Non QPR football thread

Hope Beale has lopped a zero off of the fines at training ground seeing as we pay peanuts

 

Ryan Giggs: Ex-Man Utd and Wales star headbutted ex-girlfriend - court

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Ex-Manchester Utd and Wales star Ryan Giggs "deliberately headbutted" his ex-girlfriend, a court has heard.

Mr Giggs, 48, denies a charge of coercive behaviour and assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, told the court Mr Giggs' relationship with Kate Greville, 36, was "punctuated by acts of violence and volatility".

He said Mr Giggs' private life involved a "litany of abuse, both physical and psychological".

• Ryan Giggs charged with assaulting two women
• Giggs resigns as Wales manager

Mr Giggs is charged with controlling and coercive behaviour against his ex-girlfriend Ms Greville between August 2017 and November 2020.

He is also charged with assaulting Ms Greville, causing her actual bodily harm, and common assault of her younger sister, Emma Greville, at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on 1 November 2020.

'Much uglier and more sinister'
Opening his case against Mr Giggs at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Mr Wright said this was a story of "control and coercion" of a woman who thought she was "loved and respected".

He said Mr Giggs was "idolised" for his skills on the pitch but behind closed doors had "a much uglier and more sinister side to his character".

He told the jury they will hear the relationship had "ups and downs" and that Mr Giggs was seeing someone else when he was with Ms Greville.

"Eventually, after years of turbulence, when the scales fell from her eyes, she realised she needed to remove herself from his sphere of influence," he said.

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IMAGE SOURCE,JULIA QUENZLER
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Ryan Giggs in front of Judge Hilary Manley
Mr Wright said this decision to break away led to the incident on 1 November 2020.

Mr Giggs is said to have "lost control" that evening and headbutted Ms Greville.


While both out with friends at Manchester's Stock Exchange Hotel, Ms Greville decided to terminate their relationship, said Mr Wright.

He added Ms Greville knew Mr Giggs had "once again" been cheating on her, and informed her sister of her plan to end the relationship before leaving the hotel.

"She intended to make her departure before [Mr Giggs] got back from the hotel. The plan did not work.

"As she was vacating the defendant's home address, he came back and began arguing with her and trying to stop her leaving."

In the altercation that followed, in which Ms Greville took Mr Giggs phone as a "bargaining chip", they grappled together on the floor before Ms Greville's sister stepped in, the court heard.

Mr Wright said Emma Greville then tried to pull Mr Giggs off her sister, but he "deliberately elbowed her in the jaw", before the argument moved to the kitchen.


'Gaslight her, and make her compliant'
"At that stage, we say, the defendant entirely lost self-control and he deliberately headbutted Kate, thereby causing swelling to her lips and bruising. Emma then called the police, who attended the premises."

Mr Wright said the abuse from Mr Giggs was "interspersed with acts of kindness and contrition", and Mr Giggs would say she had misunderstood him, had jumped to the wrong conclusion and that he was the victim.

"We say this was controlling and coercive behaviour," he said.

"This was a behaviour to gaslight her, and make her pliant and compliant."

He said the behaviour was "calculated", and was "conduct that would have an obvious and serious effect on her emotionally and physically".

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Ryan Giggs' former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and teammate Gary Neville will be witnesses in the case, the jury was told
Addressing the jury for Mr Giggs' defence, Chris Daw QC said on a "moral level" his behaviour was "far from perfect".

He told the jury some of his messages and emails were "marked by immaturity and inappropriate language", but this was the case for both him and Ms Greville.

"They behaved like squabbling children, playing on the insecurities of the other."

But, Mr Daw said "no matter how rude, unpleasant and mean" they were, there were "lines Mr Giggs would never cross".

'Both could be childish'
"He never once used unlawful violence against Ms Greville," he said, adding that the case against him was based on "distortion, exaggeration and lies."

He said it was "clear" Ms Greville's injuries were not consistent with a head butt from "a strong and physically fit man".

Referring to the incident on 1 November 2020, Mr Daw said Mr Giggs and Ms Greville both tripped and fell to the floor in the kitchen of his home and that she kicked him in the face as he tried to disentangle himself.

Mr Daw added Mr Giggs was not aware the complainant's sister was in the house at the time and did not elbow her, as alleged.

The alleged headbutt was "not only a nasty lie but a ridiculous one," he said, as evidence in the trial will show there was "minor and accidental contact" between their faces.

Mr Daw said in the weeks before, Ms Greville told friends she was determined not to walk away from the relationship with nothing.

He added Mr Giggs had encouraged Ms Greville's career ambitions in PR, backed her with his own company, and introduced clients.

She was always financially independent, free to travel and see her friends as much as she wanted, he told the court.

"Both could be childish," he said. On nights out, they would often block each other's numbers.

"Immaturity is not a crime," he added, and when it comes to law and morality, "law is what matters".

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IMAGE SOURCE,JULIA QUENZLER
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The trial is expected to last 10 days
Standing in the dock, wearing a dark grey suit, Mr Giggs listened as the jury of seven women and five men was selected and sworn in for the trial.

The jury was told witnesses in the case will include former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and former player Gary Neville.

The trial - expected to last around 10 days - will relocate to Manchester Crown Court from Tuesday and remain there for the duration.

Mr Giggs has denies all charges - the trial continues.

 

The continuing drain of West Ham's bargain of the century
By Tim Donovan
Political Editor, BBC London

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  4 days ago

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A West Ham United official programme stall in front of the ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Olympic stadium
West Ham United contributed an extra payment of just £185k for using the Olympic Stadium last season, despite enjoying a European cup run which earned them more than £12m.

This season they will not pay any extra for playing in a European competition - even if they make millions in prize money.

Signed off by then London mayor Boris Johnson in 2013, the arrangement means home matches are effectively subsidised by taxpayers, with the stadium losing around £10m a year.

It's a loophole that emerged because the club's original deal to rent the stadium did not cover this particular trophy - meaning they are not obliged to offer even a token payment toward running costs.

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Then mayor of London, Boris Johnson, negotiated a deal now recognised as "poor"
Each time West Ham plays at the London stadium it costs more than £100k - the expenses include running the venue on matchdays, and removing then re-installing the moveable seating to allow for other events. The club's rent - last season it was £2.9m - does not cover that outlay.

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Even with the extra cash for the stadium courtesy of performance-related clauses in the contract with West Ham - £85k for finishing sixth in the 2020/21 Premier League, and £100k for qualifying for the Europa League - taxpayers have to make up the shortfall.





But the bonuses and prize money from the Europa League run exceeded the running costs by far. The club generated more than enough to cover the operation of the stadium. On top of the money earned directly from the competition, tens of millions of pounds have to be factored in from television rights.

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Outside the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Leg Two match between West Ham United and Sevilla FC
This season, the disparity is even greater. West Ham finished seventh in the Premier League last year, so missed out on a place in the Europa League this season.

So no performance-related cash to hand over there.

But they did qualify instead for the Europa Conference League - a competition which also promises lucrative rewards.

They are due to get bonuses of several hundred thousand pounds for playing in the preliminary and group stages of the cup.

They are drawn against either Denmark's Viborg FF or B36 Torshavn of the Faroe Islands in the first play-off round.


If they progress, getting to the semi final would earn them £1.7m. There's £4.25m prize money for the eventual winners and £2.5m for the runners-up.

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West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium is advertised in a concourse under the main stand at their previous home, the Boleyn Ground
The Europa Conference League started last year. Because it's new, it was not mentioned in or covered by the original stadium contract signed in 2013, so West Ham have no obligation to pay anything related to it.

Critics have said, a decade after the 2012 Games, questions have once again been raised about Olympic legacy.

The controversial tenancy agreement given to West Ham - 99 years at a knockdown price - was described by one senior official as the "bargain of the century".

Andrew Boff, Conservative member of the London Assembly, said the situation stemmed from the decision to ensure the stadium was capable of hosting athletics, and West Ham "holding the taxpayer over a barrel".

"The whole Olympic Park project is held back by the obscene amounts of money that we have had to forego because we were committed to trying to get a use for a stadium that was inappropriate," he said.


Unmesh Desai, Labour's assembly member for the area, said while he was "pleased to see West Ham make London Stadium their home, and to have a successful future there", the deal for the ground "continues to have consequences".

He said: "The 'deal of the century' contract, with a 99-year lease, has seen West Ham pay minimal amounts towards the upkeep of the stadium whilst raking in millions.

"This situation represents not only a poor deal for Londoners costing them almost £30 million last year, but a poor deal for the fans, who have waited far too long to see improvements to their stadium and haven't seen any reduction in ticket prices

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West Ham United's last game at the Boleyn Ground brought to an end 112 years of the club's history at the venue

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Competition cash
Before West Ham were defeated in the semi-final of the Europa League by the eventual winners German club Eintracht Frankfurt, their cup run netted them:

£3.3m for getting to the group stage

£2.5m for performance in the group games

Nearly £1m for winning their group

£2.75m for getting through the next two knockout stages

£2.5million for playing in the semi-final

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A fan arrives to watch West Ham United's first game at their new stadium in August 2016
Criticism of the decision to grant West Ham a 99-year "concession" during Boris Johnson's mayoralty was made in a report commissioned by his Labour successor Sadiq Khan.

City Hall says there's nothing it can do to force a renegotiation of the club's rent and other financial commitments.

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) - the agency which runs the stadium on behalf of London's mayor - has admitted there's no clause in the agreement with West Ham requiring them to pay up for playing in this new competition.

It was further proof of a poor original deal, it said.

As landlord, the LLDC says it has reduced the bill to the taxpayer by cutting the cost of moving the seating and it has negotiated extra money from West Ham for use of the club's claret and blue colours in parts of the stadium.

LLDC's chairman, Sir Peter Hendy, said the current situation is better than the stadium standing empty - as has been the fate of many other Olympic arenas around the world.

West Ham, who this weekend play host to champions Manchester City in their opening game of the season, said they had no comment to make.

 

Ryan Giggs coming across as a nasty piece of work

 

And you didn't already know that ? He had an affair with his brother's wife ffs ! Horrible piece of scum, needs lobbing in a cell with Charlie Bronson. See how he likes warming that bench !

 

Yes, you can put the affair with his sister-in-law down to arrogance and a sense of entitlement. But he sounds a real Jekyll and Hyde character, flying into a rage with his partner, using violence, locking her naked out of their hotel room, adopting all kinds of coercive behaviour. Monstrous. It took Geoff Boycott years to be rehabilitated and accepted by the media for doing less.

 

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Streatham Rovers Football Club

@StreathamRovers


SAUNDERS SIGNS

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We are delighted to welcome central defender Ghostface-Killer Saunders* to Greyhound Lane for the 2022/23 season. Despite being only 26, he brings a wealth of experience from a playing career that has spanned three countries. * - Yes, that is his real name.













8

 

What ManU are missing is a statue, a sculpture outside their ground that they can look up to. Totem Pole anyone?

 

Meanwhile, 11 years on from TF buying us we're no nearer a new stadium and highly unlikely in the next 11 years...

 

I know one must be careful about what one wishes for but I think the owners are past their sell-by date. I’d love to see a change sometime soon; bit of fresh impetus… and moolah.

 

I keep reading our Owners are keeping us afloat to the tune of £1 M a month increasing recently to £1.8 M a month. So I think I'd stick.

 

If that's correct then it's unsustainable without getting back in the Prem and staying there. So what is there long term plan if they're not gonna pump money into buying players to get promoted or can't because of FFP ?.

 

I understand the current EFL FFP rules prevent us spending more this season without selling players first, because we are pretty close to breaching the £39 M rolling 3 year limit. If our owners are willing to put more money in (???) then we can only hope the EFL will increase that limit to what the PL use, somewhere over £100 M, as apparently the PL want. Financially, as well as for natural footballing ambition, the aim has to be PL. In addition owning a multi-use football stadium would help our long term sustainability. Both not so easy to do, though not impossible.

 

Your prerogative, Os. I appreciate their efforts and wouldn’t trivialise the amount of money they’ve spaffed, but just think these guys are mediocre and pretty much spent.

 

Dele Alli doing his utmost to flush his career down the khazi.

 

Currently hanging on to the toilet seat by his fingernails...

 

Did that a long time ago, by all accounts his attitude stinks. It seems everyone's run out of patience with him.

 

Female World Cup official flees Qatar to avoid a sentence of 100 lashes and seven years in jail for 'extramarital sex' after reporting that she was RAPED

• Paola Schietekat, 28, faces 100 lashes and seven years in jail for extramarital sex
• Mexican woman charged after she reported being raped while working in Qatar
• Lawyers told her she could possibly avoid a conviction by marrying her attacker
• The man, a colleague, allegedly broke into her apartment, threatening to kill her
• Schietekat, who has since left the Gulf state, was helping to organise World Cup

By LAUREN LEWIS FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 23:20 AEST, 22 February 2022 | UPDATED: 04:58 AEST, 23 February 2022

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A female World Cup official is facing a sentence of 100 lashes and seven years in jail for 'extramarital sex' after she reported being raped while working in Qatar.

Paola Schietekat, 28, from Mexico, was working for the World Cup organising committee when she complained that she was raped by an associate who broke into her apartment and threatened to kill her.

She reported the June 6, 2021 attack to the Qatari authorities, who responded by accusing her of having an affair and charged her with 'extramarital sex', which is illegal in the Gulf state.

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Schietekat was told by lawyers that one way of avoiding conviction was to marry her attacker but instead decided to flee the country, leaving behind what she called her 'dream job'.

The charges against Schietekat, who is a behavioural economist, are still valid and she is expected to be sentenced in absentia on March 6.

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Paola Schietekat, 28, from Mexico, was working for the Qatar World Cup organising committee when she complained she was raped by an associate who broke into her apartment and threatened to kill he

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Schietekat reported the June 6, 2021 attack to the Qatari authorities, which responded by accusing her of having an affair and charged her with 'extramarital sex', which is illegal in the Gulf state

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Schietekat has claimed that Qatar, which will be the first Arab state to host the FIFA World Cup in November 2022, cares more about protecting the attacker than the rape victim

Schietekat, writing on Julio Astillero, explained the attacker was able to gain access to her apartment in Doha because it is common for residents to leave their doors unlocked and rely on the security of the building.

The man, who Schietekat said she considered a friend, allegedly managed to wrestle her to the floor and rape her, leaving her arms, shoulders and back covered in bruises.

Schietekat said she took pictures of the scene and documented what had happened on her phone before fleeing her home and spending the night in a hotel, fearing her attacker would return.

The following morning she got a medical certificate and, with an official from the Mexican consul in Doha, reported the alleged rape to Qatari police using her limited Arabic.

Police asked whether she wanted a restraining order against the attacker or to press criminal charges against him.

Schietekat told police she wanted to press charges and signed a statement in Arabic to the effect, giving officers the name and details of the man.

However, hours later, around 9pm, she was called and told to return to the station where she was put in front of the man she had accused and questioned for three hours in Arabic.

The alleged attacker had told police that he and Schietekat were in a relationship, so officers asked to look at her phone to find evidence of intimacy, which she denied.

Police then asked her to undergo a virginity test, accusing Schietekat of extramarital relations, before recommending the case to the public prosecutor's office to bring charges against her.