🗣 Sir Jim Ratcliffe: "This can be a major regeneration project for an area of Greater Manchester which has played such a key role in British industrial history, but which today requires new investment to thrive again.
The north-west of England has a greater concentration of major football clubs than anywhere else in the world, yet we don’t have a stadium on the scale of Wembley, the Nou Camp or Bernabéu. We will not be able to change that on our own, which is why this task force is so important to help us seize this once-in-a-century opportunity." #mufc
Great to be in Scotland with @CoalAuthority colleagues looking at our work with residents, communities and partners to keep people safe - from restoring shaft collapses to monitoring tips and burning coal seams. Call 08002884242 24/7 to report any coal legacy hazards or concerns
Great to be back on site this morning seeing culverts we maintain beneath coal spoil in a woodland area. @CoalAuthority colleagues/contractors regularly do this walk/steps to inspect/maintain them - typical of range of conditions/terrain our people work in to protect the public
On #IWD24 it’s been good to spend time with @CoalAuthority Regional Project Manager Megan who leads many sites I visited & does a great job across Scotland. Thanks to the wonderful women of the Coal Authority who #InspireInclusion & make a difference for the communities we serve
So sorry to hear the news of my very first England coach, Terry Venables. A man who gave me a chance to play for my country and became without a shadow of doubt my number one England coach in my whole career.
There were three things that were important to me about Venables. The first is when we hear people that play for Pep Guardiola now say that he can call the outcome of a game in training a few days before the match arrives, Terry Venables had that very same capability, he’d come through the Barcelona system. In Euro 96 as a right back, I played as a conventional right back in the first match, the right of a back three in parts of the second match against Scotland and as a right winger when we were in possession through our goalkeeper in the third match against Holland and in the fourth match against Spain in the quarter final as a right wing back. The ability that we had to change systems during matches and from game to game was incredible, it blew my mind. England certainly needed more like him and it was a real sadness when he left at the end of Euro 96, I felt it never got as good again for England as it was under him.
The second thing was that he was an unbelievable personality and character, larger than life. He was someone who was a players man, looked after his players, stood up for his players in big situations like the pre-96 trip to Hong Kong and the dentist chair incident. He was someone who the players trusted and had great faith in and he always spoke openly and he was a personality that was far too big for the then rigid and stiff FA football association and that’s why they got rid of him after Euro 96 and why the relationship ended.
The third thing is what all great coaches need. He had an unbelievable ruthlessness and clinical side to him. We had brilliant leaders in that dressing room like Ince, Adams, Shearer, Platt, Gascoigne, Southgate and Seaman. He handled them all really strongly and they all knew who the boss was. There were many times where he would come in at half-time and call out one of the senior players and there were few England managers who could do that and Terry had that quality.
I sit here today thinking back to my special times with Terry and can say he is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.
Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for. He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.