Wales’s Hollywood Dream Team Suffer Rude Awakening
WREXHAM’S remarkable rise through English football suffered one of its most sobering nights as Phil Parkinson’s side were beaten 6-0 by West Ham United at the London Stadium.
We asked before the game whether facing one of the Championship’s promotion favourites might represent Wrexham’s biggest challenge since the Hollywood takeover.
The answer was emphatic.
A league clash between these two sides may have seemed unthinkable just five years ago, but the margin of defeat will serve as a chastening reminder to supporters of the north Wales club that their Hollywood script still has many twists and turns ahead.
WHO SCORED FOR WEST HAM AGAINST WREXHAM?
West Ham had six different goalscorers.
Captain Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring after 28 minutes before Joel Piroe doubled the advantage nine minutes later.
Any Wrexham hopes of a second-half recovery disappeared quickly when Konstantinos Mavropanos made it 3-0 shortly after the restart.
Taty Castellanos, Mohamadou Kanté and Manor Solomon completed the rout as West Ham scored four times after half-time.
The victory took the Hammers to the top of the Championship and extended their winning league run to four matches.
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IS 6-0 WREXHAM’S HEAVIEST DEFEAT UNDER PHIL PARKINSON?
Yes.
Parkinson’s previous heaviest defeat as Wrexham manager was the 5-0 League Two loss at Stockport County in September 2023.
Friday night’s result therefore becomes his biggest defeat since taking charge at the Racecourse in 2021.
It is also the heaviest loss Wrexham have suffered during the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney era.
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WAS THIS A CHAMPIONSHIP REALITY CHECK?
It certainly looked like one.
Wrexham had travelled to London unbeaten in their previous three league games and with encouraging away results at Millwall and Swansea behind them.
West Ham, though, represented another level.
A team playing Premier League football only last season ruthlessly punished Wrexham once they gained control, with the visitors managing only one shot on target compared with West Ham’s nine.
One heavy defeat does not undo three successive promotions or the extraordinary progress Wrexham have made.
But it may provide the clearest indication yet of just how unforgiving the upper reaches of the Championship can be.
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Parkinson and his players now have an opportunity to regroup before returning to the Racecourse to face Southampton on Saturday, September 19.
For a club whose recent story has frequently appeared to follow a Hollywood script, Friday night provided something rather different.
Every blockbuster needs a setback. Wrexham will now discover how good the sequel is.
Comics, Cards, Collectables, Cosplay & Colourful Creations all on Cardiff Met Campus
IF comics, film, LEGO creations, Pokémon cards or collectables are your thing, Cardiff has an unusually packed weekend in store this weekend.
Three events are heading to the National Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC), Cardiff Met Cyncoed Campus, 9 Cyncoed Road, Cardiff CF23 6XD, bringing together film and television stars, cosplayers, LEGO enthusiasts, card collectors, traders and families across the weekend.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS:
WHAT’S ON 1: CARDIFF FILM & COMIC CON – Today & Tomorrow (Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September)
The biggest of the three is Cardiff Film & Comic Con, returning for two days of celebrity guests, autograph and photo opportunities, comics, cosplay, memorabilia and specialist traders.
Doors open from 9am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. Among the headline guests currently announced are Brian Blessed, Craig Charles, Colin Baker, Julian Glover, Eve Myles and Kai Owen, alongside a wider guest list that includes Paul Chuckle, Julian Bleach, Femi Taylor, Valerie Leon and Sue Hodge. Guest appearances remain subject to work commitments.
There will also be a dedicated Cosplay Zone, including the popular cosplay masquerades on both days, and a Comic Zone where visitors can meet creators, browse back issues and new releases, discover original artwork and hunt down collectables. A programme of guest talks runs throughout the weekend, with many of the talks included free with admission, subject to available seating.
Standard single-day admission is £11 for adults, £5 for children or £23 for a family ticket, while a standard weekend ticket costs £16. Early Entry, from 9am, costs £18 for one day or £32 for the weekend. A £1 booking fee applies per ticket, and celebrity autographs, professional photos and some premium talks cost extra.
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WHAT’S ON 2: CARDIFF BRICK FESTIVAL – Today (Saturday, 12 September)
Running alongside Saturday’s Comic Con is the Cardiff Brick Festival, a celebration of all things LEGO, open from 10am until 4pm.
This one should have plenty of appeal to children and grown-up builders alike, with impressive LEGO displays, speed-building competitions, hands-on activities and a dedicated building area. Traders will also be selling everything from individual bricks and minifigures to new and retired LEGO sets and accessories.
Early Entry costs £15 per person from 10am and includes an extra hour at the event plus a LEGO gift. Standard admission is £8 for adults, £6 for children or £22 for a family of two adults and two children. Children under five are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult, while carers accompanying someone who requires assistance also enter free.
It could be a particularly good choice for families looking for something interactive rather than simply an exhibition to walk around.
Sunday sees Card Market Cardiff arrive at NIAC, running from 10am until 4pm and bringing together collectors, players and traders from the rapidly growing trading-card scene.
Expect tables filled with Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana and other trading card games, alongside sports cards covering football and American sports, entertainment cards, memorabilia, autographs and other collectables. Visitors can buy and sell cards, meet dealers and fellow collectors and make use of a dedicated trading area. The organisers are also advertising interactive activities and a retro gaming element.
Tickets are £12 for Early Bird admission from 10am, £9 for adult general admission, £5 for children or £25 for a family ticket.
So whether your collection involves comics, bricks or trading cards, Cardiff Met’s Cyncoed Campus may well be the place to be this weekend. The fact that Film & Comic Con overlaps with the Brick Festival on Saturday and Card Market Cardiff on Sunday also gives serious enthusiasts the opportunity to combine events and make a full day of it.
With celebrity guests, cosplay, giant brick creations, rare LEGO sets, Pokémon cards, comic artwork and specialist traders all gathering in one location, get set for a Cardiff pop culture invasion this weekend!
The Holy Bible Live will take listeners back to the Welsh band’s sold-out 2014 tour, when they performed their landmark 1994 album The Holy Bible in full to mark its 20th anniversary.
But what exactly is the new release, when can fans buy it, why does The Holy Bible remain such an important Manics album – and where can the band be seen live in the coming months?
WHAT IS THE HOLY BIBLE LIVE?
The Holy Bible Live captures Manic Street Preachers performing their third studio album, The Holy Bible, in full during their three-night run at London’s Roundhouse in December 2014.
The concerts formed part of a sold-out tour marking 20 years since the original album’s release.
For many Manics followers, the prospect of the band performing such an intense record from beginning to end had once seemed unlikely.
More than a decade later, those performances are finally receiving a full official release.
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WHEN IS THE HOLY BIBLE LIVE RELEASED?
The Holy Bible Live will be released on Friday, October 23, 2026.
It is already available to pre-order.
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WHAT FORMATS WILL IT BE AVAILABLE ON?
There are several options for collectors and fans.
The release will be available in deluxe, double vinyl, CD and Blu-ray, and digital formats.
Selected packages also include the concert film Be Pure – Be Vigilant – Behave, directed by Kieran Evans and filmed across the band’s 2014 performances.
There is another attraction for long-time fans: a new spatial audio mix of the original The Holy Bible album by acclaimed producer and musician Steven Wilson is included with some editions.
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WHY IS THE HOLY BIBLE SO IMPORTANT TO MANIC STREET PREACHERS FANS?
Released in 1994, The Holy Bible was the Manics’ third studio album and remains one of the most discussed records in the band’s catalogue.
It reached Number 6 in the UK Albums Chart, but its reputation has grown considerably in the decades since its release.
Containing tracks including Faster, Yes, She Is Suffering and This Is Yesterday, the album tackled unusually uncompromising subjects and featured a particularly strong lyrical contribution from Richey Edwards.
For many fans and critics, The Holy Bible represents the Manics at their most intense, challenging and uncompromising.
That helps explain why the decision to perform the album in its entirety in 2014 attracted such attention – and why the recordings continue to carry considerable interest more than a decade later.
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ARE MANIC STREET PREACHERS TOURING NORTH AMERICA?
Yes.
The Manics return to North America in November for three headline shows in California:
November 16 – San Francisco – The Regency Ballroom
November 18 – Los Angeles – The Wiltern
November 19 – San Diego – Observatory North Park
Tickets for the three shows are already on sale.
The dates offer another opportunity for the band’s substantial international following to see one of Wales’s most enduring rock acts live.
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ARE THE MANICS TOURING THE UK TOO?
Yes – and Welsh fans have two particularly notable dates to look forward to.
Manic Street Preachers are joining forces once again with Suede for a major UK arena tour beginning in Glasgow on October 28.
The tour includes two nights at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on November 3 and 4, before continuing to London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Bournemouth.
The partnership revives a relationship between two bands whose histories stretch back through some of the most significant years in British alternative rock.
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WHO ARE THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF MANIC STREET PREACHERS?
The band continue as the trio of James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore.
All three grew up in the Blackwood area of south Wales and have now been making music together for almost four decades.
Their former bandmate Richey Edwards remains an inseparable part of the Manics’ history and of the story behind The Holy Bible.
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WHY IS THE HOLY BIBLE LIVE BEING RELEASED NOW?
The Roundhouse recordings have existed since the 2014 anniversary performances, but this is the first time the complete live project has been given such an extensive official release.
The package also brings the performances together with Kieran Evans’s concert film and newly prepared audio material, turning the 2014 shows into a much more substantial retrospective of one of the band’s defining albums.
For Manic Street Preachers fans who were at the shows, it offers the chance to revisit an extraordinary night.
For those who missed them, it may be the closest thing to going back to the Roundhouse in 2014.
And with new live dates on both sides of the Atlantic this autumn, The Holy Bible Live arrives at a particularly busy time for one of Wales’s most internationally successful bands.
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WHAT HAPPENED TO RICHEY EDWARDS?
For anyone discovering the Manics’ history for the first time, Richey Edwards was the band’s rhythm guitarist, co-lyricist and one of the defining personalities of their early years.
On February 1, 1995, aged 27, he left a London hotel on the day he was due to travel to the United States with James Dean Bradfield for promotional work – and was never seen again.
His car was later found near the Severn Bridge, but no confirmed explanation for his disappearance has ever been established and his body has never been found.
Over the years there have been reported sightings and continuing speculation, but Edwards was legally presumed dead in 2008.
His disappearance remains one of British music’s enduring mysteries, while his influence on Manic Street Preachers – particularly through the lyrics of The Holy Bible – remains central to the band’s story.
FOOTNOTE: It is now just over 32 years since The Holy Bible first entered the UK Albums Chart in September 1994, reaching Number 6.
Thirty-two years on, The Holy Bible is still refusing to behave like an old record.
Your One-Stop Guide to St Fagans Food Festival 2026
ONE of Wales’s most popular food events returns to St Fagans National Museum of History this weekend, with more than 80 food, drink and craft stalls filling the museum grounds.
The St Fagans Food Festival 2026 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, offering everything from traditional Welsh produce and international street food to live entertainment and family activities.
But is the festival free, do you need a ticket – and, perhaps most importantly for an outdoor event in Wales, what is the weather likely to do?
WHEN IS ST FAGANS FOOD FESTIVAL 2026?
The festival takes place on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, and is open from 10am until 6pm on both days.
It is held throughout the grounds of St Fagans National Museum of History, on the outskirts of Cardiff.
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IS ST FAGANS FOOD FESTIVAL FREE?
Yes.
Entry to both St Fagans National Museum of History and the Food Festival is free.
Most of the festival programme is also free, although there are some paid-for attractions including the traditional fairground.
You do not need to book an admission ticket in advance – visitors can simply turn up.
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WHAT FOOD WILL BE AVAILABLE?
Plenty.
More than 80 food, drink and craft stalls are expected across the museum, including small and independent producers from around Wales.
Street food areas will offer everything from traditional Welsh fare to burgers, Mexican, Jamaican and Indian food, along with pizzas, tacos, doughnuts, ice cream and plenty more.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices will also be available.
There will also be pop-up bars serving lager, cider, cocktails and soft drinks.
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WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
The weekend is about considerably more than eating.
Visitors can expect cookery demonstrations, live music, theatre, family activities and roaming entertainment across the St Fagans site.
The National Vegetable Society Welsh Branch Championships are also taking place during the weekend, while the museum’s historic buildings and exhibitions remain another reason to make a day of the visit.
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WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE AT ST FAGANS THIS WEEKEND?
As every Welsh festival-goer knows, this can be just as important as what is on the programme.
The current forecast suggests Saturday should begin reasonably dry, with the better prospects during the morning and early afternoon. The chance of rain is expected to increase later in the afternoon and into the evening, so taking a waterproof may be sensible.
Sunday currently looks the more promising of the two days, with any overnight or early morning rain expected to clear and sunny intervals forecast for much of the day.
Forecasts can, of course, change, so anyone travelling some distance may wish to check again before setting off.
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HOW DO I GET TO ST FAGANS FOOD FESTIVAL?
Visitors travelling from Cardiff city centre can take Cardiff Bus service 32 from Bay 13 at Cardiff Bus Interchange, with the service stopping inside the St Fagans museum car park.
Cardiff Bus is putting on additional services for the Food Festival weekend.
On Saturday, September 12, two additional late service 32 journeys will operate, allowing visitors to stay longer at the festival. Those two additional journeys will be free to use.
There is even better news for Sunday visitors: on Sunday, September 13, all journeys on service 32 will be completely free, with a special festival timetable in operation.
For those travelling by car, St Fagans National Museum of History is around four miles west of Cardiff city centre, just off the A4232. The postcode for sat-nav is CF5 6XB.
The nearest railway station is Waun-gron Park, approximately two miles from St Fagans. The station is close to the main bus route to the museum, while cyclists can also follow the Ely Trail from the station towards St Fagans.
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HOW MUCH IS PARKING AT ST FAGANS?
Parking at the museum costs £7 for the day and can be paid for by cash or card.
Parking is free for disabled badge holders and motorbikes.
Entry to the museum itself remains free.
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CAN I TAKE MY DOG TO THE FOOD FESTIVAL?
Yes.
Dogs are welcome at St Fagans provided they are kept on a short, non-extendable lead.
They cannot normally enter the historic buildings, galleries or cafés, with the exception of guide dogs.
With free admission, more than 80 stalls and two full days of food and entertainment, the St Fagans Food Festival has become a firm fixture in the Welsh foodie calendar.
And if the present forecast proves accurate, visitors who want the best chance of staying dry may want to arrive early on Saturday – or perhaps keep Sunday free.
Friday Night Football… Will West Ham be Wrexham’s Biggest League Challenge of the Hollywood era?
WEST HAM UNITED welcome Wrexham to the London Stadium on Friday night in a fixture which provides another extraordinary marker of just how far the Welsh club have travelled since their Hollywood takeover.
Little more than five-and-a-half years after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover of Wrexham, Phil Parkinson’s side are preparing to face a club which was playing Premier League football only a few months ago.
Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds know their team will face perhaps the sternest test since their takeover back in 2021 at West Ham Photo: Gemma Thomas
But when is West Ham v Wrexham, where can supporters watch it – and could this be Wrexham’s biggest league challenge of the Hollywood era?
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WHEN IS WEST HAM v WREXHAM AND WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF?
West Ham United face Wrexham at the London Stadium on Friday, September 11, 2026, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
For Wrexham’s growing following in the United States, that means a 3pm ET / 12 noon PT start.
It will be Wrexham’s seventh Championship fixture of the season and one of their most eye-catching assignments since completing their remarkable climb from non-League football.
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WHERE CAN I WATCH WEST HAM v WREXHAM?
The game will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with television coverage scheduled to begin at 7.30pm.
American supporters can watch the Championship encounter on Paramount+, which is streaming every Championship match during the 2026/27 season.
That American coverage is particularly significant for Wrexham, whose transformation under actors Reynolds and McElhenney – together with the worldwide success of Welcome to Wrexham – has given a club from north Wales an extraordinary international following.
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IS THIS WREXHAM’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE THE HOLLYWOOD TAKEOVER?
There have certainly been some enormous occasions.
Wrexham battled Championship high-flyers Sheffield United in two memorable FA Cup ties while still a National League club in 2023, drawing 3-3 at the Racecourse before eventually losing the replay 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
There have also been three successive promotions, high-pressure promotion battles and Wrexham’s first season back in the Championship for more than four decades.
But in league terms, Friday night’s visit to West Ham can reasonably be regarded as one of the biggest tests yet.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and have quickly emerged as one of the leading contenders for an immediate return.
They go into the Wrexham game second in the Championship, with 11 points from six matches, and have won their last three league games.
That run has included victories over Wolves, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers, with West Ham scoring 10 goals across those three matches.
Playing one of English football’s best-known clubs in front of a large London Stadium crowd therefore represents another considerable step in Wrexham’s remarkable journey.
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HOW HAVE WREXHAM STARTED THE SEASON?
Wrexham may be sitting 14th, but their opening six Championship matches suggest they will not travel to London without hope.
Parkinson’s side have won once, drawn four times and lost only once, collecting seven points.
Their recent away performances have been particularly encouraging. Wrexham recorded an impressive 3-0 victory at Millwall before holding Swansea City to a goalless draw, and they followed those results with a 1-1 draw against Burnley at the Racecourse.
They therefore arrive at the London Stadium unbeaten in three Championship matches.
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WHEN DID WEST HAM AND WREXHAM LAST MEET?
Supporters have to go back a surprisingly long way for a league meeting between the clubs.
Their previous league encounter came at Upton Park on May 2, 1981, when West Ham won 1-0 through a Ray Stewart penalty.
That West Ham side included names such as Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking, Alvin Martin and Frank Lampard senior.
The clubs subsequently met in the FA Cup in 1992, but Friday will be their first league meeting for more than 45 years.
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THE DREAM CONTINUES…
For Wrexham supporters who remember the years outside the Football League, simply seeing West Ham United v Wrexham listed as a Championship fixture may still take some getting used to.
The Reynolds and McElhenney takeover was officially completed on February 9, 2021. Since then have come three consecutive promotions, a worldwide television audience and an extraordinary transformation in the club’s profile.
Now comes another intriguing test.
Can Phil Parkinson’s side take their Hollywood story one step further by getting a result against one of the Championship’s promotion favourites at the London Stadium?
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LATEST: Wrexham’s daunting trip to the London Stadium ended in a chastening 6–0 defeat as West Ham emphatically underlined the gulf between one of the Championship’s promotion favourites and Phil Parkinson’s side. The result was Wrexham’s heaviest defeat under Parkinson, surpassing the 5–0 loss to Stockport County in 2023. Look out for new blog entry ‘Wrexham Hammered’ coming soon!
WHY HAS ASHLEY WILLIAMS JOINED CRAIG BELLAMY’S WALES COACHING TEAM?
Former Wales captain Ashley Williams is back with the national team after being appointed to Craig Bellamy’s coaching staff ahead of Wales’s forthcoming UEFA Nations League campaign.
Former Wales captain Ashley Williams, far left, has become a familiar television football pundit, but now returns to national team duty as part of Craig Bellamy’s coaching staff
Williams has joined the senior set-up as an assistant coach alongside Alan Sheehan, with the pair added to Bellamy’s backroom team following the departure of James Rowberry because of work commitments.
The appointment represents a return to familiar surroundings for one of the most influential figures in recent Welsh football history.
Williams already holds a UEFA A Licence and has recently gained coaching experience at several Wales age-group camps, making the move into Bellamy’s senior coaching team a natural next step. The former Swansea City and Everton defender also brings something that cannot be taught on a coaching course – first-hand experience of captaining Wales during one of the greatest periods in the country’s football history.
WHAT EXPERIENCE DOES ASHLEY WILLIAMS HAVE IN INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL?
Plenty.
Williams won 86 caps for Wales after making his international debut against Luxembourg in March 2008.
Chris Coleman appointed him captain in 2012 and Williams subsequently led Wales through the qualifying campaign that ended the country’s 58-year wait to appear at a major tournament.
His defining international achievement came at UEFA Euro 2016, when he captained Wales on their remarkable run to the semi-finals in France.
Williams also provided one of the tournament’s unforgettable Welsh moments, heading the equaliser against Belgium in Lille as Wales came from behind to win their quarter-final 3-1.
For younger members of the present Wales squad, having somebody on the coaching staff who has actually experienced the pressures of qualifying for – and succeeding at – a major international tournament could prove particularly valuable.
WHO ELSE IS ON CRAIG BELLAMY’S WALES COACHING STAFF?
Williams arrives alongside former Swansea City head coach Alan Sheehan, who has also been appointed as an assistant coach.
Andrew Crofts remains part of Bellamy’s coaching team despite recently taking up a role as assistant head coach at Tottenham Hotspur.
The changes come as Wales prepare for a demanding Nations League campaign in League A against Portugal, Norway and Denmark.
Bellamy is due to announce his latest Wales squad on Tuesday, September 15, with home matches against Norway and Denmark at Cardiff City Stadium following in October.
Since retiring from playing in 2021, Williams has also become a familiar television football pundit, regularly appearing on the BBC’s Match of the Day and covering major international tournaments, while also working with Sky Sports and talkSPORT.
For Williams, it the new appointment represents another chapter in a Wales career which began as a player almost two decades ago and took in playing spells at Hednesford Town, Stockport County, Stoke City and Bristol City, as well as over 300 games for the Swans and a three-year spell in the Premier League with the Toffees.
This time, however, the former captain will be attempting to influence events from the touchline rather than from the heart of the defence.
Tom Jones and The Voice UK: Why has he been dropped and is he still on the show?
TOM JONES and The Voice UK have been almost inseparable since the television talent show first appeared on British screens in 2012. But the Welsh singing legend has revealed that the decision for him to leave the famous red chair was not his own.
The 86-year-old superstar says he has been dropped as a full-time coach for the next series of The Voice UK, prompting considerable reaction from viewers in Britain and further afield.
But why is Sir Tom leaving, did he want to go – and will viewers still see him on The Voice?
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LATEST: Support for Sir Tom Jones has continued to grow following news that he will not return as a full-time coach on The Voice UK. Fellow coach will.i.am has publicly backed a petition calling for Sir Tom to be reinstated, with more than 11,500 people having signed it by Friday. ITV has meanwhile confirmed that Cheryl and rapper Aitch will join returning coaches will.i.am and Kelly Rowland for the next series, while describing Sir Tom as “irreplaceable”. Filming for the revamped show has now begun in Manchester, but the controversy surrounding the Welsh star’s departure shows little sign of disappearing.
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WHY HAS TOM JONES BEEN DROPPED FROM THE VOICE UK?
Sir Tom says the decision was made by ITV and that he was only informed recently.
In a statement, the Pontypridd-born singer made clear that he did not want to leave the programme and said the reason he was given involved a financial difficulty relating to insurance.
Reports about changes to the programme have also referred to a desire to refresh the coaching line-up for the next series.
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DID TOM JONES WANT TO LEAVE THE VOICE?
No.
Sir Tom has been particularly clear about this, saying that he loves the show and appreciates its audience.
He has been one of the programme’s most recognisable personalities since its launch, appearing as a coach for 13 seasons and becoming almost as closely associated with the programme as its famous revolving chairs.
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IS TOM JONES STILL ON THE VOICE UK?
This is where viewers could understandably become confused.
Yes, Sir Tom can still be seen as a coach in the current series of The Voice UK, alongside will.i.am, Kelly Rowland and McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
His departure concerns the programme’s next series rather than the episodes presently being broadcast.
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HAS TOM JONES BEEN OFFERED ANOTHER ROLE?
Possibly – but not the role he wanted.
Sir Tom says he was offered a much-reduced involvement in which he could make an appearance without being involved in the programme from the beginning.
ITV has said that while he will no longer be a full-time coach in the next series, discussions are continuing with Sir Tom and his team about possible involvement.
Whether that will ultimately lead to another appearance remains to be seen.
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WHY HAS THE STORY ATTRACTED SO MUCH ATTENTION?
Few performers have enjoyed careers comparable to that of Sir Tom Jones.
Born in Pontypridd, South Wales, in 1940, he became an international star during the 1960s and has maintained a remarkable career spanning more than six decades.
Songs including It’s Not Unusual, Delilah, What’s New Pussycat? and Green, Green Grass of Home helped make him one of Wales’ most famous exports.
His longevity on The Voice has also introduced him to generations of television viewers who may have been born decades after his first chart successes.
It is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that news of his departure has travelled well beyond Britain, attracting coverage in the United States, Australia and elsewhere.
For many viewers, Sir Tom hasn’t simply been one of the coaches on The Voice UK.
He has become part of the furniture.
And judging by his own reaction, he wasn’t quite ready to give up his chair.
The Principality Stadium, Cardiff, plays host to the 2026 Community Shield between Arsenal and Man City
FA Community Shield: Arsenal v Man City. When is kick-off and where can I watch?
THE FA Community Shield match between Premier League champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City is this year being hosted in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. The match, a traditional curtain-raiser to the new domestic season, kicks off at the Principality Stadium at 3pm on Sunday, August 16.
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WHY IS THE 2026 COMMUNITY SHIELD NOT AT WEMBLEY? The 2026 Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City is moving to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on August 16, 2026. Wembley Stadium is unavailable because it was pre-booked for a five-night run of The Weeknd’s concert tour, a scheduling conflict caused by the domestic calendar starting a week later due to the 2026 World Cup. Cardiff previously hosted the fixture from 2001 to 2006 while the original Wembley Stadium was being rebuilt.
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WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF: The 2026 FA Community Shield takes place on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 3:0pm BST (7:0pm PT / 10:00am ET). The match is hosted at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
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WHERE CAN I WATCH? The 2026 Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City is broadcast live in the UK by TNT Sports and streamed via discovery+, rather than on free-to-air channels like the BBC or ITV. The BBC only holds rights for match highlights.
PLEASE support our Changing Lives Cymru fundraiser to help us provide aid to vulnerable and displaced families in the Philippines in the aftermath of destructive typhoons and a succession of earthquakes.
Read more about how you can help by clicking on the Help in the Philippines GoFundMe link below.
ON Tuesday, September 30, a powerful earthquake struck the Philippines, killing at least 69 people. This disaster comes just a week after a series of destructive typhoons struck communities, destroying homes, collapsing roads and cutting off vital power supplies. Families who were already struggling from those storms now face yet another devastating crisis.
A strong magnitude earthquake of 6.9 struck central Philippines at 10pm local time. Thousands spent the night on the streets amid repeated aftershocks.. The province of Cebu suffered the greatest devastation and has now declared a state of calamity. This is an official recognition of the scale of destruction and disruption facing local communities.
At least 69 people are known to have died, although numbers are continuing to rise as rescuers search through the rubble for survivors.
The Philippines is prone to disasters triggered by natural hazards and dangerous tropical storms. Thousands of families were still working to recover from the devastating impact of powerful typhoons that swept across the country last week. These storms have already destroyed homes, cut off electricity and left communities without accessible roads.
Now, many of these same communities have been struck again by the earthquake. Roads have cracked and bridges have collapsed, making the delivery of life-saving aid even more difficult.
Most of the earthquake victims were from Bogo, a small town on one of the largest islands in the Visayas Islands, the Philippines’ central region – and the place closest to the earthquake’s epicentre.
Images coming out of Bogo show body bags lined on the streets and hundreds of people being treated in tent hospitals. A number of those who died in Tuesday’s earthquake in Bogo had lived in a village built to house victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines 12 years ago, killing more than 6,000 people.
On Wednesday evening, Bogo was hit by yet another aftershock, this one at a magnitude of 4.7, with tremors felt in Cebu city and the neighbouring Leyte islands.
The Philippines is very vulnerable to natural disasters. It is located on the geologically unstable ‘Ring of Fire’ – so called because of the high number of earthquakes and volcanoes that occur here. The South East Asian island country also lies in the path of typhoons that sweep across the Pacific Ocean every year.
More than a dozen people were killed after tropical storm Bualoi and typhoon Ragasa hit the Philippines earlier last month. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated and a handful remain missing.
Ewegottalove, through its overseas charitable arm Changing Lives Cymru, already provides financial support to impoverished families living in the Visayas provinces and we have had reports that injuries occurred when the quake was felt at least 150 miles away from the epicentre in Tapaz, Capiz.
Families in low-lying areas are already in fear of flooding from swollen rivers in the aftermath of the most recent typhoons. Changing Lives Cymru will continue to monitor the situation in the Visayas and is planning to set up a GoFundMe appeal in light of this critical and unstable situation.
