The Fish

Apparently a bunch a labourers went across from shipyards in Portsmouth, Southampton and Sunderland. They created a football team over there. Someone was asked to bring some kits to Bilbao from England and they brought a couple dozen Southampton kits. Hence the red and white stripes. ... wait a second, Miners from the North East. No, that couldn't mean there's also the distinct possibility that Newcastle fans went over there at the same time as the Mackems and were just as integral in the formation of Athletic Bilbao, could it? So, anyway, there's maybe a third of a link?

Fucking Hell, that's mental.

Why do you think that?

Read a few reports about trouble with ticketing, fans not able to get into the grounds etc. And in terms of organising it, there have been quite a few deaths... Forget about the cost, the carbon footprint etc. Not sure what it's legacy will be either. It's not like Qatar have the population or grassroots interest to fill many if any of those brand new stadiums regularly.

The Winter timing is ridiculous, the way they 'won' the bid is rank. Personally, I don't think Qatar was ready to host an international tournament, let alone the World Cup. In terms of football I think it's been ... fine. I just haven't given a shit.

I was never that invested in this World Cup, just curious if anyone was/is? I don't just mean after England got knocked out, did anyone really care about it?

Hey, @Diego21 what's the scoop on this Fresneda lad?

No. What else you got?

Orrrrr provide a safe, legitimate process for asylum seekers and legal immigration so that there isn't the demand for the highly dangerous illegal routes? Just like arresting the people selling drugs on the streets, snatching up the pilots and dinghies isn't going to do shit. They're easily replaced and while it might temporarily disrupt the route, they'll just move.

Oh fuck you very much for that earworm.

I've some awful news.

Ranked! The 100 best football stadiums in Britain | FourFourTwo Stadium of Light is 42nd. Huddersfield, Brighton, Wolves are ahead of them. To my eyes, there's fuck all to make the Stadium of Light stand out from all the other flatpack stadia built in the 90s. And bar the seat replacement trick that Methven pulled, they've done nowt to give it a facelift, right? Then you take into account the area around it. It's all industrial buildings or grim wasteland.

I don't believe that a man so dull, he's only watched a handful of films in his life, will be a huge fan of a mobile phone game.

You've got me on tenterhooks here.

Had they won last night they'd have been 7th, 3pts off 3rd. Performance metrics have them slap bang in the middle of the league. They're one of the most intense pressing sides in the league. They should be pleased with the obvious progress from League One Play Off winners, to comfortably ensconced in Championship midtable within a season. That's no mean feat. Instead you've got the biggest Sunderland message board genuinely discussing getting rid of the manager. Kind of delewded, don'tcha think?

Not yet, but understandably they're joint favourites for the drop.

True, but he's 29yrs old, so he's still probably got 2-3 seasons left. Move to Forest in January, Lead them back up next season as a senior pro. Lovely welcome back at St James', you know the whole applaud his first touch then boo his next, he laughs, we laugh, lovely stuff. Then we put the 5 past him to secure the title.

This is it for me. Club management and International management are cousins, but not the same. Southgate won't have performed his way into consideration for the big clubs, and I can honestly only see successful club managers who've achieved all they want having a tilt at the International side of things.

Well, sure, I guess. I mean, if one unlikely hypothetical is followed by another unlikely hypothetical, it would change the equation. What is way more likely is that Gareth Southgate keeps his job until the end of the Euros, at least given the only people who want him out of the job so far are the usual gobshites. The FA will surely be happy with the progress under Southgate, and for reaching the quarter finals, again. The players are happy with Southgate. The majority of the thinking press are happy with Southgate. The majority of the England fans are, at worst, ambivalent. It's only pants pissing pussies who're throwing their toys out the pram because England's good performance in the World Cup wasn't good enough for them.