By 2025-04-02T11:00:00 An NHS trust chief executive is on leave from the role following a row with their chair Sign into your account here Take out a print and online or online only subscription to get immediate access to: Site powered by Webvision Cloud The backroom staff trio have officially moved on and everyone at the club thanks them for their unwavering commitment Manager Pav Singh has formally paid tribute to the trio as well saying the following for Gareth: “As Gareth Liversidge steps away from his role after 18 incredible years at Farsley Celtic AFC it’s hard to find the right words to express just how much he has meant to me and dedication have been a constant source of strength for me and for the club as a whole and I can say without hesitation that the last two seasons alone can’t even begin to compare to the immense impact he has had over the years His attention to detail in his role as a physio is unparalleled but it’s his heart and commitment to the well-being of every person at the club—players and supporters alike—that truly sets him apart I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how much he has done for everyone always going above and beyond to ensure that the players not only recover physically but feel valued and supported throughout their journey He’s been a source of calm in the midst of chaos offering not just his technical expertise but also his unwavering encouragement Gareth was never just about getting players back on the field—he was about making sure they were at their best The way he built relationships with the players and with everyone around the club is a testament to the quality of person he is The last two seasons may have brought their own challenges but nothing in that time could ever compare to the breadth of what Gareth has done for the club over his nearly two decades here His legacy is far bigger than any individual moment or season—it’s woven into the very fabric of Farsley Celtic AFC and his contributions will be felt for years to come I want to personally thank Gareth for his exceptional dedication and support You’ve left an indelible mark on this club and it’s been an honor to work alongside you but we wish you nothing but the best as you move on to new adventures Your legacy here will never be forgotten.” Paying tribute to Tom Morgan and Jake Lofthouse I just wanted to take a moment to express the soft spot I have for both of you You’ve been such an important part of my journey here at Farsley Celtic AFC and I truly appreciate everything you’ve brought to the club The love and respect I have for you both is something I can’t put into words but I want to make sure you know just how much I value our relationship I knew you were someone who had a deep passion for the game and your incredible heart have always stood out and I’ve watched you grow into the coach and person you are today Your courage off the field has been inspiring and I’m so proud of everything you’ve been trying to achieve Always keep that drive and love for the game and it’s one of the things that makes you so special you’ve shown a level of resilience and bravery that’s hard to match every training session,and every match has been a true asset to the goalkeepers and the team Your courage and your willingness to push yourself no matter the obstacles are qualities that have always stood out to me I’ve always been so impressed by your commitment and your heart and it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch you grow Please know that I’ll always be here for you both You’ve both given so much to Farsley Celtic AFC The love and gratitude I feel for you two are immense and I look forward to watching you continue to excel in whatever comes next Farsley Celtic AFC is lucky to have had you both Tarmac Silverlands Stadium Silverlands Buxton Derbyshire SK17 6QH who even appeared on the BBC Breakfast red sofa and is being remembered by his friends and family who are raising money by taking to the streets of Stalybridge in only speedos Conner McParland is Matthews best friend and has helped to set up the latest speedo run in his honour: “We just want him to keep living in photos It’s so that he lives on and his work lives on.” the run took place starting at Ultimate Fitness in Stalybridge Matthew was very into photography and even took a famous image of the Leicester City owner when they won the FA cup: “his work is always going to be remembered so it’s only right that we keep his name out there in terms of raising money for charities too.” Matthew described as a ‘gentle giant’ by his friends and family was also a part of Ashton rugby club He was known as ‘Lofty’ at the club and they described him as being ‘the kindest soul anyone could meet “Me and Matt were both apart of the team at 16 We were the first ever under 18’s to win that cup.  “Rugby was a massive part of Matthew’s life every single weekend he’d be playing.” Lofthouse was also a big advocate for Autism Awareness having Asperger’s himself he had to work extra hard to be successful: “he was always the most driven person in the room because he had to work twice as hard as anyone else just to get him name out there Nobody ever had anything bad to say about him and he achieved everything he wanted to achieve.” Conner spoke about the struggles Matthew’s friends and family have faced since loosing Matthew: “when someone passes away and then a year passes by “That’s why we are doing it we want to get some more awareness out there about Matt and of the achievements that he got he went on BBC breakfast show five months before he passed away talking about Aspergers awareness and how you can make it helping other people even if you do have autism “We just want to keep that going and tell everyone that they can do anything that they want.” Conner is hoping to raise even more money this year for local charities as well as Autism awareness charity and the Royal British Legion since Matthew loved the armed forced and wanted to join the Navy himself A white-collar boxing match will also be held in Matthew’s name to celebrate his 31st birthday in May The money raised in tickets at the event as well as the money raised on the go fund me will then be split between the decided charities Donations can be made at: https://gofund.me/fcae651d  Kyran Lofthouse has been loaned out to Barnsley's fellow League One club Burton Albion for the rest of the season. The 24-year-old wing-back has played 25 times for the Reds this season, including against Burton on Saturday. Sporting director Mladen Sormaz said: “We are happy with Kyran’s performances this season, but we also feel that it’s important that he continues to get regular minutes to ensure he progresses in the way we know he can. We look forward to welcoming Kyran back to Oakwell in the summer.” Time is running out and ASX boss Helen Lofthouse has no room for errorAny spike in trading volumes due to higher volatility and wild swings will heap pressure on the exchange which is already navigating a regulatory firestorm SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy link Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe ASX chief executive Helen Lofthouse has little to no room for error just as there are heightened fears the world’s largest economy is hurtling towards a recession Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. What’s it going to take to fix things?The operator of the nation’s market infrastructure finds itself in a farcical and unacceptable position it can heed the messages being blasted through The situation that the David Clarke-led ASX board finds itself in is nothing short of a perfect storm it must give serious consideration to whether chief executive Helen Lofthouse is the person to spearhead the required change the ASX’s refresh of its board and accountability for the bungled clearing and settlement technology upgrade needs to continue apace Pay consequences - such as zero bonuses for those responsible for the compliance failings and operational missteps - are warranted Helen Lofthouse should hit the accelerator on the ASX’s rules reviewWhile it’s all well and good to reconsider how mergers and acquisitions work after an investor backlash sorting out this mess should be a matter of urgency Large investors and the ASX have shared plenty of sharp words over the past week and it seems the exchange is finally starting to get the message Investors are incensed at what they see as a serious error – giving James Hardie the green light to press ahead with a wildly unpopular $14 billion merger without the acquirer’s shareholders casting a vote Year 11 Spring Assessment Revision Masterclasses - VIEW HERE Wakefield has been awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) after successfully evidencing the strength of their science curriculum Feedback from the review included many positive comments about the school’s approach to teaching and learning science with the reviewer noting: ‘This is a significant award as it means as well as science being developed school-wide in this establishment the school is also starting to influence practice on other schools where science may not be as strong as it is at Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate A lot of people have a great deal to be thankful for in the local area.’ “Achieving the PSQM is a reflection of all the hard work which has been put in by our school staff and leaders in delivering the science curriculum We’re delighted that the review feedback highlights our continued pursuit of excellence in science It’s a subject that our children love to engage with and we hope they continue to do so throughout their educational journey.” PSQM is a comprehensive evidence-based professional development programme that effectively develops science leadership capability and support they need to transform science education and shape future generations.  The Primary Science Quality Mark is led by the University of Hertfordshire PSQM is powering the potential of all children to see the relevance and importance of science in their lives Schools that have achieved a Primary Science Quality Mark have demonstrated a significant commitment to science leadership teaching and learning and the profile and quality of science in each accredited school is very high parents and governors should be very proud.” 01924 204350 enquiries@outwood.com a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 06995649 Outwood Grange Academies Trust is an exempt charity The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response 6 OCT 2024BookmarkCrash on the M1 shuts lane (Image: motorwaycameras.co.uk) A crash has shut a lane northbound on the M1 near Leeds this morning Recovery vehicles are currently on the scene to remove the stranded vehicle at Lofthouse Interchange It is the junction that connects J42 for the M1 and Junction 29 on the M62 INRIX says: "One lane closed and slow traffic due to accident on M1 Northbound at J42 M62 J29 (Lofthouse) Find all the latest updates in our blog below Get all the latest and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter here. INRIX says: "One lane closed and slow traffic due to accident on M1 Northbound at J42 M62 J29 (Lofthouse). Lane one (of three) is closed." ASX needs to plug $1bn liquidity holeHelen Lofthouse will start the year with another apology for the embarrassing pre-Christmas outage As you wash the sticky summer sand from your feet or prepare to pull on the boots to enjoy the powder snow at a northern hemisphere ski resort chief executive of the equities market operator ASX She starts the year with another apology for the CHESS clearing and settlement system following an embarrassing and mysterious outage in December that raised doubts about the resilience of the near-30-year-old plumbing at the heart of equity capital markets Traders were left fuming on December 20 after the CHESS T+2 system which settles trades two days after stocks are bought and sold It’s difficult to discuss Nat Lofthouse without resorting to clichés like so many of the players he shared the pitch with seems so improbable when compared to modern stars – both in terms of achievements and circumstances – that it’s hard to separate the man from the legend many of the stereotypes we now associate with players from the sepia-tinged era of the 1950s have their roots in Lofthouse’s own story Lofthouse’s early life was typical of many of those who played in the final era before wages exploded when the sport was still very much a working man’s game He grew up without much in the way of material comforts; his first sight of Bolton Wanderers came after shinning up a drain pipe at the club’s Burnden Park home rather than paying the threepence for schoolboy admission it was clear that as long as he or one of the neighbouring children had something approximating a ball One false start for his school team aside – he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in goal and conceded seven – he began exhibiting a prodigious knack for goalscoring early on a position once occupied by Tommy Lawton – at that point an England star – young Nat firmly establishing himself as a school hero and earned a reputation among local scouts as the boy with such incredible heading ability that it was like he could “kick with his head” With the extensive scouting networks and multi-tiered academies of nowadays simply not existing in the 1930s Lofthouse was staring into the footballing abyss as he left school at 14 With no club having shown an interest and his days of regular organised football coming to an end it appeared that any chance he had of making it as a professional was over before one of his final days at school where he was to be commended at the annual prize-giving ceremony It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place Accepting his award from a local councilman he was unaware that the man in front of him sat on the board of Bolton Wanderers until he asked if Lofthouse would like to play for them Nat’s first day reporting to Burnden Park in 1939 was also Britain’s first full day at war with Germany His signing may well have been precipitated by Bolton’s stately long-time manager anticipating losing many of his players to the war effort Two goals in a win against Bury immediately had the few hardy souls willing to brave the football during the Blitz abuzz with excitement Read  |  Dixie Dean: football’s first great number nine Even after he was conscripted to work in the nightmarish Lancashire coal pits as part of the war effort (many miners volunteered for the Armed Forces in large part to escape the agonising he could still consistently put opposition defences to the sword with a combination of rugged superb aerial ability and a remarkable fearlessness Nat’s prolific strike rate in the war leagues left Wanderers in little doubt as to his abilities but the cessation of the conflict and resumption of the football league ushered in a tough period of acclimatisation for club and player Lofthouse found the step up in quality in First Division defences hard to cope with and he briefly considered leaving the game as well as entertaining an offer from Tottenham It was one of the first instances of a personal worrisome streak that was completely at odds with his public persona Bolton as a team were struggling to reassert themselves with their pre-war team dismantled and Foweraker retiring and that process was made considerably more difficult by the shadow – both psychological and financial – cast by the Burnden Disaster Lofthouse was consistently self-deprecating about his abilities – his favourite maxim borrowed from one of his coaches at Bolton and head” – but it slowly became apparent that by doing all three with a sort of relentless Bolton’s top-flight status stabilised as Lofthouse began to find his feet and in 1950/51 he enjoyed a true breakthrough season netting 17 times and being granted his first opportunity to prove his mettle on the international stage Two goals on his England debut against Yugoslavia wasn’t enough to convince the notoriously finicky and often mystifying FA selection committee he took an iron grip on England’s number 9 shirt one he wouldn’t fully relinquish for another five years The paradigm that would come to define a golden era in the history of one of England’s oldest clubs was now set in stone another star of the legendary 1950s edition of Bolton provided a succinct summation of Lofthouse’s influence on the team neither was the team.” Thankfully for Bolton the games in which Lofthouse wasn’t on song were becoming fewer and fewer His efforts did see him awarded the title of FWA Footballer of the Year an accolade that went nicely with the moniker Read  |  Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of England’s humble wizard The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. Any hopes of the Three Lions’ traditional end-of-season tour being a relatively sedate one had been dashed in their opening game, a frustrating 1-1 draw in Florence in which England’s Italian opponents had resorted to the dark arts on more than one occasion and one who had seriously threatened England’s precious unbeaten record at home to continental teams just one year before thousands of Tommies stationed in Vienna had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their heroes for months with many staking weeks of wages on the dim chance of an England win he was already well accustomed to the no-holds-barred criticism that came with being England’s centre forward Having failed to find the net in his past two internationals a run which had scuppered more than a few promising youngsters’ England careers Bolton’s star was aware of a concerted campaign in the press to have him replaced by Newcastle’s brilliant Jackie Milburn Lofthouse later remembered that he made it his sole purpose to make one particular writer “eat his words – even if he choked” and earned the title of ‘The Lion of Vienna’ in the process Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back leaving Lofthouse alone with a single marker on the halfway line Lofthouse’s long-time England cohort and close personal friend “I could hear the hounds setting off after me but I knew it was basically down to me and [Austrian goalkeeper Josef] Musil.” The sickening collision between striker and ‘keeper left Lofthouse knocked out cold groggy and with a good deal more pain than even he was used to he was informed that he had just scored one of the defining goals of his career Lofthouse set about exhausting the superlatives available with his goalscoring Billy Wright had defensive prowess; Tom Finney coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them he finished as the First Division’s top scorer with 33 goals scoring twice – including a controversial bundled second which sent the ball and goalkeeper Harry Gregg into the net – as Bolton overcame a Manchester United side ravaged by the Munich Air Disaster to win the FA Cup he kept scoring for his country as well as for his club finishing on an incredible 30 goals in 33 caps and taking the record as the national team’s all-time top goalscorer jointly with Finney What made Lofthouse’s feats all the more remarkable was the manner in which he shrugged them off beyond his fantastic abilities on the pitch he could still be found riding the bus from his nearby home to Burnden Park delighting in surprising fans who were discussing his performances on the pitch unbeknownst of his presence financial security for his family wasn’t secured beyond his playing days and he tried his hand at both working as a paint salesman and running a pub From the very height of his celebrity to the very end of his life almost everybody that Lofthouse – or ‘Lofty’ as he insisted on being called – met came away with memories of a genial Lofthouse’s story wasn’t as black and white as many modern accounts would have readers believe A one-club man with a passionate love for his hometown and his club his decision to remain at Burnden Park for his entire career was never truly in his hands with no freedom of contract meaning the club had absolute power over their player he did little to dissuade attention from Spurs early on in his career and readily admitted that had Fiorentina made good on their interest in the early 1950s the money they were offering would have been too good to turn down there’s little doubt that financial pragmatism aside his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers When remembering the menial jobs he was tasked with as youth team coach following his retirement he reflected that they “meant I could stay with Bolton Wanderers The words so often used to describe how he acted in public – fearless “lionheart” in the words of Stanley Matthews – reflected a reputation as a player of almost biblical determination but one who was privately beset by worry at various points throughout his career arguably his greatest contribution to the club came long after he’d retired and after his ill-fated spells as manager when his tireless fundraising helped rescue Bolton from financial oblivion Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man but to call him that is to do him a disservice For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him defining the team’s most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club By Matt Clough @MattJClough Lofthouse joined on loan from EFL League One side Barnsley in September until January 2024 The wing-back – who is also adept as a winger and in central midfield – joined Barnsley in the summer after spending three seasons with Woking The 23-year-old made over 100 appearances in all competitions for The Cardinals and has played three times for Barnsley following his move ahead of the 2023/24 season Lofthouse went on to make 17 appearances on Tyneside scoring one goal and recording seven assists while becoming a fan favourite before his re-call to Barnsley in January Site Designed by Team Valley Group Having been an investment professional for over 20 years alongside a fine wine investor and portfolio manager in the past too This article is going to begin to answer questions around how transparent the fine wine investment world really is for the average person in society Answering hard hitting questions from the outset and giving thoughts from key personnel within the industry What Is fine wine investing and who is the target audience I took to asking three of the largest fine wine orientated firms domiciled in the UK to give me their thoughts on fine wine investing and the typical end user Tom Gearing, chief executive and founder of Cult Wines with £275 million AUM across 83 countries says: “Fine wine investing is not for everyone and I’m not sure as an industry anyone can claim they have a product ideally set up for retail investors right now Building a fine wine portfolio is for those who are looking to diversify their wealth and starting at £25,000-£50,000.” He adds: “It is also the most accessible market for luxury goods items That’s not to say you can’t invest in fine wine at lower levels but if you are looking to have a sophisticated constructed portfolio for investments and to give you a risk adjusted return that does require a certain level of capital.’ Jamie Shakeshaft, sales director of Vin-X Fine Wine Investment admits “we have a slightly different answer to the question than most” He explains: “Our target audience is anybody that is looking to benefit from the best possible techniques to see a return on your savings It is a myth you have to have hundreds of pounds in the bank to invest into fine wine." Callum Woodcock, chief executive of WineFi that has developed a fintech wine app orientated approach to investing tends to be in the latter camp too: “We curate portfolios of fine wine that we arrange for our clients from source to sale from investors wanting to invest £50 to £100 to private wealth managers looking to invest £10 million’ isall three of these top firms underwrite all their experience in fine wine with wine knowledge (WineFi has two MWs on its investment committee) Gearing goes onto mention that Cult originated from them capitalising on “a real gap in the market where the average person who has some disposal income and is looking to diversify their portfolio and wants to look at fine wine as an asset class one of the great benefits for diversifying into fine wine has been that historically it has not been an asset that has been directly correlated to recessions or particular slumps in business cycles Therefore it has held its inherent value when other parts of your portfolio such as equities and property may fall Fine wine is a demand and supply orientated market The top vineyards in the world can only produce so much wine each year and by owning one of those bottles over time the view is that the value of that wine will go up as the amount of bottles diminishes from highly regarded wineries Is there enough transparency and regulation in fine wine A real potential barrier to entry for many in the past and one which has in years gone by been riddled by fraudulent claims of ill treatment and poor client handling from firms – transparency has been at the core of many unwilling to venture into the asset class Firms now though are conscious of their obligations to clients and place this at the forefront of their management of their business there has been a lack of managed service for clients Shakeshaft goes further: "Transparency should not be shied away from and it is a large reason why every client at Vin-X has a portfolio manager regardless of portfolio size Trust and transparency are key in our industry.” which has had a major impact on professionalising fine wine investment and making it more transparent Aiding - and arguably leading - that transparency is the establishment of Liv-ex (London International Vintners Exchange) created in 2000 by two stockbrokers- James Miles and Justin Gibbs - with the vision of making the fine wine world more transparent and Liv-ex has grown to over 620 wine businesses across 47 countries worldwide and claims to have “the most comprehensive database of real-time transaction prices and exclusive market data and insights” (Liv-ex.com 18/03/24) says: ‘Liv-ex is no different from any other exchange It provides an independent meeting place where its members – bound by a common profession – can come together to find out what is happening in their market and identify opportunities for profit.” transportation and bond certifications are all employed by fine wine investment houses to the highest degree to ensure the validity and ownership of the investment for the individual or corporate purchasing the asset Some of them even offer visits to the storage in bond sites, so that you can see and hold your investment should you wish, such as at Vin-X, where they regularly offer customers visits to their LCB storage facility. Gearing says what the fine wine investment sector needs to do more collectively is to attract wider institutional investment He claims: “Whereas we have gone from a hobbyist investment market place to a widely accepted asset class for private wealth it has been a blocker for more sophisticated institutional investment.” One other headwind to fine wine investing and indeed one of the reasons it is not incorporated in many financial advisor conversations with individuals is because fine wine is an unregulated market Shakeshaft and Gearing were all in agreement that regulation would be very difficult to accomplish especially given the Brexit outcome and then also factoring in where that regulation in the industry would sit Would that be standardised of regulation at a service provider level which brings up the complications whereby these are facilitators of storing insuring and holding their clients wines but the end client owns the wine ultimately Is it to standardise terms for insurance and storage Would there be different regulation for clients buying for consumption or part consumption versus holding to invest Which jurisdiction does it come under if an investor is based in a different country or region in the world A market with a large amount of optionality rolled into it would be ultimately very difficult to regulate What are the biggest pitfalls and misconceptions of the industry One of the biggest misconceptions I have found with fine wine investing is that investors see this as a win-win scenario If the price or value in the fine wine invested in goes up then it is a great investment but alternatively it is great to drink if it goes down This is not an investment profile that you would use for other asset classes Separate your drinking wine and enjoyment and your fine wine investing wine Vin-X Fine Wine Invesment's James Shakeshaft says more "guidance" is needed in the fine wine market Shakeshaft puts it best when he says that “short term holds and lack of appropriate guidance” are key pitfalls within the fine wine industry hold the biggest names in the fine wine market and hold these wines for an appropriate amount of time (three to five years as an absolute minimum) you’re far more likely to have success when investing.” Fine wine is ultimately a demand and supply based business There is only so much wine that can be produced by the lead fine wine producers across the globe and over time the number of bottles diminishes potentially offering more value to those that remain in circulation and transported It is also a medium to long term investment profile Fine wine is not a stock market that will rally or fall severely over a short space of time but is seen by many as almost a second pension profile with some potential capital gains tax exemptions in the UK too depending on individual investor circumstances Where is the growth and opportunities in fine wine investment The Liv-ex Top 100 index has become an invaluable tool for fine wine merchants and investments to see how individual wines and producers are doing The Liv-Ex Fine Wine 1000 is the broadest measure of the fine wine market representing the price movement of 1,000 global fine wines traded on the Liv-ex marketplace Year-on-year the index was down -13.6% (Jan 15 2024 Liv-ex.com) a big fall for the asset class Many that are already invested or interested in the market have suggested that fine wine may have had itsboom years all three pointed out this is a business cycle and we are referencing a luxury asset that has increasing global interest demand and focus over a medium term outlook but is suffering from wider factors Gearing adds: “At Cult we have done some analysis on downturns within the fine wine market typically the downturns last between six to 18 months and we are currently in month nine of this current downturn but seeing the result of a macro economic environment with higher interest rates.’ Shakeshaft adds: “The recently released 2024 Knight Frank Wealth Report continues to paint fine wine as an important asset class for those looking at investing in luxury assets Fine wine has exhibited remarkable performance compared to other asset classes over the last decade showcasing its resilience and potential as a stable investment despite the odd period of ‘correction’ as we are currently seeing with large gains followed by significant losses.’ In terms of growth sectors they all have positive mentalities from Italy where the Italian market appears to be seeing good growth and Champagne as an opportunistic entry point given the weakness over the last 12 months to the Indian investor market which is a larger macro story of wealth development Conclusion – tears or bubbles for the future What has definitely transpired from this is that if you are an investor who is looking at diversifying your portfolio in an alternative asset It might not be the right entry point for new money just yet as the downward cycle is expected to continue for the next few months but with global interest rates most likely at their peak and only likely to fall in the coming months fine wine could well be that medium term asset of choice for many as they look to maximise their possible returns * Andrew Lofthouse also runs his own wine blog and consultancy service www.TheNorthernWineGuy.co.uk The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars. 9News Queensland has today announced the retirement of esteemed presenter and journalist Andrew ‘Lofty’ Lofthouse 16 of those spent beside his on air partner He first joined 9News Queensland as a weekend presenter before seamlessly transitioning to the weekday spotlight a year later where he has been a daily constant in the lives of viewers His long standing on air partnership with Downes has delivered Queenslanders some of the State’s biggest stories including the devastating floods of 2011 and 2022 when he and Downes anchored live coverage from the banks of the Brisbane River He broadcast live from the Cyclone Yasi impact zone Christchurch after the earthquake and in Paris just last year 9News Queensland News Director Brendan Hockings said: “Lofty is a rare gem and an exceptional talent He is the journo who offers to carry the tripod The news anchor who doesn’t see himself as any more than part of the team The example he has set as a newsman is the gold standard he is loved and he is forever Nine Queensland We wish him our love and support as he navigates this next period.” Andrew Lofthouse said: “I’ve been in the business a long time It’s been an amazing privilege and a wonderful experience with the best in the business our incredible viewers who make it all worthwhile I’m currently dealing with a bit of a health issue so now is a good time for me to pull back and slow down a little after a dream career 9News Presenter Melissa Downes said: “Andrew Lofthouse is one of the true gentlemen of the TV News business He is incredibly passionate about quality journalism taking an interest in every story in our bulletin Lofty is so much more than just a colleague he’s one of my closest friends and I’m so incredibly grateful for the 16 years we shared on the 9News desk.” Melissa Downes will continue to present 9News Queensland until a co-presenter is appointed.  Lofthouse’s career at Nine will be recognised at the end of tonight’s 6pm bulletin.  For further information, please contact:Terry StuartSenior Communications Managertstuart@nine.com.au