THE final league table will tell you that it wasn’t quite the closest title race of all time, but it still won’t have done Manchester City football administration officer Brian Marwood’s blood pressure any good.
Marwood, more than anyone else connected with City, might just have seen yesterday’s extraordinary finish to the Premier League season coming. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by mikewhalley
TELEPHONE RINGS
MR S: Hello?
CALLER: Hello, is that the BBC Puns Department?
MR S: Does it sound like the Puns Department to you?
CALLER: Oh, sorry, have I come through to Sarcasm?
MR S: Well done, you.
CALLER: I’m really sorry to have bothered you.
MR S: Oh, it’s fine, honestly. Don’t worry your head about it. Read the rest of this entry »
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I’LL tell you a personal story about the FA Cup; but first, here’s a question: When was the last time that the English domestic season concluded with the cup final? Read the rest of this entry »
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IF this blog has a theme, I’d say it’s a celebration of the mediocre. Despite being based in Manchester, I’ve written next to nothing on here this season about the battle for the Premier League title between Manchester City and Manchester United.
I have, on the other hand, written reams and reams about Aston Villa, the epitome of Premier League mediocrity this season, purely on the basis that they’ve been last on Match of the Day more often than any other team. Read the rest of this entry »
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THERE are many, many candidates for the title of saddest film ever made: Bambi, Watership Down, The Lion King, Leaving Las Vegas, Requiem For A Dream. Well, I’ve got another one to add to the list. It’s shown before every single West Brom home game. And I just can’t get it out of my head.
I’ve no idea if the film has a title, so I’m going to call it: The Birth Of Eternal Disappointment. Read the rest of this entry »
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I DON’T know how much time David Cameron spends awake in bed at night worrying about his favourite football team, as I’m not married to him. (We dated briefly, years ago, but I really don’t want to talk about it.) I suspect, though, that he devotes more time to fretting about Abu Qatada than Aston Villa. Read the rest of this entry »
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TO paraphrase George Bernard Shaw: History repeats itself, blah blah blah. If you’d timed your TV viewing right this weekend, you could have started and finished your Saturday by watching Terry Connor fight a losing battle against relegation. Read the rest of this entry »
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“What do you reckon for today?” asked the man in charge of one of the Macclesfield Town tea bars as I ordered a hot dog.
“Got to win,” I replied, blandly.
“I reckon we’re down,” he said. “The games we needed to win have gone.”
I tried to make reassuring noises – as much, I realised, for myself as for him. Read the rest of this entry »
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Dear Mike,
I have a problem. I’m a big fan of Arsenal. (That’s not the problem, by the way.) A few days ago, I did a Gunners podcast and made a few comments about Liverpool not playing on the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. All of a sudden, I’m Public Enemy No.1 and sales of QI and Jonathan Creek DVDs on Merseyside have gone through the floor. I’ve tried to say sorry by making a donation to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, but my apology has been rejected. I’ve even had death threats on Twitter. What do I do?
Alan D, Essex Read the rest of this entry »
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An office, at the far end of a trading estate, at the far end of a medium-sized town that could be somewhere near you, or nowhere you’ve ever heard of. Wood-panelled walls support shelves lined with 45rpm records – mostly 1970s pop hits and old folk tunes – the sleeves faded at the edges. Read the rest of this entry »
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