THE
WORD
Issue #65, Early June Edition 2021
HILLSBOROUGH MURDERS
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NURSES GET A CLAP, MP’S GET A HUGE PAY RISE
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GREEDY NEVER ABOUT THE NEEDY
FOREIGN AID TO THE STARVING IS CUT FOOTBALL FANS ARE MURDERED TO MAKE MONEY
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Early April 2021
POLITICS AND EVENTS
THE GOVERNMENT
keep taking liberties
T
he government is “absolutely open” to delaying the final lifting of England’s Covid lockdown on 21 June if necessary, the health secretary has said. Matt Hancock insisted 21 June was a “not before” date to end restrictions and No 10 “would look at the data”.
ing. Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, the health secretary said the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant made the decision on lifting lockdown “more challenging”.
He said the Delta variant first seen in India was about 40% more transmissible than the Alpha (Kent) strain.
The final stage of lifting restrictions would see all legal limits on social contact removed. Nightclubs would reopen, and restrictions on performances, weddings and other life events would also be lifted.
But he added that hospitalisations were “broadly flat” which meant Covid vaccines were work-
But concerns about the spread of the Delta variant, now dominant in the UK, have led some sci-
Is The Lockdown Forever? They said it would end when the magic vaccine had been dosed out to the majority of people in this country. They said we needed to be “locked down” not quarantined…but “locked down” notice the significant change in our language? They said we had to protect the NHS when at the same time the Tory Government had already sold most of our NHS off
to private “providers.”
They said clap hand for the nurses but then insulted them with the tiniest of pay rises whilst at the same time MP’s were given an 11% rise. The basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2020 is already £81,932. They say anything even questioning the pandemic is conspiracy theory yet shut down all social media debate on the topic. Why?
ROYAL DISTRACTION SPROGGED BY RICH CALIFORNIAN COUPLE The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the birth of their daughter on Sunday 6 June, with the couple sharing that their second child was born on 4 June at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Along with the news of their growing family, the royal couple also revealed the sweet meaning behind their new-born’s name, which pays tribute to both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. This neatly planned distraction from the real world only reminds us that Liz will soon need to make the ultimate sacrifice to bury bad news. Neither the babies Grandfather or Prince Charles were available for comment.
entists to call for a delay to ending lockdown. Another 5,341 infections were recorded on Sunday, and another 4 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to official figures. Asked whether lockdown easing could be delayed if the data on the Delta variant appeared “bad,” Mr Hancock said the government was “absolutely open to doing that if that’s what needs to happen” and that its “roadmap was set up to take these changes into account”. Mr Hancock added that while
new infections have “risen a little”, the number of people admitted to hospital with the Delta variant was “broadly flat”. He said the majority of patients in hospital appeared to be those who have not had a vaccine, with “only a very small minority” of patients fully vaccinated. Those who had been double vaccinated appeared to be less seriously ill, he said. This showed vaccines were working, he said, and that the link between infection and hospitalisation had been “severed but not broken”.
FOREIGN AID CUT SOME TORY MP’S HAVING THE CUTS TO REVOLT WE HOPE
Bafta Michaela Coel has been named best actress at the Bafta TV Awards, after also winning Baftas for writing and directing her drama I May Destroy You. Coel picked up the best actress prize as well as best mini-series at the Bafta TV ceremony in London on Sunday. It came two weeks after she won writing and directing prizes at the Bafta Craft Awards, which reward backstage talent. Sunday’s other winners included Normal People’s Paul Mescal, who was named best actor, and dance group Diversity. The troupe won the “must-see moment” award for their controversial Britain’s Got Talent routine, which reflected the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
UK aid cuts of 42% will leave about 70,000 people without health services and 100,000 without water in Cox’s Bazar. The world’s largest refugee settlement, before the deadly cyclone season, the Foreign Office minister for Asia has been warned. A private letter sent to him last week by a group of aid agencies working in the area comes before a vote on Monday designed to force ministers to guarantee they will restore UK aid to 0.7% of gross national income next year. The government faces the dilemma of trying to stymie the Conservativeled rebellion in the week Britain chairs the G7, or backing down.
ENGLAND FOOTBALL A half-hearted performance by an England second eleven sees off Romania. It started with a round of booing from the supporters in Middlesbrough’s riverside stadium for the taking of the knee. It did not get much better than that as Romania had by far and away the best chances. The only interest in the first half was the new international sport of “kick Grealish” something the Romanians excelled at. Although, it must be said, not as well as the Austrians had done in the previous
“friendly.” It is a simple game. Jack Grealish gets the ball and people kick him. The winner is the team in World football who kicks him the most.
The rest of the game consisted in showing the Germans we are still bad at penalties. This we excelled in. First, the Romanians played keepy uppy with Grealish as the ball. This allowed Marcus Rashford to have a five minute think before scoring from the spot. The second penalty showcased why Henderson has never scored for England.
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Early April 2021
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My family’s Hillsborough COVER UP EXPERIENCE I
wanted to write this last week but was too devastated. Some of this will be very upsetting to read. It is accurately stated by many that South Yorkshire police used the same deceitful and corrupt tactics to cover up the disaster as they had against the miners during the ‘8485 strike, most famously at Orgreave. What is far less mentioned is that they also used the same sexist and misogynistic tactics that West Yorkshire police had used to smear the Yorkshire Ripper’s victims because they needed to cover up the serious failings and misconduct that marred that police investigation. In the early hours of 16th April 1989, our friend Steve from Wallasey was interviewed
EDITORIAL They died because they were only working class football supporters. They died because Rupert Murdoch wanted to make millions from showing live games on sky television. They died because Margaret Thatcher hated football and the working class.
by South Yorkshire police after he had just identified my mum’s and Marian’s bodies. They asked him about his relationship to my mum. He said sometimes my mum and us kids would stay at his if there was an evening match at Anfield and we’d catch the train home to London in the morning and he would stay at ours if Liverpool had been playing a night match in London and would return home to Merseyside the next day. One copper asked if he ‘was shagging my mum’. Steve was shocked and burst out crying and the copper asked him the question again. This was done to smear her, him
CRIMINALS AQUITED BY STATE COVER UP Bereaved Hillsborough disaster families have condemned the “ludicrous” decision to acquit two former South Yorkshire police officers and the force’s former solicitor on charges of perverting the course of justice, bringing to a close their 32-year fight for justice. Peter Metcalf, 72, a former solicitor for the force, and the then Chief Supt Donald Denton, 83, and DCI Alan Foster, 74, had been accused of changing 68 officers’ statements to withhold important evidence and criticisms of the police operation, and “mask the failings” of the force. The judge at the trial, which was held in Salford’s Lowry theatre, Mr Justice William Davis, ruled there was no legal case to answer because the altered police statements were prepared for Lord Justice Taylor’s public inquiry into the disaster. That was not a statutory public inquiry, at which evidence is given on oath, but an “administrative exercise”, Davis told the jury, and so it was not a “course of public justice” that could be perverted. In other words, if they could prevent a trial by perverting a public enquiry they were welcome to get away with murder.
and all LFC fans. I also think they wanted a violent reaction from Steve, so it would support their drunken hooligan fake news/ cover up story. They also tried to get him to say they’d all been drinking. He told me this on the night of my mum’s funeral. I can’t describe how painful, distressing and traumatic this was for me to hear. I had only just turned 17. Two days after the funeral, 2 uniformed West Midlands police officers came to our house and took 2 illegal statements from both my brother and I. We were alone. No adults were present with us when they took our statements, which is illegal as we were under 18. The seperated us for interview. For me, it was just to say that the items they were returning were my mum’s from that day. But it was much worse for my 13 year old brother. They tried to get him to say they’d all been drinking, which thankfully he refused to do. They also asked him questions such as, ‘did your mum drink at home/at pubs, did she have a boyfriend/several boyfriends, did she go out drinking with these boyfriends,’ etc? Exactly the same thing happened a few months later when plain clothes West Midlands CID came round and did the thing again to my brother. He told me all they
They died because she needed the support of the Murdoch media Empire. They died because without their deaths football terracing could not be abolished. They died and justice was perverted. They died so billionaire owners could salivate with ecstasy at the thought of more riches from a super league. According to the establishment no one is responsible for their murder. We think otherwise. Their murderer is money.
asked about was whether they’d all been drinking. This is a continuation of the questioning of Steve by South Yorkshire police on 16th April 1989. It proves that a false narrative had been constructed about my mum by 2 police forces - South Yorkshire and the ‘investigating’ West Midlands that sought to portray her as 1) a drunken hooligan, 2) a bad mother, 3) a slag/whore/ promiscuous woman. There are no words that can do justice to the amount of pain, trauma and distress this has caused me. And the shame of my mum being smeared this way made me stay silent about it for years. But I refuse to any longer, this awful truth must be told. In March 2014, the IOPC informed me that the 2 statements we had given to West Midlands police when they first visited in 1989 had been found. They told me this was ‘proof of West Midlands police’s corruption during the cover up and what
made this worse was that both my brother and I were orphaned and wards or court (in the care of social services)’. No statements have ever been found from the CID visit and interview. They either don’t want to show them or they didn’t look hard enough. I very strongly believe that mum was smeared in the most despicable manner by 2 UK police forces because they are institutionally racist - my mum married a non-white Asian man with whom she had 2 mixed race children and had an Asian surname. They are institutionally sexist and institutionally classist my mum was poor, working class and a single parent. Thatcher had a war against single parents who were much demonised at that time for their ‘immorality’. I will NEVER EVER shut up about what they did to my family because THERE CAN NEVER BE PEACE WHILE THERE IS NO JUSTICE By Becky Shah
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14th June 1645 Battle of Naseby, Leicestershire: “New Model Army” under Oliver Cromwell & Thomas Fairfax beat royalists forces of English King
ON THIS WEEK IN HISTORY Death of John Wayne. On June 11, 1979, John Wayne, an iconic American film actor famous for starring in countless westerns, dies at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a decade. He was also known as being ultraright wing and racist.
1977 Apple Computer luanches its first Apple II computers
Alexander the Great, the young Macedonian military genius/ psychopath who forged an empire stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to India, dies in Babylon, in present-day Iraq, at the age of 33 in 323 BC.
Bill Morris became the first black trades union leader in the UK - being elected SecretaryGeneral of the Transport and General Workers Union James Earl Ray, an escaped American convict, is arrested in London and charged with the assassination of African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 4, 1968, in Memphis, King was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Motel Lorraine.
POLITICS AND EVENTS
Early June 2021
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THE PEASANTS REVOLT WAS AS NEAR AS WE EVER CAME TO WINNING
I
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
n 1381 the ordinary people of this country rose up on mass to attack their suppressors.
Wat Tyler
The Peasants’ Revolt had its origins in a severe manifestation of bubonic plague in the late 1340s, which killed nearly a third of the population of England. The scarcity of labour brought on by the Black Death led to higher wages and a more mobile peasantry. Parliament, however, resisted these changes to its traditional feudal system and passed laws to hold down wages while encouraging landlords to reassert their ancient manorial rights. In 1380, peasant discontent reached a breaking point when Parliament restricted voting rights through an increase of the poll tax, and the Peasants’ Revolt began. The revolt started in the small village of Fobbing in Essex when a tax collector was set upon by the locals. This was not spontaneous as organising had been taking place for a long time. The brains behind the organisation of the revolt was a Priest called, John Ball who travelled the country using a series of easily remembered rhyming couplets as messages to pass on. At that time most of the population were not allowed to be literate. In Kent, the rebels chose Wat Tyler as their war leader, and he led his growing “army” toward London, capturing the towns of Maidstone, Rochester, and Canterbury along the way.
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King Richard was ousted in a coup by his cousin in 1399
PEASANTS YOU ARE AND SHALL REMAIN
King Richard II
After he was denied a meeting with King Richard II, he led the rebels into London on June 13, 1381 On June 15, the king met Tyler at Smithfield, and Tyler presented demands, including one calling for the abolishment of church property. During the meeting, the mayor of London, murdered Tyler in what was obviously a planned betrayal which was and is typical of the ruling class.
and Richard revoked all the concessions he had made to the peasants at Mile End. For several weeks, Wat Tyler’s head was displayed on a pole in a London field. Richard was asked by one of the protesters why he had lied. The reply was “peasants you are and shall remain.”
King Richard was ousted in a coup by his cousin in 1399 who became King Henry the fourth. Richard ended his days in prison where he was starved to death. Quite fitting for a man who THOUSAND once said to the starving As Tyler lay dying PEASANTS peasants “for as long as on the ground, Richard MARCHED we live we will strive to lied to the protesters. ON LONDON suppress you, and your He said “I will be your leader misery will be an example in and make things right.” As the eyes of posterity.” soon as the protesters naively left Hundreds of rebels were The moral of the story still executed. resonates today: do not trust the ruling class as they will say During the next few days, the anything to get out of a hole. Peasant Revolt was put down Wat Tyler did and paid for it with severity all across England, with his life.
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BEST OF THE WEB
Health minister warns it’s ‘too early’ to say whether Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted as planned on June 21 Health Secretary Matt Hancock cannot confirm whether the UK’s current coronavirus rules will be eased as planned on June 21 or delayed due to the fast-spreading Indian strain.
Hancock told Sky News on Sunday that, though hospitalisations for Covid-19 are currently low, “it’s too early to make a final decision” on whether the restrictions will be lifted later this month. “We’re not saying no to the 21st of June at this point,” he noted, adding, however, that the government would “keep watching the data for another week,” including the “link from the number of cases to the number of people who end up in hospital.”
Toppled Edward Colston statue, complete with ‘preserved graffiti’, is on display in a Bristol museum. Bristol’s statue of slave trader Edward Colston, pulled down by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists last year, has reemerged as a local museum exhibit, with visitors asked to share what they think should become of the sculpture. The statue was targeted by protesters during a large demonstration in the city on June 7, 2020. After being toppled, it was graffitied and then thrown into a nearby harbour. It was pulled out of the water several days later by Bristol City Council and put into storage. The
“It is absolutely true that the number of people ending up in hospital is broadly flat at the moment, whereas the number of cases is rising, showing that the link is not absolute as it once was,” he said.
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brazen act of vandalism made headlines amid worldwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Colston left money to various charitable causes after his death in 1721, but his involvement in the transatlantic slave trade has prompted activists to demand that Bristol be scrubbed of both his name and his likeness. After months of preservation work (while being careful not to wash away the graffiti), the statue is finally being reintroduced to the public – as a museum exhibit. Bristol’s M Shed museum will display the sculpture alongside a curated selection of placards from the protest that led to its demise. Due to damage it sustained, the statue is unable to stand upright, and, instead, is being showcased lying on its back. Orange graffiti reading “BLM” is still visible on the statue’s face, while its leg is tagged in blue paint with “Prick.” UK regulator approves Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulator Agency (MHRA) has a p p r o v e d the PfizerBioNTech vaccine for use in 12- to 15-yearolds after a “rigorous review” found the jab to be “safe and effective in this age group.”
The UK health regulator formally extended approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to the 12-15 age group on Friday, following the examination of clinical trial data provided by the company.
Announcing its decision, MHRA Chief Executive Dr. June Raine said that the regulator had concluded “the PfizerBioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group,” highlighting how the data shows “the benefits of this vaccine outweigh any risk.” The clinical trial had involved 2,000 children aged 12-15 and found that there were no cases of Covid-19 among those who received two doses of the vaccine, compared with 16 infections within the placebo group. No new side effects were identified or reported in the trial and the safety levels were seen as comparable to those in young adults. The MHRA’s statement paves the way for the UK government to expand its inoculation programme to children, with the decision in the hands of the country’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the UK government on its inoculation strategy. A UK ticketholder has come forward to claim Friday’s £111 million (€130m) EuroMillions jackpot, operator Camelot said.
The player correctly matched all five of the EuroMillions numbers alongside the two Lucky Star numbers. The winning numbers were 07, 20, 36, 40 and 46, and the winning Lucky Star numbers were 02 and 04. Once the ticket has been validated and paid, the ticketholder will then decide whether or not to go public and share their news. Camelot said there would be no information on whether the winner is an individual or syndicate, or where the ticket was purchased, unless the ticketholder decides to go public. Camelot’s Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at the National Lottery, said: “What sensational news on a sunny summer weekend for one lucky EuroMillions player. “They have instantly become the ninth biggest winner in UK National Lottery history and have a fortune which can make their dreams come true. “We will now look to support the ticket-holder through the process and help them to start to enjoy their life-changing win.” The ticket-holder is the fourth EuroMillions jackpot winner in the UK this year.
POLITICS AND EVENTS
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CELTIC CULTURE PERVERTED
ISRAEL’S NEW PRESIDENT
S
o a Herzog has become President of Israel. An Irishman, member of the Labour Party, now spelled without the ‘u’, grandfather fluent in Irish, father partly educated in Wales a lovely, civilised, Celtic-minded people whose Zionism, in my view, de-humanised them. This one wishes to oppose antisemitism without acknowledging that it is the indigenous Palestinians who are Semitic, not the invading Europeans and Americans.
Cliff Jones column I wonder what he thinks about the current approach
of Ireland towards Israel. The for rape. He did time, though he book of his father Chaim is was released early. worth reading as an illustration of how much nice people can Might Naftali Bennett test so far deceive themselves the patience of this to become active President? Almost participants in house PRESIDENTS opposite the real theft, land theft, life US Embassy (not OF ISRAEL theft, culture theft DO NOT HAVE the pretend one and history theft. in Jerusalem) on A LOT OF Hayarkon Street POWER Presidents of in Tel Aviv is (still I Israel do not have a think) an Irish Theme lot of power. They can pub. pardon some criminals. Think on that Netanyahu. A recent Perhaps President Herzog President, Moshe Katsav. could might pop in for a pint in order not, however, pardon himself to take some advice.
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it is the indigenous Palestinians who are Semitic, not the invading Europeans and Americans.
Can he manage a Belfast or Dublin accent? His father grew up in both cities. Americans can be suckers for Hollywood Irish stuff. By Cliff Jones
Politicians don’t all have to be the same “They are all the same”, politicians that is. I heard that again today. This time I felt too tired to scream, “No they are not!”
deliberately and maliciously, excluded from power. They are even excluded from making a case.
Some believe that politics is only about power. I believe that “Just”, I should have values come first. But said, “look at their that is problematic. values”. That is so difficult. THEY Discussing values ARE EVEN The Tory means accepting EXCLUDED (Donor) Party and the possibility of FROM MAKING losing the super-rich are arguments. A CASE entwined. Starmer combines respect for Our Borisian the Establishment with government does a total devotion to apartheid not need to discuss values, and far, far worse. certainly not social ones. All it needs is to do a quick deal with There are, however, its mates and then, via its other politicians nothing like either mates in the media, persuade of them. Corbyn is not alone. voters that it was the only thing He and they are, unfortunately, to do. Poverty is good for you.
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Our Borisian government does not need to discuss values, certainly not social ones
Perhaps these days my political sutra is calmer and my walking stick will not help me mount the physical barricades. And possibly my posts are only read by the like-minded.
But by whatever means at our disposal we must change the discourse. How wonderful it would be if we heard strangers shout “No, they are not all the same.”
What kind of society shall we bequeath to the young? By Cliff Jones
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WAITING LISTS WILL LENGTHEN AND THERE WILL BE RATIONING
GOVERNMENT’S REFORMS ARE DANGEROUS & ILL-TIMED
W
e all have cause to be grateful for our NHS, but especially for the amazing care and treatment the staff have given us during the pandemic, risking their lives to save ours. So it is difficult to understand why the PM has announced yet another NHS reorganisation which requires a Bill “PHYSICALLY to make it legal.
AND EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTED STAFF” ARE STILL DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC
D o c t o r s say, “Proposals for sweeping reorganisation on such a scale will need greater time for consideration” at a time when “physically and emotionally exhausted staff” are still dealing with the pandemic. The Government is hurrying to sneak in hugely damaging changes whilst the public is still preoccupied with Covid 19 and its aftermath. Quietly, England has been divided into forty-two pieces,
CCGs want decision-making meeting before wider public discussion It is astonishing that our local NHS leaders in the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have only just published the Report of Findings following last year’s important consultation on the future of the acute hospitals in Leicestershire (Building Better Hospitals For The Future). This report is an analysis of public responses to the consultation. The CCGs have had the report since March, but delayed making them available to the public. The CCGs are now saying they wish to have a decision-making meeting about what will happen to our hospitals as early as 8th June, before there is any real opportunity for wider public discussion. The Report is 760 pages long, and there is less than two weeks before their next meeting. This does not give a chance for residents to digest what the public said in the consultation, so that they can then assess whether the final decision regarding our hospitals seems a fair one. Much needed investment for our hospitals is welcomed. However, there were contentious aspects of the proposals. These included not planning for bed numbers after 2024, selling off most of the Leicester General estate, and closing two hospitals (the Leicester General as an acute hospital and St Mary’s birth centre in Melton Mowbray). The CCGs have said the meeting of 8th June is subject to change, and we call on them to postpone that meeting until there has been ample time for the public to study the consultation. We urge them to delay the finalisation of the “Decision Making” document, until after there has been adequate scrutiny, including by the relevant local authority committee. By Tom Barker / Save Our NHS Leicestershire
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Conflict of interests (companies on boards awarding each other contracts) will be common place.
each of which from 1 April 2021 is called an Integrated Care System (ICS). If we don’t stop this Bill, each ICS will be autonomous and have a “single pot” budget to cover its population, rather than paying for individual treatments as now. The budget cannot be overspent, so there are fears of a “post code lottery”. Waiting lists will lengthen and there will be rationing. Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) ICS is already struggling to provide care for its population. Conflict of interests (companies on boards awarding each other contracts) will be common place. Private
contracts (many are American take action, it will no longer companies) can be handed out be ours. Support groups such without a tendering process, as support your NHS MK and as has been happening during Defend our NHS. Contact the pandemic, with your MP/councillors terrifying results. NHS with your concerns. staff will be required Join your Patient to work with more Participation group “flexibility”. “Cheaper” at your GP surgery, or staff will be expected to healthwatch. Don’t let take on work for which them take OUR NHS they have no professional from us. Our Children PIECES qualifications or and Grandchildren need ENGLAND us to fight for it. regulation.
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HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO
Our NHS belongs to us. Unless the people who love and appreciate it
By Christina Sosseh / concerned citizen and retired NHS employee
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Early June 2021
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THE PATIENT’S EYE VAST PRICE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VACCINES LEADS TO ADVERSE PUBLICITY
A TREATMENT REGIME
M
y treatment regime is now pretty well automatic. All it requires is for me to engage with it and take the pills / injection. During a pandemic a member of the medical staff visits me, but during normal times I attend the hospital for consultation, and the Health Centre (General Practice) for my12 weekly injection of a wonder drug called Enzalutamide. This has been going on for
eight years, and in that time I calculate the cost of medicines has been around £200,000. Treatment and investigations, with follow up visits, have cost another £250,000.
The App exists as an icon on the home screen of my phone
The Login askes for a name, date of birth, and a unique password
This is what happens when the medical profession delays diagnosis / referral. Next week I shall explain what all these wonderful substances actually do. By The Patient’s Eye
I keep my medicines in a box in a cool dry place, and just have a 1 week supply in the medicine cupboard high up in the kitchen
Also every 12 weeks the hospital pharmacy delivers a 12 week supply of Enzalutamide (Xtandi) to my door
A main page appears and the three little bars top left pull down a menu
A nurse associated with the Health Centre gives me the Prostap injection every 12 weeks
From a number of options I will choose to see my current prescriptions, including when they are due
And by clicking on the ones I need, a prescription is sent electronically by my GP to the pharmacist, who delivers them to my door
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MMT in a nutshell THE TECHNICAL FOUNDATION DESCRIPTION OF MACROECONOMICS
M
net (of taxes) spend enough to maintain aggregate demand at maximum physical capacity, whilst accommodating currency users’ desires to not spend enough (ie net save).
MT – Modern Monetary Theory? You’d have to be blind not to have noticed it hitting the economic policy news in the last year or two, not least due to one of its long standing (20+yrs) development Professors having broken records in Non-Fiction Best-Seller lists in the US and many other countries in the last 12 months. No better introduction to MMT for ‘lay’ readers than Stephanie Kelton’s ‘The Deficit Myth’. But what’s it all about? In a sentence, MMT is the technical foundation description of Macroeconomics – ie of whole economies – upon which all Government, or currency issuer, macro economic policies should be based, in order to be holistically coherent and sustainable over time, as the knock on effects of policy implementations play out and stabilise.
‘net financial assets’ – where every other actor in the system THE SOLE FOCUS OF PRICE is merely a ‘currency user’.
MMT is *not* a set of policy OR INFLATION prescriptions, CO N CERNS SHOULD B e i n g and no other BE O N THE ‘REAL’ the currency school of CAPACITIES, NEVER issuer confers economics infinitely even gets close ON ‘MONEY’ more scope to providing AVAILABILITY to use ‘money’, a correct and especially if, as is comprehensive usually the case, the technical foundation of how our modern* monetary issuer is also the legislative authority, aka economies operate. Government. The reason MMT is attractive MMT explains such to progressive/left leaning that economists and advocates – including its own founders and scholars – is because it exposes the artificial, technically fraudulent, limitations to public policy espoused by the neoliberal/neoclassical mainstream, in both ‘left’ and right wing clothes, for what they are – intellectual fraud and ‘fake’ knowledge of technical facts. MMT explains that a monetary economy comprises a single ‘monopoly’ currency issuer authority – the only source of *net* savings, or
That’s it - that is MMT in a nutshell. Economic policy choices must be coherent with these facts & the ‘base case’ automatic stabiliser Job Guarantee mechanism, or they will be less than effective in achieving real outcomes, and be less efficient, a priori, in use of our available ‘real resources’ in labour and other productive capacity. Within these terms, Governments have all the power they need to craft and implement public policies that with MMT coherent number analysis (of our real resource capacities) can deliver, and sustain, the outcomes their designers advocate.
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UK, US, China, Canada, Australia, and most high income countries meet the conditions. as do the 19 Eurozone member countries collectively.
Governments have maximum room for policy manoeuvre – all-encompassing in their domestic territory. UK, US, China, Canada, Australia, and most high income countries meet these conditions. As do the 19 Eurozone member
countries, with important caveats, collectively. For Governments meeting these conditions MMT states core principles… 1) Government has no ‘money’ constraint, and taxes & (fake) ‘borrowing’ are not required for any ‘financing’ purpose. (Whilst other purposes for taxes do exist.) That is, for Government, whatever is physically deliverable is always affordable. The only limits are ‘real resources’, and our capacity to develop and use them. The sole focus of price or inflation concerns should be on the ‘real’ capacities, never on ‘money’ availability. 2) Involuntary unemployment and underemployment is always and everywhere the failure of Government, as the only ‘money’ issuer, with infinite spend or tax capacity, to
For the progressives/left, the potential for vast improvement over the present intellectual fraud/corruption riddled mess, of both (supposed) ‘left’ (sadly) & ‘right’ wing politics, of any era to the present day, is surely as obvious as it is to those of us who have studied and verified the factual basis MMT presents? When citizens know and understand these basic principles, a new era of competence, compassion and empathy in human governance can begin, if that is what we demand our currency issuer Governments deliver. We need no ~isms or ideological dogma. MMT contains none. (*Note the word ‘modern’ is something of in joke among MMT scholars – by ‘modern’, they mean any monetary economy of the last several thousand years for which we have any record of a ‘money’ thing being used. MMT applies to any monetary economy, pointing out how operational choices limit or enable the scope of fiscal policies coherence or effectiveness.) By Mike Hall
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COOL ON THE JUKEBOX
MIDNITE TO SIX
S
ome music lends itself to a certain time of day. Classical Indian music has ragas for evening, for mid-day, for morning.
I have music for that period from Midnite to Six – That’s my time… By Jack in the Jukebox
25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago … named for the time of morning they wrote it
Pretty Green Eyes – Ultrabeat … this is also one for a scorching afternoon / evening
Coco Jambo – Mister President… three beautiful kids with beautiful voices, I could listen to this after dark beneath the palms
Smooth Operator – Sade … the coolest of the cool when she was at her peak
Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong – Spin Doctors … I knew this woman and have been much more relaxed since she left. Nuff said.
Velvet Pony – Psapp … I defy you to listen to it and feel cool, or perhaps confused
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The Beat From The Street
THIS WEEKS BAND IS “FEROCIOUS DOG”
F
erocious Dog are a Folk Punk, Ska Punk, Celtic band playing raunchy and full of spirit songs with cracking real-life and often heart-breaking lyrics, featuring Violins, Drums, Whistles, Banjos, Accordions, Harmonicas and Guitars, all served up with a bite well worthy of their aforementioned ‘Ferocious’ namesake. Hailing from Warsop, Nottinghamshire the dogs comprise of Ken Bonsall on Vocals/Guitar, Dan Booth on Violin, John Alexander on Bass Guitar, Alex Smith on Drums, Ryan Brooks on Lead Guitar, and Johnny Edwards on Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Accordion, Whistle, Harmonica and Mandola. So, a typical Ferocious Dog concert? Left-wing and quite often protest driven, Ferocious Dog are clearly unashamed in their dislike of the UK establishment and of the Tories in particular, which makes them a perfect entry for this week’s Beat from the Street. Indeed, with activism and charity seemingly at their very core, the band once encouraged e v e r y attendee of one of their
BE CAREFUL THOUGH. THERE’S A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT YOU MIGHT GET BITTEN AND BECOME A HELL HOUND TOO gigs (Hell Hounds as they like to be called) to bring an item of food for the local foodbank, completely overstocking the storeroom set aside for the purpose in the process. If you’re a Hunt Saboteur or a conservationist then you’ll receive a nice warm welcome too, which really should tell you everything that you need to know about what to expect and the kind of humanity that you’re gonna get if you ever go watch them. Ferocious Dog have headlined in both the UK and i n Europe and performed at such notable festivals as Glastonbury, Bearded Theory, Alchemy,
Deerstock, Farmer Phil’s, Other notable songs from Splendour, and Beautiful Days, the bands repertoire, amongst whilst also touring in support many others of course, include of the likes of ‘New Model the rousing ‘Criminal Justice’, Army’ and ‘The Levellers’ written in tribute to to boot, the band the Miners strikes SPIRIT itself standing as of the early 80s ROUSING, a poignant and and Margaret living memorial REBEL INDUCING, T h a t c h e r ’ s to Lee Bonsall, decimation FOOT-TAPPING Ken’s soldier of worker’s SHENANIGANS A son, who sadly rights thereof, PLENTY? YOU took his own ‘Hell Hounds’, JUST KNOW YOU life at the age which has given WANNA… of just 24 due to fans of the band PTSD, incurred after an appropriate serving in Afghanistan collective moniker, and at the age of 18. Indeed, the ‘Freeborn John’, dedicated band’s name itself was of to John Lilburne, one of the Lee’s choosing, and the songs original political levellers who ‘Lee’s Tune’, ‘The Glass’ and helped give us all the rights ‘A Song for Lee’ are all penned we now seemingly take for specifically for him. granted, and which are now under threat from yet another
Conservative government hell bent upon a rising dictatorship. But anyway, this particular breed of Ferocious Dog is certainly well worth a closer look and a listen if fast paced Folk/Punk and Celtic/Irish jiggery-pokery are to your musical tastes. And why would they not be, I ask? Appetite suitably wetted, you can find out more about the band at their website here https://ferociousdog.co.uk/ or via their dedicated Facebook page right here https://www. facebook.co Be careful though. There’s a strong possibility that you may get bitten and become a Hell Hound too… By Adrian Angel
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TWO SIDES TO ARGUMENT ISRAEL VERSUS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
What International Law Says
T
he Gaza Blockade: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited –Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Military Assaults on Gaza: The attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited –Article 25 of the Hague Regulations. Israeli Settlement Building: It is illegal for an occupying power to deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
Settlements have no legal validity – UN Security Council Resolution. The Annexation of East Jerusalem: it is a violation of international law, which is null and void and must be rescinded – UN Security Council Resolution 478. The Right of Return: Refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date – UN General Assembly Resolution 194. And the Israeli position response amounts pretty much to Incitement: “The Palestinian threat harbours cancer-like attributes” – Minister of Defence Moshe
Yaalon “…they should go, as should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes” – Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked’s Facebook post “Preventing the spread of Palestinian citizens is a national duty” – former Housing Minister Ariel Atias “My dream is to see the Israeli flag flying over the Temple Mount” Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotlovely “…they are beasts, they are not human” – Deputy Defence Minister Eli Ben-Dahan By after Finkelstein
Dr
Norman
Section 75 and the government’s White Paper The government’s White Paper for health is a serious threat to us all, and if passed will rapidly speed up the complete privatisation of health care in this country. Having had decades of socalled reforms, successive governments have left us all at greater risk. Covid has highlighted just how much our NHS has been deliberately dismantled by those who are supposedly meant to represent and protect us. The key part of these latest reforms is removing Section 75. This was part of the appalling
Heath & Social Care Act of 2012, that flung the doors wide open for every contract renewed to include being offered to private providers. Section 75 states that these contracts need to be done transparently. The White Paper calls for its removal, and as a result those safeguards will be no more. The recent corrupt contracting will become the norm.
Our government have tried to mislead us by portraying this as slowing down privatisation, but what they’re really doing is creating the climate for a monopoly, that (America’s) United Health/Optum will
fill. They have already been permitted to quietly restructure our health system over many years. Campaign groups must not be fooled, we must keep section 75 (until private companies are removed completely), oppose
the White Paper, insist that any ‘reforms’ are suspended, and actively push for renationalisation NOW!
By Lesley Mahmood of the Cheshire & Merseyside Stop the NHS Bill
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SCIENCE PAGE A
two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Pad 39A here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT), kicking off the company’s 22nd resupply mission to the orbiting lab for NASA. The Dragon is packed with more than 7,300 lbs. (3,311 kilograms) of supplies, scientific experiments and hardware, including two new solar arrays for the space station’s power grid. Approximately 9 minutes after lift-off, the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of
»
SpaceX’s drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth Scientists reprogrammed touchdown. The massive bacteria to be immune to ship, called “Of Course I Still viruses Love You,” is one of two in Scientists created a the company’s fleet of synthetic genome recovery vessels for a bacterium SPACEX that catch falling by stringing LAUNCHES NEW t o g e t h e r boosters and SOLAR ARRAYS return them to building blocks port for later TO SPACE STATION DNA — , of reuse. and the new NAILS ROCKET genome made LANDING “ P i c t u r e the microbe AT SEA perfect landing for immune to viral this Falcon 9, marking infection. its first landing,” Siva Bharadvaj, SpaceX engineer, Even when exposed to a said on the launch broadcast. cocktail of bacteriophages — “86th landing overall for viruses that infect bacteria SpaceX.” — the designer Escherichia coli remained unscathed, while an unmodified version of the bacterium quickly succumbed to the viral attack and died, the research team reported in their new study, published Thursday (June 3) in the journal Science. That’s because viruses usually hijack a cell’s internal machinery to make new copies of themselves, but in the designer E. coli, that machinery no longer existed.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched its 17th rocket of the year today (June 3), sending a robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station before nailing a landing at sea.
“Our understanding of the genetic code allowed us to hypothesize that viruses shouldn’t be able to infect and propagate” in the modified E. coli, and that turned out to be true, said first author Wesley Robertson, a postdoctoral researcher in synthetic biology at the
Our galaxy is warped, and scientists have no idea why There’s trouble brewing at the edge of the Milky Way: New measurements suggest that a peculiar distortion of the galactic disk is hardly moving, contradicting earlier reports. As yet, nobody knows which finding will end up being correct. At stake are some key details in the structure and formation of spiral galaxies throughout the universe. Astronomers describe the Milky Way as a flat disk-shaped, doublearmed spiral galaxy twirling and twinkling with stars. Yet since the mid-20th century, astronomers have known that this picture is partially wrong. Observations in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum first revealed that our galaxy’s farthest borders are warped, with some parts drooping down and other parts bending upward, like a vinyl record left on a hot plate. Subsequent data have shown that this feature, known as a galactic warp, is common for spiral galaxies,
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB) in the U.K. Making bacteria resistant to viral infection could be useful in drug development,
since drugs like insulin and some vaccine ingredients are grown in bacteria, for instance, the authors wrote in their study.
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Mad Madge Talks Across Oceans Of Time FROM BEYOND THE WALL OF LOST SPIRITS, LOOSED TEMPORARILY FROM THE HORRORS OF ETERNAL TORMENT, AUNTIE MAGGIE ANSWERS YOUR LETTERS. Dear Margaret, big fan, I recently had a sort of demotion at work, my boss wanted to fire me because he had a bad result. But because I’m a Ginger I got some other job instead. The thing is I want his job, any advice? A Rayner Well dear as I understand you are one of those working class women MP’s and also northern. I was brought up in Grantham, but I decided to adopt a measured, accentfree monotone which gave me more respect among the public school boys. You have already turned your back on your principals, so that won’t hold you in check. So it’s looking good for a leadership bid. I would stop wearing Doc Martens though, maybe wear a nice Laura Ashley frock too. All hail Satan. I’m f***ing loaded and have spent decades off me taters on drugs, with loads of sex and self indulgence! The thing is I’m still sentient and am horrified by Israel’s current regime and their racist agenda. What can I do? Roger Waters For pity’s sake don’t criticise
Israel you will find yourself ripped apart in the press. You might end your days being ‘suicided’ by some sinister agent. With all that cash you have just buy an island, build a Wall around it and count your Money, Get back, I’m alright Jack, Keep your hands off my stack! That’s a good lad. I’m an upper class fop but I rail against the establishment on prime time T.V. on a weekly basis. I long to connect with the ‘little folk’, what, if anything, and with Oxford Commas, should I do? Ian Hislop Do what your opposite number Paul Merton does and effect a semi-Cockney accent and re-vamp some old Musichall, end of the Pier material. You need to keep your TV money rolling in to keep Private Eye going, nobody makes money from publishing these days. I’m a depressive! What’s the point? Descartes Chin up me old mate, it may never happen!
BOJO’S DIARY Saturday 22nd May Well dear diary, Totally bored of all the Bashir Bashing, It’s impossible to keep a straight face as Panorama investigates Panorama and I get to stand in front of a warplane in military style fleece. Enjoyed an evening in front of the telly with Carrie and the little nipper. Watched all the Totty and Tanktopped Bumboys on Eurovision and had an exclusive organic takeaway delivered, forgot to get a receipt, don’t suppose it matters. Nul Point, but on the other hand we are 18% clear of Sir Keith, I could literally shoot someone and still win the next election against that Berk. Monday 24th May Decided to marry the old lady, much as I love the idea of knocking-off an unmarried mother. Third time lucky, and it will be a nice distraction for all my chums in the press. Definitely not going to invite Dom Cummings though, the squealing little toad. I wonder what the bridesmaids will be wearing. ‘Ding dong’! Tuesday 25th May Conservative report on Islamaphobia, can’t a chap make a bloody letterbox joke without all the Snowflake brigade getting all pissy? The more right wing I get, the more popular I am, it’s like the proles are attracted to ignorance and victimisation. My ‘loveable rogue’ persona and chums in control of the press works every time. Wednesday 26th May Ignored that bed-wetting slaphead Cummings bleating on the BBC, I was watching Michael ‘Potato Nose’ Portillo on BBC2 riding around on trains with a 1930’s handbook and slumming it with random Proles. Whatever next, Norman Tebbits Buspass tour of Wolverhampton? Did you know Portillo’s middle name is Denzil? See the posher you are the more ludicrous your kids middle names. I wanted to name the latest de Pfeffel Marmeduke, but the future ex Mrs Johnson wasn’t having it. Saturday 29th May Seemingly I converted to Catholicism for the afternoon, as in the eyes of the Pope my first two Protestant weddings don’t count, so Carrie got to float down the aisle of Westminster Cathedral like the Meringue of her dreams. Shame my exes and 7 or 8 kids are damned for eternity. Maybe I should have combed my hair and straightened my tie for the photos. Next time....
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BIZARRE NEWS
Aldi Selling Christmas Treats In June
A round up of Internet News you didn’t need to know.....
The supermarket is hoping customers have everything people will celebrate ‘Junemas’ they need to make this day truly by releasing festive items this special. So we are delighted to summer. The idea is many have put the decision into our people were forced to spend customers’ hands, asking them Christmas apart last year due to cast their vote on their Aldi to coronavirus restrictions festive favourites, which they and will want to mark the can enjoy alongside some new lifting of lockdown. Aldi exciting treats when they will be releasing pigsreunite with friends WEIRD in-blankets and a and family next STUFF FROM range of turkey month.” burgers that can THE INTERNET be barbecued for Too Much Telly THAT YOU a summer twist Rots Your Brain DIDN’T NEED on the traditional A report TO KNOW Yuletide meat. presented at a conference in the US Julie Ashfield - the explained that people who managing director of buying at said they spent moderate to Aldi - told MailOnline: “As we high amounts of time in front gear up to celebrate Junemas, of the TV performed less well in we want to make sure our cognitive tests than those who
spent less time glued to the screen. It was also revealed that frequent TV watchers had lower volumes of grey matter, which is typically seen as a marker of worse brain performance. Dr. Priya Palta, from Columbia University, said that the research shows that many cases of dementia could be prevented or delayed by people making simple lifestyle changes. “Our findings suggest that the amount of television viewing, a type of sedentary behaviour, may be related to cognitive decline and imaging markers of brain health.” Aussie Keeps Robbers Mummy For 15 Years
An inquest heard how Bruce
Mystic Mandy Horoscopes AQUARIUS January 20 February 18 Expect good things to happen today and most likely they will. Expect bad things to happen and it’s odds on your day will be a disaster. Attitude is everything and the current cosmic picture demands that you think, feel and act in an irrational, possibly hysterical blind panic. Avoid Bluetack and Fascism PISCES February 19 - March 20 Someone you may have thought of as an enemy in the past will surprise you today by doing something that makes your life easier. Is it a mistake or a trick? No it is not it’s just the Universe messing with your head. Lucky tobacco product Menthol Rizlas. ARIES March 21 - April 19 Yes, it’s quite likely that a colleague has been using underhand tactics to get ahead of you on the work front, but you don’t need to react. The universe will even things out without any input from you, so
unreasonable they become. In which case your only option is to give up on them. They’re Tossers anyway. Lucky breakfast Golden Syrup Oatsosimple.
rise above it. Or stick the knife right between the shoulders. Avoid Cashier number 3 at the Post Office. TAURUS April 20 - May 20 It’s one thing to have lofty ambitions but quite another to believe that you will reach your goals as if by magic. Ambition works best when it is backed up by consistent effort, so get your act together and crawl right up your Managers arse. Avoid Kebab meat and Cheesy Chips. GEMINI May 21 - June 20 Someone seems determined to fan the flames of disagreement and the more you try to talk to them reasonably about it the more
CANCER June 21 - July 22 Mars in your sign helps you believe that all things are possible but you still need to stay in touch with reality. Other cosmic influences will remind you that the further you want to travel the more assistance you are going to need especially if it’s on the ‘Amber List’. Lucky car Fiat Panda. LEO July 23 - August 22 Your luck is well and truly in at the moment but you must not get carried away and start believing you cannot fail because that is exactly when your luck is most likely to turn. Never take good fortune for granted, and always do something positive with it.
Roberts gunned down Shane Snellman in Sydney in 2002 and lived with his decomposing corpse in his bedroom until his own death in 2017. The body was not discovered until May 2018 by cleaners who went inside the property to clear the premises for sale. His corpse was fully clothed and kept in a seated position while Roberts used a large number of air fresheners to disguise the smell emitted from Snellman. Analysis found that he had a gunshot wound to the supraclavicular fossa, which is the indentation in the neck above the collar bone. Snellman was also identified through his tattoos, DNA and fingerprints from his previous criminal record.
Avoid Vietnamese Roulette clubs.
Russian
VIRGO August 23 September 22 You may have several things on the go at the moment but the planets warn it is at least one thing too many. If you don’t cut back on what you are doing over the next 24 hours the universe will step in and piss on your chips. Lucky condiment HP Fruity Sauce. L I B R A September 23 October 22 You seem re m a r k a b l y cheerful at the moment and long may it continue, but you need to be careful when dealing with people whose outlook on life may be more negative than your own. Don’t make light of their worries – they could well kick your teeth in. Avoid Scandinavians SCORPIO October 23 November 21 The powers that be will give you a hard time today
Unexpected Rodent In The Bagging Area
The Aldi branch in the Isle of Wight was forced to close after the rodent sparked panic when it jumped out of the woman’s bag and fled when she was at the tills. The embarrassed woman explained on social media that the mouse had been caught by her cat and had either darted into the bag to hide or had been put in it by the feline. She wrote: “Thanks to the cat, I’ve just died of shame in Aldi. Last night she caught a mouse Wind onto the part that I get my purse to pay for the shopping. I undo the zip to take my purse out and a mouse jumps out and onto the floor. I then apologise profusely whilst the checkout man chases it down the aisle.”
but you must not back down. According to the planets there is a principle at stake and you must not sacrifice it for an easy life, still less for promises of profit and promotion. Drink heavily and watch Richard Osman’s House of Games. SAGITTARIUS November 22 - December 21 There is no point blaming others for your current predicament because both you and they are aware that it was your choices that brought you to where you are now. The solution, of course, is to make better choices in the future you pure fanny. Lucky glands Mammary CAPRICORN December 22 January 19 You never know what tomorrow might bring, so be smart and enjoy yourself today. That’s not to say that catastrophe is lurking round the next corner – it isn’t – but there is no point worrying about things you cannot influence, let alone control even Polling Surveys have a margin of error, although 18% is a bit bad. Avoid Crispy Seaweed.
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Hope and Good News Pfizer: Some good news coming out of the pandemic. Pfizer has announced the launch of a centre of excellence for studying vaccine-preventable diseases to be in Bristol. It would be the second in a global network of sites to be opened, being the first outside of the US. Based in the University of Bristol, the Pfizer Centre of Excellence for Epidemiology of Vaccine preventable Diseases, will develop the next generation of vaccines. Trees: In the last 20 years, natural forest regeneration has been
so successful that trees now encompass an area larger than the size of France. Trillion Trees, a joint venture between WWF, Bird Life International and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), released a mapping study based on over 30 years of data they collected. The information will help forest restoration projects worldwide determine where to focus action on fighting climate change. They range from restoration projects, where native trees and shrubs are planted, to 'assisted natural regeneration' schemes - where the forest is encouraged to regrow by measures such as fencing areas off.
William Baldwin-Cantello, director of nature-based solutions at WWF said "We've known for a long time that natural forest regeneration is often cheaper, richer in carbon and better for biodiversity than actively planted forests, and this research tells us where and why regeneration is happening, and how we can recreate those conditions elsewhere. "But we can't take this regeneration for granted deforestation still claims millions of hectares every year, vastly more than is regenerated." https://tinyurl.com/ysbhptx4
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is launching the third round of the Green Legacy Programme. The aim of the initiative is to plant 6 billion trees by 2022. During this rainy season, the Ethiopian government wants to plant 6 billion trees throughout the country. The new campaign, which begins in May, is expected to accelerate until September 2021. Addis Ababa plans to start with regions with high rainfall and then in arid areas where rainfall is scarce or irregular, with preparatory
Vigils Continue outside Israeli-Owned Elbit weapons factory in Oldham
Weapons made in Elbit factories Kill people in Palestine The Elb companity produce sp e
cialist electrical equ military u ipment for se, which the peace gro up say is used to kill and inju Palestinia re ns
A
nger and protests continue over Israeli violence and Palestinian deaths in the West Bank and Gaza ‘Oldham Peace and Justice’ group and ‘Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ continue with their vigil outside Israeli-owned Elbit Systems/Ferranti Technologies site on the town’s outskirts. The Elbit company produce
specialist electrical equipment for military use, which the peace group say is used to kill and injure Palestinians. The group support the call to stop trading arms with Israel and want the Elbit factory to close, as an arms manufacturer. At a recent vigil, hundreds of protesters gathered peacefully outside the Oldham factory, including supporters from Liverpool, Bolton, Birmingham and Huddersfield. Passing
motorists shouted and honked horns, expressing solidarity and support. Supporters heard moving testimony from a former Gaza teacher about the deaths of former pupils and their family members, before marching to the company entrance with huge banners, ‘Elbit Ferranti stop arming Israel’ and ‘Stop Israel’s Massacre in Gaza’ Activists have previously staged roof-top protests and in February 2021 blood-red paint was daubed
on company doors and windows. In Leicester, hundreds of campaigners converged on an Elbit Systems site to show solidarity with roof-top campaigners. Oldham and Manchester campaigners promise to continue making their voices heard, with larger vigil protests expected. No response has been made from Elbit-Ferranti, despite wide coverage of the protest in news media.
measures are being taken to ensure the development of young trees. The Ethiopian government also plans to send one billion trees to neighbouring countries to support reforestation efforts in the Horn of Africa, a region known for its arid climate. Positive football related stories. Nuno Espirito Santo: Wolves fans have said goodbye to their beloved manager who has reinvented the club by taking them into the Premiership 4 years ago and turning them into successful side at the top level. However he has left another legacy for the city. Nuno donated ￡250,000 of his own money to feed the needy through Wolves Feed Our Pack campaign. Marcus Rashford: The Manchester United player has moved from feeding youngster's bellies to feeding their minds through reading. In collaboration with children's education charity Magic Breakfast and Macmillan Children's Books over 50,000 free books will be given to children in primary schools across the country. David James: The former England footballer is working with Football Rebooted aims to save at least one million pairs of used football boots and astro boots from landfill. The “donate and claim” campaign has been launched by smart energy supplier Utilita has been created to help the nation recycle their ‘pre-played’ boots.
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POLITICS AND EVENTS
Early June 2021
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Women who made a Difference
R
ather than choose a new woman who made a difference article this time, I thought I would revisit some of the women in earlier editions and look at a quote from each. Barbara Castle:
Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn remained committed to the socialism of her youth, hating what she thought Tony Blair was doing to the party. Barbara advanced the cause of women's equality as much as anyone in the 20th. Century.
Olympe de Gouges: She was involved in the French Revolution, but executed for her publication of 'The Rights of
Women'. Finally recognised in 2013 with her remains placed in the Pantheon (mausoleum with remains of great Frenchmen). I say Frenchmen because until 2015 the only two women were there, and only one on her own merits, Marie Curie. However the efforts to place Olympe there have now raised awareness in France of this true heroine and victim of the French Revolution. Mary Seacole:
Jamaican born nursing heroine of the Crimean War. The words written in The Times in 1857 are etched on to Seacole's statue: “I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead.”
Wangari Matthieu:
This Kenyan born conservationist in 2004 had her work recognised by the world when awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace”. In so doing she became the first African woman, and the first environmentalist to win the prize. Hedy Epstein: Holocaust survivor and into her 90's an indomitable fighter for human rights. In particular she strongly supported the rights of Palestinians and also racism, particularly in the United States. There had been rioting and looting in Ferguson, Missouri in response to the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown in August 2014 by a police officer. She commented by saying: “There are certain stereotypes with male African Americans....who immediately become a suspect just by walking” and “When I walk down with my white skin I am privileged and no one questions me”.
Tragic Murder of Young Mother and Child A crime that has shocked and stunned a community
T
he tragic murder of a young mother and her son this Bank holiday weekend has shocked and stunned our small Lincolnshire market town. The victims of a brutal murder, Bethany Vincent (26) and her son Darren (9) are believed to have been stabbed to death by the mother’s ex partner, a 29 year old man. Paramedics tried desperately for some time to save the victims’ lives but were unsuccessful. A ten-month old child was found upstairs in the house, uninjured. The suspect, who was known to have mental health issues, had been seen by eyewitnesses, walking up and down outside the family home in an agitated state. The suspect’s escape from the murder scene initiated a full scale fifteen hour manhunt and a statement was issued to the public not to approach the man as he was dangerous and believed to be still
armed with a knife. The suspect was apprehended on the afternoon of the following day, following information given by a woman driver after the suspect had tried to forcibly get into her car, she managing to drive away. He was found, in a dishevelled state, his clothing torn and barefoot, in some farm buildings, some four miles out of the town. An officer was stabbed during the arrest but thankfully was not seriously injured.
seems to be the suspect’s mental condition with a close friend of the suspect saying he had tried to get his friend help but had failed. If this is indeed the case, then the funding cuts leading to inadequate provision of mental health services not only impacts on the affected person but upon innocent members of the public and their families who have to deal with the pain, loss and devastation that arises from such monstrous occurrences such as this.
The suspect was arrested and charged with suspected murder and the injuring of a police officer.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of the deceased who are struggling to cope with their loss.
An important aspect of this case
Paul Simpson
Time to Reflect?
M
y home overlooks the house where those brutal slayings took place, just a couple of nights ago. The tragedy has near constantly filled my mind since that fateful night. I can't escape it and can't help but think, I shouldn't be quick to 'move on', even if I could. For over 40 hours the road was closed and quiet descended. Some found it eerie but to me it seemed fittingly respectful. Now all that remains closed off is the house itself and the world is moving on but maybe it shouldn't be in such a hurry? When we stop to thinnk, we encounter unanswered questions and the more we are allowed to think the more we insist on answers. Our haste to move on, is a useful weapon in the arsenal of maintaining the status quo. Politicians have started to tell us to move on when we insist on answers and the media of course, is always rushing to interest us in a 'new' topic. If all else fails, make it about the royals. The suspect would seem to have had a history of mental health issues and as we run a community and homeless outreach, I am acutely aware of the devastation the cuts, added to the all consuming 'business' method, have had on such services. For all the rhetoric and lip service paid to such issues, we are still largely left with the
unquestionable failure of 'care in the community'. We are witnessing the wholesale implementation of similar schemes across the NHS and care services. Our system has been engulfed by the insatiable greed of the business ethos that will always place profit above both people and planet. I sadly believe we will continue to see our once quiet neighbourhoods witness to such tragedies as we rush on with no questions answered, satisfying ourselves with judgements instead. Rest assured it will not be the streets of Mayfair that is littered with broken lives, it will be OUR streets. Perhaps the time has come to keep asking the questions, to refuse to move on, until there is real change? A seismic shift in societal priorities is becoming urgently needed both for the planet and it's people. Julie Speed
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Socialist Anthem
The Red Flag
Satire and Humour - Poetry
Bad Poets Society SHITE MAIL– Paul Scully MP This is the night mail crossing the Border, Bringing the cheque and the postal order, Letters for the rich, bills for the poor, The Amazon parcel in the hedge next door. If you’re not in, Royal Mail leave a card Hermes will kick your parcel into your yard.
T
he Red Flag" is a socialist song, emphasising the sacrifices and solidarity of the international labour movement. It is the anthem of the British Labour Party, but also Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, and Irish Labour Party. Lyrics Jim Connell, 1889 Music Melchior Franck, 16th century The Red Flag Though this song is not commonly associated with organisations aligned to the principles of Marxism-Leninism and its derivatives, translated versions of it are sung by the Japanese Communist Party and Korean People's Army. Irishman Jim Connell wrote the song's lyrics in 1889. There are six stanzas, each followed by the chorus. It is normally sung to the tune of "Lauriger Horatius", better known as the German carol "O Tannenbaum" ("O Christmas Tree"), though Connell had wanted it sung to the tune of a pro-Jacobite Robert Burns anthem, "The White Cockade". When Billy Bragg recorded the song in 1990 with Scottish folk singer Dick Gaughan, he sang it to this original "White Cockade" melody. The lyrics of the first verse and the chorus, which are the most well-known parts of the song, are: The people's flag is deepest red, It shrouded oft our martyred dead And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,
Their hearts' blood dyed its every fold. So raise the scarlet standard high, Beneath its shade we'll live and die, Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, We'll keep the red flag flying here. "The Red Flag" resonated with the early radical workers' movement in the United States, and it appeared as the first song in the first edition of the Little Red Songbook of the Industrial Workers of the World in 1909. Only five of the six stanzas were printed, omitting the fourth stanza that begins, "It well recalls the triumphs past." In a 1913 article for the Industrial Worker, the celebrated IWW bard Joe Hill rejected the category of "the people" as middle class, and suggested a further change to the song. Referring to his experiences in the Magonista rebellion of 1911, he wrote: “When the Red Flag was flying in Lower California there were not any of "the people" in the ranks of the
rebels. Common working stiffs and cow-punchers were in the majority, with a little sprinkling of "outlaws," whatever that is. Well, it is about time that every rebel wakes up to the fact that "the people" and the workingclass have nothing in common. Let us sing after this "The Workers' flag is deepest red" and to hell with "the people."” "The Red Flag" has been the British Labour Party's official anthem from its founding; its annual party conference closes with the song. "The Red Flag" was first sung in the House of Commons on 1 August 1945, when Parliament convened after Clement Attlee's Labour defeat of Winston Churchill's Conservatives. Dockers in London were regarded as militant socialists ever since their strike in 1889 for the "dockers' tanner." In the 1950s, at the end of public meetings with management, dockers filling the main floor of the hall sang "The Red Flag" while superintendents and managers (usually segregated in the gallery) simultaneously sang "God Save the Queen". "The Red Flag" was sung by Labour MPs on 27 May 1976, allegedly prompting Michael
Heseltine to swing the mace above his head. It was also sung on the evening of 28 March 1979 when a motion of no confidence brought down the Labour Government. It was sung again in Parliament in February 2006 to mark the centenary of the Labour Party's founding. It was sung again in the House of Commons in September 2019 to protest the prorogation of parliament.During the Tony Blair government it was claimed the leadership sought to downplay its role,however, it is often sung at the end of party conferences alongside Jerusalem. Following the 2015 election Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition, "The Red Flag" was sung as he and his supporters celebrated in The Sanctuary, a public house in London. It was also sung by South African mineworkers during the bloody miners' strike on the Rand in 1922. In 1982, Shakin Stevens recorded a rock & roll cover of the song known as "Red Flag Rock".
Letters of thanks, letters from banks, Letters of joy from girl and boy, Receipted bills and invitations To inspect new stock or to visit relations, And applications for situations, And timid lovers' declarations, And gossip, gossip from all the nations, News circumstantial, news financial, Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in, Letters with faces scrawled on the margin, All lost in transit, deregulated and sold off, Sod the lot of you!
JENNY – By M. Hancock Jenny infected me when we met, Jumping from the chair she'd shat in; Covid, you thief, who love to get Ministers into your list, put that in! Say I’m incompetent, say I’m dim, Say that Health and Social Care has beaten me, Say Dom Cummings was right, but add Jenny infected me. Genuine Boris Johnson Limerick There was a young fellow from Ankara, Who was a terrific wankerer. “Till he sowed his wild oats, With the help of a goat, But he didn’t even stop to thankera.”
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Traditions
Have You Lost Your Marbles T
he earliest marbles were made of flint and stone and baked clay. Examples have been found in archaeological sites around the world and some of these, from Rome and ancient Egypt. There are frequent references to marbles in Roman literature and it is probably fair to assume that the Romans took this popular form of entertainment all over their empire.
China and crockery marbles were introduced around the year 1800 and before that glass marbles had been made in Venice. However, it was only when a German glassblower invented a tool called the marble scissors in 1846 that production became quick enough to make the sale of glass marbles to the public. These marbles became increasingly popular throughout Europe and America. An enormous variety of colours were used and intricate patterns were created within the glass. A marble made of pure, ground marble or other suitable stone, is highly prized and regarded as being the most accurate for shooting. They are expensive and therefore they are rare. These days, marbles are made from all sorts of materials, but glass remains by far the most popular. Glass lends itself to machine production and provides an article which is appealing to the eye and to the touch. Shooting The most common method of
shooting a marble along the ground is known as “FULKING”. The knuckle of the forefinger is put on the ground and the marble balanced in the bent forefinger. The thumb is put behind the forefinger and then released with whatever force is required. Bouncer This game, for two to four players, is played by throwing marbles and not shooting them. Medium sized marbles are best suited for the game and are called ‘BOUNCERS’.
The first player throws his bouncer forward about 5’ (1.5m). The second player throws his to try and hit it. The third player throws to try and hit either one on the ground and so on. If a bouncer is hit the owner must pay the successful thrower one marble. Bounce eye A circle 1’ (30cm) in diameter is marked on the ground. Each player puts one marble in a pool in the centre of the circle. The players take it in turns to stand over the circle and drop a marble from eye level into the pool of marbles. Any marbles knocked out of the ring become the property of the player. If a player fails to capture any marbles with a drop, that marble he has dropped remains in the pool. The game continues until the pool is dry. Conquerer The first player throws forward a marble to whatever distance he chooses. The next player then shoots at this marble. If he hits it he captures it and it becomes his property. He then throws out a new
Checkmate in 2 moves white to play
marble to restart the game. If he MISSES it however, his marble remains in the field. The third player then shoots at either marble, capturing whatever he hits, but leaving his marble in the field if he misses. If a marble is shot with the force and bounces off several marbles in the field, then all those hit are captured.
Dobblers Each player contributes one or more marbles to a straight line of marbles spaced so that there is room for two marbles to pass through the gaps. Each player then shoots in turn and may keep any marbles he hits. The players TAW remains where it lies at the end of his turn and subsequent turns are played from where the TAW lies. A player whose TAW is hit by another TAW must add one marble to the line. TAW is a name commonly used to describe the marble actually used by a player to shoot at other marbles.
“FULKING ”
Hundreds A game for two players. Draw a small circle or make a small hole a suitable distance from the shooting spot. Both players shoot a marble towards the circle. If both or neither marble stops within the circle both players shoot again. If, however, only one player’s marble stops within the circle, that player scores 10 points and goes on shooting, scoring 10 points each time his marble stops in the circle. This continues until he has scored 100 or until he misses. When he misses the turn passes to his opponent who shoots and scores until he misses. The first player to reach 100
Checkmate in 2 moves white to play
points is the winner and the loser hands over a predetermined number of marbles. Long Taw For two players. Each player contributes a marble and these are placed approximately 6’ (2m) apart. The players withdraw a further 6’ and the first player shoots his TAW at the first marble. If he hits it he pockets it and shoots at the second marble. If he hits that, he wins the round and the game starts again. If he fails to win the round outright the opponent shoots at the marbles and at the TAW. If the marbles are hit the result is as described for the first player. If he hits the TAW he captures whatever is on the ground. Increase pound A game for several players. Two circles are drawn: one circle 20 cm (8in) in diameter known as the pound and around it another of 3.5 m (11ft) diameter called the ‘bar’. Each player puts one or more marbles into the pound. The first player shoots a Taw from any point of the bar, at the marbles in the pound. Any marbles he knocks out of the pound become his property. If he fails to capture even one marble his Taw remains where it stops, if that is within that bar and outside the pound. If it stops within the pound it must be lifted and a marble paid to the pound.
Subsequent players may shoot at the pound or at an opponent’s Taw. If a Taw is struck by another Taw, the owner of the struck Taw must give any marbles he has captured so far in the game to the owner of the Taw that struck his Taw. Ring Taw As with ‘INCREASE POUND’, two circles are drawn on the ground. The inner circle should be about 1’ (30cms) in diameter, the outer should be about 7’ (2m) diameter. Each player puts an agreed number of marbles into the ring. The order of play is decided and the players take turns to shoot their TAW from any point on the outer ring, at the marbles in the centre. Any marbles knocked out of the centre ring are pocketed by the shooter and he is entitled to shoot again from the spot where his TAW lies. When a shot is unsuccessful play passes to the next player and the TAW remains on the ground where it comes to rest, if that spot is within the outer ring. The next player may then shoot at the marbles in the centre or at any of his opponents TAWS. If he strikes a TAW, the owner of that TAW has to pay him one marble and he takes another shot. The shooter may not strike the same opponents TAW twice in succession. The game continues until the ring is cleared.
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Cartoon
POLITICS AND EVENTS
Crossword
Credit Ian QUAIFE
Credit Cold War Steve
Europe
• Ukraine • True • Vatican City • Slovakia • Rainforest • False. It's in North America. • Dunkirk • Switzerland • Sofia • Marseille • Mount Elbrus? • Lisbon • Frankfurt • Amstel • The Ural Mountains Answers
• What is the largest country entirely in Europe? • True or False: Europe is the world's secondsmallest continent by surface area? • Which is officially the smallest country in Europe? • The Visegrad Group, is an alliance of four Central European states: the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary are three, can you name the other member? • What is Perucica in Bosnia: (a) rainforest, (b) waterfall , or (c) medieval city? • True or false.: Greenland is in Europe? • Which European city's name means 'church in the dunes'? • Which country is made up of 26 cantons? • Which city is located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, 30 miles from the Serbian border? • What's the second largest city in France? • Name the tallest mountain in Europe? • In 1755, 275,000 residents died in a massive earthquake in which city? • Which city is the most important financial centre of the European continent? • Name the river that flows through Amsterdam? • Which mountain range serves as a natural border between Europe and Asia?
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VEGAN COOKING WITH CHRIS WILLIAMSON
VEGAN BREAKFAST
Ingredients 450g/1lb potatoes, cut into small chunks 4 tomatoes, halved 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped 1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 300g/10½oz chestnut mushrooms 8 vegan sausages 400g tin baked beans 150g/5½oz baby spinach leaves salt and pepper
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Rosemary-roasted potatoes and tomatoes, plus garlic mushrooms and meatfree sausages, all roasted together in one baking tray, make the ultimate vegan breakfast. Each serving provides 413 kcal, 26g protein, 43g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 13g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 10g fibre and 2.6g salt.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the potatoes and tomatoes on a large baking tray. Sprinkle over the rosemary, a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Put the garlic in a mixing bowl, add the mushrooms and a
drizzle of olive oil and stir to mix. Add the mushrooms and sausages to the baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Add the beans and spinach to the baking tray with the potatoes and roast for a final 5 minutes.
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T
he withdrawal by Naomi Osaka from the French Open Championship has added to concerns about mental health in sport and as a major issue across all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. As we have seen, not just in the case of Prince Harry, even royalty is not exempt from the problem of mental well-being. Naomi has shot into the top echelons of tennis from an early age, she is only 23 now. Briefly she won the first of her 4 grand slam titles in 2018 and is currently Number 2 in the rankings, having previously been Number 1. The only Asian born player to have achieved this level of success in the sport. I know that many people will point out the vast rewards of playing sport at the highest level so athletes ought to be able to cope with the attention from the media as part of the job. Naomi has I understand a strong rapport with many of the press and her candour in talking to them when not under the pressurised environment of a competition. However as a black and Asian woman she has faced unprecedented interest fielding questions since her earl success from a largely male, white press. Her public support of the Black Lives Matter movement may also have annoyed some of the sports governing bodies. Having announced before the tournament she would not conduct press interviews during the tournament she initially accepted a $16,000 fine as others have done in
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Sporting Health in the Spotlight the past. She hoped that it would be possible to discuss the solutions to her situation after the tournament. This was not good enough for tennis authorities, who warned that missing further press conferences she could be defaulted or even suspended from other grand slam tournaments. Having won her first round match Naomi felt the pressure was such that for the sake of her health and her career that it would be better to withdraw from the competition. The French Tennis Federation spokesman underlined the management's lack of empathy by saying he wished Osaka “the quickest possible recovery” as if depression were a physical injury which would heal shortly! The response from fellow sports stars, not just in tennis, has been overwhelmingly supportive of Naomi's stance. Serena Williams was one saying “I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it is like…..and “We have different personalities and people are different”. Brooklyn Nets basketball star, Kyrie Irving, who had long held a similar stance on speaking to the media and been heavily fined,sent his support to Naomi Saying 'We are all with you Queen. Just be you, that will always be enough'. Lewis Hamilton has said 'Mental health is not a joke, this is real and serious this takes a lot of courage to do. Let us all make sure Naomi knows she is not alone.' More interesting is that she has
received support from her four major sponsors, Nike, Mastercard, Sweetgreen and Nissen Foods. A Nike spokesperson said 展e support her and recognise her courage in sharing her own mental health experience. Many other top sportsmen and women have suffered from depression and mental health problems despite incredible success, indeed often this is the problem as they cannot sustain such high levels of performance forever. Michael Phelps, winner of 28 Olympic Swimming medals (including 23 gold) was one. 'Bear & Jonny Wilkinson Wild Adventure' ITV documentary saw Jonny Wilkinson, hero of England's World Cup Rugby Union Final open up to Bear Grylls on coping with with the pressure to always succeed on the pitch. However for a greater incite to this topic read about Dame Kelly Holmes' battle with mental heath @ https://tinyurl.com/vwhpjvmb Turning to the broader picture we need to examine the connection between the media, big business, the ethics of some of the ruling bodies in sport. I have long advocated that a better balance needs to exist between top class sport and grass roots. Also of course the duty of care of governing bodies towards participants. We are seeing more awareness of long term damage through head injuries in contact sports such as rugby, boxing and soccer. However team players at top
level see many young rugby and soccer players in particular letting success go to their heads and they make poor life style choices, you could name them for me. Looking at up and coming sports stars we have seen sexual grooming of young soccer players and bullying and abuse of young gymnasts (particularly females) in the news. This abuse is made possible by youngster's desire to succeed in their sport but again governing bodies not policing their sport clinically enough. Two sayings come to mind during writing this piece. One being 'money is the root of all evil'. Thankfully in soccer the supporters in soccer spoke out against the danger of a money led 'Super European League'. That is a start but in the English game we need a more level 'playing field' so that there are more Leicester City enjoying success at top level and more supporter led smaller clubs like FC United. The second is the favourite mantra of my sports lecturer at college was 'Healthy body, healthy mind'. In view of the rest of the article more emphasis is on healthy mind is
important. During the pandemic much of the general public have begun to appreciate the benefit of exercise, particularly outdoors, to both their physical and mental wellbeing. John Wilkins.
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TOP 5 BEST BRITISH FOODS as voted for by our readers
THIS WEEKS TOP 5
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1
FISH AND CHIPS
2
shop in the North of England is thought to have opened in Mossely, near Oldham, Lancashire, around 1863. It used to be a cheap staple of the working class now too expensive.
SUNDAY ROAST It's widely believed that the British people's love of beef began during the reign of King Henry the VII in 1485. His Yeomen Warders – the royal guard – would eat fresh roasted beef every Sunday after church, and it's suggested that this became such a ritual that the guards were affectionately referred to as "beefeaters". Considering that by the 19th century, the recommended weekly intake of beef for an English person – royal guard or simple villager – was said to be about 3 kg, the term "beefeater" was rather apt.
VINDALOO It is known globally in its British Indian form as a staple of curry house and Indian restaurant menus, and is often regarded as a fiery, spicy dish. Brilliant with lots of lager.
4
FRY UP or full English breakfast. A totally unhealthy mixture of: bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms, fried bread, toast, sausages and sometimes black pudding.
5
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
3
some historians believe pasta originated in Italy, most are convinced Marco Polo actually brought it back from his epic voyage to China. In Italy, pasta was made from hard wheat and shaped into long strands
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By all means enjoy Netanyahu’s demise
BUT THE REAL CORRUPTION OF ISRAEL WILL NOT FALL WITH HIM
B
enjamin Netanyahu is poised to fall as Prime Minister of Israel. Without even taking into account his Zionist militancy, Netanyahu is a hard-right, corrupt egomaniac, very much in the Trump-Johnson-Bolsonaro leadership mold. That alone should make anyone of a progressive inclination happy to see him fall.
Zionist. Right, left or centre economically, all Israel's mainstream parties, all shades of the spectrum, when in power since 1948, have mercilessly pursued the same strategy of Arab-purging, and occupying ever more Palestinian land. Policy towards Arabs in the 1950s and 1960s, when leftist parties dominated the Knesset, was barely distinguishable from policy of right-wing Governments of the modern age. Where distinction has existed, it has tended to be for practical reasons, not ethical ones.
As Netanyahu and his wife have corruption charges hanging over them, and under Israeli law could not be tried so long as he was in office, Netanyahu will likely see in the next few Rosh Hashanahs from behind the bars of Hadarim Prison. Netanyahu has been Israeli Prime Minister for 12 years, his second stewardship of the Israeli Government since a brief spell in office in the late-1990’s. Constant political intriguing on his part as leader of Likud allowed him to form coalitions with other parties in the Knesset to keep him in power. Due to the degree of fragmentation of support, these coalitions tended not to destabilise quickly; hence we hear of new General Elections so frequently in Israel. For over ten years, ‘Bibi’ was able to play the system to keep himself head of these coalitions.
Netanyah see in theu will likely Rosh Has next few from beh hanahs he is far from the originator of its horrors or bars of Haind the gruesome strategies. darim Prison But the main reason no one B u t after this year’s poll, no fewer than eight parties have grouped together to topple him. 1949, during the early months of the Nakba. Netanyahu did not invent Israel, he did not invent Zionism, and
should get carried away with celebrations is Netanyahu’s fall will not result in a substantial change in policy. Netanyahu’s likeliest successor, if the new coalition is approved by the Knesset, will be Naftali Bennett of the extreme-right Yamina Party. He is a particularly militant religious
nationalist, who treats Palestinians with even less respect than Netanyahu does. All the non-Arab parties in the Knesset are explicitly and fanatically in favour of Israel's entrenched Zionist ideology. Zionism requires the Jewish population remain higher than all others, which inevitably leads to persecution of non-Jewish inhabitants of Israel. Only the tiny Arab parties in the Knesset are non-
A bloodthirsty militarist like Bennett will not change any of that. Nor will the make-up of the coalition. Seven of its parties are Zionist. The eighth party is an Arab political Islamist faction called the Raam Party. It is the first independent Arab group to join a governing coalition in Israeli history. But it too is very conservative in outlook, and its potential influence on fundamental policy looks doubtful. Its decision to join the Government looks naive, merely giving false credibility to the notion of Israel being ‘an inclusive democracy.’ Good riddance to Netanyahu. But the riddance really needed is that of Zionism, and that riddance is still a long way from being accomplished. By Martin Odoni
THE
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POLITICS AND EVENTS
Early June 2021
Not justice for the BUT SOME RETRIBUTION FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH COVER-UP
T
he shattering news that three individuals at the heart of the Hillsborough Disaster cover-up have had their charges dismissed as “no case to answer,” due to what amounts to a legal quibble, has been softened somewhat. Lawyers have announced that an agreement was reached in April between the ignoble South Yorkshire Police and West Midlands Police and six hundred and one civil complainants, represented by solictors Saunders Law, to pay damages. The damages could not be made public until now due to the criminal prosecution still being in progress. The amounts paid out have not yet been disclosed. The damages claim was submitted on grounds of misfeasance in a public office. Saunders Law assert, correctly, that the blame-shifting attempts
of the South Yorkshire Police, with clear assistance by the W and to bereaved relatives. That the two police forces have paid out underlines the bizarre, ‘splitpersonality’ outlook the British state has towards t h e Hillsborough Disaster. On the one hand, last week’s ruling that there is “no case to answer,” indicates that the state does not accept that a cover-up ever happened. And yet, on
The dama claim wagses submitted grounds oon misfeasan f in a publi ce c office
the other hand, two branches of its police forces have paid out for acts of misfeasance that took the form of a cover-up. It is a little like the US Government’s attitude to the President Kennedy Assassination, which concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald both committed the murder alone, and that he committed the murder as part of a conspiracy. These damages m i g h t placate some of t h e feelings of frustration
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96 and injustice that last week’s ruling have inevitably stirred. That ruling is faintly ridiculous, and makes British Law – at least English Law – look corruptly incapable of overseeing itself, while overlooking the principle of intent being nine-tenths of the law.
The fear is that these damages will be used in future to make it official that the police ‘did nothing illegal.’ After all, a damages court is not the place criminal records are meted out, no matter the size of the damages. So while this means there is at least some element of accountability and redress for the cover-up after all, it might make it doubly difficult for there to be any further movement on Hillsborough in the future. By Martin Odoni
The fear i damages s that these w future to ill be used in mak that the p e it official olic nothing il e did legal
et truly is Sunshine ” then nd round es in the County onship, modified Covid-19 re being eir most
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NO ACTUALLY, MANCHESTER UNITED FANS, IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE
“WORST TITLE DEFENCE I PREMIER LEAGUE HISTOR A
n odd myth began circulating in early2021, apparently put about by Manchester United supporters. A lot of them seemed convinced, even though it was only February and therefore much too soon to say, that Liverpool's defence of their Premier League title was the worst Championship defence in EPL history.
Liverpool's third place finish is about average for a defending champion. The worst title defence in EPL history by this calculation was in fact the very first – Leeds United in 1992-93. Defending the Championship earned in 1992 by winning the last 'First Division' title, Leeds, in the EPL's inaugural season, finished 17th!
Not only is that not true, however, it is not even close. Although Liverpool had a horrible mid-season slump, they were in fact Premier League leaders on Christmas Day, having had a strong first half of the season.
By point count, again, Liverpool's season is nowhere near worst. 69 points is unremarkable for a title defence, but it dwarfs the meagre 44 points registered by Leicester City in 2016-17, and indeed the 50 points mustered as defending champions by Chelsea the year before. Ironically, it even beats Manchester United's 64 points when defending the last title they won in 2013!
But more broadly, myth-makers appear to have overlooked the facts entirely. There have been at least five worse title defences in EPL history than Liverpool's this season, arguably more, depending on how you make the calculation. By place in the table
By points total
By total matches won Liverpool ended this season with 20 wins in the EPL. That again emphatically beats Leicester in 201617 – the Foxes managed only 12 – and
FOOTBALL RE SU LTS
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL: Kilmarnock 1-2 Dundee win 4-2 on aggregate
Dundee
EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL: Villarreal 1-1 aet Manchester United Villarreal win 11-10 on penalties
UEFA CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE FINAL: Manchester City
0-1
Chelsea
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL: Brentford
2-0
Swansea City
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY: Malta
0-3
Northern Ireland
LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL: Blackpool
2-1
Lincoln City
interestingly, it is only two wins fewer than Leeds managed when winning the aforementioned last-ever First Division title in 1992. And Leeds played a 42-match programme then. By total matches lost Liverpool have lost more than double the matches this season that they lost over the previous two years combined, with 9 losses. Yet again, Leicester four years ago were far worse, with an astonishing 18 defeats – nearly half their matches. Leeds lost 15 games in 1992-93. In 1995-96, Blackburn Rovers lost 13.Manchester United themselves lost 12 games in their failed title defence of 2013-14. By points deficit And finally, the deficit in points
total between the title season and the defence. Liverpool's slump this season has certainly been hefty. They scored a phenomenal 99 points in 2019-20, and a modest 69 points this season, their lowest total since 201516. A deficit of 30. However, Leicester won the title in 2015-16 with 81 points, and finished the following season with just 44 – a deficit of 37. This is equalled by the deficit suffered by Chelsea the year before – 87 points in 2015-16, and just 50 a year later. Also, Leeds in 1992 won the title with 82 points. The following season, they registered only 51, a deficit of 31. In conclusion, the claim is nonsense
enormous injury crisis throughout the season, it was still an indifferent title defence. But there is no plausible measure at all that would class it as the “worst” title defence, or anywhere near.
It is quite clear that United fans are desperate to devalue their great rivals' championship from last year, hence all that nonsense about an "asterisk championship" a year ago – one that has had no repeat this year since Liverpool fell out of contention – and "worst title defence" talk now. But that desperation has led them to see things that are simply not there.
Even allowing for Liverpool's
Lancashire beat Yorkshire at
Red Rose racks and I
n the most enthralling County Championship Roses Match in many a year, Lancashire dominated their archenemies from Yorkshire for almost the entire four days. And yet, they
were still taken into the last hour of the final day before finally putting the match to bed.
Yorkshire won the toss on the Thursday and elected to bat
first. That proved their first mistake, as Lancashire whittled them out in two sessions for a very beatable 159, leaving Yorkshire chasing the match from there on. Middle-order batsman Harry Duke was
THE
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County Championship
Cricket results week ending 30th May 2021
IN RY!”
Warwickshire v 361ao + 264ao Warwickshire win by 170 runs
Liverp defence oool's Premier L f their e title was ague the worst Champion defence isnhip EPL histor y
Nottinghamshire 207ao + 138ao
Worcestershire v Derbyshire 421ao 270ao + 128ao Worcestershire win by an innings + 23 runs Leicestershire v 136ao + 378-for-5 Leicestershire win by 5 wickets
Middlesex 295ao + 218ao
Surrey v Gloucestershire 473ao 158ao + 268ao Surrey win by an innings and 47 runs Lancashire v Yorkshire 509-for-9 dec 159ao + 271ao Lancashire win by an innings and 79 runs Sussex v 175ao + 298ao Northamptonshire win by 7 wickets
Northamptonshire 256ao + 218-for-3
Old Trafford for the first time in over 20 years
d ruins White Rose the only man to register a halfcentury.
Lancashire’s reply proved to be a gruelling horror-show in the field for Yorkshire, lasting roughly two days in increasingly uncomfortable temperatures as summer arrived in England. Opener Keaton Jennings was back in England form with a century, as all the Lancashire top four registered at least halfcenturies. Number 4 Josh Bohannon was the big star though, finishing top scorer with 127 not out. A quick-fire 61 from Danny Lamb down the order really ground Yorkshire down. Lancashire declared on 509for-9 late in the afternoon session of Day 3, to the relief of their exhausted rivals, who now had the
daunting task of scoring 350 on a three-day-old surface just to make Lancashire bat a second time.
The stars of the show in Yorkshire’s second innings were two Lancashire bowlers, largely playing in spectacular hot weather. The first, Saqib Mahmood, has high pace and mastery of reverse-swing that clearly demands a Test cap in the very near future. His deliveries to remove Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Will Fraine and Steve Patterson were nothing short of magical. The other was, once again in an outstanding individual season, leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, whose timely intervention in the afternoon session of Day 4 unhitched Yorkshire’s stubborn middle order. With worthy contributions from Tom Bailey and Luke Wood in support,
Mahmood was able to brush the tail away, before Parkinson removed the obdurate Dom Bess, for a final innings total of 271. Mahmoud ended the second innings with 5-for-47, Parkinson with 3-for-61. Both surely have significant Test cricket ahead of them.
Lancashire won with only seven overs remaining, but the Red Rose emphatically beat the White Rose by an innings and 79 runs. It is Lancashire’s first win in a fourday game against Yorkshire for ten years, and their first at Old Trafford since 2001. With the first innings bonuses, Lancashire take 21 County Championship points from the match. Yorkshire take just one point. By Martin Odoni
The most enthrallin g County Champio n Roses Maship tch in many a year
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In their first final La Rochelle deserved to reach Summit
Aristocratic Privilege Outdoes Heroics L
ocal rivals, sitting either side of Bordeaux in Southern France. La Rochelle's first European Cup Final, Toulouse looking to be the first side to win it five times. A side built on pure local support, their crowds are nearly all local people and account for around 21% of the population of the city, against the mega rich Toulousse described as European Royalty.
Antoine Dupont w as nam Europeaned Player of the Year
La Rochelle isn't a side like Leicester, built by an oligarch with slightly less money than the others, it's more akin to the Llanelli Scarlets who so bravely beat the All Blacks in 1972. A team built in this case not on the Llanelli Mines and Steel Works, rather on the French players so often rejected by bigger clubs who now buy expensive foreign talent. Twenty eight minutes in to the eighty minute match, must have come the defining moment. In a very scrappy hard fought first half, Levani Botia, the Fijian third row forward/ centre who gives such strength to La Rochelle in their three quarter line, was sent off, his shoulder coming into contact with the neck and head area of Maxime Medard. That was not disputable, however a similar tackle by All Black Centre Pita Ahki very early in the second half might have been seen the same way, yet resulted in no card at all. Toulouse had a yellow card on Springbok Rynhardt Elstadt. Overall though the strain of playing as fourteen men against a side with a star studded squad surely showed on La Rochelle. Added to that was some evidence of nerves. Ahia West missing a penalty and conversion, neither of which a particularly difficult opportunity, cost La Rochelle dearly. It was a game where penalties were the main source of points. There were tries by Puma Juan
Cruz Mallía for Toulouse, and inspirational try when spotting an opening by All Black Tawera KerrBarlow for La Rochelle. The European Royalty Toulouse ended up winning 22 – 17, the crown prince of European Rugby, their Captain, Antoine Dupont was named European
Player of the Year. Tolouse's victory makes them the first to win Rugby's European Cup five times. Along with European's second tier Rugby Trophy, the European Challenge Cup,having been won by Montpellier, it means French teams have shown clear superiority in this years tournements.
Ronan O'Gara, who has done so much to form the La Rochelle side, and who from next year will be their head coach, simply stated that, "Losers make excuses." No doubt this battling La Rochelle side will fight on next season. By Sue Port
The Best of the Weekend's Rugby
Q
uins entered the match without their flying three quarter Jess Breach, nor their influential captain Rachel Burford facing Saracens who were seeking their third win. They never looked like underdogs, even if this well fought battle against players who showed fitness, speed, strength, but that sometimes missed in the modern game quality of rugby intellect. Lacking the pace of a lost winger, the forwads came to the fore. Quins lock Abby Ward martialled her forwards with well executed rolling mauls providing the first two tries. Marlie Packer the Saracen's flanker showed her own strength to drive over to pull one back. Pleol of the Saracen's back row also drove over, with Packer urging her team on. Of the two strong packs Quins however showed superiority, and
I
Liver out o the t some h an
the frustration affected the Saracen's discipline. Quins centre Lagi Tuima didn't succeed every time, but she did often enough and from some tricky positions. Tuima being the difference it was easy to admire both teams. Other team games may be
influenced by a spectacular individual, Rugby is the ultimate team game. Here were two teams with genuine rugby thinking, planning, and teamwork. This could perhaps not be better shown than when injured Quins skipper Rachel Burford was piggy backed onto
the pitch by her teammate, crutches in her hand, to join the team celebration of their first win in this competition. Harlequins Ladies Saracens Women
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By Sue Port
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Manchester United and Villarreal - neither could be faulted for effort
Fought to the End A
game of four halves, a game of back and forth, a game of tension certainly. Manchester United have had their European glories, but are going through something of a barren spell by the club's own expectations. Villarreal are relative minnows, but rarely seem that way, due to the passion of their localised support. They entered the Final still awaiting their first ever major trophy. Villarreal started well, going ahead in the 20th minute, Gerardo Moreno diverting the ball home from close range. As you would expect then, they sat back and defended, and Manchester United attacked. Even so, Villarreal were, as always with such situations, dengerous on the break. In the 55th minute, a shot from Marcus Rashford hit Scott McTominay, landing in the path of
In 1965,
rpool kno cke of the Euro d Cologne pe toss of a co an Cup on in etimes dif , and it is ficult to se e how pena ltie nything b s do etter for the result
the experienced, steady Edinson Cavani. A player of his class wouldn't be expected to, and didn't, miss. There were then opportunities on both sides, the inevitable involvement of VAR, and a sterile period of extra time, before we went to the lottery of a penalty shootout. In 1965, Liverpool knocked Cologne out of the European Cup on the toss of a coin, and it is sometimes difficult to see how penalties do anything better for the result. The penalties found their mark relentlessly. Of the two goalkeepers it was Villarreal's Argentinian Geronimo Rulli who came closest to saving any of them, but neither one could claim the adulation so often granted to 'keepers in shootouts. At 10-10 apiece, even Rulli also scored his penalty, leaving the chance for the Spaniard David de Gea to do the same for Manchester United, which would force the shootout to go back to the start. Unfortunately, de Gea's penalty was not well-struck. Many similar penalties have ended up in the net of course. On this occasion, de Gea became villain, and Rulli the hero, as the Argentinian leapt left, correctly, pushing the ball round the post. So Villarreal celebrate, and they deserved their win. Both sides deserved something in fact, but it is the nature of modern knock-out football that only one side stands at the end of each game. Oh, for the days of replays.
By Sue Port
Least likely ‘double’ ever? St. Johnstone win both domestic cups in one season
S
cottish football’s 2020-21 season will be remembered as one of great rises from mediocrity. As has been wellrecorded, the new incarnation of Rangers Football Club has won its first championship since the liquidation crisis of 2012, the 55th overall in its history, and a first in ten years. Something of a turn-up of almost total Celtic domination across Scotland over the previous nine years. But perhaps the more romantic and even less predictable emergence is in Perth, where a very promising St. Johnstone side managed a feat few clubs in Scotland can point to – a double. They won the Scottish Cup on Saturday 22nd May, beating Hibernian 1-0 in the fi n a l , h av i ng
already secured the Scottish League Cup against Livingston in February. Wing-back Shaun Rooney scored the winning goal in both finals. It was the first ‘double’ by a Scottish team outside of the Old Firm clubs this century, and accomplished with a side roughly one-fifteenth as expensive as the squad at Celtic. St. Johnstone had never won a single major trophy in its history until as recently as 2014, when they beat distant-neighbouring Dundee United in the Scottish Cup Final. That was the happiest day in the club’s history, but even that accomplishment has been dwarfed by this year’s double.
Much of the credit for this ‘Utopia’ season at McDiarmid Park has, inevitably, gone to the manager, Callum Davidson. He made his name as a player at Blackburn Rovers, but as a coach, he has spent most of the last eight years, at Stoke City, Millwall and now St. Johnstone, as a deputy. Raising him to the top job at Saints this season has proved to be an inspired move, and with a fairly young squad, there is no reason to assume the glory days must end here. Players like star midfielder, Ali McCann – an Edinburgh-born Northern Ireland international – are still in their early-20s, and so the only difficulty for Saints in trying to stay in strong shape is holding onto them when bigger clubs inevitably come sniffing for talent. The prospect of European football in next season’s Europa League, having finished a very healthy fifth in the Scottish Premiership, on top of the two trophies, could well be the only carrot the club needs to dangle to retain their services. T h e unlikeliest ‘double’ ever? Not when you glance at the talent the team has. By Martin Odoni
Team owned by the United Arab Emirates plays team owned by Russian Oligarch
An All |English Final I
t was the first appearance in the final of mega-rich Manchester City, though no claim could be made of being underdogs for either of these sides owned by world class oligarchs. Chelsea have won before, beating Bayern Munich nine years ago, and won European silverware as recently as 2019, their opponents on that occasion also being another English team, Arsenal.
Many names could have been considered as potential game winners in this hard fought match.
It was though, a tactical switch and the defensive solidity of Reese James and Ben Chilwell on the wings, and N'Golo Kante and Jorginho in front of the back three, all Chelsea really needed was discipline and the one goal to defend. Kante was exceptional.
The goal came from Kai Havertz late in the first half. The German is still young, and this will not be the last taste of victory he enjoys. Mason Mount, another youngster with a bright future, cleverly created the opening, and Havertz, with his first attempt hitting the keeper, then was calm and accurate turning in the rebound. For City, De B r u y n e continued to be dangerous, until a very rash challenge from Antonio Rudiger ended the B e l g i a n's involvement in the game, and in who-knows-howmany games to come? It
CHELSEA 1 MANCHESTER CITY 0
takes considerable force both to break someone's nose and to produce an orbital fracture around the bones of the eye socket. Similar injuries have ended careers in the past, and it is hoped De Bruyne will recover from this injury. So Chelsea battle to a second European Champions title. City make do with the Premier League and League Cup. By Mo Reshmann
Mason M o cleverly c unt.... reating th e chance, a nd Haver tz with his fi rst attem p t hitting th e keeper then was calm and accurate w ith the second
Chelsea
Manchester City
Edouard Mendy
Ederson
Cesar Azpilicueta – Thiago Silva -
Walker - Stones - Dias - Zinchenko
Antonio Rudiger
Bernardo Silva -
Reece James – Jorginho – N’Golo
Gundogan - Foden
Kante – Ben Chilwell
Mahrez - De Bruyne - Sterling
Kai Havertz – Timo Werner –
Substitutes:
Mason Mount
Gabriel Jesus – Fernandinho –
Substitutes:
Sergio Aguero
Andreas Christensen – Christian Pulisic – Mateo Kovacic