The Dolman Pragmatist

We’re going ahead with ‘training’.

Has entertainment been closed down then? I hadn’t seen that…

So stop everything then, not just sport.

Well said. If people don’t want to go to football as a mark of respect, whatever that means, it’s up them. No one would be forcing them to. However, those of us who would like to participate in sport are not allowed to. Ridiculous.

And don’t forget that, apparently, a full programme of football went ahead three days after George VI died, so this is not in keeping with precedent.

Utterly ridiculous. Next thing is they’ll scrap youth football on Sunday as I’m sure HRH would regards it as massively disrespectful for a group of small boys to kick a ball around in the fresh air. And all this after what was probably a gross act of deception yesterday, as Huw Edwards and Nicholas Witchell perpetuated the myth that the Queen was still alive when it’s becoming increasingly apparent that she had already died. Edwards’s black tie at lunchtime was already a giveaway, so presumably the statement that ‘doctors were concerned’ was that signal that she had died, and the detailed plan could kick in. Indeed Witchell spent all afternoon discussing her death in the past tense, frequently having to correct himself and remind viewers that off course they hoped that she would recover. They did something very similar when George V died to avoid his death being first reported in the evening papers rather than The Times.

Where did this report come from?

Up, Up and Away … The Fifth Dimension

Yes he is. First appeared at the U21 match last week.

Well I suppose you could do it on your own, but I thought the point was to create a moment of silence. I can’t really do that on my own. I’ve never got this mourning business. What are you meant to do, just have a crap time? I appreciate how family and friends might want to respond, but not sure how I can contribute. I’d rather Liz was toasted with a pint, than by people being sad.

What does that actually mean? Why should football fans be denied the opportunity to stand in silence?

I’m a little surprised that everyone is, apparently, hoping she’ll pull through. I would have hoped with a 96-year-old that most people would be hoping for a quick and painless death, if she is that poorly. No disrespect, but can we at least acknowledge that she is probably dying, rather than that awful euphemism ‘passing’. Death is an inevitability, and we shouldn’t be scared of acknowledging it.

Andy Comyn’s own goal features in a Guardian piece on calamitous own goals: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/07/what-are-the-most-calamitous-substitutions-in-football-history-knowledge?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1662535428

More of a clash yesterday than if Huddersfield had worn their first-choice strip on Wednesday.

Good for you. I had huge doubts, as did many others, and at times last season was an absolute shambles. However it appears that Pearson has emerged from his own personal darkness with new life, and I’m glad to say this season has wiped away the doubts I had. I feel good about that, but I don’t apologise for the doubts I had.

Funny old world. There is well-known documented evidence of the members of Led Zeppelin indulging in behaviour that goes way further than anything alleged here, but they are revered. John Lennon wasn’t a very nice man in many ways. Don’t start me on the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Liam Gallagher, Axl Rose. If every rock musician who got up to no good had their music cancelled, we’d all be listening to Julie Andrews and The Osmonds.

Great shout. I said exactly the same to my son last night ten seconds after Semenyo’s goal went in…

Metal Guru … T Rex

Interestingly, Pearson was rather critical of the way we saw the game out during his post-match interview on Radio Bristol. Says we needed to show more authority, and acknowledged how errors had put us in trouble on occasions. A good three points considering we didn’t play particularly well for periods of the game.

Great minds, eh?

Please Mr Postman … The BeatleS

Yes I have, and as a result my expectations are never especially high, so today was not wholly surprising, but I did think it was one of the ‘flattest’ performances I’ve seen at those levels. Perhaps you’ve just been luckier than me in the games you’ve watched!

I think ‘ludicrous’ is a bit strong. I’ve always felt that the problem with academies are that they focus on the individual, and football is a team game. We know the passion we feel as football supporters, and you can see the same passion in the players sometimes (and sometimes you can’t). I think it’s about an emotional connection to the success of the team but I’m not sure that academies foster that, though I see a lot of it in grassroots youth football.

I don’t disagree with most of your comments to, though I didn’t see much wrong with the referee. Yes he was a bit fussy, but he seemed to get most decisions right (except the penalty, from where I was sitting!). It’s the sterility of it all that worried me. I watch a lot of football at youth and grassroots levels, and at least you get some passion. That was sadly lacking today. The trouble is that it all counts for very little, except in terms of the progress of the individual.

Well that was a couple of hours of my life I’ll never get back. I’m afraid every time I watch a ‘youth game’ at City I end up wondering what was the point. Utterly sterile; lots of backwards and forwards and side to side passing but very little imagination or flair. Rather confirms my feelings about academies which is that they train kids to be proficient individuals, playing for themselves, and they’re petrified of making mistakes. Beats me how a player like Tommy Conway emerged from that. Joe Low looks a monster and shouted a lot; Sol Bamba had a run out but is nowhere near Championship level on that showing; and several allegedly promising players (e.g. Owers, Towler, Kadji, Blackwell) looked pretty ordinary. Sorry to be so negative, but I did come away thinking how dry and pointless it all seemed.