Football clubs are businesses. They make decisions that they think are in their best financial interests. This should not surprise anyone. The big difference with football clubs is that their customers are fans who they can count on to support them come what may and the money will keep rolling in.
The #1 way for this to be stopped is by fans, not governments. If fans stopped buying merchandise, stopped watching their social media, stopped paying for anything where money goes to the club then they would change their course. It really is quite simple.
The problem is of course most people can't really see this and will still hand over £70+ for a club crest on a £5 shirt. The same amount of money would get them multiple entries at their local non-league team who desperately need the money right now.
Again depends what you mean by fans.
Fans in Lagos, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh?
They don't give a monkeys.
And that is where the growth is.
Not Liverpool. Not Manchester.
You don't understood modern football clubs.
Plenty of these clubs are reliant on match day income, ie match going fans, Arsenal for example rely on it for 25% of their total income.
This is all unarguable, but what the clubs really want is people coming once or twice a season (preferably from abroad) and spending lots on food, merchandise, souvenirs and corporate entertainment. They have no real long-term interest in season ticket holders who turn up every other week and therefore expect to get a discount, while spending barely anything on extras.
But the "fayns" provide the match atmosphere. I can't be alone in having lost all interest in watching football on tv during the pandemic.
You can generate atmosphere for TV quite happily with a few mics in a small area of the ground with say 2-5k actual fans. Certainly no need for tens of thousands of them.
Well I'm telling you in all honesty that that doesn't work for me. I need to see the full house, hear the roar, see them all swaying and jumping around, hear them singing and doing their wickedly acerbic chants about this & that.
"Referee's a wanker. Referee's a wanker."
This, for me, is just as much a part of the "product" as the elegant cross field pass, the Cruyff turn, the 25 yard piledriver into the top corner, the ... etc.
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
Commiserations - at least as a Sanddancer I (just about) got a choice of teams...
To be serious I never understood how people could transfer loyalties so easily and support teams with which they had no meaningful connection.
Mrs Mallard led her brood of 11* down from her nest in the neighbours' garden trying to get to the nearby stream. Our garden wall presents a problem. So my job was to catch the ducklings and deposit them on the other side of the wall to continue their journey.
Happens every year. The poor little things are terrified, thinking that I am a predator, but seem OK once they are back with their mother.
*12 hatched yesterday, but one didn't make it through the night.
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
Commiserations - at least as a Sanddancer I (just about) got a choice of teams...
To be serious I never understood how people could transfer loyalties so easily and support teams with which they had no meaningful connection.
I watch out for Newcastle's results - and will occasionally attend a game if I can get tickets nowadays I support Darlington but that's because I've lived there for 20+ years..
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
When the public got nutso, the only thing I think you can do is sound just over the top reasonable i.e. I understand your concerns Sir, the pandemic has been extremely difficult for everybody, lots of decisions have had to be made, which given the new information might have been different. I will get somebody to leave my contact details and perhaps you can communicate my team further about the objections you are raising.
Never get into you are wrong, I know better...even if they are and you do.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
The international ban is real. That’s huge. Go to the Superleague and never play for your country. Never play in the World Cup
Big dilemma for very talented players. Lots will go to Bayern and PSG so they can still earn big money and still play for their countries. German football, in general, could benefit massively from this
Makes for a tricky position for those players who want to leave a ESL club to play for their country. Do they have to walk away from their contracts - and get sued for millions? Or will it be enough if they put in a transfer request - but somehow, never actually transfer?
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
I didn't realise they still had a professional football team on Wearside these days
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
Commiserations - at least as a Sanddancer I (just about) got a choice of teams...
Looks like the north easterners are taking over PB!
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
As a Tranmere and Liverpool fan the last time we had a proper Merseyside derby was in 2001 😉
(I supported Tranmere on that day for what its worth)
If true this fucks FIFA and Qatar. Which is some solace
BREAKING: All players that play in the European Super League will be banned from playing in the Euros and World Cup. They won’t be able to play for their National Teams, confirmed by UEFA President Ceferin. #ESL 🚫🚨
Isn't that more likely to hit the superleague than the world cup?
Guys like Jordan Pickford are surely going to prioritize the chance of hoisting the Jules Rimet and joining the "66" legends over trotting out for routine league games, regardless of whether "super" is stuck in front of it.
Tbf. Jordan Pickford has no say in the matter.
Yes, he's one of yours of course. But let's say Barca come in for him, waving the big money, but he knows that means no England and no shot at the world cup. I think he stays at Goodison.
Football clubs are businesses. They make decisions that they think are in their best financial interests. This should not surprise anyone. The big difference with football clubs is that their customers are fans who they can count on to support them come what may and the money will keep rolling in.
The #1 way for this to be stopped is by fans, not governments. If fans stopped buying merchandise, stopped watching their social media, stopped paying for anything where money goes to the club then they would change their course. It really is quite simple.
The problem is of course most people can't really see this and will still hand over £70+ for a club crest on a £5 shirt. The same amount of money would get them multiple entries at their local non-league team who desperately need the money right now.
Again depends what you mean by fans.
Fans in Lagos, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh?
They don't give a monkeys.
And that is where the growth is.
Not Liverpool. Not Manchester.
You don't understood modern football clubs.
Plenty of these clubs are reliant on match day income, ie match going fans, Arsenal for example rely on it for 25% of their total income.
This is all unarguable, but what the clubs really want is people coming once or twice a season (preferably from abroad) and spending lots on food, merchandise, souvenirs and corporate entertainment. They have no real long-term interest in season ticket holders who turn up every other week and therefore expect to get a discount, while spending barely anything on extras.
But the "fayns" provide the match atmosphere. I can't be alone in having lost all interest in watching football on tv during the pandemic.
You can generate atmosphere for TV quite happily with a few mics in a small area of the ground with say 2-5k actual fans. Certainly no need for tens of thousands of them.
Well I'm telling you in all honesty that that doesn't work for me. I need to see the full house, hear the roar, see them all swaying and jumping around, hear them singing and doing their wickedly acerbic chants about this & that.
"Referee's a wanker. Referee's a wanker."
This, for me, is just as much a part of the "product" as the elegant cross field pass, the Cruyff turn, the 25 yard piledriver into the top corner, the ... etc.
Football clubs are businesses. They make decisions that they think are in their best financial interests. This should not surprise anyone. The big difference with football clubs is that their customers are fans who they can count on to support them come what may and the money will keep rolling in.
The #1 way for this to be stopped is by fans, not governments. If fans stopped buying merchandise, stopped watching their social media, stopped paying for anything where money goes to the club then they would change their course. It really is quite simple.
The problem is of course most people can't really see this and will still hand over £70+ for a club crest on a £5 shirt. The same amount of money would get them multiple entries at their local non-league team who desperately need the money right now.
Again depends what you mean by fans.
Fans in Lagos, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh?
They don't give a monkeys.
And that is where the growth is.
Not Liverpool. Not Manchester.
You don't understood modern football clubs.
Plenty of these clubs are reliant on match day income, ie match going fans, Arsenal for example rely on it for 25% of their total income.
This is all unarguable, but what the clubs really want is people coming once or twice a season (preferably from abroad) and spending lots on food, merchandise, souvenirs and corporate entertainment. They have no real long-term interest in season ticket holders who turn up every other week and therefore expect to get a discount, while spending barely anything on extras.
But the "fayns" provide the match atmosphere. I can't be alone in having lost all interest in watching football on tv during the pandemic.
You can generate atmosphere for TV quite happily with a few mics in a small area of the ground with say 2-5k actual fans. Certainly no need for tens of thousands of them.
Well I'm telling you in all honesty that that doesn't work for me. I need to see the full house, hear the roar, see them all swaying and jumping around, hear them singing and doing their wickedly acerbic chants about this & that.
"Referee's a wanker. Referee's a wanker."
This, for me, is just as much a part of the "product" as the elegant cross field pass, the Cruyff turn, the 25 yard piledriver into the top corner, the ... etc.
You'll still see a full house (post COVID) and hear "the crowd".
The TV noises we get aren't generated by sticking a single microphone in the middle of the pitch and picking up everything from it; they pick parts of the ground and mix the results together. In particular the away fans are always much louder on TV than you'd ever notice in the stadium, unless you were right next to them.
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
I didn't realise they still had a professional football team on Wearside these days
I thought the stadium of shite was a reality show for clowns / failure...
Mind you there but for miracles go a whole number of other clubs...
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
I didn't realise they still had a professional football team on Wearside these days
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
That's really not a good look for Starmer. Labour leaders are supposed to look at home in a pub.
But the NHS and Hartlepool has always been a problem because it did make sense to move things into Stockton (Hartlepool being a hell hole) and a nightmare to get into and out of.
Like many on here and beyond - football has been of little interest since I was a kid who used to go every week among 40+ thousand others to Roker park. However, I have to acknowledge it's removed all other news from the airwaves.
My condolences for your terrible upbringing.
Born a mackem and die a mackem!
The Tyne Wear Derby is the fiercest in England – that is pure hatred. North London Derby is close.
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
You've never been on the Gwladys Street end on Derby day then.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
Heard nothing about the mayoral elections referred to by TSE earlier in the west of England - Labour were a reasonably close second last time. Is it significant that Starmer is campaigning there rather than in the 'red wall' areas I wonder?
@FootballCVLTURE UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
If true this fucks FIFA and Qatar. Which is some solace
BREAKING: All players that play in the European Super League will be banned from playing in the Euros and World Cup. They won’t be able to play for their National Teams, confirmed by UEFA President Ceferin. #ESL 🚫🚨
Isn't that more likely to hit the superleague than the world cup?
Guys like Jordan Pickford are surely going to prioritize the chance of hoisting the Jules Rimet and joining the "66" legends over trotting out for routine league games, regardless of whether "super" is stuck in front of it.
On the other hand, Gareth Bale could presumably care less.
Bale? Hmm dunno. There must come a time when more money for somebody loaded means less than job satisfaction. And what greater satisfaction could there be than inspiring Wales to a group match win at the world cup? Or even more glorious, a draw against one of the big teams like France or Brazil?
1 NHS England death recorded today from yesterday with or from (Take your pick) Covid
And zero recorded today or yesterday from the day before yesterday.
Would expect dribs and drabs of deaths over the next few days to bring these days' total up a bit. But still. Deaths continuing to drop very encouragingly.
Edit: Also, no NHS England deaths recorded in the South West region in the past week.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
That's really not a good look for Starmer. Labour leaders are supposed to look at home in a pub.
The landlord had quite a battle with Starmer's protection minder before Sir Keir could leave
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
That's really not a good look for Starmer. Labour leaders are supposed to look at home in a pub.
Surely your typical Labour Leader needs to look at home in a vegan cafe given their current membership.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
PSG win the Champions league by default ...
The previous teams knocked out should be invited back for the semis. Would be good TV.
If true this fucks FIFA and Qatar. Which is some solace
BREAKING: All players that play in the European Super League will be banned from playing in the Euros and World Cup. They won’t be able to play for their National Teams, confirmed by UEFA President Ceferin. #ESL 🚫🚨
Isn't that more likely to hit the superleague than the world cup?
Guys like Jordan Pickford are surely going to prioritize the chance of hoisting the Jules Rimet and joining the "66" legends over trotting out for routine league games, regardless of whether "super" is stuck in front of it.
Tbf. Jordan Pickford has no say in the matter.
Yes, he's one of yours of course. But let's say Barca come in for him, waving the big money, but he knows that means no England and no shot at the world cup. I think he stays at Goodison.
Barca come in for Pickford? No chance. The reason I say Pickford has no choice is he ain't good enough for Super League. Even though he is the England goalie. So, a poor choice of example, that's all. Declan Rice would be better. James Ward Prowse, Jack Grealish. They face difficult decisions.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
As many have said, the Premier League is quiet.
I assume there's an army of lawyers currently on a Zoom call with Richard Masters.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
PSG win the Champions league by default ...
The previous teams knocked out should be invited back for the semis. Would be good TV.
So Dortmund and Porto come back despite being knocked out by Man City and Chelsea?
Who replaces Real Madrid given they knocked out Liverpool? Bayern who were knocked out by PSG?
PSG by default is the only realistic option if they do this.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
That's really not a good look for Starmer. Labour leaders are supposed to look at home in a pub.
Surely your typical Labour Leader needs to look at home in a vegan cafe given their current membership.
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
PSG win the Champions league by default ...
The previous teams knocked out should be invited back for the semis. Would be good TV.
So Dortmund and Porto come back despite being knocked out by Man City and Chelsea?
Who replaces Real Madrid given they knocked out Liverpool? Bayern who were knocked out by PSG?
PSG by default is the only realistic option if they do this.
Bonus match between Atalanta and RB Leipzig for a place in the semis
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
Also - what on earth is he doing in Bath? Shouldn't he be eslewhere now?
Seems an odd place to be, Bath is a Lib Dem stronghold after Tory support for Brexit....Labour only have a handful of councillors there.
Labour almost won the seat in 1966 - and it remained a 3 way contest until 1979. Much of the LD vote there comes from Labour tactical voting.
It really isn't these days. Labour haven't had more than a handful of councillors there for over 20 years. Excluding students, the place is full of wealthy types who vote Tory / Lib Dem and its gone seriously Lib Dem because of Brexit....is the Guildford of the West Country, it screams money, over £500k average house price, London prices in bars and restaurants. In fact loads of people who live there have moved from places like Surrey, Kent, etc.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
That's really not a good look for Starmer. Labour leaders are supposed to look at home in a pub.
Surely your typical Labour Leader needs to look at home in a vegan cafe given their current membership.
Their must be a ton of those in Bath!
Its a good pub (The Raven) - a popular spot for decent beer, although not the biggest venue.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
Roma v Villareal in Europa League final for a place in Champions League. Leicester, West Ham, Everton and Leeds (or Villa) as English representatives. Would laugh my tits off were that to come to pass.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
If true this fucks FIFA and Qatar. Which is some solace
BREAKING: All players that play in the European Super League will be banned from playing in the Euros and World Cup. They won’t be able to play for their National Teams, confirmed by UEFA President Ceferin. #ESL 🚫🚨
Isn't that more likely to hit the superleague than the world cup?
Guys like Jordan Pickford are surely going to prioritize the chance of hoisting the Jules Rimet and joining the "66" legends over trotting out for routine league games, regardless of whether "super" is stuck in front of it.
Tbf. Jordan Pickford has no say in the matter.
Yes, he's one of yours of course. But let's say Barca come in for him, waving the big money, but he knows that means no England and no shot at the world cup. I think he stays at Goodison.
Barca come in for Pickford? No chance. The reason I say Pickford has no choice is he ain't good enough for Super League. Even though he is the England goalie. So, a poor choice of example, that's all. Declan Rice would be better. James Ward Prowse, Jack Grealish. They face difficult decisions.
That's my point, yes. There's been a debate running for ages about whether or not highly paid premier league stars still truly want to play and win something in an England shirt. Many think not, as proved by them continually flopping, seemingly unable to recreate their club form. I've always taken the opposite view. The reason they flop is the intense pressure, from both the media and themselves, to live up to their big reps and end the drought, the X years of hurt. They crumble under this and it's because they care too much, not too little.
I called out his hypocrisy on this issue on here weeks back. I'm frankly baffled that he has allowed the party to put him into this position. Yes the Tories are hypocrites campaigning on restoring police officers numbers that they cut. But their candidate isn't the person who personally cut the service - Paul Williams IS.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
As many have said, the Premier League is quiet.
Yeah, this is the real deal. They can't walk back
Football is split down the middle. Sad
The silence from the Premier League is deafening.
This is going ahead.
Yes, and see my latest comment, and that Sky link
They don't care if the EPL banish them, they will only field weakened teams anyway
Six clubs with foreign owners have just demolished 130 years of English football
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
The amusing thing about this is that HYUFD is - how to phrase this? - a Conservative loyalist. He doesn't normally draw attention to things which might be bad news for the Conservative Party. (No criticism implied - most of the posters on here are at least somewhat partisan in what they highlight, which in total gives us a more rounded picture.) But Boris forgetting the name of a Conservative candidate isn't bad news for the Conservative Party; this is just Boris adding to the gaiety of the nation.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
Hold on, why's Starmer even going into the pub. You can't buy beer in a pub right now and he's not really opposed those measures.. The classic beer in pub photo op isn'#t in the frame right now.
Looks like Sir Keir stopping by has energised the local business owners of Bath. Tweet earlier in the thread shows the guy heckling seems to be an anti-lockdown pub owner.
Also - what on earth is he doing in Bath? Shouldn't he be eslewhere now?
Seems an odd place to be, Bath is a Lib Dem stronghold after Tory support for Brexit....Labour only have a handful of councillors there.
Labour almost won the seat in 1966 - and it remained a 3 way contest until 1979. Much of the LD vote there comes from Labour tactical voting.
It really isn't these days. Labour haven't had more than a handful of councillors there for over 20 years. Excluding students, the place is full of wealthy types who vote Tory / Lib Dem and its gone seriously Lib Dem because of Brexit....is the Guildford of the West Country, it screams money, over £500k average house price, London prices in bars and restaurants. In fact loads of people who live there have moved from places like Surrey, Kent, etc.
But the underlying Labour vote there is much higher than implied by recent constituency results in Bath. Most Labour voters there now vote LD at GE since Don Foster toppled Chris Patten in 1992 - but it would make sense for such voters to revert to Labour for the West of England Mayoral election.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Looks to me like the landlord was giving him verbal outside, so he and his team stepped into the pub to try and avoid a confrontation, not realising that it was his pub!
So then the security detail has to hold him off while Kier and the gang make their exit. You do not get in the face of the LotO like this, what did the guy think was going to happen? Non story.
ootball Cvlture @FootballCVLTURE · 8m UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
Doesn’t feel like there’s much room to come to a deal now. Can’t be a bluff. They have to go for it.
As many have said, the Premier League is quiet.
Yeah, this is the real deal. They can't walk back
Football is split down the middle. Sad
The silence from the Premier League is deafening.
This is going ahead.
Yes, and see my latest comment, and that Sky link
They don't care if the EPL banish them, they will only field weakened teams anyway
Six clubs with foreign owners have just demolished 130 years of English football
No they haven't. The most disliked clubs in the country - the clubs which, be honest, we all like to see lose - are leaving us. Football once thrived with far less money than now, and thrives in other countries with far less money. They've demolished themselves, but they haven't demolished English football.
I hope bookies open a market on whether a ball will be kicked in an ESL fixture in the next five years. I'd re-mortgage my house to pile on "no". All a negotiating ploy.
Indeed. Ain't going to happen.
Yet they have opened a book and they expect it to happen
4/7 SL starts by 2023
5/4 it doesn’t
I’m afraid you’re in denial. It is clear, now, this is no bluff. It is deadly serious, and disastrous for football across Europe. It’s a coup.
And the Germans hate it and will never join it, so it means football is split, perhaps irrevocably
Again, the nearest comparison is the rugby code split, which persists today - harmful as ever - after 120 years
Looking on the bright side, maybe the fancy-dans can bugger off to the ESL with their non-contact version of the sport and the rest of us can go back to watching proper football?
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Looks to me like the landlord was giving him verbal outside, so he and his team stepped into the pub to try and avoid a confrontation, not realising that it was his pub!
So then the security detail has to hold him off while Kier and the gang make their exit. You do not get in the face of the LotO like this, what did the guy think was going to happen? Non story.
That probably is the case, but then Sir Keir must have forgotten that you aren't allowed to actually go inside pubs at the moment!!
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
Hold on, why's Starmer even going into the pub. You can't buy beer in a pub right now and he's not really opposed those measures.. The classic beer in pub photo op isn'#t in the frame right now.
What a fiasco. The landlord was presumably liable for a heavy fine, a revoked licence or even imprisonment if he let people inside the premises - hence his shouting and angst - and Sir Keir barged his way in with the aid of heavies. This could be a resigning matter.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
That's very funny. But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
New cases down again today to 1159 per day as we move closer to the lowest levels recorded in the last 12 months despite the contant stories/fears of new variants messing up the plan. Vaccines ARE working. Thanks for logging with ZOE.!
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
The EPL has a serious problem - expel them and see what happens to the money. Allow them to say and watch the income drop as the Premiership becomes a second rate competition ala the Scottish Premiership..
I suspect the only reason the EPL are silent is because they are frantically working out what to do....
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Looks to me like the landlord was giving him verbal outside, so he and his team stepped into the pub to try and avoid a confrontation, not realising that it was his pub!
So then the security detail has to hold him off while Kier and the gang make their exit. You do not get in the face of the LotO like this, what did the guy think was going to happen? Non story.
That probably is the case, but then Sir Keir must have forgotten that you aren't allowed to actually go inside pubs at the moment!!
Sure, but better to (attempt) to de-escalate a confrontation by moving to a securable location than to be out on the street with someone giving you aggro. Just bad luck that it turned out that the individual in question was the landlord!
Apparently the co-owner of the pub is not impressed
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
That's very funny. But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
I think Sir Keir was probably instinctively responding to the Englishman’s reflex to perceive a tavern as a sanctuary, temporarily forgetting that we can’t go in inside pubs for another four weeks!
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
"Squad rotation" come on man FFS.
Yes its what already happens. Its what its called.
Besides if this goes ahead as suggested, and the players banned from international football then overall the players will be playing fewer fixtures not more than they are today. So there might be less squad rotation than occurs today, not more.
The fact its an unsporting closed shop is an extremely valid criticism, the hyperbole over the future of the Premier League is bullshit.
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
"Squad rotation" come on man FFS.
Yes its what already happens. Its what its called.
Besides if this goes ahead as suggested, and the players banned from international football then overall the players will be playing fewer fixtures not more than they are today. So there might be less squad rotation than occurs today, not more.
The fact its an unsporting closed shop is an extremely valid criticism, the hyperbole over the future of the Premier League is bullshit.
It isn't bullshit. It's entirely valid and it's amazing you can't see it.
Trouble is, I don't think there is a law that does that without horrible collateral damage.
For the first time in ages, maybe ever, Boris hasn't been able to make something happen or unhappen by the pure force of his reputation.
Though it might look totally different in two hours' time.
Surely there is a restriction of trade issue for any government attempt to dictate which competitions these clubs want to play in. They have decided to set up a rival to the UEFA Champions League. What specific action can the government take to stop them?
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
That's very funny. But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
Maybe that's the thing though?
Feelings are running much higher in hospitality businesses( many of whom believe they have been scapegoated), than many politicians realise.
Giving some politico (either tory or labour) who poleaxed the industry a photo-op might be letting the side down.
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
The EPL has a serious problem - expel them and see what happens to the money. Allow them to say and watch the income drop as the Premiership becomes a second rate competition ala the Scottish Premiership..
I suspect the only reason the EPL are silent is because they are frantically working out what to do....
They don't have the votes to do anything really. UEFA and FIFA will decide.
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
"Squad rotation" come on man FFS.
Yes its what already happens. Its what its called.
Besides if this goes ahead as suggested, and the players banned from international football then overall the players will be playing fewer fixtures not more than they are today. So there might be less squad rotation than occurs today, not more.
The fact its an unsporting closed shop is an extremely valid criticism, the hyperbole over the future of the Premier League is bullshit.
It isn't bullshit. It's entirely valid and it's amazing you can't see it.
How?
There is already squad rotation today. There is already prioritisation of the Champions League today. There is already a surfeit of fixtures today.
The proposed difference in number of fixtures between the Champions League and the Super League is tiny.
That is not the story here. The story is it being a closed shop, that is what is damning.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Looks to me like the landlord was giving him verbal outside, so he and his team stepped into the pub to try and avoid a confrontation, not realising that it was his pub!
So then the security detail has to hold him off while Kier and the gang make their exit. You do not get in the face of the LotO like this, what did the guy think was going to happen? Non story.
Sir Keir’s thug really had no right to restrain the landlord. He wasn’t a threat. He just wanted Starmer out of his pub and it would have been a better look for starmer to have listened and sympathised and come back with bland platitudes instead of sneering at a man who is simply worried for his business . I see labour supporters on social media are already attacking the landlord
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
That's very funny. But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
Perhaps they did and the landlord was very affable over the phone, but all the while his intention was to lure Sir Keir into a trap!
"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save English Football, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the Champions League. Thank you very much."
The amusing thing about this is that HYUFD is - how to phrase this? - a Conservative loyalist. He doesn't normally draw attention to things which might be bad news for the Conservative Party. (No criticism implied - most of the posters on here are at least somewhat partisan in what they highlight, which in total gives us a more rounded picture.) But Boris forgetting the name of a Conservative candidate isn't bad news for the Conservative Party; this is just Boris adding to the gaiety of the nation.
His finishing sentence just makes those likely to vote Conservative to smile and laugh a little. He cant be expected to know the names of the councillors, mps and mayoral candidates everytime....
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
The EPL has a serious problem - expel them and see what happens to the money. Allow them to say and watch the income drop as the Premiership becomes a second rate competition ala the Scottish Premiership..
I suspect the only reason the EPL are silent is because they are frantically working out what to do....
Surely you expel and be damned. The alternative is a slow death of the league as six teams realise there's nothing to play for.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That security guard is being quite heavy handed. Is it necessary?
There's got to be more to this, surely? Wouldn't a LOTO ordinarily try to find somewhere hospitable for this sort of visit? I'm struggling to believe Keir Starmer's in the habit of getting his heavies to bully business owners into letting him in for a photo shoot.
Starmer clearly didn't realise he was the landlord !
That's very funny. But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
Yes, you’re right. Which shows a certain lack of organisation or professionalism.
Football clubs are businesses. They make decisions that they think are in their best financial interests. This should not surprise anyone. The big difference with football clubs is that their customers are fans who they can count on to support them come what may and the money will keep rolling in.
The #1 way for this to be stopped is by fans, not governments. If fans stopped buying merchandise, stopped watching their social media, stopped paying for anything where money goes to the club then they would change their course. It really is quite simple.
The problem is of course most people can't really see this and will still hand over £70+ for a club crest on a £5 shirt. The same amount of money would get them multiple entries at their local non-league team who desperately need the money right now.
Again depends what you mean by fans.
Fans in Lagos, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh?
They don't give a monkeys.
And that is where the growth is.
Not Liverpool. Not Manchester.
You don't understood modern football clubs.
Plenty of these clubs are reliant on match day income, ie match going fans, Arsenal for example rely on it for 25% of their total income.
This is all unarguable, but what the clubs really want is people coming once or twice a season (preferably from abroad) and spending lots on food, merchandise, souvenirs and corporate entertainment. They have no real long-term interest in season ticket holders who turn up every other week and therefore expect to get a discount, while spending barely anything on extras.
But the "fayns" provide the match atmosphere. I can't be alone in having lost all interest in watching football on tv during the pandemic.
You can generate atmosphere for TV quite happily with a few mics in a small area of the ground with say 2-5k actual fans. Certainly no need for tens of thousands of them.
Well I'm telling you in all honesty that that doesn't work for me. I need to see the full house, hear the roar, see them all swaying and jumping around, hear them singing and doing their wickedly acerbic chants about this & that.
"Referee's a wanker. Referee's a wanker."
This, for me, is just as much a part of the "product" as the elegant cross field pass, the Cruyff turn, the 25 yard piledriver into the top corner, the ... etc.
Down here in wokeland (Brighton) the rapport is much more sophisticated these days. Away fans who chant "you're gay and you know you are" and "does your boyfriend know you're here?" receive the following riposte from the Brightonians: "You're too ugly, you're too ugly, you're too ugly to be gay......"
Who ever said that the woke don't have a sense of humour?
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
The EPL has a serious problem - expel them and see what happens to the money. Allow them to say and watch the income drop as the Premiership becomes a second rate competition ala the Scottish Premiership..
I suspect the only reason the EPL are silent is because they are frantically working out what to do....
Surely you expel and be damned. The alternative is a slow death of the league as six teams realise there's nothing to play for.
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
They normally played their best teams in the PL. Why? To make sure they got into the European tournaments. If they no longer have to qualify then they will field weakened sides in the PL and focus where the money is - midweek ESL matches.
You can feel the atmosphere at a midweek Liverpool European tie even watching on TV because against the big sides they were uncommon events (few times/year max). Would it be the same week-in, week-out in the ESL? I somehow doubt it, particularly if the fans boycott it.
Interesting that the one topic that stops everyone from talking about Covid is football!
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
That's an even worse look than telling him you aren't going to be lectured to.
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
Starmer went into the pub after the 1:41 exchange !
Hold on, why's Starmer even going into the pub. You can't buy beer in a pub right now and he's not really opposed those measures.. The classic beer in pub photo op isn'#t in the frame right now.
What a fiasco. The landlord was presumably liable for a heavy fine, a revoked licence or even imprisonment if he let people inside the premises - hence his shouting and angst - and Sir Keir barged his way in with the aid of heavies. This could be a resigning matter.
That's the funniest campaigning video I've ever seen!
Comments
"Referee's a wanker. Referee's a wanker."
This, for me, is just as much a part of the "product" as the elegant cross field pass, the Cruyff turn, the 25 yard piledriver into the top corner, the ... etc.
My condolences to the families of the person who died, but it would be informative to know whether it was from or with covid.
As we move into these tiny numbers, 'with' becomes a magnified cohort, as a proportion.
Mrs Mallard led her brood of 11* down from her nest in the neighbours' garden trying to get to the nearby stream. Our garden wall presents a problem. So my job was to catch the ducklings and deposit them on the other side of the wall to continue their journey.
Happens every year. The poor little things are terrified, thinking that I am a predator, but seem OK once they are back with their mother.
*12 hatched yesterday, but one didn't make it through the night.
nowadays I support Darlington but that's because I've lived there for 20+ years..
Sheffield and Bristol derbies are bitter rivalries.
The derbies in Manchester, Merseyside and Nottingham are somewhat tempered by the fact that one of the participants considers a third club a greater rival...
Never get into you are wrong, I know better...even if they are and you do.
'Wow. Longer video here. A man who is apparently the pub landlord being assaulted because he says he doesn’t want Starmer and Dan Norris in there. Really unacceptable.'
https://twitter.com/AaronBastani/status/1384135505961394184?s=20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb7DwkB7KFo
I am not clear did Starmer try to go into this pub unannounced, the landlord get shouty and then they had their exchange outside....or did Starmer try and go into the pub after shouty mcshouty face spoke?
(I supported Tranmere on that day for what its worth)
The TV noises we get aren't generated by sticking a single microphone in the middle of the pitch and picking up everything from it; they pick parts of the ground and mix the results together. In particular the away fans are always much louder on TV than you'd ever notice in the stadium, unless you were right next to them.
Mind you there but for miracles go a whole number of other clubs...
https://order-order.com/2021/04/19/labours-hartlepool-candidate-directly-responsible-for-local-hospital-cuts/
Constantin Eckner
@cc_eckner
·
21m
UEFA's Čeferin has just labelled Ed Woodward and Andrea Agnelli as "snakes" and "liars". #SuperLeague
https://twitter.com/cc_eckner/status/1384132117953531905?s=20
ootball Cvlture
@FootballCVLTURE
·
8m
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says UEFA is receiving legal advice to ban Super League clubs from the Champions League AND Europa League THIS season. (UEFA)
But the NHS and Hartlepool has always been a problem because it did make sense to move things into Stockton (Hartlepool being a hell hole) and a nightmare to get into and out of.
Would expect dribs and drabs of deaths over the next few days to bring these days' total up a bit. But still. Deaths continuing to drop very encouragingly.
Edit: Also, no NHS England deaths recorded in the South West region in the past week.
He makes Peggy Mitchell look mild!
https://twitter.com/StephenSumner15/status/1384120124492304390?s=20
The reason I say Pickford has no choice is he ain't good enough for Super League.
Even though he is the England goalie.
So, a poor choice of example, that's all.
Declan Rice would be better. James Ward Prowse, Jack Grealish.
They face difficult decisions.
As many have said, the Premier League is quiet.
Who replaces Real Madrid given they knocked out Liverpool? Bayern who were knocked out by PSG?
PSG by default is the only realistic option if they do this.
https://twitter.com/PA/status/1384135246606585857?s=20
https://twitter.com/StephenSumner15/status/1384118300154634251
Starmer at 1:35 "We don't need lectures from you about this pandemic; shall we go in" - enters pub
Really, really think we could go a tiny bit faster now...
'spreading dangerous misinformation'
Leicester, West Ham, Everton and Leeds (or Villa) as English representatives.
Would laugh my tits off were that to come to pass.
Football is split down the middle. Sad
This is going ahead.
Again, Boris is so lucky, he dropped a clanger earlier today, but now we this incident which gets far the media fad more clicks.
Cant see Labour winning it. Could see brexit shift making it a close call with libdem at second round.
"If the Big Six stay in the Premiership, they will focus on midweek games, and very possibly field weakened teams for the EPL."
This is what I predicted downthread.
They are destroying the EPL, quite openly. They are daring the EPL to expel them, by admitting they will undermine it, and don't care anyway
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1384137782973456387?s=20
They don't care if the EPL banish them, they will only field weakened teams anyway
Six clubs with foreign owners have just demolished 130 years of English football
Priceless!
So then the security detail has to hold him off while Kier and the gang make their exit. You do not get in the face of the LotO like this, what did the guy think was going to happen? Non story.
They've demolished themselves, but they haven't demolished English football.
https://twitter.com/StephenSumner15/status/1384137833166692359?s=20
Squad rotation is something that has long happened, it isn't an original concept.
For the first time in ages, maybe ever, Boris hasn't been able to make something happen or unhappen by the pure force of his reputation.
Though it might look totally different in two hours' time.
But wouldn't these visits normally be arranged in advance? Wouldn't they try to find a business which would be reasonably happy to play along with the friendly photoshoot?
New cases down again today to 1159 per day as we move closer to the lowest levels recorded in the last 12 months despite the contant stories/fears of new variants messing up the plan. Vaccines ARE working. Thanks for logging with ZOE.!
Allow them to say and watch the income drop as the Premiership becomes a second rate competition ala the Scottish Premiership..
I suspect the only reason the EPL are silent is because they are frantically working out what to do....
Apparently the co-owner of the pub is not impressed
Besides if this goes ahead as suggested, and the players banned from international football then overall the players will be playing fewer fixtures not more than they are today. So there might be less squad rotation than occurs today, not more.
The fact its an unsporting closed shop is an extremely valid criticism, the hyperbole over the future of the Premier League is bullshit.
Feelings are running much higher in hospitality businesses( many of whom believe they have been scapegoated), than many politicians realise.
Giving some politico (either tory or labour) who poleaxed the industry a photo-op might be letting the side down.
UEFA and FIFA will decide.
There is already squad rotation today. There is already prioritisation of the Champions League today. There is already a surfeit of fixtures today.
The proposed difference in number of fixtures between the Champions League and the Super League is tiny.
That is not the story here. The story is it being a closed shop, that is what is damning.
Yes, you’re right. Which shows a certain lack of organisation or professionalism.
Who ever said that the woke don't have a sense of humour?
Just as they've played for the last century.
That has always been the main thing to play for.
You can feel the atmosphere at a midweek Liverpool European tie even watching on TV because against the big sides they were uncommon events (few times/year max). Would it be the same week-in, week-out in the ESL? I somehow doubt it, particularly if the fans boycott it.
Interesting that the one topic that stops everyone from talking about Covid is football!