Connect with us

NewsBeat

Ex-NHS Glasgow chief ‘insulting families’ after defending Queen Elizabeth University Hospital opening

Published

on

Daily Record

The former health board chairman’s comments were branded “an insult to families” as the SNP Government faces mounting pressure over its role in the QEUH opening.

A former health chief who oversaw the building of Scotland’s £1bn super hospital has been accused of “disregarding reality”.

Andrew Robertson, who chaired NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), denied the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in 2015 had been botched.

In his first interview since a public inquiry was launched into why so many vulnerable patients died from infections at the £1bn health campus, the former lawyer claimed governance of the QEUH had been “pretty good”.

Advertisement

Robertson, who stepped down from the health board in 2015, also denied political pressure was placed on NHS bosses to open the hospital before it was safe to do so.

The QEUH started accepting patients just days before the 2015 general election. Documents written by a Scottish Government official following meetings with senior health bosses in 2019 clearly stated that “political pressure had been felt” and that “no consideration was given to delaying the opening of the hospital despite the issues being faced with completion and operation”.

The paper in question was submitted to an ongoing public inquiry into the QEUH and brought to public attention last week by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who told John Swinney it was clear proof the opening was rushed.

Robertson told the Sunday Times: “There was continual interaction between the Scottish Government and the executive team in NHS GGC. We were both determined [to run to timetable] because from the Scottish Government point of view, it was critical with the expenditure and from our point of view it was critical for dovetailing in [opening the QEUH] with the services that were going to close.”

Advertisement

Robertson added he recalled only taking one direct phone call from an SNP minister. He said: “It was Shona Robison asking for a factual update on moving into the hospital with no undue pressure.”

Responding to his comments, Jackie Baillie said: “NHS GCC and the SNP Government have repeatedly failed to properly acknowledge the serious failures that placed patients at risk and ultimately led to avoidable deaths.

READ MORE: Younger Scots are reluctant to vote Labour and that’s a problem for Anas SarwarREAD MORE: Anas Sarwar vows to ban mobile phones in Scots schools during classes

“Comments such as these disregard the reality of what happened and the profound suffering endured by so many families affected by events at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Advertisement

“It is deeply disappointing to see greater concern for protecting reputations than for supporting those who were failed by these decisions.

“Ultimately, these families deserve far better, and that will only be achieved through full transparency and clear answers from both the health board and, most importantly, the SNP Government.

“The culture of secrecy must end.”

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Scottish Conservative health spokesman, said: “These outrageous claims are an insult to families still grieving loved ones lost because of this appalling scandal.

“The truth is undeniable, SNP ministers – including Nicola Sturgeon – shamefully pressured the health board to open this hospital before it was safe, just days before an election.

“Patients have died and families have had years of being lied to by this secretive SNP government. It’s long past time they were honest with them.”

NHS GGC was finally forced to admit to the inquiry that water contamination had probably caused infections in scores of gravely ill patients – including two child cancer victims who subsequently died.

Advertisement

Milly Main, who died aged 10 in 2017, was successfully battling leukaemia when she developed a hospital-acquired infection at the QEUH.

The infection was not explained to her distraught parents at the time and only came to light after the intervention of NHS whistleblowers.

Robertson’s comments were published after proescutors announced they were now investigating seven deaths for potential links to the hospital environment at the QEUH.

The case of Molly Cuddihy, who died last August, has been passed to a specialist hospitals teams in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) which is also looking at the deaths of Andrew Slorance and Tony Dynes.

Advertisement

In four earlier cases, including Milly’s, a police report has been received and COPFS is considering whether to begin corporate homicide prosecutions.

The three more recent deaths at the QEUH campus are at an earlier stage of investigation.

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NewsBeat

How politics, technology and the environmental crisis turned these movies into horror films in 2026

Published

on

How politics, technology and the environmental crisis turned these movies into horror films in 2026

A famous expression, often wrongly attributed to Mark Twain, states that comedy is merely tragedy plus time. This theory highlights how our response to films can depend on the context in which we see them.

We tend to think of the genre of a film as something very fixed, decided by a combination of studio producers and marketers. But, in the right context, films can move across many different genres in the span of their lifetime, depending on the audiences that watch them.

To demonstrate this idea, here are five scary films for 2026. The twist, however, is that none of these films were ever intended to be horror films. Most on the list were satire or comedy when they were made. Instead, they have become horrific due to the way they touch on contemporary issues surrounding the global politics of President Donald Trump, impending environmental disaster, ever-accelerating technology and contemporary attitudes towards gender.

1. Duck Soup (1933)

The finest film produced by the famous Marx Brothers comedy troupe, Duck Soup is an anarchic political satire that tells the story of an unserious playboy president named Rufus T. Firefly. Beloved by film enthusiasts, the film showcases a series of mishaps and misdeeds caused by his selfish, erratic behaviour which inadvertently led his country of Freedonia into a war with its neighbours.

Advertisement

Duck Soup is considered a classic of Hollywood slapstick and quick-witted verbal comedy. But, in an era of a genuine unserious president, its central joke might not feel funny any more. Nor indeed is the idea that, nearly 100 years after its release, this biting satire on the politics of rising authoritarianism would be as timely now as it was then.

2. The Apartment (1960)

People often say “they don’t make them like they used to any more” when trying to articulate a nostalgia for the films of the past. That description can be aptly applied to Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy-drama The Apartment. They do not make films like this any more. But in this case, that’s a good thing.

Jack Lemmon’s “Buddy Boy” Baxter is the bachelor who routinely loans his apartment out to his bosses for them to conduct extra-marital affairs. Shirley MacLaine’s Fran is the loveable but down-on-her-luck elevator operator involved in a tawdry situation with Baxter’s boss. Their own romance emerges out of a suicide attempt, workplace harassment and abuses of power. It feels like the film is set not just in the past, but in some creepy alternative world.

Advertisement

To be fair to The Apartment, it hardly treats some of the more problematic behaviour of its characters as virtues we are supposed to admire. But it never quite attacks the deeply unpleasant nature of its central conceit either. Baxter is not just a loveable goof unaware of what he’s got himself mixed up in. He’s a complicit enabler. And Fran is not a ditsy but loveable woman mixed up with the wrong crowd. She’s a victim.

3. Idiocracy (2006)

Idiocracy was something of a box office bomb, given neither the marketing campaign nor the reviews it needed to ensure success. The fact it has since become a cult hit speaks to how startlingly prescient the film is for contemporary audiences now discovering the film in droves 20 years later.

Idiocracy tells the story of a young man put into suspended animation who wakes up 500 years in the future. The average intelligence of the population has severely decreased, to the extent that the world has become increasingly consumerist, vulgar, crass and prejudiced in its thinking. America has even elected a former pro wrestler and porn star, Dwayne “Mountain Dew” Camacho, as its leader.

Advertisement

Made in 2006 during the final year of George W. Bush’s presidency and set against the rise of Barack Obama, the film failed initially as a comedy. It now works perfectly as a terrifying exaggeration of what the world looks like in 2026.

4. Wall-E (2008)

Wall-E is part of a long history of animations with an interest in the environment, from Princess Mononoke (2001) to Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992). That part of its dystopic vision still stands up. The film’s vivid opening of Wall-E wandering around a silent world of trash is still its best moment.

The film’s vision of the humanity that has left the garbage-strewn world behind, however, has become increasingly concerning over time. Predicting a world of humans who are dumb, obese and screen-obsessed, it is increasingly difficult to watch Wall-E as a nostalgic childhood treat.

Advertisement

5. Her (2013)

The amazing feat pulled off by this absurdist romantic drama was to somehow get an audience to root for the idea of a romantic pairing between a lonely middle-aged man and an AI-enabled operating system. More than a decade later, Her’s open-minded approach to AI seems far more fraught.

As the romance develops between Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), it is difficult not to imagine the fingerprints of powerful but not necessarily benign tech moguls turning the screws tighter, manipulating Theodore further into spurning human contact for his digital desires.

Equally, it is difficult not to wonder whose voice has been stolen to create her warm, affectionate tones, or to ask what the company might do with the recording of their conversations. The dangers in our current technological reality have once again spoilt a perfectly good film.

Advertisement


Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.


Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Curling kicks off the Milan Cortina Winter Games

Published

on

Curling kicks off the Milan Cortina Winter Games

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The Winter Olympics got underway Wednesday with the first curling matches in Cortina, but came to a halt only moments later because of a power outage.

Officials briefly paused the matches at the historic curling stadium when the lights dimmed and flickered. Curlers kept sliding on the ice to stay ready. Fans cheered when the bright lights came back shortly after and competition resumed. Venue officials said they were investigating and had no immediate word on what caused the problem.

Curling in Cortina — eight teams in mixed doubles — began two full days before the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. American curler Korey Dropkin said he has been waiting a long time for this moment.

“Being amongst the best, it’s a very cool atmosphere to be part of,” said Dropkin, a first-time Olympian who will begin competition Thursday. “We’re looking forward to being ready to compete and pour our hearts out on the ice.”

Advertisement

Opening night in this mountain resort was just the first of the round robin matches in mixed doubles curling, where teams with one woman and one man face off against one another.

Fans have arrived in Cortina, and they are excited for the first matches. They clapped, rang bells and chanted for their countries and favorite curlers when their teams scored or there was a break in the action. Some in the crowd held large flags for the Czech Republic, whose team was competing against Canada. Canadian fans wearing red waved handheld flags.

Bernard Benoit traveled from Ontario, Canada, to root for his home team before going on to meet his daughter in Milan. While he’s a longtime curling fan, it’s his first time at the Olympics. He said he came a long way to see the best in the world because he loves how curling is a “mix of athleticism and intellect” and a strategy game.

Benoit is cheering for Canadian couple Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, who are competing in mixed doubles. Three of the teams are married couples and one is a sibling team. Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill are the first ever to compete for Estonia in curling.

Italian duo Stefania Constantini, who is from Cortina, and Amos Mosaner are the defending world and Olympic champions in mixed doubles.

Advertisement

Stephanie Kahn is a volunteer at the curling center, who is eager to learn what curling is all about and how hard it is. Kahn is from the United States and moved to Spain when she retired. She aspired to compete in swimming in the Olympics when she was younger.

“That, for me, is what makes it so special. Being an athlete and knowing that to be at the top, top of your sport, regardless of what that sport is, it’s just such a commitment,” she said. “So I’m just excited to be in the presence of these athletes.”

___

AP Writer Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Advertisement

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Police action after firework incident in Sherburn in Elmet

Published

on

Police action after firework incident in Sherburn in Elmet

Officers were called to on Low Street on October 31 last year after receiving reports that fireworks were being thrown in the street.

An investigation was launched, which led to a 23‑year‑old local man being identified in connection with the incident.

A police spokesman said he was interviewed for the offence of throwing a firework and admitted his actions.

Advertisement

He has been referred to a scheme to undertake educational work to reflect on his behaviour.

“We’re going to keep up our work in the area. Please support us – if you witness crime or anti-social behaviour, tell us about it. You can call 101 (or 999 in an emergency), or make a report via our website.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

City skylines need an upgrade in the face of climate stress

Published

on

City skylines need an upgrade in the face of climate stress

When structural engineers design a building, they aren’t just stacking floors; they are calculating how to win a complex battle against nature. Every building is built to withstand a specific “budget” of environmental stress – the weight of record snowfalls, the push of powerful winds and the expansion caused by summer heat.

To do this, engineers use hazard maps and safety codes. These are essentially rulebooks based on decades of historical weather data. They include safety margins to ensure that even if a small part of a building fails, the entire structure won’t come crashing down like a house of cards.

The problem is that these rulebooks are becoming obsolete. Most of our iconic high-rises were built in the 1970s and 80s – a world that was cooler, with more predictable tides and less violent storms. Today, that world no longer exists.

Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, making the consequences of environmental stress on buildings much worse. It rarely knocks a building down on its own. Instead, it finds the tiny cracks, rusting support beams and ageing foundations and pushes them toward a breaking point. It raises the intensity of every load and strain a building must weather.

Advertisement

To understand the challenge, I have been studying global hotspots where the environment is winning the battle against engineering.

The 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Miami, Florida, killed 98 people. While the 12-storey building had original design issues, decades of rising sea levels and salty coastal air acted as a catalyst, allowing saltwater to seep into the basement and garage.

When salt reaches the steel rods inside concrete that provide structural strength (known as reinforcement), the metal rusts and expands. This creates massive internal pressure that cracks the concrete from the inside out — a process engineers call spalling. The lesson is clear: in a warming world, coastal basements are becoming corrosion chambers where minor maintenance gaps can escalate into catastrophic structural failure.

While the Miami case affected a single building, the historic coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt, is more widely at risk. Recent research shows that building collapses there have jumped from one per year to nearly 40 per year in the past few years.

Advertisement

Not only is the sea rising, the salt is liquefying the soft ground beneath the city foundations. As the water table rises, saltwater is pushed under the city, raising the groundwater level. This salty water doesn’t just rust the foundations of buildings; it changes the chemical and physical structure of soil. As a result, there are currently 7,000 buildings in Alexandria at high risk of collapse.

The historic city of Alexandria, Egypt, is widely affected by the retreating coastline.
muratart/Shutterstock

In Hong Kong during Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, wind speeds hit a terrifying 180 miles per hour. When strong winds hit a wall of skyscrapers, they squeeze between the buildings and speed up — like water sprayed through a narrow garden hose.

This pressure turned hundreds of offices into wind tunnels, causing glass windows to pop out of their frames and raining broken glass onto the streets below. With 82 deaths and 15,000 homes destroyed across the region, skyscrapers became “debris machines”, even if they didn’t fully collapse.

Advertisement

Supercomputer simulations of Japan’s river systems show that in a world warmed by 2°C, floods of today’s “once in a century” magnitude could recur about every 45 years. With 4°C of warming, they could be every 23 years. These surges in water volume will expand flood zones into areas previously considered safe, potentially overflowing sea walls and flood defences. In a critical region like Osaka Bay, storm surges could rise by nearly 30%.

In the US, a study of 370 million property records from 1945 to 2015 found over half of all structures are in hazard hotspots. Nearly half are facing multiple threats like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. In the UK, climate-driven weather claims hit £573 million in 2023, a 36% rise from 2022. Annual flood damage to non-residential properties in the UK is also projected to nearly double from £2 billion today to £3.9 billion by the 2080s.

Maintenance is our best defence

Much of the world’s building stock is therefore entering its middle age under environmental conditions it was never designed to face. Instead of panicking or tearing everything down, the solution is to adapt and treat building maintenance as a form of climate resilience – not as an optional extra.

Mid-life building upgrades can help protect our skylines for the next 50 years. Our hazard maps must look at future climate models — not just historical weather — to set new safety standards. Regular structural health monitoring is essential – by using sensors to track invisible stresses in foundations and frames before they become fatal, dangerous situations can be foreseen.

Advertisement

Buildings can stay strong by focusing retrofits on the weakest and most vulnerable parts. This includes glass facades, the underground drainage, the foundation piles and corrosion protection.

Climate change isn’t rewriting the laws of engineering, but it is rapidly eating away at our margins of safety. If we want our cities to remain standing, we must act now – before small, invisible stresses accumulate into irreversible failure.


Imagine weekly climate newsletter

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 47,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.


Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Whitby sex offender given suspended prison sentence

Published

on

Whitby sex offender given suspended prison sentence

Today David Robert Welham, 36, is a registered sex offender.

The Whitby man forced himself upon the woman in the early hours of August 9, 2024, and was arrested the same day, North Yorkshire Police said.

He was later charged with sexual assault and denied sexual misconduct through several court hearings until minutes before he was due to stand trial at York Crown Court this week.

Advertisement

Then he changed his plea to guilty.

Welham, of Abbots Road, Whitby was given a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months on condition he does 200 hours’ unpaid work.

He was put on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and made subject to a five-year restraining order restricting his movements and activities to protect the woman from him.

Police Staff Investigator Dexy Clarkson, from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said: “Welham finally admitted his guilt to sexually assaulting the woman and has been dealt with by the courts.

Advertisement

“I hope the victim can now begin to move on from this deeply upsetting experience. I have nothing but praise for her bravery throughout this case.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

35 trees to be cut down for Cambridgeshire city’s station redevelopment

Published

on

Cambridgeshire Live

A former mayor has argued that replacing the 35 mature trees with 49 new ones is ‘clearly inadequate’

Plans to remove 35 trees around the new pedestrian City Link route between Peterborough railway station and Cowgate have been rebuffed by a former Peterborough Mayor.

Nick Sandford, who describes himself as “fully in support of the Station Quarter scheme”, said he has significant reservations about the proposed removal of so much greenery.

Advertisement

“The trees proposed for removal are not of a great age but still provide significant benefits… in terms of sequestration of carbon, wildlife habitat, air purification, water management and generally improve the feel and appearance of an inner city area like this,” he said.

Mr Sandford served as Mayor of Peterborough from 2023 to 2024, and spent 30 years working for the Woodland Trust. Mr Sandford quoted from the Woodland Trust’s 2020 Emergency Tree Plan which states: “If a tree must be removed, local authorities should implement minimum replacement planting ratios, which stipulate that for every non-woodland tree removed at least three new trees should be planted.”

“Applying this principle of three-for-one replacement planting shows that [the] proposal to replace 35 mature trees with only 49 new ones is clearly inadequate,” he said. “The replanting ratio needs to be increased significantly.”

In addition to a net gain of 14 trees, the plans for the new pedestrian City Link route are also expected to include seven additional small trees and shrubs, as well as a rain garden and Gabion walls. Construction work on City Link is due to start in the first few months of 2026.

Advertisement

Mr Sandford acknowledged how difficult it will be to maximise every single inch of space across the £65 million Station Quarter development.

“I appreciate that there may be space constraints on the site,” he said, “but opportunities could be taken to plant new trees nearby on council land in the city centre – or perhaps on the Embankment – to ensure adequate compensatory planting, which on a three-for-one basis should total 105 trees.

Mr Sandford voiced his concerns after Peterborough City Council’s recent announcement to encourage residents to take part in a public consultation on the proposed plans to fell the 35 aforementioned trees on the eastern side of the railway.

Anyone wishing to have their say on the plans has until February 11 to make representations to Peterborough City Council.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Tottenham are the fourth-best team in Europe

Published

on

Tottenham are the fourth-best team in Europe

Eintracht Frankfurt: Santos, Amenda, Koch, Theate, Buta, Hojlund, Larsson, Brown, Skhiri, Gotze, Knauff.

Subs: Zetterer, Grahl, Chaibi, Dahoud, Kristensen, Bahoya, Doan, Chandler, Collins, Doumbia, Dills, Staff.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Spence, Romero, Danso, Udogie, Gray, Joao Palhinha, Odobert, Sarr, Simons, Muani.

Advertisement

Subs: Kinsky, Austin, Solanke, Scarlett, Kyerematen, Hardy, Byfield, Rowswell, Olusesi, Hall.

Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain)

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Cristian Romero back on Atletico Madrid’s transfer radar after rant about Tottenham’s ‘disgraceful’ lack of players

Published

on

Cristian Romero back on Atletico Madrid's transfer radar after rant about Tottenham's 'disgraceful' lack of players

CRISTIAN ROMERO is back on Atletico Madrid’s radar in the wake of his Tottenham outburst.

The LaLiga giants were keen to sign the World Cup winner last summer, but could not fund a move.

Cristian Romero is back on the radar of Atletico Madrid bossesCredit: Getty
Thomas Frank says he players cannot make the same mistake twiceCredit: Alamy

Romero ended up signing a new contract with Spurs and was named skipper by Thomas Frank.

Yet the Argentine has caused under-pressure boss Frank a headache for the second time in a month with a thinly-veiled dig towards the Spurs board on social media.

Now Atletico, who are targeting a new centre-back in the summer, are understood to be ready to pounce again should the Argentine become available at the end of the season.

Advertisement

It is unclear if Tottenham would even entertain that prospect, having only handed Romero a fresh four-year deal believed to be worth more than £200,000 a week in August.

MERSEY-PIED

Ajax terminate Liverpool loanee’s contract with immediate effect

Advertisement


Advertisement

TURBO

Win a stunning VW Tiguan + £5,000 or £35,000 cash from just 12p with our code

Advertisement

Romero, 27, made headlines with an Instagram post within an hour of Monday’s transfer deadline in which he branded Spurs’ lack of available players as “disgraceful”.

It was viewed by many fans as another swipe at the Spurs hierarchy over insufficient spending in the transfer market, and was liked by a number of team-mates.

The explosive missive followed a similar one in January following the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth where he hit out at “other people” – viewed as the Spurs higher-ups – for not speaking publicly, and that when they do, they “tell a few lies”.

Advertisement

The lie comment was later edited out of his post but not before thousands of Tottenham fans had seen and shared it.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

Frank and co-sporting director Johan Lange spoke to Romero at the time about that statement but the defender was not fined, nor was he stripped of the captaincy.

Though Frank did hint that he may not be so lenient if it happened again, when answering if Romero could reach a point where his manager draws a line and says ‘no more’.

Advertisement

Frank replied on January 8: “Yes, of course. I’ve done that before with people being late, there was the [Yves] Bissouma situation.

“You talk about having to draw a line. I think, if it’s the exact same situation that they do… You can make a mistake [but] don’t make the same mistake twice.

“So I think I understand why you mention some players, but it’s all different situations and different players.”

Argentina team-mate Julian Alvarez revealed in December how close his pal Romero came to joining Atletico in the summer, before his contract U-turn at Tottenham.

Advertisement

Ex-Manchester City man Alvarez, 26, said: “Yes, I had some conversations with him, but due to some details, it didn’t work out. Hopefully, we can play together someday.”

Julian Alvarez has admitted that Romero came close to joining him at Atletico last summerCredit: Getty

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

Liverpool move cancelled after player spends nearly a month away from squad

Published

on

Daily Mirror

Liverpool midfielder James McConnell has returned from his Ajax loan spell after making just seven appearances, with the 21-year-old recovering from shoulder surgery

Liverpool have announced that midfielder James McConnell has rejoined the club following his loan stint with Dutch side Ajax. The 21-year-old linked up with the Amsterdam side during the summer on a season-long temporary deal, but the arrangement hadn’t worked out as hoped.

Advertisement

Even prior to John Heitinga’s departure as manager of Ajax, McConnell had battled for consistent playing time. The dismissal of the former Liverpool coach, though, affected McConnell further with him failing to feature since.

He hasn’t been included in the Ajax squad since early January, and managed a mere seven outings for the club in total. Lately, his omission has been attributed to a shoulder problem.

READ MORE: Arsenal have been ‘semi-handed’ the Premier League as quadruple hopes rubbishedREAD MORE: Darwin Nunez set for transfer as former Liverpool star to end Saudi Arabia stay

Earlier in the transfer window, reports emerged that the midfielder had rejoined Liverpool following an understanding between both clubs. This was verified with Liverpool issuing a statement on deadline day.

Advertisement

“James McConnell has returned to Liverpool from his loan spell at AFC Ajax,” it read.

“The midfielder joined the Eredivisie side last August and made seven appearances in all competitions. He is now back at the AXA Training Centre with the Reds after the temporary deal with Ajax was ended.”

McConnell attracted enquiries from Championship sides regarding a potential January switch. Nevertheless, he has since had surgery on his shoulder problem, which ruled out the prospect of another loan departure from Anfield.

McConnell has clocked up 13 first-team outings for Liverpool thus far. He might now be eyeing up a spot in Arne Slot’s squad once he’s back to full fitness.

Advertisement

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FB PAGE! Latest Reds news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

Slot demonstrated his trust in the midfielder last season by giving him a starting berth in the Champions League group stage encounter with PSV Eindhoven. After that fixture, McConnell expressed his gratitude to Slot.

“It was a really proud moment to start the game and I was really excited,” he said. “The boss has put faith in a lot of young lads, thanks to the work the senior lads have done over the course of the season.

Advertisement

“I’m really grateful to the boss and you’ve just got to take the opportunity when it comes to you.”

Content cannot be displayed without consent

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us, and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image

£49

£35

Advertisement

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

NewsBeat

John Virgo’s cause of death as widow speaks for first time after snooker legend’s sudden death

Published

on

Daily Record

John Virgo’s wife Rosie Ries was devastated after the sudden death of the snooker commentator.

Snooker legend John Virgo’s sudden death has sent shockwaves through the sport and his widow, Rosie Ries, has led tributes to the man dubbed ‘Mr Perfection’.

Advertisement

Former professional snooker player John, known as the voice of snooker, died at the age of 79. His name became synonymous with the sport after he took up broadcasting following his retirement in 1994 as the BBC’s lead snooker commentator.

Speaking to our sister title the Mirror, Rosie said she was heartbroken following his death. She said: “We were just days shy of our 16 year wedding anniversary. I can’t imagine life without John, he was the love of my life and my best friend.”

John’s best friend James Malyon, who was with Rosie, added: “I’m all over the place, it’s obviously a bit of a shock, it came out of the blue – just five hours ago. James, met John who had two children from his second marriage, Gary and Brook-Leah, playing golf.

“I knew of John before he moved to Spain, of course. We’ve been good friends, I’ve loved playing golf with him and socialising with him and Rosie. He was a great man, a great character – the life and soul of the party.”

Advertisement

He died of a ruptured aorta, a source close to the family told the Mirror.

In 1979, John’s professional snooker career reached its peak when he contested the semi-finals of the world championships and recorded a dramatic final frame win against world champion Terry Griffiths in the UK Championship final – despite arriving late for the last session and being docked two frames.

A larger than life character, he became a TV favourite co-hosting 1990s gameshow Big Break with Jim Davidson where he coined his famous catchphrase: “Where’s the cue ball going?”

Advertisement

Friends and family of John, who moved from Surrey to Spain in 2020, are planning several celebrations of his life, starting next week. James added: “In Spain, the only time things seem to move quickly is when it comes to funerals. I’ve asked them to give us a bit of time. So we’re looking at the end of next week.”

The service for friends and family will be in Mijas Costa, about 20 minutes from Malaga, and there will be a memorial in the UK.

James said: “I’m at his wife’s house now, she’s a little bit in shock, but she’s okay. She has a lot of support. It’s nice to see how much he meant to so many people. He had such a long and good life.”

John, a World Snooker Tour hall of fame inductee, was as colourful in life as his trademark waistcoats. Growing up in post-war Salford, he inherited his father’s love of horse racing and spent his teenage years hustling in local snooker clubs.

Advertisement

Fellow snooker legend and world champion Ken Doherty, who commentated alongside John for the BBC, said on hearing of his death: “I’m so sad, I’m in shock, absolutely devastated. He was great company. His death is such a loss. He touched so many people’s lives.

“Working together we became really close. He was like a godfather to me. I was only with him in Spain before Christmas. We went out for dinner a couple of times and played golf.

“John was a wonderful storyteller. We both loved Manchester United – he was born in Salford, of course, right by the ground. Between him and Dennis [Taylor] they took me under their wing and I learned so much from sitting beside him. He had a knack of dramatising the game, he’d have me in stitches. It didn’t get any better than that in the commentary box. ‘It’s theatre,’ he’d say. And he was right.

“I spoke to his wife Rosie this morning, who was obviously in shock. He was so full of life. He told me just last week he was looking forward to working together in Wales, for the Welsh Open. And now we have to do it without him. He’ll be so very missed. A great, great man.”

Advertisement

In his 2017 autobiography, Say Goodnight JV, he spoke candidly about the severe gambling addiction that nearly destroyed his life and career, after he borrowed £200,000 to fund it and had his home repossessed. Just before his death, John had been involved in a number of sell-out shows on the Black Ball 40th Anniversary Tour.

It was a rematch of Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor’s 1985 World Snooker Final – which attracted 18.5 million viewers – with commentary by John. Dennis Taylor said: “We just did three shows together – Steve, John and I – last week. I just can’t believe he’s gone.

“I’ve known John for over 50 years. When I moved to Blackburn I was 17 and John was 19 and in Salford, not many miles away. We grew up together in the snooker world. When he won the UK Championship in 1979 the BBC was on strike and never got to show it. How unlucky was that?

Advertisement

“Touring with John in the last year, we’ve had an absolute ball. We did three shows just last week. John did amazing impersonations, he knew how to make people laugh. He knew how to do me – he just had to get the biggest pair of glasses he could find and stick them on.”

Dennis says he and John “pioneered humour in snooker commentary,” adding: “People will remember John for being one of the game’s great characters. His sense of humour was brilliant. It’s a sad old day for the game. And I’ve lost a dear friend of 50 years.”

Snooker champion Steve Davis choked back tears, as he added: “We’re all a bit upset. He had such a warm heart. “One personal memory was when I lost to Dennis Taylor in the final of 1985 – it was one of the most exciting moments in the game’s history.

“When I went back to the dressing room, I was in floods of tears. And the one person who knocked on the door and came in was John. Not that he wanted me to win or lose, but he knew what it meant. He was moved by what had happened. It’s a sad, sad day for snooker. One of our most loved friends has passed and our hearts are broken.

Advertisement

“Our thoughts are with his family. It’s become a day to reflect on how much this warm hearted and funny maverick meant to us all. And he was a brilliant commentator. The [Sheffield] Crucible will shed more than a few tears this April.”

John’s friend Michael Hall McPherson saw John last week. He said: “The news is just devastating. I had dinner with John on Thursday, and dropped him off at Birmingham airport. He was in such good spirits.”

Sharing one of the last photographs taken of John, he added: “I met John 10 years ago as a sports promoter on the way up.

“He was a decent man, a union man from the North West, who would do anything for others. There was no facade to him. He was totally John Virgo all the time, with bundles of humility. He was also a wonderful husband, caring and kind. I’ll treasure our memories together. Life goes quickly’, he told me last Thursday. Those words are so poignant now.”

Speaking from Hong Kong, snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan, said: “Finished my match to get the news. Love to Rosie, Brooke and Gary, Such a great mate who I loved spending time with, absolutely gutted.”

Advertisement

Snooker great Jimmy White posted on social media: “Goodnight JV,” with a broken heart emoji. And Jim Davidson said: “Heartbroken to hear that my great mate John Virgo has passed away at 79. What a character, what a talent.”

Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Governing Body of Snooker (WPBSA) remembers John as a superb player and entertainer. He said: “I have known John personally for as long as I can remember. He portrayed our sport in another world. Who can forget him on Big Break? It’s one of my greatest memories of him – hosting that show, doing trick shots.

“I started my life as a young snooker player and I remember him putting on his fake hair and big glasses and entertaining everyone. He was funny back then, and he was funny until he died. The last time I saw him was at the Masters not long ago and I spent a lot of time with him at the UK Championships in York. It’s a very sad day for snooker. A great man. He’ll be missed by all that knew him.”

Snooker MC and commentator Rob Walker spent time with John, who commented on the Masters Live for the BBC 17 days before his death, just two weeks ago. He said: ”He was still at the very peak of his powers. I’m really shocked. It’s the end of an era, that’s for sure.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025