Smiley Culture

Doesn't really sound like a bomb, based on the fact that the bucket and the bag haven't exploded into pieces and the arrival of the Hazardous Area Teams, which doesn't seem normal for a bomb incident. Whatever it is, it's a massive shame and really hits home that it can happen at any time, especially as someone who commutes via the Tube on a daily basis. Fingers crossed the people who have suffered from this are getting the best medical help and recover from their injuries.

I don't think teams are necessarily 'bad', you might get the odd Azerbaijani qualifier who will go on to lose all group games or the like but they should usually be commended for their efforts in the qualifying rounds. I just think there's such a financial disparity in the competition and that is what makes this stage of the competition far weaker. Take Feyenoord for example, they're a famous European name and producers of many talented footballers but they're getting humped by the oil-rich Manchester City and they're not alone. If it's not the oligarchs, it's Arabian Sheikh's and Princes or energy drink companies pumping millions into a football team.

The Champions League Group Stages are, largely, poor. It seems like there's gaps forming in that, the richest clubs are getting richer and the rest are a fair way behind, despite not exactly being bad clubs or poor financially. The aggregate score of games won in the first matchday of the Champions League this season was 40-6.

Stevenage v Crawley Town - OVER 8 CORNERS @ 2/5 - £10 returns £14.00 Manchester United v FC Basel, Barcelona v Juventus & Accrington Stanley v Grimsby Town - OVER 1.5 GOALS - £5 returns £9.00

I think expectations need to be brought in line with the present. If this was the England side that Sven or even Fabio Capello had, I'd understand the heightened expectation but this is Southgate's side, captained by Jordan Henderson, with Joe Hart in goal and you're best players being Dele Alli and Harry Kane (which isn't meant as a negative). It's hardly like this squad is that good in terms of quality in comparison to squads that had Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney or that the record England have in major tournaments is that good that expectation should be through the roof. Look at this side, Gareth Southgate has almost had his hands tied in terms of selection of strikers, Jermain Defoe has been picked despite not starting the season on the pitch at Bournemouth, that's how poor the player pool is for the England national side at the minute. I get the performance may have been boring but it sounds like England were in control for the whole game and didn't look in danger of conceding or being put under much pressure at all. As I said, I didn't watch but I imagine the facilities in Malta weren't great, I imagine the pitch was probably quite hard and wasn't what you'd expect in England. I also don't get Southgate's comment about wanting England to "excite" Wembley against Slovakia tonight either. I get why he wants to do that, I'm sure every England fan out there would like to be entertained whether they're sat at Wembley or sat at home tonight but again, does Southgate have the players at his disposal to play an entertaining, exciting brand of Football that also provides results? That's subjective and I'd argue that no, he doesn't and he should play similarly to the way he's set out so far in his tenure and concentrate on qualification over a brand of Football that isn't conducive to the current setup of the England national team.

Given the players England have at their disposal and had available for the matches against Malta and Slovakia, what do they expect?

Right, I didn't see this Malta game and can't comment on the performance in any real depth but all I've seen is "underperforming", "underwhelming" and the like used to describe the match by journalists. I'm not really sure what more they expect. England went to Malta, won convincingly, remain unbeaten, remain on course for an appearance at the World Cup next year, kept a clean sheet and come through the game without any injuries, what else did the media want?

Really? I expect more dull football, walking qualifiers against inferior nations and ultimately complete rubbish at tournaments and in this UEFA Nations League thing.

Is this the line we're going with over the 'fresh, new, young squad' line that was peddled out for Euro 2016?

My initial thought was shock but then I spent time trying to think of someone else worthy of an England call-up that hasn't been picked and I come up with very few names. Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley are injured, Jack Wilshere's returning from injury and slapping teenagers and that leaves the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Mark Noble and the like.

Is that the worst England squad selected of all time? I genuinely can't remember seeing an England squad selection with so few stand out players. That said, there are very few other options than those selected and even fewer players of a certain quality available to England any more.

Fulham can also get fucked because there was only 10 corners in their game, not 11 as I needed.

Trying something different tonight with £4 left in my Bet365 account; Accrington Stanley v West Bromwich Albion - Over 10 Corners Fulham v Bristol Rovers - Over 10 Corners £4 returns £11.84

https://www.theroar.com.au/2017/08/22/reduce-number-sydney-nrl-clubs-make-competition-truly-national/amp/ @Danny seeing as we were discussing the future of the NRL, I've come across this piece. It would never happen I feel but an interesting piece nonetheless.

Yeah, the attendances are pretty poor for what they really should be. Gold Coast have only been going ten or so years but they've had limited success on the park, but I never really heard any information about the Bears 'needing' a club in the NRL, I doubt there would be a massive attendance increase. I don't know if increasing will do harm to the game or make it better, I don't know when it gets too many over there. I'd like to see the Papua New Guinea Hunters side in the NRL, they've just won the minor premiership in the Queensland Cup and PNG is one of very few countries where Rugby League is the National game. I doubt there's any talk of them joining the big boys mind.

It's hard to describe to people really. It's a festival of Rugby League to be honest. Though the two sides who are playing are heavily represented, you see all clubs' shirts out in force. There's definitely a large amount of Southern fans around on the day but the vast majority are northern. Whats happening with the Titans anyway? I thought there was strong rumours they were relocating to North Sydney and reviving the old North Sydney Bears' name?

Wembley this Saturday for Wigan vs Hull FC. It cannot be as bad as the rain spoiled 2013 Final between the two sides in which Hull were nilled by Wigan, who weren't impressive either. Hope for a dry pitch and some good rugby if officials will allow. Might go to the annual 'Friday Night Lights' at London Skolars too. They have a chance of topping the middle 8's table made up of the best of the rest from the third tier. A top two position guarantees them a place in the Final for the Shield. Skolars' two rivals for one of those two places are Hunslet (it's in Leeds) and North Wales Crusaders.

Everyone who says anything remotely negative or questions him is a 'hater'. I've learnt today that he nearly bought Brentwood Town, Bishop's Stortford and then Dagenham & Redbridge before someone, whoever the previous 'Ricay owner was, decided to sell him their club. I've been to 'Ricay a few times, it was a decent club with decent fans. I can only sympathise with them at this time because I imagine it's like watching a car crash, you know it's going to happen and you're watching it happen but you can't control any of it unfolding before you. I'm mightily glad Tamplin didn't get his tattooed hands on Stortford.

Had Brentford v Bristol City last night as BTTS @ 4/9, which wasn't the greatest odds but I then had a few in-play bets and won with bets of 10/11, 19/20 and 21/20 with only Young Boys failing to score the 1st goal at 6/4 not coming. Ended the night about £25 up.

I really don't think that Jordan, as bad as he was at times, can be compared to Tamplin at Billericay. If people haven't already seen it, go and have a look at the mural he's had painted there at Billericay and what he's now doing to the changing rooms. It's all gunna end in tears there, I don't know when, but it will.

Both London's are doing fantastically well. Broncos have a more than decent shout at the 'Million Pound Game' after pushing Catalans very, very close last weekend and Skolars of League One, the third tier, are likely to be playing off for a piece of silverware in a month or so's time. Mainly this. I watch Saints' games and occasionally a big game but I mainly watch the NRL.

Real Madrid to beat Manchester United @ 21/20. £5 returns £10.25 Draw or Northampton Town (vs QPR) @ 6/5 £5 returns £11.00

Little and often works well for me. Adds up eventually.

A winning start to the year, lovely.

QPR vs Reading - Under 1.5 Goals in the First Half Milton Keynes Dons v Wigan Athletic - Under 1.5 Goals in the First Half £5 returns £9.55 Draw or Reading (vs QPR) - Double Chance Draw or Tranmere Rovers (vs Torquay United) - Double Chance £5 returns £10.00