Non-league Doncaster City splash the cash on trio of ex-pros ahead of season defining clash
Doncaster City, who play in the 11th tier of English football, surprised fans last week with the signing of three ex-international players - Wes Hoolahan, Charlie Mulgrew, and Ross McCormack.
The trio, who have over 100 international appearances between them and have been on the books of the likes of Celtic and Leeds United, have all retired from professional football but joined Doncaster City shortly before their game against undefeated league leaders Dearne & District on Saturday.
The exact length of the players' contracts was not made public, but the club's X (formerly Twitter) account stated that they were only joining "for a short period."
The club's announcement of their 3-1 victory over Dearne & District, which saw their new signings make their debuts, was met with anger and ridicule on social media.
Daniel Patterson, a midfielder for fellow non-league side Parkgate FC, defended the moves, however: "The amount of people this has rattled is mental. Will keep saying it every season but non league is full of people who concentrate on everyone else. Do your team, Do you. Then you might have a chance at being successful".
Doncaster City FC was founded in 2022 by agent Willie McKay, who in 2012 aided with a spree of similarly eyebrow-raising signings by fellow Doncaster side Doncaster Rovers, including former Premier League players El Hadji Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda, and Habib Beye.
McKay was investigated in 2007 over allegations of fraud in transfers, but no evidence of irregular payments was found.
Doncaster pub refuses to capitulate after latest comeback from flood refurbishment
The reopening of a picturesque Doncaster pub last week, following extensive flood damage, has left locals questioning what exactly is being done to invest into the area’s environmental defences.
The Boat Inn, in Sprotbrough, welcomed back customers after being forced to close last October due to damage caused by Storm Babet.
It is the second time licensee, Felicity Bell, has been left with no choice but to temporarily shut the 17th century pub. It was previously closed for 18 months after heavy rainfall in 2019 preceded the COVID-19 pandemic. On 8 November, recorders across the city confirmed the Don’s level at all-time highs.
“It was around half past one in the morning when the Environment Agency told us the flood alert for the area was upgraded to red,” she said. “Within 20 minutes, most of the lower pub was ankle-deep in water.”
Following the first lockdown, the pub was ready to re-open after carrying out dry runs with family and friends. Announcements of fresh lockdowns days later forced the pub to remain closed until April 2021.
At the end of 2022, a flood wall was repaired opposite the pub at an estimated cost of £8m. However, a problematic gap was left further along to allow riverside access to the Trans-Pennine Trail.
Miss Bell blames this for the damage caused by Storm Babet last year but said the parts of the wall that was refurbished worked.
The pub forms part of the Lower Sprotborough hamlet, spelt using the village’s historic name. Liz Reeve, founder of Sprotbrough Village History Group, has witnessed four severe floodings in the hamlet in 1947, 2007, 2019 and 2023.
When describing the July 2007 floods, Mrs Reeve said: “We were absolutely flabbergasted when as much water came in as it did.”
Residents of Doncaster suburb, Bentley, used canoes to navigate the deluged streets, while a car close to a nearby fast-food outlet was almost fully submerged.
Mrs Reeve added: “In 2019, we had to climb out of the bedroom window to get out!”
Doncaster made national headlines that year because of the level of rainfall which preceded the floods.
Fishlake, to the city’s north-east, suffered the most after 170 homes and business in the village were impacted. The damage was so catastrophic, it warranted visits from then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson – days after a General Election was called – and the future King.
Resident, Pam Webb, showed Mr Johnson around the submerged village and said 70 per cent of properties in the village had been impacted.
“The Prime Minister made a statement to me behind closed doors, and later on camera, that no victim of flooding would suffer financial loss,” she recalled in the book Flood, which documents stories of those affected in Fishlake. “From that point on, the dialogue could at least be opened to explore what could be offered.”
Following the devastation, £3m was channelled in relief efforts – and repairs were completed as the country re-emerged from lockdown in June 2021.
“The lockdown of early 2021 caused problems,” recalled Paul and Angela Causer in Flood. “We aimed to move back home in May, but not before paying thousands in storage and accommodation costs.”
Three significant floods in Doncaster in 17 years has raised questions on climate change’s impact on the hamlet. Miss Bell is adamant Storm Babet will not be the last time the pub will be affected by flooding.
She said: “It’s ultimately going to happen more regularly, and I think climate change will be a contributing factor.”
After the 2019 floods, Connected by Water – a joint action plan for flooding in South Yorkshire - was published in January 2022. A target named as the ‘Sprotbrough Ings project’ was listed to “create and restore habitats and raise flood awareness”.
The plan committed to completing the project, led by the Don Catchment Rivers Trust charity, by 2025. The group say the project is in its final stages of development and is part of the wider 'All Hands on the Don' project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
There was little knowledge of the project within the village and disgruntlement upon learning about it, but the charity claims this is due to being in the process of securing permissions and not wanting to raise expectations.
Despite this, one source, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “They should really stop employing dinosaurs who think the money comes out of their pocket and start getting people to take action.”
Mrs Reeve agreed, stating: “What’s the Council doing? If you want anything from them and you put your address in, they don’t know where it is.”
Mrs Reeve and her husband, Michael, are currently renting a village cottage while repairs continue in Lower Sprotborough. They say despite the council’s apathy, they have to pay two lots of council tax, one for each property.
Work around flood defence investment is being made. Bentley Ings Pumping Station, which aims to protect 1,699 homes against flooding, was upgraded in 2022. Pumping capacity was increased by 20 per cent at a cost of £14m. Friends of Clay Lane also claimed £1m had been earmarked to reinforce the estate’s defences at the end of last year.
In the meantime, The Boat Inn’s licensee, Miss Bell, is determined to keep going. She said: “We’ve got such a great local trade with regulars from the local community and are looking forward to welcoming them back, along with new guests as well.”
Residents who are concerned about flooding can sign up for free flood warnings at www.gov.uk/flood or by contacting Floodline on 0345 988 1188.
Sheffield face Birkbeck in tonight’s University Challenge
Sheffield University take on Birkbeck University of London this evening in the second leg of the University Challenge quarter finals.
The team have performed well in their previous three fixtures and will be looking to capitalise on Birkbeck’s weaker form.
A win will see them one step closer to their first final since 2008.
| Sheffield | Birkbeck | |
| Average points per match | 193.3 | 160 |
| % correct starter questions | 82.93% | 64.44% |
| % correct bonus questions | 51.02% | 53.09% |
| Total points | 580 | 480 |
The team is represented by captain Cameron Colclough, philosophy student Matthew Nail, history student Safiyyah Rujak, and history and Spanish student Joseph McGough.
Sheffield council proposes electric overhaul to “transform” city’s public transport
Sheffield City Council is planning an ambitious push to revamp the state of public transport in the city with 65 new electric buses.
Sheffield councillor, Ben Miskell, Chair of Transport, Regeneration and Climate, discussed plans to transform that state of transport in the city, which includes a £1,000,000 Clean Air Investment Plan.
Cllr Miskell said: “What we would like to do is change our entire fleet over to electric, zero emission buses.
"We have put in an ambitious bid to the government for 65 EV buses in the city, which will start to transform our buses."
He discussed how the current state of public transport is not up to the standard required and the new plans hope to tackle the issue of pollution across the city.
Cllr Miskell explained there are 2,400 buses currently operating in Sheffield and many of them are still using old diesel polluting technology.
This is a huge issue the council faces and they are hoping to invest a substantial amount of money to install the technology needed in bus depots.
There is also the economical issue when it comes to the price of owning an EV vehicle privately, which includes difficulties with the electronic structure needed to charge your car at home.
Cllr Miskell said: “One of the issues we're really mindful of is how you would charge your vehicle if you live on a terrace street, a street without a drive. In the city or many of the parts of the city, it is actually difficult to be able to charge a vehicle on a drive.
“We're putting in about 20 new EV charging points across the city to do that. We're also working with the private sector and fast charge providers to bring out more fast charging zones in the city too.”
When discussing the contentious topic of Clean Air Zones after nearly a year of their use within Sheffield, Miskell is wholehearted in his attitude it has been beneficial for the city.
He said within the data the council has analysed, the amount of people using the Clean Air Zones has increased and the new transport plans have encouraged the public to buy electric vehicles and invest in the new policies.
Sheffield firewoman gives Gladiators “a run for their money”
A Sheffield firefighter made it through to the semi-final of Gladiators with barely a second to spare on Saturday following a tense head-to-head.
Bronte Jones, 23, battled it out with Natasha Lawrence from Ipswich to cement her place in the semi-final of the popular TV game show.
Jones’ twin sister Brodie said the family are “buzzing” that she’s made it through, having grown up watching the show.
She told the Sheffield Wire: “That eliminator was a rollercoaster – from her falling off the cargo net, to then catching Tasha up to make it through the finish line.
"Watching it brought back all those amazing memories from the filming back in June. The atmosphere was electric!”
The Gladiators reboot has taken the nation by storm since it appeared on our screens back in January, with 8.7 million viewers tuning in to the first episode.
Viewers “were on the edge of their seats” on Saturday as Bronte regained her composure after a disappointing performance in the duel and went on to gather 10 points in the ring and gauntlet rounds.
“I couldn’t even eat my popcorn,” said 41-year-old Stacey Wolstenholme, who manages Firehouse Fitness, the Sheffield gym where Bronte trains.
“She's very hardworking. She's very focused. She's so bright and bubbly but once she's in the gym, she's in the zone,” she added.
Though the show’s final has already been filmed, Jones is staying tight-lipped about the outcome.
Her Gladiators success comes in the same week as a disappointing end for Doncaster contestant Finley Burkitt, who was forced to pull out of the quarter-finals following a “devastating” knee injury.
Burkitt has since had surgery and, according to his personal trainer Sam Long, is already back to “doing things you wouldn’t really expect someone who’s ruptured their ACL to be able to do”.
He said: “I think once he sets his mind to whatever he wants to do, he’s willing to give it a very good go or die trying in the process.”
Jones, a competitive weight lifter who has been named one of the strongest women in the country for her weight category, will now carry the Gladiators gauntlet for South Yorkshire alone.
Despite initially being “a bit worried that nobody would understand her strong Yorkshire accent”, Wolstenholme says the whole of Sheffield is behind her.
“She managed to give the gladiators a run for their money!” added Brodie.
Gladiators airs Saturdays at 7.10pm on BBC One
Doncaster-Sheffield airport faces divisive reopening
The council has announced £138 million will be invested in reopening the Sheffield-Doncaster airport, which closed in late 2022 after failing to make a profit.
The site is still owned by the Peel group, who still refuse to sell the property, after the council came to an agreement for a lease of £138 billion pounds by South Yorkshire.
However, Opinions are divided
Hanna, a Polish student at the University of Sheffield said of the airport: “It’s the most convenient, and going to Doncaster was like £3, and if really an Uber was needed it was around £20, but it was easy to find someone to split it with, whereas to go to the Manchester airport it’s a bit more complicated and more expensive.”
Marta, another Polish student at the University of Sheffield said: “Using the taxpayers' money is not the best way, but if the airport manages to get more routes to different places, it could become interesting for local people since it could benefit a lot of people.”
Mark Chadwick, a local garage owner in Doncaster: “After talking with some of the staff working there, it was obvious that the airport was run to a loss, internal bills that were way higher than they should.
“Doncaster council hired two aviation and business consultant, they arrived at the conclusion that if the airport would be run properly it could bring benefits”
Nevertheless, for a lot of people, the reopening of the Doncaster Airport raises concerns, since the council will be using public money.
A Twitter poll shows that more than half of the voters are not convinced for now.
The Peel group has yet to responded to comment.
Community in shock over deaths of three young children in Bristol
Chief Inspector Vicks Hayward-Melen said: “We’ve been humbled by the community response to this tragedy. At a time of great sadness and disbelief, we’ve seen spontaneous acts of care and support. Within hours of the incident occurring, a local church was opened up for people to gather and mourn.
Three children – aged seven, three and 10 months, who have not been named by detectives – were found inside the property and pronounced dead at the scene just after 12.40pm on Sunday.
Ahmed Abdelaal, another family friend, said: “We are all shocked. We don’t know why this has happened or what has happened.
“She was an amazing mum, we don’t know what led to this incident.”
The community has been left in shock over the incident.
Fargate to become ‘cultural hub’ as council look to convert Sheffield city centre
Up to 20,000 new homes are set to be built in an effort to convert Sheffield city centre into a residential neighbourhood and a 'cultural hub'.
The City Council announced in a meeting last week (14 February) Fargate and the traditional shopping areas will home schools, GP surgeries and outdoor spaces.
The work set out by the City Centre Strategic Vision is set to begin in January 2025. The hub would then open in early 2026, two years later than initially planned.
Councillor Ben Miskell, chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “We are creating liveable neighbourhoods where we can completely rejuvenate and bring back to life our city centre.
“Repopulation in our city centre is part of a wider strategy to get more people into the city centre to reduce anti-social behaviour and to open up more bars and more coffee shops, and to make it a better space for everyone in the city.”
The development of the 20-26 Fargate plan was delayed due to cost pressure and construction constraint, forcing the project to begin in 2025 at the earliest. The area which is set to be renovated is now being reviewed by the design team.
Cllr Miskell said: “There are always going to be delays in big regeneration projects across the city. As a city, we have to be comfortable with that. Sometimes things do take longer than we would hope, but it still is a sign that will be generating the city centre.”
The council also claimed designed work on High Street and Castle Square are currently under review due to cost pressures.
“Our previous prime minister crashed the economy," said Cllr Miskell. "As a City Council, we are experiencing the exact same cost pressures, projects that we want plans to cost and a certain amount of money have now increased.
“We are left to pick up the pieces just like homeowners, like people across our city are struggling to pay the bills as well."
Moor Market Traders left “disheartened” as service charges increase for the first time since 2013
Traders at Sheffield's Moor market have been hit by a 26.5% service charge hike.
The Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee members announced the decision to increase service charges by 26.5 per cent in 2024/2025 for the first time since 2013.
Sheffield City Council said that the increase is to cover inflation and higher energy tariffs.
Firas Al Bermawi, owner of Moor Perfume, said Moor Gate used to be a “cosy place” for Sheffield residents and students.
However, he believes =the number of people visiting the market is dwindling due to inflation.
“We noticed a big difference. There aren’t as many shoppers and they are worried about prices.
"They used to buy in bigger quantities, now they check everything and this is understandable,” he added.
Craig Goodridge, owner of Goodridge Travels echoed Mr Fermawi’s thoughts.
Mr Goodridge has only been trading in Moor Market since June and said he had observed falling sales over the past few months.
He said: “It’s a little disheartening. Prices are going up already and I’ve only been here for a short amount of time. I hope it doesn’t go up year on year. “
Last month, shop owners received a summary letter from the Sheffield City Council informing them of rising rents. Traders who were unable to stay afloat were forced to shut their businesses.
Mark Holmes, who is a small business owner himself, called the price hikes a “struggle.”
“Something's got to give and nine times out of 10, it's usually my wage that gives," he said.
"I think if I equated the hours that I put into the business, I'd be [earning] way below minimum wage.”
He said small businesses struggle particularly because they have to keep prices low to compete with supermarkets and bigger chains.
Although the markets have been busier than it was during the pandemic when compared to the costs of products, the sales are insufficient.
Calling the price hike a “double-edged sword”, he added while the rise in minimum wage is positive, the subsequent rise in cost offsets the positive effects.
Sheffield Sabrecats Cheerleaders have huge success at the UK University Nationals
From coming last in 2023, the University of Sheffield’s cheerleading team have "end[ed] a spell of bad luck" by placing highly at the nationals in Manchester yesterday.
This year, the Sheffield Sabrecats Stunt Cheerleading team has been able to turnaround their performance in only five months.
One of the members of the Gold Squad, Emily Haycock, 21, expressed how tense the competition was.
She said: "Despite the odds being against us with last minute injuries and changes, we went out there and did the best we could.
"Everyone has worked incredibly hard this year. After a not-so-good season last year, we were determined to end a spell of bad luck."
The UK University Nationals is the biggest cheerleading competition of the year with teams from across the UK taking part.
Miss Haycock said the team's adrenaline was running high, as most of their performances were in the evening.
This competition marks the first time since 2020 that the Sabrecats have done group stunts. Most members of the team did not have previous or very little experience of doing group stunts.
The rigorous training sessions in the lead up to the competition took place twice a week, with the group practising complex routines including stunts, tumbling, and dance. The team is made up of more than 100 male and female cheerleaders.
The Black Squad placed third, the Gold Squad placed fourth out of 11 teams, and the Silver Squad placed sixth out of 22 teams. All three Group Stunt teams hit zero after making no mistakes in their routines.
Maddie Homer, 21, who is a part of the Level Two Group Stunt team, had never competed in a cheerleading competition before yesterday, and highlighted the satisfaction in "seeing all the hard work pay off".
She said: “Honestly the best part was watching all the other teams perform and cheering them on.”
The Sheffield Sabrecats are now perfecting their routines to hopefully win big in the upcoming competitions in both Nottingham and Sheffield.
Sheffield Powerlifting Championship 2024 sees 51 world records smashed
The 2024 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships, organised by SBD, proves to be one of the sports strongest events with a staggering 51 world records being shattered from the 24 super athletes.
Held at Sheffield's City Hall on February 10, 2024, this distinguished event displayed a remarkable display of athleticism by both male and female competitors.
This annual powerlifting competition organised by SBD is regarded as one of the top powerlifting competitions in the world, primarily for its unconventional format, large prize purse and record-breaking lifts.
Diverging from conventional powerlifting meets, this competition featured 12 male and 12 female athletes from different weight categories facing off against one another. The format, intricately aligned with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) world records, with the goal for each competitor to break the current standing records in their weight bracket.
The coveted top prize was awarded to the athlete who achieved the highest proportion of breaking the total world record in their class. Moreover, substantial £5,000 bonuses were allocated for breaking world records in squat, bench press, deadlift, or total.
The level of competition demonstrated exceptional lifting prowess. Among the 12 women contestants, 11 shattered world records in their respective weight classes, setting the stage for historic achievements.
The distinctive format of this contest translated into an unconventional prize distribution. While conventional competitions typically reward higher placements with more significant prize money, the addition of bonuses for record-breaking performances disrupted the norm.
In some instances, athletes lower in the rankings earned more in prize money than those standing on the podium. With all ranking able to be found here.
2024 Sheffield Women’s Results
On the women’s side, the format heavily favoured the three lifters in the 69-kilogram class, as the world record total was lower in this class than in the weight class below. This gave them an arguably easier target to hit; this became adamant when all three made the podium.
Sheffield 24 also saw the all-time women’s raw squat record broken; Sonita Muluh confidently took to the stage as she lifted an astonishing 300.5kg.
Karlina Tongotea has said that a key element of her training is keeping her mental strength in check.
She says: "competing in powerlifting can be full of highs and lows. The way I manage this is with mindfulness, the practice of acknowledging emotions and deciding what I want to let go and what might be useful to keep."
As well as powerlifting, Karlina works as a general practitioner. She hopes that through competing and gaining exposure that girls see that how rewarding strength training and powerlifting is.
Tongotea went into the tournament with the goal of breaking the world record deadlift for her weight bracket, however after missing her second attempt she realised this wasn't going to happen.
Afterwards she said: "I decided to let go of most of the anger and hold onto just enough to fuel me for my 3rd attempt. On that 3rd attempt I made the 252.5kg lift without any trouble."
Tongotea started powerlifting in 2018, at the age of 25-years-old and noticed there was only a handful of women competing at the high level.
Fast forward to now and she said: "I get the sense that the number of women competing is starting to match our counterparts. Even more exciting is that I see more and more teens and young women feeling confident and encouraged to start strength sports."
Sheffield 24 saw one of the biggest up-and-coming names in powerlifting prove to the world that the buzz around her is worthy.
This flawless performance scored Agata Sitko 109.29% of the total world record and overall victory in the competition, along with the lions share of the prize purse she also moved to the top of the IPF raw rankings, displacing Bavoil.
No one, male or female, has ever achieved more in a single competition, this begs the question of what’s left to achieve for this 21-year-old.
When speaking to her, Sitko says that she is trying to avoid making any lifetime goals for now, as she finds that she achieves them much sooner than imagined.
She did say: " a 700 kilo total might be something I want to chase but that just sounds so ridiculous now that I am not too sure if that's possible... I just want to get the word title that's for sure."
2024 Sheffield Men’s Results
While on the men's side, the amount of total world records was less frequent, with only three total records being beaten, yet the competition showcased compelling battles nonetheless.
Particularly noteworthy was the clash in the 93-kilogram class, where four athletes fiercely contended for supremacy, culminating in Gustav Hedlund emerging victorious, narrowly defeating world champion Jonathan Cayco.
Despite securing the second-to-last position in the event, one of the tournament's highlights unfolded as Jesus Olivares shattered the all-time men's raw squat record.
Making a profound impact kilo by kilo, Jesus Olivares left a mark at the 2024 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships. Among the myriad of new powerlifting world records established, Olivares claimed the Men’s super-heavyweight IPF classic squat record.
In a remarkable final attempt, Olivares successfully squatted 478 kilograms (1,053.81 pounds), surpassing Ray Williams' longstanding 477.5-kilogram (1,052.7-pound) record since 2017.
Despite Olivares' valiant 429-kilogram final attempt in the deadlift segment, the defending champion from the 2023 Sheffield event relinquished his title.
Karlina Tongotea has praised Sheffield Championship for being a key driving force in the growth in popularity and equality in the sport.
She said: "a huge part of this growth is the level of exposure provided by events like Sheffield, where female Champions and elite female athletes have equal footing and are supported to shine just as bright as our counterparts. This is a rare quality in other sports."
William Islip, Commercial Director at SBD said: "The Sheffield Powerlifting Championships is one of the many examples where SBD is investing in strength sports, to support the overall promotion and growth of our sport. This year the Sheffield City Hall was fully sold out, and a further 310,000 people have watched the event on our livestream. This year’s event saw a large proportion of the audience attend from overseas, bringing significant investment into the Sheffield City Region and our surrounding communities."
The second edition of Sheffield proved to be a resounding success, characterised by exceptional production values and stellar athlete performances. Tickets for the 2025 event are already in high demand, urging enthusiasts to act swiftly to witness the action in person.
20mph speed limit schemes are the “right thing to do for the future” of Sheffield
Councillor Ben Miskell said: "There will always be some objections to these schemes but I think they're the right thing to do for the future of our city and also the safety of young people who live in these areas."