WED 01 JUN 2022WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPEAN - PATH A Scotland 19:45 Ukraine Venue: Hampden Park Discuss...
Lose/lose for Scotland. They lose, they bottled it, again. Win and they're the bad guys. Ukraine should win on form shouldn't they?
Kurt Zouma: West Ham footballer given 180 hours of community service for kicking cat (and banned from owning cats for five years).
Fake rumours to a whole other level with this one, him and his mates got him to the top of the bookies through a fake rumour he was getting the Notts County job
The Ukrainian rose majestically to score the second goal, reminiscent of Daniel Cousin for Hull Vs Arse...
well done Ukraine - Scotland can take comfort in yet another glorious defeat - one day they might achieve a glorious win but I doubt it
Uefa stated that as the country had been through so much and was now barely inhabitable, the decent thing would be for Ukraine to go easy on them.
Shamelessly stolen... Scotland should be applauded for their recent brave stand against tyranny. This time, the brave Jocks have ceded their place in the finals to Ukraine (if they beat Wales) because of the war there - oh yeah, there's the Qatar boycott as well. In 2018, in protest at Russian aggression against Ukraine, they boycotted the finals there. In 2014, in protest at deforestation of the Amazon, they boycotted the finals in Brazil. In 2010, uncomfortable with continued inequality in South Africa, those finals were boycotted. In 2006, still angry about them bombing Shugie's Gran's chippy in Clydebank, they boycotted the finals in Germany. In 2002, as part of a campaign for a peaceful resolution of the Dokdo Islands dispute, they boycotted the finals in Japan and Korea. I know that there is widespread disapproval in Scotland of the unfair USMCA deal that replaced NAFTA. If this is not addressed in the next four years, they will boycott the US-Canada-Mexico finals in 2026. I hope a decent country can host the 2030 World Cup so Scotland can attend. But let's applaud their strong moral stance over the last 20 years.
for future reference, turkey has changed its name, it has been internally calling itself turkiye (sounds like turkia) since 1923 anyway but has finally had enough of the bernard matthew jokes. similarly, the czech republic wishes to be known as czechia.
Brilliant article Culture of trust, talent and graft have given Grimsby chance of return to EFL | Grimsby | The Guardian Football is the business of memory making. It has the ability to create those rare moments of joy that transcend our day-to-day lives – that, per TS Eliot, “shall pierce you with a sudden painful joy”. This year at Grimsby we’ve had a brilliant uplift in attendances and the growing community in the newly opened fan zone. But beyond that it has been reconnecting with the town I love, sharing moments of joy and making memories with my family and friends (old and new) that has underlined to me what football is really about. In August last year, as Covid loosened its grip on the UK, I was with my 10-year-old son, high up in the stands in the late summer sunshine at Blundell Park watching the ships in the Humber slowly make their way into port as we edged our way to a 1-0 win over Weymouth. My son, born in London, has never lived in Grimsby and as a baby was claimed by his Manchester City-supporting grandad to continue his own lifelong obsession. As the game finished, my son leaned into my right side, smiled and whispered: “Dad, I think I am a Grimsby fan now.” That moment alone made this season a success for me. We knew this year would be a building season, a chance to learn and add to the strong core that our manager, Paul Hurst, had assembled. We experienced the best start to a season since 1982, followed by an 11‑game streak with one win in all tournaments. While a small number of fans took to social media to call for our manager’s job, we looked at the data and recommitted to our long-term values and the culture we wanted at the club. As the NFL coach Mike Smith says: “Culture drives expectations and beliefs; expectations and beliefs drive behaviour; behaviour drives habits; and habits create the future. It all starts with culture.” As an entrepreneur with a decent record of building and exiting businesses I am often asked about the secret of success in business. I tell people there is no secret but the clues that seem to improve your odds are all about culture – focus on building a culture of high trust and clear values, foster an attitude of continuous learning and most importantly be prepared to put the required effort in. Or in other words, trust, talent and graft. Those values were never more evident than at Notts County on 23 May when Gavan Holahan, one of the players brought in the January window, scored in the sixth minute of added time to take the game into extra time and then Emmanuel “Mani” Dieseruvwe, another January signing, bundled the winner over the line in extra time. In the excitement of the post-match interview when asked about his goal the emotion was summed up brilliantly as he said he just “threw my f-ing body at it”. Six days after our last-gasp winner, we found ourselves in Wrexham for the semi-final. My business partner, Andrew Pettit, the butcher’s son, and me, the kid from the council estate in Grimsby, were up against Hollywood royalty, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Our evolving team of grafters versus their expensively assembled squad of outright attack, bankrolled by their Netflix documentary and sponsorship from TikTok. It was a game so full of drama that at times felt like the script was too far-fetched and where almost every attack felt like it could have ended in a goal. After a brilliant individual goal from our player of the season, John McAtee, and another from the consistently excellent Ryan Taylor, we found ourselves 4-3 behind with minutes to go. please log in to view this image Wrexham co-owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, look dejected as they watch Grimsby beat them in the playoffs. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters We eventually won 5-4. The decisive goal came from the foundation stone of our defence, the irrepressible Luke Waterfall. With all the grit and determination he has shown throughout our season, he connected perfectly with a long throw from Jordan Cropper, another of our new signings. A man who lifts expectations every time he picks up the ball and throws a perfect parabola into opposition territory. On this occasion, both players launch us into an emotional orbit I am not sure we have come down to earth from yet. So, to Sunday. One year after Grimsby were relegated from the Football League. One year since Andrew and I became the custodians of our hometown club; and one year since Debbie Cook and Kristine Green became the first female board members in the club’s 144-year history. Our team is playing Solihull Moors in the final of the National League playoffs and we couldn’t be any prouder. We’ll go into the final as the underdogs, just as we were in our other playoff games. At the beginning of the season as the eight pundits on BT Sport picked their playoff contenders, only one, Chris Hargreaves, thought we might have a chance to make the cut. And I’m sure that was only because he is originally from Grimsby. Solihull’s brilliant season, finishing third in the National League’s most competitive year, is a massive achievement. Having met the owner, Darryl Eales, and his directors at Blundell Park this year it’s clear they are trying to build in the right way and there will be no shame for either side at the end of Sunday’s game if they lose. Success is not a destination, it is a process. Ensuring we enjoy the positive moments when they come and supporting each other through our downturns is what makes us greater together. It is all of those experiences that weaves the social fabric that binds us. ","caption":"The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.","isTracking":false,"isMainMedia":false,"source":"The Guardian","sourceDomain":"theguardian.com"}" data-gu-ready="true" data-reader-unique-id="93" style="max-width: 100%;"> The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email. With that in mind, we have already been successful this year and Sunday is a bonus. I’ll leave the Hollywood ending to the Wrexham owners. A Grimsby fairytale, getting back to the EFL at the first time of asking, seems unbelievable. Whatever happens I know our club has refound its pride and place at the centre of our community. This is reflected in the incredible support and unity in our town. The players have given us some of the most incredible memories this year and I’m already looking forward to what comes next. Jason Stockwood is the chairman of Grimsby Town
