فندق مومباي

فندق مومباي هو فيلم جريمة واقعي تم إنتاجه في أستراليا والهند وصدر في سنة 2018. الفيلم من إخراج أنثوني ماراس وكتابة جون كولي، ومن بطولة ديف باتيل وأرمي هامر ونازانين بنيادي وأنوبام خير وجايسون إسحاق. الفيلم يحكي القصة الواقعية التي حدثت في مومبي فيما يعرف بهجمات مومباي الإرهابية 2008، ويركز الفيلم على ما حدث في فندق تاج محل.

عُرض الفيلم لأول مرة في مهرجان تورونتو السينمائي الدولي في 7 سبتمبر 2018.
الميزانية والإيرادات
بلغت تكلفة إنتاج الفيلم حوالي 17.3 مليون دولار بينما حقق إيرادات تقدر بـ 16.6 مليون دولار.

Hotel Mumbai

Hotel Mumbai is a 2018 Australian-American biographical thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. The film is inspired by the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai[4] about the Mumbai attacks in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India. The film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018, and had its Australian premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival on 10 October 2018. The film was released in Australia on March 14, 2019, and in the United States on March 22, 2019.
Plot
On November 26, 2008, young waiter Arjun reports for work at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India, under head chef Hemant Oberoi, who reminds his staff that "Guest is God". The day's guests include British-Muslim heiress Zahra and her American husband David, with their infant son Cameron and his nanny Sally, as well as ex-Spetznaz operative Vasili.

That night, 10 terrorists, directed by a man known as "the Bull", launch a coordinated assault against 12 locations across Mumbai, including the hotel. As the local police are not properly trained or equipped to handle the attack, they can only wait for special forces to arrive from New Delhi. In the ensuing chaos, Arjun, David, Zahra and Vasili are trapped in the hotel restaurant with several other guests while Sally, unaware of what is going on, remains with Cameron in their hotel room.

David sneaks past the terrorists and successfully reaches Sally and Cameron. Arjun follows Oberoi's instructions and escorts the guests under his care to the Chambers Lounge, an exclusive club hidden within the hotel, where they hope to remain safe. David, Sally and Cameron attempt to regroup with them, but David is captured by the terrorists and taken hostage while Sally and Cameron are trapped in a closet.

Meanwhile, police forces decide to enter the hotel in the hopes of reaching the security room so they can track the terrorists' movements. Arjun attempts to escort a mortally wounded guest, Bree, off the premises so she can reach a hospital. The two encounter the police but Bree panics and flees, only to be shot dead by a terrorist. Arjun escorts the police to the security room, and they discover the terrorists are about to break into the Chambers Lounge using the identification of a policeman they killed earlier. The police order Arjun to stay put and attack the terrorists, successfully wounding one before being driven off. Against Oberoi's advice, Zahra and Vasili decide to leave the lounge to escape but they are also caught and taken hostage.

Eventually, special forces arrive, and the Bull orders the terrorists to move to the final phase of their plan: burning the hotel down. The terrorists leave their wounded member, Imran, to oversee the hostages, and the Bull eventually tells him to kill them. Imran executes both David and Vasili, but spares Zahra when she begins reciting a Muslim prayer, ignoring the Bull's command to shoot her regardless.

Arjun regroups with Oberoi and evacuates the remaining guests, stumbling upon Sally and Cameron in the process. The special forces kill the remaining terrorists, and Zahra is evacuated by crane, reuniting with Sally and Cameron. After the hotel is secure, Arjun returns home and reunites with his wife and daughter. Meanwhile, The Taj Hotel staff is seen re-opening the Hotel.

A closing monologue reveals that those responsible for the attack remain free to this day. The final scenes show a memorial to the staff and guests who fought in the Battle of Hotel Mumbai.

Cast
Dev Patel as Arjun
Armie Hammer as David
Nazanin Boniadi as Zahra
Anupam Kher as chef Hemant Oberoi
Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Nanny Sally
Jason Isaacs as Vasili
Alex Pinder as Butler Jamon
Amandeep Singh as Imran
Suhail Nayyar as Abdullah
Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Bree
Angus McLaren as Eddie
Sandeep Bhojak as Door Man
Yash Trivedi as Ajay
Vipin Sharma as Dilip
Manoj Mehra as Houssam
Carmen Duncan as Lady Wynn
Production
On February 11, 2016, it was announced that Dev Patel and Armie Hammer had been cast in the film, along with actors Nazanin Boniadi, Teresa Palmer, and Suhail Nayyar, while Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Anupam Kher were in negotiations; Palmer and Coster-Waldau ultimately were not involved.[5] John Collee and Anthony Maras wrote the screenplay, which Maras directed, while Basil Iwanyk produced the film through Thunder Road Pictures along with Jomon Thomas from Xeitgeist, Arclight Films' Gary Hamilton and Mike Gabrawy, Electric Pictures' Andrew Ogilvie, and Julie Ryan.[5]

In June, Tilda Cobham-Hervey joined the cast[6] after Teresa Palmer pulled out early into her second pregnancy,[7] and in August, Jason Isaacs was cast.[8] On September 7, 2016, Natasha Liu Bordizzo joined the film to play Bree, a tourist caught in the attack.[9]

Filming
In August 2016, principal photography on the film began in the Adelaide Film studios, run by the South Australian Film Corporation.[10][11] Filming continued in India in early 2017.[12]

Release
In May 2016, The Weinstein Company acquired U.S. and U.K. distribution rights to the film.[13] However, in April 2018, it was announced that The Weinstein Company would no longer distribute the film.[14] In August 2018, Bleecker Street and ShivHans Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[15]

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018.[16] It was theatrically released in Australia on 14 March 2019, by Icon Film Distribution,[17] and the United States on March 22, 2019.[18] It is scheduled for a United Kingdom release in September 2019, by Sky Cinema and NowTV. Sky Cinema is promoting this as a "Sky Cinema Original" in the United Kingdom. [19]

The movie was pulled from cinemas in New Zealand due to the Christchurch mosque shootings on March 15, 2019, with showings suspended until March 28, .[20]

Netflix was set to distribute the film in India and other South and Southeast Asian territories.[21] However, Netflix later dropped the film, after a contractual dispute arose with Indian distributor Plus Holdings.[22]

Reception
Box office
Hotel Mumbai has grossed $9.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $11.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $21.2 million.[3][23]

The film opened in four theaters in the U.S., on 22 March, and expanded to 924 on 29 March, grossing $3.1 million in that second weekend.[24]

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 157 reviews, with an average of 6.92/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Its depiction of real-life horror will strike some as exploitative, but Hotel Mumbai remains a well-made dramatization of tragic events."[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an overall positive score of 77% and a 50% "definite recommend".[24]

Peter Debruge of Variety magazine wrote: "Sitting through the harrowing events again nearly a decade later could hardly be described as entertainment, and the film plays to many of the same unseemly impulses that make disaster movies so compelling, exploiting the tragedy of the situation for spectacle’s sake.

ستوك سيتي

نادي ستوك سيتي (بالإنجليزية: Stoke City F.C) هو ناد إنجليزي محترف لكرة القدم يقع في مدينة ستوك أون ترينت، ويلعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز . يعد نادي ستوك سيتي ثاني أقدم نادي مستمر حتى الآن منذ تأسيسه وهو من كبار الأندية المؤسسة لدوري كرة القدم في إنجلترا منذ سنة 1888م حيث تأسس سنة 1863، بعد نوتس كاونتي الذي تأسس سنة 1862، وسابقا نوتنغهام فورست 1865. عاد فريق ستوك سيتي موسم 2008-2009 إلى دوري الدرجة الأولى الإنجليزي بعد غياب دام 23 سنة، وكانت آخر بطولة حققها ستوك سيتي في موسم 1992-93 حيث حقق المركز الأول في دوري الدرجة الثانية. أول بطولة كبيرة حققها النادي في تاريخه كانت على حساب تشيلسي عندما تغلب عليه بهدفين مقابل هدف وحقق كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية المحترفة موسم 1971-72. أعلى مركز وصل إليه النادي في ترتيب الدوري كان المركز الرابع، حيث تم تحقيقه في موسم 1935–36 و1946–47. لعب ستوك في نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي في 2011، وخسر ضد مانشستر سيتي.

يلعب النادي مبارياته على ملعب بيت 365، الذي افتتح عام 1997 وتصل سعته إلى 30,089 متفرج. وسابقا كان النادي يلعب على أرضية فيكتوريا غراوند، حيث كان موطنهم منذ 1878. يلقب النادي ذا بوترز-The Potters في إشارة إلى صناعات بوتري في المدينة، ويعتبر اللون الأحمر والأبيض لونهم التقليدي المخطط بشكل عمودي.

Stoke City

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in the 1860s, the club changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888.[6] The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football.

Their first, and to date only, major trophy, the League Cup was won in 1972, when the team beat Chelsea 2–1. The club's highest league finish in the top division is fourth, which was achieved in the 1935–36 and 1946–47 seasons. Stoke played in the FA Cup Final in 2011, finishing runners-up to Manchester City and have reached three FA Cup semi-finals; in 1899 then consecutively in 1971 and 1972. Stoke have competed in European football on three occasions, firstly in 1972–73 then in 1974–75 and most recently in 2011–12. The club has won the Football League Trophy twice, in 1992 and in 2000.

Stoke's home ground is the 30,089 all-seater, bet365 Stadium. Before the stadium was opened in 1997, the club was based at the Victoria Ground, which had been their home ground since 1878. The club's nickname is 'The Potters', named after the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent and their traditional home kit is a red and white vertically striped shirt, white shorts and stockings. Stoke's traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers whilst their local rivals are Port Vale with whom they contest the Potteries derby
Formation and the early years (1863–1919)

Graph showing Stoke City F.C.'s progress through the English football league system from 1889 to the present
It is often claimed that the club, originally known as Stoke Ramblers, was formed in 1863.[3][7][8] According to the club's official history, in that year former pupils of Charterhouse School formed a football club while they were apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway works in Stoke-upon-Trent.[1] The club's first documented match, however, was in October 1868, against an EW May XV at the Victoria Cricket Club ground. Henry Almond, the club's founder, was also captain, and scored the club's first goal.[1] Their first recorded away match was at Congleton in December 1868, and a match report for the game stated that the club had been founded for that season.[9]

From the 1860s, the club played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground; however they switched to a nearby ground at Sweetings Field in 1875 to cope with rising attendances
In 1878, the club merged with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club, becoming Stoke Football Club.[1] The combined club played at the Athletic Club ground, which soon became known as the Victoria Ground.[3] It was around this time that the club adopted their traditional red-and-white striped kit. In August 1885, the club turned professional.[1]

Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League when it was introduced in 1888.[3] The club struggled in their first two seasons, 1888–89 and 1889–90, finishing bottom on both occasions.[10] In 1890 Stoke failed to be re-elected and joined the Football Alliance, which they won and thus were re-elected to the Football League. Stoke spent the next 15 seasons in the First Division and reached the FA Cup Semi-final in the 1898–99 season before being relegated in 1907. Stoke went bankrupt and entered non-league football until 1914, when the First World War meant the Football League was suspended for four years. During the wartime period, Stoke entered the Lancashire Primary and Secondary leagues.[11] When football recommenced in August 1919, Stoke re-joined the league.

Victoria Ground and Stanley Matthews (1919–1937)
The club became owners of the Victoria Ground in 1919. This was followed by the construction of the Butler Street stand, which increased the overall capacity of the ground to 50,000.[12] In 1925, Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status and this led the club to change its name to Stoke City F.C.[13]

The 1930s saw the debut of club's most celebrated player, Stanley Matthews. Matthews, who grew up in Hanley, was an apprentice at the club and made his first appearance in March 1932,[14] against Bury, at the age of 17.[15] By end of the decade, Matthews had established himself as an England international and as one of the best footballers of his generation. Stoke achieved promotion from the Second Division in 1932–33 – as champions – however Matthews only featured in fifteen games in this season. He did however score his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win against local rivals Port Vale.[15]

By 1934, the club's average attendance had risen to over 23,000, which in turn allowed the club to give the manager Tom Mather increased transfer funds. The club was now considered one of the top teams in the country. It was in this period that the club recorded its record league win, a 10–3 win over West Bromwich Albion in February 1937. In April of that year, the club achieved its record league crowd – 51,373 against Arsenal. Freddie Steele's 33 league goals in the 1936–37 season remains a club record.[15]

Title challenge and league decline (1937–1960)
Following the resumption of the FA Cup after World War II, tragedy struck on 9 March 1946, as 33 fans died and 520 were injured during a 6th round tie away against Bolton Wanderers. This came known as the Burnden Park disaster.[16] In 1946–47, Stoke mounted a serious title challenge. The club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title. However, a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United meant the title went to Liverpool instead. Stanley Matthews left with 3 games remaining of the 1946–47 season, opting to join Blackpool at the age of 32.[16]

Stoke were relegated from the First Division in 1952–53; during the season Bob McGrory resigned as the club's manager after 17 years in the role.[17][18] Former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Frank Taylor took over at the club looking to gain promotion back to the First Division. However, after seven seasons in the Second Division without promotion, Taylor was sacked. Taylor was shocked at being fired and vowed never to be associated with football again.[3]

Tony Waddington years (1960–1977)
Tony Waddington was appointed as the club's manager in June 1960.[19] He joined the club in 1952 as a coach, before being promoted to assistant manager in 1957. Waddington pulled off a significant coup by enticing Stanley Matthews – then 46 years old – back to the club, 14 years after he had departed.[20] The return of Matthews helped Stoke to an improved eighth position in 1961–62. Promotion was achieved in the following season, with Stoke finishing as champions.[20] In their first season back in the top flight, 1963–64, Waddington guided Stoke to a mid-table finish. Stoke reached the 1964 Football League Cup Final, which they lost 4–3 to Leicester City over two legs.[20]

Waddington counted on experience; Dennis Viollet, Jackie Mudie, Roy Vernon, Maurice Setters and Jimmy McIlroy were all players signed in the latter stages of their careers. Matthews was awarded a knighthood for services to football in the 1965 New Year's Honours list. This was followed by his final appearance for the club against Fulham in February 1965, shortly after his 50th birthday. Gordon Banks, England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper, joined in 1967 for £52,000 from Leicester.[20] Regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world,[21][22] Banks proved to be a shrewd signing for Waddington as he helped the club maintain stability in the First Division.[20] During the close season of 1967, Stoke City played in the one-off United Soccer Association which imported clubs from Europe and South America. Stoke played as the Cleveland Stokers and finished as runner-up of the Eastern Division.[23]

The club won its first major trophy on 4 March 1972 in the League Cup Final against Chelsea.[24] Stoke won 2–1 in front of a crowd of 97,852 at Wembley with goals from Terry Conroy and George Eastham.[25] Preceding this victory, Stoke had progressed through 11 games in order to reach the final. This included four games with West Ham United in the semi-final; the two-legged tie was replayed twice. Stoke fared well in the FA Cup; the club progressed to the semi-final stage in both the 1970–71 and 1971–72 seasons. However, on both occasions Stoke lost to Arsenal in a replay.[25] Stoke also competed in the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1974 losing at the first attempt to 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Ajax respectively.[25]

In January 1976, the roof of the Butler Street Stand was blown off in a storm.[26] The repair bill of nearly £250,000 put the club in financial trouble; key players such as Alan Hudson, Mike Pejic and Jimmy Greenhoff were sold to cover the repairs. With the team depleted, Stoke were relegated in the 1976–77 season. Waddington, after a spell of 17 years in charge, left the club after a 1–0 home defeat to Leicester in March 1977.[25][27]

Managerial roundabout (1977–1997)
Waddington was replaced by George Eastham in March 1977. However, he could not prevent the club's relegation to the Second Division in 1976–77. Eastham left in January 1978 after only ten months in charge, and was replaced by Alan Durban from Shrewsbury Town. Durban achieved promotion to the First Division in the 1978–79 season,[25] but after consolidating the club's position in the First Division, he left to manage Sunderland in 1981.[28] Richie Barker was appointed for the 1981–82 season, but was sacked in December 1983 and was replaced by Bill Asprey. Asprey decided to bring back veteran Alan Hudson, and the decision paid off as an improved second half of the season saw Stoke avoid relegation on the final day of the 1983–84 season.[28]

The 1984–85 season proved to be disastrous. Stoke finished the season with only 17 points, with just three wins all season. Mick Mills was appointed player-manager for the 1985–86 season,[28] but was unable to sustain a challenge for promotion in his four seasons as manager and was sacked in November 1989. His successor, Alan Ball, Jr., became the club's fifth manager in ten years.[28] Ball struggled in his first season in charge, 1989–90, and Stoke were relegated to the third tier of English football after finishing bottom of the Second Division. Ball kept his job for the start of the following season, 1990–91, but departed during February 1991, in an indifferent season that saw Stoke finish 14th in the Third Division, Stoke's lowest league position.[29]

Ball's successor, Lou Macari, was appointed in May 1991, prior to the start of the 1991–92 season. He clinched silverware for the club; the 1992 Football League Trophy was won with a 1–0 victory against Stockport County at Wembley, with Mark Stein scoring the only goal of the match. The following season, 1992–93, promotion was achieved from the third tier. Macari left for his boyhood club Celtic in October 1993 to be replaced by Joe Jordan; Stein also departed, in a club record £1.5 million move to Chelsea.[29] Jordan's tenure in charge was short, leaving the club less than a year after joining, and Stoke opted to re-appoint Lou Macari only 12 months after he had left. Stoke finished fourth in 1995–96 but were defeated in the play-off semi-final by Leicester City. Macari left the club at the end of the following season. His last match in charge was the final league game at the Victoria Ground.[29] Mike Sheron, who was signed two years previously from Norwich City, was sold for a club record fee of £2.5 million in 1997.[30]

Britannia Stadium and the Icelandic takeover (1997–2008)
1997–98 saw Stoke move to its new ground, the Britannia Stadium,[31] after 119 years at the Victoria Ground. Chic Bates, Macari's assistant, was appointed manager for the club's first season in the new ground. He did not last long though, and was replaced by Chris Kamara in January 1998. Kamara could not improve the club's fortunes either, and he too left in April. Alan Durban, previously Stoke's manager two decades earlier, took charge for the remainder of season. Despite his best efforts, Durban was unable to keep the club up, as defeat against Manchester City on the final day of the season consigned Stoke to relegation to the third tier.[29]

Brian Little, formerly manager of Aston Villa,[32] took charge for the 1998–99 season.[33] Despite an impressive start, the team's form tailed off dramatically in the latter stages of the season, which led to Little leaving the club at the end of the season. His successor, Gary Megson, was only in the job for four months. Megson was forced to depart following a takeover by Stoke Holding, an Icelandic consortium, who purchased a 66% share in Stoke City F.C. for £6.6 million.[26] Stoke became the first Icelandic-owned football club outside of Iceland. They appointed the club's first foreign manager, Gudjon Thordarson, who helped Stoke win the Football League Trophy in the 1999–2000 season, with a 2–1 win over Bristol City in front of a crowd of 85,057 at Wembley.[13][34]

Thordarson achieved promotion at the third time of asking in 2001–02 after previous play-off defeats against Gillingham and Walsall.[35] Cardiff City were defeated in the semi-final before a 2–0 win against Brentford at the Millennium Stadium secured promotion. Despite achieving the goal of promotion, Thordarson was sacked by Gunnar Gíslason just five days later.[35][36]

Steve Cotterill was drafted in as Thordarson's replacement prior to the start of the 2002–03 season,[35] but resigned in October 2002 after only four months in charge. Tony Pulis was appointed as Stoke's new manager shortly after.[13][37] Pulis steered Stoke clear of relegation,[35] with a 1–0 win over Reading on the final day of the season keeping the club in the division.[38] However, Pulis was sacked at the end of the 2004–05 season, following disagreement between himself and the club's owners.[39]

Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only one day after Pulis was sacked.[40] Boskamp brought in a number of new players from Europe, but his side was inconsistent and only a mid-table finish was achieved.[41] Boskamp left at the end of the 2005–06 season amidst a takeover bid by former chairman Peter Coates.[42] On 23 May 2006, Coates completed his takeover of Stoke City, marking the end of Gunnar Gíslason's chairmanship of the club.[43] Coates chose former manager Tony Pulis as Boskamp's successor in June 2006.[44] Pulis took Stoke close to a play-off place, but an eventual eighth-place finish was achieved in the 2006–07 season.[45]

Ten years in the Premier League (2008–2018)
Stoke won automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the 2007–08 season, finishing in second place in the Championship.[46] A 3–1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2008–09 season saw Stoke written off by many media outlets as relegation certainties.[47] Stoke managed to turn the Britannia Stadium into a "fortress", making it difficult for teams to pick up points there. In their first home match, Stoke defeated Aston Villa 3–2,[48] and wins also came against Tottenham Hotspur,[49] Arsenal,[50] Sunderland[51] and West Bromwich Albion.[52] After a 2–1 win at Hull City,[53] Stoke confirmed their place in the Premier League as the Potters finished 12th in their return to the top flight, with a total of 45 points.[54] Stoke finished the following 2009–10 season in a respectable 11th place, with 47 points. Stoke also made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972, defeating York City, Arsenal and Manchester City before losing out to eventual winners Chelsea.

Stoke reached the FA Cup Final for the first time, beating Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and a famous 5–0 win against Bolton, the largest post-war FA Cup semi-final victory.[55] However, they lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City.[56] By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League.[57] In the Europa League, Stoke advanced past Hajduk Split, Thun and a tough group containing Beşiktaş, Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi Tel Aviv which Stoke managed to progress through finishing in second position. City's reward was a tie against Spanish giants Valencia and despite putting up a spirited second leg performance, Stoke went out 2–0 on aggregate. In the Premier League, Stoke made the high-profile signing of Peter Crouch as they finished in a mid-table position for a fourth time. The 2012–13 season saw Stoke make little progress, and Pulis left the club by mutual consent on 21 May 2013.[58]

Pulis was replaced by fellow Welshman Mark Hughes, who signed a three-year contract on 30 May 2013.[59][60] Hughes led Stoke to a ninth-place finish in 2013–14, their highest position in the Premier League and best finish since 1974–75.[61] The 2014–15 season saw Stoke again finish in ninth position this time, with 54 points.[62] Despite breaking their transfer record twice on Xherdan Shaqiri and then Giannelli Imbula, in 2015–16, Stoke did not make any progression and finished in ninth position for a third season running.[63] Stoke declined in 2016–17, finishing in 13th position.[64] In January 2018, Hughes was sacked after a poor run leaving the club in the relegation zone.[65] He was replaced by Paul Lambert,[66] who could not prevent the club from ending its 10-year spell in the Premier League.[67]

Return to the Championship (2018–present)
Following their relegation to the Championship, Lambert was replaced with former Derby County boss Gary Rowett.[68] Despite spending nearly £50 million on players in the summer transfer window, results and performances were poor and Rowett was subsequently sacked on 8 January 2019 with the team 14th in the table.[69] He was replaced with Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.[70] Stoke went on to end an uneventful 2018–19 season in 16th place with a record number of draws (22).[71]

Stadium
It is not clear where Stoke's original playing fields were located. Their first pitch was certainly in the site of a present burial ground in Lonsdale Street, although there is evidence that they also played on land near to the Copeland Arms public house on Campbell Road.[3] In 1875, they moved to Sweetings Field, which was owned by the mayor of Stoke, Alderman Sweeting.[3] It is estimated that as many as 200–250 spectators were attending home matches at Sweetings Field, paying one penny for admission. Stoke were to stay at Sweetings Field until a merger with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club in March 1878, when Stoke moved to the Victoria Ground.[3]

The first match to be played at the Victoria Ground was a friendly against Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878; Stoke won 1–0 in front of 2,500 fans.[3] The ground was originally an oval shape to cater for athletics, and this shape was retained for the next 30 years. Major development work began in the 1920s, and by 1930 the ground had lost its original shape.[3] By 1935, the ground capacity was up to 50,000. A record crowd of 51,380 packed into the Ground on 29 March 1937 to watch a league match against Arsenal.[3]

Floodlights were installed in 1956 and another new main stand was built. Over the weekend of the 3/4 in January 1976, gale-force winds blew the roof off the Butler Street Stand.[3] Stoke played a home League match against Middlesbrough at Vale Park whilst repair work was on-going.[3] The Stoke End Stand was improved in 1979 and through the 1980s more improvements were made. By 1995, Stoke drew up plans to make the ground an all seater stadium, to comply with the Taylor Report. However, the club decided it would be better to leave the Victoria Ground and re-locate to a new site.[3]

In 1997, Stoke left the Victoria Ground after 119 years, and moved to the modern 28,384 all seater Britannia Stadium at a cost of £14.7 million. Stoke struggled at first to adjust to their new surroundings and were relegated to the third tier in the first season at the new ground. In 2002, a record 28,218 attended an FA Cup match against Everton. With Stoke gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008, attendances increased. However, the capacity was reduced to 27,500 due to segregation.[72] The name of the ground was changed to the bet365 Stadium in June 2016.[73]

Supporters and rivalry
While much of the support that the club enjoys is from the local Stoke-on-Trent area, there are a number of exile fan clubs, notably in London and stretching from Scandinavia to countries further afield such as Russia, the United States and Australia.[74] A capacity crowd regularly turned out to see them in the Premier League.[75]

Stoke have had problems in the past with football hooliganism in the 1970s, '80s, '90s and early 2000s which gave the club a bad reputation, this was to the actions by the "Naughty Forty" firm which associated itself with the club and was formed by supporter Mark Chester.[76][77][78] Mark Chester reformed himself and now works as a youth inclusion promoter.[79] In 2003, the BBC described Stoke City as having "one of the most active and organised football hooligan firms in England". In response to these criticisms, the club introduced an Away Travel ID scheme.[80] This was subsequently suspended in 2008 as a result of improved behaviour and an enhanced reputation.[81] More recently, Stoke City's fans and their stadium have been perceived as loud, friendly, passionate and modern,[82] welcoming as guests Sugar Ray Leonard[83] and Diego Maradona.[84] There is in the media now "genuine admiration for the volume and volatility of the club's loyal support".[82] Stoke announced that they would offer supporters free bus travel to every Premier League away game in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.[85]

In November 2008, a group of Stoke fans were forced by the Greater Manchester Police to leave Manchester before a league match against Manchester United.[86] The Human Rights group Liberty took up the case of the fans,[87] and Greater Manchester police eventually apologised for their actions and the fans were awarded compensation.[88][89] Supporters of the club have adopted "Delilah" as their club anthem since the 1970s. It was adopted by the fans after a supporter was heard singing it in a local pub. Some of the song's original lyrics have been adapted for the terraces, but the essence of the song remains the same.[90] Stoke's official club anthem is "We'll be with you" which was recorded by the Stoke players prior to the 1972 Football League Cup Final.[3]

Stoke's traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[3][91] Stoke's local rivals are Port Vale, based in the Burslem area of Stoke-on-Trent. As the two clubs have regularly been in different divisions, there have only been 46 league matches between the two sides, with the last match being in 2002.[92] Regardless of the lack of matches, the Potteries derby is often a tight and close game of football with few goals being scored. Stoke have won 19 matches while Vale have won 15.[93]

Affiliated clubs
Stoke have an affiliation with Major League Soccer club Orlando City (formerly Austin Aztex) which was founded by former director Phil Rawlins.[94] Stoke also have a strategic partnership with German club FC St Pauli.

Naga Munchetty

Subha Nagalakshmi Munchetty-Chendriah[1] (born 25 February 1975) is a British Indian television presenter and journalist. She regularly presents BBC One's BBC World News, BBC Breakfast and Victoria Derbyshire. She is also a former presenter of BBC Two's weekday financial affairs programme Working Lunch. In January 2017, she temporarily left Breakfast to provide maternity cover for Newsnight as their acting business editor.
Early life and career
Munchetty was born in 1975 in Streatham, London. She was educated at Graveney School in Tooting and at the University of Leeds, where she read English.[2] Her first job was as a journalist on the City Pages of the London Evening Standard.[3] She also worked on the Business Section of The Observer.[3]

Career
Munchetty's television career began as a reporter for Reuters Financial Television, after which she worked as a senior producer for CNBC Europe, a business producer and reporter for Channel 4 News and a presenter on Bloomberg Television.[3]

Munchetty joined Working Lunch after the show was revamped in October 2008 and stayed with the programme until it was cancelled in July 2010.[4] Munchetty has hosted Radio 4's Money Box.[5] She also reports from the City for BBC News, gauging the reaction to breaking financial stories such as the Budget,[6] and the Pre-Budget Report.[7]

Since August 2010, Munchetty has presented early morning bulletins (UKT) on the BBC News Channel and BBC World News. She is a regular presenter on BBC One's Breakfast.[8]

Munchetty is currently a co-director of Naga Munchetty Limited (Companies house number 06603058). She is also paid between £150,000 and £199,999 in salary by the BBC.

Munchetty co-hosted The Spending Review – The South Today Debate on BBC One with Sally Taylor in September 2010.[9]

Munchetty also presented Paranormal Investigation: Live on Living on 30–31 October 2010 to celebrate Hallowe'en.[10] Munchetty narrated the BBC documentary Fear and Faith in Paris looking at anti-Semitic attacks in Paris and their impact on the Jewish community of France. She won Celebrity Mastermind, which was broadcast on 2 January 2013. In June 2016, she replaced Sian Williams as presenter of Sunday Morning Live on BBC One. In 2017, she was replaced by Emma Barnett and Sean Fletcher. On 26 August 2016, Munchetty presented an episode of Newsnight on BBC Two.

She was a contestant on the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, having been paired with Pasha Kovalev,[11] and being voted out in week four (Sunday 16 October 2016). She co-presented Britain's Classroom Heroes with Sean Fletcher in October 2017.

Since 2017, Munchetty has had a role as herself as a newsreader in Media Studies in the sketch show Class Dismissed.

Trump comments
In September 2019, Munchetty was ruled to have breached the BBC's guidelines by criticising US President Donald Trump for perceived racism. That July, while presenting BBC Breakfast, Munchetty had taken issue with Trump's comments telling his opponents to "go back" to the "places from which they came". Munchetty said: "Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism. Now I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean."[12]

The BBC was criticised for its decision to uphold complaints over Munchetty's comments. Several public figures, including Lenny Henry and Adrian Lester, signed an open letter asking the corporation to revisit its ruling against her.[13]

Personal life
Munchetty plays jazz trumpet and classical piano.[3] She also makes cocktails, a skill she learned while working in bars and pubs during her student days.[3]

Munchetty also plays golf, with a handicap of nine in 2015.[14] In October 2012, Munchetty, playing under her married name, Haggar, won the Hertfordshire de Paula Cup at Bishop's Stortford Golf Club.[15]

Naga is married to the ITV broadcast consultant James Haggar.

She previously dated Norwegian footballer Jonny Hansen, however they split in order to focus on their respective careers as a journalist and sports star.

Rob Garrison

Rob Garrison (January 23, 1960 – September 27, 2019) was an American actor.
Background and career
Robert Scott Garrison was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia.[1] He began his acting career in 1977 in Starship Invasions. He also had roles in the television shows Coach, St Elsewhere, and MacGyver.[2][3][1]

Garrison was best known for his role as “Tommy” in the 1984 film, The Karate Kid and the 2019 Season 2 YouTube web series Cobra Kai.[2][3][1] Garrison later stated that the line he was noted for was not a part of the original script. According to Garrison: "My famous line, I never said that while filming. I looped that in two months later. I was in the recording booth with John and he said he needed two seconds of something. I said, 'Get him a body bag!' on the first try. John said 'That’s going to be a classic. You’ll never be forgotten because of that line.

Alphabeat

Alphabeat is a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders SG. Their single "Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2007 and a significant hit in the United Kingdom in 2008. Follow-up single "10.000 Nights of Thunder" (or just "10,000 Nights" in the UK) saw equal acclaim, and their eponymous debut album reached number two in Denmark and number ten in the UK. It has sold over 100,000 copies and their three top twenty singles have sold altogether in the region of 400,000
History
2006–07: Formation and early career
Alphabeat is made up of six members: Anders SG, Stine Bramsen, Anders B, Rasmus Nagel, Anders Reinholdt and Troels Hansen. Their sound is mainly retro 1980s melodic pop, taking inspiration from British bands Deacon Blue and Prefab Sprout, amongst others, with distinctive overlays of male and female harmonies. The band was previously named Sodastar, but this was changed to avoid confusion with a German band.[3]

2007–11: Alphabeat and The Spell
The bands eponymous debut album, Alphabeat, was released in Denmark on 5 March 2007, peaking at number two on the Danish Albums Chart and reaching platinum status in five months of release. The band's success in their domestic market attracted the attention of several major labels from larger markets abroad and Alphabeat was eventually signed to EMI's Charisma Records label in the United Kingdom. Their debut UK single, "Fantastic 6", was released on 26 November 2007, followed by the international release of Alphabeat, retitled This Is Alphabeat, the following year. It peaked at number ten on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry on 10 October 2008. In 2009 Alphabeat won an EBBA Award. Every year the European Border Breakers Awards (EBBA) recognize the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year.

Alphabeat received several positive reviews in major British publications such as the NME, The Observer,[4] Digital Spy[5] and Popjustice.[6] On 20 December 2008, it was announced via press release that the band had been dropped by their UK label Charisma Records. In a statement from the band on 19 January 2009, it was confirmed that they had chosen to leave the label after being given the opportunity.

It was announced on 7 March 2009 that Alphabeat had signed a new record deal with Polydor Records. The band's manager said, "We are thrilled to be signing to one of the UK's most successful record companies, and looking forward to achieving even more success with the band and Polydor in the coming years."[7]

In August 2009, Popjustice premiered their single "The Spell" which was set for an October release, with their second album released shortly thereafter.[8] The album was released as The Spell in Denmark on 26 October 2009, where it charted at number five and was certified gold in less than two months of release. Originally set for release on 2 November 2009,[9][10] the UK release was subsequently pushed back until 1 March 2010 and the album's title was changed to The Beat Is...[11] It debuted and peaked at number thirty-nine on the UK Albums Chart.

On 9 January 2010 "DJ" was released as the second single in the Danish market, with a UK release, under the title "DJ (I Could Be Dancing)", scheduled for 31 May. The second UK single, "Hole in My Heart", was released on 22 February 2010, debuting at number twenty-nine on the UK Singles Chart.

2012–13: Express Non-Stop
Alphabeat's third studio album, Express Non-Stop, was released on 24 September 2012.[12] The album's first single, "Vacation", was released as a digital download in the UK on 12 March 2012.[13] A second single, "Love Sea",[14] was released on iTunes on 13 August 2012. Two more singles, "X-Mas (Let's Do It Again)" and "Show Me What Love Is" were released from the album before the band went on hiatus to focus on side projects in 2013.[15]

2019–: Don't Know What's Cool Anymore
Following a six-year hiatus, Alphabeat signed a new recording deal with Atlantic Records and released a new song, "Shadows", which will precede as the lead single for the upcoming fall release of their fourth studio album.[1] The band also announced a series of performance events in the United States, led by a Neon Gold Records showcase at the SXSW event on March 13, 2019,[1] as well as a tour of their native Denmark, as part of Grøn Koncert during July 2019.[16]

On August 30 2019, Alphabeat released the second single from their fourth album, "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore." Alongside this, the band formally announced the album itself, titled "Don't Know What's Cool Anymore," with a release date of November 1 2019.[17]

On September 3 2019, the band announced a 10 date tour of Denmark throughout February 2020.[18] A week later, on September 10, they announced an additional three dates in the United Kingdom, scheduled for April 2020. Alongside this, the group also released a UK radio edit of previous single "Shadows."[19]

On 23 September 2019, "Shadows" was nominated for 'Radio Hit of the Year' at the 2019 Danish Music Awards.[20] A day later, the music video for "I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore" was released, directed by band members Rasmus Nagel and Anders Reinholdt.[21]

Touring
Alphabeat made their UK debut at Monto Water Rats in May 2007 and later that year embarked on their first UK tour (The Wolfbaggin' tour), supporting Lil Chris and Daniel Powter. They were offered the chance to open for the Spice Girls during their 2007–08 Return of the Spice Girls tour, but declined the opportunity, feeling that it would be "too weird" to suddenly play in front of a 23,000 audience unfamiliar with the band's music.[22][23]

They have often been associated with the wonky pop movement—their manager owns the brand name[24]—and they have played a number of Wonky Pop events and tours.

During the summer of 2008 they played numerous British and international festivals including T in the Park on "Camper's Friday",[25] Roskilde Festival,[26] T4 on the Beach, Summerfestival (in Klaksvík, Faroe Islands, in early August),[27] and in October 2008, along with many other bands at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England for hundreds of young girlguides.[28]

During late 2008, Alphabeat began a twenty-two-gig tour in the UK and the Netherlands, with many shows sold out.[2] In the same year, the band was planning to play select shows with American singer Katy Perry on her 2008 world tour. However, in March 2009, Alphabeat cancelled their appearances in support of her US tour. Their management stated that they were instead working on their second album and planned to tour the US later in the year.

They performed a mini UK tour to promote The Spell in autumn 2009 and toured the UK throughout April 2010, on The Beat Is... Tour. They also played a support slot for Lady Gaga on the UK and Irish leg of her The Monster Ball Tour, which took place in February and March 2010. They made their US debut at the 2010 SXSW Festival. In June 2010, they co-headlined with Wheatus at Trinity May Ball, in Cambridge, UK.

On 26 July 2011, Alphabeat were the midline act at the pre-event party for the UK contingent of 4000 scouts, the night before leaving for the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden. The year after, on 28 July 2012, Alphabeat performed as the closing act for Jamboree Denmark 2012.

Members
Stine Bramsen – vocals
Anders SG – vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar
Anders B – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Anders Reinholdt – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Rasmus Nagel – keyboards, backing vocals
Troels Hansen – drums, backing vocals
Discography
Main article: Alphabeat discography
Alphabeat (2007)
The Spell (2009)
Express Non-Stop (2012)
Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (2019)
Solo projects
Stine Bramsen
In 2011, Bramsen's vocals were featured in the dance hit "I Want You (To Want Me Back)", by Danish duo Morten Hampenberg & Alexander Brown. The single was certified gold in Sweden. This was followed in 2013, with her vocals featuring in "32", a popular release by Danish rock band Carpark North.

Following Alphabeat's hiatus in 2013, Bramsen pursued a solo career and began releasing music under her own name. In January 2014, she released her first single, "Prototypical"[29], which appeared at number 2 on the Hitlisten Danish Singles Chart in its first week of release. This was followed by "Move Forward," on 30 May 2014,[30] and "The Day You Leave Me," which was released 31 October 2014.[31] A fourth single, "Karma Town," followed on 9 February 2015[32], which charted at number 30.

A self-titled EP was then released on 27 March 2015, consisting of Bramen's previous singles, alongside two new tracks.[33] This peaked at number 11 on the Danish Albums Chart. Bramsen then went on to release one more single, "Woman," on 5 September 2015[34], before releasing her debut solo album, "Fiftyseven," on 9 October 2015.[35] The album peaked at number 1 in Denmark.

Bramsen's next release was the song "Keep Dreaming," in collaboration with Danish DJ Hedegaard, released 9 September 2016.[36] This was followed by three solo singles, "L.A.C.K." on 13 October 2017[37], "You're Not Giving Up" on 15 March 2018[38] and "Can't Get Over You" on 4 May 2018[39]. These three songs became part of Bramsen's second EP, "Bruised," released 1 June 2018.[40]

Bramsen's latest solo release is "Can't Let it Go," featuring Danish soul and R&B singer Patrick Dorgan. The single was released 4 October 2018