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BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Gambling addicts need someone to talk to says ex-footballer
A former professional footballer who turned to gambling after trying to fit in with teammates is urging others with addiction to "confide in someone".Tony Kelly was signed by Bristol City at 16 before being released, ending up playing non-league football in London two years later where his addiction told John Darvall on BBC Radio Bristol he moved to London as a "quiet" teenager who wanted to "feel a sense of belonging"."When I saw the older players go to the bookmakers to put their football bets on, that was my way to join in," he said. In December 2024 NHS England said nearly 2,000 people were referred to gambling clinics between April and September - up from 800 in the same period in Problem Gambling Severity Index is available on the NHS website. Mr Kelly, who is from Coventry, started gambling with horses and football, then he spent years in professional football, he got involved in casinos before finishing his career at 30 years old with more than £500,000 in debt."I often wonder to myself, how did I not get to the point of no return? I lost absolutely everything," Mr Kelly added gambling also cost him his two houses and relationship issues, and he filed for bankruptcy in wrote and published Red Card, which was about his addiction and his career in 2013, which he said was the start of his recovery."When I went on BBC Breakfast [to promote the book] that was it, because the feedback from that was unbelievable. "It opened my eyes in terms of how many people it resonated with.""I knew then I had been in denial for years. It was a massive weight off my shoulder." Mr Kelly founded the Red Card Gambling Project in a bid to help others with a gambling addiction, and has written a second book about his journey."I strongly urge that before you hit rock bottom, you will have your wins, but over a long period of time it will destroy you. "You've got to confide in someone, you've got to talk because you will end up hitting rock bottom, and even worst."
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Play-off exit has to be a 'lesson'
Bristol City head coach Liam Manning says the club's play-off exit to Sheffield United has to be a "lesson". The Robins were beaten 6-0 on aggregate across two legs by the Blades, with Monday's 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane confirming they will remain in the Championship for 2025-26. The appearance in the play-offs marked the first time Bristol City had finished in the top six of the second tier since 2008, when they lost to Hull City in the final at Wembley. "I'm hugely proud of the lads for what they've done this year and tonight has to be a lesson for us," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol. "Credit to players, staff, the fans were phenomenal again in terms of travelling all this way knowing it's such a difficult one. "I think everyone's created that buzz around the club and for everybody we should be proud of what we've done. Of course there's things we can get better at but we've made huge progress I think in the past 18 months." No changes to Robins' transfer strategy - Lansdown How Bristol City ended wait for shot at the big time Bristol City went into the second leg of their play-off tie with a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 in Thursday's opening game with Rob Dickie being sent off before half-time. Manning and captain Jason Knight both lamented the way Bristol City conceded three of the six goals from set pieces. Kieffer Moore's opening header and Gus Hamer's shot in the second leg both came following corners, with Hamer also scoring from a corner in the first. "It's definitely not the way you wanted to go out. I think [there was] maybe a bit of naivety in the two legs, three set pieces conceded - you're never going to get anywhere with that, I know they're a big unit of a team but it's certainly not the way we should be conceding goals," Knight told BBC Radio Bristol. "When we look back at the goals it's probably more us giving them the opportunities than them making it, so that's disappointing. "Getting into the play-offs was never easy so we don't want to get too down about it but you want to raise the standard constantly and we know over the two legs we certainly weren't at it really." Knight echoed Manning's sentiment that the experience had to be built on over the summer. "This is just a learning, a lot of younger lads in there have not made many appearances so this is going to be big for the club, it's going to be big for us going forward and we're just going to have to take it as that," he said. "[It's] obviously disappointing now but it's a season of real progress and we just want to keep moving forward."
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bristol woman runs London Marathon for brother with heart defect
A young Bristol woman is planning to run the London Marathon in aid of her "admirable" brother, who suffers with a congenital heart Morris, 22, from Bradley Stoke aims to complete the challenge on Sunday in aid of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which has supported her 19-year-old brother since was born with the condition truncus arteriosus meaning his heart only has one main blood vessel taking blood away from the heart instead of to the condition, Callum has already had five open heart surgeries. Speaking to John Darvall on BBC Radio Bristol, Elena said Callum was diagnosed with his condition shortly after being born."It's when he was developing in my mum's tummy, his aortic tubes didn't form properly," she said."They're normally meant to split into two, but his stayed into one."It was picked up by the doctors after he was born, through listening to his heart before he got discharged."So at 13-days-old he had open heart surgery, where they put in an artificial tube to act as that aortic valve." The BHF funds research into better ways of treating heart conditions, including ongoing work by Callum's surgeon."His research looks into using stem cells to grow that tube instead of (using) an artificial tube, which would mean that children wouldn't have to go through multiple surgeries," Elena has had five open heart surgeries to date to replace the valve as he grows, which would not be necessary if the valve could be grown as his surgeon hopes."How he still has all the strength and determination he does have is truly admirable," Elena operations have taken a significant toll, with Callum suffering a stroke during his most recent stay in hospital, from which he is now meanwhile, has been training for the marathon since November."I think, to see what my brother's been though, just to see what he's gone through, if he's gone through all of that I can run a marathon," she said.
The Sun
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Busy bridge used by over 30,000 drivers a day CLOSES to heavy vehicles next month in ‘devastating move'
A MAJOR route into Wales will ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in a move drivers say will cost them 'immensely.' The M48 River Severn Bridge will ban vehicles over 7.5 tonnes for 18 months from 27 May after cables supporting the historic structure were found to be deteriorating. 3 3 Instead, they will be forced to make a lengthy detour via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, which a director of a Haulage company warned was unreliable. National Highways has claimed it has 'no choice' but to block the heaviest trucks as its main priority is to protect public safety. But James Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol that the impact on his industry could be 'devastating.' He argued that if the proposed alternative, the Prince of Wales bridge, shut down due to bad weather or a crash it woud it would completely cut off HGVS from the Severn crossing. He said: "They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he said. Chris Pope, from National Highways, said that if they didn't ban HGVs, they would be forced to close it completely. He said: 'We want to keep the bridge running for people, but the solution we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people. "It is safe, it's all about loading, and unfortunately, we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself." Caroline Tovey of Richard Tovery Transport pointed out that the new route already forces drivers on a 14-mile detour. 3 She added that some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities". "It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)." Claire Young, MP for Thornbury and Yate, told the BBC it would cost between £300million to £600million to strengthen the bridge to take the current load of HGVs. She argues that the infrastructure dates to the sixties, and that vehicles and traffic have got heavier. She said: "It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Closing M48 Severn Bridge to HGVs 'devastating' for hauliers
Hauliers say that a decision to ban heavy goods vehicles from the M48 Severn Bridge could be "devastating" for their ban will come into force for at least 18 months from 27 May after National Highways discovered the cables supporting the structure are deteriorating.A director of an Avonmouth-based haulage company warned the alternative route into Wales via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge is not always reliable, and drivers could be forced to take lengthy detours around Highways said it has "no choice" but to impose weight limits in the interest of public safety, and that it was looking for a long-term solution to allow HGVs to return "in a controlled manner". It is currently proposing a "technological solution" that will manage the flow of HGVs over the bridge to prevent overloading it. Jamie Burton, director of M&J Transport, told BBC Radio Bristol the impact of the Prince of Wales Bridge shutting due to a a crash or poor weather "would be devastating" once HGVs can no longer use the Severn crossing."They've not put any plans or any thought into what's going to happen when it gets busy in the summer, or if there's any closures. The cost to the industry and the cost to us personally would be immense," he Tovey of Richard Tovey Transport pointed out that even when the Prince of Wales Bridge is open, it still adds a 14-mile detour onto journeys. She added some areas may find "large vehicles being rerouted through their communities"."It isn't just about the money, it's about infrastructure that isn't used to (HGVs)."Claire Young, Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury and Yate, said it could cost between £300m and £600m to augment the bridge so it can continue carrying its current load. "All this infrastructure was put in at the same time in the 60s, it's now ageing, we are seeing problems," she said."It has the potential to really impact the local economy. The government says its top priority is growth. If we are going to have that, we need the infrastructure to support it."Chris Pope, from National Highways, said the agency had no choice but to temporarily ban HGVs from the bridge."We want to keep the bridge running for people but the solution that we have found is that we've managed to keep it open for 90% of people," he said. "It is safe, it's all about loading and unfortunately we are in a position where about 85% of the loading that the main suspension cables are carrying is actually the bridge itself."Mr Pope added that National Highways was looking for a solution that will allow HGVs to return "in a controlled manner so we don't overload the bridge".
