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Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street star has link to Sir Paul McCartney and other famous family members
A soap star who has appeared in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and more has a family connection to Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney - but he's not the only famous person she's related to Soap fans have been left stunned and amazed after realising a TV star is related to music legend Sir Paul McCartney. Fans of Emmerdale and Coronation Street will recognise Amy Robbins for appearing in both ITV soaps. She has played a recurring character named Christina Boyd since 2023 on the cobbles, and featured in six episodes of Emmerdale playing Defence Barrister Milligan during Meena Jutla's plea hearing. The 54-year-old actress has also appeared in Casualty, Holby City, Doctors, Hollyoaks and more, with a career on screen spanning back to 1997. But soap fans may be stunned to learn she has a surprising number of famous people within her family, including 83-year-old Beatles icon Sir Paul. On top of this, Amy's grandfather, Ted Robbins, was a prominent member of the Football Association, her brother, also named Ted Robbins, is an actor who has appeared in Phoenix Nights and Benidorm, and her sister, Kate Robbins, is a singer and actress who wrote the theme tune to Cilla Black's Surprise, Surprise and also starred in Silent Witness. She is also an aunt to Emily Atack, who's parents are Kate and the musician Keith Atack. Amy has been married to the actor and author Robert Daws since 2003 and together they have three children. Speaking of her famous family, Amy said, per the Express: 'We are never competitive with each other and we are all very close. My dad, Michael, worked in variety all his life and my mum, Elizabeth, sang. Showbusiness is in our DNA, it's a family business that has lasted generations." She was able to turn to her brother Ted for advice, appearing on Corrie - as he too has featured on the soap, playing Brendan Finch from 2015 until 2016. He advised her 'not to underestimate the feeling of standing in the Rovers for the first time.' Amy revealed: 'He said it would be overwhelming and he was right. His other piece of advice was not to call William Roache 'Ken' like he did. Ted bumped into William and accidentally said 'Hello Mr Barlow''. Sir Paul has a large family that includes a wide range of talented relatives. He is related to Amy by her mother, Elizabeth Robbins, who is Paul McCartney's first cousin. This means Amy shares a grandparent with Paul McCartney, making her his cousin, but one generation removed. The Yellow Submarine singer is dad to potter and artist Heather McCartney - who is the daughter of the late photographer Linda McCartney and the adopted daughter of Paul. His 55-year-old daughter, Mary McCartney, is a photographer, documentary filmmaker, and vegetarian cookbook author, and his 53-year-old daughter, Stella McCartney, is an acclaimed fashion designer. His son, James McCartney, 47, followed in his musical footsteps and has enjoyed some success as a musician and songwriter. He has released three albums: Me, released in 2013, The Blackberry Train, released in 2016, and Beautiful Nothing, released last year. James also contributed to albums by his parents, Paul and Linda McCartney. As well as being married to Linda from 1969 until her death in 1998, Sir Paul was famously married to the model Heather Mills from 2002 until 2008. His most recent marriage, to business woman Nancy Shevell, began in 2011.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Donald Trump jokes about passing executive order to relabel ‘soccer' to ‘football' in USA; Soccer is an Oxford University British coinage
It's not exactly a real war, settling which can get anyone a peace prize. But US President joked he would try. As the Club World Cup wound up, DAZN reporter Emily Austin on Sunday (13 July) following Trump's presence on the pitch after Chelsea's win at the MetLife stadium, drew Trump into a discussion over difference between the British (football) and American (soccer) terms for the popular game. 'They call it football, we call it soccer. I'm not sure if that change can be made very easily,' Trump told her first up. After Ms Austin wondered if he could issue an executive order instead so only the word football is used, the US president guffawed and replied: 'I think we could do that.' USA has a few slightly more urgent matters to attend to, so 'soccer' might yet survive. But it drew attention to the serendipitous route the words have taken – always influenced by the presence of a more popular rival sport. Encyclopedia Britannica notes that the term 'soccer' originated in England as a slang abbreviation of 'association football.' After the formation of the Football Association in late 1800s, the rules of football, were slotted in stone by 'Association Football.' However, not the most interesting variety of kicking the ball with the foot, it faced jostles from other football codes, like rugby. That's when Oxford University students coined the term 'soccer' as a casual, shortened version, using the 'soc' from 'association' and adding the '-er' suffix common in Oxford campus slang. So, soccer set itself apart from rugger. Britannica writes, 'Although football-type games have been around for centuries, the sport we know today is often said to have begun in 1863, when England's newly formed Football Association wrote down a set of rules. At the time, it was the most widely played game of its kind in the country, but it wasn't the only one. Rugby football, named after an English boarding school, was a rebellious variation that allowed players to carry and run with the ball to advance it toward the goal.' So, the football of Pirlo, Canavaro, Gigi Buffon, Big Brazilian Ronaldo, Gatusso, del Piero, Gerrard, Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Miroslav Klose and the great Juan Roman Riquelme was called by the Football Association's as association football. Britannica further mentions that linguistically creative students at the University of Oxford in the 1880s distinguished between the sports of 'rugger' (rugby football) and 'assoccer' (association football). 'The latter term was further shortened to 'soccer' (sometimes spelled 'socker'), and the name quickly spread beyond the campus. However, 'soccer' never became much more than a nickname in Great Britain. By the 20th century, rugby football was more commonly called rugby, while association football had earned the right to be known as just plain football.' Onto the United States where the womens team salvages ineptness of the men, and actually wins World Cups. Another sport, Britannica says, emerged in the late 19th century that borrowed elements of both rugby and association football. 'Before long, it had proved more popular than either of them. In full, it was known as gridiron football, but most people never bothered with the first word.' So Anerican football came into being. Cornered by yet another mire popular sport, American association-football players defiantly adopted soccer to refer to their sport. 'The United States Football Association, which had formed in the 1910s as the official organizing body of American soccer, changed its name to the United States Soccer Football Association in 1945, and it later dispensed with the 'Football' altogether. No longer just a nickname, soccer had stuck,' Britannica writes. Football, of the Buffon kinds, also faced competition from gridiron football in Canada, Gaelic football in Ireland and Australian rules football (which is derived from rugby). 'In places where football can be ambiguous, soccer is usefully precise,' Britannica writes. Thus was sulkingly born soccer. Which might need a presidential decree to lose its British slang name in the lead up to next year's World Cup. The real issues facing football in US however are quality of playing turf, humid hot temperatures and American general disinterest.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Burton signing spree being investigated by FA
Burton Albion are being investigated by the Football Association over deals made during their British-record transfer spree last summer. The League One club have confirmed they are working with the FA and the English Football League over the issue, but would not comment on the specifics of the case. However, BBC Radio Derby understands the investigation concerns the level of involvement and potential conflicts of interest relating to the outsourced recruitment which was relied on, following Burton's takeover by the Sweden-based Nordic Football Group (NFG). With a complete rebuild demanded by the new owners, Burton recruited 23 players last summer to set a new British record for players signed in a single transfer window. Burton's chief operating officer (COO) Tom Mahon, who took up the role in May, said the focus of the investigation is "purely on last summer" and has so far had "no material impact" on the Brewers' ability "to do business" ahead of the forthcoming season. "It hasn't stopped us recruiting so far - we have had a number of players come through the door and a number of players have gone out," he told BBC Radio Derby. Why Burton's rebuild is more than just flatpack football Burton rebuild 'just starting' amid leadership reshuffle Bowyer delivered survival 'miracle' at Burton Mahon, a club administrator who worked at Manchester City for 15 years before becoming COO at Stockport County, has also spoken about how Burton have made a number of off-field staff redundant in recent months and how last season's narrow escape from relegation gave the Brewers' hierarchy a lot to learn from. It is understood the redundancies are a reaction to significant financial losses, with the structure of player contracts - which sources have said came with a 20% bonus for every player for every point earned - a major drain. Mahon said layoffs had been made to "streamline the organisation" and to make it as "efficient as possible", while adding that the club is "absolutely fine" financially going forward. "That obviously comes at a personal cost to some people who have been around the club for a long, long time and to people who have done nothing but serve this club with real passion and distinction for years," he said. "It's never easy, but it's a decision we had to take as best for the needs of the football club." Among those to be moved on is Ben Robinson Jr, the son of long-time former owner Ben Robinson who remains involved as honorary chairman. "In terms of Ben Jr, the role he performed was one that we couldn't justify in the wider plan, and again it is very much about the role and not the person," Mahon said. Listen to the full Mahon interview from 18:00 BST Having a continued link to the Robinson family was something NFG highlighted as being important to help ensure the historic achievements of Burton's rise from non-league levels to the heights of the Championship were preserved. Fleur Robinson, daughter of Robinson Sr, was brought back to the club from Wrexham to take over as chief executive. It, however, was a role she left at the end of the season. Her exit came at the end of a chaotic first year of NFG ownership, in which the group's founder and deputy chairman Tom Davidson stepped down alongside chairman Ole Jakob Strandhagen and commercial director Kevin Skabo. Bendik Hareide, who started last season as sporting director, left in January after first taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. Richard Dorman, the former technical director of Finnish team SJK Seinajoki, eventually came in as Hareide's replacement, while Wouter Gudde, who is said to be a 'rebuild specialist' and formerly of Dutch side FC Groningen, has taken over as interim chairman and chief executive. "The people who were here, and who went through last year... as long as we use those things as a learning opportunity then you certainly learn more from failure, and I say that for want of a better word and not to say it was a failure," Mahon said. "It's a learning experience that can help positively influence how we proceed going forward." Bright ideas turned into relegation fight - analysis Dominic Dietrich, BBC Radio Derby senior journalist NFG arrived at Burton Albion a year ago with bright ideas and an enthusiasm that many hadn't felt before. Over the course of the year, it became apparent that excitement had turned into naivety in moments opting for immediate sweeping changes rather than steady progress. Hopes internally of a new pitch, building a base at St George's Park and to build on a British record 23 arrivals in the summer soon turned into a relegation fight and a sacked head coach. Had it not been for the arrival of head coach Gary Bowyer and his assistant Pat Lyons in December, this may be a piece on rebuilding from League Two. As I understand it, Burton overspent in their first year which has resulted in redundancies, streamlining the business and a new outlook on League One football. Will the task be even tougher this year for Bowyer? That remains to be seen, but it certainly looks that way and the likes of Tom Mahon and Wouter Gudde have the job of picking up the pieces from those initial board members unveiled to the Brewers supporters once upon a time.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Burton signing spree being investigated by FA
Burton Albion are being investigated by the Football Association over deals made during their British-record transfer spree last League One club have confirmed they are working with the FA and the English Football League over the issue, but would not comment on the specifics of the BBC Radio Derby understands the investigation concerns the level of involvement and potential conflicts of interest relating to the outsourced recruitment which was relied on, following Burton's takeover by the Sweden-based Nordic Football Group (NFG).With a complete rebuild demanded by the new owners, Burton recruited 23 players last summer to set a new British record for players signed in a single transfer chief operating officer (COO) Tom Mahon, who took up the role in May, said the focus of the investigation is "purely on last summer" and has so far had "no material impact" on the Brewers' ability "to do business" ahead of the forthcoming season."It hasn't stopped us recruiting so far - we have had a number of players come through the door and a number of players have gone out," he told BBC Radio Derby. Mahon, a club administrator who worked at Manchester City for 15 years before becoming COO at Stockport County, has also spoken about how Burton have made a number of off-field staff redundant in recent months and how last season's narrow escape from relegation gave the Brewers' hierarchy a lot to learn is understood the redundancies are a reaction to significant financial losses, with the structure of player contracts - which sources have said came with a 20% bonus for every player for every point earned - a major said layoffs had been made to "streamline the organisation" and to make it as "efficient as possible", while adding that the club is "absolutely fine" financially going forward."That obviously comes at a personal cost to some people who have been around the club for a long, long time and to people who have done nothing but serve this club with real passion and distinction for years," he said."It's never easy, but it's a decision we had to take as best for the needs of the football club."Among those to be moved on is Ben Robinson Jr, the son of long-time former owner Ben Robinson who remains involved as honorary chairman."In terms of Ben Jr, the role he performed was one that we couldn't justify in the wider plan, and again it is very much about the role and not the person," Mahon said. Having a continued link to the Robinson family was something NFG highlighted as being important to help ensure the historic achievements of Burton's rise from non-league levels to the heights of the Championship were Robinson, daughter of Robinson Sr, was brought back to the club from Wrexham to take over as chief however, was a role she left at the end of the exit came at the end of a chaotic first year of NFG ownership, in which the group's founder and deputy chairman Tom Davidson stepped down alongside chairman Ole Jakob Strandhagen and commercial director Kevin Skabo. Bendik Hareide, who started last season as sporting director, left in January after first taking a leave of absence for personal Dorman, the former technical director of Finnish team SJK Seinajoki, eventually came in as Hareide's replacement, while Wouter Gudde, who is said to be a 'rebuild specialist' and formerly of Dutch side FC Groningen, has taken over as interim chairman and chief executive."The people who were here, and who went through last year... as long as we use those things as a learning opportunity then you certainly learn more from failure, and I say that for want of a better word and not to say it was a failure," Mahon said."It's a learning experience that can help positively influence how we proceed going forward." Bright ideas turned into relegation fight - analysis Dominic Dietrich, BBC Radio Derby senior journalistNFG arrived at Burton Albion a year ago with bright ideas and an enthusiasm that many hadn't felt before. Over the course of the year, it became apparent that excitement had turned into naivety in moments opting for immediate sweeping changes rather than steady progress. Hopes internally of a new pitch, building a base at St George's Park and to build on a British record 23 arrivals in the summer soon turned into a relegation fight and a sacked head coach. Had it not been for the arrival of head coach Gary Bowyer and his assistant Pat Lyons in December, this may be a piece on rebuilding from League Two. As I understand it, Burton overspent in their first year which has resulted in redundancies, streamlining the business and a new outlook on League One the task be even tougher this year for Bowyer? That remains to be seen, but it certainly looks that way and the likes of Tom Mahon and Wouter Gudde have the job of picking up the pieces from those initial board members unveiled to the Brewers supporters once upon a time.
Economist
3 days ago
- Sport
- Economist
The rise and rise of women's sport
Women's entry into organised sports has involved impressive acts of rebellion. Take the first European women's football championship in 1957. The four-team tournament took place in West Germany despite women being forbidden to play competitive football there. England's Football Association also deemed the sport 'unsuitable for females'. So when the English women won the tournament, forget any big celebrations at home—they were not even recognised.
