Merry Christmas
V-Day and D-Day
Last days have been a V(accine)-Day for many Brits like 98 year old veteran BOB SULLIVAN who was injected with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. And Christmas Eve should become a D(eal)-Day at last, avoiding the nightmare of a no-deal Brexit in a last minute agreement!
(from The Telegraph)BORIS JOHNSON was poised to announce a Brexit deal today that will keep trade with the EU free of tariffs and quotas, in what he will claim as a significant coup for the UK.
Confirmation of a deal is expected today after 24 hours of intensive one-to-one telephone negotiations between the Prime Minister and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.
Thatâs a Christmas present for the people of Europe and the UK!
Thatâs what Boris Johnson said after the deal was concluded: âWe have taken back control of our laws and destinyâ, but he also stated that Britain will always remain allies, supporters and friends of Europe. Johnson said he believed the agreement âwill be the basis of a happy and successful and stable partnership with our friends in the EU for years to come.â
In a recorded Christmas message for the nation, Mr Johnson joked that he had a âpresent for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy, post-Christmas lunch momentâ.
Picking up a copy of the 500-page document, he added: âThe oven-ready deal was just the starter. This is the feast â full of fish, by the way.â
President of the European Commission URSULA VON DER LEYEN said: âWe have finally found an agreement. It was a long and winding road, but we have got a good deal to show for it.
âIt is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides.â
London in Tier Four at Christmas
Large parts of south-east England changed to tier 4
All current tier three areas across London and south-east England have moved into tier four restrictions.
The areas affected are:
- Greater London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London)
- Kent
- Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes)
- Berkshire
- Surrey (excluding Waverley)
- Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth
- Rother and Hastings
- Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring)
- Peterborough
What are the new restrictions in tier four?
The restrictions are similar to the last national lockdown in England, in November. They include:
- Residents should stay at home, unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’ such as work or education
- All non-essential retail will have to close, along with hairdressers, nail bars, and indoor entertainment venues
- Gyms and indoor swimming pools, indoor sports courts and dance studios must close
- No-one in tier four will be allowed to join Christmas Day bubbles in tiers one to three
- You cannot meet other people indoors, unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble
- People should not leave tier four areas or travel abroad, except in limited circumstances (including work and education)
- Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are not allowed except in exceptional circumstances
What are you allowed to do in tier four?
Some activities are still allowed under tier four restrictions. They include:
- People can meet one other person from another household in an open public space (but must be on their own)
- Buying things at shops (which are still open) such as food and medicine
- Support bubbles remain unaffected, as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children
- Outdoor pools, playgrounds, sports courts, golf courses and horse riding centres can stay open
- Leaving home for education, training, childcare and for medical appointments and emergencies
- Communal religious worship
The measures imposed on London and parts of the south east will be formally reviewed on 30 December.
London plunged into toughest tier
More than 11 million people will tonight be plunged into the harshest tier of Covid restrictions. From midnight, London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will enter Tier 3, meaning pubs, restaurants and theatres must close.
Theatres will have to close, just days after they reopened, and football fans expecting to go to Premier League matches in London will be turned away.
Christmas shoppers have been told to avoid going into London from lower tier areas and even those living there should âminimise travel unless it is necessaryâ.
Win at Leeds Brings West Ham Back to Fifth
âThe Moyesiah is on the rise,â The Telegraph wrote after yet another Hammers win which lifted them up the table to fifth. Though David Moyes is unlikely to ever make the Fifa shortlist for the worldâs best coach â as Leedsâ Marcelo Bielsa did on the day of this game â he really deserves praise for his teamâs newfound steel, fulfilling a promise he gave when he came back to London one year ago to replace Pellegrini last December to save the Hammers from relegation for a second time:
The Scot said that he refused to consider surviving Premier League relegation a âsuccessâ and insisted that in the long term his ambitions sat far higher than that. The manager wanted a cultural reset â away from the view he had of West Ham when he was at Everton, namely of a âflaky, inconsistentâ side.
That was a view, he said, that was reinforced by one of his earliest memories from the first time he was appointed manager in November 2017, when Watford were his first opponents. âMy biggest memory from that night was Marko [Arnautovic] coming off with a sore finger,â said the Scot. âI thought âmy goodness, what is this I have got here?â. It was my perception [that West Ham were soft] and a lot of managers would still see it that way. It is something we need to change. We have to alter that culture.â
After a summer transfer window which didnât make the Hammers fans happy with attacking prospect Grady Diangana leaving and seemingly only full back Vladimir Coufal coming in, David Moyes was promised a tough season, but he has really done a very good job so far!
Moyes, at the final whistle at Leeds, was engulfed in a huddle with captain Declan Rice screaming: âCome on.â The Hammersâ points tally is all the more impressive given they have had a tough start to the campaign, and had felt some injustice. West Ham celebrated an impressive and hugely deserved victory over Leeds â overcoming yet another VAR controversy.
The match at Elland Road was an outstanding, thrilling, end-to-end match. West Ham was the better team and their win, coming from behind after having conceded from a controversial retaken penalty in the seventh minute of the game, was well deserved. Their goals came from set pieces: TomĂĄĹĄ SouÄek levelled with a towering header from a corner midway through the opening period, before the visitors turned the screw in the final quarter and were eventually rewarded with Angelo Ogbonnaâs winner when the full back headed in a free kick from Cresswell ten minutes from the end.
Supporters will be back
West Hamâs Saturday afternoon kick-off against Manchester United will mark the return of supporters to the London Stadium after a nine-month absence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And Arsenal will welcome back their fans for the first time since their game against West Ham in March in a Europa League tie vs. Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
The Hammers are looking forward to having the support of 2,000 fans inside London Stadium, where West Ham are going for a third straight home Premier League win over the Red Devils. The game presents the Hammers with a chance to close the gap on the leaders to a single point, after their move up to fifth with last Mondayâs win over Aston Villa.
Happy Saturday to expect for the Irons! Their goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski hailed the decision to let fans back into the Stadium:
âHopefully the situation will keep improving and we will see more of them, so Iâm very happy and our fans are very happy as well, so it should be a good afternoon when weâre going to play against a really good team, so thatâs something special. Hopefully everything will go well.â
West Ham up to 5th
West Ham climbed up the Premier League table with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa courtesy to goals from Angelo Ogbonna and Jarrod Bowen.
Aston Villa had more opportunities throughout the game at the London Stadium, but missed a penalty and had a goal ruled out by VAR in injury time.
The Hammers scored early in every half, but it was Aston Villa that had much more possession and shots on goal.
Fortune smiled on the Hammers in this game, although credit must be given to manager David Moyes who made a half-time change that proved to be crucial as Said Benrahma set up Jarrod Bowen for what proved to be the winner that cancelled out Jack Grealishâs equaliser just 28 seconds after the restart.
Moyes did not care too much whether it was good luck or good judgment, as West Ham are now up to fifth place. âIt was a really difficult game for us,â he said, âAnd thankfully, we got three points after the many different incidents.â
West Hamâs next game is against Manchester United on Saturday at home, Villa will play Wolves away. The Hammers have two more points than Villa, but with a game in hand.
âYou’ll lose the lead over us before the turn of the year,â my friend Alfred who supports Villa said. I donât think so, West Ham is on a fine run! Who of us is wrong will have to buy a beer when we meet again. Bet accepted!
Hero, villain, genius ⌠Maradona dies aged 60
Diego Maradona, one of footballâs greats, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, just four weeks after his 60th birthday.
He won the World Cup with Argentina in Mexico 1986, was worshipped in his homeland and in Southern Italy where he twice won the Italian championship with Napoli, but will always be remembered for his âhand of Godâ handball and the following wonder goal in the same quarterfinal game against England. Argentina, coached by Carlos Bilardo and captained by Diego Maradona, won 2:1 (goals: Maradona 51., 55.; Lineker 81.) and marched on to win the World Cup by beating Belgium 2:0 in the semifinal and Franz Beckenbauerâs Germany 3:2 in the final.
West Ham win in crazy injury time!
Unbelievable drama in added time, as West Ham take the lead against Fulham through Tomas Soucek‘s first goal of the season (90+1), assisted by Said Benrahma from inside the box. But West Hamâs new boy from Brentford, less than four minutes later, concedes a penalty which is given after a long delay. Fulhamâs Ademola Lookman steps up to take it and tries a âPanenkaâ, but his bizarre effort is saved by Lukasz Fabianski. And immediately afterwards âBubblesâ ring out of the speakers in London Stadium: the Hammers have won this London derby!
âFinishes like that are not good for a manager’s heart!â West Ham manager David Moyes said. âI hope we can keep winning like this: Iâm seeing a resilient team now.â
With West Hamâs return to winning ways after two draws and the defeat to Liverpool, they are up to eleven points and eleventh place. After the international break West Ham travel to Sheffield United on Sunday, 22 November (14:00 GMT).
Well, and Southampton still is top of the league tonight with Liverpool, Leicester and Spurs yet to play in this round on the Sunday !
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