birminghammail--2020-08-21--Ex-Birmingham City man Gleeson enjoys Blues reunion at Solihull Moors

Former Birmingham City midfielder Stephen Gleeson has signed for Solihull Moors .
The 32-year-old has agreed a one-season deal which will see him join former Blues players Adam Rooney , Mitch Hancox and Darren Carter at the National League outfit .
Ex-Blues Under 23 coach Richard Beale is also in the coaching set-up and has been lining up a reunion with Gleeson for some time .
The defensive midfielder has finally put pen to paper and ended an eight month period without a club since he left Aberdeen in January .
“ It ’ s exciting , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into football .
It ’ s close to my home , the manager , Bealey , the project , everything just fitted what I wanted at this stage in my career , ” Gleeson told the club website .
“ I ’ m just ready to get going and start enjoying my football again – I think this could be the right club for me .
“ I ’ m happy to get it done .
I haven ’ t played since December last year so I ’ m looking forward to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games and hopefully getting that rust off .
“ I think I have experience throughout my career playing at a decent level , so anything I can bring to the manager that he needs , I want to bring.
” Gleeson mate 125 appearances in three-and-a-half seasons at St Andrew ’ s , establishing himself as a key player under Gary Rowett before struggling for game-time under Harry Redknapp and Steve Cotterill .
Moors manager Jimmy Shan added : “ This is an outstanding addition to the squad .
We have signed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of experience .
“ Stephen is a player that fits the Moors way , he will help the team gain control in games and has an outstanding ability to unlock with clever and creative passes .
”

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Former Birmingham City midfielder Stephen Gleeson has signed for Solihull Moors.
The 32-year-old has agreed a one-season deal which will see him join former Blues players Adam Rooney, Mitch Hancox and Darren Carter at the National League outfit.
Ex-Blues Under 23 coach Richard Beale is also in the coaching set-up and has been lining up a reunion with Gleeson for some time.
The defensive midfielder has finally put pen to paper and ended an eight month period without a club since he left Aberdeen in January.
“It’s exciting, I’m excited to get going and get back into football. It’s close to my home, the manager, Bealey, the project, everything just fitted what I wanted at this stage in my career,” Gleeson told the club website.
“I’m just ready to get going and start enjoying my football again – I think this could be the right club for me.
“I’m happy to get it done. I haven’t played since December last year so I’m looking forward to the six weeks of pre-season leading into the games and hopefully getting that rust off.
“I think I have experience throughout my career playing at a decent level, so anything I can bring to the manager that he needs, I want to bring.”
Gleeson mate 125 appearances in three-and-a-half seasons at St Andrew’s, establishing himself as a key player under Gary Rowett before struggling for game-time under Harry Redknapp and Steve Cotterill.
Moors manager Jimmy Shan added: “This is an outstanding addition to the squad. We have signed a player with Championship pedigree and a wealth of experience.
“Stephen is a player that fits the Moors way, he will help the team gain control in games and has an outstanding ability to unlock with clever and creative passes.”


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Explained: Why Aston Villa reveal has nothing to do with Jack Grealish transfer

Aston Villa 's new away shirt has been revealed , but it 's come with one big worry .
Fans are a bit concerned that captain Jack Grealish has n't been used in the marketing for Villa 's new away shirt - but is that a worry at all ?
Grealish has been linked to a move away from the club , and some are taking his lack of involvement in a branding exercise as a sign .
Sign up for our Villa newsletter with your email in the box at the top of the page or click here Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for a move away ?
The longer answer ?
Grealish has barely been involved with kit releases since his first-team debut anyway .
He 's only been used in two marketing campaigns that were two seasons apart .
Here 's the breakdown since Grealish 's senior debut in 2014 , excluding this season 's releases ... Villa 's home , away and third shirts last season were modelled by professional models and a few current/former Villa players .
Tyrone Mings was revealed as a Villa signing in the home shirt , models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of former players revealed the third shirt .
Luke Sports ' efforts were unveiled without the use of Aston Villa 's male players - bar the third shirt , which used both Keinan Davis and Andre Green .
The shirts were so good , they did n't really need any intervention by players in the marketing .
Jack Grealish is actually in this one !
Villa 's second Under Armour shirt was presented by James Chester , Grealish and Albert Adomah , with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy swapping in for Grealish for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black as well .
The first Under Armour shirt was unveiled on social media - without players .
A simple gif with new branding was enough .
Grealish is in this one as well !
Alongside Christian Benteke , and Fabian Delph - though - who never actually ended up wearing the Macron shirt in the league for Villa , leaving before the campaign started .
Ciaran Clark , Gabby Agbonlahor and Scott Sinclair also presented the shirts for Villa 's relegation campaign .
Ron Vlaar and Christian Benteke were used as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shirts .
No Grealish , at all .
There you have it then .
There could be plenty of reasons as to why Grealish has n't been used in this marketing campaign - and they go for the last two seasons as well .
What 's more , fans hoping that a shirt reveal could be a sign of a stay will do well to remember 2015 - where two key players in Benteke and Delph were huge parts of the marketing campaign , only to leave the club anyway .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is n't it - and it would n't be anyway .

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Aston Villa's new away shirt has been revealed, but it's come with one big worry.
Fans are a bit concerned that captain Jack Grealish hasn't been used in the marketing for Villa's new away shirt - but is that a worry at all?
Grealish has been linked to a move away from the club, and some are taking his lack of involvement in a branding exercise as a sign.
Sign up for our Villa newsletter with your email in the box at the top of the page or click here
Is it a sign that the star is set for a move away?
The short answer? No.
The longer answer? Grealish has barely been involved with kit releases since his first-team debut anyway. He's only been used in two marketing campaigns that were two seasons apart.
Here's the breakdown since Grealish's senior debut in 2014, excluding this season's releases...
19/20
Villa's home, away and third shirts last season were modelled by professional models and a few current/former Villa players. Tyrone Mings was revealed as a Villa signing in the home shirt, models did their job with the second and a number of former players revealed the third shirt.
18/19
Luke Sports' efforts were unveiled without the use of Aston Villa's male players - bar the third shirt, which used both Keinan Davis and Andre Green.
The shirts were so good, they didn't really need any intervention by players in the marketing.
17/18
Jack Grealish is actually in this one! Villa's second Under Armour shirt was presented by James Chester, Grealish and Albert Adomah, with Rushian Hepburn-Murphy swapping in for Grealish for the away shirt reveal - that top was black as well.
16/17
The first Under Armour shirt was unveiled on social media - without players. A simple gif with new branding was enough.
15/16
Grealish is in this one as well! Alongside Christian Benteke, and Fabian Delph - though - who never actually ended up wearing the Macron shirt in the league for Villa, leaving before the campaign started. Ciaran Clark, Gabby Agbonlahor and Scott Sinclair also presented the shirts for Villa's relegation campaign.
14/15
Ron Vlaar and Christian Benteke were used as well as Andi Weimann to reveal these pair of shirts. No Grealish, at all.
There you have it then. There could be plenty of reasons as to why Grealish hasn't been used in this marketing campaign - and they go for the last two seasons as well.
What's more, fans hoping that a shirt reveal could be a sign of a stay will do well to remember 2015 - where two key players in Benteke and Delph were huge parts of the marketing campaign, only to leave the club anyway.
If you're looking for a sign, this isn't it - and it wouldn't be anyway.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Lichfield Camera Club announce winners of final week of lockdown competition

Lichfield Camera Club has reached the final week of their lockdown photography competition .
They had been entering photographs in three leagues each week while physical meeting couldn ’ t take place due to coronavirus .
This week had the theme of Silhouette and Shadows .
Here are the top images in each league as judged by members from the other two leagues .
First place in League One went to Graham Slight with ‘ Table for Two ’ .
A club spokesperson said : “ This is a great winning image to complete the series of on-line LCC competitions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this with no sight of the actual table and chairs except the shadows , framed well with a subtle vignette.
” Graham added : “ This image was created in my back garden .
A table , two chairs , two wine glasses and a vase with a flower were positioned in front of a brick wall in such a way that there was clear separation of the shadows of the table and chairs .
“ A single flash unit was positioned to create the shadow on the wall , the zoom on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vignette effect and the final image was taken when it was dark , to ensure the best contrast between the shadow and the wall .
Only minor tweaks in post processing were required for the final image.
” Joe Anderson was second with ‘ Private Eye ’ This is a well-executed studio image that looks like a frame grab straight from a movie scene .
The monochrome conversion suites the era it portrays .
Joe explained how this image was created : “ My picture titled “ Private Eye ” the image was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spare bedroom .
The blind and window behind it were set up using a spare blind and Perspex sheet hung on a backdrop frame .
“ The image was lit using three speed light flashes each set to a different power , a strong light placed behind the blind created the pattern on shadows across the model , and the two further lamps provide gentle light to separate the model from the dark background .
Having the model hold the slats of the blind open slightly helped to further illuminate his face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an atmospheric picture with a hint of drama , so I processed the image in Photoshop to create a black and white image with lots of contrast to give it moody ‘ noir ’ look.
” ‘ Riverbank Silhouette ’ by Anne Anderson was third .
This is a beautiful silhouetted scene with lovely colouring to represent a sunset and held together with a complimentary frame .
Anne said : “ I took the image a couple of weeks ago by the edge of a pond looking slightly upwards to a bright sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I accentuated in photoshop to make a better silhouette and then replaced the white background with a coloured one to give more interest.
” In League Two , David Keith Jones took the top spot with ‘ African Children at Sunset ’ which has been described as a great example and winning image for this themed competition .
David explained : “ My image of African children at sunset was taken way back in 1982 on Kodachrome 64 .
No autofocus in those days !
I was researching the way of life of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this shot was taken in a Rendille settlement way out in the wilds at least 200 km from the nearest tarmac .
“ It was not posed .
The children had climbed the rocks to watch the sun go down and I just grabbed the shot.
” Susan Freeman was second with ‘ Sunset from Barmouth ’ .
This panoramic scene caught just after the sunset is held together by the darker areas of sea and sky , with the bonus of the gull finishing off the composition .
Sue says “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the hills , giving a golden glow .
The gull was there when I took the picture but needed a bit of persuasion in Photoshop , to fly in the direction and position I wanted !
” Third was 'Cormorant at Sunset ' by Sandra Morgan , which has been described as a cleverly contrived image , with the bird being added to finish off a stunning seascape image .
Sandra said : “ In February last year I was fortunate to have a holiday in the Algarve of Portugal .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so each evening we walked on the almost deserted beach to enjoy the wonderful sunsets .
“ On this occasion , the glow of the sun was reflected in the wet sand – lovely , but the picture lacked foreground interest .
“ When the theme of this competition was announced , “ Shadows /Silhouettes ” , I realised that I could supply foreground interest and create a silhouette by making a composite picture from the sunset photograph and a photograph of a cormorant which I had taken separately.
” Carole Tew took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Shadows on the Sand ’ .
A club spokesperson said : “ This is a well-designed image with the shadows creating a diagonal .
The groins to the right and tidal wall at the back keeping the viewer in the image.
” ‘ Soldier ’ by Annette Keatley took second place , an ideally suited image to represent VJ week .
The celebrating soldier silhouetting against the bright sky .
Third place goes to Kevin Terry with ‘ Capturing the Sunset ’ .
A club spokesperson said : “ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time with this shot .
Three different people , all taking images of the sunset.
” Kevin explained : “ I was taking sunset pictures at the Brean Down Fort , near Weston Super Mare when all these other photographers got in the way , so I ended up taking photos of them .
“ The guy on the right is flying a drone taking photos too !
” Darron Matthews and Liz Thomas finished top of Leagues 1 and 3 respectively .
Darron Matthews , chairman of Lichfield Camera Club , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in a series of online competitions , and it gives me great pleasure to thank a few people .
“ Graham Slight , of course , for the organising of them , collecting all the data , images etc .
Also , Richard Moore for starting the media trail .
This has kept the club ’ s interest well and truly alive .
“ Charlotte , a big thank you for your media coverage on the BirminghamLive website .
“ I should also thank all the members for continuing to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view all entries in the Lichfield Camera Club League ’ s , go to www.lichfieldcameraclub.org

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Lichfield Camera Club has reached the final week of their lockdown photography competition.
They had been entering photographs in three leagues each week while physical meeting couldn’t take place due to coronavirus.
This week had the theme of Silhouette and Shadows.
Here are the top images in each league as judged by members from the other two leagues.
First place in League One went to Graham Slight with ‘Table for Two’.
A club spokesperson said: “This is a great winning image to complete the series of on-line LCC competitions. Some great thought has gone into this with no sight of the actual table and chairs except the shadows, framed well with a subtle vignette.”
Graham added: “This image was created in my back garden. A table, two chairs, two wine glasses and a vase with a flower were positioned in front of a brick wall in such a way that there was clear separation of the shadows of the table and chairs.
“A single flash unit was positioned to create the shadow on the wall, the zoom on the flash was adjusted to create the vignette effect and the final image was taken when it was dark, to ensure the best contrast between the shadow and the wall. Only minor tweaks in post processing were required for the final image.”
Joe Anderson was second with ‘Private Eye’
This is a well-executed studio image that looks like a frame grab straight from a movie scene. The monochrome conversion suites the era it portrays.
Joe explained how this image was created: “My picture titled “Private Eye” the image was taken in a studio set created in the spare bedroom. The blind and window behind it were set up using a spare blind and Perspex sheet hung on a backdrop frame.
“The image was lit using three speed light flashes each set to a different power, a strong light placed behind the blind created the pattern on shadows across the model, and the two further lamps provide gentle light to separate the model from the dark background. Having the model hold the slats of the blind open slightly helped to further illuminate his face.
“My aim was to produce an atmospheric picture with a hint of drama, so I processed the image in Photoshop to create a black and white image with lots of contrast to give it moody ‘noir’ look.”
‘Riverbank Silhouette’ by Anne Anderson was third.
This is a beautiful silhouetted scene with lovely colouring to represent a sunset and held together with a complimentary frame.
Anne said: “I took the image a couple of weeks ago by the edge of a pond looking slightly upwards to a bright sky. This created a dark image which I accentuated in photoshop to make a better silhouette and then replaced the white background with a coloured one to give more interest.”
In League Two, David Keith Jones took the top spot with ‘African Children at Sunset’ which has been described as a great example and winning image for this themed competition.
David explained: “My image of African children at sunset was taken way back in 1982 on Kodachrome 64.
No autofocus in those days! I was researching the way of life of the nomadic people of northern Kenya and this shot was taken in a Rendille settlement way out in the wilds at least 200 km from the nearest tarmac.
“It was not posed. The children had climbed the rocks to watch the sun go down and I just grabbed the shot.”
Susan Freeman was second with ‘Sunset from Barmouth’.
This panoramic scene caught just after the sunset is held together by the darker areas of sea and sky, with the bonus of the gull finishing off the composition.
Sue says “I waited for the sun to go down behind the hills, giving a golden glow. The gull was there when I took the picture but needed a bit of persuasion in Photoshop, to fly in the direction and position I wanted!”
Third was 'Cormorant at Sunset' by Sandra Morgan, which has been described as a cleverly contrived image, with the bird being added to finish off a stunning seascape image.
Sandra said: “In February last year I was fortunate to have a holiday in the Algarve of Portugal. We were staying close by the sea, so each evening we walked on the almost deserted beach to enjoy the wonderful sunsets.
“On this occasion, the glow of the sun was reflected in the wet sand – lovely, but the picture lacked foreground interest.
“When the theme of this competition was announced, “Shadows /Silhouettes”, I realised that I could supply foreground interest and create a silhouette by making a composite picture from the sunset photograph and a photograph of a cormorant which I had taken separately.”
Carole Tew took first place in League Three, with ‘Shadows on the Sand’.
A club spokesperson said: “This is a well-designed image with the shadows creating a diagonal. The groins to the right and tidal wall at the back keeping the viewer in the image.”
‘Soldier’ by Annette Keatley took second place, an ideally suited image to represent VJ week. The celebrating soldier silhouetting against the bright sky.
Third place goes to Kevin Terry with ‘Capturing the Sunset’.
A club spokesperson said: “It’s all about being there at the right time with this shot. Three different people, all taking images of the sunset.”
Kevin explained: “I was taking sunset pictures at the Brean Down Fort, near Weston Super Mare when all these other photographers got in the way, so I ended up taking photos of them.
“The guy on the right is flying a drone taking photos too!”
Darron Matthews and Liz Thomas finished top of Leagues 1 and 3 respectively.
Darron Matthews, chairman of Lichfield Camera Club, said: “This week is the final week in a series of online competitions, and it gives me great pleasure to thank a few people.
“Graham Slight, of course, for the organising of them, collecting all the data, images etc. Also, Richard Moore for starting the media trail. This has kept the club’s interest well and truly alive.
“Charlotte, a big thank you for your media coverage on the BirminghamLive website.
“I should also thank all the members for continuing to support the club in these difficult times.
To view all entries in the Lichfield Camera Club League’s, go to www.lichfieldcameraclub.org


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Parents win court battle to be buried next to murdered son

The parents of a murdered Coventry man have won a court battle to give them the right be buried next to his grave .
Church members at St Peter ad Vincula Church at Hampton Lucy , near Warwick , had challenged the right of the parents of deceased James Cooper to reserve grave space at the churchyard , CoventryLive reports .
Mr Cooper , a coach at Beechwood Tennis Club in Earlsdon , Coventry , was 25 when he and his friend James Kouzaris were shot dead while on holiday in the US in 2011 .
The pair had strayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida after a night out and suffered multiple gunshot wounds at the hands of their killer , Shawn Tyson .
After Mr Cooper 's body was flown home , he was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church , Hampton Lucy .
His parents , both now in their 60s , live in the village and want to be buried next to him when they die .
Their wishes to be buried next to their son , had been supported by the church 's vicar , the Rev Andrew Larkin , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , former church warden and church treasurer , Chris Robinson , objected - claiming that it would breach church regulations .
The other objector , Mrs G Spellar , who helps tidy the churchyard , stated that allowing the grieving couple to reserve the grave space would make the churchyard look `` unsightly '' .
However , Stephen Eyre QC , Chancellor of the Diocese of Coventry , in his role as a judge of the Church of England ’ s Consistory Court , rejected both objections and has granted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Mr Robinson ’ s objections appear to be based on a number of misunderstandings and I can attach little weight to them.
” He continued : “ Any aesthetic effect will be modest and the extent to which the reservation will hinder the maintenance of the churchyard will also be modest.
” He added that Mr and Mrs Cooper had “ responded to the objections by pointing out in restrained but powerful terms the depth of their grief at the untimely loss of their only son , explaining that knowing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide them with a modest degree of comfort ... “ The objections can not prevail against the powerful considerations in favour of the grant of the reservation sought and a faculty ( permission ) will be granted.
” James Cooper and James Kouzaris who was from Northampton , were shot dead in a housing estate in Sarasota , Florida , on April 16 , 2011 .
They had been holidaying in the sunshine state with Mr Kouzaris ' parents .
The friends , who met while studying at Sheffield University , were last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarasota before trying to make their way back to their holiday home on Longboat Key , seven miles away .
Police believe they got lost and wandered into the rough Newton neighbourhood .
Their gunman Shawn Tyson was just 16 at the time of the killings and was handed two life sentences for the double murder .
Following their son 's death , Mr and Mrs Cooper released a statement to the Telegraph , which said : “ We loved our son and he loved us so strongly .
“ We are blessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as our boy .
A day never passed without us telling each other ‘ I love you ’ .
`` He was gentle , kind , compassionate , clever and an athlete but beyond all his achievements , he was full of love .
“ His laugh , his voice , his humour filled every space .
In his short life he lived it to the full and helped everyone lucky enough to know him to do the same .
“ As his parents our lives have been shattered , but through us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live on .
”

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Ben Eccleston, Sanjeeta Bains)

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The parents of a murdered Coventry man have won a court battle to give them the right be buried next to his grave.
Church members at St Peter ad Vincula Church at Hampton Lucy, near Warwick, had challenged the right of the parents of deceased James Cooper to reserve grave space at the churchyard, CoventryLive reports.
Mr Cooper, a coach at Beechwood Tennis Club in Earlsdon, Coventry, was 25 when he and his friend James Kouzaris were shot dead while on holiday in the US in 2011.
(Image: Anita Maric / newsteam)
The pair had strayed into a rundown area of Sarasota in Florida after a night out and suffered multiple gunshot wounds at the hands of their killer, Shawn Tyson.
After Mr Cooper's body was flown home, he was buried at St Peter ad Vincula Church, Hampton Lucy. His parents, both now in their 60s, live in the village and want to be buried next to him when they die.
Their wishes to be buried next to their son, had been supported by the church's vicar, the Rev Andrew Larkin, as well the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
However, former church warden and church treasurer, Chris Robinson, objected - claiming that it would breach church regulations.
The other objector, Mrs G Spellar, who helps tidy the churchyard, stated that allowing the grieving couple to reserve the grave space would make the churchyard look "unsightly".
However, Stephen Eyre QC, Chancellor of the Diocese of Coventry, in his role as a judge of the Church of England’s Consistory Court, rejected both objections and has granted the couple's wishes.
Judge Eyre said: “Mr Robinson’s objections appear to be based on a number of misunderstandings and I can attach little weight to them.”
He continued: “Any aesthetic effect will be modest and the extent to which the reservation will hinder the maintenance of the churchyard will also be modest.”
He added that Mr and Mrs Cooper had “responded to the objections by pointing out in restrained but powerful terms the depth of their grief at the untimely loss of their only son, explaining that knowing that they will be buried alongside him will provide them with a modest degree of comfort...
“The objections cannot prevail against the powerful considerations in favour of the grant of the reservation sought and a faculty (permission) will be granted.”
Killer's sentence
James Cooper and James Kouzaris who was from Northampton, were shot dead in a housing estate in Sarasota, Florida, on April 16, 2011. They had been holidaying in the sunshine state with Mr Kouzaris' parents.
The friends, who met while studying at Sheffield University, were last seen drinking in a bar in downtown Sarasota before trying to make their way back to their holiday home on Longboat Key, seven miles away. Police believe they got lost and wandered into the rough Newton neighbourhood.
Their gunman Shawn Tyson was just 16 at the time of the killings and was handed two life sentences for the double murder.
Parents' tribute
(Image: newsteam.co.uk)
Following their son's death, Mr and Mrs Cooper released a statement to the Telegraph, which said: “We loved our son and he loved us so strongly.
“We are blessed and so very proud to have him as our boy. A day never passed without us telling each other ‘I love you’.
"He was gentle, kind, compassionate, clever and an athlete but beyond all his achievements, he was full of love.
“His laugh, his voice, his humour filled every space. In his short life he lived it to the full and helped everyone lucky enough to know him to do the same.
“As his parents our lives have been shattered, but through us and his friends and family he will live on.”


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Hero fisherman rescues woman after seeing head floating in river

A hero fisherman from the Black Country waded in to a Worcestershire river to make a lifesaving catch .
The self-employed electrician , from Brierley Hill , had planned a day fishing on the bank of the River Severn in Bewdley on Friday ( August 21 ) –the first time he had been to that stretch of the river .
And he had only been there a few minutes when he spotted a head floating down the river .
It was a woman in her 50s in difficulties in the middle of the Severn .
Describing the moment as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Steve Bull who aptly is a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan , stripped to his boxer shorts and went in the river to help .
The 31-year-old , who lives in Moor Street , said : “ It was 6am on Friday ( August 21 ) and my old man , Dave , had a day off and decided to go fishing .
“ We ’ d got there early to have the whole day and miss the traffic .
“ It was my first time fishing there by Blackstone Farm , which are private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting up and it was around 6.10am .
I was just looking at the pegs in the water and looking at the ripple in the water .
“ I saw a head bobbing down the river .
It was like something out of a horror film .
“ I said ‘ oh my god dad ’ and immediately stripped off .
I waited for her to float by me .
“ She was just trying to keep her head above the water .
“ I thought she was going to go under .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 metres up the river and she was in the middle so about 20 metres from the bank .
“ As soon as I saw her coming I dived in in just my boxer shorts .
She was right in the middle of the river .
“ From there I got her and just pulled her in .
My old man went to get a rope .
“ She couldn ’ t stand up and was like a dead weight .
We couldn ’ t get her out.
” One Steve had got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then had a wait before she could get to dry land .
He said : “ My dad passed me the phone and I rang 999 .
They told me how to keep her conscious .
“ She was talking to me but I couldn ’ t get any sense out of her .
“ Luckily the river isn ’ t that cold at all .
I have been to Devon recently and the river there is colder .
“ My dad was backwards and forwards to help the emergency services .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman for around 30 minutes from around 6.10am to 6.40am “ It took four or five fireman to get her out of the water .
And then the paramedics did all the checks .
“ The police and fire brigade told me if I hadn ’ t got to her , she ’ d be dead .
“ I was taken to hospital too as with all the adrenaline I started to gag.
” After a trip to Worcestershire Royal Hospital Steve returned to the same fishing spot with his dad Dave , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said : “ I have just caught a perch .
“ I have fished the River Severn but never there before .
My dad has been fishing all of his life knows all the pegs and we just fancied it .
“ The woman was the biggest thing I will catch today .
“ I don ’ t feel like I have done anything heroic .
“ I am hoping someone would do the same for me if I ever fell in as a fisherman .
And I hope the woman recovers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service said : “ “ We were called at 6:29am to reports of a patient in the water at Blackstone Farm on Stourport Road in Bewdley .
“ The WMAS Hazardous Area Response Team ( HART ) attended , along with two ambulances and two paramedic officers .
“ On arrival , crews found a woman in the water , with a man attempting to rescue her from land .
“ Staff worked quickly to get the patient out of the water and into an ambulance and assessed .
“ She was then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment .
The man who was also at the scene was assessed and taken to Worcestershire Royal too.
” Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service sent two crews from Wyre Forest , including the water rescue team and the Water First Responders from Wyre Forest , along with a rescue vehicle - a boat - from Worcester to Blackstone Farm .
A spokesman said : “ We rescued a casualty in her 50s from the water who was assessed by paramedics on the river bank .
”

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A hero fisherman from the Black Country waded in to a Worcestershire river to make a lifesaving catch.
The self-employed electrician, from Brierley Hill, had planned a day fishing on the bank of the River Severn in Bewdley on Friday (August 21) –the first time he had been to that stretch of the river.
And he had only been there a few minutes when he spotted a head floating down the river. It was a woman in her 50s in difficulties in the middle of the Severn.
Describing the moment as being ‘like a horror movie’, Steve Bull who aptly is a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, stripped to his boxer shorts and went in the river to help.
The 31-year-old, who lives in Moor Street, said: “It was 6am on Friday (August 21) and my old man, Dave, had a day off and decided to go fishing.
“We’d got there early to have the whole day and miss the traffic.
“It was my first time fishing there by Blackstone Farm, which are private fishing waters.
“We were just setting up and it was around 6.10am. I was just looking at the pegs in the water and looking at the ripple in the water.
“I saw a head bobbing down the river. It was like something out of a horror film.
“I said ‘oh my god dad’ and immediately stripped off. I waited for her to float by me.
“She was just trying to keep her head above the water.
“I thought she was going to go under. When I first saw her she was 20 metres up the river and she was in the middle so about 20 metres from the bank.
“As soon as I saw her coming I dived in in just my boxer shorts. She was right in the middle of the river.
“From there I got her and just pulled her in. My old man went to get a rope.
“She couldn’t stand up and was like a dead weight. We couldn’t get her out.”
One Steve had got the woman away from immediate danger he then had a wait before she could get to dry land.
He said: “My dad passed me the phone and I rang 999. They told me how to keep her conscious.
“She was talking to me but I couldn’t get any sense out of her.
“Luckily the river isn’t that cold at all. I have been to Devon recently and the river there is colder.
“My dad was backwards and forwards to help the emergency services.
“The police officers arrived first.
“I was in the water with the woman for around 30 minutes from around 6.10am to 6.40am
“It took four or five fireman to get her out of the water. And then the paramedics did all the checks.
“The police and fire brigade told me if I hadn’t got to her, she’d be dead.
“I was taken to hospital too as with all the adrenaline I started to gag.”
After a trip to Worcestershire Royal Hospital Steve returned to the same fishing spot with his dad Dave, 61, and while relaying the story he said: “I have just caught a perch.
“I have fished the River Severn but never there before. My dad has been fishing all of his life knows all the pegs and we just fancied it.
“The woman was the biggest thing I will catch today.
“I don’t feel like I have done anything heroic.
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“I am hoping someone would do the same for me if I ever fell in as a fisherman. And I hope the woman recovers.
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: ““We were called at 6:29am to reports of a patient in the water at Blackstone Farm on Stourport Road in Bewdley.
“The WMAS Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended, along with two ambulances and two paramedic officers.
“On arrival, crews found a woman in the water, with a man attempting to rescue her from land.
“Staff worked quickly to get the patient out of the water and into an ambulance and assessed.
“She was then taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further treatment. The man who was also at the scene was assessed and taken to Worcestershire Royal too.”
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service sent two crews from Wyre Forest, including the water rescue team and the Water First Responders from Wyre Forest, along with a rescue vehicle - a boat - from Worcester to Blackstone Farm.
A spokesman said: “We rescued a casualty in her 50s from the water who was assessed by paramedics on the river bank.”


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Wolves identify £62m Lucas Ocampos as Traore replacement - report

Wolves have identified Sevilla ’ s Lucas Ocampos as a replacement for Adama Traore , according to reports .
Sky @ @ @ @ @ for the man who ended their Europa League dreams if they decide to cash in @ @ @ @ @ linked with Liverpool , Manchester City and a return to Barcelona .
Ocampos has four @ @ @ @ @ he signed when he joined Sevilla from Marseille in 2019 .
The winger has had @ @ @ @ @ Spanish football , scoring not only the header which dumped Wolves out at the quarter @ @ @ @ @ goals in all competitions , whilst also providing five assists .
Sky Sports claim the @ @ @ @ @ clause in his deal but speculate that Sevilla would be prepared to sell him for @ @ @ @ @ add that Wolves will only make such a bold move if they sell a key @ @ @ @ @ reckon several other elite clubs are interested in signing the Argentine who has also played @ @ @ @ @ River Plate .

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Wolves have identified Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos as a replacement for Adama Traore, according to reports.
Sky Sports claim Wolves could move for the man who ended their Europa League dreams if they decide to cash in on Traore who has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and a return to Barcelona.
Ocampos has four years left on the contract he signed when he joined Sevilla from Marseille in 2019.
The winger has had a sensational first season in Spanish football, scoring not only the header which dumped Wolves out at the quarter final stage but 16 other goals in all competitions, whilst also providing five assists.
Sky Sports claim the 26-year-old has a £62million release clause in his deal but speculate that Sevilla would be prepared to sell him for around £40m.
But they add that Wolves will only make such a bold move if they sell a key asset first.
They also reckon several other elite clubs are interested in signing the Argentine who has also played for Monaco, Milan and River Plate.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Where is and isn't included in Birmingham's new coronavirus restrictions

Birmingham has been hit with new restrictions and rules with regards to the ongoing coronavirus crisis today .
On Friday , a string of new measures - which council leader Ian Ward stressed were `` advisory '' and `` voluntary '' - were unveiled .
Among these was limits on households gathering , and new face mask rules for taxi passengers and cab drivers to boot .
Ian Ward announced the measures would apply to Birmingham city `` itself '' during a regional briefing on Friday .
The comments and confirmation came after a day of speculation , with Brum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid fears over the city 's rising Covid rate .
The city has 30 cases per 100,000 people - but the measures do not apply to the wider West Midlands .
Solihull , for instance , is not affected .
Sandwell has remained on the watch list , too , but the restrictions have not been introduced for the borough either .
The borough has seen a flurry of outbreaks for a month , mostly centred on workplaces .
It is on the watch list as an “ area of concern ” - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests the Government remain happy that the local public health team have the issue under control .
The borough has a coronavirus infection rate of 28.4 per 100,000 of the population .
The borough has just issued an urgent reminder .
They say : `` Due to high numbers of Covid-19 cases , everyone in Sandwell is asked to follow this advice to avoid a local lockdown . ''
The council can offer free , tailored risk assessments which can help a business improve its infection control .
Social distancing , face coverings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with symptoms are all crucial .

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (James Rodger, Jane Haynes)

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Birmingham has been hit with new restrictions and rules with regards to the ongoing coronavirus crisis today.
On Friday, a string of new measures - which council leader Ian Ward stressed were "advisory" and "voluntary" - were unveiled.
Among these was limits on households gathering, and new face mask rules for taxi passengers and cab drivers to boot.
Ian Ward announced the measures would apply to Birmingham city "itself" during a regional briefing on Friday.
The comments and confirmation came after a day of speculation, with Brum joining the coronavirus "watch list" amid fears over the city's rising Covid rate.
The city has 30 cases per 100,000 people - but the measures do not apply to the wider West Midlands.
Solihull, for instance, is not affected.
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Sandwell has remained on the watch list, too, but the restrictions have not been introduced for the borough either.
The borough has seen a flurry of outbreaks for a month, mostly centred on workplaces.
It is on the watch list as an “area of concern” - a category lower than Birmingham, and suggests the Government remain happy that the local public health team have the issue under control.
The borough has a coronavirus infection rate of 28.4 per 100,000 of the population.
Clusters of cases remain stubbornly focused around Smethwick.
The borough has just issued an urgent reminder.
They say: "Due to high numbers of Covid-19 cases, everyone in Sandwell is asked to follow this advice to avoid a local lockdown."
The council can offer free, tailored risk assessments which can help a business improve its infection control.
Social distancing, face coverings and not having anyone in the workplace with symptoms are all crucial.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--'It's like a dictatorship' - fury over Lozells traffic plan

Birmingham City Council is acting 'like a dictatorship ' with its plans to introduce a Low Traffic Neighbourhood ( LTN ) in Lozells , a local resident has claimed .
And he has urged people to sign a petition against the plans , calling for a full public consultation before they are implemented .
Last month the council announced plans to introduce traffic restrictions along thirteen streets off the main road through Lozells , as part of a six-month experiment to try to reduce traffic and pollution and make the area more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists .
Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divided into four LTN 'cells ' , with many roads seeing access restrictions imposed and several through-routes closed to make way for 'one-way circulars ' .
The council say that the 'emergency nature ' of the situation means they have had to work quickly to secure government funding for the scheme , with the changes due to be implemented before the end of August .
However several local figures have already spoken out against the plans , with MP Khalid Mahmood stating that the closing off of certain roads would 'divide ' communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 48 , has attempted to take the matter into his own hands by starting a petition against the proposals .
`` Sometimes when things are not seen people don ’ t stand up .
Because what happened with the A34 Sprint bus is similar to this - there ’ s no consultation at all .
`` Now because this is on a lot of people ’ s doorsteps , they ’ ve suddenly woken up and said ‘ hold on , we ’ ve not heard about this , but this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the petition going .
`` It ’ s the lack of consultation that is the main issue - this is supposed to be an emergency transport budget from national government to help with Covid measures .
So you would think that Cllr Waseem Zaffar would go to the BAME community , which is the majority in Lozells , speak to them and say ‘ how do we implement this plan so that it ’ s fair on everyone ?
’ '' At the moment the plan is pushing the traffic onto main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main roads ?
Houses and schools .
That doesn ’ t make sense , because you ’ re just displacing pollution - just because you ’ re cleaning up the middle of Lozells that does n't mean that the rest of it ’ s going to be clean .
`` My road may be clean , I do n't know , but it ’ s not going to make me any happier knowing that someone on the other side of Lozells is getting polluted with more traffic .
`` There 's been no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that , being somebody from the BAME community himself , Cllr Zaffar would look at the impact on the BAME community and the poor and the vulnerable - but there is no equality impact assessment that I can see .
And at the moment it ’ s just being enforced on us .
`` A lot of people in Lozells do n't know much about anything when it comes to this type of thing .
They just think that if the council has done it then we can ’ t say anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to wake up and say ‘ yes we can make a change , yes we can ’ , because these are our elected officials and they need to be coming to us and having a proper consultation .
`` There are big enough churches in Lozells to hold a proper consultation safely .
Some hold over a thousand people , you can properly social distance , and you could probably have ten sessions where people come in , social distance , have their views and express them in public .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even if I disagree with them , I will be happy to go ahead with them because at least that is democracy .
But at the moment it ’ s just like a dictatorship . ''
An ongoing consultation has been made available online by the council to garner the views of residents , with nearly 200 people submitting their thoughts on the plans so far .
And , speaking in an interview earlier this week , Cllr Zaffar said that the proposals were being put forward to reduce the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area should be dominated by people , not cars .
You can see the petition here : https : //bit.ly/31eVxQO

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Birmingham City Council is acting 'like a dictatorship' with its plans to introduce a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in Lozells, a local resident has claimed.
And he has urged people to sign a petition against the plans, calling for a full public consultation before they are implemented.
Last month the council announced plans to introduce traffic restrictions along thirteen streets off the main road through Lozells, as part of a six-month experiment to try to reduce traffic and pollution and make the area more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.
(Image: Darren Quinton / Birmingham Live)
Under the plans, the Lozells area will be divided into four LTN 'cells', with many roads seeing access restrictions imposed and several through-routes closed to make way for 'one-way circulars'.
The council say that the 'emergency nature' of the situation means they have had to work quickly to secure government funding for the scheme, with the changes due to be implemented before the end of August.
However several local figures have already spoken out against the plans, with MP Khalid Mahmood stating that the closing off of certain roads would 'divide' communities.
And now local resident Asaf Khan, 48, has attempted to take the matter into his own hands by starting a petition against the proposals.
"Sometimes when things are not seen people don’t stand up. Because what happened with the A34 Sprint bus is similar to this - there’s no consultation at all.
"Now because this is on a lot of people’s doorsteps, they’ve suddenly woken up and said ‘hold on, we’ve not heard about this, but this is going to affect us.’ So we got the petition going.
"It’s the lack of consultation that is the main issue - this is supposed to be an emergency transport budget from national government to help with Covid measures. So you would think that Cllr Waseem Zaffar would go to the BAME community, which is the majority in Lozells, speak to them and say ‘how do we implement this plan so that it’s fair on everyone?’
(Image: Darren Quinton / Birmingham Live)
"At the moment the plan is pushing the traffic onto main roads, and what are on the main roads? Houses and schools. That doesn’t make sense, because you’re just displacing pollution - just because you’re cleaning up the middle of Lozells that doesn't mean that the rest of it’s going to be clean.
"My road may be clean, I don't know, but it’s not going to make me any happier knowing that someone on the other side of Lozells is getting polluted with more traffic.
"There's been no equality impact assessment either - you would think that, being somebody from the BAME community himself, Cllr Zaffar would look at the impact on the BAME community and the poor and the vulnerable - but there is no equality impact assessment that I can see. And at the moment it’s just being enforced on us.
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"A lot of people in Lozells don't know much about anything when it comes to this type of thing. They just think that if the council has done it then we can’t say anything. And now I think people are starting to wake up and say ‘yes we can make a change, yes we can’, because these are our elected officials and they need to be coming to us and having a proper consultation.
"There are big enough churches in Lozells to hold a proper consultation safely. Some hold over a thousand people, you can properly social distance, and you could probably have ten sessions where people come in, social distance, have their views and express them in public.
"And then if the wider community want it, even if I disagree with them, I will be happy to go ahead with them because at least that is democracy. But at the moment it’s just like a dictatorship."
An ongoing consultation has been made available online by the council to garner the views of residents, with nearly 200 people submitting their thoughts on the plans so far.
And, speaking in an interview earlier this week, Cllr Zaffar said that the proposals were being put forward to reduce the number of car journeys,, adding that the area should be dominated by people, not cars.
You can see the petition here: https://bit.ly/31eVxQO


birminghammail--2020-08-21--When does Aston Villa's 20/21 away shirt go on sale?

Aston Villa have revealed their new away kit and you wo n't have to wait long at all to get their 20/21 away shirt into your hands .
The black shirt features claret & blue detailing along with new sponsor Cazoo .
The shorts and socks follow the same profile , featuring light blue details .
Sign up for our Villa newsletter with your email in the box at the top of the page or click here The shirt will be available to buy in-person at Villa 's club shop tomorrow August 22 at 9am in the morning .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from the Villa store webpage here .
There are two versions available in men 's sizes - including a standard 'stadium fit ' and a skin-tight Pro version that replicates the on-field gear worn by Villa players .
The Pro shirt is currently on sale for £90 while the regular fit stadium shirt is available for £57 .
There are also women 's , juniors and infant fits available alongside the two versions of the men 's shirt .
As Kappa use a leaner fit in their shirts , usually you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the stadium shirt , and two for the Pro shirt .
It is worth trying on the shirts before you buy , though .

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Aston Villa have revealed their new away kit and you won't have to wait long at all to get their 20/21 away shirt into your hands.
The black shirt features claret & blue detailing along with new sponsor Cazoo. The shorts and socks follow the same profile, featuring light blue details.
Sign up for our Villa newsletter with your email in the box at the top of the page or click here
The shirt will be available to buy in-person at Villa's club shop tomorrow August 22 at 9am in the morning.
It's also available online, right now, from the Villa store webpage here.
There are two versions available in men's sizes - including a standard 'stadium fit' and a skin-tight Pro version that replicates the on-field gear worn by Villa players.
The Pro shirt is currently on sale for £90 while the regular fit stadium shirt is available for £57.
There are also women's, juniors and infant fits available alongside the two versions of the men's shirt.
As Kappa use a leaner fit in their shirts, usually you will need to size up a single size for the stadium shirt, and two for the Pro shirt. It is worth trying on the shirts before you buy, though.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--New Birmingham coronavirus restrictions 'voluntary' - what does that mean?

The new coronavirus restrictions and regulations introduced by the council leader on Friday are `` voluntary '' and `` advisory '' , he confirmed .
Naturally , BirminghamLive readers have flocked to social media to ask : what does that mean , then ?
The measures are VOLUNTARY and advisory and `` only apply in Birmingham city '' , according to Ian Ward , Birmingham City Council leader .
`` But everyone is urged to follow the new guidance to ensure the city can stay on top of coronavirus , '' he added .
Mr Ward also reminded the hospitality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged customers : “ If they do not ask you for your details then take your business somewhere else - they are placing you at greater risk.
” He also said the city is continuing to lobby government to support people who are ill or need to self isolate who would face financial hardship to do so .
Cllr Ward said in a statement : `` As we have previously said , this announcement was expected following rising coronavirus case numbers here in Birmingham .
`` We are working with our partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape plans and secure the resources such as extra testing that we need that will get the infection rate down .
`` We will make announcements as soon as possible about what this means for the people of the city .
`` If our previous warnings to keep doing the basics have n't been enough , this has to be the wake-up call for everyone .
`` Wash your hands , wear face coverings wherever possible , keep 2m apart from others and get tested if you have Covid-19 symptoms . ''
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases between August 9 and 12 , when the infection rate rose to 32.4 cases per 100,000 of the population .
It has now dropped back to below 30 .

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The new coronavirus restrictions and regulations introduced by the council leader on Friday are "voluntary" and "advisory", he confirmed.
Naturally, BirminghamLive readers have flocked to social media to ask: what does that mean, then?
The measures are VOLUNTARY and advisory and "only apply in Birmingham city", according to Ian Ward, Birmingham City Council leader.
"But everyone is urged to follow the new guidance to ensure the city can stay on top of coronavirus," he added.
Mr Ward also reminded the hospitality sector to take details of every customer and urged customers: “If they do not ask you for your details then take your business somewhere else - they are placing you at greater risk.”
He also said the city is continuing to lobby government to support people who are ill or need to self isolate who would face financial hardship to do so.
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Cllr Ward said in a statement: "As we have previously said, this announcement was expected following rising coronavirus case numbers here in Birmingham.
"We are working with our partners locally and at a government level to shape plans and secure the resources such as extra testing that we need that will get the infection rate down.
"We will make announcements as soon as possible about what this means for the people of the city.
"If our previous warnings to keep doing the basics haven't been enough, this has to be the wake-up call for everyone.
"Wash your hands, wear face coverings wherever possible, keep 2m apart from others and get tested if you have Covid-19 symptoms."
Mr Ward said there was a peak of cases between August 9 and 12, when the infection rate rose to 32.4 cases per 100,000 of the population. It has now dropped back to below 30.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Tamworth FC handed double sponsorship boost

Andy Farrington says he couldn ’ t walk away from sponsoring the Lambs as the club works hard to recover from the pandemic .
Bradley Scott Windows has again shown its commitment to the local community and support of the town ’ s lead club after agreeing a deal to be the main sponsor of the Lambs new kit .
Andy ’ s company have been headline sponsors , VIP members and valued supporters for many years .
Andy said : “ It ’ s about giving back and I ’ m doing this to help the club as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to see this club win the division .
Last year was a massive disappointment .
I , personally , was absolutely gutted because I ’ m convinced we would have won the league .
“ But we all have to brush ourselves down and hopefully the club can achieve its ambition next season .
“ I had thought about walking away from being a main sponsor but I think seeing the work Bob ( Andrews ) and Steve ( Lathbury ) have done this summer actually gave me a bit of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of it .
“ I think what Bob and Steve have done deserves a lot of credit .
“ They have not waited to see how things pan out .
They have gone straight out and said ‘ bang ’ we will do this and that .
“ They have shown ambition and that gives me a boost .
“ I ’ ve been successful in business and I want to be a part of success here next season .
For me , success breeds success .
“ The pandemic will hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly don ’ t want it to beat us .
The club has spoken about unfinished business and I want to see us get that title next season.
” Tamworth general manager Rich Wassall said the club were delighted to be working with Bradley Scott Windows again as well as new sponsors BE Recruitment .
He said : “ We would like to say a huge thank you to both Bradley Scott Windows and BE Recruitment for their support and sponsorship for the 2020-21 season .
“ It is always fantastic to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more so during what are obviously difficult and challenging times.
” BE Recruitment ’ s MD Stuart Biggs says he ’ s proud to be affiliated with Tamworth FC – and says it ’ s fantastic to be able to put something back into the local community .
Stuart , 38 , and business partner Mike Eardley , have agreed a two-year deal to become the Lambs ’ new headline partner , sponsoring Tamworth FC ’ s women and the girls ’ academy , while also having their name on the back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shorts .
Stuart said the move was very much part of the growing company ’ s ethos of supporting the town .
They are already working closely with St Giles Hospice and have affiliations with junior football teams .
“ We like to give something back , ” said Stuart .
“ The main thing with this is that we are very community focused .
“ We are affiliated with St Giles and are looking to do a lot with them moving forward and we are sponsoring seven teams already on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolehall Swifts Veterans at the moment and I am sponsoring those lads .
“ For the smaller teams , it ’ s all about trying to give a bit back to the local community .
“ We try to do things in the right way.
” BE Recruitment is now two years old , having started in 2018 at a unit on Lichfield Road Industrial Estate .
They moved into premises in Manor Court , Lichfield Street in December 2019 and Stuart and Mike have built up the business over the last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former QEMS student , says he ’ s delighted to have agreed a deal to work with Tamworth , moving forward .
“ I have known Scott Rickards for more than 30 years through the football scene , ” he said .
“ We started doing a few one-to-ones back in May , conversations developed and spoke about how we could support the club .
“ We are now working towards a two-year deal supporting Tamworth .
“ Football has always been a big thing , a massive part of my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partnership and , as a Tamworth lad , I felt I wanted to put something back into helping my home-town club .
”

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Andy Farrington says he couldn’t walk away from sponsoring the Lambs as the club works hard to recover from the pandemic.
Bradley Scott Windows has again shown its commitment to the local community and support of the town’s lead club after agreeing a deal to be the main sponsor of the Lambs new kit.
Andy’s company have been headline sponsors, VIP members and valued supporters for many years.
Andy said: “It’s about giving back and I’m doing this to help the club as much as I can.
“I really want to see this club win the division. Last year was a massive disappointment. I, personally, was absolutely gutted because I’m convinced we would have won the league.
“But we all have to brush ourselves down and hopefully the club can achieve its ambition next season.
“I had thought about walking away from being a main sponsor but I think seeing the work Bob (Andrews) and Steve (Lathbury) have done this summer actually gave me a bit of a push. I want to be a part of it.
“I think what Bob and Steve have done deserves a lot of credit.
“They have not waited to see how things pan out. They have gone straight out and said ‘bang’ we will do this and that.
“They have shown ambition and that gives me a boost.
(Image: David Brown)
“I’ve been successful in business and I want to be a part of success here next season. For me, success breeds success.
“The pandemic will hit a lot of clubs hard and I certainly don’t want it to beat us. The club has spoken about unfinished business and I want to see us get that title next season.”
Tamworth general manager Rich Wassall said the club were delighted to be working with Bradley Scott Windows again as well as new sponsors BE Recruitment.
He said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to both Bradley Scott Windows and BE Recruitment for their support and sponsorship for the 2020-21 season.
“It is always fantastic to have the support of local businesses and even more so during what are obviously difficult and challenging times.”
BE Recruitment’s MD Stuart Biggs says he’s proud to be affiliated with Tamworth FC – and says it’s fantastic to be able to put something back into the local community.
Stuart, 38, and business partner Mike Eardley, have agreed a two-year deal to become the Lambs’ new headline partner, sponsoring Tamworth FC’s women and the girls’ academy, while also having their name on the back of the men’s first-team home shirt and shorts.
Stuart said the move was very much part of the growing company’s ethos of supporting the town.
They are already working closely with St Giles Hospice and have affiliations with junior football teams.
“We like to give something back,” said Stuart. “The main thing with this is that we are very community focused.
“We are affiliated with St Giles and are looking to do a lot with them moving forward and we are sponsoring seven teams already on a smaller level.
“I play for Bolehall Swifts Veterans at the moment and I am sponsoring those lads.
“We also support Dosthill Colts, Rushall under-14s and Bolehall under-14s.
“For the smaller teams, it’s all about trying to give a bit back to the local community.
“We try to do things in the right way.”
BE Recruitment is now two years old, having started in 2018 at a unit on Lichfield Road Industrial Estate.
They moved into premises in Manor Court, Lichfield Street in December 2019 and Stuart and Mike have built up the business over the last year.
Stuart, originally from Polesworth and a former QEMS student, says he’s delighted to have agreed a deal to work with Tamworth, moving forward.
“I have known Scott Rickards for more than 30 years through the football scene,” he said. “We started doing a few one-to-ones back in May, conversations developed and spoke about how we could support the club.
“We are now working towards a two-year deal supporting Tamworth.
“Football has always been a big thing, a massive part of my life. So this feels like a good partnership and, as a Tamworth lad, I felt I wanted to put something back into helping my home-town club.”


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Former Tory campaign manager sentenced for online child sex abuse

A former campaign manager for the Conservative Party was today sentenced for online child sexual abuse offences .
Mark Lerigo , 49 , was caught after a National Crime Agency ( NCA ) investigation which discovered he had more than 1,000 indecent pictures of children and more than 250 images of extreme pornography - some involving animals .
At Warwick Crown Court on Friday , August 21 , he was sentenced to 24 months in jail , suspended for two years .
He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work , be on a night-time electronic curfew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual harm prevention order for ten years and also put on the sex offenders ' register for ten years .
Lerigo , from Coventry , pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children , three counts of making indecent image , one charge of possessing extreme pornography involving animals , one charge of possessing prohibited images of children , and one count of publishing an obscene article .
He was arrested in November 2018 when NCA officers found a WhatsApp chat with another offender discussing the sexual abuse of children .
They discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 1,005 illegal images .
These included 146 category A ( the most serious ) abuse pictures of children , and 258 images of extreme pornography .
He also had a laptop which contained evidence of a total of 414 illegal images – including 59 category A images .
Lerigo was the former Tory regional press officer for the Midlands and had been campaign manager for the party during the 2017 General Election and for the Britain Stronger in Europe group during the EU referendum .
He was suspended by the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Lerigo 's court appearance , Graham Ellis , NCA operations manager , said : “ Offenders who view indecent images are fuelling more and more sexual abuse of children .
Every time an abuse image is shared or viewed the child is re-victimised .
“ Child sexual abuse is a priority threat for the NCA and it doesn ’ t matter what walk of life an offender is from , we will do everything in our power to catch them.
” The NCA is responsible for developing the threat assessment for child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK and orchestrating the response to it .
As well as conducting its own investigations , the NCA is responsible for developing intelligence around cases and sharing them with policing partners for individual forces to investigate .
Between the start of the coronavirus lockdown on 23 March and 19 July , the NCA developed and disseminated 5,707 online CSA packages to UK policing .
During this time the agency arrested 62 CSA offenders and safeguarded or protected 147 children .
At the start of lockdown the NCA launched its # OnlineSafetyAtHome campaign in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach those most at risk .
Resources aimed at parents , carers and children have now been downloaded nearly 450,000 times .

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A former campaign manager for the Conservative Party was today sentenced for online child sexual abuse offences.
Mark Lerigo, 49, was caught after a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation which discovered he had more than 1,000 indecent pictures of children and more than 250 images of extreme pornography - some involving animals.
At Warwick Crown Court on Friday, August 21, he was sentenced to 24 months in jail, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work, be on a night-time electronic curfew for four months, and given a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and also put on the sex offenders' register for ten years.
(Image: Tristan Potter / SWNS)
Lerigo, from Coventry, pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent image, one charge of possessing extreme pornography involving animals, one charge of possessing prohibited images of children, and one count of publishing an obscene article.
He was arrested in November 2018 when NCA officers found a WhatsApp chat with another offender discussing the sexual abuse of children.
They discovered Lerigo had an iPad which contained a total of 1,005 illegal images. These included 146 category A (the most serious) abuse pictures of children, and 258 images of extreme pornography. He also had a laptop which contained evidence of a total of 414 illegal images – including 59 category A images.
Lerigo was the former Tory regional press officer for the Midlands and had been campaign manager for the party during the 2017 General Election and for the Britain Stronger in Europe group during the EU referendum. He was suspended by the party after allegations came to light.
Speaking after Lerigo's court appearance, Graham Ellis, NCA operations manager, said: “Offenders who view indecent images are fuelling more and more sexual abuse of children. Every time an abuse image is shared or viewed the child is re-victimised.
“Child sexual abuse is a priority threat for the NCA and it doesn’t matter what walk of life an offender is from, we will do everything in our power to catch them.”
The NCA is responsible for developing the threat assessment for child sexual abuse (CSA) in the UK and orchestrating the response to it.
As well as conducting its own investigations, the NCA is responsible for developing intelligence around cases and sharing them with policing partners for individual forces to investigate.
Between the start of the coronavirus lockdown on 23 March and 19 July, the NCA developed and disseminated 5,707 online CSA packages to UK policing.
During this time the agency arrested 62 CSA offenders and safeguarded or protected 147 children.
At the start of lockdown the NCA launched its #OnlineSafetyAtHome campaign in response to the threat from CSA, to reach those most at risk. Resources aimed at parents, carers and children have now been downloaded nearly 450,000 times.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--Birmingham bar has licence suspended over coronavirus safety breaches

A Hockley bar has had its licence suspended by police due to repeated coronavirus violations , with one officer claiming it was the 'worst premises ' he 's dealt with during the pandemic .
On Wednesday the council took the decision to suspend the licence of PBs on Key Hill after what police described as several breaches of coronavirus guidelines .
In documents from the meeting officers describe making several visits to the bar in early August , where they observed people 'dancing on a raised platform and other customers standing around inside the premises ' .
Back in June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bars , which included that people should be seated at all times and that music should not be played too loudly - another guideline which officers say the bar was not adhering too .
In another visit on August 15 one officer stated that , when he arrived , there were 'around 30 persons inside all standing and around half that number outside with no social distancing taking place in the premises . '
Police say they had conversations with the licence holder 'on at least 7 occasions ' about Covid-safe practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via email on how best to adhere to the guidelines .
However they say that their suggestions were not implemented , with Sgt Guiss , the licensing officer for Birmingham , stating : “ We ’ ve done an awful lot to try and actually remedy these problems .
The police ’ s approach is basically what we call 4E , which are educate , explain , encourage , and then we eventually have to go to enforce .
`` And unfortunately this is the worst premises I ’ ve been dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premises shows no actual engagement in the whole Covid process , and having visited the premises on a number of occasions I ’ m genuinely concerned for the health and safety of the clientele as well as myself and my officers who are dealing with this situation . ''
Speaking at the meeting , licence holder Nickeshia Reid-Davidson insisted she had added more seating to make the bar Covid safe , insisting that she had no prior knowledge of the need for people to be seated .
However the committee decided that Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not only did they decide to suspend the licence but they have also moved to remove Ms Reid-Davidson as the Designated Premises Supervisor , stating in their decision : `` The Sub-Committee agreed with the police that the causes of the serious crime appeared to originate from unsatisfactory internal management procedures at the premises .
`` The sub-committee was not impressed with the licence holder ’ s representations , or her answers to questions .
All in all , the sub-committee considered her to have failed to take her responsibilities seriously .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both necessary and reasonable to impose the interim step of suspension to address the immediate problems with the premises . ''
A full review of the premise licence will now take place within 28 days .

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A Hockley bar has had its licence suspended by police due to repeated coronavirus violations, with one officer claiming it was the 'worst premises' he's dealt with during the pandemic.
On Wednesday the council took the decision to suspend the licence of PBs on Key Hill after what police described as several breaches of coronavirus guidelines.
In documents from the meeting officers describe making several visits to the bar in early August, where they observed people 'dancing on a raised platform and other customers standing around inside the premises'.
Back in June the government issued guidelines around the reopening of bars, which included that people should be seated at all times and that music should not be played too loudly - another guideline which officers say the bar was not adhering too.
In another visit on August 15 one officer stated that, when he arrived, there were 'around 30 persons inside all standing and around half that number outside with no social distancing taking place in the premises.'
Police say they had conversations with the licence holder 'on at least 7 occasions' about Covid-safe practices, adding that they had provided information via email on how best to adhere to the guidelines.
However they say that their suggestions were not implemented, with Sgt Guiss, the licensing officer for Birmingham, stating: “We’ve done an awful lot to try and actually remedy these problems. The police’s approach is basically what we call 4E, which are educate, explain, encourage, and then we eventually have to go to enforce.
"And unfortunately this is the worst premises I’ve been dealing with in Birmingham in all honesty. The premises shows no actual engagement in the whole Covid process, and having visited the premises on a number of occasions I’m genuinely concerned for the health and safety of the clientele as well as myself and my officers who are dealing with this situation."
Speaking at the meeting, licence holder Nickeshia Reid-Davidson insisted she had added more seating to make the bar Covid safe, insisting that she had no prior knowledge of the need for people to be seated.
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However the committee decided that Ms Reid-Davidson's explanations were not satisfactory. Not only did they decide to suspend the licence but they have also moved to remove Ms Reid-Davidson as the Designated Premises Supervisor, stating in their decision: "The Sub-Committee agreed with the police that the causes of the serious crime appeared to originate from unsatisfactory internal management procedures at the premises.
"The sub-committee was not impressed with the licence holder’s representations, or her answers to questions. All in all, the sub-committee considered her to have failed to take her responsibilities seriously.
"The sub-committee therefore determined that it was both necessary and reasonable to impose the interim step of suspension to address the immediate problems with the premises."
A full review of the premise licence will now take place within 28 days.


birminghammail--2020-08-21--"Talk of the town" - delicious new burger shack opens near Tamworth

A new burger shack offering tasty treats has been `` talk of the town '' since opening this week .
Banging Burgers opened its doors at the Foster ’ s Yard in Polesworth on Tuesday , serving food from 12pm until late .
Favourites include banging chicken and cheese burger , banging onion burger , banging classic burger ( cheese burger with , lettuce , tomato , cheese , pickles , ranch sauce , on brioche bun ) , banging cheese and bacon burger and banging plant burger .
Owner and director Tiger Singh , from Coventry , said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are gradually building up .
`` We are getting many repeat customers as our burgers are talk of the town in addition to offering a new exclusive menu in the Foster 's Yard .
`` We will also be doing weekly specials which is something to look out for .
`` We are currently setting up a fantastic team here whereby we can continue offering a high standard of food , service and quality ingredients that are locally sourced .
`` We are a local start up , with aims that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be looking to branch out to another site in Coventry . ''

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A new burger shack offering tasty treats has been "talk of the town" since opening this week.
Banging Burgers opened its doors at the Foster’s Yard in Polesworth on Tuesday, serving food from 12pm until late.
Favourites include banging chicken and cheese burger, banging onion burger, banging classic burger (cheese burger with, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, ranch sauce, on brioche bun), banging cheese and bacon burger and banging plant burger.
Owner and director Tiger Singh, from Coventry, said: "It has been a steady start, we are gradually building up.
"We are getting many repeat customers as our burgers are talk of the town in addition to offering a new exclusive menu in the Foster's Yard.
"We will also be doing weekly specials which is something to look out for.
"We are currently setting up a fantastic team here whereby we can continue offering a high standard of food, service and quality ingredients that are locally sourced.
"We are a local start up, with aims that are high. Hopefully if successful we will be looking to branch out to another site in Coventry."


birminghammail--2020-08-22--Slaven Bilic sends message to 'crazy' Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa

West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic has explained his 'love ' for Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa .
The pair did battle in the hotly-contested Championship promotion race last season which ended with both Albion and Leeds returning to the Premier League .
The Baggies finished second behind Leeds , who finished the campaign with a 10-point advantage in top spot .
And the close content served only to increase Bilic 's respect for his Elland Road contemporary .
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Google Play Store and App Store He said : `` All the big coaches , the difference between them and others it 's not just talent , it 's even questionable whether it is talent .
They are crazy .
`` When you see [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is physically hurt when they lose a match .
And those kinds of people work harder than other ones .
`` [ Jurgen ] Klopp , Conte , Pep [ Guardiola ] and Bielsa .
That 's just crazy .
You ca n't say ' I will go watch Bielsa do coaching and next year we will be the same ' .
You will not .
You need to be Bielsa . ''
Bilic continued : `` Yes I did [ talk about Bielsa a lot ] .
That 's why I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other coach will write all Bielsa is doing in training etc and we will win .
It does n't go like that .
`` That 's why he is 'El Loco ' .
That 's why I love him the most .
He is a true gentleman .
True gentleman and that 's it .
That respect he gives to others .
And he is Bielsa . ''

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West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic has explained his 'love' for Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
The pair did battle in the hotly-contested Championship promotion race last season which ended with both Albion and Leeds returning to the Premier League.
The Baggies finished second behind Leeds, who finished the campaign with a 10-point advantage in top spot.
And the close content served only to increase Bilic's respect for his Elland Road contemporary.
West Brom daily newsletter. Free. To your inbox Why should you sign up? We'll be bringing you the latest breaking news, transfer gossip and comment pieces in our daily Baggies bulletin, as well as the key talking points for fans. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Just type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit sign up. And that's it, you're all set. You can also sign up by clicking here. And what's more, it's absolutely free! You can also get all the latest West Brom updates by following us on Facebook and Twitter. We also have a free app which you can download via Google Play Store or the App Store. It is always up-to-date with the latest news .
He said: "All the big coaches, the difference between them and others it's not just talent, it's even questionable whether it is talent. They are crazy.
"When you see [Antonio] Conte on TV, he is physically hurt when they lose a match. And those kinds of people work harder than other ones.
"[Jurgen] Klopp, Conte, Pep [Guardiola] and Bielsa. That's just crazy. You can't say 'I will go watch Bielsa do coaching and next year we will be the same'. You will not. You need to be Bielsa."
Bilic continued: "Yes I did [talk about Bielsa a lot]. That's why I am talking about this.
"Now some other coach will write all Bielsa is doing in training etc and we will win. It doesn't go like that.
"That's why he is 'El Loco'. That's why I love him the most. He is a true gentleman. True gentleman and that's it. That respect he gives to others. And he is Bielsa."


birminghammail--2020-08-22--Live updates as city street shut amid major police incident

A major Jewellery Quarter street has been shut for seven hours amid a large-scale police incident .
Hockley Hill Northbound @ @ @ @ @ and the A41 Soho Hill .
Pictures from the area show a cordon in place @ @ @ @ @ officers nearby and a police van parked up outside the Tanina Lounge bar .
The @ @ @ @ @ around 4.50am .
People are being warned to avoid the area , with traffic diverted @ @ @ @ @ This is a breaking news story , we will be bringing you live updates as @ @ @ @

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Charlotte Paxton,  birminghammail.co.uk)

At least four people were stabbed in a massive bust-up involving up to 15 people.
One of those knifed was seriously injured and was in hospital this afternoon.
The violence flared in Great Hampton Street, near Vyse Street, in the Jewellery Quarter at around 4.40am today, Saturday, August 22.
The scene was closed throughout the morning.
One man, aged 24, was arrested on suspicion of wounding and remained in police custody.
Any witnesses should contact police on 101 or via via Live Chat on West Midlands Police's website. Quote log 674 of August 22.