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Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tadhg Beirne among eight possible Irish Lions starters for first Test
There could be as many as eight Ireland players in the British & Irish Lions side to face Australia in Saturday's first Test when Andy Farrell names his starting line-up on Thursday morning Irish time. Early indications are that the head coach will lean heavily on familiar faces from the Ireland national team set-up he leads with Hugo Keenan a possible starter at full-back, James Lowe on the left wing, and Jamison Gibson-Park in the number nine jersey. Ireland could be the bulk supplier of the forward pack for the series opener at Suncorp Stadium with tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong set to win his seventh consecutive Lions Test cap having started all three Tests in both New Zealand eight years ago and South Africa in 2021. Furlong seems likely to form a front row alongside Irish team-mate Dan Sheehan at hooker and English loosehead Ellis Genge. Joe McCarthy is thought to be the front runner to partner Lions captain Maro Itoje in the second row while Jack Conan is in a similar position for the No.8 jersey. The most contentious positions are the two flankers with Farrell set to opt for a third lock at blindside flanker with Tadhg Beirne poised to start ahead of Ollie Chessum while the number seven jersey on the openside could go to England's Tom Curry, fending off intense competition from Jac Morgan of Wales and Ireland's Josh van der Flier. There could also be disappointment for Bundee Aki, set to lose out to Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu for the inside centre role alongside another Scot, Huw Jones. There may be some solace for both Aki, like Curry and Beirne a 2021 Test selection, and van der Flier on the bench but there are suggestions the head coach's son Owen Farrell has been left out of the 23, as has back-rower and squad baby, 20-year-old Henry Pollock. BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (possible): H Keenan (Ireland); T Freeman (England), H Jones (Scotland), S Tuipulotu (Scotland), J Lowe (Ireland); F Russell (Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Ireland); E Genge (England), D Sheehan (Ireland), T Furlong (Ireland); M Itoje (England) – captain, J McCarthy (Ireland); T Beirne (Ireland), T Curry (England), J Conan (Ireland).
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Liverpool's ambitious move for Isak can keep Man Utd off their perch once and for all… Fergie would have done the same
THREE decades of looking enviously at Manchester United's dominance clearly brought home the critical lessons to Liverpool. Having toppled the Anfield side off their 'perch', Sir Alex Ferguson set about establishing his own empire. 8 Arne Slot could lead Liverpool into a new dynasty Credit: Getty 8 The club want to add Newcastle star Alexander Isak to their squad Credit: Getty 8 Liverpool could knock Manchester United off the perch that Sir Alex Ferguson made for them Credit: Getty That meant never resting on their laurels — enjoy the moment, celebrate, then start again, making the changes needed to refresh and improve. If that means upsetting some of your players, so be it. The club comes first. And while Arne Slot won his first Prem crown by just tweaking the framework he had inherited from Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's willingness to smash the British transfer record and bring Alexander Isak to Merseyside for £120million is the clearest signal that the Dutchman is looking to create something permanent. The move for Swedish star Isak, 25, is more than an isolated push in a summer of treading water. Instead, it is Slot laying out his cards. Winning the title was great. But it is only the beginning of his ambitions. With nearly a month to go before the start of the new season and Liverpool's team to face Bournemouth on August 15 could show four changes from Slot's first XI last term. Slot's fellow Dutchman Jeremie Frimpong was recruited from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5m to fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold's decision to move to Real Madrid. But the other transfer targets were about building something even better from a position of strength. Andy Robertson was a Klopp mainstay for seven trophy-stacked seasons but the Scot has started to look increasingly vulnerable. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Slot suggested Robertson's disrupted pre-season last summer was a factor but appeared to have signed his immediate replacement, bagging Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth for £40m. And while the midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai brought far more control and poise in the engine room than for much of the Klopp era, Slot wanted to upgrade his options. Darwin Nunez performs tragic Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota's celebration after scoring in first game since his death He did that when Liverpool saw off Bayern Munich to lure Frimpong's Leverkusen club-mate Florian Wirtz, with just a little matter of £100m up front, plus up to £16.5m in add-ons. Now, with many inside and outside the club still mourning the tragic loss of Diogo Jota — something that, naturally, will long cast a shadow over the dressing room — Slot is thinking ahead once more. His interest in Isak has never exactly been hidden, although it appeared Newcastle, desperate to hang on to their attacking talisman, had held off Liverpool's desire to land him. But by making a direct approach now, with Isak all too aware that Liverpool are serious about getting him on board, the Anfield chief is showing he believes the title win was just the beginning. 8 8 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW It is exactly what Fergie would have done, too. Remember how back-to-back crowns were followed by the shock of losing the title to Blackburn in 1995. Out went stalwarts Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis. In came Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers, the Class of 92. It was a pattern that continued. Win then refresh. A pattern that helped Ferguson secure 13 Prem titles in the space of 21 seasons. All while Liverpool, who had been the ones to beat for so long, were suffering a title drought and only managed to finish second twice. Now, with the boot firmly on the other foot, it is Liverpool who are utilising their advantages — just as they always did in those glory days of the 70s and 80s. There may be more to come, too. Slot's signings are eye-catching but he has brought in nearly £56m from the departures of Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher and Nat Phillips, with more to come if Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz go. With Madrid eyeing a move next summer for potentially out-of-contract Ibrahima Konate, the Reds have not given up on Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace. Isak, though, would be the icing on their cake. A line-leader who would offer a constant goal threat, able to hold the ball up and run in behind, and still not even entering his prime years. Keeping hold of Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah was Slot, making them believe last term was the launchpad. What he has done since is already looking like he could finally put Liverpool right back on that perch. 8 Man United last won the league in 2011 Credit: Action Images - Reuters 8 Ferguson won the title 13 times during his illustrious reign Credit: PA:Press Association
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Pals of Scots holidaymaker, 26, who fell to his death from Ibiza balcony slam hotel branding it ‘inhumane'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE friends of a Scottish tourist who died after a horror balcony fall in Ibiza have slammed a hotel for their 'inhumane' handling of the tragedy. Evan Thomson, from Aberdeen, tragically lost his life after falling from the sixth floor of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in the island's San Antonio on Monday July 7. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Evan Thomson died after falling from a sixth floor balcony Credit: Facebook 4 He was tragically pronounced dead at the scene Credit: Facebook 4 His pals have since blasted the Ibiza Rocks Hotel for their response to the tragedy Credit: Darren Fletcher 4 They claim the hotel almost acted as if Evan's death never happened Credit: Darren Fletcher He was on holiday with pals and had recently celebrated his 26th birthday last month. The young Scot was discovered by his friends around 6am who raised the alarm. Medics were called to the hotel but tragically Evan was pronounced dead at the scene. But his friends have now blasted hotel staff for their response to the tragedy, claiming they almost acted as if nothing had happened after Evan's death. They claimed to the Press and Journal staff were washing the area where Evan was found less than two hours after his death and were still advertising events for that day on social media. Pal Blair Robertson, 25, said they were kept separate from other guests in the manager's office after finding their friend and were left without answers. But he said 90 minutes after they were told about their friend's death they were allowed back to their room to pack their bags before being moved to another hotel. He told the P&J: 'We heard the jet washes from the ground cleaning the area where Evan died and it had only been 90 minutes or so since he was found. 'That was the worst thing for us to hear – how fast they tried to get things back to normal. 'They took us out of the hotel at around 9am and put us in a new hotel down the road. Teenage motorbike rider, 14, dies in horror crash with car as cops launch probe 'It was like they wanted to get back to business as usual as soon as possible. 'It was just a very traumatic experience. 'They just wanted us out – and to start the party again. It was a disregard of life. 'It was hard hearing the cleaners coming into the room in the morning, as though nothing had happened.' Evan's other friend James Shand continued the criticism of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, claiming they viewed Evan's death from a 'business perspective' after seeing events for that day advertised on social media. "They just wanted us out – and to start the party again. It was a disregard of life." Blair Robertson He said: 'Seeing them post 'are you all ready for the next event?' within hours of it happening was sickening. 'They looked at Evan's death from a business perspective. They just preferred that people wouldn't find out, so it wouldn't ruin the party. 'Even if that post was an oversight, they've had a week to remove it and haven't. 'How could they do that – no less than five hours after Evan died?' Other fears have been raised about safety at the hotel after the tragedy. One of the main concerns Evan's friends and loved ones have is about the balcony wall only being 3ft high, and worry it was not enough to stop 6'3 Evan from falling to his death, as it only came up to his hip. In April this year, a 19-year-old Italian tourist died after falling from the fourth floor of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel after trying to reach her room from a balcony via a shared area. "They looked at Evan's death from a business perspective. They just preferred that people wouldn't find out, so it wouldn't ruin the party." James Shand Ibiza Rocks has been approached for comment in response to the concerns raised by Evan's friends. In a previous statement, the hotel said: 'This is a truly tragic and extremely sad situation. 'Our senior management team onsite did everything possible to help the police with their investigation into events leading up to Evan's death, and to provide constant support from our customer services manager to Evan's friends. 'That has included them having 24-hour access to our senior manager for any help or questions and giving them permission to pass on her mobile number to Evan's family should they wish to call us direct. 'They were very appreciative of all the help and support at such a difficult time. 'We are deeply saddened by Evan's death and our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends at this truly difficult time.' The Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities." Spain's Guardia Civil has been approached for comment.
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Liverpool's ambitious move for Isak can keep Man Utd off their perch once and for all… Fergie would have done the same
THREE decades of looking enviously at Manchester United's dominance clearly brought home the critical lessons to Liverpool. Having toppled the Anfield side off their 'perch', 8 Arne Slot could lead Liverpool into a new dynasty Credit: Getty 8 The club want to add Newcastle star Alexander Isak to their squad Credit: Getty 8 Liverpool could knock Manchester United off the perch that Sir Alex Ferguson made for them Credit: Getty That meant never resting on their laurels — enjoy the moment, celebrate, then start again, making the changes needed to refresh and improve. If that means upsetting some of your players, so be it. The club comes first. And while The move for Swedish star READ MORE With nearly a month to go before the start of the new season and Liverpool's team to face Bournemouth on August 15 could show four changes from Slot's first XI last term. The Anfield boss had little option over one of those, with fellow Dutchman But the other transfer targets were about building something even better from a position of strength. Andy Robertson was a Klopp mainstay for seven trophy-stacked seasons but the Scot has started to look increasingly vulnerable. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Slot suggested Robertson's disrupted pre-season last summer was a factor but appeared to have signed his immediate replacement, bagging And while the midfield trio of Darwin Nunez performs tragic Liverpool team-mate Diogo Jota's celebration after scoring in first game since his death He did that when Liverpool saw off Now, with many inside and outside the club still mourning the tragic loss of His interest in Isak has never exactly been hidden, although it appeared Newcastle, desperate to hang on to their attacking talisman, had held off Liverpool's desire to land him. But by making a direct approach now, with Isak all too aware that Liverpool are serious about getting him on board, the Anfield chief is showing he believes the title win was just the beginning. 8 8 It is exactly what Fergie would have done, too. Remember how back-to-back crowns were followed by the shock of losing the title to Blackburn in 1995. Out went stalwarts It was a pattern that continued. Win then refresh. A pattern that helped Ferguson secure 13 Prem titles in the space of 21 seasons. All while Liverpool, who had been the ones to beat for so long, were suffering a title drought and only managed to finish second twice. Now, with the boot firmly on the other foot, it is Liverpool who are utilising their advantages — just as they always did in those glory days of the 70s and 80s. There may be more to come, too. Slot's signings are eye-catching but he has brought in nearly £56m from the departures of Alexander-Arnold, With Madrid eyeing a move next summer for potentially out-of-contract Isak, though, would be the icing on their cake. A line-leader who would offer a constant goal threat, able to hold the ball up and run in behind, and still not even entering his prime years. Keeping hold of Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah was Slot, making them believe last term was the launchpad. What he has done since is already looking like he could finally put Liverpool right back on that perch. 8 Man United last won the league in 2011 Credit: Action Images - Reuters 8 Ferguson won the title 13 times during his illustrious reign Credit: PA:Press Association 8 Liverpool have won 20 league titles in their history matching the Red Devils Credit: AFP
Daily Record
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Iconic Scots hairdresser Charlie Miller who styled A-list celebrities dies aged 80
Mr Miller cut the hair of the late Sir Sean Connery and received an OBE for services to hairdressing from the Queen. Charlie Miller, an iconic Scots hairdresser who styled the hair of top celebrities, has passed away. Mr Miller's family announced his death at the age of 80. He died peacefully and surrounded by his family on Monday, July 14. A statement posted online said Mr Miller, who cut the hair of the late Sir Sean Connery, Hollywood actor Leslie Nielsen, and fashion designer Donna Karan, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2015. He spent the last three years of his life in the Queen's Manor Care Home in Edinburgh. The acclaimed Scot leaves behind two sons, Jason and Josh, four grandchildren, and his wife, Janet. The post read: "Charlie's warmth, vision, and unwavering dedication to his craft and community touched the lives of so many - colleagues, clients, and friends alike. "His legacy lives on in every salon chair, every team member he inspired, and every client who felt his passion for excellence and kindness, delivered with genuineness, empathy and warmth. "We are heartbroken as we extend our heartfelt condolences to Janet, sons Jason and Josh, daughter-in-law India, his four grandchildren Isha, Isaac, Eden and Olivia, sister Helen, and the wider family.' Mr Miller, whose career spanned almost six decades and whose salons are spread across Edinburgh, was the first Scottish hairdresser to receive an OBE for services to hairdressing, presented by Her Majesty the Queen in 2012. He was three-time Scottish Hairdresser of the Year, Avant-Garde Hairdresser of the Year, and had two nominations for British Hairdresser of the Year. Miller was also a judge for major competitions around the world, including the British Hairdressing Awards. He judged international titles such as Japanese, Dutch, and Norwegian Hairdresser of the Year. In 2007, he began personally styling real-hair wigs for teenagers through the Teenage Cancer Trust and was instrumental in launching the 'Hair 4 U' initiative in Scotland, now operated by The Little Princess Trust. Mr Miller was close friends with the late Kwik Fit founder Sir Tom Farmer and famously cut his hair at the North Pole. A spiritualist, Mr Miller also learned from the Dalai Lama - whom he gifted a tartan-pouched hair clipper in 1988. Mr Miller's sons told the BBC: "Our dad was so much more than the name above the salon doors. "He was a force of creativity, integrity, and love - for his work, for his team, and most of all his family. "Whether you knew him as a hairdresser, a mentor, a colleague, or a friend, you'll know the warmth he brought to every conversation and the generosity with which he gave his time, his talent, and his heart." They said they were heartbroken but vowed to continue their father's legacy. A Charlie Miller spokeswoman also told the BBC: "Charlie's kindness, humility, and genuine love for people defined both his personal and professional life. "He touched the lives of so many - from his loyal clients and trusted colleagues to the wider creative community." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
