davieG

Made In Leicester Rob Hubble Lee Circle 1955.

Made In Leicester Rob Hubble Nice photo of The Cascade/Cameo High Street.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-women-milestone-validate-10149470 Leicester City Women milestone may validate 'boring' approach as path for the future The latest Leicester City Women news as they head into their final Women's Super League away game of the season this weekend, taking on already-relegated Crystal Palace ByJordan Blackwell 17:22, 1 MAY 2025 Survival is now achieved and Leicester City Women will be spending a fifth straight season in the Women’s Super League next term. But it doesn’t quite feel like the same achievement as it has been in previous years. That’s partly because of the lack of peril. Even with their struggles in front of goal in the first half of the season, City have at no point been bottom of the table, sitting in the relegation zone, this campaign, a feeling they became used to over previous years. And, with Amandine Miquel in charge, this was supposed to be the year they kicked on. There has been progress, but this weekend gives them the chance to confirm it. Victory away at relegated Crystal Palace this Sunday will take City up to 19 points, their highest-ever total in the WSL. Finishing above 10th and recording a new high in the table also looked possible earlier in the season, but Aston Villa’s recent good form has seen City slip back down to 11th. “It’s still business as usual,” Miquel said at the weekend. “We focus on ourselves, and we said we’d count the points at the end. We have two games to go and our objective is to go as high as we can and keep this team progressing and to do that we need to keep pushing. “We are going to do the best we can in the last two games. It’s great to know we’ll be in this league next year but we’ll keep pushing until the end.” Reducing the margin When analysing where progress has been made this season, there is some joy to take from the competitive nature of the games against the division’s best sides. Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City have long been the dominant forces in the WSL and Leicester have been on the end of some thrashings from those sides. In their first top-flight season, City lost all six games against the trio at an aggregate score of 28-1. The following year it was 25-0, then last season 21-4. For the first time, City claimed a point against one of the big three, drawing with champions Chelsea in December, and with the aggregate score for the season standing at 15-3. The weekend’s 1-0 defeat at home to Man City was a tight one. It wouldn’t have been unfair if Leicester had claimed a point. “I think we had enough occasions to score at least one goal and we’re disappointed to not do that,” Miquel said. ‘Boring’ approach the future? Miquel is not afraid to take an unorthodox approach nor speak her mind and she was willing to admit the deeper defensive structure against Man City might have been “a bit boring to watch”. Leicester have 29 per cent of the ball and while only in the away game against Man City have they had less, they are used to playing without it. They’ve not had the majority of the possession in any game this season. In their four wins, they’ve had an average of 33 per cent possession. Taking the route less travelled, and trying something different to their opponents, may help them pick up results more regularly. It will be very interesting to see if that’s the style City keep to next season – and Miquel does seem set in her ideas – and how they fare in their second year playing that way, and with hopefully a fit front-line to make the most of the counter-attacks.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-star-ruled-out-10147864 Leicester City star ruled out for season after undergoing surgery as six injuries confirmed Mads Hermansen won't play again this season with Jakub Stolarczyk to be handed the gloves for this weekend's clash with Southampton and the three games thereafter ByJordan Blackwell Mads Hermansen will not play for Leicester City again this season after undergoing surgery on a groin injury. Hermansen will miss the final four matches of the campaign, with City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy confirming that Jakub Stolarczyk will be handed the gloves for this weekend’s game against Southampton and the three matches thereafter. The Danish goalkeeper suffered the injury in the away defeat to Newcastle last December but returned just over a month later. Van Nistelrooy has said that Hermansen was being managed through the issue over the past three months, but has now undergone surgery with a view to getting him ready for pre-season. But given the transfer speculation around Hermansen as the club prepare to drop into the Championship, it’s possible the Dane has played his final game for the club. Van Nistelrooy said at his press conference on Thursday morning: “Mads Hermansen had an operation, so Jakub will be in for the rest of the season, the remaining games. “It’s something that had to be solved to get him up and running for pre-season, so it was better to do it now so that he's ready, rather than delaying it. “The problem he had when he missed the games and Jakub filled in very well in December and January, it's still that issue. It’s been taken care of so that he can work on recovery and be fit for the pre-season. “He had the big spell where we had to prepare him, without an operation, to play the rest of the season. The medical people and strength and conditioning guys did a great job. They managed him through the games and training sessions. “Now, in this situation, already being relegated, we have Jakub as a great number two who can fill in. Also for his experience, it's very good. So for both, this was the decision. “But he (Hermansen) has been playing through this injury, yes.” Hermansen will be one of six players unavailable through injury this weekend, with the trio substituted at Wolves all ruled out. Bobby De Cordova-Reid is unlikely to feature again this season with the muscle injury he sustained at Molineux, while Ricardo Pereira will also miss a couple of weeks. Facundo Buonanotte is now going through a concussion protocol and so will at least miss this Saturday’s game. Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu have already been ruled out. “We are a lot thinner than before,” van Nistelrooy said. “Ricardo Pereira came off with a muscle injury, so will be out for a couple of weeks so it's possible he can still play (this season). “Bobby De Cordova-Reid had a muscle injury and we don’t expect him to play this season anymore. “Facundo had a concussion so he's in the protocal for a concussion. He'll miss Saturday's game and we'll see if he can make it into next week's game. “Of course, Stephy Mavididi, we don’t expect him to play this season anymore, and Abdul Fatawu it's clear he's not involved for this season.”

Vanity project.

Build while the tourists stop coming - the championship.

...and a lot about the club and how the football side of things are managed

Guarantee losing and not scoring.

Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent Published 30 April 2025, 12:22 BST 316 Comments Updated 5 hours ago Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has diluted his control of the club in preparation for Champions League qualification. Uefa, European football's governing body, has strict rules regarding multi-club ownership models such as the one Marinakis heads up. In addition to owning Forest, the Greek businessman also controls Greek team Olympiakos, as well as Portuguese side Rio Ave. Forest and Olympiakos are both on course to qualify for next season's Champions League, a prospect that would contravene Uefa's rules that state clubs under the same ownership cannot compete in the same European competition. Documents filed at Companies House show that Marinakis has ceased to become a "person with significant control" of NF Football Investments Limited, the vehicle that owns the City Ground club. While Marinakis has placed his shares in a blind trust, a Forest source confirmed to the BBC that he remains the club's owner and is still committed to the club. The development is among a number of changes filed with Companies House in light of Uefa's rules. Sources have confirmed the move is designed to ensure the ownership model is positioned to ensure Forest comply with Uefa's rules. The alterations in ownership structure had to be completed by the end of April, a rule Forest have complied with. With Marinakis stepping back, Forest's co-owner Sokratis Kominakis returns to the club's board. Forest are sixth in the Premier League, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot. Forest have a game in hand over Chelsea. Olympiakos are top of the Greek top flight and are set to qualify for the Champions League. Manchester City and Girona, who are both owned by City Football Group, were cleared to compete in this season's Champions League after changes to its control arrangements at the Spanish club. Meanwhile, former Arsenal sporting director Edu is expected to be confirmed in a new global role within Marinakis' multi-club model in the coming weeks. Edu left Emirates Stadium last November and has completed a period of notice with the north London club. BBC Sport understands the Brazilian executive has been working on an informal basis since leaving Arsenal, but his appointment is yet to be concluded. That process is ongoing amid an expectancy that his formal appointment is completed and announced later this summer.

It was the same shit show moving to the Walkers

Will they be able to splash as much cash next year?

How Wrexham and Birmingham City’s US owners got one step from the Premier League It’s been over four decades since Wrexham were last in the second tier of English football and a lot has changed in that time. (A lot has changed in four years, never mind four decades.) Four years ago, Wales’ oldest soccer club were at a non-league nadir. Now, they are preparing for life in the Championship, propelled to three straight promotions by the stardust (and money) of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. e Birmingham City’s second tier exile was much shorter – just a single season – but like Wrexham their promotion had the spotlight of celebrity on it. While Wrexham have Reynolds and McElhenney, Birmingham have Tom Brady (albeit it in a far smaller profile). The English lower leagues have never been so glamorous, what with Wrexham players appearing in Marvel movies and David Beckham attending matches. Related: Wrexham announce record revenue of £26.7m after boost in US popularity And yet both clubs’ ownership have defied the cynics. Birmingham and Wrexham have spent big – really big in the case of the former, who splurged £25m on transfers last summer – but something meaningful is happening at the Racecourse Ground and St Andrew’s. Two historic clubs have been revitalised. Here’s a five-step plan for other North American owners on how to run a British club successfully. 1) Buy low. Really low Reynolds and McElhenney deliberately bought a club that couldn’t sink much lower. That was their plan from the start and explains why they also looked at Hartlepool United, similarly down on their luck in the National League, before buying Wrexham in November 2020. Brady and Tom Wagner did something similar by buying Birmingham City in May 2023 after years of financial uncertainty. Birmingham and Wrexham both had large, passionate fanbases desperate to be re-energised. On size and stature alone, both should have been more successful. The upside was clear for the new owners who both see the Premier League as a realistic target. If the likes of Bournemouth and Brentford can do it, why not these two? Promotion to the Championship puts them just one step away. “It’s been hard to buy into the North American optimism, but they have gradually eroded the generational pessimism ingrained in cynical Wrexham fans, who have rightfully been cautious given how the club so nearly went out of business,” says Rich Fay of the RobRyanRed podcast. “This Wrexham team is a winning machine.” 2) Tell a story Wrexham impressed on the field as they surged to League Two promotion last season, but that’s not why over 80,000 fans came to watch Phil Parkinson’s team in Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Vancouver last summer. They came to see Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer and all the other characters from soccer’s most popular reality TV show. Anyone who has watched Welcome to Wrexham knows it’s a series that’s only so much about the actual soccer. It’s actually about the lifelong fan who owns the pub next door. And the club’s powerchair team. And the town which has struggled in the post-industrial era. Wales itself is a character. A Birmingham City documentary series is also coming. That the new Amazon show is to be directed by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight suggests Blues will follow the formula established by Wrexham in telling a story beyond soccer. Star players used to be enough for a club to shift some jerseys around the world. That was before Welcome to Wrexham changed everything. It might not be a fairytale, but Wrexham in particular has been a hugely compelling story to tell. 3) Invest in yourself Less than a year after arriving, Birmingham City’s new owners bought 48 acres of land for a new stadium. It was a statement of intent that highlighted Wagner’s ambition with the ‘Sports Quarter’ development on an under-utilised site near the city centre estimated to cost £2-3bn ($2.6-$4m). Money has also been spent to renovate St Andrew’s and the training ground. Fans see Wagner as an honorary Brummie. Outsiders might consider his team talks and fist pumping cringey, but Birmingham fans see someone whose passion for the club can’t be questioned. “On away days, Tom regularly puts his credit card behind the bar for fans to have a beer,” said Chris Goulding of the We Are Birmingham podcast and blog. Wrexham have their own stadium plans. The club hopes to start construction of a new 5,500-capacity Kop stand soon, recently unveiling an updated design inspired by Wrexham’s red brick traditions. This is a town nicknamed ‘Terracottapolis,’ after all. It’s also a town where nearly 8,000 children live in poverty, something the recently revamped Wrexham AFC Foundation wants to tackle. 4) Have a clear style Parkinson’s conservative style of play has drawn criticism even as his team have risen through the divisions, but his approach has given Wrexham a clear framework to build around. Only Birmingham have conceded fewer league goals than The Red Dragons this season while goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has kept 18 clean sheets, second in League One behind … Birmingham’s Ryan Allsop. The pragmatism of Parkinson-ball might be even more valuable in the Championship when Wrexham will regularly face opponents with better players and bigger budgets. While other nouveau riche clubs might have grown restless and changed managers, Wrexham stayed consistent with Parkinson who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. “I feel the entire process has distracted from what a good job Phil Parkinson has done,” says Fay. Chris Davies has similarly given his team an identifiable playing style. Under Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou’s former assistant, Blues have thrived as an aggressive possession-oriented side capable of magic in the attacking third. Wayne Rooney’s appointment last season was a misstep, but Birmingham quickly corrected that mistake. 5) Keep evolving Season by season, Wrexham have shown a willingness to change. Mullin and Palmer were the stars of the seasons in the National League and League Two. This time around, the pair have been part of the attacking rotation along with Steven Fletcher and Jay Rodriguez, two forwards with genuine pedigree at a high level. Okonkwo came in from Arsenal to replace Mark Howard as Wrexham’s No 1. Forward Sam Smith arrived from Reading for a club-record fee. Parkinson also changed formation midway through the campaign, moving away from the dual striker system that had worked so well for him until that point. “With two up front, it was making us … I won’t say predictable, but we needed to adapt, particularly in possession,” said Parkinson. A home defeat to Stevenage in late January prompted a rethink and was the catalyst for a run that saw Wrexham lose just two out of 17 games to clinch promotion. Birmingham’s evolution has been far less gradual, with the signing of 17 new players last summer giving Davies the talent he needed to point the club in the right direction. Jay Stansfield was the most expensive addition, costing a league-record £15m. However, the 22-year-old justified such an eye-watering fee by netting 19 goals in 34 league appearances. Backed by Knighthead, a New York investment fund valued at close to $10bn, Birmingham will spend more. “With these owners I think the Premier League is just their first target,” says Goulding. Wrexham, on the other hand, might be more like a dog catching a car now that they are up to the Championship. This could be why New York’s Allyn family, whose wealth dwarfs that of Reynolds and McElhenney, joined as board members last autumn. Further evolution will be required, as will more money. Reynolds only has so much Mint Mobile cash to plough in.

Long standing ST holders are in fear of not getting one back if there are changes plus there's the FOMO as knowing LCFC we're as likely to have a good season next year as a bad one. Then you have the ludicrous situation of ST prices v Match day prices where you only have to attend 10/11 games to make the ST worthwhile plus you can now legally pass matches on or sell them back to the club. Pay by instalments as well. Everything points to keeping your ticket. How many gave up after the Great Escape season and regretted it, definitely a few on here.

Joseph Johnson Leicester Past & Present ~ A walk down Memory Lane. added a new photo to the album 66* LEICESTER PAST - Album No.66. LEICESTER PAST: Joseph Johnson, Market Street, 1885. One of Leicester's oldest department stores has been converted into an aparthotel and restaurant. The Grade II listed building - on the corner of Market and Belvoir Street - was designed by architect Isaac Barradale in the 1800s. Until 1962, it was home to Joseph Johnson's department store before being taken over by retailer Fenwick, which closed in 2017. It was officially reopened on Tuesday as The Gresham after a £17m refit. The 121-room aparthotel also includes a bar, gym, fitness suite and conference facilities. As we near the grand opening of The Gresham, Leicester’s new aparthotel, bar and restaurant development, what better time to look back at the history of the building, and examine how it earned its iconic place in the hearts of Leicester’s population. The Gresham has been home to two Leicester institutions, beloved by their communities. The new Aparthotel aims to build on this legacy, and begin a new chapter in a storied history of the building and its surrounding area. Joseph Johnson’s was founded in 1869 on Market Street. A draper by trade, Johnson struck out on his having served his apprenticeship at Adderley’s store in Leicester Market. Forming a partnership with a Mr. Halsall, they opened a modest store on Market Street. Johnson proved a savvy businessman, and by 1871 was the sole proprietor of the store. By 1884, he had become so successful that he commissioned Isaac Barradale to design the now-iconic Gresham building, moving into the five-berth frontage at the top of Market Street. The building’s name, however, came from another investor in the new development, a businessman called Richard Allen. Allen, according to the Victorian Society, “wanted to make a bold statement,” and so commissioned the Gothic corner archways, curved two-storey window and canopied roofline which gives the building its unique appearance. Though the nature of Allen’s business at ‘Gresham Buildings’ remains unclear, he took on three shop frontages on Belvoir Street, with showrooms above. Sadly for Mr Allen, his boldness was not matched by success, and in 1900 he sold Gresham Buildings to Joseph Jonson. The ever-ambitious Johnson also incorporated a hosiery factory into his store, and continued to modify the interior of the building to incorporate it as one contiguous unit. By 1926, the footprint that would be familiar to Fenwick shoppers in 2017 was almost complete, As Johnson commissioned the Leicester architects Fosbrooke and Bedingfield to create links between the remaining small units. This evolution of the interior architecture of The Gresham remains evident to this day, and means that every suite in the new aparthotel has its own unique character. Throughout this period, Johnson “lived above the shop,” devoting his life to his business and building it to the status of a Leicester institution. Johnson’s Stores evolved to become the type of department store that we would recognise today. He insisted upon exacting standards for his staff, and ran an unabashedly “high-class” establishment. By the time of its 1962 takeover by Fenwick of Newcastle, Johnson’s Stores was as iconic in its community as Fenwick’s would become to the next generation.

Team building, meeting with other young footballers from varying social and political backgrounds, discipline in a tempting environment, character building, see how they cope abroad and away from their families, fun after a tough season. Nothing substantially professionally football wise but all adds up.