JUST a week after being Nottingham was crowned 2015 City of Football, £1.8million has been pumped into developing the grassroots game.

Two new pitches will be added to the Forest Recreation Ground in Gregory Boulevard ready for sports such as football and hockey.

Brand new changing rooms and a clubhouse will also be added along with a multi-use sports arena open to the community at all times.

Work will begin next month and the Forest Sport Zone project should be complete by summer 2015.

The move was welcomed by general secretary of the Notts Youth Football League Peter Burton.

"At the moment the only youth team that I know plays on the Rec is Hyson Green Cavaliers," he said. "When I was young you'd see dozens of games on there every Saturday and Sunday but that's declined.

"Everybody knows the pitches are in need of investment. It's encouraging to see this happen so soon after the announcement of the City of Football title."

Mr Burton said he welcomes the move and hopes changing facilities will meet the needs of both make and female players as well as referees.

He said more well-kept pitches are needed across the county and suggested Victoria Embankment would be a good place to go next.

"Council pitches are important," he said. "We've seen quite a few clubs move onto school pitches in recent years because they've not been up to scratch so I'm glad to see this sort of investment."

Around 41,000 people live within walking distance of the site, which has seen £5.2m of Heritage Lottery fund investment recently spent to restore its historic elements like the lodge and pavilion.

The project also hopes to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour while increasing physical and mental health in the area.

Nottingham City Council's park's team will manage the site while Nottingham Forest in the Community will offer social cohesion projects at the site, which was where the Reds played their first games 150 years ago.

Chief Executive Graham Moran said: "This fantastic new football facility will allow Forest to play a significant role in helping to develop football locally, alongside local people.

"It will be great to see Forest back on the Forest Recreation Ground."

Council funding has been bolstered by contributions from the Football Association, Football Foundation and Premier League, Notts Police and Crime Commissioner, Nottingham NHS and New College Nottingham.

Councillor Dave Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure and culture at the council added: "Coming straight after Nottingham's success in being awarded the very first City of Football, the Forest Sports Zone is going to be a tremendous addition to Nottingham's sports, leisure and parks facilities and will reinforce Nottingham's reputation as a city of sport."

Two burglars were rumbled when a householder found them hiding in her kitchen pantry, a court heard.

John Higgins and Jamie Fullilove tried to remain incognito when they realised the game was up as police arrived at their crime scene.

The pair got into the house as a woman and her husband slept at 4am on August 11, Nottingham Crown Court heard on September 24.

Their neighbour reported a prowler and police arrived and woke the couple.

The defendants were discovered by the woman at the property when she checked if she had burglars.

"The woman was shocked to find the two defendants hiding in the kitchen pantry," said Jon Fountain, prosecuting.

Higgins and Fullilove were arrested for burglary at the house in Vernon Drive, Nuthall, and detained.

Higgins, 22, of Downing Gardens, Bulwell, pleaded guilty to the burglary, another burglary and two thefts. He was jailed for a total of three years.

Fullilove, 19, of Helston Drive, Strelley, admitted his role in the burglary at Vernon Drive and was sent to youth custody for two years.

Judge Michael Pert QC said the cases had been devastating for those involved.

"It's simply violating their home and leaving them afraid for months or years to come due to an opportunistic chance to make some money."

The court heard how three days before the Vernon Drive burglary, Higgins went solo to a house in Arnold and stole from the home of a retired couple in bed.

He pinched a handbag, wallet, cash, iPhone and the keys to a Volkswagen Passat and a BMW.

The break-in was discovered the following morning.

Higgins was described in court as a ' third-strike burglar' by his solicitor, Felicity Campbell.

Under the law any adult burglar convicted of their third domestic break-in should serve at least three years in prison unless the court considered there to be "exceptional circumstances".

Miss Campbell said her client was just 22. Two of his previous convictions for burglary happened when he was 13 and 17 years.

"Higgins had got a job as a labourer," she explained. "He lost the work as there was no work available and he filed back into his old ways. He has pleaded guilty [to these offences] at the first opportunity."

Jonathan Hullis, mitigating for Fullilove, said he committed the burglary when his relationship broke down and he went completely off the rails.

Of the burglary, which Fullilove admitted, he said his client regretted it and expressed his remorse and apologised.

Parliament is to be recalled on Friday to discuss the possibility of the UK's involvement in air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.

The prime minister David Cameron said MPs would look at the country's response following the Iraqi government's request for help.

IS has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria displacing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

The group is also responsible for the execution of journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff and British aid worker David Haines.

The group has also threatened to execute another British aid worker, Alan Henning.

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen said: "It's a very serious decision to go to another country and kill people therefore I will study what their motion the government puts forward in great detail.

"It's quite clear that in recent times violence has made things worse - I was one of the organisers of the rebellion against Tony Blair's government on Iraq.

"There needs to be a very persuasive argument before we should go in and bomb that area."

Mansfield MP Sir Alan Meale said he would not support the use of infantry.

He said: "I don't want boots on the ground.

"There are good reasons to be engaged and I want to hear from the government what those reasons are.

He added: "I want to see what good reasons there are - it seems with Isis it needs confronting.

"They're already slaughtering people in their villages just to show their strength."

Sherwood MP Mark Spencer said: "It is good that the Prime Minister is seeking the approval of the Commons.

"Any action taken must be in the interest of the UK. If there is credible interest then the UK should take action but it must be within international law."

The Liberal Democrats have backed the air strikes while Labour leader Ed Milliband has said he is "open to the possibility.

A FORMER Mayor of Gedling says he is "proud" to be declared an honorary alderman of the borough. Gordon Tunnicliffe served on the council for 20 years and has been involved with countless community groups for almost half a century. A special ceremony at the civic centre in Arnot Hill Park on September 24 confirmed the lifelong title. An honorary alderman is a ceremonial role dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, derived from "ealdorman" and meaning leader of the shire. "It was not an ambition and was not expected," said Mr Tunnicliffe, of Gedling Village. "I'm proud to be given this honour and hopefully I can assist the current mayor in her role." Aldermen were traditionally born as nobles but their role was abolished under the 1972 Local Government Act. In Gedling, just 15 honorary aldermen have been selected since 1976 and only six of those are still alive. Recalling some of his fondest memories of serving the community, Mr Tunnicliffe, 71, said: "I've been heavily involved with the 1st Gedling Scouts for quite some time. In the 60s I helped five scouts through to their Queen's Scout Award. They were presented by the chief scout." During his spell as mayor from 2003 to 2004, Mr Tunnicliffe was the first and only Liberal Democrat to take up the title and chose MacMillan Nurses as his charity of choice - raising more than £17,500 for the cause. "It was a hung council, so they decided to give it to me instead of either a Conservative or a Labour councillor," he said. "I think that was best to avoid any bloodshed." His other local projects have included the Gedling Miners' Memorial, Robin Hood Allotment Association, Gedling Youth Club and Gedling Conservation Trust. "When something needs doing I try and do it to the best my ability," he said. "When you leave employment and become part of these committees you do it because you want to - not in exchange for a pay cheque." In his working life, Mr Tunnicliffe left school at 15 to start an apprenticeship at the Royal Ordnance Factory, known as the gun factory, before going on to work at Rolls Royce in Ilkeston. Motivated by his desire to help young people, he went into teaching and spent time at Elliott Durham Comprehensive School (now part of Nottingham Academy) and Redhill Academy. He left his ward of Gedling earlier this year due to ill health. Current Mayor of Gedling, Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth, who also represents the Gedling ward, said: "If you look at how many councillor we have and how many become aldermen you can see how much of an honour it is. "Gordon has been involved in just about every community organisation in Gedling. He's given great service to his community for a long period of time."

The youngest contestant on the Great British Bake-Off has been voted off the show.

Seventeen-year-old Martha was unable to impress judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood during Wednesday night's show.

They criticised her efforts in all three rounds of the quarter-final stage.

Meanwhile Richard was named star baker for the fourth time in the series.

After being voted off, Martha said: "I've loved every minute, I've loved the people.

"I've made inedible things and delicious things."

Jordan Cox, of Sneinton, who was voted off the show earlier in the series, said: "Martha is the most talented 17-year-old I have ever met. She has a really big future in the baking industry."

Jordan also revealed that Martha is considering doing a food science degree at the University of Nottingham.

Contestants admitted to feeling the pressure, with just five of them left at the start of the show.

Martha, who produced a spiced plum iced bread swirl in for her first effort, said: "The pressure is on. Everyone is so good, it only takes one bad bake and you go home."

Despite feeling under the cosh, Mary and Paul were both impressed.

Mary said: "It looks most tempting. It is a very nice flavour."

The judges were not impressed with some of the efforts in the technical challenge round.

Paul asked them to produce a European povestea dough cake.

Many of the creations were not cooked well enough, with both Paul and Mary refusing to eat them.

Luis had feared during the baking that his cake was raw, and Paul pointed this out to him.

He said: "It is quite doughy. It hasn't been in the oven quite long enough."

He was more scathing of Martha's creation. He said: "It simply hasn't been in there long enough.

"I wouldn't eat that Mary, if I were you."

Martha's hopes of improving things in the last round, where contestants had to bake doughnuts, failed.

As asked, she created two different kinds, ring doughnuts with lemon glazing, and passion fruit curd-filled round doughnuts.

Paul said: "You have got two great tasting doughnuts but the texture and the look are all wrong."  

Two men arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Nottingham taxi driver have been bailed by police.

Ethsham Ghafoor, 26, was shot dead in an 'execution-style' murder while sitting inside his taxi in the car park of a nursery in Lambley Lane, Gedling on November 22, 1994.

The men, aged 42 and 43, were questioned in connection with the killing, but have been bailed pending further inquiries.

Anyone with any information about the murder is asked to contact the incident room on 0115 844 6913.

AMID the multi-million pound signings, it was a product of the Nottingham Forest youth academy who almost grabbed the headlines at White Hart Lane.

Jorge Grant had impressed hugely in pre-season, but it was still a surprise to see him handed his first senior start, in a clash against Premier League opposition.

But the midfielder, who turns 20 this weekend, proved he was not out of place on the big stage, as he gave the Reds a deserved second half lead, as they threatened to cause a shock in the Capital One Cup.

In the end, it was two of players who had come through the ranks at Tottenham, in Harry Kane and Ryan Mason, along with £26m striker Roberto Soldado, who ruined the story, as they scored the goals that earned the home side a 3-1 win and passage to the next round.

It was the first time Forest had tasted defeat this season, but they will look to defend their unbeaten record in the Championship when Brighton visit the City Ground on Saturday.

Stuart Pearce had intimated prior to the game that the League was the priority – and that a few players who had patiently waited for a chance would get their opportunity. It was still a surprise to see nine changes to the Forest team in north London.

But still, Forest might have caused an upset, amid another dramatic evening in Pearce's tenure.

David Vaughan and Kelvin Wilson were the only two players in the starting XI who had begun the game at Millwall on Saturday. Britt Assombalonga, Michail Antonio, Chris Burke, Henri Lansbury, Michael Mancienne and Jack Hunt – who had been carrying a slight knock – were left out of the squad completely, ahead of the visit of Brighton this weekend.

Having seen Chris Cohen collect another serious knee injury already this season, along with more minor problems collected by Hunt, Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs, Pearce's caution was understandable.

The mood was also reflected in the home line-up, with manager Mauricio Pochettino changing his entire starting XI.

While Pearce's goal was a long-term one, Spurs' was with a view to a more of an immediate challenge, with the small matter of a north London derby on Saturday.

Still, their 'reserve' XI was hardly short of quality. In fact, it made for daunting reading, with England wide men Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend included among a group that was packed with internationals. Michel Vorm, the Dutch international keeper, was handed his debut after his summer move from Cardiff, while Federico Fazio, an £8m signing from Sevilla, was handed his home debut in defence.

For all the changes, Forest's defence was still one with quality and experience, with Jamaal Lascelles partnered in the centre by Wilson, who was skipper for the night, with Dan Harding on the right and Danny Fox on the left.

Dorus de Vries had to make a save when Jan Vertonghen drove in a shot from the edge of the box which, after taking a deflection, required a smart stop, with the keeper diving quickly to his right.

It was the only real opening of a cagey first ten minutes, in which the threat of Spurs down the right, with former England under-21 player Kyle Naughton pushing forward from full back.

The 3,000 Forest fans who had made the journey south were in good voice – and also looking colourful, with a good portion of them sporting green jumpers to mark the tenth anniversary of legendary manager Brian Clough.

Forest survived a penalty scare when Paulinho seemed to be tugged back by Fox but, before Spurs' protests had died down, the visitors almost took the lead in spectacular fashion.

Osborn won possession by the centre circle before launching himself into a surging run, which saw him dance through two challenges, before pulling the trigger on the edge of the box with a spectacular shot that bounced away off the underside of the bar. Had it gone in, it was the kind of goal that would have been talked about for many years.

Even then, as the midfielder held his head in frustration, the ball fell to Grant, who almost marked his full debut with a goal, with Vorm doing well to hold his curling shot.

Forest had a penalty claim of their own, when Townsend appeared to handle, before a fine long ball from Lascelles sent Lars Veldwijk powering down the centre, with Fazio recovering to make a key challenge.

A crunching challenge from Stephen McLaughlin then allowed Jamie Paterson some space in midfield and he took advantage by producing a fine ball for Veldwijk – and the big Dutch man briefly looked as though he would bludgeon his way clear, only to be blocked off at the last, when finding himself out numbered.

Townsend then came close as half time approached, but might also have done better with his low shot, flashed wide of the post, when he had time to pick his spot.

Forest made a change at the interval, with Robert Tesche coming on for Vaughan, while Osborn began with the same level of threat, firing a low shot narrowly wide of the post.

But Paulinho also came close to breaking the deadlock, with a clever flick, which bounced inches wide of the upright.

Veldwijk saw a towering header deflected wide, following more good work from the outstanding Osborn. The Dutch man, who had struggled to make an impact, then stamped his influence on the game in an emphatic fashion.

After winning a header, Veldwijk then found the space on the left side when he received a return ball and delivered a cross into the centre, where Grant was well placed to apply a composed, emphatic finish at the near post to sweep home.

With sub Mason heading straight at de Vries, when presented with a good chance, Spurs fans were getting frustrated. But they were on their feet in the 73rd minute, when the same player made amends for his miss in spectacular fashion, bending a 22-yard shot beyond the reach of de Vries and inside the near post.

Forest had made another change of their own, with Dexter Blackstock making his first appearance of the season, off the bench, on for Veldwijk.

But it was the home side who were to snatch a late winning goal, as Soldado demonstrated his razor sharp reactions to prod out a foot and steer home a shot from Townsend that looked as though it may have been heading wide.

And, in injury time, another substitute, Harry Kane added a harsh look to the scoreline as he lashed a shot low into the bottom corner, as Forest pushed forward for an equaliser.

Tottenham: Vorm, Vertonghen, Lennon, Paulinho (Kane 65), Soldado (Lamela 85), Naughton, Townsend, Fazio, Stambouli (Mason 65), Davies, Bentaleb. Subs: Friedel, Chiriches, Dier, Eriksen.

Forest: de Vries, Harding, Wilson, Fox, Veldwijk (Blackstock 73), Lascelles, Paterson, Vaughan (Tesche 45), McLaughlin, Grant (Burke 87), Osborn. Subs: Darlow, Collins, Halford, Walker.

Referee: Andre Marriner

Man of match: Ben Osborn. The young midfielder was outstanding all round and very unlucky not to score a truly world class goal, with his rising shot bouncing back off the bar.

NOTTINGHAM Forest still almost caused a shock at Premier League Tottenham, despite Stuart Pearce sending out the message that promotion is his priority this season.

The Reds boss made nine changes to his side at White Hart Lane, as he looked ahead to the visit of Brighton to the City Ground on Saturday – but still came close to masterminding a shock in London.

It looked, briefly, as though Jorge Grant would be at the centre of a fairy tale, as the product of the Forest youth academy put the visitors ahead in the second half on what was his first start for the club.

In the end, Forest were not able to hold on for a memorable Capital One Cup win, as Spurs' own youth products, Harry Kane and Ryan Mason, along with £26m striker Roberto Soldado, netted to complete a 3-1 win.

But Pearce insisted he was proud of his players' performance – and admitted it has put him under pressure when it comes to his weekend team selection with a number of players having staked a claim for a start.

"Am I satisfied with a defeat? No I am not, because the effort we put in and the performance we put in deserved more than that," said Pearce.

"Am I proud of the performance though? Yes I am, I am also proud of our fans, because of the backing they gave us.

"There are a hell of a lot of positives to come out of this game and plenty of signs to suggest this club is in a healthy situation.

"I expected a number of players who had not had their chance so far to give me a nudge and say 'I am ready for a league start' and they did that.

"We have a healthy squad situation here."

"People like Dan Harding have come in and shown that their attitude is first class. On top of that, people like Osborn and Paterson are saying that they want to be playing on a regular basis."

Goal scorer Grant, who turns 20 this weekend, said: "It was fantastic to score a goal like that at White Hart Lane, but we wanted to come away with a win and we were unlucky not to do so."

Bizarre dips in the earth have been spotted two miles out of Nottingham city centre.

Situated below Nottingham Racecourse and to the left of Colwick Hall, these small craters are said to be 28ft to 50ft apart.

Reader Paul Gregory drew the Post's attention to the images and said he wondered whether they could be small bomb holes from the war.

You can find the strange holes yourself by typing 52°56'41.5"N 1°06'33.3"W into Google Maps.

If you fancy visiting the craters they can be located using the postcode NG2 4BH.

Do you have any idea what caused these craters? Tweet us, email us at newsdesk@nottinghampost.com or leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

NOTTINGHAM'S fine dining Restaurant Sat Bains has retained two stars in the 2015 Michelin Guide announced today.

Owner Sat Bains said the eve of the announcement always meant 24 hours of speculation and rumour.

"It's a really exciting time. We're over the moon and very chuffed with the whole team," he said.

Team work, striving to be better each day and consistency are key to success in the world's most revered guide to eating out, said Mr Bains, whose restaurant and development kitchen are located near an electricity pylon and grafitti-scrawled flyover in Lenton Lane.

Specialising in modern British cuisine, served as a seven and ten course tasting menu, diners can enjoy dishes such as Goosnargh duck with fermented carrot and salted plum and blackberries, thyme and lemon verbena.

"It's about longevity. You must slowly chip away and strive to be better tomorrow. They gave 14 stars this year and took 14 away and are not deviated by trends or what's in vogue - it's purely about consistency," added Mr Bains..

The restaurant is on a roll after recently being named one of the UK's top ten restaurants in the 2015 Good Food Guide and picking up Hotel of the Year, in the Gourmet Bolthole category, at the Food and Travel Readers Awards.

The Derby born chef, who runs the business with his wife Amanda, reportedly once said he only joined a college catering course because it had the most girls on it. Yet he went on to demonstrate a flair for creating exquisite flavours and textures which have the wow factor.

Restaurant Sat Bains was first awarded a Michelin star in 2003 and is the first and only restaurant in Nottingham to receive the accolade.  

CALL blockers are to be lent to vulnerable people to stop them getting scammed by nuisance callers.

Nottinghamshire County Council will spend up to £20,000 on the devices which work by stopping calls from certain numbers coming through.

The authority has said the devices would help stop people being the victims of scams as well as preventing trips, slips and falls that people with mobility problems can suffer rushing to answer nuisance calls.

A report going to the Community Safety Committee next week said: "A mini-pilot project involving four vulnerable Nottinghamshire residents has proven that the units are successful in reducing unwanted calls.

"(It blocked )on average over 75 per cent of nuisance calls and in one case 92 per cent of the resident's nuisance calls.

"Over 600 nuisance calls blocked in the three month period monitored have included calls from Pakistan, Egypt, Switzerland and USA.

"The results echo the results of extensive call blocker pilots conducted by three different Scottish authorities."

The plans will be discussed in full at the meeting at County Hall, West Bridgford, next Tuesday.

PARKING in the Lace Market has led to a David and Goliath battle between a local business and a private parking firm.

A city centre builder was hit with a £100 fine for parking on Plumptre Place, just off Stoney Street, back in May.

The ticket was given to the employee of Joe's Electrical Services – who did not want to be named – by Vehicle Control Services Ltd, which claims to have jurisdiction over parking on the private road.

"I didn't see any signs to say it was private and no double yellow lines, so I thought I was ok to park there," he said.

"I wasn't happy with being hit with such a huge fine and I wanted to find out why it had happened, and if I had rights to appeal."

The building firm got their lawyers on the case to look into the ticket further, but discovered there was a big question mark hanging over the company's right to hand out fines in the first place.

According to the lawyers, Vehicle Control Services Ltd hadn't had the contract to give out tickets on the street since 1998. 

The company took its case to the Parking On Private Land Appeals (POPLA) group to fight against the ticket.

And in September the ruling granted the appeal.

POPLA said Vehicle Control Services Ltd had not produced any evidence to show it was either the landowner or had the authority of the land-owner to issue parking tickets at the site.

Nadesh Karunairetnam, an assessor at POPLA, then concluded: "I must find that the operator has failed to produce sufficient evidence to refute the appellant's submission that it did not have authority to issue a parking charge notice.

"Accordingly, I must allow the appeal."

The builder was ecstatic about the result, but fearful of how many people had been caught out in the past.

"What worries me is how many people have got these tickets and paid them without questioning it?" he said. "It's terrible and £100 is a lot of money."

But Vehicle Control Services Ltd is now ready to fight back, claiming the contract rolled over every 12 months and they were still in charge until the landowner terminated the deal.

A spokesman for the company said: "POPLA's decision is totally incorrect, as the adjudicator has overlooked the relevant explicit clause detailed in the contract, as highlighted in our evidence.

"We have brought the matter to the attention of POPLA and await their retraction."

Both parties are now waiting for the result.

Have you ever been fined by a private company? Let us know in the comments

Albert Street in Mansfield is currently closed due to an fire. Fire crews ask you to find an alternative route.

— Notts Fire (@nottsfire) September 25, 2014

Crews from Mansfield, Ashfield, Worksop and Edwinstone are all at the scene

— Notts Fire (@nottsfire) September 25, 2014

The goose has taken up residency on the Mansfield Road roundabout, meaning only one thing - Nottingham's Goose Fair is around the corner.

Thrill-seekers and families have a lot in store for them at this year's world-famous fair, which is heading back to the Forest Recreation Ground on Wednesday October 1.

450 rides will be joining the annual travelling funfair, now in its 720th year.

The new ride making its debut in the city is spinning sensation Moondance.

The attraction sees riders suspended 50 feet above the ground, spinning around at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

Moondance first appeared at the Leeds Valentine Fair earlier this year.

The funfair is open to people of all ages and two new family rides - Dumbo Telecombat and Flying Chairs - will be joining the parade this year.

Making its second appearance is Air which swings, spins and loops riders 100 feet over the fairground.

There is also a variety of classic rides for the traditionalists including carousels, dodgems, waltzers and Hook-a-Duck.

As well as rides, the fair will be offering the traditional Goose Fair food of mushy peas and mint sauce, candy floss and brandy snaps.

Visitors can also experience something new and eat their way around the world with chestnuts, Chinese noodles, Indian kebabs and paella.

The fair opens at 5:30pm on Wednesday, with the official opening taking place at noon on Thursday by the Lord Mayor in front of the Big Wheel.

Admission to the fair is free and rides will be priced between £2.50 and £4.

Find out how to get to the fair here and keep up to date with the latest Goose Fair news here.

Will you be attending the Goose Fair this year? Let us know in the comments below...