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Nottingham News

Nottingham News, Notts Sport

Former and current members of the Jets Basketball Club will be joined by the new Sheriff of Nottingham, Catharine Arnold to celebrate 50 years since the club started.

The club was founded in 1968 and is the oldest junior basketball club still in existence in the city and county.

The club started when Fred Wingfield (1929 – 2012) took his son on a trip to see the legendary Harlem Globetrotters in the 1960s. When he returned to Nottingham he set up a team of his own, so his son and his friends could play. At first the kids played in the street and didn’t even have a hoop, but the club has since grown massively, began to welcome girls, has had hundreds of members and also won some championships.

The current coach, American Jimmy ‘Jumpshot’ Smith, joined when his club Leicester Riders moved him into the Meadows at the end of 1976. Jimmy soon met Fred and became a coach. Three years later Fred asked Jimmy to take over as head coach of the Jets Club.

Over the years it has been known by different names, such as Meadow Jets, but they have always been based in the city at various venues in the Meadows and Wilford. For most of the past 20 years the club has been based at Portland Centre in the Meadows, only a few streets away from where it all started, at 226 Bathley Street.

Now former players and coaches are being urged to come and join the celebration at the Portland Centre on Friday 18 May from 6-8pm. Activities like matches and shooting competitions will be held. The current coach and team hope to see anyone who was ever involved or would like to be involved there.

Jimmy ‘Jumpshot’ Smith said: “The ethos of the club has always been about providing somewhere for young people to play basketball and the club mainly exists for young people who enjoy learning and playing the game.

“There have been so many players, coaches, volunteers and parents who throughout the years have supported the teams and I would like to thank them all and encourage them to come along to the event on Friday.”

Cllr Catharine Arnold, The Sheriff of Nottingham, said: “I’m proud to attend the 50 year anniversary of the Jets and show my support for such a great team. They have done so much for young people in Nottingham and the game of basketball in the city and they are a great asset to Nottingham’s sporting history.”

Nottingham News

We’ve recently seen an increase in fraud incidents where the offender claims to be a police officer.

They usually start off cold calling the victim, telling them that they’re investigating their bank and the people who work there are corrupt. As part of the investigation, they ask the victim to transfer or withdraw large sums of money.

A police officer would NEVER ask you to withdraw money or transfer money to another account. This is a con.

Please #tell2 and make sure you elderly or vulnerable loved ones are aware of this scam.

If you think you’ve been targeted or want to report a fraud incident, please call Action Fraud as soon as possible on 0300 123 2040.

Nottingham News

Visitors to the Old Market Square will be able to take part in three different sports this weekend; with teams from Triathlon, Table Tennis, and Tennis visiting to promote major sporting events coming to the city in June. The fun starts at 10:30 am each day and lasts until 4pm.

There will be chances to try the sports, talk to the coaches, find out about some major international events, and to meet some sports stars as well as prizes to be won. You can even celebrate the Royal Wedding!

On Saturday 19 May, the square is the venue for the national launch of this year’s Ping! project. The Old Market Square will be transformed into a table tennis playing arena, complete with ping pong robot and customised novelty tables. Fresh from her Gold Coast Commonwealth medal winning performance, University of Nottingham based Maria Tsaptsinos will take on former European Youth champion and local coach Gavin Evans in an exhibition match and will be willing to take on any passers-by who fancy their chances.

As it’s also Harry and Meghan’s special day, in their honour, look out for a game of ‘Royal Wedding Round the Table’, everyone is welcome to take part.

The Ping! project – now in its ninth year, is all about getting people active and having fun by introducing table tennis tables into everyday public spaces. There will be over 30 tables placed all over the city with an invitation to grab a bat and ball and play for free.

Joining the Ping! team on Saturday will be teams from GOTri and the Triathlon Trust. They will be explaining how to get involved in Triathlon and telling people all about the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup which will take place on Victoria Embankment on the evening of 7 June with Olympic athletes battling it out for places to compete at Tokyo 2020 . There will be details on how to book tickets for the best view in the Grandstand and the team will also offer advice on how to take part in triathlons with bike tasters on Saturday and bike and running tasters on Sunday.

On Sunday, the triathlon teams will be joined by coaches from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Nottingham Tennis Centre as we look forward to the Nature Valley Open international tournament coming to the city between 9-17 June where players warm up for the grass court season and The Championships, Wimbledon. There will be chances to play tennis and test your skills on the pop up courts and to find out all about what is planned for the tournament, including the Family Fun days over qualifying weekend and Ladies Day on 13 June. Find out about other events at Nottingham Tennis Centre and pick up a voucher for a free tennis trial too!

Cllr Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said; “I’m looking forward to getting involved in the sports on offer this weekend as the Old Market Square becomes a mini sports arena. It’s great to get people involved and interested in playing sport and it can often be at little or no cost.

“It’s also important for people to know that they know they can watch great sport in the city too. There are two major events coming to the city in June – The Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Cup with Grandstand tickets available as well as lots of amazing views up and down the course to spectate for free; and the cheapest ticket for Nature Valley Open Tennis is £3 and children can go on qualifying weekend for free.”

“The tickets are selling really fast for both so I would urge people not to miss out on these amazing opportunities to see international athletes up close. Come and see us this weekend and we’ll tell you all about it! ”

Nottingham News, Notts Sport

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN is targeting a fourth Unibet Premier League title in Thursday’s Play-Offs, with Michael Smith, Gary Anderson and Rob Cross also chasing the £250,000 first prize at The O2 in London. The world number one will be out to avenge his World Championship semi-final defeat to Cross when he takes on his Alexandra Palace conqueror in the opening match of the evening. Van Gerwen recorded two 7-2 victories over Cross in the league stage of this year’s tournament, and the Dutchman is bidding to make it a hat-trick of wins to progress to his sixth consecutive Premier League final.

“I’m feeling quite confident ahead of my game with Rob,” said Van Gerwen, who has topped the league stage every year since his debut in 2013 and is the 1/2 favourite with sponsors Unibet to scoop Thursday’s title. “He’s not in the best form of his life, he’s not got that edge to him that he had in the World Championship when he beat me, but you always have to be careful with him because he is a danger.

“I need to make sure I keep doing what is good for me, I have just one thing on my mind – to beat them all.” In contrast, Cross will be making his Play-Offs debut, having recorded eight wins in his maiden Premier League campaign to secure his spot at The O2. Cross recovered well following a slow start to the season, and now the reigning World Champion is eager to go all the way on Thursday night.

“I want all the biggest titles in darts and it would be an amazing one to add to my portfolio,” said Cross, a 7/1 chance who will be playing in his fourth televised semi-final. “I will go into the match with a fearless mindset – if you want to win it you’ve got to beat the best players. “I’m happy to be playing Michael in the semis, because he never loses many of the finals he plays in but he has lost a few semis.”

The second semi-final will see close friends Anderson and Smith go head-to-head, and the Scot is in familiar territory having qualified for The O2 for a fifth successive year. Two-time Premier League champion Anderson secured his Play-Off spot with a win over Van Gerwen in Aberdeen last week, and the Scottish star knows he will have to be at his best to beat his protégé Smith. “He’s like my adopted son but I will be playing to win,” said Anderson, who recorded a 7-2 win over Smith in their last Premier League meeting in Rotterdam and is 7/2 to claim the title for a third time.

“He’s my mate and we get on really well, but it doesn’t matter what game we’re playing I always want to win.

“It’ll be great playing Michael on such a massive stage and whichever one of us loses will be there cheering the other on in the final.

“Whoever wins will be on the wind-up for the next fortnight and neither of us wants to be on the receiving end!”

Smith will also be making his debut Play-Offs appearance, although he has experience of playing on stage at The O2, having won the World Youth Championship final in 2013 against Ricky Evans. The St Helens star has enjoyed a memorable second Premier League campaign, which saw him end the league phase in second place, and Smith is now focussed on making Thursday the biggest night of his life.

“I believe I can win the Premier league,” said Smith, who beat Anderson 7-5 on the opening night of the season in Dublin.

“I’ve won two games in a day against the world’s best players many times before so there’s no reason why I can’t do it again at The O2.

“I would love to be introduced to the stage at the World Matchplay in July as the reigning champion of the Premier League.”

A crowd of 10,000 fans will pack The O2 on Thursday to see the tournament’s conclusion, with a £250,000 first prize on offer for the eventual champion. The Unibet Premier League Play-Offs will be held on Thursday May 17 at The O2 in London. For tickets, visit www.axs.com or call 0844 856 0202. The Unibet Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from 7pm on Thursday, and aired worldwide through the PDC’s international broadcast partners and for PDCTV-HD Subscribers outside of the UK, Ireland & Netherlands. In addition, the Unibet Premier League will feature radio commentary throughout the season on talkSPORT and talkSPORT2. For further details of coverage, please visit www.talksport.co.uk.

Unibet Premier League Play-Offs

Thursday May 17

The O2, London

Semi-Finals

Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross

Michael Smith v Gary Anderson

Best of 19 legs

Final

Van Gerwen/Cross v Smith/Anderson

Best of 21 legs

Tickets via www.axs.com and 0844 856 0202.

Unibet Match Odds

Michael van Gerwen – 1/6

Rob Cross – 4/1

Michael Smith – 9/4

Gary Anderson – 7/20

Unibet Outright Winner Odds

Michael van Gerwen – 1/2

Gary Anderson – 7/2

Rob Cross – 7/1

Michael Smith – 10/1

Odds courtesy www.unibet.co.uk and correct at time of writing. Subject to fluctuation.

Nottingham News

Have you seen Paul ?  Officers are concerned for his safety after he was reported missing from the Top Valley area at around 9:15am yesterday ( 15 May )


Paul is described as white of slim build and is around 6ft 2ins tall with dark brown short hair. He was last seen wearing a cream shirt with a brown waistcoat.


If you have seen Paul or have any information about his whereabouts, please contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 712 of May 15 2018

Nottingham News

A haul of stolen property from burglaries has been recovered thanks to the work of eagle-eyed officers from Nottinghamshire Police’s Operational Support.

Officers on patrol in Bulwell on Friday night (11 May 2018) spotted a car with a slight defect on its number plate. After it was stopped further enquiries revealed it had been stolen in a burglary in Nuthall and was displaying false plates.

Searches were carried out which led to an Aladdin’s cave of stolen property being unearthed. A man and a woman who were in the stolen vehicle were arrested and are now being linked to a number of burglaries across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The woman was also found in possession of stolen credit cards.

Nottinghamshire Police now has two new dedicated burglary teams which are concentrating their efforts on tackling and reducing burglary in the city and county.

The teams have been created as part of a new Force structure, moving towards a more geographic model that provides dedicated policing services for the city and county, based in the communities they serve.

Nottingham News, Notts Health & Care

Nottingham City Council’s Environmental Health Officers have been working with local sunbed operators to ensure citizens are able to get the safest tan possible.

Officers have been checking the radiation levels of sunbed tubes to ensure they are not too powerful and comply with safety limits.  While exposure to Ultra Violet light always carries some risk, all sunbeds in Nottingham City have been checked that they comply with the EU ‘Safe level’ of 0.3W/m2.

Environmental Health Officers advice that people shouldn’t use a sunbed if they:

  • Are aged under 18 (illegal for tanning salon operators to allow under 18s to use sunbeds)
  • Always burn in natural sunlight
  • Have a medical condition that becomes worse in sunlight
  • Have an excessive amount of moles and/or freckles
  • Have a history of sunburn, particularly from childhood
  • Have skin cancer or does any member of your immediate family have/had skin cancer

Anyone using a sunbed should remember to:

  • Wear protective eyewear
  • Ask about 0.3 compliance
  • Always leave at least 48hrs between tanning sessions
  • Not exceed two sessions per week
  • Only use a maximum of 30 times per year

Cllr Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection, said: “A tan is your body’s attempt to protect itself from the damaging effect of UV rays. Using a sunbed to get a tan isn’t safer than tanning in the sun but officers have been checking that the tubes in local tanning salons me

et the correct standards and don’t overexpose users to higher levels than expected.

“If you decide to use a sunbed, the operator should advise you about your skin type and how long you should limit your session to.”

Nottingham News

HMS Sherwood, the East Midlands’ only Royal Navy Reserve (RNR) unit, were officially granted the Freedom of the City of Nottingham last night (14 May) as a scroll was presented to them by Nottingham City Council.

The official scroll presentation happened at Nottingham City Council’s Full Council meeting, although this rare honour will be formally celebrated by parading through Nottingham on 2 June.

The Freedom of the City parade will see 58 HMS Sherwood reservists be joined by the Royal Marines Reserve, Sea Cadets, veterans and The Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth.

It is hoped members of the public will line the city’s streets as the military drums are beating, the colours are flying and the reservists’ bayonets are fixed.

Lieutenant Commander Rod Grant from HMS Sherwood explained: “The parade route will be publicised closer to the time but it would be great if members of the public do come out to support us. All of our ships company are proud to be a part of such a special event.

“Achieving the Freedom of the City is both the oldest and the highest honour that can be bestowed on a military unit and I know that personnel who currently, and have previously, served alongside us are delighted that this accolade has been achieved.”

Cllr Brian Grocock, Nottingham City Council’s Armed Forces champion, said: “The Freedom of the City is the highest honour that the city of Nottingham can bestow. It is symbolic of the esteem that the city holds for HMS Sherwood and it is one of our oldest surviving traditional ceremonies.

“We, as the city are honoured and proud to celebrate these sailors with the Freedom and we look forward to seeing them on parade through our city. We would encourage everyone to come and support the march and cheer on the sailors.”

Nottingham News

A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a stabbing in St Ann’s on Monday 14 May 2018.

The boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons, has been charged with GBH (Section 18 wounding), possession of an offensive weapon and possession of cannabis following the incident in Ransom Road which happened at about 7.50am.

The boy, who was swiftly arrested by officers, has been remanded in custody to appear at Nottingham Magistrates on 16 May 2018.

The victim, a 16-year-old boy, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. He has since been discharged.

Officers were on the scene within minutes of the report and cordoned off the area.

Both boys involved in the incident are pupils at Nottingham Academy.

Chief Inspector Al Pearson said: “Reassurance patrols have been increased in the area and we are already working closely with the school to ensure pupils feel safe.

“Our local PCSO who is based within the Nottingham Academy was quickly on the scene and helped keep people safe. Our local officers made a swift arrest yesterday at the scene. At this early stage we believe this incident involves two 16-year-old pupils who are known to each other, however our enquiries are ongoing. We will continue to work with teaching staff to reduce any further incidents of this nature.

“We would ask anyone who witnessed the incident, or has any information, to contact us on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number 114 of 14 May 2018.”

Nottingham News

Kasim Haque has been jailed for four years after pleading guilty to four counts of drug supply charges.

The 34-year-old was first arrested in June 2017 on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cannabis and MDMA and conspiring to possess a firearm without a certificate. The arrest followed a routine traffic stop.

During the custody process, they found a Mercedes car key on Haque and connected it to a car where they recovered a large amount of cocaine, cannabis, MDMA, 5,400 canisters of nitrous oxide and a large amount of cash.

The drugs totalled a street value of almost £10,000. They also found ‘business cards’ that were suspected to help Haque distribute the drugs. Haque was also arrested alongside another man and they were both due to go to trial at Nottingham Crown Court next week, but Haque changed his plea yesterday and said he acted alone.

Haque, formerly of Nottingham Road, New Basford, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (10 May) to receive his sentence after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and psychoactive substance. The firearm recovered from the address he was living at was found to be a replica so there was no offence, the drugs will now be destroyed.

Detective Constable Tony Tonks said: “‘The sentencing of Haque sends a strong message that Nottinghamshire Police will leave no stone unturned when dealing with  those responsible for the supply of drugs on our streets and a warning that we will use all means available to us to ensure that those caught will receive lengthy custodial sentences.”