The cricketing world has been rocked by the death of Warne, considered one of the greats of the sport.
A minute’s silence was held today in Antigua ahead of a match between West Indies and England.
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Shane Warne. Credit: Instagram
Fellow cricketers have been leading the tributes, with Jasprit Bumrah writing: “Shocked beyond words. A legend of our game, an icon, and someone who revolutionised spin bowling. RIP Shane Warne.”
England cricketer Michael Vaughan shared an emotional tribute to his friend, saying: “I can’t tell you how hard it is to get this down in words .. it’s just doesn’t feel real to be talking about someone who once was an enemy on the pitch to one who became a great friend off it.”
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He continued: “I will never ever forget the warmth he & his family gave me this winter when I was down under for Xmas alone.
“To say I spent Warneys last Xmas with him & his family is so sad but one I will cherish .. all of us eating Turkey ,beef ,the usual Xmas trimmings & the King to stick to his Lasagne sandwich’s with bread rolls plastered with butter .. that’s Warney … the superstar .. the greatest .. friends to world superstars .. everyone wanted to be around him but ultimately he was just a normal guy who could do incredible things.
England Cricket paid tribute to Australian Shane Warne. Credit: England Cricket
“My thoughts are with his mum Bridgette & dad Keith plus his 3 kids that I know he is immensely proud of .. Brooke , Summer & Jackson .. We are all thinking of you .. i am absolutely gutted to have a lost a great friend .. one thing is for sure Heaven will be a lively place now the King has arrived .. Love ya Shane x”
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Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar said: “Shocked, stunned & miserable… Will miss you Warnie. There was never a dull moment with you around, on or off the field. Will always treasure our on field duels & off field banter. You always had a special place for India & Indians had a special place for you. Gone too young!”
England Cricket’s official account posted, alongside a black and white photo of Warne: “One of the greatest of all-time. A legend. A genius. You changed Cricket. RIP Shane Warne.”
Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the century’. Credit: Sky Sports
Gary Neville wrote: “Oh no ! News that shakes you and stops you right in your track. RIP Shane Warne”
The Times’ Henry Winter said: “Shane Warne transcended cricket. He was a sporting great with that winning mindset, fabulous technique, intelligence, boldness and that aura, a team player, too. Warne loved what he was doing and showed it; too much modern sport can be joyless. Also a giant as a broadcaster. RIP.”
A statement from Warne’s management said: “It is with great sadness we advise that Shane Keith Warne passed away of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand today, Friday 4th March.
“Shane was found unresponsive in his Villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived.
“The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course.”
Featured image: Cricket Australia
Sport
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Sport
Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool
Emily Sergeant
Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.
Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.
One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.
Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.
At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.
Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.
Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.
“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.
“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”
Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Daisy Jackson -
4th March 2022 
