HAPPY HOLIDAYS
THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Monday 9 December 2013
PROTESTS HIT UCLAN
Lecturers and students protest over pay cuts and job losses NEWS, Page 3
ANDY MAC: I’LL BE BACK Former MACs manager unhappy with current situation.
NEWS, Page 2
THE BIG REVIEW OF 2013 Pluto take a look back on the year in Culture CULTURE, Page 8
NEWS:
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UNIVERSITY STAFF REMOVE NEWSPAPER FROM PUBLIC VIEW AHEAD OF OPEN DAY BECAUSE OF THIS HEADLINE Jess Millington News Editor
MEMBERS of UCLan staff removed copies of Pluto’s latest edition from view ahead of a University open day after its front page contained a report on lecturer cuts. The open day, which took place on 30 November was a day for potential students to come and look around the institution. Michael Bailey, media officer at UCLan SU and editor in chief of Pluto said: “I was working the event as a Students’ Union representative and on getting into work at 9am I discovered all the papers had gone.” He added: “This led to a large backlash from students against the university who took over the hashtags #uclan #uclanopenday.”
Bailey continued, saying: "The sustained criticism they were receiving forced them to turn off two Twitter walls they were running at the event.” Defending their actions, a spokesperson for UCLan said: “UCLan actively supports a free press but equally it wishes to see accurate reporting. The newspapers were only removed from the main open day thoroughfare. We did not remove them from other university buildings for the duration of the event because the front page headline misrepresented the current situation at the university. Our development plans for the UK are entirely separate from our international operations and the change program currently being undertaken at UCLan would have taken place regardless of our overseas strategy.” The University has always maintained an open and constructive relationship with Pluto, the UCLan student newspaper, and we hope this will continue in the future.”
OUTSTANDING UCLAN WIN TOP ICT AWARD Jade Kneen News Reporter
UCLAN walked away from the ninth Times Higher Education Awards 2013 with the Outstanding ICT Initiative Award on 28 November. The award recognises the university’s Digital Shift initiative; which works towards implementing digital technologies in many aspects of teaching and learning. Martyn Harrow, a judge and chief executive of the higher education tech-
NEWS: Marijuna plants seized in Ribbleton raid
nology consortium Jisc, commented on the judging: “The panel was very impressed with this entry and judged that the UCLan Digital Shift project had best embraced all the criteria of the award. “It demonstrated in particular an innovative approach and considerable skill and effort in successfully embracing both staff and students in the process.” As part of the program, there have been significant steps in implementing minimum standards for integrating the two. These have included areas such as uploading course information, ensuring online access to reading lists and lecture
CULTURE:
notes, remote submission of assignments as well as offering the option of digital feedback on courses. The project was introduced in 201112 and has been embraced by staff and students. It has resulted in a 136 per cent increase in electronic coursework submissions and a 316 per cent increase the number of feedback reports submitted online. It also allows for the staff to develop their own skills with technology and enhance their lectures. Through the initiative they are able to bring online seminars into their modules and also
SPORT:
provide a ‘blended’ approach to teaching. Over 4,000 staff have attended academic and technology workshops as part of the process. Lisa Banks, the acting head of UCLan’s Learning and Information Systems team which implemented the project, commented: “We are thrilled to accept this award in recognition of our work on the Digital Shift project. “We set out to truly transform the student experience and this ambitious programme of cultural change has combined technology and teaching to leverage institutional-wide benefits for both staff and students.”
Pluto is fuelled by
09.12.2013 Contents News
Feminist Society’s Transgender Event
For Transgender Remembrance Day Page 4
Comment
Jonathon Trott Heads Home
Long standing stress related condition forces cricketer to leave the Ashes Page 5
Comment
Brain Griffin Rest in Peace
Were Family Guy right to kill him off? Page 5
Culture
The Courteeners Gig of the Year Their 53 Degrees gig is reviewed. Page 7
Culture
Pluto’s Best Bits of 2013
The best of the past year in Culture Page 8-9
Sport
Tis the Season to be Jolly
Martin Jol the latest manager to be sacked Page 13
Online
ANOTHER USA TRIP FOR ASTROPHYSICS STUDENTS Tom Greggan News Editor
THREE UCLan students will be heading stateside for a second time in a year, this month. Sam Loughlin, a software engineering student, Robert McLaughlin who studies electronic engineering and Chris Rowley, an MA Astrophysics student will be attending the American Geophysical Unions’s 46th annual autumn conference in San Francisco, from the 9-13 December. The opportunity comes after they impressed on a 10 week summer placement at NASA. Only 10 students were chosen for the internship and UCLan’s trio were the only non-American representatives. During the internship, Chris researched the effects of cosmic rays, Sam worked on a technical project investigat-
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ing space weather and data whilst Robert looked at noise filtering and very low frequency radio signals. Chris, 20, from Swindon told Pluto: “The opportunity to present at an international conference is more than I could have hoped for from university.” Robert, 22, from Preston told uclan.ac.uk: “We can’t thank the University enough for the support they’ve given us. To be able to go to America to work with NASA, then fly out to attend this conference is phenomenal. We’re all thinking about our future employment so to have this on our CVs is a real boost.” More than 22,000 Earth and space scientists, educators, students, and other leaders will be in attendance in San Francisco. Sam, from Manchester, said: “To go back to America and take part in this global exhibition is great. There will be so many interesting things to see and do, as well as talk to fellow engineers.”
PLUTO
ANDY MAC: I’LL BE BACK Charlotte Alty Comment Editor
RUMOURS have engulfed Preston this past week, surrounding the popular nightspot MACs. Since it has come to people’s attention that the establishment was under new management, there have been a lot of loyal customers who were less than pleased with the situation. We have spoken to Mr Andy Mac himself about the situation, as well as the current man in charge of MACs bar, Mr David Beveridge, to clear up some rumours. Andy says that since David’s involvement in the club, 93 members of his staff have been forced out of their jobs. He said: ‘’93 people lost their jobs because when they turned up to work, the new door staff employed there, that I do not like, forced them out of their jobs and pretty much said ‘you’re Mac’s, get out’. That’s how bad it was.’’
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9 December 2013
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Pictures from uclan.ac.uk
NEWS
Andy maintains that he is a 50% shareholder of MACs and that his absence from the club is a temporary blip which he is going to resolve the proper, legal way. He said: ‘’I just had the wool pulled over my eyes by someone that if I’d known I would never have done business with, if I’d known the truth at the time’’. Although he was unclear of the original disagreement that has led to his absence at MACs, due to legal restraints, he admits that he did not agree with the installing of David Beveridge as manager: “I do not like this guy, I don’t agree with his methods, I think he’s not good at what he does.’’ David was brought in originally by a majority shareholder of MACs to help solve some serious licensing problems that the club were facing. Police were not happy with the number of drunk and disorderly incidents that occurred outside the club. Illegal firearm use and every toilet in the venue testing positive for cocaine use were among many reaNews Editor: Tom Greggan & Jess Millington
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Robert McLaughlin
Chris Rowley
sons they were keen to reduce the license to a 1am cut off for serving alcohol. After Dave’s liaising with the police they managed to reach a compromise that would see MACs trading until 2.00am. When asked about the 93 staff, Dave told us that out of those 93 only 31 were actually employed by MACs bar itself. On Thursday 21st November the staff staged a walkout, leaving mid-shift and since then, they have not been back. He said: “At the moment we have a group of employees that are still employed by us, who haven’t been back to find out when they are next in work, none of them have been sacked.” There has also been speculation about the increase of drinks prices. Dave commented on this: “The venue was never charging for a mixer going into a spirit, we have applied a charge for that now.” He told us their aim now is to build up the broken relationship that MACs bar has with students of UCLan.
Lifestyle Editors: Victoria Hepworth Fashion writers: Jess Lindley, Mahaim Saud, Charlotte Fletcher
Sam Loughlin
Andy’s final comment on the matter was that he is still director and still shareholder, and that will not change. He said: “As soon as I have been told by my solicitor that I can tell you something else I will let you know. I can’t wait to open up.”
Source: Dave Beveridge
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LONG QUEUES: Macs still popular Music writers: Jamie Cleaver-Smith, Milo McManus, Alex Grebenar Literature writer - Chelsea Harrop
Reporters: Katara Chen, Rebecca Shepherd, Tami Khramtchenko, Charlotte Arrowsmith
Food writers: Maya Kellerman
Societies Editor: Vacant
Chief Sub-Editor: Jes Ostler
Health writers: Jade Kneen
Deputy: Vacant
Culture Editor: Chris Copestake
Sport Editors: Joe Cooper & Steven Smith
Features Editor: Vacant Deputy: Vacant Comment Editors: Charlotte Alty & Megan Lincoln. Comment Writers: Alannah Maher, Jasleen Kaur, Alex Grebenar,
Deputy Editors: Kristina Hall, Georgia Gregoriou Music writers: Jamie Cleaver-Smith, Milo McManus, Alex Grebenar Film writer: Tony Tenev
Deputy: Vacant Sport writers: James Beck, Oliver Roby, Sam Robinson, Bradley Poole, Lee Murphy, Ryan Donaldson Online editor: Adam Legg
UCLAN PROTESTS OVER JOB CUTS AND LOW PAY Issue 257
UCLAN staff and students alike gathered across the university campus on 3 December to protest against the recently announced staff redundancies and pay cuts hitting UCLan starting January. At the moment, 420 senior staff positions are under review, with 75 expected to lose their jobs come the New Year. Waving placards that read “United Education: Fair Pay Now!”, “UCLan you can’t!” and “Don’t take our lecturers!” the protesters spoke and chanted in solidarity with all the affected departments of the university, as well as the student body. “We are gathered here today to tell the university to think again,” said Michael McKrell, Chair of UCLan UCU: “We think the redundancies are unjustified on financial grounds and unacceptable on educational grounds. “This has the potential to do terrible reputational damage to UCLan. If it gets the reputation of a cheapskate university that undervalues their staff and cheats students out of a quality education, that can only have a detrimental effect on the reputation of the institution. We are very proud of UCLan and we don’t want that to happen.” The cuts threat has raised fears about an erosion in the student experience and the impact this will have on both current students engaged in their final year (as dissertation tutors are amongst those under threat), as well as future potential newcomers. ”I think this is deterring some of the current students,” said UCLan student Louisa Dare: “On support sites, people are thinking about changing their course. Me, personally, I was thinking of doing a Master’s Degree at UCLan, but the way things are going, I don’t think this is the right place for me. Important staff members are leaving. “On our open day, we were promised world-class teaching and now it’s being taken from us.” Dr And Rosta, Senior Lecturer in English Language & Linguistics and UCLan UCU Branch Secretary represented the lecturers in their national “Fair Pay” campaign, pressing for the university employers to negotiate and reprove on their original 1% pay offer. She said: “Through the national strike, we hope to persuade the employers to improve their pay offer, which is way below the inflation at the moment.” Pat Grant, Unison Regional Office Organiser brought into discussion the high cost of living which is not met by the current staff pays: “People can’t survive on the pay, and it’s not just redundancies that we are talking about, it’s also the people who are remaining, with their jobs downgraded. As we are speaking now, people are being downgraded in their jobs,” she said. “All the staff are worried about their jobs and they slap them in the face with a 1% pay offer. Nationally, we’ve asked for 4%, something that’s reasonable, es-
CULTURE 7-11
SPORT 21-24
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STUDENTS OF TODAY... Are they being misled?
Source: Cipriana Botez
News Reporter
pecially since in the last two or three years, they haven’t had any substantial pay rises.” “We know that nationally, universities have got billions just sat there. We‘re only asking for a measly 4%, that’s nothing compared to the salaries most district councilors are on across the country.” Although the current cut proposals have been linked with the financial fiasco in UCLan’s Thailand branch, which brought the university a total loss of £3.2m, Pluto understands that these drastic moves have been pre-planned, with talks having started in 2011. Some staff cuts have apparently taken place during the summer, when students were away. Toni Rutledoe, student and Member of the Psychology Society at UCLan said: “They go on about transparency. There has been no student consultation at all in regards to any of the redundancies. “We are the people who pay for them to be there, we are the people who make this university. People don’t come here for science festivals and engagement events; they come here for the teaching.” In a letter explaining their decisions, UCLan justified their actions from the perspective of operating as a business for financial reasons. “The staff who are up high should do the honorable thing and take a pay cut to support the university,” said Tom Higgins, Vice Chair of UCLan Psychology Society: “Either fall on your sword and walk away or take a pay cut and ply that money back into education. Then, maybe you will get more respect out of the student body.” His views were also echoed by Bill McCoid, Course Leader for Screenwriting, Film and Television, who said: “In business, you invest. In business, you look after your assets. The most important asset the university has is the staff and its students that have to be looked after primarily. We want them to rethink their plans because there’s no rational reason for this. The university have posted a profit and they’ve got millions of pounds in their coffers and if they go down this path, people are going to find soon enough that this isn’t the great university it once was.” On 21 December, part of the staff will find out who is being disposed of, while the rest are faced with voluntary redundancies. If accepted, a voluntary redundancy will see lecturers getting a pay-off while finishing the academic year. Conversely, if this plan is not accepted and it’s decided they are no longer needed, they will be made redundant with no pay, but they will still be expected to work until the end of the semester. Tom Higgins thinks this is unfair: “We have lecturers now who love the UCLan brand, love the work they do, and most of all, they love the students. If we lose that passion, we lose the university,” he said. “UCLan is being promoted as a centre of excellence. How can that be if you sever excellent staff? The student voice needs to be heard.”
COMMENT 5
UNITED... Students and staff protested alongside each other
Source: Cipriana Botez
Cipriana Botez
NEWS 2-4
PROTESTERS... A crowd gathered on Adelphi roundabout
Source: Cipriana Botez
PLUTO
FEMINIST SOCIETY HOLDS TRANSGENDER EVENT 4
NEWS
Alannah Maher News Reporter
LAST Wednesday night, 20 November UCLan’s Feminist Society held an opento-all talk out of respect for Transgender Remembrance Day, which took place the previous week on 20 November. The speakers included Fletcher Durbin, the former trans-rep for UCLan’s LGBT Society and Josh Durham, the Hate Crime Officer for Lancashire City Council. Both of the speakers had at some point in their lives begun female to male gender reassignment surgery. During their talks they discussed the basics of transphobia, the meaning of the phrase ‘trans umbrella’ and what comes under it, what to do if you accidentally use the wrong pronoun, and what it means to still call yourself a feminist after you no longer identify as a woman. There has been transphobia in the feminist movement since the second
9 December 2013
www.pluto-online.com
wave, where procedures for female to male gender correction were seen as ‘mutilating’ and ‘denying your femininity’. Trans-people have also been seen to conform to gender stereotypes and ‘feed sexism’. Josh Durham explained that in the early stages, many people who are transitioning are just trying to blend into the gender binary society we live in.
We didn’t have the chance to make teenage mistakes, so we make them now in our adulthood.
PLUTO
them now in our adulthood.” Janine Conroy, a member of the Femsoc committee who introduced the talks said of the event: "I feel the talk went really well, it was informative yet accessible. I felt like everyone had learnt something about how to be a better ally, and I hope the society can continue to push for a more inclusive form of feminism on campus.”
#SHORT ANDTWEET
MARIJUANA CCHHRIS HRIISSSTMA HR TM TMA MAAS HAMPER HA HAMP A PER CHRISTMAS ERR FARMS SEIZED He also remarked that, as allies, we need to be conscious to let trans-people make their own mistakes: “We never had a chance to be teenagers in the right gender for us. We didn’t have the chance to make teenage mistakes, so we make
@BigFashionista
Today is International Transgender Remembrance Day. For those that have suffered, I will remember.
TRANSGENDER PRIDE... LGBT community came together on 20 November
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News Reporter
Over £500,000 worth of cannabis has been seized by police in Preston in the last fortnight. A probe was launched on 19 November after two farms were found within hours of each other. By the end of the week, two more farms had been located. After the first farms were found, police believed that there was enough evidence to suggest further cannabis cultivation. DC Darren Caunce said: “We are linking the two finds because the same kind of equipment was being used at the two
addresses and it is a very similar set up. We are also looking into the possibility there are others and would appeal to the public for information.” Cannabis is popular amongst students and approximately half of all 16-29 year olds will try it at least once. The effect of cannabis on a person’s health is a source of constant debate, with many advocating its benefits. Two Vietnamese nationals have been charged by the police in connection to the original discovery of cannabis. Ian Anderson, representing one of the defendants, stated that his client was exploited as part of a pre-existing operation for the profit of others.
BUSTED... Four cannabis farms were seized
Source: Michael Wolf
PPEAALL PE APPPPEAL AAPP APPEAL
Luke Beardsworth
Issue 257
C O M M E N T
NEWS 2-4
COMMENT 5
CULTURE 7-11
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SPORT 21-24
TROTT’S ABSENCE IS FOR THE BEST BUT IT SHOWS A WORRYING TREND IN SPORT Jack Wilson-Mumford Sports Reporter
SINCE batsman Jonathan Trott left England’s Ashes tour of Australia with what has been described as a “long standing stress related condition,” there have been several cans of worms opened including debates over whether he should have been allowed to even go on the tour and whether sport should do more to protect its players. First of all I believe anyone that says Trott is a “bottler” in the face of adversity (after England’s crushing defeat in the 1st Test) either fails to understand the pressures of modern sport or is incredibly cold hearted over mental health issues. Many will see this as Trott’s way of escaping Mitchell Johnson’s 90 mile per hour bouncers or the verbal sledging of Australians like David Warner. It has been discussed that sledging (fielders taunting the batsman in a bid to scare them into giving their wicket away) has no place in the gentleman’s game of cricket but I feel this plays no part in Trott’s illness. Sledging has been a permanent fixture at every level of the game for many years and players within the game have always confirmed they don’t take it personally or aim personal taunts at their opposition. It is simply a way of trying to achieve an edge in the arena of International sport where every single inch counts. The pressures in sport are continually increasing as the money involved gets larger and larger and the players have to adapt to a full blown celebrity lifestyle. These pressures are exaggerated in Australia for cricketers where cricket is seen as the number one sport and players are obsessed over in a similar way to David Beck-
IMAGE: Rae Allen
PLUTO
LONELY ISLAND... Trott in one of his trademark fielding positions at fine leg. ham and Wayne Rooney in the UK. 32 year old batsman Trott has been known as a player ‘on the edge’ throughout his England career since his debut in 2009. His shuffle around the crease in between deliveries and day long spells fielding on the lonely fringes of the game down at fine leg have almost become his trademark. When batting he appears possessed, obsessing over every ball and when potentially batting for 6 hours a day this can mentally drain him. It is understandable that the busy cricketing calendar will have simply led to Trott becoming burnt out mentally. Trott is not the
first England cricketer to leave a tour early after Marcus Trescothick left the 2006 Ashes tour early and Michael Yardy withdrew from the 2011 World Cup, both with a “stress related condition”. Mental health issues have gained much more coverage in other sports such as football since the deaths of footballers like Gary Speed and Robert Enke. This has led to talks over whether governing bodies do enough to protect the players from the increasing pressures of modern sport. I feel the fact that Trott has been allowed to leave the tour and received support from
the majority in the cricket world including teammates like Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann is a positive sign in the treatment of these issues. I am glad Trott has been allowed to leave the tour in order to “rest and recuperate” as Andy Flower put it and I am hopeful that he will one day return to take his place in the England team that he has been such an integral part of for almost four years. However, as the pressures for professional sportspeople is only going to increase, mental health issues within the industry will also increase and any sufferers deserve the respect and support of everyone.
SHOCK AS FAMILY GUY KILL OFF BRIAN
The death of Brian Griffin on November 24 2013 was one which tore at the heart strings of Family Guy fans worldwide, which poses the question, should Family Guy have killed off Brian Griffin? Charlotte Fletcher Comment Writer
EPISODE ‘The Life of Brian’ sees Brian get run over by a car and despite Stewie’s best efforts to go back in time to save Brian - he had recently dismantled his time machine so couldn’t. Fans were shown flashback moments of Brian’s life before he quietly slipped away. Judging by the reaction of fans of the adult humoured cartoon, the death of Brian was not the right decision. Fans have taken to social media sites to publicise their wishes of “RIP” as though the Griffins’ pet dog is a real person, and a petition has also been started to bring back the beloved canine character; with over 120,000 signatures inked on to the petition so far. The revelation has sparked much disappointment and outrage since the airing, but was that the aim? Like many long running programmes, audience numbers can start to slip over time. So was this a bid to re-attract the audiences and get people watching Family Guy again? Who knows, but publicity stunts are the most common way to regain numbers, so it could be the case. It is fair to say that creator
Seth Macfarlane has received the brunt of all the criticisms, and the decision is one that he may regret after the revolt of the fans over the end of Brian. A number of fans have also expressed their opinions that suggest Meg Griffin, voiced by Mila Kunis should have been the character that was killed off, instead of Brian. But with a new dog ‘Vinnie’ on the scene,
The death of Brian was not the right decision.
it looks as though the departure of Brian Griffin is a permanent one. But the fans reactions speak volumes and it seems that killing off Family Guy’s much loved dog was not the right decision. Seth Macfarlane may be forced to come up with a way to write Brian back into Family Guy. Although, on previous form, Family Guy is known for contradicting its plots. In 2007, there was a two-part episode titled “Stewie kills Lois” and “Lois kills Stewie” with the audience under the impression that Lois has been killed off; she then returns at the end of the episode in a courtroom, as Stewie did not make sure she was dead.
DEATH BED... Family Guy character Brian Griffin was killed off during a recent episode. In the second part of the episode Lois then kills Stewie with the help of husband Peter, again having the audience thinking Stewie is now dead; until it is revealed that Stewie saw the events on a computer simulation of the future and neither characters were killed. So, audiences will have to wait and see whether or not the same scenario will await Brian.
#SHORTANDTWEET @BriansDead
Why couldnt it have been Meg?
C The Courteeners U L T U R 53 Degrees, Preston E
PLUTO
Issue 257
Music
Live Review - Jamie Cleaver-Smith
NEWS 2-4
CULTURE 7-11
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SPORT 21-24
The very latest music news, reviews and interviews
“Beyond a certain point, the music isn't mine anymore. It's yours.” Phil Collins
ROCKING... Liam Fray (centre) plays to a packed 53 Degrees
IN what was arguably 53 Degrees' most anticipated show of 2013, Manchester giants The Courteeners certainly delivered. Quite frankly, Liam Fray and the boys comfortably surpassed the expectations of the sold out venue. The band has developed quite a reputation as a live entity and very few bands obtain such an enormous reaction from the crowd for the entirety of their set. There was a change before The Courteeners took to the stage as Darlia, the band originally named as the support act, cancelled due to illness. That paved the way for young Morecambe based band, The Heartbreaks to fill in for them at the last minute. The confusion around 53 Degrees was evident but the fourpiece certainly delivered. Despite the bands clear self-confidence and ability to get the crowd swaying from side to side, the majority of onlookers were desper ate for the main event to begin. Chants of the famous closing song of The Courteeners, 'What Took You So Long', were beginning to ring around the building. The excitement continuously grew. Just past 9 o'clock, the moment everybody had been waiting for had arrived. The lights dimmed and on walked the Manchester boys to rapturous applause and cheers. Then instantly, the band launched into their latest single 'Are You In Love With a Notion', sending the sold out crowd into frenzy. Lead singer Liam was buoyed by the crowd's reaction and it was no surprise he and the band were enjoying themselves on stage. ‘Anna’, the bands’ latest album, was well received and a number of songs made it onto the band's setlist. In fact, 9 of the 20 songs played were from their 2013 release, including the second song of the night 'Welcome To The Rave.' As well as sounding great, the show was visually stunning with simple yet extremely effective lighting.
COMMENT 5
Even if the band were playing to smaller venues, bar the Phones 4 U Arena in Manchester, it was evident that no thought or effort was spared during the preparation for this tour. Many people do have a preference to listen to their favourite band's older material. So it was no surprise that when the opening anthemic guitar riff of debut single 'Cavorting' rang around 53 Degrees, the roof nearly came off. Would it be reassuring or disappointing for a band to know despite a fantastic second and third album that their first record contains the songs that go down the best with the fans?
The Courteeners have got to be considered as one of the country's greatest bands.
‘St Jude’ was the bands’ first LP and was released over 5 years ago, however, like many other rock bands, the likes of 'Please Don't' and 'Bide Your Time', some of the older tunes, get the crowd singing along more than most. Their albums have been consistently fantastic, all with variety and brilliantly crafted lyrics, which bodes fantastically well for their live performances. A large majority of The Courteener's songs are catchy and the lyrics resemble a general conversation at times. For the song ‘Please Don't’ everybody was
SOURCE: Roman-b Photography
singing along and at times overpowering Fray's vocals. “Please don't pretend that we'll stay friends. Cause you know as well as I do, that, well that just, will never happen.” As the set was reaching its conclusion, just after a beautiful rendition of 'Take Over The World', the rest of the band fled the stage to allow Liam Fray time to himself with the crowd as he performed a few acoustic numbers. Fray is no stranger to acoustic performances having done a set in the very same room earlier this year. Whilst being very easy on the ears, it allowed the crowd to have a well needed rest in time for the almighty climax that was awaiting them. The guitar playing skills of Liam Fray were unavoidably admirable. He gently plucked away and had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire night. The final two songs had arrived and the instructions were made abundantly clear for the first of those, 'Not Nineteen Forever.' With the fans in his pocket, Fray announced what he wanted the crowd to do by simply saying: “Up and down” and that is exactly what happened. Again, another hit from their debut album which never fails to disappoint no matter how many times you hear it. Rounding off the night, like all of The Courteeners' sets, was the famous 'What Took You So Long?' There is something special to this song. Everybody knows the words and the song needed no introduction. It was what everybody had been waiting for, just not the end of what was a spectacular show. The Courteeners have got to be considered as one of the country's greatest bands. They will be known, if not already, as one of Manchester's finest along with the great Stone Roses, Oasis and The Smiths. With more albums sure to come and with a phenomenal frontman, The Courteeners will continue to grow and get even better than they already are.
University of Pluto Music Degree Classification 1st
Top of the class
2:2
Hello there Desmond
2:1 3
Fail
Close but no cigar
Must try harder
Why even bother?
What’s On
Our guide to the best gigs in the North-West Music
The View 53 Degrees 13th December £13.50 - 53degrees.net Kurt Vile Manchester Academy 2 14th December £12 - manchesteracademy.net Terrorvision (Acoustic) 53 Degrees 15th December £10 ADV - 53degrees.net Tea Street Band East Vilage Arts Club, Liverpool 19th December £10 - http://mamacolive.com/ Rook & The Ravens The Ferret 20th December FREE theferret.info
The Blackout 53 Degrees 24th January 2014 £13 - 53degrees.net
Reverand & The Makers 53 Degrees 28th Feburary £13.50 - 53degrees.net
Pluto Playlist What’s been played in the Pluto office this past week Arcade Fire Reflektor
Catfish & The Bottlemen Pacifier Editors Honesty
James Blake Retrograde
Haim Forever
Paramore Daydreaming White Lies Big TV
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Top 10... Albums of the year
1
Arctic Monkeys - ’AM’
Jack Whitehall: Best Comedian of 2013?
ALEX Turner and the ‘Monkeys hit the jackpot this year with ‘AM’. Raunchy and dirty throughout, the record gave 2013 some of it’s biggest singalong tracks, with ‘Do I Wanna Know’, ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’ and ‘One For The Road’ being unavoidable on the airwaves and in Indie bars and clubs up and down the land.
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PLUTO
We take a look back
Editors ‘The Weight of Your Love’
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A change of line-up brought a change of fortune for Editors, who’ve seen themselves climb back to the top shelf of British Indie with the beautiful ‘The Weight Of Your Love’.
Bill Ryder-Jones
‘A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart’
Kanye West
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7 8
‘Crocodile’
London Grammer
‘Drenge’
Laura Marling
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‘Once I Was An Eagle’
‘Yeezus’
Young Rebel Set
Drenge
Jackass: Bad Grandpa
The Courteeners
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‘Anna’
Gravity
The Hobbit
The latest edition to the Lord of the Rings saga, The ‘Hobbit’ has fans amazed and complete.
White Lies
Thor: The Dark World
‘Big TV’
Top 5... Art Exhibitions of the year
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9 5
It’s Johnny Knoxville, so you know it’s going to be hilarious. And it didn’t disappoint.
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‘If You Wait’
Top 10... Films of the year
DLA Piper series constellations @Liverpool Tate Liverpool Tate explores the impact of particular works from the Tate collection has on art history.
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Monsters University
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The second and penultimate edition of Suzanne Collins’ outstanding trilogy lived up to all expectations.
The Great Gatsby
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Carrie
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Art Turning Left: How values changed making 1789-2013 @Liverpool Tate Opening in November , Liverpool Tate examines how the production and reception of art has been influenced by leftwing values, looking closely work from the French Revolution to the present day
Anchorman 2
We’ve not actually seen it yet, but we know it’s going to be more irresistable than a splash of Sex Panther.
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You Stay Classy UCLan: Ron Burgundy
Despicable Me 2
The remake of this Stephen King classic scared the living daylights out of us here at Pluto!
by Arts Editor Kristina Hall
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Gru, the girls and the gang of minions return for the years funnest and yellowest film, perfect for all ages.
AND (Abandon Normal Devices) @FACT AND returned to Liverpool the Autumn blurring the boundaries between art , science and cultural activism.
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Issue 255
PLUTO
NEWS 2-5
COMMENT 8-9
CULTURE 15-18
Breaking Bad: The Best TV Series of 2013?
4.
Gears of War: Judgement
The Gears keep turning and this time it is set before the events of the original Gears of War trilogy. Judgement is a perfect gateway into the Gears universe as it takes place in the aftermath of Emergence Day which is a defining moment of the Gears of War franchise. 5.
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider’s gritty reboot developed by Crystal Dynamics sets our ambitions heroine Lara Croft in her younger years as a survivor against a cult of madmen on an island in the South China Sea. The traumatic and life changing RPG adventure humanizes the once caricatured sex symbol Lara and portrays a journey of growth and a calculating fearsome warrior at its centre. 6.
Top 10... Games of the year
Our very own gaming guru (and Editor) Georgia Gregoriou takes us through her Top 10 games of 2013
The Last of Us
NAUGHTY Dog’s impeccable post-apocalyptic survival horror, The Last of Us a PS3 exclusive delivers this year’s most staggering game with our heroes Joel and Ellie at the helm of the narratives gripping cinematic like adventure. The mesmerising visuals and flawless interplay between both our heroes delivers a game full of emotion and an awe inspiring plot of a dehumanized world. Bioshock Infinite
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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Starring the cyborg ninja Raiden and his high-frequency katana blade, Hideo Kojima took a leap of faith with this new addition to the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Platinum Games collaboration with Kojima Productions showcased an arcade-based in depth experience, with elements of chaotic combat along with a combination of slow motion swordplay and a stream of non-stop Metal Gear action. 7.
Ni no Kuni : Wrath of the White Witch
With the overwhelmingly reminiscent essence of an interactive Studio Ghibli movie, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch developed by Level-5 is one of the most impressive more traditional Japanese Role Playing Games this year. The seamless animation, stunning art style aesthetic and vibrant game-play is a rewarding change away from the more Western titles in recent years. 8.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Arkham Origins under the new development of Rocksteady Studios, exemplified itself as it sticks to its predecessor’s game-play mechanics and nevertheless managing to maintain its immaculate reputation. Origins takes gamers back in time, shinning a retrospective and new light on the Dark Knight and his enemies of his earlier years. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
Alternate realties, Quantum Physics and a floating city in the sky, Irrational’s Bioshock Infinite is undoubtedly a paramount title in this year’s Top 10. With stellar game-play, an intricate plot and phenomenal characters like Booker DeWitt, Elizabeth and the mysterious Lutece twins, Infinite makes its mark as a culturally paramount game in this generation of gaming.
In Ubisoft’s latest Splinter Cell, International espionage is the games core drive as Sam Fisher returns to take out a list of terrorists who are targeting the United States. For stealth genre fans, Blacklist is a must as it makes its way to number 9.
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GTA V
The next chapter in the Grand Theft Auto Universe, GTA V is another one of Rockstar’s open-world marvels and is arguably one of the greatest games for the last generation of consoles. Playing as three unique protagonists Michael, Franklin and Trevor in Los Santos, the game is an overwhelming masterpiece of sheer amazement.
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Alex Sambrook looks into Pluto’s crystal ball to see the 10 bands that we’ll all be listening to next year
k at the last 12 months in culture
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2014 SPORT 21-24
Workplace: Six films about life in the modern workplace @Harris Museum & Art Gallery The Harris Museum explored the relationship we with the workplace from friendships and romances to power games, politics and even boredom.
9.
Crysis 3
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Crysis 3 showcases distinctive environments of flora and fauna, reminiscent of the first Crysis game, an increase in weaponry such as the Predator Bow, and the beautiful mayhem of the urbanised locales seen from the second game, a hybrid of all spectacular elements which makes this game top 10 worthy.
Turning FACT Inside Out @FACT Liverpool FACT successfully explored concepts of environment, architecture, capitalism and augmented reality in there summer exhibition celebrating its first decade as UK’s primary centre of new media art.
London Grammer Singer Hannah Reid
Sam Smith – Despite lending his vocals to Disclosure’s ‘Latch’ and Naughty Boy’s hugely successful number one ‘La La La’, Sam Smith is yet to prove himself as a solo artist. However, with a debut album confirmed for the new year we can expect to see Smith gracing the upper echelons of the charts in 2014.
London Grammar – Whilst they are hardly a secret, Nottingham based trio London Grammar are yet to cement themselves in the mainstream consciousness. After enjoying both critical and commercial success on the back of their debut album, ‘If You Wait’, they are destined to be a huge name on the 2014 festival scene.
Chance The Rapper – Chicago born hip-hop artist, Chance The Rapper, is one the younger names on the list but that certainly isn’t apparent when listening to his music. With maturity usually synonymous with seasoned rappers and a wit to rival Eminem, the 20 year-old is destined to be a hit in 2014.
Ella Eyre – A graduate from the famous BRIT School, Ella Eyre has already featured on Rudimental’s number one single ‘Waiting All Night’ as well as collaborating with Naughty Boy and Wiz Khalifa. With a debut EP on the way just before Christmas, many wouldn’t be surprised to see her featuring heavily around the top of the charts in the next 12 months.
The Neighbourhood – With a dedicated and rapidly growing fan base The Neighbourhood have made waves of seismic proportions across the pond in the US but have so far failed to make a similar impact in the UK. However, with an arsenal of ambient and ethereal pop songs and a tour with The 1975, that looks set to change in 2014.
FKA Twigs – The 25 year-old initially left the Gloucestershire countryside to become a dancer in London but soon started creating subtle, ambient trip-hop as a side-line. Since then she has amassed an impressive online following which looks only set to grow in the coming months.
The Family Rain – After leaving audiences purring whilst touring with Miles Kane and Jake Bugg, The three brothers from Bath are to set the world of alternative music alight with their debut LP, ‘Under The Volcano’, which is due to be released in February 2014.
Royal Blood – Riff-heavy rock duo, Royal Blood, have already received humbling comparisons with The White Stripes and are set to support Arctic Monkeys at their Finsbury Park gigs next year. Despite a limited online presence the Brighton based duo have received an abundance of praise for their debut single ‘Out of the Black’.
Banks – Dubbed ‘the female Frank Ocean’, LA based Banks has appeared alongside a plethora of big names in the industry including The Weeknd, Jamie Woon and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. With a debut album due in the not too distant future, 2014 could well be a big year for the songstress.
SKATERS – Whilst being the only artist on the list I wouldn’t necessarily tip to achieve mainstream success in 2014, SKATERS look set to rock the indie world to its core. The New York trio have been compared to The Strokes and following the release of a well-received debut EP, the band are currently in the process of recording an album.
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CULTURE
www.pluto-online.com
CERI HAND SELECTS OPENS Art
HANOVER Project welcomes staff, students and the general public to Ceri Hands Selects, an exhibition of undergraduate Fine art and Drawing & Image Making students. Ceri welcomed students from second and third year to submit their work of which she made a small selection of visual art piece that will be exhibited in the Hanover Gallery space from 6th December with a preview on 5thDecember. Ceri Hand completed her studies in Art& Design at Bradford College and has developed a wealthy professional profile in the art sector since. She has a special link to the North West after opening her first gallery in Liverpool in 2008 and has also an connec-
9 December 2013
PLUTO
Painting the picture of Preston’s art scene
‘Every child is and artist , the problem is staying an artist when you grow up ‘ - Pablo Picasso
tion to the Fine art course here at UCLan giving talks about her work and career whilst also offering critique and professional advice to MA students. Continuing her connections to the Fine Art course, Ceri plans to revisit in the New Year to meet and talk with the selected student about their work and practice and offer any advice needed. The students who have been selected for the show are: Alexandra Florithes, Ann Hampson, James Bamford, Jessica Hayes, Kyle Brown, Matthew Palmer, Megan Cameron, Ruth Tyson and Stephen Moss. Entering the exhibition it became clear to me that this particular exhibition is slightly different to Hanover Project’s previous exhibitions. To begin with, there isn’t a description of the work or who the work is by. This to some may or may not seem confusing or even pretentious however; I believe it illuminates any preconceptions about the work and allows the audience to think about the work themselves. The exhibition is curated well and uses the space affectively where you find work leaning against walls, small pieces on the floor ,paintings mounted on the wall with a hinge and in high places influencing the audience to interact with the exhibition and the work presented. Megan Cameron work focuses around the language of constructing and the decon-
Christmas came early
structing of existing objects. Her work has been placed on the floor in relation to the deconstruction of the existing space and builds a dialogue with the work of Alexandra Florithes which is placed directly above. The relationship of the two pieces works communicate well and reminds me of Joseph Kosuth’s One and Three Chairs (1965) , where Kosuth explores the role of words played in Conceptual art’s emphasis on ideas over visualforms. Another piece that interested me was the work of James Bamford. He combines design with fine art by using CAD (Computer Aided Design) to produce his abstract representations of places he has visited, where he uses collection silhouettes of individual objects. In conversation with the artist it become clear to me there was more to the piece the more you looked at it which is very similar to the work of Ruth Tyson. Originally made as structure, Ruth depicts an urban environment built up of jigsaw pieces which become more and more evident looking at the piece. Ceri Hands Selects is everything contemporary. It’s a collection of works that uses existing methods and mediums such as photography and painting which have be adapted to its individual piece. The work is curated to make us of the space available
but also communicates with its audience why influencing an interaction and a conversation the some audiences may not be familiar with. Once again Hanover Project have influenced students to consider their work in a professional environment and also it has successfully showcased the sheer talent of students in The School of Art , Design andperformance. Visit Pluto Online for more achievements from third year BA Acting and Fashion Promotion with Styling students this semester.
What’s On
Ongoing Exhibitions across the North West Time&Motion:Refining Working Life FACT Liverpool 12th DEc 2013-14th Sept 2014 Alvin Baltop and Goron Matta- Clark: The Priers From Here Open Eye Gallery , Liverpool 7th Dec-2nd Feb 2014 Adult £8.80, Concession £6.60 DLA Piper Series : Constellations Liverpool Tate
Portrait of a Living Archive The John Rylands Library Manchester 12 Sept 2013 - 13 Jan 2014
When you told us what you wanted ǁĞ ĚŝĚŶ͛ƚ ǁĂŝƚ ͚Ɵů ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ ƚŽ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ͗Ͳ ƌĞĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ WŽƌƚĂů ƐŽ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ĞĂƐŝůLJ ĮŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ŝŶ ŽŶĞ ƉůĂĐĞ ŽŵďŝŶĞĚ Ϯ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ dŚĞ фŝх ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĞŶƚƌĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŵŽƌĞ ũŽŝŶĞĚ ƵƉ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĐĞŶƚƌĞ ŽĨ ĐĂŵƉƵƐ ƌĞĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƋƵŝĞƚ ƐƚƵĚLJ ĂƌĞĂƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ >ŝďƌĂƌLJ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ /ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ƚŚĞ DŽďŝůĞ dŝŵĞƚĂďůĞ ƐŽ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ LJŽƵƌ ƟŵĞƚĂďůĞ ŽŶ LJŽƵƌ ŵŽďŝůĞ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ /Ŷ /ŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŽƉĞŶŝŶŐ ŚŽƵƌƐ Ăƚ dŚĞ фŝх ^ƚƵĚĞŶƚ /ŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĞŶƚƌĞ͕ ƐƐŽ ƐƚĂī ĂƌĞ ŶŽǁ ĂůƐŽ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ Ăƚ ĞǀĞŶŝŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĞĞŬĞŶĚƐ͘ /ŶƚƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ Ă ƐĞůĨͲƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ůĂƉƚŽƉ ůŽĂŶ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ
Just soŵe oĨ
/uclanlis
ΛhĐůĂŶ>ŝƐ
the w ays we ’ǀe e
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as om m y t r s i r e r m fr ch Learning & Information Services
PLUTO
Issue 257
Gaming
NEWS 2-5
COMMENT 8-9
CULTURE 15-18
SPORT 21-24
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Pushing your buttons makes us happy
“ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely.” - Father, Fallout 3
We sent our Gaming Editor, Georgia Dana Gregoriou, to check out the XBOX ONE tour on its latest stop right here in the North West in good old Manchester. TRAVELLING to over 75 different cities around the world, the Xbox One Tour in Manchester was one of Microsoft’s road to launch destinations. The invite only event gave gamers the opportunity to get oneon-one time with the Xbox One ahead of the official worldwide launch on November 22. With my invitation at hand I was ready to get my next-generation experience going. Situated in Manchester City Centre, a building covered with giant green Xbox One Tour posters were plastered on the display windows, removing any possibility of the outside world seeing inside. Securing a five hour session for the event, gamers had zero-waiting time issues and were able to get down into the nitty gritty with some exclusive Xbox One titles. Divided by two levels and packed with 60 Xbox One consoles, the upstairs allocated games suitable for ages 16 and over such as Forza Motorsport 5, Zoo Tycoon, FIFA 14 and Kinect Sports Rivals. Upon entry guests are given grey wrist bands allowing entry into the 18 and over arena in the downstairs section of the
building. These included next gen titles such as Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct, Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Separated by arenas, showrooms illuminated under green, orange and red lighting, walls plastered with each games titles box art and the harmonic sounds of all types of games being played at once; it was a sight to behold. The exploration of the consoles interface was limited such as the intricate ‘Snap’ feature which allows users to launch apps such as Skype or Internet Explorer or perhaps using the Kinect voice command to navigate through the Xbox dashboard, as I’m sure they didn’t want to showcase everything at once. In the midst of the console war between Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, the event hosted by Microsoft nonetheless made an impact and was undeniably tactical, giving the public an opportunity to experience what the Xbox One console has to offer with first hand game-play mechanics, graphics capabilities and its innovative blockbuster game line-up, all before the official launch.
TOUR
KILLER INSTINCT
Originally appeared on the Nintendo 64, Killer Instinct redefines its classic characters in this next gen reboot. With the unlocked choices of Glacius, Thunder, Jago and Sabrewulf the game takes on a fiercely competitive arcade game-play mechanic of combos and unleashes a hell storm of nostalgic brilliance.
DEAD RISING 3
This Xbox One exclusive is a zombie filled playground, with a grittier tone and darker atmosphere, retaining its essential elements from its predecessors. Choosing from a full inventory of weapons to having access to full-sized vehicles with the sole goal of killing as many zombies as possible, developers have maintained that the Xbox One hardware allows three times as many enemies to be rendered on screen at once in comparison to previous games and they weren’t wrong on that front.
THE BEST OF THE REST
KINCET SPORTS RIVALS: Showcasing the Kinect 2.0’s capabilities in all its glory is Kinect Sports Rivals. Wake racing was the primary available demonstration with the controls intent of imitating the act of driving a real Jet Ski with the most promising improvements of the more responsive and interactive Kinect in comparison to its predecessor.
FORZA MOTORSPORT 5
Aesthetically amazing can only begin to describe the Forza Motorsport franchise who have produced some of the most photorealistic graphics to date since the original Xbox and lives up the expectations of next gen graphics. Given the choice of four cars to choose from, opting for the McLaren P1 was the best choice as it’s a highly featured vehicle in all promotional materials and didn’t disappoint.
RYSE: SON OF ROME: Finally, being pushed as one of the consoles best launch title as a testament to the consoles graphics capabilities, Ryse: Son of Rome undoubtedly delivers. The gameplay set to the game’s ‘Gladiator Mode’ involved defeating waves of barbarians inside the Roman Colosseum to pleasing the crowds of the Roman Empire.
Issue 257
COMMENT 5
CULTURE 7-11
TIS’ THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY SACKED
Martin Jol paid the price for a poor run in form as the managerial merrygo-round gets into full swing.
IMAGE: Mike Candy
S P O R T
NEWS 2-4
Steven Smith Sports Editor
IT’S that time of year when clubs press the panic button and sack managers. Cardiff City manager, Malky Mackay, has accused clubs of short-term thinking after the sacking of seven managers in a week. Mackay sadly commented after an LMA meeting that: "Richard Bevan [LMA chief executive] told the assembled group that 27 coaches and managers in the last seven days have lost their job - that's 27 people that are going back to their families that don't have work any more.” Although I agree it is never nice to see someone lose their job, it is hard to argue with the results. You just have to look at Barnsley, who managed to overturn high-flyers Brighton 2-1, while Sheffield Wednesday also picked up three points after the removal of Dave Jones. When you see results like that you can understand why chairmen are tempted to make a change. Suddenly it's a clean slate, players get their chance, they take it and the team's fortunes can turn around. Another reason why chairmen maybe so hasty in sacking their managers could be due to the amount of experienced managers out of work at the moment. Chairmen may feel they need to act quickly so they don't miss the opportunity of getting a certain manager in. Who will be next? It’s looking like Chris Hughton at Norwich, after shipping five goals at Liverpool and six at Manchester City. Mangers should probably get more time to try and stamp their own mark in the game, but in an industry which is now so financially based each result becomes more important than the last. This in due course means one good result is no longer good enough, which is sad, but it is now a regular part of the game. IMAGE: Jon Candy
PLUTO
HAPPIER TIMES... Martin Jol lead Fulham to a 12th place finish last season.
The latest managers to lose their jobs 25 November
Guy Whittingham
27 November
Richie Barker
Crawley Town
30 November
David Flitcroft
Barnsley
Dave Jones
Sheffield Wed
28 November
1 December
2 December
Sean O’Driscoll
Martin Jol
Owen Coyle
Bristol City
Fulham
Wigan Athletic
BURNLEY STAR COULD BE ON THE MOVE IN WINDOW Bradley Poole Sports Writer
ON-FIRE... Ings has scored 11 goals this season.
Portsmouth
LIVERPOOL are rumoured to be chasing England U21 striker Danny Ings from Burnley. The former Bournemouth man has been deadly in front of goal this season, scoring 11 times in the Championship. Ings has been impressive all season, forming a formidable strike partnership with Wales international Sam Vokes which has seen the Clarets defy all the pre-season critics as they sat third in the Championship, two points off top spot, going into the weekend’s fixtures. He has impressed several clubs and has caught the attention of England Under 21 boss Gareth Southgate. The manager decided to call the player up to the squad to win his first ever under 21 cap in the 9-0 drubbing of San Marino last month. The former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa man believes that Ings has a bright future in the game: “The runs that he makes across the face of defenders and the quality of his finishing is excellent. “It will be their desire to keep learning and keep improving that will determine how far they [the England Under 21 squad] go but everything I have seen from Danny so far has been very, very positive. “He has got a desire to improve and learn and he is a good finisher and he is
an example that, although not a late developer, he has not been in the international system up to now and it is important that we do not forget players like him who are playing well at a club that is in a rich vein of form.” Liverpool will be looking to bring in a backup striker in the January transfer window to help ease the workload of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. The only cover in the Liverpool squad in that department at the moment is Iago Aspas, who has so far struggled to make an impression in the Premier League. If Ings is to leave, he is tipped to stamp his mark on the Premier League with his fantastic finishing and excellently timed runs. He has a real eye for goal and has the potential to follow in the footsteps of English goal poachers such as Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent. One thing that could scupper any chance of a deal is the news on Thursday from Burnley’s shareholders’ meeting where shareholders were told that the club would not sell any players in January.
#SHORTANDTWEET @itvfootball
Rumours - Liverpool keen on Burnley striker Danny Ings #lfc
SPORT 21-24
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PLUTOS PLUNTER
Matthew Hill
Frequency Football Presenter
GREETINGS once again for another segment of betting chat and discussion! Last week, I put forward a pair of longshots in Manchester United and Southampton. Although neither team won, I was very close to achieving the back to lay scenario we were aiming for. Explained simply, if Manchester United had managed to turn their draw at Spurs into a win, we would have been able to cash out a huge profit when Southampton went a goal up at Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, but no harm done! In my ante-post section, I mentioned 6/4 around Joey Essex winning I’m a Celebrity... looking a good price. The TOWIE man remains a firm favourite with the bookies, as the show nears its conclusion. Weekend Double: 14th December A tasty lunchtime kick off this weekend sees table-topping Arsenal travel to the Etihad for a mouth-watering clash with Manchester City. Week after week football ‘experts’ are warning of the Gunners’ ‘inevitable’ plummet down the table, out of the title race – but Arsene Wenger’s men seem only to be getting stronger. In my eyes, only a fool would say the Londoners aren’t capable of going all the way, and a win here could help to sway the remaining doubters round to that thought process. It must be said, City are a serious force at home this season. With their brutal attacking depth, and an inspired Sergio Aguero at the forefront, they are a tough task for anyone. But Arsenal have already recorded an impressive away victory against Dortmund, and their big-game mentality makes them outstanding value at 3/1. For the other selection, West Ham are catching my eye amongst the other Premier League prices. They host Sunderland, a team who have admittedly been on the up, under new gaffer Gus Poyet. The Black Cats need to address their alarmingly leaky backline. Averaging 2 goals against a game this season. The Hammers have been trying some interesting tactics over the last few games, including playing without a recognised striker. Seemingly conceding the experiment a failure, it seems Big Sam is settled on Madibo Maiga or Carlton Cole leading the line from now on, so 4/5 for the home victory looks a steal. This double comes in at just under 6/1, and looks like a pretty shrewd bet for this weekend. Antepost The Ballon D’or has been the talk of the footballing town after what has been an ever-changing betting market took another twist this week. Following a stunning hat-trick against Sweden in Portugal’s World Cup Play-off match, critics and punters alike all but handed the award to the Real Madrid man – with a market collapse from 7/2 to 4/7. However, news broke earlier in the week suggesting Lionel Messi may have already been given the trophy, under some kind of FIFA conspiracy. The market support suggests there may be something more to this one and if you believe FIFA are capable of a bit of monkey business, 6/4 on Messi could be huge!
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SPORT
MENS HOCKEY LOSE OUT IN LOCAL DERBY
“WE’VE LOST OUR LEADERS” - Joe Buckley 9 December 2013
www.pluto-online.com
PLUTO
Andrew Bell
UCLan Rugby speak out after seven committee members are handed bans following Union ruling
CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE
Sports Writer
THE suspensions handed to seven committee members of the UCLan Rugby Union team have had a crippling effect on results, according to one player. Stand-in second team captain Joe Buckley believes the suspensions handed out after an incident in Popworld a month ago had a serious effect on any chance of rugby success for UCLan this year. Last Wednesday the first team had to forfeit their game against Newcastle seconds, the first time UCLan has found themselves unable to field a team this season. Speaking about the loss of seven members of the team, Buckley said: “It has had an effect on both the first and second teams. We’ve lost seven players. We’ve lost seven leaders, and then through that we’ve lost more players. So in terms of effects on the club it has been massive.” On the subject of how the absences have affected the teams’ chances of success, he added: “The second team should be a lot more competitive in the league than they have been this year. We should have been challenging for promotion or winning it, but we basically have no hope now our chances have been damaged. “In that respect it is terrible. Rugby Union is one of the biggest teams at the university, and the first team couldn’t get a team together. I think if those seven had been playing, we would have been fine today.” Even in the games they have managed to pull a team together for, the results have
been disappointing, as can be expected after the loss of some of their best players. The lowest point was the heavy 66-0 defeat at home against University of Leeds on 20 November. Disputing the accuracy of the reports of that night, Buckley said: “Nothing too ridiculous happened. No-one was forced to do anything they didn’t want to, and a lot of the lads weren’t even drinking. What happened was perhaps an error of judgement on our behalf, however, previous reports of the events have been exaggerated” Both teams are looking forward to the future now, hoping they can put their offfield problems behind them and get back to winning ways next season. Speaking of the teams’ plans for next year, Buckley was in a hopeful mood: “I think it is just short term. Hopefully we can rebuild and regroup. There is going to be Freshers coming through next year, we don’t know how good they’ll be, hopefully really good. In terms of commitment, the second years are definitely committed, and the first years will be back. It is a short term issue, however, if it continues and we can’t get a team together it could become a long term problem, and if people see that, they could think UCLan rugby is no longer one of the university’s leading sports clubs.” Given how devastating the decision to suspend the committee members has been to UCLan rugby this year, Buckley isn’t sure whether or not the decision was justified. “From an outside view it may have looked bad so the university had to take action. However, I think banning seven members of the club, seven leaders of the club, is very extreme. As I said it has had a massive effect on the club this year. “
NORTH END ON FIRE Joe Cooper
PRESTON North End sit in third place going into the FA Cup weekend after going through the whole month of November unbeaten. The highlight of the month being North End’s emphatic away win against League leaders Leyton Orient which provided evidence that the Lilywhites can match anyone in the League on their day. A 33rd minute strike from Joe Garner meant North End were only the second team to beat Russell Slade’s side this season. It’s been a terrific month for Garner, who found the back of the net seven times in just five games, seeing him, alongside boss Simon Grayson, shortlisted for Player and Manager of the month accolades for November. Although last month will probably stand as one of Garner’s best months in his career, it will have been overshadowed by his three match ban following North End’s recent 2-0 win against Port Vale. Originally, on loan midfielder Neil Kilkenny was deemed to have committed foul play after he was accused of hitting Vale’s Anthony Gardner. That was overturned however after an appeal from North End found that the assistant referee had mistaken Kilkenny for Garner, and he in turn was given the suspension, and not Kilkenny.
PNE still felt that the punishment was inappropriate so lodged a further appeal to the FA regarding Garner’s sending off. Despite providing video evidence, and a written statement from Gardner, the man who was apparently hit, saying no offence was committed towards him, the FA still decided to pursue the ban on the PNE forward. The ban will prove to be a massive blow for North End, especially considering the Blackburn born goal-getter managed to bag a brace in the 2-0 win against The Vale despite enduring 87 minutes of the game down to 10 men. It was another case of a mixed bag the weekend later when managerless Bristol City came to town. The Robins were playing their first game since sacking Sean O’Driscoll earlier in the week as City were left lurking in the relegation zone. After missing the first part of the season with a broken foot, Jack King scored what proved to be the winner as North End recorded their 5th 1-0 victory of the season. Simon Grayson’s men had to take the rough with the smooth for a second time in a week when Paul Gallagher joined Joe Garner in the sin bin after his last minute red card against City. The Scotsman seemed to have been held up by Bristol defender Karleigh Osborne, who in turn forcefully tried to get away from the towering centre-half. Osborne retaliated sparking a brawl that eventually turned into a wrestling match with punches being thrown. Their feud continued down the tunnel
minute to secure his team’s first win in five games, but the forward took a kick to the head for his troubles. Mansfield took the lead after 17 minutes when Ross Dyer finished well from Chris Clements’ through ball, but the visitors hit back through Jack Redshaw just six minutes into the second half. The home side nearly restored their lead on 73 minutes, however Sam Clucas
saw his penalty well saved by Barry Roche after the goalkeeper brought down Colin Daniel. The comeback was complete for Morecambe with five minutes to go when Ellison bravely headed into the top corner for his sixth of the season. The win sees Morecambe move to ninth in the League Two table, three points off the playoff places. Mansfield
Sports Editor
IMAGE: Dave Brown
THE game could not have got off to a worse start for the hosts as they conceded a penalty in the fifth minute. However goalkeeper Mark Parsons managed to make a good save and keep the game at 0-0. UCLan then managed to take the lead 30 seconds later, Captain Ambrose Hallett slotting home. The lead did not last long as Parsons took out a Lancaster forward and was lucky not to receive a red card. He could not repeat his heroics in goal this time round and Lancaster converted the penalty to pull it back to 1-1. Following the equaliser the game settled in to a pattern of Lancaster attacking and UCLan looking to counter. The home defence looked well drilled and hard to break down. After 23 minutes Harry Carpenter managed to finally break through and make it 2-1 to Lancaster, and it stayed that way until half time. The second-half got off to a frantic start and both teams appeared to be getting frustrated at the scrappiness of the game. Tensions were running high and this led to Ed Gibson of Lancaster being shown a green card after four minutes. Lancaster started looking dangerous going forward, and it was only due to a stunning goal line clearance that they didn’t go further ahead. Eventually Carpenter scored again to make it 3-1 to the away side, and at this point it would have been understandable for the home team’s heads to drop and their effort levels to lessen. This was not the case, and to their credit UCLan stuck at it and were rewarded when Matt Taylor pulled a goal back with ten minutes to go. After a few promising half-breaks for UCLan, Lancaster scored the decisive goal in the last couple of minutes. Steven McGrath scored from a penalty corner to finish the match off. It was perhaps a case of tired legs for the home team, who were slow to rush out to block the shot. Speaking after the game, UCLan’s head coach had nothing but praise for his team, pointing to the improvement from their 9-0 loss to a very good Lancaster team. He said: “A few of the players had good games, none more so than our captain, Ambrose Hallett.” UCLan can now look forward to their next fixture away to Liverpool John Moores on 22 January, before welcoming current league leaders Manchester Metropolitan to the Sports Arena the week after.
Andrew Bell
PROMOTION CHASERS... North End are in the hunt for promotion.
as both were given their marching orders by referee Mr Clark. Bristol and Preston have decided not to appeal the pairs three match ban respectively.
The red card means Simon Grayson has a somewhat selection worry upfront as both Garner and Gallagher are to miss the next few games.
PNE FIXTURES OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD 14 December
Crawley Town
Away
26 December
Carlisle
Away
21 December
29 December
1 January
Brentford
Shrewsbury Port Vale
Home Away
Home
KEV PUTS HIS HEAD WHERE IT HURTS TO CLAIM PRICELESS VICTORY FOR SHRIMPS Oliver Lines Sports Writer
MORECAMBE striker Kevin Ellison is facing a month on the sidelines after fracturing his eye socket during the Shrimps’ 2-1 win at Mansfield. The 34-year-old scored the winning goal with a diving header in the 85th
are now without a win in 10 and sit just four points above the relegation zone. Morecambe is Ellison’s 14th club in a 17 year career that has seen him travel all over the country. He spent two years at Rotherham and made 88 appearances and had a brief stint on loan at Bradford City ahead of his move to Morecambe in 2011 on a free transfer.
INJURED... Ellison out for a month.
Issue 257
NEWS 2-4
BASKETBALL KEEP UP HOME RUN By Chris Coates Sports Writer
CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE
BOTH teams traded baskets in a free flowing first quarter in which defensive stops were hard to come by. Northumbria held a slight advantage on both the offensive and defensive boards with UCLan struggling to deal with the height and endeavour of the Northumbria forwards. This combination left Northumbria with a healthy 16-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. The teams were altered for the beginning of the second quarter which initially worked to Northumbria’s advantage, with them sinking two quick baskets, including a three, to stretch the lead to 12 early on. However UCLan didn’t crumble, and quickly started to assert their dominance on the boards, winning several offensive rebounds. UCLan forward Alex Hodgson, the player of the game, was in inspiring form. Displaying both his passing and shooting skills from the perimeter, as
well as his nous in the paint in a 28-point performance. Hodgson, along with Jermaine Chambers, who scored 17 points, combined to produce a roaring late quarter comeback as both got to the free-throw line on several occasions. Along with Chambers sinking a three pointer, UCLan scored 11 without reply and lead 40-37 at half time. After half-time UCLan continued to out-hustle their opponents for second chance opportunities in and around the paint. While holding a seven point lead, UCLan produced a series of plays which perhaps proved to be the most important in the game. Two defensive stops, followed by two breakaway layups from guard Jonny Graham, proved to be the blow that finished off Northumbria. Afterwards UCLan continued to add to their total and finished the third quarter with a 65-51 point lead. The home team played out the fourth quarter in a calm and professional manner. Although Northumbria guard Ben Tipper threatened to cut UCLan’s lead to within touching distance with a succession of 6 baskets for his team, the home
side held firm for a comfortable 82-69 win. Delighted with his team’s performance and victory, UCLan coach Craig Wright said: “I thought we started well as a team, in the last few games we’ve not started particularly well.” He added: “So that was a massive positive for us”. Wright believed his team’s second quarter comeback set the team up well to take the lead in the third quarter: “Second period we were up 24-14.” He continued: “So obviously maybe that scoring towards the end of the second just gave us that advantage going in to the third quarter.” Wright was also pleased with his team’s offensive output: “It was good that we scored 80 points because the last few games we’ve only been around 60.” He also feels the result leaves UCLan in a strong position going in to the winter break: “We’re competing with these guys for second in the table, so that’s put us above them in the table now so that’s put us in a strong position going in to the second half of the season after Christmas.”
Bradley Poole Sports Writer
WEST Bromwich Albion’s England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2017, but the rest of the Baggies youth set up should see him as a role model. All of his hard work has finally paid off, and the future of West Brom looks very promising. Berahino has been loaned out numerous times, to the likes of Peterborough United and Northampton Town. He shone during his loan spells, earning praise from managers and players alike, before injury halted his spell at the Posh. He was ruled out for over six months, missing valuable game time to help develop and potentially break into the West Brom first team. He did not let his
injury hold him back as he continued to work hard, earning a call up to the Albion first team in several pre-season friendlies. His first pre-season goal came against Greek side Atromitos where he showed a real poacher’s instinct, nipping in front of the goalkeeper to tap in. He tormented the away side all game, and was awarded the man-of-the-match award. He linked up very well with fellow strikers Markus Rosenberg and Nicolas Anelka, gaining valuable experience in the process. Since then, he has proven to the rest of the world what he is capable of, scoring a hat-trick against Newport in the League Cup and a fantastic winner against Manchester United against Old Trafford. He is a player with natural talent, but there is a long list of players at West Brom waiting to follow in his footsteps.
Pluto Puzzle&Games Plutoku - Down to Earth
IMAGE: Catherine Kõrtsmik
FUTURE STAR PENS NEW CONTRACT
TALENT... England U21 star Berahino.
COMMENT 5
CULTURE 7-11
15
FINALLY RONALDOS TIME
Tom Lewis Sports Writer
EXCITEMENT is beginning to gather pace as people wait to see who will win the Ballon d’Or award for 2013. The award is given to the player who is considered to have performed to the best standard in the previous year. The decision is made by a voting system with coaches and captains of international football teams as well as journalists. Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi has won the last four awards but many people believe that he will be pipped to the post by a certain Portuguese International this year. Unfortunately, there are no English players nominated for the shortlist of 23, but the world’s most expensive player, Welshman Gareth Bale is one of the nominated players alongside his Real Madrid club teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo. Bale has had a stunning couple of seasons with Tottenham, which led to his record £86 million move to Spain, but there are suggestions that there are players that have done more than the newest Galactico during the course of the year. Six Bayern Munich players made the shortlist after their brilliant treble winning season which includes their recent Champions League triumph. Among the sixsome is French midfielder Franck Ribery, who had a wonder-
Plutoku - Out of this world
SPORT 21-24
ful season at Bayern whilst helping secure his country’s place for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The winner is to be unveiled in Zurich on the 13th January 2014 and it is most likely that one of Messi, Ronaldo and Ribery should win it. The question is who? Despite Messi being a popular player, Ronaldo deserves to win it this year as he has had an outstanding year, almost single handily guiding Portugal to the World Cup scoring a hat-trick in their play-off defeat of Sweden. In this season alone for Real Madrid, he has scored 32 goals in 22 appearances. His only potential stumbling block to winning it is the lack of trophies he has won in 2013 in comparison to Ribery and Messi.
PLUTO PREDICTION
My prediction for the top three is – 1stRonaldo, 2nd Ribery and 3rd Messi. Players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie also deserve to be mentioned after all having successful years but are unlikely to break into the top three.
OTHER PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS UP FOR THE BALLON D’OR AWARD LUIS SUAREZ (URUGUAY & LIVERPOOL) EDEN HAZARD (BELGIUM & CHELSEA) YAYA TOURE (IVORY COAST & MAN CITY) MESUT OZIL (GERMANY & ARSENAL)
Brain teasing riddles
1. When you need me, you throw me away. But when you’re done with me, you bring me back, what am I? 2. Smell me, buy me, deliver me. I won’t change. What am I? 3. To look cool wrap me around your head. Remove a letter and eat me instead. What am I? 4. I am an instrument that you can hear but you can not touch or see me. What am I? Answer: 1. Anchor; 2. Scent, Cent, Sent; 3. Bandana; 4. Voice.
PLUTO
SPORT PLUTO
Chris Coates
At the Sir Tom Finney Centre
UCLAN Basketball Mens first team will go in to the winter break on the back of a victory after beating Northumbria Mens first 82-69. The win proved to be a comfortable one for the hosts, who continued their 100%
BURNLEY HOT SHOT LINKED TO PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB, PAGE 21 PLUTO PUNTER, PAGE 21 NORTH END IN A FORTNIGHT, PAGE 22
FREE ISSUE 257
IS IT FINALLY RONALDO’S TIME?, PAGE 23
home record this season. What’s more they’ve also gained ground on their closest rivals for second in the BUCS Basketball Northern 1A League, leaving them level on points, and above the team from Newcastle going in to the winter break. CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
Andrew Bell
At the UCLan Sports Arena UCLAN Men’s hockey first team put in a spirited display despite losing 4-2 to Lancaster firsts last Wednesday. Keen to avenge their opening day 9-0 defeat to the same opponents, UCLan were visibly fired up before the game. It wasn’t going to be an easy task as Lancaster came to the UCLan sports arena on the back of a 10-0 victory over Bangor in the cup, and had lost only one game all season. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22