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"Thank you, Boss. Forever grateful, Vic."

Actress Esmé Church was born in 1893 in London and joined the Old Vic Company in 1927, where she performed major Shakespearean roles including Lady Macbeth and Hamlet's mother Gertrude.

She moved into directing at the Greyhound Theatre in Croydon, then led the Old Vic's drama school, before becoming artistic director at the Bradford Civic Playhouse from 1944 to 1950.

Her great nephew, Bruce Durham, said: "Growing up with Esmé around, it was always wonderful to see and hear about her work – whether it was entertaining troops in France during the World War One, becoming the head of The Old Vic Theatre School, or travelling to and from New York."

She had conversations with 2007-winning manager Vic Akers, while her staff analysed all three of Barcelona's midfielders individually, working out the strengths and weaknesses of Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Patri.