Andy Halliday challenged to kick-start his Boro career by clinching loan move

Forgotten man Andy Halliday has been challenged to kick-start his Boro career by hitting top form for the Under-21s.

The 22-year-old was signed by Gordon Strachan in 2010 and has made more than 30 appearances for Boro as a left-back and left-winger.

However, following loan spells at Walsall and most recently Blackpool last season, Halliday now finds himself on the fringes of Boro’s first-team picture and has started in all five Under-21s matches this season.

Having put in a string of impressive performances for Boro’s young guns, Under-21s manager Paul Jenkins has challenged the Scot to add further consistency to his game - with the view to clinching a loan move away from the Riverside.

Jenkins said: “In the Under-21s we’ve set out our stall and said that players have to earn the right to have the shirt and to keep the shirt.

“Then sometimes the manager could have players in his first-team squad who need a game or are not featuring.

“Andy is one example of that. I must compliment Andy because he’s obviously found it difficult not being around the first-team on a match day, but his application and the way he’s approached his game has been an absolute credit to the club.

“Hopefully Andy’s challenge will now be to get himself out on loan at some point.

“The only way he can do that is by performing in the Under-21s, and he has done that so far this season. I can only commend him for that.”

Halliday put in another impressive performance during Boro Under-21’s 2-0 win against West Brom on Monday and helped his team charge to the top of the league following a fourth successive win.

But his future on Teesside remains uncertain with his contract due to expire next summer.

Redcar's Friendship Group For Widowed People hopes to continue support with help of Wish

A support group is hoping for token success in this year’s Wish campaign.

The Friendship Group For Widowed People meets fortnightly, allowing widowed people to socialise.

Based at Redcar Cricket Club, the group arranges outings to the theatre, day trips and garden shows, as well as quiz nights, buffet nights and parties.

Even if there are no planned events, those who have lost loved ones are welcome along to the group for a chat.

Relying on members’ donations to keep running, the group is grateful for any extra support they can get which helps to fund the social events for the group.

Following previous successful entries into The Gazette’s Wish campaign, the group has joined in again this year and hopes for a share of the £40,000.

Group spokesperson Ann Robinson said: “Any money the group receives will contribute towards our 2014 Christmas party.”

Every year, The Gazette’s Wish campaign gives away thousands of pounds to not-for-profit groups and organisations benefiting the Teesside community.

To get involved, groups must first register online at http://ift.tt/XA3Wdt. All registered groups will receive confirmation in writing as well as a free starter pack to get supporters ready to start collecting tokens. Every registered group will be guaranteed a share of our £40,000 fund.

There are no losers in the Wish campaign but the aim is to collect as many tokens as possible. The more tokens a group collects, the bigger its share of the prize pot.

Tokens will start appearing in The Gazette on Monday, October 13, with the last token appearing on Wednesday, January 21. Submissions for tokens will close at 5pm on Monday, February 23.

• To help the Friendship Group for Widowed People, send your tokens to: Ann Robinson c/o Redcar Cricket Club, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1QH.

Geoff Parling: Concussion setback will sideline Teesside rugby star until December

Teesside-born rugby union international Geoff Parling has been ruled out of England’s autumn series and looks set to be sidelined until December with concussion.

The former Stockton Rugby Club star saw a specialist this week after being concussed for the second time in three games during Leicester Tigers’ 45-0 drubbing at Bath 10 days ago.

While the British and Irish Lions second row is facing a spell on the sidelines, his club yesterday dispelled concerns over his long-term playing career.

Director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: “Geoff saw the relevant specialist this week and will have time out of the game now.

“He’ll probably have three or four weeks of complete down-time and then he’ll be reintegrated into training.

“You’d like to think that by December he’ll be playing again. And there’s no doubt about that, he will play again.

“It’s more that he’s had successive concussions in a short period of time. You have to take that very seriously, as we do.

“I need him out on the playing field from a rugby point of view, but it’s not a bump, bruise or strain that you can play through. Ultimately there are more important things than playing rugby and you have to look at the bigger picture.

“We’ve all got injuries from playing rugby, whether it’s a worn out back or knackered something. You can deal with that, but you can’t deal with head injuries.

“If you take a bang on your head and you don’t feel quite right, you know in yourself you have to deal with something because it’s serious.”

Parling will miss England’s clashes with New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia at Twickenham.

The lock will hope to return in time for selection in England’s 2015 Six Nations squad.

Drop in profits for Tioxide Europe

Manufacturers Tioxide Europe suffered a significant downturn in 2013, caused by weakening demand for titanium bearing ore from its Huntsman affiliates.

The makers of titanium dioxide pigments, which are used in paints, plastics, and fibres, saw operating profits fall from £111.4m in 2012 to a £7.6m loss last year.

Tioxide’s Greatham manufacturing facility operates pigment production using a chloride process to separate titanium from its ores.

Turnover in 2013 fell to £275.9m from £430.5m the year before due to a reduction in titanium dioxide prices and reduced demand from its old stablemates in the Huntsman group.

In 2009 the firm brought 60 years of production to a close at its iconic Grimsby site which led to some £2m costs in its 2013 accounts.

The firm employs 502 people at its Greatham site and its headquarters on Wynyard Business Park.

A statement within the firm’s strategic report read: “The business has faced significant challenges in recent years due to the global downturn and dramatic volatility in the pigments industry.

“A strong turnaround was recognised in 2010 due to the effects of the Transform Programme, Management has implemented a strategy to grow sales revenue in differentiated markets and transform asset competitiveness through restructuring and co-product beneficiation. This programme continued in 2013.”

Tioxide Europe Limited manufactures and sells titanium dioxide pigments used in the the production of paints, plastics, paper, printing inks, fibres and ceramics.

Middlesbrough entrepreneur secures £40,000 in Regional Growth Fund cash

A Middlesbrough entrepreneur is going for big growth after successfully securing £40,000 in Regional Growth Fund cash.

Since 2012, Russell Jameson has gone from a one-man, one-van operation to employing four staff and a projected £750,000 turnover.

Now he’s planning to employ a further eight staff at least, after winning a £620,000 deal to become the main contractor plumbing and heating contractor on a 60-property Barratt Homes’ development in Durham.

But the boss of Lorne Street-based firm R. Jameson Plumbing & Heating Ltd had almost ‘reached the end of his tether’ after being refused help by a series of banks.

He said: “I visited banks with the contract in my hand, it was hard evidence but I was still knocked back because I was a young business with no credit history.

“It was incredibly frustrating. I was at the end of my tether, with everything we’d gone through.

“I thought ‘we’re going to lose this contract’ because we couldn’t get anyone to help us.”

A Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) business account manager pointed him in a different direction.

The Five Lamps organisation in Thornaby had recently secured funding through the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) from The Community Development Association (CDFA).

Russell got in touch with the team - and successfully unlocked the much-needed cash that secured his latest contract.

Director of Economic Development & Finance at Five Lamps, Bill Erskine, supported him through the RGF application.

He was awarded £40,000 towards new premises, job creation, staff uniform, tools, vans, and publicity material including updating his current website.

Now Russell is hoping it can be the springboard to further large contracts - and the business is waiting to hear about two further jobs with Barratt Homes, including one for a 100-property scheme.

He said: “We are putting all our efforts into this contract, and there are others in the pipeline.

“We will take on another eight staff, but that’s a conservative estimate - it could be as many as 20.

“We also have a domestic side to the business as well as commercial, which is also very busy. I am at the point where I’m having to take a step back from the tools and actually run the business.

“The RGF money was life-saving,” he added.

“Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to do this contract - it’s as simple as that.

“I would have had to go back to being a one-man band without any prospect of growing the business and attracting new commercial contracts.

“Luckily for me, I met Bill Erskine, who was very helpful.

“There is a real gap in support available for existing businesses as a lot of support is focused on start-ups. It feels great to be able to take on new staff and create much needed employment opportunities locally.

The Regional Growth Fund is a government backed scheme to support SMEs and social enterprises struggling to access high street bank lending. The aim of the funding is to help to create and safeguard jobs in the area, helping local businesses and the economy grow.

Arguing With Sharia-Supporting Muslims — on The Glazov Gang

[Don't miss: Hollywood Republicans Event With Jamie Glazov, Wednesday night, Oct. 1, in North Hollywood. For more info, click here.]

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This week’s Glazov Gang was joined by Louis Lionheart, a Christian preacher who engages in open-air debates, dialogues and evangelism on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Ca. For information on his ministry visit his web site: TruthDefenders.com.

Louis came on the show to discuss “Arguing With Sharia-Supporting Muslims,” sharing his experience of being told that Islam is peaceful and then being threatened in the same conversation. The dialogue occurred within the context of a focus on “The Battle Over Islam on the Streets of L.A.,” in which Louis discussed his experience of engaging Muslims about their religion on 3rd St. Promenade:

Don’t miss this week’s second Glazov Gang episode with Mark Tapson, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is a Hollywood-based writer and screenwriter who focuses on the politics of popular culture.

Mark came on the show to discuss “Fighting the Culture War,” emphasizing why Conservatives need more filmmakers, songwriters and novelists instead of political lecturers.

Don’t miss it:

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Gaza unable to rejoice this Eid

Eid Al-Adha is a few days away and the Palestinians in Gaza still live under siege after surviving a war that has killed thousands and destroyed homes.

Palestinian families are unable to rejoice this Eid or sacrifice animals, as is the tradition at this time, as the blockade isongoing, their homes are still destroyed, and workers have not received their salaries from the national unity government. This has disrupted the local markets as it has stopped citizens from being able to prepare themselves for Eid