🚨 WATCH: Andy Burnham lists the Labour values he learned from his late dad Roy
"A union of nations that gave trade unions to the world, the NHS, a country that stood up to fascism, a country of solidarity, not separation - that's the Britain that my dad represented!"
Today I have written to the head of the UK Football Policing Unit after its disgraceful attempt to link alcohol with the Hillsborough disaster following the Prime Minister’s call to ease restrictions at football matches.
Alcohol did not cause Hillsborough. The behaviour of supporters did not cause or contribute to the disaster.
These are the authoritative, factual conclusions of the inquests and the independent investigations. They are not matters of opinion.
Thirty-seven years on, when will policing authorities finally accept the truth and stop perpetuating the lies and smears created in the aftermath of the disaster?
Enough is enough.
#JFT97
Six years ago today, Diogo Jota became a Red.
Today, as every day, all of us at Liverpool FC are thinking of him, his brother Andre and his family and friends.
Forever our number 20 ❤️
“START THE CELEBRATIONS!!!!
After a period of reflection “The Most Damaging Pop Cultural Force In Recent British History” has declared itself fit for purpose and will once again return to lift the spirits of the people.
Come witness the fitness.
It shall be a sight to behold.”
Oasis will tour the UK, mainland Europe, USA and Ireland in 2027!
For your chance to buy tickets you must register by 17th Sept, 4pm BST.
👉https://t.co/W59c57sbc9
There will be no general onsale.
🚩Please note that mailing list members are still required to register.
#OasisLive27
Alex Inglethorpe, Liverpool’s Academy Director, is blunt about early ranking in youth football:
"It can tell you very little about what a player may eventually become."
He discussed this on the High Performance Podcast, using examples from players he had seen develop across academy football.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn’t number one in his group.
• Conor Bradley wasn’t number one in his group.
• Jarell Quansah wasn’t number one in his group at that stage.
You could keep going, every now and again, you get the obvious one.
• Jude Bellingham at Birmingham.
• Wayne Rooney at Everton.
Players who stood out early and continued to stand out, but they are not the only route to the top.
Harry Kane is another useful example.
⤷ At Tottenham around 13, Inglethorpe described him as being somewhere around the middle of the group rather than one of the obvious leading players.
Then Brad Friedel watched him and made a simple observation: “He finishes like Robbie Fowler.”
→ "No big backlift"
→ "Hits the ball hard"
→ "Finds the corners"
That comment changed how Kane was being viewed and that is the wider point. Young players do not develop in a straight line. Physically, technically, psychologically and socially everything can fluctuate.
So judging a player too heavily on where they sit in the group at 9, 11, 12 or 13 risks confusing their current level with their future potential.
The player at the top may stay there and the player in the middle may have far more development ahead of them. The player struggling today may simply be dealing with a physical, technical or experiential gap that looks very different several years later.
The danger is when adults become obsessed with the podium rather than the trajectory.
• Who is currently best?
• Starts all the time?
• Scores most?
• Looks physically dominant?
• Appears furthest ahead?
Those things can be useful information, but they just should not become a verdict.
Inglethorpe’s message is a useful reminder:
"Stop treating a child’s current position in the group as a prediction of where they will finish."
Look at the direction they are moving in.
Rather than focusing too heavily on where a young player is at that moment, look at the direction they are heading, their behaviours, the habits they are developing, how they learn, how they respond to challenge, and how much development may still be ahead of them
This came from Alex Inglethorpe’s appearance on the High Performance Podcast - @mrjakehumphrey :
https://t.co/FsrANpbxzd
We originally shared this post last year, but with more than 10,000 new followers since then, many of you may not have seen it.
"I was delighted for the manager. They've had a difficult start, haven't lost a game, but that was proper opponent, a proper manager, a proper game."
@Carra23 gives Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola his flowers 💐
In a difficult and dangerous world, a decade on from Brexit, there is a risk that Britain loses the confidence to lead and stand up for its values.
I’m not prepared to let that happen. It is more important than ever that Britain stands for something.
We have called for years for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but we must recognise that those words are meaningless unless we back them up with action.
For too long, we have been hesitant to act, fearful of being accused of being anti-Israel.
Today we are announcing carefully judged, targeted steps that are not aimed at the Israeli people, but at the unacceptable policies of the current Israeli government.
The suffering of the Palestinian people is a scar on the conscience of the world. Innocent Palestinians, including children, continue to be killed in Gaza. And there is still a humanitarian crisis, with far too little aid getting in.
The scale of destruction is hard to comprehend. More than 70,000 people lie dead - at least 20,000 of them children. Families and communities have been torn apart. Millions displaced. And the population of Gaza is now penned into just one third of the territory.
I know that people across the UK feel very deeply about this issue - and so do I.
Before I became Prime Minister, I said our country’s response had been too slow and simply not good enough. That’s why I committed to changing the government’s approach.
I will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow and the prospect of a two-state solution - the best hope for peace and stability in the region - comes under attack.
More settlements have been approved under the four years of this Israeli government than in the previous 20 years. The UN has reported more than 1,500 incidents of settler violence so far this year, aimed at driving out Palestinians. And the situation is growing worse, fast.
The Israeli government has now approved 104 new settlements since it took office in December 2022, and ahead of the October elections in Israel, it is allowing tenders for the construction of the E1 mega settlement to go ahead. This would cut a swathe through the heart of the West Bank - snuffing out the hope of realising a two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to happen.
That’s why we are announcing a new package of tough measures to put pressure on the Israeli government:
First, we will ban the trade in goods with illegal settlements in Palestine.
Second, we have formally changed the view of the British government to say for the first time that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful - independent of, but in line with, the conclusion of the international court of justice.
And third, we will sanction individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlements. That includes any businesses or investors that take part in the construction of the E1 settlement.
In addition, we are announcing a new package of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.
We are taking these steps because it is the right thing to do.
I have condemned the monstrous terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 in the strongest possible terms - and continue to condemn Hamas. However, it does not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.
The measures we are taking are about targeting illegal settlements and increasing the pressure on the Israeli government to change course. We are not imposing sanctions on Israel as a whole, which would punish the Israeli people, many of whom disagree with their government’s position.
The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government. And nor is the Jewish community in the UK. Blaming British Jews for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is wrong, plain and simple. And it is antisemitism, plain and simple.
I met the representatives of the Jewish community just last week. I know the fear they live with day by day. My government will stop at nothing to ensure they are safe and to stamp out antisemitism in every part of our society.
The measures we are announcing today are about protecting the only solution that could see the Israeli and Palestinian people living side by side in peace and security - something that people up and down the UK desperately want to see.
The government I lead will keep working with our partners around the world to keep that hope alive.