Newspaper headlines: Further football finance claims on front pages

  • Published

The Daily Telegraph makes more allegations about financial dealings in football, while in other news restaurants are told to slim down the size of their puddings.

The Telegraph says Southampton assistant manager Eric Black was filmed, external offering advice on giving bribes to officials at other clubs during a conversation about signing players. Mr Black has denied making any suggestion that football officials should be paid during transfer negotiations.

"Before Southampton FC had been made aware of the Daily Telegraph's investigation of Mr Black, the club's chairman, Ralph Krueger, had said he was 'shocked and shuddered' by this newspaper's earlier revelations about corruption in football and had promised his club would lead the way in cleaning up the game," the paper reports.

"City of London Police said it would be reviewing the Telegraph dossier on football, including allegations that eight current or recent Premier League managers had taken bribes, to establish whether any criminal offences had been committed."

The Mirror says MPs have called for a public inquiry, external into football corruption, while the Star says Sam Allardyce will write a book, external after losing his job as England manager.

Fraser Nelson in the Telegraph says, external the football affair has much in common with the MPs' expenses scandal; a practice lots of people knew was going on but no one was able to prove.

"He [Allardyce] certainly was the victim of a sting, but one that stands as a classic example of what newspapers ought to be doing - and illustrates the importance of a vibrant, investigatory and free press," he writes.

Eye-catching headlines

Image source, PA
  • Parsley is choice herb above sage, rosemary and thyme: Parsley is fast becoming Britain's herb of choice with a record 14.2 million pots, packs or bunches of the flat-leaf variety bought by shoppers in the past 12 months, a 37% rise in sales, according to a herb producer Times, external

  • Bees have feelings too, and it's nectar that makes them happy: Bees become optimistic and happy after drinking nectar, scientists have shown, leading them to speculate that the insects may have a consciousness Telegraph, external

  • Silver service to salt and vinegar - BA adopts no-frills catering: British Airways has signalled the end of free food in economy class on flights lasting less than five hours, instead forcing passengers to pay for sandwiches supplied by Marks & Spencer if they want a mid-air meal Guardian, external

  • Snack attack foiled: pork pie sets off airport scanner: A pork pie sparked a security alert at Manchester Airport, when a pensioner from Wigan tried to take one through the barriers, because juice in the pie showed up as liquid when Norman Pearson's bag was scanned and staff began searching for it I, external

Just desserts

According to the Times, external, the government has said restaurants, cafes and pubs will be "named and shamed" unless they make food portions smaller or less sweet.

"Chains such as Pizza Express, Starbucks, McDonald's and Gourmet Burger Kitchen have been told to 'step up' by cutting sugar from food and reducing the size of desserts, cakes and croissants. Calorie-reduction targets for fatty, savoury foods will also be set," it says.

"Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, told a private meeting of more than 100 food companies yesterday that 'going out to eat is no longer a treat' because it is so common.

"Takeaways and sandwich shops would therefore be expected to take the same action as supermarkets and food manufacturers in tackling Britain's obesity problem, he said."

Image source, Science Photo Library

The Times regards this as a "toughening of approach" to plans to reduce child obesity that were scaled back when Theresa May became prime minister.

This will be the priority for Public Health England, says the Times, which revealed that the target would be all the main sources of sugar for children apart from soft drinks, which will be subject to a sugar tax.

Public Health England told the meeting that cereals, confectionary, yoghurts, ice cream, sweet spreads and jams, cakes, biscuits and breakfast foods such as croissants must all become less sweet or smaller.

The Times continues: "Calorie-cutting targets for fatty foods including burgers and pizzas will be decided next year. Calorie caps for individual products such as chocolate bars or muffins will also be introduced."

Social media stress

Other health issues occupy the papers, with the Guardian focusing on a report into mental health, external by NHS Digital.

The study found "alarming evidence" that more young women aged 16 to 24 were experiencing mental health problems than ever before, says the Guardian.

"Psychological distress is now so common that one in four in that age group have harmed themselves at some point. The number of women of that age who screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder has trebled from 4.2% in 2007 to 12.6% in 2014," it reports.

The Times says health experts have warned, external that violent relationships, social media and image anxieties are contributing to the crisis.

Image source, Science Photo Library

The Telegraph reports, external: "Experts said young women had emerged as a 'high risk' group in the study with a culture built on social media appearing to take its toll."

Meanwhile, the Express leads with figures that reveal dementia is now the leading cause of death, external in women and second leading cause of death among men.

"The incurable condition is now one of the greatest health risks older people face," says the Express. "Only heart disease killed more people in England in 2013 than Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia."

The Times states, external: "Deaths from dementia have risen by 100% in little over a decade but campaigners say that the condition is not taken seriously as a terminal illness."

Pop princess

Two young people enjoying a play day with other children would not normally make national news - except when they happen to be Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Times says they made their official overseas tour debut, external at an extravagant children's party in Canada.

The interests of Prince George and Princess Charlotte were, says the Times, in no particular order, balloons, bubbles and a rather large but otherwise friendly dog called Moose.

Image source, PA

"With a few steps of her determined little legs," says the Telegraph, external, "Princess Charlotte took her first strides into the world of royal duties yesterday, making a star appearance at a children's tea party."

The Mail says it was the day Charlotte and George stole the royal show, external in Canada.

The Sun describes how Charlotte was heard talking for the first time, external as she yelled "pop" at some balloons.

The Mirror calls them the prince and princess of pop, external, while the Express notes that George was more interested, external in a machine blowing bubbles.

People of note

Finally, the Times, external has the rather surprising news that one in 10 Britons do not recognise Winston Churchill on the new polymer £5 note.

"We carry them around in our wallets every day, but it seems that very few of us know about the faces on our banknotes," says the Times.

Image source, Reuters

According to a survey of 2,000 people for a credit card company, only 8% recognised prison reformer Elizabeth Fry on the old £5 note and just 10% could identify naturalist Charles Darwin on the £10.

A fifth said foreign figures should feature on British banknotes, with suggestions including Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie, Saint Theresa of Calcutta and Gandhi.