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Jamie Vardy says there's a massive bond in the Leicester City camp
Jamie Vardy believes the key to Leicester City's good start to the season is down to the bond which has developed within the camp.
City claimed their fifth win from their opening seven Championship games on Tuesday when they saw off Blackburn at King Power Stadium.
Vardy said the team spirit within the squad has given them a strong platform for a promotion push.
City's 2-1 win over Rovers moved them into the top two, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Blackpool on Saturday, who are level on points with City.
"When Blackburn got their goal back that put us under pressure and last season we may have drawn that or even lost it," he said.
"I think now all the players have been here last season and started together this season, and we have a massive togetherness now. You can see that out on the pitch.
"We are all working for each other. There is a bond in the camp. You get your serious players and your jokers, but I think you need that in every changing rooms. There is a good blend."
The season has started superbly for Vardy, who is enjoying his best form since joining City last summer from Fleetwood Town for £1million.
He is so keen for it to continue that he is still wearing a blue bandage on his right hand, despite the injury having healed.
"My hand is fully healed now but I just keep the strapping on because we have had a good start to the season," he said. "Maybe it is a lucky charm but I'll keep it going.
"I have had a good run of games now and my confidence is sky high. I think with the performances as well confidence in all of them is high and we go to Blackpool confident of getting the three points.
"I had a few chances the other night. I was disappointed when I went through one-on-one and didn't score. It was on my weaker foot so I just tried to get a good connection but the keeper managed to save it.
"On another day that flies in and we are comfortable winners. But it has been a very good start but we all have to keep it going now."
Follow Blackpool v Leicester City live at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, September 21, 2013.Leicester City's Wes Morgan predicts bright future for Liam Moore
Leicester City captain Wes Morgan believes young defender Liam Moore will have a bright future in the game.
Moore has forged a strong partnership next to Morgan at the heart of City's defence and the pair are likely to be teamed together again at Blackpool today as City look to continue their impressive start to the season.
Morgan says he feels like a wise old sage next to the emerging 20-year-old Moore.
"Every master needs an apprentice and Liam is my apprentice," said Morgan.
"He has come into the side and you try and pass on your experience. I have been in the game a long time and he learns very quickly.
"He has all the attributes you need to be a top-class defender. All I can do is pass on my experience and knowledge to him.
"Hopefully, he will take it on board and become the quality player he has the potential to be.
"I can't see why he can't be an international. He is a young lad and gets better each week.
"I am happy to see how he has grown so far and long may it continue."
Moore said he is driven to keep improving and analyses every performance in detail to identify areas he can work on, and says Morgan has been a great source of inspiration.
"I know what level I want to get to and I am not there yet," he said.
"I am happy I am performing pretty well but there is a long way to go and I am determined to get better. Then I will be happy.
"I want to break the midfield lines better and feed the strikers better. I think sometimes I can nick the ball off the strikers more often.
"I learn a lot of those from big Wes and, hopefully, I can continue to learn from him.
"He uses his body really well but a lot of the time there is no physical element to it, it is all in the mind. I try to watch that as much as I can and learn from it."
• Follow Blackpool v Leicester City live at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, September 21, 2013.Shoppers pile into Dominoes toy store for closing-down bargains
Hundreds of bargain-hunters piled into a much-loved toy shop yesterday for the start of its closing down sale.
Dominoes, in the city's High Street, went into administration this month after suffering heavy losses.
It will shut next week after failing to find a buyer.
Among the shoppers yesterday was Natalie Izzard, 32, of Blaby, who was making the most of the cut prices to stock up for Christmas.
She said: "It's a shame that the store is closing.
"I've made the most of the sale – I've managed to snap up a few stocking fillers."
With the price of all stock knocked down by at least 25 per cent, the store was full of customers.
Gill Brigden, 66, of Leicester's West End, said: "I shop for my grandchildren here, they're going to miss it.
"It's another dent in the high street. It's a shame, it's a quirky store."
Two years ago, Dominoes was named best independent toy store in Britain at the Toy Industry Awards.
It is the biggest independent toy store in the Midlands.
Caroline Danvers, 40, of Western Park, in Leicester, said: "It's sad. I've been coming to the store for years.
"I've managed to get a few bargains today, making the most of the sale. Christmas has come early."
Paul Green, 49, of New Parks, Leicester, said: "It's quite sad really, I shop at the store a lot.
"I work nights but I'm going home to tell my wife to come back to the shop later to get the Christmas presents sorted."
Laura Marlow, 31, of Mountsorrel, said: "The store will definitely be missed.
"I have a lot of memories here. I remember coming to the store as a child. The high street will disappear soon."
Chris Steggles, 37, of Bushby, also used to visit the toy store as a child. He said: "It's a shame, I used to come here as a kid – I remember my dad buying me a Scalextric.
"I think people will regret not shopping here."
Owner Steve Sansom's father, Leonard, founded the business 30 years ago.
Mr Sansom's wife, Yvette, said yesterday: "I'm gutted, upset – I feel lost. We expected it to be busy because everyone loves a good bargain."
Sales have risen by a third in the two weeks since the store went into administration, on September 6.
Mrs Sansom said: "Now we're going, people want to shop.
"People just don't know what they've got until they haven't got it and that's been proved today."
Shoppers at Dominoes today:Man admits 'grooming' girl aged 15
A man who spent the night at a hotel with a 15-year-old girl who had climbed out of her bedroom window to meet him has been ordered to take part in a sex offender programme.
Simon Creedy (35), of New Street, Queniborough, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to charges of sexual grooming and sexual activity with the girl.
Prosecutor Sophie Lomas said Creedy met the girl through his job as a mobile farrier. She said: "The relationship developed and became physical, with some kissing.
"She would sneak out of her window at night and he would pick her up down the road."
In June, after sneaking out of her window when she was supposed to be grounded, the girl met Creedy, who took her to a hotel, in Warwick.
When the girl did not return that evening, she was reported missing.
Police carried out inquiries throughout the night, including sending a number of text messages to the girl – and, at 5.30am, she told them where she was. Officers went to the hotel where they arrested Creedy and took the girl home.
Creedy's phone showed he and the girl had exchanged sexually-explicit texts.
Creedy was given a community sentence with three years' supervision and was ordered to take part in a three-year sex offender treatment programme.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order banning him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 without the consent of the child's parent.
Judge Robert Orme also ordered him to pay £500 costs.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary apologises to fire-deaths dad over extra ticket charge
The boss of Ryanair has apologised to the bereaved father who was charged nearly £160 to change a flight home after being told his wife and three children had died in a house fire in Leicester.
Michael O'Leary has written to Taufiq Sattar, who had to pay extra to change his regular evening flight from Ireland to the UK after hearing about the blaze at the family home.
Dr Sattar's wife, Shehnila Taufiq, 47, and children Zainab, 19, Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, died in the fire at their house in Wood Hill, Spinney Hills, in the early hours of Friday, September 13.
Mr O'Leary said yesterday: "We've already written to him to apologise and to sympathise with him in the circumstances he found himself in last Friday.
"The staff were implementing our policy but I think you have to make exceptions in cases like that.
"Once we became aware of it, we immediately refunded to Dr Sattar the money we regret having taken from him in such tragic circumstances."
Dr Sattar, a 52-year-old surgeon, works in Ireland and lives in Dublin but flew over to see his family three Fridays in every month. They had moved to Leicester five years ago to complete Islamic studies, but had been due to return to Ireland in the next few months.
Dr Sattar had his return ticket booked to travel last Friday as usual but, after being woken at 3am that day and told his family's house was on fire, he immediately changed his plans so he could return as soon as possible.
Arriving in Dublin Airport at about 5.30am – just moments after Leicestershire Police had confirmed by phone that no member of his family had survived the blaze – he approached the Ryanair check-in desk to see if he could change his ticket.
Distraught, and with tears streaming down his face, he explained why he had to change his 9.40pm flight to East Midlands Airport to the 6.30am flight to Birmingham – but he was told he would have to buy a new ticket.
He produced his credit card and was charged 187.46 Euros – about £158 – for a one-way ticket to Birmingham.
He told the Irish Daily Mail: "I don't want to make a big deal about it but it did shock me. I really did not expect them to charge me.
"I thought, given the circumstances, they might just let me transfer flights, as I had already paid for a return fare."
Speaking on Irish TV channel RTE yesterday, Dr Sattar explained how he was meant to be in the house on the night of the fire but had to stay in Dublin.
He said Allah "did not want that I should be in the house at that time, or I'd have been burnt as well".
Dr Sattar added: "We're not allowed to be angry with god. My heart is broken, I'm allowed to cry, but I'm not going to complain."
An inquest in Leicester heard yesterday that Mrs Taufiq and her children died of smoke inhalation.
They were identified by dental records.
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy to revel in role of panto villain
Jamie Vardy says he will revel in the role of pantomime villain at Bloomfield Road this afternoon.
The Leicester City striker has history with the Blackpool fans.
He played for their nearby neighbours Fleetwood Town and rejected a move to Blackpool in favour of Leicester just over a year ago.
Vardy then riled the Blackpool fans even further by winning a controversial penalty as City beat them 1-0 at King Power Stadium at the start of last season.
Vardy, who has started this season superbly, says he has already been getting abuse from some Blackpool fans on Twitter, especially over his unconventional hair style, and he already has a goal celebration in mind to answer them.
"They have already started giving me the abuse on Twitter, but I find it all funny," he said.
"It is just banter. I think it is because I played for Fleetwood.
"I can't say what they have been saying. It is the fans who don't really like me up there. I have been getting it all week but it is all good, as long as I don't get myself into trouble.
"I have had enough abuse already about my hair so if I do score there will be a celebration about my hair.
"I get stick from the lads as well about my hair but it is all harmless banter. There is always banter flying around and I just give back as much as I get.
"I have the celebration already planned. I just need to score now."
City's victory courtesy of the penalty Vardy won last September ended Blackpool's good start to the campaign, and he believes City can put another spanner in the works of an equally impressive start again. "Last year when we played them at home for the first time they were top and we managed to beat them," he said.
"That knocked them off the perch a bit so, hopefully, we can get a win there and it will be exactly the same.
"I haven't been surprised by their start because they started the exact same way last year. They grind out results the same as we do, but it is just down to our performances.
"As long as we play to our full potential then I don't think they will be able to stop us."
• Follow Blackpool v Leicester City live at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, September 21, 2013.Teenager in court over death of mum and three children in house fire
A teenager appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of a mother and her three children.
Kemo Anthony Porter, 18, appeared at Leicester Magistrates' Court charged with murdering Shehnila Taufiq, 47, Zainab, 19, Bilal, 17, and Jamil, 15, on September 13.
Porter, of Browning Street, West End, Leicester, who was dressed in a grey tracksuit, did not enter a plea to the charges during the short hearing.
Chairman of the bench Rick Moore remanded Porter back into custody.
He is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court next week.
The bodies of Mrs Taufiq and her children were found after firefighters were called to a blaze at their home in Wood Hill, Spinney Hills, Leicester, late on Thursday, September 12.
An inquest into the deaths, which was opened and adjourned yesterday, heard all four victims died of smoke inhalation in the fire.
Detective Superintendent Kate Meynell, of the East Midlands Major Crime Unit, told the hearing at Leicester Town Hall that all four were identified through dental records.
Coroner Catherine Mason told how Shehnila Taufiq, students Zainab and Bilal and Jamil, a schoolboy, died after a fire at their home in Wood Hill, Spinney Hills, Leicester, on September 13.
Det Sup Meynell said "Four bodies were found at the scene. All were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary.
"All four died of smoke inhalation. Identification was made by dental examination on all four.
"The deaths are being treated as suspicious. A man has been charged in connection with the deaths and inquiries are continuing."
Mrs Mason said: "The family wants to have their loved ones back so they can rightly and respectfully lay them to rest. However, in the circumstances, it is not possible. But, as in all cases, I will work very hard to ensure there is the lawful release at the earliest opportunity so funeral arrangements can continue."
She adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.
A 49-year-old man, who was arrested as part of the investigation, was released on bail on Wednesday. Three women, aged 19, 20 and 27, were released on bail on Monday.
Meanwhile, police are still investigating whether there is a link between the deaths of Ms Taufiq and her children and that of football coach Antoin Akpom. The 20-year-old, who was a coach of a youth football team at Hamilton's Leicester Nirvana FC, died after being stabbed in Kent Street, Leicester, on the afternoon of September 12, a few hours before the fire in Wood Hill.
Abdul Hakim (19), of Wood Hill, has been charged with his murder.
On Wednesday, an inquest into the death of Mr Akpom heard he died from a single stab wound.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Cure told the hearing at Leicester Town Hall officers were called to Kent Street at 5.38pm on September 12 where they found Mr Akpom in the street. He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, but died at 6.57pm.
A post-mortem revealed the cause of Mr Akpom's death was a single stab wound. Coroner Catherine Mason adjourned the inquest.
Leicester City add to the ranks by signing Gary Taylor-Fletcher
Leicester City have signed striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
The 32-year-old free agent has signed a one-year contract and could make his debut this afternoon against his former club, Blackpool.
Taylor-Fletcher spent six years at Bloomfield Road and played an integral part as the Tangerines reached the Premier League in 2011.
He rejected a new deal to stay at Blackpool and recently had a trial with Millwall before linking up with City earlier this week.
Taylor-Fletcher, who scored 36 league goals from 215 league appearances for the Tangerines, becomes City's second new signing of the week after the arrival of Poland international defender Marcin Wasilewski on Tuesday. Wasilewski is not eligible for today's game as City have not received international clearance in time, but Taylor-Fletcher is expected to travel with the squad.
Taylor-Fletcher, who has scored goals in the top six divisions of English football, becomes City's fifth signing since the end of last season after the arrivals of Zoumana Bakayogo, Ignasi Miquel, Dean Hammond and Wasilewski.
Last season, Taylor-Fletcher scored three goals in 20 Championship appearances and has a career record of 100 goals from 407 appearances.
He started his career with Northwich Victoria, in 1999, having been a roofer, and had a spell on loan at Hull City two years later.
He joined Leyton Orient in 2001 and had spells on loan at Grays Athletic and Dagenham and Redbridge until he joined Lincoln City in 2003.
His first season in League Two with Lincoln was the most productive in terms of goals as he scored 19 times in 48 appearances.
He spent two years at Huddersfield Town between 2005 and 2007 until Blackpool signed him for an undisclosed fee.
Taylor-Fletcher scored in Blackpool's play-off final victory over Cardiff City at Wembley in 2010 and netted the club's first goal back in the Premier League when he struck in their 4-0 opening-day victory over Wigan Athletic.
'The whole city is united in sorrow at families' loss'
Anti-paedophile group Letzgo Hunting closes down
Scrum 'laws' are bit of a mess, says Leicester Tigers' Tom Youngs
There is no-one at Leicester Tigers more affected by the new scrum 'laws' than Tom Youngs. The hooker is literally at the heart of the changes.
Crouch. Bind. Set. It's hard to think that just three words could cause such confusion and controversy.
But just two games into the Aviva Premiership season and already there is just one thing dominating the headlines – the scrum.
This new engagement sequence was an attempt to reduce the impact at the point of collision, leading to fewer collapsed scrums, less risk of injury and an end to the set-piece continually ending in free-kicks and penalties.
After those three simple commands, the referee waits until the set-piece is stable before instructing the scrum-half to put the ball in straight with a call of "yes nine".
So, not only was this meant to make the scrum safer but also it was to return this centre-piece of rugby union to the 'hooking' contest it was originally meant to be.
"But it's not really happening, is it?" bemoans a frustrated Youngs. "I'm hooking the ball when it's coming in but I've not seen an opposition hooker try to strike for the ball yet.
"It got talked up as this big saving of the scrum. I don't think it's quite met up to those expectations.
"We want to get clean ball from scrums but we aren't really getting it. But also we aren't really getting a scrummaging contest either because we're either getting done for a free-kick for feeding or for going through the mark. So it's a bit of a mess either way, really.
"It's frustrating when you're getting done for that when he's not even trying to hook for it.
"It's got rid of a few problems but it's also created quite a few more at the same time."
A three-year study by the University of Bath concluded that the new procedure would reduce the impact at engagement by 25 per cent. Surely a safer move, right?
Well, this is a bit of a contentious issue for the British & Irish Lions hooker.
"They say it's safer, well not necessarily, because the hooker is lifting up his foot and he's got a huge force coming through him," says Youngs.
He recalls a story that Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill told about when he was on tour in New Zealand with England in 1998.
"He said he couldn't lift his foot up to hook the ball because the pressure on him was so much," explains Youngs, who says he is finding the same problem now. "There are times when you can get your foot up but you can't actually move it because of the pressure."
As soon as the referee calls "yes nine", the opposing pack know the ball is coming in and can simply drive through, knowing the hooker is going to be on one leg, swiping for the ball. It's essentially seven-and-half against eight. Is that really safer?
"You are only like that for a split second but you are still under more pressure when it's your ball," says Youngs.
This has also lead to a second counter-intuitive issue. Shouldn't the team that has the put-in have the advantage?
"Yeah, but it's not happening like that," says Youngs. "When it's their ball, it's easier to attack. It doesn't make sense.The advantage is with the opposition. It's better not having the ball."
But it's still early days. When Tigers face Newcastle today it will only be the third time they have played under the new regulations.
"We're going into games a bit bare because we haven't really seen too much of how the referees are going to officiate at scrum time. There probably haven't been quite as many collapses, but it's still been a bit of a mess."
Youngs says the more games referees and players get under their belts, the easier it should become – he hopes.
• Follow Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons - live at Welford Road on Saturday, September 21, 2013.Blackpool v Leicester City: Predict the scores to all Championship games
CHARLTON v MILLWALL: The Valley, Saturday, 12.15pmVerdict: Chris Powell's Charlton have won just once in the Championship this season – against City, of course – and aside from that, have been distinctly average with three defeats and two draws to go with it. Their victory was at home though, where they also beat Oxford 4-0 in the Capital One Cup. Millwall's record has been equally poor with just one victory in the league. Amazingly they bounced back from a 5-1 defeat to Derby to a 3-1 victory over the previously-unbeaten Blackpool. They are yet to win on the road this season, although have managed to grind out two draws. I expect a physical, heated contest and I reckon Powell's men will nick it.Prediction: 2-1
BARNSLEY v WATFORD: Oakwell, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: Barnsley are another side to have picked up just one victory in the season so far and lie second from bottom in the table. They have conceded seven in their first three home league games and the prospects of things improving seem quite bleak as they welcome this season's and last season's top-scorers Watford. Gianfranco Zola's men sit in the top six, despite just three wins from their first seven games. Barnsley nicked a 1-0 win in the same fixture last year but I fear they will be outclassed tomorrow.Prediction: 1-3
BIRMINGHAM v SHEFF WED: St Andrew's, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: This is very much an early-season relegation battle between two sides who I feel are firm contenders for the drop. Birmingham have lost four of their last five in the league while Wednesday are yet to taste victory in any form despite four draws in a row. I don't think either side has the confidence to take this game by the scruff of the neck and I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a share of the spoils.Prediction: 1-1
BLACKBURN v HUDDERSFIELD: Ewood Park, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: A tasty footballing war of the roses as Gary Bowyer's Blackburn take on former City striker Mark Robins' Huddersfield with both sides having made indifferent starts to the season. The difference, I think, will come up front. Only two sides have scored more goals than Blackburn this term – Watford and Derby – and striker Jordan Rhodes, with his penalty against City on Tuesday, has now scored six goals in his last four Championship games. It beggars belief that he is still playing his football at Ewood Park. Blackburn have scored nine goals in their previous two home games and I think they will add to that total tomorrow.Predicition: 2-0
BRIGHTON v BOLTON: AMEX Stadium, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: I still cannot get my head around the fact that Bolton are lying bottom of the Championship. After how well Dougie Freedman did at the end of last season, so unlucky to miss out on a play-off spot, I thought they would carry on from where they left off. But they are still yet to win a game in the league, with just three points collected from a possible 21. Brighton have taken two good points from trips to Reading and QPR and will be eager to consolidate that with three points. Can Bolton muster up something to pull them out of this dire hole? I think Brighton will be a little too much for them.Prediction: 2-1
DERBY v READING: Pride Park, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: Derby's start to the season has been a strange one. They are the second-leading scorers in the division so far and currently sit just a point outside the play-off places. However, all of their three wins this season have come on the road and they have taken just a point from their first three league games at Pride Park. Reading are unbeaten in three with a clean sheet being taken from all of them. They have scored just twice in their last four games though. I think this is a really tough one to call and I think it could be a draw.Prediction: 1-1
DONCASTER v NOTTM FOREST: Keepmoat Stadium, Saturday 3pmVerdict: Yet another late goal from Darius Henderson saved Forest's blushes on Tuesday night as they scrambled a draw against Middlesbrough. They will face much less of a test when they travel to Doncaster tomorrow – a side who haven't won a game since the middle of August. I'd like to see Paul Dickov's side put up some serious resistance but I'm afraid I think the Billy Davies train will continue to charge on.Prediction: 1-3
LEEDS v BURNLEY: Elland Road, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: Burnley have made an excellent start to the season and currently sit fourth in the Championship. Leeds will have to be on the lookout for Danny Ings who has bagged seven goals in his first nine in all forms this term, including two in Burnley's 3-0 win over Birmingham. Leeds have been inconsistent on home soil this term with one win, one draw and a defeat. They are also yet to keep a clean sheet at home. It's going to be a very physical encounter but I think there could be goals.Prediction: 2-2
MIDDLESBROUGH v BOURNEMOUTH: Riverside Stadium, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: Of the sides that won promotion from League One last season, Bournemouth have been the most impressive and are only outside the play-off places on goal difference. Although that does make strange reading: for a side so far up the table their goal difference is -8 having conceded 14 goals so far. Only Barnsley have shipped more. But a whopping 11 of these came in just two games on the road. Middlesbrough have struggled, with just one win from their first seven. I think this will be an awfully uninspiring contest.Predicition: 1-1
YEOVIL v QPR: Huish Park, Saturday, 3pmVerdict: It doesn't take much to come to the conclusion that this game could be a little one-sided. QPR sit top of the table as the only side in the division still unbeaten. There is surely no way that is going to change anytime soon when they face a Yeovil side who have managed just three goals from their first seven games. Marry that with the fact QPR have conceded just twice, and have kept six clean sheets in a row in all forms, and there is only one result.Prediction: 0-2
WIGAN v IPSWICH: DW Stadium, Sunday, 3pmVerdict: Wigan's start to life in the Championship has been the epitome of inconsistency: won two, drawn two, lost two. They began their Europa League campaign last night with a 0-0 draw against Waregem. What will be interesting to see is how much this extra work load will affect their league form. They will face a tough home test against an Ipswich side with back-to-back wins under their belt. But Mick McCarthy's side's away form has been dreadful and they will to produce much more to beat a Wigan side that still oozes with Premier League quality – despite how poor they were at the King Power last time out. Prediction: 2-0