Jose Mourinho was criticised by Clarence Seedorf after appearing to suggest that Vinicius Jr had provoked racist abuse by celebrating his goal for Real Madrid against Benfica in the Champions League and inciting the scenes that followed.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius had sent Madrid into the lead in Lisbon with a superb strike in the early stages of the second half before dancing by the corner flag in front of the home supporters. He was booked by the referee for an excessive celebration.
Before the match resumed, Vinicius exchanged words with Benfica’s Ginaluca Prestianni and reported the player to the referee over an alleged racist remark.
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Gianluca Prestianni hides his mouth while arguing with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr (AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement on Instagram, Benfica winger Prestianni said he had not directed racist insults at Vinicius who he said had “regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard”.
But the match was paused for 11 minutes, as the referee followed Fifa’s racist abuse protocols, with Mourinho seen talking to several Madrid players, including Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe, as tensions rose in the stadium.
Mourinho was later sent off for demanding a second booking for Vinicius after a foul from the Brazilian. Mourinho stormed towards the fourth official but was himself cautioned for his protests, but continued remonstrating and was promptly shown a second yellow card.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho said he had spoken to both Vinicius and Prestianni nd could not be biased against either player. But he criticised Vinicius for his goal celebration.
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“It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal in a good game… these talents are able to do these beautiful things but unfortunately he [Vinicius] was not just happy to score that astonishing goal and then the game was over. When you score a goal like that you celebrate in a respectful way.”
Mourinho was asked if Vinicius had “incited” the Benfica players and the crowd with his celebration and he responded: “Yeah, I believe so. The words they exchange, Prestianni with Vinicius, I want to be independent. I don’t comment about it.”
The Portuguese manager then revealed his own talks with Vinicius and explained what he had told the winger during the pause in play.
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Jose Mourinho spoke to Vinicius Jr during the break in play (AP)
“I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho added. “And then when he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club [Eusebio] was black. This club, the last thing it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays [in] something happens. Always.
“I’m saying that it was a good 50 minutes of football, millions of people watching around the world, a crazy goal absolutely crazy goal and then game over.”
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Vinicius Jr alleges he received a racist remark on the pitch in the Champions League clash with Benfica (AFP via Getty Images)
Amazon Prime pundits Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf and Theo Walcott seemed stunned by Mourinho’s comments with Rooney labelling them “unfair” and Seedorf saying Mourinho made a ‘big mistake’.
“As he said he’s trying to stay independent but I think it was very unfair what he said about Vinicius,” Rooney said when pressed for comment by presenter Gabby Logan.
Seedorf further explained by adding: “I think he’s [Jose Mourinho] is still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I’m not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today. He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he’s saying it’s okay when Vinicius provokes you, that is it okay to be racist and I think that is very wrong.
“We should never, ever justify racial abuse. And Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. And I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately I believe. Because we should not be telling the people at home that someone makes a dance or something then it’s okay to be racist.”
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Theo Walcott plainly finished: “That’s the one time we shouldn’t have heard from him [Mourinho], tonight he should not have been in front of the cameras.”
After Monday’s resounding defeat by Sri Lanka took World Cup fate out of his side’s hands, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh asked for the luck of the Irish to kick in.
The following day, Ireland were due to take on Zimbabwe in Pallekele. Any points for the African side would knock Australia out of the competition.
Clearly, no-one told Marsh that when it comes to Irish luck in a cricketing context, rain is never far away. The two sides shared the points after wet weather saw the match abandoned without a ball bowled. Zimababwe through, Australia gone.
For the first time since 2009, there will not be an Australian side in the Super 8s stage or equivalent. Since winning it in 2021, this edition marks a third consecutive T20 World Cup without Australia in the semi-finals.
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Less than a month on from wrapping up a resounding Ashes drubbing, Australia’s T20 side has failed to hit similar heights. The failings of this competition, which has seen them play all of their group games in Sri Lanka, alongside a wider slump in this format, does little to discard the notion that T20 cricket is not a priority.
As always after a difficult tournament, selection is questioned. Steve Smith has long been out of this side, not appearing in almost two years. A century and two 50s in the recent Big Bash were not enough to earn a recall. Not until Marsh was hit in the groin in training prior to Australia’s first game against Ireland.
Smith was summoned to acclimatise in Colombo in case he was required. He ultimately was, but not as a replacement for Marsh.
Australia’s Test run machine eventually earned a place in the squad proper when the selectors belatedly named a replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of the competition before a ball was bowled.
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All those moving parts for a player who only made it onto the park as a sub fielder while Australia were still mathematically alive, with Smith powerless to stop Sri Lanka and Pathum Nissanka’s charge.
It comes after the US president sent repeated warnings to his Ukrainian counterpart ahead of the “easy” talks, telling reporters: “Ukraine better come to the table, fast. That’s all I’m telling you. We are in a position we want them to come.”
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Trump has baselessly blamed Ukraine for holding up peace negotiations since returning to office and trying to push a hurried ceasefire deal through.
He is determined to end the Ukraine war – which started almost four years ago with Russia’s land grab invasion – even if it means rewarding the aggressor.
But, it is Vladimir Putin who continues to stick to his maximalist gains and demands Ukraine gives up even more of its sovereign territory.
Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine but it wants complete ownership over the Donbas region, around 10% of which is still in Ukrainian control.
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Zelenskyy told Axios that US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told him Russia actually does want to end the war.
The White House wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas so it can become a “demilitarised free economic zone” instead as part of a peace deal.
But the Ukrainian president said he told Trump’s representatives that they should not try to force him to sell a vision of peace which his own population would see as an “unsuccessful story”.
Zelenskyy also said it was “not fair” that Trump is urging Ukraine, not Russia, to concede.
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“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” he said, suggesting that it might be easier for Trump to pressure Ukraine than its much more powerful and aggressive neighbour.
But Zelenskyy pointed out that giving up any more land would be unforgivable.
He said: “Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never. They will not forgive… me, they will not forgive [the US].”
He added that Ukrainians “can’t understand why” they would be asked to give up more territory, saying: “This is part of our country, all these citizens, the flag, the land.”
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Zelenskyy also made a point of thanking Trump for his efforts with peace – almost exactly a year after the president claimed Zelenskyy never said thank you.
He also said Witkoff and Kushner do not apply the same kind of pressure in private as Trump does in public.
Zelenskyy also suggested meeting Putin for a face-to-face in Geneva to find a breakthrough with the talks.
The Ukrainian president has previously theorised that Trump is keen to resolve the war before the US midterm elections in November to boost his standing among American voters.
A 32-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, and burglary
A man has been questioned by police over an arson attack at a house in Co Fermanagh.
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The incident in the Derrygonnelly area caused “substantial” damage to a bungalow on Friday night.
A police spokesperson said on Wednesday that a 32-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, and burglary.
“He has since been released on bail pending further inquiries,” they added.
“Our initial appeal is still active.”
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Just as his father did, Manchester United academy star Kai Rooney has been racking up goals at youth level – here’s how his stats stack up against Wayne’s
Harry Brent Senior Sports Writer
10:00, 18 Feb 2026
Trying to step out of Wayne Rooney’s shadow may be one of the toughest tasks ever handed to a young footballer – but Kai Rooney is ready to embrace the challenge.
The 16-year-old Manchester United academy prospect is aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps and break into the first team at Old Trafford. Matching Wayne’s remarkable achievements – he bagged 253 goals to become United’s all-time leading goalscorer – might seem a daunting prospect but Kai has already shown promising signs as he steadily climbs the ranks within United’s youth system.
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In fact, if his early academy statistics are anything to go by, the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. During the 2021/22 season, playing for Man United’s Under-12s, Kai recorded truly astonishing numbers.
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The youngster racked up an incredible 56 goals and provided 28 assists in a single campaign. To put that into perspective, he was directly involved in 84 goals over the course of the season, a phenomenal return that instantly drew comparisons to his father’s legendary scoring prowess.
He has continued to prove his lethal touch in front of goal while rising up the ranks. Earlier this month, he bagged four goals for United’s U16 side and his strong form has seen him play a handful of times for the U18s, where he is one of the youngest in the age group.
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In four appearances at U18 level this term – all as a substitute – Kai has still found the net once despite limited time on the pitch. With just over an hour of action under his belt across those games, that’s a respectable return and a promising sign of his instincts in front of goal.
But how does Kai’s prolific youth record stack up against Wayne’s legendary boyhood exploits on Merseyside? The truth is, Wayne’s youth record reads like a video game.
Long before he was terrorising Premier League defences, he was rewriting the record books in local youth football. Playing for Liverpool Schoolboys, a young Wayne once scored 72 goals in a single season – a record that stood for nearly two decades.
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At just nine years old, playing for Copplehouse boys’ club in the Walton and Kirkdale junior league, he netted an absurd 99 goals in the 1994/95 season. It was this relentless, unstoppable form that caught the eye of Everton scout Bob Pendleton, who snapped him up for the Toffees, changing the course of English football history.
Once he joined Everton’s academy, the floodgates stayed open. During the 1995/96 season, playing for the club’s U10s and U11s, Wayne scored a staggering 114 goals in just 29 games – averaging nearly four goals a game.
His physical and technical development was so rapid that by the age of 15, he had already been fast-tracked to Everton’s U19s squad.
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During Everton’s run to the 2002 FA Youth Cup Final, a 16-year-old Wayne scored eight goals in eight games. Though Everton ultimately suffered a final defeat against Aston Villa, Wayne left his mark by scoring a goal and famously revealing a T-shirt that read, “Once a Blue, always a Blue.”
Within months, Wayne was included in Everton’s first-team squad for a summer training camp in Austria and scored his first senior goal in a 3-1 friendly victory over SC Weiz on July 15, 2002. A few months later, he announced himself to the world by netting a long-range wondergoal against Arsenal, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history at the time. The rest is history.
While matching the sheer output of Wayne 114-goal seasons may be an impossible benchmark for any mortal striker, Kai Rooney is already showing he has inherited the family’s ruthless edge in front of goal.
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Wayne was a generational talent who physically overpowered opponents well beyond his years, famously making his Premier League debut at just 16 – the age Kai is now. While the younger Rooney’s rise has been less explosive, he is quietly crafting an impressive resumé of his own at Carrington, steadily developing his game and carving out a path that, while different, is no less promising.
If Kai can continue to produce the goods in front of goal against elite academy opposition, the Rooney name might be lighting up the Old Trafford scoreboard for years to come.
One lane of the busway is also due to be closed. Buses entering the campus will be able to use the remaining open bus lane, while buses leaving the biomedical campus towards Trumpington Park and Ride and Cambridge Station will be diverted.
The county council has confirmed that a diversion route for pedestrians and cyclists will also be in place while the pathway is closed. The diversion route is proposed to go via Hobsons Avenue, Addenbrookes Road, and Francis Crick Avenue.
The safety works are due to take place between March and May. The county council said further details will be shared ahead of the start of works in these areas.
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The closure is planned as part of the county council’s ongoing work to install safety fencing between the busway track and the shared pathway running alongside it.
The authority committed to installing the safety fencing to improve safety after it was fined £6million following the deaths of three people on the busway.
The county council has previously said it accepts “full responsibility for the historical failings” and has apologised to the families and friends of those affected.
Work to install the new fencing began in October last year. A spokesperson for the county council said: “Works are progressing well with the separation fencing, Trumpington Spur is due to be complete by the end of the month and the works at Pagram Way to Histon will be finished by the end of March.
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“Then we’ll move onto Orchard Park to Cambridge Regional College.”
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Mr McAsh is the Southwark Labour cabinet member for clean air, streets and waste. He follows Southwark councillor Sam Foster, who revealed in December that he had joined the Greens from Labour, and Rotherhithe councillor Kath Whittam, who also defected to the Southwark Green Party in November.
The iconic Disney Channel series first premiered in 2006
Samantha King Content Editor
10:06, 18 Feb 2026Updated 10:14, 18 Feb 2026
It’s been quite some time since Hannah Montana graced our television screens. The beloved programme first launched back in 2006, and a film followed in 2009.
Running for four seasons, the comedy series centred on apparently ordinary teenager Miley Stewart. Yet Miley harbours a secret – she’s simultaneously living as a globally renowned pop sensation performing under the alias Hannah Montana.
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To conceal her real identity from both the public and her classmates, she wears a blonde wig during her performances as Hannah, depending on her father, brother and best mates whilst attempting to balance schoolwork with her clandestine celebrity career.
In a case of life mirroring fiction, the show’s lead Miley Cyrus subsequently became an international music superstar, recognised for chart-toppers such as Flowers, Wrecking Ball and The Climb. The ensemble also included Miley’s actual father, country musician Billy Ray Cyrus, alongside Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles.
Two decades later, Disney+ has confirmed a 20th anniversary special featuring the pop sensation herself. Recorded before a live studio audience, the performer and actress will sit down with Call Her Daddy podcast presenter Alex Cooper to discuss everything Hannah Montana, reports the Mirror.
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Disney’s description hints: “With heartfelt nostalgia and fresh perspective, Cyrus will revisit the moments, music and memories that defined an era.
“Viewers will be treated to never-before-seen archival footage, while some of the most memorable sets from ‘Hannah Montana’ are brought back to life – including the Stewart family living room and the legendary Hannah Montana closet. There will also be some familiar *notes* that find their way back into the spotlight.”
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The special programme will broadcast on Disney+ on March 24. Prior to its arrival, the streaming service released a teaser clip showing a vehicle with the registration plate ‘HM 20’ arriving at a backlot, whilst a muted version of Hannah Montana track ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ plays. It accompanied the footage with: “Going back to where it all began.”
Before the special’s launch, Miley Cyrus revealed: “Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection.
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“The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special will air on Disney+ on March 24.For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
If you’re of a certain age, you likely remember when it was at its height – parades, music, floats, celebrities.
And sadly, you also probably remember its gradual fading in the early noughties, where expanding costs and shrinking crowds brought the former summer mainstay to its knees, culminating in its eventual cancellation.
The Bethel Crowd Amateur Dramatics Society at the Westhoughton Carnival procession August 2005 (Image: Karen Hope)
But now, Westhoughton community group Howfen Wakes is set to bring back the Carnival after an absence of around 20 years.
That’s 20 summers without the sight of costumes and parades, without the smell of hotdogs and popcorn, without the sounds of the brass band or the rollercoaster.
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The carnival will start small and hopefully expand, depending on popularity, as the team try to turn their much-loved childhood memories into a reality once again.
Hazel Bumby from Howfen Wakes said: “I remember it from when I was a teenager, so it was last on probably about 20 years ago.
“We’d have celebrities, floats, open top cars, people throwing sweets into the crowd – although you probably couldn’t get away with that now.”
‘Howfen’ is a slang term for a Westhoughtoner, so ‘Howfen Wakes’ refers to the reawakening of the Howfens as they revive their carnival.
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The Bourbon Street Roof Raisers provide the music at the Westhoughton Carnival procession. August 14, 2005.. (Image: Karen Hope)
According to Westhoughton councillor David Wilkinson, the carnival began as an agricultural show, where locals could display their wares.
The show expanded, however, eventually blooming into a full carnival with all the usual trappings – stalls, food, floats, a ‘carnival queen’.
“We’d go down Bolton Road across Market Street and into central drive over to then park then we’d have a celebrity open the carnival.”
Members of Bolton Spartans Scooter Club got into the carnival spirit back in 1962 when they prepared to take part in the procession for Westhoughton Carnival dressed in home-made costumes (Image: Archive)
The new edition of the carnival is starting small with a party in the park – stalls, amusements, food, face painting and hair braiding for the kids.
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This nullifies one of the largest carnival expenses – paying for road closures.
According to Cllr Wilkinson, it was this this and other expenses that lead to the dissolution of the carnival the first time around.
Sarah Hall, the Westhoughton Carnival Queen Elect at the Westhoughton Carnival procession August 2005.. (Image: Karen Hope)
“Road closures are expensive, traffic management is expensive.
“But after such a long period of time you have to start somewhere.
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“It was well attended in its heyday – everyone looked forward to it but there was a lot of cost.”
The Westhoughton Carnival procession. Photo by Karen Hope, Bolton Evening News, Sunday August 14, 2005. (Image: Karen Hope)
Cllr Wilkinson himself related a story of how he used to enter the carnival show with homegrown goods of his.
If this first carnival is a success, however, the team are planning to expand until it begins to approach its former pomp, with street parades, floats, and live entertainment.
While Nigel Farage unveiled his new spokespeople on Tuesday, Reform MP Suella Braverman said she wanted to get rid of the “pernicious, divisive notion of protected characteristics” in the 2010 law.
Yusuf – who is now Reform’s Home Office spokesperson, despite not being an MP – ended up defending the idea on BBC Newsnight hours later as Derbyshire interrogated exactly what that policy meant.
Derbyshire said: “You’re going to scrap the Equality Act, but you’re still going to protect for example pregnant women from being sacked being they’re pregnant?”
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“That’s exactly what we would do,” Yusuf replied.
Derbyshire asked if it would be “the same act but with a different label”, and questioned what Reform would do for the disabled population.
The presenter said: “This act means if you have a disability, you’ve got an equal right to a job, equal access to public transport, or practical stuff that most people don’t even think about – doorframes have to be a certain size so people in a wheelchair can literally get in and out of a building.
“Do you not want to protect those people?”
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“Yes, you can expect those things to be protected,” Yusuf replied.
“Right so which of the protected characteristics do you not want to protect anymore, because I’m not clear,” Derbyshire said.
The Reform figurehead said: “We’ve got to look at why, there are huge problems in this country, they are left behind white working class boys –”
“No, the question was specific,” the presenter hit back. “Which do you not want to protect, is it sex? I’m going to go through the list.”
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“You’ve got to look at how all these things work together,” Yusuf replied. “You can’t reduce a serious conversation like this to two minutes.”
“I’m not reducing anything. I’m literally going to go through the list and ask what a Reform government would protect,” she said.
“So will it be the same act but with a different label?”
Victoria Derbyshire absolutely skewers Zia Yusuf on Reform’s plan to scrap the Equalities Act.
Former Green Party leader and ex-MP Caroline Lucas also laid into Yusuf on the same programme, saying: “Your position is utterly incoherent. You have cited no evidence that the Equality Act is discriminating against white working class boys.
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“When it comes to the wider issue of taking your word on anything you’ve said, it seems to be a really muddled message.”
The idea of taking apart the Equality Act was also torn apart by TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, on Tuesday.
The union chief said: “It’s official – Reform UK think discrimination should be legal.
“Scrapping the Equality Act would be a sledgehammer to hard-won rights working people fought for over generations.
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“If you’re discriminated against because you’re a woman, black, disabled, pregnant or gay – that’s fine with them.
“This is a blank cheque for bad employers to mistreat their staff.
“And it wouldn’t stop there. Scrapping the Equality Act would just be the start.
“From ripping up equality protections, to backing fire-and-rehire, to opposing a ban on zero-hours contracts, Reform UK have made it clear whose side they’re on – and it’s not working people.”
A Wetherspoons customer baffled people after sharing the cooked breakfast they ordered with an unlikely additional item that some said had no place on the plate
We Brits love a fry up, but we all have our own ideas for what should and shouldn’t go on the plate.
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Some of us love loading up on sausages, some of us think beans shouldn’t go anywhere near the plate, and there’s often a difference of opinion when it comes to additions like black pudding.
No matter what you consider to be the perfect cooked breakfast, many cafes and restaurants that serve the morning meal will let you customise your dish to your liking.
That’s what one Wetherspoons customer did recently at their local pub in Ramsgate, Kent. But when they posted their customised breakfast on social media, people were baffled by one addition.
On Reddit‘s fry up forum, one person said they had ordered the “Freedom Breakfast” from their local Wetherspoons. This comes with two rashers of bacon, two hash browns, two eggs, two servings of mushrooms, two grilled tomatoes, and baked beans.
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They then said they added a sausage, two pieces of black pudding, and the controversial addition – haggis.
They said: “I added a sausage, two black pudding and haggis (seems to be a new addition to the menu here). The pint of Guinness went down very well with it. Just over a tenner all in, including the pint. Overall very satisfying, especially for the price, and haggis was a great addition.”
The addition of haggis to the cooked breakfast split opinions in the comments section. Some believed haggis makes the “perfect side to any meal”, while others said it had no place on a fry up.
One person said: “Haggis and Guinness are a guaranteed winner.” Another added: “Solid breakfast! You can’t beat the helping of haggis and black pud!”
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However, someone else was less convinced, stating: “Haggis looks like sheep [poo] infested with maggots.”
Several other commenters simply couldn’t believe the Wetherspoons patron had managed to get a breakfast and a pint of Guinness for around £10, describing it as a “bargain” no matter what food items were on their plate.
There were also people who were surprised that a Wetherspoons in Kent was serving haggis as a side dish – as it’s usually only available in Scotland.
It is sometimes available in wider parts of the UK around Burns Night on 25th January, but it would normally be gone from menus again by the middle of February.
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When one person said they were surprised to see haggis available outside of Scotland, someone replied: “I think they sell it everywhere around Burns Night. Didn’t know they’re still selling it outside Scotland, though.”
But someone else theorised: “This will have been farmed, doesn’t taste the same. You only get proper wild-caught Haggis in Scotland these days.”
