Latest news with #Gillingham
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Telegraph
Country show bans two hunting packs after being ‘forced to face reality'
Two hunting packs have been banned from taking part in a country show after members were convicted of illegal fox hunting. The Blackmore & Sparkford Vale (BSV) Hunt and Portman Hunt were due to participate in the hound parade at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show in Dorset, but organisers have confirmed that both have been banned. Anti-fox hunting activists said they are 'delighted' that the county show organisers 'have been forced to face reality'. The organisers of the Dorset show said the society's values had not changed but the decision was in response to recent criminal convictions. Hunt master Tom Lyle and whipper-in Marcus Boundy, of the Portman Hunt, were found guilty of illegally hunting a fox last year and fined. Conall McGrath, George Pierce, Andrew Osborne, and Freddie Osborne of the BSV Hunt were also convicted of illegal hunting after being captured on film hunting a fox with dogs. Pip Donovan, chair and founder of Action Against Foxhunting (AAF), told the Blackmore Vale Magazine: 'We have been challenging the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show over its hound displays for several years. 'Throughout, we maintained that these hunts were breaking the law, but the show refused to acknowledge this. 'Now, with the recent convictions, the organisers have been forced to face reality. We are delighted that neither of these hunts will be displaying this year, and hope that they will never come back again.' The Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show, which has been running for 95 years, still has seven packs lined up to take part in the parade, with a mixture of foxhounds, beagles and bloodhounds. In a statement, show organisers said: 'The society has a long history of celebrating rural life in all its forms, and the hound parade has traditionally been a part of that - offering a short 20-minute glimpse into a longstanding countryside tradition enjoyed by many of our visitors, including local farmers and families alike. 'Whilst there will remain a hound parade at this year's show, after careful consideration the society has asked that both the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt and the Portman Hunt do not participate in the 2025 hound parade. 'We understand that trail hunting remains a divisive issue. This decision does not reflect a shift in the society's values, nor id it a commentary on legal hunting activity. 'Rather it is a response to recent legal convictions and our responsibility to maintain the reputation and charitable aims of the show.' Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2005 following the implementation of the Hunting Act 2004. Hunt groups have since taken part in 'trail' hunting, which replicates traditional hunts without chasing or killing a live animal, but activists feel hunts use this as a cover for fox hunting. Groups of saboteurs regularly monitor hunts for illegal activity and report them to police if they witness anything.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Faith leader, anti-fascist activist want city to deny U.S. Christian singer permit to perform
A downtown United Church cleric and a longtime city anti-fascist activist are urging the city to deny a permit for a planned concert by American Christian singer Sean Feucht, scheduled to take place next month in Winnipeg's Central Park. Feucht, who some have labelled a Christian nationalist, has publicly aligned himself with U.S. President Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again movement. He is known for his outspoken opposition to gender diversity, abortion rights and the LGBTTQ+ community. 'The Central Park area and community often has very vulnerable people and is a very vulnerable population, so we've worked tirelessly to try and make this area safe for all people to come together and express their beliefs and to have a sense of community that lifts them up, rather than pulling them down,' said Rev. Lesley Harrison of Knox United Church, which is located on Edmonton Street, bordering the park where the Aug. 20 show is scheduled to take place. Feucht has had several concerts across Eastern and Atlantic Canada cancelled in recent days, including stops in Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, Quebec City, Gatineau, Que., and Vaughan, Ont. The City of Montreal, meanwhile, fined a local evangelical church $2,500 for hosting Feucht last Friday after failing to secure a permit. The 41-year-old, in a video posted to social media last week, said he's being persecuted for his Christian beliefs. Helmut-Harry Loewen, a former German, philosophy and sociology instructor at the University of Winnipeg who also founded the Manitoba Coalition Against Racism and Apartheid and was involved in other anti-fascist projects for decades, wrote Mayor Scott Gillingham Monday, outlining his opposition to Feucht's planned concert. He told the Free Press that Feucht is at the cutting-edge of a movement that is skilled at rebranding and repackaging hate to 21st-century, Christian audiences and those tied into popular culture. 'If Winnipeg did not ban this guy, Winnipeg would be an outlier, and it would not be very good,' Loewen said. 'Winnipeg has a reputation to maintain, and needs to stand in solidarity with its vulnerable communities.' Gillingham, at an unrelated press conference Monday, said city staff are looking at the permit request. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 'I don't have an update at this point,' the mayor said. 'Our staff was looking at it, and they'll make a determination to issue the permit or not. I think a couple of things is that, in my understanding, from some of what I've seen, or heard had been said in the past… is not some of the things that we would value. On the other hand, we do have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that does permit people to have their opinion, express their opinion.' Gillingham did not know when a decision on the permit would be made. — With files from Malak Abas Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Cirino joins Gillingham on short-term deal
Gillingham have signed former Blackburn Rovers defender Lenni Cirino on a short-term League Two side have not disclosed the length of the left-back has featured for the Gills in pre-season and is available for their season opener away to Accrington Stanley on 22, came through the academy at Ewood Park but was released in the summer of 2024. He joined Premier Northern League side Clitheroe last has made four appearances for the Montserrat national team, making his international debut in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gareth Ainsworth doubles down on Shrewsbury exit as Gillingham revolution takes shape
INTERVIEW: Gareth Ainsworth is relishing "the journey" he has embarked on with Gillingham, who he joined late last season following his shock departure from Shrewsbury Gareth Ainsworth has long been at peace with his shock call to quit Shrewsbury and now he's ready to rock Gillingham's world. The 'Wild Thing' - lead vocalist of The Cold Blooded Hearts - requires no introduction in EFL managerial circles. During 10-and-a-half years at Wycombe, his heavy-metal football yielded exceptional results, propelling Wanderers from the fourth tier of English football into the Championship. And following two short-lived spells in west London (with QPR) and Shropshire, he wants to run it back. Ainsworth said ahead of next week's League Two opener at Accrington Stanley: "I just want my players to feel like they belong to something. When we look at football, we're in a privileged position compared to other walks of life. "Gillingham's identify was getting a little bit muddled up with changes of personnel, both players and managers. We want to bring that identity back, this summer has been a big mental shift of the whole place." Ex-Shrewsbury midfielder Jamie Tolley accused Ainsworth of "promising the world but delivering nothing" when the 52-year-old left the New Meadow for Priestfield in March. But the long-haired gaffer makes no secret of the fact the ambitious pitch from Gillingham's American owners Brad and Shannon Galinson ignited the fire within. Ainsworth certainly knows how to get a place bouncing, his band's latest gig was just a few weeks ago in Soho, and he plans to front an electric Kentish revolution. When asked if he now feels pressure to vindicate his Shrewsbury departure, he said: "No, not at all. "Managers are restricted in what they can say with their contracts, I wish I could have said a lot more. "My justification for coming to Gillingham sits well with me, no problem at all. "I'm on a journey and I bought into the journey at Shrewsbury, I wish it went differently, it was a nice place to live. "People will laugh and say I'm not loyal but you've got the wrong guy, I don't need to prove anything to anyone." Ainsworth was such a coup for Gills, the bookies have them among the favourites for promotion. He isn't buying that, however, adding: "It's flattering but I don't know where the substance in that has come from. We haven't made £1million signings, we've signed three players. "Thank you but we're focusing on the journey, it's a two-year project centred around improving, the next level is way down the line for me." Ainsworth's ranks have been bolstered by the capture of ex-Burnley and Stoke City striker Sam Vokes and he's also optimistic he'll get Bradley Dack fit and firing. He continued: "We should be seen as underdogs, just like we were at Wycombe. Age is irrelevant to me, if you are good enough, you're good enough. If you look at the history of my success, it's come with experience. "Adebayo Akinfenwa, the partnership we had at Wycombe, Craig Mackail-Smith, Nathan Tyson, Marcus Bean, Sam Saunders, Joe Jacobson, Matt Bloomfield, the list is endless. "The owners have brought me in and told me to manage how I want. It was a really good move getting me in early so I could look over the team for the last few games [nine] of the season. "They just want success, they enjoy winning and the thrill of it - so that's what we're going to try and do."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
I had a nagging feeling about Emmanuel Fernandez from day one and here's why his transfer to Rangers is going to work
The road to Rangers for Emmanuel Fernandez had staging posts at Margate and Ramsgate but Gareth Ainsworth insists the signs all point towards a Glasgow success story. Fishing ports apart, Sheppey and Spalding United have also been part of the £2.5million Ibrox recruit's route from Peterborough, and Gillingham boss Ainsworth believes the giant defender's move has been timed to perfection. Ainsworth revealed he once opted against signing a teenage Fernandez during a trial spell at Wycombe and is adamant underwhelming career credentials mask the rapid progress of a player who could become a masterstroke signing by Russell Martin. READ MORE: Six Rangers stars give Russell Martin a serious headache but there's one thing he can't sacrifice for Panathinaikos READ MORE: Conor Coady to Rangers transfer hits further roadblock as another 'collapsed' deal puts Frank Lampard on notice He said: 'We had Manny in at Wycombe for a couple of weeks when he was a wafer-thin 16-year-old. 'He was nowhere near ready for the professional game and we didn't have an academy at that time so it wasn't an option for us to keep him. 'It was a really difficult situation and it's never nice to tell a kid he wasn't going to get anything as we didn't have the infrastructure for that. 'It's all changed now at Wycombe and if he had arrived it would be completely different. He's someone who has proved doubters wrong. 'Anis Mehmeti came into Wycombe around that time. He had been playing non-league football but we signed him and went on to sell him to Bristol City for a club-record fee so we did get some of them right. 'I had a nagging feeling about Manny. He had attributes I liked and I'm really pleased to see how much he has developed and become the player he has. 'This move to Rangers is a huge step but he's going to work with an intelligent manager in Martin, who has shown he knows how to develop and improve young players. 'It's a shrewd piece of business and makes sense.' Fernandez began his career as a youth at Brentford before beginning his tour of non-league seaside clubs after being released at Gillingham. He managed to climb back up the ladder and made 42 appearances last season at League One Peterborough Ainsworth is convinced the 23-year-old's battle through the adversity of playing in English football's backwaters has equipped him for life at the Light Blues. He said: 'Timing is a huge part of football and it can work for and against you. 'The timing for Manny's move to Rangers is perfect. I believe he can now go to Glasgow and achieve some fantastic things. 'He has the temperament to deal with whatever comes his way. He is a calm individual and I don't think there is much that fazes him. 'Manny's been though the school of hard knocks already and sometimes it's a player who's had those knocks and has played a lot of first-team games early in his career that can handle a move to a club the size of Rangers. 'Manny has been though a lot and hit setbacks in his career but is stronger for it. 'That will allow him to deal with this latest step. 'His time at Peterborough has set him up well and having worked with Darren [Ferguson, manager] will be a huge advantage – you can't be a shrinking violet when Darren's around. 'You need to have a bit of personality and something about you to play for Darren.' Fernandez scored five goals and was sent off twice with the Posh last term. He is a left-field addition by Martin but Ainsworth believes he's a key piece of the jigsaw for a Rangers boss who's made his name by deploying high-risk, possession-based football. Ainsworth said: 'I think Manny is definitely the ball-playing centre-half who will suit the possession-based style and system which Russell wants to play. 'He's a confident boy, he's someone who wants to get on the ball and is reluctant to just smash the ball anywhere. 'He's developed into a cultured defender and one of the things that stands out about him is his recovery pace. 'He can look quite slight because he is so tall. But last season, very few strikers in League One got the better of him in a physical battle. 'That was something that surprised me as I can still recall him arriving at Wycombe as this skinny 16-year-old. 'Manny is a ball-playing centre-half and I'll watch with interest. He's a great lad and I'm sure he's going to be a success.'
