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It's nearly here...this Sunday is set to be one of the most important dates in Westlife's history as they celebrate their incredible ten year career with an extra-special gig.
The show at Croke Park on 1st June will have an amazing setlist including hits from across the decade, with support coming from the brilliant Shayne Ward.

To commemorate the day, we're putting together a special Croke Park email newsletter which will be sent to everyone on the Westlife.com mailing list - and we'd like YOU to be part of it!

We'd like you to send us your reviews of the event and your best pictures. And if you're not lucky enough to have a ticket, you can still get involved by telling us why you think Westlife have had such a long-lasting career. We'll be including a small selection of the best for each category in the newsletter - plus the winners will get a signed photo! To submit your entry after the show, head over to the dedicated forum threads here.

To everyone heading to Croke Park on Sunday - have a fantastic time!

Source: westlife.com

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I'd like to say an early morning happy birthday to Shane's band mate member & friend, Mark Feehily. He turns 28 today! Congratulations, have a great day!

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WAYNE ROONEY has persuaded Irish band WESTLIFE to sing at his wedding to COLEEN MCLOUGHLIN.

The Man United ace, 22, was desperate to book her favourite group after they were unable to make her 21st birthday last year.

The June 14 wedding at La Cervara, Italy, coincides with a break in their touring schedule.

A source said: “Some of Wayne’s teammates gave him a bit of stick but he knows how much Coleen loves them.”

Source: The Sun

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Westlife will perform their 50th show in Belfast later this week.
The group will reach a significant landmark at the Odyssey arena on Wednesday evening in front of their adoring Ulster fanbase.

The quartet - Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne - kick off their two-day visit on Tuesday, having already played to capacity crowds on three occasions at the same venue in February.

Local revellers can expect their heroes to entertain them with the usual ballad of number one hits and renowned anthems.

The dates in Belfast will be a prelude to a special concert in Dublin marking 10 years of the pop group.

A sold-out crowd of 82,300 will celebrate the band's achievement at Croke Park on June 1.

The band have announced their current 'Back Home Tour' will be followed by a well earned break as they focus on spending more time on the production of their tenth album.

Westlife have sold 40 million records worldwide and among their list of many accolades is the record of having the most consecutive number one's in the UK.

Their latest visit to Northern Ireland comes as fellow Irish quintet - Boyzone - returned to Belfast on Sunday. The group who completed their first public concert in over eight years at the Odyssey, will re-appear on Monday evening.

Source: Belfast Newsletter

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It's been a while since I did a proper update instead of just news.. so here we go:

About me
Affiliates - Bubleonline
4x Gillian&Nicole pictures - thanks to Carly
4x Westlife in new Zealand
2x Westlife 2008 pictures
Some older HQ ones & some in better quality than I already had
1 older video - Oldest Westlife fan

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WHIRLWIND is a word commonly associated with the game played on the green baize. And while followers of snooker will readily attach it with the legend that is Jimmy White, it’s also fair to say that’s exactly the kind of lifestyle a civil servant from Childwall has been leading during his rise as a semi-professional referee.

From chaperoning popstars, meeting sporting greats, mixing with the arts cognoscenti, parading up the red carpet – and of course officiating during televised 147 breaks – the trademark quietude connected with the game is a world away from Colin Humphries’ exotic, jet-set ways.

Having risen through the English Association of Snooker & Billiards refereeing ranks his ambitions came true last month when he oversaw 12 days of World Championship action at the home of snooker, The Crucible, in Sheffield, culminating in a quarter-final match between Liang Wenbo and eventual champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Earlier in the competition, Colin had refereed Crucible matches including seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry, 2008 finalist Ali Carter, 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy and rising Chinese star Ding Junhui while also marking the 147 by Ronnie O’Sullivan in his second round match with Welshman Mark Williams.

But it was the governing body’s decision to select him for the last eight match which delighted Colin most. “I wasn’t expecting it and imagine my surprise when I was told it was Ronnie O’Sullivan’s match,” he said.

“At the time I couldn’t enjoy it as I had to concentrate so much but afterwards I was very proud and the tournament director and my assessors said I’d done a really good job considering all the pressure.”

But it isn’t just his rise up the refereeing ladder which is impressing Colin’s friends and colleagues – what with the showbiz circles outside the playing hall occupying plenty of friendly banter.

“My friends say I’m a name dropper now,” Colin said.

“Plenty of famous people dropped into the Crucible to watch the snooker. Artist Damian Hirst was there, I spoke to BBC newsreader Hugh Edwards, had a good chat with cricket umpire Dickie Bird. While Shane Filan from Westlife watched my quarter-final from the VIP seats and after I gave him a tour of the Crucible.

“Later on we went out to a VIP nightclub reception and in return he’s promised me complimentary tickets to see Westlife when they play Liverpool in June.”

All of this is a far cry from the lifelong Evertonian’s humble beginnings as firstly a player in the local leagues before opting to referee on the Merseyside circuit.

His fascination for the game began as a youngster when his parents, Ged and Bernie, would take him and his brothers, Andrew and Brian and sister, Dawn, to Woolton baths on Sunday afternoons.

And afterwards while his father enjoyed a leisurely pint in Woolton Village Club, Colin and his siblings would idle away an hour in the games-room.

Colin reflects: “Children were not allowed in the bar, so we sat in the snooker room with a lemonade and a couple of packets of crisps and I became fascinated with the size of the snooker table and all the coloured balls getting knocked around.

“As soon as I turned 18 I joined the club right away and started playing competitively in the Garston & District League. I soon realised I wasn’t going to be good enough to play at a high standard so I decided to take the referee’s exam – and the rest is history.”

Having refereed at his local club, the George Scott Snooker Club in Old Swan, Colin graduated to refereeing North West competitions then the National governing bodies amateur UK events.

While still playing in the Prescot League for the Parish Church Club in Prescot, Colin then represented England as a referee in the European Amateur Championships in Romania, overseeing the finals of both the Romanian Open and the European Amateur Final.

His slog around the amateur circuit paid off when three years ago, he was selected as a professional referee spending seven years in challenge tour comps for all major ranking tournaments.

His big break arrived in 2005 when selected to referee televised rounds of the professional competitions.

And 2007 saw Colin graduate to the very top of his profession, refereeing Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 5-2 win in the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast in November when he beat Ali Carter 5-2 with a world record five centuries in the five frames he won including a 147 break.

Colin added: “That was the second 147 I’d refereed and the first was only two months earlier when Jamie Burnett completed one in the Grand Prix Qualifiers at Pontins, Prestatyn.

“In March this year I was selected for my first overseas professional tournament at the China Open in Beijing. We had the opening ceremony at The Cube which is were the Olympic swimming events will be held. It was the first time I have had the Red Carpet treatment as all the players and referees had to be introduced to the press and fans, and at the top of the carpet we had to sign autographs and a new car.”

Next stop for Colin is something completely different – marshalling at the Open Golf Championships at Royal Birkdale – and with ambitions to referee a future World Championship snooker final it seems his whirlwind flirtation with all manner of stars is set to roll on.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post

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Westlife have been forced to postpone the rest of this week's shows in order for Nicky and Shane to fully recover from their ill health. This affects tomorrow's show, Thursday 22nd at the Birmingham NEC, and Friday 23rd in Manchester at the MEN Arena. The tour continues in Sheffield Arena on Sunday 25th May and then the new dates will be Birmingham NEC on June 3rd, Manchester MEN on June 4th, then Nottingham Arena on June 24th and at Cardiff's CIA on June 25th.

Tickets for the rescheduled dates will be honoured for the new dates. If for some reason you cannot make the new dates please contact your point of purchase.

In a statement, Westlife said: "We are very sorry, again, to have to postpone these shows. We apologise to all our fans, but hope that you understand that we want to put on a great show for you all and we want Shane and Nicky to be 100% fit to do this. Hold onto your tickets and we'll see you soon, Westlife."

Source: westlife.com

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Matt Smith
20:54, Monday May 19, 2008

Boyband Westlife have been forced to postpone their UK tour after two members of the band were struck down with a mystery illness.

Monday's show in Nottingham and Tuesday's gig in Cardiff have both been abandoned after Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne fell ill.

Doctors have advised them not to perform for two days to allow them to recover properly.

In a statement, Westlife said: "We are very sorry to have to postpone these shows at such short notice, we apologise to all our fans.

"And we can't wait to get back out there and put on a great show for you. Hold onto your tickets and we'll see you soon."

The band will resume their 'Back Home' tour at Birmingham NEC on May 22.

The rescheduled dates will be announced shortly and tickets will be honoured for the new dates.

It is the second bit of back luck to hit the boyband recently.

Earlier this month, a lorry carrying their equipment crashed during a trip to New Zealand.

Source: Skynews

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Irish boy band WESTLIFE have been forced to postpone two gigs on their UK tour - because bandmembers SHANE FILAN and NICKY BYRNE have fallen ill.

The Flying Without Wings hitmakers have postponed a show on Monday (19May08) evening in Nottingham, England, and the following night's show on Tuesday (20May08) in Cardiff, Wales, after a doctor advised the singers to rest in order to recover properly.
A statement from the band reads, "We are very sorry to have to postpone these shows at such short notice, we apologise to all our fans, and we can't wait to get back out there and put on a great show for you.
"Hold onto your tickets and we'll see you soon, Westlife."
The tour is set to continue on Thursday (22May08) in Birmingham, England. The rescheduled dates will be announced shortly, according to a spokesperson for Westlife.

Source: contactmusic.com

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Westlife have been forced to postpone tonight's show in Nottingham (Monday 19th May) and tomorrow's (Tuesday 20th May) show at Cardiff's CIA venue due to Shane and Nicky having fallen ill. Doctors have advised they do not perform tonight or tomorrow in order to recover properly.

The tour continues in Birmingham NEC on Thursday 22nd and in Manchester's MEN on Friday 23rd. The rescheduled dates will be announced very shortly tickets will be honoured for the new dates.

In a statement, Westlife said: "We are very sorry to have to postpone these shows at such short notice, we apologise to all our fans, and we can't wait to get back out there and put on a great show for you. Hold onto your tickets and we'll see you soon, Westlife."

Source: westlife.com

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