Chelsea F.C. Shaken by Concerns, Complaints and a Suicide

LONDON — Month after stressful month, the problems mounted inside Chelsea F.C.

Almost a dozen employees of the club’s marketing department said they had come to expect being berated by their boss in front of colleagues. Others said they had faced his wrath in more humiliating ways, ordered to stand up and leave staff meetings on a single man’s word.

The pressure took its toll. By last year, multiple Chelsea employees had vanished for weeks, or sometimes months, of medical leave. At least 10 staff members — from a department that employs about 50 people — had left the club altogether, one employee said. Then, in early January, a well-liked former staff member killed himself.

While it is unknown whether workplace pressure was to blame, his death stunned the Chelsea employees who had come to consider him a friend and sounding board. During conversations at a memorial service for him earlier this year, their sense of shock and sadness gave way to anger.

“It should never have happened,” one employee said.

Amid growing internal pressure to address the problems, Chelsea this spring hired a consultancy to conduct what was described as a “cultural review” of the marketing department. But few staff members had confidence in the process: The review of their workplace, they were told, would be overseen by the executive who they felt was to blame for the worst of its problems.

It is hard to think of a professional sports team whose employees have had to endure the kind of uncertainty that the staff at Chelsea has faced this year.

The club’s world was turned upside down in March, when the team’s longtime owner, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned by the British government just as he announced plans to sell the Premier League club. Until that process was complete, those working for Chelsea — from players and coaches to executives and lower-level staff members — were left to worry about how to do their work; whether they would still be paid for it; and if their jobs would still exist once a new owner was found.

Some of that uncertainty disappeared in May, when a group led by the Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly paid a record price to acquire Chelsea and the most onerous restrictions placed on the team’s business were lifted. But as all that was playing out in the headlines, a more troubling situation was festering behind the scenes.

The New York Times interviewed almost a dozen current and former Chelsea employees in reporting this article. Speaking independently, all painted a picture of a dysfunctional workplace environment at Chelsea marked by unhappiness, intimidation and fear. But it was the death by suicide in January of Richard Bignell, the former head of Chelsea TV, that brought to light longstanding concerns about the environment inside the team’s marketing department — a group comprising roughly 50 employees — and the behavior of its leader, Gary Twelvetree.

In a statement on Wednesday, two days after The Times contacted the club about the employees’ accusations, Chelsea said its new board had appointed “an external review team to investigate the allegations that have been made under previous ownership.”

“The club’s new board believes strongly in a workplace environment and corporate culture that empowers its employees and ensures they feel safe, included, valued and trusted,” the statement said.

While the club said “initial steps have been taken by the new owners to instill an environment consistent with our values,” it is unclear if any action has been taken by the new board in response to staff members’ allegations against Twelvetree. The club said he was unavailable for comment.

While Bignell’s family chose not to speak with The Times when contacted, almost a dozen current and former Chelsea employees spoke of a toxic workplace culture under Twelvetree that they said left many staff members feeling belittled, bullied and sometimes even fearful of merely attending meetings.

The employees spoke on condition of anonymity because some still work at Chelsea, or in soccer, and feared retaliation or damage to their professional reputations by detailing their experiences publicly. But a coroner’s report compiled after Bignell died in January and reviewed by The Times linked his suicide to “despair following the loss of his job.”

By March, under pressure after Bignell’s death and amid growing frustration among the colleagues and friends he had left behind, Chelsea hired an outside firm to look into the culture inside the department as well as the accusations of bullying made by several employees against Twelvetree. But to the frustration of some employees, the club made no acknowledgment that the review was related to his death or any specific complaint.

One staff member who left the Chelsea marketing department said the experience of working for Twelvetree simply became too much to take; fearing for their mental health, the employee quit the club despite not having lined up other employment. The experience had been so distressing, though, that the former employee detailed it in writing to Chelsea’s chairman, Bruce Buck. Others said they expressed similar concerns in communications with other top executives or in exit interviews with the club’s human resources staff. But little seemed to change beyond a churn of employees that had become so common that it was an open secret among recruiters who sometimes directed candidates toward open positions at Chelsea.

Few employees had confidence in the review of the department once they heard it was to be jointly overseen by Twelvetree, the department head, and the outside consultants Chelsea hired.

“It was not going to address the concerns, was it?” said a person asked to participate in the review. “How could it be if he is reviewing his own culture?”

Staff members said that they have yet to receive any conclusions from the now-completed review, and that there have been no changes to work practices.

“I consider myself to be quite a strong person and previously to working with Chelsea I never felt like I had concerns over my mental health,” said one former member of the marketing department. “But quite quickly after joining, I was not sleeping properly and it got worse and worse.”

That anxiety became visible in Bignell, according to several of his former colleagues. Bignell had been a popular member of the club, heading its television operation, Chelsea TV. The channel had initially been run by the club’s communications department before moving into marketing as part of a new digital strategy implemented by the club’s hierarchy.

The switch meant profound changes for Bignell, who had spent a decade running a television channel and was now required to switch his focus to producing digital content for social media, accounts that were under the direction of the team’s marketing staff. Bignell’s relationship with Twelvetree, staff members recalled, was a fraught one; Bignell, like others, struggled to deal with the marketing head’s management style, which could include biting, shouted critiques of their work that, some employees said, sometimes left colleagues in tears.

A married father of two young daughters, Bignell largely hid the torment he was feeling from his co-workers, employees said. They described him as having a sunny, positive disposition, a colleague always ready to share a joke or lend an ear. But gradually, according to people who knew him, his physical condition had noticeably deteriorated.

“Last time I saw him he was walking around Stamford Bridge and he was a mess,” said a colleague who encountered Bignell in the summer of 2021, around the time he left on medical leave. “He looked ill. He had lost so much weight.”

Bignell returned to Chelsea in September and was abruptly fired the next day. In early January, he took his life. The team, in announcing his death on its website, said the “much-loved” Bignell was “a very popular and hugely respected member of the wider football and sports broadcasting family.” The coroner’s report, meanwhile, later linked his state of mind at the time of his death to his firing by Chelsea. “Richard was deeply troubled by anxiety, depression and despair following the loss of his job,” the report said.

Even after Bignell’s death, and after the club’s cultural review, the Chelsea marketing staff has continued to lose employees.

Those who have departed say they have now become used to providing emotional support for the colleagues who have stayed on. After attending one recent party marking the departure of multiple employees, for example, a former Chelsea staff member said she had spoken with so many individuals struggling with life at work that she had felt the event had doubled as a therapy session.

Chelsea’s new ownership group, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it has reached out to Bignell’s relatives through the family’s lawyer. “Our heart goes out to Richard’s entire family,” the team’s statement said. “His passing has been deeply felt by his colleagues at the club and across the football community.”

Senior Chelsea officials already had been speaking with the family, which had raised concerns about the circumstances of his death, and staff members said that they have continued to press internally for changes. But the sale of the club in May has only brought fresh uncertainty.

As the new owners take control of the team, the most powerful leaders from Chelsea’s old regime are being replaced. The chief executive Guy Laurence, who runs the club’s day-to-day operations, and Buck, the outgoing chairman, were the most senior leaders whom staff members contacted with their concerns about working conditions.

Now both are among those who will leave.


If you are having thoughts of suicide, the following organizations can help.

In Britain, call Papyrus at +44 800 068 4141 (9 a.m. to midnight), or message Young Minds: text YM to 85258. You can also find a list of additional resources on Mind.org.uk.

In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.

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West Ham and Newcastle set to fight it out for forward ‘one step away’ from Premier League move

Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld


West Ham and Newcastle are set to go head-to-head for Villareal forward Arnaut Danjuma this summer, with a transfer for the Dutchman now a matter of days away, according to reports in Spain.

The Dutchman is a versatile forward, able to play on either flank or through the middle, and enjoyed a strong season under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, netting 10 and grabbing 3 assists in 23 La Liga appearances last campaign.

And, he is thought to have a release clause in his current contract in Spain, which could see him depart for around £40m this summer, with Danjuma having previously spoken of having ‘unfinished business’ in England.

West Ham lead Newcastle

It seems as though the Hammers have stolen a march on Newcastle at present, though that could all change now that the Magpies have finalised a deal for compatriot Sven Botman.

They too need cover in the wide areas, having been scared off by the price placed upon the head of French talent Moussa Diaby this summer and keen to add quality in the final third.

While a fee with West Ham is close to being agreed, personal terms are yet to be discussed, leaving plenty of time for Eddie Howe and co, or even other clubs, to swoop in and take him away from David Moyes’s side if they wished to.


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Premier League table

# Team MP D P
1 Leeds United 0 0 0
2 Manchester City 0 0 0
3 Manchester United 0 0 0
4 West Ham United 0 0 0
5 Everton FC 0 0 0
6 Southampton FC 0 0 0
7 Chelsea FC 0 0 0
8 Arsenal FC 0 0 0
9 Newcastle United 0 0 0
10 Leicester City 0 0 0
11 Liverpool FC 0 0 0
12 Aston Villa 0 0 0
13 Tottenham Hotspur 0 0 0
14 Fulham FC 0 0 0
15 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 0 0
16 Crystal Palace 0 0 0
17 Nottingham Forest 0 0 0
18 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 0 0
19 AFC Bournemouth 0 0 0
20 Brentford FC 0 0 0
Player Team Goals
Salah, Mohamed Liverpool FC 23
Son, Heung Min Tottenham Hotspur 23
Ronaldo, Cristiano Manchester United 18
Kane, Harry Tottenham Hotspur 17
Mane, Sadio Liverpool FC 16
De Bruyne, Kevin Manchester City 15
Jota, Diogo Liverpool FC 15
Vardy, Jamie Leicester City 15
Zaha, Wilfried Crystal Palace 14
Sterling, Raheem Manchester City 13
Bowen, Jarrod West Ham United 12
Maddison, James Leicester City 12
Toney, Ivan Brentford FC 12
Mount, Mason Chelsea FC 11
Saka, Bukayo Arsenal FC 11
Mahrez, Riyad Manchester City 11
Richarlison Everton FC 11
Pukki, Teemu Norwich City 11
Raphinha Leeds United 11
Watkins, Ollie Aston Villa 11



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Semiconductor Exports to Russia Said to Have Plunged by 90 Percent After Curbs Following Ukraine Invasion

Global exports of semiconductors to Russia have plummeted by 90 percent since the United States and allies slapped export controls on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday.

Raimondo, speaking at an annual Commerce Department conference, also said that controls placed on Russia’s aerospace sector were hammering its ability to generate revenue and support military aviation.

“Russia may be forced to ground between half and two-thirds of its commercial aircraft in the next four years in order to cannibalize them for spare parts,” she added.

The remarks came a day after US President Joe Biden’s administration added five companies in China to a trade blacklist on Tuesday for allegedly supporting Russia’s military and defense industrial base, flexing its muscle to enforce sanctions against Moscow.

The United States has worked with allies to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion, which Moscow calls a “special operation”, by sanctioning a raft of Russian companies and oligarchs and adding others to a trade blacklist.

While US officials had previously said that China was generally complying with the restrictions, Washington has vowed to closely monitor compliance and rigorously enforce the regulations.

On Wednesday, Raimondo also doubled down on threats to “shut down” China’s top chipmaker SMIC if it is found to be supplying chips to Russia.

“What if SMIC or other Chinese-based semiconductor companies are found supplying chips to Russia?” she said. “We will shut them down and we can, because almost every chip in the world and in China is made using US equipment and software and I intend to make good on that commitment if it’s necessary.”

© Thomson Reuters 2022

 


 

 

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REPORT: Hawks and Spurs Agree to Trade Built Around Dejounte Murray

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs and Hawks have agreed to a trade built around 2022 All-Star Dejounte Murray.

The Hawks agreed to send Danilo Gallinari and draft capital to the Spurs for Murray. Atlanta is sending a 2023 first-round pick they got from Charlotte, and their 2025 and 2027 first-round picks to the Spurs. San Antonio will also receive a pick swap in 2026.

Murray will be expected to come in and provide a good deal of two-way support to backcourt mate Trae Young. The trade fulfills reports from last week that the Hawks actively sought to acquire Murray. The former Washington Husky averaged 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent shooting from deep.



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Kate Winslet Returning to TV, But Not for More Mare of Easttown

“I honestly don’t have a clear answer,” Winslet told E! News in September after winning an Emmy for Mare’s first season. “I mean, there have been conversations about it, of course, because the success of the show really did surprise us all. And then somehow it became this cultural moment, this zeitgeist moment that captured people’s attention in a really remarkable way.”

We’re still not over the death of Detective Zabel (Evan Peters) in season one, so maybe a little bit more of a wait isn’t the worst thing.

Winslet insisted matching the strength of Mare‘s first season would be difficult and everybody involved would want to “at least provide something that is as captivating and entertaining.” 

“So, honestly we’ll see,” she concluded. “I truly don’t know what’s going to happen.”

We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

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7 Minecraft Treehouse Ideas for Your Next Build

Treehouses in Minecraft provide a wonderful way of incorporating unique and cool designs into your home. Whether you’re just starting out and want some more niche house ideas to work from, or you’re a pro in Minecraft but want to think outside the box, we’ve got ideas and tips for you.

Minecraft Treehouses

There are two things to consider as you scroll through our favorite treehouse build concepts:

  • In order to dictate the size of your treehouse, it will depend if you’re working on your main hub or an addition to an existing build.
  • Furthermore, the biome you choose to build in will control the extent to which you can use naturally generated trees versus trees that you artificially create yourself.

That said, we’ve rounded up some of the best treehouse build ideas for Minecraft, from simple, starter tree houses to next-level designs and challenging builds, and everything in between.

1. Simple Treehouse

If you’re struggling with how to build a treehouse in Minecraft, just go basic to begin with. Find a tree that has a decent height (a nice clear view is a bonus), and attach a small four-walled house to it. Whether it’s actually in the air hanging from the tree or just on the ground adjacent, it doesn’t really matter!

Simple Treehouse in Minecraft

You can expand up and out, even artificially increasing the height of the tree as you progress in the game. If you’re new to Minecraft or building this type of house, definitely start here.

2. Jungle Treehouse

In the biome that has the tallest trees, it only makes sense to use the real estate and build a shack high in the sky. The abundance of tightly-packed tall trees and hanging vines allow an easy method of interconnecting various small structures.

How to Easily Build a Jungle Tree House via Mr Mirror:

Video via: Mr Mirror

Not only do the vines that adorn a number of the trees in Jungle biomes act as a natural ladder, but you can also place them on the leaves all the way around the tree you’ve built upon to create some natural cover/camouflage.

Jungle Treehouse in Minecraft

If you’re in a multiplayer world with friends, this can be a particularly enjoyable, and accomplishable project, with individual houses creating a lovely Ewok-style village as the end result!

3. Leaf House

Can’t quite get your house to look right, clinging to the side of a tree? Think outside of the box and instead have your home base within the leaves of a tree. Using Shears to gather leaves from surrounding trees, you can create a bubble of leaves on top of those that are naturally generated on the trees.

Inside of a Leaf House in Minecraft

Though this may limit your range of decoration and scope, this can prove to be the best way for your house to blend in with the surroundings.

Outside of a Leaf House in Minecraft

As a tip: turn your graphic settings from Fancy to Fast and the leaves will no longer be translucent, meaning any build beneath the leaves will be completely invisible.

4. A Literal Tree House

Literal Tree House in Minecraft

If you want to take things to the next level of weird and unique, drop the chore of looking for the perfect tree to call home and instead make your own. Whilst somewhat inefficient in terms of resource usage, it can be a fun build to try and structure your house so it replicates the shape and looks of a tree, albeit slightly wider and larger than its brethren.

5. Nether Tree House

With the Nether gaining forest biomes as of late, you can take advantage of the new leafy real estate to build a home up high in the deep down below. Using blocks exclusive to the Nether, like Crimson Blocks and Netherrack can help your build feel more at home amongst its surroundings, but also means you might lose it as it blends in more and more.

Nether Tree House in Minecraft

There are threats abound in the Nether, so if you have access to a surplus of Obsidian, it might be worth building your house (or the outer shell at the very least) with it. That way, any Ghast fireballs that stray near your build, the damage will be drastically reduced.

6. Tree Root House

Want to get a little unconventional? Head underground with some Stripped Logs, and build out some tree roots. Using the roots, you can hang a house from the ceiling of a cavern.

Tree Root House in Minecraft

Incorporate some Pointed Dripstone, Spore Blossom and Glow Lichen to give it a natural, overgrown look and your humble underground abode will be complete.

7. Bonus: Make a Tree House for Every Tree Type

If you’re up for it, you can also challenge yourself to make a tree house for every Minecraft tree type in the game. We’re talking all of them; Oak, Spruce, Birch, Dark Oak and Jungle!

Video via TheMythicalSausage

What are some of your favorite tree house builds in Minecraft? Let us know in the comments.

MORE EVEN MORE MINECRAFT:

Samuel Heaney is a freelance writer with expertise in gaming guides and all things Minecraft. You can follow him on Twitter.



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Dearica Hamby Locked in With Aces After Signing Multi-Year Extension

Less than 24 hours after earning her second All-Star bid, Dearica Hamby is the subject of more good news after signing a multi-year extension to stay with the Las Vegas Aces.

The eight-year vet was named to her second-straight All-Star game after posting 12.8 points, a career-high 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 53.5 percent shooting from the field.

“We are very happy to re-sign two-time Sixth Player of the Year and two-time All-Star Dearica Hamby to a multi-year contract extension,” said Williams. “She has been a key piece of our core group for several years now, and her energy and hustle will be invaluable to our future success.”

“I’m blessed,” allowed Hamby. “What we’ve been building in Las Vegas is incredibly special, and I’m excited to continue to be a part of it.”

Hamby is a back-to-back Sixth Player of the Year winner, taking the awards home in 2019 and 2020.

The Aces (14-4) have the best record in the W and will play a back-to-back set against the Storm and Lynx before the All-Star break starts.



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God of War: Ragnarok Info Will be Shared ‘at the Earliest Possible Moment,” Cory Barlog Says

One of the biggest rumors heading into the week was potential information surrounding God of War: Ragnarok, possibly even a release date. But with June almost over and no mention of the next God of War game, Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog is asking fans to keep the faith.

“If it were up to me I would share all the information hen I know about it. But it is not up to me,” Barlog tweeted. “So please, be patient.”

Barlog also added that information “will be shared at the earliest possible moment they can be,” meaning any information, or lack of is for a reason.

For the past week, there have been rumors that there will be some kind of announcement for God of War Ragnarok on June 30 after reports from Bloomberg suggested Ragnarok is slated for a November 2022 launch.

But without any announcement, it looks like God of War Ragnarok could skip June altogether, though there are rumblings that any news could be surprise dropped tomorrow.

The Best PS5 Games

In other God of War news, Sony is reportedly developing a God of War series for Amazon, to go along with its other series productions like the Horizon series on Netflix and The Last of Us for HBO.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.



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God of War Director Urges Patience as Fans Wait for Ragnarok News [Update]

Update: Cory Barlog has followed up his earlier post and made clear to a fan that God of War: Ragnarok has not been delayed out of 2022.

After a fan asked Barlog to “just go on and tell us that ragnarok is delayed”, the Sony Santa Monica creative director replied, “because its not [sp].”

Ragnarok was given a 2022 release window in June last year, but we’ve yet to hear about a specific release date. Barlog’s comments suggest that we’ll still be seeing the game this year.

One of the biggest rumors heading into the week was potential information surrounding God of War: Ragnarok, possibly even a release date. But with June almost over and no mention of the next God of War game, Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog is asking fans to keep the faith.

“If it were up to me I would share all the information when I know about it. But it is not up to me,” Barlog tweeted. “So please, be patient.”

Barlog also added that new details “will be shared at the earliest possible moment they can be,” meaning any information, or lack of is for a reason.

For the past week, there have been rumors that there will be some kind of announcement for God of War Ragnarok on June 30 after reports from Bloomberg suggested Ragnarok is slated for a November 2022 launch.

But without any announcement, it looks like God of War Ragnarok could skip June altogether, though there are rumblings that any news could be surprise dropped tomorrow.

The Best PS5 Games

In other God of War news, Sony is reportedly developing a God of War series for Amazon, to go along with its other series productions like the Horizon series on Netflix and The Last of Us for HBO.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.



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Bradley Beal Set to Hit Free Agent Market After Declining Player Option

Bradley Beal is set to hit the free-agent market for the first time in his career after declining his player option for next season, per his agent.

Beal averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a career-high 6.6 assists per game last season before undergoing season-ending wrist surgery in February. Beal is eligible to sign a five-year max if he decides to return to Washington. The three-time All-Star can sign to another team on a four-year deal otherwise.

Beal has said in the past that his free-agent plans will depend on whether he thinks the Wizards can be a winner while he’s there. He recently refuted reports that he planned on leaving.

However, During the regular-season, Beal embraced “holding the cards” and being able to dictate the tone of how his extension talks were going. He has historically remained mum on his decision and, as recently as two weeks ago, said he knew what he wanted to do while making an appearance at a court refurbishment in D.C. he helped fund.



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