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New York Times
21 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The football manager working at an airport: ‘Why? Because you can learn from anything'
It was Luke Williams' fourth day of working at Bristol Airport as a customer care assistant when his cover was blown for the first time. 'I was at the gate for an EasyJet flight, waiting to take a passenger onto the bus to take them out to the aircraft, and of course we make sure that those passengers have priority because it can be difficult getting them on and off,' Williams explains. Advertisement 'Three really nice young guys were standing just behind me and one of them came forward and showed me his phone, and it was a picture of myself. He said: 'Excuse me. Do you ever get told that you look like this guy?'. 'First of all, I don't want to lie because it's not the right thing to do. Secondly, I have a lanyard with my name on it, so I said: 'Well, I do get told that I look like that guy quite a lot. Because that guy is me'.' It is hard to suppress a smile as Williams tells that story, which finishes with him explaining how a colleague had been standing nearby and misheard the word 'Swindon' (one of his former clubs and the team that the passenger who showed him the picture followed), prompting her to later ask him if he was a former swimmer. 'I said: 'No, I wasn't a swimmer. I used to manage the football team that one of the guys supports'.' Williams delivered that answer in an unassuming, matter-of-fact way, and it was met with the sort of low-key response that suited him perfectly. 'She said: 'Oh. OK'.' For the next week or so, he carried on as normal, walking from his home in South Wales to just outside The Riverfront Theatre in Newport to catch the 04:45 National Express bus to Bristol Airport for his nine-hour shifts that start at 6am. Williams passed the time on the bus with a book called Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, which he says that he would have felt guilty 'putting his feet up' to read at home (you get the impression that Williams doesn't like sitting still), and then diligently went about his duties at work, which involve helping passengers with limited mobility to get around the airport. All the while, the vast majority of people (staff included) were oblivious to the fact that the friendly face walking around in a high-vis jacket and steel toe-cap boots had been the manager of a Championship football club — Swansea City, who play in English football's second tier — up until the middle of February. Advertisement Last weekend, though, everything changed. A picture of Williams working at the airport was posted on the social media platform X and it went viral: 1.8 million views at the last time of looking. It was picked up by a number of media organisations, including The Athletic. Some people were critical of the reporting around Williams working at Bristol Airport and didn't understand why it was considered newsworthy. Phrases such as 'job-shaming' were also mentioned, which couldn't have been further from the truth and totally missed the point. Luke Williams gone from managing the swans to working in Bristol airport, someone check VAR — Matthias Kenealy (@MEK230402) June 21, 2025 Williams is still being paid in full by Swansea following his sacking and, under the terms of what is a standard severance package in the Championship, will continue to be for some time yet. The salary for someone who has been managing at Williams' level puts him comfortably in the top one per cent of earners in the United Kingdom, which means that, on the face of it, there is no financial requirement or motivation for him to work right now. On top of that, he has no desire to pursue a new career — Williams wants to return to football management at the earliest opportunity. He loves coaching. And yet here he is getting up at the crack of dawn to do shifts at a workplace that is more than an hour from his home, in an industry that is totally alien to him, for a wage that is not going to make any material difference to his quality of life, and in a public-facing job that would be way outside the comfort zone of most of his peers. 'You've got balls of steel,' read a message that Williams received from another out-of-work manager this week. Indeed, it's hard to imagine another manager operating at Championship level or above — maybe even in the English Football League full stop — doing something similar. Williams smiles. 'I've come to learn that, from what people have said, if they tried to put themselves in my shoes, they would find it uncomfortable. But I don't have that sensation,' he says. 'It feels very natural to find something to do and to go and work and make a positive impact. I've got two sons. They're five and six, and in the blink of an eye, they're going to be 15 and 16. The things that are happening around them, they're absorbing. It's very important for me to show them to always have a routine and an objective for the day. If you're of working age and you're capable, and you're fortunate to have your health, go and work and contribute. So that's what I'm doing. Advertisement 'It's not the type of job that is a career for me. I already have a career and I've got no intention of changing that. Why would I? I've already been successful in my own industry. I've reached a very high level and I'm going to continue, so I want to use this time for personal development, and I thought it's better for me to do it in a way where I'm actually contributing rather than just observing.' Typically, anyone in Williams' position would take a break from football to recharge their batteries, go through a period of self-reflection about their last job, and then spend some time visiting various football clubs and talking to coaches before returning to the dugout. Occasionally, managers have strayed from that script. Ian Holloway painted portraits, Tony Pulis studied Napoleon and Thomas Tuchel befriended an 80-year-old swimmer who encouraged him to visit art galleries. There will be other examples, too. But filling out an application form for a job at an airport, sitting through a one-hour interview on Zoom, attending training days to learn how to deal with different scenarios with passengers at an airport — that's highly unusual for a manager to choose to do that. Does Williams understand that? 'I do. Of course I do,' he replies. 'But you can learn a lot from anything that you do. It doesn't have to be in football. It doesn't have to be in sport. 'Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something completely different, meeting new people, listening to what they say and listening to their gripes. 'I'm working with a lot of people at the moment who have line managers and it's really interesting to hear the things that they find difficult about how they're being managed. 'I'm doing an honest day's work. I'm not asking if I can just come in and sit there and observe — I'm making sure that I do every single task that all my colleagues are doing, but, at the same time, I'm getting to listen to how people prefer to be managed. What is it, in their opinion, that makes a good manager? Then I'm lucky enough to sit sometimes with people in management roles. What is it that they look for in a good employee?' Williams answers that question by going on to talk about Sergio, an experienced member of staff at the airport who supports Napoli, the Serie A champions, and who had no inclination whatsoever that the new employee that he went out of his way to take under his wing on day one was actually a football manager. Advertisement 'Spread energy, be smart — this is why I'm really fond of my new friend Sergio,' Williams adds. 'Find a way to make the passenger experience positive, and then they give him positivity back. They love him. Then, if you go and talk to management: 'Ahhh, Sergio's the best'. 'If this guy was playing for my football team, somehow he finds himself in the team week in and week out because he has positivity. He looks at things as an opportunity, not as a threat. He's there, he's reliable.' Generous with his time and candid with his thoughts, Williams is fantastic company, so much so that we end up talking for another hour after the tape recorder is turned off. Aged 44, he has a colourful, chaotic and complex backstory, which is uplifting at times but sad in places too. 'I couldn't read or write particularly well when I left school,' he says. 'I got no A-Cs in any subjects at all. No qualifications whatsoever. I just found school really challenging. 'I've not done a single piece of homework, ever. When I was a scholar at Bristol Rovers, I went to St Brendan's Sixth Form College in Brislington, in Bristol, to do a leisure and tourism course. At the end of the year, the teacher asked us to come up and look through the folders to see if there were any units missing. Every single unit was missing in my folder because I couldn't understand anything that was being taught.' Williams' playing career was brief, ruined by repeated knee surgery and not helped by a night out in Edmonton, north London, when he was struck on the head and stabbed with a champagne flute as a teenager. A few years later, he suffered a fractured skull and a broken hip in a car crash. Coaching provided a second career but not a particularly lucrative one in the early days. There was always a bag of balls in the boot of his car but often single figures in his bank account. Williams did anything and everything to make ends meet, including loading lorries on an industrial estate for the retailer British Home Stores and driving minibuses to pick up party-goers from nightclubs. Over time, he worked his way up the coaching ladder, taking jobs at Brighton & Hove Albion, Swindon Town, Bristol City, MK Dons, Notts County, where he led the club back into the Football League playing a brand of expansive and entertaining football, and, most recently, Swansea. At the turn of the year, Swansea were ninth and four points off the play-offs. Seven weeks and as many league defeats later, Williams was out of a job — a brutal reminder of how quickly things can change in football. Advertisement It's clear that Williams has grafted to get this far — he has more than enough stories about his early coaching days to write a book — and he has no intention of letting all that hard work go to waste. 'As soon as possible,' he replies when asked when he plans to return to football management. Financially, he still takes nothing for granted and refuses to move away from the core values that were ingrained in him in his younger days. When Swansea sacked him, Williams got rid of his car because it was a luxury that he thought he could do without. 'I had a medical yesterday with the League Managers' Association in London,' he says. 'From Newport, you can get the train or you can get the bus, and one is significantly cheaper than the other, so you know which one I took.' More than anything, Williams looks and sounds comfortable in his own skin, which isn't always the case with football managers. One of the things that really strikes you when reading up on this subject is how often people in football talk about losing their identity when they are between jobs. 'Football is all I've ever known' is a well-repeated phrase, almost as if they have no concept of life outside of the sport and feel a sense of trepidation about embracing that world. Clearly, that's not been the case with Williams. 'No, that's really important,' he says. 'It's something that makes me sad that so many people in the industry feel extremely vulnerable and feel like their identity as a human being is that they're a football manager or a football player or football coach. 'I've proven myself to be a competent football coach and a football manager, but I have an identity as a person and what this has done — which was not the aim in the slightest — has highlighted my personality. I would prefer my identity to be shaped and defined by the way I apply myself rather than the industry that I work in.' How much longer Williams will continue in employment at the airport is unclear. When he reported for his shift last Sunday morning, following the social media storm 24 hours before, it felt different — and different in a way that concerned him. 'Particularly the department I'm working in, there are many vulnerable passengers and the airport can be a chaotic place for them, and they need to be made the priority, and it should never be about me,' he says. Advertisement 'I don't want to be sidetracked from the job or bring undue attention to the job, so I need to question what's right for everybody: my colleagues and, most importantly, for the passengers.' Williams shrugs when it's put to him that it's a shame to hear that. 'It's a shame in some ways. In other ways, it's not a shame,' he says. 'I've really enjoyed it and I feel like I contributed to the group of CCAs — the customer care assistants — that I've worked with. I've learned a lot.' As we finish the interview, Williams turns his phone over and there is a message from one of his former players about working at the airport. Williams smiles, prompting me to ask him if I can read it. 'What a f***ing legend you are, by the way. Seen that picture going around, that is class. No sitting on your backside. Just getting out and getting it done. No ego — like you always say.'
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Fairytale European city that is like ‘going back centuries' to get new easyJet flights from the UK
A EUROPEAN city most people associate with Christmas is getting new UK flights this year. Strasbourg is the capital city of the Grand Est region and sits on the French-German border. 5 easyJet is introducing new flights to Strasbourg Credit: Alamy 5 The Petite France quarter is known for its beautiful houses and canals Credit: Alamy And in November, easyJet will be flying to Strasbourg from Manchester. Despite the UK getting hot this week, the city is known for its bustling Christmas market. Strasbourg is known as the "Capital of Christmas" with the market, also known as Christkindelsmärik, is scheduled to run from November 27 to December 27. Flight tickets have been released already with tickets on sale in November from £48.99 (one-way). Read More on City Breaks From November 28, the new service will operate twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays. This is part of easyJet's expansion of 22 new routes from UK airports for the winter season. For anyone keen to jet off before then, easyJet already offers flights from the UK to Strasbourg flying from London Heathrow from £38.99 - and it's one hour and 35 minutes away. And the city is equally just as beautiful to explore during the summertime with average highs of 26C. Most read in City breaks The area of Strasbourg that attracts most of the tourists is Petite France where you'll find the charming houses, cobbled streets and canals. One visitor said: "It's breathtaking, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. Escape Winter: Fly to Gran Canaria with EasyJet 5 easyJet flights from Manchester align with the Christmas market Credit: Alamy 5 Strasbourg also houses what's believed to be the world's oldest wine barrel Credit: Alamy "It's like stepping back in time several centuries." Another added that it's a place that makes you "feel like you're in a fairytale." Not that you can taste it, but Strasbourg is home to what's believed to be the world's oldest barrel of wine. It's housed in the Historic Wine Cellar of Strasbourg Hospital, a 14th-century cellar beneath the modern city hospital . The wine has been tasted only three times in its history, in the years 1576, 1718, and 1944. It's not drinkable any longer though as it dates back to 1472. While that barrel remains untouched, the cellar still produces wine, around 140,000 bottles each year. Not to mention there's lots of wine bars and pubs throughout the city, it's known for its white wines, particularly Riesling and Gewürztraminer . Popular spots for wine include L'Alsace à Boire which sells local wines along with charcuterie boards. Or Le Purgatoire which has been praised for its extensive wine list. Here are Plus, easyJet has launched One Travel Writer visited Strasbourg The Sun's Health Feature Editor Alice Fuller recently visited the city - here are her thoughts. "The vibrant French city is a powerful political centre (home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights) yet it still has a quaint countryside village feel. "With half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and a 1,000-year-old cathedral stood alongside lively bars, modern museums and shimmering glass consulates, it's a seamless mix of mediaeval and futuristic. Strolling the narrow streets, I marvel at colourful toytown cottages that look like they're straight out of a Grimm's fairytale next to sprawling French chateaux." 5 Strasbourg has classic timber houses and very old wine Credit: Alamy
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Mum's young-onset dementia is 'heartbreaking' says Bristol woman
The daughter of a 58-year-old woman diagnosed with young-onset dementia is sharing her experience to help raise awareness of the Britton, 29, from Bristol, said she knew the symptoms her mum, Maria Britton, was showing in 2023 seemed serious but after initially being put down to the menopause it took months of "pushing" to discover the true Britton, who works as a cabin manager for EasyJet, said in under two years she had gone from being her mum's daughter to her carer which was "heartbreaking".A spokesperson for the Alzheimer's Society said dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK and one in three people will develop dementia in their lifetime. Dementia is most common in people over the age of 65, but about 70,800 people in the UK are living with young-onset dementia, typically diagnosed before the age of 65, according to the Alzheimer's Britton said she wanted to raise awareness as "so many" people talk about cancer, but few realise the likelihood of developing dementia. Less than two years ago, Ms Britton, her mum, and her brother Harry were looking forward to the "holiday of a lifetime" in Disneyland, Florida."My brother had generously paid for my mum, who had always wanted to go, but just before we went things didn't seem right with her," she said."She'd become withdrawn and quiet and went from being so excited, to seeming like she couldn't care less, and lost her normal mannerisms."I was constantly asking her 'are you okay?'. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what." 'Really quiet' After they returned home, Ms Britton said her mum, who worked in accounts, admitted she had been making mistakes at work, but she did not know encouraged her to visit a doctor and Maria was told she was experiencing symptoms of the menopause and put on was between September and December 2023, during which time Maria's boss suggested she take time off work to get better."By January she'd become really quiet and distanced herself, like she didn't really want to talk," said Ms Britton."It was really, really strange and not like her, because she was so chatty before, you could never get her to be quiet."Ms Britton pushed for another GP appointment and her mum was referred for a CT scan but no abnormalities were highlighted so she was referred to a brain clinic. Maria resigned from her job, Ms Britton said, adding: "Her speech deteriorated, she would stutter a lot, and she gradually became unable to put sentences together."She was referred to the Dementia Wellbeing Service who visited within the month."That was around the end of August and they did a really thorough investigation, and by this time, mum's speech was worse along with the motor skills of her hands," Ms Britton said."The dementia clinic came back and said mum has a dementia and they believed it to be the behavioural variant - frontotemporal dementia." Having frontotemporal dementia means her mum still knows who everyone is but it has impacted her speech and personality."Mum can only say yes or no now, and her processing's so bad she can't do anything for herself except walk around. In every aspect of her life she needs help," Ms Britton visit three times a day but Ms Britton prepares all her mum's meals, as well as cleaning, shopping and helping her shower. "I change her bedding. I do her laundry. I take care of her finances. I take her to all her appointments. So anything a human needs, especially someone who does have an illness, I do for her." 'Quite scary' Ms Britton said: "At times it is overwhelming and crazy. Twenty months ago she was working, she seemed herself, and now, I'm like her parent, you know the roles are reversed significantly."Now she loves Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol… she loves walking around with her teddy bear."Some days I think – and it sounds selfish – but I just wish I didn't have to be this carer role anymore, because it takes so much away from me and my mum, too."But I never want to see mum sad, so everything I do is for her."Ms Britton and her brother Harry have learned the dementia her mum has is hereditary, so they her are in the process of being referred to a genetics clinic."We can be tested if we want to be. It's quite scary but we're just trying to get on with everything, maintain our lives and be as happy as we can be." Ms Britton wants to raise awareness of the condition and recently joined more than 1,000 people for a 26-mile (41.8km) fundraising walk in the Lake District with her brother Harry and partner than £600,000 was raised for the Alzheimer's Society, with the charity being fundamental to helping her cope, she said."They supported me and my family through the diagnosis and they're there at the end of the phone whenever you need them", she Britton said people do not realise how quickly dementia can deteriorate and advised anyone else going through something similar to "trust your instinct"."I knew immediately on that holiday there was so much more to the quietness and her being withdrawn. I even Googled early-onset dementia when I was away and everyone thought I was being silly."With something like this, the earlier you can - not catch it, because obviously it's not fixable - but the earlier you can recognise signs the easier it is for things to be put in place quicker."
Metro
a day ago
- Business
- Metro
British holidaymakers in Spain face summer of strikes by hospitality staff
British holidaymakers may find their getaways thrown into chaos amid a summer of planned strike action at popular Spanish destinations. Hospitality sector workers in the Balearic Islands have threatened to walk out from July 10 after talks broke down over pay increases. A total of 180,000 workers in hotels, restaurants and other tourist spots – a majority of those employed in the sector on the islands – are set to strike. It comes amid a wave of other industrial action as well as protests against over-tourism across Spain. The main flash point in negotiations with unions is a 17 per cent pay rise demanded by unions. So far workers have been offered a salary bump of 8.5 per cent. The latest announcement of strike action comes despite an eleventh-hour deal reached with hotel workers to avoid a walkout in four of the Canary Islands including Tenerife. Further strikes in Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera will affect all bars, restaurants, cafes and night spots may go ahead on July 18, 19, 25 and 31. The UGT union is also demanding several other reforms to working practices, including a 35-hour working week and to increase the duration of seasonal fixed-term contracts from six to nine months a year. UGT spokesperson Jose Garcia Relucio branded concessions made at Thursday's talks as 'more crumbs', MailOnline reported. The union said that despite entering the negotiations to improve conditions for workers, the meeting had ended with several agreed reforms rolled back. However the Majorca Hotel Business Federation blamed UGT for a creating a poor negotiating environment and failing to listen to its reasons for not meeting its demands. Its vice-president, María José Aguiló, said: 'We have reached a point where, despite the fact we have been willing to address the issue of guaranteed employment for fixed-term contracts, they have not listened to our reasons for not raising the proposed [salary] increase.' Holidaymakers have already been disrupted this week after EasyJet cabin crew in Spain went on strike from Wednesday, impacting dozens of flights to popular destinations including Malaga, Barcelona and Alicante. A total of 62 flights were cancelled with the airline to and from Spain on Thursday, the second day of action. More Trending The USO union has not ruled out a further indefinite strike if its demands its members to be paid equal to EasyJet employees in other countries are not met. Earlier this month, thousands marched across Spain to tell Brits to 'go home' amid concerns over unsustainable tourism at favourite holiday spots. A demonstration in Palma de Majorca saw protesters carry placards in front of beleaguered tourists reading: 'Mallorca is not your cash cow… go home' and 'your holidays, our anxiety'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Europe hit by deadly heatwave with temperatures over 40C in holiday hotspots MORE: Brit at centre of Oldham striker fight in Ibiza pool speaks out MORE: British woman killed walking past Spanish bar when it exploded
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
The big change affecting European travel
The days of being charged additional fees for your hand luggage on flights could soon be a thing of the past – at least in the European Union. On 24 June, lawmakers voted in favour of a proposal allowing passengers to bring a small carry-on bag weighing up to 7kg (15.4lbs) on board their flight free of charge, even on budget airlines. Under the new rule, which could take effect as early as July 2025, travellers would be allowed to bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100cm on board their flight, as well as an under-the-seat personal item with a maximum size of 40x30x15cm at no additional cost. The proposed law still requires approval from 55% of EU member states, but if adopted, the new rules would extend to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the EU. "Today's vote marks an important step toward fairer and more transparent travel," vice-chair of the EU Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Matteo Ricci said in a press statement. "[It introduces] concrete measures such as the clear definition of free hand luggage … a fundamental right to avoid unjustified extra costs." Previously, EU-based budget airlines like EasyJet, RyanAir, Wizz and others often charged substantial fees for hand luggage, depending on its size and weight. As a result, Spain's Consumer Rights Ministry fined five budget airlines €179m (£149m) for what it deemed "abusive practices" in November 2024. The Spanish ruling, along with pressure from consumer rights associations and passengers, has paved the way for the EU to push for what it considers fairer and more consistent hand luggage rules. The carry-on proposal is part of a larger effort by the European Parliament to increase protections and rights for travellers. To ensure that families can sit together without incurring additional costs, lawmakers also voted to prohibit airlines from imposing seat selection charges for children aged 12 and under. Lawmakers also want to change the way companies handle compensation and reimbursement requests by requiring ticket vendors or third-party retailers to inform passengers of the full cost of their flight at the time of booking – including intermediation or service fees – as well as the reimbursement process. Officials also want to ensure that travellers in the EU aren't just entitled to compensation when airline delays cause them to miss their connecting flights, but also when a delay causes them to miss their connection on another mode of transport (an airport bus, for instance) when the ticket is purchased through one operator. While the new proposals may seem like a victory for passengers, not everyone is in favour of enacting them into law. Airline industry representatives are strongly opposed to waiving hand luggage fees, saying that the cost of the bag will be folded into overall prices, making them higher for everyone in the long run. Critics suggest that the new rules essentially force travellers to bring along hand luggage, since the cost will be baked into their ticket with no opportunity to opt out. "Europe's airline market is built on choice. Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need," said Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines For Europe, Europe's largest airline association, in a statement. "What's next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket? The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don't." -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
