Winchester News Online
Stephens sees red as Saints suffer drubbing defeat to Blues
Southampton captain Jack Stephens received his second red card of the season after pulling Marc Cucerella’s hair, leaving his side to be battered by the in-form Chelsea side.
The Saints had shown signs of improvement after the international break, putting in a valiant performance against the league leaders Liverpool and being held at Brighton after a controversial VAR decision.
It was an end-to-end start of the game, but Chelsea would draw first blood, as Enzo Fernández’s corner met the towering header from Axel Disasi to open the scoring for the Blues.
The lead wouldn’t last long, as four minutes later, Kyle Walker-Peters danced his way past Malo Gusto, and drove in a cross for Joe Aribo, who coolly slotted it in to draw the Saints level.
But Southampton would once again be the authors of their own downfall, as a slack pass out from goalkeeper Joe Lumley gifted Nkunku the easiest goal he will ever score – Southampton’s ninth error leading to a goal already this season.
Maresca’s side would see a flurry of chances in the following 15 minutes, but Noni Madueke was the only man able to slot his curling effort into the far post.
Things went from bad to worse for the Saints, as a moment of madness from captain Jack Stephens saw him pull the hair of Marc Cucerella when lining up for a corner.
After referee Micheal Oliver checked the VAR screen, he gave the Saints skipper a straight red for his acts, and received resounding boos throughout St Mary’s.
Ten-man Saints were left defending for their lives throughout the rest of the match in order to limit the damage they had already suffered.
However, their defensive efforts could not stop Cole Palmer grabbing his eight goal of the season, and Jadon Sancho securing his first goal for the Blues since arriving in the summer.
Southampton’s style benefits opposition yet again
The second goal Southampton conceded came from an all too well-known error at the back, as Joe Lumley gave the ball directly to Christoher Nkunku, who tucked it away with little pressure.
This was the ninth time this season that a Saints error had led to a goal, four more than any other team has conceded.
A lot of questions arose before the season as to whether Russell Martin would stick to his signature style of play or adapt it to ensure survival.
But Martin has stayed dedicated to his playstyle, and while he has received plaudits from Pep Guardiola, it has also made the Saints the victims of their own demise, as they’ve struggled to translate their convincing performances from the Championship into the Premier League against tougher opposition.
Blues extend their purple patch
Chelsea have continued their unbeaten run throughout November into the new month, as this victory extends their streak to seven games.
The win also carries the Blues into second in the table, as they jump above Arsenal on goal difference.
With just two losses all season, Maresca’s side seem to have planted themselves well within the title race, but the Argentine manager claims that despite their high position and strong performances, they should not be considered title contenders.
News
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2025 launches in Winchester
“Wearing a poppy during Remembrance shows that you care,” says the Royal British Legion, as this year’s Poppy Appeal is launched in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.

The annual fundraising campaign by the Royal British Legion supports members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, personnel and their families.
Chris Hayward is managing the Poppy Appeal in North Hampshire & Winchester and said: “It’s a national symbol, and it shows the armed forces community that you appreciate everything that they do.”
She added: “For those who want to get involved, you can wear your poppy, donate to the Royal British Legion, Poppy Appeal, and also participate in the collections and volunteer as a collector.”
The Poppy Appeal remains the Legion’s biggest annual fundraiser.
Last year, more than 32 million poppies were distributed across the UK, and about £51.4 million was raised in donations.
Winchester will be recognising remembrance itself, with a service at the Cathedral on Sunday, 9th November, in addition to a service at Winchester Guildhall at 11 am on Armistice Day.
The service will begin at 9:20 am and will include a procession from The Broadway to Winchester Cathedral, as well as wreath laying too.
Donations from the campaign go towards services including mental health support, housing assistance and employment advice for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
For more information on how to donate, volunteer or order poppies online, visit: britishlegion.org.uk/poppyappeal.
Winchester News Online
How the NHS can recommend gardening to improve metal health

A panel of gardening experts answered the burning questions of Winchester gardeners at a Question Time style Q&A held at St Swithun’s School.
Questions ranged from what soil to use this time of year to why some types of plants aren’t flourishing in Winchester but, as the gardening event fell on World Mental Health Day, this posed another question: whether the two are connected?
Gardening is an example of a “nature-related activity”, which can be recommended by the NHS to improve mental wellbeing under a term called social prescribing.
The panel’s Charles Carr, head of Wholesale Nurseries at Hilliers, shared how he thinks gardening is beneficial to your mental health.
Charles described it as “relaxation” and “contacting with nature”.
He believes it is a very good way of “de-stressing and putting yourself into the moment”.
Attendees of the event also shared why they enjoy their hobby.
Neil Budd, a parent from the school and regular BBC Gardener’s Question Time listener, got into gardening as a young boy but now enjoys the “peace and quiet” that it provides from his children.
He wasn’t surprised to learn that nature-related activities like gardening can be recommended by the NHS, as he says it helps you relax as well as being a break away from work.
Former social worker, Roberta Brockman is an ex St Swithuns pupil who returned to the school for the Gardeners Q&A.
She emphasised how the hobby encourages people to join gardening clubs and enter shows, which can create new friendships for people later in life.
According to NHS England, more than 8,500 people were referred to a green social prescribing activity between April 2021 and March 2023 and findings showed improvements in mental health.
Winchester News Online
Turning the page: Can young people fall Back in love with reading?
When is the last time you picked up a book for the sake of your own enjoyment?
Once a beloved childhood pastime, reading books is now becoming more rare among young people.
An annual report by the National Literacy Trust found that reading rates among younger generations are plummeting every year.
The study found that the amount of young people aged eight to 18 who read for their own enjoyment has dropped to just 1 in 3.
This has resulted in a 36% decrease from when the study began taking place 20 years ago.
Professionals are growing concerned about young peoples comprehension skills, empathy levels, and their creativity, all attributes which are strongly connected to reading.
In an age of scrolling, streaming, and gaming, the appeal of a paperback no longer seems to compete with screens.
But in Winchester, community efforts are helping to spark that interest again.
Local children’s bookseller Jo works with schools to run author events and workshops to get stories back into young hands.
“Authors go in to schools and talk to the kids directly about their books and get them really engaged and I see that have such a great effect.”
As reading habits evolve, experts advise the goal isn’t to fight technology, it’s to find new ways to make stories matter again.
For reading to thrive like before, families, schools, and publishers will need to work together to make stories feel relevant and remind young people that reading is educational in more ways than one.
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