Everton have sacked their manager Sean Dyche “with immediate effect”.
In a statement, the Liverpool-based football club said under-18s head coach and former player Leighton Baines, and club captain Seamus Coleman, “will take charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis”.
The pair will be in the dugout for the FA Cup match against League One side Peterborough on Thursday evening.
It comes just a day after West Ham sacked their head coach Julen Lopetegui and replaced him with former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Image: Everton have won just one game in 11 and are one point above the relegation zone. Pic: Reuters
Everton sit 16th in the Premier League and are just one point above the relegation spaces.
The club did not register a shot on target during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth and have just one win in 11 league games.
Assistants Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer have also left the club, which said the process to appoint a new manager “is under way”.
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Everton were bought by The Friedkin Group in December last year, after the US firm agreed a takeover deal with Farhad Moshiri’s Blue Heaven Holdings in September.
The group, owned by the American tycoon Dan Friedkin, is already a majority owner of the Italian club AS Roma.
Dyche is the sixth Premier League manager to be sacked this season: The first was Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag in October.
Leicester City then sacked Steve Cooper in November, before Wolves dismissed Gary O’Neil on 15 December.
Russell Martin was also let go by Southampton the same day.
It also comes after Luton Town parted ways with Rob Edwards, with the club sitting 20th in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League last season.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio has said he has realised he “took life for granted” but is now thankful just for “being alive”, as he was discharged from hospital after a car crash in early December.
In a heartfelt message on Tuesday evening, he thanked the NHS, the air ambulance, and “everyone from top to bottom at West Ham United FC”.
“Every year around this time, I’m asked what I’m grateful for, and every year I’ve struggled to find the right words,” Antonio said in a post on Instagram, alongside a photo of him on crutches.
“But this year, I know exactly what I’m grateful for: being alive.”
Image: A picture appeared to show Antonio’s damaged car
The 34-year-old Jamaica international needed surgery on a lower limb fracture after a one-car incident outside London on 7 December, and his rehabilitation is expected to take quite some time.
But he promised to be “back on that pitch soon” as he wished everyone a happy new year.
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The striker said he realised he had spent “so many years taking life for granted”.
“I made plans for the next day, the next year, always assuming tomorrow was guaranteed.
“I’ve seen close friends pass away… and even then, I didn’t fully grasp just how precious life is.
“What I’ve been through recently has opened my eyes. Life is fragile, and every single moment matters. I’m so grateful to God for giving me the strength to keep going and for allowing me to still be here.”
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui previously described the outcome of the serious accident as a “miracle.”
In the first match after the crash, West Ham players wore “Antonio 9” shirts before kick-off.
The kit was then signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off, generating almost £60,000 for the NHS and Air Ambulances UK Charity.
“Everyone at the club would like to reiterate their heartfelt thanks to the first responders, emergency services, air ambulance staff and the NHS for the incredible support given to Michail in the wake of the accident,” West Ham said in a statement earlier today.
West Ham United forward Michail Antonio has undergone surgery after a car crash, the club has confirmed.
In a statement, the Hammers said Antonio had been treated for a lower limb fracture after the accident yesterday and “will continue to be monitored in hospital over the coming days”.
“Everyone at the Club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news, as well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery,” the east London club said.
Image: A picture posted online appears to show Antonio’s damaged car
Antonio, 34, was born in London and has made more than 20 appearances for Jamaica’s national team, scoring five goals.
He has been a key player for West Ham in recent seasons.
With 68 goals in the Premier League – England’s top flight – he is the club’s top scorer in the competition, ahead of club legend Paolo Di Canio on 47.
National team head coach Steve McClaren said: “On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery.”
Antonio’s former teammate at Reading, Jobi McAnuff, posted three prayer emojis on Instagram with the words: “Thoughts and prayers to Michail and his family.”
Several clubs also posted their well wishes.
Arsenal said: “Everyone at Arsenal sends their love, support and well wishes to Michail, his family and West Ham United.”
Chelsea said: “The thoughts of everyone at Chelsea FC are with Michail and his family.”
And Liverpool said: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at LFC are with Michail and his family.”
Actor Timothy West has died peacefully in his sleep aged 90, “with his friends and family at the end”.
He was known for many roles in television and the theatre, including popular soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.
Husband to Prunella Scales – who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers – the pair travelled together on UK and overseas canals in the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys.
His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West said in a statement issued by his agent: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.
“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.
“We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”
The couple married in 1963 and had two sons, actor Samuel and Joseph.
West was previously married to actor Jacqueline Boyer from 1956 to 1961, with whom he had a daughter, Juliet.
Image: West with his wife, Prunella Scales. Pic: Geoff Pugh/Shutterstock
Image: West with his wife at a charity dinner in 1998. Pic: PA
In 1984, West was appointed CBE for his services to drama in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
He was the winner of an RTS television award for his lead role in Churchill And The Generals, released in 1979, according to imdb.com.
In his career, he played Winston Churchill three times, including in The Last Bastion (1984) and in Hiroshima (1995).
Image: West with his son Samuel in 1999. Pic: PA
West was also nominated for best actor in the 1976 BAFTAs for his part as Edward VII in the historical drama.
Four years later, he was nominated in the same category for a number of roles, including as best actor in Crime And Punishment.
Image: West (right) in BBC drama, Last Tango In Halifax. Pic: PA
After a small part as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street in 2013, West appeared in 2014 for the first time as Stan Carter in EastEnders.
He also held other popular TV roles, such as in BBC comedy-drama Last Tango In Halifax.
In the long-running BBC comedy, Not Going Out, he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams, played by Sally Bretton.
He was the ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre in comedy-drama Brass, playing the role from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990.
Image: West as King Lear during a 2003 English Touring Theatre production of William Shakespeare’s tragedy. Pic: PA
In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy.
His film roles included Commissioner Berthier in The Day Of The Jackal (1973), King Francis in From Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), and Nazi physician and war criminal Karl Gebhardt in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973).
He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2002 and 2016.
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The actor performed at the Piccadilly Theatre, with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and the West End, portraying many classic roles, including Shylock, Falstaff, and Macbeth.
Prior to acting, West attended the John Lyon School and Bristol Grammar School.
He worked as an office furniture salesman and a recording technician before becoming an assistant stage manager at Wimbledon Theatre in 1956.
The foreign secretary has said the UK and allies will not be “bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding” as the prime minister faces pressure to allow Ukraine to fire British long-range missiles into Russia.
David Lammy told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips the Russian president’s threats to use nuclear weapons if the West sends more weapons to Kyiv are “totally unacceptable”.
The government is facing increasing pressure from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow troops to fire long-range missiles into Russia, however no decision was made following talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden in Washington this week.
Mr Lammy said he could not discuss the details of why a decision has not been made but added: “There’s a debate about further missiles.
Image: Sir Keir Starmer with David Lammy during a visit to the White House this week
“And we are discussing that as allies, as you would expect us to.
“I am not going to discuss the operational detail of that…because I’m not going to assist Putin as we head into the winter.”
He added: “Putin threatens every few months to use nuclear weapons, it’s totally unacceptable.
“We won’t be bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding.
“What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine.”
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He added Sir Keir has pledged £3 billion in aid to Ukraine and provided more missiles when asked, and will continue to support Ukraine.
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Banksy has revealed a new piece of art in west London.
The famous street artist’s latest work features a silhouette of a goat, perched on top of a wall.
It is done in his signature stencil-style and a CCTV camera is nearby, at times pointed at the animal, as rocks fall down below it.
Image: Members of the public look on at the new Banksy artwork. Pic: PA
It is thought the artwork is based near Kew Bridge, in Richmond.
Banksy posted the art on his Instagram – which is how he has previously claimed his work.
This comes around a month after his last piece of art led to the then Home Secretary James Cleverly calling it “trivialising”.
The Bristol artist, whose identity is not known, had an imitation migrant boat crowd surf at Glastonbury in June during performances by indie punk band Idles and rapper Little Simz.
At the time, Mr Cleverly said it was “trivialising” the issue of small boats crossings and “vile”.
But the artist said the politician’s reaction was “a bit over the top”.
Banksy added that the real boat he funded being detained by Italian authorities after rescuing unaccompanied children at sea, was actually what was “vile and unacceptable”.
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Before that, in March, Banksy created a tree mural in north London which saw the wall behind a recently cut tree sprayed green to give the impression of foliage.
Sir Ian McKellen has pulled out of a national tour after falling from a stage in the West End while performing in a play.
The 85-year-old actor was performing in Player Kings earlier this month at the Noel Coward theatre when he fell into the audience.
Image: Pic: PA
The production had been due to go on tour until 27 July but Sir Ian has announced his withdrawal with the “greatest reluctance” to “protect my recovery”.
Shortly after the fall, Sir Ian had confirmed that he would not be returning for the remaining London datesof the show, to give him time to rest.
A statement from the production said: “Following Ian McKellen’s injury during the West End run of Player Kings, his doctors’ advice is to take time off from work in order to fully recover.
“As such, he will not be returning to play Sir John Falstaff in the national tour of Players Kings (3-27 July 2024).
“Ian continues to recuperate very well, but he needs the time to rest and ensure a complete recovery. We continue to send him our best wishes.
“As it was for the final West End performances, the role of Falstaff will now be performed by David Semark, Ian’s brilliant understudy, for all tour dates of Player Kings.”
Sir Ian had been playing Sir John Falstaff – one of Shakespeare’s most famous creations – in the modern reworking of Henry IV, parts one and two.
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The Olivier Award-winning star said in a statement: “Two weeks after my accident onstage, my injuries improve day by day.
“It’s with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime.
“I had been so looking forward to bringing Player Kings to theatre-goers in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.
“But I can assure them that, with David Semark now playing Falstaff, Robert Icke’s production and his acting company remain as dazzling as ever. Go see for yourself!”
Image: An NHS response unit outside the theatre on the day of the fall. Pic: Sky News
Sir Ian lost his footing during a fight scene in the play involving the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy.
The Lord Of The Rings star was heard crying out in pain as staff rushed to help, and the theatre was quickly evacuated.
Sir Ian said he spent three days in hospital following the fall before undergoing “physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home”.
He also thanked well-wishers for their messages of support, as well as the NHS experts who had diagnosed and treated him.
Following its West End run, Player Kings begins a national tour, starting at the Bristol Hippodrome on Wednesday 3 July, before stops in Birmingham, Norwich, and Newcastle.
The parent company of South West Water has insisted it is focused on returning safe water supply to Brixham in Devon as it announced an 8.6% increase in underlying operating profits to £166.3m.
Around 17,000 households in the Brixham area have been told to boil their drinking water since last week following an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis which left hundreds of people ill.
The condition, which can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, is caused by a water-born parasite, and South West Water has said it was most likely triggered by animal faeces entering a damaged pipe.
Pennon Group, the listed company which owns South West Water, Bournemouth Water and Bristol Water, said normal service had been returned to 85% of customers as it announced its annual financial results.
“Whilst the results we are announcing today are based on our performance for the last financial year, we are 100% focused on returning a safe water supply to the people and businesses in and around Brixham,” said Susan Davy, the group chief executive.
“Normal service has returned for 85% of customers, but we won’t stop until the local drinking water is returned to the quality all our customers expect and deserve. Our absolute priority continues to be the health and safety of our customers and our operational teams are working tirelessly around the clock to deliver this.”
The company also revealed it is paying out about £3.5m in compensation to customers affected by the parasite outbreak in Devon.
Read more: People still scared to drink tap water after disease outbreak
‘Robust’ results – but firm defends money for shareholders
Describing financial results which include a 10% increase in revenues to more than £907m as “robust”, Ms Davy said dividend payments to shareholders, increasing by 3.8% to 44.37 pence per share, had been reduced to cover the cost of a £2.4m fine for multiple pollution incidents.
“At a time when media, public and regulatory scrutiny is high, it is important we do what is right for all. In the context of the wider group performance, we have carefully considered Ofwat’s new dividend guidance for water businesses. We have… adjusted the final dividend quantum by £2.4m, equivalent to the South West Water Court fine in 2023/24, signalling we are listening, clearing the way for long-term shareholder value.”
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Pennon Group’s net debt rose by 10% to £5.18bn, a debt ratio of more than 63%, and capital expenditure rose by almost 80% to £642.4m.
Water companies are currently negotiating with regulator Ofwat over their spending and revenue plans for the next five years, and South West Water has proposed a 20% increase in customer bills.
Richard Parker has pulled off a surprise victory in the West Midlands mayoral election.
The Labour candidate unseated Andy Street, winning by just 1,508 votes, to end the Tory’s seven-year term.
Here’s what you need to know about the relatively unknown politician.
Originally from Bristol, Mr Parker’s father was a dock worker and his mother a school secretary.
He left school aged 16 and went straight to work at a local port authority before getting an economics degree.
Mr Parker went to work for PwC in 1989, where he gained his accountancy qualifications and went on to become a partner, managing the accountancy firm’s relationship with the Labour Party.
Mr Parker also worked with council leaders to set up the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2016 before leaving to set up his own company RP Strategy.
The firm works with small and medium-sized companies and social enterprises on initiatives such as green investment, housing and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Image: Liam Bryne with Richard Parker. Pic: Liam Byrne/X
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He has been a Labour Party member for 35 years and was selected as the candidate for West Midlands mayor over Birmingham City councillor Nicky Brennan In April 2023.
In his manifesto, Mr Parker, 60, tells of his “ordinary working-class background” and writes: “I’ve never been a politician before, but I’m not prepared to sit on the sidelines any more. I’ll do politics differently. Things must change.”
His election promises include a plan to create 150,000 jobs and training opportunities across the West Midlands, revitalise high streets and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
He has lived in the West Midlands since 1985 and spent his working life there. His wife works as a lawyer and his son works in manufacturing in the Black Country.
A Birmingham Mail profile of the new mayor says Mr Parker is a Bristol City fan who calls trip-hop band Massive Attack “friends”.
He also told the paper he likes cooking, watching live bands, going to the theatre and meeting friends for a pint or a coffee.
The production is slick, the pundits are sharp and the players are gods.
This is no traditional tournament though. This is professional gaming. Fans are watching the best players in the world playing their favourite game, in an arena, for a cash prize.
Around 15,000 fans from across the world are in Birmingham watching pros go head-to-head (virtually) throughout the week, with many thousands more watching the competition online.
The tournament, ESL One Birmingham, is being held at the Resorts World Arena near the city’s airport.
While many people will have heard of some of the games that are played at big esports events like this, such as Fifa, the game being played this week in Birmingham will be less widely known.
Dota 2 is described to me by one gaming analyst as being ‘kind of like chess’ but with flashing lights and novelty characters.
There are two teams of five players and, before play can begin, a considerable amount of time is spent by the professionals choosing their own characters and trying to stop the other team from choosing characters which might be overly advantageous during the game.
Then, frankly, the rules of the game are lost on me but I’m told it involves a king, queens and trying to destroy the enemy’s (the other team’s) base.
The fans tell me part of the appeal of Dota is how difficult the game is, but ultimately the enjoyment of being a spectator is the same as for sports enthusiasts.
“It’s about the professional aspect of it, similar with football. You can go and play football but it’s nice to see people playing it at a level you could never play at,” says fan Ryan Freeman.
Image: Pic: ESL One Birmingham
I’m here to watch the competition’s semi-final between the UK team, Tundra, and a Saudi Arabian team, Falcons. There aren’t actually any UK players in Tundra and Falcons are an equally international bunch.
Much like in professional athletic sports, esports teams are buying and selling the best players in the world. The pros in Tundra and Falcons are some of the best paid in the industry.
One expert tells me at this level, players can make $10,000 (£8,000) a month, plus tournament winnings and sponsorship deals. The prize pot at this competition is $1m (£800,000) although that is shared between the teams, with the winning team taking $300,000 (£240,000).
Image: Pic: ESL One Birmingham
“I think many people think of the esports team as just five guys who like playing the game at home,” says Alvaro Sanchez Velasco, Product Manager at ESL One Birmingham.
“But the [team] organisations have boot camps, they have schedules that include training regimens, psychological visits. They usually have a team manager and team psychologist, that’s very common these days, as well as a coach and assistant coach.”
Jonas Volek is a Czech professional gamer and although he’s not taking part in this tournament in Birmingham, he’s here to commentate and analyse the games. While I’m interviewing him I see a line of fans developing, they’re clearly waiting for him to finish speaking.
Image: Pic: ESL One Birmingham
When he does, they all ask for selfies.
Mr Volek, 23, played chess as a child, then switched to video games and by 12 years old he was hooked on Dota 2, becoming a professional player by his late teens. Now he competes in tournaments across the world.
“It’s not really a job, it’s more of a lifestyle because it takes so much of my time,” says Mr Volek.
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“When I’m really training, it takes 12 hours a day, and I’m always travelling. There’s no time for anything else.”
I didn’t see any female players on stage in Birmingham, and the audience is dominated by men.
“I do hope one day I’ll see more women up there playing the game in the best teams,” says fan Charlotte Keane.
But there isn’t the charged, often volatile atmosphere that you might find at many sporting events, particularly men’s football.
There is some comic ‘smack talk’ between players from opposing teams, egged on by the hosts for the audience’s enjoyment. But after one player criticises the other player’s hair in mock-serious fashion, one of the hosts decides that’s enough play fighting.
Of course, for the fans, there isn’t the same territorial spirit that comes with supporting a particular football team for instance. Mostly this is about respect for the individual players, who can’t hear any of the cheers or chants from the crowd during the game as they wear noise cancelling headphones so they can focus on winning.
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After about an hour of play, Falcons are victorious, and the fans make their way out of the auditorium to buy hot dogs and fish and chips.
This event feels distinctly less boozy than any sporting competition I’ve ever been to. But, even for an enthusiast, Dota 2 does not seem like the kind of game it would be easy to follow after a few pints.
