southernrover

It's Died O'Clock Somewhere

This may be more suited to one of the politics topics but this kind of job really does leave me feeling cold. Looking back, growing up in England in the late 90s/early 00s state-endorsed nationalism/flag shagging was never really a thing, outside of football tournaments the only time you saw the St George's Cross was outside the town hall and posh hotels. Watching American TV and seeing their resolute adoration and ceremony for flags, their nationality and whatever was totally bizarre. Now England has its own Red, White and Blue plastered over everything from supermarket adverts to public transport, and the state wants institutions to put up pictures of some wretched goblin who god allegedly annointed upon us, presumably so kids can gaze at his wonderment every day before class. What a country. I think we all know what caused it.

Ah, I hadn't realised they had also changed the format. That does indeed sound shite. League 1 and especially League 2 clubs habe always seemed to have a shitty end of any EFL deal, I guess this kind of thing is par for the course by now...! Still, at least they can be done and dusted in 10 mins on international breaks, then ITV4 can get back to showing the millionth rerun of some nondescript 1980s film.

Not really seen it since the Colin Murray days on Quest, but as soon as it was announced that he wasn't going with it you knew it was only going to go one way.

Pleasantly surprised to see Loughgall actually playing at Lakeview this season. I'm sure one of the media articles written after their promotion implied they were to groundshare at Mourneview for the year... I really need to get back up to speed with NI football!

In my experience, 99% of the time being anywhere with an OF or Love Island fan is hell regardless of context. But yeah, it happens everywhere these days it seems, no matter who, what, when or where. Can't bloody esacpe it. Your post reminds me of another mind, parents keeping the kids entertained by giving them their phone to watch some cartoon or game on full volume.

Having gotten the train quite a bit over the last few days, people who don't use headphones. Nobody wants to listen to your godawful TikTok timeline, phone call with your mate or shitey music. I suppose a bit more on that point, music being played over the PA in shops and what have you; then making a show about quiet hours every week. Just turn that shite off full stop, no one goes to Tesco to listen to some 1980s soft rock playlist; and certain people would feel more comfortable to go all the time.

Those sort of quotes do my head in. I think in situations like that what is more important is other people's perception of their own safety. If your little darling big silly boy is stood, staring me down, growling with his back arched; I don't give a f**k if he's a big softie, there's a 60kg unit acting like he's about to go for me. I remember a few years ago I was out walking in the countryside, and two dogs came up the other way, not huge things but menacing enough, and went mental at me. Their owner, on the phone to someone whilst all this was happening, brushed it off with a quick 'They're fine, don't worry'. It was about another 15 seconds before they calmed down as their owner walked away. f**k off if you think that's an excuse to have two dogs literally at your feet barking their heads off at you.

These come up every so often, but everyone involved in this type of thing: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-66498265 Doing press-ups on a railway line ffs!

Not often you hear of people being bumped off by poisoning these days. Hideously wrong but thinking outside the box at least.

Aye but it's the best league in the world. Or something.

The thing that gets me is that it isn't that hard to avoid. Don't act a **** and you'll all be in the dressing room for 4.55pm like you used to be. Not like they've increased the regulation time or anything, they're just finally being called out for what they've theoretically always been obliged to do! Say what you want about the #Barclays (I personally consider it an honour to share the same landmass as it), but seriously Brighton have played a blinder this past few years. Can't be many clubs anywhere that don't envy them from an ops/admin angle.

Exceptional film, that

Not local per se as it's currently on the landing page on BBC News, but one that's local to me geographically at least: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66421163 Iconic pub in an iconic building, recently sold contrary to months of local campaigning, burns down within days of the new buyer's purchase, amidst plans to repurpose the site. Hmmm...

Reminds me of all the shite you get (tennis!) Wimbledon - more concerned with the famous faces watching than the actual sporting contents. Reads more like Hello magazine than BBC Sport ffs.

Not picking it up obviously but it does happen - remember reading this a while ago (because of the odd headline!): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-64253361.amp

Thanks, that's more than I knew before!

Has there been any word on this since? Not seen anything posted anywhere online, nor does there seem to have been word from the club (on their website anyway). Appreciate it is very, very early days but this seems to have vanished since the EGM was called.

Bath residents left with 'confusing' road markings - BBC News More outrage than compo but the bloke in the grey jacket third from the left in the pic is Olympic level 'angry local points at inanimate object'

Conversely I'm dreadful with them, it's just one of those things you see somewhere once and it sticks with you. I couldn't give you another example off the top of my head!

A succulent Chinese meal?

Turns out Jenrick is the MP for Newark. How fitting.

There's something especially grim about doing it to spite kids as well - god only knows how it feels to be a five or six year old on the trail these people are on, and they proactively take measures to wipe even the slightest smile off their face. Absolute b*****ds.

That is true enough, there are certainly some out there who are decent enough, I was more thinking about freaks like Redknapp and McManaman trying to string a sentence together, and when they do it's either shite or something Helen Keller could have told you. I suppose I really want pundits to only tell me things I couldn't know. I suppose the battle of wits between Frank and Potter mentioned above (I've never seen it) is the kind of thing I'm after; not Keane being the pantomime villain and Richards the court jester.

The more and more I see of pundits the more and more I think of Christopher Hitchens' "If you gave him an enema he'd fit in a matchbox". It's widely accepted that most professional footballers are thicker than a whale's foreskin, so god knows why they get held in such a high regard in a job where intelligence and precise, thoughful communication is so important. It's not as if football tactics or most of its workings are some great mystery that we only a select few who have been there can comprehend.