ANDREW FLINTOFF has been tipped for a shock new job after his pay row with the Northern Superchargers.

But his 2005 Ashes pal reckons snubbing the opportunity would be good for England.

Getty

Andrew Flintoff could stay in The Hundred after leaving the Northern Superchargers[/caption]

Getty

Flintoff’s close friend Steve Harmison thinks snubbing another role could be a benefit for England[/caption]

Flintoff quit as head coach of the Superchargers, insisting he was “worth more” than what the new owners of The Hundred franchise were willing to pay.

The former England hero, 47, led his side to fourth and the Eliminator in his two seasons at the helm.

But when the Sun Group, an Indian media conglomerate, paid more than £100million for the Leeds-based team, they did not see eye to eye.

Now, though, his good friend Steve Harmison reckons he could return to The Hundred with immediate effect.

The Trent Rockets are looking for a new head coach after Andy Flower left for the London Spirit.

And that may pave the way for Flintoff to head to Nottingham – although the gig with the Manchester Originals could also be tempting for the Lancashire legend.

However, Harmison is worried his involvement in The Hundred could have a negative impact on Flintoff and England – due to his other role as head coach of the national Lions development team.

Harmison told talkSPORT: “I could see him going to Trent Rockets because there is a vacancy there. Will he hang on for Manchester Originals?

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS

“But it’s better for English cricket that he’s not doing the franchise cricket because I think the franchise is shocking.

“You’ve got a competition of eight teams and there are not many English coaches.

“If you are looking at trying to have a pathway for England players, where is your pathway for the next England coach from England after Brendon McCullum?

“You could argue it was coming with an Andrew Flintoff-type. But, at this moment in time, it wasn’t the right thing for him. He’s moved out, somebody will move in – he’s doing a great job with the Lions, shaping future players.

“Where it goes when it comes to the franchise stuff, God only knows. But I am pleased he’s not doing that anymore.

“Some of these young Lions players will get the full attention of Andrew Flintoff, where before, he has had one eye on the franchise world.”

Flintoff will be with the Lions squad for the build-up to the Ashes.

He said of his Headingley exit: “I genuinely don’t do it for the money – although it’s nice – but I’m worth more than just over a quarter of the salary of other head coaches.

“We have new owners and I spoke to them and said: ‘Yeah, fine, make us an offer.’

“I wasn’t encouraged they wanted me anyway, and you want to feel valued. So I said that it’s not going to work for me and they weren’t going to move on it.

“I felt we were building something over the last two years and I’d have loved to see it through.”

SINCE he was a baby, George Palmer had been using steroid creams, prescribed by his doctor, to treat his head to toe eczema.

While on holiday aged 15, when he forgot his creams, his skin began to start shedding – but he could have never have predicted how bad the symptoms would end up being.

SWNS

George Palmer has been using topical steroid cream since he was a baby[/caption]

SWNS

When he came off the medicine he was hit with the horrifying realisation he now suffered from topical steroid withdrawal[/caption]

George, now 25, ended up bed bound and with horrific flaky, oozing skin when he stopped using steroid cream to treat his eczema.

As a baby, the cream was used to treat a mild bout of eczema, and he’d been applying it daily ever since.

But with his body quickly building up a tolerance, his prescription was upped, until he reached a point where he either had to start on the highest dose available or stop completely.

When he finally came off the medicine George was hit with the horrifying realisation that he now suffered from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW).

This is a severe reaction which causes oozing burning skin with excessive flaking, weight loss, hair loss, and can leave patients bed bound.

TSW caused him significant discomfort, and he is now fundraising to continue his treatment.

George, from Coventry, West Midlands, said: “I was prescribed steroid creams as a baby for eczema, and I have been seeing an NHS dermatologist ever since.

“When I was on the creams I was applying them every day pretty much head to toe. When I came off them even for a day my skin would start to peel.

“When I came off the creams, my skin wasn’t able to kill bacteria and my body wasn’t able to heal itself.

“I have been left with nerve damage and intense hypersensitivity. It is horrible.

“I had full blown skin infections head to toe. I lost all my hair, my eyebrows, and my beard started falling out. I couldn’t leave bed for weeks and was having panic attacks.

“It got to the point where I thought I had to go back on the creams because I had withdrawal so bad and I literally couldn’t do anything for myself. That was probably the lowest point of my life.”

Treatment in Thailand

SWNS

George was left bed bound and with horrific flaky, oozing skin when he stopped using steroid cream[/caption]

The former HGV technician says he made the decision to start a specialised and expensive therapy called Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) therapy in Thailand.

CAP treatment uses ionised gas to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, stimulate cell repair, and support natural skin regeneration.

With 19 treatment sessions completed, George says things are going very well so far, but that there is still a long way to go.

He added: “I had built a tolerance to all the creams and was now on the second strongest dose. I would have built up a tolerance to that in a few years, so it was only a matter of time.

When I came off the creams fully to start treatment I saw how my skin was for the first time. It was really nasty. My skin was non-stop oozing

George Palmer

“If I waited then I might have had kids and a mortgage, so it seemed like the best time to do it now. Lots of people have had to sell their houses to pay for treatment.

“When I came off the creams fully to start treatment I saw how my skin was for the first time. It was really nasty. My skin was non-stop oozing.

“I have made quite a good improvement so far. But I still have open patches of skin and I can only wash with saline as water feels like acid. The only time I leave my condo is to go to treatment. It is quite lonely.

“I don’t have any infections anymore, but I still can’t go outside for very long due to the heat in Thailand. And if I walk past someone with perfume on I break out in full body hives”

Though treatment has made huge improvements, George says he had to sacrifice a lot and put his own life on hold to afford treatment.

For ten months worth of sessions and moving to Thailand he says that costs have come to around £26,000, blowing all his savings for a house with girlfriend Alana Crew-Gee.

The clinic manager believes due to George’s 25 years of usage he will need to continue treatment in Thailand for five more years.

Therefore, he has started a fundraiser to try and pay for a machine which would allow him to continue his treatment back in the UK surrounded by loved ones.

SWNS

George has been undergoing Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) therapy in Thailand[/caption]

SWNS

He’s now hoping for more awareness of TSW when doctors come to prescribe the cream[/caption]

He added: “I had saved with my girlfriend to buy a home and I had a nice car. The last thing I wanted to do was pack everything in and come to do this and spend all my money. I gave up my life.

“I sold my car, used all my savings, and even with help from family and friends I won’t be able to stay out here for the whole five years.

“It is touching to see that it is doing quite well. People have been quite generous. It has done better than I thought it would so far.”

So far, the Gofundme page has raised just over £5,000, but there is a long way to go to reach George’s goal of £23,000.

He is also hoping in the future there will be more research and education on TSW, as he feels doctors should have warned him before prescribing the creams.

He said: “I think that most doctors in the NHS are not aware of the long term effects when they prescribe the creams. I think there needs to be a lot more research.

“My mother was assured when I was first prescribed the creams that I would be okay. She had expressed concerns to doctors multiple times and they assured her that I would be fine.

“I was seeing an NHS dermatologist for 25 years and they knew I was on this cream and just kept increasing the dose. Now I have had to put my whole life on hold to fix it.

“There is a lot of blame to place for the fact that this has been allowed to go on for such a long time.”

To donate to George’s fundraiser, click here.

A BRITISH high street giant is closing four stores next week as it launches final clearance sales.

The high street giant, which employs 14,700 staff, has been under financial pressure in recent years.

Alamy

Poundland will close branches in Livingston, Rochdale, Leicester and Tenby between October 13 and October 18, marking the latest stage in its major restructuring.

Earlier this week, the discount chain also shut stores in Market Harborough on October 9, Lowestoft on October 10 and Livingston (lease expiry) on October 12.

Poundland, which had around 800 stores at the start of its restructuring process, will be left with between 650 and 700 once the shake-up is complete.

Its new owner, Gordon Brothers, who bought the business for just £1 in June, has promised a £90million investment to revive the brand.

The rescue plan includes the closure of 68 stores, the loss of 1,000 jobs, and the shutdown of two warehouses, affecting 350 workers.

The restructuring also involves rent reductions at up to 180 stores and the scrapping of Poundland’s frozen food section and website.

However, not all the news is bleak.

Earlier this week, Poundland confirmed that a few stores originally earmarked for closure will now stay open, offering a glimmer of hope for affected communities and staff.

Among those saved are branches in Irvine’s Rivergate Centre, Brighton (London Road), Anniesland (Great Western Road) and Whitby.

A further seven closures at undisclosed locations will also no longer go ahead.

Poundland’s retail director, Darren MacDonald, said: *“We know how disappointing it is when we leave a store, but before we close our doors for a final time, we’re determined to say goodbye by offering even more amazing value to customers.

“These special reductions, on top of the value we offer day-in-day-out across our wider network, will help us leave these locations with pride.

“And when our doors close in these locations, we’ll look forward to welcoming customers to one of the hundreds of Poundland stores we’ll continue to operate right across the UK.”

Other changes at Poundland

Shoppers can no longer buy products from the Poundland website and its loyalty scheme, Poundland Perks, has been axed.

Loyalty scheme customers signed up to the Poundland Perks app have until January 15, 2026, to use their reward vouchers.

The chain will also close its frozen and digital distribution centre in Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year.

Meanwhile, the Bilston national distribution centre will close in early 2026.

It has also launched huge clearance sales in some branches, with some offering deals of up to 90% off.

The news comes as Poundland is going back to basics, with plans to increase the number of products sold in store for £1.

As part of the shake up, the discounter will roll out £1, £2 and £3 grocery pricing across all its stores.

The retailer hopes the changes will win back customers by staying true to its promise of great value.

The new pricing will be rolled out to all Poundland UK stores in phases this month.

Getty

A FUMING mum has slammed so-called bargain hunters who rushed to Aldi’s famous wooden toy sale, only to flog their finds online for double the price.

Melissa, who runs the TikTok account @casadecullen, didn’t hold back as she blasted “the worst of the worst” people.

tiktok/@casadecullen

tiktok/@casadecullen

Her disappointment began when she spotted toys from the supermarket’s huge wooden toy event already being sold on Vinted before shoppers had even made it home.

In a fiery rant, Melissa said: “If you went to the Aldi toy event this morning purely so you could put it on Vinted, you are the worst of the worst!”

The Aldi wooden toy sale went live yesterday, Thursday, October 9, and was billed as the supermarket’s biggest ever, with bargains starting from just £2.99.

But while mums and dads across the UK dashed to stores hoping to bag early Christmas presents, footage on social media showed chaotic scenes in the Specialbuys aisle as shoppers scrambled to get their hands on the sought-after toys.

However, not everyone was shopping for Santa.

Some eagle-eyed bargain hunters were quick to list the toys online, with jaw-dropping markups.

Wooden food crates that retailed for £7.49 were spotted on Vinted for £27.99, while the £4.99 wooden Cuthbert cake was being shamelessly flogged for £27.30.

And it didn’t stop there, the £4.99 wooden birthday cake was also being resold for £27, leaving furious parents branding the sellers “greedy” and “disgusting.”

Melissa blasted pictures from sellers who still had the carrier bags in the shot, pointing out they hadn’t even gotten home before posting the toys online.

She urged parents not to line the pockets of resellers, saying: “If you are a parent looking for these toys, do not spend that money, do not buy off these people on Vinted.”

She hoped the greedy sellers would be left with unsold items that they would struggle to return.

Melissa added that she understands times are tough but slammed those who buy up sought-after items just to make a quick profit.

“I know times are tough for people, they’re tough for everyone right now.” she said.

She explained that Vinted should be used to make some money selling off your old clothes, but that it was wrong to intentionally buy things only to hike up the price online, calling it “ridiculous”.

Other parents have shared their disappointment online, too, calling the re-sellers “greedy”.

One mum said:” Vinted is highly p***ing me off because of this today I’ve had to stay off it or I’ll go full on rampage on people”

Another added: “How It’s absolutely disgusting! Aldi makes these events so people on a budget can have nice things. People selling things like the cake for £30 are vile.”

While a third chimed in: “I’ve had to stop looking, it’s raising my blood pressure”.

Others have even admitted to taking steps to punish the resellers.

One mum said: “I’ve started to report the resellers on Vinted, just click report and say it goes against Section 12 of the terms and conditions.”

Another user said: “I keep purposely offering super low offers to annoy them”.

What’s in the toy event this year?

Aldi says this year is its biggest range yet, and it includes new products such as a Mechanic’s Car, Double Air Fryer and Spa Station.

Some returning favourites include the Wooden Aldi Supermarket, Wooden Cuthbert Cake and the Wooden Kitchens.

It’s worth noting these are all Aldi Specialbuys so once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Lidl is also holding a wooden toy event – and it’s much quieter

Rival Lidl is also holding its Christmas Wooden Toys event today, so don’t worry if you’ve missed out on the Aldi bargains.

TikTokers said that Lidl stores were much quieter yesterday and that they’d managed to snap up some great deals without fighting off other parents.

One commenter said: “I did Aldi first and then Lidl and there was literally three of us looking for toys in Lidl. Aldi was stress.”

Shoppers can also get up to an extra 20% off if they have Lidl Plus, and prices start from as low as £1.79.

Some of the items on offer include the Lupilu Dressing Table & Stool Set, which is £39.99 or £31.99 for Lidl Plus members.

There’s also the Lupilu Dinosaur Set which is £14.99, or £13.49 for loyalty members.

Meanwhile the Ice Cream Play Food Set is £4.99, or £3.99 if you have Lidl Plus.

More shops holding toy sales

Aldi and Lidl aren’t the only shops with big toy sale events on, so there’s plenty of opportunity to stock up for Christmas.

Morrisons is running a half-price toy sale, with up to 50% off big-name brands like Barbie, LEGO, Hot Wheels, Mario Kart and Bluey.

The sale is running until October 26 and is exclusive to More Card holders.

Tesco’s toy sale started on September 16 and is running until November 2.

It has up to 50% off across dolls, games and LEGO sets.

Zuko Komisa Multi-award-winning South African artist Big Zulu has embarked on a deeply personal and historic new chapter in his musical career, releasing a powerful collaborative album with his own daughter, Nkabikazi. The joint project, titled ‘Undodakazi’—which translates to ‘Daughter’ in isiZulu—is now available across all major streaming platforms. This [...]

The post Big Zulu partners with daughter Nkabikazi for emotional collaborative album, ‘Undodakazi’ appeared first on KAYA 959.

The raid aims to recover funds stolen by corrupt syndicates at Tembisa Hospital.

The rankings follow a series of others that have hailed Bristol's success