Latest news with #Del
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
I'll drive Tony Bloom's Hearts title train but let's be realistic about the two big engines in the way
Stevo is loving the ambitious talk coming from the new Tynecastle money man but McInnes will keep it real Tony Bloom fairly got folk talking with his comments about wrestling Scottish football power from Celtic and Rangers. Let's get one thing straight, I loved it. It's great to hear such ambition. If Bloom's Hearts train steams all the way to the Premiership title in years to come, I sincerely hope I'm driving it. But there's a couple of big engines in the way. And I've got to be honest and realistic about the prospect of Hearts getting past them. Bloom is a man of vision and, more importantly, substance. He's done it, so the words aren't empty. He used the examples of Brighton and Union St Gilloise in Belgium and adopting methods and analytics to bridge gaps, but we are on different tracks here in Scotland. This is a different network. I don't want to seem downbeat, or defeatist. I'm not. As I said. I savoured hearing it and I can tell you that my Hearts pals were all the same judging by the messages I was getting ahead of the Aberdeen match in the lead up to kick-off. Fans were buzzing and it carried into their support. I'll go as far as to say that, even had Hearts lost to the Dons, the feelgood would still be there as the new investor has given them something to believe in. So it's not gloom and Bloom when I say my next bit. I'm just looking at it as neutrally as I can. I understand people discussing the success of his other footballing ventures and the man himself using these as examples, but no matter what way you look at it, Hearts are up against two powerhouses. Rangers and Celtic are global clubs. You go to Australia, you've got a Celtic pub, or a Rangers pub. Same in Dubai, or anywhere, pretty much. USG has been a huge success story, but you don't see an Anderlecht pub in Melbourne, or a Standard Liege cafe in Abu Dhabi. Brighton has been immense, but they aren't overtaking Manchester City and Liverpool. I don't mean this bad on Bloom's part, but I'm not sure he'll yet fully grasp the bulk of Rangers and Celtic. Or maybe he does, but sometimes thinking can be clouded until you live something. Hearts are themselves an situation, but on a different scale. As I said, Rangers and Celtic are global and they'll take some shifting. I've also been interested to note the chatter around how Derek McInnes will feel about Bloom's statements. Whether he'll feel added pressure. I'll be honest, I don't think Del's at a stage in his life or his career where he'll be working under pressure. For a start, he'll want to do well for himself. Also, and not in a big-headed way, I think he would have enough balls to sit in front of Bloom and say: I love everything you're saying because it's amazing and I hope I'm on this train when we do go and win the title. But he'll be as realistic as he is ambitious and he'll be keeping the focus short and sweet right at this moment in time. Like me, he'll 100 per cent be looking at the next game. Del will be driving that point home because, again, everything's heightened after Monday events on and off the park. Hearts played well. The start was outstanding. I have said defenders need to chip with goals and Stuart Findlay got that ball rolling. Lawrence Shankland's finish was outrageous and, even though it got chopped off, it's like: He is back. Everything is doubly hyped. I loved the fact that Del came out after the game and made it clear he wanted much more from the second-half performance. He's driving standards and keeping folk grounded. You can see it in the players. They know they don't perform and they'll be watching from the stands. It's next game, next game. Findlay came out after the match and said just that. He's an experienced operator who knows the manager's ways and thoughts. I'll bet that, even if he didn't score, Del would still have nominated him to do the post-match media because there's method in that. Let's be honest, if I'm being brutally honest about this, plenty of footballers are dumb at times and I include myself in that. Sometimes you can sit in that changing room and go: Bloody hell, I think we could beat Celtic and Rangers this year. Then you go out there and blurt it out. Exactly 12 months ago after an opening-day draw with Rangers, Yan Dhanda came out and said Hearts could challenge the Old Firm. A few weeks later they were bottom of the league. I did the column afterwards and said: Aye, maybe he just needs to calm down a bit! If you're the manager, you want the boys to believe it, but you don't want them to say it. And Del's too smart to have someone go out on Monday night and mouth off. So listen, I think everything's bang on the money, but it's just about concentrating on the next game. And if Hearts rack up 10 league wins on the bounce, then fine. Let's talk about splitting the Old Firm. Then let's see where we finish before talking of overhauling them. Right now? It's been a great start to the season, but it's just the next game. And, as much as I enjoy hearing Bloom's ambition, let's worry about winning titles a bit later down the tracks.
Deccan Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Sub-Junior National Aquatics: Karnataka swimmers bag overall championship
Bengaluru: Karnataka swimmers stomped their authority once again by emerging as the overall champions of the 41st Sub-Junior National Aquatics Championships that concluded at the Basavangudi Aquatic Centre here on Tuesday. .Manipur's Koijam Athoiba Singh (28 points) and Goa's Purvi Ritesh Naik (19 points) were adjudged the best male and female swimmers respectively at the two-day competition. .Koijam added a third individual gold to his kitty by topping the the boys' Group III 100m freestyle with a time of 58.59 seconds. His state-mate Hemanshu Nahakpam finished second (59.75s) while Tamil Nadu's AP Arya Sathar (1:00.79) came the hosts, N Pavan Krishnaa clinched gold in the boys' Group III 400m freestyle while Nyra Bopanna Kalengada finished first in the corresponding girls' event. .Earlier in the morning, the quartet of Nyra, Drithi Abhilash, Shwiti Diwakar Suvarna and Stuti Singh claimed the yellow metal in the girls' 200m medley relay by stopping the clock at 2:16.71. .Results: Group III: Boys: 100m backstroke: AP Arya Sathar (TN, 1:05.53) 1; Krishiv Doshi (MP, 1:05.74) 2; Hemanshu Nahakpam (Mani, 1:08.90) 3. .100m freestyle: Koijam Athoiba Singh (Mani, 58.59s) 1; Hemanshu Nahakpam (Mani, 59.75s) 2; AP Arya Sathar (TN, 1:00.79) 3. .400m freestyle: N Pavan Krishnaa (Kar, 4:40.83) 1; Virat Vardhan (Del, 4:44.07) 2; Krishiv Doshi (MP, 4:44.62) 3. .200m medley relay: Uttar Pradesh (2:09.39) 1; Manipur (2:09.77) 2; Tamil Nadu (2:10.75) 3. .Girls: Group III: 100m backstroke: Alfiya M (TN, 1:10.70) 1; Serena Saroha (Har, 1:11.84) 2; Annika Goplani (Mah, 1:13.36). .100m freestyle: Purvi Ritesh Naik (Goa, 1:04.40) 1; Stuti Singh (Kar, 1:04.49) 2; Amatullah Dholakwala (Mah, 1:05.30). .400m freestyle: Nyra Bopanna Kalengada (Kar, 4:53.96) 1; Purvi Ritesh Naik (Goa, 4:54.63) 2; Annika Goplani (Mah, 4:55.38) 3. .200m medley relay: Karnataka (2:16.71) 1; Tamil Nadu (2:19.57) 2; Gujarat (2:20.14) 3. .Special awards: Overall Champions: Karnataka (104 points) 1, Manipur (81 points). .Individual champions: Boys: Koijam Athoiba Singh (Mani, 28 pts). Girls: Purvi Ritesh Naik (Goa, 19 pts). .Waterpolo: Men: Karnataka: 12 bt Haryana: 2; Kerala: 14 bt Tamil Nadu: 1; Maharashtra: 18 bt Andhra Pradesh: 1; Odisha: 17 bt Manipur: 3; West Bengal: 12 bt Punjab: 5. .Women: Odisha: 6 bt West Bengal: 4; Karnataka: 9 bt Assam: 0; Maharashtra: 9 bt Tamil Nadu: 1. .Diving: Boys: Group II: Platform: Shreyash Sakpal (Mah, 277.25) 1; Ranveer Rajendra Khade (Mah, 248) 2; Turban Mordan (Ben, 226.75) III: Platform: Arubam Benhar (Mani, 255.40) 1; Hirom Bonson Singh (199.05) 2; Nil Sandeep Patil (Mah, 196.20) Group III: Platform: Manasvi Rajshekar Mane (Mah, 180.40) 1; Geetha Salian (Mah, 166.10) 2; Urjitha Das (Ben, 151.85)
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Excitement & nerves over Well's 'new-look approach'
We asked for your views on how Motherwell are shaping up for the new season, which kicks off with the visit of Rangers on what some of you said: George: Looking forward to a new-look approach from Motherwell. However, a bit nervous about the central defence playing out from the back, that area of the team needs First few games will be difficult but with a few more additions hopeful of a decent Recruitment wise so far I've been fairly pleased with the business we have done, centre-half is still a concern as I feel we need to improve that in order to fully adapt to the manager's style of play and we probably could do with another midfielder with the imminent departure of Lennon Miller. Would like to see another striker with a bit of experience come in, if we could do that then I would be more than happy with the squad for the season.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rohit sets India best time en route 100m butterfly gold
Armed with his new-found mental strength, B. Benediction Rohit set a India best time on his way to claim the men's 100m butterfly gold on the opening day of the National aquatics championships at the Kalinga Stadium Aquatic Centre here on Sunday. Rohit, who was born with a broken right thigh bone and took to swimming for physical fitness, clocked 52.50 to achieve his target of erasing Virdhawal Khade's India best mark of 52.79 and co-competitor Sajan Prakash's four-year-old meet record of 53.24. Sajan finished second with 53.51. 'I focused on my own race. Overthinking and the pressure of competition affected my performance in the past. My coach Nihar Ameen worked more on the mental side of my game,' said Rohit, who timed 54.4 in the last edition and 53.8 in the National Games, about his steady progress. Even as she missed the meet record by 0.37 second, Harshitha Jayram lowered her personal best by nearly three seconds to time 2:37.72 and clinch the women's 200m breaststroke gold. Bhavya Sachdeva overcame a forgettable performance a year ago to match her personal best (4:26.66) for the 400m freestyle crown. Home favourite Shristi Upadhaya and Astha Choudhury clocked an identical 1:03.50 to share the 100m butterfly gold. Paris Olympian Dhinidhi Desinghu took the bronze with 1:03.52. Karnataka, comprising Vihitha Nayana Loganathan, Meenakshi Menon, Trisha Sindhu S. and Dhinidhi, won the women's 4x200m freestyle relay title with a new meet record. The results (winners only): Men: 200m freestyle: Aneesh Gowda (Kar) 1:50.85; 200m breaststroke: Danush Suresh (TN) 2:19.17; 100m butterfly: B. Benediction Rohit (TN) 52.57 (NMR, Old 53.24, Sajan Prakash, 2021); 4x200m freestyle relay: Karnataka 7:40.90. Women: 400m freestyle: Bhavya Sachdeva (Del) 4:26.66; 200m breaststroke: Harshitha Jayaram (RSPB) 2:37.72; 100m butterfly: Shristi Upadhaya (Odi) and Astha Choudhury (RSPB) 1:03.50; 4x200m freestyle relay: Karnataka 8:52.32 (NMR, Old 8:53.83, Maharashtra, 2012).
North Wales Chronicle
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Only Fools and Horses script reveals lost scene from 1996
The Heroes & Villains Christmas Special from 1996 featuring the iconic scenes of Del Boy and Rodney dressed up as Batman and Robin was once voted the UK's favourite festive show of all time. The pair, played by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, dress up as the cartoon characters for a fancy dress party and inadvertently thwart a mugging on route. But now, an extended scene has been discovered nearly 30 years on, thanks to a script that belonged to the late Roger Lloyd Pack who played Trigger. It appears that Del and Rodney's antics as Batman and Robin continued to cause chaos. The script revealed that the extended scene shows Del later chasing down a mugger and knocking him unconscious with his suitcase full of hooky gear. The Sun reports that in the cut scene, it is scripted that a policeman then arrives and Del tells him "It's alright officer, I caught him, he's over there!" But the policeman then walks over to the two men and arrests Rodney instead of the mugger. The 155-page script is set to go up for sale at Bristol-based Auctioneum. Auctioneer Andy Stowe described it as "comedy history, in black and white." Speaking to The Sun, Only Fools fan Mr Stowe said he had started to find lines that he didn't recognise while reading through the script. Another scene that never made it into the episode involves Del and Rodney rushing out of their flat just as a consignment of dodgy alarm clocks go off. They go to Del's Capri Ghia to find the group of muggers loitering around it but they are scared off as Del and Rodney arrive to the noise of the alarms going off in the background. One of the muggers was played by actress-turned-presenter Sheree Murphy, who later went on to become a household name as fan favourite Tricia Dingle in Emmerdale. It was Sheree's first TV appearance as a small but notable part as the mugger, two years before she got the role in Emmerdale. The script has been signed by other members of the cast including David Jason himself and the late John Challis, who played Boycie. Recommended reading: EastEnders' Shane Ritchie's bid for David Jason to join soap Sir David Jason reveals honest thoughts on Ronnie Barker Sir David Jason reprises Only Fools and Horses' Del Boy in a surprise appearance The Sun reports that the vendor is a private collector who acquired the script from the Only Fools & Horses Society. The script is estimated to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000. Roger Lloyd Pack had also marked his lines with black ink. The sale takes place on June 30.
