Sunday, 7 March 2021
Betty Gallacher booklet launch
Thursday, 4 February 2021
Saturday, 23 January 2021
A tiny crack appears in Putin's state apparatus
A statement by a police officer in Kursk.
I,
Gibalov Ruslan Yevgenyevich, major of Kursk police, would like to express in
this video my support to Navalniy Aleksey Anatolyevich and to members of his
family.
I am not asking people to consider
this video as an invitation to go to the streets and to the meetings.
I made this video as a result of
analysis of the cases of real Russian patriots and criminal charges brought
against them: Shestun Aleksandr Viacheslavovich, Bykov Anatoliy Petrovich; the
situation of the chairman of the Lenin agricultural collective, Grudiyniy Pavel
Nikolayevich, the criminal case against governor of Chabarovsk region Furgal
Sergei Ivanovich and also the mysterious deaths of persons who one way or
another have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current government,
namely: the deaths of Nikita Isayev, Detsl, Kiril Tolmatskiy, Tesak Maksim
Marcinkevich * and Sergei Dorenko.
Most of all, I am afraid that my
children will be growing in the country where they might lose their lives for
merely expressing their dissatisfaction with the government or be imprisoned
for crimes they haven’t committed. Nor do I want to live to the day when my
children will ask me: “Dad, what have you done that we could live in a free
flourishing country?” and I will have nothing to say.
I would ask my superiors to show
understanding in relation to this video.
Freedom for Sergei Navalniy and to
all political prisoners!
Respectfully, police major Gibalov
Ruslan Yevgenyevich.
* TRANSLATOR's NOTE:
Tesak Maksim
Marcinkevich was an oft-convicted
violent thug and neo-nazi who died in custody under brutal, mysterious and as
yet unexplained circumstances.
See also:
The
original appeal of Kursk Police major Ruslan Gibalov
Sunday, 10 January 2021
Round up of last 2 days newspaper articles on the USA
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/09/us-capitol-insurrection-white-supremacist-terror
http://a.msn.com/01/en-gb/BB1cC1Mb?ocid=se
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/09/capitol-riot-united-states-imperialism-trump//
https://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article6988
https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/protest-clothing-capitol-blm-differences/
ttps://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2021/01/08/natives-respond-police-capitol/
https://www.courthousenews.com/video-shows-oregon-lawmaker-letting-protesters-inside-state-capitol/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/us/politics/trump-allies-congress.html?smid=em-share
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9123277/Capitol-hill-arrests-victims-wanted-suspects.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9122495/The-violent-pro-Trump-mob-stormed-Capitol.html
https://www.startribune.com/ap-fact-check-trumps-false-claims-fuel-on-a-day-of-chaos/600007338/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-neo-fascism-takes-americas-racism-to-the-next-level
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/01/this-is-what-trumpism-without-trump-looks-like.html
Thursday, 7 January 2021
Union Learning Defunded: Trade union adult education cancelled
Big Issue North magazine, December 2020
Union Learning
Defunded
Trade union adult education cancelled
Fund contributes £1.4bn to economy
A long-running adult education programme brokered by the
trade union movement is to end after the government ended its funding.
The decision, made only days after Boris Johnson announced a
Lifetime Skills Guarantee for adults, is being opposed not only by trade unions
but also employers.
The Union Learning Fund (ULF), which began in 1998, is
managed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and provides courses and
qualifications in everything from information technology to communication
skills and mentoring apprenticeships.
Boosting jobs and wages
The ULF, now due to end March 2021, was worth £12 million in
2019-2020, supporting over 200,000 learners in workplaces across England – both
union members and non-members.
Union learning reps (ULR) lead the fund. Elected by
colleagues and recognised by their employer, they identify training
requirements and promote lifelong learning in the workforce, many of whom have
previously proven reluctant to return to education. ULRs have statutory
recognition.
Many employers have recognised that the ULF can improve
their employees’ skills. Five years ago, the Big Issue North covered the story
of First Bus UK in Manchester where it was at the prompting of one of the
company directors that the union Unite opened an onsite learning centre.
An evaluation by researchers from Exeter University in 2018
calculated that every £1 spent on the ULF brings in a return of £12.30: £7.60
to the worker, £4.70 to the employer. The TUC claims the fund contributes £1.4
billion annually to the economy by boosting jobs, wages and productivity.
HGV driver Gary McAllister has been a ULR at logistics
company Wincanton in St Helens since Unite and shop workers union Usdaw signed
a deal with his employer. He said: “You’d be surprised how many drivers have no
computer skills and it is exciting seeing them grow in confidence so that they
no longer fear using computers for simple things like emailing younger family
members.
We have also organised many mental health awareness courses
and even occasional ones for Spanish.
“Management is prepared to support workers who go on the
courses in their spare time by agreeing to allow them paid release from work
for half the study time. I am very disappointed to discover the ULF is likely
to end.”
At Victoria Hospital in Blackpool, the emphasis is on
providing online courses via the local college, including basic maths and
English, as well as team leading and mental health awareness.
“Ideological reasons”
“The courses mean skill levels have obviously increased and
whilst some course members are inspired by building their portfolios, others
just enjoy learning new skills,” said ULR Barry Casey. “I believe the
government is scrapping the ULF for its own ideological reasons as it is
hostile to trade unions.”
Unions were told in October by the Department for Education
(DfE) that the annual fund would cease. Only days beforehand, Boris Johnson
promised to “give people of all ages the means and the confidence to switch and
get the skills they need”.
Emma Taylor, Tesco people director, was among employers
speaking out in favour of the ULF, saying its Checkout Learning programme had
benefited 43,000 learners, including some employees that other schemes could
not reach.
The DfE did not
answer a series of questions from Big Issue North but a spokesperson
highlighted Johnson’s comments and said that ending the ULF was due to
“investing the money to directly support further education colleges, other
training providers and our new £2.5 billion National Skills Fund to help more
people learn new skills and prepare for the jobs of the future”.
MARK METCALF
A list of articles on Trump's failed putsch
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-us-2020-55558355
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/camp-auschwitz-sweatshirt-neo-nazis-capitol-riot/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/06/trump-is-guilty-sedition-impeach-him-again/
https://www.wwnytv.com/2021/01/06/new-illinois-congresswoman-hitler-was-right-one-thing/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/06/trump-is-guilty-sedition-impeach-him-again/
https://www.democracynow.org/2021/1/6/washington_dc_anti_democracy_proud_boys
https://forward.com/news/461612/a-guide-to-the-extremists-and-hate-groups-that-invaded-the-capitol/
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
My heritage work with the PFA
My heritage work with
the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) 2016 - 2020
A)
2016: a
plaque to the first ever goalscorer in the football league
In November 2016 the PFA financially supported the blue plaque
unveiling that celebrated Bolton Wanderers’ Kenny Davenport as the first ever
goalscorer in the football league.
The goal, originally thought to have been an own goal by Aston
Villa’s Gershom Cox, was revealed in 2013 when myself and Robert Boyling from
the British Library discovered that the kick-off in the Aston Villa game had
been delayed.
This meant that Davenport’s goal at 3:47pm on September 8,
1888, for Bolton Wanderers against Derby County signified the first ever
football league goal.
The plaque, which was placed in the same area as Wanderers’
former ground, Pikes Lane, was unveiled by Robert and myself in November 2016 with the Mayor of Bolton, and Kenny
Davenport’s family in attendance.
I was quoted as saying at the time:
When I was writing my Origins of the Football
League book that was published by Amberley I didn’t quite buy that Gershom Cox
was the first ever goalscorer in the football league.
Following the unveiling, which was screened live on Granada
News, Robert and myself along with my son, Charlie, and PFA Chief Executive,
Gordon Taylor, were also welcomed onto the pitch at half-time during Bolton’s
1-0 victory against Coventry City.
Phil Mason, Bolton Wanderers Chaplain, said at the time:
This is such a significant occasion as we gather
to celebrate a key moment in Bolton Wanderers football club.
Kenny Davenport was the first Bolton player to play for
England and was part of the first group of footballers to become professionals
in 1885.
The blue plaque is visible on the Lostock Electrical Projects
Company building on Bankfield Street.
B)
2018: Overseeing the blue plaques and murals in
Blackpool to England stars Jimmy Armfield and Frank Swift
On 6 September 2018, the 1958 Munich hero Harry Gregg made the
trip by car and ferry to Blackpool to unveil a plaque at Revoe Library to the Manchester
City and England legendary keeper Frank Swift, who on 6 February 1958 sadly
perished at Munich airport.
This was one of two blue plaques unveiled on the day. The other
was at the nearby Lune Grove entrance of Revoe Learning Academy, which both
attended and where twin murals, designed by the current pupils, of the players
have also taken pride of place in the new sports based playground. Families of
both men attended on the day and the event was attended by a number of football
fans of various teams.
I co-ordinated the work to honour these two great players in
which the PFA, Blackpool
Civic Trust, the school and the two men’s families all worked together to bring
to fruition an idea first mooted by Frank’s late daughter Iris to myself when I
was writing a biography of her father that was published by DB publishing.
C)
November 2018 : A plaque to Fred Spiksley at Gainsborough
Trinity FC
The
book Flying Over an Olive Grove: the remarkable story of Fred Spiksley, a
flawed football hero by myself and Clive and Ralph Nicholson that was first
published by Red Axe in 2016 has long since sold out. A paperback edition is
set for release by Pen and Sword Publishers in the summer of 2021. The work is
now the background to the film on the early history of professional football by
Rough Jersey Productions that I set up with the assistance of Clive Nicholson. http://roughjersey.com/
Before
moving on to Sheffield Wednesday, Spiksley was a star at his hometown club of
Gainsborough Trinity from 1887-1891. In 2018, Trinity decided to put up a plaque
at their ground to commemorate him and it was unveiled by Jason Lee from the
PFA.
https://www.gainsboroughtrinity.com/commercial/darron-childs-practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Xxmo6LcoM
D)
October 2019: Red plaque to John Aston senior at his Manchester
school
In October
2019 a red Manchester City Council plaque was unveiled at the school of former
pupil John Aston senior, the great Manchester United player and coach who also
played for England on many occasions. The chief guest was Brian Kidd, who spoke
warmly about how John Aston senior played a great part in developing his
talents when he was a young player at Old Trafford in the 1960s. European Cup
winner John Aston junior, who in the
weeks leading up to the unveiling had spoken, along with myself, to all the
pupils currently at the school, was deeply touched at the day’s events at which
Denis Law was present along with a number of former professional footballers including
Gordon Taylor, the PFA Chief Executive. Also present were a number of two current
school pupils and they gave great speeches.
See
also:- https://markwrite.co.uk/my-work-on-behalf-of-the-pfa-to-erect-a-plaque-honouring-john-aston-junior/
I was
delighted to see the work I had played in co-ordinating the above unveiling prove
so productive.
E)
June 2021
Thanks
to the PFA it is proposed to unveil plaques to Joe Mercer and Stan Cullis at Cambridge
Road Primary School that they attended in Ellesmere Port. In early November
2020 I co-ordinated a meeting, at the school and a series of events are being planned
surrounding the planned unveilings, which it is great to report will be
attended by descendants of these former great players and managers.
F)
August 7 2021
Coach Bert
Whalley was tragically killed at Munich on 6 February 1958. Before moving in
1934 to Old Trafford as a player, Bert
played for Stalybridge Celtic and where the club has agreed to unveil a plaque
to honour him prior to a pre-season friendly game on 7 August 2021. Further events
are to be organised by the club in conjunction with the PFA.
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