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What do Livingston need in transfer window?

What do Livingston need in transfer window?

BBC News3 days ago

The transfer window opened on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.Following play-off promotion, Livingston will certainly be looking to strengthen their squad for their return to the top flight.Is there still an area of the squad that needs improving, or certain players you are desperate for the club to sign? Or maybe holding on to a key player is the biggest priority?And what about sales - who needs to go?Let us know here

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What now for Scotland as Clarke enters final chapter?
What now for Scotland as Clarke enters final chapter?

BBC News

time15 minutes ago

  • BBC News

What now for Scotland as Clarke enters final chapter?

Three hundred and sixty five long days ago, Steve Clarke's Scotland strode out at Hampden Park, their last auf Wiedersehen before they went off to give Germany, Switzerland and Hungary what for at Euro 2024. By the time they finished their farewell on the back of an uninspiring - and at times chaotic - 2-2 draw, those in the stands could probably tell what was about to unfold over the next few weeks. They had seen it all before at the previous Euros. They had bought the T-shirt and the sticker album. A year on, that feeling lingered in the Glasgow air again. Against a bang average Iceland, Clarke's Scotland were meek, weak and bleak. The snarling Scots who bloodied the noses of Spain were nowhere to be seen. No whiff of the streetwise bunch who suckered Croatia and Poland within days of each other last night at Hampden has left more questions than answers. Clarke may have hauled Scotland to two major finals, but there have been some real raw moments of alarm that have brought a dose of reality and gravity to it was the latest one, a sucker right between the eyes. "Don't get cocky boys, remember, you're Scotland, you don't qualify for World Cups. Down you go."Qualification for 2026 global showpiece does not start until September for Scotland, but this was meant to be the first step towards it. Instead, the Tartan Army are entitled to wonder where Clarke's team is going. Slicker only part of horror story It took until an hour after full-time on Friday for the Scotland head coach to emerge to give his view on what had just unfolded. As ever, Clarke remained level in his tone and mood. There was disappointment at a lacklustre start. There was sympathy for clearly confidence-stricken goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, who was plunged into the debut of his nightmares after Angus Gunn's early departure. There was a low-key hope that next time - Liechtenstein on Monday - will be fairness, it could not have been a whole lot worse. Scotland were unimaginative in front of goal and porous in defence against the world's 74th-best team. Slicker - Ipswich Town's back up who has yet to play a league game - will be cursing his sloppy kick out seconds after coming on that led to the opener. He will also no doubt be replaying goals two and three that evaded his to lay all Scotland's failings at the door of a 22-year-old making an unexpected debut would be grossly unfair. This was a Scotland team - containing two Serie A champions, a Coppa Italia final hero, and a Premier League winner among others - who could not conjure enough to overcome an Iceland team who lost 3-1 to Kosovo at home in it was a friendly, but an alarm is going off. Three months ago, the Scots were shellacked 3-0 at home by Greece, halting any sort of momentum built from three wins on the spin. But, in truth, Clarke's side have come up short more often than not in recent times, even if performances have sometimes merited more. Four wins from their last 21 games. Twelve defeats in that time, 22 goals scored and 42 against. Losses at home to Northern Ireland, Finland, Greece and now Iceland. It does not give off the feel of a Scotland team who can just get the job done. Of a team that is moving forward. "If you go back only a very short period of time, Steve Clarke could do no wrong," former Scotland striker Steven Thompson said on BBC Scotland."This is a defeat, at home, to a weaker nation than ourselves and questions will be asked. When you go into proper World Cup qualifying, these performances won't be tolerated." What now for Clarke? Thompson is right about that, but where are Scotland under Clarke?Undoubtedly, the former Kilmarnock and West Bromwich Albion manager has overseen the brightest spell for Scotland in terms of qualification since the 1990s. Two European Championships have been reached, after a hollow feeling was left after both finals, given how much of a whimper the Scots went out on each occasion. The novelty of simply being there had worn off as Germany's fifth goal hit the net in last June's torrid opening game in Munich.A World Cup still eludes Clarke, who has said there is a "75% chance" he will not renew his deal with the Scottish FA after next summer's finals. A quick scan of social media tells you some are clamouring for that to be a 0% chance. And now. But is that rational after a friendly defeat?Clear, logical thinking and a football fan after a bad defeat rarely go hand in hand, but these friendlies are not without meaning or consequence. Scotland now have a cluster of players good enough to compete in a qualifying group containing Denmark, Greece and Belarus. The problem is, would you stick your mortgage on them getting the job done?Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes and former forward James McFadden both spoke post-match about momentum and its importance. Lose in Liechtenstein and Clarke's side are going into their opener in Denmark on the back of three defeats."I think Steve Clarke will admit that it's not good enough," former Scotland defender Willie Miller said."I don't see him changing in any way his support for the players, but you've got to be honest with the fans, with everybody, that that's not acceptable."In reality, it is unlikely anything will happens in Liechtenstein that prevents Clarke from being the man to try to navigate Scotland through a qualifying. Although that opinion might be revised after another defeat. He should have enough credit in the bank, though, and there will be enough desire from him to be the man to get Scotland to a World Cup for the first time since by Clarke's own admission, we are likely entering his final chapter. Friendlies or not, how he handles the coming days - and how his team end this international window - could play a key part in defining his legacy as Scotland is all about momentum. Clarke and Scotland need to find it - and fast.

River Island owners draw up rescue plan for high street chain
River Island owners draw up rescue plan for high street chain

Sky News

time19 minutes ago

  • Sky News

River Island owners draw up rescue plan for high street chain

The family behind River Island, the high street fashion retailer, is drawing up a radical rescue plan which could put significant numbers of stores and jobs at risk. Sky News has learnt that the chain's owners have drafted in advisers from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to devise a formal restructuring plan. The proposals, which are expected to be finalised within weeks, are subject to sign-off, with sources insisting this weekend that any firm decisions about the future of the business have yet to be taken. River Island is one of Britain's best-known clothing chains, operating roughly 230 stores across the country, and employing approximately 5,500 people. Previously named Lewis and Chelsea Girl, the business was founded in 1948 by Bernard Lewis, finally adopting its current brand four decades later. Accounts for River Island Clothing Co for the 52 weeks ending 30 December, 2023 show the company made a £33.2m pre-tax loss. Turnover during the year fell by more than 19% to £578.1m. A restructuring plan is a court-supervised process which enables companies facing financial difficulties to compromise creditors such as landlords in order to avoid insolvency proceedings. In recent years, it has been used by companies including the casual dining chain Prezzo and, more recently, Hobbycraft, the retailer now owned by Modella Capital. One source said that if it proceeded a restructuring plan at River Island could emerge within weeks. This weekend, it was unclear how many stores and jobs might be under threat from a formal rescue deal. In its latest accounts at Companies House, River Island Holdings Limited warned of a multitude of financial and operational risks to its business. "The market for retailing of fashion clothing is fast changing with customer preferences for more diverse, convenient and speedier shopping journeys and with increasing competition especially in the digital space," it said. "The key business risks for the group are the pressures of a highly competitive and changing retail environment combined with increased economic uncertainty. "A number of geopolitical events have resulted in continuing supply chain disruption as well as energy, labour and food price increases, driving inflation and interest rates higher and resulting in weaker disposable income and lower consumer confidence." In January, Sky News reported that River Island had hired AlixPartners, the consulting firm, to undertake work on cost reductions and profit improvement. AlixPartners' role is now understood to have been superseded by that of PwC. Retailers have complained bitterly about the impact of tax changes announced by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, in last autumn's Budget. Since then, a cluster of well-known chains, including Lakeland and The Original Factory Shop, have been forced to seek new owners. Poundland, the discount retail giant, is in the latter stages of an auction process, with Hilco Capital and Gordon Brothers remaining interested in acquiring it.

I've made £10.4k on Vinted & swear by 7 tips to make cash quick – including the magic number of pictures you must upload
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The Sun

time19 minutes ago

  • The Sun

I've made £10.4k on Vinted & swear by 7 tips to make cash quick – including the magic number of pictures you must upload

A SAVVY woman has shared the secrets to her impressive Vinted fortune. So if you've got a loft full of old stuff you never use, or a wardrobe that's bursting at the seams with clothes you never wear, you've come to the right place and will need to take notes. 4 4 4 4 Isabella, a young woman 'on a hustle mission', has made £10,470.65 on Vinted this year alone. Not only this, but she still has the capacity to earn £3,199 extra thanks to the 873 items she currently has listed on the marketplace app. Posting on social media, the mother uploaded a snap showing off a huge pile of her Vinted parcels, as she penned: ' Top tips for selling on Vinted from someone who's made over £10k this year.' First things first, according to Isabella, you shouldn't upload more than seven items a day on the app. She advised: 'Post four to seven items daily. Don't post them all on the same day as they will then become lost.' Secondly, she revealed her top tip for taking the best pictures, as she added: 'Post your items on a plain background, e.g. white bedding or clean carpet.' Additionally, Isabella revealed the exact number of days you should wait before re-listing items. 'If you still haven't sold your item after seven days, delete the item and re-post,' she stressed. Not only this, but Isabella warned against using supermarket bags to send out parcels, as she continued: 'Use actual mailing bags rather than bin bags/Tesco bags. 'This will make you look more professional and your buyer will be more likely to return.' I've made £200 on Vinted in 24 hours - the 9 items that are flipping FAST & the retro product to always pick up But that's not all, as Isabella also advised Vinted enthusiasts to offer bundle discounts, even if it's only 5%, as she acknowledged: 'This will make the buyer want to buy more.' Not only should users take pictures of their items on a white background, but Isabella also stressed the magic number of pictures you must upload to every listing if you want to sell fast. Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted? QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted... The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it. Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017. More information here: She recommended: 'Use natural lighting, good quality images and always show at least three images of the item.' Finally, Isabella noted the importance of raking up five star reviews on the handy app, as she concluded: 'Having good reviews is essential when selling on Vinted. '[It] shows that you are reliable and the items are likely to be as described.' Social media users react The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ isabella.98x, has clearly left many impressed, as numerous users eagerly flocked to the comments to thank Isabella for her handy hacks. One person said: 'Great tips.' Another added: 'Thank you for sharing this helpful tips.' A third commented: 'Super helpful tips. Thanks girlie! Sending love and support to you.' Meanwhile, someone else simply beamed: 'Amazing tips.'

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