Sport
The Law That Could Prevent the Next Hillsborough
As the details of the Post Office Horizon scandal hit the headlines, Ian Byrne had a familiar feeling wash over him.
As a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster and a lifelong campaigner for justice for the 97 Liverpool fans who lost their lives that day, the experience of repeated cover-ups and victims struggling to be heard was something the MP for Liverpool West Derby knew all too well.
It has been one of a litany of historic and ongoing scandals that have come all too frequently in modern Britain – from the Infected Blood Scandal and WASPI Women to the lack of NHS oversight that allowed serial killer Lucy Letby to kill seven newborns in the Countess of Chester hospital.
Now – exactly 35 years to the day after Hillsborough – survivors like him and the families of those lost that day have struggled to get full justice or accountability from the authorities who lied and covered up what happened that day.
But now their hopes for justice rest on a new idea – something they say could stop the next Hillsborough disaster or Post Office scandal from happening.
The idea behind the so-called ‘Hillsborough Law’ is relatively simple. It would introduce a legal responsibility to tell the truth in any form of formal inquiry or proceeding (otherwise known as a ‘duty of candour’) with criminal punishments if they breach that law.
“It’s not okay that someone whose wage is paid by us the taxpayer to lie at an inquiry to us the taxpayer,” explains Elkan Abrahamson, director of the Hillsborough Law Now campaign.
“Police officers at Hillsborough were charged with fabricating or altering evidence in the initial inquiry into Hillsborough.
“They were charged but their barrister made a submission that as it wasn’t a statuary inquiry or a court hearing, there was no effect to lying to that inquiry. And the judges accepted that."
Another major part of the proposed Hillsborough Law would be a protection offering victims parity of legal funding in inquests.
"The Hillsborough families had to crowdfund their solicitor for the first inquest when they were facing the full power of the state, lined up against the KCs, the barristers, the FA, the police,” explains Byrne.
"Imagine the difference at the beginning of Hillsborough if we had had the same resources as the state had.
“I liken it to entering the boxing ring against a 6ft 9 brute like Tyson Fury with a blindfold on and your hands tied behind your back. And I think that that encapsulates Hillsborough to me, that's what was getting faced. And that's why it took a remarkable story to end up where we ended up.”
Elkan Abrahamson from the Hillsborough Justice campaign gives evidence to the Commons Home affairs Committee at Portcullis House in London in 2014. Photo: PA Images/Alamy
The impact campaigners hope the law will have is varied. On the surface, obviously, it would make it much harder for state organisations – from the police to the NHS or the Post Office – to lie to official inquests.
In doing so it could prevent the next major scandal – or at least catch it far earlier in the process.
And for victims and their families forced to sit through such cover-ups it would offer real accountability to those who hid the truth.
But the benefits, Byrne says, go much further... These scandals don’t just have a huge personal cost, but a financial one – from compensation to the long string of court cases and inquests.
Over £153m has already been paid out in compensation to victims of the Post Office Horizon Scandal, for example.
“Imagine how much taxpayer money would have been saved on endless inquests and inquiries and compensation if we had something at the outset when the truth had to be told,” says Byrne.
But thus far the Government have refused the campaigners' demands.
They have claimed that a Hillsborough Law isn’t needed because the Government had signed a “Hillsborough charter”, that states a commitment by departments to openness and transparency after public tragedies.
But for Byrne and Abrahamson, the Government’s proposals lack proper repercussions for those caught out trying to orchestrate a cover-up.
Abrahamson cites the fact that a ‘duty of candour’ newly put in place for police officers, for example, only risks them facing professional punishment if they lie, not criminal.
And while Byrne says Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been receptive to the campaign’s demands, he argues the Government focus on loose culture change risks being too “soft touch”.
“What better way to change the culture than to know if you’re heading into cover-up territory then you're gonna be prosecuted and face the ultimate penalties,” Byrne explains.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has repeatedly pledged to pass a Hillsborough Law if Labour wins the next election however, and now the campaigners’ main priority is ensuring Labour don’t back away from that promise and pass the law in the first 100 days of any future government.
“I keep coming back to fairness, equality, and the ability to get justice regardless of what position you’re in in society,” says Byrne. “For me, it encapsulates the unfairness of this country, and the Hillsborough Law would rebalance the scales of justice so all could get justice and that’s so important to me having lived through what I did at Hillsborough.
“Whoever you are, whatever your circumstances, you should be able to get justice.”
Keep your shirt on, Keir, all this bluster over Nike’s St George’s Cross is a false flag | David Mitchell
The Labour leader jumped on the critical bandwagon about the sports giant’s colourful new update of the England team’s kit, but the real outrage is the profiteering price tag
Indooroopilly Macca’s Playground To Host Olympic Opening Ceremony
The Queensland Government (for now) has announced that the 2032 Olympic opening ceremony will be held at the Indooroopily Macca’s outdoor playground. The news comes after the billion dollar plan to rebuild the Gabba has been scrapped.
”The 2032 Brisbane Olympics will really get the World talking,” said a Government Spokesperson. ”They’ll be saying things like, wow, that’s inventive and how do you fit 24 athletes into a set of bunk beds.”
”This will definitely put Brisbane on the map.”
When asked why the State of Queensland bid for the games when it is becoming clear that they cannot afford them, the Government Spokesperson said: ”We can afford them, just not the initial plans.”
”Besides, rejigging like this happens all the time. Take the Eiffel tower, the French couldn’t even afford to finish it, it’s all steel with no plasterboard in sight.”
”Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to buy some oversized chest of drawers for the athletes. Not sure how I’ll fit the basketballers in them.”
Mark Williamson
@MWChatShow
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Why you should watch American Football
No, I’m not kidding. The US football season is wrapping up with its usual bang: two playoff games this weekend, then the Super Bowl two weeks later. So if you’ve never checked it out, this might be a time.
So, in the spirit of philosophical discussion, let’s start with some reasons you might not want to watch American football.
— “I don’t consume media about team sports. The exploitation and commodification of the players, the hysteria of the fans, the endless advertisements, the disgusting late-capitalist excess generally, all appall me.”
Okay so 1) this is a perfectly defensible and legitimate philosophical position, and 2) you can stop reading now. I’m trying to explain to a bunch of white meat fans why beef is actually pretty great, and you’re a vegetarian. Nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, it’s great, but this post isn’t for you.
— “It’s complicated.”
It really isn’t. The basic concept is dirt simple. You’re trying to move the ball up the field. You get four tries to move the ball ten yards from where you started. Fail and you lose the ball. Bam. Yes, the details get fractally complex, but that’s true of almost all sports.
If you can understand the offsides rule in soccer, you can understand American football. If you can understand cricket… come on.
— “It’s stop and go! As soon as the action starts, it stops!”
Feature, not bug. Sports like basketball, soccer or hockey are constant-action. Baseball, cricket and football are interrupted-action. But football is better, because football is deeply iterative in a way that baseball or cricket really aren’t. Every play depends on every previous play. Every play changes every future play. The time between plays gives you, the watcher, time to curse, applaud, and then analyze or second guess what’s going to happen next.
— “It’s an American thing!”
This is not really football’s fault. It’s kind of stuck in a bad equilibrium: it’s perceived as so very American that it’s quite difficult for it to break out of being American. That said, there are a couple of German football leagues, and it looks like the sport is starting to catch on in Europe generally.
(I’ve said for years that if it weren’t so “American”, football would be a perfect fit for Russians: it combines strength and toughness with cool-headed chess-playing strategy. Certainly the few Russians I’ve met who follow it, follow it hard.) (Oddly, they’re mostly Eagles fans. No idea.)
— “It’s a brutal sport that does lasting damage to bodies and brains!”
Okay, so this is a palpable hit. Football /is/ very hard on the body, and it /does/ lead to an increased probability of long-term health problems and — most horribly — cognitive issues. That’s no small thing.
Philosophically, this gets into some deep waters fast. It’s statistical, most players are fine! Yeah, so it’s okay to brain-damage players if it’s just a few? The players are informed and accept the risks! Oh? Most players start between ages 12 and 16; you’re going to tell me a middle schooler can thoughtfully evaluate long-term risk? Etc., etc., etcetera. The arguments are fractal, and I won’t rehash them here. I acknowledge their strength, and I respect people who decide they can’t watch football because of the health / injury issue.
That said, two points. One, there’s lots of stuff that’s objectively as bad or worse than football. Jai alai, boxing, calcio storico, MMA, BMX cycling and motocross are all significantly more dangerous. Ice hockey and lacrosse are statistically just about as bad. Dear old rugby is less bad, but not by much.
Two, pretty much all sports run a risk, and a lot of them are riskier than you’d think — i.e., skiing and (especially) snowboarding are much more dangerous than most people care to know. And there’s increasing evidence that even the beautiful game of soccer can cause long-term cognitive damage, because — quelle surprise! — heading thousands of high-velocity soccer balls over a decade or two isn’t actually good for your brain. If you only want to watch stuff where there’s little or no danger of injury to the athletes, well, you’re basically talking table tennis and golf.
Okay, then… why should you watch American football?
1) It’s an extremely intelligent game.
I am not remotely kidding. Football is probably the most strategically deep game of any major sport. The rules are designed to encourage it! Meanwhile, teams are unusually equal in terms of quality of players — see below — so they must rely on cleverness to win.
Football is regularly compared to chess, and that’s fair. But really it’s more of a high-speed physical game of rock-paper-scissors. The core of it is correctly guessing the other side’s play. If you can do that consistently, you’ll win. If not — and if they guess your plays consistently — you will lose. And like all guessing games, it immediately becomes recursive (if he knows I know he’ll call a blitz, he won’t call a blitz, except he’ll also know that I know he knows, which means he will) and involves bluffing and deceit.
And not only is it a very smart game, it’s smart on a sliding scale. That is, once you have a basic familiarity you can grasp the big strategies and understand what’s happening. But as you learn more, you’ll understand more, and you’ll see the little fractal side-strategies — the operational and tactical levels, if you like. It rewards attention no matter how much or little you know.
A big part of the fun of watching it is trying to outguess the guys on the field. “Armchair quarterback” and “Monday morning quarterback” are American idioms for a reason. It’s also why football fans are perhaps the most likely to yell at a screen. “He knew you were going to call a blitz! Why did you call a blitz?”
2) It’s an unusually balanced game.
It’s not possible for a Saudi billionaire or Russian oligarch to buy victory by throwing money at it. That’s because the NFL has a complex set of systems — everything from salary caps to the draft — to ensure that teams have roughly equal access to quality players. So when teams win or lose, they do it because of draft choices, coaching, strategy, and intangibles like locker room culture and team spirit.
Dynasties are relatively rare in football, and it’s been 20 years since anyone repeated a Super Bowl victory. There are teams that stay bad for years on end — ask a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan — but they’re relatively rare. And upset wins and Cinderella stories are more common than in most sports. As the saying goes, on any given day, any NFL team can beat any other NFL team. It’s almost true.
3) There’s not a lot of garbage time.
Garbage time starts when one team is so far ahead that there’s not much point in watching the rest of the game. This can happen in any sport, but it’s rarer in football, because surprise swings and fourth-quarter comebacks are more common. A team down by 10 points still has about a 20% chance of winning. A team down by 17 points (three scores, roughly comparable to being down 0-3 in soccer) still has about a 6% chance of winning. It’s the rock-paper-scissors thing: by the second half, a competent team has had a chance to spot the patterns, crack the code, and come up with a counter.
4) Every game counts.
There are 38 matches in a Premiere League season. English First Class cricket, 36 matches. NBA basketball, 82 games; NHL hockey, same. Baseball, 162 games, basically about one a day.
NFL football has just 17 games per year.
Each game is its own mini-campaign. Each game has its own story. And each game /matters/. Losing a single game in football is like losing five basketball games or eight baseball games, all at once. If you’ve ever wondered why a football fan in your life was so weirdly mopey some Monday mornings? This is why.
5) It’s so goddamn beautiful sometimes.
Yes, every sport has beautiful moments. But football is a violent sport of sudden wild action. So when the seeming chaos on the field suddenly crystallizes into order, it’s just that much more striking. The pass connects. The defense swings two linemen like a door, and suddenly the quarterback falls. The blockers move just so, and a lane is opened, and the runner is through, heading for daylight. The defense guesses correctly, the cornerback picks the ball out the air, interception.
If you aren’t interested in opera then it’s just a bunch of people in silly costumes singing in foreign languages. If you do understand, it can break your heart. Football is like that, except you don’t need to learn chord progressions or study Italian. Once you understand what you’re seeing, watching Patrick Mahomes is like watching Mozart. It’s like watching Mozart if Mozart had to finish his piece before three big guys threw him out of a window.
I could go on, but this is long enough already. So, TLDR: American football is actually pretty great, and you should give it a chance. Failing that, perhaps this gives at least some idea why some people in your life may love it so much.
Russia is Using Football to Undermine International Sanctions over Ukraine
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When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the international community came together to punish Russia for its behaviour. One of the actions it took was to ban the Russian Federation from various sporting organisations.
Football’s world governing body, FIFA, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) ruled that all Russian men’s and women’s national teams and clubs would be “suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions” until Russia ended its war. The Russian Football Union attempted to dispute the ruling, and filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but Russia’s appeal was dismissed. The ruling was upheld, and since then, Russian national teams and football clubs have missed out on several competitions, such as the men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup, the women’s 2023 FIFA World Cup, and the men’s 2024 European Championships.
Dissatisfied with FIFA’s and UEFA’s actions, and in an attempt to undermine the CAS decision, Russia has explored other avenues to participate in international football. Being involved on the world stage gives Russia additional revenue and publicity, both of which it is desperately seeking as international sanctions suck the Russian economy dry.
While the ban remains in place, Russia has undermined the football authorities. Given that a ban on international friendlies was not implemented – as these matches are not seen as competitions – the Russians have organised a series of games against numerous opponents. The money earned from these international friendly games is then cycled into the Russian economy, indirectly helping Russia finance its war in Ukraine.
Take, for example, Russia’s recent matches against Cameroon and Kenya, countries where the Russians have spread their economic and political influence. According to recent reports, Russia signed a new military cooperation agreement with Cameroon, which will help Russia generate revenue from defence sales. Meanwhile, Kenya and Russia signed a trade pact that will boost the economies of both countries.
The Russians have also played matches against Middle Eastern states such as Iran, which is helping supply arms to Russia during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. This relationship helps keep the Russian economy afloat, and has allowed Russia to continue waging its war in Ukraine.
Engaging through these means undermines sanctions imposed by the international community and organisations. In other words, Russia’s actions imply that it will not follow internationally established rules and norms, and that it will instead opt to do whatever it pleases, believing that it will not face any consequences. And Russia will continue to spread its influence beyond economic and defence means.
Next month, the Russian women’s under-17 and under-19 teams will play international friendlies against Paraguay. This is not a coincidence. There is a pattern to Russia’s opponents. Having increased its relations with countries in Africa and the Middle East to boost its economy, increase trade, and gather more material and defence equipment for its war in Ukraine, the Russian Federation is also seeking ways to enhance its agricultural market. Take, for example, Paraguay. The Latin American country recently reported that its agrarian exports are growing. Recent statistics showed that Russia is Paraguay’s third-largest importer of soybeans. Russia was also Paraguay’s second-largest export market in 2022.
Paraguay is not the only country collaborating with Russia on agricultural matters. Cuba, another country that Russia will be playing against in an international friendly this month, has been collaborating with Russia to implement new agriculture projects. According to reports, the Cubans have opted to grant land to Russian agricultural producers for 30 years. They are also working to modernise agrarian technology and equipment.
Russia playing international friendly matches with these countries should not be dismissed as some insignificant sporting event, but seen clearly instead as the Russian Federation working strategically to undermine sanctions that the international community and organisations have imposed on it for its war in Ukraine.
Therefore, the globe must strategise how to punish Russia for its war. Previous attempts to punish it, such as imposing harsh economic penalties, banning it from international organisations, and removing bank accounts from the SWIFT global monetary system, have not stopped Russia’s war. It will take additional efforts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Perhaps implementing a total ban on Russian sports teams and sporting events would finally cease Russian operations in Ukraine. The world will not know unless it tries.
England Celebrate Their Cricket World Cup ‘Moral’ Victory
The English Cricket team have spent the weekend celebrating their cricket world cup ‘moral’ victory, with celebrations including a ticket tape parade where at least 3 people turned up.
”What a great tournament it was for English cricket,” said England’s number one cheer leader, professional flog Piers Morgan. ”Sure, Australia and India did play out the final, but both sides would be envious of how England played.”
”Surely it won’t be too long till we hear, arise Sir Johnny Bairstow.”
When asked why the English cricket team felt they were morally superior to other sides, given they didn’t even make the finals, professional flog Morgan said: ”Just look at Johny Bairstow, he is the embodiment of a professional athlete.”
”He’s always thinking, always walking.”
”Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sledge the Australian cricket team about the Ashes. They may hold them but most people who I talk to, like myself, agree that they really belong to us.
@MWChatShow
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Coffs Harbour to hosts Craft Carnival with Olympic twist
This year’s 2023 Craft Carnival, from November 25-26, will be hosted by Coffs Harbour SLSC. Photo: Rowing Australia.
THE Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) is excited to host the 2023 Craft Carnival, with an impressive cast of over 500 competitors, 50 officials and 1,000 enthusiastic spectators all gearing up for the November 25-26 event.
Athletes from across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria will be taking part in this year’s event, which boasts a rich history of both professional athletes and up-and-coming talents on their way to becoming pros.
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Dan Backhouse, President of the Coffs Harbour SLSC, shared some of the notable names that have graced this event in the past and the local talents who have used it as a stepping stone for their careers.
“The event has witnessed past professional athletes such as Grant Kenny, Trevor Hendy, Reene Corbett, Karla Gilbert, and Darren and Dean Mercer,” he said.
“Not to mention local talents who went on to achieve professional success, including Jamie Mitchell, Scott and David Reeves, Belinda Neville, Kylie Brazier and Nicole Moffat.
“All participants view this event as an excellent way to kick off their season.
“The carnival serves as a breeding ground for future surf stars, both male and female.”
The races will kick off at 8am on both Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, with boats competing over two days and board and ski events taking place on Saturday.
Spectators are encouraged to catch the action from the Surf Club at Park Beach, 23 Surf Club Rd, Coffs Harbour, where they might witness future Olympic champions in action.
The decision by the International Olympics Committee to include Coastal Rowing in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles adds an extra layer of excitement to the event.
“At the Jetty Foreshore precinct, right next to our heritage-listed Jetty, the newly introduced Olympic sport, coastal rowing, will be on display,” Dan Backhouse said.
“Australian rowers representing the nation will participate in this pilot event, and the action will heat up around midday on Saturday.
“This event is running in conjunction with the carnival on Park Beach and promises to be an exciting format.”
A strong contingent of competitors from the Coffs Coast will be vying for top honors.
“Coffs Harbour will be represented by several boat crews competing for the cash prizes on offer.
“The defending NSW champions from 2022 – 2023, known as the ‘Trainwrecks’, will be rowing for our club at the carnival.
“They will undoubtedly aim to assert their dominance early in the season against rival crews.
“The club’s A crew has put in significant off-season training and is expected to feature in the finals.
“Local athletes, including Lucy Wilde, Abbey and Payton Lawler, Coco Backhouse, brothers Xavier and Elliot Hulbert, Cohen Franklin, Ethan Dawson, and Cooper Gunther, will all be competing for top results.
“Former Sawtell athlete Rhys Mulholand, now with the Surfers Paradise club, will also be attending the carnival and is expected to perform well.
“Isabella Tait from Cudgen, who has been making waves in the surf sports arena lately, is anticipated to dominate in the U17 age group on Saturday,” Backhouse concluded.
By David WIGLEY
The post Coffs Harbour to hosts Craft Carnival with Olympic twist appeared first on News Of The Area.