Last January, in this piece, I reflected on the way you feel when your team is knocked out of the FA Cup. This weekend, just like the equivalent weekend last year, my team (Leeds United) were knocked out in the 3rd Round. Today’s 2-1 defeat at QPR did not feel anywhere near as bad as… Continue reading When your team is knocked out of the FA Cup, again
We usually leave it late to buy our Christmas tree. For the second year running we did it on the Saturday before Christmas (23 December last year, 22 December this year), £15 for a healthy-looking 7-foot fir, or spruce, or whatever it is. I expected to pay more, but that’s all it was. One year,… Continue reading Supply and Demand, and Christmas Trees
A few little observations about English football, specifically about goal difference. Look away now if that’s not your kind of thing. This season I am spending even more time than usual studying football league tables, the Championship table in particular. Right now it shows my team, Leeds United, at the top, ahead of Norwich City… Continue reading Goal difference
For young athletes it’s the cross-country season. Our daughter started competing at athletics meetings late last year, so we are approaching the first anniversary of her first race. That was on a cold, wet Saturday last December and in a couple of weeks’ time, all being well, she will compete in that same event for… Continue reading Word of the week: spikes
For most of us who follow football here in the UK, the Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday changed the way that we keep up with the action on a Saturday afternoon. The rule about screening league and cup football on a Saturday is very clear and has been in place for my entire life: no… Continue reading “No action as far as goals are concerned”
Leeds United FC drew 1-1 at Millwall last Saturday thanks to a late equalizer by Jack Harrison. Harrison is on loan from Manchester City for the season. Back in 2010-11 Leeds had George McCartney (a Northern Ireland international) on loan from Sunderland. He played 30-odd games for the club. Before that, Aaron Lennon came through… Continue reading Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Leeds United
Back in July, on the day that the FIFA World Cup and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships ended, I speculated that the summer of sport had pretty much come to an end. I was wrong. There have been weekends since then when we have watched more sport on more screens than ever before. It kicked off… Continue reading The summer of sport really does come to an end
We have just returned from a few days in Hollywood. I refer here to a village in County Wicklow, Ireland, rather than any other places with the same name. It has a sign similar to the famous one in California, all nine letters spelt out on a hill overlooking the village. It is easier to… Continue reading Word of the week: Hollywood
Well, that’s it for another year, or four. Earlier today the Wimbledon Tennis Championships came to an end, on schedule thanks to this year’s heatwave. The Football World Cup was all over by 6pm UK time, France beating Croatia 4-2 in the Final. And in their All-Ireland Hurling Quarter-Final Kilkenny lost to Limerick, so my… Continue reading The summer of sport comes to an end, mostly
My school career lasted exactly 40 terms. There were 6 years (or 18 terms) of primary education, then 7 years (21 terms) of secondary, and a final term after A-Levels for Oxbridge exams. I missed plenty of school days through minor illnesses, at least a few days per term with colds or even the odd… Continue reading The full extent of my truant behaviour: three lessons
The Compartments 