Latest news with #Neds
Glasgow Times
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
10 pictures that tell story of Glasgow school and its Hollywood links
Lourdes Secondary featured in the 2010 film Neds, directed and written by former pupil Peter Mullan. The Braveheart, Trainspotting and Harry Potter actor has said in the past that lessons learned at the school helped him to become the man he is. The cast of Neds (Image: BFI) Mullan, who wrote The Magdalene Sisters, said in an interview with The Herald in 2018: 'I'm not Catholic now and I'm not particularly religious now…having said that, there was a values system that even as a young kid I always appreciated.' (Image: Kirsty Anderson/Newsquest) The star, who was in Glasgow to receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Drama from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added: 'I liked the idea of the collective and more than anything I liked the idea that it is better to give than receive. 'That always struck me as a good philosophy because it was just and it seemed fair. I'll always appreciate having learned that from school.' (Image: Newsquest) The school was established in 1956, with the main building designed by Thomas Smith Cordiner. An extension was added in the 1970s. Pupils from Lourdes have often featured in the Glasgow Times over the decades. In 2023, they scooped the top prize in a competition aimed at tackling marine litter in the River Clyde. The pupils won the Best Investigation prize in the STEM the Flow Engineering Challenge Teacher Gary Marshall was 'delighted' with the students. He said: 'They put in so much hard work and have shown ingenuity and passion.' (Image: Newsquest) In 2004, pupils from Lourdes Secondary School in Cardonald set up their own film company in a project to develop their business skills. Louise McKenna, 16, Paul Hogan, 17, Paul Brooks, 16, Laura Breaden, 15 and Alex Craig 16 are pictured celebrating the initiative. (Image: Newsquest) Lourdes Secondary pupil Mark McGettigan hit the headlines when he helped uncover three long-lost medieval gravestones during a community archaeology dig in Glasgow. The then 14-year-old, volunteering along with his mother, Sandra was helping the Stones and Bones dig at Govan Old Parish Church. Professor Stephen Driscoll, the University of Glasgow's Professor of Historical Archaeology and part of The Govan Heritage Trust, said Mark's find was 'the most exciting discovery we have had at Govan in the last 20 years'. (Image: Newsquest) It's not just Lourdes Secondary pupils who have made the news over the years. In 2009, dinner ladies from Lourdes secondary school had a special night out at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, watching…. Dinner Ladies. Pictured are Sandra Whiteside, Helen Black, Linda Hughes, Anne Docherty and Janet Watt. The Bluebells (Image: Newsquest) Bluebells star Robert Hodgens attended Lourdes Secondary, as did former Motherwell and Celtic striker Tommy Coyne. (Image: Newsquest) Tommy, who was raised in Govan, also played for Clydebank, Dundee United and Dundee and he was top goalscorer of the Scottish Premier Division three times, The striker played international football for the Republic of Ireland, qualifying due to his Irish ancestry. (Image: Newsquest) Another famous ex-pupil is David O'Hara is best known for playing Stephen, the Irishman who joins forces with William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) in the 1995 movie Braveheart. He is also an accomplished Shakespearean actor, having performed in a variety of productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Born in Pollok, the son of a retired labourer, his mother sadly died when he was a child. A YOPs scheme at Glasgow Arts Centre led him to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and roles in Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy and the BBC's The Monocled Mutineer followed. In an interview with our sister newspaper The Herald in 1992, he said acting 'did everything for me.'
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Respected wagering figure Dean Shannon steps down as boss of Entain Australia
ENTAIN Australia boss Dean Shannon has announced he is stepping down from his role at the helm of the business from June 30. Shannon, a pioneer and highly respected figure in wagering circles, said the decision to depart was to allow Entain Australia and New Zealand the chance to enter a new phase, declaring 'it was the right time for change'. During Shannon's tenure as the boss of Entain Australia, returns to industry from the organisation have flourished, securing partnerships north of $50 million, with wagering brands Ladbrokes and Neds at the forefront of some of the three racing code's major events and initiatives. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. In announcing the departure, Stella David, Group CEO of Entain, thanked Shannon for his service. 'We thank Dean for his significant contribution to Entain, and for managing the Australian and New Zealand businesses,' David said. 'The growth and integration of Neds and Ladbrokes into our global portfolio of podium position brands has been a particular highlight and he has more recently delivered what we believe is a market leading compliance program in Australia. 'As the Australian business enters its next phase, we will continue to demonstrate our commitment to compliance and responsibly deliver great products to our customers.' With Shannon set to depart at the end of the month, respected wagering figure Andrew Vouris has been appointed Interim CEO. Vouris brings a wealth of knowledge into the role, boasting more than 17 years of leadership experience in wagering, operations and innovation at some of Australia's biggest wagering operators, including Tabcorp and Entain. In his time at Tabcorp, Vouris played a key role in managing complex regulatory and compliance matters, including the response to Tabcorp's AUSTRAC proceedings in 2017. Shannon's departure comes as Entain Australia reaches the pointy end of its own legal fight with AUSTRAC, taken to Federal Court over alleged breaches of 'serious non-compliance with Australia's money laundering laws.' The exit of Shannon from the business draws the curtain on a 13-year association with the Ladbrokes brand. Back in 2012, Shannon launched startup corporate bookmaker before selling it a year later to Ladbrokes which served as the international brand's entry point into the robust Australian market. Five years later, Shannon then founded which found a niche market in sports and racing betting, before it was also sold to the owner's of Ladbrokes, consolidating its place in the Australian market. Part of the Neds transaction in 2017 saw Shannon take the reins as boss of the Australian business for Entain where it has enjoyed significant market growth during that time. Entain Australia has commenced the search for a permanent CEO.
AU Financial Review
05-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Entain boss Dean Shannon to depart ahead of AUSTRAC remediation
Dean Shannon, chief executive of the British bookmaker behind Ladbrokes and Neds, will step down at the end of the month in an attempt to improve the business relationship with the financial crimes watchdog. London-listed Entain faces hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for alleged breaches of Australian anti-money laundering laws between 2018 and last year.
Glasgow Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
I was 42 stone and an alcoholic - but these people saved me
Josh Pilkington, 31, was working as an actor when he slipped mid-performance during a gig at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival. Josh, who appeared in Neds, broke his knee as a result which hugely affected his mental health, to the point where he didn't leave his home for seven years. Josh said: "I was doing a show, I was emphasising a point and stamping my knee, and my knee went the other way, I immediately turned pale. "I said I was taking a month off, then I was in my house for seven years, and I got up to 42 stone." Josh at his heaviest weight. (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest) After losing 17 stone, Josh tried to get back on track and took up a job as a carer. "It wasn't a job, it was a career, and it was lovely. It was the first time I couldn't wait to get up the next day," he said. "I was in the job for maybe a year and I was just burnt out. I didn't have coping mechanisms. "It was just day after day, and eventually I said, 'Can I get a week off?. Then I took a second week off. "When I walked into the third week, someone already had my job. They fired me without telling me," he added. When the pandemic struck, Josh managed to cope at home, confined with his family, but when restrictions lifted and they began getting back into work, he turned to alcohol. Josh explained: "All of a sudden, I started drinking because I just didn't want to be in reality, and then there was weed. I became absurd. "I would take as much as I could as long as I could, whatever I could afford, and then some. I was thinking, how do I sell my stuff?" Before tackling addiction. Josh explained he woke up in his room one day, shocked to find blood all over the place, his TV broken, PlayStation smashed, couch flipped and no recollection of the past 24 hours. He added: "I had blacked out." What he knows about the events of that day has been told to him by others. He said: "Apparently, I had got in my mum's face and I was saying, 'What has she done for me?' and 'You're the worst, I hope you don't wake up' - things that I don't believe. "With the blood everywhere, I had self-harmed and cut a big bite out of my toe. "I even broke up with my girlfriend, Laura. "Even to this day, I don't remember all of this, it's recollections and putting puzzle pieces together." Hope Community Church on Shelley Drive. (Image: Newsquest) After the traumatic events, Laura offered Josh help and recommended a group which had helped to get her clean following years of drug addiction. Josh has since been on the road to recovery after first getting involved with the Hope for Recovery group in Clydebank's Hope Community Church. He now volunteers as part of the team that goes into schools to share their story and steer kids away from the troubles of addiction. The church recently launched its official programme, which runs for 12 weeks and aims to allow addicts a chance to learn about recovery. (from left to right) Jane, Pastor Craig Halkett, Laura Johnson and Josh Pilkington. (Image: Newsquest) Hope for Recovery launch walk. (Image: Newsquest) Pastor Craig Halkett explained: "We are officially launching a two-year community-based faith-to-freedom recovery pathway. "It's open for anybody within the community, whether people have a faith or don't, whether they're interested or not interested. It's entirely up to them. We're very relaxed, very informal. "We teach biblical principles in a very informal way, and it's really up to individuals what they want to take and maybe try to apply them to their life." Hope for Recovery is based in Hope Community Church every Monday, from 11am to 1.30pm. The group took part in a walk on Good Friday to commemorate the official launch of the scheme.
