Tesco is to close all of its Express stores early this Sunday so staff can watch England in the final of the Euros.
After Gareth Southgate‘s Three Lions squad successfully secured their place in the final of European football‘s flagship tournament last night, the supermarketretailer was quick to announce its intentions of shutting up shop early especially for the highly-anticipated sporting event in just a couple of days time.
England are to face Spain in the final of UEFA Euro 2024 this Sunday night (14 July), following a 2-1 win over the Netherlands in last night’s semi final.
A penalty scored by captain Harry Kane in the first half, and a dramatic winning goal by Aston Villa’s star striker, Ollie Watkins, in the 89th minute was what lead England to the grand final in emphatic style.
A moment you are going to see again and again and again.
It was merely minutes after Watkins found the back of the net, and the on-pitch, in-stadium, and UK-wide celebrations had died down, that Tesco hopped straight onto social media to let shoppers know that its Express stores throughout England would be operating on reduced hours and closing their doors earlier than normal on Sunday.
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The supermarket retailer wasted no time at all following Ollie Watkins’ 89th-minute winner to hop onto social media and announce its reduced opening hours this Sunday. Read Tesco’s statement in full here
Wasting no time at all in sharing its intentions, Tesco wrote in a statement shared to Instagram: “It’s time. Time for another massive final. That’s why we’re giving our incredible colleagues the time they deserve to enjoy it by closing every Express store across England at 7:30pm on Sunday.
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“It’s the least we can do after all their hard work. And come kick-off, England deserve every little bit of support.”
Tesco operates more than 1,800 Express stores across England, and these smaller convenience stores generally operate with closing hours of 10pm or 11pm – but this Sunday, with the Euros final set to kick off at 8pm, they will shut up shop at the earlier time of 7:30pm to allow employees to head home and cheer on the lads.
Stores in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, however, will continue to remain open in line with their usual hours.
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Tesco is closing all its Express stores early this Sunday so staff can watch England in the Euros final / Credit: England / The FA (via X)
All staff in England stores will are to still receive their normal pay despite the reduced hours, Tesco has confirmed, and those employees who do not want to watch the football will also be paid as normal too.
As the final falls on a Sunday, the retailer’s larger stores in England will already be closed by the time the match kicks off, and Tesco has reassured shoppers that all stores nationwide will reopen as normal on Monday morning (15 July) – with the majority open from 6am or 7am.
All online orders which have already been placed for Sunday evening willbe honoured and delivered as normal, Tesco has also confirmed.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Salford confirms another ex-player as new CEO of phoenix rugby club
Danny Jones
As Salford turns the page of a new chapter in its rugby league history, ex-Red Devils player Ryan Brierley has been announced as the new chief executive officer (CEO).
His appointment was confirmed on Wednesday, 24 December, giving Salford rugby fans some fresh hope over the festive period.
Brierley, who played as a full back at Salford Red Devils from 2022 before leaving for Oldham RLFC halfway through last season earlier this year, follows fellow former player Mason Caton-Brown in returning to the team in a leadership capacity.
Sharing the news on his own social media, he wrote: “Incredibly honoured to announce I have been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Salford RLFC.”
His official statement goes on to read: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to the board members Malcolm Crompton, Mason Caton Brown and Paul Hancock for this opportunity. I would also like to thank the RFL and Salford City Council for their continued support.
“Lastly, but most importantly, to the Salford fans: what we had to go through last year was heartbreaking. I think I can speak to the wider Rugby League community and echo the sentiments of all fans that no club should ever go through that experience.
“Thank you for letting me lead this organisation into a new era. I’ve always said Salford people are my people and I will protect this club, with its best interests at heart. It is important [that] expectations are managed, and patience is required.”
He signed off by simply asking for the same support he was afforded as a fan, adding: “I have no doubt in my mind that you will go above and beyond, it’s just what Salford fans do…”
Led by the aforementioned Caton-Brown (a retired winger who played for the Red Devils between 2014-26), as well as another pair of directors in Hancock and Crompton, the Salford phoenix club has officially been given a Championship license for 2026.
Although relegation from the Super League and liquidation after 152 years were dark days for the club, this new consortium has already provided fans with some promising signs.
Besides saving the Salford sporting institution from total extinction, having previous members of the old outfit who know the bones, the stadium, the culture and the city so well is obviously a big bonus.
For now, it is a race against time to get a squad ready for the season opener against Brierley’s last team, Oldham – though contracts for a head coach and several players have reportedly been “pre-agreed”.
Featured Images — John Moorhouse (via Geograph)/supplied (via Rumpus PR)
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Netflix drops the first trailer for upcoming Peaky Blinders film
Danny Jones
It looks like Christmas has come early for TV drama fans and cinephiles, because Netflix has officially dropped the first trailer for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
Popcorn at the ready – even the teaser alone has got us fired up.
ln just 70 seconds, they’ve managed to pull us right back in, and we cannot wait to see Cillian Murphy back in full-on Tommy Shelby mode.
Not exaggerating when we say we have LITERAL chills.
As you can see, they certainly haven’t scrimped on the budget with the first-ever feature-length Peaky Blinders film, neither in terms of production value nor the cast.
Then again, having already hosted the likes of Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy and others in the series itself, as well as going on to become one of the most successful BBC shows of all time, they were never going to.
We’re sure you spotted plenty of them for yourselves, but the debut trailer for The Immortal Man gives us not only our first glimpses of now Oscar-winning Murphy, 49, back in the saddle (both figuratively and literally) but also fellow blockbuster Irish actor, Barry Keoghan.
Other big names set to appear in the movie – set for a limited release in theatres before launching exclusively on Netflix – include Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth. It still remains unclear, however, as to how any of these characters will knit into the new season.
It’s also worth noting that the trailer shares a little snippet of the historical context, this continuation of the Shelby story is playing into, as we see what looks to be Nazi figures meeting on screen.
Creator Steven Knight has already confirmed that the plot will fast-forward some years to meet back up with Tommy at the outset of WWII and his ancestral home of Birmingham during the Blitz.
Having already confirmed 6 March as the theatrical release date ahead of it going live on Netflix a fortnight later, the anticipation was seriously starting to ramp; this latest look has only added to the tinderbox of excitement.
What do you make of the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man trailer, and will you be watching it?
Emily Sergeant -
11th July 2024 
