number37

That's a really good point. Someone like Jonny Wilkinson only moved to Toulon after his England career was over. I half remember Toby Flood moving to France when he was earlier in his career and could have perhaps played for England a few more times instead. All the money was in the French league then, perhaps still is judging by what Saracens did or tried to do. I do think it's easier (but still very worthwhile) for rugby to adopt a take the money or play for national team stance because money is relatively new to the sport having only been officially professional since the mid 90s whereas football has had a headstart on greed. To mix yet more further sporting similarities, this whole thing goes away if the football authorities fully ostracise the rebels like in the World Series Cricket days (but perhaps with more long term success).

Do you think they'd still have him making the teas even though it's over Zoom? At least we know what he's up to for the rest of today: figuring out how to make virtual tea.

When I watched the Hurricanes as a kid I couldn't have imagined it would be getting its own live action reboot twenty years later.

He's the Norm Scully of football management.

There's just not enough time in the day for Jack Charlton, he's one of those men who you could happily spend hours listening to. Like others have said, it was such a sad loss and especially as he resonates so many of the attributes and mannerisms we associate with our grandparents - certainly those of us from Northumberland and the wider region. In all honesty, I don't care that he was our manager for a while and his time here was hardly the most successful. If I had to list a hundred things about him, I doubt it would even cross my mind until I had to start scraping the barrel. I only ever, very briefly, met him and I was quite young at the time. I was with my Mam as we were getting petrol at the station in North Seaton along from the White Elephant and he was behind us in the queue, towering over me wearing his green Ireland jumper. I assume he'd either been or was going to visit his own Mam in Newbiggin. I should still have his autograph somewhere or at least I hope I do!

I can't wait to see that, it's on for us tomorrow night. He was such a great man and the fact he sounded like everyone's granda (I'm from Ashington) just made him more loveable.

That kit and that manager. Yep, feel sad now.

My first, and so far only, European trip was under Glenn Roeder when we played Ventspils in Riga in the UEFA Cup. I'm not sure if I'd ever even been to an away game at all by that time so may well have been my first away match. Anyway, I was a bit young and naive then but was taken under the wing of a couple of guys I met in a bar in the city, one was known as Haz or Hadz or something, can't remember too much but I remember he said he was a postman from Scotswood and he took the piss out of me because I'm from Ashington and reckoned we still use tin baths in front of the fire (as if we'd have such luxury). Must be pretty nice glass houses they have over there in Scotswood - obviously I didn't say that to his face! I can't remember too much of the game because it was the equivalent of 30p a pint (not sure how many Latvian Lats that was) and I'm not really much of a big drinker but at those prices and the encouragement of my new found friends, I became a bit of a big drinker. Titus scored from a corner right in front of us and N'Zogbia seemed to confirm the size of his considerably large erm... personality. There were post match celebrations and I had a couple of hours sleep before my flight home but I broke a golden rule of being abroad. I was in between drunk and hungover but fairly sure I was dehydrated and dying so just stuck my head under the tap in the bathroom and drank all the water I could. Felt alright again. Spent the next couple of days back home shitting through the eye of a needle. RIP Glenn.