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Thousands line streets of Manchester for Hatton’s funeral

By in News, Sports News

PA Media A blue coffin, which is adorned with white flowers, is carried out of Manchester Cathedral by Ricky Hatton's family and put into the back of a hearse. Crowds of people can be seen paying their respects in the background. PA Media

The great and the good of the boxing world were among thousands of mourners who said an emotional farewell to world champion Ricky Hatton at his funeral earlier.

Hatton, whose passion, personality and skills drew huge crowds throughout his career, was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on 14 September at the age of 46.

The boxer’s son Campbell, who followed his father into the boxing ring, paid tribute during the service at Manchester Cathedral.

“Growing up I looked up to my dad in every aspect of life whether it be following in a career in boxing like he did or the way he carried himself out of the ring.

PA Media Ricky Hatton is staring straight at the camera in this posed photograph. He is wearing a navy suit and shirt. PA Media

Hatton’s mother Carol said in a statement read on her behalf: “‘The Hitman’ was adored by his army of fans – the People’s Champion, and he would say that’s how he would want to be remembered.

Among those attending were boxers Frazer Clarke and Natasha Jonas, former boxers Amir Khan, Scott Welch, Frank Bruno, Barry McGuigan and Anthony Crolla, former Manchester City footballer Mike Summerbee, pundit and former footballer Chris Kamara and Hatton’s former trainer Billy Graham.

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen and boxers Tyson and Tommy Fury also attended the service.

EPA Musicians Gary 'Mani' Mounfield and Liam Gallagher are pictured amongst the crowds at Ricky Hatton's funeral service at Manchester CathedralEPA
PA Media Tyson Fury is walking out of the funeral service for Ricky Hatton at Manchester Cathedral. His brother Tommy is walking behind him. PA Media
EPA Wayne Rooney has his head bowed as he arrives at the funeral service of the boxer.EPA

Hatton’s funeral cortege was led by the famous Reliant van from Only Fools And Horses.

The former boxing world champion was a big fan of the Del Boy and Rodney sitcom and once bought one of the original three-wheelers for £4,000, which he used to drive round his home city.

Reuters The famous yellow van from Only Fools And Horses is on the back of a truck. It is surrounded by flowers. Reuters
EPA Pallbearers carry the coffin which is adorned with white flowers after the funeral service at Manchester CathedralEPA
PA The black hearse is parked up outside The Etihad Stadium. A black and white photograph of Hatton is on the screen in front of the stadium.PA
Reuters A view of the order of service at the funeral of the former boxer. It reads: Reuters

The procession then travelled to the Harehill Tavern before doves were released in the boxer’s honour at The New Inn.

There was a further pause at Hatton’s Gym, where emotional fans sang and took pictures.

Throngs of wellwishers gathered around the cathedral ahead of the service.

Afterwards, the procession made its way from the cathedral to the Etihad Stadium, home of Hatton’s beloved Manchester City.

The Stockport-born boxer won world titles in both the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions.

Nick Knowles says ‘it was a shame’ as he talks major turning point after Strictly

By in Entertainment News, News

DIY SOS star Nick Knowles took to the Strictly Come Dancing floor with his professional partner Luba Mushtuk last year, but his stint was short-lived

Nick Knowles said “it was a “shame” to have left Strictly Come Dancing earlier than he hoped, while competing last year. The presenter, famed for his work on Real Rescues and DIY SOS, was partnered with Luba Mushtuk but was unfortunately knocked out, in favour of singer Shayne Ward and his partner Nancy Xu.

During the dance-off, Nick and Luba showcased a Charleston to Rain on the Roof from Paddington 2, while Shayne and Nancy delivered a Cha Cha to Sub Sub featuring Melanie Williams’ Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use).

After both couples performed again, all four judges agreed that Shayne would progress in the competition. Speaking recently, Nick reminisced about his stint on the hugely successful BBC programme and described it as a “joyful experience”.

He added to the Telegraph: “Yes, I’m built for rugby, not the Cha Cha Cha, but it was a joyful experience.

“Well out of my comfort zone – and it was a shame I had to leave early,” he added, before explaining that the show also sparked a major turning point.

“I lost more than 15kg in 10 weeks during training and I could feel a difference in the way I moved on my feet,” he continued.

Throughout his time on Strictly, Nick was plagued by various injuries, damaging his shoulder and knee during rehearsals. The presenter additionally had an operation to “re-attach” his bicep following a separate injury he suffered while replacing a tyre.

One fan questioned Nick (who’d been posting updates on social media) at the time if he would be able to participate in the end-of-series dance, but he responded that he wasn’t sure if his “injuries will allow”.

He elaborated: “I’m not sure my injuries will allow – I have to wait for the knee operation until the bicep operation has healed so I can use crutches afterwards. So I don’t think recovery will be in time sadly.”

In a separate update from his hospital bed, Nick mentioned that he’d just woken up from his operation, and that it “went well” after they “reattached” his bicep.

He continued to explain that he faced physiotherapy over the next two or three months and that afterwards, he should be “right as rain”, although it was “one down and one to go” on his knee.

In a heartfelt statement made after his departure from the show, Nick expressed his gratitude for his former Strictly partner, Luba, and apologised that viewers wouldn’t get to enjoy her “lovely dances”.

He stated: “Your creativity and hard work are awesome, and I couldn’t have gone on this adventure with a better partner. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you further into the competition because people should get to see the lovely dances you prepared in advance.”

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Snubbed by Nobel, Trump to head to Middle East to celebrate Gaza ‘peace’

By in News, World News

United States President Donald Trump is heading to the Middle East on Sunday as he looks to assert his perceived role as a peacemaker in the region after the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The visit would come days after the Nobel Peace Prize committee overlooked Trump’s public campaigning for the award and handed it to right-wing Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

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The White House has bemoaned the snub, accusing the Norwegian Nobel Committee of putting “place politics over peace”.

But in the Middle East, Trump is likely to be showered with praise from his hosts and credited with securing an end to the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli captives in the territory.

The White House said on Friday that Trump will depart for the Middle East on Sunday night, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher. The US president will first arrive in Israel, where he will make an address on Monday, before continuing on to Egypt for an official signing ceremony on the Gaza deal, Fisher reported from Washington DC.

Israel and Hamas have already lauded Trump’s role in the negotiations.

But analysts stress that for the deal to turn into long-term peace in Gaza, rather than another brief truce, the US president must pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against restarting the bombardment after the Israeli captives are released.

“I think that Donald Trump wants to oversee this very closely, and I think he wants to continue to send the message to Netanyahu that this is it. At least, that’s what I’m hoping,” said Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

“I assume he’s going to go and say very nice things about Benjamin Netanyahu; that’s what he always does publicly. But let’s hope, let’s hope, that he’s going to apply pressure.”

While Trump is taking much of the credit for the deal, experts say other factors pushed the truce over the line, more than two years into the brutal Israeli assault that United Nations investigators have concluded is a genocide.

Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine/Israel programme at the Arab Center Washington DC, said after destroying more than 80 percent of the buildings in Gaza while failing to free the captives, Israel was getting “diminishing returns” from its campaign in the territory.

“Israel is facing growing isolation and costs for continuing down this road. And I think there are also Israeli domestic political factors that influenced the timing of this as well,” Munayyer told Al Jazeera.

Similar proposals to the Trump plan have been on the table for the past two years, but Netanyahu has insisted on continuing the war.

However, the latest ceasefire comes at a time when countries across the world, including some of Israel’s Western allies, are condemning its blockade on Gaza and belligerence across the region, including its attack on Qatar last month.

Despite the international outrage, Israel has continued to receive military and diplomatic support from the US.

Not only did the Trump administration fail to denounce Israel’s policy of imposed starvation in Gaza, it also backed the GHF aid scheme to militarise humanitarian assistance, which killed hundreds of aid seekers.

As Trump celebrates his version of peace in the Middle East, rights advocates say there can be no true stability in the region without ending the occupation and ensuring accountability for the genocide in Gaza.

Nancy Okail, head of the Center for International Policy (CIP) think tank, warned that normalising the horrific abuses in Gaza could lead to the collapse of international institutions.

What Rangers could expect from Gerrard: The sequel

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Colin Moffat

BBC Sport Scotland

Steven Gerrard has dominated the conversation since Rangers sacked Russell Martin on Sunday and the former head coach will talk to the club’s owners about a possible return.

Those running the show at Ibrox say a “rigorous, thoughtful recruitment process” is under way.

Others will be considered, but if the former Liverpool and England captain is open to a second stint at Ibrox, is the job as good as his?

The 45-year-old has spoken recently of “unfinished business” in management and revealed he has started sounding out candidates for his backroom staff.

In Tuesday’s podcast interview with Rio Ferdinand, which appeared to be recorded before Martin’s short reign ended, Gerrard said he wanted “to be at a team that’s going to compete to win because I think that suits me better”.

Gerrard’s record at Rangers in first stint

Having cut his teeth as a youth development coach at Anfield, Gerrard took on his first managerial post in the summer of 2018.

Over three full seasons at Ibrox, he won just one trophy – but it was a big one.

After finishing nine and 13 points behind Celtic in his first two campaigns, Gerrard steered Rangers to their first top-flight title in a decade, which just happened to deny their Old Firm rivals an unprecedented 10-in-a-row.

And he did it in style, with his team unbeaten in the process.

Rangers won all of their home games, scored 92 goals and conceded a mere 13.

The downside was that it came against a backdrop of Covid and empty stadiums.

Steven Gerrard's Rangers recordGetty Images

What was Gerrard’s Old Firm record?

In stark contrast to Martin’s unhappy experience, Gerrard hit the ground running at Rangers, going 12 games without defeat until his first visit to Celtic Park.

In his debut campaign the derby honours were shared, each side earning two home victories, Rangers having last beaten Celtic in 2012.

Two losses to Celtic came in the next truncated season, followed by Rangers winning in the east end of Glasgow for the first time since 2010.

From then on, Gerrard remained unbeaten in derbies, winning five more and drawing once.

Rangers came through four rounds of qualifying to reach the group stage of the Europa League in Gerrard’s debut season.

Steven Gerrard v CelticSNS

Why did Gerrard leave Rangers?

Aston Villa came calling in November 2021, forking out £4.5m in compensation.

He left Rangers four points clear of Celtic at the top of the table – but their city rivals would claw that back to prevail by the same margin.

The lure of the Premier League is strong and it may have been seen as the next logical step on a fairytale return to Liverpool at a point when his managerial stock was high.

“Steven and his backroom staff have ensured that the club is undoubtedly in a better place today than it was three-and-a-half years ago,” said then Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson.

What was Gerrard’s record at Villa & Al-Ettifaq?

Gerrard did not last a year at Villa Park.

Up and down results yielded a 14th-place finish at the end of season 2021-22 before a 3-0 loss at Fulham left them 17th in October 2022 when he was dismissed.

Across 2022, he won just eight of his 31 games, losing 15.

He moved to Saudi Arabia in July 2023 when he took over at Al-Ettifaq.

His most recent job lasted 18 months and he moved on with the club sitting 12th in the Saudi Pro League, just five points above the relegation zone.

“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it’s been a positive experience personally and for my family,” he said in late January. “But football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don’t go the way we want.”

Those post-Ibrox exploits may give some pause for thought and the man himself may have doubts over inheriting a struggling squad, but Gerrard has demonstrated he has the personality to handle such a high-profile post.

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Holder Wilson doesn’t pot a ball in Murphy whitewash

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Shaun Murphy whitewashed defending champion Kyren Wilson to reach the Xi’an Grand Prix quarter-finals – and said it was “as good as I’ve ever played”.

The 43-year-old hit a high of 141 in three centuries for a crushing 5-0 win over the world number two.

Wilson, the 2024 world champion, didn’t pot a ball and scored just six points – thanks to a foul when Murphy hit the pink after being snookered – in the whole match against his relentless fellow Englishman, who made 533 in a row without reply.

“That’s pretty much as good as I’ve ever played,” said Murphy. “That’s one of the best best-of-nine matches that I’ve ever been part of.

“It’s mad. You play so many matches around the world throughout your life and every now and then it comes together.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan also continued his fine form with two century breaks in a 5-2 win over Jak Jones.

The seven-time world champion, who has impressed in his first tournament since August, will next play Gary Wilson in the quarter-finals.

Jones made a 140 to stay in the match, but O’Sullivan – who hit a best of 135 in the second frame – responded with an 81 break to seal the success.

The 49-year-old, who was a beaten semi-finalist in the first Xi’an Grand Prix last year, remained on course to win his first ranking title in 21 months.

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Rebecca Ferguson brands Tom Cruise a ‘man-child’ and explains ‘good’ reason

By in Entertainment News, News

Rebecca Ferguson has branded actor Tom Cruise, with whom she starred in the Mission: Impossible franchise, a ‘man-child’, but had a perfectly good explanation for it

Rebecca Ferguson has labelled Tom Cruise a “man-child” but “in a good way”. The actress, who starred alongside the Top Gun actor in the Mission: Impossible franchise, revealed that filming was often chaotic due to last-minute script changes and stunts being cut, while the leading man would frequently arrive late on set.

Speaking in a recent interview, she said: “You don’t have scripts and have no idea where it’s going to go, which is annoying and tedious in equal measure. You train for a stunt scene for months and all of a sudden they cut it .. [Cruise is] a man-child in a good way. I often joke that there’s someone with a tranquilliser gun and a net looking for him.

“It’s frustrating because you’re ready to shoot and the sun’s going down.”

She added to The Times: “Tom goes: ‘What are we waiting for?’ and I go: ‘You!’ And he laughs and goes, ‘F***, I’m sorry’.”

Ferguson portrayed Ilsa Faust in the franchise, but her character was killed off in the 2023 instalment Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. She told The Times that she agreed it was time for her to exit the series as “there was nothing more to do” with her character.

Recently, Ferguson collaborated with screenwriter Steven Knight on the Peaky Blinders spin-off film The Immortal Man. She later discovered that he had been tasked with writing the next James Bond movie.

She confessed that if she had known about his plans at the time, she would have badgered him for a role, as it’s her dream to portray a Bond villain.

Rebecca expressed: “I would have been pushing to play the baddie. We haven’t had a female Bond villain.”

The actress has previously collaborated with the new Bond movie’s director, Denis Villeneuve, on the Dune franchise and she disclosed that she’s also discussed the prospect of a female antagonist in the next 007 instalment.

She revealed to the publication: “I already said that to Denis – ‘Female Bond villain, b****!’ He was like: ‘Oh la la’.”

Rebecca further commented on the Bond franchise: “I love the Bonds, most of them, but I often found that they weren’t very good at writing for women.”

Despite this, she holds high expectations for Knight’s screenplay, stating: “He wrote [Maria Callas biopic] Maria for Angelina Jolie – he’s written loads of good female roles.”

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