Wigan hit with punishment over Marc-Antoine Fortune deal #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

WIGAN have been fined £40,000 by the FA for breaching agent regulations in relation to their signing of Marc-Antoine Fortune.

Wigan have been fined over the signing[ACTION]

Agent Willie McKay has had his overseas agent registration suspended for nine months, with the punishment stayed for a period of two years.

Gabriel Agbonlahor set for greatest test against Hull #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

GABRIEL AGBONLAHOR believes Saturday’s clash with Hull will be the biggest game of his career.

Agbonlahor believes his side must take all three points against Hull[GETTY]

Aston Villa are just three points clear of the bottom three and Agbonlahor said: “It could be the biggest game of all our careers so far because of what is at stake. To keep a club the size of Aston Villa in the Premier League is a massive thing. ”

Raheem Sterling: Liverpool doctor transformed me #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

LIVERPOOL’S Raheem Sterling says advice from sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters has helped turn him into one of England’s brightest young stars.

Sterling has been a revelation this season[GETTY]

“At first I thought it wasn’t for me,” said Sterling.

“But I had a meeting with him before the Manchester City game [on April 13, which Liverpool won 3-2 with Sterling scoring the opening goal]. I thought it was going to last 20-25 minutes. So I walked in, sat down and he just said, ‘focus on the ball, focus on the team’. ‘Is that it?’ I asked him. But it was really important.”

Norwich fans in protest vote for Player of Year #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

UNHAPPY Norwich fans are venting their frustration at the club’s dismal campaign by voting for 40-year-old keeper Carlo Nash to win player of the season – even though he has yet to make a senior appearance.

Carlo Nash has yet to make a senior appearance for the Canaries[GETTY]

Norwich are battling to stay in the Premier League and are 18th with two matches remaining, away to Chelsea and at home to Arsenal.

About 2,000 fans have already voted, with Nash appearing to be the front runner.

Man City set for Champions League punishment after breaching Financial Fair Play #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

MANCHESTER CITY could face a salary cap on their Champions League squad next season as a punishment for breaching UEFA spending rules.

Manchester City could face restrictions in next year's Champions League[GETTY]

City are also expected to be fined and ordered to make a cut in the number of players permitted in their 25-strong squad for Europe's elite club completion when UEFA's club financial control board meets over the next two days.

The sanctions packages are understood to be part of a settlement offer from UEFA to clubs like City and Paris Saint Germain - whose owners are from Abu Dhabi and Qatar respectively - who have fallen foul of the new financial fair play regulations. The clubs can accept, reject or try to negotiate ahead of the meeting.

Both UEFA and City have refused to comment but it is understood the relevant sanction in the FFP rules set to be applied is: "Restriction on the number of players that a club may register for participation in UEFA competitions, including a financial limit on the overall aggregate cost of the employee benefits expenses of players registered on the A-list for the purposes of UEFA club competitions."

Manuel Pellegrini may have to leave some big names out of his squad in Europe [GETTY]

The idea of the sanctions is that a restriction in the expenditure on players by both clubs who have breached the rules will help them in their efforts to comply with the limits on losses in future seasons.

Under UEFA's financial rule clubs were allowed a maximum loss of £37m in each of the last two years. City, however, made losses of £97.9million in 2012 and £51.6million last year, although they were able to write off some sums spent on facilities, youth development and a number of other items.

UEFA president Michel Platini has already emphasised that clubs will not be banned from European competition for breaching financial rules in the immediate future.

Tottenham deny Frank de Boer comments as they line up Mauricio Pochettino #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

SPURS chairman Daniel Levy yesterday gave Ajax coach Frank de Boer a sharp rap across the knuckles in a move that points even more strongly towards trying to lure Mauricio Pochettino to White Hart Lane as manager.

Mauricio Pochettino could replace Tim Sherwood at Spurs this summer[GETTY]

Tim Sherwood has been told he is in charge until the end of the season, when Levy will sit down with him formally to discuss his future as he still has 12 months of his 18-month contract to run.

However, the club have made little secret of the fact they have been taking soundings all around Europe for various candidates.

But Levy was angered when Ajax officials suggested that process had gone as far as a formal request for permission from the Dutch club to talk to De Boer.

An unnecessarily hard-hitting statement released on the club's website yesterday morning insisted in capital letters no less that such reports are wide of the mark.

"Reports that we have made approaches to other clubs regarding coaching staff are wholly inaccurate," it said. "We have NOT contacted any club regarding coaching appointments.

"We regret that a statement such as this is necessary, however we feel it is important to clarify matters."

Confusion seems to have emerged after Tottenham began a very informal sounding-out process over the potential availability of De Boer as just one of a number of possible candidates to take over the project of lifting Tottenham into regular Champions League contention.

Frank de Boer insists he's been approached by Tottenham [GETTY]

We have NOT contacted any club regarding coaching appointments

Tottenham statement

However, Levy is known to be uncomfortable with people who air their linen in public and the direct quotes which appeared in the Dutch media from De Boer about Spurs interest represent the fourth time since December the 43-year-old has been actively touted for the job.

Just as Louis Van Gaal was seen as a serious candidate until he openly flirted with the Manchester United job, so De Boer is seen to be burning his bridges if, as is suspected, he is over-egging the Tottenham link to spark a response from Monaco or even Barcelona.

Certainly there was nothing in the tone of Levy's statement to suggest it was a prelude to an approach and more likely Southampton manager Pochettino will be the first port of call when the season is finally underway.

The Argentine is not quite the cheap option Spurs fans are accusing Levy of pursuing; the Daily Express can reveal he is actually on £2m-a-year, twice the salary many people believe.

And a curious wrinkle of his current deal which expires in 2015 is that Pochettino must personally pay the outstanding amount if he breaks the contract early.

The south coast club are hopeful he will put pen to paper on a new contract at the end of the season but a lot depends on whether star players will continue to commit to the cause.

Louis van Gaal looks set to join Man Utd after the World Cup [GETTY]

With Adam Lallana reported to be Merseyside-bound that looks unlikely, and the worry for Pochettino is that having over-achieved in his 18 months at St Mary's, he can only damage his reputation as one of the game's brightest managers if he remains at the club.

Certainly, Tottenham could take care of any outstanding Southampton contract as part of the terms of Pochettino's employment and Levy is more concerned about a different compensation issue.

As part of his discussions with Sherwood he is likely to offer the 45-year-old continued employment in his previous role as technical co-ordinator in the academy.

That means Sherwood might have a fight on his hands to secure a pay-off if he prefers to chase a career in management elsewhere - yet another reason for Levy to make it clear in yesterday's statement that nobody is looking prematurely to shoe-horn him out of the door.

But Sherwood said: “When clubs come out – and managers too – it’s disappointing. Somewhere along the line someone is telling porkies.”

Carlo Ancelotti still in Manchester United hotseat race #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

MANCHESTER UNITED have not yet closed the door on luring Carlo Ancelotti to Old Trafford as their new manager.

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the favourites for the United job[GETTY]

Real Madrid's stunning win over Bayern Munich to secure a place in the Champions League final for the first time in 12 years was thought to have ended hopes of Ancelotti becoming available.

The final in Lisbon is not until May 24, but while United ideally want to finalise an appointment as soon as possible, they are prepared to wait another month if they receive any indication that Ancelotti is prepared to walk out on Real.

Harsh as it would seem, Ancelotti could still be sacked if Real fail to lift the European Cup for the 10th time and are also pipped for La Liga by local rivals Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid knocked out Bayern Munich to ease into the Champions League final [GETTY]

Ancelotti, who has had success as a manager at AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris St Germain, has enjoyed working with superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. But despite winning the Copa Del Rey and reaching the Champions League final in his first season in Spain, there are suggestions he is not completely happy at the Bernabeu and could be tempted to return to England, where he won the League and Cup double with Chelsea in 2010.

United will not be in next season's Champions League and are unlikely even to qualify for the Europa League, but the relative long-term security of the manager's job at Old Trafford compared to the permanent insecurity at the Bernabeu could tempt Ancelotti, especially as United are ready to spend heavily this summer.

Louis Van Gaal has already been sounded out and remains favourite to take over form David Moyes, but United insist the Dutchman is not the only contender and they are continuing to look at other candidates.

Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola loses possession of winning formula #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

IN just 10.9 seconds, Pep Guardiola had had £315million of talent unleashed upon him.

Pep Guardiola's tactics failed as Bayern Munich crashed out of the Champions League[REUTERS]

Shell-shocked? The Bayern Munich manager must have wondered quite how long he had spent on his sabbatical from football.

Gareth Bale, £85m, picked up a loose ball on the edge of his own area. Angel Di Maria, £34m, shipped it on to Karim Benzema, £30m, who fed the ball onto Bale for a second time - another £85m...kerching. The former Tottenham player outpaced Jerome Boateng and could have gone on to score himself.

But why not bring in another £81m-worth of talent in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo and finish things off properly less than 11 seconds after Bayern Munich had lost possession at the other end of the field?

It made it 3-0 to Real Madrid after 34 game-changing minutes in the Allianz Arena.

That is too short a time over which to decide to rip up an entire blueprint - especially one that has been so successful since Guardiola first graduated to front-line management in 2008.

But it is also a timely reminder that football continually evolves, and perhaps if Guardiola wants to maintain his status as one of the game's most astute coaches, he needs to reinvent himself.

Real Madrid's 5-0 aggregate win was achieved with less than 30 per cent of possession over the two legs.

Overall, throughout the knockout stages, they have managed just 47 per cent of the ball in a run that also included clashes with Schalke and Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern were unable to contain Cristiano Ronaldo [GETTY]

Possession is a relative statistic and having it just for the sake of it is pointless

Xabi Alonso

Intriguingly, their opponents in Lisbon on May 24 have also had less than half of the play on their own run to the final.

And while Guardiola took his well-earned break from management, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund progressed through to last year's final with the possession stats against them.

Of course, before turning his back on the game Guardiola had also lost his last Champions League semi-final - a 2-3 aggregate defeat to Chelsea in 2012 in which Roberto Di Matteo's side had to make the most of just 19 per cent possession over the two legs.

An aberration, Guardiola must have thought as he disappeared into the sunset having been denied a showpiece send-off.

But he has instead returned to the dawn of the counter-attackers.

The wider football world was served notice of Real Madrid's happiness to rely on the tactic in the Copa del Rey final earlier this month.

None other than Guardiola's former Barcelona charges were the mesmerised victims after Bale did not so much hit them on the counter as climb over the counter, weave around the bar stools and jump back the right side of the bar to finish so spectacularly.

Few can turn play round in such devastating fashion as Real Madrid, but both Atletico and Chelsea have also achieved success in Europe this season in a similar manner of sitting back and hitting on the break.

Lionel Messi gave Guardiola's Barcelona side the cutting edge [GETTY]

Jose Mourinho has even extended the tactic into his domestic campaign, "parking the bus" against Liverpool but using it to launch out-riders to open up the title run-in once again.

It may not win plaudits, but it does win football games.

During Guardiola's reign at Barcelona, his team reached and played in four successive Champions League finals while averaging 69.8 per cent possession in games. Tika-taka football at its much-celebrated finest.

And it was effective - not least because a large share of that play was enjoyed by a certain Lionel Messi.

But as Munich's failure showed on Tuesday, the possession is useless unless you have somebody as special as the Argentina icon to use it.

If his reckless final-wrecking yellow card was anything to go by, Xabi Alonso was scarcely at his philosophical best this week, but he did manage to hit Guardiola's conundrum squarely on the head.

"Possession is a relative statistic and having it just for the sake of it is pointless," he said. "You have to know how to interpret the game and how to harm them."

And if Guardiola is to be spoken about in the same hushed terms as such a multi-seasoned veteran as Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the game's greatest coaches, he needs to work that out again from scratch.

Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone is style winner at Stamford Bridge #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

IT was the night football went on trial for its soul. Hipsters, flipsters, iPod analysers, tactic board gurus and “philosophers,” of the kind disdained by Jose Mourinho went on watch worldwide, hoping for sightings of ball-juggling, heel-flicks and Cruyff turns radiating from Stamford Bridge.

Diego Simeone came out on top at Stamford Bridge[GETTY]

By the time Arda Turan turned the screw and prodded in Atletico Madrid’s third goal here, the global chorus of critics who deride Mourinho as the enemy of football had got what they wanted. Diego Simeone, their black-clad Argentine coach, went charging along the touchline in celebration and in the much-celebrated style of You Know Who across the dugout divide.

The defensive resolve in which Mourinho had placed so much faith in this tie was ripped apart as soon as Atletico claimed their equaliser just before half-time and they were lavishly rewarded for seeking to do much more than simply win the tie on away goals.

They went for throat and for once Mourinho could do little about it. An unprecedented all-Madrid final awaits in Lisbon.

For a time, however, both these teams had proven that defending well is a requirement of the game, not just a mind-set or a lifestyle choice – until everything came to pieces in the last 10 minutes of the first-half and a serious cup-tie erupted. What an irony it was when John Terry and Ashley Cole got things so wrong in the 44th minute and allowed Juanfran’s hooked back-post cross to pass them both by, allowing Adrian Lopez to score the equaliser which plunged Chelsea into arrears in the tie on away goals.

What a dreadfully familiar feeling overcame Chelsea when they fell further behind to Diego Costa’s second-half penalty and had to stare at the prospect of a fifth defeat in the semi-finals of this dramatic competition.

The critics had been so fierce in their attacks upon Mourinho’s insistence on making security at the back one of his major priorities here that you might have imagined he had personally outlawed all possibility of human error among his rearguard.

Diego Costa was in top form as Atletico dominated the game [GETTY]

At the other end, that other great imponderable, the deflection, had undone Simeone’s planning when Fernando Torres’ shot bounced in off Mario Suarez in the 36th minute. The point being that football matches often break out despite the attempts of the men with the clipboards and the white coats to pigeon-hole everything beforehand.

Of course, there was a huge tactical aspect to this contest from the beginning. But it wasn’t so much about some negative, defensive philosophy inherent in both coaches as the fact that both teams were very good at the back and very capable at organising themselves so they don’t get caught out too often.

Mourinho had been complaining all season that his attacking resources were too limited to sustain success at the very top level. Everybody assumed that was just kidology. But perhaps he really meant it. Certainly, the sterling work of Gary Cahill and Cole in getting their bodies in the way of danger in the first half showed where Chelsea’s best strengths were located.

But Torres had been sharp enough when he surged forward to meet the cross from Cesar Azpilicueta which put Mourinho’s team ahead.

The fact there was more potency among the Spanish side’s attackers was emphasised twice either side of half time – first when Mark Schwarzer had to deftly pluck from the air a dangerous header from Adrian and again after the break when he did well to stop a thunderous close-range shot from Turan.

This, though, didn’t give them some philosphical advantage. Simeone didn’t abandon all his prior thinking. It was just that they often looked sharper when they got forward. The pace and intensity of this match and the lurking danger inherent among Atletico’s forwards squashed the idea that this would be nothing but a game of counter-punching without either side throwing any blows.

And when Chelsea took the lead, it seemed that Mourinho had been rewarded for springing another tactical surprise. Azpilicueta, normally a full-back, started high on the right. Many suspected it was simply so Chelsea could employ an extra defender. But he drove forward and he crossed for Torres’ goal.

Mourinho’s other tactical move proved calamitous, however. He sent on the striker Samuel Eto’o in search of the desperately needed goal. Within minutes. Eto brought down Costa and Chelsea went further behind as the adopted Spanish-Brazilian striker slammed home the resulting penalty.

There will be no triumphant march on Lisbon and the homeland for the Portuguese Mourinho now.

Eden Hazard: Chelsea are NOT set up to play football! #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

EDEN HAZARD issued a withering assessment of Jose Mourinho's tactics after Chelsea were knocked out of Europe by Atletico Madrid.

Eden Hazard looks dejected after Chelsea lose to Atletico Madrid[REUTERS]

Mourinho suffered a tactical defeat to Diego Simeone's men at Stamford Bridge with the visitors running out 3-1 winners.

And following criticism of the Blues' defensive tactics employed in the first leg against Atletico and Sunday's win over Liverpool, Hazard has added his name to the list of Mourinho's dissenters.

"Chelsea aren't set up to play football," Hazard told French TV.

Hazard could not help Chelsea to the Champions League final [AP]

 

Chelsea aren't set up to play football

Eden Hazard

"Chelsea are set up to counter-attack."

Hazard returned from a calf injury to start against Atletico, but he could not help the Blues make their second Champions League final in three seasons.

The Belgian star created some late chances but was continually thwarted by Chelsea's on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Hazard questioned Jose Mourinho's tactics [STUART ROBINSON/EXPRESS]

Hazard has been tipped to make a big-money move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, with speculation likely to increased in light of his comments about Mourinho's tactics.

But PSG are facing a rap from UEFA for breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, along with Chelsea's rivals Manchester City.

Arsenal eyeing Kasper Schmeichel but face competition from AC Milan and Southampton #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

KASPER SCHMEICHEL is set to choose between Arsenal, AC Milan or Southampton after all three clubs contacted the Leicester stopper about joining in the summer.

Kasper Schmeichel is wanted by Arsenal[GETTY]

Schmeichel is out of contract in the summer and has stalled over signing a new deal with the Foxes despite helping them gain promotion to the Premier League this term.

And reports in Denmark suggest that there are several clubs ready to offer the 27-year-old a place in their squad for next season.

Arsenal look increasingly likely to be able to offer Schmeichel Champions League football next season, with Greek side Olympiakos also hoping the lure of European football could work in their favour.

AC Milan remain one of the top sides in Europe but have endured a difficult season and will only be able to offer domestic football in Serie A next term.

 

Wojciech Szczesny could be surplus to requirements at Arsenal next season [GETTY]

When you prove that you are a capable and stable keeper through two difficult seasons in the Championship, you will be in demand.

Nigel Pearson

Southampton are similarly unable to offer continental competition next term but Schmeichel could well be tempted by the prospect of joining Mauricio Pochettino's project if the Argentine doesn't himself depart in the summer.

Schmeichel's agent, Kenneth Shepherd - the son of former Newcastle owner Freddy Shepherd - refused to comment on the offers but Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has previously admitted it will be tough to keep the Dane at the King Power stadium.

He said: "When you prove that you are a capable and stable keeper through two difficult seasons in the Championship, you will be in demand.

"But Kasper knows what he gets from us, and the important role he has in the Premier League. We can only hope makes the difference."

More tears for Terry as Chelsea despair after Mourinho suffers tactical defeat to Atletico #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

JOHN TERRY choked back the tears after Chelsea missed out on the Champions League final with a 3-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid.

John Terry leaves the pitch in tears after seeing Chelsea knocked out of the Champions League[GETTY]

But team-mate Eden Hazard’s assessment on French TV was as stark as it was unemotional. “Chelsea are not set up to play football,” he said simply.

The Chelsea playmaker, clearly struggling for match fitness after three weeks on the sidelines, felt his side were restricted to counter-attacking, a ploy that appeared to be working when Fernando Torres’s deflected opener gave Chelsea the lead after 34 minutes.

But in the final reckoning, manager Jose Mourinho felt his dreams of landing a third Champions League medal went in 60 seconds.

Atletico had already equalised through Adrian Lopez before half-time when Chelsea once again threatened early in the second period. “I think the difference was one minute in the second half, where the Atletico goalkeeper makes an impossible save from John Terry’s header, and instead of 2-1 to Chelsea, a few seconds later a penalty,” said Mourinho – although in reality the gap between the incidents was closer to six minutes.

For once, the Chelsea manager was not about to criticise officials for the decision, but it was no less palatable for that.

“I’m happy people tell me it was a penalty,” he said. “And they scored to go 2-1 up. In one minute, two actions decided the game.

Terry is comforted by Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago - who used to play at Chelsea [PA]

 

I’m happy people tell me it was a penalty. And they scored to go 2-1 up. In one minute, two actions decided the game.

Jose Mourinho

“After that, there was only one team on the pitch. My team played with pride, honour and professionalism, but after that moment the game was controlled by Atletico – very mature and professional – complete control.” The irony that Mourinho failed to mention is that Atletico’s keeper is a Chelsea player – on-loan Thibaut Courtois.

And his opposite number Diego Simeone admitted Courtois may soon be heading back to Stamford Bridge.

“Just right now I am experiencing this moment and relishing it,” said Simeone.

“But I’m sure the directors of the club will decide what’s best for this young lad and we’ll see whether he stays at Atletico or not.” Courtois’ return could be part of a Chelsea rebuilding process that Mourinho reiterated could take three years after his side looked to have finished his first season back in the Premier League without a trophy

“The big difference between Atletico and Chelsea is the difference between one year and three,” he said.

“That’s big. We are realistic. But at the same time we are optimistic. When things go in a certain direction, there is a moment where you can dream and you think that things are possible, even if things are not so.

Terry's brave header almost brought a goal but Thibaut Courtois saved [REUTERS]

“Because we did well in the Champions League and in the Premier League, there was a moment where we felt we could do it.

“We knew we were facing teams with more potential than us and more ready than us to win the competition, but because you go step by step and beat PSG after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, you build your dream.

“Every one of my players tried the maximum – we had so many problems. But the players gave everything. I’m happy with them. They can go home sad, but with clear faces.

“They did their work well. They lost – but against a very good team.”

That will be little consolation to Terry, who could be on his way out. He must wait to see if he is offered a new contract before he can be sure of another European campaign with Chelsea.

He left Stamford Bridge without talking to the media having seemed less than 100 per cent fit after battling back from an ankle injury picked up in the first leg in Madrid last Tuesday.

However, the club will not make a final decision on his future until after the season has finished on May 11.

Chelsea 1 - Atletico Madrid 3 (1-3 agg): Blues' ardour is dampened by Turan #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

CHELSEA’S dreams in the Champions League were shattered after they were taught a football lesson by ruthless Atletico.

Arda Turan netted Atletico's winner as they knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League[STUART ROBINSON]

Jose Mourinho’s team were out-thought, outfought and simply outshot by Diego Simeone’s razor-sharp La Liga leaders.

Fernando Torres did not celebrate when he gave Chelsea a first-half lead against his old club. In the end he had nothing to smile about.

Adrian Lopez levelled as Chelsea were caught out at the back. Diego Costa gave Atletico the lead with a penalty and Arda Turan wrapped things up to set up an all-Madrid final against bitter rivals Real. The Special One had been outwitted.

Mourinho sprang a surprise once again with his selection as Cesar Azpilicueta was drafted into midfield to provide more strength on the right, with Frank Lampard banned.

As expected, back into the side came skipper John Terry, initially ruled out after the first leg, having shrugged off his foot problem. Up front, 17-goal Eden Hazard returned after three weeks out.

The goalless draw in Madrid a week ago was achieved with a grim backs-to-the-wall defensive performance, as was the win at Liverpool on Sunday, but last night offered the opportunity to attack. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said he had no problem with Mourinho’s approach. His team went into last night’s semi-final unbeaten in the competition this season in 11 matches, and two wins away from their first La Liga title since 1996.

And in Diego Costa they had a 35-goal striker, shackled in the first leg, who was surely not going to fail again against the club who believe he will be theirs next season.

Samuel Eto'o gave away a penalty after a clumsy foul on Diego Costa [STUART ROBINSON]

It was Atletico who almost drew first blood in a frenzied atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, as Koke’s inswinging cross from the right deceived stand-in keeper Mark Schwarzer but bounced back off the bar and post. It was a major escape.

Chelsea settled as Willian stroked a free-kick just over the bar but Atletico were, as ever, venomous on the break. First Ashley Cole dived in to block from Costa as the striker shaped to shoot, and then Gary Cahill provided the saving tackle.

David Luiz was then only an inch away with an improvised overhead kick. Torres, with several mazy, determined runs, looked up for it against his first club.

And he showed it nine minutes before half-time. Ivanovic’s ball freed Willian, who held off two defenders before finding Azpilicueta. His cross was low and accurate, and Torres buried his shot via a deflection off Mario Suarez.

Adrian then saw his flicked header saved but Atletico were not behind for long. Tiago’s long ball caught out Eden Hazard at the back post as Juanfran sneaked in to pull the ball back. Cole and Terry both missed it, and Lopez did not fail a second time, bobbling his shot into the net.

Atletico smelled blood. Koke crossed from the right, once again everyone missed it, and when Arda Turan fired in his shot at the far post, Schwarzer saved brilliantly. Then the Australian got down to save Tiago’s low shot.

The tie was balanced on a knife-edge. Terry threw himself forward to connect with Willian’s free-kick. He headed the ball down but Thibaut Courtois, a Chelsea player out on loan of course, made a fine save.

Fernando Torres managed to score against his old side [ACTION]

Mourinho threw on Samuel Eto’o but his first contribution was disastrous. Costa picked up Turan’s cross from the right but he was heading away from goal when Eto’o made a foolish lunge and brought him down.

Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli gave the penalty and then booked Costa for taking an age to take it. It did not faze Costa, who stepped up to ram his side ahead for the first time in the tie.

On came Demba Ba for Torres, who had worked his heart out, as Mourinho played the last of his cards. It was Ba who had scored the late, late winner against Paris Saint- Germain in the quarter-finals when the Chelsea manager had thrown all three strikers on in a desperate but successful ploy. It did not work this time.

Some had said Atletico, with their high tempo pressing game, would fade. They were wrong. Once again Chelsea were caught out down their left flank. This time the lurking Juanfran headed across goal.

Turan’s first, powerful, header was well saved by Schwarzer, but he could only paw the ball on to the bar and Turan stabbed the rebound home.

Simeone set off on a run of celebration – Mourinho-like – down the touchline.

As the minutes ticked away, Hazard, who was quiet on his return from injury, sped into the area but with only the keeper to beat his shot was well blocked by Courtois.

Hazard forced another save from his Belgium team-mate and there was still time for Schwarzer to save well from Filipe Luis but Atletico’s work was done.

Gerry Adams arrested over 1972 IRA murder of Jean McConville #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

SINN Fein President Gerry Adams has been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of Belfast mother-of-ten Jean McConville.

Gerry Adams was arrested today [AP]

Mr Adams, who has vehemently rejected the allegations made by former republican colleagues that he had a role in ordering the notorious IRA killing in 1972, voluntarily presented himself for interview at a police station in Antrim.
No one has ever been charged with the murder.
But after years without progress in the criminal investigation there have been a series of arrests in recent weeks.
A veteran republican - 77-year-old Ivor Bell - was charged last month with aiding and abetting the murder.
In the wake of the recent developments in the case, Mr Adams, who has always denied membership of the IRA, last month said he would be available to meet with detectives if they wished to speak with him.
Mr Adams, 65, a former MP for West Belfast and now a representative for Co Louth in the Irish Dail, presented himself at Antrim police station by prior arrangement with officers.
He issued a statement minutes after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced an arrest had been made.
"Last month I said that I was available to meet the PSNI about the Jean McConville case," he said.
"While I have concerns about the timing, I am voluntarily meeting with the PSNI this evening.

Jean McConville was murdered in 1972 [PA]

While I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will, I am innocent of any part in the abduction, killing or burial of Mrs McConville

Gerry Adams

"As a republican leader I have never shirked my responsibility to build the peace. This includes dealing with the difficult issue of victims and their families.
"Insofar as it is possible I have worked to bring closure to victims and their families who have contacted me. Even though they may not agree, this includes the family of Jean McConville.
"I believe that the killing of Jean McConville and the secret burial of her body was wrong and a grievous injustice to her and her family.
"Well publicised, malicious allegations have been made against me. I reject these.
"While I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will, I am innocent of any part in the abduction, killing or burial of Mrs McConville."
A PSNI spokesman said: "Detectives from the serious crime branch investigating the abduction and murder of Jean McConville in 1972 have arrested a 65-year-old man in Antrim.
"The suspect is currently being interviewed by detectives at the serious crime suite in Antrim police station."
Mrs McConville, a widow, was dragged away from her children in her home in the Divis flats, west Belfast, by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women after being accused of passing information to the British Army in the city.
An investigation later carried out by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman rejected the claims that she was an informer.
She was shot in the back of the head and buried 50 miles from her home. The IRA did not admit her murder until 1999 when information was passed to police in the Irish Republic.
She became one of the so-called Disappeared, and it was not until August 2003 that her remains were found on Shelling Hill beach, Co Louth.
The recent developments in the case have come in the wake of a decision by a court in the United States that compelled a university in Boston to hand over to the PSNI recorded interviews with veteran republicans about Mrs McConville's murder.
Boston College interviewed a number of former paramilitaries about the Troubles on the understanding transcripts would not be published until after their deaths - but that undertaking was rendered ineffective when the court last year ordered that tapes that contained claims about the mother of 10's killing be given to detectives in Northern Ireland.

School friends are the first to be axed on Facebook, study reveals #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

OLD classmates are the first to be 'unfriended' when we have Facebook culls, a poll has found.

Controversial comments about religion are one of the reasons cited for unfriending someone [AFP]

Next to be removed are friends of friends, colleagues and common interest friends, according to research by the University of Colorado Denver.
Christopher Sibona, who led the study, said: "The most common reason for unfriending someone from high school is that the person posted polarising comments often about religion or politics.
"Your school friends may not know your current political or religious beliefs and you may be quite vocal about them. And one thing about social media is that online disagreements escalate much more quickly.
"The other big reason for unfriending was frequent, uninteresting posts."
The research also showed that unfriending happens more to friends who were once close than those who are just acquaintances.
"If you have a lot of friends on Facebook, the cost of maintaining those friendships is pretty low. So if you make a conscious effort to push a button to get rid of someone, that can hurt," Mr Sibona added.
The findings were published in the 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

UK police are ‘too busy’ to record one in five crimes, new report reveals #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

TENS of thousands of offences, including serious crimes such as rape, are not being recorded by police

POLICE: Fail to assist victims of crimes, such as rape and sexual offence[GETTY]

A damning report out today reveals one in five crimes goes unrecorded by police because officers are too busy.

An inspection of 13 police forces found 14 rapes were among offences that went unrecorded, including an allegation made by a 13-year-old autistic boy which was written off as “sexual experimentation”.

Another rape was not recorded due to “workload pressure” as recording the crime would “entail too much work”, said the report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).

Each mistake represents a victim losing the chance to get justice

Adam Pemberton, of the charity Victim Support

The police watchdog also found that some offenders received out-of-court disposals, such as cautions, when they should have been prosecuted.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the report exposed “unacceptable failings by the police” and warned that once HMIC concludes its work in October, official figures may show a spike in police recorded crime.

Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor said: “The consequences of under-recording crime are serious and may mean victims and the com munity are failed.”

HMIC is inspecting the way all 43 forces in England and Wales record crime data and said that if its findings so far reflect the national picture, it could mean 20 per cent of crimes are unrecorded.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics last week showed police recorded 3.7 million offences in the year to December 2013 – but if HMIC is correct, the real figure could be as high as 4.4 million.

From a sample of 3,102 incidents, HMIC found 2,551 crimes should have been recorded but 523 were not, including sex offences, crimes of violence, robbery and burglary.

Adam Pemberton, of the charity Victim Support, said: “This is about much more than poor numbercrunching.

"Each mistake represents a victim losing the chance to get justice.

“It is unacceptable that victims of any crimes – let alone serious offences such as rape – should have their complaints go unrecorded or downgraded because of police incompetence or even laziness.”

New round for the traditional beer mug as they become ‘trendy’ #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

THEY were a familiar sight on bars and pub tables across the country.

Cheers to tradition! The original pint pot is making a comeback[GETTY]

But as drinkers turned to lager and cider, the traditional dimpled pint pots faded out in favour of a straight glass – until now.

The jug is making a comeback and, defying the old image of a flat-capped bitter drinker, is popular with the young and trendy.

The grenade-shaped mug fell out of favour because lighter, fizzier beers are best served in straight-sided glasses.

These glasses also have the advantage of taking up less space and being easier to stack in a dishwasher as they have no handle.

But in recent years the popularity of premium beers made to traditional recipes has led to a growth in demand for the dimpled pint pots.

Rose Dennen, manager of The Shacklewell Arms in east London, said: “It’s not old men with flat caps and whippets drinking out of dimple glasses.

It’s a nice iconic British tradition to hold on to

Pub boss Christian Townsley

"Now you’ve got girls in skinny jeans drinking craft beer.

"There’s an appropriation of the traditional by the hipster culture.”

Some pubs have never stopped serving ale in dimpled glasses, such as The North Bar in Leeds.

Pub boss Christian Townsley said: “Germans have the beer stein and the British have dimpled pint pots.

"It’s a nice iconic British tradition to hold on to.

“They also have a really lovely feel when you put them down on a beer mat. They are solid and reassuringly comforting.”

Unfortunately, the lack of factories making pint pots in the UK means many pubs have to buy them from other countries, such as Turkey, and they cost up to three times as much as straight glasses.

Neil Walker, of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “The fact they’ve been adopted by pubs and bars across the UK who aim themselves at a younger customer can only be good for getting more people drinking real ale.

“As with anything, what is ‘cool’ goes in waves and I think that the use of this style of glasses is having a resurgence at the moment.”

Caution: Drivers say road signs can be a dangerous distraction #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

MILLIONS of motorists are putting lives at risk because they are puzzled by road signs, a survey revealed yesterday.

CONFUSED: UK motorists are easily distracted by road signs[GETTY]

Significant numbers have no idea what commonly used signs mean.

Speeding, for example, is the norm for many drivers.

One in three motorists – roughly 10 million in total – does not know that a sign with a white circle and a black diagonal line signifies a 70mph limit for cars on motorways and dual carriageways.

I passed my test when I was 18 and I still struggle to tell what certain signs mean

James Barter

Twenty per cent had no idea that the speed limit on urban roads with regularly spaced lamp posts and no speed signs is 30mph.

One in three drivers admits to speeding routinely in built-up areas while almost half – 43 per cent – average 81mph on motorways.

It is perhaps unsurprising that in the past 12 months, 1,316 speeding tickets were issued every day.

The survey of 2,000 drivers by More Th>n car insurance also found that the road sign for a slippery road left one in seven baffled.

Some believed it meant paint had been spilled ahead.

One in 10 was confused by the sign for road narrowing.

James Barter, 28, of Southampton, admitted: “I passed my test when I was 18 and I still struggle to tell what certain signs mean.

“There are so many and they are not very clear or obvious.”

Gary Rae, senior campaigner for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “These are worrying findings from the survey.

Now that's a classic Kodak moment...mum gets stuck in a window #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

IT was the Kodak moment they could not resist.

Tracey recreates the funny scene[SOLENT]

When mum-of-five Tracey Thorne climbed up to an open bathroom window after getting locked out of the house, it was only going to end in tears – of laughter, that is.
It started out fine as she grabbed a ladder and climbed up, then got her head and shoulders and chest through the small opening.
But that was as far as the gap would allow so she tried to wriggle back out again.
But there was a stumbling block.
Two, actually – she couldn’t get her 34D boobs back through the gap.
Unable to move either forwards or back, with her legs flailing in the air, she struggled to free herself before having to call out to her daughters.
They helped her, of course, but only once they had stopped laughing and taking photos, which went viral after they posted them on Facebook.
Last night Tracey, 47, from Portslade, East Sussex, said: “I was stuck upside down for about 15 minutes before I called for help.
“My legs were hanging outside the house and my head was looking down into the toilet but I just couldn’t get in or out.
“My chest was stopping me going back out and at that point I just started to panic.

I can laugh now, but at the time I was so embarrassed

Tracey Thorne

“My boobs aren’t massive but at the same time they are not small.
"I just couldn’t get back out.
“I will never live it down.
"I can laugh now, but at the time I was so embarrassed.”
Daughters Jordan, 16, Geri, 14, Ellie, nine, and Lulu, eight, were doubled-up in hysterics before Geri finally dialled 999 and said: “My mum’s stuck in a window.”
Tracey, who also has 20-month-old Ruby, added: “Geri was laughing and taking pictures and then the fire brigade turned up too.”
Firefighters had to put a ladder either side of Tracey to carry her down as her legs had turned to jelly after the blood rushed to her head as she hung upside-down in the window.
Tracey said: “I was bright red, like a beetroot.
"They managed to get me halfway out but I had to tell them not to pull me as my boobs were hanging over the edge of the window and I didn’t want them to pull my top off.”
One of the firefighters, a family friend, joked: “The lengths some people will go to get attention.”

Anger at free driving lessons for prisoners in Standford Hill jail #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

CONVICTS in a soft-touch jail are being given free driving lessons.

Criminals in Standford Hill prison can learn how to drive for free[GETTY]

In a move that has sparked anger, some criminals will even be offered jobs as forklift or HGV lorry drivers on release if they pass their test.
The inmates are being taught at a special driving school before getting behind the wheel on an industrial estate driving vans, trucks and an assortment of warehouse vehicles.
The course – at low-security Standford Hill prison, on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent – is overseen by logistics specialists Mainstream Training but is run by prisoners who are also serving time.
In the outside world, learning to drive a lorry involves paying £100 for a medical, £2,000 for lessons and a test and another £350 for a professional competence certificate.

The Government is looking to save money in the long term

Paul Tolley, senior operations manager at Mainstream Training

But the jail scheme, funded by charity, is free.
Paul Tolley, senior operations manager at Mainstream Training, said: “The Government is looking to save money in the long term.
"When these people leave prison they leave with £46 in their pockets and many of them go back into committing crimes.
"If you give someone a job then the likelihood of them re-offending is minimised.”
But Tory MP Priti Patel said: “Criminals should not be fast-tracked into jobs at the expense of law-abiding citizens.”
Local resident Simon Gregg said: “I wouldn’t mind a free training course to drive an HGV truck but I can’t afford it – I’d be better off in prison.”

I put trainee in freezer as a joke says chef #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

A RUMPUS in which a teenage chef was shut in a freezer at a restaurant run by TV chef Gordon Ramsay’s best man was nothing more than a light-hearted joke, a tribunal heard yesterday.

LEFT: In the freezer. RIGHT: Chloe with her mother Pauline arriving for the Cardiff tribunal hearing[WALES NEWS]

And what Chloe Maisey, 19, claims was sexual discrimination by the all-male staff at the restaurant, owned by award winner Stephen Terry, was just “banter”, the hearing was told.

Trainee pastry chef Miss Maisey earlier told the employment tribunal she was “scared and upset” after being shut in the freezer at the Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny, which has been regularly named the best restaurant in Wales.

But fellow chef Lorne Hargreaves told the hearing: “It was in the middle of July and everyone was moaning it was too hot.

"I picked her up and put her on the frozen bread. It was a spontaneous, funny thing to do.

“Everybody is treated the same in the kitchen. It is like a family environment, it is like brother-sister banter.”

Miss Maisey, who resigned after three months last summer, has made 21 allegations of sexual discrimination.

But Mr Terry, a regular star of TV cookery shows, told the tribunal that some of the incidents never happened and dismissed the others as joking.

He said: “Doing service is very stressful and there is a little bit of banter.

“You are in an environment where people mess about on occasions, but the guys are not malicious in any way.”

Miss Maisey claims she was ogled every day as she changed into her chef’s uniform and also claims a male staff member slapped her bottom.

Mr Terry said he was “shocked to the core” when Miss Maisey’s mother Pauline rang him to complain.

I picked her up and put her on the frozen bread. It was a spontaneous, funny thing to do

Lorne HargreI

Miss Maisey, who resigned after three months last summer, has made 21 allegations of sexual discrimination.

But Mr Terry, a regular star of TV cookery shows, told the tribunal that some of the incidents never happened and dismissed the others as joking.

He said: “Doing service is very stressful and there is a little bit of banter.

“You are in an environment where people mess about on occasions, but the guys are not malicious in any way.”

Miss Maisey claims she was ogled every day as she changed into her chef’s uniform and also claims a male staff member slapped her bottom.

Mr Terry said he was “shocked to the core” when Miss Maisey’s mother Pauline rang him to complain.

William Rees, representing Miss Maisey, alleged Mr Terry had failed to investigate the allegations formally and had taken the word of his male employees.

But Mr Terry said he trusted his senior chefs who had worked for him over a number of years.

The tribunal heard that the vegetarian teenager was tricked into eating beef stock by a colleague.

Mr Terry, who trained under Marco Pierre White, did not deny the incident happened but told the tribunal in Cardiff: “I am a restaurateur, I take vegetarians very seriously.

"She did not tell me she felt violated and she did not seem distressed.”

Miss Maisey accused sous chef Jamie O’Leary of once throwing a sea bass at her.

But Mr O’Leary told the tribunal: “Have you any idea how much sea bass costs? If Stephen Terry caught wind of me throwing a sea bass around the kitchen it would be the end of me.”

The tribunal continues.

Michael Heseltine wanted Argentina kicked out of 1982 World Cup, says official papers #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

BRITAIN was ready to fight a diplomatic war with Argentina over the right to play in the 1982 World Cup, newly-released official papers reveal.

Heseltine wrote a Falklands memo[GETTY]

As British forces prepared to retake the Falkland Islands after Argentina’s invasion on April 2, ministers were concerned that England, Scotland or Northern Ireland could be drawn against the South Americans at the tournament in Spain.

But the declassified files – released just six weeks before the 2014 tournament kicks off in Brazil – show that Tory Cabinet minister Michael Heseltine insisted that if anyone was to pull out, it should be Argentina.

Margaret Thatcher and her Cabinet were worried about clashes between rival fans, while football authorities and some team members objected on principle to playing the enemy.

Mr Heseltine wrote in a memo: “I believe that ministers can continue to argue strongly that Argentina is the aggressor nation and that the onus of withdrawal lies in that direction and not with us.”

The documents released by the National Archives in Kew, London, are from May 1982 when Britain’s task force was sailing to recapture the Falklands.

Mr Heseltine, then responsible for sport as Environment Secretary, wrote a report warning of the “concern” at any fixture between a home nation and World Cup holders Argentina.

I believe that ministers can continue to argue strongly that Argentina is the aggressor nation and that the onus of withdrawal lies in that direction and not with us

Michael Heseltine

He said: “In Britain, some footballers/administrators have already expressed concern at playing in a competition with Argentina.”

He warned of provocation of British fans by Argentinians and the Spanish – who sided with the South Americans in the Falklands War.

He added: “Government pressure to withdraw is likely to be seen by the Spanish government and people as a gesture against Spain.”

Mr Heseltine warned that the three home Football Associations might then be banned from the 1986 World Cup and face heavy FIFA fines if they withdrew.

He said the Scottish and Northern Irish Football Associations could be bankrupted.

“Withdrawal by UK teams would undoubtedly be greeted with pleasure in Argentina, who would regard it as a moral victory over the UK,” he said.

The Argentine forces eventually surrendered on June 14, the day after the tournament began.

Scotland went out in the first round and England and Northern Ireland were eliminated in the second – along with Argentina, featuring Maradona – without the need for the dreaded match.

Things could get smelly as families face a three-week wait to have bins emptied #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

HOUSEHOLDS face having their rubbish bins emptied only every three weeks following a dramatic shake-up yesterday.

Gwynedd Council voted to move rubbish collections to once every three weeks[GETTY: PIC POSED BY MODEL]

Gwynedd Council in north Wales voted unanimously to move to collections once every three weeks from October, despite 56 per cent of families saying this would cause problems.

And in central Wales Torfaen Council is to launch a consultation on introducing collections just once a month.

It would mean any resident on holiday on collection day must wait two months before bins are emptied.

More than half of England’s councils operate fortnightly bin collections but Falkirk Council in Scotland has already decided to introduce three-week collections next month.

Doretta Cocks, of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections, said other councils are certain to follow Gwynedd and Falkirk.

“This was inevitable once councils got away with fortnightly collections,” she added.

“I have always thought it would lead to three-weekly and monthly collections.

“I feel so sorry for the residents affected.

We’ll be infested with rodents

Bethan Arfonia Williams of Bangor

"Can you imagine what it will be like over the summer? Bins will be full of maggots.”

Residents also criticised the move, fearing increased health hazards and fly-tipping.

Bethan Arfonia Williams of Bangor warned: “We’ll be infested with rodents.

"We recycle all they take and our bin is chock-a-block by the end of two weeks, never mind three.”

Gwynedd Council said it hoped the three-weekly collections would encourage more recycling, save £350,000 a year and reduce the risk of fines for missing recycling targets.

From next year recycling targets in Wales will increase from 52 per cent to 58 per cent, with councils fined about £100,000 for every one per cent they fall below the target.

The council added that it would maintain its weekly recycling and food waste service.

It also plans to collect nappies fortnightly, make special arrangements for the disabled and provide bigger bins for larger homes.

Councillor Gareth Roberts said: “We must persuade residents who continue to throw waste that can be recycled or composted to use the weekly recycling and food waste services.”

‘Islam’ vandal at Bomber Command memorial held thanks to Entertain9jar #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

A VANDAL who daubed ‘Islam’ on the £8million Bomber Command War Memorial days after Muslim fanatics murdered soldier Lee Rigby admitted his guilt yesterday.

A workman cleaning the war memorial in Green Park, London[STEVE REIGATE]

Andrew Patterson, 31, sprayed the two-foot-high red letters across the monument in London’s Green Park which honours the 55,573 British airmen killed fighting the Nazis.

The Daily Express helped police to track down Patterson by publishing CCTV images of the attack last May.

The memorial’s fundraising director Jim Dooley said: “The Daily Express was fantastic.

“You made it a national issue and elevated its importance.

“I am very sad this happened. To desecrate a memorial is an absolute outrage and the public will not accept it. It is the lowest of the low. The outrage that followed fired the police up to find the culprit.”

Westminster magistrates heard Patterson targeted three central London memorials last May.

The attack on the Portland stone Bomber Command memorial caused damage that cost £6,500 to repair and came five days after the savage street slaughter of Fusilier Rigby, 25, outside Woolwich Barracks.

Patterson also caused £11,550-worth of damage to the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner and £2,766-worth of damage to the Animals in War Memorial in Park Lane.

I am very sad this happened. To desecrate a memorial is an absolute outrage and the public will not accept it

The memorial’s fundraising director Jim Dooley

His arrest brought to an end a year-long campaign of vandalism.

He carried out 94 attacks across the Westminster area and the total repair bill came to £57,000.

Patterson’s solicitor Dan O’Callaghan indicated guilty pleas yesterday on his behalf.

District Judge John Zani committed Patterson’s case to Southwark Crown Court for sentencing after psychiatric reports.

Patterson was granted bail but must remain a resident at the West London Mental Health Trust in Southall.

Daily Express readers raised £1million towards the Bomber Command Memorial.

The newspaper’s owner, Richard Desmond, personally donated another £500,000.

I am a fighter insists Nigel Farage as he defends not standing in by-election #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

NIGEL Farage fended off criticism yesterday after deciding not to run for Parliament in the seat vacated by disgraced former Tory MP Patrick Mercer.

Nigel Farage said he had no links to safe Tory area[STEVE REIGATE ]

The Ukip leader had said he would consider standing in the Newark, Nottinghamshire, by-election to become his party’s first MP after Mr Mercer quit in a cash-for-questions scandal.

But yesterday Mr Farage said he had no ties with the area and risked appearing opportunistic. He said he did not want to distract from Ukip’s bid to win this month’s European elections – and he had his eyes on the “much bigger prize” of winning many Westminster seats.

Tory defence minister Anna Soubry tweeted that Mr Farage “is not stupid – he knows he’d lose and runs frit from Newark!” The insult “frit” – Lincolnshire dialect word for “frightened” – was used by Margaret Thatcher to describe Labour’s Denis Healey in 1983.

There is a much bigger prize than Newark, including the general election when we can win not one seat but many seats

Nigel Farage

Mr Farage initially appeared to agree that he had not accepted the challenge of standing in a safe Tory seat but later denied making such an admission. He said: “I can be accused of many things but I do not think ‘frit’ is one of them. I’m a fighter but you have to pick your battles in life.”

He promised to field a strong local candidate and “throw the kitchen sink” at the Newark contest, likely to be soon after the May 22 local and European elections.

“But there is a much bigger prize than Newark, including the general election when we can win not one seat but many seats, even holding the balance of power.”

MEP Mr Farage is thought likely to stand in Kent next year.

Teachers who inspired us #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

Ann Maguire enthused pupils in her care. Here HARRY HODGES talks to those whose school careers owe much to one person.

TRAGIC: Ann Maguire who was killed this week and, inset, a former pupil shares his memories of her[ENTERPRISE NEWS AND PICTURES]

THE death of Ann Maguire has shocked the nation and devastated her family, friends and pupils.

Tributes left outside the school where she worked spoke of a teacher who was “one of the best” and “truly inspirational”.

One even told her: “You have made us into the people we are today.”

Here eight people talk about the special teachers who helped to change their lives.

RICHARD MADELEY

Broadcaster, journalist and author

MR LAWRENCE was my economics teacher at Shenfield Comprehensive.

I was nearly 15 and failing the whole of my secondary school career – I was languishing at the bottom of the class in almost every thing.

I remember after one economics lesson he asked me to stay behind and he said, “Look, in about a yearand- a-half you’ll leave this school because you’ll fail your O-levels and you’ll be 16 years old without qualifications.

There are lots of us here who really care.

We want to avert that and turn you into a success but here’s the thing.

The day you get your results and you’ve failed we’ll cease caring.

It was exactly the right thing to say to me and from that moment, that evening, I started working and I did fine and that was entirely down to him.

So many other people had given me pep talks, tellings-off, you name it but him putting it in those terms shone the light on it.

CLAIRE SWEENEY

Actress and singer

A LADY called Elsie Kelly.

She’s now in the TV series Benidorm – she plays Johnny Vegas’s mum – and was the first lady that told me I could sing and made me aware of my talent.

She changed my life really and put me on the road to my career.

She was my singing teacher when I was 11.

She singled me out and gave me a prize for singing and she used to sit and give me little motivational talks and encourage me.

One of the most upsetting things for me was when I went on This Is Your Life and they never got in touch with her.

I still contact her now and chat to her.

FABRICE MUAMBA

Former professional footballer, 26, who suffered a heart attack on the pitch two years ago

I CAN’T really just give one name, all the others will be calling me and asking why it wasn’t them.

A great teacher should be able to pass on the message but not too hard.

You need to find a way to be both a friend and in charge.

That’s the only way for them to be able to relate to you or to speak to you and that’s the only way you’ll ever understand what you require from each other.

If you have a good coach they can make you believe you can achieve anything.

They give you the confidence.

If your teachers believe in you then you feel like you’re all-powerful, untouchable, you can answer all the questions and conquer the world.

You have made us into the people we are today

A pupil of Ann Maguire

GLORIA HUNNIFORD

Television and radio presenter

MY OLD headmaster, Mr Woodman his name was, was absolutely inspirational.

I always remember that when I was at school somebody was caught smoking and he put it to the vote.

We all voted on whether people should be allowed to smoke in the quadrangle and in the end the vote said no, but he was very ahead of his time in putting it to a democratic vote and that made a great impression on me.

I can remember him walking around too, with his gown billowing around his legs.

ESTHER RANTZEN

Broadcaster

FOR me it was my head teacher Mrs Anderson.

Back then the things that I used to do, like writing a pantomime in class, were disapproved of by most teachers but she would encourage me.

She urged me to apply for Oxford.

When I failed an exam and was very upset she told me it didn’t matter and I could just sit it again and it would be fi ne and I did and it was.

She knew every girl in the school.

It was a school of nearly 1,000 children and she knew us all and she knew our families and she had a terrific sense of humour and was very, very accessible.

JILLY COOPER

Bestselling author

I HAD a wonderful English mistress called Aphra Lloyd.

She would inspire us.

She made English come to life.

It was just brilliant and I’ve had a love of poetry ever since and she got quite cross if we wrote badly.

Years later I went on This Is Your Life and she came on and I was in tears, I was so touched.

The best story about her is, I wrote a book called Riders which is very racy and she said: “It’s so sad that Jill – as she used to call me – has resorted to pornography.”

LORD MICHAEL DOBBS

Author of TV series House Of Cards

MY first headmaster at primary school was Ernie Vale.

I remember my first day at school, holding the hand of my older brother who was already there, and the first thing I heard was this bellowing voice which rang throughout the school and I was terrified.

Ernie was a man who could be quite ferocious but had an enormous heart.

He was inspirational and gave me a sense of order as well as, for those days, a pretty good basic education.

I gave the eulogy at his funeral, he made that much of a mark on me.

I remember knocking on his door to have a cup of tea with him and this brand new TV was showing a horse race.

We waited in silence until it finished.

Then he turned to me and said: “That’s good, I’ve just paid for the television.”

GRANT SHAPPS

Conservative Party chairman

JOHN HAZELL was one of my teachers at Croxley Green, near Watford, a junior school.

As we arrived, full of high spirits, for our first day he protested that we must enter his classroom quietly.

He sent the entire year group back out to the playground and made us line up and walk back in a quiet and dignified manner.

From day one we always had real respect for Mr Hazell.

The lesson he taught us was to demonstrate the standards you expect from day one. 

Peaches Geldof 'died of a heroin overdose' in a tragic mirror of her mother's death #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

PEACHES Geldof died of a heroin overdose, an inquest is expected to be told today.

Peaches tragic death is expected to mirror her mother's[PA]

The results of toxicology tests will be announced by detectives and if found true, could mirror the tragic death of her own mother Paula Yates.
The Times reported that Peaches had become "increasingly obsessed" with the death of Paula who died in 2000 from a heroin overdose.
Peaches, 25, was found dead at her home in Kent on April 7.
The mother-of-two's body was discovered next to her 11-month-old son Phaedra while her husband Tom Cohen and their other son Astala were away.
The results of Peaches' post mortem have been returned to North West Kent Coroner Roger Hatch, who will open a short inquest into the model’s death later today.
In the expected 10-minute hearing, the coroner will release the cause of death.

EU tax raid on pensions: Value of your retirement pot will be slashed #CarryGobySeanKellz #FutureGroupNG via @myentertain9jar

ANGER erupted last night after a new Brussels tax that threatens to ravage pensions was given the green light by European Union judges.

WORRIED: Another raid on UK pensioners, this time by the EU[GETTY]

The European Court of Justice rejected a legal challenge by Chancellor George Osborne against the proposed financial transaction tax on share and bond deals.

The ruling effectively gave the go-ahead to the levy that City experts fear could wipe £3.6billion from British firms and dramatically shrink private pension pots.

Pensions adviser Dr Ros Altmann said: “There is a danger that the imposition of a tax on every transaction will make pensions smaller.

“Any tax that takes money away from pensions is a danger to all of us. A tax on transactions will mean higher costs for customers.”

Chris Cummings, chief executive of financial services industry campaign group City UK, branded it a “tax on savings” and a “disincentive” to save. Mr Osborne was seeking to halt plans for the tax proposed by 11 eurozone countries including France and Germany and claimed it would breach EU single market rules.

But the Strasbourg-based court, the EU’s highest, dismissed his challenge as “premature” because the tax had not yet been launched.

Critics of the ruling included Tory London mayor Boris Johnson who said rival financial centres would be “licking their lips” at the prospect of taking trade away from the City.

He said: “With London’s economy buoyant and driving the national recovery, the last thing that we need is a barmy tax that will stamp on growth and potentially drive businesses to financial centres outside the EU. Our rivals in the US and Asia will be licking their lips in delight.”

Syed Kamall, leader of the Tory Euro-MPs, described the court ruling as “grave news”. “I believe it calls into question the court’s supposed role as a neutral referee,” he said.

“It does not inspire confidence in the court’s ability to protect UK interests or the proper working of the single market.”

George Osborne in a legal battle [AP]

Any tax that takes money away from pensions is a danger to all of us. A tax on transactions will mean higher costs for customers

Pensions adviser Dr Ros Altmann

And UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said the decision showed that British business could not be protected from excessive taxation as long as it stays in the EU. He said: “This judgment shows the UK cannot act to protect the UK’s biggest interest. It is impotent and at the mercy of an antagonistic federalist court, the ECJ.

“It shows Cameron’s argument that the UK government can negotiate a better deal for British business from within the EU as a fraud and a farce.

“The only way to protect the UK financial interest is to withdraw from the tax-hungry EU.”

Eurozone leaders believe that the proposed tax would raise billions of pounds for a new emergency bail-out fund to tackle future financial crises.

The Prime Minister and Mr Osborne have insisted that Britain will not sign up to the tax because it is not a member of the eurozone and British taxpayers should not bail it out.

But City chiefs fear Britain will still be hit because the tax will be charged on transactions between firms based in the UK and those in the eurozone.

Mr Cummings said: “Even if Britain is outside the financial transaction tax this will have a negative impact.”

Treasury officials insisted the judgment opened the door to another challenge at a later stage. A Treasury spokesman said: “Today’s decision confirms the UK will be able to challenge the final proposal for a financial transaction tax if it is not in our national interest and undermines the integrity of the single market. We risked not being able to do that if we had not made this challenge.”

Allie Renison, of the Institute of Directors, said: “This will do little to reassure British business that the EU is focused on making Europe competitive.”