The Pavs travelled to Staffordshire to take on Tamworth RFC in round 9 of the Midlands Regional 2 competition.
Last season both sides won their respective home fixture, so a tight game was always in the offing.
From the start Tamworth set off with plenty of very vocal vim and vigour. Pavs weathered this early storm before beginning to dominate field position. They went ahead on seventeen minutes with a George Billam penalty, but as these things go Tamworth struck back with a penalty in almost their first venture into Pavs half, so 3-3 on twenty five minutes. In the next fifteen minutes Pavs pressed for a score, but were kept at bay by the home side whilst also accruing two more Billam penalties to give them a 9-3 lead at the break. During the break prop Craig Ward was replaced by Tom Ryan due to injury.
Within minutes of beginning the second half Pavs were confused how they had so upset the official that he begun to penalise them in every aspect of the game. With forty five minutes on the clock Will Taylor was sent the bin for absolutely innocuous and marginal offside which Tamworth put back into the game at 9-6. Pavs were then awarded one of the two penalties they received in the whole of the second half. Pavs chose the lineout option that eventually led to Morgan Jones touching down to give Pavs a 14-6 lead.
With fifty minutes on the clock skipper Doug Billam suffered a recurrence of the shoulder injury that has plagued him in recent times and was replaced by Ben Taylor. From this point on the penalty count ramped up exponentially, with the official not allowing Pavs to compete or attack in any meaningful way. Two of these penalties put Tamworth very close at 14-12 with twenty minutes to go.
If Pavs felt this was bad, worse was to come. The next five minutes saw the referee inexplicably bin Eddie Holmes for what he deemed a simple offside, Phil Eggleshaw for goodness knows what, and a second for Will Taylor largely because he complained about a decision.
All three decisions were highly questionable and evidence as if it was needed that the official had lost control of himself and the game. The valiant 12 that Pavs were left with battled away and kept Tamworth out.
Tamworth were then awarded penalty right in front of the posts on seventy five minutes. (No shock there then) Eggleshaw and Holmes were restored with five minutes left and Pavskept at it without receiving anything positive for their efforts. Final score 15-14 to Tamworth. A hugely frustrating afternoon for Pavs and their supporters, one which it is perhaps best not to dwell on.
This coming week Pavs sees travel to Melbourne RFC in the NLD Cup on Thursday evening(21st November) 7.30 kick off, before going over to Lichfield RFC the Saturday after, 30th November 2.15 kick off. All support gratefully accepted.
Each month, Gedling Eye tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.
Here’s what we know after analysing our MPs’ online presence.
Gedling MP Michael Payne
What did he do in Parliament?
In Parliament, Payne delivered his maiden speech in the House of Commons on November 20.
Payne said, “To the people of Gedling who sent me here to speak up for them, thank you. I am eternally grateful for your support and trust. I will work tirelessly to repay that trust, representing each and every one of you to the very best of my ability”.
Earlier in the month, he called on the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to work with him, the Woodborough Flood Action Group, and Woodborough Parish Council to bring forward a flood alleviation scheme for the area.
What did he do in his constituency?
Payne began the month by joining Gedling Borough’s Mayor, Councillor Ron McCrossen, and representatives of the Royal British Legion to launch the local Poppy Appeal.
Continuing a personal tradition he started eight years ago, Payne voluntarily placed Remembrance Poppies across Redhill and Arnold, including along the Arnold Remembrance Parade Route and the War Memorial. Addressing recent suggestions that financial constraints prevented the council from putting up poppies, Payne clarified that the council has never been responsible for this.
On Remembrance Sunday, Payne laid wreaths at the Arnold War Memorial for the people of Gedling and paid respects at memorials in Bestwood Village, Burton Joyce, Gedling, Lambley, and Woodborough.
Activities have also included visiting Helen Lloyd and the team of volunteers at Arnold Foodbank to thank them for their ongoing support to residents across Arnold and Gedling.
At Arnold Mill Primary School, Payne participated in an Internet Legends assembly on online safety and awarded Amanda Stones a certificate celebrating her 25 years of service.
Payne also showed his support by attending the Carlton Town FC match against Stocksbridge Park Steels on November 9.
Gedling MP Michael Payne visited Carlton Town
While there, he launched the club’s Christmas Prize Draw and sold over £150 in tickets. In a post about the club, Payne said, “Carlton Town FC has a proud history in our local community, and I’ll always be in their corner – fighting for them to enjoy many more decades to come as a club.”
Additionally, Payne met Jackie Wilson, founder of Positively Empowered Kids, to congratulate her on receiving a 2024 Pride of Gedling Award.
Most recently, Payne organised a walk on November 22 around Arnold Town Centre with our local Police Inspector, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, and the Council’s Public Protection team. The walk followed Payne’s earlier meeting with the Chief Constable, during which he raised concerns about anti-social behaviour across the constituency.
Payne has also called on his constituents to write in regarding the Private Members’ Bill on assisted dying. The Bill will allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards, to be assisted in ending their own lives.
Payne wrote, “Guided by my personal conscience, I am initially minded to support this bill—but I do have concerns about the safeguards needed.” He has requested that residents of the borough contact him to express their opinions and concerns.
To contact Michael Payne’s office, please email michael.payne.mp@parliament.uk or write to Michael Payne MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
Sherwood MP Michelle Welsh
What did she do in Parliament?
Welsh delivered her maiden speech in The House of Commons this month. “The communities of Sherwood Forest are kind people. They are strong, they are proud, and they tell you exactly how they feel. To be their MP is an absolute honour,” she said.
Her maiden speech reflected on local heritage, such as Robin Hood, of which the statue in Edwinstowe was damaged on October 31. Welsh said, “Many have tried to claim him, but we all know really, Robin Hood belongs to Nottinghamshire.”
What did she do in his constituency?
Welsh began the month by writing to the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, requesting an urgent meeting regarding the Hucknall Levelling Up Funding consultation.
Speculation about the potential reconsideration of £9 million in regeneration funding for Hucknall town centre, originally secured under the previous Conservative Government’s Levelling Up Agenda, has risen. Welsh has clarified that the funding has not been withdrawn but is under review as part of a consultation.
On November 5, Welsh discussed the Levelling up Funding on BBC East Midlands. Welsh said, “The residents of Hucknall are right to feel very frustrated”.
Later, in November, Welsh was elected to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Welsh met with Marie from the Royal College of Nursing to discuss workforce shortages and the need for urgent investment in health and social care. Welsh wrote, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system… It’s vital that we, as a Government, support them to ensure better outcomes for patients”.
Concerning health, Welsh spoke in Westminster Hall last week regarding the diagnosis of Lung Cancer in Nottinghamshire.
Welsh said, “Diagnosis is often slow, and prognosis is often devastating.”
The upcoming leader of Nottinghamshire County Council says he has a “big task” ahead as the Conservative Group plans for the authority’s election next May.
Cllr Sam Smith, cabinet member for education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), was announced as the group’s new leader on Monday (November 25).
On December 5, he will take over from Cllr Ben Bradley, who announced he would be stepping down following a “challenging” year and two election defeats.
His replacement, who’s aged 27, represents Newark East on the County Council and Trent Valley on Gedling Borough Council.
He is due to take over as leader less than half a year before voters across the county go to the polls to choose who they want to stand as their county councillor.
Sam Smith represents Trent Valley on Gedling Borough Council along with Mike Adams, right
The council consists of 66 elected councillors and 34 of these seats belong to the Conservative Group.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Smith said he expects his time as leader to prove a “big task” following the Labour Party’s landslide victory nationally in July.
But he said: “Obviously we’ve been helped out by the dreadful Labour Government that has just added £31m to our council’s social care bill.
“Unemployment will rise because of the increase to National Insurance [contributions from employers].
“And a vote for any party [other than the Conservative Party] is a vote for Labour.”
Cllr Smith became the youngest councillor on Gedling Borough Council in 2019 at the age of 22.
In a Conservative Group vote on Monday morning, he beat Cllr Richard Jackson, the council’s current cabinet member for finance, and Cllr Neil Clarke, who had both tabled their leadership bids.
Once he officially becomes leader in December, Cllr Smith will take control of the council at a crucial time.
Alongside the upcoming election, the authority is facing a £4.4m in-year budget gap and an expected shortfall of up to £70m over the next three years.
He admitted “things are not as rosy as they could be”, but said the council is in a better position than others – including Nottingham City Council, which declared itself effectively bankrupt in November last year.
The message to residents, he says, will be “delivery, delivery, delivery”.
He said the council already has a £100m capital programme and will be investing £66m into the county’s roads and £50m on new school infrastructure.
“I think we will be continuing to work with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA),” he added.
“They have a lot of money now that can be invested into things like better rural connectivity.”
Cllr Bradley, who is looking to stand for the Conservative Party in the Lincolnshire mayoral election, congratulated Cllr Smith.
“I’m certain that I leave the group in good hands as I move on to pastures new,” he said on X.
A care home in Carlton has been rated as ‘inadequate’ and placed in special measures after residents were found to be at “serious risk of abuse”, and one told inspectors they were ‘hit twice’.
Charnwood Care Home, run by Divine Rock Care Limited, provides personal and nursing care to people, including some living with dementia. The service can support up to 88 people. At the time of the inspection, there were 37 people living in the home.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also issued a warning notice to protect people following an inspection in July and August.
This inspection was prompted by serious concerns raised with the CQC by the local authority and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) regarding medication, staffing, and poor management.
During the inspection, these concerns were substantiated, and the CQC found four breaches of regulation, including issues relating to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, consent, and management.
As well as the home being rated inadequate overall, its ratings for being effective, caring, responsive, and well-led were also inadequate. It has been rated as requiring improvement for being safe. This was the first inspection since the service was registered.
The care home has also been placed in special measures, issued with two warning notices and told to formulate an action plan to make sure people are protected correctly.
The care home will be closely monitored whilst in special measures to ensure people are kept safe while improvements are made.
Steven Paisley, CQC deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said: “It was concerning to see a lack of strong leadership and a culture that didn’t encourage high-quality care. This meant people living at the home weren’t receiving safe, dignified, or person-centred care.
“People weren’t always safe from abuse. One person told us staff were rough when caring for them, which had caused bruising. Staff had recorded this bruising two months ago; however, no action was taken to refer it to the safeguarding team.
“Another person explained that a staff member had hit them twice. We reported this to the management team to investigate, but when we returned two days later, little action had been taken. This put people at serious risk of abuse and must be addressed as a priority.
“We have told Charnwood Care Home where we expect to see rapid and widespread improvements and will continue to monitor them closely to keep people safe while this happens. We will return to check on their progress and won’t hesitate to take further action if people are not receiving the care they have a right to expect.”
The 27-year-old, who also represents Newark East on Nottinghamshire County Council, was chosen by the Conservative group at the county council to be their new leader. Councillor Richard Jackson and Councillor Neil Clarke were the other two contenders seen off by Smith.
The Trent Valley councillor is now expected to be confirmed as Nottinghamshire County Council’s new Leader at its Full Council meeting on Thursday, December 5.
Speaking after his election win today Cllr Sam Smith said: “I thank Cllr Bradley for his leadership of our Group and this Council over the past three and a half years.
“Nottinghamshire is a far better place thanks to the leadership of Cllr Bradley and this Conservative administration at County Hall and that is something I look forward to building on in the coming weeks and months.
“During the 2017 and 2021 Conservative administrations at this Council, I am proud that Nottinghamshire County Council’s Conservative Councillors have kept Council Tax as low as possible, delivered good social care, protected and expanded bus services, retained a brilliant youth service and never shut a library. We’re also investing more than £60million into repairing our roads, £50 million into new schools and have a capital programme of over £100 million.
“This is in stark contrast to bankrupt Labour-run Nottingham City Council.
“Here at County Hall, this Conservative administration will keep delivering on the priorities of Nottinghamshire’s residents and I am honoured to have been elected as the next Conservative Leader. Working alongside fantastic colleagues, I will do all I can to continue to make Nottinghamshire a better place to live, work and visit.”
Police are looking to trace this man after a staff member was assaulted by a suspected shoplifter at a superstore in Arnold.
The incident happened inside Asda at 2.20pm on Thursday, October 24.
A store security guard approached three males suspecting they had pocketed items without paying.
While attempting to challenge them, the staff member was spat in the face and racially abused by one of them.
Police are looking to trace this man after a staff member was assaulted by a suspected shoplifter at a superstore in Arnold.The incident took place at the Asda store on Front Street in Arnold
Police have now released an image of someone they’d like to speak to in connection with the incident.
PC Junior Grant, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “There is absolutely no place for this type of behaviour.
“We are keen to trace the person in this picture, as we believe he can assist us with our ongoing investigation into this incident.
“We would urge the man or anyone who recognises him to contact us straight away.
“Information can be left with the police on 101, quoting incident 442 of 24 October 2024, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The family of a taxi driver murdered in Gedling 30 years ago have spoken about the “daily torture” of never finding out why their loved one was killed.
The Ghafoor family have lived without closure for three decades and are now calling on the public to help “end their agony” and ensure justice is finally served.
The family have watched as their parents have taken their anguish to the grave by never finding out why their “charming and outgoing” son was taken from them.
Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, aged 26, of Sherwood Rise, known to his friends and family as Shami, was shot dead in his taxi on Tuesday, November 22 1994.
Shami was last seen in Carlton Square at 2.40am with three Asian men in his black and white Ford Sierra.
He was found by a milkman at 4.30am at Lambley Lane Playing Fields with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel.
Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor,26 , was shot dead in his taxi on Tuesday, November 22, 1994.The family have now spoken about the “daily torture” of never finding out why their loved one was killed.Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor was found dead at Lambley Lane Playing Fields with his hands tied and bound to the steering wheel.
Crimestoppers, a charity independent of the police, is offering up to £50,000 for any information which leads to a conviction.
Shami was described as a family man, known as a rock to his three sisters and four brothers.
Already the father of a five-year-old son, he was killed just five months before his baby daughter was born.
Now, a new team of detectives are re-investigating the crime and appealing for information on the 30th anniversary of his death.
They believe the answers to Shami’s death lie within the community.
Speaking on behalf of the family, his sister Aisha Ghafoor, 58, from Nottingham, describes how the family’s life was shattered the day they received the police visit.
Aisha was in her twenties and at university when her brother was killed.
She couldn’t even bear to attend her own graduation.
She had always planned to have her eldest brother by her side on what should have been the happiest moment of her youth.
She said: “We are the ones that are serving the life sentence. We are the ones doing the time.
“When they killed Shami that day, they killed every chance of us being a happy family again. They stole our Shami from us.
“Even after 30 years, the feelings are still raw.
“We are a close family, and this tragedy has kept us together. But it also comes with immeasurable pain and isolation.
“He was such a central figure in our family. Our mother never recovered from his loss. She never got to find out who killed her son and she never will.
“She died at the age of 85. Even right up to the last weeks of her life she would say ‘I’m not going to find out who killed my son, am I?
“Our youngest brother was also robbed of his life the day Shami died.
“He was only 17 when Shami was killed. Traumatised by the crime, he was afraid to go out and spent the rest of his short life a recluse.
“He had lost the big brother he idolised, suddenly taken in such brutal circumstances.
“Shami was also murdered five months before his baby daughter was born. He never got to meet his daughter, she never got to know him, he will never see the beautiful children she has now brought into the world nor his son’s children.”
Shami was born and raised in Nottingham and attended local schools. He was a big cricket and snooker fan and helped build a snooker table in his dad’s attic.
This became a focal point for family gatherings. Shami loved singing and would often embarrass his sisters by breaking into song.
He had joined the family taxi business, A1 Taxis, but had high aspirations of being an actor and auditioned for drama school.
The family business collapsed after Shami’s death. They couldn’t bear to continue after what had happened.
Aisha said: “He was the life and soul of every celebration. He was the kind of guy you could rely on with a charming personality.
“He was very protective and if someone needed help, he would be there. Shami may have associated himself with the wrong people at times and it might be associating with these people which cost him his life. But he was our Shami.”
The family are now calling for anyone with information, no matter how small, to please come forward.
Crimestoppers, a charity independent of the police, is putting up a £50,000 reward for any information which leads to a conviction.
The reward is available for three months.
“Silence is not an option anymore,” she said.
“Someone out there knows who murdered my brother and why he was killed.
“Over the past years we have been told by some people to ‘move on’ and ‘to get on with your own lives.’
“But my question is this – how can you move on when you don’t have closure? We can’t and we won’t until we know the truth.
“We know that closure won’t bring him back, but we need answers.
“Why someone would kill such a loving family man and rob his daughter, son, and grandchildren of ever knowing him. We owe it to them!
“I want to say to the community – please, it is never too late to come forward. It is never too late to make a difference.
“Our parents never got that closure. Please end our agony. Please, let us finally understand what happened.”
Lydia Patsalides, East Midlands Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, added: “This is a shocking and very sad case. Shami’s whole family have waited 30 years for justice and answers which they truly deserve.
“We know it can be difficult for some people to speak directly to the police which is why our charity is here for you.
“We are hoping that with the passage of time it will be easier to share what you know. We’ve been passing on information about crime whilst guaranteeing anonymity since we were established decades ago. It’s a promise we’ve always kept.
“Crimestoppers is completely independent of the police. You can make a difference by passing on what you know whilst being protected by our guarantee of anonymity. That means no police, no courts, no witness statements. Put simply, when you contact our charity online or on the phone, there’s no comeback.
“We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We cannot trace your call or track your IP address. No one will ever know you contacted us.
“You may think your information is insignificant, however it could make all the difference, and you could be eligible for this £50,000 reward.”
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or 101 quoting incident number 0300 of the 15th November 2024.
Alternatively, information can be submitted online via the Major Incident Public Reporting Site Public Portal.
Flood alerts have been issued for three areas across Gedling borough amid heavy rainfall.
The flood alerts have been given to areas close to the River Trent, including parts of Burton Joyce, Colwick, Netherfield and Stoke Bardolph.
The Environment Agency has warned residents to ‘be prepared’.
A spokesman said: “River levels are rising at the Colwick and Clifton Bridge river gauges as a result of heavy rainfall. Consequently, flooding of roads and farmland is possible today.
PICTURED: Flooding in Stoke Bardolph back in early 2020
“Areas most at risk are low-lying agricultural land and roads including communities near to the River Trent and Stoke Lane at Stoke Bardolph.
“Further rainfall is forecast over the next 24 hours. We expect river levels to remain high until Thursday (3).
“We are closely monitoring the situation. Our incident response staff are patrolling watercourses in the area.
They warned: “Please avoid using low-lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low-lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded. ”
