logo
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes excited by Tony Bloom revolution

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes excited by Tony Bloom revolution

Times20-05-2025

Derek McInnes is invigorated by the idea of leading the next Tony Bloom success story. As Heart of Midlothian's new head coach conducted his first round of media interviews on Monday it took him no time to namedrop the two other European clubs in Bloom's stable, Brighton & Hove Albion and Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium.
It was clear, from the enthusiasm emanating from McInnes on the first day of his four-year contract, that he could imagine Hearts similarly realising the potential Bloom imagines for them in the Scottish game. The multi-millionaire professional sports gambler and Brighton owner and chairman will invest almost £10million as long as fan ownership group The Foundation of Hearts approves his offer for non-voting shares. Hearts have already agreed a partnership

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Morrisons orders head office staff to work full time
Morrisons orders head office staff to work full time

Telegraph

time34 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Morrisons orders head office staff to work full time

Morrisons has ordered staff working in its head office back to their desks five days a week as the supermarket battles to revive its fortunes. The supermarket is understood to have told its employees based at its headquarters in Bradford that they must work a full five-day week after abandoning a policy which allowed staff to work compressed hours. Previously, staff were required to work 37.5 hours over four and a half days under a flexible working week pilot which the supermarket kicked off in 2020. The decision to revert back to five day weeks, which came into force this month, comes as bosses step up a drive to reinvigorate the supermarket as it loses customers to rivals including Aldi. Rami Baitiéh, who took over as Morrisons chief executive in late 2023, has been spearheading a turnaround effort. Last week, the supermarket said sales grew 4.2pc to £3.9bn in the 13 weeks to April 27, versus a year earlier. Mr Baitiéh said the figures showed it had 'bounced back strongly' after cyber issues in November. However, data from Kantar showed Morrisons' share of the grocery market dipped to 8.4pc in May compared to 8.6pc a year earlier. The head office changes are expected to help Morrisons cope with mounting competition from rivals as they step up a price war. Both Asda and Tesco have said they are expecting profits to take a hit this year as they invest heavily on price cuts. A spokesman for Morrisons said the head office changes would improve customer service and make sure its shelves are better stocked in stores. They added: 'In the context of a relentlessly competitive UK grocery market and widespread increased cost pressures, we have taken the difficult decision to ask our head office colleagues to move their working pattern from 4.5 days to a full five day week.' Staff will still be allowed to work both from home and the office during the week, and individuals may be able to work flexibly if they need to do so. It marks the latest shake-up of Morrisons' office working policy. In 2020, the supermarket introduced a four-day working week for head office workers, saying the change would 'make Morrisons a place where more people will want to join and stay'. Under the scheme, head office workers were asked to work on Saturdays once every four weeks. However, last year, Morrisons said it was changing its requirements following complaints from staff over having to work over the weekend. As part of the update, head office staff switched to a four and a half day week and were not asked to work any Saturdays. Morrisons' rivals have also scaled back flexible working policies since the pandemic. Last year, Asda scrapped its pilot after managers said a 44-hour week over four days trial left them exhausted. Domestic & General, a household appliance specialist employing 3,000 people, said it had received similar feedback from staff following a test of a four-day week. However, a four-day working week policy has received support from some in the Government, with Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, previously saying: 'If you can deliver within a four-day working week, then why not?' The Government later said this would not be part of its policy plans. Meanwhile, last year, the UK's first medical trial of a four-day working week suggested that there could be benefits to compressing hours. In the study, conducted by the University of Sussex, the policy was found to make employees happier and healthier. However, the company involved in the trial, Thrive, opted against adopting a four-day week full-time after its business suffered. The study found that the policy created some problems 'at a business level, particularly when it came to providing customer service'.

‘Brucey was crying' – What Pep Guardiola said to Steve Bruce about Lionel Messi left him in tears
‘Brucey was crying' – What Pep Guardiola said to Steve Bruce about Lionel Messi left him in tears

The Sun

time35 minutes ago

  • The Sun

‘Brucey was crying' – What Pep Guardiola said to Steve Bruce about Lionel Messi left him in tears

PEP GUARDIOLA left Steve Bruce in tears of laughter during a conversation about bringing Lionel Messi to Manchester City. A reunion between the pair was on the cards in 2020 when Messi's contract with Barcelona started to wind down. 4 4 Messi was said to have been convinced by his old manager to move to the Etihad but performed a U-turn due to his belief Barca would offer him a new deal. That deal didn't end up coming to fruition and he ended up joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in August 2021. The prospect of Messi moving to the Prem quickly became the talk of players and managers alike. And at Premier League meeting with all the managers present, former Burnley boss Sean Dyche quizzed Guardiola about his pursuit of the footie icon while getting a cup of tea with Bruce. During an appearance on talkSPORT, he recalled: "I said, 'What was that thing about Lionel Messi?' "He (Guardiola) goes, 'Sean, Steve, I tell you this. Lionel, he said no way can he come to Manchester City. "Because I tell Lionel it rains. 'It rains and rains. And when it stops raining, it rains again.' "Then he goes, 'Lionel, on a Monday night, you have to go to Burnley, Sean's team. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 "And they go bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.' Brucey was crying!" Dyche, 53, added: "I went, 'That's exactly what we're going to do, Pep You warned him correctly.' Lionel Messi gives rare insight into his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo "Me and Brucey were crying, honestly. It was genius. Pep, brilliant." The prospect of eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi rocking up at Turf Moor tickled Dyche, who said: "Imagine that. "His face turning up at Turf Moor going, 'What on earth? " "Absolutely smashing it down with rain, wind blowing across and knocking you over." Messi spent two seasons with PSG before upping sticks to the MLS to join David Beckham co-owned Inter Miami.

Concerns Staffordshire parish being 'plundered' for battery sites
Concerns Staffordshire parish being 'plundered' for battery sites

BBC News

time36 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Concerns Staffordshire parish being 'plundered' for battery sites

An area of South Staffordshire earmarked for eight separate battery energy storage site applications is being "plundered", said a parish council leader. Three battery energy storage systems (BESS) applications have already been approved for Lower Penn, with a further three awaiting decision, said Lower Penn Parish Council. South Staffordshire Council also considered two separate BESS proposals for sites in Flash Lane, Orton, near Wombourne and The Roughs, at Dimmingsdale, in Lower Penn on Tuesday. Steve McEwen, chair of Lower Penn Parish Council, described the 100MW BESS site proposed for Dimmingsdale as a "monster". He said to planning officers: "We urge you to defer this decision to allow much more careful review and assessment – we need more time"It will impose huge detrimental changes to the community of Lower Penn. "This technology is still at an early stage of development – consequently, risks and safety are in question."Congestion is very serious in Lower Penn, just having 500 metres between these installations is so tight. We're being plundered in Lower Penn."The Orton application was approved by just one vote - but the planning committee agreed to defer their decision on the Dimmingsdale proposal after a site visit. This news has been gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store