On the verge of the retirement of David Blunkett, former PM Tony Blair has told the BBC he could have been a prime minster "for sure".

Media playback is unsupported on your device
23 February 2015 Last updated at 20:58 GMT
Inside Out on BBC 1 examines Mr Blunkett's 45-year political career, which started in his home city of Sheffield when he was in his 20s.
The Sheffield Brightside MP, who is due to retire at the general election in May, became a city councillor at the age of 22.
He said he turned to politics to fight what he saw as a "lack of fairness, lack of justice and lack of concern" for working people. He went on to be a controversial home secretary and a victim of the phone-hacking scandal.


A house in County Down has scooped the award for Northern Ireland's building of the year.

House at Maghera, three miles from Newcastle, won the Liam McCormack Prize at the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) awards in Belfast on Thursday night.
The award is presented to the entry that best demonstrates design excellence in all its attributes.
The house is home to a couple and their three children.
It was designed by the architecture firm McGonigle McGrath.
"This superb family dwelling exudes such excellence from the inspired development of the underlying concept through to the highly disciplined and detailed execution of the resultant design vision," the judges said.
"This wonderfully crafted home evokes a strong sense of place, paying subtle homage to local traditional building forms, whilst also creating a strong visual link to the calm solidity of the backdrop of the Mourne mountains."
The house also shared the top prize for award for the best single house or extension along with Grillagh Water House by Patrick Bradley Architects.
The home, outside Maghera in County Londonderry, was built using four shipping containers architect Patrick Bradley's family farm.
The judges described it as a "carefully composed piece of architecture making innovative use of shipping containers".
"The design of this delightful rural dwelling displays self-confident and bold decision making in both its exterior and interior treatments," they added.
Designed by Maxwell Pierce, Portico in Portaferry, County Down, was named the best cultural project.
The Friends of Portaferry Presbyterian Church group took action to save the grade A listed building and it is now used by the wider community.
"The Portico is a very beautiful building rescued from near death, a reinvigorated place of worship but now also a catalysing and inclusive cultural focus for the Ards peninsula," the judges said.
The award for best social housing project went to Killynure Green in Carryduff, designed by PDP London Architects.
"A series of social housing clusters are carefully positioned in a landscape of private, semi-private and public open spaces," the judges said.
"Enclosed south-facing winter gardens define the architecture of the housing clusters."
Banbridge Health and Care Centre won the award for best public building over £3m.
Judges said the County Down centre, designed by Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects in association with Avanti Architects, was "a calm uplifting civic building deftly interwoven into its site, a tangible affirmation of the value of the public domain".
The footbridge in the centre of Belfast, designed by AECOM, won the award for best public space.
The judges said that while it provided an attractive connection between the centre of Belfast and the Titanic Quarter, it was also a public space in its own right.
"The bridge is wide, enticing and elegant. It has created a place on the river for the public to pause and admire the vistas along the Lagan, both day and night," they added.
The hub is the first element of the development of a 14-acre former military barracks site in a contested part of lower north Belfast.
The judges said the building, designed by Michael Whitley Architects, "makes a significant statement of confidence in the area and its future".
"The challenge of developing this contested space in an interface area in north Belfast cannot be understated," they added.
"The design is welcoming, accessible to all and is an impressive beginning for the further regeneration of the area."
The educational facility for South West College, which doubles as a teaching model of sustainable construction for the local building sector, won the sustainability award.
Judges said it achieved its sustainability brief by "adopting innovative design and construction principles".
The Atrium, a collaboration between White Ink architects and the artist Spencer Luckey, won the integration of art award.
"The Celtic Dragon sculpture invites children to climb the spans of its arched wings," the judges said
"A visually stunning and integrated interactive piece of artwork."
Other winners included:


Blur bassist Alex James is to hold a music and food festival at his Oxfordshire estate.

The musician-turned farmer will host the Harvest event, featuring acts such as KT Tunstall, at his farm at Kingham, Chipping Norton from 9 to 12 September.
It will be a sister event to the one being held by TV presenter Jimmy Doherty at his farm near Ipswich in Suffolk over the same weekend.
Mr James said it will be a "celebration of food, the farm and music".
The bassist, who has developed a cheese-making business since stepping away from the limelight, as well as working as a broadcaster, said: "We'll throw open the farm gates for Harvest this September.
"My family are looking forward to a celebration of all our favourite things - food, the farm and music."
Notable food experts at the event will include Richard Corrigan, Mark Hix and Yotam Ottolenghi as well as Gardeners' World host Monty Don.
The festival will include cookery master classes, pop-up restaurants, gardening workshops, a farmers market and a children's field at the farm at Kingham, Chipping Norton.
Blur reformed for shows in 2009 with the bassist expected to record with them again this year.


Coventry City have signed Tony Andreu on a two-year deal after the midfielder left Norwich City by mutual consent.

The Frenchman, 29, joined the Canaries from Hamilton in February 2015, but made only eight first-team appearances.
He spent last season on loan at Dundee United in the Scottish Championship, where he scored 19 goals in 43 games.
"He is a goalscoring number 10 and a versatile attacking player that can play anywhere along the forward line," said Coventry boss Mark Robins.
Checkatrade Trophy holders Coventry have now made 12 summer signings following relegation from League One in May.
Goalkeeper: Liam O'Brien (Portsmouth)
Defenders: Rod McDonald (Northampton Town), Dominic Hyam (Reading), Jack Grimmer (Fulham), James Pearson (Barnet)
Midfield:  Michael Doyle (Portsmouth), Liam Kelly (Orient), Peter Vincenti (Rochdale), Tony Andreu (Norwich City)
Strikers:  Marc McNulty (Sheffield United), Maxime Biamou (Sutton United), Duckens Nazon (Wolves)
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


One Irish person is among about 40 people injured during the fatal attacks in Westminster, Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed.

She made a statement to the House of Commons a day after a man drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then fatally stabbed a policeman.
PC Keith Palmer died trying to stop the attacker outside Parliament.
He was one of three people killed by the British-born man, who was then shot dead by police officers.
The other two victims were Aysha Frade, who worked at DLD College London, and a man in his mid-50s who has not yet been named by police.
Seven of the injured are still in hospital in a critical condition.
A further 29 had been treated in hospital, police said.
Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Mrs May said: "At approximately 2.40pm yesterday [14:40 GMT on Thursday] a single attacker drove his vehicle at speed into innocent pedestrians who were crossing Westminster Bridge, killing two people and injuring around 40 more.
"In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know that the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks."
The Prime Minister said UK officials were in "close contact with the governments of the countries of all those affected".
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, is aware that an Irish person was among the injured but did not provide any details about the casualty.
In a brief statement, Mr Flanagan said that his department has offered consular assistance through the Irish Embassy in London.


The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland continued to fall in November.

There was a decrease of 500 in the claimant count, bringing the total to 33,600.
However, other economic data suggests the services sector and manufacturing both saw a drop in output during the third quarter of this year.
The output of the services sector - the biggest part of economy - fell by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter.
The production sector, which is dominated by manufacturing, showed a fall in output of almost 2% across the quarter.


Leaving Vogue seems to be in fashion at the moment.

A number of senior figures have exited the magazine in recent weeks amid reports that its new editor is making some staffing changes before he officially begins on 1 August.
Edward Enninful is taking over from Alexandra Shulman, who announced in January that she was leaving after 25 years in charge.
He is the first male editor in the magazine's history, and is already making a few tweaks (or, removing "posh girls", as The Times put it) to the senior editorial team.
Since his hiring was announced, Vogue veterans such as Lucinda Chambers and Emily Sheffield have announced their departure as Enninful gears up to bring in his own team.
But it hasn't been a smooth transition so far.
Chambers, Vogue's former fashion director, was one of the first major figures to leave.
And she did so in style.
"Lucinda has announced that she is to step down from her position," the magazine delicately said on its website in May.
Chambers herself had a slightly different take.
"A month and a half ago I was fired," she said in a candid interview with fashion blog Vestoj, published this week.
"Truth be told, I haven't read Vogue in years. The clothes are just irrelevant for most people - so ridiculously expensive."
There's more.
"Most fashion magazines leave you totally anxiety-ridden," she said, adding: "We are always trying to make people buy something they don't need. We don't need any more bags, shirts or shoes. So we cajole, bully or encourage people to continue buying."
The comments echo what Shulman herself said earlier this year.
"At the end of the day, very few people have to have another pair of trousers, another skirt, another bomber jacket, so what you are doing as an industry is creating desire," she said.
Hilary Alexander, editor-at-large for Hello! Fashion Monthly and trustee of Graduate Fashion Week, says there's an element of truth in Chambers's comments.
"There's no doubt there are too many clothes in the world, and the number of collections being pumped out month after month, you could spend the entire year going from one Fashion Week to another," she says.
"But at the opposite end of the scale, fashion is a huge industry that employs millions of people across the world, it's worth around Â£28bn a year in this country alone if you include the retail sector."
The departure of senior figures like Chambers is to be expected, says Susie Lau, fashion blogger and journalist.
"From an industry point of view, it's completely normal for someone like Edward Enninful to come in and say he wants a completely new team," she tells the BBC.
"Especially at the senior level, he would want to have people that he feels can push forward the new editorial direction, and I think it is going to be a very different tone and feel to what Alex did."
Chambers appeared to be pulling no punches with her rather honest interview, but not long after it was published, it was taken down... and then put back up again.
"Due to the sensitive nature of this article, we took the decision to temporarily remove it from the site," Vestoj said in a statement.
"In terms of the reasons why it was removed, they are directly related to the industry pressures which Lucinda discusses in her interview.
"As you know, fashion magazines are rarely independent because their existence depends on relationships with powerful institutions and individuals. We created Vestoj to be an antidote to these pressures, but we are not always immune."
You can see why some figures in the fashion industry may not have been best pleased with the Chambers article.
At one point in the interview, she said: "The June cover with Alexa Chung in a stupid Michael Kors T-shirt is crap. He's a big advertiser so I knew why I had to do it. I knew it was cheesy when I was doing it, and I did it anyway."
But Lau says the close relationship between advertisers and journalists has always been a fixture of the industry.
"[Chambers] has been in fashion for so long, she's worked for a magazine where the commercial concerns are hugely important, and that's not anything new," she said
"Advertisers are of course given precedence, and maybe creative control has to be sometimes compromised - but it was ever thus. That's part and parcel of working in a print landscape that has undergone so many changes."
She adds that Chambers's comments in the interview are understandable given how long she has spent working at Vogue.
"I think when you work in the industry you do become quite jaded. When you're dealing with the mainstream side of fashion and doing it in a very commercially-minded way, it can get cynical.
"There are wonderful creative and brilliant things happening, but I guess if your day-to-day isn't about that any more, that can wear you down."
Vogue's replenishing continued on Tuesday with reports another senior figure announced she was exiting the publication.
Deputy editor Emily Sheffield, who is also the sister of Samantha Cameron, said she was leaving her role as Vogue's deputy director "after a very happy decade".
She might not have updated her Twitter biog yet, but the invitations for her leaving do have gone out so we're pretty sure it's only a matter of time.
"Emily Sheffield was suggested as a replacement when Alex's retirement was announced, so it's only natural if you're thinking you might get the top job and someone newer and younger comes in, that you would feel there isn't really a place for you any more," Alexander explains.
Both Lau and Alexander are looking forward to seeing what changes are made to the magazine when Enninful officially starts as editor.
"I'm excited because he is a brilliant stylist, I think Vogue will be a lot more diverse, I think we can expect surprises and shocks," Alexander says.
"Perhaps there will be more focus on younger, newer designers, those who are working in unusual ways. I would welcome that, you don't want to constantly read about the same old faces."
Lau adds: "I know some of the people going in there [to Vogue], they haven't been announced yet but I think it's going to be a really exciting team.
"It won't be quite as different as people are painting it, but there will be changes. Vogue is a barometer of our times, and I think it will reflect that."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The US state of Nebraska has abolished the death penalty after a veto-override was passed through its legislature.

The measure was backed by a coalition of conservatives who oppose execution as a form of punishment.
Nebraska joins 18 other states and the federal district of Washington, DC, in banning capital punishment, and is the first traditionally conservative state in four decades to do so.
The state has not executed an inmate since a 1997 electrocution.
The unicameral legislature passed the measure 30 to 19 - the exact number of votes needed to override Governor Pete Ricketts earlier veto.
Some of the lawmakers said that they support the death penalty in principle, but said that legal obstacles meant the state would be unable to carry out executions in the future.
A Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman said her agency was investigating death threats made against a state senator who supported the measure.
Ten men are on currently Nebraska's death row.
The state has never executed a prisoner using lethal injection - the current method for carrying out the death penalty in the state.
The state lost its ability to carry out an execution in December 2013, when one of the three lethal injection drugs used in the procedure expired.
North Dakota, another traditionally conservative state, abolished the death penalty in 1973.
The most recent state to eliminate the death penalty is Maryland, which ended capital punishment in 2013.


Steven Patterson claimed career-best figures of 6-56 as a depleted Yorkshire attack bowled Durham out for 172 on day one at the Riverside.

Jack Burnham (49) and Mark Stoneman (45) made the only scores of note as Durham were dismissed in 61.1 overs.
Seamer Patterson bettered his 5-11 against Worcestershire in April 2015 when Burnham was caught at cover.
Alex Lees made 71 for champions Yorkshire, who reached 129-4 at stumps as Chris Rushworth claimed 4-42.
Only one point separated the two sides before the start of play, with Yorkshire and Durham second and third in the Division One table respectively.
With Ryan Sidebottom, Jack Brooks, Liam Plunkett and David Willey unavailable, Yorkshire included young pace bowlers Josh Shaw and Ben Coad, the latter making his first-class debut, in their side.
Scott Borthwick failed to enhance his England prospects when he was run out by Andrew Gale for two and Durham slumped from 74-2 to 148-8 in the afternoon session.
Their position would have been even worse if Lees had not dropped Burnham on four at first slip. He batted for more than three hours before he was last out.
Rushworth earned Durham a bowling point by taking all four Yorkshire wickets to fall, including Lees and nightwatchman Patterson in the same over.


Former British number one Laura Robson has earned her first win against a player ranked in the top 100 for nearly three years.

The 22-year-old beat world number 65 Varvara Lepchenko 6-4 6-1 in qualifying for the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
The Briton's last victory against a top-100 player came against the Czech Republic's Klara Koukalova in Beijing in September 2013.
"I didn't have a lot of confidence going into the match," admitted Robson.
"I haven't won a lot recently but I know how well I've been playing on the practice court and it was just a matter of translating that into a match.
"I stuck to it pretty well. I'm looking not just to win one match, obviously, so tomorrow is a big one as well and I'll try to get another win."
Robson has struggled since a serious wrist injury sidelined her for 17 months.
Currently ranked 308th in the world, Robson reached a career-high 27 in July 2013, but her victory on Saturday was a rare high-point since then.
The first set went with serve until Robson broke the Uzbekistan-born player to claim it.
Robson was broken in the opening game of the next set, but stormed back to break three times en route to an emphatic victory.
The eight-day tournament includes former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska and defending champion Angelique Kerber.
British number one Johanna Konta will face wildcard Tara Moore in the first round. Moore was beaten in the Nottingham Open quarter-finals by China's Saisa Zheng, on Saturday.


Syrian rebels have seized control of a key airbase in the north-western province of Idlib after a two-year siege.

Abu al-Duhur airbase was the final regime position in the province, which is now held almost entirely by rebels.
The militants behind the attack are a coalition of mainly Islamist groups, including the al-Nusra Front.
Their capture of the base was helped by duststorms in the region, which hampered Syria's air force.
Since late March, the Islamists have seized several cities in the province including Idlib and Jisr al-Shughour.
They stepped up their offensive against Abu al-Duhur in late August, using suicide attacks to seize the entrance to the airbase and several positions on its outskirts.
The regime troops reportedly retreated from the base and allowed the militants to move in.
The coalition behind the attack on the base, which has dubbed itself the "Army of Conquest", is an alliance of militant groups including al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, al-Nusra front.
The coalition seized Idlib's provincial capital Idlib city in March and has since extended its gains throughout the province, seizing a string of strategic towns.
The report on Syrian state TV conceded that government troops had "evacuated their positions and moved to another point".
With the fall of the airbase the Syrian military has been completely driven out of Idlib province, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Insurgents now control nearly all of the province, except for the predominantly Shia villages of Foua and Kfarya which are held by pro-government militias and Lebanese Hezbollah forces, not the Syrian army.
This is another blow for President Assad and his overstretched forces, but Idlib was already all but lost to the rebels. The region is now under the control of a mainly Islamist coalition, dubbed the "Army of Conquest", which includes al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, the al-Nusra Front.
The coalition's success has come both from uniting a variety of rebel militias into a single fighting force and a rapprochement of sorts between their main backers, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which has allowed a new flow of cash and weapons.
There are strains, though, within the rebel coalition over the role of the al-Nusra Front. And even though President Assad faces increasing pressure on a variety of fronts, he can take some comfort in the fact that the regions he has lost are held by different groups that are for now at least as opposed to each other as they are to him.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has been at war with various rebel groups for the past four years, in a conflict that has so far killed at least 240,000 people.
President Assad has admitted that his forces have a manpower problem and would have to give up some areas in order to defend more important ones.
The fighting in Syria began with anti-government protests but has since descended into civil war after a regime crackdown on dissent.
The conflict has now evolved into a complex multi-front battle involving rebels, jihadists, the regime, Kurds and a US-led coalition that is carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group.


Eleven Eurostar trains have been cancelled on Sunday, amid continuing delays following Saturday's Channel Tunnel closure due to a lorry fire.

Six Eurostar services from London were cancelled, as well as two from Paris and three from Brussels, after an unrelated power supply problem.
Rail services resumed on Sunday morning - but passengers have been warned there could be further delays on Monday.
About 12,000 passengers were affected when the tunnel was closed on Saturday.
The fire was located in the route's north tunnel, which remained closed during Sunday.
Train operator Eurostar said it planned to run a "full service" on Monday, but warned trains could be delayed by up to 30 minutes.
It said Eurotunnel - which manages and operates the Channel Tunnel - was carrying out engineering works overnight and would put more sections of the north tunnel back into service on Monday.
Meanwhile, Eurotunnel said the north tunnel was not anticipated to be back in full operation until Tuesday.
"We're optimistic, however, that we will regain use of part of this tunnel and will operate a more regular timetable than we have today," it said.
Eurostar passenger trains had started moving through the tunnel again at about 11:30 GMT, but at a reduced speed as only the south tunnel was open.
However, there were fresh problems when a power supply fault - unrelated to Saturday's lorry fire - meant the temporary closure again of the south tunnel.
Eurostar cancelled the 14:04, 15:31, 17:04, 18:04, 18:31 and the 20:04 (all times GMT) departures from London, as well as the 16:43 and 18:43 trains from Paris, and the 15:56, 17:56 and 18:56 services from Brussels.
On Sunday evening, Eurotunnel - which operates car and lorry services - tweeted there was still a one-hour queue to check-in and a three-hour wait to board shuttles for France.
The delay for Eurotunnel passengers heading from France to the UK was four-and-a-half hours, with some customers waiting up to two hours to check in at Calais, Eurotunnel added.
Eurotunnel's services started running again in the early hours of Sunday morning after "residue smoke" was cleared from a tunnel.
The company said it had expected to operate a reduced Le Shuttle timetable, with two departures every two hours from both the UK and France.
Kim Notman, who was at the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais, told the BBC: "I was loaded on to the train at 09:30 GMT with my car and have now been stuck on the train for the last three hours.
"The doors to the train have now been opened because people were getting so agitated."
Professor Urfan Khaliq, who was travelling from Paris to London, said: "We've been here around, I guess, nearly three hours now. They've offered free cashew nuts and water to anyone who wants it.
"People are just sitting here really rather stoically and trying to get on."
BBC News correspondent Andy Moore said an extra Eurostar train from London to Paris had been laid on, with 800 seats available, in an attempt to ease the queues.
Despite the company organising re-bookings, accommodation and refunds, it could be Monday before the backlog was cleared, he added.
Eurostar - which operates passenger services between Paris, London and Brussels - said 26 of its trains were cancelled on Saturday afternoon, affecting at least 12,000 passengers, following the fire.
The alarm was raised when two CO2 detectors were triggered at 11:25 GMT on Saturday at the French end of the north tunnel.
Eurotunnel said a load on a lorry on board one of its trains, en route from the UK to France, had been "smouldering".
Eurotunnel said passengers had been safely evacuated from trains in the tunnel, and the fire "was quickly brought under control" by French emergency services.
Firefighters examined the site and a Eurotunnel spokesman said it did not look like there was any significant damage.
At St Pancras station and in Paris there were long queues of passengers after services were cancelled. At Folkestone, lines of lorries built up near the Eurotunnel entrance.
Eurostar's customer care number is 03432 186 186, or +44 1777 777 878 for people outside the UK.
Eurotunnel's information line is +44 8444 63 00 00.


Crystal Palace ended Tottenham's hopes of a treble as Martin Kelly's first-half strike sent the Eagles into the last eight of the FA Cup.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The defender scored his first goal since November 2011 when he thrashed in from six yards just before half-time after Wilfried Zaha had played him in.
Spurs went close on several occasions, with Dele Alli's first-half shot striking both posts.
Harry Kane had two strikes brilliantly pushed away by keeper Wayne Hennessey.
Palace, who are in the FA Cup last eight for the first time since 1995, are at Championship side Reading in the next round.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Discipline. The one thing the Spurs backline surprisingly lacked at White Hart Lane.
Mauricio Pochettino's side are the stingiest in the Premier League - having only conceded 20 times - but the defending was shambolic at times today.
There was Kyle Walker's headed backpass that was clawed off the line by Michel Vorm, then there was the failure to track Joe Ledley, who was unlucky not to score.
The Spurs defence also stood still as Yohan Cabaye's delivery flashed across the six-yard area. So perhaps Kelly thought this would be as good a day as any to end a 1,545-day scoring drought.
Like Ledley, he was left free to run into the area and convert a carefully-weighted ball from Zaha.
Key Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld was left on the bench for Sunday's tie. Pochettino might think twice before doing that again, as his team focus success in the Premier League and Europa League.
DDLLLLLDL - Palace's last nine league results. The FA Cup has been a competition that has provided solace for Alan Pardew's side.
The Eagles rediscovered that dogged spirit that saw them reach fifth in late December.
Unlike Spurs, Pardew elected to play his general in defence, Scott Dann. He held the defensive wall together as it faced a barrage of attacks that increased in frequency as the match wore on.
Hennessey was exceptional in keeping out two Kane efforts and Cabaye blocked an Alli header on the line. They also rode their luck in the first half when Alli's sidefoot shot came off both posts before it was cleared by Joel Ward.
It is unlikely the Eagles will be dragged into the relegation fight, so perhaps they can increase their focus on winning this competition, which would be their first major trophy in the club's history.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew: "We've had a tough run, with a lot of injuries, but we have them back now and look like we're back to ourselves.
"Wilfried set the goal up and he was terrific from that moment forward. We had some great performances out there. We learnt our lessons from two previous meetings with Spurs. We worked on shape and they delivered it.
"It was a victory that was well earned on the training ground.
"No-one's ever won it without a little bit of luck. We've beaten three Premier League teams to get here. We hope the draw is kind to us."
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "It was tough. It's like a Premier League game but you need to be clinical in front of goal. We managed the game, created chances but it was difficult to win.
"There was no tiredness. If we analysed the game we played better but you need to score. It's hard to explain.
"It's a tough period for us. We have a crazy schedule but now we need to look forward to be ready for next Thursday [v Fiorentina].
"It's impossible to know if losing here will help us in the long ruin. Now we feel disappointed because we're out."
Tottenham are at home to Fiorentina in the second leg of their last-32 Europa League tie on Thursday with the score poised at 1-1, and Palace are away at West Brom next Saturday in the Premier League.
Have you added News Alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the My Alerts menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add score alerts for your favourite football team, the Six Nations, and more.


E-cigarettes and specialist "craft" beers have been added to the basket of goods used to measure the UK's inflation rate.

The additions are part of the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) annual revision of the basket.
The cost of music streaming services has been added as well, but sat-navs have been dropped.
The basket of goods currently contains 703 items and services, of which 13 are new this year after eight were removed.
The inflation rate currently stands at a record low of 0.3%, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.
IN
Specialist craft beers
IN
E-cigarettes
OUT Frozen pizza - we're buying chilled ones instead
OUT White emulsion - we're decorating with more coloured paints
OUT Sat nav - people are using their smart phones to navigate
The ONS said that e-cigarettes had been added because many smokers were using them.
Sales of "craft" beers have been brought in because more money is being spent on them, along with a rise in the shelf space devoted to those beers in shops and supermarkets.
Although only around 700 items have their prices tracked each month, many are measured in several places. So 110,000 prices are collected from 20,000 shops in the UK, with another 70,000 prices measured online.
Revisions to this year's basket continue to reflect the fast-moving change in the use of technology.
For 2015, the cost of music streaming services has been included, along with subscriptions to online console computer games.
Headphones have been added too, as well as mobile phone accessories such as covers and chargers.
However, sat navs are no longer included. "Partly because many drivers now navigate using smart phones, but also because some new cars now come with sat-navs built in," the ONS said.
Recent years have seen additions to the basket of the cost of video streaming services, e-books, tablet computers and smartphones.
Out have gone DVD recorders, Freeview set-top boxes, the cost of developing colour films and mobile phone downloads.
Items in the basket may be introduced or dropped to reflect changes in how much people are spending on them, and also to reflect new categories of spending.
So the cost of protein powders for gym-goers is now being measured to reflect the wider group of sports food supplements.
The ONS said this was "a distinct and growing sector not previously covered within the class".
Other changes are made each year to improve the coverage of an existing category of goods.
That explains the introduction of headphones to improve the coverage of audio-visual equipment.
In a similar move, sweet potatoes have been added to the vegetable category.
"This is an area of the basket where there is much variability in price changes so it is beneficial to collect across as broad a range of items as possible," the ONS said.
Likewise, melons have been added to the fresh fruits whose prices are measured.
Yoghurt drinks have been dropped, partly because less is being spent on them.
But other items, such cut lilies, have been left out because they are simply a variation on other items still in the index and it has been judged that dropping them will have no effect on the accuracy of the overall basket.


Promotion-chasing Forest Green Rovers earned a hard-fought win at struggling Guiseley in the National League.

The hosts dominated for much of the game, with Emile Sinclair seeing a shot rebound off both posts for the Lions in the first half.
Elliott Frear had a shot well saved by Dan Atkinson for Rovers, while Sinclair again hit the woodwork after the break.
But Brett Williams secured victory when he fired the ball in off the bar from Keanu Marsh-Brown's pull-back.
The result leaves Forest Green second in the table, two points off leaders Cheltenham.
Forest Green assistant manager Jamie Day told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"We rode our luck a little bit at times and Steve Arnold pulled off a couple of good saves and bodies were thrown on the line and we managed to snatch it at the end.
"All round there was some good performances - David Pipe did well in front of the back four and all the back four put in a shift.
"I can't praise the boys highly enough, they got the three points which we needed."


A man has been arrested for allegedly using a stolen bulldozer to crush four vehicles and a house in Australia's New South Wales.

The 48-year-old was expected to be charged with about 11 offences over the incident in Teralba, outside Newcastle.
A woman and her two daughters who were inside the house at the time escaped moments before it was knocked down.
The man's motive is not clear, but police said he was known to the occupants of the house.
The bulldozer was allegedly stolen earlier from a nearby mine.
Police said that early on Monday morning the man drove the bulldozer to the suburban house, crushing three cars parked in front of it and another parked at the side of the property.
He first headed towards a detached garage on the property, said police, where a 29-year-old man was sleeping at that time.
"When he heard the bulldozer coming over the top of the cars, he came out of the shed," police spokesman David Matthews told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The driver briefly pursued the man, who ran away, scaled a fence, and sought shelter in a paddock next door.
The driver then turned towards the back of the house and flattened the building.
A neighbour ran over and helped a 56-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged 15 and 20, from their home shortly before the building was knocked down.
Police were called to the scene around 07:30 (20:00 BST on Sunday).
Officers managed to stop the bulldozer when it got stuck after it knocked down the house.
"(An officer) couldn't get into the bulldozer because the doors were secured so he smashed the window of the bulldozer and delivered an entire can of OC spray (pepper spray) into the cabin, which incapacitated the driver," Inspector Matthews said.
He added that the driver, who had previously lived with the family, had breached a court order banning him from assault or intimidation taken out against him by one of the women living in the house.
The driver is being questioned at Charlestown police station.
He was expected to be charged with attempted murder, the Newcastle Herald reports.


A video of an American policeman lip-syncing to Taylor Swift's Shake It Off has gone viral.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
19 January 2015 Last updated at 12:27 GMT
The clip shows Master Corporal Jeff Davis in uniform and driving a patrol car while lip-syncing to the song.
He says he knows it well because of his 10-year-old daughter.
And the policeman has even got the approval of Taylor Swift.
The singer posted online how much it made her laugh.
Check out the clip to see some of his dance moves as well!
Clip courtesy of Dover Police Department


Runners in Sunday's Loch Ness Marathon had a close encounter with two horses that ran on to the course.

No harm came to any of the runners or the two animals in the incident near Foyers, south of Inverness.
Runner Angie Brown, 40, said the horses appeared to be "spooked" and charged towards her "at full gallop" before they turned away at the last moment.
The event's organisers said police assisted in the safe recovery of the horses.
About 2,460 people finished the marathon, which formed part of the weekend's annual Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running.
Ms Brown, a BBC Scotland journalist from Edinburgh, was three miles from Foyers when she spotted the horses.
She said: "Suddenly two horses were charging towards me at full gallop. They were two abreast and racing each other.
"They were spooked by the runners so were neighing and flaring their nostrils and were in quite a state.
"They were charging up the drive of a house I was running past and I didn't know what to do so I got into the ditch and waited for them to hit me. I was terrified.
"At the last second however before they reached me they swerved and started galloping down the road straight at the other runners who were running in the same direction so couldn't see the horses coming behind them.
"I shouted at the top of my voice to warn people and then the horses were lost to sight."
It is believed that the horses reached Foyers before being stopped.
A spokesman for the marathon said: "We can confirm that two horses were on the marathon course for a short time and that police, who were nearby, assisted in their safe recovery.
"No harm came to any runners, members of the public, or either of the horses."


A review of Tube ticket office closures has been ordered by the London mayor.

Sadiq Khan said London TravelWatch, an independent watchdog, would look at the impact of closures on passengers, particularly disabled users.
The closures, which were agreed under previous mayor Boris Johnson to help save costs and pay for the Night Tube, led to strike action by unions.
The TSSA union welcomed the review. It said the closures had done "nothing" to improve passenger services.
"They have endangered passenger safety by causing dangerous bottle-necking on stations, especially at peak times; diminished services, especially for disabled people, and made the Tube a less user-friendly place to travel," general secretary Manuel Cortes said.
He added that putting customer service staff on platforms had increased pressures on the Tube network and made it a less safe place to work.
The first ticket offices closed in February last year.
Transport for London (TfL) said the plan would save Â£50m annually.
In announcing the review, Mr Khan said: "Millions of Londoners use stations across our transport network every day and it's vital that everyone feels safe and gets the right support and information they need when they travel around our city.
"With the launch of the Night Tube, and our continuing modernisation of London's transport infrastructure, we particularly need to ensure disabled people get the right assistance when they need it and make sure no-one feels unsafe around our more quiet stations late at night."


Nashville Predators beat Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 to level the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final at 2-2.

Calle Jarnkrok opened the scoring for the hosts at Bridgestone Arena before Sidney Crosby equalised for Pittsburgh.
Frederick Gaudreau and Viktor Arvidsson then struck for Nashville in the second period, before Filip Forsberg fired into an empty net late on.
Predators goaltender Pekke Rinne made 23 saves to secure back-to-back victories over the defending champions.
Nashville are playing in their first Stanley Cup final since their inception in 1998.
Game five takes place in Pittsburgh on Thursday (01:00 BST on Friday).
Prior to the game, Predators coach Peter Laviolette asked fans to stop throwing dead catfish onto the ice - a tradition that dates back to 2003.
Instead, a catfish wearing a blue hat, wrapped in a Predators towel and with a toy penguin stuffed in its mouth was thrown onto the ice before the start of the game.
Staff also had to clear other catfish off the ice during the game.
Five were thrown during Nashville's 5-1 victory in game three, while play was delayed to remove a catfish in game one at Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena.


Twenty years after Hurricane Andrew, residents of Homestead, Florida, recall the storm that changed their life.

With its well-preserved historic buildings and a typical south Florida small-town atmosphere, Krome Avenue is one of the most important landmarks in the city of Homestead.
The clean and peaceful street bears no resemblance to the way it looked on 25 August 1992, a few hours after Hurricane Andrew - a powerful category five storm - made landfall. Striking in the dead of night, the storm wrought unprecedented havoc on the area.
At the time, Andrew was considered the most costly tropical Atlantic cyclone in US history. With damages amounting to $25bn (£15.8bn), it left up to 250,000 people homeless and claimed 26 lives, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Twenty years on, BBC Mundo's Jaime Gonzalez and Thomas Sparrow return to Homestead to find out how residents remember that day, and how have they recovered from the ordeal.
Andrew was devastating. Ten thousand people left in the first 30 days.
My house was 50% destroyed and my business took a good hit too.
I remember the morning I [found] looters in my warehouse. They were walking out with the generator and some other tools and things.
Martial law was imposed. Everybody was carrying a gun. The military was brought in and there was a curfew. You were not allowed out after dark, and if you were you were arrested.
For the first three months we did nothing but go from house to house, supporting friends to get back some quality of life, getting water out of their homes and ripping up the carpets.
I think Homestead should be remembered for its tenacity, its willingness to hang on and fight to get back on its feet.
We are now much better prepared for hurricanes. After Andrew, the construction standards changed tremendously. We now have one of the most stringent building codes in the country.
Everybody will tell you that a hurricane sounds like a train hurtling towards you and you feel like it is going to hit at any moment. And that's how it sounded to me.
I had four grandchildren with me at the time and I just kept telling them that everything was going to be all right.
At the time, I was part of the city council, which was turned into the main communication centre. The most important thing was answering questions: Where can I get fuel? Where can I get ice? Ice was the most precious thing those days!
Later we had one of the biggest outdoor barbecues ever to cook our food. We already knew we wouldn't get electricity back for a while.
It was like being on an island full of trash. There were piles at the roadside and it was weeks before it was cleared up.
The city manager said that it could take up to two years to recover. Can you imagine? That's how dumb we were! We thought that all will be over in two years. That thought really made us feel good.
It was really a good 10 years. There was so much to do.
My brother came over the day before the storm. I was busy refurbishing my house, and he asked why I was doing that when it wouldn't be there the following day. He worked for South Florida Water Management, so he knew more than a lot of us did.
The only thing I received from my grandmother's inheritance was an antique mahogany piano. But during the hurricane I pushed it against the sliding glass door [for support].
The walls starting moving. My boat was bashing against the wall. We moved into the back bedroom. Right after we shut the door, the walls inside the hallway caved in.
We picked everything up and went to my office where we made a camp with drafting tables.
But I also had a bit of good luck, because two days later when I went home, my phone rang. I realised I had a phone! I had a phone that worked!
The next morning, a friend brought a propane generator, so I had air conditioning, lighting and phones.
I was up and working, but I didn't have any clients. So I asked a designer to make a sign to put on top of my roof. People started coming through the door and I had more work within weeks than I could ever imagine.
I think that Andrew was a soul-cleansing experience. We are still redefining who we are.
During the hurricane our two-story house was shaking and water came pouring in, so we decided to go downstairs. My wife, two young daughters, two dogs and two cats and I huddled underneath the stairs. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life.
When the hurricane passed we went outside and it was like being in a science-fiction movie. Every landmark that you had known - trees, telegraph poles, street signs, houses - was knocked flat.
One of my main worries was the food we had in our restaurant. We had just had a shipment and we didn't know how long it would take to get the power supply back. We did not have a generator, so we could not keep it for long.
So after a day or so, we just sat out in front and gave the food away to whoever wanted it. We were giving away ribs, prime steaks and veal. We became popular really fast.
It took us about a day to get rid of everything perishable. We opened the restaurant within 30 days.
After the hurricane, the customer base totally changed. A lot of people left the area. I never thought of leaving. I love it here and I always felt part of the community. I wanted to rebuild it.
It was a lot of hard work and sleepless nights. It's a life-changing experience.
Am I glad I went through it? Not necessarily, but I am proud of what I've done.


New York has celebrated Frank Lampard Day in honour of the former England midfielder scoring 300 career goals.

A proclamation was made by the office of city mayor Bill de Blasio before New York City FC's game against DC United on Thursday, declaring 1 September as the day of celebration.
And the former Chelsea, Manchester City and West Ham man marked the occasion by scoring two goals for his side in a 3-2 win.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for the 38-year-old, who was being called the worst signing in MLS history just a little more than three months ago.
The fifth highest-paid player in the league - he earns $6m (£4.52m) a year - joined up with the US side in July 2014 with much fanfare.
But the following month he joined New York City's parent club, Manchester City, seemingly on loan until January 2015. That loan was later extended, which meant the man capped 106 times by his country would not be around for the start of the MLS season - a decision which "outraged" New York's fans.
I never felt like I had a point to prove to people on the outside
It then emerged he was contracted to the Manchester club and had not been on loan after all. A statement was issued admitting "a mistake" in communications, adding to New York fans' anger.
Lampard finally made his MLS debut in August 2015 - a year after fans thought he had signed for them. His first season featured three goals in 10 games, with critics underwhelmed by his performances.
He then missed the first 10 games of the current season with injury, and was jeered by his own fans on his return - which came in a 7-0 defeat by rivals New York Red Bulls.
Since returning to the side in June, Lampard's form has been good enough to win the doubters over. The team sit top of the Eastern Conference, and he scored the club's first hat-trick as they beat Colorado Rapids 5-1 last month.
He recently hit his 300th career goal, leading to the mayor's office making its declaration.
Lampard was presented with a letter of proclamation as well as a commemorative shirt and ring before the DC United game.
And his two goals in the match have taken his total to six in the last six games.
Find out how to get into football with our special guide.
"Even when I first came back, I was scoring a few but I felt I needed more fitness," he told reporters afterwards. "And I'm getting to that level now where I'm getting stronger and fitter.
"I never felt like I had a point to prove to people on the outside. I always had a point to prove to myself. I don't want this to be a place where I come here at this point in my career and it doesn't work. I want to make it work. I have that desire."
Each year, the New York Mayor's Office makes anywhere between 150 and 200 proclamations. They are designed to recognise organisations and people with significant New York City connections that are marking a milestone occasion or achievement.
In a statement, mayor De Blasio said Lampard was "one of the greatest midfielders of his generation", adding: "Frank has great stamina, a powerful kick, a shrewd eye and an innovative approach to the world's most popular sport.
"With gratitude and admiration, I extend my congratulations, Frank, and best wishes for continued success. Your mayor will be rooting for you throughout this season and well beyond."
Take part in our new Premier League Predictor game, which allows you to create leagues with friends.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.


Oil prices have fallen to a three-month low, hit by rising concerns that a global oversupply of both crude and natural gas will dampen prices.

US oil fell 2.4% to $43.11 (Â£32.72) a barrel, its lowest level since April, meaning it has now fallen by 12% so far this month.
Brent crude dropped 2.1% to $44.75, its lowest level since 10 May.
Shares in oil and firms also lost ground, with Exxon Mobil shares down 1.8% and Chevron down 2.6%.
"Crude oil markets have been under pressure as oil supplies have started growing with the resumption of output from the capacity lost due to wildfires in the Canadian oil sands," said EY energy analyst Sanjeev Gupta.
Data from market intelligence firm Genscape also suggested US production had increased.
Inventory at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery base rose by 1.1 million barrels in the week to 22 July.
"Supply continues to return from disruptions, refined products are severely oversupplied, crude demand is falling well short of product demand, and key product demand is decelerating," Morgan Stanley said in a note.
On Friday, data showed the amount of US oil and gas extraction points had increased for the fourth week in a row.
The slump in prices from as high as $115 per barrel in 2014 led many shale oil producers to cut the number of rigs as producing oil was no longer profitable.
But despite a decrease in American crude supplies over the past year, there are still large stocks of gasoline in the country, even as the US hits its summer driving peak.
The value of the dollar which has steadily risen over the past month has also put pressure on crude oil prices.


Manager Gareth Southgate praised England's "character to come back" and secure a 2-2 draw in their World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Hampden.

England led 1-0 with three minutes left, but needed an injury-time equaliser from Harry Kane after Leigh Griffiths almost clinched a Scottish win with two late free-kicks.
Southgate told BBC Radio 5 live: "I've seen teams fold in those moments.
"We showed the mentality shift we needed."
He added: "I was pleased with how we dealt with a difficult atmosphere."
The result keeps England top of Group F but Scotland's chances of qualifying for Russia 2018 hang in the balance, as they are six points further back in fourth.
Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's close-range finish after 70 minutes looked to have secured the victory before Celtic's Griffiths scored two magnificent free-kicks in short succession - the second in the 90th minute - to put Gordon Strachan's side in contention for a famous victory.
Kane's goal in the third minute of added time rescued a point, but the late loss of concentration was reminiscent of last November's friendly against Spain, when England squandered a 2-0 lead by conceding in the 89th and 96th minutes.
"In the past I've seen players lie on the floor, sink to their knees and look as if they've been beaten," said Southgate.
"That wasn't the case, the body language was good. We should never be beaten and we showed the character to get an important point.
"For 80 minutes, we controlled the game. We moved it really well but in the final third our final ball wasn't quite what it might have been."
England face France on Tuesday in a friendly at the Stade de France.
Danny Mills - former England defender
"The whole England team lacked a little bit of sharpness for me. That three weeks without a game really showed.
"There will be some players who don't really want to be there. They have had a long, hard season and they just want to be on holiday with their families."


Six people were when shots were fired at a tourist bus on the A7 motorway in south-east France, police say.

The bus carrying 75 Czech tourists, some schoolchildren, was travelling from Spain to the Czech Republic when it was hit on Saturday night.
Two shots smashed the front and rear windows, Alex Perrin, a prosecutor in the Drome region, said.
Le Dauphin Libere newspaper said more police were stationed on bridges over the A7 in case of repeat incidents.
It is believed the attacker was using a hunting rifle to target the bus from a bridge over the A7 near Saulce sur Rhone, roughly halfway between Lyon and Marseille.
Among the six people injured by broken glass was a child, Mr Perrin said.
One passenger suffered a serious eye injury, he added.
"We don't have any reason to believe this bus was targeted instead of any other," Mr Perrin said.
No-one has yet been arrested.


The daughter of an elderly woman who was filmed being slapped at a care home has said it was "devastating" to watch secret recordings of the abuse.

Three workers at the Old Deanery in Essex, who were caught on camera during an undercover Panorama report, last week admitted assaulting residents.
Gill Lee's mother Joan Maddison, 85, was also shown being insulted and goaded in the 2014 documentary.
Mrs Lee said she had known that "something was wrong".
She said she became suspicious after her mother, who has dementia, appeared to "change overnight" after she was moved to another room in the Braintree home, with different carers.
"Before that she was very happy, she was described as a social butterfly and it was a joy to see her flourish.
"It was almost like an overnight switch in her attitude and becoming very wary of certain people," she said.
The management dismissed her fears, she said, and "no-one was prepared to listen" at the home.
"My sister and I knew something was wrong, and that gut instinct, if you have that feeling, you must follow it through.
"It was a relief to know we weren't going mad and we were vindicated in our continual quest to find answers," she said.
The family has decided to keep former social worker Mrs Maddison in the home because she seems "very happy again" now the workers have been dismissed.
The three carers, Adeshola Adewura, 33, Lorna Clark, 45, and Anita Ray, 47, will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court next month.
They were were charged with assault after detectives saw the programme and began an investigation.
Former owners Anglian Retirement Homes apologised "unreservedly" for the abuse at the time.
The home is now called the New Deanery Care Home and is owned by Sonnet Care Homes, which said it has "invested substantially" in staff training.


Jaguar Land Rover is set to hire hundreds of new workers as the car manufacturer announces plans to double the size of its site near Wolverhampton.

It will invest Â£450m in its engine manufacturing centre, doubling its size to 200,000 sq ft (18,581 sq m).
The plant, on the i54 business site in south Staffordshire, employs 700 people, a number it expects to double.
A rise in global demand had led to the centre's expansion, the company said.
Updates on this story and others on Birmingham and Black Country
Mike Wright, executive director of Jaguar Land Rover, said the plant was "absolutely pivotal" to the company's plans for global expansion.
"As we grow our volumes around the world we need more capacity," he said.
"We've started the initial phase just 12 months ago, that's gone really well, and we're now planning for the next phase for the next two or three years."
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said the company's further investment was "further evidence that the British automotive sector can compete with the best in the world".
"More than 10,000 jobs have been created and about Â£3.5bn has been invested in its Midlands' manufacturing sites since 2010."
Jaguar Land Rover first announced plans to build the engine manufacturing centre at the i54 business park in 2011, spending Â£500m on the site by the time it had opened.
It supports three other manufacturing sites in the UK, based at Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside.
The firm currently makes about 400,000 engines every year, with one coming off the production line every 40 seconds.


A racing pigeon feared lost has turned up after plummeting out of the sky into Dartmoor Zoo in Devon following an attack by a bird of prey.

Zoo staff cared for the injured bird and it is being returned to its owner in south Wales.
'The Pit Man' had failed to return from a race in the south of France five weeks ago.
Owner Craig Dewar, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, said he was "thrilled" his bird had been found.
Zoo worker Justin Aird said: "I was just giving a public talk about how the meerkats stand sentry duty to look out for birds of prey when suddenly there was a commotion overhead. Moments later, the pigeon dropped out of the sky and landed nearby."
Staff found the bird's identity tag and contacted Mr Dewar.
Zoo curator Colin Northcott said: "Obviously the bird was very shaken and had sustained some minor injuries but he was very lucky to have fallen where he did.
"If it had been anywhere else, even in a more remote part of the zoo, the buzzard would surely have finished him off."
The bird got its name as it always flies home over the site of the former Six Bells Colliery in Abertillery.
Mr Dewar said: "I was thrilled to hear that he'd been recovered. I just can't believe that he will be back with us soon."
The Pit Man will be able to give his wings a rest on the journey home as he will be couriered back by a specialist.


Joseph Fox photographed the mudlarkers who comb the shore of London's River Thames. Originally a term for the city's poor who scraped a meagre living by scavenging in the river's mud, it has been adopted by a new breed of treasure hunters, often armed with metal detectors.
These men and women show off their favourite finds, and discuss the joys of mudlarking.
Dave Hiddleston, Limehouse
Long fascinated by history and collecting, Dave first discovered mudlarking while he was working on Cannon Street and saw people on the foreshore in wellington boots.
His favourite find is an English community cloth seal, which he believes was used to stamp cloth bags coming through London in about 1618.   It was inside a lump of burnt cinder.
Dave said: "I am always encouraging others to go mudlarking. It is a great escape from the humdrum of modern life, and interesting doing research on your finds.
"Plus you get to meet some really interesting like-minded people."
Edward Sandling, Vauxhall
Ted discovered mudlarking by chance. "I was walking along South Bank," he said, "and I just hopped over a gate and came down to the foreshore. You get a sense of quietude and the perspectives on the city are so different, just by that small change of level."
He then noticed the objects at his feet, such as this pipe stem shaped like a horse's hoof. He said: "I have finds that are older and perhaps more beautiful, but this is the one that set it all off.
"It's absolutely beautiful. To hold it and know that someone else was smoking it 150 to 200 years ago is amazing."
Ted believes that London's beauty lies in the fact that it hasn't all been embanked, and its tides allow these things to be found on the beaches: "It churns up discoveries every day. Every tide there are new things to be found."
The one item he is holding out for is a Bartmann jug, decorated stoneware from Germany that was used to transport food, drink and goods. For Ted, "they inspire thoughts of darkly forested mountains".
Andrea Smith, Rotherhithe
Although she began only in October last year, Andrea makes time to go to the shore up to six times a week. She uses a metal detector, alongside her eyes and a trowel, to find shards of pottery such as this, painted with a willow pattern.
Andrea said: "It does not happen often that a shard contains both doves.
"I have found great joy, serenity and peace with my soulmate and best friend, my husband Iain.  This shard represents this to me."
Sara Cannizzaro, Vauxhall
It's the unexpectedness of mudlarking that drew Sara to it, in contrast to the routine of London life.
"I feel the excitement when I'm walking along the bank," she said. "It's a way of making order out of chaos."
Sara has managed to find a piece of Bartmann jug, which - from the splashes of cobalt blue glaze - she has dated to 1600-20, made in Frechen.
She said: "The face that was impressed on the neck of these jugs is a prized find from all mudlarkers - everyone wants to find one!"
Mark Smalley, Rotherhithe
Mark picks the shore in Rotherhithe because of the area's history as the place where pilgrims sailed to America, making him believe it is easier to find trader tokens and hammered coins.
He uses a metal detector, explaining: "You're looking for the black areas where there's a lot of erosion - that's hopefully where your history will be. The hard pack underneath holds the history."
His favourite find is a potted ham jar lid, which despite being only Victorian, is very rare as it is intact.
The peacefulness of mudlarking is what appeals to Mark. "The whole world is buzzing above you and you're just out of it completely," he said. "You're just in your own world."


About 2,000 people attended the opening night of a new art exhibition which claims to put '"black issues" back in the spotlight.

One of the curators behind The Place is Here said the "timeliness" of the show was responsible for the huge interest.
It features work reflecting how black artists dealt with life in 1980s Britain.
Sam Thorne, from the Nottingham Contemporary, said some issues faced then were coming back into society.
The exhibition contains more than 100 pieces of artwork which look at civil unrest, racial division and economic inequality.
Mr Thorne, director at the gallery, said many of the artists were responding to Ronald Regan's America and Margaret Thatcher's immigration policies at the time.
He said: "There is a real sense of the timeliness of this work when political and social context feels quite close to today.
"Their work asks questions about identity or race which are still relevant today.
"Some of the anti-immigration issues and xenophobia the artists were responding to in the late 70s and 80s, is coming back again."
Mr Thorne the huge attendance from opening night - one of the gallery's biggest ever - showed the "excitement" there had been around the show.
"It was so busy," he added. "The range of people coming in, from all ages and backgrounds, created an incredible atmosphere."
The exhibition is free and runs until 30 April.


Chesterfield striker Ched Evans has completed his return to Sheffield United, signing a three-year contract.

Evans, 28, last played for the Blades in 2012 before he was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison.
That conviction was quashed and, following a re-trial in October 2016, Evans was found not guilty.
"I still feel I have plenty to prove in football both at club and international level," said the Wales striker.
"I believe I can achieve those goals at United, playing in front of the terrific fans whose support I have always appreciated."
Evans joined Chesterfield last summer and scored seven goals in 29 games for the relegated League One side this season.
Evans scored 48 times in 113 games in all competitions in his first spell with Sheffield United, who will play in the Championship in 2017-18 after winning the third-tier title.
He last won an international cap in March 2011, coming on as a substitute against England.
BBC Radio Sheffield reported on 24 April that the deal could be worth about £500,000.
Having first joined Sheffield United from Manchester City for £3m in 2009, Evans was prolific in his final season with the club, scoring 35 times in 42 appearances.
Following his release in October 2014, having served two and a half years of his prison sentence, the Blades revoked an initial offer to allow him to use their training facilities after 170,000 people signed an online petition against the move.
United's main shirt sponsor threatened to end their association with the club if they re-signed Evans, three club patrons resigned, while Olympic heptathlon champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill wanted her name removed from a stand named after her if the striker was offered a contract.
Evans has rejoined the Blades after their six-year stint in League One came to an end with promotion in April.
"The signing is just one element of the plans we have drawn up for next season," Blades boss Chris Wilder told the club website.
"We have done our homework on the player. We pride ourselves on team spirit - as the fans have seen this season - and plan to bring in players who can be part of that.
"Ched comes to us with targets to achieve along the way. With a full pre-season with us, we believe he can provide us with options up front and score goals."
Chesterfield offered Evans a return to professional football in June 2016, two months after his conviction was quashed, saying "a great deal of thought" had gone into the signing.
"I am very grateful to Chesterfield, the board and football management for giving me an opportunity to return to the game," added Evans, who nearly joined Oldham Athletic in January 2015 before the League One club pulled out of the deal following threats to their staff and pressure from sponsors.
"It is just disappointing that it has come in a season which has seen the club suffer relegation. I would like to thank the Chesterfield fans who made me feel so welcome."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock says his two top earners, Peter Whittingham and Bruno Manga, have been asked to take pay cuts to remain at the club.

Both players are out of contract in the summer and neither has yet has signed the reduced terms on offer.
Warnock said he was keen to hold onto both players, but says he needs to reduce the club's wage bill.
"We spoke with Peter about a compromise contract and I spoke to Manga about a compromised contract," said Warnock.
Warnock admitted talks had effectively stalled with the pair, but the 'compromise contracts' were necessary to bring the club in line with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
"He (Whittingham) can't be on the contract he's on now.  Like Manga he's one of the top earners at the club," the manager explained.
"We had discussions earlier on (with Whittingham), we couldn't quite reach an agreement as such.
"Things have changed slightly in the fact with the FFP, we had a meeting a few weeks ago and we should know about that next week.
"I've had to have a meeting planning out next season about what I'm looking for, how many players I'm looking for, the cost and how we can fund that without aggravating this FFP rule and regulations."
Warnock says he hopes the players will be enticed to stay because they are comfortable in their surroundings.
"I've spoken to Manga as well, we'll be deciding what we're doing as soon as we know what figures they are and we can see how we can manage it," he said.
"We can't sustain the wages he's on, but he's enjoying himself and I've said to him he's had good money from the club for a few years, will he enjoy it wherever else he goes? He's enjoying it here.
"He's part of my plans at the minute and I've said to him 'let's see how you go between now and the end of the season' and I think if he enjoys it he might accept the reduced contract."
Kadeem Harris is another Cardiff player Warnock is also negotiating with about a new contract.
The Bluebirds have eight games of the Championship season left and are seemingly safe from relegation after reaching 51 points with a 3-1 win over Ipswich before the international break.
They head to Molineux on Saturday to face a Wolves side still seeking points to secure their own Championship status next term.
However, Warnock has troubles in attack ahead of the trip to the Black Country.
Top-scorer Kenneth Zohore is doubtful with a tear to his calf and ex-England striker Rickie Lambert is also sidelined.
"Kenneth Zohore was the biggest worry," Warnock said. "What we don't want to do is make it worse."


The Hoegh Osaka was deliberately run aground in the Solent shortly after leaving Southampton port with a cargo worth Â£60m on 3 January.

She spent four days stranded on the shallow Bramble Bank before freeing herself and being secured in deeper water between East Cowes on the Isle of Wight and Lee-on-the-Solent on the mainland.
The 51,000-tonne vessel was towed to Southampton port on Thursday and salvors are to hand over responsibility of the ship to the Norwegian owners Hoegh Autoliners.
It is thought the total value of the cargo could be up to Â£60m.
While the ship is docked in Southampton, salvors will work to make the decks safe so the owners can take back control of the vessel.
It is thought that much of the cargo is underwater but many of the cars remained securely in place while the ship was listing at 52 degrees.
The salvage company Svitzer is based in the Netherlands and has worked on operations all over the world. Salvage master Bram Sperling has worked on more than 90 missions.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I congratulate all those who have worked tirelessly day and night to bring this ship back to port.
"I would like to pay particular tribute to Hugh Shaw who oversaw the operation, with the help of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, salvage operators, and the pilots and tugs of the port of Southampton.
"They battled exceptionally difficult weather conditions with extraordinary dedication and courage. A full investigation into how the incident occurred is ongoing."
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is to investigate the incident fully once the ship has been secured by the salvage team.


A tourism strategy hopes to make the Borders Scotland's "premier cycling destination" by 2021.

The draft document outlines a string of strengths the region already has but also the challenges it faces.
Among the potential improvements is an off-road route between Galashiels and Edinburgh via Peebles.
Councillors are being asked to agree sending the document out for consultation before its final version is completed.
The Scottish Borders Cycle Tourism Strategy said the region had a "long-established" reputation for leisure cycling gained thanks to the 7Stanes mountain biking routes and other trails.
It said that in the first nine months of 2015 alone, cycling tourism had been worth about £155m across Scotland.
However, it highlighted the lack of specific economic impact figures for the Scottish Borders as an issue which needed to be addressed in order to measure progress.
The report also recognised the competition the region faced from other areas which are keen to promote cycling including Perthshire, Dumfries and Galloway and the Highlands.
Among the developments which it said could "enhance the product offering" in the Borders are:
"It is crucial for the Scottish Borders not to fall behind and continued product development is a priority in order to maintain a competitive position," the report concluded.
"Development of infrastructure and product development of the tourism offer are key.
"The Scottish Borders must have a structured strategy and action plan with the appropriate investment in order to maintain and expand its position as Scotland's leading cycling destination."


Bottled mucus may one day play a role in some gut diseases, according to US researchers.

A study of the slimy lining of the bowels, published in the journal Science, showed mucus had a role in calming the immune system.
The team at Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York, believe it may be useful in diseases in which inflammation runs rampant in the intestines.
The human body naturally produces around a litre of mucus every day.
Researchers at the hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine were investigating why the lining of the bowel does not react to the trillions of bacteria which call the human intestines home. Elsewhere in the body, the immune system would launch a brutal attack against such invaders.
The team investigated the interaction between the mucus produced by the intestines and the immune system.
They showed that a mucus was not only acting as barrier between bacteria and immune system, but a component of the mucus was also calming the immune response. Sugars, or glycans, stuck to the a mucus protein called MUC2 were having the effect.
Lead researcher Dr Andrea Cerutti told the BBC: "We were able to show its ability to dampen the immune reaction in a specific type of immune cell, a dendritic cell, which orchestrates the immune response.
"But these are just initial studies; we know very, very little about mucus."
One area the team think mucus could help in is some bowel problems.
Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis are all poorly understood diseases, but do have inflammation, a part of the immune response, as a common feature.
Dr Cerutti said mucus was often disrupted in these patients and suggested that it may be possible to use mucus as a treatment.
One vision is to artificially synthesise mucus, although this is not currently possible, or a drug which can stimulate the same effect in the lining of the gut.
Whether such approaches to boost the mucus layer of the guts would help patients with bowel disorders is still unknown.
Mucus is not unique to the digestive system. It lines the lungs and streams out of the nose during a cold.
There is speculation that it could be producing similar immune-calming effects in the respiratory system and may be playing a role in allergies and asthma.
Dr Cerutti said even cancer may be affected by mucus: "Several aggressive tumours, such as colon, ovarian, and breast cancers produce mucus, including MUC2.
"Mucus produced by malignant cells may prevent protective immune responses against the malignant cells."
Prof Jon Rhodes, from the department of gastroenterology at the University of Liverpool, said: "There's a massive amount of work in this intriguing paper and it's fascinating to read.
"To extrapolate this to just swallowing mucus would be hopelessly naive, but what might actually be interesting to speculate is that when the nature of the glycans are better understood it could lead to a very exciting and new type of therapeutic"


The families of two British backpackers murdered in Thailand have spoken about the "senseless and brutal" killings.

Two Burmese men have been found guilty and sentenced to death for murdering Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao island.
Mr Miller's family said he would be remembered as a "hard-working, bright and conscientious man".
Ms Witheridge's family spoke of how their "world changed forever" after her death on 15 September 2014.
The judgement and sentencing of Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were delivered on Thursday, although their lawyers said they would appeal after they retracted their initial confessions on the grounds police had tortured them.
The flawed case of the Thailand beach murders
Ms Witheridge, 23, from Hemsby in Norfolk, had earned a first-class honours degree from the University of East Anglia and was working towards a masters degree in speech and language therapy at the University of Essex.
Her family described her as "a beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman who poured joy into the lives of all who knew her".
"Words cannot begin to explain the journey we have endured, a journey that has no end."
Her funeral, took place in Hemsby in October last year, and mourners were asked to wear bright colours.
Mr Miller, 24, was originally from Jersey and studying civil and structural engineering at Leeds University.
He had been on a six-week work placement with a mining company in Australia before taking a break with a friend in Thailand.
Live updates: Reaction after two men sentenced to death
Shortly after the murders, his father Ian Miller said he believed his son had stepped in to help Ms Witheridge when they were both killed.
Mr Miller's family said they were killed in a "senseless and brutal way" while both were "in the prime of their lives".


The classification system for British track and field Para-athletes "could be abused" and is "open to exploitation", according to a UK Athletics review.

The review found a "wide consensus" among those with experience of the system that rules could be exploited, also identifying methods of doing so.
It follows claims before the Rio 2016 Paralympics that classifications could be manipulated to boost medal chances.
Yet, there is "no substantive evidence" to suggest widespread cheating.
A four-person panel, chaired by Paralympic wheelchair racer Anne Wafula Strike, conducted the review between November and February, with its findings revealed on Tuesday.
It concluded the system could be abused, "should an athlete or support personnel be sufficiently motivated, have an understanding of the classification process and have an impairment that lends itself to exaggeration."
The classification system puts athletes into groups depending on the level of their impairment to try to ensure fair competition.
However, the UKA review found various methods of undermining those rules, including:
Employing such methods could allow an athlete to exaggerate their level of disability and gain an unfair advantage, potentially increasing their chances of medals.
Baroness Grey-Thompson, an 11-time Paralympic champion, has previously raised concerns over athletes abusing the system, adding the issue "goes to the heart of the integrity of the sport".
British sprinter Bethany Woodward, who has cerebral palsy and was not selected for Rio, gave an interview before the Games saying she had lost faith in the way the team was selected.
As part of the review, 26 individuals with experience of the classification system were invited to interviews - 20 of whom accepted - including current and former athletes, coaches and support staff, some of whom had also previously expressed issues with the system.
The findings also drew on other expertise, as well as that of the panel members Wafula Strike, Professor John Brewer of St Mary's University, Iain Gowans of the British Paralympic Association and Peter Taylor of the UKA board.
The report also highlighted difficulties in detecting classification abuses from performances alone, with Para-athletics a "young sport" where records are "broken frequently, sometimes by large margins," while systems of classification are also still developing.
Yet it also warned that the issue "is not exclusive to athletics" but can be seen across Paralympic disciplines.
Despite focusing on UKA's classifications system, the review also noted possible discrepancies between the UKA and the system used by World Para Athletics (WPA).
UKA handles classifications for track and field athletes in the UK, while the WPA controls international competitions classification and other sports regulate their own classification.
Those interviewed by the panel also raised uncertainties that coaches and athletes understood both systems, as well as concerns over the lack of a forum to explain athlete classifications and the absence of an appeal process against potential incorrect allocation that is independent of UKA.
UKA chair Ed Warner confirmed that a number of recommendations made by the report will be implemented in full, including improving the standard of medical documentation, with particular focus on those with fluctuating conditions.
The review also calls for an oversight committee, independent from UKA, to manage the appeals process, as well as a panel of independent clinicians to review medical data.
Despite the issues raised, the panel also found UKA's classification to be "robust" and often cited as "an exemplar of best practice", with Wafula Strike hoping the implemented recommendations mean UKA continues "leading the way" in ensuring the integrity of Para-athletics.
Brewer added: "Many of the recommendations we have made will, we believe, allow the process in the future to be more flexible, responsive to change and - if appropriate - open to challenge and closer review."


An EU summit with six former Soviet states has opened in Latvia with one leader saying it is not a "beauty contest" to distance them from Russia.

European Council President Donald Tusk accused Russia of "aggressive and bullying tactics" towards its ex-Soviet neighbours. Ukraine and Georgia are among the EU's eastern partners.
But Mr Tusk said the partnership was a "long haul", not aimed against Russia.
It is overshadowed by Russia's role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Mr Tusk said that if Russia was "a bit softer, more charming [...] perhaps it would not have to compensate its shortcomings by destructive aggressive and bullying tactics against its neighbours."
He said that the bloc was determined to support its poorer neighbours despite Russian pressure: "The European Union stays the course despite the intimidation, the aggression, even the war, of the last year," he said.
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU's Eastern Partnership was not "an instrument for pursuing an expansionist EU policy".
She said that there was a "crystal clear difference with Russia".
"We accept that the different Eastern Partnership nations can go their own way and we accept these different ways," she added.
Mrs Merkel also ruled out letting Russia rejoin the G7 group of major industrialised nations, saying "so long as Russia does not comply with basic common values, a return to the G8 format is not imaginable for us".
The G7 meets in Elmau, southern Germany, next month.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday's talks were not about EU membership for the six partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
He also said Greece - short of funds to pay back its international creditors - was "not on the agenda".
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko meanwhile insisted that he was "not disappointed" with a draft joint statement due to be released on Friday that will reaffirm the "European aspirations" of Ukraine and other countries.
As the two-day Riga summit got under way, Georgia and Ukraine were conducting military training drills with US troops.
Russia accuses the US and Nato of striving to pull its former Soviet partners into the Western camp, to Russia's detriment.
It is exerting pressure on ex-Soviet states to join a Moscow-led "Eurasian Union".
A far-reaching EU-Ukraine association agreement  has angered Russia.
At the summit the EU is expected to approve €1.8bn (£1.3bn; $2bn) for Ukraine - the last instalment of a €3.4bn aid programme.
There is much alarm in Latvia and its Baltic neighbours Estonia and Lithuania over Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The three Baltic states were under Russian domination during decades of communism.
Georgians fear setback in Riga
Katya Adler: Strengthened Cameron heads for Riga
Ukraine talks of 'real war' with Russia


A plume of "tropical air" is expected to sweep across parts of the UK over the weekend, bringing unseasonably mild temperatures, says BBC Weather.

Forecaster Steve Cleaton said: "Through the weekend, increasingly mild air of tropical origin will be steered across the UK by westerly winds."
Temperatures are expected to peak on Monday, with highs of 17C in some parts.
The record temperature recorded for a day in February was 19.7C in 1998.
The mild weather will be enjoyed across much of England, east Wales, eastern Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland. In western and northern parts, the weather is likely to be more rainy and cloudy.
The rise could see the UK enjoy higher temperatures than parts of southern Europe, including the Balearic islands of Menorca and Majorca.
Our forecaster said the unusually high temperatures were the result of mild and moist air and a meteorological phenomenon called the Foehn effect.
There have already been a few mild spells during this winter and the temperatures reached 17C on 7 December, in Hawarden, Flintshire.
However, gardeners have been warned by the Royal Horticultural Society not to get carried away by the first signs of life in the year's "most treacherous month".
Guy Barter, RHS chief horticulturist, said February can often see balmy temperatures mixed with dry winds, showers and night frosts.
He added: "Wise gardeners know to be wary and wait until mid-March or even April before sowing and planting".
Compare the temperature where you are with more than 50 cities around the world, including some of the hottest and coldest inhabited places. Enter your location or postcode in the search box to see your result.


Bidders for the West Midlands rail franchise are being given permission to remove seats and create more standing room to fit more passengers in.

Current operator Govia, which owns London Midland, and West Midlands Trains Ltd, have been formally asked to tender for the network.
Standing room on some routes can be cut from about half a square metre to a quarter, bidding documents state.
Those overseeing the bids, said it would only affect short journeys.
The network covers the Midlands, south east, north west and services to London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street.
More updates on this story and others in Birmingham
To help with increased passenger capacity, bidders can reduce standing room on some routes to about a third of a metre and down to a quarter of a metre on Cross City journeys - between Lichfield in Staffordshire, Birmingham New Street and Redditch in Worcestershire.
Other requirements for the franchise include proposals for more Sunday and evening services, extra trains from Birmingham to Shrewsbury, direct services from Walsall to London and free wi-fi on all trains.
Malcolm Holmes, from West Midlands Rail, part of the new West Midlands Combine Authority which is co-ordinating the process with the Department of Transport (DfT), said the extra standing space makes sense.
"You have to remember this is for short journeys," he said.
"The majority of journeys on the Cross City line are less than 20 minutes.
"There will of course still be seats on the train. There'll be plenty of seats and this is just to allow much better standing capacity on the trains for the short journeys."
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said passengers who are travelling for more than 20 minutes should be able to have the option of a seat.
"It's important that bidders for the franchise consider the needs of all passengers when designing train interiors" he said.
"Where passengers do have to stand it is important they can do so in safety and in relative comfort with plenty of hand rails available."
The DfT has said the new operator is expected to be announced in June 2017 and take over the franchise in October.


Reading's Oliver Norwood believes Northern Ireland will continue to fly under the radar at Euro 2016 - their first major tournament for 30 years.

Norwood, 24, insists Michael O'Neill's side, who are unbeaten in 10 matches after Monday's win over Slovenia, are continually underestimated.
Northern Ireland will face Poland, Ukraine and Germany in Group C in France this summer.
"We are not going there to make the numbers up," Norwood told BBC Sport.
"The lads were saying that we have had not much recognition for what we did achieve. I think it's worked in our favour a little bit to be honest because people do underestimate us a bit and it's worked out for us.
"I think we do surprise a few teams because of how good a team we are. But we've earned the right to take part in the tournament and we know what we are good at and that we can achieve good things."
Norwood has established himself as a regular starter alongside captain Steven Davis in Northern Ireland's midfield.
But he believes that he, along with Reading team-mates Paul McShane, Chris Gunter, and Hal Robson-Kanu, must maintain their club form to ensure a seat on the plane to France.
Gunter and Robson-Kanu have respectively earned 66 and 30 caps for Wales, while McShane has played 31 times for the Republic of Ireland, both teams also Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Reading have not won any of their last five matches and are only eight points above the Championship relegation zone.
"If you are not doing well at your club and not playing then it gives the international managers a decision to make," Norwood added.
"You do not want him to be making the decisions and then not make squad for the finals. It's important to get back in the team here [at Reading] as quickly as I can and play well until the end of the season.
"We have got to start picking up points, we do not want to be getting drawn into the bottom of the table. We are only eight points off it and we know we are not safe yet."


Almost 500 riders took to the trails surrounding Innerleithen at the weekend for the last of the TweedLove Triple Crown Enduro races of the year.
The sell-out race saw them fighting for not only the title of Scottish Enduro Champion but also an overall series win.
While competitors from all over the UK came to battle it out for the top honours, it was the local riders from the Tweed Valley who dominated the podiums.
The overall men's win was taken by Innerleithen's own Lewis Buchanan, just back from racing in Canada.
Gary Forrest took second place with Christo Gallagher taking the third podium place.
The women's race was won by Ella Connolly, almost one minute quicker over the day than nearest rival Polly Henderson in second, with Eilidh Wells third.
TweedLove's Triple Crown series winners were Gary Forrest and Melissa Pearson.


Banks around the world are realising that in the rapidly developing world of smartphones and apps they are at risk of falling behind in the innovation race.

Fresh-faced financial technology start-ups (fintechs) are coming up with new mobile-first services - payments, loans, money transfers, digital currencies - and threatening to steal customers, particularly younger ones.
Investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates that $4.7tn (Â£3.3tn; â‚¬4.1tn) in revenue for traditional financial services is at risk of being displaced by these fintech upstarts.
"From Amazon's transformation of the retail sector, to Uber's revolution in personal transportation, banks are taking heed of what is happening in other industries," says Mohit Joshi, global head of financial services at tech consultancy, Infosys.
"The biggest banking market challenge is coming not from challenger banks, but from fintech start-ups."
This is why many old banks have been flirting with younger models in an effort to stay hip. But are such apparently mismatched relationships doomed to failure?
At the southern tip of Africa, in Cape Town, global banking giant Barclays is busy developing a secret tech solution to make it easier for consumers to make payments online.
But it has called on the expertise of local tech start-up Peach Payments to help, and the two are working on a product aiming to change the way people transact online in emerging markets.
Rahul Jain, co-founder of Peach Payments, says: "We are helping them actually design the product since we have the feedback from the market and understand e-commerce from the perspective of the merchant and the consumer.
'Invaluable feedback'
"This is invaluable feedback which the bank doesn't have normally."
From the bank's point of view, "it's about recognising that not all innovation has to happen within our own four walls," says Lubaina Manji, head of Barclays' group innovation office.
"There is a talented and vibrant start-up community globally, which Barclays can work with to co-create the future of financial services."
Peach Payments was one of 10 start-ups to participate in a 13-week Tech Lab Africa accelerator programme hosted by Barclays in Cape Town in December.
The bank also runs programmes and hubs in the UK, USA, and Israel, and has plans to launch activities in India and Lithuania.
Another start-up taking part in the programme was Nigerian firm Aella Credit, which has built an instant loan approval and payment platform that relies on data analytics to identify creditworthy borrowers.
Aella Credit director Akinola Jones says his firm has remained in constant communication with Barclays' innovation team since taking part in the programme.
But sceptics will point out that Barclays' recent decision to sell its Africa operations shows that such partnerships may be more to do with playing catch-up than leading from the front.
All those attractive fintech start-ups may appear tempting, but there is no consensus among the big beasts on the best way to get a piece of the action.
Some banks, such as Santander, National Bank of Australia and Citigroup, are providing venture funding and seed investments for fintechs.
Others, such as Barclays, Bank of America, and Sberbank, are creating or partnering with start-up incubator programmes.
Others still, like Spain's BBVA, are simply buying them up.
"We're yet to see which type of approach will prove the most fruitful, but industry experts are unanimous in their belief that those banks which bury their heads in the sand and fail to acknowledge the impact of fintechs are putting their entire business at risk," says Vincent Bastid, chief executive of Efma, a research and networking organisation for financial institutions.
Efma has just produced a report looking at the impact of fintechs on the established financial services industry.
In a similar example, French bank BNP Paribas has linked up with Swiss fintech accelerator, Fusion - a partnership the bank says is "at the heart" of its digitisation plan.
Based in Geneva, Fusion takes on 10 start-ups each year, and puts them through a 12-month intensive programme of mentoring, funding, and access to markets.
Kim Potvin, chief operating officer at BNP Paribas (Suisse), believes the partnership is already yielding tangible results, and will help its Swiss arm become "a leading player in the financial services of the future."
Fusion's programme director Sebastien Flury describes the partnership as a "win-win" situation, with benefits for banks and start-ups alike.
But if all this sounds a little too cosy, entrepreneur Daniel Doderlein, chief executive of Norwegian cloud-based mobile payments platform Auka, has this stark warning for fellow fintech start-ups.
"If you partner with banks too early on, they can basically poison the well for you - you effectively become a consultant. They take the air out of the innovation balloon and the project dies instantly."
By building his own platform, mCash, and establishing a consumer business first, Mr Doderlein found he was then able to sell it to initially sceptical banks from a position of strength. Norway's Sparebank 1 bought the mCash business in October last year.
And Gareth Mellon of research firm Frost & Sullivan warns that the jury is out on just how effective such partnerships are.
Many are purely "defensive strategies" by the banks, he says, and have proved difficult to integrate within existing business models.
"While fintechs have brought heightened innovation, they remain limited in their scope and, in many ways, are forced to rely upon the established players to ensure market adoption," says Mr Mellon.
Perhaps the biggest threat to banks, in Europe at least, is the European Commission's forthcoming Payment Services Directive 2, due to come into force early in 2018.
This aims to open up electronic payments to more competition by forcing banks to open up their IT systems to new entrants, thus encouraging innovation.
"If you don't provide a mobile payments app to your customers, your risk being marginalised," says Mr Doderlein. "It's going to be a bloodbath."
Perhaps the banks need tech start-ups more than tech start-ups need the banks.
Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter.


A fire engine called out to a car fire was set alight itself when a lorry crashed into it.

Firefighters were putting out the blaze on the A50 near Aston-on-Trent, Derbyshire, when the lorry hit their fire engine, causing both to ignite.
The fires broke out on the eastbound carriageway but both carriageways have been closed, causing stationary traffic and long delays.
Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.
Check the BBC Travel pages for updates
Police said emergency services were called to the car fire at about 15:40 BST. No-one is thought to have been seriously injured.