bovril

Honestly I still absolutely love it. There is very little like it in sport. My friends from other countries love it, love the upsets. I remember meeting and talking to an American in a London pub 6 years ago and how mind-blown he was by the fact that yes, any team can hypothetically win this competition, from Manchester United to Walsham le Willows FC. And no they obviously won't win it, but there is a good chance every season that your club could get through to the 3rd round and get to play at Anfield or Villa Park. I'm a King's Lynn fan as well as Leicester, and I usually watch us play in front around 500. I remember us playing in front of 5000 and the sky cameras in the cup in 2006, and my friend playing upfront for Lynn. In what other sporting competition in England is something like that possible? Yes the 'magic of the cup' itself has been commercialised to some extent, but it still exists. You saw that today with the Maidstone fans at Portman Road. I was lucky enough to be at Wembley in 2021. About a week before the game, I was on a zoom call with an acquaintance who worked for Brent council who wanted me to do some proofreading and editing for her. I was about to close the call but suddenly remembered and decided to ask her about what I'd heard about Brent council employees having the chance to go to the cup final as part of the government trials for reopening major events. Yes she said, she'd got an email about it the week before. She quite fancied going, but she didn't know anybody who liked football. Did I know anyone who might be interested.....? Family members had been at every cup final we'd been to, and a relative of mine was in the team in 1949. I grew up with the stories of Wembley heartache - Revie's nosebleed, Chalmers broken leg, Banks' one bad game, Rodrigues' miss. I just wanted my own experience of watching us in a cup final, even if that game added to our FA Cup final woes. My Mum made me a rosette and everything. I don't think the lack of a full stadium taints the victory at all. In a way it makes it more special for me - the first proper crowd at a game since the start of the pandemic. That was emotional too. Our end feeling almost more like an away end. I will never tire of seeing that goal, and I'll never forget seeing us lift the FA Cup for the first time ever. So I'll never apologise for being romantic about the FA Cup, and I will never not be gutted when we get knocked out every year.

Agree with everything apart from Albrighton, who I thought was excellent, definitely one of our better players.

Nobody stunk up the prem more than us last year. I remember the Arsenal defeat in February

Kiss me, Vardy

First half - lmao. It was like Brazil vs Germany 2014 if Germany couldn't finish.

Verona is a beautiful city and a nice base - close to Venice, Padua, Ravenna, Trento, Bolzano, Bologna. Bologna itself is also lovely and again close to some lovely places, including the Apennines. But further south you have Perugia, which has one of the prettiest centres in Italy, and close to the wonderful Umbria countryside. In Puglia there's Bari with a great old town and a stone's throw away from incredible beaches and historic sites.

When I said I'd never cried at football I didn't mean it as a challenge

I don't think it's not normal. I think it's silly and I doubt it's always genuine.

I have to say seeing little Junior and his bow legs finally making it in the big league moved me to tears, bless him

I well up a little when watching videos from the title win. Usually when drunk. But properly crying over football as an adult is absurd.

Liverpool fans' whole existence is about convincing themselves their fandom "means more" and that their on-field success is both more hard-won and moral than other clubs. Ironically they are the most quintessentially English fanbase.

Deeply unpleasant individual. Glad I'll get to see less of him.

The long 2016

Trust me, there's no cure

I'll always appreciate his lucky dash to the toilet at Wembley

A well kept pint of ESB on a cool evening is unbeatable.

For those going to North Norfolk, take a spade: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-68070163

Been too long since we've had a good flounce

I like the E. Anglia type of ales out of a bottle, like especially a stronger one in winter at home or something like that. But if I'm down the pub and want a few pints I really like the Yorkshire style of smoother beers with a head. Thanks for the link. I remember the sparkler debate when I first started drinking ale. I think there's also a difference in taste, although maybe not anymore. Growing up, the "bitters" I remember were mostly northern like John Smith's and Boddington's so I associate that region with that style of beer.

Thinking about Tiger I'm interested to hear people's thoughts on regional variations on ale keeping. I've always found pints in Leicestershire and north to be slightly creamier and less hoppy/bitter, which I really like. In E. Anglia they tend to be ale-ier, by which I mean very slightly tangier and thinner, and almost always without a head.

Would make an interesting study. Options need to be precise though. Thinking: a) Voted remain and dislike more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester. b) Voted remain and accept more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester, though prefer a more direct style from time to time. c) Voted remain and enjoy more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester. d) Voted Brexit and dislike more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester. e) Voted Brexit and accept more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester, though prefer a more direct style from time to time. f) Voted Brexit and enjoy more controlled and possession-based football as exemplified by Maresca's Leicester. For the theory to be correct you'd expect b or c to have the most responses from the Remainers, and d to have most responses from Brexiters.

He was absolutely awful in 21/22 and 22/23. There may be mitigating circumstances such as the manager, but we can't pretend that he was anything other than tosh. He seemed to have absolutely no defensive qualities whatsoever.

Quick, someone do a poll

This, and also I still think it's utterly shit to get knocked out of the FA Cup in the early rounds. A real low moment in any season for me when you see another team progressing at your expense that you know you should've beaten, especially at home.

Free pints of Tiger at Everards pubs this weekend https://freebeer.everards.co.uk/freepint/