bovril

Old Hunstanton is lovely!

So inevitably many of those in academia today have received invites to discussions and emails reaffirming commitment to DEI and support for those who are neurodiverse, and about the need to create safe spaces and check on the emotional wellbeing of our colleagues. This was not really the case following the suicides of other UK based academics in the last few years due to workplace pressures that continue to get worse.

At the same time it will be quite amusing watching EU countries responding by doing the same thing to British 'expats' there

every second thread on foxestalk needs to be a Russell Martin hate thread

It's cultural. Depictions of British society that feature only or mostly white people - whether those people are Brits or not - are seen as inherently problematic in this country. That's despite the fact that there are many places in the UK where it's very likely you will see only white people. Maybe some kind of subconscious nostalgia for empire or something, who knows...

Just a very sad story in many ways.

If he wants to get his career back on track by playing that style of football which has failed for him elsewhere, with these players, then yes I think he's probably quite stupid.

He's just another unintelligent manager who can't really coach players or understand the dynamics of a football game in real time so is just totally wedded to a system that he thinks is successful and very clever but doesn't really understand. Many such cases. You can tell a lot about a manager from what they say in their post match interviews. There are those that talk about specific things that were done well or could be done better - Maresca was a bit like this and I see it in Fuchs too. Then there are those that talk about "learning", systems, mentality, application, weren't quite at it. So sick of having thick twats managing my football club.

Palermo have sold 32k tickets for a first round cup game against Lecce tomorrow. On Premier Sports if anyone fancies a watch. Coppa Italia could be one of the most enjoyable competitions in Europe but it's just mostly a series of exhibition matches until the top teams finally get tested in the 1/4 finals.

He's an idiot, he shouldn't be here, and people understandably just want to vent

He's the kind of manager, and there are many of these in England, who love to talk about what we've learned from games. The players will have learned a lot. I thought there was a lot to learn. There were good moments and things we can learn from. A whole season of learning awaits us.

South Yorkshire miners, 1984

Good article from across the pond on the Arday affair: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/world/europe/jason-arday-cambridge-hiring-questions.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5lA.8wns.ahFBr55yfoc_&fbclid=IwY2xjawTttVFwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMEVIWW5ldFh4T1o5S2h3T3JzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeyWbBrdnLUK7SxkY2m7R4TkHiAlwfyClx9s-JR7AsbJiVrfXVNiZvUosA6aE_aem_DkPCVvGcm7uyzlDEABdXoA

I finally asked myself the dreaded question today - would you trade the two trophy wins for still being in the top division and playing attractive football? And of course the answer is no and will always be no, but it's the first time I've even contemplated it. I think more than anything, more than the fall through the leagues, it's the relentlessly dull, lifeliess, spineless football. Anti-football. Promoted by unintelligent, uninspiring men who have no idea of their own limitations.

He's as shit as we expected

idemo

Was just thinking it's better to be in a lower league but winning and hey I might even watch the football league highlights tonight but then no, this is Leicester after all

Gonna be a long season

Digressing a bit and I know it's a sensitive topic but I had someone in my family who was an extreme fantasist and narcissist and who invented stories of abuse she faced. She never took it that far but she threatened suicide on more than one occasion as a way to gain sympathy, in my opinion. I'm clearly not an expert and obviously it's extremely complex but I'm not looking forward to the discourse around Arday being pushed over the edge by the racist bullying press, which is inevitably coming. That in its own way is manipulating a complex topic for ones own agenda.

I read extensively about his fall from grace and his lies because I admittedly found it quite interesting and somewhat amusing. After that I haven't followed it and I don't know what further "press intrusion" there has been. For example hounding someone and their family at their home is not something I would ever think of as acceptable, if that's what's happened, and I have no interest in reading about his personal life. I don't like the humiliation ritual aspect of Anglo culture at all but it's not only directed at black academics. But he didn't just lie about his CV. The schadenfraud people felt over his demise was more I am sure because he fabricated stories of abuse and also because he made a complaint to the police about someone who was investigating him, happily ruining someone's life to further his own career. I seriously doubt he was derided more than anyone else would be who had done similar.

He was relatively well known and judging by his behavior he doesn't strike me as someone that wanted to shy away from the public eye.

It wasn't just lying on his CV

He fabricated stories of very serious abuse against him. I wouldn't say he was hounded more than many other people in the public eye who are caught lying or behaving unethically. Clearly not a well man.

What a total mess

I go there quite a bit. Love the church at Heckingham. Secluded and peaceful.