southernrover

I remember a few years ago one of the reservoirs in Derbyshire submerging an old village dried up and the ruins were, for a short while, accessible for anyone wanting a go. Fuckers carved their name all over it and pilfered parts of the old foundations too. I'll never understand why people can't leave things be.

A poor man's Anthony Le Tallec

Booked to see Stiff Little Fingers at Barrowlands next St Patrick's Day (the Sunday gig) and I can't fucking wait.

Was in a shopping centre down here in England an hour or so ago and they were streaming the audio of the ceremony over the PA. Another normal day in a normal country...

I 'adopted' Ayr as my Scottish team a few years ago - Somerset Park was the first Scottish ground I ever visited - and I've come up from the English Midlands for tonight. On that basis I can't help but feel it'll be a 0-0 without a shot on target.

Surely if anything they are promoters anyway? For me, (societal) influencers are those people and events who basically split their sphere into 'Before' and 'After' them - the Beatles in music, Reagan/Thatcher in politics, Pele in football and whatever else... Posting a pic of yourself with a new designer handbag, pissing about with some trend on TikTok or playing a lot of video games is merely a promotion of the status quo, i.e. stuff that is already established.

My 'rule' is a pitch away from public view and see at least a minute, mainly because I'm not spending my days watching Saturday morning stuff down the park, and so if the game is called off after 20 mins etc it still counts. I count grounds rather than teams so for me, seeing Hibs Ladies play at Easter Road 'ticks' it off, similarly at the minute there are 40 grounds in the SPFL. Everyone's mileage varies, some will think my watching of a Women's team is satanic and what have you, but at the end of the day it's my hobby, my rules. I'll buy a programme if there is one, usually a few quid at the burger van and what have you chat to anyone who gets talking to me and what have you. At the end of the day I'm there to enjoy a day out somewhere new, experience a new town, new pubs, a new ground / club and what have you. 99% of the time that is actually the main thing. The organised hops are my idea of hell all truth be told. I am certain I read on Twitter a few years ago of a hopper who went to Ross County, but upon realising once there they didn't do a (paper) program, left without entering. If I ever got to that point I'd give up.

Keepers coming up for corners always does it for me. Doesn't matter if it's in a Cup Final or to try and salvage a league draw in February or whatever, it's a thing of utter beauty. Outside of the teams I support / look out for, the one football moment I wish I could have experienced in person is Jimmy Glass scoring for Carlisle. 99.99% of this awful 'limbs' shite these days doesn't hold a candle to that.

Been a bit of chat on here of Adeloye lately. He's clearly making an impact in Wiltshire...

Was watching the second half of Glentoran v. Linfield on and off before, some goal to win it for the Blues. Huge result for them and maintains their impressive form of late. Only the second time I've watched Linfield this season, the other was their impressively self-destructive second leg against RFS in the European qualifiers; safe to this match today was a better one for them! I really must do the Belfast Christmas double header one year, Steel & Sons on Christmas Day morning, then the Derby on Boxing Day. (Just how lovely is the Oval by the way? Seen better years but everything that a football ground should be!)

The number in your profile URL. 215 apparently. (78,209 for me!)

Thank you. As you say, I suppose I've always really had a pretty clear view of what my problems are and what I needed to address, and I count myself very lucky for that; I can't imagine what it must be like to go through this all genuinely confused by what is happening or having to ponder your symptoms and try to piece together an understanding and what have you. My problem was always never having it in me to speak up, until I felt like I literally had no other option at all to speak up I didn't. It's cliche I know, but it genuinely feels like the world has been lifted from your shoulders the first time you say out loud to whoever, be they your friends/family or preferably a medical professional that you are struggling. That is the pivot on which the rest hinges I think. I'm thankfully back down the country (England in my case) for my job on the 27th, which is keeping me going as a sense of normality for these next few days. I know I'd be a lot more comfortable if I could just stay in bed and avoid the world until then but I can't. I suppose I also know deep down I'll be fine come what may - nothing this next couple of days is out there to get me or hurt me. I take strength from that I suppose.

Evening all, I have an account on here so I can keep track of what I have and haven't read, not because I have anything useful or helpful to say, but given this is the time of year for goodwill to all men and all that, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone in this thread for their openness and honesty, and the subsequent kind and helpful words shared with them. I've suffered with mental ill health for years now, but this year has been when I reached my breaking point, and ended up on a combination of months off work, anti-depressants and CBT sessions for a good long while. I'm better now - a new job which I love, and the meds continue to work - but there are still dark days when it is really hard not to lose your mind, when you wonder if you’ve actually made any progress at all; when it really requires me to pull together whatever inner strength and wherewithal I have just to get through the day. Having had this thread where I can drop in even just to read what people have shared and said has been such a help at times. I'm probably your stereotypical bloke who doesn't know how to approach or what to say either to express my own feelings or comfort others, so having this place where people who can say how they've been and people have given advice has been some comfort. I always really struggle around Christmas - my head has been all over the place for the past couple of days and will be for a few days yet; last year I think I managed ten minutes of Christmas Dinner before I had to f**k off back upstairs for my own good. Often I feel like the back half of December is more about sustaining as opposed to actually living: I do all this because I have to, not want to. I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions, but one thing I am going to try and do is talk on this forum more. I'm around most days but realise the experience is a hell of a lot better if I contribute and interact, rather than doing the virtual equivalent of being sat in the pub alone, listening to other people's conversations. As above, I know how trying this time of the year and tomorrow specifically can be for some. Trite though it is, please try to remember you are not alone, and that no problem, hindrance or circumstance is unresolvable. The one thing in particular I have learnt across this last year is that everyone, within themselves, is a hell of a lot stronger than they think. Please continue to talk to whoever will listen, even if it feel like shouting into an empty room, and please never, ever give up hope.

I still remember where I first heard it funnily enough (a preseason game down in England coming from Leicester fans), primarily because I too thought it was dreadful. Sadly it wasn't long after that it became part of the generic, unimaginative nationwide fan songbook. Genuinely makes me cringe whenever I here it, it's bloody embarrassing. For an EFL match all you need to hear is this, 'Making all the noise' and 'You're support is fucking shit' and you've heard all you'll ever hear.

Some laugh if Torquay beat Derby in that replay and the prime slot on FA Cup weekend ends up dedicated to a team scraping around the bottom of League 2 playing a team scraping around the bottom of the National League.

I've only ever been to the two table set up, but would certainly recommend it as it is the epitome of 'that' Crucible atmosphere. The only thing with booking tickets I'd mind is making sure you get good sessions (see anyone who went to the 1430 one today, only one match on, which was Ronnie one frame from victory!) - maybe best keep an eye on this year for booking next as an example. Tickets on presale at the moment, general sale is day of or after this year's I think. Not too bad if you need to leave it a while mind as the two table at least normally has good avilability for a while.

It's like modern football coverage on TV. Five replays and by the time they cut back someone's on the attack and you've missed two minutes of actual play. Honestly just do it, if it all gets too much you can head down to the concourse for a drink or whatever for a frame and come back the next. Being permanent the seats are certainly better than the temporary stuff you normally get at a tournament.

I was at a match down in Lancashire at Nelson (tenth tier of English football) a few months ago, and was stood next to a proper old boy explaining to a local how one of their best players had up sticks to Fort William and seemed at a loss as to why. I would love to how long it took all these hired hands to realise what they'd actually signed up to.

Hoping to get to this. What are the best pubs in the town? Never been to Dumfries before but will have a couple of hours to kill beforehand. Won't be in colours or anything.

I've always thought the most telling thing about it all is that not even Barry Hearn would touch it, I think he's actually on record saying he didn't want to be the man who did. McGill is spot on with what he says. The past few seasons have proven there's space for largely whatever you want in the snooker calendar - formats like the Shootout; new enterprises like the Home Nations and Turkish Open; and crowd stuff like between-frame DJs and dancecams... The Worlds is what it is because it has endured whilst everything else has changed. The long formats, the lack of space, the formality, the density and proximity of the crowd. I don't doubt that if people like Judd had his way, everything would be best of fives in a t-shirt and it'd be held in a nightclub...

Was in Sheffield this weekend for a few sessions. Been to snooker all over the place in all sorts of formats and venues but there really is nothing like the Worlds at the Crucible. Ally Pally might have a better atmosphere, modern theatres might handle the numbers better, pretty much any generic conference centre could offer better corporate / VIP stuff, but there is honestly something in the air at the Crucible and in that small corner of Sheffield. It would be an absolute shame if they packed all that in so Neil Robertson can walk around the table better and they can flog more alcohol more quickly to punters.

I believe you can stream matches in England so long as it is outside of the Saturday afternoon blackout?

Cheers. Ibrox was like that so I can't imagine it'll get any worse. Not planning on bringing fireworks or anything with me thankfully!

Sorry for the daft question but I'm after doing Hampden whilst QP are still there but was wondering if there's any trouble bringing rucksacks or anything like that in? Would likely have one with me when I am up there and am a bit wary as there are you get some right awkward restrictions these days at bigger grounds (in England anyway!). Cheers.