"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
Since it's school sports day on PB, jeez, this is grim. I had dimly understood that there was stuff in the background to Hogg standing down but not at this level.
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
You seem determined to have some argument with me, unfortunately I find you incredibly boring so i can't be arsed. Soz boz
Southgate reign reminds me a bit of Eddie George with the rugby.
Initially taking over a poor team with limited players and formulating a playstyle that worked as hard to beat but limited flair, and that got the team to semi-finals and some famous wins. However, when the availability of much more talented players came along, they stuck with the same conservative style. England rugby are still kick kick kick kick, occasional use battering ram through the middle, team to this day.
As Tifo Football guys have explained the whole of world football knows how to nullify England's base strategy now, but still little change from the start. And hence why England struggled to create lots of chances game after game.
BIB - the players have taken control of playing style in the last few months and things are MUCH improved, despite the two losses in NZ (both of which could and perhaps ought to have been wins). Its fashionable to deride England's playing style but is it that different to Ireland? The best sides aim for ultra quick ruck ball and where possible ball out of the tackle. Add into that an ability to shift the ball wide, accurately and quickly to get around defences (often now via a cross field kick-pass) and that's modern rugby. Its true that many international sides are extremely comfortable in defence, notably so out of the 22, so will happily use a kick when an attacking phase becomes bogged down. At the weekend England tried grubbers a bit too much when in the NZ 22 - I am all for keeping possession as long as possible in the main.
Its better, but NZ, SA, France, their default is run, then kick. England's is still kick then run. But under Eddie JONES it was far worse kick kick, some more kicking, oh we are near the line, give it the big centre to run direct at the line. I think Marcus Smith and Fin Smith are more inventive than Farrell, but worse goal kickers.
Farrell was/is one of the finest rugby players England has ever produced. This view is endorsed by numerous non-English Lions players and no less than Sir Clive. Sadly it is always online rugby "experts" that think they know better (much like Southgate critics), most of whom who have never picked up a ball and have as much knowledge of rugby as Leon has about science and technology.
They are different players and the game moves on. Marcus Smith adds a different dimension to England attack, he is a more elusive runner than Farrell, and he does things in games that Farrell has never done in international games. See the past two NZ games. However, Farrell overall runs the game better, better tackler, makes far less mistakes, much superior goal kicker.
We can list footballers who are listed as the finest ever produced, but Bellingham would now have them for breakfast, as the game changes, improves.
I believe Farrell is still the highest paid rugby union player, so I guess the selectors of Racing 92 might disagree with you.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
Rabbits would fit even better under the panels. Probably more efficient, though I'm not sure how they score on the methane per kg meat count - probably better as they have a different system.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Farming is hard work and returns are based on the vagueries of the weather and the even vaguer vagueries of the subsidy regime. The rental return on a 40-year contract may be less but the conversion of hard-earned income to unearned income must be attractive to many.
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
If that's what the NIMBYS mean and not actual cash crops then they have a very weak case. The only concern is has Ed rushed this such that it is illegal?
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
The good political news about the proposed Mildenhall solar farm is that it means Nick Timothy is ~ 99% to retain his seat next time round as he tries all sorts to stop Miliband building it.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Southgate reign reminds me a bit of Eddie George with the rugby.
Initially taking over a poor team with limited players and formulating a playstyle that worked as hard to beat but limited flair, and that got the team to semi-finals and some famous wins. However, when the availability of much more talented players came along, they stuck with the same conservative style. England rugby are still kick kick kick kick, occasional use battering ram through the middle, team to this day.
As Tifo Football guys have explained the whole of world football knows how to nullify England's base strategy now, but still little change from the start. And hence why England struggled to create lots of chances game after game.
It would have been fascinating to see what Eddie George could do with English rugby. Increase interest perhaps? Even more intriguing would be Eddie Jones at the Bank of England.
Eddie Jones at the Bank of England could only be an improvement.
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
If that's what the NIMBYS mean and not actual cash crops then they have a very weak case. The only concern is has Ed rushed this such that it is illegal?
Grass *is*, er, a cash crop - just that it's meat not flour etc that is the result. Sheep grazing is interspersed with arable (barley, turnips etc.) in some local fields by the farmers [edit] here by the way, though I'm not sure how far that is a deliberate rotation as opposed to responding to market changes.
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
So that tweet says Starmer, but you said the cabinet went as well.
So I’d rather wait for a bona fide news source.
I was being hyperbolic, not writing an article for the Gazette
AFAICS Starmer and Nandy both went by private jet. Nandy seems particularly absurd
I can see the logic (security, timing) but really, after all their rhetoric about Sunak, and Ed Milliband wanking on about net zero, a privaate jet to a football match??
Lisa Nandy is SoS for Culture, Media and Sport. And Sport. Not so absurd, then.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
Yup - this what a chap I know is doing, with sheep grazing under his panels. Apparently the panels he is using are light enough that metal stakes with a stop plate are all that is required - not even a concrete footing required.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
You seem determined to have some argument with me, unfortunately I find you incredibly boring so i can't be arsed. Soz boz
I accept that you know I will always tear your ridiculous assertions to shreds so I understand that you might not wish to engage.
As for being boring, I think that may be a surprise to those that know me, though I suspect that this is another example of your regular propensity for psychological projection. I confess that I used to find you quite interesting, until I realised you are nothing more than an aging cantankerous swiveleyed right wing loon.. You have moved beyond boring to being more and more absurd.
Oh God Jamie Carragher is insisting that Southgate Must Stay
Someone make it stop. Please
If he goes and we go back to the other type of mediocrity (where we don't always qualify for World Cups and the Euros, and get knocked out in the group stages as per Brazil) will you be happier?
I regard the last 6 years as the best supporting the England football team. Two finals. Another semi and a loss in the quarters to a dodgy ref and a side that narrowly lost the final. Whats wrong with that?
Last night we came mighty close to a second equaliser. Who knows what would have happened after?
A decade or so back, Millwall got to the final of the FA Cup. They achieved it purely by the draw falling such that they didn't really play anyone good all the way there. That approach basically explains Southgate's success. Beating Serbia and Slovenia doesn't really imply success.
In the Euros, there are basically five teams who are both big countries and well-resourced: England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany. For the WC, you can add Argentina and Brazil. Getting to the semi-finals of the Euros or the quarters of the WC therefore is no better than par. Granted it's better than any of Southgate's predecessors managed, but it's still not really success. Success would be an era when England beat other big 5/7 teams much more often than not. Whereas what we have now is England pootling through until they come across another big 5/7 team, then losing. England's success is like that of Rangers coming second in the SPL.
International football is a peculiar beast - because so many teams play it, you come across other big countries very rarely. So adequacy is often disguised as success (like the Rangers league position in the period before they've played Celtic).
Southgate is an adequate manager. That's not to be sneezed at - Sven was also adequate - but nor is it a cause for particular celebration.
I must have imagined beating Germany 2-0 in 2021 then.
I get your point, but I don't think you an say that two finals, a semi and a quarter are simply about luck. We've had that before and failed. Southgate has created something, and I fear it may prove temporary. The previous 'golden generation' was fractured by inter-club rivalry. Southgate has managed to avoid that completely and built a club team ethos.
I also reject the idea that not winning means its failure. On a facile level, yes. thats true. But more realistically 23 teams failed by that token. Very few teams actually with the Euros or the WC.
I think Southgate has been exceptional. Not merely adequate. Someone else might have done better (but who?). No-one else did since 1966.
All fair points, but:
"I must have imagined beating Germany 2-0 in 2021 then."
Well yes, but what's Southgate's overall record against the big 5/7? I'd suggest if it were a league for the time of his tenure England would be firmly in relegation territory.
"I get your point, but I don't think you an say that two finals, a semi and a quarter are simply about luck. We've had that before and failed. Southgate has created something, and I fear it may prove temporary. The previous 'golden generation' was fractured by inter-club rivalry. Southgate has managed to avoid that completely and built a club team ethos." He has - and it's to be applauded - but it doesn't seem to have ended up with notably better results than the last adequate manager, Sven (again measured by the criterion of win/loss against decent opposition).
"I also reject the idea that not winning means its failure. On a facile level, yes. thats true. But more realistically 23 teams failed by that token. Very few teams actually with the Euros or the WC. " Well yes, but different standards for different teams, surely? For Slovenia it was an achievement just to qualify. For the big 5 teams, the benchmark should be rather higher.
"I think Southgate has been exceptional. Not merely adequate. Someone else might have done better (but who?). No-one else did since 1966"
Well I can agree with your third sentence at least. Who else would want to do it? It's certainly not obvious there's a better candidate.
In 2018, from nowhere Southgate took an inexperience squad to the WC semis, where they lost to a very good Croatia, inspired by Modric. At 1-0 up there where several chances for second but the ball didn't fall right. In 2021 they lost on penalties to Italy. On penalties. Not quite a lottery but also good to acknowledge the manner of defeat. In 2022 they lost to France with a ref who gave the French every marginal call.
The role of luck in sport is huge, and I think England have often been unlucky at the big moments. Maradona, Lampard, Gaza just failing to connect in 1996, Waddles long range effort in 1990 and so on. I don't think England have ever put together a side and style of play that anyone would say "best in Europe" in the way that the French and Spanish have over recent times. The Germans have been brutally efficient.
I'm resigned to Southgate going and England getting worse.
As a neutral, my impression is that, having underperformed for years, you are now performing at the level you should expect. Your problem is the media fuelled expectation that you should win all competitions, in all sports in which you compete, and that each competition is a substitute for war.
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
I wonder if you could commit some serious football terrorism by just booting long balls into touch as near to the corner flag as you can get, a bit like used to happen in rugby before winning your own lineout became easier.
Throw ins near your own line seem to be quite dangerous.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Most around here have been sited on grass, not on land under the plough. Its also true that grass still grows around solar farms so can be used to graze stock (sheep mainly).
If that's what the NIMBYS mean and not actual cash crops then they have a very weak case. The only concern is has Ed rushed this such that it is illegal?
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
Arsene Wenger is a good example of a coach who was pioneering, revolutionary, way ahead of the game tactically, strength and conditioning, analytics, etc etc etc, yet by the time he left Arsenal he had been surpassed.
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
That's peak capacity. You see the same around Europe with the Tesla Supercharges. When I went to France, a few weeks back, we were out of the peak season where we went. So by the Channel tunnel and the main routes - 70% occupancy, very often. Down by Chablis, the ones in the Ibis hotel carparks were maybe 20%.
The thing is that the chargers have next to no cost when not being used - the maintenance and monitoring is vastly less than petrol pumps.
EDIT: one thing the Tesla build out proved was that you need to *lead* the provision of refuelling for whatever ZEV technology you are advocating.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Oh God Jamie Carragher is insisting that Southgate Must Stay
Someone make it stop. Please
If he goes and we go back to the other type of mediocrity (where we don't always qualify for World Cups and the Euros, and get knocked out in the group stages as per Brazil) will you be happier?
I regard the last 6 years as the best supporting the England football team. Two finals. Another semi and a loss in the quarters to a dodgy ref and a side that narrowly lost the final. Whats wrong with that?
Last night we came mighty close to a second equaliser. Who knows what would have happened after?
A decade or so back, Millwall got to the final of the FA Cup. They achieved it purely by the draw falling such that they didn't really play anyone good all the way there. That approach basically explains Southgate's success. Beating Serbia and Slovenia doesn't really imply success.
In the Euros, there are basically five teams who are both big countries and well-resourced: England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany. For the WC, you can add Argentina and Brazil. Getting to the semi-finals of the Euros or the quarters of the WC therefore is no better than par. Granted it's better than any of Southgate's predecessors managed, but it's still not really success. Success would be an era when England beat other big 5/7 teams much more often than not. Whereas what we have now is England pootling through until they come across another big 5/7 team, then losing. England's success is like that of Rangers coming second in the SPL.
International football is a peculiar beast - because so many teams play it, you come across other big countries very rarely. So adequacy is often disguised as success (like the Rangers league position in the period before they've played Celtic).
Southgate is an adequate manager. That's not to be sneezed at - Sven was also adequate - but nor is it a cause for particular celebration.
I must have imagined beating Germany 2-0 in 2021 then.
I get your point, but I don't think you an say that two finals, a semi and a quarter are simply about luck. We've had that before and failed. Southgate has created something, and I fear it may prove temporary. The previous 'golden generation' was fractured by inter-club rivalry. Southgate has managed to avoid that completely and built a club team ethos.
I also reject the idea that not winning means its failure. On a facile level, yes. thats true. But more realistically 23 teams failed by that token. Very few teams actually with the Euros or the WC.
I think Southgate has been exceptional. Not merely adequate. Someone else might have done better (but who?). No-one else did since 1966.
I think the wins against Germany in 2021 and Switzerland this time were good. The Germans weren't that good, but they're still the Germans so you've got to play quite well to beat them. Similarly, I think Switzerland are very good team and I expected them to beat this England.
However, we've gone backwards this time. If you want to know what a difference the coach makes, look at Germany. They were a mess nine months ago and now they're disappointed to have been knocked out by a very good Spain side.
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Presumably the reason is that the solar panel subsidies are better than the agricultural ones?
Exactly this. And it really shouldnt be for others to tell what a farmer can farm, or what he can put there. These things are not that hard to revert back to agricultural land in the future.
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence him having the same name but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
ON topic, this house in Provence has - if you want it - an outdoor shower, on the roof terrace
So you can shower in the sun as you gaze out across the beautiful, whispering Luberon valleys, and the stone built villages, and the stands of cypress
It is astonishingly lovely. Outdoor showers with views are possibly better than sex, or even heroin
Al fresco chugging, surely a gazette piece in that?
Nice piece of Scottish argot, puts a whole new perspective on those charity muggers
I am happy to go back to the Chugging Discourse, but it seemed to upset people last night, so I am hesitant. Really, I should be rewarded. I could tell you were all down after the footie (well, not you), so I thought I'd amuse you all (and, more importantly, me) by revealing my detailed chugging habits, despite any embarrassments to myself
Selfless, that's me. Also, practically impossible to embarrass
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
Arsene Wenger is a good example of a coach who was pioneering, revolutionary, way ahead of the game tactically, strength and conditioning, analytics, etc etc etc, yet by the time he left Arsenal he had been surpassed.
Back in the day (late 80's) Bath Rugby were essentially a professional club, in an amateur game. We all knew it. Lots of fake jobs etc. I vividly recall standing among 10,000 paying fans at the Rec and wondering who got the money if the players didn't. Bath's success back then was based on this.
When the sport became professional Bath's advantage was lost and 30 odd years later they are still trying to get back to where they were.
Oddly, Saracens essentially updated the Bath model of payment...
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
Isn't that the perceived wisdom that Tesla just does chargers better and long term a win for Elon. In the US, he has all the best locations, the chargers are better, the adaptor to connect to your car is better. And after the period of exclusivity, he is opening up to other EVs and its $$$$$ for him.
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
Arsene Wenger is a good example of a coach who was pioneering, revolutionary, way ahead of the game tactically, strength and conditioning, analytics, etc etc etc, yet by the time he left Arsenal he had been surpassed.
Back in the day (late 80's) Bath Rugby were essentially a professional club, in an amateur game. We all knew it. Lots of fake jobs etc. I vividly recall standing among 10,000 paying fans at the Rec and wondering who got the money if the players didn't. Bath's success back then was based on this.
When the sport became professional Bath's advantage was lost and 30 odd years later they are still trying to get back to where they were.
Oddly, Saracens essentially updated the Bath model of payment...
You aren't suggesting that players great great granny on £500k a year for checking matchday tickets was a fake job are you?
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
The system is very proud of running state schools at 98%+ of capacity. When you point out to the people who are proud of this, that operations research, over a century or more, indicates that this is insane*... well, they get upset.
*An organisation running all the time at full capacity will have break downs in quality, productivity collapses and complete dysfunctions (everything stops). On the staff side, morale will collapse and everyone with marketable skills will try and leave. Strangely, when you observe the state education system in the UK....
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Presumably the reason is that the solar panel subsidies are better than the agricultural ones?
Exactly this. And it really shouldnt be for others to tell what a farmer can farm, or what he can put there. These things are not that hard to revert back to agricultural land in the future.
"But my view of the fields in my 'escape to the country' house"...
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
He has the Golden Boot (Euros 2024 - shared, and WC 2018) to his name, so he's not a total flop...
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
Arsene Wenger is a good example of a coach who was pioneering, revolutionary, way ahead of the game tactically, strength and conditioning, analytics, etc etc etc, yet by the time he left Arsenal he had been surpassed.
Back in the day (late 80's) Bath Rugby were essentially a professional club, in an amateur game. We all knew it. Lots of fake jobs etc. I vividly recall standing among 10,000 paying fans at the Rec and wondering who got the money if the players didn't. Bath's success back then was based on this.
When the sport became professional Bath's advantage was lost and 30 odd years later they are still trying to get back to where they were.
Oddly, Saracens essentially updated the Bath model of payment...
You aren't suggesting that players great great granny on £500k a year for checking matchday tickets was a fake job are you?
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
He has the Golden Boot (Euros 2024 - shared, and WC 2018) to his name, so he's not a total flop...
That's not really a trophy tho, is it? Not silverware. When you look back at your career you need to see trophies, and you need to remember moments of REAL triumph, esp if you're as good as Kane
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
Isn't that the perceived wisdom that Tesla just does chargers better and long term a win for Elon. In the US, he has all the best locations, the chargers are better, the adaptor to connect to your car is better. And after the period of exclusivity, he is opening up to other EVs and its $$$$$ for him.
Essentially, Tesla won the charging wars in the US. They did this by having a large amount chargers at good locations, a simple plugin-in-just-works system and a very high uptime.
The other manufacturers had a state back plug system - which has to be one of the worst designs ever, and subsidies. They failed to actually build many chargers and the uptime on those they did is pretty poor.
NOTE: to any politicians reading this.. modulate the subsidies for building charging infrastructure by the uptime and theorise charged to the user. If someone is selling electricity at 80p a kWh and their chargers only work 15% of the time, they need to get *nothing*
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
He has the Golden Boot (Euros 2024 - shared, and WC 2018) to his name, so he's not a total flop...
That's not really a trophy tho, is it? Not silverware. When you look back at your career you need to see trophies, and you need to remember moments of REAL triumph, esp if you're as good as Kane
Agreed. He did choose to stay at Spurs though. At times he could have gone anywhere in Europe, but those times are over.
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
The system is very proud of running state schools at 98%+ of capacity. When you point out to the people who are proud of this, that operations research, over a century or more, indicates that this is insane*... well, they get upset.
*An organisation running all the time at full capacity will have break downs in quality, productivity collapses and complete dysfunctions (everything stops). On the staff side, morale will collapse and everyone with marketable skills will try and leave. Strangely, when you observe the state education system in the UK....
We were outplayed. The question is can anyone make what appear to be a very talented group of players play more dynamically. Or is that the best we can expect.
About half way through the second half I realised I, along with other England fans no doubt, was just hoping we'd survive to penalties and then who knows. That can't be right.
And yet if the second equaliser had gone in, and we'd reached penalties after a nervous 30 mins and won, who would have complained in England that Spain were the better side (they were). There are countless examples in sport where the 'better' side loses. Thats what makes it fun.
My point was that if as a fan you realise that the best you can hope for is to survive to penalties and that the more open play there is the greater danger you are in, then you know the team should be in a different place.
Quite so. Imagine how much nicer it must be as a Spanish fan. Yes you will have boring or difficult phases but you also know your team has an attacking spirit and real flair - which they can and will use to win
England grind their way through and hope for a lot of luck. We should have gone out well before the finals and with the talent we have - which is now undeniable as these players are at the best teams in the world - we should be doing much better than that
Southgate is a nice guy and he’s built a nice ethos but it’s time to try something else. Please god
As you were an apologist for Lizzy Lettuce and Bozo, and therefore a picker of outstanding leadership qualities, I imagine you would like us to return to Sam Allardyce?
Big Sam at one point was miles ahead of other coaches in his analysis. Without Big Sam, UK football might well have no had any data analysts industry.....at the time hardly any other managers had any interest in it, Prozone was going bust and it was mainly the contract with Big Sam that kept them going.
Although famously Graham Taylors long ball style was based on analysis of where most goals originated from, way back in the 1980's.
Arsene Wenger is a good example of a coach who was pioneering, revolutionary, way ahead of the game tactically, strength and conditioning, analytics, etc etc etc, yet by the time he left Arsenal he had been surpassed.
Back in the day (late 80's) Bath Rugby were essentially a professional club, in an amateur game. We all knew it. Lots of fake jobs etc. I vividly recall standing among 10,000 paying fans at the Rec and wondering who got the money if the players didn't. Bath's success back then was based on this.
When the sport became professional Bath's advantage was lost and 30 odd years later they are still trying to get back to where they were.
Oddly, Saracens essentially updated the Bath model of payment...
You aren't suggesting that players great great granny on £500k a year for checking matchday tickets was a fake job are you?
Pining for the old days of boot money in rugby union.
Wasn't there a story about Tom Finney wanting to leave Preston North End and the chairman pointing out his new club wouldn't give him all those plumbing contracts during the summer?
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
"Villagers 'shell-shocked' after solar farm approved
Campaigners opposed to a 2,500-acre solar farm said they were "shell-shocked" after the plan was approved by the secretary of state for energy, external.
Sunnica's £600m energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border was given the green light on Friday.
Opponents say the scheme takes some of the most productive land in the UK out of use, while ignoring alternative sites such as south-facing commercial roof space.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero says the "benefits of the proposed development outweigh its adverse impacts"."
Is it really true that productive farmland is being taken out of use? If so there must be a reason the landowners are doing that.
Presumably the reason is that the solar panel subsidies are better than the agricultural ones?
Exactly this. And it really shouldnt be for others to tell what a farmer can farm, or what he can put there. These things are not that hard to revert back to agricultural land in the future.
"But my view of the fields in my 'escape to the country' house"...
Give them credit where it's due, the anti campaign have said the quiet bit out loud;
The opinion of local estate agents is that property prices in the area may well fall, thus reducing property values.
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
He has the Golden Boot (Euros 2024 - shared, and WC 2018) to his name, so he's not a total flop...
That's not really a trophy tho, is it? Not silverware. When you look back at your career you need to see trophies, and you need to remember moments of REAL triumph, esp if you're as good as Kane
Agreed. He did choose to stay at Spurs though. At times he could have gone anywhere in Europe, but those times are over.
If he hadn’t stayed at Spurs, maybe they would have won some trophies. Maybe he’s a jinx.
There's an argument - and it'd help "levelling up" that energy is far too expensive in Scotland and to a lesser extent the north of England and too cheap in the southeast.
Have we had any conclusive proof yet that Starmer and Nandy used a private jet to fly to Berlin?
How do you think they got there?
Quite. As with Rishi's helicopters, sometimes it is just cheaper and easier for the boss to fly, and until drunk fans post selfies of themselves with the Prime Minister on the Berlin metro, I'm going to assume private arrangements were made.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Whilst I understand your general argument re winter "Dankelflutes" - aren't chargers are surely connected to the general grid rather than a specific site ? So we'd have blackouts if the chargers weren't working.
Or is that wrong, are motorway chargers the first things to "drop out" if we can't generate enough load ?
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Not always and solar does not need direct, bright sunlight.
Future energy needs does need a balance and solar and indeed wind (mainly, I think, offshore) are a part of that.
Interesting thread thank you Y doethur. It does seem though that you think most of the issues on your list are unsolvable so it’s hard to see what you would like the new Education Secretary to do.
I spent many a family party listening to my teacher Uncle complain vigorously about the Education Secretary of the day and eventually I asked him just what they could do to win his favour. He couldn’t think of anything beyond a wage increase.
It is a very fair question and one I was pondering myself while I wrote it.
The answer is most of these come back to poor management by the government.The issue, therefore, is in the top layer.
I do not see how these can be directly improved without causing at least as many problems as it would solve. To do so without devolving yet more work to the front line would require energy, money and administrative capacity that’s been wasted over the years so just isn’t there.
Getting rid of that top layer of management, notably the DfE, might help somewhat in the long term but in the short term I honestly don’t see how things can improve.
Moreover, she and Starmer have both been clear they want to work with the Civil Service rather than micromanaging it or replacing it.
So I’m saying she’s been set up to fail before she starts.
That's a bit of a counsel of despair, but perhaps a period of minimal change might be better than radical reform without the funding to see it through ?
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
We spend so much time criticising the lack of infrastructure in the UK we don't know what to say when we actually see some. We have exactly the same perception problem with cycle infrastructure - lots of the cycle lanes were "empty" in London until a cohesive network was formed and then BANG - cyclists everywhere. The same with buses - empty until you have a comprehensive network that runs every 10 mins.
(Alternatively - perhaps the reason they are unused is because so many (rich) people can already charge from home?)
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
France is a tad further south and you get a reasonable chance of winter highs producing cloudless skies rather than leaden clouds and freezing fog.
In the middle of France it can be fucking freezing - real to your marrow cold. In a way you rarely get in the UK.
You can use the Tesla chargers in during torrential rain and friends in Calgary have used them when the temperature outside was described as "life threatening without the right gear".
@xGPhilosophy England created less xG at Euro 2024 (6.43) than Croatia (7.10).
Croatia went out at the Group Stage.
We won't win anything with Harry Kane in the squad - he's a talisman for near but not quite...
Just discussed this with a colleague. I assume Kane MUST have won a trophy at kids level, before he turned professional. Maybe school under 9s? If not he really has been cursed.
In light of the curse, we should drop Kane and replace him with, oh, I don't know, how about the top striker in Europe, the European Golden Shoe winner for most goals in Europe's domestic league programmes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
For Kane's sake I really hope he wins the Bundesliga next season, and maybe one or two other things
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
He has the Golden Boot (Euros 2024 - shared, and WC 2018) to his name, so he's not a total flop...
That's not really a trophy tho, is it? Not silverware. When you look back at your career you need to see trophies, and you need to remember moments of REAL triumph, esp if you're as good as Kane
Agreed. He did choose to stay at Spurs though. At times he could have gone anywhere in Europe, but those times are over.
If he hadn’t stayed at Spurs, maybe they would have won some trophies. Maybe he’s a jinx.
On one level I feel for him about the no trophies. However he has been fabulously well paid for a decade or more, is England's record goalscorer and has had a fantastic career, so its not all bad.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Whilst I understand your general argument re winter "Dankelflutes" - aren't chargers are surely connected to the general grid rather than a specific site ? So we'd have blackouts if the chargers weren't working.
Or is that wrong, are motorway chargers the first things to "drop out" if we can't generate enough load ?
At least in the UK, more and more Tesla chargers are being paired with battery storage. They might well be the last things operating when the grid drops. And/or selling power back to the grid (time shifting).
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Not always and solar does not need direct, bright sunlight.
Future energy needs does need a balance and solar and indeed wind (mainly, I think, offshore) are a part of that.
Depends on the cloud type - a featureless winter stratus blanket pretty much completely kills solar generation.
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
We spend so much time criticising the lack of infrastructure in the UK we don't know what to say when we actually see some. We have exactly the same perception problem with cycle infrastructure - lots of the cycle lanes were "empty" in London until a cohesive network was formed and then BANG - cyclists everywhere. The same with buses - empty until you have a comprehensive network that runs every 10 mins.
(Alternatively - perhaps the reason they are unused is because so many (rich) people can already charge from home?)
BANG, with cyclists seems unfortunate, if predictable.
I do think that people who can charge at home find EVs a lot more attractive than those who can't. I suspect it is a lot more cost effective to do so and the hassle factor is less if you are doing it overnight.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Whilst I understand your general argument re winter "Dankelflutes" - aren't chargers are surely connected to the general grid rather than a specific site ? So we'd have blackouts if the chargers weren't working.
Or is that wrong, are motorway chargers the first things to "drop out" if we can't generate enough load ?
Sorry I've mixed up "on board" solar panel chargers with grid chargers.
Its an interesting question though. If we continue on the current trajectory (more renewables as a grid % and more electric vehicles charging from the grid), if we get a repeat of December 2010 which brought the thick end of a month of freezing cold, still windless conditions and freezing fog, then things will get very interesting indeed.
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
Setting up fast chargers is bloody expensive, so the pricing is accordingly high. But even those who charge at home (or work) will need to resort to them on occasion.
It's the usual first mover problem. Assuming the switch to EVs continues, the demand will eventually be there. And the system components (with the exception of the cabling) will drop rapidly as the tech improves and the production volume increases.
There's an argument - and it'd help "levelling up" that energy is far too expensive in Scotland and to a lesser extent the north of England and too cheap in the southeast.
But Scotland has the greatest renewables in the UK doesnt it, and over the cycle it generates more from renewables than it consumes (I fully understand that it can only make this statement because supply comes from fossil fuels when the demand outstrips it).
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
That the cost of education for these kids is going to vastly exceed the VAT raised on the ones left in the private sector.
Also, even if this was revenue neutral in the medium term it's going to cause chaos in the short term as state schools are getting a pile of unexpected demand they are likely to be ill equipped to meet given that demand is normally fairly visible literally years in advance from the birth data.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
France is a tad further south and you get a reasonable chance of winter highs producing cloudless skies rather than leaden clouds and freezing fog.
In the middle of France it can be fucking freezing - real to your marrow cold. In a way you rarely get in the UK.
You can use the Tesla chargers in during torrential rain and friends in Calgary have used them when the temperature outside was described as "life threatening without the right gear".
But were the skies leaden with freezing fog like the UK often has in end of nov and december winter highs?
Dosent matter how cold it is if the sun is shining (within reason, and there may be some efficiency gains/losses with temperature change)
Yes chargers will work in rain but rather less effectively than in clear skies.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
Isn't that the perceived wisdom that Tesla just does chargers better and long term a win for Elon. In the US, he has all the best locations, the chargers are better, the adaptor to connect to your car is better. And after the period of exclusivity, he is opening up to other EVs and its $$$$$ for him.
Essentially, Tesla won the charging wars in the US. They did this by having a large amount chargers at good locations, a simple plugin-in-just-works system and a very high uptime.
The other manufacturers had a state back plug system - which has to be one of the worst designs ever, and subsidies. They failed to actually build many chargers and the uptime on those they did is pretty poor.
NOTE: to any politicians reading this.. modulate the subsidies for building charging infrastructure by the uptime and theorise charged to the user. If someone is selling electricity at 80p a kWh and their chargers only work 15% of the time, they need to get *nothing*
Its a reminder about how bad the public sector can be about maintaining estate. The council or government (looking at you Scottish Government) will tender out, get a load of chargers installed, box ticked. Zero maintenance. Charge Place Scotland is/was so unreliable it became pointless using them.
There's an argument - and it'd help "levelling up" that energy is far too expensive in Scotland and to a lesser extent the north of England and too cheap in the southeast.
But Scotland has the greatest renewables in the UK doesn't it, and over the cycle it generates more from renewables than it consumes (I fully understand that it can only make this statement because supply comes from fossil fuels when the demand outstrips it).
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Not always and solar does not need direct, bright sunlight.
Future energy needs does need a balance and solar and indeed wind (mainly, I think, offshore) are a part of that.
Depends on the cloud type - a featureless winter stratus blanket pretty much completely kills solar generation.
Thank you. And such conditions, paired with windless conditions can last for weeks in late November and December in the UK.
I realise I am doing the equivalent of questioning the Virgin Birth for those who follow the faith of Gaia but it is a car crash that will be inevitable sooner or later
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
That the cost of education for these kids is going to vastly exceed the VAT raised on the ones left in the private sector.
Also, even if this was revenue neutral in the medium term it's going to cause chaos in the short term as state schools are getting a pile of unexpected demand they are likely to be ill equipped to meet given that demand is normally fairly visible literally years in advance from the birth data.
And?
The reality is that most of those 582 queries will have discovered that while spaces were available in some schools little James is way too precious to go to the schools where places are available so the parents will just work out a way to pay the VAT...
Yes I can see some children moving to the State sector but it's going to be a slow process over 5 or so years at the age points that moving your child into the local state school is possible..
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
That the cost of education for these kids is going to vastly exceed the VAT raised on the ones left in the private sector.
Also, even if this was revenue neutral in the medium term it's going to cause chaos in the short term as state schools are getting a pile of unexpected demand they are likely to be ill equipped to meet given that demand is normally fairly visible literally years in advance from the birth data.
This is the hunting ban for Starmer's government. Its not about the money, its the principle.
There's an argument - and it'd help "levelling up" that energy is far too expensive in Scotland and to a lesser extent the north of England and too cheap in the southeast.
But Scotland has the greatest renewables in the UK doesn't it, and over the cycle it generates more from renewables than it consumes (I fully understand that it can only make this statement because supply comes from fossil fuels when the demand outstrips it).
Interesting thread thank you Y doethur. It does seem though that you think most of the issues on your list are unsolvable so it’s hard to see what you would like the new Education Secretary to do.
I spent many a family party listening to my teacher Uncle complain vigorously about the Education Secretary of the day and eventually I asked him just what they could do to win his favour. He couldn’t think of anything beyond a wage increase.
It is a very fair question and one I was pondering myself while I wrote it.
The answer is most of these come back to poor management by the government.The issue, therefore, is in the top layer.
I do not see how these can be directly improved without causing at least as many problems as it would solve. To do so without devolving yet more work to the front line would require energy, money and administrative capacity that’s been wasted over the years so just isn’t there.
Getting rid of that top layer of management, notably the DfE, might help somewhat in the long term but in the short term I honestly don’t see how things can improve.
Moreover, she and Starmer have both been clear they want to work with the Civil Service rather than micromanaging it or replacing it.
So I’m saying she’s been set up to fail before she starts.
That's a bit of a counsel of despair, but perhaps a period of minimal change might be better than radical reform without the funding to see it through ?
That’s roughly the point I was making, yes.
Or to put it another way, I think the surgery needed to fundamentally sort out the problems would be so painful it might prove terminal.
Equally, it means that all claims to the contrary about improvements, more staff etc are going to prove bullshit.
We now have quite a large charging station quite close to us, near the dual carriageway/ring road around Dundee. It has space for maybe 20 vehicles. Although I go past it almost every day I have yet to see anyone using it. Some people are going to lose serious money on these charging points. The demand just isn't there. Possibly because people do not buy EVs unless they can charge from home. That may change, but not yet.
Setting up fast chargers is bloody expensive, so the pricing is accordingly high. But even those who charge at home (or work) will need to resort to them on occasion.
It's the usual first mover problem. Assuming the switch to EVs continues, the demand will eventually be there. And the system components (with the exception of the cabling) will drop rapidly as the tech improves and the production volume increases.
How many people are making long distance journeys through Dundee at the moment? OTOH, the chargers at the remote parts of Scotland tend to be quite busy, and BnBs advertise that they've got one.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
How do electric chargers not work under a freezing winter high? Solar still works in winter and winter high pressures tend to be clear skies (albeit for shorter days). And as for 'eagle slicers' I've yet to see a convincing pile of dead birds under a wind turbine.
Er no. Winter highs often bring prolonged spells of thick cloud and freezing fog. Good luck charging anything with a solar panel in such conditions in late November and December.
Not always and solar does not need direct, bright sunlight.
Future energy needs does need a balance and solar and indeed wind (mainly, I think, offshore) are a part of that.
Depends on the cloud type - a featureless winter stratus blanket pretty much completely kills solar generation.
Thank you. And such conditions, paired with windless conditions can last for weeks in late November and December in the UK.
I realise I am doing the equivalent of questioning the Virgin Birth for those who follow the faith of Gaia but it is a car crash that will be inevitable sooner or later
IMO increasing solar and wind generation is good for us, but unlike Ed Miliband I think we should keep backup gas capacity for periods of low wind and solar.
During a freezing winter high that can last a couple of weeks. None of them. Ditto the eagle slicers.
Errr.. have used Tesla chargers in the middle of French winter, out in the sticks. Real, solid ice on the ground, not just a bit of sleet.
France is a tad further south and you get a reasonable chance of winter highs producing cloudless skies rather than leaden clouds and freezing fog.
In the middle of France it can be fucking freezing - real to your marrow cold. In a way you rarely get in the UK.
You can use the Tesla chargers in during torrential rain and friends in Calgary have used them when the temperature outside was described as "life threatening without the right gear".
But were the skies leaden with freezing fog like the UK often has in end of nov and december winter highs?
Dosent matter how cold it is if the sun is shining (within reason, and there may be some efficiency gains/losses with temperature change)
Yes chargers will work in rain but rather less effectively than in clear skies.
I always thought Tesla chargers were connected to the grid. Are you saying they are all solar powered? How do they work at night?
There's an argument - and it'd help "levelling up" that energy is far too expensive in Scotland and to a lesser extent the north of England and too cheap in the southeast.
But Scotland has the greatest renewables in the UK doesn't it, and over the cycle it generates more from renewables than it consumes (I fully understand that it can only make this statement because supply comes from fossil fuels when the demand outstrips it).
But what happens when Scots end up with a dramatically higher standing charge because their standing charge funds their own electricity infrastructure, but now because of their reliance on the secondary infrastructure in the rest of the UK, something that will be needed as we have more and more renewables, is no longer contained within the kwh unit cost and they have to fund that also?
Even if we are able to cut our gas peak use down from say potential high of 70% to 30%? We can get savings from reducing some capacity, but the pipelines, the peaking plants, the contracts all still need to be there to prevent brown outs etc. How much of our bill is this infrastructure vs the actual price of the smelly stuff (i know... it only smells because we add a stenching agent) that comes through the pipes?
Comments
https://x.com/ScotNational/status/1812821162134794443
It is a good point, though. All these massive distribution sheds without solar panels. Why?
Why aren't we covering every car park with a roof of solar panels? With the added bonus of not having cooked cars.
But no, it is a few quid cheaper to do it on a field, so that's what happens.
So you can shower in the sun as you gaze out across the beautiful, whispering Luberon valleys, and the stone built villages, and the stands of cypress
It is astonishingly lovely. Outdoor showers with views are possibly better than sex, or even heroin
The only concern is has Ed rushed this such that it is illegal?
*Whether they want alpacas walking through there residences is not asked...
The only saving grace is that the land is lying fallow, not being destroyed.
As for being boring, I think that may be a surprise to those that know me, though I suspect that this is another example of your regular propensity for psychological projection. I confess that I used to find you quite interesting, until I realised you are nothing more than an aging cantankerous swiveleyed right wing loon.. You have moved beyond boring to being more and more absurd.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw0y92zr77do
Throw ins near your own line seem to be quite dangerous.
I wonder what the stats say...
The thing is that the chargers have next to no cost when not being used - the maintenance and monitoring is vastly less than petrol pumps.
EDIT: one thing the Tesla build out proved was that you need to *lead* the provision of refuelling for whatever ZEV technology you are advocating.
However, we've gone backwards this time. If you want to know what a difference the coach makes, look at Germany. They were a mess nine months ago and now they're disappointed to have been knocked out by a very good Spain side.
My choice would be Eddie Howe.
State schools are being flooded with new pupil queries as parents brace for a planned tax raid on private schools.
Schools in Surrey received close to 600 queries in just two weeks last month from parents looking to place children, the Telegraph has learnt.
Surrey County Council received 582 email queries from private school parents between June 4 and June 19 asking about vacancies in local state schools, a Freedom of Information request showed.
The local education authority admitted the actual figure could be far higher as numerous requests may relate to more than one child and the figure does not include telephone queries.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/schools-universities/state-schools-flooded-private-school-new-pupils/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe
It's a Bayern Munich player by the name of Harry Kane, which is a bit of a coincidence him having the same name but it will save money on getting the shirts reprinted.
I am happy to go back to the Chugging Discourse, but it seemed to upset people last night, so I am hesitant. Really, I should be rewarded. I could tell you were all down after the footie (well, not you), so I thought I'd amuse you all (and, more importantly, me) by revealing my detailed chugging habits, despite any embarrassments to myself
Selfless, that's me. Also, practically impossible to embarrass
When the sport became professional Bath's advantage was lost and 30 odd years later they are still trying to get back to where they were.
Oddly, Saracens essentially updated the Bath model of payment...
He has been a genuinely great player (albeit in decline now) and seems like a nice chap. To have all that talent and put in all that effort and win nothing is too cruel. Give the guy a trophy
I blame Spurs for hoarding him
I laugh at socialism failing once again.
*An organisation running all the time at full capacity will have break downs in quality, productivity collapses and complete dysfunctions (everything stops). On the staff side, morale will collapse and everyone with marketable skills will try and leave. Strangely, when you observe the state education system in the UK....
The other manufacturers had a state back plug system - which has to be one of the worst designs ever, and subsidies. They failed to actually build many chargers and the uptime on those they did is pretty poor.
NOTE: to any politicians reading this.. modulate the subsidies for building charging infrastructure by the uptime and theorise charged to the user. If someone is selling electricity at 80p a kWh and their chargers only work 15% of the time, they need to get *nothing*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/07/15/james-bond-studio-expansion-held-back-creaking-power-grid/
Waiting 7 years just to get hooked up the grid.
Wasn't there a story about Tom Finney wanting to leave Preston North End and the chairman pointing out his new club wouldn't give him all those plumbing contracts during the summer?
The opinion of local estate agents is that property prices in the area may well fall, thus reducing property values.
https://www.saynotosunnica.com/campaign
So we'd have blackouts if the chargers weren't working.
Or is that wrong, are motorway chargers the first things to "drop out" if we can't generate enough load ?
is the aircraft in question
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_transport_of_the_British_royal_family_and_government#Airbus_A321-2NX(LR)
Future energy needs does need a balance and solar and indeed wind (mainly, I think, offshore) are a part of that.
(Alternatively - perhaps the reason they are unused is because so many (rich) people can already charge from home?)
You can use the Tesla chargers in during torrential rain and friends in Calgary have used them when the temperature outside was described as "life threatening without the right gear".
I do think that people who can charge at home find EVs a lot more attractive than those who can't. I suspect it is a lot more cost effective to do so and the hassle factor is less if you are doing it overnight.
Its an interesting question though. If we continue on the current trajectory (more renewables as a grid % and more electric vehicles charging from the grid), if we get a repeat of December 2010 which brought the thick end of a month of freezing cold, still windless conditions and freezing fog, then things will get very interesting indeed.
But even those who charge at home (or work) will need to resort to them on occasion.
It's the usual first mover problem. Assuming the switch to EVs continues, the demand will eventually be there. And the system components (with the exception of the cabling) will drop rapidly as the tech improves and the production volume increases.
Also, even if this was revenue neutral in the medium term it's going to cause chaos in the short term as state schools are getting a pile of unexpected demand they are likely to be ill equipped to meet given that demand is normally fairly visible literally years in advance from the birth data.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/15/formula-one-driver-ralf-schumacher
Dosent matter how cold it is if the sun is shining (within reason, and there may be some efficiency gains/losses with temperature change)
Yes chargers will work in rain but rather less effectively than in clear skies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/business/market-reforms-could-give-scots-cheapest-energy-in-europe-says-octopus-boss-b2579546.html
I realise I am doing the equivalent of questioning the Virgin Birth for those who follow the faith of Gaia but it is a car crash that will be inevitable sooner or later
The reality is that most of those 582 queries will have discovered that while spaces were available in some schools little James is way too precious to go to the schools where places are available so the parents will just work out a way to pay the VAT...
Yes I can see some children moving to the State sector but it's going to be a slow process over 5 or so years at the age points that moving your child into the local state school is possible..
Or to put it another way, I think the surgery needed to fundamentally sort out the problems would be so painful it might prove terminal.
Equally, it means that all claims to the contrary about improvements, more staff etc are going to prove bullshit.
Even if we are able to cut our gas peak use down from say potential high of 70% to 30%? We can get savings from reducing some capacity, but the pipelines, the peaking plants, the contracts all still need to be there to prevent brown outs etc. How much of our bill is this infrastructure vs the actual price of the smelly stuff (i know... it only smells because we add a stenching agent) that comes through the pipes?