London Broncos coach Rob Powell understands review decision - BBC News
London Broncos head coach Rob Powell says he understands the club's decision to hold a performance review.
The Twickenham Stoop outfit's board announced the mid-season review last week after picking up just two wins in the Super League so far this year.
Powell told BBC London 94.9: "There's been a decision to look at what we are doing and they are well within their right to do that.
"It's a performance-based industry and we haven't been performing."
He added: "They want to look at who we've got and who's doing what roles. They are right to want to challenge us and make sure we are getting it right.
"How it unfolds is not for me to answer but we're more than happy about it."
The Broncos have the third-worst defensive record in the Super League but following their performance in the 14-12 defeat to Hull FC on Sunday, Powell believes his side are close to turning the corner.
"I think we defended really strongly and if we can build on that, take it forward and do it on a consistent basis, we'll be okay and get through this tough period," he added.
"It's pretty pointless if we only do it once. I'd like to think this is a benchmark that we can achieve more often.
"We've got a very hard-working group of players and staff who want to make amends and make things right.
"There's a lot of effort that goes on behind the scenes in many different departments."
London’s Swiss Church looks to uncertain future - swissinfo
by Andrew Littlejohn in London, swissinfo.ch
London’s Swiss Church community has celebrated its 250th anniversary with the necessary pomp and circumstance, but its concerns are firmly in the future, with the perspective of less funding from home more than likely.
Dignitaries from London and representatives from the Commission of Swiss Churches Abroad mingled with scores of expats this weekend to mark the occasion.
Swiss Ambassador to Britain Anton Thalmann opened the celebratory weekend early Saturday evening with a fundraising reception for the Swiss Church and called the anniversary a “truly historic milestone”.
The original place of worship for expatriates was founded by French-speaking Swiss Protestants in 1762. The current building in Covent Garden was first opened in 1855 and has been their spiritual home of Swiss Protestants in London ever since.
It was designed by George Vulliamy, who was of Swiss descent, and it was largely financed by contributions from the Swiss community, the canton of Zurich and churches in Bern.
More than 50 pastors – French and German - have preached to the Swiss community in London since records began in 1762.
Thalmann went on to describe the close ties the two establishments have shared and how in those early years the church was the main protector of the Swiss abroad.
“For more than forty years, before the consular representation was established in London in 1817, it was the church that acted as Swiss consul,” he told guests. “The pastor kept a registration record of the community and issued passports.”
Oldest parish outside Switzerland
Gottfried Locher, president of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, put into perspective just how old the church is.
“We are here celebrating the oldest parish outside of Switzerland,” he said. “There are many cantonal churches in Switzerland that are not as old.”
The Swiss church has survived many challenges in the past. Locher, who was also minister of London’s Swiss Church in the 1990s, praised what he called “this small, but stout” community for bringing people together.
“The two sides of the ‘Röstigraben’, this famous divider between the two parts of Switzerland, have been well and truly alive here for a long time,” he told his audience.
“Many of you will know it was only in the mid-1950s that the two communities actually merged. And when I arrived in 1994, there was still a sense of a divide.”
Changing perspectives
Sunday’s church service was equally celebratory, but as a large part of the 250-member congregation was in attendance, the tone focused more on what was needed for the church to move forward in its current state.
Locher spelled out some of the challenges ahead. He began by making clear there had always been financial constraints on Swiss churches abroad and that it was likely that even less money would be available in the coming years.
“Numbers are down. The average age is up. We need to change our perspectives.”
Locher was not even sure if young people were the future of the church.
“People here have to adapt to reality, as it is,” he said. “There is no point in denying this reality, which as I see it, shows an uncertainty, as to whether younger people will join this community.”
Throughout the two-day event there were constant reminders that a church costs money and if London’s Swiss Church was important to the expatriate community, they would need to ensure that support on all levels.
Challenges ahead
Nathalie Duermueller, who has been the minister of the Swiss Church for the past four years, understands the challenge ahead and she and her team are constantly facing up to the future with creative and realistic plans.
“We often get requests from other local churches to hire our premises. Ventures like this help bring in much-needed revenue,” she said. “We also have artists and musicians who want to exhibit and perform in our premises. Our visual arts programme is starting to get a good reputation among the arts scene in London.”
Duermueller believes these new incentives may also lead to an increase in the size of the congregation.
“This is a Swiss meeting place, but of course it is also a church,” she explained. “If we attract different types of people here through our cultural programmes, these people may connect with the church. We should always remain an open venue that welcomes everybody.”
Andrew Littlejohn in London, swissinfo.ch
London 2012 - Ennis denied PB by hurdle gaffe - Yahoo! Eurosport
British heptathlon star Jessica Ennis was denied a personal best in the 100 metres hurdles - and victory over the Olympic champion - after blundering event organisers in Manchester forgot to place all the required barriers.
Ennis, who is one of the top heptathletes in the world but also an accomplished hurdler, stormed to victory at the Great CityGames in Manchester on Sunday with a career-best time of 12.75 seconds, knocking 0.04s off her previous fastest set last year.
Not only was it her best time, but she had beaten Olympic champion Dawn Harper of the United States in the process.
But officials had only laid out nine of the 10 hurdles, meaning her time was rendered invalid.
"I am so annoyed," said Ennis, who is one of the favourites to win heptathlon Olympic gold in London this summer. "I still had a good competitive race, but I've just not got the result I wanted.
"It’s a massive, massive mess-up. I can’t believe it."
Organisers Nova International admitted to the error, promising a full investigation.
"There has been a technical error and there were nine sets of hurdles out on the course instead of 10," a spokesman for Nova said.
"We'll conduct a thorough investigation and find out what happened and why and by whom.
"It's a very unfortunate mistake, we're very unhappy about it."
Dwain Chambers, who was recently cleared to compete in the Olympics after the British Olympic Association's lifetime ban for convicted dopers was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, was also taking part in his first race in Europe since the decision went in his favour.
Chambers received a warm welcome from the fans before finishing second in a showpiece 150 metres in 15.27 seconds.
The Great CityGames is a special, free event featuring some of the world’s top athletes competing on a specially constructed street track.
It is affiliated with the Great Manchester Run 10,000m race. Haile Gebrselassie won the men’s race, with Linet Masai triumphing for the women.
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