102-576: Field Mill , currently known as One Call Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football ground in Mansfield , Nottinghamshire , England, and the home of Mansfield Town Football Club . It is the oldest ground in the Football League, hosting football since 1861, although some reports date it back as far as 1850. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 when fully open, but due to safety restrictions, it currently holds 9,186 The stadium once hosted
204-400: A pop concert under the previous owner, Keith Haslam, but the sale included a clause preventing use for non-sports events until 2032. The ground is now fully owned by John and Carolyn Radford after a series of payment installments from 2012 were concluded in early 2019. 'Field Mill' was originally the name of a large, stone-built, water-powered textile-mill with its own mill pond . The mill
306-583: A soccer field in the United States) is the playing surface for the game of association football . Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game , "The Field of Play". The pitch is typically made of natural turf or artificial turf , although amateur and recreational teams often play on dirt fields. Artificial surfaces are allowed only to be green in colour. All line markings on
408-803: A "global giant". It was announced on 28 May 2010 that Prescott was to be awarded a life peerage , The peerage was gazetted on 15 June in the 2010 Dissolution Honours . He was introduced into the House on 8 July as Baron Prescott , of Kingston upon Hull in the County of East Yorkshire , and the Letters patent were gazetted on 12 July, dated 7 July. Prescott was a director of Super League rugby league club Hull Kingston Rovers , who are based in his former constituency of Kingston upon Hull East. Prescott ran for Labour Party Treasurer in September 2010 but
510-412: A 99% shape recovery rate with very heavy impacts (such as that of a high speed player hitting the post), and deform significantly enough so as to reduce the impact on the player. This significantly improves player safety, while sacrificing very little in terms of function of the goal post. A goal is scored when the ball fully crosses the goal line between the goal-posts and beneath the crossbar, even if
612-535: A business proposal to establish a six-floor hotel at the club's stadium, in part replacing the existing Quarry Lane end infrastructure, in conjunction with an international brand. No formal planning application had been submitted to Mansfield District Council at the time of discussions at the club's ground, but a later application was authorised by the council in July 2018. Greyhound racing at Field Mill lasted three years from 1928 until 1931. During March 1928 plans to add
714-682: A consequence of the continuing problems centred on Prescott, Blair was preparing to replace him as Deputy Prime Minister with David Miliband , whilst possibly retaining Prescott as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party . In a speech to the 2006 Labour Party Conference in Manchester, Prescott apologised for the bad press he had caused the party during the previous year. He said: "I know in the last year I let myself down, I let you down. So Conference, I just want to say sorry", and confirmed that he would stand down as deputy leader when Blair resigned
816-408: A defending player last touched the ball before it crossed the goal line (see own goal ). A goal may, however, be ruled illegal (and void by the referee) if the player who scored or a member of their team commits an offence under any of the laws between the time the ball was previously out of play and the goal being scored. It is also deemed void if a player on the opposing team commits an offence before
918-412: A direct free kick, becomes punishable by a penalty kick . Both the goal and penalty areas were formed as semicircles until 1902. The penalty mark (colloquially "the penalty spot" or just "the spot" ) is 12 yards (10.97 metres) in front of the very centre of the goal: this is the point from where penalty kicks are taken. The penalty arc (colloquially "the D" ) is marked from the outside edge of
1020-607: A governing body) until 17 October 1931. A new professional rugby league club, Mansfield Marksman , was set up in Mansfield in 1984, playing at Field Mill for their first two seasons. Declining attendances meant the arrangement wasn't financially viable, and the club relocated to North Street in Alfreton in 1986. 53°08′17″N 1°12′02″W / 53.13806°N 1.20056°W / 53.13806; -1.20056 Football pitch A football pitch (also known as
1122-571: A greyhound track around the football pitch were drawn up and by mid May the track was complete. The track was very basic but did run under the National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) rules of racing starting on 26 May 1928. In 1929 the NGRC banned the track after the management fall foul of the regulations that included the refusal to comply with the NGRC stewards. The greyhound racing continued as an independent (unaffiliated to
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#17327837794391224-583: A guest on the television panel show Have I Got News For You . During the episode he had a "pretty heated" interaction with team captain Ian Hislop . In 2019, Prescott hosted the television series Made in Yorkshire (also known as Made in Britain: Yorkshire ) for Channel 5, in which he explored the manufacturing of some of Britain's favourite foods. Prescott gained a reputation in
1326-488: A key issue. Prescott stood down as an MP at the next general election . His autobiography, Prezza, My Story: Pulling no Punches was published on 29 May 2008 and ghostwritten by Hunter Davies . During the 2010 general election campaign, Prescott toured the UK in a customised white transit van dubbed his "Battlebus" canvassing support for the Labour Party. Prescott was publicly very supportive of Gordon Brown , and called him
1428-749: A major role in the successful negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and Prescott led the UK delegation at the discussions. In May 2006, in recognition of his work in delivering the Kyoto Treaty, Tony Blair asked him to work with the Foreign Secretary and the Environment Secretary on developing the Government's post-Kyoto agenda. As minister on 24 August 1999, Prescott made regulations banning
1530-512: A member of the House of Lords on 9 July 2024 under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 because of non-attendance in the preceding session of Parliament. He retained his peerage. In June 2008, Prescott made a cameo appearance, playing a policeman, in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Robert Tressell 's The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists . In 2009, he made a brief cameo appearance as himself in
1632-802: A new system of regulation, but that this meant that a final decision would not be taken before 2015. On 21 February 2015, it was announced Prescott would return to politics as an adviser to Labour leader Ed Miliband . This was a brief return, as Labour lost the imminent general election . In October 2015, Prescott was presented with the Shechtman International Leadership Award at the Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit 2015 in Antalya, Turkey, for his contributions to sustainable development in politics. Prescott ceased to be
1734-657: A poor performance by Labour in that year's local elections. He remained as Deputy Prime Minister, with a seat in the Cabinet, and was given a role as a special envoy to the Far East as well as additional responsibilities chairing cabinet committees. Despite having lost his departmental responsibilities it was announced that he would retain his full salary (£134,000pa) and pension entitlements, along with both his grace-and-favour homes, an announcement which received considerable criticism. The press speculated in July 2006 that, as
1836-710: A radio interview in January 1998, Prescott was asked about housing development on the green belt; intending to convey that the government would enlarge green belt protection, Prescott replied: "It's a Labour achievement, and we mean to build on it". He had not intended to make a joke and was distressed when it prompted laughter. In the north of England, Prescott approved the demolition of some 200,000 homes that were judged to be in "failing areas" as part of his Pathfinder regeneration scheme. It has been argued that renovating properties, rather than demolishing them, would have made better financial and community sense. Prescott led
1938-653: A similar electoral system to that used for the London Assembly . However, because of opposition, the government was forced to hold regional referendums on the change. The first three were intended to be in the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and the Humber. The North-East referendum , where support was felt to be strongest, was first, in November 2004, but the vote was 78% against, an overwhelming margin, and
2040-628: A steward and waiter in the Merchant Navy , working for Cunard , and was a popular left-wing union activist. Prescott's time in the Merchant Navy included a cruise from England to New Zealand in 1957. Among the passengers was a former prime minister, Anthony Eden , recuperating after his resignation over the Suez Crisis . Prescott reportedly described Eden as a "real gentleman". Apart from serving Eden, who stayed in his cabin much of
2142-497: A two tier stand on the west side of the ground. The redeveloped all-seater stadium was officially opened by John Prescott on 28 July 2001, six months after work had been completed. In July 2005, safety officials temporarily restricted Field Mill's capacity to 5,000 when fire safety certificates could not be located. The ground's capacity was again reduced in May 2007, from 9,368 to 4,684, when Nottinghamshire County Council , who enforced
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#17327837794392244-416: A variety of materials that can be used to coat goalposts to reduce impact on players, hence improving safety. The majority of these materials come from various mixtures of polymers with desirable properties. An example of this would be a mixture made of 63% by weight of methyl methacrylate , 32% by weight of polyethylene glycol , crosslinked with 5% by weight of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate . This has up to
2346-421: Is John". A National Opinion Polls (NOP) survey found that the incident did no public harm to Prescott, and may even have benefited his standing amongst male voters. Speaking on Top Gear , Prescott stated: "I was against fox-hunting, and he thought I was one of the guys he hated because I wanted to keep fox-hunting". He elaborated: When I walked past this guy, and he hit me with the egg, right, I don't know it
2448-424: Is similar to the pre-20th century usage of Prime Minister ). The deputy prime minister stands in when the prime minister is unavailable, most visibly at Prime Minister's Questions , and Prescott attended various Heads of Government meetings on behalf of Prime Minister Tony Blair. Since the position of deputy prime minister draws no salary, Prescott's remuneration was based on his position as Secretary of State for
2550-424: Is similarly formed by the goal-line and lines extending from it, but its lines start 18 yards (16.46 metres) from the goalposts and extend 18 yards (16.46 metres) into the field. i.e. this is a rectangle 44 yards (40.23 metres) by 18 yards (16.46 metres). This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender, usually punished by
2652-707: The BBC 's Top Gear as the "Star in the Reasonably Priced Car", where he set a lap time of 1.56.7, the second slowest in a Kia Ceed . He also engaged in a discussion with host Jeremy Clarkson regarding his time in Government. In October and November 2008, Prescott was the subject of a two-part documentary, Prescott: the Class System and Me , on BBC Two, looking at the class system in Britain, and asking whether it still exists. In 2009, he featured in
2754-618: The BBC Wales TV series Coming Home about his Welsh family history, with roots in Prestatyn and Chirk . In October 2009, he was featured in another BBC Two documentary, Prescott: The North/South Divide , in which he and his wife Pauline explored the current state of the North-South Divide from their perspective as Northern Englanders long used to living in the south of the country. In April 2015 Prescott appeared as
2856-859: The Brit Awards in 1998, Chumbawamba vocalist Danbert Nobacon poured a jug of iced water over Prescott, saying, "This is for the Liverpool Dockers ". Dock workers in Liverpool had been involved in a two-year industrial dispute: a strike that had turned into a lock-out , until a few weeks earlier. A reporter from the Daily Mirror threw water over Nobacon the following day. In a Cabinet reshuffle on 5 May 2006, Prescott's departmental responsibilities were transferred to Ruth Kelly , as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government , following revelations about his private life and
2958-650: The FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough after a problem with the turnstiles and other issues were resolved. In early 2010, the Mansfield Town announced plans to allow the ground to be used to hold concerts and other events to raise non-matchday income. On 22 August 2010, Westlife brought their Where We Are Now Tour to the ground. The event was hailed a success despite not selling out and poor weather conditions affecting uncovered fans. No further concerts were announced. In December 2010, Mansfield Town were evicted from
3060-658: The Football League Cup game against Cardiff City . Shortly after World War Two, concrete terracing and a PA system were introduced. The club bought land to the West side of the ground in the mid-1950s, just before the supporters' club funded the building of the new North Stand, at a cost of £30,000. In the 1960s a new grandstand was erected on the west side of the ground after being purchased from Hurst Park Racecourse in Surrey . The stand itself cost £30,000, although
3162-593: The Labour Party , he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years, from 1970 to 2010. He was often seen as the political link to the working class in a Labour Party increasingly led by modernising, middle-class professionals such as Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson , and developed a reputation as a key conciliator in the often fractious relationship between Blair and Gordon Brown . Born in Prestatyn , Wales, in his youth Prescott failed
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3264-538: The National Union of Seamen as a full-time official before being elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull East in 1970, succeeding Commander Harry Pursey , the retiring Labour MP, and defeating the Conservative challenger Norman Lamont . He had previously attempted to become MP for Southport in 1966, but came in second place, approximately 9,500 votes behind
3366-534: The election to be the first Police and crime commissioner for Humberside Police . In June he was selected as the Labour candidate for the election in November 2012. In the November election Prescott won the most first preference votes but ended up losing to Conservative Matthew Grove in the second count. In March 2013, Prescott suggested that the Queen, Elizabeth II , should abdicate due to her health. Prescott
3468-580: The eleven-plus entrance exam for grammar school and worked as a ship's steward and trade union activist. He went on to graduate from Ruskin College and the University of Hull . In the 1994 Labour Party leadership election , he stood for both the leadership and deputy leadership , winning election to the latter office. He was appointed deputy prime minister after Labour's victory in the 1997 election , with an expanded brief as Secretary of State for
3570-409: The pitch form part of the area which they define. For example, a ball on or above the touchline is still on the field of play, and a foul committed over the line bounding the penalty area results in a penalty. Therefore, a ball has to completely cross the touchline to be out of play, and a ball has to fully cross the goal line (between the goal posts) in order for a goal to be scored; if any part of
3672-504: The Code of Conduct gives guidance on when councillors have an interest in a matter under discussion and when that interest is prejudicial so that the councillor may not speak or vote on the matter. Although on many areas councillors had previously been expected to withdraw where they had declared an interest, the new system was more formal and introduced specific sanctions for breaches; it was criticised for preventing councillors from representing
3774-707: The Conservative candidate. From July 1975 to 1979, he concurrently served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Leader of the Labour Group, when its members were nominated by the national Parliaments. In 1988 Prescott and Eric Heffer challenged Roy Hattersley for the deputy leadership of the party, but Hattersley was re-elected as deputy leader. Prescott stood again in the 1992 deputy leadership election , following Hattersley's retirement, but lost to Margaret Beckett . Prescott held various posts in Labour's shadow cabinet , but his career
3876-651: The Environment, Transport and the Regions until 2001 . This "super department" was then broken up, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport established as separate entities. Prescott, still deputy prime minister, was also given the largely honorific title of First Secretary of State . In July 2001 an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
3978-407: The Environment, Transport and the Regions until 2001, then subsequently as First Secretary of State until 2007. In June 2007, he resigned as deputy prime minister, coinciding with Blair's resignation as prime minister. Following an election within the Labour Party, he was replaced as deputy leader by Harriet Harman . After retiring as a member of Parliament at the 2010 general election , Prescott
4080-530: The Gole, in squadrons forth they goe". Solid crossbars were first introduced by the Sheffield Rules . Football nets were invented by Liverpool engineer John Brodie in 1891, and they were a necessary help for discussions about whether or not a goal had been scored. Two rectangular boxes are marked out on the pitch in front of each goal. The goal area (colloquially the "six-yard box" ), consists of
4182-465: The Greenhalgh sons was Harwood Greenhalgh , a Mansfield-born footballer who played for Notts County , and represented England in the first ever international football match . The Greenhalgh's team played at Field Mill under various incarnations, including ' Greenhalgh's F.C. ', 'Field Mill Football Club' and 'Mansfield Greenhalgh'. A team representing Greenhalgh & Sons also played cricket at
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4284-549: The June 1996 prospectus for the sale of Railtrack shares, and was widely regarded as having depressed the price of the shares. In 1998, Prescott was criticised by Transport Minister John Reid for his statement – at the Labour Party conference that year – that the privatised railway was a "national disgrace", despite receiving a standing ovation from the Labour Party audience. The companies said that they had had some considerable successes in cutting costs and generating new revenues in
4386-467: The actual values have, in general, not changed since the early twentieth century, they tend to be round numbers in imperial units (for example the width of the goal, unchanged since 1863, is 8 yards (7.32 metres)). Use of the imperial values remains common, especially in the United Kingdom . The pitch is rectangular in shape. The shorter sides are called goal lines and the longer sides are called
4488-485: The alternative policy, produced by shadow transport secretary Clare Short , that the industry should be subjected to closer regulation by the to-be-created Strategic Rail Authority in the case of the passenger train operators, and the Rail Regulator in the case of the monopoly and dominant elements in the industry, principally Railtrack. The policy was spelled out in some detail in the Labour Party's statement in
4590-479: The away stand. Capacity of 1,910. Bishop Street Stand – this stand, which runs along the side of the pitch opposite the old West Stand, was condemned prior to 2006 and is boarded up to prevent access. Mansfield District Council gave planning consent for redevelopment in 2002. There are plans to build a new 2,800 capacity stand including new dressing rooms and television facilities, but no developments have occurred. The stadium has two adjacent training pitches, but
4692-643: The ball has passed the line, as in the case of fouls being committed, a penalty awarded but the ball continued on a path that caused it to cross the goal line. The football goal size for a junior match goal is approximately half the size of an adult sized match goal. Football goals were first described in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1584 and 1602 respectively, John Norden and Richard Carew referred to "goals" in Cornish hurling . Carew described how goals were made: "they pitch two bushes in
4794-579: The ball is still on or above the line, a goal is not scored and the ball is still in play. The field descriptions that apply to adult matches are described below. Because of the role of the British football associations in the history of the game, the dimensions of the field of play were originally formulated and expressed in imperial units . Since 1999, the Laws of the Game have preferred metric units, with imperial equivalents given only in brackets. Because
4896-460: The ball itself is placed on the centre mark . During penalty shootouts all players other than the two goalkeepers and the current kicker are required to remain within this circle. The half-way line divides the pitch in two. The half which a team defends is commonly referred to as being their half. Players have to be located within their own half at a kick-off and may not be penalised as being offside in their own half. The intersections between
4998-541: The campaign to abolish council housing, which ran out of steam when tenants in Birmingham voted to stay with the council in 2002. A previous attempt to privatise all the council housing in the London Borough of Camden failed in 1997. On 17 December 2005, Prescott made public his disapproval of Tony Blair 's plans to give state schools the right to govern their finances and admission policies and to increase
5100-446: The centre of each goal-line. These consist of two upright posts placed equidistant from the corner flagposts, joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts are regulated to be 8 yards (7.32 metres) (wide) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar is elevated to 8 feet (2.44 metres) above the pitch. As a result, the area that players shoot at is 192 square feet (17.84 square metres). Nets are usually placed behind
5202-402: The corner arc on the goal- and touch-lines to help gauge these distances. Grass is the normal surface of play, although artificial turf may sometimes be used especially in locations where maintenance of grass may be difficult due to inclement weather. This may include areas where it is very wet, causing the grass to deteriorate rapidly; where it is very dry, causing the grass to die; and where
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#17327837794395304-505: The field dimensions are more tightly constrained; the goal lines are between 70 and 80 yards (64 and 75 metres) wide and the touchlines are between 110 and 120 yards (100 and 110 metres) long. The majority of top-level professional football pitches, including those belonging to teams in the English Premier League, measure 112 to 115 yards (102.4 to 105.2 metres) long and 70 to 75 yards (64.0 to 68.6 metres) wide. Although
5406-555: The final amount spent was considerably more than this once the cost of transportation and reconstruction is taken into account. The stand was first used in 1966, but it was not fully completed until 1971. Between 1984 and 1986, Field Mill was home to a rugby league team called Mansfield Marksman . After plans to relocate to a new all-seater stadium were scrapped, work began in July 1999 to completely modernise Field Mill. The North Stand, Quarry Lane End and West Stand were completely demolished and new stands built in their place, including
5508-500: The final episode of the BBC Three comedy series Gavin & Stacey (this referred to a running joke in the show regarding a relationship the character Nessa had had with him many years previously). Beginning on 7 January 2011, Prescott appeared in a TV advert for price comparison website moneysupermarket.com , along with comedian Omid Djalili , which gently mocks events in his political career. On 27 February 2011, he appeared on
5610-573: The first two years it was also used as a cricket ground by the Mansfield branch of the National Federation of Discharged and Disabled ex-Servicemen's Societies (DDSS). In 1921, the DDSS's lease on the ground ran out, and the ground was sold by its owner, the Duke of Portland, on the condition that it would only ever be used for sporting purposes. The first grandstand was erected in 1922 along
5712-517: The goal, though are not required by the Laws. Goalposts and crossbars have to be white and made of wood, metal or other approved material. Rules regarding the shape of goalposts and crossbars are somewhat more lenient, but they have to conform to a shape that does not pose a threat to players. Despite this, injuries due to goalpost collisions are still quite common, and not much research goes into this aspect of player safety. Recent developments in material science, however, have shown that there are
5814-711: The government, Prescott took over from Tony Lloyd as the lead UK Representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe . In a jocular response to the appointment, Shadow Europe Minister Mark Francois wished the translators good luck. The post was unpaid but had an expenses allowance and allowed him to sit on the Assembly of the Western European Union . He used his role on the council to make his campaign against slave labour
5916-504: The ground by their landlord Keith Haslam following a dispute over unpaid rent. The club looked for alternative grounds at which to play their home games in the Conference National , including Alfreton Town's Impact Arena and Ilkeston Town's New Manor Ground. However, their first home game after the eviction was postponed in any event due to the freezing weather. The current owner John Radford confirmed, when announcing
6018-414: The ground for many years, while the late nineteenth century saw athletics and cycle-racing on Quarry Lane. An 1894 merger with Mansfield Town (no relation to the current club) to form Mansfield F.C. saw Field Mill become almost exclusively a football ground. The ground was used by Mansfield Mechanics FC from 1912 to 1916. Mansfield Town first started playing matches there in the 1919–20 season, however for
6120-513: The ground, some eight or ten foote asunder; and directly against them, ten or twelue [twelve] score off, other twayne in like distance, which they terme their Goales". The first reference to scoring a goal is in John Day 's play The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green (performed circa 1600; published 1659). Similarly in a poem in 1613, Michael Drayton refers to "when the Ball to throw, And drive it to
6222-435: The half-way line and the touchline can be indicated with flags like those marking the corners – the laws consider this as an optional feature. The arcs in the corners denote the area (within 1 yard (0.91 metres) of the corner) in which the ball has to be placed for corner kicks; opposition players have to be 10 yards (9.14 metres) away during a corner, and there may be optional lines off-pitch 10 yards (9.14 metres) away from
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#17327837794396324-488: The leadership contest, with Prescott being elected deputy leader. With the formation of a Labour government in 1997 , Prescott was made Deputy Prime Minister and given a very large portfolio as the head of the newly created Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions . In the United Kingdom, the title of Deputy Prime Minister is used only occasionally, and confers no constitutional powers (in which it
6426-648: The length of the west side of the ground, with the other three sides mounds formed from ash from nearby coal mines , all completed by 1926. In 1929, using the money from the cup run of the previous year, a covered stand was built on the Bishop Street side, occupying a similar position to the Bishop Street Stand of today. The first terracing was built during the 1930s from railway sleepers, and lasted 20 years. Floodlights were installed and officially switched on by Billy Wright on 5 October 1961 before
6528-401: The number of city academies . It was the first policy stance that Prescott had made against Blair since his election as leader in 1994. Prescott said that the move would create a two-tier educational system that would discriminate against the working class. He added that Labour were "always better fighting class". Prescott, sometimes described as old-school trades unionist, kept in touch with
6630-413: The penalty area, 10 yards (9.14 metres) from the penalty mark; this, along with the penalty area, marks an exclusion zone for all players other than the penalty kicker and defending goalkeeper during a penalty kick. The centre circle is marked at 10 yards (9.14 metres) from the centre mark . Similar to the penalty arc, this indicates the minimum distance that opposing players have to keep at kick-off ;
6732-402: The place where the offence occurred, except: indirect free kicks to the attacking team for an offence inside the opponents' goal area are taken from the nearest point on the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal line, and free kicks to the defending team in their goal area may be taken from anywhere in that area." The penalty area (colloquially "the 18-yard box" or just "the box" )
6834-473: The plan for elected regional assemblies was shelved. A rising number of households (especially in the south-east) were putting added pressure on housing during Prescott's tenure as the minister responsible. An increase in the housebuilding was proposed, primarily on brownfield sites, but also on some undeveloped greenfield areas and as a result he was accused of undermining the Green Belt . During
6936-463: The players also used a fenced-off area of a nearby Mansfield District Council park, arranged by the then- Mayor , Tony Egginton , to the annoyance of local park users. The football club has established a dedicated training facility approximately two miles away, named Radford & Hymas Academy, after two of the directors. The pitch is all-weather 3G astroturf , with spectator areas and a changing pavilion. In early 2018, owner John Radford announced
7038-481: The premiership. Prescott subsequently announced in the House of Commons that he was "... in a rather happy demob stage", in January 2007. Within 30 minutes of Blair announcing the date of his resignation on 10 May 2007, Prescott announced his resignation as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. During the subsequent special Labour Party Conference, Gordon Brown was elected Leader and Harriet Harman succeeded Prescott as Deputy Leader. Following his resignation from
7140-488: The press for confused speech, mangled syntax and poor grammar. The Guardian columnist Simon Hoggart once commented: "Every time Prescott opens his mouth, it's like someone has flipped open his head and stuck in an egg whisk." An oft-quoted but unverified story in Jeremy Paxman 's The Political Animal is that, before being accepted as transcribers to the Parliamentary record Hansard , applicants must listen to one of Prescott's speeches and write down what they think he
7242-401: The previous system of sand infill. Some leagues and football associations have specifically prohibited artificial surfaces due to injury concerns and require teams' home stadia to have grass pitches. All artificial turf has to be green and also meet the requirements specified in the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf. Football can also be played on a dirt or gravel field. In most parts of
7344-494: The railway industry needed a considerable shake-up in its institutional, operational, engineering and economic matrix to attract and retain private investment and enable the companies within it to become strong, competent and successful. Prescott, responsible for local government, introduced a new system guiding members' conduct after 2001. The new system included a nationally agreed Code of Conduct laid down by statutory instrument which all local authorities were required to adopt;
7446-454: The rectangle formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 6 yards (5.49 metres) from the goalposts and extending 6 yards (5.49 metres) into the pitch from the goal-line, and the line joining these, i.e. they are a rectangle 6 yards (5.49 metres) by 20 yards (18.29 metres). Goal kicks and any free kick by the defending team may be taken from anywhere in this area. FIFA's laws of the game stipulates that: "All free kicks are taken from
7548-416: The reduction, cited a poor standard of stewarding and a lack of a pro-active approach to safety. In July 2007 the capacity was raised to 6,553 following an inspection from safety officials, but was reduced back to 4,684 in September after visiting Chesterfield supporters were given too many tickets by mistake. Field Mill's capacity was then increased to 5,457, and in January 2008 further increased to 7,300 for
7650-425: The short time since their transfer to private sector hands, and that the criticisms were premature and unfair. In that speech, Prescott also announced that he would be taking a far tougher line with the companies, and to that end he would be having a "spring clean" of the industry. In July 1998 Prescott published a transport White Paper stating that the rail industry needed an element of stability and certainty if it
7752-570: The sobriquets became more colourful, leading to "Two Jags", which set the template for later nicknames. Prescott owned one Jaguar , and had the use of another as his official ministerial car. A later version of this term was "Two Jabs", following his retaliation against a protester farmer in 2001, and "Two Shacks", referring to his former country house . When he lost his department in a cabinet reshuffle following exposure of his affair, newspapers dubbed him "Two Shags" and "No Jobs". Banned from driving after being convicted of speeding in 1991, Prescott
7854-523: The stadium-purchase in 2012, that a clause in the sale precluded any use except for sports events. The Ian Greaves Stand – formerly known as the West Stand, is the largest with upper and lower tiers, and executive seating. The stand has a capacity of 5,417 (2,764 in the upper tier, and 2,509 in the lower tier). The dugouts were moved to the front of this stand in late 2016, following a request from then-new manager Steve Evans , although this impeded
7956-422: The term goal line is often taken to mean only that part of the line between the goalposts, in fact it refers to the complete line at either end of the pitch, from one corner flag to the other. In contrast the term byline (or by-line ) is often used to refer to that portion of the goal line outside the goalposts. This term is commonly used in football commentaries and match descriptions. Goals are placed at
8058-500: The time, Prescott also won several boxing contests, at which Eden presented the prizes. He married Pauline "Tilly" Tilston at Upton Church in Chester on 11 November 1961. He then went to Ruskin College , which specialises in courses for union officials, where he gained a diploma in economics and politics in 1965. In 1968, he obtained a BSc degree in economics and economic history from the University of Hull . Prescott returned to
8160-399: The touchlines. The two goal lines are between 50 and 100 yards (46 and 91 metres) wide and have to be of the same length. The two touchlines are between 100 and 130 yards (91 and 119 metres) long and have to be of the same length. All lines on the ground are equally wide, not to exceed 12 centimetres (5 inches). The corners of the pitch are marked by corner flags. For international matches
8262-531: The turf is under heavy use. Artificial turf pitches are also increasingly common in the Nordic countries , due to the amount of snow during the winter months. The strain put on grass pitches by the cold climate and subsequent snow clearing has necessitated the installation of artificial turf in the stadia of many top-tier clubs in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The latest artificial surfaces use rubber crumbs, as opposed to
8364-441: The use of chrysotile asbestos, which resulted in a complete ban on the use of any products containing asbestos in the United Kingdom from 24 November 1999. On coming to office, Prescott pursued an integrated public transport policy. On 6 June 1997, he said: "I will have failed if in five years time there are not...far fewer journeys by car. It's a tall order but I urge you to hold me to it." However, by June 2002, car traffic
8466-535: The view of the lower-tier seats (Block D & E). Quarry Lane End – behind the South goal, housing the home fans, with a capacity of 1,968. The players' tunnel is in the corner of this stand adjacent to the old West Stand. North Stand – behind the opposite goal from the Quarry Lane End, this was traditionally the home terrace although safety issues meant this would swap with the Quarry Lane End and become
8568-515: The views of the traditional Labour voters throughout his career. He became an important figure in Tony Blair 's " New Labour " movement, as the representative of 'old Labour' interests in the Shadow cabinet and subsequently around the Cabinet table as Deputy Prime Minister. However, now a member of the establishment, relationships with the grass roots were not always smooth. Whilst attending
8670-477: The views of their local communities. Prescott supported regional government in England. Early in his term, he introduced regional assemblies consisting of delegates from local authorities and other regional stakeholders to oversee the work of new Regional Development Agencies in the regions of England. Following Labour's second election victory, he pressed for the introduction of elected regional assemblies, which would have seen about 25 to 35 members elected under
8772-404: The war ended. In 2016, after publication of the resultant Chilcot Report, which was critical of the war but remained neutral on its legality, Prescott declared that the invasion by UK and US forces had been "illegal" and that members of Tony Blair's Cabinet "were given too little paper documentation to make decisions". In February 2012, Prescott announced he would stand for Labour's nomination in
8874-453: The world dirt is used only for casual recreational play. In the winter the pitch may be used for bandy (similar to ice hockey) by being filled with water which is allowed to freeze. John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of
8976-605: Was Welsh. I'm Welsh. It's my place of birth, my country." He left Wales in 1942 at the age of four and was brought up initially in Brinsworth , Rotherham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire , England. He attended Brinsworth Manor School, where in 1949 he sat but failed the 11-Plus examination to attend Rotherham Grammar School . Shortly afterwards, his family moved to Upton-by-Chester , and he attended Grange Secondary Modern School in nearby Ellesmere Port . Prescott became
9078-442: Was an egg, I just feel this very warm thing running down my neck and I think, well I just think somebody's perhaps knifed me or assaulted me, you know, that all happens in a split second, and I see this fellow built like a bloody barn door, and I turned, and I reacted, and when Tony [Blair] asked me, er, what happened I said I was carrying out his orders; he told us to connect with the electorate, so I did. This incident earned Prescott
9180-492: Was banned again after a similar conviction in June 2015. During the 2001 election campaign , Prescott was campaigning in Rhyl , Denbighshire , when Craig Evans threw an egg at him. Prescott, a former amateur boxer , responded immediately with a left jab punch to the jaw. The incident, overshadowing the launch of the Labour Party manifesto on that day, was captured by television cameras. Tony Blair responded by stating: "John
9282-541: Was born in Prestatyn , Wales, on 31 May 1938 to John Herbert ("Bert") Prescott and Phyllis, née Parrish . Prescott's father was a railway signalman , Justice of the Peace , and Labour councillor. His family won a competition to find the "most typical British family of 1951". In 2009, he said: "I've always felt very proud of Wales and being Welsh ... I was born in Wales, went to school in Wales and my mother
9384-482: Was created to administer the areas remaining under his responsibility. This was originally part of the Cabinet Office , but became a department in its own right in May 2002, when it absorbed some of the responsibilities of the former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. The ODPM had responsibility for local and regional government, housing, communities and the fire service. The UK played
9486-536: Was criticised for his position by several MPs. On 6 July 2013, Prescott revealed in a newspaper column that he had resigned from the Privy Council in protest against the delays to the introduction of press regulation. The resignation only became effective on 6 November the same year. The Coalition Government had insisted that the Privy Council must consider a cross-party Royal Charter to underpin
9588-518: Was defeated by Diana Holland , who took 68.96% of the total vote. On 30 July 2010, Prescott appeared before the panel at the Chilcot Inquiry concerning the Iraq War . Prescott stated that he was doubtful about the legality, intelligence and information about Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction . The inquiry was launched by Gordon Brown in the summer of 2009 shortly after operations in
9690-585: Was fined for speeding on four occasions. Prescott had a stormy relationship with the privatisation of the railway industry. He had vigorously opposed the privatisation of the industry while the Labour Party was in opposition, and disliked the party's policy, established in 1996 just before the flotation of Railtrack on the London Stock Exchange , of committing to renationalise the industry only when resources allowed, which he saw as meaning that it would never be done. Reluctantly, he supported
9792-575: Was highlighted between Prescott's transport brief and an incident, in 1999, when an official chauffeur-driven car was used to transport Prescott and his wife 250 yards (230 m) from their hotel to the venue of the Labour Party Conference, where Prescott gave a speech on how to encourage the use of public transport. Prescott explained, "Because of the security reasons for one thing and second, my wife doesn't like to have her hair blown about. Have you got another silly question?" Prescott
9894-530: Was located directly across the road from the present ground, being one of several situated along the River Maun water course supplied from a nearby reservoir. The mill was demolished in 1925. The club site on Quarry Lane was originally used as a recreational area for employees of the Greenhalgh & Sons Works, who rented the surrounding areas from the Duke of Portland for their cotton-doubling business. One of
9996-471: Was made a life peer and sat in the House of Lords until 2024. He stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate in the 2012 election to be the first police and crime commissioner for Humberside Police . Prescott resigned from the Privy Council in 2013 in protest against delays to the introduction of press regulation, of which he had become a proponent. In February 2015, he briefly returned to politics as an adviser to Labour leader Ed Miliband . Prescott
10098-541: Was secured by an impassioned closing speech in the debate at the Labour Party Conference in 1993 on the introduction of "one member, one vote" for the selection and reselection of Labour Parliamentary candidates that helped swing the vote in favour of this reform. In 1994 Prescott was a candidate in the party leadership election that followed the death of leader John Smith , standing for the positions of both leader and deputy leader . Tony Blair won
10200-572: Was to plan its activities effectively. In February 1999, the regulation of the passenger rail operators fell to Sir Alastair Morton , who Prescott announced would be appointed as chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, which would take over from the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising whose office would be wound up. In July 1999, the new Rail Regulator appointed by Prescott was Tom Winsor . They shared Prescott's view that
10302-538: Was trying to say. However, Liz Davies wrote that on the Labour National Executive Committee , Prescott "spoke in clear, concise sentences and his point was always understandable. Contrary to his television and parliamentary image, he appears to choose his words with care." The media attached various sobriquets to Prescott during his political career. Originally, Prescott's nickname was "Prezza", but as various misfortunes befell him
10404-455: Was up by 7%. This prompted Friends of the Earth 's Tony Bosworth to say "By its own test, Government transport policy has failed". Prescott successfully focused attention on the role of car usage in the bigger environmental picture, and the need for effective public transport alternatives if car volume was to be reduced. The subsequent debate on road pricing evolved from his policy. A contrast
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