Fire at Southend United's former training ground
Crews from six fire stations have tackled a blaze at Southend United's former training ground.Essex Fire and Rescue Service said it broke out at the Boots and Laces ground at about 22:30 BST on Wednesday. A two-storey building at the site on Eastern Avenue has collapsed.The blaze was dampened down early on Thursday and crews have since left the scene. An investigation was due to begin.
The derelict two-storey building on the site, which the Blues vacated last year, was described as being "fully alight" by the fire service.Crews from Southend were joined by colleagues from Rayleigh Weir, Rochford, Hawkwell, Leigh and Shoeburyness.Eastern Avenue was closed for a time overnight.Advice to people living nearby to keep their doors and windows closed has since been lifted.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
The ‘special role' Mikel Arteta played to keep Myles Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal
One of Mikel Arteta's preferred responses to questions about contractual situations at Arsenal is to say they are issues for the club's executives to deal with. 'Those kinds of things are more for Andrea [Berta, the sporting director] and the club to talk about,' the Arsenal manager said in May, for example, when asked about William Saliba's future. The reality behind the scenes, though, can be somewhat different. Arteta is involved in all contractual decisions, and he has also been known to play a special role in negotiations with his players. Telegraph Sport can reveal this was especially true when it came to discussions over a new contract for teenage star Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has now signed a new five-year deal. This is a hugely important moment for Arsenal. Not only because Lewis-Skelly's previous contract would have expired in 2026, but also because of what the 18-year-old represents. An academy star, who first joined the club at the age of eight, and now a fixture of both the first team and the full England side. Lewis-Skelly is Arsenal's future. Discussions over Lewis-Skelly's new contract have been taking place for months, with the situation made more fiddly by the various personnel changes in north London. Talks began when Jason Ayto was serving as interim sporting director, following the departure of Edu last year, and were ongoing when Arsenal appointed Berta in March. Clearly, it is not ideal to be switching from one sporting director to another while the club is in the midst of negotiating a crucial deal for one of their brightest talents. Arsenal had to ensure consistency in their messaging and negotiating, rather than lurching between personalities and strategies, and Arteta played a pivotal role in smoothing that process. Telegraph Sport understands this was also true of James King, Arsenal's director of football operations. King returned to Arsenal in November and, alongside Arteta, was a steady and influential presence throughout talks over Lewis-Skelly's new deal. King was previously general counsel at the Professional Footballers' Association and that experience at the players' union makes him extremely well-placed to understand the concerns and issues that are often raised by players in contract negotiations. Such was King's grasp of proceedings, and such is the strength of Lewis-Skelly's bond with Arsenal, there was actually little need for Berta to become particularly involved in the talks. The timing of the agreement would suggest this is a contract that has been sorted and finalised by the Italian, but the reality is that he was shrewd enough to mostly leave others to it. Was there ever a real danger of Lewis-Skelly going elsewhere? It seems highly unlikely. He is an Arsenal boy, and always has been. But the increasingly perilous nature of his contractual situation did provoke some interest from teams in Europe, who could see a potential opportunity looming on the horizon. The prospect of Lewis-Skelly becoming a free agent next summer was a tantalising one for clubs across the continent. But the potential suitors who made contact were quick to realise that Lewis-Skelly's heart beats only for Arsenal. 'I'm a fan and it's like a dream come true,' he said upon signing his new deal. 'I want a legacy. I want to win everything there is to win in the game. I want to win trophies on the biggest stages whilst being a person that's always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.' From the player's side, the negotiating process was led by Marcia Lewis, his mother. Lewis became a qualified agent, alongside achieving a master's degree in football business, after realising during Lewis-Skelly's youth career that the world of professional football can be extraordinarily tricky to navigate. Lewis-Skelly was only 11, for example, when his mother received a call from an agent who wanted to represent him. Lewis has also launched a community that supports parents of academy players, and during negotiations was (naturally) uniquely positioned to understand the various ambitions and needs of her son. What next for Lewis-Skelly? Well, if last season was about making a breakthrough, then the new campaign will be about further nailing down his place in the Arsenal line-up – and indeed the England team. The 2026 World Cup is not far away, and Lewis-Skelly currently appears to be an extremely strong contender to start at left-back. He has started three of the last four international matches. His summer break has included a trip to Paris, where he this week appeared on the runway at a fashion show. It was another sign of Lewis-Skelly's growing profile and further evidence that his star is rising, on and off the pitch, at remarkable speed.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Like being hit by a cannonball' - who Smith sees as Sunderland's hardest
Throughout Thursday, we have been revealing the players that ex-Sunderland attacker Martin Smith has picked as the Black Cats' all-time toughest the top spot goes to...?Well, in the former player's words: "There can only be one number one" - and that is former captain Kevin Ball."I think some of the hardest players in the country have said that he is the hardest player they have ever played against," Smith explained on BBC Radio Newcastle. "As soon as you mention hard men, it has to be Kevin Ball."I remember Vinnie Jones saying he was the hardest opponent he ever played against. It has been said many times that he trained the way he played, which was horrendous for us fair players!"Unless you have been on the end of one of his tackles, it is hard to describe what it was like. It was like being hit by a cannonball. The force he could tackle with used to just send shivers through you."So here is the final list of Sunderland's top five hard men, according to Smith:Kevin BallJohn KayGary BennettLee HoweyLee CattermoleDo you agree with this list or is there someone else that ought to have been thrown into the mix?Let us know hereListen back to the full discussion on BBC Sounds
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Wimbledon 2025 prize money: How much do players earn round-by-round?
The winners of the singles titles at Wimbledon this year will take home £3million, as the tournament announced a record prize pot for players. Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing a third consecutive men's singles crown at SW19, while Czech player Barbora Krejcikova is the defending champion in the women's singles. Both received £2.7m for winning in 2024, but the singles champions in 2025 will receive a £300,000 increase. The total prize pot has increased from £50m to £53.5m, a 7 per cent jump, while first round losers will receive £66,000 – a 10 per cent increase from last year. Men's and women's singles First round - £66,000 Second round - £99,000 Third round - £152,000 Fourth round - £240,000 Quarter-finals - £400,000 Semi-finals - £775,000 Runner-up - £1.52m Winner - £3m Overall increase from 2024: 8.2% Men's and women's doubles (per pair) First round - £16,500 Second round - £26,000 Third round - £43,750 Quarter-finals - £87,500 Semi-finals - £174,000 Runners-up - £345,000 Winners - £680,000 Overall increase from 2024: 4.4% Mixed doubles (per pair) First round - £4,500 Second round - £9,000 Quarter-finals - £17,500 Semi-finals - £34,000 Runners-up - £68,000 Winners - £135,000 Overall increase from 2024: 4.3% Men's and women's wheelchair singles First round - £10,750 Quarter-finals - £16,250 Semi-finals - £24,000 Runner-up - £36,000 Winner - £68,000 Overall increase from 2024: 5.6% Quad wheelchair singles Quarter-finals - £16,250 Semi-finals - £24,000 Runner-up - £36,000 Winner - £68,000 Overall increase from 2024: 4.8% Men's and women's wheelchair doubles (per pair) Quarter-finals - £5,500 Semi-finals - £9,000 Runners-up - £15,000 Winners - £30,000 Overall increase from 2024: 6.3% Quad wheelchair doubles (per pair) Semi-finals - £9,000 Runners-up - £15,000 Winners - £30,000 Overall increase from 2024: 6.8% How to watch Wimbledon on TV Wimbledon will be shown live on the BBC in the UK, with full coverage of the tournament available to watch on BBC One, BBC Two and across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. TNT Sports will air a daily 90-minute highlights show and will also have live coverage of both singles finals. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch Wimbledon, then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
