Ex BBC sports staffer,specialising in football and cricket. Waffler at sports lunches/ dinners. Author. Last book The Official History of Sports Report.

Bromsgrove, England
Joined August 2012
Pat Murphy retweeted
Published tomorrow! Champions: The Golden Age of Darts From Priestley to Littler @PitchPublishing - here’s a great taster in the Sunday Mirror @dailystar
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Replying to @patmurphybbc
Agree with you and @ianDarke Radio Fab FM with Smashie and Nicey, and their great mates Clem with the weather and Izzy on the sports desk, is hollow, chummy pap. BBC, ITV and Sky take heed
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Two of the finest sports broadcasters in the last 40 years. Listen to them, they're absolutely correct.
Couldn’t agree more. An insidious trend that’s developed momentum over the past decade. They’re not there to be chums with viewers/listeners but, hopefully,to enlighten them. Far too cosy, across TV and Radio,
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Pat Murphy retweeted
Replying to @patmurphybbc
We’ve known him for 20 years (schoolmates with our son). He is the nicest lad you can ever hope to meet. We are over the moon for him.
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Pat Murphy retweeted
Sam Hain goes to a magnificent century @Edgbaston. Taking @WarwickshireCCC to 300 & another batting point. He came in at 22-2. 1000 champo runs for the season now. Terrific. An innings of great skill, technique, application and mentality 🙌 @CountyChamp @BBCSport #YouBears🐻
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This is out today. It is football-based but is really a tribute to the strength, resilience and humour of a population dealing with the hardships of post-war life. Please do spread the word to anyone interested in football or social history. Many thanks. lnkd.in/eSziRi5f
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🇬🇧 SIXTY YEARS AGO TODAY almost a million people poured through the turnstiles as the Football League returned after the Second World War. ⚽️ This is the powerful, evocative story of the 31 August 1946: a momentous day not just for football, but for a nation taking its first tentative steps back towards normality. 📚 Brian Halford’s brilliant Kicking Off Again: Football’s Greatest Season will resonate with all lovers of football and social history and OUT TODAY. 🔗 amzn.to/4xu8h2V
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All you gotta do is smile that smile And there go all my defenses Just leave it up to you and in a little while You're messing up my mind and filling up my senses
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Pat Murphy retweeted
Replying to @patmurphybbc
Genuinely seen and listened to her over the last few years as she’s worked her way up the ladder so to speak and has come across as a really grounded, pleasant but focused young lady. Fair play to her…..
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It's here! The Watford Word - a mix of news, interviews, nostalgia and fun packed into a magazine of content for all #WatfordFC supporters - launches today. Come and join us - the first month is free. thewatfordword.counterpress.…
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The word is out... The Watford Word is imminent. Come and join us for news, interviews, nostalgia and analysis. Register your interest here, no obligation - and read all about #WatfordFC thewatfordword.counterpress.…
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Willow Hill take to our stage on Wednesday 19 August as part of their 2026 UK & Europe tour Expect feel-good energy, heartfelt storytelling and a bombastic live show from a band with a growing global fanbase bromsgrovearts.org.uk/event/…
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With thanks to @LukeTheNuke180 @lukeh180 @PhilTaylor @jackpot180 @Raybar180 @snakebitewright and every @OfficialPDC world champion - a great read for every darts fan
Replying to @PitchPublishing
🚨 Waterstones are offering 25% off pre-orders on a large number of Pitch Publishing titles with the code SUMMER26 until midnight tomorrow... 👇Scroll down for the full list... 5. Champions: The Golden Age of Darts from Priestley to Littler by @MikeWaltersMGM 🔗 awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=…
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Great offer - valid only until midnight tonight (Friday) - on a *very* good darts book 😊 and a host of other titles. Use the code SUMMER26 and get 25% off pre-orders at Waterstones
Replying to @PitchPublishing
🚨 Waterstones are offering 25% off pre-orders on a large number of Pitch Publishing titles with the code SUMMER26 until midnight tomorrow... 👇Scroll down for the full list... 5. Champions: The Golden Age of Darts from Priestley to Littler by @MikeWaltersMGM 🔗 awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=…
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Pat Murphy retweeted
Very interested to see where this Tuchel, Bellingham thing goes. I think last night was proof that maybe there was a little something between them back when he called Jude out in the press and left him out a squad. I love what Tuchel said after the game about wanting us to be better. AND I love what Jude said about steady on mate we’ve just played our hearts out. I’d love to see them both get back to work, no love lost. A throwback to the days where a manager could dig out a player and he didn’t run crying to his agent. And a player can have a pop back and doesn’t end up training with the kids.
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Pat Murphy retweeted
I believe the reaction to the whole England journalism stuff reflects a wider societal challenge we have, which is getting things in the middle. As human beings, we tend to overcorrect our mistakes. I think we're all acutely aware of the horrible treatment different players, managers and teams have got in the past, which was engineered by the press and they deserved a lot of criticism for that. But what that means is we're now hyper-sensitive to the media asking what I perceive to be valid, and fairly standard, questions. With that hyper-sensitivity, we're almost doing a disservice to the likes of Tuchel and Bellingham, and their agency as grown men who have chosen to represent our nation, to answer difficult questions as part of that agreement. Yes, you want the media to be on the side of the team, which I do think broadly they are, but it's also their job to be inquisitive, clear things up and attempt to find out what's really going on. Gabriel Clarke was within his rights to ask the tough questions. Thomas Tuchel handled them absolutely brilliantly. Jude Bellingham showed he's got an elite edge, and is not afraid to push back and challenge people in a healthy way. All three came out of it well for me: mountain out of a molehill.
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It’s quite simple, really. Manager praises players after winning WC quarter final is not news. Manager criticises players after winning WC quarter final is news. Asking one of those players for a response to manager’s criticism is good journalism.
So Tuchel and Bellingham, two grown ups, big personalities and professionals who are ALWAYS opinionated have answered some fairly straightforward questions and people are managing to blame... Gabriel Clarke! You lot are jokers
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'Plenty of reporters wouldn't have put the Tuchel comments to Bellingham. Clarke is pure old school, and elicited a very telling reaction out of the England superstar.' I've written about Gabriel Clarke in my new World Cup on TV column for @SLSport_: sportinglife.com/football/ne…
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Pat Murphy retweeted
Worrying about Tuchel or Jude’s honest and excitingly abrasive reaction in a state of total physical and emotional exhaustion is… one reason why England haven’t won anything ever apart from that one thing ages ago
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The other day I was told Picture of England is now limited stock. And the publishers are doing a second print run. All we ever wanted to do was make sure our first print run sold. Doing a second print run is amazing. Thank you to everyone that’s supported the book.
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