2 weeks agoBlogsComments Off on ‘He was correct’ – Rangers hero Ally McCoist reveals how Celtic-daft Billy Connolly gave Walter Smith management advice
ALLY McCOIST has revealed how Celtic fan Billy Connolly once gave Walter Smith management advice – which was gratefully accepted by The Gaffer.
The striker turned broadcaster was discussing maverick players on the talkSPORTBreakfastShowthis morning.
Keith Campbell - The Sun GlasgowWalter Smith and Ally McCoist[/caption]
Billy Connolly at Celtic ParkAction Images - Reuters
And he recalled how The Big Yin dished out some sage advice to the later Rangers manager about his star player Paul Gascoigne.
He said: “I remember Billy Connolly was speaking to Walter about Gascoigne, as Billy loves his football.
“He was asking Walter what was he like and Walter said he was a genius.
“Then Billy said Walter, ‘Remember you have to be able to handle the genius but the genius might not be able to handle you.’
“And he was correct.”
Ally then went on to praise other geniuses he had played with in the all-conquering Ibrox side of the 90s – but revealed they had their flaws.
He added: “I’ve played with guys who were geniuses like Coops (Davie Cooper) and Brian Laudrup.
“Now they might not necessarily do any tracking back but you forgave them because they could win you games.”
McCoist was the Rangers manager himself from 2011 to 2014 after becoming Smith’s prodigy at Ibrox.
Anna Blackburn, managing director for Beaverbrooks, said customers’ next nearest branches are in Stratford, London and the Bluewater and Lakeside shopping centres in Kent and Essex, respectively.
She added: “I’d like to share a heartfelt thank you to our Croydon community and every colleague and customer that has been a part of our journey in Croydon over the past 30 years.”
Shoppers and locals will no doubt be gutted to hear the store is closing for good in a matter of weeks.
It has garnered a stream of positive Google reviews, including from one shopper who branded the store “one of the last best places in Croydon”.
Another said the customer service team “could not be more polite, professional and understanding”.
It comes after Beaverbrooks told The Sun it will close seven branches across March and April.
The more than 100-year-old company said it is trimming its store estate following a review.
Ms Blackburn said: “Due to a range of factors, there are seven stores that are unfortunately no longer commercially viable, and after careful and thorough consideration we have made the difficult decision to close them.”
The stores are dotted across the UK, including five in England: Whitgift (Croydon), High Wycombe, Huddersfield, Birmingham Fort and Sutton Coldfield.
One in Dundee and another in East Kilbride, both in Scotland, will also shutter from next month.
All seven branches will remain open and operating as normal until they close for good.
Ms Blackburn said Beaverbrooks would try to retain as many staff from the affected branches as possible.
She added that the multi award-winning business plans to open a new store in Harrogate in Spring while some of its branches are under renovation.
In its most recent accounts, Beaverbrooks said profitability in the 53 weeks to March 2, 2024, had “reduced considerably” despite an increased turnover.
This, it said, was in part due to increasing worker’s pay and property refurbishments and repairs.
Turnover is the total amount of money made by a business over a certain period of time.
It’s worth bearing in mind, retailers often close branches and open them in other areas based on customer demand and trends.
RETAIL SECTOR STRUGGLES
The retail sector has been hit hard in recent years as the trend towards online shopping intensifies.
The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows online retail sales increased from 5% of all retail sales in 2008 to 27% in 2022.
Shoppers have also been feeling the pinch in recent years following sky-high inflation which has dented their wallets and purses.
It has led to a number of major retailers having to close stores to shore up their finances.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
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2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on Vatican issues major health update on Pope Francis saying he remains ‘critical but stable’
POPE Francis remains in a critical but stable condition as he battles double pneumonia, the Vatican confirmed in its latest health update.
A Tuesday evening statement from the Holy See Press Office revealed that the 88-year-old Pontiff has not suffered any acute respiratory episodes, and his vital signs remain steady.
AFPThe Vatican has given the latest health update on Pope Francis[/caption]
However, his prognosis remains “guarded.”
“The Holy Father’s clinical condition remains critical but stable. No acute respiratory episodes have occurred, and hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable,” the Vatican said.
Francis underwent a scheduled CT scan in the evening to monitor his bilateral pneumonia, officials said.
Earlier in the day, he received the Eucharist and resumed work activities despite his ongoing illness.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on EastEnders’ Elaine Lordan looks VERY different from Lynne Hobbs as she’s seen in rare photo with co-star Lucy Benjamin
EASTENDERS legend Elaine Lordon made fans do a double take as she reunited with former co-star Lucy Benjamin in a rare snap.
Elaine, who played Slater sister Lynne Hobbs in theBBC soap from 2000 to 2004, smiled for a photo with Lucy, who portrayed Lisa Fowler on/off between 1998 until 2023.
instagram / lucybenjaminofficialElaine Lordan and Lucy Benjamin reunited last summer for a rare snap[/caption]
BBCThe actress played legendary character Lynne Hobbs from 2000 to 2004[/caption]
BBCLucy portrayed Lisa Fowler on the BBC soap[/caption]
The pair looked in good spirits as they enjoyed a catch-up after last summer.
The photo has since resurfaced as fans reminisce on past Walford favourites star as the soap celebrates its 40th anniversary.
In the photo, Elaine, 58, is seen wearing a black and white striped top and a pair of reading glasses.
While Lucy looked glamorous in a leopard print t-shirt with her curly tresses loosely framing her face.
Lucy shared the photo on her Instagram and wrote: “Oh I love this woman with all my heart! Elaine Lordan.”
EastEnders fans were over the moon to see the two iconic ladies back together.
One wrote: “Awww Elaine looks very healthy and well, she was incredible in EastEnders; We need Elaine to return!!! I’m glad Elaine looks so well.”
A second fan begged: “‘Aaaaah come back Lynne Slater! That would be amazing! She lookin so amazing hope treating her very well well done Elaine.”
“I’m so happy to see Elaine look so well and healthy. Thank you so much for posting this. Sending love to you both; You both look fabulous,” a third commented.
A fourth said: “So lovely to see Elaine looking so well; Great to see Elaine again. Love to you both; Lovely to see Elaine looking so happy and well! Brought a smile to my face!”
Another added: “This is so iconic and brings back so many memories, I would love Lynne Slater to return please tell Elaine, she looks amazing and I hope she’s well.”
It is a big turn around for Elaine, who was pictured in 2018 looking worse for wear after knocking back booze in the middle of the day.
She was convicted of drink-driving and banned for a year after downing five vodkas in 2004, and subsequently axed from the soap.
A source said at the time: “It was decided to make the changes after she had a few problems with drinking. It has been done to help her rather than to punish her.”
Life got worse for Elaine after she left the show. In 2005 her mum took her own life, aged 62.
Nine months later she tragically lost her one-year-old son James. He suffered from breathing difficulties caused by a condition called diaphragmatic hernia — and died three days after Elaine married his dad, ex-BBC technician Peter Manuel.
She fell pregnant again in 2007, but sadly miscarried shortly after. A year later her dad passed away.
She appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2005 — but had to be airlifted out after twice fainting on the first day.
Elaine went off the radar for a long time after, but in 2018 she was spotted appearing to be downing mini bottles of wine in the street before midday.
Meanwhile, Lucy first joined EastEnders in 1998, but left in 2003.
She had two brief stints in 2010 and 2017, before returning again between 2019 and 2023.
News Group Newspapers LtdElaine was axed from the soap in 2004[/caption]
BBCElaine played Kat and Little Mo’s sister in the Slater family[/caption]
BBCLynne was married to Gary Hobbs on the soap[/caption]
2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on I went on First Dates looking for love – I didn’t find my dream man but I DID find my long lost sister
A WOMAN found much more than she bargained for after appearing on Channel 4’s popular TV show, First Dates.
Despite not finding the man of her dreams, Katie Kumar ended up reuniting with a long lost sister – and the pair have since grown so close they “can’t imagine” life without each other.
Katie and Louise have grown close since they’ve been reunitedTikTok / @katiekumarrThe first messages exchanged by the long lost sistersTikTok / @katiekumarr
Katie shared the incredible story to her TikTok account, @katiekumarr, which has since been viewed 401,000 times.
In her touching clip, she says she appeared on the teen version of First Dates in 2021, wanting to share her experience of being adopted and express her gratitude for the “family and life” she has now.
Katie said she didn’t think she’d be accepted onto the show when she applied.
Instead, she was more interested in spreading awareness by telling the story of her adoption.
Having grown up “in and out of foster care” since birth, Katie said she had some contact with her parents.
Aged three, she was separated from her biological siblings and fostered by a family who later permanently adopted her.
Despite knowing she had siblings, Katie lost contact with them and “never thought” she’d be able to find them again.
Meanwhile her sister Louise, a few years older than Katie, had also been adopted by a different family.
The pair grew up apart from each other, and despite remembering one another, “never knew where to start looking.”
That was until Katie appeared in an episode of Channel 4’s dating show Teen First Dates.
Teen First Dates
The show aims to help 16 to 19-year-olds “take their first steps in the land of real-world dating.”
Each episode sees host Fred Sirieix play matchmaker with a pair of hungry-for-love teens, who bond over a romantic dinner.
Sisters reunited
Despite not finding the man of her dreams, Katie found someone else just as significant.
After her episode aired, she received a life-changing Facebook message from somebody claiming to be her long lost biological sister.
The message, from a woman named Louise, read: “Hello love, I know this is so random but I won’t forgive myself if I don’t find out the answer.
“Basically, I seen you [sic] on First Dates and you said you was [sic] adopted, well so am I and I know I have a sister a few years younger than me, she would be your age and her name’s Katie too and I’m from Birmingham too.”
Louise went on to say that the pair shared a white mother and Afghan father.
She wrote: “I know your [sic] probably not my sister and you probably won’t even answer this message but it’s worth asking because what are the chances.”
After confirming their mother’s name, Katie wrote back: “We are sisters?!”
She told Louise their situation was “crazy” and that she’d been left “speechless,” before they continued to verify their relations.
After meeting, the pair grew close and Katie says she is “so grateful” she has her sister back in her life.
She said they get on “effortlessly,” have the same interests and she feels “so lucky” that they have been reunited.
Users react
Viewers in the comments were gobsmacked at the emotional story.
One person wrote: “You went on the show to find love, and found love in its most powerful form, I’m so happy for you and your sister.”
While another person said: “This is a true miracle, enjoy the rest of your lives together girlies, I’m so happy you found each other.”
And somebody else commented: “This is insane! Some things are truly meant to be!”
How does adoption work?
In the UK, there is lengthy process involved with adopting a child and it can take up to six months for the paperwork to be finalised.
To even be considered, you have to meet the following criteria:
You must be over 21
You must be a legal resident of the UK for at least 12 months.
No criminal convictions – especially any related to the endangerment of children. This applies to everyone your household.
You will also have to go through an inital background check and assesment, which will consider whether you are the right fit for adoption.
Potenital parents will also have undergo training and a process to match them with the right child.
2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on “One is his decoy watch in case a dirty poor talks to him”: Shark Tank Episode Reveals Kevin O’Leary Wears 2 Watches, the Trolling Has Begun
Kevin O’Leary rocking two watches on Shark Tank? Yeah, the internet had to clown him for that. Some say one’s for flexing, the other’s for actual business. Others joked that the decoy is just in case a “dirty poor” asks him for the time. Classic Mr. Wonderful, always giving people new reasons to roast him. […]
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2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on More than 20 federal techies quit to protest DOGE cuts to ‘critical public services’
“We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services,” the staffers said. “We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions.”
2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on MP Tourism receives investment proposals of Rs 4,468 crore in GIS
Bhopal, Feb 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Madhya Pradesh government has received investment proposals worth Rs 4,468 crore in the tourism and hospitality sector during the Global Investors Summit (GIS) which concluded on Tuesday. Addressing the closing...
2 weeks agoNews 1Comments Off on Ramaswamy in fray for Ohio governor with Trump’s ‘total’ backing
Washington, Feb 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech billionaire, is running for Governor of Ohio State and he secured US President Donald Trump's "complete and total endorsement" right away. "Today, I am honoured to announce...
