Bellingham magic saves England as he says wonder goal a ‘message’ to critics

Published

5 months ago

July 1, 2024

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Just imagine if Gareth Southgate had gone through with the plan to bring off Jude Bellingham.

Imagine if Bellingham had been dropped completely from England’s starting line-up against Slovakia as Southgate faced calls to do.

What Bellingham produced – in a mesmerising moment of magic – is what Real Madrid fans have been cherishing all season.

And it is why Southgate trusted his judgement rather than the clamour for change – even resting Bellingham.

Just a day after his 21st birthday, the overhead kick was Bellingham’s own gift for the nation – saving the Euros campaign.

After watching from the substitute’s bench, Conor Gallagher said: “Buzzing like every single English fan. Incredible goal, incredible moment.”

Few moments in England’s history have been as dramatic as a 95th minute equaliser to keep the team in a tournament.

And thanks to Harry Kane‘s header inside a minute of extra time it is onto the quarter-finals.

But had it not been for Bellingham’s brilliance they would have been packing their bags – and he felt the weight of responsibility as the ball came to him in the penalty area.

“You’re 30 seconds from going home, having to listen to all the rubbish, feeling like you’ve let a nation of people down,” Bellingham said.

“And in 30 seconds or in one kick of the ball everything can change. And it’s a feeling that I never want – I don’t like to be in – but when it’s done it feels great.

“So it’s a habit I’ve picked up from Madrid. Obviously my game’s improved a lot since I’ve joined, and I’m really grateful I could bring it to this game.”

Bellingham also scored in the opening match – sealing the 1-0 win over Serbia, also in Gelsenkirchen – while Kane netted England’s only goal in the 1-1 draw against Denmark.

With England held 0-0 by Slovenia in their final group game, their only goals have come from Bellingham and Kane.

It means no player from a Premier League club has, unusually, found the net for England; Kane is now with Bayern Munich and Bellingham with the newly-crowned Spanish and European champions.

‘You hear people talk a lot of rubbish’

Playing overseas has done nothing to remove the sense of expectation to end Three Lions’ wait for a first trophy since 1966 – or the clamour of the critics.

“Playing for England is an enjoyable feeling, but it’s also a lot of pressure,” Bellingham said.

“You hear people talk a lot of rubbish and it’s nice when you deliver. You can give them a little bit back.”

That explains why he appeared to bellow “Who else?” during his goal celebration.

“Scoring goals, celebrating is my release,” he said. “It was maybe a message to a few people.”

Bellingham hopes the adrenaline can propel England to another final, having only been a teenager and making brief appearances at Euro 2020.

The pain of penalties in the final defeat to Italy still linger for England, followed by the 2022 World Cup exit at the hands of France in the quarter-final.

The performances so far in Germany have provided little belief to match England’s pre-Euros billing as a favourite for the trophy.

“Fans expect a lot from us, regardless of kind of what happened in recent tournaments,” Bellingham said.

“So people talk a lot and I think you do have to take it personally a little bit.

“We work so hard at this game. We come in and we train every day so hard to try and put on performances for the fans.

“And sometimes it doesn’t go well and sometimes feels like there’s a bit of a pile on and, yeah it’s not nice to hear, but you can always use it.

“And for moments like that, it’s nice to kind of throw it back to some people, I suppose.”

And as England look ahead to playing Switzerland, the hope is that the resolve inspiring the comeback against Slovakia can be transformative for a team trying to emulate the women’s side by becoming European champions.

“You don’t experience things like that if you don’t have the adversity of the two draws, if you don’t have the adversity of going one-nil down,” Bellingham said. “It’s brilliant because it shows a reaction.”

UK

Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.

Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.

She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”

The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.

In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.

“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”

Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.

UK

Mohamed al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Mohamed al Fayed's brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.

Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.

The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.

One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.

Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.

Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.

The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”

The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.

Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.

The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.

A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.

“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”

The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.

One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.

Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

UK

Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Published

7 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.