I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
I think cricket may well be on the slow way out. It has a special place for lots of people in a generation who remember TMS on the radio as an art form and fantastic entertainment; and a special place for the same group who remember wall to wall terrestrial telly coverage in a more leisured age.
The dominance of one day stuff is of little interest to those who remember the older style, and it does little good to English batting technique.
This ashes series will have done damage as there is only one side turning up.
These figures are scary. One in six think him trustworthy? One in four think him strong? One third find him likeable?
Who are these people? What would it take to change their minds?
An alternative or Opposition existing would be a starting point.
As badly burnt out as Boris has become, he's still been far stronger than the Leader of the Opposition and every single devolved administration when it comes resisting new restrictions post-Christmas.
What a shame when the PM is so weak, that the Opposition and devolved administrations are even weaker.
I’m not calling it yet Bart - we have to wait a month see if the have Christmas Cake and eat it approach actually works. Some sympathy either way for NHS front line workers, either isolating ill or out on their feet.
But I suspect you are probably right, 3 parts jab to 1 part gin makes the perfect cocktail for this holiday 🥂
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
I think cricket may well be on the slow way out. It has a special place for lots of people in a generation who remember TMS on the radio as an art form and fantastic entertainment; and a special place for the same group who remember wall to wall terrestrial telly coverage in a more leisured age.
The dominance of one day stuff is of little interest to those who remember the older style, and it does little good to English batting technique.
This ashes series will have done damage as there is only one side turning up.
Cricket is huge in our village. Most every parent takes their kids down as soon as possible. May have summat to do with being the only place legally able to have an alcohol license, mind.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
Re cricket, I guess it depends on upbringing, where you live etc. I was raised in a village, started playing aged 12 for the village side. I’ve played all my life since. I’ve played for four clubs in that time, plus some beer matches. It’s thoroughly in my blood. The club I play for now is a well to do village on the wilts/Gloucestershire boundary, and forms the heart of the village community. The bar is open on match days and is well used by the village. The youth section is huge, the ladies team is thriving. Local club cricket has tended to contract from lots of small sides in every village, to fewer, but bigger clubs that run at least three if not more league teams. Anecdotally people have a lot more ways to spend their leisure time. Computer gaming is a big one. Why play in Wilts div 8 with a bunch of boring old guys, when you can bat as Joe Root at the MCG? Cricket does not to be on terrestrial. The greatest test series was the 2005 Ashes, shown in full on channel 4. Without that exposure, kids won’t be interested unless they come from a cricket background.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
I think cricket may well be on the slow way out. It has a special place for lots of people in a generation who remember TMS on the radio as an art form and fantastic entertainment; and a special place for the same group who remember wall to wall terrestrial telly coverage in a more leisured age.
The dominance of one day stuff is of little interest to those who remember the older style, and it does little good to English batting technique.
This ashes series will have done damage as there is only one side turning up.
Very popular in N Essex. quite a few small towns have clubs with several teams, and spectators at games (not just players families, either!)
It's not that they are going to get shafted; small children in Grimsby knew that. It's that they were told they wouldn't be shafted.
The UK has left the CFP, exactly as the fishermen of Grimsby voted for
Absolutely. And they were told it would be in their best interests to do so.
Not by the Government of the day they weren't.
Everyone makes their own informed decision, I see no reasons to pander to Luddites.
They were told by the leave campaign. Headed by Nigel Farage.
Maybe they shouldn't vote for Nigel Farage next time then. Kick him out of Parliament by not re-electing him.
There used to be a guy here who said voting for a party led by Farage wasn't voting for Farage (somewhat unconvincingly it has to be said), dunno what happened to him.
As a result of that person's vote is Farage in Parliament? Does Farage hold any elected post in the UK Government or any Parliament at all? 🤔
If the answer is no, then I think that guy was entirely correct. A vote to elect to Parliament, and a vote to eject from Parliament, are two entirely different votes.
Surely the reason for changing your identity is to make a fresh start? If you keep writing the same tosh people are going to know it's you.
If I wanted a fresh start, I would have changed my avatar. I don't want a fresh start, I just want to not use my real life name.
I have outstanding bets with some people, I have no intention of them not knowing who I am, I just don't need my real life name and surname used.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
The only people outside PB who I know that care about cricket are one elderly uncle in law, and the Indian doctors that I work with.
So three days later than planned, we are setting off to visit my brother in law and family. Apparently, he put two portions of Christmas dinner in the freezer for us.
Mr. Eagles, if you ever feel down, just remember the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and it'll soon soothe your troubled spirit.
*BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE to PB*.
England have won the Ashes! Yes England have won the Ashes.
After some deliberation (in the bar) the Umpires decided to decide the entire series using a Super Over, just as Cummings shoes fell apart. Having spent their entire careers playing in near total darkness in County Cricket helped England when the Umpires restarted the playing.
I'm often vaguely tempted to subscribe to The Atlantic, as they do produce interesting articles. Here's one with some PB relevance (in terms of how we see each other):
I'm often vaguely tempted to subscribe to The Atlantic, as they do produce interesting articles. Here's one with some PB relevance (in terms of how we see each other):
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
In the local park during summer, the scratch cricket games were almost entirely Asian. I do not think I've seen the local primary schools or the nearest secondary school playing cricket. It's not on terrestrial telly, takes a lot of teachers' time, and that's if the Tories (even Michael Gove) have not sold off the school playing fields.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
Re cricket, I guess it depends on upbringing, where you live etc. I was raised in a village, started playing aged 12 for the village side. I’ve played all my life since. I’ve played for four clubs in that time, plus some beer matches. It’s thoroughly in my blood. The club I play for now is a well to do village on the wilts/Gloucestershire boundary, and forms the heart of the village community. The bar is open on match days and is well used by the village. The youth section is huge, the ladies team is thriving. Local club cricket has tended to contract from lots of small sides in every village, to fewer, but bigger clubs that run at least three if not more league teams. Anecdotally people have a lot more ways to spend their leisure time. Computer gaming is a big one. Why play in Wilts div 8 with a bunch of boring old guys, when you can bat as Joe Root at the MCG? Cricket does not to be on terrestrial. The greatest test series was the 2005 Ashes, shown in full on channel 4. Without that exposure, kids won’t be interested unless they come from a cricket background.
One of PB's charms is that it gives a look at other ways to live, isn't it? The only cricket fan I know is my 80-year-old uncle, but I've never understood the appeal of Formula 1 either, yet have friends who are totally into it, as nearly everyone here seems to be.
I'm sure you're right about the subtle influence of computer games, and indeed the internet generally. Apparently it's impacted dating too, as playing computer games and watching porn are an unchallenging alternative to actually mixing with real people in the flesh, with all the ups and downs which that involves. I spend a few hours a day on computer games when I've nothing else to do, so I totally get that (I had 3 books published on games so there's an excuse), while recognising that it's a bit sad!
It was his flagship promise to ‘level up’ places that have put up with decades of decline. Now the PM’s white paper is delayed, the Cabinet is in disarray and most of Britain doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. We deserve so much better than this. https://politi.co/3qvmOdd
It was a very clever -though meaningless -slogan. Almost certainly the work of Big Dom. Now he's available on free transfer SKS could do with having a word. Those innocuous sounding slogans are cleverer and rarer than people think. Much more effective than some of the slick wordplay -Build Back Better-which though memorable translates to the public as gibberish.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
I voted Lib Dem last time out, but since neither the candidate nor the party leader are now in parliament, I didn't really vote Lib Dem.
Or something.
In a Westminster election you are voting for who you want in Parliament.
In any other 'election' you are not.
@TOPPING keeps telling me about some sort of Dance TV show that the BBC shows that I believe had Ed Balls on it in the past, while Mad Nad was on ITV's I'm a Celeb.
If you voted for Mad Nad to do a Bushtucker Trial, or voted for Ed Balls on that dance show Topping loves, then did you vote for them to be in Parliament? 🤔
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Just about everyone in my family siblings in laws nephews nieces uncles aunts - all cricket mad drives me bonkers so boring apart from the key bits (run chases, etc).
I voted Lib Dem last time out, but since neither the candidate nor the party leader are now in parliament, I didn't really vote Lib Dem.
Or something.
In a Westminster election you are voting for who you want in Parliament.
In any other 'election' you are not.
@TOPPING keeps telling me about some sort of Dance TV show that the BBC shows that I believe had Ed Balls on it in the past, while Mad Nad was on ITV's I'm a Celeb.
If you voted for Mad Nad to do a Bushtucker Trial, or voted for Ed Balls on that dance show Topping loves, then did you vote for them to be in Parliament? 🤔
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
I voted Lib Dem last time out, but since neither the candidate nor the party leader are now in parliament, I didn't really vote Lib Dem.
Or something.
In a Westminster election you are voting for who you want in Parliament.
In any other 'election' you are not.
@TOPPING keeps telling me about some sort of Dance TV show that the BBC shows that I believe had Ed Balls on it in the past, while Mad Nad was on ITV's I'm a Celeb.
If you voted for Mad Nad to do a Bushtucker Trial, or voted for Ed Balls on that dance show Topping loves, then did you vote for them to be in Parliament? 🤔
Losing you here, Bartholomew...
Voting in Westminster elections is voting for Parliament.
"Voting" for anything else, is not.
If someone "voted" for Mad Nad or Ed Balls on those TV shows is that a vote for Parliament? Or is such a vote not a serious vote for Parliament?
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
I think the death of cricket is being a bit overdone. England are ODI world champions, they really should have won the T20 world cup. They are the best T20 team in the world, but were unfortunate to a) choke at important moment from a bowler who has been incredibly reliable for nearly 10 years, b) the conditions and c) missing 2 of the very best T20 players in the world, Stokes and Archer, while also lost the likes of Mills and Roy during the tournament. And this is a game were edges are at the best of times slim.
English T20 / ODI cricket amazing strength in depth, better than basically every other team. Salt doesn't play, Willey doesn't play, Mills didn't play until there was other injuries. Banton, Abell, Brook, Smeed, etc etc etc all coming through, some with amazing performances in the Hundred.
"Neither" is a strange answer. One is likely to better than the other, if only marginally.
Don't think so. "Better" implies that they are both "good" to start with - and I would strongly dispute that. I think they would both be hopeless at managing the economy - and one of them is currently proving all too clearly that I am right. The other one has not yet been put to the test.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pay TV bully crowding others out. Putting Union on life support. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
And *checks latest Scotch polling* still almost three times as popular as your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
Re cricket, I guess it depends on upbringing, where you live etc. I was raised in a village, started playing aged 12 for the village side. I’ve played all my life since. I’ve played for four clubs in that time, plus some beer matches. It’s thoroughly in my blood. The club I play for now is a well to do village on the wilts/Gloucestershire boundary, and forms the heart of the village community. The bar is open on match days and is well used by the village. The youth section is huge, the ladies team is thriving. Local club cricket has tended to contract from lots of small sides in every village, to fewer, but bigger clubs that run at least three if not more league teams. Anecdotally people have a lot more ways to spend their leisure time. Computer gaming is a big one. Why play in Wilts div 8 with a bunch of boring old guys, when you can bat as Joe Root at the MCG? Cricket does not to be on terrestrial. The greatest test series was the 2005 Ashes, shown in full on channel 4. Without that exposure, kids won’t be interested unless they come from a cricket background.
One of PB's charms is that it gives a look at other ways to live, isn't it? The only cricket fan I know is my 80-year-old uncle, but I've never understood the appeal of Formula 1 either, yet have friends who are totally into it, as nearly everyone here seems to be.
I'm sure you're right about the subtle influence of computer games, and indeed the internet generally. Apparently it's impacted dating too, as playing computer games and watching porn are an unchallenging alternative to actually mixing with real people in the flesh, with all the ups and downs which that involves. I spend a few hours a day on computer games when I've nothing else to do, so I totally get that (I had 3 books published on games so there's an excuse), while recognising that it's a bit sad!
It is good when one gets ones eyes opened as happens regularly on PB. Until Northern Monkey's posting this morning it had never really struck me before that cricket was not at least in the background of people's lives in some way. It is certainly the most popular and talked about sport in my group of friends and acquaintances. Far more important to them than football for example. My Sister and Brother in Law are petrol heads but otherwise, cricket seems to be the dominant followed sport amongst my peer group. There is also a very strong cricket club in the village with most players in the 20-40 age group as opposed to the 'old men' mentioned earlier.
I find it interesting that cricket is so widely discussed on here. In real life the only person I ever knew who followed it my was, now departed, Grandad. And I’m in Yorkshire. I just don’t know anyone who plays or follows cricket. These people must be out there, there are small local clubs dotted about clinging on. I just don’t know anybody who gives a shit.
Just driven past a mobile Covid testing lab in a car park. The car park wasn’t huge, about 20 spaces, but with the van and all the people wanting to get tested it was rammed. Cars queuing on the road. Talking to people, lots and lots of people are testing positive. It’s ripping through the population but everyone seems resigned to it. Perhaps that’s where we are as a nation now. Get your jabs, get it and feel crap for a few days. Don’t get jabbed, it’s your own bloody fault if you die.
Anecdote alert: my mum, a keen Leave voter said, admittedly with a couple of gins inside her on Boxing Day, that Brexit is crap, we were lied to, she wishes she’d voted Remain.
Re cricket, I guess it depends on upbringing, where you live etc. I was raised in a village, started playing aged 12 for the village side. I’ve played all my life since. I’ve played for four clubs in that time, plus some beer matches. It’s thoroughly in my blood. The club I play for now is a well to do village on the wilts/Gloucestershire boundary, and forms the heart of the village community. The bar is open on match days and is well used by the village. The youth section is huge, the ladies team is thriving. Local club cricket has tended to contract from lots of small sides in every village, to fewer, but bigger clubs that run at least three if not more league teams. Anecdotally people have a lot more ways to spend their leisure time. Computer gaming is a big one. Why play in Wilts div 8 with a bunch of boring old guys, when you can bat as Joe Root at the MCG? Cricket does not to be on terrestrial. The greatest test series was the 2005 Ashes, shown in full on channel 4. Without that exposure, kids won’t be interested unless they come from a cricket background.
One of PB's charms is that it gives a look at other ways to live, isn't it? The only cricket fan I know is my 80-year-old uncle, but I've never understood the appeal of Formula 1 either, yet have friends who are totally into it, as nearly everyone here seems to be.
Part of that is that it's a UK industry with a long history and an ecosystem. At present 7 out of 10 teams are based here, and provide approx 1000 jobs directly and 7-8bn to the economy.
A wider setup such as McLaren Group is underpinned by the F1 team and provides 4000+ high end jobs. Plus there's a penumbra of high end engineering companies around the ecosystem.
The only sporting equivalent I can think of is perhaps other motor racing, or Premier League football.
Compare France and cycling.
I can't remember where you are based (Woking?), but it is probably somewhere near the heart of it.
This is empty rhetoric. Every country has gotten through the pandemic. I’m not aware of any country that has ceased to exist since the pandemic started.
The question is whether our Prime Minister navigated us well through the (still ongoing) pandemic, in terms of lives lost, money spent, lockdowns needed, hypocrisies enacted, etc. Opinions vary there.
This is empty rhetoric. Every country has gotten through the pandemic. I’m not aware of any country that has ceased to exist since the pandemic started.
The question is whether our Prime Minister navigated us well through the (still ongoing) pandemic, in terms of lives lost, money spent, lockdowns needed, hypocrisies enacted, etc. Opinions vary there.
Hence the comments about vaccines etc that you snipped out of that post.
Thanks to the vaccines the UK's response to the pandemic has been one of the very best in the planet, even though they've been too lockdown heavy. Still leaning too heavily into restrictions, but not as bad as the devolved governments or Opposition.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
Sure! But YakiDa keeps saying how brilliant Brexit has been for farmers and fisherman, a line copied by Duguid. As it palpably isn't reality, they are going to get punished if they keep saying Don't Look Up.
It was his flagship promise to ‘level up’ places that have put up with decades of decline. Now the PM’s white paper is delayed, the Cabinet is in disarray and most of Britain doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. We deserve so much better than this. https://politi.co/3qvmOdd
It was a very clever -though meaningless -slogan. Almost certainly the work of Big Dom. Now he's available on free transfer SKS could do with having a word. Those innocuous sounding slogans are cleverer and rarer than people think. Much more effective than some of the slick wordplay -Build Back Better-which though memorable translates to the public as gibberish.
I think it's quite clear what it means.
The issue is that so far the Govt has welched on the more important parts of the promise.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
Sure! But YakiDa keeps saying how brilliant Brexit has been for farmers and fisherman, a line copied by Duguid. As it palpably isn't reality, they are going to get punished if they keep saying Don't Look Up.
If Luddites want to vote against progress let them. Don't pander to them though.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
I think we’re a long way off returning to the EU, but what was a big positive for Johnson is now turning to a negative, as everything associated with him comes to be seen as shit.
South Africa test cricket broadcaster talking about Brexit during the tea break.
Shaun Pollock on Brexit, is a thing I never expected to see.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
I presume its to do with Kolpak? Lots of South African crickets were able to play in England via this.
Yeah, utter Brexit dividend for South Africa.
One might argue it isn't a bad thing for English cricket, that counties are not to be able to just go and cherry pick a load of South African's who can't get games because of the quota system in place in SA.
South Africa test cricket broadcaster talking about Brexit during the tea break.
Shaun Pollock on Brexit, is a thing I never expected to see.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
I presume its to do with Kolpak? Lots of South African crickets were able to play in England via this.
Yeah, utter Brexit dividend for South Africa.
One might argue it isn't a bad thing for English cricket, that counties are not to be able to just go and cherry pick a load of South African's who can't get games because of the quota system in place in SA.
Yup, I suspect Kolpak will be back in some form though.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
Sure! But YakiDa keeps saying how brilliant Brexit has been for farmers and fisherman, a line copied by Duguid. As it palpably isn't reality, they are going to get punished if they keep saying Don't Look Up.
If Luddites want to vote against progress let them. Don't pander to them though.
Hardly a vote-winning strategy, but if they came out and advocated that the plan was the destruction of farming as we know it they would at least be honest.
Its "more markets to export to" when reality is the opposite that really winds their former supporters up. Most people aren't so stupid as to believe a politician saying something in direct contradiction of their own senses. Hence why "Don't Look Up" was so funny, as there were swathes of America and apparently YakiDa who do think that way.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
I think we’re a long way off returning to the EU, but what was a big positive for Johnson is now turning to a negative, as everything associated with him comes to be seen as shit.
going from Boris is shit, to Brexit is shit is a step that even soft leavers will not necessarily take.
South Africa test cricket broadcaster talking about Brexit during the tea break.
Shaun Pollock on Brexit, is a thing I never expected to see.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
I presume its to do with Kolpak? Lots of South African crickets were able to play in England via this.
Yeah, utter Brexit dividend for South Africa.
One might argue it isn't a bad thing for English cricket, that counties are not to be able to just go and cherry pick a load of South African's who can't get games because of the quota system in place in SA.
I'd argue it's good for the game full stop. Mind you, I think we need ICC central contracts for test cricket (i.e. playing for Pakistan or the West Indies should be as well paid as playing for England).
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
I think we’re a long way off returning to the EU, but what was a big positive for Johnson is now turning to a negative, as everything associated with him comes to be seen as shit.
I can't see any circumstances where going back to the EU is going to happen in the next decades. Nor is departure from the EU our problem - its what we have done (or rather haven't done) afterwards. Those are easily fixable without needing to rejoin.
Was reading the story about how the brexit deal has largely killed off parties of foreign students coming to this country. How are we supposed to be global Britain when we have made it economically unviable for students to come here and experience all we have to offer?
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
No idea as to the rights or wrongs on this particular issue, but if a trade deal goes bad in some way then it will almost certainly be Liz Truss who agreed it. Given how fast they happened, there is a strong likelihood that some kind of bad problem will emerge, and this has the potential to disrupt her future prospects.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Clearly its possible but it feels unlikely. What in your view would be the drivers to prompt such a poll reversal?
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
The timing of the local elections with Rishi's NI Tax Rise could hardly be worse for the Conservatives.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Clearly its possible but it feels unlikely. What in your view would be the drivers to prompt such a poll reversal?
Just a wild guess here, but could it be that he doesn’t rate SKS?
South Africa test cricket broadcaster talking about Brexit during the tea break.
Shaun Pollock on Brexit, is a thing I never expected to see.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
I presume its to do with Kolpak? Lots of South African crickets were able to play in England via this.
Yeah, utter Brexit dividend for South Africa.
One might argue it isn't a bad thing for English cricket, that counties are not to be able to just go and cherry pick a load of South African's who can't get games because of the quota system in place in SA.
I'd argue it's good for the game full stop. Mind you, I think we need ICC central contracts for test cricket (i.e. playing for Pakistan or the West Indies should be as well paid as playing for England).
We are seeing the same impact in the EPL, last season was the highest number of minutes played by English players for over 11 years. Now part of that is the changes to the academy system that came in 10+ years ago, but all the EPL clubs also know they can't just go and import loads of EU players to fill every position whenever they fancy. The best of the best can still come, but the upshot is those academy players on the fence, who probably have been quickly discarded a few years ago are getting a chance.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
Sure! But YakiDa keeps saying how brilliant Brexit has been for farmers and fisherman, a line copied by Duguid. As it palpably isn't reality, they are going to get punished if they keep saying Don't Look Up.
I do strongly believe that you make the mistake of failing to differentiate between the act of Brexit in itself and the way in which it has been interpreted and enacted by this specific Government. I think this is a difference that a lot of politicians - not least Keir Starmer - understand far better than you seem to.
It was, and still is, possible to have a Brexit that does not result in the issues we are currently seeing. It is the Brexit that I and others advocated for and still believe will eventually occur once this current shower are out of power. The problems we face now are not because of Brexit but because of who we have in charge of the country.
If you want to play a little thought experiment then just imagine what would have happened had the vote gone the other way. Cameron would still have been gone by now and most likely replaced either by Corbyn or Johnson. So we would still have been suffering from disastrously bad governance but now in a far more fractured country, with the EU issue still rampant and in all likelihood with the one shining success of the last 2 years - the vaccine rollout - having been as much a failure here as it has been in other parts of the EU.
The reason I make this point is not, as it happens, in support of Brexit as such. I am still firmly of the view that that is done in its raw form but in urgent need of redirection. But it is to point out that your belief that opposition will continue to grow is probably ill founded. Much of that opposition rests on the shoulders of Johnson as the current figurehead and as the man who is making such a mess of almost everything, not just Brexit. Replace him with a more pragmatic and less ideological person in charge - whether that is Starmer, Sunak or Truss amongst others - and the whole mood music changes. Indeed you might well find that the sort of Brexit I was after is much easier to sell after the mess Johnson has made of things so far.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
I think we’re a long way off returning to the EU, but what was a big positive for Johnson is now turning to a negative, as everything associated with him comes to be seen as shit.
I can't see any circumstances where going back to the EU is going to happen in the next decades. Nor is departure from the EU our problem - its what we have done (or rather haven't done) afterwards. Those are easily fixable without needing to rejoin.
Was reading the story about how the brexit deal has largely killed off parties of foreign students coming to this country. How are we supposed to be global Britain when we have made it economically unviable for students to come here and experience all we have to offer?
I can see scenarios where it could happen, few of them are likely. by the time that any future vote is held on rejoining, Brexit will be the status quo and it is harder to overturn the status quo.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
Broadly agree. Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
that's a bit of a stretch. the hardcore remoaners have done nothing to convince the soft leavers that it was wrong. in fact the way that we dealt with the vaccines would be used to show how being out works.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is: 1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI 2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve) 3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
I think we’re a long way off returning to the EU, but what was a big positive for Johnson is now turning to a negative, as everything associated with him comes to be seen as shit.
I can't see any circumstances where going back to the EU is going to happen in the next decades. Nor is departure from the EU our problem - its what we have done (or rather haven't done) afterwards. Those are easily fixable without needing to rejoin.
Was reading the story about how the brexit deal has largely killed off parties of foreign students coming to this country. How are we supposed to be global Britain when we have made it economically unviable for students to come here and experience all we have to offer?
Apologies Rochdale, the reply I just write to you was before I saw this comment which kind of agrees with what I was saying.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
Broadly agree. Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
Yes that is an interesting point, lower league football appears to still remain strong. I have been to some conference north and conference south matches the past few years and been quite surprised how well attended they are.
If I had to guess it is because big boy football is really expensive. Even "my team", Crewe, known for being family oriented club (yes we don't talk about the scandal), its something silly like £23 for a match day ticket that last time I went pre-pandemic when I was back in the area to see family. That's an expensive day out for a family. And I think there average attendance is well down on 10 years ago.
Where as I went to a non-league game and I think it cost me £7 and £1 for the my mates kids that I took. And a £1 for some chips and 50p for coffee. I think the afternoon for me and 3 of my mates kids was £15.
It might well be that there is displacement going on, where some people are going to further down the pyramid because of the cost. EPL is obviously fine because demand massively exceeds supply.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
Do you actually know any of the details of these trade deals? How they are better than before, for specific products, that people actually want to buy for the price we can supply them at? Last time this was up for discussion I believe you were proposing selling carrots to Australia.
We can sign a trade deal with the moon but it doesn't generate a single sale
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
No idea as to the rights or wrongs on this particular issue, but if a trade deal goes bad in some way then it will almost certainly be Liz Truss who agreed it. Given how fast they happened, there is a strong likelihood that some kind of bad problem will emerge, and this has the potential to disrupt her future prospects.
Having backed (did I say?) at 101 for next PM I am now inclined to lay her at the 5 available on betfair
I think essentially, Starmer has called it right with the "make Brexit work" line. I see absolutely no appetite whatsoever to rejoin the EU from a significant number of people, it's time to move on and try and make the country work for all outside the EU.
If I was asked tomorrow, I would vote to stay out or abstain.
Let's nationalise the railways properly without any EU legislation needing to make it more complicated, as a starting point.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have
That you can post this with a straight face demonstrates how clueless you are. DOn't worry, you aren't alone. The lickspittle David Duguid keeps telling local farmers and fishermen how much better off they now are. As they know (a) they are worse off and (b) he is a prannock the seat is now chalked up as an SNP gain next time.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
Just imagine, the former seat of Alex Salmond falling to the SNP. Who could have ever thought such a thing imaginable? 😱
Sure! But YakiDa keeps saying how brilliant Brexit has been for farmers and fisherman, a line copied by Duguid. As it palpably isn't reality, they are going to get punished if they keep saying Don't Look Up.
I do strongly believe that you make the mistake of failing to differentiate between the act of Brexit in itself and the way in which it has been interpreted and enacted by this specific Government. I think this is a difference that a lot of politicians - not least Keir Starmer - understand far better than you seem to.
It was, and still is, possible to have a Brexit that does not result in the issues we are currently seeing. It is the Brexit that I and others advocated for and still believe will eventually occur once this current shower are out of power. The problems we face now are not because of Brexit but because of who we have in charge of the country.
If you want to play a little thought experiment then just imagine what would have happened had the vote gone the other way. Cameron would still have been gone by now and most likely replaced either by Corbyn or Johnson. So we would still have been suffering from disastrously bad governance but now in a far more fractured country, with the EU issue still rampant and in all likelihood with the one shining success of the last 2 years - the vaccine rollout - having been as much a failure here as it has been in other parts of the EU.
The reason I make this point is not, as it happens, in support of Brexit as such. I am still firmly of the view that that is done in its raw form but in urgent need of redirection. But it is to point out that your belief that opposition will continue to grow is probably ill founded. Much of that opposition rests on the shoulders of Johnson as the current figurehead and as the man who is making such a mess of almost everything, not just Brexit. Replace him with a more pragmatic and less ideological person in charge - whether that is Starmer, Sunak or Truss amongst others - and the whole mood music changes. Indeed you might well find that the sort of Brexit I was after is much easier to sell after the mess Johnson has made of things so far.
We're in the same place. Brexit is leaving the EU. That isn't the source of our problems. But politically "Brexit" is both our departure and the path we have trodden after departure.
If Sunak is smart he will realise that he can fix most of the problems caused by "Brexit" by making a few tweaks. I then believe that the issue will recede into the background. It only grows in stature as a political problem if Johnson stays and Tory MPs keep telling people don't look up. Even then I have just posted that rejoin isn't remotely likely in the decades to come.
This is empty rhetoric. Every country has gotten through the pandemic. I’m not aware of any country that has ceased to exist since the pandemic started.
The question is whether our Prime Minister navigated us well through the (still ongoing) pandemic, in terms of lives lost, money spent, lockdowns needed, hypocrisies enacted, etc. Opinions vary there.
Any fair-minded person would say that it's a mixed record. We've done better than some countries, and worse than others. I'm happy to give Boris a measure of credit and a measure of blame. The ideas that it's been some roaring success or some dismal failure are really only fringe partisan points of view and can be safely dismissed.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
Do you actually know any of the details of these trade deals? How they are better than before, for specific products, that people actually want to buy for the price we can supply them at? Last time this was up for discussion I believe you were proposing selling carrots to Australia.
We can sign a trade deal with the moon but it doesn't generate a single sale
He is an idiot, has not a clue, just a total sheep.
Record levels of demand for Covid PCR tests have left some families waiting up to five days for their results over Christmas, BBC Scotland has learned.
I think essentially, Starmer has called it right with the "make Brexit work" line. I see absolutely no appetite whatsoever to rejoin the EU from a significant number of people, it's time to move on and try and make the country work for all outside the EU.
If I was asked tomorrow, I would vote to stay out or abstain.
Let's nationalise the railways properly without any EU legislation needing to make it more complicated, as a starting point.
On the latter point we're already witnessing why nationalisation in the traditional sense is a bad idea. The DfT civil servants have no idea how to do anything. We need to get on and create Great British Railways and then spin it off like EDF or DB.
I can't remember where you are based (Woking?), but it is probably somewhere near the heart of it.
Godalming, south of Guildford. Interesting to read about it, thanks. I went to a live race years ago and was put off by an afternoon seeing the cars go round and round with overtaking very rare and no real sense of who was winning, unlike say horseracing. I can see that if you get into it and understand the engineering and the rules then it's a lot more interesting.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Having finally seen that Johnson is - in the words of the song currently occupying position 5 in the singles chart - ‘still a f …… c…’, I think it won’t be long before the majority see Brexit as the turd it really is..
The more people respond to the polling changes with talk about Brexit and with some already dreaming of reversal the more swiftly the polls will be doing the same. More power to your elbow.
Record levels of demand for Covid PCR tests have left some families waiting up to five days for their results over Christmas, BBC Scotland has learned.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Clearly its possible but it feels unlikely. What in your view would be the drivers to prompt such a poll reversal?
Well Labour & the SNP are banking on just being more locked down than Boris, and assuming no one will remember when it likely proves to be unnecessarily damaging. But given England is having a New Years whilst the Celts aren't, there is a risk that people spot it.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
Where’s the hate. The article is just delivering the facts about farming practices in Australia . So UK farmers are now going to be at a disadvantage and it’s yet another Vote Leave promise which bites the dust ! Bizarrely the UK is perhaps the only country in the world which managed to sign a trade deal which the government figures conclude could end up negatively effecting GDP!
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
Applying similar logic, I take it that you're glad we've left the Common Market, given that we ran a consistent trade deficit with ROEU.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Clearly its possible but it feels unlikely. What in your view would be the drivers to prompt such a poll reversal?
Well Labour & the SNP are banking on just being more locked down than Boris, and assuming no one will remember when it likely proves to be unnecessarily damaging. But given England is having a New Years whilst the Celts aren't, there is a risk that people spot it.
But as the public have been almost universally supporting of Covid mitigation strategies I can;t see why that would help the Tories even if they did.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
Broadly agree. Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
Yes that is an interesting point, lower league football appears to still remain strong. I have been to some conference north and conference south matches the past few years and been quite surprised how well attended they are.
If I had to guess it is because big boy football is really expensive. Even "my team", Crewe, known for being family oriented club (yes we don't talk about the scandal), its something silly like £23 for a match day ticket that last time I went pre-pandemic when I was back in the area to see family. That's an expensive day out for a family. And I think there average attendance is well down on 10 years ago.
Where as I went to a non-league game and I think it cost me £7 and £1 for the my mates kids that I took. And a £1 for some chips and 50p for coffee. I think the afternoon for me and 3 of my mates kids was £15.
It might well be that there is displacement going on, where some people are going to further down the pyramid because of the cost. EPL is obviously fine because demand massively exceeds supply.
Agree; the local League (2) side is £26 for a full ticket, and £21 for an OAP. Under 11's are free. However nearby non-league teams charge £10 (or £5 for OAP's, under 18's.) Local car parking is free, not sure about League 2 side.
It's good to be able to choose meat with that extra added savour of ill treatment, right?
Good to see all that Scottish Nationalist hate for our Aussie cousins.
The Scottish Farmer is a Scottish Nationalist organ now?
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
Farmers now have more markets to export to thanks to the new trade deals we have.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
Do you actually know any of the details of these trade deals? How they are better than before, for specific products, that people actually want to buy for the price we can supply them at? Last time this was up for discussion I believe you were proposing selling carrots to Australia.
We can sign a trade deal with the moon but it doesn't generate a single sale
He is an idiot, has not a clue, just a total sheep.
Hey Malcolm, hope you, your wife, and family are doing ok today, following yesterday's news.
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
Broadly agree. Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
Yes that is an interesting point, lower league football appears to still remain strong. I have been to some conference north and conference south matches the past few years and been quite surprised how well attended they are.
If I had to guess it is because big boy football is really expensive. Even "my team", Crewe, known for being family oriented club (yes we don't talk about the scandal), its something silly like £23 for a match day ticket that last time I went pre-pandemic when I was back in the area to see family. That's an expensive day out for a family. And I think there average attendance is well down on 10 years ago.
Where as I went to a non-league game and I think it cost me £7 and £1 for the my mates kids that I took. And a £1 for some chips and 50p for coffee. I think the afternoon for me and 3 of my mates kids was £15.
It might well be that there is displacement going on, where some people are going to further down the pyramid because of the cost. EPL is obviously fine because demand massively exceeds supply.
Yes. All good points. Course, it isn't possible to watch EPL at all on a short notice whim without paying absolutely stupid money. I also like a wander around the ground, which you can't really do anymore. Except at non-league.
£23 to watch Crewe? £6 a month Netflix.
No surprise crowds aren't flocking to Gresty Road. That and bottom of the league too.
"Neither" is a strange answer. One is likely to better than the other, if only marginally.
Also, 22% apparently said something else. "They'd both be great at it, impossible to choose which I like more"? Maybe not.
It's "Don't know", presumably, which puts the uncommitted total up to 50%. I wonder if that's unusual? Possibly the pandemic (and a bit of Brexit) have so dominated debate in the last year or two that people have simply lost track of whether the economy is doing well or not. That will no doubt change when Sunak gets round to post-pandemic deficit repair.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Clearly its possible but it feels unlikely. What in your view would be the drivers to prompt such a poll reversal?
Well Labour & the SNP are banking on just being more locked down than Boris, and assuming no one will remember when it likely proves to be unnecessarily damaging. But given England is having a New Years whilst the Celts aren't, there is a risk that people spot it.
But as the public have been almost universally supporting of Covid mitigation strategies I can;t see why that would help the Tories even if they did.
It doesn't seem likely, but moods can change, and if everything proves fine, there is at least a chance that people spot we've got the best booster roll out in the world and some of the lightest restrictions.
And public support has only been 'almost universal' in the rather weak sense that polls always show a majority. There has always been a sizable minority and the trend appears to be its friend.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
The timing of the local elections with Rishi's NI Tax Rise could hardly be worse for the Conservatives.
But surely they planned for that? I mean, the Tories are experts at winning elections and they do everything in their power to make sure they fight elections under the most favourable circumstances possible. Always.
But if they are actually planning to lose seats this spring, it has to be a very deep game indeed.....
As a Yorkshire man, I grew up with cricket in my blood, inherited from my father. I spent all of my childhood summers either playing cricket or wandering around Headingley.
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
Football is a behemoth crowding every other sport out, I'm afraid. Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
Rugby League, now there is a sport in trouble. While cricket still gets sell outs for all the tests, the ODIs, decent numbers for the Hundred / T20, and 5 million watched England in the WC cricket final, rugby league is a shadow of its former self, poor attendances and very poor tv viewership.
Agreed. Except in Oz where it is the big bad Pat TV bully crowding others out. Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
Big problem is Rugby Union in the England has become a much better product and attracts lots of top talent. Internationals less so, but Gallagher Premiership is really exciting.
Yes. However, dip below the Premiership, and it is in a parlous state too. Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
Again I think it comes down to a shift where there are now so many competing things for people's spare time and money. Gone are the days where you joined a cricket club or a rugby club because basically it was the local social club with some sport thrown in.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
Broadly agree. Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
Yes that is an interesting point, lower league football appears to still remain strong. I have been to some conference north and conference south matches the past few years and been quite surprised how well attended they are.
If I had to guess it is because big boy football is really expensive. Even "my team", Crewe, known for being family oriented club (yes we don't talk about the scandal), its something silly like £23 for a match day ticket that last time I went pre-pandemic when I was back in the area to see family. That's an expensive day out for a family. And I think there average attendance is well down on 10 years ago.
Where as I went to a non-league game and I think it cost me £7 and £1 for the my mates kids that I took. And a £1 for some chips and 50p for coffee. I think the afternoon for me and 3 of my mates kids was £15.
It might well be that there is displacement going on, where some people are going to further down the pyramid because of the cost. EPL is obviously fine because demand massively exceeds supply.
Yes. All good points. Course, it isn't possible to watch EPL at all on a short notice whim without paying absolutely stupid money. I also like a wander around the ground, which you can't really do anymore. Except at non-league.
£23 to watch Crewe? £6 a month Netflix.
No surprise crowds aren't flocking to Gresty Road. That and bottom of the league too.
Crewe is in a right old mess. Their business model of developing talent, bringing them into the team and getting ~3 years of good football, with the unwritten rule that if / when a big club comes in, everybody is on the same page and they will drive stick together to drive a good deal for the club, has totally gone to pot.
Some of the best talent had played literally a season in the first team and immediately told the club they aren't re-signing any contract ever, I want to leave....and they get transferred too quickly sideways and never go anywhere as they find their new club isn't quite so understanding of their slip-ups and naivety.
And they also be the go to destination for upcoming and coming players from big clubs like Liverpool to go out on loan, but again that has all gone now. If they are lucky they get some youth team player who isn't going to make anyway on loan for a season, only to find they will be lucky to even make it at League One level.
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The dominance of one day stuff is of little interest to those who remember the older style, and it does little good to English batting technique.
This ashes series will have done damage as there is only one side turning up.
But I suspect you are probably right, 3 parts jab to 1 part gin makes the perfect cocktail for this holiday 🥂
Most every parent takes their kids down as soon as possible.
May have summat to do with being the only place legally able to have an alcohol license, mind.
The club I play for now is a well to do village on the wilts/Gloucestershire boundary, and forms the heart of the village community. The bar is open on match days and is well used by the village. The youth section is huge, the ladies team is thriving.
Local club cricket has tended to contract from lots of small sides in every village, to fewer, but bigger clubs that run at least three if not more league teams.
Anecdotally people have a lot more ways to spend their leisure time. Computer gaming is a big one. Why play in Wilts div 8 with a bunch of boring old guys, when you can bat as Joe Root at the MCG?
Cricket does not to be on terrestrial. The greatest test series was the 2005 Ashes, shown in full on channel 4. Without that exposure, kids won’t be interested unless they come from a cricket background.
He's not so bad - for a Tory.
England have won the Ashes! Yes England have won the Ashes.
After some deliberation (in the bar) the Umpires decided to decide the entire series using a Super Over, just as Cummings shoes fell apart. Having spent their entire careers playing in near total darkness in County Cricket helped England when the Umpires restarted the playing.
Cheers. 🥂
I love Christmas, Prosecco for Breakfast.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsForAlI/status/1475786518388224003?s=20
Or something.
I'm sure you're right about the subtle influence of computer games, and indeed the internet generally. Apparently it's impacted dating too, as playing computer games and watching porn are an unchallenging alternative to actually mixing with real people in the flesh, with all the ups and downs which that involves. I spend a few hours a day on computer games when I've nothing else to do, so I totally get that (I had 3 books published on games so there's an excuse), while recognising that it's a bit sad!
But as a parent, I've failed miserably. I've never got my children remotely interested in cricket. They won't even know the Ashes is over today. Nothing but football. I've got them voting Labour, being decent folk, drinking beer etc. - all the things I love. Except cricket. I guess it's a generational thing, sadly.
In any other 'election' you are not.
@TOPPING keeps telling me about some sort of Dance TV show that the BBC shows that I believe had Ed Balls on it in the past, while Mad Nad was on ITV's I'm a Celeb.
If you voted for Mad Nad to do a Bushtucker Trial, or voted for Ed Balls on that dance show Topping loves, then did you vote for them to be in Parliament? 🤔
Just been back to Wigan. Football is taking over there too.
"Voting" for anything else, is not.
If someone "voted" for Mad Nad or Ed Balls on those TV shows is that a vote for Parliament? Or is such a vote not a serious vote for Parliament?
"She'll be sober in the morning."
Good to see you blithely accepting that your bunch of dislikeable, untrustworthy weaklings are losing natural Tory voters at a rate of knots. Eventually there'll only be a battered head left mouthing 'tis but a flesh wound' and 'the don't knows are right behind us'.
English T20 / ODI cricket amazing strength in depth, better than basically every other team. Salt doesn't play, Willey doesn't play, Mills didn't play until there was other injuries. Banton, Abell, Brook, Smeed, etc etc etc all coming through, some with amazing performances in the Hundred.
So "Neither" is definitely the right answer.
The SNP it seems would whack up tariffs and protectionism however on imports from any country outside the EU.
Nationalists and authoritarian Covid restriction imposers at home and protectionist abroad, the SNP in a nutshell
Putting Union on life support.
Worst run sport in the country here. Product, especially live, is still great.
I suppose as long as no 10 sticks a Global Britain rosette on any trade deal some of the low information leave voters will think its marvelous !
A wider setup such as McLaren Group is underpinned by the F1 team and provides 4000+ high end jobs. Plus there's a penumbra of high end engineering companies around the ecosystem.
The only sporting equivalent I can think of is perhaps other motor racing, or Premier League football.
Compare France and cycling.
I can't remember where you are based (Woking?), but it is probably somewhere near the heart of it.
The question is whether our Prime Minister navigated us well through the (still ongoing) pandemic, in terms of lives lost, money spent, lockdowns needed, hypocrisies enacted, etc. Opinions vary there.
Thanks to the vaccines the UK's response to the pandemic has been one of the very best in the planet, even though they've been too lockdown heavy. Still leaning too heavily into restrictions, but not as bad as the devolved governments or Opposition.
Clubs and players disappearing. Huge losses and pitiful crowds at Championship level.
You can say "more markets to export to" as much as you like. As it isn't true you *will* get caught out.
People will pay for top notch sport be it something like NFL, but aren't willing to go and hang out and watch second tier rugby or cricket.
the only way that we go back into the EU in my opinion is:
1) a renegotiation under a future labour government which moves us subtly closer to the EU and properly deals with NI
2) full economic collapse in the UK directly attributable to brexit (hard bar to achieve)
3) the passage of 30-40 years with consistent pro-EU newspapers, commentators, news stories showing the benefits of being a member.
Shaun Pollock on Brexit, is a thing I never expected to see.
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
The issue is that so far the Govt has welched on the more important parts of the promise.
Its "more markets to export to" when reality is the opposite that really winds their former supporters up. Most people aren't so stupid as to believe a politician saying something in direct contradiction of their own senses. Hence why "Don't Look Up" was so funny, as there were swathes of America and apparently YakiDa who do think that way.
I predict at least one Tory poll lead before the end of January.
And a return to more Tory poll leads than Labour ones in the 30 days prior to Easter.
May 2022 Local Elections will be the best test of the relative strength of the 2 main parties. I see widespread gains for the LDs and not much movement otherwise.
Was reading the story about how the brexit deal has largely killed off parties of foreign students coming to this country. How are we supposed to be global Britain when we have made it economically unviable for students to come here and experience all we have to offer?
It was, and still is, possible to have a Brexit that does not result in the issues we are currently seeing. It is the Brexit that I and others advocated for and still believe will eventually occur once this current shower are out of power. The problems we face now are not because of Brexit but because of who we have in charge of the country.
If you want to play a little thought experiment then just imagine what would have happened had the vote gone the other way. Cameron would still have been gone by now and most likely replaced either by Corbyn or Johnson. So we would still have been suffering from disastrously bad governance but now in a far more fractured country, with the EU issue still rampant and in all likelihood with the one shining success of the last 2 years - the vaccine rollout - having been as much a failure here as it has been in other parts of the EU.
The reason I make this point is not, as it happens, in support of Brexit as such. I am still firmly of the view that that is done in its raw form but in urgent need of redirection. But it is to point out that your belief that opposition will continue to grow is probably ill founded. Much of that opposition rests on the shoulders of Johnson as the current figurehead and as the man who is making such a mess of almost everything, not just Brexit. Replace him with a more pragmatic and less ideological person in charge - whether that is Starmer, Sunak or Truss amongst others - and the whole mood music changes. Indeed you might well find that the sort of Brexit I was after is much easier to sell after the mess Johnson has made of things so far.
Although, was just wondering about football at lower level. There were some impressive attendances in non-league yesterday. This seems to be more popular than for many decades.
If I had to guess it is because big boy football is really expensive. Even "my team", Crewe, known for being family oriented club (yes we don't talk about the scandal), its something silly like £23 for a match day ticket that last time I went pre-pandemic when I was back in the area to see family. That's an expensive day out for a family. And I think there average attendance is well down on 10 years ago.
Where as I went to a non-league game and I think it cost me £7 and £1 for the my mates kids that I took. And a £1 for some chips and 50p for coffee. I think the afternoon for me and 3 of my mates kids was £15.
It might well be that there is displacement going on, where some people are going to further down the pyramid because of the cost. EPL is obviously fine because demand massively exceeds supply.
We can sign a trade deal with the moon but it doesn't generate a single sale
If I was asked tomorrow, I would vote to stay out or abstain.
Let's nationalise the railways properly without any EU legislation needing to make it more complicated, as a starting point.
If Sunak is smart he will realise that he can fix most of the problems caused by "Brexit" by making a few tweaks. I then believe that the issue will recede into the background. It only grows in stature as a political problem if Johnson stays and Tory MPs keep telling people don't look up. Even then I have just posted that rejoin isn't remotely likely in the decades to come.
I'm happy to give Boris a measure of credit and a measure of blame. The ideas that it's been some roaring success or some dismal failure are really only fringe partisan points of view and can be safely dismissed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-59809242
To be honest I'm amazed demand hasn't completely crashed the system.
Local car parking is free, not sure about League 2 side.
I also like a wander around the ground, which you can't really do anymore. Except at non-league.
£23 to watch Crewe?
£6 a month Netflix.
No surprise crowds aren't flocking to Gresty Road. That and bottom of the league too.
It's "Don't know", presumably, which puts the uncommitted total up to 50%. I wonder if that's unusual? Possibly the pandemic (and a bit of Brexit) have so dominated debate in the last year or two that people have simply lost track of whether the economy is doing well or not. That will no doubt change when Sunak gets round to post-pandemic deficit repair.
And public support has only been 'almost universal' in the rather weak sense that polls always show a majority. There has always been a sizable minority and the trend appears to be its friend.
But if they are actually planning to lose seats this spring, it has to be a very deep game indeed.....
Some of the best talent had played literally a season in the first team and immediately told the club they aren't re-signing any contract ever, I want to leave....and they get transferred too quickly sideways and never go anywhere as they find their new club isn't quite so understanding of their slip-ups and naivety.
And they also be the go to destination for upcoming and coming players from big clubs like Liverpool to go out on loan, but again that has all gone now. If they are lucky they get some youth team player who isn't going to make anyway on loan for a season, only to find they will be lucky to even make it at League One level.