The Football Association is outdated, held back by "elderly white men" and unable to counter the power of the Premier League, say five former executives of the governing body.

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David Bernstein, David Davies, Greg Dyke, Alex Horne and David Triesman say the FA has failed to "self-reform".
The five have asked Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport committee to propose legislation to reform the FA.
Committee chairman Damian Collins MP has said "time has run out" for the FA.
"It may well move us to redressing the woeful lack of English players or managers and the embarrassing failures of our national team for the past 50 years," the five conclude in a letter to Mr Collins.
The FA has been under increased scrutiny following allegations of historical sex abuse in the game.
Among the points made by the five former FA executives are:
Collins responded by saying the committee "shares your concern" and confirmed a draft bill to deliver the necessary reform was being prepared.
But in an interview with the BBC, the committee chairman went a step further.
"We feel now that time has run out," said Collins. "We no longer have any confidence that the FA can or will reform itself.
"We now have an invitation from former chairmen of the FA to act in the best interests of football and to legislate to restructure the FA and in many ways give the power back to people who play football."
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Dyke is the most recent of the five to have held a position at the FA, which they say has an "inability to reform and modernise in a fast-changing world".
Triesman became the FA's first independent chairman in January 2008 but resigned in 2010, later saying it was "impossible" to make the changes he wanted during his time in the role.
Bernstein spent three years in the same role before stepping down in 2013 and being succeeded by Dyke, who left the position in August before being replaced by Greg Clarke.
Davies is a former executive director, while Horne was finance director, managing director of Wembley Stadium, chief operating officer and general secretary at the FA, before leaving in January 2015 after 11 years at the organisation.
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The letter says a "focused intervention" may "move us to redressing the woeful lack of English players or managers and the embarrassing failures of our national team for the past 50 years".
It also highlights the domination of the Premier League (EPL) because of its "financial might", and added that "worse still, there are some 25 life vice-presidents on the FA Council - all elderly white men - who do not represent anyone but block even the most minor of changes".
They said: "It is little wonder that English football is out of balance. The FA has neither the modernity of approach nor independence required to counter the EPL juggernaut, or to modernise its own governance."
The quintet agreed with the findings of the Culture, Media and Sport committee's reports on football governance in 2011 and 2013, which concluded that the FA needed urgent reform.
"The FA has been given more than enough time to self-reform and therefore we now ask that parliament take this on board, recognise that further promises of change are not serious, and legislate as necessary, including the appointment of a regulator to achieve the changes that are so desperately needed," the five said.
Bernstein said that during his reign as FA chairman he "tried very hard to push a reformist agenda", and the fact he got a female independent director onto the board was a "minor miracle".
He believes that the "only place to get change" is through Parliament.
"It was very difficult and Greg Dyke and Lord Triesman have found the same thing," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
"I suspect that if the present FA chairman wanted and had the desire to make change, he would also [find it difficult].
"We have all come to the conclusion that it will only be through outside intervention that we will get change."
Dyke told the BBC that FA meetings "bear no resemblance to Britain today".
He added: "I was white, male and aging, and I decided that ought to be changed.
"The reason I left the FA after three years as chairman last year was because I could not get that change through. It was impossible."
Figures show that, of the FA Council's 122 members:
The FA says it is working on governance reforms to adhere to Sport England and UK Sport's Governance Code for Sport, which was released in October.
"The FA welcomes the new code as a means of ensuring that sports organisations in receipt of public money are operating in an effective and transparent manner that best supports their sports," the governing body said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with the appropriate bodies, DCMS [Department for Culture, Media and Sport] and Sport England, to achieve this joint ambition."
The Premier League says it has "kept patience when past chairmen and chief executives have failed to deliver" and has supported the FA's reforms.
"We will keep working hard to ensure standards are maintained and bettered," it said in a statement. "Others in the game have a responsibility to do the same."
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The Manchester United Supporters Trust (M.U.S.T), the largest supporters trust in British football, said FA reform was "decades overdue" and "demanded" that the Government "step in and make this happen".
Its chief executive Duncan Drasdo said the main FA board needed a "majority of independent directors to curb the undue and inappropriate influence of the powerful vested interests in the game" and that the FA Council must become a "powerful advisory board" including supporters' representation "without whom the game is nothing".
Women in Sport - which calls for a target of 30% women on the boards of sporting bodies - said: "We want to take this opportunity to stress the importance of change that enables women to play a full role in the leadership of football".
Asked about the story at a news conference on Monday, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: "Football and politics should not be together.
"Football is a very special activity and it should be ruled by football people. When you look at history when sport and politics mix, it's not for the benefit of sport."
The new chairman of the British Olympic Association, Sir Hugh Robertson, backed what he described as "a very significant intervention".
"If the DCMS committee report gets turned into a piece of legislation then they will be forced to reform kicking and screaming," he told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.
"If I was to give football one piece of advice, it's to get on and reform itself now - before legislation becomes necessary."
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway reports that, while Damian Collins may be drafting legislation, it would still need government backing for it to be passed - and previous governments have not previously showed signs of supporting any new law to enforce reform.
He also reports that football's world governing body Fifa has rules stating football associations must be "independent and avoid any form of political interference".
Fifa has taken action on government's interfering in the affairs of other football associations in the past.
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
For years, the FA has stubbornly resisted mounting pressure from fans and politicians to modernise and break the stranglehold of the vested interests on its Board.
But this blistering attack on the way football is run - and the Premier League's dominance of power and wealth - could prove harder to ignore.
The FA could well point out that however well-intentioned, today's criticism comes from three white men in their 60s and 70s who ran the organisation for a combined total of eight years.
But at a time when football is already under intense scrutiny over the child sex abuse scandal, these former FA executives - along with the Culture, Sport and Media committee - have thrown down a gauntlet; the demand for legislation, a regulator and even a vote of no confidence in the FA will horrify a sport that fiercely guards its autonomy, and insists it has made recent progress.
However, while the government has threatened the FA with funding cuts unless reforms happen soon, its appetite to get even tougher is far from certain.
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Saturday, 8 April, 2017 was the day that changed the life of rugby player Ed Jackson forever.

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The Dragons number eight had just finished lunch at a family barbecue near Bath.
But one "freak" moment later - as he dived into the shallow end of a pool thinking it was the deep end - left the 28-year-old with a broken neck.
Jackson was told at the time he may not walk again.
Now, after more than 11 weeks of gruelling recovery and rehabilitation at three different hospitals, he will be allowed to go home.
He is still in a wheelchair and he will never play rugby again. But he has regained significant movement in his arms and legs.
And, having floated in the pool immediately after the incident only able to move his eyes and mouth, Jackson is grateful simply to have made so much progress.
Jackson's ability to candidly recount the incident that altered his life forever has helped him in his recovery.
"They had a pool at their house and I hadn't been in it before," said Jackson.
"I walked over and they had this water feature off the side of the rock face next to the pool.
"I jumped and dived in where the waterfall went into the pool and went straight to the bottom and whacked my head.
"It turned out to be only four feet deep. I thought it was about 10 feet.
"I remember thinking 'that hurt' and couldn't stand up.
"I had some power in my right side so was able to pull myself up above the water and just said 'help' before sinking back down.
"I had this weird feeling, an 'is this it?' sort of moment, but luckily I had some friends in the pool and my dad who knew I wasn't messing around.
"If it had been a group of lads on holiday maybe they would have jumped on top of me.
"My dad is a retired doctor and knew straightaway there was something wrong with my neck.
"I also had a cut down the middle of my head so there was a lot of blood over my face.
"He held my head steady, floated me to the pool edge and waited for the ambulance. He was a good, calming influence.
"I had movement on my right side but as I lay there, slowly everything disappeared until it was just my mouth and eyes working which was scary.
"I remember virtually everything. I wasn't panicking or scared.
"I knew I had done something bad but was still trying to crack jokes with my mate Daf.
"I am not sure if it was shock but there was a weird sense of calm, while everyone's panicking around you."
Jackson believes his father's composure and medical training, plus the close proximity of a specialist hospital were major factors in his recovery.
"50% of damage in spinal-cord injuries happen after the event from being moved around," he said.
"I was fortunate my dad was there and I could float in a pool. They floated the spinal board underneath me and picked me out.
"I feel lucky not to have more damage. I was close to one of the leading spinal centres in the UK in Southmead in Bristol, in terms of acute surgery.
"They took one look at the MRI scans and rushed me straight into surgery.
"I managed to get operated on within seven to eight hours, another big factor in spinal injuries."
Jackson had fractured and dislocated the C6 and C7 vertebrae and shattered the disc between them.
His spinal cord was impacted and partially crushed, resulting in damage, swelling and spinal shock.
Jackson was initially told he may never walk again.
"They told me I might not get any movement back," said Jackson.
"Before I went into the operation, the surgeon said things that could happen, one of them being death, which was interesting.
"My fiancee, mum and stepmum were in the waiting room with my dad. They were told this was a serious operation and a chance I might not make it through.
"My dad told them not to panic because he knew doctors tend to be cautious and always give you worst-case scenarios."
Jackson had no initial movement from the chest down and admitted he endured tough times before the shoots of recovery.
"It was difficult, at the start, usually at night when none of your family and friends are there and you are in intensive care, it's 24/7," said Jackson.
"I couldn't swallow so I was hardly sleeping. I couldn't cough and someone had to come in with a suction tube.
"You think how much worse can it get but as time moves on, you start to progress.
"I was hoping to get arm movement back to be independent. I never wanted to be a hassle."
Jackson played for Bath, Wasps, London Welsh and the Dragons and was a bullocking, ball-carrying back-rower, who at 6ft 4in and 17 stone powered through opposition defences.
Now he was revelling in the slightest physical activity.
"My fingers started moving first," said Jackson.
"The biggest elation was seeing my right toe wiggle after weeks of staring at my foot trying but nothing happening.
"That first moment I saw the signal from my brain going to my foot was big because you had something to work with.
"Little wins like that have been happening over the last eight weeks, which are bigger than any league title.
"I have been living amazing moments with tears of joy over the last three months. You don't get that in normal life."
Jackson has been charting his recovery in a social media blog which has attracted the attention of medical professions, Paralympians and other people in his situation.
"I was keeping a personal diary as soon as I could use my hands and found it therapeutic," said Jackson.
"I was persuaded by friends to make it public and thought it could help a couple of people.
"In a couple of weeks it went crazy, going around different hospitals with nurses and physios reading it.
"I had some great feedback and I am now in touch with some Paralympian gold medallists and amazing people in my situation.
"You can't get much better input from people who have been through it themselves.
"I think I have helped a few people but if anything it has helped me massively. Now I just have to keep it going."
Jackson says his recovery has been helped by the support network of family, friends and fiancee Lois Rideout, who plays netball for Cardiff-based Celtic Dragons.
"They have been unbelievable," said Jackson.
"You don't realise until you are in a situation like this about how good a network of people you have.
"My fiancee Lois has been a saint, she has been in every day. She is basically my own private physio now because she has sat in on all the sessions.
"My family have been brilliant and old school friends are always visiting me. I am lucky because some people don't have that."
"I have been obviously told I am not going to play professional rugby again," said Jackson.
"If someone had said that to me before, that would have been terrible. It was all I had ever known, what was I going to do?
"I am getting my head around things but there are more important things, like trying to be able to walk again.
"Now the boys are back pre-season and I am not going back into training, it's starting to hit home.
"The Dragons have been supportive and the rugby community's response has been unbelievable. I have had messages from all over the world which is humbling. People who have I never met or only played against once or twice."
Jackson admitted the question of insurance was unresolved and his plans on life after rugby yet to be formulated.
He has been helped by the Restart programme, part of the Rugby Players' Association, which has granted him money for rehabilitation to help bridge the financial gap.
The Matt Hampson Foundation - started by the former Leicester prop who was left paralysed after an injury - is also helping by paying for his wheelchair.
"I haven't moved on in my head that far," said Jackson.
"I did a degree while I was playing and am doing a Masters, so was getting things in motion.
"This happens and everything goes out the window.
"I want to help the charities that have supported me, to give something back.
"When the money runs out and I have to go back to work, I will cross that bridge then.
"I don't know how long this journey will be. But it's going to be expensive."
Jackson has been latterly a patient in Salisbury District Hospital, where his recovery has been aided by Horatio's Garden - a charity that creates picturesque and accessible gardens in NHS spinal injury centres - which has added mental stimulation to his physical recovery.
On Tuesday, 27 June, he was given the all-clear to leave hospital to live with his father and stepmum in Bath, with the Cardiff home he shares with his fiancee unsuitable and unable to be modified for his needs.
Still in a wheelchair, Jackson hopes to be walking again soon.
"My left side is more damaged," he explained.
"I have good movement in my arms. My left hand started moving three weeks ago but there is no strength.
"My right leg is good. In my left leg I have power to push and can extend it but have no strength in my ankle. I can't pick up my foot, which is stopping me walking.
"So things are moving but have slowed down. Changes are weekly rather than daily but I am hopeful I can get it all back.
"If someone had given me this diagnosis in week one where I had no movement in all four limbs, I would have bitten their hand off.
"I have more back then I could have ever prayed for."
That is not to suggest Jackson is content with his current state. He wants more.
"I want to be able to challenge myself physically again and not just as someone with a spinal injury," said Jackson,
"I want to take my mates for a walk so they can't keep up with me.
"My goal is to be back fit and healthy and be able to do what I want to."
Jackson insists there are no demons about returning to water, with hydrotherapy proving a key part of his rehabilitation.
He has even targeted going back to the pool "that did this to me, getting my own back and kicking a few tiles".
"I am comfortable thinking about the incident," said Jackson.
"There is no-one to blame. I don't blame myself. It was a freak accident, I just wasn't concentrating. I don't blame anyone else.
"All of a sudden things happen. You can't plan for them and they come from nowhere.
"But I will definitely be more cautious about going head first into anywhere."
Jackson has insisted he never thought about the worst-case scenario.
"At no point did it cross my mind I could have died," said Jackson.
"In my head I wasn't in a situation where I was fighting for my life. I was fighting to walk again.
"It never crossed my mind I could have been stuck at the bottom of that pool, because that was not a position I was in. It's not worth thinking about.
"I am lucky perhaps because I am a bit blase, which has helped me in this situation.
"Being in hospital, you see there are people in far worse situations living amazing lives.
"I have no right to feel upset or sorry for myself. It's just another injury I am rehabbing from, that's how I am looking at it.
"My life has changed completely but I am excited about what the future holds. It's not scaring me.
"Time will tell how much I get better.
"Even if it does not get any better than this, which I am sure it will, I will be fine."


The number of homes repossessed in Wales has halved over the past 12 months and are at the lowest level for more than a decade, official figures have shown.

County court bailiffs carried out 491 repossessions in 2015 compared to 955 in 2014.
The Ministry of Justice figures showed a downward trend since 2008 when almost 2,500 people lost their homes.
But the latest figures are also the lowest since 2004.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said the falling figures were in line with the rest of the UK and put the drop down to very low mortgage rates and relatively strong employment.
However it issued a warning to homeowners to think ahead to when interest rates - which have stood at 0.5% since March 2009 - eventually rise.
"The more people can do now to make sure their finances are in place when the rates do rise the better position they will be in at that time," said CML spokeswoman Sue Anderson.
UK Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: "County court mortgage possession claims are running at the lowest levels since records began.
"This is thanks to our work to tackle the deficit and keep interest rates low, helping more families to stay in their hard-earned homes."


An elite Sydney boys' school is being investigated for animal cruelty after a video emerged of students crash tackling sheep during rugby drills.

Footage of the training sessions shows the animals being dragged around a New South Wales farm by top players from the King's School in April.
Animal rights activists and some farmers have condemned the activity.
King's School, famed for producing national rugby stars, initially defended the training exercise.
Headmaster Tim Hawkes had said the task was "not dissimilar to that undertaken by shearers" and that no animals were harmed.
"The two rugby coaches were assured by the farmer beforehand that the activity was safe and all the more so because he would be supervising it carefully," Dr Hawkes said in a statement issued to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, which uncovered the video.
But in a later statement, he said he was "appalled at the decision".
"Regardless of whether it was supervised, or that no animals or boys were harmed, it was totally inappropriate."
The footage was reportedly posted to a private Facebook page by a teacher, but had since been removed.
The head of the RSPCA in New South Wales, Steve Coleman, called the training exercise "horrific".
"What I just saw was behaviour that can lead to similar behaviours towards humans. There's a lot to be said about violence in general," Mr Coleman told ABC.


Scientists in Austria have created the first ever prosthetic leg that can actually feel the ground beneath it.

9 June 2015 Last updated at 15:42 BST
Wolfgang Rangger's become the first person to try it out.
He lost his leg in 2007, and says the new technology is impressive.
'It feels like I have a foot again.'
The prosthetic leg has sensors in the sole that measures contact with the ground.
The sensors are connected to nerves in the thigh.
They send messages to his brain to let him know what he is touching.
It can work out if the ground is hot, cold, wet or slippery. It can also tell him if the ground is soft or hard like a road or grass in the park.
He says it helps him avoid falling and he can run faster.


A man has been charged with kidnapping a pensioner who reported being taken to withdraw money against her will.

The woman in her 80s and from Ashtead in Surrey said she had been taken to a cash machine.
The offences were reported on Tuesday, Surrey Police said.
A 32-year-old man of no fixed address has been charged with kidnap and fraud and remanded in custody. He is due to appear at South East Surrey Magistrates' Court on 24 April.


Hibernian striker James Keatings has signed a pre-contract agreement with Dundee United.

The 25-year-old striker has played for three promotion-winning Championship sides in four seasons, at Hamilton, Hearts and Hibs.
United face Morton in the Premiership play-off quarter-final first leg at Cappielow on Tuesday, 9 May.
"I am joining a fantastic club with a great reputation who are set up to be in the Premiership," Keatings said.
"I look forward to joining Dundee United. I have enjoyed playing at Tannadice, and my goal is to be scoring in the Premiership for United whether it is next season or beyond."
Keatings made 30 appearances for Championship winners Hibs this season, scoring eight goals.


Every southern summer for the past 57 years, Catholic priests from New Zealand have packed their warmest clothes and travelled some 4,000km (2,500 miles) south, to the frozen wastelands of the Antarctic.

New Zealand's Catholic Church has had an annual invitation from the US National Science Foundation to spend their summer months at the Chapel of the Snows at the remote US McMurdo Station on Ross Island, serving the spiritual needs of the scientists and researchers based there.
But a combination of cost-cutting and a fall in demand means that, this year, the Americans have decided the last Kiwi priest has said Mass on the ice.
"We're really sad," says one of those priests, Father Dan Doyle, from his home in Christchurch.
"After 60 years of ministry at the end of the Earth - a great challenge in an amazing place - to be told that we're not needed anymore... it's a bit sad."
Father Doyle has been the leader of New Zealand's Antarctic Ministry for the past 15 years, spending 14 summers at the base as priest to a maximum summertime population of 2,000.
In the winter, when the Antarctic falls dark, the population drops to about 150 essential staff.
He was "just an ordinary fellow" when he took up the challenge, he says, but it was "a joy to be involved".
Each day there was varied, he says, as he worked alongside his Protestant counterparts.
"When I'm on the ice, we have a church service every day. On Sundays we get big numbers, on weekdays a small number."
The priests also went out to the work places, office and labs, offering support and encouragement, and checking on people's wellbeing.
They would often receive calls from people worried about their workmates, so "we'll occasion on them and ask how things are going".
Life so far from home can be hard, especially for those involved in stressful work in tough living conditions.
"People get very isolated," he says. "Thirty years ago, when I was first there, we didn't have all the wonderful digital communications we do now.
"We could get a two-minute ham radio call once a month. Nowadays there's Skype and email, and great internet and telephone communications, so it's much less stressful."
Once every couple of weeks, they would even travel to the South Pole - a 1,360km (845 miles) journey -  to conduct religious services or Mass at the Amundsen-Scott Base, the southernmost inhabited place on Earth.
As for the "hatches, matches and despatches" which are the bread and butter of a more routine priestly life, while it's not possible to get legally married in the Antarctic - as it's not claimed by any one country - people have held symbolic ceremonies, he says.
Equally, while no-one can legally be buried in the Antarctic, he has performed last rites and conducted memorials for those who've died far from home.
And there are no children in Antarctica - under 16s are not allowed to be there. But Father Doyle has performed baptisms of adults, who perhaps found that their time in the snowy south stirred some sense of the divine.
Kiwi priests on the Antarctic tundra
The first New Zealand priest to travel to Antarctic was Father Ronald O'Gorman from Christchurch, who went out on a US Navy icebreaker in November 1957 to assist the Navy chaplain, says the Christchurch Antarctic Mission.
Two subsequent priests made a permanent impression on the region, having geological features named after them.
Coleman Peak, a 1,600m mountain on Ross Island, was named in 2000 after New Zealand priest Father John Coleman, who served 20 years at McMurdo, and died in 2003.
The four-mile-long Creagh Glacier in Victoria Land was named after Father Gerry Creagh in 1995. He was the unofficial US Navy chaplain at McMurdo base for more than 25 summers, earning himself the title "Chaplain of Antarctica".
The National Science Foundation said the New Zealand priests were a valued part of the community, but a decline in churchgoing numbers meant this particular programme was no longer viable.
"There are Catholic chaplains available through the US military, so it's not as if practising Catholics will not be able to avail themselves of services and a Catholic priest," spokesman Peter West told the BBC.
"But this particular programme we cannot accommodate any longer," he said, adding that Father Doyle and the New Zealand Catholic Church were consulted throughout.
A protestant priest will still take a stint each summer at McMurdo, providing interdenominational services - so the base won't be left a godless wasteland. Russia also has a priest installed in a church at its base on King George Islands, on the other side of the continent, and there are a handful of churches dotted around.
But Father Doyle says he accepts that he and his New Zealand colleagues were guests of the US, and that, with the ease of communicating with home and a general fall in numbers at the base, "there's just not the demand that there was 30 years ago".
But for him, it marks the end of a "wonderful adventure".
"Going onto the ice and listening to the wind whistling around the icebergs, seeing the beautiful wind-sculpted ice," he says of his favourite memories.
"Going in to the face of glaciers and crawling around the tunnels, seeing all the beautiful colours. The glaciers sing when you tap them you know, because the ice is under stress, so it rings like a bell.
"You think white is one colour, but white is a thousand colours when you get inside a glacier and it's all around you."


Are we approaching the twilight of the fossil fuel era?

A few years ago that question would have seemed absurd. But a combination of forces is squeezing carbon assets like never before.
The oil price remains stubbornly low. Renewables are becoming more affordable and moving into the mainstream.
On top of that, some investment managers are now beginning to question the value of their holdings in carbon fuels as the pressure builds for the world to limit climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
Some observers believe energy is at a potential tipping point.
Much of the pressure was initially triggered by a man in a small office in central London – a man with a question.
Mark Campanale, a former City investment manager, mused: how much of the reserves of oil and gas written in the reserve books of the world's energy giants could we actually go ahead and burn in our cars and our power stations while sticking to the promises governments were making on limiting climate change?
He found to his surprise that no-one had done the sums.
The research he commissioned showed that energy companies have already found more coal, oil and gas than we can burn if politicians keep their promise to hold the global temperature rise below 2C.
The report produced a shock-wave. Academics from University College London finessed the findings, warning that we must not burn 80% of our coal, 55% of our gas, and 30% of our oil if we want to meet agreed targets on carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, a pressure group, 350.org, began urging faith organisations, foundations and pension funds to withdraw funds from fossil fuels, arguing it is morally wrong to put your money in carbon fuels. So far, more than 220 institutions have taken the decision to divest.
These include the heirs to the Rockefeller Standard Oil fortune and the board of trustees at California's Stanford University. This week students at Harvard are calling on that university to follow suit.
Even the Bank of England has joined the fray. It’s investigating whether fossil fuel stocks could cause a destabilising "carbon bubble" in financial markets.
So far, the divestors are a drop in the ocean. The great majority of investment managers are sticking with oil stocks. They acknowledge the climate-related risks but believe that with growing demand, particularly in developing countries, the future of oil and gas will be rosy for decades.
A third group of investors is taking a different strategy – keeping their money in fossil fuel stocks, but raising uncomfortable questions at company AGMs.
Saker Nusseibeh, chief executive of Hermes fund managers, is one these. He told me that concern in the City over the climate to fossil fuels is still small – but growing.
“I think 10 years ago it was consigned to people much more concerned by environmental issues – tree huggers, if you like,” he said.
“The fact that people are thinking about it in the mainstream is quite new. And I think that the regulator thinks of it as a source of risk for the City of London is particularly interesting – and new.”
BP and Shell have both agreed to support shareholder motions mandating more transparency over the risks to their fossil fuel assets from climate policies. But both maintain the future will offer a version of business as usual.
In a statement, BP said: “Affordable, secure and sustainable energy is essential for economic prosperity. We expect energy demand to grow by nearly 40% - driven by the developing world. To meet this demand a diverse mix of energy sources will be needed – including fossil fuels.”
Shell concurs: “Shell has already been increasing transparency and engagement on emissions and climate change; we need a balanced debate, global thinking and effective forward looking policy and regulation that can deliver more energy for less carbon.”
But while the industry is paying attention to the questions being raised, one industry source told me the oil giants simply don’t expect governments to keep their promises to cut carbon emissions. They plan, the source told me, to keep seeking more fuels in the expectation that they will get burned.
And so far the price of borrowing and the price of shares for oil industry majors also reflects that expectation: that energy companies will be able to sell their reserves for the foreseeable future.
But oil bosses are becoming more vocal, speaking up on behalf of their industry. Shell’s CEO recently condemned what he said were naive voices calling for rapid decarbonisation of the global economy.
"With an exceptional effort, as much as 25% of the world's energy could come from renewables by 2050," said Ben van Beurden. "But non-renewable forms of energy will have to make up the rest."
The UK's former climate change ambassador John Ashton has condemned his comments. The oil giants, he says, will have to choose which side of history they are on.
Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin


Briton Geraint Thomas moved into third place at the Tour de Suisse as he finished sixth behind Colombia's Darwin Atapuma on Wednesday's fifth stage.

Atapuma pulled away from the field 6km from the end of the 126km leg to Cari, with Warren Barguil finishing second.
Frenchman Pierre-Roger Latour was third to take the overall lead, five seconds ahead of Welshman Thomas.
Thursday's sixth stage, which takes the race 162.8km to Amden, should also favour the climbers.
The race finishes in Davos on Sunday.
1. Pierre-Roger Latour (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) 18hrs 4mins 54secs
2. Wilco Kelderman (Ned/Team LottoNl-Jumbo) same time
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +5secs
4. Warren Barguil (Fra/Team Giant-Alpecin) +16secs
5. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC Racing Team) +18secs


Kinky Boots, a musical based on a true story about a shoe factory in Northampton, has opened in London's West End to strong reviews.

The show's theme gave most critics the opportunity to trot out plenty of puns.
The Guardian said it "puts its best foot forward" while the Mail hailed it as "blistering!"
Already a hit on Broadway, Kinky Boots features songs from pop star Cyndi Lauper who won the 2013 Tony Award for best original score for her work.
Lauper, writer Harvey Fierstein and director Jerry Mitchell joined the cast and producers on stage during a standing ovation at Tuesday's opening night at the Adelphi Theatre.
Among the famous names in the audience were theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh, TV host Graham Norton, diver Tom Daley and singer Beverley Knight.
The story centres around  Charlie Price (Killian Donnelly) who turns his ailing shoe factory into a success by making thigh-high boots after a chance meeting with drag queen Lola (Matt Henry).
"You could make a case against the musical as a piece of preachy uplift about sexual tolerance," said The Guardian's Michael Billington, who awarded four stars.
"But it won me over through the quality of the lead performances, the verve of its staging and its conviction, in its fetishistic worship of thigh-high boots, that there's no business like shoe business."
Quentin Letts, giving four stars in The Mail, said the show "canters along with engaging verve and vim" after a "dull" opening 15 minutes.
"Well done the wardrobe mistress and the backstage dressers who squeeze the cast into various items of footwear," he added.
Full of sole
Kinky Boots director Jerry Mitchell told the BBC on opening night how he took his cast to Northamptonshire to learn about the art of shoe-making.
The county has a centuries-long association with footware manufacture and several specialist companies still operate there.
The factory of family-run company, Tricker's, provided the template for the exterior set design in the musical.
"When we started rehearsals I took the whole cast to Tricker's in Northampton," Mitchell said. "And then all the Tricker's people came and saw a preview last week - and they flipped out!"
He said the show's message was about "accepting people for who they are and not making judgements about people before you get to know them".
And he hoped it would go down well with British audiences. "I tell every cast I work with that you guys grow up with panto, so seeing a man address isn't really that big a deal."
Other four star reviews came from The Stage and Whatsonstage.com.
The latter's Michael Coveney said the Broadway import was "a riotous take" on the 2005 film version, which was itself inspired by a BBC documentary, Trouble at the Top: The Kinky Boot Factory, which was broadcast in 1999.
"It's interesting how British musicals with commercial pretensions have focused on communities in industrial decline - from Billy Elliot to Made in Dagenham - as if to galvanise the public into a sense of regeneration through theatre," he said.
The Stage's Mark Shenton said: "I suspect Kinky Boots may have legs and not just the muscular ones that are encased in thigh-high, stiletto-heeled footwear that are specially designed for transvestite use."
Less impressed was The Telegraph's Dominic Cavendish, whose two-star review said: "It may at times look as colourful as a pride carnival parade, but you can hear the creak of the production-line.
"It doesn't help that the Adelphi only recently hosted Made in Dagenham, another rather formulaic vision of blue-collar types rallying together against a background of industrial uncertainty."
He did, however, praise Matt Henry's "tour de force" performance as Lola. "When he's surrounded by his gender-bending, go-go dancers, camping and vamping it up like there's no tomorrow, it's all pleasure, no pain. But around them, it's way too pedestrian. He's a sure-footed sensation, the clod-hopping show isn't."
Kinky Boots is booking at London's Adelphi Theatre until 6 February.


The UK government has announced that Scotland's Court of Session will now be able to hear new patent cases.

Legal experts had warned that inventors and designers based in Scotland could lose out as a result of planned changes to the law.
In future a unified patent court will hear patent cases.
There will be up to four divisional courts in the UK - but there were originally no plans to have one in Scotland.
The Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates had urged UK ministers to step in and change the law.
That has now happened, with Scotland's Court of Session being appointed as a venue for these claims, provided there is enough demand.
Gill Grassie, a member of the Law Society of Scotland's intellectual property law committee said: "We are delighted that the UK government has listened to our concerns.
"This is an important and very welcome step towards the goal that we have been aiming to achieve for the benefit of Scotland's IP rich business community.
"If we can secure the ultimate realisation of this goal sooner rather than later this will give businesses in Scotland, which rely upon patents to protect valuable technologies and innovation, assurance that they will be able to enforce and defend their rights in future in a local court.
"Thus they will be enabled to secure the benefits this will give in terms of costs savings, convenience and certainty."
The SNP's Pete Wishart, who had campaigned for the change, said it means inventors in Scotland will no longer have to go to a more distant court in London or Europe to enforce their rights.
He said: "This is a fantastic victory for the legal establishment in Scotland.  I raised these concerns through all stages of the intellectual Property Bill and am very pleased that in response to my amendments today the UK government have said that we can secure a divisional court if we can demonstrate demand.
"Not only is there demand in Scotland but there is also centuries of experience, skills and expertise in dealing with patent case in Scotland.
"It would have been patently absurd for Scotland to be denied a divisional patent court with our tradition of invention and creativity and this is great news for all businesses associated with developing our creative economy in Scotland."
Last year, countries across Europe backed the changes to patent laws designed to help inventors protect their ideas right across the continent.


Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket has stunned many in his country.

Tuesday's announcement by Dhoni is the top story in most newspapers and many Indians have taken to social media to express their surprise.
The cricketer said he was retiring from Tests "to concentrate" on the 50 over and Twenty20 formats.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called him "one of India's greatest Test captains".
The 33-year-old, who made his debut in 2005 and was captain for 60 of his 90 Tests, quit after India drew the third Test against Australia on Tuesday.
In its lead story Dhoni drops a bomb, The Hindustan Times wonders about the "abrupt announcement" and says that experts were surprised as the BCCI announcement came in the middle of Australia tour.
The Times of India reports that Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to his team: "MS Dhoni, always known as 'Captain Cool,' got a touch emotional when he announced his decision in the dressing room. His teammates hugged him and took pictures with the departing skipper."
Discussing his legacy, an editorial in the paper questions "what will we remember for MS Dhoni"?
"Even if India has had players come from its hinterland before, few managed to make such an impact as MS Dhoni. He infused a belief in small-town folks that they could rise to the very top if they backed their talent. And that would remain the biggest of his contributions to India's Test cricket team over the past decade," the paper writes.
In a story headlined Dhoni retires Dhoni style, the Indian Express reports that "a teary-eyed Dhoni gathered his teammates for an impromptu huddle in the dressing room and dropped the bombshell, leaving them astonished and devastated. Then around 45 minutes later, the rest of the world experienced the same shock".
Social media too has been abuzz with the news of Dhoni's retirement with his fellow cricketers and fans taking to Twitter to express their love and gratitude for Dhoni.
Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar applauded Dhoni's "wonderful career in test cricket":
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan praised him for his "courage":
Chandra Sekhar described him as "a true idol for Indian cricket":
Yash Khandelwal wrote he was "saddened" by Dhoni's retirement:
Columnist Devinder Sharma, however, said Dhoni's decision was right as it came when the cricketer is at his peak:


Jersey is to make a bid to join Uefa and play international football.

The Channel Island, which has a population of around 100,000, is hoping to follow Gibraltar and take part in European Championship qualifiers.
Jersey is currently classed as a county by the English Football Association.
Under Uefa rules, non-sovereign nations cannot be members, but the Jersey FA said earlier this summer it was hopeful of changing the European football governing body's mind.
In May 2013, Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory, was accepted as a full member of Uefa, European football's governing body.
Gibraltar is the smallest Uefa member in terms of population, behind San Marino (just over 32,000), Liechtenstein (approximately 37,000) and the Faroe Islands (just under 50,000).
While Jersey is self-governing, it is a crown dependency of Great Britain, with the Queen as head of state.
However, the island is already recognised as a nation in its own right by the International Cricket Council, and its team reached the final qualifying tournament for the World Twenty20 this summer.
There are two Jersey-born players currently playing in the Football League - Ipswich striker Brett Pitman and Rochdale midfielder Peter Vincenti - while former Scunthorpe United and Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough grew up in the island.
The island's most famous player is undoubtedly Graeme Le Saux, who won 36 caps for England and the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers, as well as playing for Chelsea and Southampton.
Jersey's footballers currently play in the island's league, the Jersey Football Combination, and take on Guernsey in the annual Muratti vase clash every year.
The island also competes in the football competition at the biennial Island Games and has a side in the FA Inter-League Cup, which they won in 2012, allowing them to represent England at the Uefa Regions Cup the following year.


Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants an explanation after Raheem Sterling was sent off following his 97th-minute winner against Bournemouth.

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After his deflected shot looped in to secure a 2-1 victory, Sterling ran to the City fans and was shown a second yellow card by referee Mike Dean.
"I don't understand. Hopefully they can call me and explain the reason why," Guardiola told BBC Sport.
Gabriel Jesus had earlier cancelled out Charlie Daniels' goal for Bournemouth.
The home side dominated the early exchanges and took a deserved lead on 13 minutes when Daniels drilled home a stunning half-volley off the crossbar from the edge of the area.
But City equalised eight minutes later with their first shot on target, David Silva picking out Jesus with a perfectly weighted pass for the Brazilian to roll the ball home.
The goal seemed to spark the visitors into life and they dominated the rest of the half without adding to their score.
Both teams had chances after the break, with Bournemouth's Joshua King and City's Nicolas Otamendi hitting the post.
King had another opportunity to win it for the hosts when he outmuscled Benjamin Mendy, but his shot was straight at Ederson.
Sterling's winner came moments later, sparking wild celebrations in a finale City captain Vincent Kompany described it as "madness".
He told Sky Sports: "The first thing I did was say to Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva: 'Welcome to the Premier League'."
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While City's fighting spirit will draw praise, Dean's performance will not elicit the same response.
Football's laws state players must be cautioned if they "approach the spectators in a manner which can cause safety and/or security issues".
"We don't invite the fans? Maybe we play without fans?" Guardiola said to Sky Sports.
Former England striker Alan Shearer tweeted: "Don't give me 'it's the law' nonsense. Mike Dean has clearly never experienced scoring the winning goal.
"And for all saying 'but it is the law' if we are going to rigidly apply law with no common sense, why did he only book Sterling?"
Ex-West Ham striker Bobby Zamora wrote: "Can't celebrate a goal now? Absolute joke."
And former Spurs striker Garth Crooks, speaking on the BBC's Final Score, said: "Who is Mike Dean appealing to by sending him off for that? It's certainly not the crowd."
Sterling is the first Premier League player to be sent off for excessive celebration since Frederic Piquionne for West Ham against Everton in January 2011.
But his dismissal was not the only controversial decision in the match.
Bournemouth's Nathan Ake could have been sent off for a blatant first-half trip on Jesus when the striker was through on goal. He was only booked.
"I think Mike Dean has got that one wrong," said former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on BBC Radio 5 live. "Ake should have been sent off."
While Sterling's dismissal dominated the post-match analysis, all the talk before the game had centred on Guardiola's team selection.
The Spaniard made four changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Everton on Monday, with striker Sergio Aguero dropping to the bench.
Defender John Stones was also among the substitutes, while Mendy made his debut and Danilo came in for the suspended Kyle Walker.
City, who played three at the back against Everton and Brighton, reverted to a back four, with full-backs Mendy and Danilo pushed high up the pitch.
In between them, and after an uncomfortable opening 20 minutes, Otamendi eventually settled alongside Kompany.
City had more than 70% possession in the match, and Guardiola was happy his team came away with all three points.
He told Sky Sports: "Winning in the last minute is always special.
"It was a tough game. It is always complicated against Bournemouth. They play long balls, balls into the channels and play set-pieces, but we got into the game."
For Bournemouth's part, though they impressed for periods of the match, their third successive league defeat means they are yet to win a point this season.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told BBC Sport: "We thought we had hung on for a point. We had chances to win it, too. I am disappointed for the players and the supporters.
"The second half was bitty, we wanted that to be the case. I am enthused by the performance, which was better than our first two.
"We started really well, very positively. We created more chances today than in our first two games, but we need to start getting some points quickly.
"We knew it would be a different test. We had to be disciplined, which I felt we were, but one or two moments of class from them can hurt you."
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After the international break, City host Liverpool on Saturday, 9 September, while Bournemouth travel to Arsenal.
Match ends, Bournemouth 1, Manchester City 2.
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 1, Manchester City 2.
Attempt blocked. Steve Cook (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Manchester City. John Stones replaces David Silva.
Second yellow card to Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) for excessive celebration.
Goal!  Bournemouth 1, Manchester City 2. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Danilo with a cross.
Harry Arter (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lys Mousset (Bournemouth).
Attempt saved. Joshua King (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Charlie Daniels.
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Leroy Sané (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
Substitution, Bournemouth. Lys Mousset replaces Benik Afobe because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Benik Afobe (Bournemouth) because of an injury.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Harry Arter (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.
Tyrone Mings (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tyrone Mings (Bournemouth).
Attempt missed. David Silva (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Manchester City. Leroy Sané replaces Gabriel Jesus.
Offside, Manchester City. Danilo tries a through ball, but Gabriel Jesus is caught offside.
Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City).
Joshua King (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
Steve Cook (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Steve Cook (Bournemouth).
Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross following a corner.


An exhibition marking the history of Britain's tattoo history - including a wall of 100 silicon hands decorated by leading artists - has gone on display.

Organisers say the display at Cornwall's National Maritime Museum is the largest collection of British tattoo-related objects ever assembled.
There are also sections of tattooed human skin that have been preserved, and recreated tattoo studios from different decades of the 20th Century.
The show is on until January 2018.
For more on the tattoo exhibition and other Devon and Cornwall stories
Co-curator Dr Matt Lodder said tattooing had been a "constant presence in British social history" since the early 17th Century.
"It's not a modern trend," he added.
"If it's a craze it's been going on for 150 years."
Doc Price, who thought to be the world's oldest living tattoo artist at the age of 85, said the new exhibition was "very important".
He said: "There isn't a great understanding of the tradition of British tattooing because most of our tattooing was based on what we thought was brought from the Orient or from the Polynesian countries.
"We always thought that was proper tattooing but now we have developed it to a very high level."


Nintendo has reported better-than-expected profits thanks partly to the success of its games for mobile phones.

The Japanese gaming giant saw profits of 64.7bn yen ($569m; £456m) in the three months to December. Analysts had predicted about 20bn yen.
As well as its mobile-only Pokemon Go and Super Mario Run games, Nintendo enjoyed healthy sales of Pokemon titles for its 3DS handheld devices.
It will launch its newest console, called Switch, in early March.
Some analysts believe the device - which attempts to merge home and mobile gaming - could be Nintendo's last shot at selling a home console, after the Wii U proved a flop.
It was rapidly outsold by Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, although Nintendo has enjoyed success with its handheld 3DS device.
Like many Japanese exporters, Nintendo benefitted from the stronger dollar, which means its overseas profits are worth more when repatriated.
The firm makes about 75% of its sales outside of Japan.


Syrian government forces have been accused of dropping barrel bombs containing chlorine from helicopters on a suburb of Aleppo, injuring 80 people.

Volunteer emergency workers say people suffered breathing difficulties after an attack on the Sukkari area.
The reports could not be independently verified. A UN-led inquiry concluded last month that the government had used chlorine on at least two occasions.
The Syrian government has always denied using chemical weapons.
It comes as Syrian opposition leaders prepare to meet in London on Wednesday to launch a new plan for a political transition to try to end the five-year civil war.
The umbrella group representing opposition factions, the High Negotiations Committee, will be hosted by UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Foreign ministers from the Friends of Syria group of countries, which have supported the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, will also attend.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the BBC that he still believed in a political solution to the conflict, and that Mr Assad was not in a "position of advantage or victory", despite his forces' recent advances.
"But if Bashar al-Assad continues to be obstinate and continues to drag his feet and continues to refuse to engage seriously, then obviously there will have to be a Plan B which will involve more stepped up military activity," he said.
This new plan is the Syrian opposition's most comprehensive answer to that question: What happens if President Assad goes?
It's meant to reassure the president's foreign backers, like Russia and Iran, that there can be a stable transition which avoids the collapse of state institutions, and violent chaos that's shattered neighbouring states like Iraq. That's a concern shared in many capitals, and most of all Damascus.
But the demand for President Assad and his closest Syrian allies to step down has always been rejected in Damascus, and will be again. It's never clear how much Moscow and Tehran are able and willing to change that. This plan is meant to test that.
But the Syrian army, backed by powerful outside support, is making gains on the ground, through force, or local deals which amount to surrender. If this plan doesn't work it will be back to Plan B -  more military support to all sides in a devastating war.
A volunteer emergency response worker from the Syria Civil Defence said he had reached the scene of the Aleppo attack on Tuesday shortly after a helicopter had dropped barrels containing what he said were four chlorine cylinders.
The Syria Civil Defence, an organisation that operates in rebel-held areas and is also known as the "White Helmets", posted video on its Facebook page showing distressed children using oxygen masks to breathe.
Chlorine is a common industrial chemical, but its use in weapons is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention. If high concentrations of the chemical enter the lungs it can cause death.
Opposition activists and medics accused the government of another chlorine attack in Aleppo in August.
Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, has accused rebels of firing shells containing "toxic gas" at government-held areas in Aleppo.
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Tuesday that a brief period of relief early this year for civilians caught up in the war in Syria had been replaced by an even more brutal resumption in fighting.
Its 12th report said the cessation of hostilities in February had allowed some towns to receive their first aid in years but it only lasted a few weeks.
The report says 600,000 Syrians now live under siege with up to 300,000 trapped in the city of Aleppo.
On Sunday, Syrian government forces were reported to have  recaptured parts of Aleppo city which were lost to rebels last month, placing rebel-held districts in the city's east once again under siege.
A monitoring group said government troops had recaptured two military academy sites in the Ramouseh district, in the south of the city, and severed a recently established rebel supply line.


Almost half of Welsh male voice choirs have said they are worried about their future.

Some 46 choirs of 102 surveyed by BBC Wales said they were concerned, while 50 estimated they had fewer choristers than 10 years ago.
Most said recruiting new and younger members was a challenge.
Historian Prof Gareth Williams said choirs were "resilient", producing a good sound with fewer voices.
A total of 116 members of the Welsh Association of Male Voice Choirs and the North Wales Association were contacted for information as part of the survey, with 102 responding.
Fifty-six groups said they were not concerned about their future, although 50 said they had fewer members than 10 years ago.
Some said it was a challenge to adapt to a new repertoire of songs to attract new audiences while continuing to perform traditional hymns.
Prof Williams - himself a member of Pendyrus Male Voice Choir in Rhondda - said the state of male voice choirs was "in many ways a barometer of Wales' economic health".
"Certainly when you look at the great period of prosperity before the first World War, the depression in the twenties and the thirties when Wales lost so many people - many choirs were affected, some just clung on," he said.
"Even today in a post-industrial era people have found the choirs adapting to a new situation, the repertoire has changed the composition of the choirs has changed, but they're still here."
So how are some of Wales' male voice choirs faring?
Ystrad Mynach
With just 19 choristers, chairman John Knight said membership is less than half of what it was 20 years ago.
The group has been determined to recruit new members - they have posted 2,000 flyers through doors, put posters up everywhere and have even taken choir practice to different venues across the town.
Mr Knight said: "Some who are getting on a bit wouldn't go anywhere else, they'd just sit at home watching television, whereas they get up every Monday and every Thursday - it's somewhere to go, it's something to do."
Caldicot
Chairman Mark Stocker said at the last count there were 90 choristers on the books - with 30 new members in the past five years.
The choir even managed to build its own choir hall next to the town's leisure centre. Success is down to lots of concerts, a wide variety of songs and a strong social element, with an associated cycle club, golf society and tours.
The age of choristers ranges from a 19 year old to 94-year-old Bill Cash, who lives in Bristol and has been travelling to practice twice a week for 47 years.
"It's the company I suppose, you have a laugh with the lads - on and off the stage," he said.
"If you can stick it for a fortnight we'll have you for life!"
Blaenavon
When musical director Gareth Whitcombe met film director Daniel Harris by chance a few years ago a campaign started to highlight the plight of the choir in Blaenavon and other choirs across Wales to survive.
Support from Hollywood star Michael Sheen and hundreds of others across the world saw the film "Save Our Male Voice Choirs" premiere in 2016.
The resulting publicity brought 16 new members to Blaenavon's choir, lowering the average age and securing its future.
Last month there was another first - a collaboration with a band called Blaenavon in front of a sold out crowd at the town's Workmen's Hall.
"Always be prepared to try something different," added Mr Whitcombe.


Leinster moved above Connacht into second place in the Pro12 table after winning the Irish inter-provincial derby at a wet and windy RDS in Dublin.

Johnny Sexton's 15th-minute penalty was the only first-half score as Connacht produced some stout defending.
However, Leinster upped the pace after Sean O'Brien's introduction and Josh van der Flier's try put them in control and Sexton kicked the conversion.
Ian Madigan added a penalty as Connacht suffered a third straight Pro12 defeat.
In contrast Leinster, despite having lost all four of the their European Champions Cup games, have now earned six straight wins in the Pro12 to move to within a point of leaders Scarlets, who were edged out 29-27 by Cardiff Blues on Friday.
Early-season leaders Connacht will drop to fourth place if Ulster defeat Munster at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
Van der Flier's crucial 61st-minute try was awarded by referee George Clancy after his consultation with TMO Marshall Kilgore even though replays appeared inconclusive.
However, Leinster deserved their victory as impressive displays from Eoin Reddan and O'Brien, making his 100th appearance for the province, helped them control most of the second half after being contained despite playing with a wind advantage in the opening period.
Sexton's penalty on the quarter hour mark was the only score of a bruising first half with Connacht repelling several threatening attacks from the home side.
Connacht were close to snatching a try before the break with Leinster's Ireland wing Dave Kearney making a vital intervention to bundle Niyi Adeolokun into touch after Tiernan O'Halloran's grubber kick.
Kearney's initial burst into the Connacht 22 helped set up van der Flier's try on 61 minutes although replays suggested that he may have been held up by John Muldoon.
A couple of other refereeing decisions appeared to go against Connacht - including an apparent missed knock-on by Rob Kearney near to his own line - as Bundee Aki attempted to inspire a rally from the visitors with some strong running.
Madigan's late penalty confirmed Leinster's victory as they moved to within a point of the Scarlets with also a game in hand.
Leinster coach Leo Cullen: "To be only 3-0 up at half-time left after having had the wind advantage definitely left us with a bit of a mountain to climb.
"But in the second half, we controlled the ball well in difficult conditions and we're delighted to come away with a win and to keep Connacht scoreless as well."
Leinster: R Kearney; F McFadden, G Ringrose, B Te'o, D Kearney; J Sexton, E Reddan; J McGrath, R Strauss, M Moore; D Toner, M McCarthy; R Ruddock (capt), J van der Flier, J Murphy.
Replacements: J Tracy for Strauss 60, P Dooley for J McGrath 69, M Bent for Moore 69, R Molony for McCarthy 67, S O'Brien for Murphy 51, I Madigan for Sexton 71, Z Kirchner for R Kearney 75, Boss for Reddan 70.
Connacht: T O'Halloran, N Adeolokun, B Aki, C Ronaldson, M Healy, J Carty, K Marmion; F Bealham, T McCartney, N White, A Muldowney, A Browne, J Muldoon (capt), J Heenan, E Masterson.
Replacements: D Heffernan for McCartney 69, R Loughney for Bealham 68, R Ah You for White 52, U Dillane for Muldowney 61, S O'Brien for Heenan 52, I Porter for Marmion 63, AJ MacGinty for Carty 63.
Not used: R Parata.


Portsmouth boosted their automatic promotion hopes with a win that dents Newport's League Two survival hopes.

A Kyle Bennett goal just before the interval and Kal Naismith's second-half header were enough for the hosts, despite Alex Samuel's consolation goal leading to a nervy finish.
Pompey are third in League Two but extended their advantage in the battle for automatic promotion to six points.
Newport remain six points adrift of safety with seven games remaining.
The Exiles headed to Fratton Park with three wins from three visits and no goals conceded since their return to the Football League, but this defeat could condemn them to a return to the National League.
In a week it was announced ex-Disney chief, Michael Eisner, is in talks to take over Pompey, Newport showed signs that they were ready to mount a Cinderella story by making a bright start.
They were angered not to be given a penalty in an even first period before Bennett put the hosts ahead on 42 minutes, finishing after Ryan Bird gave away possession.
Naismith's fifth of the season, headed home from Conor Chaplin's cross, looked to have secured the points, but Samuel also nodded home after good work from substitute Mark Randall to give Newport heart.
Forward Marlon Jackson missed a golden opportunity to earn a precious point late on.
Newport County manager Mike Flynn told BBC Radio Wales: "We gave ourselves too much to do, we didn't get going until 2-0 down.
"In saying that, we should have had a clear cut penalty at 0-0 and at places like this, you need that kind of luck.
"The effort was there, I think if the game had been ten minutes longer we would have drawn. We missed three big chances at the end.
"We are in a difficult situation, but we are still fighting."


Minella Reception has died after a fall at Becher's Brook in Friday's Topham Chase at Aintree.

The 10-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, was treated on the course but then put down after assessment back at the stables.
Gullinbursti had earlier been put down after falling in the same incident.
It takes the number of horse deaths to four at this year's Grand National meeting after Clonbanan Lad and Marasonnien collapsed on Thursday.
Neither fell but they died after being pulled up in the Fox Hunters' Chase which, like the Topham Chase, is staged over the same course as Saturday's Grand National.
Thirteen horses have died at the Aintree meeting in the past five years.
The British Horseracing Authority said there was one fatality from 661 runners at the previous two National meetings.
Since modifications to the fences and other changes three years ago, there have been no fatalities in the Grand National itself.
"While you can't remove all risk from any sport, we acted on evidence to make significant changes here at Aintree, including to the cores of every fence on the Grand National course," said John Baker, the north-west regional director for Aintree's owners Jockey Club Racecourses.
"We've seen hundreds of horses compete safely since over the last few years."
Speaking on the opening day of the meeting, Eduardo Goncalves, chief executive of campaign group League Against Cruel Sports, said: "We've seen some improvements in some places, but not enough in many."
The League Against Cruel Sports recommends removing the Becher's Brook fence where Gullinbursti and Minella Reception were fatally injured and reducing the field of any race to a maximum of 30 runners.
Marasonnien was ridden by amateur jockey Patrick Mullins - son of Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins - while Clonbanan Lad, who won last time out at Fakenham, was from Louise Allan's yard.


The former head teacher of a school has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting adults and possession of indecent images of children.

Graham Hardy, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, who is retired from Birmingham's Calthorpe Academy, was arrested on 6 April.
The school has sent a letter to parents stating the alleged offences do not relate to any current or ex pupils.
West Midlands Police said a 63-year-old man had been released on bail.
More on this and other Birmingham stories
The school's current principal, Richard Chapman, joined Calthorpe Academy in January.
Mr Chapman said: "Graham Hardy retired from the school at the end of last year and no longer has any connection with the Academy.
"However we can reassure parents and members of the public that this investigation does not affect the safety or wellbeing of our pupils or staff, or the running of our school."
West Midlands Police said they were working closely with the school as part of an ongoing investigation.


Sunderland's Didier Ndong has been named in Gabon's squad for next month's Africa Cup of Nations.

The summer signing from Lorient could miss as many as five matches for the Premier League side should Gabon reach the final.
Ndong, 22, is a regular for Gabon but failed to turn up for international duty in November before a World Cup qualifier. He later apologised.
Gabon are hosting the tournament, which starts on 14 January.
Bruno Ecuele Manga of Cardiff City had also been named in their squad.
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Sunderland could also lose Papy Djilobodji (Senegal), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia) and Lamine Kone (Ivory Coast) for the tournament.
Countries must name their final squads by 4 January.
The games Ndong might miss are Sunderland's home FA Cup third-round tie against Burnley on 7 January and Premier League matches against Stoke, West Brom, Tottenham and Crystal Palace.


Ivory Coast's government has protested to France after a French judge issued an arrest warrant for the speaker of its parliament, Guillaume Soro.

The warrant stems from a case brought against him in 2012 by ex-Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo's son.
Michel Gbagbo, who has dual French and Ivorian nationality, alleged Mr Soro's forces kidnapped and tortured him after his father's capture in 2011.
The government says Mr Soro, who denies the accusation, has immunity.
Mr Soro commanded a rebel force which fought the ex-president, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court with war crimes - charges he denies.
Ivory Coast's Foreign Minister Charles Koffi Diby said he had written to the French government to protest that the warrant breached international law, and should be annulled.
Mr Soro was in France on an official mission, and had "absolute immunity", he said.
Michel Gbagbo's lawyer Habiba Toure told the BBC that Mr Soro could have avoided an arrest warrant if he had heeded requests to appear before a French court.
Some 3,000 people were killed in the five-month conflict in Ivory Coast that ended when Mr Gbagbo, who had refused to accept that he lost elections to current President Alassane Ouattara, was captured in April 2011.
Human Rights Watch has said since the end of the crisis, progress toward justice has been largely one-sided.
The BBC's Tamasin Ford in Abidjan says Mr Soro is one of only a handful of people facing investigation from current President Ouattara's side, compared to hundreds in the opposition camp.


A piece of counter-terrorism intelligence supplied by Saudi Arabia "saved potentially hundreds of lives" in the UK, David Cameron has revealed.

The PM was asked about UK links with Saudi Arabia at an Ask The Leaders event hosted by Sky News and Facebook.
He defended close ties with the country despite its poor human rights record.
Mr Cameron said his first duty was to protect the public even if it meant doing business with regimes he "didn't always agree with".
During the event, Mr Cameron was asked why flags in the UK had been flown at half-mast on government buildings following the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia last month.
The case of blogger Raif Badawi, who has been sentenced in Saudi Arabia to 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam, was also raised.
Mr Cameron said: "I can tell you one time since I've been prime minister, a piece of information that we have been given by that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives here in Britain.
"Now, you can be prime minister and say exactly what you think about every regime in the world and make great headlines, and give great speeches.
"But I think my first job is to try and keep this country safe from terrorism and if that means you have to build strong relationships sometimes with regimes you don't always agree with, that I think is part of the job and that is the way I do it. And that is the best way I can explain it."
Mr Cameron was also asked whether the UK's relationship with the Arab kingdom was related to the fact that it has vast oil resources.
"Yes, of course," he said. "Of course Britain needs to have relationships with countries we trade with, including those that we buy oil and gas from.
"We can't make all our oil and gas here in the UK, we're doing well because we've got North Sea oil."
And Mr Cameron insisted he raised human rights issues with certain countries when he visited them.
He said: "It's perfectly possible to go to those countries as I do and raise human rights abuses.
"In fact I would argue that if you have a relationship with them and you have a way of talking to them they are more likely to listen to you than if you just cut yourself off."


The 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in south-east London on Sunday night was a rapper who had performed in concerts and online videos.

Myron Isaac-Yarde was found dying in Camplin Street, New Cross, after officers were called to reports of an altercation between a number of youths.
Officers said a post-mortem cited the cause of death as a result of a stab injury.
A friend of the musician said he was "truly loved" and would be missed.
Two boys aged 15 and 16 are being held in custody, and a murder investigation has been launched.
Both were arrested close to the scene.
Myron's friend Kyle said: "He had a soft spot for everyone - that's why he was so truly loved.
"He's going to be missed by friends and family and I just want people to remember Myron in a positive way."
Jay Thomas, who has raised more than Â£2,000 to help Myron's family with funeral costs, said: "I want to give Myron the send-off he deserves.
"He had a lot of friends and everybody knew who he was. His main focus was music and his goals were always to make it in music.
"He was so young. It's such a shock "
Other friends took to social media to pay tribute to Myron, who performed under the name Mdot.
One wrote: "Absolute terrible tragedy. MDot, watched your big smiling face singing online and now just want to turn the clock back."
Another said: "I'm devastated. An exceptional young man. Our classroom will never be the same without you. Rest in peace Myron."
Derek Sarpong wrote: "I just find it hard to believe this. I wish this was a dream."
Mobo award-winning hip hop artist Tony Rotton, who grew up in Deptford and performs as Blak Twang, said: "I remember navigating my way out of the same exact roads in Deptford and New Cross at 17. Let's break the cycle of violence. RIP."
A local resident told BBC Radio London she called an ambulance after seeing the teenager limping before he collapsed on the ground, at about 19:40 BST.
She said she administered first aid while she waited for paramedics to arrive.
Det Ch Insp Rebecca Reeves of the Metropolitan Police said: "It was still daylight when the altercation began and we believe there could have been many people in the area who may have seen something which could provide valuable information to the investigation.
"I would urge them to contact police as soon as possible."
She said she was also interested in finding out about another altercation at 19:30 to 19:40 GMT on New Cross Road, at the junction with Avonley Road.
DCI Reeves added: "Witnesses have described an altercation involving a group of male youths and it is important that anyone who witnessed this comes forward and speaks to the police, so that we can establish if it is linked to the murder."


Fire has wrecked a house in Oxford after clothes were ignited by a lamp.

The occupier arrived home in the early hours to find the smoke alarm going off at the property in Bailey Road, Cowley.
Crews said flames were visible at the bedroom window of the house and the whole floor was full of smoke when they arrived shortly after 01:20 BST.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue said the family was being supported by the Red Cross. No-one is believed to have been hurt.


Serious flaws in a signalling system caused a fatal collision on China's high-speed rail network, officials say.

Thirty-nine people died when a train ran into the back of another which had stalled on a viaduct near Wenzhou after lightning cut its power supply.
The system "failed to turn the green light into red", said An Lusheng, head of the Shanghai Railway Bureau.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who has been visiting the crash site, vowed to "severely punish" those responsible.
By Martin PatienceBBC News, Wenzhou
Wen Jiabao held the news conference under the viaduct where six of these carriages came off during Saturday's collision. He stressed that safety would be the absolute priority as China built its huge high-speed network. It is already the second-largest in the world and is set to be expanded.
Wen Jiabao, often referred to as "Granpa Wen", is the soft face of the party. When there is a crisis or an accident like this, Premier Wen is the man with the common touch who deals with the public.
There was pressure on him to visit the scene. When asked why it took him so long to get to Wenzhou, he said he had been ill and his doctors had not wanted him to travel but he felt it was very important.
But still there is public anger here about the crash, which has raised safety questions about the whole of China's high-speed network.
'Grandpa Wen' seeks to soothe tension
"The country's development is for the people, so the most important thing is people's lives," Mr Wen told reporters at the scene.
"No matter if it was a mechanical fault, a management problem, or a manufacturing problem, we must get to the bottom of this.
"If corruption was found behind this, we must handle it according to law and will not be soft."
Mr Wen earlier promised to take steps to improve safety on the high-speed rail network - one of the government's flagship projects which it hopes highlights China's development.
Six carriages derailed and four fell between 20m to 30m (65ft to 100ft) from the viaduct after Saturday night's crash, which injured nearly 200 people.
The accident came just four years after the country's first high-speed trains began operating.
Rail experts had warned against the rush to build the world's longest and fastest high-speed rail network in record time amid safety concerns.
There are allegations that corners were cut during construction because of corruption, raising questions about infrastructure across the country.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Wenzhou says it is difficult to get to the truth because of a lack of transparency and accountability.
There is a real sense that things are perhaps being built too quickly and that safety is being jeopardised in the process, our correspondent says.
Mr Wen's visit to the crash scene comes amid growing public outrage at the accident.
Internet users and relatives of the victims have been angered by the government's apparent unwillingness to answer questions about the crash.
This has led to accusations of government "arrogance", amid suspicions of a cover-up.
The authorities have moved quickly to stem media coverage, urging reporters to focus on "extremely moving" stories, saying the overall theme should be "great love in the face of great disaster".
Chinese media have been ordered not to question the official line on the accident, but several newspapers have published editorials criticising the railway ministry.
In an unusually scathing editorial published in both its English and Chinese versions, the state-run Global Times on Wednesday said the government's handling of the accident aftermath was a "public relations disaster".
"The relationship between the government and the public is like that of a ship and water. Water can keep the ship afloat or sink it," it said.
Some relatives of victims, who include two Americans and an Italian, have reportedly refused compensation and instead demanded to be given answers.
The accident is seen as a blow to China's hopes of selling trains abroad in a bid to become a high-tech exporter.
Shares in Chinese rail and train builders have fallen sharply since the crash.


Glasgow moved into the top four of the Pro12 with a hard-earned bonus-point victory over Zebre in Parma.

Tries from wing Sean Lamont and hooker Fraser Brown helped the  Warriors lead 18-11 at half-time, Oliviero Fabiani replying for the hosts.
Further scores from Lamont and replacement Leonardo Sarto, against his old club, extended the lead to 30-11.
But tries from Giovanbattista Venditti and Andries van Schalkwyk left Glasgow defending before Rory Clegg's penalty.
The fly-half's fifth successful kick from seven attempts with two minutes left pushed the visitors eight points clear, but Carlo Canna landed his third penalty with the last kick of the game to give the hosts a losing bonus point.
With four Scotland centres - Alex Dunbar, Mark Bennett, Peter Horne and Richie Vernon - on the Warriors' injured list, Nick Grigg took full advantage of a rare start and had a hand in three of the visitors' four tries.
Lamont touched down the opener from close range after Lee Jones was held up, and two Clegg penalties gave a Glasgow an 11-6 lead before Fabiani's try levelled the scores.
But Grigg took centre stage before the interval, bursting through the Zebre defence before offloading to Sarto, who was tackled just short.
The 24-year-old's best moment came two minutes from half-time when he picked the ball up on the Warriors' 22 and beat several would-be tacklers on a 90m run before releasing Brown for the second try.
Grigg darted through another gap before offloading to Lamont for his second early in the second half, and then released Sarto for a score on his old stomping ground.
Flanker Matt Fagerson - a late call-up to the starting XV after Corey Flynn was ruled out and Brown reverted to hooker - was earlier sin-binned for a dust-up with Zebre's Johan Meyer, who also saw yellow for the same incident after 32 minutes.
Glasgow took full advantage of Giulio Bisegni's yellow card early on the resumption, scoring two tries in his absence.
But a second Glasgow sin-bin for Rob Harley, when the lock was penalised for pulling down a maul 14 minutes from time, saw the visitors concede a third try and forced to defend manfully in his absence, before eventually eeing the game out.
Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend:
"Zebre played well, they wanted to move the ball. It was a good win for us.  It was far from perfect but we're happy with the bonus-point win.
"We didn't see much ball in the second half. The game was a bit disjointed but in general with the ball we looked pretty good.
"Zebre could have gone and won that. We had to defend well and look after the ball."
Zebre: Edoardo Padovani, Kayle Van Zyl, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Castello, Giovanbattista Venditti, Carlo Canna, Guglielmo Palazzani; Andrea Lovotti, Oliviero Fabiani, Pietro Ceccarelli, Joshua Furno, George Biagi, Maxime Mbanda, Johan Meyer, Andries van Schalkwyk.
Replacements: Carlo Festuccia, Bruno Postiglioni, Dario Chistolini, Quintin Geldenhuys, Federico Ruzza, Marcello Violi, Thomas Boni, Lloyd Greeff.
Yellow cards: Meyer (32), Bisegni (43)
Glasgow Warriors: Peter Murchie, Sean Lamont, Nick Grigg, Sam Johnson, Lee Jones, Rory Clegg, Ali Price; Gordon Reid, Fraser Brown, Sila Puafisi, Rob Harley, Robert McApline, Josh Strauss, Matt Fagerson, Ryan Wilson (capt).
Replacements: James Malcolm (for Brown, 52) Djustice Sears-Duru (for Reid, 52), Zander Fagerson (for Puafisi, 52), Callum Hunter-Hill (for McAlpine, 53), Lewis Wynne (for M Fagerson, 68), Grayson Hart (for Price, 57), Stuart Hogg (for Grigg, 64), Leonardo Sarto (for Jones, 19).
Yellow cards: M Fagerson (32), Harley (66)


The UN has said it will consider lifting sanctions on Libya's sovereign wealth fund if a UN-backed government can regain control of the country.

The sovereign wealth fund contains an estimated $67bn but has been restricted by sanctions since 2011.
The UN-backed unity government arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday but remains confined to the capital's port area after reports of gunfire in the city.
The new government is opposed by the coalition that controls Tripoli.
Over recent days, the city's airspace was intermittently closed to stop the new government, which has been based in neighbouring Tunisia, from arriving by air.
In a televised address, the head of the Tripoli authorities, Khalifa Ghweil, said he regarded the politicians as interlopers and said they were not welcome.
He urged "the illegitimate outsiders to surrender and be safe in our custody or to return to where they came from".
If the unity government can regain control of Libya, the UN's 15-member security council has pledged to lift an asset freeze on the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA).
The freeze was imposed in 2011 to prevent former leader Muammar Gaddafi removing funds from the country.
The security council unanimously renewed sanctions on Libya on Thursday and requested the new unity government confirm "as soon as it exercises sole and effective oversight" over the LIA, National Oil Corporation and the Central Bank of Libya.
But it is not clear how the unity government will be able to take over state institutions in Tripoli, given the stiff opposition they face.
Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Gaddafi by Nato-backed forces.
From 2014 it has had two competing administrations, one in Tripoli backed by powerful militias and the other about 1,000km (620 miles) away in the port city of Tobruk.
Western powers have recognised the new unity government as Libya's sole legitimate government but it faces opposition in east and west Libya.
In December, some rival lawmakers signed up to the UN agreement to form a unity government, but the deal has not yet been backed by all the country's many militia brigades that formed after the uprising.
The deal saw the formation of a nine-member Presidency Council, which includes the unity Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj who arrived with some of his deputies at a naval base in Tripoli on Wednesday.
Mr Sarraj said it was time to turn a new page and reconcile, saying he intended to build state institutions and implement a ceasefire.
"Revenge, alienation, antipathy, and hatred don't build a state," the AP news agency quoted him as saying.
UN envoy Martin Kobler said the politicians' arrival in Tripoli - after at least two failed attempts to fly in - marked "an important step in Libya's democratic transition and path to peace, security and prosperity".
US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was "not the time for obstructionists to hold back progress".


Adam Lyth scored the fourth double century of his career as champions Yorkshire drew with Surrey at The Oval.

The 28-year-old left-hander resumed on 116 not out on day four and reached 200 with a six off Stuart Meaker, before being caught behind next ball for 202.
His 291-ball knock helped Yorkshire to maximum batting bonus points and 407 all out, a first-innings lead of 140.
Surrey got to 106-1 in their second innings, opener Dominic Sibley making 54 not out, before a draw was agreed.
Lyth and Steve Patterson (51) pushed Yorkshire ahead with a fourth-wicket stand of 91, while Liam Plunkett's 37 off only 20 balls accelerated the score as the visitors went in search of 400 within the 110-over cut-off for bonus points.
However, their bowlers were left with little time to push for victory because of the amount of time lost to bad weather on the first two days.
Eight bowlers were used in Surrey's second innings, including wicketkeeper Andy Hodd for a solitary over, as the game petered towards a stalemate.
Surrey are off the bottom of Division One thanks to their 10 points, while Yorkshire's 13 points were enough for them to climb one place to fourth, above Durham.


Fixed odds betting machines in bookmaker shops are dangerous and the government should review their use, a Swansea MP has said.

Carolyn Harris, who is chairing a parliamentary group investigating the subject, said addicts could lose thousands of pounds in one sitting.
She said the electronic touch-screen machines made "phenomenal" amounts of money for the bookmaker.
The UK government has said it was monitoring existing gambling controls.
Speaking to BBC Wales, the Swansea East MP said: "These machines are capable of taking £100 every 20 seconds, that's £300 every minute.
"And the machine doesn't give the punter, as they like to call them, the opportunity to stop and think about what they're doing. It's so rapid, it's literally pressing a button."
Fixed odds betting terminals first appeared in British betting shops in 1999. Last year, customers lost £1.7bn on the machines.
Betting shops are restricted to four machines in each shop, but critics say that had led to clusters of shops as companies try to increase the number of the terminals on the high street.
Ms Harris says the bookmakers have opened more shops in deprived areas, such as in her own constituency, and that the machines have changed how bookmakers are perceived.
"When the bookies were on the high street and they were just doing horse racing and dog racing, they were part of the fabric of the community now they're the scourge of the community."
"We need to have a complete overhaul and review of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and hopefully come up with a solution which, it's not going to suit the bookies, but at least will help all the associated problems with these machines, including anti-social behaviour, money laundering, violence."
BBC Wales has spoken to addicts who describe them as the "crack cocaine" of gambling.
One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "Once you're in that zone it's like nothing matters around you.
"There's nothing in the world that's more important than that machine, like making you play, put more money in, and nothing could have stopped me unless the place burned down, and even then I would have still hit the buttons till the fire brigade came."
Malcolm George, chief executive of the Association of British Bookmakers, says it is the most highly-regulated industry on the high street, and staff in their shops are trained to help customers who may have problems, many of whom they will see in their shops week in week out.
He said: "I think betting shops are probably the safest environment in which you can gamble. I think if you look at the range of measures we have on our machines as opposed to, say, those in amusement arcades or casinos, they really are very effective and allow us to identify and spot people who can be getting into trouble with their gambling."
Last week newspaper reports claimed the UK Government was about to declare a review of the machines.
In a statement a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: "We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of existing gambling controls and will take further action if necessary."
Malcolm George of the ABB says the industry has accepted there will be another review of the machines, adding: "In many ways we'd welcome an evidence-based debate around this.
"It's very easy for the anti-gambling lobby to make really quite strong false claims about the industry. These machines have been in shops for fifteen years, there have been reviews, and when the evidence is put in front of government, they come to the same conclusions: it's absolutely right they should be there."


The Ministry of Defence has been censured over the death of a soldier who was shot in the neck during a training exercise.

Fusilier Dean Griffiths, 21, of First Battalion the Royal Welsh, died at Lydd Range, Kent in September 2011.
An inquest in 2013 heard a target was wrongly placed against a wall but there was no evidence it was malicious.
A Crown Censure is the maximum sanction the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can impose on a government body.
The MoD cannot be prosecuted in the same way as non-government bodies.
Fusilier Griffiths, from Market Drayton, Shropshire, whose partner was pregnant at the time of his death, was serving with the Chester-based battalion as it prepared to go to Afghanistan.
He died during a simulated combat exercise in a compound built to replicate an Afghan building.
The HSE said Fusilier Griffiths was part of an assault group assigned to enter and secure the compound.
The compound contained both enemy and civilian targets made from thin plywood to allow the live bullets to pass through and avoid ricochets.
The HSE said its investigation found unused targets were usually laid on the floor to give the appearance of debris, but on this occasion an unused target was left upright against a wall..
Fusilier Griffiths was behind that target when the wall was breached with a simulated explosion.
As a colleague entered he saw an enemy target and fired two shots, hitting Fusilier Griffiths with a bullet that passed through the incorrectly placed enemy target.
The soldier died at the scene.
HSE said its investigators found the exercise was undermanned.
It said the incident could have been prevented by not using targets as debris and with a final walk through by the Range Conducting Officer to ensure all targets corresponded to the planned exercise.
The MoD admitted breaching its duty under Section 2(1) and 2(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.


Plans to build a block of flats near a central London nightclub have been approved by the mayor Boris Johnson.

Developer Oakmayne will build 335 apartments and 65 affordable homes on the Eileen House site in Newington Causeway near the Ministry of Sound.
The nightclub in Elephant and Castle had protested against the building as they feared noise complaints could force the venue to closure.
The developer agreed to alter the block to protect residents from loud music.
The mayor gave the project the go-ahead on 19 December after the Oakmayne agreed to alter their design. Details only emerged on Tuesday.
The new 41-storey building will now include acoustic glazing, sealed windows and internal "wintergardens" to address the club's concerns.
Englewood Limited, which worked with developers Oakmayne, said the agreement meant the nightclub remains "fully protected" and that both sides could co-exist in Southwark.
Lohan Presencer, chief executive of Ministry of Sound Group, said he was looking forward to welcoming new neighbours to the area.
The nightclub and the property developer also agreed a "deed of easement", which will allow the Ministry of Sound to continue with their current noise levels without fear of complaints from residents.
Boris Johnson stepped in to adjudicate on the planning application after Southwark Council refused planning permission in 2011.
In his role in making strategic planning decisions for London, the mayor can take over an application and rule on it.
Southwark Council said the plans were refused on the grounds of failing to meet affordable housing needs.
Artists including Judge Jules, Pete Tong, Fatboy Slim, Calvin Harris and Example had supported a campaign to protect the nightclub.
Building work on the development is expected to start later this year, the developer said.