News Category
Former Arsenal and Spurs star: ‘I’m one of the greatest minds in football’
Sol Campbell has been overlooked for the Oxford job. No, not the Oxford job that involves big lunches, bigger dinners and students. The other Oxford job – the one as manager of Oxford United FC. Although the former Spurs and Arsenal defender could have done both, probably. As he tells one and all: “I can’t believe some people. I’m one of the greatest minds in football and I’m wasted because of a lack of experience or maybe he talks his mind too much.”
Instead Oxford are looking at former Wales and Liverpool player Craig Bellamy.
“I did go [for the Oxford Unietd job] and they didn’t accept me,” Sol told Highbury & Heels. “Maybe it was a lack of experience, things like that, but it’s a full circle. Experience? How do I get experience? Well I need a job to get experience. I don’t want to go too low that it’s a struggle, and I don’t want to go too low that I’m under someone and thinking ‘what am I doing here?’ I would rather be managing a club myself.
“I’m confident and it’s not like it’s rocket science to run a football club, especially when you get to that level. If you’re intelligent enough and a quick learner you will learn pretty soon, within two or three games, what the team needs, training-wise, to survive in that league, get better in that league, to get in the play-offs or even win the league.
“I’m intelligent enough, it’s not like I played on a fox and dog pitch all my life. I can’t believe some people, I’m one of the greatest minds in football and I’m being wasted because of a lack of experience or ‘maybe he talks his mind too much’. Go to Germany, they love people who speak their minds. They got the jobs. I’m sorry that I’ve got a mind, but don’t be scared of that. That should be something you want at your club, but obviously not.”
Glenn Hoddle is away.
Posted: 22nd, February 2018 | In: Arsenal, News, Sports | Comment
Arsenal balls: Ramsey ready for Carabao Cup final
The Daily Express has news form the twilight zone of spots journalism: “Aaron Ramsey to miss Man City Carabao Cup final because of Arsene Wenger.” Jack Otway has news on just what Wenger has done to Ramsay, dealing a “hammer blow” to Arsenal’s chances of winning the trophy.
Reading on and we discover that Wenger has done…nothing. But we do get this:
The Sun say Arsene Wenger has already decided Ramsey will not be risked against Guardiola’s men.
Over in the Sun, then, for news of the “RAMBLOW”. Ramsey is “set miss Carabao Cup Final”. It’s an “exclusive”.
So Ramsay is out. But, hold on. Whose that training with the Gunners? The Express identifies him:
Spotted? The Express is happy to quote the Sun’s “exclusive” that Ramsay is out – defo – but forgot to mention the bit where the Sun says: “And though he has been working hard in training to prove his fitness for Wembley, boss Arsene Wenger is unwilling to gamble on the Welsh star.”
As the Express mines two clickbait stories from one Sun “exclusive”, Wenger tells media: “Ramsey is not in the squad for tomorrow [Arsenal’s Europa League Cup match]. He had a good training session but he is short for tomorrow. We will see how his evolution goes now until Sunday. I don’t rule him out yet. It depends how well he can improve the intensity of training.”
Such are the facts.
Posted: 22nd, February 2018 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, News, Sports | Comment
Arsenal balls: Lacazette’s talking knee changes time
With Trinity Mirror’s purchase of the Daily Express and Daily Star, football fans who get their news online can expect a tag-team movement of total balls. All titles use their websites as clickbait farms. The latest tosh involves Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette, who has, says the Mirror, “given an update on his recovery from a knee injury”.
In its dash for clicks, the Mirror tells readers approaching via Google’s bots that Lacazette is bidding “for a quick recovery” (as opposed to hoping for a slow recovery and lots of sick pay and daytime telly?), illustrating the teaser with a photo of Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and, er, Robbie Lyle, presenter of the entertaining Arsenal Fan TV
Clicking into the story and readers are told Lacazette will be sidelined for “up to five weeks”. Arsene Wenger’s words to BeIn Sports that Lacazette could be out for “four or five weeks” are repeated. There’s no word on any “quick recovery”. That much is utter balls.
And then this spot some time illiteracy:
A return date on the pitch could occur against either West Ham on April 21 or Manchester United on April 28 with a return to first team training likely to begin at the start of April.
Lacazette underwent surgery on February 12. Four or five weeks after that take us up to mid March. Even if you add on a few days from the operation until Wenger spoke, Lacazette still looks likely to return well before April.
But having spun a nonsense story from a single photo of Lacazette’s poorly knee as he work out in the Arsenal gym – one taken by the player and posted to his Instagram page – the Mirror’s clickbait expert needs to hit his word count. So we get this:
Until Lacazette’s return, Wenger will put his faith in Aubameyang, though the Gabon striker is unable to help in their quest to win the Europa League. Despite overcoming Ostersund 3-0 in the first leg of the round of 32 tie, a probable last 16 tie will occur on March 8 and 13, with a potential quarter-final on April 5 and 12.
That means Arsenal’s most probable route back into the Champions League will rest on Danny Welbeck’s form.
No. It won’t because Arsenal are not a one-man team and Lacazettte will be back in March. In addition, the last 16 ties will be played on March 8 and 15. March 12 is a Monday. Europa League ties are played on Thursdays.
Apart from the story being factually inaccurate and based on total balls, it is spot on.
PS: But there is good news. Cop a load of the ads that wrapped around the balls. We counted – get this – 23 ads on this one story.
It’s almost as if the words are just a trick to make you see lots and lots and lots of ads…
Posted: 21st, February 2018 | In: Arsenal, Key Posts, News, Sports, Tabloids | Comment
Save the Children accused of putting business before women
Justin Forsyth resigned his post as chief executive at Save The Children because he made, in his words, “unsuitable and thoughtless” comments to three younger women. The evidence is in a “barrage” of text messages the current deputy executive director at Unicef sent female staff in which he appraised their looks and clothes. Mr Forsyth was never subjected to a formal disciplinary hearing. Save the Children says it did examine Mr Forsyth in 2011 and 2015. And that was it. Back then whatever he did was deemed to be ok. Now it isn’t.
Forsyth is a forgettable looking chap with the looks of a minor public school’s cricket coach. “I made some personal mistakes during my time at Save the Children,” he states. “I recognise that on a few occasions I had unsuitable and thoughtless conversations with colleagues which I now know caused offence and hurt.”
Were they thoughtless? Or was he thinking, you know, with his manhood? It’s pretty hard to bang out a text without engaging any brain power. Unless it was instinctive and Forsyth was operating on the same level as a sponge reacting to the presence of water or a puppy on the vicar’s leg. Where does flirting slide over into sexual harassment? A YouGov survey tells us that over a quarter of 18 to 24 consider winking “always or usually” sexual harassment – the figure falls to 6% for over-55s. Two thirds of the same think the same of wolf-whistling – for over 55s it was 15%. Nottinghamshire police consider wolf-whistling a “hate crime”.
“When this was brought to my attention on two separate occasions,” Forsyth continues, “I apologised unreservedly to the three colleagues involved and my apologies were accepted and I thought the issue was closed many years ago.”
Well, it wasn’t closed. One woman tells the BBC: “The complaints of harassment were not treated with the appropriate degree of seriousness. It seems there was more interest in preventing the exposure of misconduct than in protecting its female employees from predatory behaviour.”
The PR is now in full cry. Following new that Brendan Cox was not best behaved when he worked at Save The Children, the charity tells everyone: “We apologise for any pain these matters have caused and sincerely hope that the complainants feel able to help us with the review in the coming weeks.”
We apologise for the reactions. But not for doing anything wrong. Indeed, we urge the alleged victims to trust us. Only we can get to the bottom of things. Adding: “This is so that we can better support our skilled and highly valued staff as they help change the lives of millions of children around the world every day.” Translation: we’re great. Sure some of your charitable donations will go on staff reviews, PR and guff. But keep giving!
Wigan beating Manchester City is football at its chaotic best
The Manchester City website leads with a photo of referee Anthony Taylor showing City defender Fabian Delph a red card following the England man’s foul on Wigan Athletic’s Max Power. City says the “red seemed harsh”. The Wigan website doesn’t agree. Over there,Delph was given his marching orders for a late challenge on Power”. No controversy.
Wigan’s manger Paul Cook offers his take: “The dismissal gave us a massive lift. It was a huge factor in the game and I thought the referee got it right.”
The game ended 1-0 to Wigan. The dismissal surely help Wigan’s cause. But Man City failed to score. “Undoubtedly the decision to send Fabian Delph for an early bath was the game’s key moment,” says City. But surely the biggest moment was Will Grigg’s goal.
Pep Guardiola was more circumspect than his club’s press office. He didn’t claim the dismissal had been a decisive factor. “I don’t think it was,” he said. “We played well in the second half. We created more than enough chances to go through but in the end the result speaks for itself. We didn’t score any goals and Wigan did.”
What it all as, of course, was a stirring reminder of how chaotic and brilliant football is. Away from all the post-match guff, analytics and leading edge software packages operated by IT-illiterate ex-pros, the most expensive squad in football was turned over by a team in which Will Grigg is the Latics’ most expensive player at £1.3m.
Grigg – the best thing to have come out of Wigan since Limahl.
Police and Travelodge view men as suspected paedophiles
Are we more suspicious of adults then ever? “One minute I was brushing my teeth, the next I was being told I was a paedophile,” says Karl Pollard, whose ordeal began when he checked into a Travelodge with his 14-year-old daughter, Stephanie.
Staff at the Travelodge in Macclesfield, Cheshire, didn’t much like the look of the 46-year-old, in town to visit his ill mother. “When we arrived the receptionist gave me a weird look but I thought nothing of it,” he says. “We went up to the room to get unpacked and ready to see my mum. It was only a 20-minute walk away, which is why I chose the hotel. About 10 minutes later there was a knock at the door. A policewoman was standing there. I thought something had happened to my mum or my wife. But she said, ‘We’ve had a call from Travelodge, they believe you are a paedophile grooming underage girls’.”
The police like to “believe” terrible things are “credible and true“.
“I explained to her [the police officer who interviewed them separately] that I was Stephanie’s dad. The officer had to ask her loads of questions to prove it. My mum has just been diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer. We’re not sure how long she has left. I wanted to take Stephanie down to visit her before she started treatment.”
Mr Pollard’s, Stephanie’s mother, wasn’t with them because she has multiple sclerosis.
“My daughter was in tears. She was so scared – and thought I was going to get taken away,” he adds.
Travelodge then endeavours to explain, offering a classic non-apology apology, containing the prerequisite sympathetic back story and a dash of moral smugness:
“All our hotel teams are trained according to national guidelines supported by the NSPCC. In the past proactive action by our hotel teams has helped to safeguard young people at risk. In this instance we got it wrong.”
And you thought they just operated budget hotels. Turns out they’re an arm of the purpose-seeking police, who view men as potential threats to children. It’s sound and rational to be worried by men.
Cheshire Police then offer: “Police were called at 3pm on Thursday 8 February to reports of suspicious activity at a hotel on Waters Green in Macclesfield.”
Who was acting suspiciously? Mr Pollard and his daughter weren’t. Unless, you’ve invested in the notion that all adults are suspects.
“Staff at the Travelodge did the right thing by reporting what they believed to be suspicious activity to officers, although thankfully there was nothing untoward and it turned out to be a misunderstanding.”
Good to know the police approve of innocent men being treated as suspects first whose innocence needs to be established. don’t trust one another. Trust only in the police and the State.
Private Cheryl Cole world to keep the limelight as Liam Payne goes solo again
Like you, everyone else thought Cheryl Cole / Surname and former One Direction extra Liam Payne would spend the next decades together in Instagramed bliss. But, then, we also thought “the nation’s sweetheart” (Cheryl – source: all papers) would hang on in their with her first two husbands.
It turns out that Cheryl and Liam are not getting on well. The pair are “preparing to end their relationship”, in much the same way as mere mortals prepare to end a bath or log off twitter. You know how it is: you pull the plug, see the water circling life’s plughole, call your agent and announce that “crisis talks” with the rubber duck might not work.
A few unnamed “friends” helpfully call the Sun to say that Cheryl is “very private” – see photos of her arse and marriage in OK! – that she is an “amazing” mother to the couple’s child, Bear, has been “left holding the baby”, how she will “battle” on, and open Cheryl’s Trust Centre, a place where “vulnerable young people” can feel her unique brand of love.
No word yet on who gets to keep the paparazzi.
Posted: 19th, February 2018 | In: Celebrities, News, Tabloids | Comment
Rochdale defy Alli’s dive to earn FA Cup replay with Spurs
Delight for Rochdale as the latest of late goals secured a 2-2 draw with Spurs in the FA Cup. Rochdale fell behind when Harry Kane converted a penalty ‘won’ by the slippery-shoed Dele Alli.
The midfielder has form when it comes to tumbling in the box.
Alli has been booked three times for diving. His is the worst record in the Premiership. He is a persistent cheat. But what about other players not booked for diving outside the box? Pretty much every match features moments when the lightest physical contact sees a player fall theatrically to the ground. Is it fair to pick out Alli?
When Alli burst into Rochdale’a penalty area there was an inevitability about him ending up on his backside. Was it a foul? Should this have been given? Get a load of his legs as he falls over.
Anyone who says that Dele Alli didn’t dive again for a penalty, needs to take a closer look at the incident and explain why, from a standing start, he can move forward 2 metres and somehow end up with his legs so high in the air without instigating the movement himself?#ROCTOT pic.twitter.com/OpugqjlJO1
— Dave Roberts ⚽🎙 (@dlrbrts) February 18, 2018
Rochdale manager Keith Hill says Alli was “looking for” the penalty.
“I’m led to believe he [Alli] was looking for it, but why not?” Hill opined. “If players feel there is an opportunity to be gained then brilliant, I don’t hold it against him. I don’t blame him and I don’t have a problem with it. Whether it’s him, Harry Kane or (Rochdale striker) Ian Henderson, it doesn’t matter who does it. If he does that for England in the World Cup this summer then I will definitely be supporting him.”
How times change, eh. There used to be pride in staying on your feet.
Tottenham have expressed a real interest in this, lad. pic.twitter.com/0ACuJzzK8m
— Big Uncle Knobhead. (@ianwilson69) February 17, 2018
The odd thing is that if you cheat and the penalty is given, the FA can ban you for two matches. But the result secured by a converted penalty kick unfairly earned stands. Cheat and fail, and you get a yellow card. Chris Sutton muses: “There are two many players who are looking for contact. Alli is one, Wilfried Zaha is another. They need to be fearful of what punishment they will face.”
So what punishment fits the crime? A red card? A penalty for the other team? Points deducted?
Posted: 18th, February 2018 | In: News, Sports, Spurs | Comments (3)
Talking balls: Manchester United and Manchester City fans duped by Owen on de Bruyne and Scholes
Kevin de Bruyne is a terrific player. Watching the Chelsea reject play so well at Manchester City is Michael Owen, the former Manchester United and Liverpool striker, and sometime pilot. The Manchester Evening News picks up his thoughts and thunders: “Kevin de Bruyne has surpassed Manchester United greats, insists Michael Owen.”
Better than Best, Edwards, Law and Giggs? De Bruyne’s good, but is he that good? The story continues:
Michael Owen insists Kevin de Bruyne has surpassed Manchester United legends Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.
He insists. He will not be swayed.
One day on and the MEN has a follow-up scoop, thundering: “Manchester United fans blast Michael Owen over Paul Scholes claims.”
Paul Scholes is hailed by many as the best passer there has ever been.
Barcelona legend Xavi described him as the finest central midfielder he had ever seen – and many a former teammate has praised his pinpoint accuracy. But, Michael Owen has other ideas.
United’s former No.7 claims Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is a level above the United great.
Controversial stuff – and it would have been had Owen said it. Over on the Premier League’s official website, Owen says de Bruyne is not the best passer but the best at “assists”. The MEN’s story is utter bunkum.
Posted: 16th, February 2018 | In: Back pages, Manchester City, manchester united, News, Sports | Comment
An incredible photo of a single atom visible to the naked eye wins science prize
Wonder no more what an atom looks like. David Nadlinger, a physicist at Oxford University, has taken a photo of an atom suspended in an electric field. The incredible thing is that this atom is visible to the naked eye. Well, we can the light emitted from it.
The image, “Single Atom in an Ion Trap”, won Nadlinger top prize in UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) science photo and imaging contest.
If we zoom in, you can see the atom – it’s the small dot in the centre of the photo.
The EPSRC reports:
‘Single Atom in an Ion Trap’, by David Nadlinger, from the University of Oxford, shows the atom held by the fields emanating from the metal electrodes surrounding it. The distance between the small needle tips is about two millimetres.
When illuminated by a laser of the right blue-violet colour the atom absorbs and re-emits light particles sufficiently quickly for an ordinary camera to capture it in a long exposure photograph. The winning picture was taken through a window of the ultra-high vacuum chamber that houses the ion trap.
Laser-cooled atomic ions provide a pristine platform for exploring and harnessing the unique properties of quantum physics. They can serve as extremely accurate clocks and sensors or, as explored by the UK Networked Quantum Information Technologies Hub, as building blocks for future quantum computers, which could tackle problems that stymie even today’s largest supercomputers.
“The idea of being able to see a single atom with the naked eye had struck me as a wonderfully direct and visceral bridge between the minuscule quantum world and our macroscopic reality,” says Nadlinger. “A back-of-the-envelope calculation showed the numbers to be on my side, and when I set off to the lab with camera and tripods one quiet Sunday afternoon, I was rewarded with this particular picture of a small, pale blue dot.”
Posted: 16th, February 2018 | In: News, Strange But True, Technology | Comment
Lisa Armstrong prepared to part with her half her fortune to get shot of Ant McPartlin
When Ant McPartlin’s lawyers thrash out any divorce settlement with his estranged wife Lisa Armstrong, they may refer to the Sun’s reporting on the family fortune.
In today’s paper the news is that Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon have been “comforting” Lisa and offering “real support”. That news of their good hearts should emerge just as Britain’s Got Talent, the show on which the pair work as judges hits the PR circuit, is surely coincidental and not opportunistic tosh pulled from cynicism’s deepest mine.
Of more interest is that Sun’s news that Ant is “prepared to part with half his £62m fortune”. You might suppose that money accrued by childhood sweethearts who’ve ben married for 11 years would belong to both of them. The message could be: “Lisa is prepared to part with half her fortune”?
And it’s not £62m. Well, not according to the, er, Sun it isn’t.
One thing is clear: in the tabloids the money is always his and not hers.
Posted: 16th, February 2018 | In: Celebrities, Money, News, Tabloids | Comment
Karen Smith charged with ‘child abuse’ for busting pupil who refused to stand for Pledge of Allegiance
Karen Smith is the teacher who allegedly assaulted a pupil who did not stand for the US Pledge of Allegiance, the classroom staple written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister’s son from upstate New York. (He went on to work in advertising.)
The BBC says Miss Smith has been charged with “child abuse – recklessly and with injury” and with third-degree assault. It is alleged that when the kid didn’t stand for the Pledge at Agevine Middle School, Colorado, the gym teacher pulled the child up by their jacket and walked them out the classroom.
Local school officials say students can sit or stand during the pledge. Federal law permits students to sit.
The school district released a statement to parents after the arrest saying they “are co-operating with the District Attorney’s Office and respect their decision on this matter”.
“We are unable to comment further because it remains a personnel matter that the school district is actively investigating.”
One site calls it an act of “political violence against a child”. I’d be more interested in who called the police. And there’s the religion. The part of the Pledge about the US being a nation “under God” was added in 1954, following a campaign by a Catholic outfit called the Knights of Columbus and others.
The school has sent out a missive:
Dear Angevine Middle School Families,
I hope everyone is having a good evening.
I am reaching out to you tonight to let you know that we will have a substitute teacher working with some of our PE classes for the time being.
While I cannot share much information, following an incident today at school, Ms. Smith was placed on paid administrative leave. We are working closely with our partners at the Lafayette Police Department. We believe in due process and therefore ask that everyone respect Ms. Smith’s privacy at this time.
We are dedicated, as always, to supporting our students and ensuring that we have qualified educators working with them during their physical education time.
Thank you for your patience and support. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mike Medina
Principal
Angevine Middle School
Question: who’d want to be a teacher? What would a pledge look like in UK schools?
Lizards are spying for Israel says top Iranian advisor
Over the years, various countries have accused the world’s only Jewish state of using a variety of less conventional secret agents. To date, they have identified the following creatures as being Israeli spies:
A Falcon (Turkey)
A Dolphin (Hamas)
A Shark (Egypt)
A Eagle (Syria)
A Griffon Vulture (Saudi Arabia)
A Vulture (Sudan)
A Bee-eater (Turkey)
A Boar (Palestinian Authority)
A Hyena (Palestinians)
A Rat (Palestinian New Agency)
A Kestrel (Hezbollah)
Today brings news that the Israelis are in cahoots with lizards, naturally.
Hassan Firuzabadi, a former chief-of-staff of Iran’s armed forces and key advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says Israel is using lizards to “attract atomic waves” and spy on his country’s nuclear program.
“Several years ago, some individuals came to Iran to collect aid for Palestine… We were suspicious of the route they chose,” he tells the ILNA news agency.
“In their possessions were a variety of reptile desert species like lizards, chameleons… We found out that their skin attracts atomic waves and that they were nuclear spies who wanted to find out where inside the Islamic Republic of Iran we have uranium mines and where we are engaged in atomic activities.”
Lizards, of course, are not spying for the Israelis. They are spying for their fellow members of the House of Windsor.
Spotter: Daniel Sugarman
Posted: 14th, February 2018 | In: News, Politicians | Comment
Oxfam feasted on the ‘young meat barbecues’
The Times‘ scoop that Oxfam put its reputation ahead of the needs of the people it purports to save is a cracker. Oxfam staffers saw in people’s pain and destitution a chance to abuse and debase Haitians. The numbers around the January 2010 earthquake are staggering: 220,000 lives lost; 300,000 injured; 1.5 million people destitute. Oxfam arrived on the seen. It’s 230 staff had a mission to help. The senior staffers also had money, the backing of the British state and the power that brings. A whistleblower spoke out:
“The group lived in a guesthouse rented by Oxfam that they called the ‘pink apartments’ — they called it ‘the whorehouse’. They were throwing big parties with prostitutes. These girls were wearing Oxfam T-shirts, running around half-naked, it was a like a full-on Caligula orgy. It was unbelievable. It was crazy. At one party there were at least five girls and two of them had Oxfam white T-shirts on. These men used to talk about holding ‘young meat barbecues’.”
The charity is in full panic mode. Exposed as complicit in morally despicable and criminal acts (prostitution is illegal in Haiti) including the allegation of sex with underage women – which should be called out for what it is: child rape – chief executive Mark Goldring told staff that The Times report “very, very hard to read”. The truth for those who wanted it hidden, as is alleged, often is.
Roland van Hauwermeiren, Oxfam’s top man in Haiti who bought women, was afforded a “phased and dignified exit”. No blemish on his CV was recorded, doubtless helping him secure a job running a charity in Bangladesh. Three other senior staffers were sacked. No word on their resumes, neither. Oxfam covered up the sleaze.
On September 5, 2011, “Oxfam issued a press statement reporting that a small number of staff had been ‘involved in a number of instances of misconduct’“. Misconduct? “It stressed that it “was not related to fraud and did not affect the approximately US$98 million Oxfam fundraised following the earthquake in Haiti”. Phew! Just using the money to have sex with the vulnerable and dispossessed you’re rode into town to help. So long as you’re investing in the local economy and not stealing it.
You wonder who was being helped? Libby Purves writes:
We are the West, we know best! It is no surprise that last year Haiti banned 257 NGOs for being, as the minister Aviol Fleurant put it, “disconnected from the priorities and needs of the Haitian people”.
He’s not wrong. In 2011, Oxfam quoted Roland Van Hauwermeiren, country director for Oxfam in Haiti:
“Too many donors from rich countries have pursued their own aid priorities and have not effectively coordinated amongst themselves or worked with the Haitian government…
“If Haitians are to support themselves then the reconstruction effort must also give priority to helping people earn a living. Above all else, Haitians want to get back to work and provide for their families.”
Ah, yes, think of the children.
Stuntwoman wigs out over men in drag taking her jobs
Does pulling on a wig and acting like a woman make you a woman? In Hollywood there’s a backlash against wigging. It’s when men pull on wigs, dress like women and perform stunts in place of the female star for TV and movies. the thinking is, perhaps, that the stunt men in wigs are more expendable than the actress.
But stuntwomen – well, one stuntwoman – say wigging is preventing her getting work. It’s a man doing a woman’s job. Deven MacNair, a Los Angeles-based stunt artiste, is looking to sue Hollywood’s acting union and a production company because a man in drag did a stunt she could have done.
“The practice is so common, ” she says. “It’s historical sexism – this is how it’s been done since the beginning of time.”
Fair enough. We can’t have men in wigs taking jobs women can do, even if it they do well enough to earn them plaudits.
This man’s job is to climb down London’s sewer network and blast away “fatbergs” that clog it. Have there been any calls recently for gender equality in the sewage clearance sector? Because the sewage industry seems to be dominated by men: perhaps it’s time to address this? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/CRrWWdSgAX
— Martin Daubney (@MartinDaubney) February 10, 2018
And let’s make it law that 50% of all primary school teachers are men, too.
Anti-Semitism expert Jeremy Corbyn wants to ban Spurs Yid Army
Jeremy Corbyn is something of an expert on anti-Semitism – which given his role as leader of the Labour Party, ‘friend’ of Hamas and a former presenter on Iran’s Press TV is no great shock. Corbyn has spotted something anti-Jewish in the ranks of Tottenham Hotspur fans. No, he’s not swapping allegiances from Arsenal to Spurs. He wants Spurs fans to sing what he tells them to and stop cheering for the ‘Yid Army’.
He told the Guardian before Spurs and Arsenal played each other yesterday: “There has been racist abuse at past matches between Arsenal and Spurs – instances of antisemitism and homophobia. Yes, football fans get very passionate but that is not acceptable and not allowed.”
“Yid chants are unacceptable,” adds Corbyn. “It plays into something that’s not very good and we should be saying: ‘We’re the Spurs’ or ‘We’re the Arsenal’. Stick to your club; it’s your club that unites you. The idea of adopting a term to neutralise it doesn’t really work because it is identifying a club by an ethnic group or faith, whereas you should be identifying clubs through supporters.”
You might at this point suppose the Guardian has been duped by an arch-satirist. You’re looking for Shami Chakrabarti to pop up and say that she’s never heard a thing – and for Corbyn to nationalise Tottenham and install Dame Shami as the club’s new striker. But the real Corbyn is no fan of Yid Armies, so it is very probably him doing his bit for his core electorate.
Image: A Labour campaign slogan?
Posted: 11th, February 2018 | In: Arsenal, News, Politicians, Sports, Spurs | Comment
Me Too and the Mob: ‘sex pest MPs’ should be anonymous
“‘Sex pest’ MPs to keep anonymity while under investigation over harassment claims,” says the London Evening Standard’s front page. It’s interesting stuff. Given that false and mistaken accusations can ruin lives, might not circumspection be right and proper? Does every victim want their claim and potential victimhood publicised, something that could leave them unable to move on with their lives?
Under new proposals drawn up by a cross-party committee, MPs ruled to have harassed staff will have to write a letter of apology and undergo training, be suspended or forced to face a public vote. At the moment, MPs don’t have any formal disciplinary procedures.
Helping readers to make sense of what is a thorny and important matter is Kate Maltby, the well-connected Tory activist. Maltby is the woman who alleged Damian Green MP made inappropriate advances towards her, including “fleetingly” touching her knee in 2015. She said he sent her a “suggestive” text, which made her feel “awkward, embarrassed and professionally compromised”. He has apologised for making her feel uncomfortable.
She tells the Standard, which counts a number of her friends among the columnists:
“I am pretty concerned about anonymity for those accused, particularly of sexual harassment,” she said [sic] because what we know in all of these cases is it is almost always the case that someone accused, plausibly, of sexual harassment is a serial offender, and that when one woman makes a complaint, others are finally emboldened to do so.”
Why can’t the accusation be examined on its merits? Why do we need a group to bring the accused down? Isn’t assuming that one accusation is the thin edge of the wedge, prejudicial to a fair hearing? How does trial by media achieve justice?
Ms Maltby said: “This working group is clearly a step in the right direction. I think there is a lot still to be hammered out.”
The Standard cites more voices calling for the accused’s name to be made known.
Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, says: “It’s a concern that the risk of malicious and vexatious complaints features so prominently in this report. None of the allegations that triggered the review were found to have been malicious so having this so high up as an issue to be addressed is misplaced. It triggers all those myths about hysteria and witch-hunts that have been such an unfortunate feature of this issue.”
Isn’t the risk of one innocent being wrongly convicted worth the caution?
Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom adds: “This is a big day for Parliament and our politics. It is in the context of this that the confidentiality issue is so concerning. We know that confidentiality can protect victims but it can also be used to protect the guilty and party reputations. The whole Me Too movement has shown just how important public disclosure can be to victims who are otherwise ignored and mistrusted and might not feel confident in coming forward.”
Isn’t that alleged victims, Andrea? Many people who have said #MeToo have yet to have their claims tested in court. Have we not learnt anything from ‘Nick’, the man who claimed to have witnessed MPs murdering children for sexual gratification, whose allegation were branded “credibly and true” by the police, who after such fanfare and trawling found no evidence for any offence?
Let’s stick to the facts and hold people accountable for their actions. But let’s not ruin lives and careers on the strength of an allegation, however morally right and powerful it is.
Posted: 8th, February 2018 | In: News, Politicians | Comment (1)
VIP paedophile spotter Nick arrested by police that once believed him
Nick in the Sun – front-page news
The man known only as “Nick”, on whose word police investigated an alleged VIP peadophile sex ring and trawled for ‘victims’, faces multiple charges relating to the possession of indecent images of children. Nick said powerful child rapists were responsible for murdering three children. He pointed the finger at the entirely innocent Tory politicians Sir Ted Heath, Leon Brittan and Harvey Proctor, and former top soldier Lord Brammel.
The Metropolitan Police launched Operation Midland in 2014, describing Nick’s allegations as “credible and true”. The accused declared their innocence. Police never found a shred of evidence to support Nick’s claims. The Met paid out compensation. The investigation, which cost around £2..5m, was closed.
Reporting on this is varied. The Mirror buries the story of Nick’s impending trial on page 4. Once Nick was the Mirror papers’ biggest story:
The Sun splashes the story on its front page and on page 5 lambasts the police.
Bashing the police in the Sun
Over in the Mail, politics is to the fore.
It’s of less interest why ‘Nick’ told his story than it is why his story was believed and became front-page news?
Conte laughably calls for ‘patience’ as Chelsea line up Luis Enrique
Antonio Conte is on his way out of Chelsea, if reports are to believed. The bouncy Italian will be jettisoned just a season after winning the Premier League at his first attempt. Ridiculous, of course, but, then, this is Chelsea, the club that goes through managers in less time than it takes Cesc Fabregas to read the loyalty clause in his new contract. Chelsea have had 11 managers in 15 years. In terms of silverware won, high turnover of coaching staff has been no barrier to success. The Blues have won 14 major trophies under Roman Abramovich’s. So long as Abramovich keeps investing in his club (the Russian’s loan to the Blues is £1bn and counting), his way will continue. Keep recruiting the new and vibrant and never stop to work out why you never did Pepe Guardiola?
So Luis Enrique is being made ready for the job.He and his family should see their time in London as a very well-paid busman’s holiday. Conte’s deal has 18 months to run. It’ll cost Chelsea a fortune to sack him. (Under Abramovich, Chelsea have paid out £71m severance pay to sacked managers).
“We must understand our level,” says Conte. “Now we struggle for a Champions League place. We must accept this situation. In the future you have to buy two or three players — not eight. Don’t forget, this summer we brought in eight [counting Christensen’s return from loan] and spent a lot less than other teams… We have to build something important. To do this, you must have 15 or 16 players. In the summer we changed eight players. That means you don’t have a basis, a great foundation. We lost strong, experienced players in the last few years so we must have patience.”
Patience? Not at Roman’s Chelsea.
Posted: 4th, February 2018 | In: Chelsea, News, Sports | Comment
Man found with arm inside cow’s anus banned from every farm in the country
John Curno, 80, has been found guilty of two counts of outraging public decency. Last summer, Mr Curno was seen “talking” to a herd of 150 cows and masturbating in meadows at Park Lodge Farm in Uxbridge. Susan Howie, who runs the farm with her husband Ian, told Uxbridge Magistrates Court that on two occasions she spotted Curno molesting her cattle. Other witnesses claim to have seen Curno push his entire left arm into a cow’s rear end before masturbating.
“The cows are left unattended in the field especially in the summer we leave them in there day and night,” said Mrs Howie. “I went out in my white pick up truck and the gentleman was with a cow, he had his left hand interfering with the cow and his right hand on a part of his lower body, his shirt was covering it. He was masturbating you could see it moving up and down and his trousers and his boxer shorts were at his ankles. He stopped and looked up, he grabbed his boxers and his trousers and ran to the stile. I was disgusted, we gave nobody permission to touch or interfere with our cows, it might seem funny to you but they are family they are not just cows.”
How does one gain permission for such things? That’s moot.
Of another time, she recalls: “It was 8.30pm and we were running a bit late with the milking. It was the same field as before, this time he had had his whole hand in the cow.”
“I’m not a violent person, I have a weakness with animals,” Curno reportedly told police when arrested.
At Uxbridge Magistrates Court, Chair of the Bench Michael Akers told Curno that sentencing had been adjourned until next month. In the meanwhile, Curno is banned from every farm with animals in the country.
Posted: 3rd, February 2018 | In: News, Strange But True | Comment
Swansea City’s Sam Clucas didn’t realise adult website featured porn
Adding to the sense that porn is everywhere is Sam Clucas’s goal celebrations for Swansea City. Having scored twice in Swansea’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal, the midfielder made a monocle/ spyglass hand gesture. We now know it to be the symbol of the adult site Simply LoveLeh Brotherhood, which reportedly shows hardcore porn videos narrated by Yorkshire accents.
It’ll make you go blind
A spokesperson for Swansea goes on the record:
As a club we were unaware of any links to the Internet group in question and disappointed to learn of the association as it does not reflect the values of Swansea City nor our strong commitment to equality.
We wholeheartedly condemn the degradation of women and believe everyone’s rights, dignity and individual worth is to be respected.
Do those Swansea values include gambling and boozing, because betting and drinks companies sponsor the club?
And as @harryhpalmer tweets: “No mention of the fact that Southampton’s Charlie Austin and Jack Stevens both used the SAME celebration in December, and nothing was said or done by the FA?”
What says Sam?
Having spoken to Sam, he was not fully aware of the pornographic sections of this Internet group and at no time intended to cause offence which he apologises for.
He didn’t know it was porn? Maybe the FA will have more luck when they “investigate” the matter. There’s porno images on the site’s twitter pages and a link to a website full of videos of, well, porn. Hold onto your blazers, chaps. There’s also endorsements for the site from Ricky Hatton, the former boxer, and snooker’s Jimmy White.
Still, this is modern life and modern football. And if there’s a new symbol for onanism, then so long as its directed at the referee, no harm done…
Manchester United balls: Marouane Fellaini ’embarrassed’ by injury and ‘bizarre’ Mourinho as Spurs get lucky
When Manchester United lost 2-0 at Spurs to an offside goal and an own-goal, Marouane Fellaini came on as a substitute only to be substituted after just seven minutes playing time. Why? Well, the obvious guess would be injury to the big Belgian. “He came off because he had something in his knee,” Jose Mourinho told media after the match. “Unlucky for him and unlucky for me. He came on with enthusiasm, but he has an injury in his ligament.”
But the media loves sensation. And Fellaini’s knee is not newsy enough in the race of clicks.
“Fellaini appeared angry as he took off his shirt as he made his way to the bench,” says the Mail beneath the headline: “Horror show for Mourinho as Eriksen scores after 11 SECONDS to spark easy victory for Spurs that blows top-four race wide open; From super sub to super snub! Fellaini hauled off just SEVEN MINUTES after being sent on to rescue United at Wembley.”
The Sun has a dig at both “bizarre” Mourinho and Fellaini, who was “embarrassed ” by getting injured:
Get well soon, Fellaini.
Posted: 1st, February 2018 | In: Back pages, manchester united, News, Sports, Spurs, Tabloids | Comment
Arsenal’s Bellerin to address Oxford Union
Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin will address the Oxford Union in lugubrious Oxfordshire on February 5. Bellerin, who has a degree in marketing (yes, that’s a genuine qualification), will chair a debate not on Wenger In / Wenger Out, but on what it takes to become an elite athlete. His Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil will address the Union on 20th February. It’s not hard to imagine Arsenal Wenger, the Arsenal manager nicknamed The Professor, enjoying his players’ stretching their intellectual muscles.
Says the Union:
A Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for English club Arsenal and Spain, Bellerin is known for his speed and pace, and has been considered to be one of the fastest footballers in the world. He started his career in the youth teams of Barcelona, moving to Arsenal in 2011. He is also known for his philanthropic work, having famously donated £50 for every minute he played at the Under-21 Euros to the victims of the Grenfell Tower Fire.
Bellerin follows in the footsteps of likes of Diego Maradona, Sepp Blatter, Paul Gascoigne, Rio Ferdinand, Tony Pulis and Joey Barton on the roll of past speakers.
Well-paid BBC women are not thick as mince Grid Girl women
Spot the differences between the “BBC women on the march” for equal pay and ‘Grid Girls’ women being told they can’t work at Formula One events. Clue: age and class.
First up, the women who know what’s best for themselves and all women. The women taking a stand for equal rights, more money, opportunity and the sisterhood:
The women told they don’t know what’s best for themselves and who don’t know their own minds, being presumably too thick and infected by misogyny to earn an honest living of their choosing. Thankfully, more intelligent and higher ranking women are here to lend these losers a steer.
And then this, in which the female expert in all things female schools two grown women no longer working the darts circuit in the right and wrong way to dress, earn money and conduct themselves. (Neither group is from the 70s – that’s the 1970s for the ‘babes’ and the 1870s for the bluestocking.)
Posted: 1st, February 2018 | In: Broadsheets, News, Sports, Tabloids, TV & Radio | Comment
Arsenal rejoice! Ozil signs new long-term contract
Mesut Ozil has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract extension at Arsenal. Having lost Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United earlier this month, the good news for Arsenal fans is that Ozil will not be making the same journey north.
Ozil is not just staying out of love. He’ll be on £350k per week before tax.
To say this is good news for Arsenal fans would be an understatement.
Anyhow, here’s what the experts in the press have been saying:
Such are the facts…
Posted: 31st, January 2018 | In: Arsenal, News, Sports | Comment
