IAmNick

That's my experience too - except at Reading festival about 15 years ago when 50 cent got anything people could lay their hands on chucked at him until he left the stage, meaning Green Day did an extended set! I like the smell as well, and think it looks great... If people can use it sensibly.

Some of our fans are incapable of drinking a bottle of coke without feeling the need to lob it at opposition players, so I'm glad they're not allowed flares - even though they can look great when used sensibly/properly. I expect if fans at concerts were repeatedly chucking them on stage, at each other, or into any disabled sections they'd get banned there too pretty quickly (if they aren't already,I don't know).

Back in the day when 80% of them by him were about our USELESS PUBLIC BROADCASTER I'd have agreed, but these days it's pretty harmless. They quickly disappear if people aren't interested.

Of course people are in their jobs who aren't the best - that probably goes for most jobs in fact! The best person being in the best job for them is actually pretty unusual. For the record as well, positive discrimination is illegal. If you hire someone based off a protected characteristic you're breaking the law, just like if you don't hire them for that reason. Does it happen sometimes? Well, of course. Just look at how many of our politicians went to Eton and Oxbridge for gods sake but weirdly most (not all!) people bringing it up don't get so bothered by that. Hmm. Anyway, nobody has said all the people on TV get their jobs for being the best there are though - but that also doesn't mean that all people who are gay or black or whatever got their job for that reason. That's why I think it's unfair and presumptuous to assume it. "They're gay so that must be why they got the job, because I don't like them". That's not fair. I also think that in entertainment, as with your comedy example, it's subjective isn't it - lots of people do probably find people on TV funny who I don't. I bloody hate Jimmy Carr for example, but if he were gay I wouldn't assume that's why he was getting gigs. I just accept lots of people do like them, as they have different taste from me. Does positive discrimination occur sometimes? Of course. Is it as widespread as some people want to make out it is? No - and I'd say it's intentionally stirred up by some folk (nobody on here, to be absolutely clear) for nefarious reasons. Do I think it weird that the first thought in some people's mind when someone gets hired is "Oh look they're gay/black/muslim/<whatever>"? Absolutely! Downsy isn't my cup of tea, In fact I find him overly excitable and to be honest pretty annoying, but I'm sure he's a decent bloke and I hope if he is going to Qatar it works out well for him.

The problem is though that whenever anyone who isn't a straight while man gets a job people immediately assume it's probably because of some other characteristic. That's not fair, or right. Maybe they interviewed him and he was the best for the job - nobody here has any idea either way. People are speculating they hired him because he was gay, based off ANOTHER speculation that they want to see "open" by hiring more gay people. That's ridiculous. Assumptions on assumptions. It's nothing about "world war 3", packs, and sticking heads over parapets, don't be so dramatic.

Hope you're well too mate. What I think is slightly dangerous is this policing of action/"virtue" of the people trying to do something. We end up in a situation where the only option is to do nothing at all, because nobody can live by all aspects of these things perfectly because they're so ingrained in our society - and that's exactly what conservative (with a small c)/traditionalist people who stir this up want. It's intentional on their part and happens everywhere. Climate change is another great example where the same thing happens, as is gender equality... And it's the same crowd under the hood who spread it in almost all cases (not you by the way, I'm talking about those who preach those ways of thinking to an audience). They don't want change, so they disparage anyone who does anything. It's better to do something than nothing, no matter how small. None of us can change the world... but nothing will ever change otherwise! I'll probably watch the WC, but only via some "unofficial" online stream.

What an odd surface level take on things. Why would they? You can believe in something and not devote every decision in your life to it. I absolutely guarantee that you do the same in your life, as do we all. Life would be impossible otherwise. You're literally this meme: You can't seriously think that distance should be the only or main measure of relevance for an issue - are there no other reasons you think events in a country like the USA might have more impact here than events in the middle east? Not a world from anyone? It's been talked about continuously in our media for years now. You want the media to put our national team under fire for playing in the world cup? Odd. It sounds like you'd rather live somewhere where people didn't attempt to protest or improve society because if you ever stop, or don't abide by it 24/7/365 to some arbitrary standard they'll be publicly called out and shamed for not being virtuous enough. Fundamentally though, you can absolutely believe in something and not devote your entire life to it, as I said. I suspect you're anti slavery yet have a smart phone with a chip made in some sweat shop in the far east in it, your oil comes from the middle east, our government sells arms to them we then profit from, your clothes come from there, we ship our waste there, and so on - our entire society is build on exploiting others. You're a smart guy though so I suspect you knew all of that and have bought into the negativity around this particular gesture itself for some reason.

The same Hull who went on to draw with promotion chasing Forest in their next game? It was a good result for us but there had been a fair few signs before then things were improving. Oh - and the old "if we didn't have our best players" thing is bizarre. You could say that about any club. Maybe their incredible impact is something to congratulate Pearson for instead of just implying he was a lucky bystander?

I think Steve realised he had Jon's finger painting of the new kit pinned up on the fridge behind him, so wanted to wait a few days.

Eh? They had the worst start in the division. 0 Wins, 1 Draw, 6 losses. 12 points off the playoffs after only 7 games. Since then I think they've picked up more points than any other team in the division. He's done a brilliant job.

I remember him saying before that loan players have to improve on what we have - we're not going to take a player from another club who doesn't. I don't think he's against loans, but he just doesn't want to bring in loans for the sake of it - which is what I think the quote above means. Do you have a link to the interview? "I think everybody’s assumption is just because we’re talking about there might not be the opportunity to add permanent deals to go out and buy players, they automatically assume loan players just fall off trees and it doesn’t work like that because they’ve got to be the right players for us. It doesn’t just work like the loan market is now important, the loan market is always important but I would prefer, wherever possible, to bring in players that are going to be our players."

When has he said that?

This one is decent: https://elixx.xyz/ajax.html?sport=soccer Or there are loads here: https://redi1.soccerstreams.net/event/huddersfield-town-nottingham-forest-live-stream/881540

Got a Forest supporting friend there today so I'm hoping for them!

I'll admit I didn't immediately get why it was offside because it just looked like my football manager team desperately trying to clear it and failing, but it made a lot of sense once the expert explained it

I've seen this of Madrid fans, but the majority seems to be Liverpool I agree. Maybe just as we're more likely to see English language stuff?

Chief sports writer at the Mail: The Guardian: There are games this size every year and I've never known it to be like this before. Stop blaming the fans imo - although of course there will be some idiots, that's always the case surely.

Don't know what the big deal is tbh, surely this is just a standard Rovers game situation?

Possible worst flag ever spotted:

One of my neighbours have YNWA alone blasting at high volume in their garden while they sing along, maybe I do want Real Madrid after all

Yeah same. Maybe I'm just used to it as at school it was me, one Yeovil fan, then all Man U. I took half a dozen "plastics" from work to Ashton gate to watch Palace in the cup the other year and they had a great time. Who cares!

Always prefer the English clubs to do well in Europe, and the fact it'll wind up all the "NO ACKTUALLY YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO SUPPORT THESE TEAMS FOR THESE REASONS THAT ONLY EXIST IN MY HEAD WAAAAH" crew on here is just the icing on the cake.

They recognised and approached you I assume?

Just like an army moves on its stomach, a football team moves on its spreadsheets!

Crazy really. That's barely more than we pay graduates at my software consultancy and they want "Extensive experience of professional football and performance analysis in a similar role". If I were at AG getting the best I could in these positions would be one of my top priorities. Do these things count against FFP? Either way it's dwarfed even by a novice player wage and arguably could have far more impact.