October football: The Sack Race

[Yevrah]

Loving the pearl clutching shit when so many scumbags already own clubs. I hope they clean up.

Indeed. I know the Super League proposals had people getting on the football is for the people bus again, but fucking lol, it's a morally bankrupt, genuinely corrupt, 99% closed shop shitfest. It has been for ages and is only going to get worse.

[phonics]

Premier league players feel free to steal this goal celebration idea. Run to the corner flag and pick up a rainbow flag and have the rest of your teammates imaginary stone you to death.

[Yevrah]

Premier league players feel free to steal this goal celebration idea. Run to the corner flag and pick up a rainbow flag and have the rest of your teammates imaginary stone you to death.

I think I'd actually pay money to see that.

[Giggles]

Indeed. I know the Super League proposals had people getting on the football is for the people bus again, but fucking lol, it's a morally bankrupt, genuinely corrupt, 99% closed shop shitfest. It has been for ages and is only going to get worse.

Even the notion that it’s for the people is laughable. Hasn’t been for decades. It does make all this grandstanding even more entertaining though.

[phonics]

I don’t understand this line of thinking. The people with a problem with this takeover more than likely had a problem with all those things too.

[Offshore Toon]

There are going to be so many arguments about human rights and they're all going to be boring as fuck.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The 'well what about all those bad owners' argument is absolutely nonsensical. The Saudis are a state actor and are worse than all of them combined.

It all stems from the long-term delusion up there that Newcastle is a city of note, which, post-shipbuilding era, it is not. It's inevitable when you're so isolated from the rest of the country, geographically, I suppose. You end up talking to yourself in your own little world.

[Kikó]

The Saudis are awful and another nail in the coffin of football. The fact that Newcastle fans are lapping them up is absolutely tragic.

[Giggles]

As if Kronke, Abramovic, or probably Levy have never had anyone killed. People just don’t want another player the game and are masking in this human rights posturing. As of 99% of them actually give a fuck.

[Lewis]

City being privately owned is a legal fiction, and they are also minority owned by a Chinese state investment vehicle. China as in them people doing that genocide. This isn't any worse than that.

[Shindig]

What would you prefer we did? Object to it and chain Mike Ashley to his desk? If the Saudis want to bid for it, there is nothing the Premier League can legally do to stop it.

Lewis has it covered.

[Kikó]

Not be outside the stadium celebrating a murderous regime is probably a start.

[phonics]

As if Kronke, Abramovic, or probably Levy have never had anyone killed. People just don’t want another player the game and are masking in this human rights posturing. As of 99% of them actually give a fuck.


That list of 3 is so funny. The guy that married the chick who owns Walmart and the Oligarch who captured huge swathes of state owned resources in the fall of the USSR having similar body counts is a funny concept.

[Disco]

They aren't a nice lot but buying Newcastle is the latest in a long line of pisstake vanity projects (a big clock to fuck off the other muslims, the big city in a line that won't work etc).

[Lewis]

I bet Roman Abramovich has personally had more people killed than 'MBS'.

[Giggles]

Regular mentions of the big bad Sauds doing bad things……… that’ll be a big fat zero.

Big bad Saudis buy football club….. “oh my days it’s terrible and I’m outraged by them”

Nobody really gives a shit only that it might interfere with their own team.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Abramovich has had some Siberians done in, iirc. I was against the takeover at the time as long, long, long term TTHers will know. I'm still against him really although these days he is probably more absurd than evil.

[Offshore Toon]

Are there many major companies and governments left that haven't been funded in part by the Saudis? The time to protest was decades ago.

It's shit, but at this point it's how our society functions.

[phonics]

Regular mentions of the big bad Sauds doing bad things……… that’ll be a big fat zero.

Big bad Saudis but football club….. “oh my days it’s terrible and I’m outraged by them”

Nobody really gives a shit only that it might interfere with their own team.

Yeah no one has criticised the state of Saudi Arabia before today. Who the fuck are these imaginary people you’re arguing against.

[Giggles]

Yeah no one has criticised the state of Saudi Arabia before today. Who the fuck are these imaginary people you’re arguing against.

Haven’t seen a thing about them for a long long time in any of the various forms of media where I’m reading all the crying and disgust today.

[Lewis]

It all stems from the long-term delusion up there that Newcastle is a city of note, which, post-shipbuilding era, it is not. It's inevitable when you're so isolated from the rest of the country, geographically, I suppose. You end up talking to yourself in your own little world.

This is the better question. There isn't even a bent property market angle like the various crooks involved in Manchester football (has anybody ever asked Gary Neville about that stuff?), which you might have got with Leeds.

[Kikó]

Regular mentions of the big bad Sauds doing bad things……… that’ll be a big fat zero.

Big bad Saudis buy football club….. “oh my days it’s terrible and I’m outraged by them”

Nobody really gives a shit only that it might interfere with their own team.

This is fucking mental. Good effort.

[Disco]

Do Newcastle have any openly gay players? That would make the company christmas ramadan party a bit awkward.

[Giggles]

This is fucking mental. Good effort.

Where was all your outrage about the Saudis before today?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Do Newcastle have any openly gay players? That would make the company christmas ramadan party a bit awkward.

The Saudi's will hire Baz to root them all out.

[Kikó]

You're right. I was actively for them but now I'm scared Newcastle will win the league.

[Giggles]

You're right. I was actively for them but now I'm scared Newcastle will win the league.

Where was it then? If you care so much like.

[Kikó]

Well, I've not written any blogs about it but I've tweeted a number of times over the past 6 years about the Saudis human rights and/or how I would hate them to take over United.

[phonics]

Haven’t seen a thing about them for a long long time in any of the various forms of media where I’m reading all the crying and disgust today.
Then you’re literally not reading them. Care to mention who doesn’t talk about Saudi Arabia who’s crying today? Not just ‘them’. Thanks.

Had to Giggles check my social media history and luckily I have called them bad but also found this which id like to share.

1177723147581366278

[Shindig]

I mean, I'm not thrilled about it. I'd rather we had a cool local bloke coming in. One that goes on about community and puts a real focus on the team. In the absence of that, I'll tolerate the guys that did 9/11 to run our club into a money crater. I can't do much about the Qataris building vanity projects off the back of slave labour. Or the fact that China owns a load of British houses that were built by Saudi oil-based products and concrete.

What I can do is maybe look forward to the thing I like being worth watching again.

[Lewis]

Then you’re literally not reading them. Care to mention who doesn’t talk about Saudi Arabia who’s crying today? Not just ‘them’. Thanks.

Had to Giggles check my social media history and luckily I have called them bad but also found this which id like to share.

1177723147581366278

You sure?

[Jimmy Floyd]

My word, the 20th century really went out on a low.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zXKtfKnfT8

[Lewis]

Top film that.

[Boydy]

Iran should buy Sunderland now.

[Shindig]

They're already owned by Jeffrey Dalmer.

[phonics]

My word, the 20th century really went out on a low.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zXKtfKnfT8

That album features a dr Dre and Eminem track where they rap the entire plot of the film. It’s a banger.

[Pepe]

The high pitched chorus on that is a banger.

[Pepe]

Heck, the whole song is.

[Queenslander]

China v Vietnam just about to kick off in Asian World Cup qualifying. Could be tasty. Unfortunately, being played in the UAE :face:

Liverpool born Tyias Browning starts for China, as does Brazilian... sorry, Chinese striker Elkeson de Oliveira Cardoso. Alan "Ai Lan" Carvalho on the bench.

11 straight. :cool:

https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/socceroos-secure-record-breaking-11th-straight-win-oman-victory?fbclid=IwAR3Zs0aR5-jjgpeNgOmfmNVMlulGyXH1y24KUOc8ACI3O9jI1Bbv8O0klWA

[Offshore Toon]

The high pitched chorus on that is a banger.


Heck, the whole song is.
These.

"Before you get bumrushed." :cool:

[Shindig]

Someone should've briefed Staveley before sending her out to the press. "You have to go back to 1955 for any success here." Don't to the Inner Cities Fairs Cup dirty like that.

[Baz]

Even Will Smith knew the movie sucked [but the song does not] cos he rapped about it in another track later on:

Yo, I must have a 'S' on my chest
I've recovered from the Wild, Wild West, yes
Yo, I been up the creek without a paddle
Now I'm back in the saddle

https://media2.giphy.com/media/l0MYJnJQ4EiYLxvQ4/giphy.gif

[Shindig]

He's just a black Dennis Waterman.

[igor_balis]

They aren't a nice lot but buying Newcastle is the latest in a long line of pisstake vanity projects (a big clock to fuck off the other muslims, the big city in a line that won't work etc).

Well there's your problem doing a Newcastle episode would be a laugh

[Disco]

At least it's a fun sovereign wealth fund, unlike Norway who just do pensions and a wiggly road.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They will own a lot of professional sport reasonably soon, unless there's cultural pushback. They tried to basically buy golf earlier in the year, but the Americans told them to do one, so they had a massive cry and bought the Asian Tour instead.

Think they were sniffing around Formula 1 at one stage as well.

[phonics]

Been working on a joke about Saudi having a lot of experience funding 9/11s. Can’t get it to work.

[Lewis]

lol at Barney Ronay in the Guardian wondering how football now squares rainbow laces and anti-racism with Saudi Arabian involvement. I don't know mate quite the quandary that one! Should be interesting to see how they manage it.

[Yevrah]

I think as the Rashford thing shows, no problem decrying the filth, but they’re all equally happy to bathe in it, or even pay people to do that for them, when it suits.

[Shindig]

Been working on a joke about Saudi having a lot of experience funding 9/11s. Can’t get it to work.

"Newcastle start with Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie up front. There you have it, kids. They did 9/11."

That's it. That's all I've got.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching Czech v Wales. Dan James and Kieffer Moore botching a clear 2-on-1 breakaway was entertaining. Ramsey, however, has just scored brilliantly. Czechs miles away from being good enough. They basically haven't fielded a defence.

[Shindig]

Germany's behind to Romania. Who's managing the Germans at this point?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Something funny I've noticed is that on uefa.com, on all their live and report pages about what they call 'European Qualifiers', they absolutely and definitively do not mention the name of the tournament that the qualifiers are for. Either that's extraordinarily petty from UEFA in the football wars, or FIFA really do stop confederations from using the words for their coupe du monde.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Hansi Flick.

[Giggles]

Something funny I've noticed is that on uefa.com, on all their live and report pages about what they call 'European Qualifiers', they absolutely and definitively do not mention the name of the tournament that the qualifiers are for. Either that's extraordinarily petty from UEFA in the football wars, or FIFA really do stop confederations from using the words for their coupe du monde.

I vaguely remember something about that (based on a TV set here or something iirc) but it was some sort of a rebrand they did.

[Jimmy Floyd]

One of the truly great own goals in the Wales game. Proper life ban stuff from the goalkeeper.

[phonics]

Rumour that Newcastle’s first purchase will be a striker that can also play on the wing as Saudi Arabia have previous experience finding funding for 9/11s.

Off to the open mic boys.

[Lewis]

Do Newcastle still leave two seats empty for those plane crash fans? Fifteen more to reserve.

[phonics]

Popped me. Me and Lewis doing a double act and we can’t get cancelled for our political views because we’re on the opposite side of everything else.

[Offshore Toon]

Very Scottish start to the Scotland game. It'll either finish 0-1 now with no more shots on target or Scotland will win 2-1 with a goal in extra time.

[randomlegend]

Absolutely bonkers challenge in the United Vs City women's game which resulted a in red card. Studs up cunt punt.

[igor_balis]

Dykes :D

[igor_balis]

oh god that post doesn't look great after the previous one does it

[-james-]

Lyndon Dykes being on penalties is a war crime.

[Pepe]

Dykes :D


oh god that post doesn't look great after the previous one does it

:D

[Offshore Toon]

It would have been a travesty if that (https://streamja.com/OBMv6) wasn't given.

[niko_cee]

oh god that post doesn't look great after the previous one does it

:D

I did wonder.

[Reg]

Anyone watching England tonight? I'll probably skip it and save my little football appetite to watch the Nations League final tomorrow.

[igor_balis]

Scotland Israel has been excellent fun to be fair.

[Ian]

oh god that post doesn't look great after the previous one does it

:D

Excellent.

[Yevrah]

Anyone watching England tonight? I'll probably skip it and save my little football appetite to watch the Nations League final tomorrow.

I suspect I'll have it on. Haven't looked at team news, but guessing he's rotating/being a dick about it.

[Boydy]

Go on Scotland

[Boydy]

Very Scottish start to the Scotland game. It'll either finish 0-1 now with no more shots on target or Scotland will win 2-1 with a goal in extra time.

Not far off.

[Don]

:rasta:

[-james-]

McSauce. :cool:

[Offshore Toon]

Not far off.
Supporting Newcastle and Scotland is often fucking awful, but this week has been a good'un.

[Lewis]

Went in off his McMassive McCock.

[Waffdon]

Back to back play offs :cool:

Billy Gilmour being wasted at Norwich is a sad sight. Newcastle should build their new team around him

[niko_cee]

You've got to think Chelsea will be front of the queue to sell the Saudis a players for wildly unrealistic prices. Probably get their money back on Danny Drinkwater.

[niko_cee]

Am I really looking at a Keiran Trippier England Captain situation here?

[Waffdon]

That England team does look a bit tragic

[Ian]

Delighted Waistcoat and Binman are in agreement about Sancho's most useful position.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Two managerial GIANTS.

[Ian]

GC for Sancho. Genius decision from Waistcoat.

[Dquincy]

Two managerial GIANTS.
Both have taken their teams to major finals. Pretty good if you ask me.

[niko_cee]

Aye, this his his level. Unpicking the 'low block' of a non-league team.

Although in fairness I think he gets more stick than is really warranted at this point in time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sir Gareth is a good international manager, think he would get found out by three games a week and the baying hordes.

I'm watching Switzerland v British Ireland in the hope that it's better than the England game, but unless you're a fan of Xherdan Shaqiri cutting inside to dead ends, it probably isn't.

[Lewis]

United leak that they're looking at Gareth Southgate to get people off Ole Gunnar Binman's back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Northern Ireland left back just got a second yellow card for time wasting in the 36th minute (at 0-0). Properly abysmal refereeing.

[John Arne]

Northern Ireland left back just got a second yellow card for time wasting in the 36th minute (at 0-0). Properly abysmal refereeing.

I just came into the thread to complain about the ref in the England game letting Andorra time waste so fucking much. A yecond yellow does seem a tad harsh.

[Ian]

United leak that they're looking at Gareth Southgate to get people off Ole Gunnar Binman's back.

They may as well go the whole hog and say they're replacing Solskjaer with Solskjaer.

[Dquincy]

Abrahams is a bit average isn't he. Not shit, but not pedigree either.

[Ian]

Well that was really quite dull.

[John Arne]

Some of these Andorran plumbers need a good fucking kicking.

[Boydy]

Northern Ireland left back just got a second yellow card for time wasting in the 36th minute (at 0-0). Properly abysmal refereeing.

It's fucking ridiculous. Pretty sure he'd forgotten he'd already carded him and was trying to make an example of him then realised he had to send him off. He hadn't even taken that long for the throw in ffs.

[Spikey M]

I'm watching this in the pub and I've spent more time watching the old boys playing darts than watching this. Hate these games.

[Ian]

How's the darts going?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Live sport > televised sport, doesn't matter the sport or the standard.

[Ian]

Our attackers must be delighted they've all managed less of a penalty area presence than Ben fucking Chilwell.

[Ian]

Excellent timing as Abraham scores but it's still true.

[Spikey M]

How's the darts going?

One of them managed to nail the Artex wall and it got a louder cheer than any of the goals.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's fucking ridiculous. Pretty sure he'd forgotten he'd already carded him and was trying to make an example of him then realised he had to send him off. He hadn't even taken that long for the throw in ffs.

Having now watched the whole game I'm as sure as I've ever be that the guy is biased / trying to ensure that the Swiss win.

[Dquincy]

Usa '94

1446898260556140546

[Jimmy Floyd]

Always good to see an outing for Al-Owairan and Yordan Letchkov.

[Dquincy]

Yeah, the Letchkov goal always does it for me. And Hagi. Those were the days...

[Ian]

The Kennet Andersson goal. :drool:

[John Arne]

If you're in to final day DRAMA, it's the last matchday in Singapore today.

Lion City and Albirex Niigata both on 45pts, 4 goals goal difference. Lion City host Balestier, whilst Albirex away to Tanjong. Lions (formerly Home United) haven't won the title for almost 20 years, whilst Albirex are kinda Japanese and have won 4 of the previous 5 titles.

https://gyazo.com/753b7c3b7ef98d478aeeda5d24995773.jpeg

It's Lion City's to lose, really.

[Queenslander]

Many expats playing?

[John Arne]

Many expats playing?

Lion City broke some transfer records this season signing a couple a genuinely decent Brazilians.

That said, I genuinely don't think there is anyone of note playing in the league, though.

[Ian]

Sorry Manchester United, we had a good run but I cannot in my heart of hearts say I support you any more now I know there is a team called "Lion City Sailors."

[John Arne]

Sorry Manchester United, we had a good run but I cannot in my heart of hearts say I support you any more now I know there is a team called "Lion City Sailors."

It is such a shit name. A lot of the fans weren't too happy when it was changed a few years back. The investment of millions of dollars helped to ease the pain, of course.

[Ian]

Don't badmouth my boyhood team that you, you slag.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1446605374539317256

Quality front kick.

[Shindig]

It is such a shit name. A lot of the fans weren't too happy when it was changed a few years back. The investment of millions of dollars helped to ease the pain, of course.

I've never got on with The New Saints, either. They had a proper Welsh town name before Total Network Solutions. They should be Llansantffraid & Owestry FC.

[Giggles]

Josh Cullen has turned into a tidy enough midfielder. I hope he never returns to the EPL.

[Danny]

1447234227049836546

:rosebud:

[Giggles]

Tonton.

[Shindig]

Damn, Fredy Adu should've held that record forever. Although I think some Paraguayan son of a team owner broke that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This Spain v France game has been super so far. Spain are much the better team, though France have the more muscular individuals.

The boy Gavi is special.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A wonderful goal apiece in a couple of minutes. Best match of 2021, this.

[Don]

I can't be taking these sub 70kg Pedris and Gavis seriously. It's lovely to watch when it's 0-0 against a Kante-less midfield of 2 lazy Africans or if you have a peak Messi to pass to but they're just not going to affect a game individually.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Get out of it. The precision at extreme pace in tight spaces, with larger men bearing down on them for a prison showers rimming, is phenomenal to watch.

They could do with a Diego Costa or someone through the middle, rather than Sarabia, who is a waste of good organs.

[Spoonsky]

Mbappe's clearly offside, isn't he?

[Jimmy Floyd]

A mile off, VAR needs to get off the booze.

[Spoonsky]

Weird lack of replays too, like they all know it's bullshit and don't want to show it.

[Spoonsky]

They've saved all the shots of beautiful Spanish women for one thirty-second spell there. :cool:

[Don]

I wasn't expecting the VAR meddling to start until more meaningful games but here we are. Any explanation yet?

This happened in our game on Thursday:

https://youtu.be/44JH4RTCTLo

1:29:20

UAE player gets fouled when clean through and red card for our man. 3 minutes later, VAR confirms it. 4 mins later, we look to pull off our striker for a CB. 6 mins later, an offside pulls play back to before the Islamic revolution.

[Boydy]

Get out of it. The precision at extreme pace in tight spaces, with larger men bearing down on them for a prison showers rimming, is phenomenal to watch.

They could do with a Diego Costa or someone through the middle, rather than Sarabia, who is a waste of good organs.

I don't think there's much rimming in prison showers.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'll have to take your word for it.

[Don]

Steve Bruce spotted in the stands on a scouting trip.

[niko_cee]

I've not seen the Mbappe goal but by the sounds of the BBC write-up that dreadful 'deliberate play of the ball' loophole is at large again. Has to be one of the worst rules going.

[Ian]

A pity the Spain goalie had to run Benzema's goal by getting a touch on it.

[Don]

Always tricky to judge players in these dogshit CONMEBOL affairs but pretty sure Raphinha is now operating at peak Ronaldinho levels (with the flair dialed down to mortal levels).

[Shindig]

Our apparent shortlist for Bruce's successor.

Steven Gerrard (Rangers)
Paulo Fonseca (unattached)
Antonio Conte (unattached)
Eddie Howe (unattached)
Frank Lampard (unattached)
Zinedine Zidane (unattached)
Graham Potter (Brighton)
Roberto Martinez (Belgium)
Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City)
Lucian Favre (unattached)
Rafa Benitez (Everton)
Gareth Southgate (England)
Ralf Rangnick (Lokomotiv Moscow

Not gonna lie, there's some names in there that would have me pissing myself.

[Ian]

It'd be a laugh to see Bobby Martinez put in charge of a WARCHEST.

Or Sir Waistcoat.

[Don]

Mans still getting stick from you virgins?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd like to see Steve Bruce in charge of a world class squad, just to see what would happen.

[SvN]

Lampard will get it, I reckon. He'll be their Mark Hughes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They want Coutinho to be their first signing so "world class" is going to have to wait for a bit.

[Don]

ASM hasn't half hit the jackpot though. Geezer like that was about 10 months away from a move away and getting lynched by a proper gammon system manager with credibility but at a banter club like this surrounded with top talent, we can continue to enjoy his wild untamed genius.

[Offshore Toon]

Keeping ASM on board is the best part of all this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If they went down after being priced out of every player in January that would not necessarily be the least amusing outcome.

[Offshore Toon]

I wouldn't mind going down and having one last Championship season this century.

[John Arne]

Don's boys 0-1 down to South Korea thanks to Son.

[Yevrah]

What has the Roulette Wheel picked for the England team tonight?

[John Arne]

What has the Roulette Wheel picked for the England team tonight?

Livescore reckon this...

https://gyazo.com/2e699b70ff72afdcaf5ccb05f4592b85.jpeg

Surely Foden has to start...

[Danny]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/oct/12/david-squires-on-newcastle-united-saudi-takeover?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[John Arne]

Don's boys 0-1 down to South Korea thanks to Son.

1-1 minutes after I lumped on the draw and Iran :drool:

[John Arne]

Fuck me Iran are frustrating to watch. So many good players making so many shit decisions.

[Waffdon]

Varane out injured for a few weeks with a muscle injury. I for one am shocked.

[randomlegend]

What's the insinuation there, that he's injury prone? He's only missed 14 games in 3 seasons and 5 of those were through covid and flu. Average of 3 games a season with actual injuries seems pretty good.

[Don]

Pogba's told him to take one for the team. Ole out within weeks unless he grows a braincell and plays McTominay at CB.

John, our coach is hopeless hence the disgusting state of affairs you saw.

[Shindig]

Ole out, Bruce in. That's the way we like to bin.

[Lewis]

Steve Bruce trying to get his arguably superior Club Knowing credentials over, but none of the idiot players know where Sheffield Wednesday is, so he has to get Roy Keane and Gary Neville in to back him up and instantly loses them.

[John Arne]

VAR has just taken LITERALLY 5 minutes and 10 seconds to allow Vietnam's goal against Oman. It wasn't even a close call... just fucking about by the officials.

[Waffdon]

Pogba's told him to take one for the team. Ole out within weeks unless he grows a braincell and plays McTominay at CB.

John, our coach is hopeless hence the disgusting state of affairs you saw.

McTominay should definitely not play centre half

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching Faroe Islands v Scotland. The former, for a bunch of dolphin-killing 19th century fishermen with a population less than that of Dunfermline, actually ping it about quite nicely.

[Ian]

Sure they murder dolphins but they've probably got bad qualities as well.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fishermen piling on the pressure. They also have an Ultras section behind the goal, complete with graffiti flag, which seems to number about 40 people.

[Spikey M]

Meanwhile in London... 1-0 Hungary.

[Manc]

Kane. :harold:

[Waffdon]

Watching Faroe Islands v Scotland. The former, for a bunch of dolphin-killing 19th century fishermen with a population less than that of Dunfermline, actually ping it about quite nicely.

It’s been another horrendous start.

McTominay is absolutely useless for Scotland more often than not. I don’t think our striker has touched the ball either

[Ian]

With the players we have on this should, in theory, be interesting as we don't go behind very often.

Therefore I look forward to Waistcoat going five at the back and re-implementing the double pivot at half time.

[Disco]

Bring on a second keeper just to be on the safe side.

[Yevrah]

Horrible stuff from England tonight. I hesitate to say again, as there have been some decent moments this year, but fuck me, in the main we are so fucking dull.

[Ian]

Kane has been fucking piss.

[-james-]

Trouble in Torshavn is properly on.

[-james-]

Fishermen piling on the pressure. They also have an Ultras section behind the goal, complete with graffiti flag, which seems to number about 40 people.

Fully here for them bouncing about to the Tetris song.

[Luca]

Fishermen piling on the pressure. They also have an Ultras section behind the goal, complete with graffiti flag, which seems to number about 40 people.

That’s nice about the Scotland support, but what about the Faroe Islands?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fully here for them bouncing about to the Tetris song.

Think there's been some Phantom of the Opera as well, which is, yeah.

[Offshore Toon]

Scotland struggling against the Faroes was as predictable as Scotland winning a crucial game against Israel in the last minute. Were they on the piss on Saturday, Waff?

[Offshore Toon]

Waff's favourite shits it over the line again. Relief.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The black guy left it, wouldn't want to be him in the mead hall tonight.

Meanwhile Qatar being pumped 4-0 by Irish Ireland, looking just great for them with 1 year to go.

[Spikey M]

That was terrible.

[randomlegend]

Ronaldo and Fruno Bernandes spanking the mighty Luxembourg.

[Manc]

Miserable. On current form none of the front three should have started.

[Yevrah]

This is the way of the Gareth.

[Offshore Toon]

What was the crowd trouble? Anything serious or just classic Hungarian racism?

[Jimmy Floyd]

If he went by 'Gary Southgate' would he have got the job?

[Waffdon]

Waff's favourite shits it over the line again. Relief.

Lyndon Dykes is such a donkey that it somehow works in his favour. Kind of glad him and Christie are banned against Moldova.

We’ll beat Moldova. Faroes are weirdly okay for such minnows. Denmark only scored around the same time against them too. We were fucking embarrassing though and the manager is horrendous at changing it up. We probably need a point against Denmark now to guarantee a seeded play off spot. Our record at home in qualifying games is quite good and we do raise our game in these types of games so more hopeful of that than i was of a good performance tonight

[Yevrah]

Well, at least it wasn't the worst thing I saw tonight. The John Lewis advert I've just watched has blown it out of the water.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5od8Wuv_AAY

[Luca]

Canada being undefeated so far in WCQ, including drawing to Mexico at the Azteca and to the USA in Somewhere, USA is going to make the inevitable ‘5th place, narrowly missing out’ finish all the worse.

[Yevrah]

If he went by 'Gary Southgate' would he have got the job?

Who knows, but people said I was mad when I asserted we should sack him after the Euros before we'd kicked a ball in the final.

[Lewis]

Who makes an advert like that other than an actual nonce?

[Waffdon]

Canada being undefeated so far in WCQ, including drawing to Mexico at the Azteca and to the USA in Somewhere, USA is going to make the inevitable ‘5th place, narrowly missing out’ finish all the worse.

Jonathan David is going to the top

[Spikey M]

Well, at least it wasn't the worst thing I saw tonight. The John Lewis advert I've just watched has blown it out of the water.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5od8Wuv_AAY

So inclusive. <3

[Yevrah]

Who makes an advert like that other than an actual nonce?

I know there are boys that don't go on to want to change gender that mess about with make up and dresses and you do need to "let life happen" (:vomit:), but you can't make an advert like that without evoking transitioning and to watch John Lewis Insurance and Partners (no less) cynically exploiting that for commercial gain made me feel quite sick.

[Yevrah]

So inclusive. <3

It might well be one of the worst things about social media that companies now have their finger closer to the pulse than they ever have (or at least think they do) and we have to stomach shit like that.

[niko_cee]

My wife liked it and tried to get me to come in and watch it, so I guess you/we aren't the target market [it being on during bake-off also probably a clue there].

[Offshore Toon]

I've just had the thought that Giggles and Kikó could have been like Roy Keane and Gary Neville if things had worked out differently. Maybe there's still hope.

[Spikey M]

Are you implying that their motive may not be entirely sincere, Yev?https://www.out.com/sites/default/files/london_750x422.jpg

nobody is more disappointed than me that a picture of Owen Jones wearing a "this is what a Trans Allie looks like" t-shirt doesn't exist. I did my best. Apologies.

[Yevrah]

My wife liked it and tried to get me to come in and watch it, so I guess you/we aren't the target market [it being on during bake-off also probably a clue there].

I caught it after the football and before the news, so I'm guessing it's everywhere.

I mean, it's very well made, I just don't think companies should be commercialising what I'd imagine is a hugely challenging period in the lives of everyone involved and for long after too. But then, I am 41 and oozing white male privilege, so what do I know?

[Lewis]

John Lewis (and whoever else) just go along with the advertisers, but a lot of this is cover for people wanting to bum kids.

[Yevrah]

Are you implying that their motive may not be entirely sincere, Yev?

You've got me. If I thought anyone at John Lewis Home Insurance and Partners (no less) gave one single shit about trans issues and the issues were as grave as people would have you believe, then I'd probably applaud them for doing it.

[Yevrah]

John Lewis (and whoever else) just go along with the advertisers, but a lot of this is cover for people wanting to bum kids.

You mean schlubby ad exec wants to rape a six year old so designs an advert to give himself some time with one? Like a Paedo Weinstein?

[Lofty]

I saw it during the GBBO break, and my only takeaway from it was 'if my kid knocked a full pallette of wet paint onto the carpet like that I'd chin the little cunt into next week'.

[Boydy]

I saw it during the GBBO break, and my only takeaway from it was 'if my kid knocked a full pallette of wet paint onto the carpet like that I'd chin the little cunt into next week'.

:D

I thought the same. He can wear a dress if he wants but the first thing he breaks and he's getting a clip round the ear and told to wise the fuck up.

[Yevrah]

I think you're both being ADHD insensitive, he's clearly got issues chucking paint around like that.

[Shindig]

I don't care how much they're playing the kid('s parents). That job is not worth the bullying.

[Lewis]

You mean schlubby ad exec wants to rape a six year old so designs an advert to give himself some time with one? Like a Paedo Weinstein?

More like 1) the sentiment that what you see in that advert is 'let[ting] life happen'; and 2) that it should form the basis of an advert for home insurance. The logic of it all leads to legitimised noncing.

[Yevrah]

Interesting. Reckon there's an under the surface, but sometimes overt movement to go for that?

[Manc]

Does it take a nonce to know a nonce?

[Lewis]

I don't think it's necessarily a conspiracy, but there is a massive nonce/tranny overlap (fetishism + autism/mental illness), and if kids can be deemed to consent to hormone blockers and surgeries then the slippery slope is in full slip.

[Raoul Duke]

Alright Glinner. Banned from Mumsnet again?

[Shindig]

I see it enough on paperwork to hear him out on that one.

[SincereTheRebel]

Are you implying that their motive may not be entirely sincere, Yev?https://www.out.com/sites/default/files/london_750x422.jpg

nobody is more disappointed than me that a picture of Owen Jones wearing a "this is what a Trans Allie looks like" t-shirt doesn't exist. I did my best. Apologies.

Keep my name out of your bullshit, please. Thank you.

[Spikey M]

Keep my name out of your bullshit, please. Thank you.

https://www.idakoos.net/H0262TC1WH0000003620808080354BLVR00A1A,this-what-sincere-looks-like.jpg

[Shindig]

Transformer Ally Sincere.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The issue is that we've reached a stage where a kid doing a short dance in colourful garb = full on culture war battleground.

Heads have gone.

[Pepe]

Does anyone remember that little kid who was some sort of trans hero? With her mother taking him to gay bars to put on his drag show?

EDIT: "Desmond is amazing" according to Google.

[Yevrah]

The issue is that we've reached a stage where a kid doing a short dance in colourful garb = full on culture war battleground.

Heads have gone.

I don't really know what "culture war" means, but whenever I hear it it sounds like one of those wanky phrases that shouldn't exist. In any case, John Lewis and Partners (no less) have had years to put out an advert like that and chose now to - you'll forgive me if my cynicism detector has gone haywire.

[Don]

It was all adorable and cute when little Roger was cheering football and beating up little Pakis in the adverts in the 80s but they don't like it when he's singing a song and doing a dance because it clashes with their toxic masculinity.

[Pepe]

Regarding the noncing:

Surely if we, as a society, decide that thirteen year olds are mature enough to choose to irreversibly change their genitals without parental consent, we might have to also agree that thirteen year olds are mature enough to decide what to do with their genitals, and with who they want to do it.

[Yevrah]

Are sex changes actually happening for kids that young, or actual kids at all?

[Pepe]

In most places surgery is reserved for 18+. Oregon allows it for people over 15, without parental consent. California was considering allowing puberty blockers since like 12, again without parental consent. Not sure if that passed or not, haven't checked in a long time.

No idea about the UK.

[Kikó]

England's broken this thread.

[John Arne]

Is this the football thread?

[Manc]

Check his hard drive.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't really know what "culture war" means, but whenever I hear it it sounds like one of those wanky phrases that shouldn't exist. In any case, John Lewis and Partners (no less) have had years to put out an advert like that and chose now to - you'll forgive me if my cynicism detector has gone haywire.

Culture war is the way in which every little thing becomes a theatre of battle between the forces of them lot and the forces of the other lot. It's an American import. One lot are taking the knee, others are booing it, Southgate is writing open letters, and Sir Henry Winter is using the applause emoji at three times the rate, all because some unrelated Americans got hot under the collar about George Floyd 18 months ago.

In a world free of the culture war, George Floyd would get done in, justice either would or would not run its course, and then everyone would get on with their lives, rather than employing and/or denigrating pre-match gestures at Cardiff v Rotherham.

Under culture war conditions, many companies (with exceptions like Spoons) need, desperately, to be positioned on one side because urban liberals form a much greater share of their revenue base than do the other lot, and if your company was seen to be reactionary or even neutral in its outlook you're in for a cancelling. Ergo you get John Lewis ads like that. In a non culture war scenario, John Lewis wouldn't make that ad, or if it did, you wouldn't think anything of it.

Everything is the culture war, the culture war is everything, welcome to the 21st century.

[Yevrah]

Yeah, it's a piss poor name to describe all of that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it's a pretty good name. It is a war and it is about culture.

[Spikey M]

It's all just incredibly tiresome and surely achieves the opposite of what an inclusive society should be. It shouldn't matter what age, race, gender or sexuality you are, but we now have faceless executives desperately trying to tick as many boxes as possible for every appointment.

I was watching a Climate Change documentary the other day and they had Ade Adipitan (wheelchair basketball player, turned presenter) presenting it. Which is fine, until they had him struggling on crutches, dragging his legs behind him through an area that had just been hit by flooding. He was plainly struggling. What happened to being aware of, and making adjustments for people with disabilities? Are we not bothering now? Are we that far down the "My Disability is a superpower" rabbit hole?

[Yevrah]

On a similar note, the paralympian moaning about nobody caring outside the paralympics highlighted in another thread the other day was also wtf.

Do people have to pretend to care about your boring sport (as many sports are, able bodied or otherwise) when there aren't national pride enhancing gold medals on the line? Is that what we've come to?

[phonics]

Cannot wait for club football to return.

[Yevrah]

Likewise. I used to be on the all internationals are good train, but so many these days (outside of major tournaments) are pointless and shit.

I think Jim has it right in watching the underdogs.

[Shindig]

Does a competitive host nation make for a better World Cup?

[Ian]

I mean club football is largely a lot of pointless yawn as well.

I've no idea how I used to watch as much of it on TV as I did.


Does a competitive host nation make for a better World Cup?

Yes. Nae luck, 2022. Unless they've got their wallets out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you liberate yourself from being an England fan, international football is the dog's bollocks. I think we have a particular breed of blandness, superiority complex, white kit and treating other nations like they are something on the bottom of our shoe that makes every game outside a tournament seem like a chore. See the CONSTANT debates, the 'for' side led by top ex players like Gary Lineker, about how various smaller nations should not be allowed to play against us.

Maybe it's just confirmation bias but I can't think of a single national team in the world I want to watch less than England. Maybe 'USMNT', or Russia.

[Ian]

If you liberate yourself from being an England fan, international football is the dog's bollocks. I think we have a particular breed of blandness, superiority complex, white kit and treating other nations like they are something on the bottom of our shoe that makes every game outside a tournament seem like a chore. See the CONSTANT debates, the 'for' side led by top ex players like Gary Lineker, about how various smaller nations should not be allowed to play against us.

The whole "these qualifiers are a waste of time" thing is proper arrogant shite.

I get barely any enjoyment out of watching England play these teams but you've got to give the big nations a chance to fuck up and the smaller teams the chance to play those games.

[Yevrah]

I'm all for playing Andorra and the like, I just wish we would treat it like Portugal do and play our best team (rotating a side that plays every two months is lunacy) and then there's the Nations League, which is an abomination led by people who don't understand how to run sport.

[phonics]

I haven’t watched anything but Arsenal and the occasional Match of the Day in years. Those people who watched like Macedonia v Belarus or whatever at the Euros should be put on a list.

I thought people liked the Nations League?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think the Nations League is good. I would tinker the format a bit but I guess there are severe calendar restraints on it. It's better than friendlies-by-arrangement.

[Shindig]

I should've been paying attention. The potential play-off line-up looks kind of stacked. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia are all in the mix.

I've also just realised what kind of World Tour Qatar have been on. "Sure, play in the Gold Cup. And we'll put you in Group A (well, play against them) in the European qualifiers. And I think they've been playing a similar weird role in their own qualifiers.

[Waffdon]

They all play the team ahead of them at home in the final two games so they’ll probably all qualify.

[Giggles]

International soccer is the most important one for me. None of the rest of it comes remotely close.

[Don]

It's hardly surprising that an English supporter finds qualifiers dull given the lack of jeopardy. It's not their unrelenting lack of success, shite brand of football and cretinous squad members and supporters.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The top three in recent England qualifying groups, in reverse chronological order

England, Poland, Albania*
England, Czech Republic, Kosovo
England, Slovakia, Scotland
England, Switzerland, Slovenia
England, Ukraine, Montenegro
England, Montenegro, Switzerland
England, Ukraine, Croatia
Croatia, Russia, England

What a ride it's been.

[Waffdon]

Prison FC might just be about the get their best player yet in Lucas Hernandez

[niko_cee]

Case sounds a bit mental tbh.

[Waffdon]

I like how he gets to choose his own prison.

[Ian]

The Madrid court subsequently in 2017 sentenced both to 31 days of community service and prevented them from approaching or communicating with each other by any means for 6 months, commonly known as a restraining order.

Both ignored this, and went on a honeymoon.

:D

[Don]

Fucking good job we didn't sign Brooks last summer, imagine the annoyance it would have caused us.

[Danny]

Think of the tshirts you could have printed :drool:

[Giggles]

Only caught the highlights now as I was working late. We should wear that blue all the time.

[Mellberg]

David Brooks has the big C. Poor fucker.

[Ian]

24. Fuck that.

[Giggles]

It’s only Ian’s reply made me realise that it’s not Covid.

[Ian]

That starts with N for Novid mate.

[Spikey M]

Poor fucker. Cancer at that age is brutal.

[randomlegend]

The cancer he has is (aside from stuff like minor skin cancers) probably the most treatable/curable cancer there is and his chance of complete cure will be in the high 90s percent-wise. It's still shit, obviously, but if you had to have cancer this is the one you'd pick. My Dad had it when I was a kid.