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BBC News
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ed Sheeran thrills fans with 'surprise' Ipswich gig
Fans of Ed Sheeran have been treated to a "surprise" gig at a pub in his home county where he was launching his new Thomas Wolsey in Ipswich town centre has been re-branded as The Old Phone- the title of Sheeran's latest track. The pop-up pub will be known as The Old Phone for two weeks, before it reverts to its actual have been speaking of their delight at seeing the global star perform on their doorstep. Rachel Clements, 28, from Stowmarket, said she was "very excited that he's doing something this small, in our home town".Ms Clements said she was hoping to hear his latest track and new material from his Play album, which includes a song called Old Phone."We had one of his songs as our wedding song last year, so in a way I'm hoping he'll do that," she Clements was among the many fans who responded to an Ed Sheeran WhatsApp message to get tickets. People were also waiting to see if they might be let in if there was space. Alyssa Ali, 20, from Florida in the US, had been in London where she has been studying for a fortuitously decided to come to Ipswich this weekend, as part of her travels around the grew up in Framlingham, about 15 miles north of Ipswich, but he is known for being an avid Ipswich Town fan and has sponsored their shirts, and he played gigs at other pubs in the town before he became famous."I love Ed and have been a fan for a decade," said Ms Ali."So I had to come to his hometown and go around Ipswich, and I was here yesterday, and then he decided to pop-up here in this pub, and my hotel's eight minutes walk from there, so we ran over here as soon as I found out, hoping to get in."I'm so nervous because I don't know if I'll be able to get in. I'm just so excited to be in his presence again."She said she was very much looking forward to hearing his new songs. Michael Marron, 38, from Ipswich, was also hoping to see Sheeran perform. "Delighted, we saw him do this show in America and we were wondering if he would do something like this in Ipswich."It's great that he's come back to Ipswich and he's entertaining the people of Suffolk."Sheeran is known for playing impromptu gigs in Suffolk's county town, including one on the Town Hall steps in 2022."It's a buzz, and he always goes the extra mile for the people of Suffolk," said Mr Marron."I remember he was here not so long ago and he gifted a guitar to a primary school child. It's great to see celebrities do that."It is understood music bloggers, influencers and selected fans were invited or picked at random to attend the week, the musician announced a a run of three gigs at Ipswich Town's Portman Road in July. He is also a minority stakeholder in the club, which has just been relegated from the Premier Thomas Wolsey is named after one of Ipswich's most famous sons - Henry VIII's right hand man Cardinal Wolsey, whose statue is just along the road from the pub. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wrexham's Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney help promote club globally
Five years ago, many tourists thinking of coming to the UK might not have even heard of Wrexham, let alone decided to thanks to the rapid rise of the north Wales city's football club - backed by Hollywood superstars - and an accompanying documentary series, people from across the globe are flocking to the sealed a third consecutive promotion on Saturday, and will play in the Championship next season - one division below the promised land of the Premier local council said the county has seen a 20% growth in visitor numbers year-on-year, largely due to the club's growing fans of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been making pilgrimages to Wrexham since they officially took over the club in this week, Reynolds revealed he was looking forward to "many more" years at the city after their latest victory. "While they're here [visitors] stay in the Wrexham area and look at other sites we've got like the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage Site, Erddig Hall, Chirk Castle," said councillor Nigel Williams. "They realise what a beautiful place it is."The lead member for business, economy and tourism said he believed the football club and its hit television series, Welcome To Wrexham, has gained the attention of people from around the world who have visited, keen on finding out what else the area has to offer. Much of the international awareness of Wrexham comes from the FX documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, which is just about to start its fourth season showing life behind the scenes at the for a shirt at the Wrexham FC shop, Shane Lester from Australia said he had "never even heard of the place until we saw the documentary". "It's been really entertaining and because it gets shown after the results have happened, we haven't been following it like that, we're living it as we see it on TV." But the bulk of the recent tourists are from the USA and page of the club shop's visitor book has entries from Ontario, Virginia, Texas and and SallyAnne Andersson from California also credit the documentary for bringing them to said: "We've seen the show and figured we couldn't drive through without checking out the place. "I think they did a really good job on the show for Americans to teach them the game."The couple even went to watch Wrexham play Chelsea when the club toured the USA last summer, with Brett adding: "Phil Parkinson [Wrexham's manager] was right in front of us." With Wrexham's upcoming Championship season now on the horizon, Reynolds himself has described his time with the club as "one of the greatest experiences of my life".Writing on X earlier this week, Reynolds said: "This club is the sum of its supporters."Before we showed up they'd saved it multiple times. It's a temple as much as a football pitch. Wrexham—AFC has been one of the greatest experiences of my life."He added: "It's hard to avoid immediately starting work on next season - but important to take the moment in. Looking back and looking forward feels really good right now."I think I speak for [McElhenney] when I say, thank you for the greatest four years and here's to many more." Rob Clarke runs the Mad4Movies DVD and bookstore in the Butcher's Market, with the lifelong Wrexham fan making several appearances in the documentary. He said a hardcore of fans were there when the club was struggling through tough times but he was delighted new supporters are now along for the ride."The fact they're coming from all over the world is brilliant, the more the merrier," he said."They come in, put their money where their mouth is, come across to Wrexham, go in the club shop, spend money there - everyone's welcome. "It's brilliant to see."
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Leeds announce Bank Holiday Monday promotion parade
Leeds United have announced an open-top bus parade on Bank Holiday Monday to celebrate winning promotion to the Premier club said large crowds were expected throughout the afternoon on May 5 as Daniel Farke and his team make their way around Leeds city an announcement on Tuesday, external, the club confirmed the parade would follow a mile-long route to "take in the full length of the Headrow, as well as City Square, Boar Lane, New Market Street and parts of Wellington Street and Vicar Lane".The parade is scheduled to last between one and one and a half hours, arriving in the city centre around 1pm. It will also be streamed live on Leeds United club added: "A programme of road closures and other traffic restrictions is due to be in place across much of the city centre from 8am to 5pm on Monday. Emergency service access will be maintained throughout this time."The size of the expected turnout means people coming into the city centre – for the parade or other reasons – are being asked to carefully plan their journeys in advance."
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'We don't referee differently with VAR'
Match officials do not referee matches any differently despite the "safety net" of video assistant referees, says retired Premier League official Darren 56, retired this month after over 1,000 games as an assistant referee, including a record 579 in the Premier VAR system was introduced in the Premier League at the start of the 2019-20 is often a suggestion that referees do not make a decision on the pitch because they know VAR should make the right one."Not everybody likes VAR and I accept that view," Cann told BBC Sport."But from a match official's point of view, it is a really valuable tool. "I would like to dispel a myth. People think we referee differently because there is VAR but nothing could be further from the truth. "My mindset is to eradicate VAR from that 90 minutes by getting my decisions right. Our mindset is to make the right decision. "If we do make a clear and obvious error we do have the safety net of VAR."Cann has welcomed the introduction of semi-automated offside, which came into the Premier League on the weekend of his final technology uses artificial intelligence and special cameras to make the judgement of tight offside calls quicker and easier."In previous seasons it could take up to 50 seconds just to draw the lines before they came to a decision," said Cann."With semi-automated offside the lines are automatically drawn at the point where the ball is kicked. That speeds up the checks. "It won't affect the assistant referees on the pitch. They still make their calls. But it does speed up the checks."Cann's biggest two games came in 2010 - the Champions League final and World Cup final."Before VAR I got an offside wrong in a Premier League game that still haunts me to this day," said Cann."It was only half a yard and was one of those where a forward and defender cross over at high speed. I just got my timing wrong and flagged when I shouldn't have. "I lost concentration. That is 20 years ago and it still hurts."
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
The Devils' Advocate: 'We can win the Europa League'
The Devils' Advocate team are back with a fresh week talk turns to Manchester United beating Lyon over two legs in the Europa League semi-finals and then losing to Wolves in the Premier team opt to focus on the positives in an episode titled 'We can win the Europa League'.Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
