BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Sunderland | Sunderland report loss of £8.8m

Sunderland have blamed their efforts to get into the Premiership and attempt to stay in the top-flight as the main reason behind a loss of £8.8m.

The figures for the year ended 31 July show a pre-tax loss which has increased by £7.6m from the previous period.

Chairman Bob Murray said: "Since promotion, all available resources have been directed to team strengthening.

"Additional funds have been made available by lengthening the repayment periods for our two bank loans."

The club still has net debts of £40m and Murray added: "We have looked to maximise our available resources by the use of the loan system and the acquisition of free agents.

"Transfer activity can no longer be measured by transfer fee expenditure alone, but the investment in wages for all players, including free agents and loan players, as well as loan fees and agency fees."

Turnover fell 11% to £25.5m, although the club's net assets stand at £51.6m after the Stadium of Light and its surroundings were revalued at £85m.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Southampton | Oakley set for Southampton exit

Matthew Oakley is set to leave Southampton after the free agent rejected a new contract offer.

The midfielder, 28, failed to return to pre-season training on Tuesday and wanted a longer deal than the one-year contract offered by Saints.

Boss George Burley told the club website: "Matt is moving on. He called me Wednesday morning and said he has decided not to sign.

"Under the Bosman freedom of contract we have to respect that decision."

Burley added: "He wanted a longer contract for himself and his family and I wish him all the best."

The 28-year-old is the club's longest-serving player, having come through the ranks at the club.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Tottenham Hotspur | Rebrov handed free transfer

Tottenham have made striker Sergei Rebrov available on a free transfer – allowing him to move to West Ham.

The 30-year-old cost Spurs £11m when he signed from Dynamo Kiev four years ago but fell from favour and spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce.

He returned to England this summer with one year left on his White Hart Lane contract but was allowed to train with the Hammers.

"We can confirm he is a free agent," said a Spurs statement.

If West Ham are interested in signing Rebrov they would still need to agree personal terms and arrange a work permit and international clearance.

Hammers boss Alan Pardew warned: "It is early days yet. Sergei and I had a look at each other for the first time on the training pitch just the other day.

"He's obviously a quality player but there are hurdles like contracts and work permits to overcome."

Rebrov is ineligible to play in West Ham's pre-season friendly at Peterborough United on Saturday, where former Rebrov's former team-mate Teddy Sheringham is due to make his debut.

Sheringham, 38, signed a one-year deal at Upton Park earlier this week, having spent last season with Portsmouth.

And Sheringham has urged West Ham to take a chance with Ukraine international Rebrov, who has more than 50 caps for his country.

He said: "He can score goals and make goals and I enjoyed playing alongside him at Tottenham."

How free samples can win trade

Starting a new business in the food sector could give even the best entrepreneur indigestion.

Such is the level of competition, it is very difficult to make a success of things.

Here George Derbyshire, chief executive of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, explains why giving away free samples might be the best way for a new food firm to build up customers.

QUESTION
Tom Lewis, London
George, I sell a healthy breakfast to commuters at train stations in central London.

The product is great, almost all our sales are repeat custom, and I am fairly sure the price is right.

But I am having difficulty persuading people to change their habits and buy from me. Any suggestions?

ANSWER
George Derbyshire, chief executive of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies
Good for you: you can't beat a good breakfast!

Although we are generally quite adventurous when it comes to trying new food experiences, I suspect people are more conservative when it comes to breakfast, be it a full English or a quick cup of black coffee.

Ask George Derbyshire a question

So you've got to get people to try your product. Have you tried offering free samples?

It will get people to try your product and also create a bit of a buzz around your stall, which is always good for business.

If you couple this with money off vouchers, you can track directly the success of this promotion.

And maybe think whether you are at the right stations. Are they the ones which your target customer is likely to use?

To ask George Derbyshire a question about how best to market your small business use the email form below.

Alternatively you can email another member of our small business and entrepreneurship panel of experts by clicking on one of the links on the right.

Name
Your E-mail address
Country
Comments

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Terms & Conditions

Return to top

Main points: Darling statement

The main points from Chancellor Alistair Darling's pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review statement:

TAXES

• The inheritance tax threshold for married couples and those in civil partnerships will rise to £600,000 from today and £700,000 by 2010.
• The main rate of corporation tax will be cut by 2p in the pound to 28% by next year.

• Mr Darling promised to reform the capital gains tax system, ensuring those working in private equity pay a "fairer share". There will be a single rate of 18%.
• A number of "loopholes" for non-domiciled tax payers will be examined, Mr Darling said. Tory plans to charge a flat rate of £25,000 to such people would mean only 15,000 paying, he added. This would mean revenue of £650m a year, rather than £3.5bn that the Tories had estimated, Mr Darling said.

• Grants to local authorities for local services in England will increase to £26bn by 2010 to ensure local authorities can keep council tax rises substantially below 5%, Mr Darling said.

  HEALTH

• Over the next three years the NHS will increase its funding by an average of 4% above the rate of inflation.
• Investment in health in England to rise from £90bn this year to £110bn by 2010.

  Mr Darling said the single fund for health research would be expanded to £1.7bn by 2010.

  EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

• The education and skills budget will rise to £74bn by 2010.

  An additional £2bn will be invested in 2010 in health and education, Mr Darling said, including a £250m fund to ensure all children at school are ready to learn and benefit from personalised support.

• Investment on science and technology to rise to £6bn in three years' time.

  HOUSING

• The government will spend more than £4bn over the next three years to help people in poor-quality housing make renovations.
• Proposals are to be brought forward in the Budget to help lenders provide more fixed-rate mortgages for 10 years or even longer.

  THE ECONOMY

• Mr Darling said it was a time of "increased economic uncertainty" with "turbulence in America, Asia and Europe" .
• There would be "no risks with unaffordable promises that put the public finances at risk".
• UK economic growth is expected to be between 2% and 2.5% next year, the chancellor said. And for 2009/2010 the figure would be 2.5% to 3%, he added.
• Mr Darling said he expected to make a statement on Northern Rock later this week.

  PUBLIC FINANCES

• The government will keep net debt at a sustainable level during the next economic cycle, Mr Darling said.
• Net borrowing was forecast to fall from £38bn this year to £23bn in 2012.
• Government departments will save a further £30bn by 2010, on top of £20bn of savings already achieved, the chancellor said.

  DEFENCE/TERROR/CRIME

• Mr Darling allocated an extra £400m for military operations abroad this year.
• He announced a new single budget for the police, security services and other agencies to deal with terrorism, to rise by £1bn a year to £3.5bn in three years' time.
• Extra spending on the Home Office and Ministry of Justice is to rise to £20bn by 2010, Mr Darling said.

  ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND OVERSEAS AID

• Mr Darling said aviation duty would be paid on flights, rather than individual passengers.

• An extra £200m will be given for free pensioner bus travel next year, he added.
• By 2010, the transport budget will rise to £14.5bn a year, including projects to widen some motorways.
• The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs budget will rise to £4bn in three years' time, including £800m by 2010 for flood defences.
• The overseas aid budget will rise to £9bn by 2010.

  BENEFITS AND PENSIONS

• The amount of child maintenance a family can receive without it affecting their benefits will double from £20 a week to £40 a week by 2010.
• Pension credits will rise £5 a week from next April for single people and £7.65 for couples.

  CULTURE

• There would be an inflation increase for arts and culture spending, Mr Darling said. The budget for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will rise to £2.2bn in three years.

  By 2010, there will be £460m spent on the British Council, the BBC World Service and the launch of BBC Farsi and Arabic TV channels.

‘Stop trying to sell to me’

Last week's Magazine story on councils barring cold callers prompted a wave of e-mails from readers fed up with being interrupted by unwanted salesmen and women… none more so than working mother-of-three Sharon Addis.

It's 7am and the radio alarm clicks in to strains of "Auto-glass repair, Auto-glass replace." I've been awake four seconds and someone's trying to sell me something.

It's 7.05am and the doorbell's ringing, it's a parcel plus various other envelopes.

The parcel turns out to be a book I don't recall ordering – apparently it's a free sample. Yippee. If I don't want it I can spend my time returning it (free of charge) and owe nothing – if I don't, another one will drop on the mat next month and I'll owe someone £14.99.

A letter from my bank is on top of the pile; apparently my account is due for its annual review and I must call them to arrange an appointment. A satellite television offer is next – I can have free broadband subject to 55 lines of small print.

A credit card is knocking too – wanting to offer me a free upgrade to a platinum card. What does that mean? Lots apparently – there's a six-page glossy brochure and another 12 pages of small print.

A supermarket is next with 25 pages of useful vouchers; some are for things we'd actually buy but unfortunately (for us) all the offers are in separate weeks. Hold on – I'll just enter it all in my PDA so we know when to go.

Small print

School is next – a missing food technology assignment needs me to a) chase up my daughter b) make an appointment with the head of year. I like their multiple choice approach.

Then the electricity bill – plus a note warning me of price rises – lots of comparative tables; I can save £214 over 18 months if I… fill in the three-page form subject to 68 lines of small print and several explanatory notes.

Not to be outdone, the council also want a bit of my time to review the planning document for the driving range they're building… wait a minute, that's at the bottom of my garden!

The final impressive-looking envelope contains pensions documents – the company's changing again (I thought it did that three months ago?), or is it the legislation that's changing… hmmm, not sure – must be important though, it's got six double pages of A4 covered in text with glossy photos of smiling twenty-somethings. Sure they're smiling – they haven't got home and seen their junk mail pile yet.

I escape to work but on the way my mobile goes off, it's my other bank – apparently my account is due for review with them too – an FSA thing they explain. Would I like to come in and spend two hours on Saturday morning talking through how they can help me? They're open at 9am… Let me think… er, No.

Mum's taxi

I get home 10 hours later. It's 6pm and my daughter needs "Mum's taxi" as only teenagers can. I nearly get to my car when a chap accosts me on the driveway with an impressive clipboard – do I have time to answer a few questions on my shopping habits in return for free entry into a prize draw?

No, I don't. He looks offended – it's a fantastic prize apparently. I zoom off the drive, narrowly missing the lady from the local junior school who's just coming to sell me raffle tickets in aid of something worthy.

I finally get back home at 8:30pm and am making a cuppa in readiness to tackle my heap of paperwork from this morning (plus what came in on the previous three mornings) when the phone rings. Is this Mrs Jenkins? It's Jo from Random Mortgages- have I thought of changing my mortgage to Random Gold?

No, but I'm thinking of changing my phone number. Do I know all the details of my current mortgage, income and outgoings? No? Oh – can I get them all together and she'll call back in an hour? Err…

The doorbell rings – I put down my tea (and the phone) and go to the door. "Hello, I'm Heather, here's my ID badge. I'm collecting on behalf of Outer Mongolia Dolphin Rescue – just £2 a month guarantees fresh tuna for all the underprivileged Dolphins of Outer Mongolia – here's a glossy 20-page brochure to read later, just fill in your bank details here… it's all very simple…"

Sorry Heather, no. It's really not simple at all.

Add your comments on this story, using the form below.

Too right I am sick of being called and having people try and sell me stuff over the phone at the door on the street via the mail! I have now taken to putting cold callers on hold, much easier than trying to get rid of them straight away and annoys them as much as they ahve just annoyed me. Added bonus stops the next one getting through!
Joanne, Liverpool

Spot On! We are bombarded from all angles at all times of the day – this cannot be good for health can it? We have signed up to every Opt Out scheme going and yet somehow junk mail still makes it through. Personally I would prefer to sit under the tree this junk came from and enjoy the peace of being outdoors with no sales pitch for miles around.
Ande, Dover

Thank you. It is refreshing to read about others' awful experiences in the course of an average day of real life too! The best ones are the call centres (that you are forced to contact to clarify mis-information) with the "calls will be monitored and/or recorded" tag. Obviously you can't lose your temper with them despite their incompetence or insistence – naturally a low volume and heavily accented dialect just adds to the whole satisfying experience! It is about time that customers are served not hassled. I have just spent a whole day organising my 17 year old son's car insurance – really, I do sympathise with Sharon Addis's frustrations.
Carole Benton, Hastings, East Sussex

I don't mind them knocking on the door, the bit I object to is that when I say politely "no thank you" they keep trying until I have to be rude to them. I don't like being rude but if they just accepted "no thank you" as meaning no I would be much happier and they probably would too!
Alix, Bedford

Yep, one minute we're told the should be environmentally friendly, next we get so much paper through our doors without even asking for it. My house forever needs tidying because of the piles of junk mail that arrive on our doorstep, I don't want it! Most of it goes straight in the bin within a few seconds of determining if it is something I actually expected or not, but it seems such a waste of all the trees!. I don't need the phone calls either, I seem to have stemmed them a bit, using the services available to "opt out" but why should I have to? is it not my right to privacy at home and not to be bothered, having things rammed down my throat until I buy something? I have a peek hole now, cost me £3 just so I can avoid opening the door when they are quite clearly sales people at the door, trying to make me change my tv, telephone, gas, electricity suppliers, or maybe I have not considered getting nice shiney new windows? I like my windows they are fine, I can see right through them! Leave me in peace, let me decide what I want for myself PLEASE……
Duncan, Milton Keynes

Very funny (and a lot true), but it's really quite easy to get rid of unwanted telephone calls and junk mail (The latter I just chuck in the bin, unopened). Doorstep salesman, by contrast, are more intimidating – Weren't the government promising to let me defend my home as if it were my castle not so long ago? Seems that's one promise they've forgotten all about…
Mark, Fleet, Hampshire

Name
Your e-mail address
Town/city and country
Your comment

The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Terms & Conditions

MPs’ Lobby: Right of reply

Hundreds of ordinary people report inaccuracies in the press each year, but very few of these complaints are upheld.

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) exists to deal with these issues but a survey by the MediaWise organisation revealed 64% of those asked were unhappy with their response.

The Labour MP for The Wrekin, Peter Bradley, wants to ensure that people are not misrepresented in the press and that journalistic standards are improved.

Do you think that the papers get away with too much? Have you ever complained about something in the press and been dissatisfied with the result? Or are you happy with the job done by the Press Complaints Commission?

We've put your questions to Peter Bradley and you can watch the interview by clicking on the link below.

WATCH NOW

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received:

Wouldn't it be a nice change if we knew we could trust everything we read in newspapers as fact!
Justin S, London

This is a gimmick – nothing more than a profile-raiser a few weeks before a general election. Everybody knows that backbench bills stand virtually no chance of becoming law. But I do agree with James. When a paper finally accepts a mistake has been made the apology tends to be no more than a few lines at the bottom of a page. Editors would thinks twice if they knew any subsequent apology had to be equal in typeface, space taken etc to the original story.
Jonathan, London

With the bottom line being profit, a story needs to be embellished in the same way as the all-in-one miracle cleaner is in persuading us to buy it. Personally, I don't read the papers any more. There are a variety of sources on the internet, including many live forums available for discussions with a wide variety of very interesting people with very interesting views.
Gerry Noble, Salisbury

The Press Complaints Commission, ha! What a joke organisation. Sadly, this is just tinkering with a very weak redress system and will not work. Regulation is the only solution to an increasingly poor, biased and sensationalist media.
Rodney Fernandes, Chippenham

It seems that the country is faced with the choice between the right to report matters in the public interest and the right to. This is manifest in high profile cases such as George Galloway taking on the Daily Telegraph. But as far as regulation goes there are simply two approaches: a proactive stance in placing restrictions on the freedom of the press or a reactive approach with remedies for victims when the press unfairly encroach into realms that should not concern them. The first risks censorship which cannot be supported rationally and is not viewed favourably in Strasbourg. The second may cause initial discomfort for the people scrutinised by the press but it is better than the state dictating what we can and cannot read.
Simon Leeper, Norwich

I completely agree with these ideas to control the unacceptably poor level of a lot of news reporting in the UK press. The print press is completely unaccountable and seems to accept no responsibility for getting the story right. MPs are too intimidated by the press to push for this but I hope it gets adopted.
James, London

If it makes good reading, let them say what they like. The real people know the truth.
Stuart, Leeds

If the press were forced to print the truth they would be out of business. The press exists to print the lies and propaganda of the government and to invent any stories they like against whoever they like with impunity!
Charlie, Scotland

How about a similar bill proposing a right of reply within the Houses of Parliament? Then the Speaker would have the powers to force an MP or minister to give a full response to questions raised. I think this bill will have a minor positive effect on the public, but is potentially very harmful as is any government bill which regulates press. But a bill for Parliament will cause a dramatic change in the way our government acts.
Monty, Portishead

I would add to the suggestion of press corrections and suggest that the Press Standards Board publish a league table of the newspapers showing how many libellous inaccuracies appear in them so that they will have less incentive to lie.
Graeme Phillips, Guildford

I do think that the papers get away with too much with a 'trial by tabloid' situation. There should be a fair right of reply given as much space and attention as the original article, not a few lines hidden in the letters section of a paper. Also I think Rupert Murdoch and the other press barons should try to be elected in Parliament before they try and alter the law.
Sarah, Manchester

A free press is one of the crucial checks and balances against abuse of government power in the UK. To perform this essential role, the press must have a certain immunity. Time and again the press and media have exposed serious misconduct and abuse by Labour and Tory Governments. The Christine Keeler affair and the recent distortion of the security information used as grounds for invading Iraq are two such examples. Yes the press and media are fleas in the Government's ear, but it is their job to be so. Leave our media and press alone to do that vital job!
Colleen Morrison, Harlow

Have you read 1984?
Andrew Palmer, France

I don't think it's just the papers that get away with too much. The TV news has examples of exaggerated or false stories every day which mislead viewers. Many people believe everything they see on TV which is dangerous when programmes will say anything as long as its a good story. 24-hour news channels are also forcing quick reactions to news stories which are sometimes the wrong angle. In short the media needs to take a good look in the mirror and hopefully Peter Bradley's initiative will help stem the tide of lazy journalism.
Ewan Bowers, Perth

Too many lobby groups use the media in an attempt to manipulate government and public opinion for its own benefit. As someone who has a technical education I often see technical and scientific issues deliberately misunderstood for the purpose of sensationalism. I would support a law that compels the media to explain were information comes from, links to it and give a right of reply to all parties directly involved. These replies should be included as part of the article and there should be restrictions on how the media can edit them. I would oppose a law that in any way prevented the media from bringing something to our attention or infringed on the right of free speech. The media is a very powerful instrument, without it we would be blind in many ways. But there should be laws to prevent that power from being abused.
Hamish Brydone, Edinburgh

Something needs to be done. Sadly a lot of people believe everything they read. The press has brought untold misery to some people by printing lies.
Polly Reed, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

I think this an idea long overdue. As society evolves, the press has to take greater responsibility as a vehicle of checks and balance. I think it is a move in the right direction and hope other countries will follow.
Mohammad Ali Khan, Potomac

No, I do not agree. Politicians cannot be trusted to be objective and fair in creating legislation curbing press freedoms. We already have this steady encroachment on our personal freedoms by the Labour Government with the proposed introduction of identity cards, detention without trial, illegal declarations of war and so on. I personally have more trust in the free press than in any politician or political party. Politicians just cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Leave our free press alone.
Owen Main, Folkestone

There is far too much abuse printed in many sections of the press. News articles alone are not the issue, but so-called comment and analysis is as well. These columnists take it upon themselves to insult and demean others. I am sick and tired of having no recourse when reading lies, hypocrisies and simple prejudices written about those like me. It's about time we entered the 21st century and stopped playing the old traditional bigots' games.
Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth

I'm a bit wary about a three day rule. Surely it could be possible for large groups who simply disagree with a paper's opinion to bombard it with complaints causing chaos? However, I've always been of the opinion that the best way to ensure fair press coverage is to ensure corrections are given as much space and visibility as the original claim such as a two-page spread on the inside cover.
James, London

Why do we trust the press to self-regulate and give the PCC no teeth to do their job properly? Seems to me that freedom of speech can't be absolute without effective and unambiguous controls to prevent abuse.
Andy Millward, Broxbourne

The general public should be able to have more right of reply, but politicians should be exempt from this as they need to be scrutinised regularly.
Mike, Spain

I complained to the PCC once about an article I considered to be anti-gay. I received a reply stating that it was okay because it was "expressed as the personal opinion of the author" and so allowed under their guidelines. I went through their guidelines very carefully and could find nothing about an exemption for personal opinion. They just seem to make up the rules as they go along. Newspapers must have freedom of speech, but not the freedom to print complete lies – it takes forever for the PCC to investigate complaints and any apologies published are invariably published months later and buried deep inside the paper in some hidden corner. That's no deterrent – it's a tiny price to pay compared to the millions the paper can make printing sensationalist lies which can destroy peoples lives. Self-regulation doesn't work – the papers have proven this over and over again.
Anon, UK

It's not only the inaccuracies that are annoying but the fact that newspapers engage in so much opinion and slanting of the facts. I thought newspapers were supposed to be news papers. I think the Mail is the ultimate in Tory propaganda. I always have to read it with a health warning in mind.
Chris, Surrey

I believe that the standard of reporting by UK newspapers and also BBC TV news is getting out of hand with inaccuracies and omissions. There is a higher degree of propaganda of late and I feel that self monitoring is not working. People believe that newspapers and the BBC are authoritative and highly reliable. But is this true and what happens if this is not the case? Can an individual bring an action against a newspaper if the individual believes that a paper is misrepresenting their position? And would there be legal aid for such actions or limits to counterclaims, assuming that the defendant has greater access to legal assistance than the claimant? Yes I would like to see a change and waiting for 30 or more days for an investigation is silly.
David Mullins, Welwyn Garden City

I have complained to the BBC more than once, and never had any result at all. Millions might contact the BBC and "the press" every day for all I know. Apart from that, the proposals in the 'Right of Reply' Bill seem ludicrous to me. A law that requires newspapers – even local newspapers – to reply within three days seems ludicrous. I think the taxpayer could reasonably be concerned about how a database of press corrections would be achieved, who would be responsible for it, and who pay for it.
Peter Jamieson, Manchester

I certainly do think that the papers get away with too much. But I'm not saying this on my own account. I'm referring, for example, to the episode of Prince Harry dressed as a Nazi at a supposed private party. I mean, they call that news?
Daniel, Kent

Star to appear in Tyneside film

A blockbuster film star is swapping Hollywood for a garage on Tyneside.

John Shrapnel, who has starred in big-budget hits like Troy and Gladiator, is taking a huge salary cut to star in a short film being shot in Newcastle.

The seven-minute movie, Sleepzone, is being produced by Pinball Films, based in Eldon Square, Newcastle.

It is a psychological thriller being funded by a Lottery grant of just £7,000 and Mr Shrapnel has agreed to receive basic Equity rates of pay.

He plays, Dr Peter Glass, a Psychology lecturer, in the thriller and is currently in the city filming for two days.

'Bit of a gamble'

He said: "It is just as exciting for me to film in a garage in Newcastle compared to, say, a desert abroad.

"It is a good experience for me and the main thing is to work with good people."

The film's producer, Ashley Horn, of independent company Pinball Films, sent the script to Mr Shrapnel and was delighted when he accepted.

He said: "I already knew him and took a bit of a gamble, but if you don't ask you don't get.

"He accepted because the script for Sleepzone is so good – but I will not give too much away."

Sleepzone is one of eight short, low-budget films to be shot in the North East of England and being backed by screen agency Northern Film & Media and the UK Film Council.

The music you could take anywhere

It is small. It is expensive. And it will change the way the world listens to music.

No, not a description of the gadget-du-jour iPod, but what could have been a tagline for its prehistoric predecessor – the Sony Walkman.

The venerable cassette player that its creators said you could take anywhere has marked its 25th year. In that time, many millions have been sold around the world.

A half-decade before CDs ushered in a digital age of music, Walkmans became an iconic object whose influence went far beyond their ability to play cassette tapes in the great outdoors or on the move.

Their effect is being felt today in the shape of the Discman – the portable CD player that updated the Walkman's go-anywhere capability.

It also led to the new breed of even-smaller digital music players which Sony has belatedly entered into with its iPod rival, the NW-HD1, unveiled on Thursday.

The Walkman was rolled out on 1 July 1979 by Sony, after its design had been championed by Sony's Japanese co-founder Akio Morita.

He had noticed young people's insatiable desire for music morning, noon and night – and that they would listen in cars or take heavy tape players with them to enjoy it.

Differing names

Sony was already working the portable stereo system that became dubbed the "ghetto blaster", but Mr Morita believed there was a huge market for something much smaller.

Sony's tape player division had designed a device, the TPS-L2, which was simple and robust. Mr Morita immediately saw huge potential.

The only problem was what to call it. Sony initially had different names for the player in different territories – everything from the Sound About in the US to Stowaway in the UK.

Stereo Walky was also suggested – but electronics rivals Toshiba had already taken the name for their brand of portable radios.

Walkman had been suggested but Sony in Japan were afraid the name might sound too much like a bad translation of a Japanese phrase into English. But in the end, to give the player a universal name, it was chosen.

Within two years two dozen companies were making rivals for Sony's portable system – one which cost US$200. As the years followed, cheaper and more disposable versions followed.

Earlier this year, Sony's famous design was the subject of a court battle, with the company paying several million euros to a German inventor, Andreas Pavel, who said he had invented the machine in 1977.

Alex Pell, the deputy editor of technology magazine Stuff, said the Walkman changed the way people related to music.

'Defining youth culture'

"Young people interact with music much more personally than they do with films or picture-taking," he said. "The Walkman gave them a way of experiencing music on their own terms."

He said that the Walkman also allowed people who could not afford expensive stereo systems a way to enjoy music. Another factor was that "the entry was so cheap. There was a wide range, with differing sound quality, but they all used the same kind of tape.

"Sony deserve great credit. The Walkman helped create the defining youth culture of the late 20th century," he said.

Technology and design writer Liz Bailey echoed the Walkman's importance.

"The iPod may be beautiful and sexy but it was the Sony Walkman that paved the way for the iPod's iconic success.," she said.

"The Walkman's design utterly changed the way we view electronic media – without it we might never have had the minidisc or the MP3, much less the digital camera, the handheld personal organiser or the mobile phone.

"But what the Walkman really changed was the culture of music: you could now listen to what was effectively the soundtrack of your own life, starring you as yourself," she said.

The launch of the new Sony digital player could herald the second age of the Walkman, she said. Sony, which has left it rather late to take on the likes of the iPod, must certainly be hoping so.

Competition ‘tough’ for NHS posts

Junior doctors across the UK are being warned the competition they will face this year for specialist training jobs in the NHS will be tougher than ever.

As recruitment begins for August, the NHS employers body says there may be an average of three applicants per post.

Many applicants will be NHS doctors who qualified outside the EU, after the government failed in a 2007 legal bid to give UK medical graduates priority.

Without a training post a junior doctor cannot become a consultant or GP.

After a computer fiasco and complaints of unfairness when a new system was introduced for 2007, the process for this year has been changed.

The controversial system – known as the medical training application service (MTAS) – was shelved by ministers.

Doctors complained about a lack of posts, poorly designed recruitment forms, and technical failures with the online application system.

In the wake of the controversy, BMA chairman James Johnson resigned amid accusations that he had failed to put across the feelings of doctors about the system.

Now, thousands of applications will be handled by local medical deaneries and there is no limit to the number of applications an individual doctor can make.

In England there will be around 9,000 places on speciality training programmes and employers expect there may be as many as 23,000 applications.

Competition welcomed

Sian Thomas, from NHS Employers, said young doctors needed to make realistic decisions.

In some popular specialities, such as surgery, there may be as many as 10 applications for each training post, she said.

"It is a good thing for patients that there is competition for jobs – it should mean they get the best doctors wherever they live."

One reason the competition for jobs is expected to be intense is the large number of overseas doctors who want specialist training in the UK.

In 2008 it is expected that doctors who qualified outside the EU may make up half the applications for training posts.

But UK medical schools have also increased the number of doctors they are training, at an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £250,000 for every medical graduate.

Pressure group Remedy UK has launched a specialist website to help doctors with their job search.

Remedy UK's Chris McCullough said: "Our view is that the system is essentially appalling.

"Doctors aren't afraid of competition, but what we have this year is doctors facing a one-in-19 chance of getting a job in some areas."

The Department of Health tried to give UK medical graduates priority in the recruitment process this year, but that was overturned after a legal challenge.

Now the government is appealing to the House of Lords but any decision will be too late to affect the rules for 2008.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Doctors from outside Europe have made and continue to make a huge contribution to the NHS.

"The issue is not, and never has been, whether they can continue to work as NHS doctors – which they can – but whether the taxpayer should be investing in training them instead of UK medical graduates."

'Waste of resources'

Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Unless the government recognises the exceptional need for additional posts this year and in the next two years, we will see a new 'lost tribe' of doctors who fail to complete training."

Similarly, Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said the UK faces an "insane waste of resources" which will see "expensively-educated junior doctors having no jobs to go to at the end of their training".

The British Medical Association is worried that the volume of applications this year could overwhelm medical deaneries.

It said it would be monitoring the process to ensure fairness.

Ram Moorthy, chairman of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: "Our concern is that without adequate planning, the levels of competition could result in a lottery.

"Trusts need to get their recruitment practices in order, and start preparing now to ensure that there is no unfairness, and no negative impact on patient care."