Southend schoolgirls delighted to play final at Wembley
A primary school football team have shared their excitement about playing at Wembley Stadium just hours before Southend United.The Bournes Green Junior School side is made up of many young Shrimpers fans due to its location in the Essex city.They will contest a national schools cup final at 13:00 BST, two hours before Blues' National League play-off decider against Oldham Athletic.Captain Flo, 11, said: "I'm quite confident we're going to win, I think we're going to go and smash it."
The side won their semi-final after a gripping penalty shootout.The Year 5 and 6 pupils will now take on AFC Fylde, from Lancashire, at the national stadium.Flo said: "We were so amazed, so excited as we knew we were playing at Wembley."
Fellow player Eleanor added: "It feels incredible that we've got this opportunity."But it's also a bit nerve-wracking, because we know this is our one chance and we need to give it everything we've got."
'Once in a lifetime'
The girls were surprised during the build-up to the game when Southend boss Kevin Maher and skipper Nathan Ralph gatecrashed a school assembly.They presented the young footballers with a commemorative kit and shared some top tips for glory.One of the girls, Micky, said: "It's a once-in-a-lifetime moment and I'm very grateful."Not many people get to go to Wembley and play on the actual pitch."Eliza, whose goalkeeping heroics helped to win the shootout, said she felt a mix of nerves and excitement ahead of the big match."It's really unbelievable that we've got to this stage and we're actually going to play at Wembley," she added.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
34 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Lord Hermer not to blame for ‘lenient' rape sentences, insists Cooper
Lord Hermer is not to blame for a rapist receiving a shorter sentence than Lucy Connolly, Yvette Cooper has insisted. The Home Secretary defended the Attorney General after The Telegraph revealed he declined to review 'unduly lenient' sentences given to a rapist, a paedophile and a terrorist fundraiser despite signing off on the prosecution of Connolly, who was imprisoned for 31 months for a tweet about last year's Southport attacks. Critics have since claimed Lord Hermer thinks 'rape is less serious than Twitter comments' after fresh concerns were raised about his 'appalling judgment'. The three criminals all received softer sentences than Connolly. When asked to look again at their cases, the Attorney General's office opted not to refer the decisions to the Court of Appeal for review. The revelations prompted fresh calls for Lord Hermer to be sacked after it emerged that he personally approved Connolly's prosecution, despite having the constitutional power to prevent it. He did not have any say over her sentence. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, confronted Ms Cooper over the case during Home Office questions in the House of Commons on Monday. He said: 'It emerged yesterday that the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, chose not to refer a man given just 28 months for rape for a longer sentence under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme, which the Attorney General can do. 'Yet, Lucy Connolly got more prison time for a tasteless tweet. Why does Lord Hermer think rape is less serious than Twitter comments? 'This is two-tier justice in action, and doesn't this show Lord Hermer has appalling judgment, and the Prime Minister should fire him?' Ms Cooper initially dodged the question, referring back to Mr Philp's record as policing minister in the last Conservative government. But pushed for an answer by Tory MP Sir Julian Lewis, she said: 'Lord Hermer does not decide sentencing. He has a particular role as the Attorney General that (Sir Julian)… as a very experienced member of this House, will know the way in which the system works.' In England and Wales, members of the public can ask the Attorney General to re-examine a sentence handed down by a Crown Court if they believe it to be 'unduly lenient'. He may then refer the decision to the Court of Appeal, which can keep the sentence the same, increase it or issue guidance for future cases. The criminals whose cases were 'not referred', according to data published by the Government, included Ben Churcher, from Wiltshire, who was given 28 months in prison in January for raping a woman in her home. 'Defies common sense' Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, claimed the findings suggested Lord Hermer considered a 'nasty offensive tweet' to be a more serious offence than rape, paedophilia or terrorism. This was because the Attorney General's office made the decision not to refer those cases to the Court of Appeal after Connolly had been jailed for 31 months, meaning he was supposedly aware of her sentence when he failed to challenge the others. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, also claimed Lord Hermer was 'content for Lucy Connolly to receive a tougher sentence for a nasty tweet than a vile rapist or paedophile', adding: 'That defies common sense.' A source close to the Attorney General said: 'The law officers are not involved in sentencing decisions, which are a matter for the independent courts. Nor do they have any role in setting the sentencing guidelines for particular offences. To suggest otherwise is completely inaccurate. 'Each unduly lenient sentence case is assessed against the specific guidelines for that offence, case law and in many cases advice will be sought from a senior specialist barrister. The Court of Appeal has set out what constitutes undue leniency, and this is a high bar. 'The law officers have referred a large number of cases to the Court of Appeal, many of which have resulted in increased sentences, including of rapists and child sex offenders.'
Telegraph
34 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Lisa Nandy to be quizzed on football regulator after accusations of cronyism
Kogan, a media executive nominated as the first chair of the new football regulator in April, told MPs last month that he had made 'very small' contributions both to Nandy and Sir Keir Starmer's 2020 Labour leadership campaigns. The admission reignited the row over 'crony' appointments by the party, which was accused by the Conservatives of breaching transparency rules. A DCMS spokesperson said: 'We have received the letter from the commissioner for public appointments and we look forward to cooperating fully with his office. The appointment is in the process of being ratified in the usual way.' Kogan appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport select committee on May 7 after being named by Nandy as the Government's preferred choice to lead the new body. 'I am prepared to declare now, on the public record, that five years ago I contributed very small sums of money to both the leadership campaigns of both Sir Keir Starmer and of Lisa Nandy,' he said, after reports he also donated £75,000 to Labour MPs. 'That hasn't been discovered by the press and I am happy to declare it now,' he said, insisting he had 'total personal independence from all of them', and had 'never actually been particularly close to any of the individuals to whom I have donated money'. He told MPs: 'I'm not really susceptible to any pressure, including political pressure, and the so-called ties to the Labour Party are, in fact, far less than have appeared in the public press. 'I don't believe that I have undermined that [independence] by writing books about the Labour Party, being on the LabourList board or being a donor, but clearly that's a judgment call that others may need to make, rather than myself.' Kogan added that he had 'never had a one-on-one meeting' with Starmer and had not met him since he became Prime Minister, but recognised there was 'a perception of bias'. The donations to Starmer and Nandy's leadership campaigns are understood to have been below the threshold for public declaration. A source told Telegraph Sport they were each less than £3,000. 'Fans promised impartiality but are being handed political appointee' But Louie French, the shadow sports minister, said the failure to disclose those donations publicly when Kogan was put forward for the role was 'a clear breach of the governance code on public appointments' and called for an investigation. He said: 'The decision to install David Kogan – a major Labour Party donor and former director of LabourList – as chair of the Independent Football Regulator, without disclosing his extensive personal political donations to Keir Starmer, is a serious breach of public trust. 'Fans were promised an impartial and independent regulator, but instead they are being handed a political appointee whose impartiality is already in question.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Kogan's appointment had been 'made as a result of fair and open competition' and run 'in accordance with the Government's code on public appointments'. The spokesman repeated that all rules had been followed when asked whether Nandy or Starmer had declared the donations from Kogan during the appointment process. He said: 'The declaration process as set out by the rules has obviously been followed. The process for appointing him to the role has been followed and will continue to be followed.' Stuart Andrew, shadow culture secretary, said: 'This appointment bears all the hallmarks of yet more Labour cronyism. After significant public pressure, Lisa Nandy has belatedly stepped aside from the process, a necessary move that highlights just how compromised this selection has become. 'No 10 must now come clean about the involvement of the Downing Street appointments unit and special advisers in promoting David Kogan as the preferred candidate. The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence. The decision to launch an inquiry is welcome.'
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Molly-Mae Hague reveals the £18 secret to her summer glow – and you can get it even cheaper if you hurry
MOLLY-MAE Hague has revealed the £18 secret to her summer glow – and if you're quick, you can get it even cheaper. The 26-year-old businesswoman recently returned from a holiday abroad and shared a makeup tutorial with her 4.1 million followers. 4 She revealed that she never wears makeup while on holiday, as the two don't 'really go hand in hand' for her. However, she decided to switch things up this time. Molly-Mae, who recently revealed that she is back with Tommy Fury, explained that she usually sticks to just one makeup look, but wanted to try something a little different. She began her routine by applying Refy's Face Sculpt Moisturiser, £38, and Primer, £24, followed by MAC Face and Body Foundation, £38, as her base. Next came Refy's Cream Bronzer in the shade 'Sand', £18, and a cream blush in the shade 'Malaya', £16, which she said gave her the look of a 'happy, rosy-cheeked girly.' She also dabbed some blush on the tip of her nose for a 'little bit more sun-kissed' effect. To set her under-eye area, Molly-Mae used a touch of Laura Mercier powder, making sure not to use too much in order to maintain her glowy finish. She followed up with Refy's Clear Brow Gel to set her brows, which she prefers to wear in a 'fluffy' style. For eyeshadow, she used Benefit's Hoola, £17, then applied Refy's Lash Sculpt Mascara, £20. Her lip liner of choice was MAC in the shade 'Whirl', £15, followed by Refy Gloss, £18, and she finished the look with Fenty Beauty's You Mist setting spray, £18. I feel sorry for myself but trolls were right - I was Quagmire but Zoe saved me from destroying my face, says Molly-Mae Molly-Mae closed the video by saying: 'I feel like holidays for me are just where I make my most magical and special memories that I just cherish forever.' Currently the Refy website has 15% for a limited time only. If you sign up to be a World member there is even a chance to get more discounts. Molly-Mae's video gained 2.3million views after one day of it being shared on her TikTok account. Her video also gained 569 comments, as many rushed to share their thoughts. 4 4 One wrote: 'I also use the Refy primer and brush; they are both really good.' A second added: 'Obsessed!!!! You look stunning and I'll be recreating this look ASAP.' Whilst a third said: 'The Refy mascara is such a good product especially for sensitive eyes.' And a fourth added: 'She just gets more gorgeous honestly.' Molly-Mae's glow-down from 'glamour model' to 'yummy mummy' Celebrity PR Expert, Ed Hopkins told Fabulous: 'I believe Molly-Mae Hague 's new look is more than just a style change but a powerful statement of who she is becoming. 'It underscores her journey towards authenticity, maturity, and sophistication and is likely to enhance her success and influence in the years to come.' Brand and Culture Expert Nick Ede agreed, and told Fabulous: 'Molly-Mae has transformed herself into a yummy mummy who has ditched the glamour model style for a more relaxed and natural look. 'She's becoming more down to earth and relatable to people and cleverly showing a softer side which will win her legions more fans in the process.' According to Ed Hopkins, Molly-Mae's chic new look could be 'highly lucrative' for the star. Ed told Fabulous: 'Molly-Mae Hague's transformation towards a more natural, chic look seems to be a testament to her personal growth and evolving style. 'This change, which has become more pronounced since she became a mother, appears to reflect her journey towards embracing authenticity and sophistication. 'It's possible that this new image could be highly lucrative for Molly-Mae. 'Her chic, understated style might appeal to a wider audience, including more mature demographics and high-end brands, potentially opening up lucrative endorsement deals and partnerships. 'By adopting a more elegant look, she seems to align herself with premium and luxury brands that favour natural beauty and sophistication, which could lead to higher-paying collaborations. 'Additionally, with consumers increasingly valuing authenticity and natural beauty, her new image could be both timely and marketable.' Nick Ede agreed and told Fabulous: 'She has started to promote some really great luxury brands including the cosmetics brand Tatcha and with her laid back look she will make a lot of money from brands looking to align with her.' Ed also noted that Molly-Mae's transformation may be a sign that she is looking to step away from her reality show past. He continued: 'Molly-Mae's transformation also seems to symbolise her desire even more so to well and truly step out of the shadow of her Love Island persona. 'The shift to a more mature and unique style appears to demonstrate her growth and her wish to be seen as an individual beyond her reality TV beginnings. 'By shedding the bold, flashy look associated with her time on Love Island, she might be rebranding herself as a serious businesswoman and influencer who is carving out her own identity. 'This new look helps her stand out in the crowded influencer market, showcasing her as a trendsetter with a distinctive, refined aesthetic.' Nick agreed and claimed: 'Shedding the flash looks she previously went for, she's also detaching herself from the Love Island stereotype and stepping out as her own person with a cool look that's not flashy but totally on trend. 'Gone are the 'look at me' posts and in are family style posts and trend led fashion statements.'
