Farm in Lancashire, has teamed up with Turton Sixth Form ahead of the fifth annual Good for Growth: B Corp Fest 2026, launching the partnership with a screening of The Peoples Emergency Briefing.

The film encouraged students to think about sustainability, ethical leadership, and the power of business to shape a better world.

Celia Gaze, founder of The Wellbeing Farm, said: “Young people are inheriting some of the biggest social and environmental challenges we’ve ever faced, but they’re also bringing fresh thinking, creativity, and optimism.

“We wanted to create an opportunity that gives students a voice and encourages them to see that business can be a powerful force for positive change.”

Now in its fifth year, B Corp Fest is an event in the North West for entrepreneurs and organisations focused on combining profit with purpose.

This year’s event promises a larger line-up of speakers, expanded networking opportunities, and a renewed focus on turning ideas into action.

Speakers confirmed so far include Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK and Darcy Laceby, co-founder of Absolute Collagen.

Manchester-born Hannah Cox, founder of the Better Business Network, said: “Business is the most powerful tool we have for systemic change but only if we use it intentionally.

“Events like B Corp Fest exist to remind us that there’s a growing community of businesses that refuse to choose between profit and purpose. That community is getting louder, and it’s getting bigger. That’s exactly what the world needs right now.”

The Wellbeing Farm is recognised as the first independent wedding venue in the world to achieve B Corp certification, reflecting its commitment to sustainability, community, and ethical leadership.

Nick Rusling, CEO of City Wellbeing Series Ltd, said: “The world is founded on businesses sustaining life, offering purpose and pay.

“If all businesses were founded on good principles, kind principles and strong values, the world would be a better place.

“It’s a team effort.

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“We all need to lead from the front on this and encourage others to do the same.”

Good for Growth: B Corp Fest 2026 will be held on Wednesday, June 3, at The Wellbeing Farm.

Tickets and more information are available via Eventbrite.

Emergency services have raced to a busy junction in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, this evening after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on a crossing outside a college

A pedestrian has suffered serious injuries following a collision on a crossing outside a college in Manchester. Emergency services, including police officers and paramedics, rushed to the Cheetham Hill area this evening, resulting in the closure of two main roads.

A large emergency response has been deployed, with numerous ambulances and police vehicles stationed on Great Ducie Street. The incident occurred next to the Manchester College, near the junction with Trinity Way, causing significant traffic delays to build across the surrounding area.

Members of the public have been urged by authorities to avoid the vicinity while the scene remains sealed off. Delays are expected to continue as emergency teams manage the aftermath of the crash.

Greater Manchester Police have urged members of the public to avoid the area for now while investigations are carried out, reports MEN.

“The police have stopped all access for cars and pedestrians,” one witness who lives nearby has told the M.E.N.

“The two ambulances have left the scene now however they left with a police escort which leads me to believe it to be a more serious incident.

“The road is closed from the Travelodge on Great Ducie Street, down to one lane on Trinity Way and no access at all heading from city centre.”