Latest news with #CarlisleUnited
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Irish athletics golden girl Kate O'Connor shares photo with footballer boyfriend
The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured together in the snap Ireland's gold-medal winning athlete Kate O'Connor has shared an adorable picture of her with boyfriend, Irish striker Georgie Kelly, as the couple enjoy some downtime on holidays in Portugal. The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured in the snap that Kate captioned: 'A few days of R&R & celebrating the Harkins'. Kate poses for the selfie in yellow dress while Georgie grins in the background. She is on a well-deserved break after a series of stunning victories. Just last Thursday, the 24-year-old added a gold to her glittering CV at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Kate and Georgie on holidays News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29 Dominating the heptathlon to smash her Irish record with 6487 points, she declared: 'I've been going for that (record) for a long time. 'I'm in the shape of my life at the moment and to go out and do that here, at a world stage, I'm really happy with that.' It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. 'Now I've finally got a gold,' she said. 'It's a great way to start my outdoor season. I'd quite a few highs there but also quite a few lows, so I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, trying to improve some things and really have them right going into [the World Championships in] Tokyo.' For Carlisle United's Irish striker Georgie, he has come through what Mark Hughes described as a 'torrid' time with injury to deliver a recent win that gives the club some hope in their relegation battle. In March, after girlfriend Kate took home a bronze medal from the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in the Netherlands, he hailed her as a 'killer'. 'She's well versed in dealing with different pressures to me. We are different, Kate is ruthless, a real competitor, win at all costs,' Kelly told the Irish Independent at the time. 'Her ability to produce under pressure last weekend, that was unreal, the pressure she was under, seeing girls perform well just before her and knowing she has to hit a certain mark or she's gone, that's the bit of my sports psyche that I'd lack. 'She's a killer and I admire so much about what she does – I probably don't tell her enough.' He's spent his teenage and adult years focused on a football career in Ireland with UCD, Derry City, Dundalk, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians and then cross-channel with Rotherham United and current side Carlisle. But it's his time spent with Kate that has opened Kelly's eyes to the levels needed and achievements made. 'That was the first ever medal for an Irish athlete, male or female, in a multi-event. She was the first Irish Olympian in the heptathlon so it's all new, her and her coaches are figuring it out as they go along. So to get to that level is just incredible,' he says. 'Even the fact that the pentathlon is indoor and the heptathlon is outdoor, she's always been a much better heptathlete because of the javelin, she has a monster jav, that's where she gets her points. It's some leap she's made even in six months and it's so exciting to think what we can do, there is no ceiling for Kate.' However, as Kelly is in Carlisle and O'Connor is based in Ireland, he revealed how finding time together is not easy. 'Kate's off to China for the World Championships next week, then her indoor season finishes and she might get some time off. Hopefully she will get over to me in England for a bit, before she ramps up again for the outdoor season which peaks in August. 'She can't just up and move to a base elsewhere, that's the hardest thing about being away on your own. It's only for a few years, we'll get there, we'll make it work. 'It's not like I work in an accountancy firm that's nine-to-five and I know she has weekends off, if I had a day or two off, there's no guarantee she will be off so it's a tough balance. It's not easy.'
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Irish athletics golden girl Kate O'Connor poses for selfie with loved up footballer Georgie
The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured together in the snap Ireland's gold-medal winning athlete Kate O'Connor has shared an adorable picture of her with loved-up boyfriend Irish striker Georgie Kelly together on holidays in Portugal. The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured in the snap that Kate captioned: 'A few days of R&R & celebrating the Harkins'. Kate poses for the selfie in yellow dress while Georgie grins in the background. She is on a well-deserved break after a series of stunning victories. Just last Thursday, the 24-year-old added a gold to her glittering CV at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Kate and Georgie on holidays News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29 Dominating the heptathlon to smash her Irish record with 6487 points, she declared: 'I've been going for that (record) for a long time. 'I'm in the shape of my life at the moment and to go out and do that here, at a world stage, I'm really happy with that.' It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. 'Now I've finally got a gold,' she said. 'It's a great way to start my outdoor season. I'd quite a few highs there but also quite a few lows, so I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, trying to improve some things and really have them right going into [the World Championships in] Tokyo.' For Carlisle United's Irish striker Georgie, he has come through what Mark Hughes described as a 'torrid' time with injury to deliver a recent win that gives the club some hope in their relegation battle. In March, after girlfriend Kate took home a bronze medal from the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in the Netherlands, he hailed her as a 'killer'. 'She's well versed in dealing with different pressures to me. We are different, Kate is ruthless, a real competitor, win at all costs,' Kelly told the Irish Independent at the time. 'Her ability to produce under pressure last weekend, that was unreal, the pressure she was under, seeing girls perform well just before her and knowing she has to hit a certain mark or she's gone, that's the bit of my sports psyche that I'd lack. 'She's a killer and I admire so much about what she does – I probably don't tell her enough.' He's spent his teenage and adult years focused on a football career in Ireland with UCD, Derry City, Dundalk, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians and then cross-channel with Rotherham United and current side Carlisle. But it's his time spent with Kate that has opened Kelly's eyes to the levels needed and achievements made. 'That was the first ever medal for an Irish athlete, male or female, in a multi-event. She was the first Irish Olympian in the heptathlon so it's all new, her and her coaches are figuring it out as they go along. So to get to that level is just incredible,' he says. 'Even the fact that the pentathlon is indoor and the heptathlon is outdoor, she's always been a much better heptathlete because of the javelin, she has a monster jav, that's where she gets her points. It's some leap she's made even in six months and it's so exciting to think what we can do, there is no ceiling for Kate.' However, as Kelly is in Carlisle and O'Connor is based in Ireland, he revealed how finding time together is not easy. 'Kate's off to China for the World Championships next week, then her indoor season finishes and she might get some time off. Hopefully she will get over to me in England for a bit, before she ramps up again for the outdoor season which peaks in August. 'She can't just up and move to a base elsewhere, that's the hardest thing about being away on your own. It's only for a few years, we'll get there, we'll make it work. 'It's not like I work in an accountancy firm that's nine-to-five and I know she has weekends off, if I had a day or two off, there's no guarantee she will be off so it's a tough balance. It's not easy.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Long-serving Carlisle United media officer to leave club
Carlisle United's long-serving media officer Amy Nixon has announced that she is leaving the club. She says her position has been made redundant by the club and she has decided not to apply for one of the new roles created by the Blues. Nixon has been part of United's media department for 14 years. Her most recent role was digital content manager, but that has now been axed by the club amid a shake-up of their media operations. Nixon's departure follows that of social media manager Rob Elder, who recently announced that he had also been made redundant after just over a year at Brunton Park. Nixon posted on X about her impending departure from the club. "I'm sad to be sharing that after 14 years, my role at Carlisle United has been made redundant and I will be leaving the club ahead of the new season after choosing not to apply for one of the new roles," she said. "I'm open to new opportunities and any shares would be appreciated!" She has been involved at United in 2011 and spent many years working with former media officer Andy Hall in the club's media department. The latest news about United's media personnel comes as the club aim to appoint a new head of media and marketing. In pictures: Carlisle United fans at the Harrogate game! They have also created positions for two media and marketing officers. One of those has been advertised while another has been filled by James Gates, an existing member of the club's media team who joined last year. The overhaul of the media structure follows the internal review of the club which followed last season's relegation. It has involved consultants General Sports Worldwide, who are continuing to work with the club and advise on its commercial activity and its work in other areas such as media. Owner Tom Piatak recently said there would be a "slight shift" with the appointment of a new head of media and marketing. He said the club had suffered for the lack of a marketing presence and that the new figurehead in the role would "tie those two [media and marketing] together." Piatak has also called for improvements to the club's in-house subscription streaming channel CUTV, saying he was "not enthralled" with some of its content after its first year in operation. FLASH SALE: Get unlimited access to every Carlisle United article by subscribing to the News & Star for £6 for 6 months or a full year at half price - click for details
ITV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Carlisle celebrates Lionesses European Championship win
Carlisle fans say the Lionesses' Euros victory was "the best night of my life". The England women's team won 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out against Spain in the European Championships final, retaining their title. The Lionesses were cheered on by more than 12 million people, including supporters watching on from Carlisle United's fan zone. One young girl said: "This is the best night of my life, and no one can defeat this night." Another young girl added: "I'm really proud of them because they tried their best and they won." An inspired fan told ITV Border: "It means so much, it's really special because we've won it two times in a row now, we really believe in these girls." Peter Johnston manages the Carlisle United fan zone, he said: "What a fantastic evening, what a result, what a great celebration of football." One man said: "It was a tough game, we had to be patient and we had to wait for our chances to come. We had to defend really, so long as you defend well you can get chances at the end." Research carried out recently by the Football Beyond Borders programme found that many more young girls watched this year's tournament compared to 2022. More than 40% of those surveyed say they have an emotional connection to the team, boosted by the squad's diversity. Girls' youth football coach Nataly Mason believes the Lionesses' support has come a long way, she added: "But there's still a long way to go. Hopefully in a few years, there will be a lot more for the women's game."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hughes admits Ellis impressed in surprise midfield role
Mark Hughes admits Jack Ellis impressed him in his surprise midfield role for Carlisle United. The Cumbrian defender was given a role in the centre by Hughes for the 2-0 win at Harrogate Town. And 21-year-old Ellis's positive display has given Hughes further food for thought. The head coach says he always felt Ellis's attributes could be worth testing in midfield. He got his chance alongside Callum Whelan on a day summer signing Josh Grant was out injured, while Ethan Robson started on the bench. 'You've heard me mention before that I think we probably lack a bit of physicality in there [midfield], and I thought Jack could come in,' said Hughes. 'I think he's been excellent in pre-season. I believe he's been one of our better players in the pre-season games he's taken part in, so I knew that he could go in there and do a job in terms of just breaking things up and getting us on the front foot. 'He certainly did that in the first half when we were on the front foot and jumping on those second balls. Hughes felt Ellis read danger well and gave United extra physicality in midfield at Harrogate (Image: Ben Holmes) 'From that point of view, for me, it was good to know that what I thought could happen actually did.' Ellis, prior to Saturday, had mainly featured in the centre of defence during Carlisle's friendlies so far. Hughes confirms Dutch-born midfielder who's on trial with Carlisle United Hughes went on to speak approvingly about the character of the home-grown player, who earned a new deal this summer after impressing at right-back in the closing weeks of 2024/25. 'He's very receptive. Jack is a good player,' Hughes told the News & Star. 'He wants to get better. At times, he'll sacrifice himself for the team. That's what you want. 'We've talked about it [using him in midfield]. We've looked at him in different areas. He's been centre-back, he's been a full-back, and now midfield [at Harrogate] was an opportunity to look at him because I just felt in the last few games, at times, we lost a little bit of control just because we didn't have that physicality. 'So I was pleased for him.' FLASH SALE: Get unlimited access to every Carlisle United article by subscribing to the News & Star for £6 for 6 months or a full year at half price - click for details
