Paul Simister 💙
6K posts

Paul Simister 💙
@PaulSimister
Retired. Loves music, animals, Manchester United. For peace, love, understanding, dignity and respect.

🔴 In a direct threat to junior doctors, Sir Keir Starmer said he would withdraw an offer to provide at least 4,000 new speciality training posts if they went ahead with planned strikes next week telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/…









🌹 Remembering Duncan Edwards Long before anyone spoke of 'football geniuses', Manchester United had found theirs in Duncan Edwards. Matt Busby watched the young lad play and knew immediately: "He is the most complete player I've ever seen." In 1952, Busby pulled out all the stops to sign Edwards, who was being pursued by virtually every major club in England. Wolves and Villa were desperate for the Dudley boy. What sealed the deal was United's revolutionary commitment to youth development. Edwards signed as an amateur on June 2nd, 1952, when he was just 15. He turned professional on October 1st, 1953, his 17th birthday, becoming the first jewel in what would become the Busby Babes. He made his first-team debut in April 1953, just 16 years and 185 days old, becoming United's youngest ever debutant at the time. Though listed as a left-half, he played with such completeness that he could dominate any position. Whether breaking up attacks with perfectly timed tackles or surging forward with the power of a man twice his size, Edwards redefined what a midfielder could be. Here are some facts that even die-hard Reds might not know: Edwards was genuinely two-footed and could pass and shoot equally well with either foot, a rarity in that era. He wore size 11 boots, enormous for the time, and stood 5'11" but weighed over 13 stone of pure muscle, making him physically imposing when most players were far slighter. At just 18, he became England's youngest post-war international in April 1955, eventually earning 18 caps before his 22nd birthday. He also represented his school at morris dancing, but when given the choice between competing in the National Morris Dancing Festival or trialling for England Schoolboys, thankfully, he chose football. What made Duncan even more special was his character. Tommy Docherty, who played against him, said: "There is no doubt in my mind that Duncan would have become the greatest player ever. Not just in British football, with United and England, but the best in the world." Terry Venables went further, claiming that had he lived, it would have been Edwards, not Bobby Moore, who lifted the World Cup trophy as England captain in 1966. By 1957, Busby declared: "In Duncan Edwards, I believe I have the greatest footballer in the world." This wasn't hyperbole. Edwards had just helped United win back-to-back league titles in 1956 and 1957, and at 20 years old, the football world was at his feet. Off the pitch, Edwards remained remarkably grounded, a Dudley lad through and through. He was teetotal, loved fishing in the quiet canals near his home, enjoyed playing cards with his mates, and his idea of a big night out was a trip to the cinema and fish and chips. Despite knowing his immense value, he never showed arrogance. Bobby Charlton remembered him as confident but said: "[He was] never boastful." 1/3 #DuncanEdwards #MUFC #FlowersOfManchester





Here is my father, 92, still sitting in A&E after 21+hrs. A war veteran who saw active service! How can this be right, heartbreaking seeing mum and dad "making the best of it". What can I do? Nothing. So wrong to be treated in such a way. @TiceRichard




