The 1966 World Cup team cemented themselves as national heroes by bringing home one of, if not the greatest prize in all of sport over half a decade ago.
Of those who made up Sir Alf Ramsey’s legendary England team, the greatest contributor was Sir Geoff Hurst, who is still the only player to ever score a hattrick in a men’s World Cup final.
Now, Sir Geoff is looking to give fans who were alive to see it an entirely different kind of gift.
It’s no secret that as energy prices and the wider cost of living crisis continues, the winter months are going to be difficult for many of us, especially older people across the nation.
We’ve heard heart-wrenching stories of pensioners riding buses to stay warm, foodbanks being more necessary than ever and even ‘warm banks‘ being set up. With that in mind, Geoff is hoping to do his bit to help feed some of those in need.
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In partnership with Greene King pubs, the 80-year-old England icon is launching a competition for 66 fans aged 66+ to receive a £100 gift card to eat at any of their 3,100 locations across the UK, along with a framed certificate as a keepsake.
Credit: Greene King
So, those who were 10 or older when England won in ’66 will be eligible for the competition and with the chain’s affordable menu, will be able to fuel themselves whilst watching this year’s winter World Cup without having to worry about the purse strings.
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The man himself said “the World Cup is so much more than a football tournament, it’s a moment that unites the country and brings together friends and families in support of our team.
“This competition is a special thank you to reward fans from 1966, letting them enjoy the 2022 World Cup in style, plus they may just be the lucky charm we need to see us back to glory!”
Greene King Sports’ Chris Conchie said in a statement: “As the home of pub sport, we wanted to give the longest-serving England fans something to cheer about as we head towards the World Cup, sharing their first-hand experiences of one of the greatest sporting moments in England’s history.” Well in, lads.
For a chance of winning, guests can enter themselves or nominate a worthy friend or relative by entering the competition HERE, selecting their local pub and completing the entry form by 31st October.
Those of pensioner status fortunate enough to be chosen will be their pubs designated ‘Lucky Fan’ and given a safe space, along with plenty of hot meals as they sit back and watch the tournament.
Let’s bring it home, boys.
Featured Image — Greene King
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.
Danny Jones -
6th October 2022 
