davieG

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-boss-makes-leicester-city-8814389 Stoke boss makes Leicester City claim after proving tactic is no-go against Enzo Maresca's side Alex Neil gives his thoughts on Leicester City after his Potters outfit fell to a 2-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy getting the goals ByJordan Blackwell 07:00, 8 OCT 2023 Leicester City will be “one of the best Championship teams in a long time”, Stoke boss Alex Neil said following his side’s defeat at the King Power Stadium. City made it 10 wins from 11 and six in a row in the league by beating the Potters 2-0, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in the first half with Jamie Vardy netting in the second. Vardy is one of four England internationals in the squad along with Conor Coady, James Justin, and Harry Winks, something Neil feels is unprecedented in the Championship. The Scot believed the quality of the City squad, and how well they can play when teams open up against them, means they will go down as one of the best sides to grace the division in some years. That’s despite Neil feeling like his injury-ravaged side initially coped well with Enzo Maresca’s men. “I thought our set-up was good,” the Stoke boss said. “I don’t think they had a chance until the goal. The goal is really disappointing from our perspective. Iheanacho is really wide, we just need to get down the line of the ball. “If we get to half-time and it’s 0-0… Our intention was always late in the game to have a go. You could see why when we did have a go why you don’t come here and try to go toe-to-toe with Leicester. They’ve got some really good players. The minute we squeezed the space, we could hear the coach for them saying: ‘They’ve changed.’ “The minute we changed, they brought on pace at the top end of the pitch. If you’re going to squeeze and try to compress the game, Jamie Vardy at this level is going to cause you all sorts of problems. “They’ll be one of the best Championship teams in a long time, I think. Just look at the stadium, fans, and players they’ve got. I think they’ve got four internationals that have played for England, I can’t ever remember that having happened anywhere else.” Thirty points from a possible 33 is the best start to a second-tier campaign since Fulham in 2000-01. It’s seven more points than City had after 11 games in 2013-14, when they were last in the division and finished top with 102 points. The record is held by Reading, who earned 106 points in 2005-06.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leicester-city-notebook-enzo-maresca-8812725 Leicester City notebook: Enzo Maresca changes Yunus Akgun view and names teams he most enjoys The latest news from Leicester City as Enzo Maresca alters his view on Yunus Akgun's best position ByJordan Blackwell 19:28, 6 OCT 2023UPDATED20:34, 6 OCT 2023 Back in early September, following the final week of the transfer window and the arrivals of Yunus Akgun and Abdul Fatawu, Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca suggested they would be rivals for the spot on the right wing. It was the position that both had occupied during their careers at Galatasaray and Sporting Lisbon respectively, and it was the position they both preferred. But having now seen Yunus in training for six weeks or so, Maresca does not see his best role as being out wide. Yunus came on as a substitute against Southampton in central midfield, and then started there in City's win over Norwich before reprising the role against Liverpool. Back then, Maresca saw him as a winger who could be an option in the middle, particularly with Dennis Praet out injured, saying: “He is a winger who loves to come inside so we can think to use him as an attacking midfielder.” But while Yunus featured on the right when he came on as a substitute against Preston in midweek, Maresca has said he now believes the Turkish international’s best position is in the middle. It’s the place from where he got assists for Kasey McAteer and Kiernan “He can do more,” Maresca said this week. “He is adapting very well. He gave us two assists against Liverpool and Blackburn. He arrived here not 100 per cent but now he is getting better. For sure he can give us much, much, much more, no doubt.” “For me, he’s more an inside player than a winger. Sometimes he has to play as a winger. But for me he’s more an inside player than a winger.”

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/enzo-maresca-tells-wout-faes-8812922 Enzo Maresca tells Wout Faes what he must stop doing to become top centre-back The Leicester City centre-back has been one of the club's most consistent performers this season but can get even better if he takes on board Enzo Maresca's feedback ByJordan Blackwell 07:00, 7 OCT 2023 Wout Faes has the potential to be one of the game’s leading central defenders – but only if he stops switching off, Enzo Maresca has said. Faes has been one of Leicester City’s regulars this term, with only Harry Winks playing more minutes. His contributions to the defensive effort means City have conceded the fewest goals in the Championship ahead of their fixture with Stoke on Saturday. Having established himself as a starter for Belgium last season, there was talk in the summer that Faes would need to leave City and the Championship if he was to keep his spot. That’s not proven to be the case, with the 25-year-old still in his country’s 11. City boss Maresca believes Faes is good enough to play at the top level, but only if he improves his focus. The Italian feels he has the tendency to lose concentration. “I’ve spoken with Wout many times,” Maresca said at his press conference on Friday. “For me he has the potential to be a big-team central defender. But at the same time he needs to understand that the only way is to always be on the game, to be focused, and every time to give 100 per cent. “Because you can see there are some moments during the games where he looks a little bit like he’s not present in the game. If he can be able to be focused for 95 minutes, for sure he’s a good central defender. The difference between a top central defender and a good central defender is that they are able to be focused for 95 minutes in the game.” But Maresca admits there is not much he can do to help keep Faes in the zone for the full match, other than offer him reminders. It’s up to the player himself. Maresca added: “With these kinds of things, it’s more in the way you are. If you are like this, we can help you to understand, we can tell you many times, but in the end, it’s something you grow inside. It’s something you have inside. “It’s not so easy to change. For instance, Callum (Doyle) on the other side, he has less quality but he is focused for 95 minutes. So at the end, it balances. It’s not easy to find.”

Surely the clique thing is missing the point anyway they were all party to a lack of effort and caring about the club enough to put in the effort to keep us in the PL, granted Rodgers wasn't helping. Enzo has shown what some motivation and commitment can do to a player and I'm sure he could have got the best out of any of them. Anyway this is drifting off the topic so I'm out of this chat.

Who decided that ?

Erm KDH, Ndidi, Vardy, Nacho, Ricardo, Faes etc were all part of the clique and all were less then convincing. Enzo has revived them from their stupor.

It makes you question where the money comes from to do all of it considering they're all supposed to be broke, I know they get a fair amount from the government. Everything seems to take forever, when they were doing Aylestone Rd near KP regularly they change the month when it was to be completed and now it's the same with the Saffron Lane pavement/cycle path.. While on this rant why is the bus lane from Saffron Lane to Raw Dykes so wide and the pavement so narrow?

So were many others that are still here and Enzo has re-motivated and invigorated them. No reason why he couldn't have done the same with other players. It's clear to see that Rodgers was the main stumbling block last season, not the sole blame but a massive part of it.

I rang the number you posted but couldn't get an answer so just rang the office, was ok though. UBER was £37

Leicester City are encouraging supporters to arrive as early as possible for this weekend’s fixtures on Filbert Way. - Roadworks are in place near King Power Stadium - De Montfort University are hosting an Open Day on Saturday - Supporters urged to factor additional travel times to their journeys The Club’s Men’s First Team take on Stoke City on Saturday 7 October (3pm kick-off) before LCFC Women host Everton on Sunday 8 October (3pm kick-off). Roadworks are currently in place on Aylestone Road, affecting both Almond Road and Aylestone Walk, and are due to be completed by Wednesday 25 October. Additionally, major existing roadworks are also being carried out on Raw Dykes Road and Upperton Road, lasting for at least 40 weeks. Furthermore, on Saturday, De Montfort University are hosting an Open Day on campus, which may also impact fans’ inward and outward journeys. Supporters planning to visit King Power Stadium this weekend are therefore urged to factor additional travel time to their journeys. All times BST.

https://www.lcfc.com/news/3724188/former-player-remembers-sean-st-ledger-part-one/featured?lang=en Republic of Ireland defender Sean St Ledger played a combined total of nearly 200 games for Preston North End and Leicester City between 2006 and 2014. Earlier this month, Sean met Club Historian John Hutchinson at LCFC Training Ground to speak about his career in football. In part one of this extended interview, he talks about his early days at Peterborough United, his successful career at Preston North End and the reasons behind his move to Leicester City. Sitting in the coaches’ office in Seagrave, Sean began by describing his football journey. “I was born in Solihull,” he recalled. “As a youngster I played for a local team in Aston. I was a centre-forward in those days and scored a lot of goals. Then I went on trial with Peterborough and signed for them. I was quite small then and they said I’d be a better player in centre midfield. “Then I became a defender but as I grew up through Peterborough’s youth ranks, I was small for a centre-back so I had to drop down a year from the under-15s to the under-14s so I was the same size as the other players. I had a year there with Dan Ashworth as my manager and throughout that year I grew and I went back to joining the under-17s and that’s when my apprenticeship started. “A year later I was able to make my first team debut when I was 18. I came on as a substitute against Wycombe Wanderers. Barry Fry was the manager and he was really good with young players. He showed a lot of faith in me and I went on to play a lot of games for Peterborough. “I did the hard yards down in League 1 and League 2. It was more common in those days for younger players to play in the lower leagues. The latest good examples of players who started in the lower leagues are probably Jarrod Bowen and Ivan Toney. “I benefitted from Barry Fry’s management. He was a good motivator. You knew where you stood with him. It was a good time. I enjoyed it. Expand photoSean St Ledger Preston was where Sean St Ledger initially made his name in the game. “Peterborough was struggling financially and a TV company made a payment into the club to make a behind-the-scenes documentary with Ron Atkinson called ‘Big Ron Manager’. I learnt quite a bit from Ron. His CV was phenomenal. He’d managed some top clubs and had some really good experience to pass on. After that, I kept in touch with him and had a meal once in Spain with him. At the time of filming, me and another player were getting linked to other clubs so the film focused on us a little bit and maybe my behaviour wasn’t too good on the film.” In July 2006 Sean signed for Preston North End, who had just narrowly missed out on the play-off positions for a place in the Premier League. Explaining the move, Sean continued, “At the time I was on trial at Birmingham City under Steve Bruce. They had big names like Emile Heskey, Jermaine Pennant, Mathew Upson and David Dunn. They’d just been relegated from the Premier League and were predicted to go straight back up. I was offered a contract at Birmingham and was about to sign it when Preston offered me one. I felt I would have better first team opportunities at Preston. I had a good feeling about them and that’s why I went up there. “As soon as you entered Preston, one of the founder members of the Football League, you could see it was steeped in tradition. Tom Finney’s statue is outside the ground and the National Football Museum was based there in those days. It was nice to be part of that. “Paul Simpson, Preston’s manager at the time told me that I would be behind the two first choice centre-backs, but I didn’t have a problem with that because I was so young and I was eager to learn. During the pre-season, one of the centre-backs was badly injured so I played in the team and the rest is history. I played in nearly every game from then on. We were top of the table for a large part of that season, but we had a big dip in form after January and we ended up just outside the play offs. “It was a disappointment but in terms of personal development it was fantastic. There were good players in that division like Robert Earnshaw who had really good movement and Clinton Morrison. I had to find ways to use my strengths against their weaknesses. It was a challenge, but I grew as a player and as a person. I could feel that I’d stepped up a level.” The following season (2007/08), Sean was Preston’s Player of the Year. Paul Simpson was replaced as manager by Alan Irvine who’d been David Moyes’ assistant when he’d been manager at Preston. “Alan was the best coach I had,” Sean reflected. “He taught me a lot about defending. I was never the tallest of players and he found a way of disguising my weaknesses and helping me in aerial duels. He’s had fantastic top level coaching experience. In my younger days, I’m not sure I’d had much information like this.” Expand photoSean St Ledger Breaking into Republic of Ireland contention was a source of pride for Sean St Ledger. The following season (2008/09) Preston reached the play-off semi-finals for a place in the Premier League, only to be narrowly beaten by Sheffield United. “To get to the play-offs we’d gone on this amazing run,” Sean continued. “There was a critical game against Cardiff who were also in the play-off positions. We beat them 6-0 at home. On the final day of the season Cardiff lost and we beat Queens Park Rangers and got into the play-offs ahead of Cardiff who had the same points and same goal difference. I was able to score the goal against QPR which clinched our play-off spot. “In the semi-final we went up against Sheffield United who’d finished third. They were a really strong team. We drew 1-1 at Preston but when we went to Bramall Lane there was a difference. They were the better team and deserved to go through. When we went over to our fans at Bramall Lane, I felt that I could have done more. I wanted to repeat the game. It was one of my regrets.” Four months later in September 2009, Sean joined Middlesbrough on loan with a view to a permanent transfer in January. “That was one of the hardest decisions I’d ever had to make. I was enjoying life in Preston. Not just the football but in terms of my life. I was settled in the area. I had a house. The training ground was only ten minutes away. I was playing well. Everything was great and then the opportunity to go to Middlesbrough came. My aim throughout my career was to play at the highest level I could and to play in the Premier League and I thought that at Leicester, I’d be able to achieve that. Sean St Ledger “I’d had the opportunity to go in the previous transfer window but in the medical they found that something was wrong with my meniscus. They didn’t go through with the transfer. I continued to play for Preston because there were no symptoms. Then I ended up signing on loan at Middlesbrough with a view to a permanent transfer. “Gareth Southgate was Middlesbrough’s manager and I’d been a Villa fan as a boy when he played for them. He was the nicest man. He was incredible. I thought that it would be a step up for me and that I could learn. Middlesbrough had just been relegated from the Premier League, but they were investing in new players whilst Preston were not. “Not long into my loan deal, Southgate was sacked. Gordon Strachan was appointed. The good feeling that I’d had under Southgate was not replicated because when you are the manager’s signing you get more chances to make mistakes than you do with a new manager coming in. Strachan was a really good coach and I enjoyed the time I had on the grass with him, but Alan Irvine was still at Preston so I said that I would like to go back there. Strachan was good about it. The money he would have spent on me could now be spent on his own players. I went back to Preston. Everybody won. “Then, two games into my return to Preston, they sacked Alan Irvine. Alan was a big reason for me going back there. The club knew this and I felt a bit betrayed. This is why when the possibility of me going to Celtic in January (2010) came up I was interested in going there. “I was intent on going to Celtic because I wanted to play for Ireland, and to play for Celtic at the same time would have been a dream. Their manager Tony Mowbray had his teams playing a really good style of football. They had one of the best stadiums and one of the best atmospheres in football. However, it didn’t happen. Preston were asking for a lot of money for me which they’d have got from Middlesbrough if I’d gone there and the move never materialized in the end. It was obviously a disappointment.” Expand photoSean St Ledger Sean St Ledger joined the Club as it started to point its focus towards Premier League promotion. Back at Preston Darren Ferguson was the new manager and the Lillywhites finished the season in 17th position in the Championship. The following season (2010/11) was Sean’s last at Deepdale. Explaining why he left Preston to join Leicester City at the end of the season, he continued: “Darren Ferguson got the sack in December and Phil Brown came in as manager. I missed a large part of that season due to the meniscus injury. Preston got relegated at the end of the season and there was a financial aspect to consider. I was one of the club’s valuable commodities. “The move to Leicester came about partly because I was playing for Ireland at the time and the Republic’s manager was Giovanni Trapattoni. He had a connection and relationship with Leicester City’s Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as they’d both managed in Italy. I think Trapattoni had mentioned me to Sven. Sven rang him up and Trapattoni gave the thumbs up. I’d also played with Paul Gallagher when I was at Preston and he was also now at Leicester. Next thing I know, I’d signed for Leicester City (in July 2011). “The new owners had been there for a few months and it was clear that their aim was to get to the Premier League. My aim throughout my career was to play at the highest level I could and to play in the Premier League and I thought that at Leicester, I’d be able to achieve that.” In part two of this interview, to be published in the next-but-one edition of CITY, Sean talks about his time at Leicester City, playing in an FA Cup Semi-Final for Millwall and his experiences playing for Orlando City and Colorado Rapids in the USA. He recalls his international career playing for the Republic of Ireland and playing against some of the best players in the world. He also talks about his current full-time role scouting for Leicester City.

https://www.thepfa.com/fpotm/championship - You can vote here.

EFL Champ Fans · Interesting graph showing the style of each Championship team so far:

County Cllr Craig Smith - Coalville North · Further to my post yesterday, I’m delighted to confirm the Ivanhoe line will be reopened from Burton to Leicester giving the residents of North West Leicestershire access to the National rail network for the first time since the 1960s

LCFC Women's Barclays Women's Super League fixture with Arsenal at King Power Stadium has been selected for live broadcast on Sky Sports - LCFC Women to take on Arsenal at home on Sunday 12 November - Fixture at King Power Stadium to be shown live on Sky Sports - The game will kick-off at revised time of 6:45pm

https://www.lcfc.com/news/3723078/leicester-city-in-100-players-steve-guppy?lang=en This series continues with left wing-back Steve Guppy, who was signed by Martin O’Neill for Leicester City in January 1997 and whose performances for the Foxes led to him playing for England. More on this story... Leicester City In 100 Players: Steve Walsh Leicester City In 100 Players: Neil Lennon Leicester City In 100 Players: Muzzy Izzet Guppy was an orthodox left winger who developed into an England international wing-back after Leicester City Manager O'Neill signed him from Port Vale for a fee rising to £950,000 in February 1997. He came to Filbert Street with a good reputation. Although rejected by Southampton as a youngster, Guppy joined Conference (now National League) side Wycombe Wanderers in 1999. He was in O’Neill’s Wycombe side which won the FA Trophy in 1991 and which was promoted to the Football League in 1993, after winning a league-cup double. A year later, he helped Wycombe gain promotion to the third tier of the Football League. While at Adams Park he was capped by England at semi-professional level. After a brief three-month spell at Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United in 1994, Steve moved to second tier Port Vale where, in the next three seasons, his performances on the left wing made him a club legend. Steve Guppy & Robbie Savage Steve Guppy applauds the Blue Army and celebrates with Robbie Savage on the Wembley turf after winning the League Cup. After his move to Filbert Street in January 1997, he spent the next five seasons playing for the Foxes in the Premier League, the first four of which resulted in top-half finishes. He played in two League Cup Finals, narrowly losing in 1999 and then winning in 2000. He also played in two UEFA Cup campaigns, in 1997 and 2000. In the 1998/99 season, he was the only Premier League player to play every minute of every game throughout the season. He also delivered the highest number of crosses in the Premier League that season. While at Filbert Street, his achievements included becoming an England B international and a full international when he played against Belgium in 1999. The only other player to progress from England’s semi-professional side to the full international side was the ex-Leicester City striker Alan Smith. In 2001, he rejoined O’Neill at Celtic for two-and-a-half seasons before returning to Leicester for 15 games when Micky Adams’ side was relegated from the Premier League in 2004. Steve later had brief spells at Leeds United, Stoke City and Wycombe Wanderers before playing for DC United, Stevenage Borough and Rochester Rhinos. He then coached at Colorado Rapids before rejoining O’Neill, coaching at Sunderland and later with the Republic of Ireland.

I'm not a regular user of Taxis I can't even remember when I las used one. I'm probably going to need one on Thursday to get from Hinckley to General Hospital and back again after a couple of hours. Any recommendations would be very help Eg is Uber any good and trust worthy? Thanks in adavance

The centre-back, who could make his debut at Southampton, was brought to the club after the decision-makers identified a lack of leadership as a key issue over a number of years ByJordan Blackwell 22:30, 14 SEP 2023 Conor Coady is the solution to a long-standing problem at Leicester City, Enzo Maresca has said ahead of the centre-back’s potential debut on Friday night. Summer signing Coady has made a quicker-than-expected recovery from a foot fracture and is on course to be included in the squad for the clash with Southampton, even if he is not yet 100 per cent fit. An England international defender, Coady is not short on ability, but it is his qualities as a person that were the biggest factor in his £7.5m transfer from Wolves. Maresca has said ahead of the trip to St Mary’s that the decision-makers at City had concluded that a lack of leadership within the squad over a number of years was a problem that needed rectifying if the club were to return to the Premier League. “I’ve said since day one with Conor, he was one of the targets for the club,” Maresca said at his press conference on Thursday. “When I joined, the club said to me that one of the problems over the past two or three years was a lack of leaders. I was not here so I cannot judge, one of the main targets was to improve that area, and Conor is one of the guys. “We played some friendly games here behind closed doors and he was probably the only voice you could hear on the pitch. This is something you have inside you. It doesn’t matter if you are at Wolves, at Everton, or at Leicester, you always have this. He guides the rest. It’s fantastic.” While Coady has not yet played a competitive game for the club, he has been at every single match home and away, supporting his team-mates from the sidelines. If he comes into the side, he will be at the heart of the defence, replacing Jannik Vestergaard. “He has the right experience to help us in our targets,” Maresca added. “He has been an important player, even last year at Everton. Now he’s back and he’s worked four or five days with us. “Even when he was injured, he was very close with us, always travelling for the game away and at home. He has been very close to the team. You can see he’s not only a good player, it’s also a player that loves to be involved, even if he’s injured. He loves to be there. For a club and for a manager, it’s something fantastic.”

Football Chat only please.

Claudio Ranieri promoted Cagliari to Serie A with a 94 minute winner against Bari. After the final whistle he immediately burst into tears. In 1988, at the age of 36, Claudio Ranieri took Cagliari and in just two seasons took them to Serie A. Now in 2023, at the age of 71, took Cagliari from 14th place in Serie B to promotion in Serie A. Legendary coach and a good person being.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicester-city-gets-green-light-4763738 Leicester City gets green light to move into new £100m training complex next week. Leicester City has been given the go-ahead to start using its new £100 million training complex next week. The Foxes have all but completed the building of the facility just off the A46 some eight miles north of the city and wanted to move in on December 9. However the club has not yet started work on the safety improvements it agreed to carry out when it gained planning permission for the project two years ago. That permission was granted on the condition that the club carried out safety improvements at the nearby crossroads where Park Hill Lane meets the A46. Residents said the junction was already dangerous for motorists and that extra traffic - players, club staff, and fans wanting to watch matches in the 499-seat show pitch - would make it worse. The club has returned to Charnwood Borough Council’s planning committee last night, Thursday December 3, to seek permission to move in ahead of the work being done. Agent for the club Niall Alcock said the junction work had been scheduled with Highways England to run from early January to the end of March and that players and staff would be instructed not to use that junction until the work had been finished. This will see central reservation modified with a give way line for vehicles turning right into Park Hill Lane. This would also allow cars or larger vehicles to wait in the central reservation to ensure they do not encroach into the carriageway. Mr Alcock pointed out the junction would be closed during the period to use it from January onwards in any case. He said after December 9 and until the work begin the junction would be monitored to ensure it would not be used by staff and players coming to and from the complex. He said: “Rigorous monitoring will allow a robust enforcement mechanism that ultimately could allow the cessation of the use of the facility if the measures are not adhered to.” Mr Alcock said if the club were refused permission to move in ahead of the highways work it would mean it would have been unable to use it for the entirety of the 2020/21 season. He said: “This could have a direct impact on the footballing success of the club and its operational and financial performance.” Villagers in Seagrave have maintained the junction is not safe and parish council chairman Roger Brown told the meeting it still would not be even after the work was complete. He said: “I am very disappointed we are even here tonight. “The work on the A46 Junction should have been a priority and been completed before the opening of the facility. “We do not think the site should be allowed to open before the junction improvements have been completed.” Ward councillor James Poland said he had been reassured by meetings with the club. He said: “The club has proven their good intent to get the work done.” The club has said it not start using the complex's 499 seat practice pitch until the junction work is done. Committee members voted by 10 to 1, with two abstentions to allow the club to move in ahead of the highways work.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/how-millions-pounds-spent-telling-4112802 How millions of pounds will be spent telling world about 'hidden gem' Charnwood Forest Millions of pounds is to be spent promoting the ‘hidden gem’ that is Charnwood Forest. A £2.7 million grant has been awarded to The National Forest Company to raise awareness of the 60 square mile area on either side of the M1 in north Leicestershire, The National Lottery Heritage Fund cash will fund a five-year project to try to get more people visiting the area beyond lockdown and to enhance the landscape. Chief executive of the National Forest Company John Everitt said: “Charnwood Forest’s future hinges on our ability to convey its story effectively. “We need to fill people with surprise, delight and awe when they hear it. "Only when they understand Charnwood Forest will they be moved to care for it. “This scheme will support more than 80 sites across Charnwood Forest and enable over 1,000 volunteers to learn about and help us to protect this precious landscape.” He added: “When most people are asked where Charnwood Forest is, they point to a tiny area east of the M1 around Bradgate Park and Beacon Hill. "But Charnwood Forest covers more than 150 square kilometres. “It extends north and west of Leicester, into the National Forest and includes parts of Coalville and Loughborough and villages along the A6 corridor. This project will help reconnect local communities with the landscape and its incredible heritage. “Working together to protect this unique landscape is now more important than ever as we mitigate and adapt to climate change. "Charnwood is a hidden gem in the East Midlands and this award will help ensure its unique story and character are celebrated and secured for the future.” Cabinet spokesman for environment at Leicestershire County Council Blake Pain, said: “I am delighted that the Charnwood Forest Landscape Partnership bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been successful, and thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment. “The £2.7m will provide much needed and welcome investment in Charnwood Forest and I am confident it will enable people to explore, understand and care for Charnwood Forest and its hidden gems and provide the impetus for the creation of a valuable legacy for Leicestershire. Why Charnwood Forest is unique Charnwood Forest’s rocky outcrops, some of the oldest rocks on the planet, were thrown up by volcanic activity in the southern oceans more than 600 million years ago. Millions of years of global plate tectonic movements brought the Charnwood rocks to their current location, and with them the fossilised remains of the first moments of complex life on earth. These fossils are only found in a handful of places across the globe, and the most ancient are found in only two places on Earth: Newfoundland in Canada and Charnwood Forest. The area is not just important for its fossils. The ancient volcanic geology created the steep, rocky ground and thin soils that are characteristic of Charnwood. These are conditions which make arable farming difficult, so historically much of the area was grazed or left as woodland. Because the land has not been heavily cultivated, it still contains a wealth of nationally and internationally important wildlife, including the Charnwood Spider and rare lichens. Leader of Charnwood Borough Council Jonathan Morgan said: “This is wonderful news, particularly at a time like this, and reminds us that there is plenty to look forward to in the future. “We are incredibly proud to be part of Charnwood Forest and this lottery funding will help to make the woodlands more accessible to a wide range of people. “It will also help preserve it for future generations and help people understand its importance in the local, regional and national landscape. “As a council we have already significantly invested in improving the Outwoods in Loughborough and it is highly cherished by visitors.” Planned projects include Geological conservation and research Innovative interpretation Habitat restoration 15 natural flood management projects 10 kilometres of improvements to Rights of Way and the creation of a safer, off-road path between Beacon Hill and the Outwoods Heritage and health programmes, in particular for those with access and special health needs Roadshows, events and Citizen Science projects involving 10,000 people 1,250 volunteering opportunities Participatory arts programmes to engage people to record and celebrate Charnwood Outdoor learning Improved visitor information Mapping of Charnwood’s distinctive stone walls.

https://ivanhoeline.org/?fbclid=IwAR1AjoGcNwNfgQcuVq87RvviuQ8jyW2xrIMBffv64ASQ0XmkSj-61MUWHqo About the Ivanhoe Line Prior to 1964 the railway line was a direct passenger link between Burton on Trent and Leicester, but it was closed to passenger services under the Beeching Closures. Now the area around is growing faster than in many other areas of the UK and a passenger railway is needed urgently. At present the line is run only for slow-speed freight, mainly ballast trains from Bardon Quarry. It is our intention to lobby for the realignment and upgrading of the track bed to allow light passenger trains to run a 1/2 hour peak service.

I thought we had a thread for this but could find it. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/free-agent-david-nugent-set-3090816 Free agent David Nugent set to join former Leicester City team-mate at Preston Striker was a free agent after leaving Derby Leicester City favourite David Nugent is set to team up with former team-mate Paul Gallagher at Preston. Nugent, who scored 59 goals in 180 City appearances, is a free agent after his release by Derby this summer. But the 34-year-old striker is set for a quick return to the Championship with a move to his old club Preston almost complete, LancsLive report. Nugent is said to have undergone a medical and was pictured talking to former City team-mate Gallagher before Preston’s pre-season friendly against AFC Fylde on Saturday. After helping City win the Championship title in 2014 and then secure Premier League survival in 2015, Nugent was sold to Middlesbrough. He helped Boro to promotion before returning to the East Midlands with Derby, and played 38 games under Frank Lampard last season, suffering an injury in the play-off semi-final win over Leeds.