The Fox Covert

1 hour ago, mozartfox said:

Hopefully Enzo comes in for Faes, Vesty and Coady.

This trio would struggle to make Anstey Nomads.

6 hours ago, Sly said:

Also whilst I’m still here ….

 

Most PL defeats in a season is 29. We can equal this. 
 

Most consecutive PL defeats in one season is 15. We can equal this.

 

We just need to not lose 1 game before the end of the season and stop adding to these terrible records. 

Derby fans will be rooting for us on 3 May. They will want us to beat Southampton and help make them the worst ever Premier League team, with 10 points from a whole season. This is going to be an absolutely horrible game of 'football'.

Any other job, which pays far less than these players are being paid, and the worst performers would be sacked. I think Wycombe managed to sack one of their players for being useless a few years ago. Get rid of three or four and it would do wonders for the PSR next season.

On 12/03/2025 at 17:32, Finnegan said:

 

Highly unpopular opinion: for his time, Sav was a better player.

 

Matty Jones probably would have been, too, if it wasn't for the injury.

 

Peter Rodrigues?

On 06/03/2025 at 17:11, Bilo said:

Copying this from a Facebook post I made earlier this week.

 

Applying the revised “14 Common Features of Fascism” to Putin’s Russia, we see that many of these characteristics manifest in the country’s political landscape:

 

1. The Cult of Tradition

Putin regularly invokes Russia’s past—whether the Orthodox Church, the Romanov dynasty, or the Soviet Union—as a guide for the present. He presents Russia as a unique civilisation with eternal values, often in contrast to the “decadent” West.

 

2. The Rejection of Modernism

Western liberal democracy is framed as a corrupting force, undermining traditional Russian society. Concepts such as LGBTQ+ rights, gender equality, and multiculturalism are dismissed as Western impositions that threaten national identity.

 

3. The Cult of Action for Action’s Sake

Military interventions, such as the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine, are portrayed as necessary and heroic. Strategic patience or diplomacy is often cast as weakness, reinforcing the idea that immediate, forceful action is preferable.

 

4. Disagreement Is Treason

Political opposition is not just discouraged but criminalised. Figures like Alexei Navalny have been imprisoned or eliminated, while independent media outlets have been shut down. Criticism of the government is equated with betrayal of the state.

 

5. Fear of Difference

Putin’s Russia promotes nationalism by positioning itself against external and internal “threats.” LGBTQ+ individuals, migrants, and Western influences are portrayed as dangers to the Russian way of life. Anti-Ukrainian sentiment has been used to justify military aggression.

 

6. Appeal to Social Frustration

Many Russians, particularly older generations, feel humiliated by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin channels this frustration into a narrative of restoring Russia’s rightful place as a great power, offering a sense of purpose and unity.

 

7. The Obsession with a Plot

State-controlled media pushes conspiracy theories about Western plots to destroy Russia, depicting NATO, the EU, and internal dissidents as part of a coordinated effort to undermine the country. Foreign-funded NGOs are labelled “foreign agents.”

 

8. The Enemy Is Both Strong and Weak

The West is simultaneously depicted as an all-powerful manipulator orchestrating global events and as a declining, morally bankrupt civilisation that Russia will inevitably outlast. Similarly, Ukraine is framed as both a puppet of NATO and a nation incapable of self-governance.

 

9. Pacifism as Collusion

Advocates for peace are treated as enemies of the state. Any criticism of the war in Ukraine is met with legal repercussions, and those who call for dialogue with the West are accused of disloyalty.

 

10. Contempt for the Weak

Strength is glorified, whether in the form of military power, Putin’s personal image as a strongman, or the suppression of dissent. Groups perceived as weak—such as the LGBTQ+ community, political dissidents, or intellectuals—are marginalised or attacked.

 

11. Everyone Is Raised to Be a Hero

Russian propaganda glorifies military service, celebrating fallen soldiers as martyrs for the homeland. The “Immortal Regiment” marches reinforce the idea that Russians must be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the nation’s greatness.

 

12. Machismo and Weaponry

Putin’s personal brand relies heavily on displays of masculinity—shirtless hunting trips, judo matches, and military posturing. This aligns with a broader cultural emphasis on traditional gender roles and the glorification of armed force.

 

13. Selective Populism

While elections still occur, they are tightly controlled. Putin presents himself as the only legitimate voice of “the real Russian people,” dismissing opposition figures and protesters as foreign-backed agitators.

 

 

14. Ur-Fascism Speaks Newspeak

Russian political language has been stripped of nuance, relying on simple slogans such as “denazification” to justify aggression. Independent journalists and scholars who challenge these narratives face censorship or persecution.

 

 

 

While Putin’s Russia may not fit every single aspect of classical fascism, these tendencies strongly suggest a regime with clear authoritarian, nationalist, and militaristic features—many of which align with Umberto Eco's Ur-Fascism. 

This is increasingly true of Trumpist USA.

The cult of tradition wrapped up in fundamentalist Christianity.

The rejection of modernism.

The appeal to social frustration, particularly among older and poorer Trump followers in red states who feel left behind.

An impoverished vocabulary and the use of soundbites and social media to propagate Newspeak - Trumpspeak.

The fear of difference, hence the purge on undocumented migrants, the vast majority of whom are not white north European.

Contempt for the weak, whether it is vets surviving on a small pension or the old and sick on Medicare. 

Machismo and weaponry hasn't quite come into it yet, as Trump is elderly and obese and not a great advertisement for muscular masculinity, but give it time.

Disagreement is treason also hasn't quite come into it, but the most fascistic elements in Trump's administration have been emboldened and have made calls for the jailing or deportation of vocal opponents of the regime like Sanders and AOC. Trump has already carried out a purge of the top military.

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

Dunno mate. The guy bankrupted a casino. A ****ING CASINO.

Donald Trump was bailed out with dirty money from Russian businessmen. Would you want a KGB agent in control of our club?

12 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

So he's now pausing intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Are we sure he isn't a Russian bot at this point? If he's doing this because someone stood up to him and its a temper tantrum, then he's even more pathetic person than originally feared. But it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. 

 

To him, it's not real and seems to treat everything as a tv reality show or a game. 

 

It gets worse and worse. Trump has now removed temporary legal residence status from the 240,000 Ukrainian refugees in the USA. This puts them at immediate risk of being deported from the country, even if they have fled from regions illegally occupied by Russia.

Trump is not only a paranoid narcissist and a would-be dictator, he is also an old man in a hurry. The rumours that he has been a KGB agent for decades ring true with the recent events. Trump's businesses have been bailed out with Russian money more than once and in 2016, Russia did its utmost to sabotage the campaign of Hillary Clinton and get Trump elected for the first time. They did it again in 2024. Most likely, the present events have been triggered by Trump failing to get any concessions out of Putin, an essential step in the path to getting Ukraine to agree to participate in talks to end the war. Putin probably told Trump that Russia has helped him and now it is payback time. Trump then tried to bully Zelenskyy into accepting a settlement which his government could not possibly accept. So Trump has shown himself to be the mardy immature brat that he is and he has now ceased shipment of US aid and sharing of intelligence with Ukraine. Trump not only speaks with the limited vocabulary of the average fourteen year old, but he and Vance are ready to behave like the bullies behind the bike shed to get their way. 

15 hours ago, davieG said:

when I was 19ish I used to live with my brother in a flat on the left just pass the next junction which is Cross Road where we had a flat previously.

 

MrsG used to live in one on the left just before where the picture was taken from

 

 

History of Leicestershire in Images

Graham Hulme 

An old postcard view of Clarendon Park Road, looking west towards the junction with Queen’s Road. The card was posted in Leicester to “Gimson Rd The Fosse” in March 1907. The street going off to the right of the picture is Central Avenue. The buildings shown here still exist. The prominent tower seen in the distance is that of the Clarendon Park Road Wesleyan Methodist Church which was built in 1900. It became the Christchurch Baptist-Methodist Ecumenical Church in the early 1990s. The Wesleyan Church had first opened in October 1900 and had been designed by the prominent Leicester architect Alderman Albert Edwin Sawday (1851-1923) who was himself a Methodist. He served as Mayor of Leicester in 1903-04. The church is designed in a free Perpendicular Gothic style and is of red brick with stone dressings. The tower is octagonal and has a top stage of stone. Above the main entrance, the frontage has a large 5-light window with gothic panel tracery. The church originally accommodated about 950 people and the cost of the site together with the building was about £8,400. In addition to the church, classrooms, a large church parlour and a lecture hall to seat 400 were provided (The Methodist Times, 18th October 1900). The first Minister of the new church was the Rev. John Ernest Rattenbury who, in 1902, became Minister of the Albert Hall Wesleyan Mission at Nottingham (the hall burnt down in 1906 and Nottingham’s present Albert Hall was built in 1909-10). In 1907 the Rev. Rattenbury moved to be Superintendent Minister of the West London Methodist Mission which post he held for 18 years and during this time the Mission’s new base, Kingsway Hall, was built in 1912 (a later Minister of Kingsway Hall was the famous Donald Soper). The Rev. Rattenbury moved in 1925 to take up a post as a minister at Southport. He died in 1963 aged 92, having been hailed as “the Grand Old Man of Methodism”.

 

Thanks for finding and posting. Copied and sent to my mum who used to live round the corner and was a member of Clarendon Park Methodist Church - as I was many decades ago.

On 10/02/2025 at 13:04, Foxdiamond said:

Good photo. I read that this particular bus was new to London Transport in 1947 then sold in 1971. LT certainly looked after their buses

I lived in London for several years after I left home in Leicester. RTs were no longer on services in Central London but they were still common on services in less fashionable districts like Edmonton and Walthamstow. LT had a close working relationship with AEC which paid off with bus designs which were exactly what the operators wanted, and had very long lives in service. I had a friend who was a bus nut and I went to see the last service operated by RTs, in Barking. I can still remember the whine of the AEC gearbox and the really quite melodious engine note. And the dark red moquette on the seats.

On 06/02/2025 at 19:27, davieG said:

What was the roof box for?

The route number. Bus shown while in London Transport service.

56 minutes ago, davieG said:

I think it's too late anyway, we messed it up in the summer transfer window. A couple of new players wasn't going to solve the weak mentality of the squad and ensure we survive. 

 

Relegation now looks inevitable so we need to ensure we have the right 'team' on board to clear the waste from the team and replenish the squad with strong willed, committed and skilled players. A mix of youth and experience and to rebuild.

 

But unless the club looks in the mirror at itself and realise they are the root cause of our demise, who else could it be? Certainly not PSR and act accordingly.

 

 

Has Van Nistelrooy even got a complete coaching team? I believe the entire first team set-up left after Cooper got the boot and if so Van Nistelrooy will have had to build a new coaching team from scratch.

1 hour ago, alanyoung said:

He's from Burkina Faso so I guess he speaks French like a load of our squad....

If the rest of the back line speak French that would be absolutely fine ... Faes would understand but Coady, Vestergaard, Justin, Thomas and the other defenders?  And Stolarczyk? Or Van Nistelrooy?

If this lad comes to us can he speak English? Whoever comes in has to be a part of the squad straight away. Caglar Soyuncu apparently spoke no English when he arrived and it was a full season before he made any impact. Communication is critical for a centre-back.

Anyone else had their Facebook feed muddied by this? They are apparently stickers which the fascist knuckledraggers who follow Yaxley-Lennon were trying to hand out at Villa on Saturday. I have had this pop up four times now from different pages. They are probably also trying it on other social media platforms like Instagram and X.

I expect the people behind this have run out individual versions for every major club.

Fascists have been trying to cosy up to football supporters since the days of the National Front in the 1970s and this is only their latest attempt to stir things up. 

I expect the club are aware and it would be interesting to know what they are doing about it.

10 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Just so I can try visualise what's there today, is the train heading into Leicester or out? 

The line used to run from Leicester  to Swannington Colliery. There is a junction at Desford where it joined the line from Knighton Junction. The train is heading towards Leicester and there used to be a station just to the left of the picture which closed in the 1920s (hence Station Road). The site of the station is now occupied by the housing in Stephenson Court. Beyond the station is Glenfield Tunnel, which passes under the housing estate opposite the hospital. The tunnel is still there but there is no railway track. The station at the Leicester end was at West Bridge, again totally unrecognisable today. By the time of my drawing in the 1950s the line would have served a few factories and coal merchants and there was a wharf to transfer goods to the canal.

Work-in-progress scene from the 1950s. An elderly Johnson 2F crosses the level crossing in Station Road, Glenfield. This location is still near the edge of Leicester suburbia, but nothing in this scene remains today. The line, only the third steam railway in the country after the Stockton and Darlington and the Liverpool and Manchester, is closed, the house for the crossing keeper has gone and I don't think the tree in the left background is still there. I complete my drawings with watercolour so I will post again in a few weeks.

On 19/12/2024 at 09:10, davieG said:

 

 

Leicester Memories

Peter Taylor  

A derelict Glenfield Station in 1968 , showing the west portal of the now closed Glenfield Tunnel .

 

Margaret Wright

Living in Glenfield and watching this decay was soul destroying. But at least there are houses there now and the link to it is in the name. Unfortunately though the path into the tunnel from there is closed. It only opens on heritage days to get easy access

 

• 

 

 

Leicester Memories

Peter Taylor  

Approaching the Glenfield Tunnel ( Unknown Year )

Thanks for posting. Photos of Glenfield station, which closed a century ago, are very hard to come by!

On 03/12/2024 at 22:29, Jattdogg said:

5 nil city

 

 

 

 

 

I wish, but Joe Rogan can go and do one. Ignorant knob. Would probably say 'Lie-sess-ter'.

On 27/11/2024 at 20:36, Parafox said:

 

I find Somerset Brie provides the best, unusual dreams. 

Made from milk from cows which live at a rather famous farm in Mid Somerset. They have free access to the unusual plant species which grow in the supersized hedgerows. It is actually quite difficult to get them to turn up at the dairy for milking time because although they set off with the best intentions, somewhere along the way they can't quite get it together to remember where they are supposed to be going! 

2 hours ago, izzymuzzet said:

I've spent a fair bit of time in the US and concluded it is an incredibly deferential society. Your average American is absolutely in thrall to authority. This is evident in their attitudes to politicians as you cite here, but also the police and big business. I think this is why the USA is particularly prone to huxters and corporate scams, of which the election of Trump is the ultimate manifestation.

 

It's easy to look at counter cultural movements that have come out of New York and San Francisco etc, the Black Lives Matter movement, the January 6 riots etc and conclude that America is a land of people pushing back against authority. But I think across most of middle America they really love heirarchies. Politics in the UK is a mess and I think our cynicism of politicians sometimes goes too far, but I'd rather that than the USA model of blind faith.

I would say that is true. After a previous term in office and another four years since, Trump has no tolerance to anyone calling him out. If the people in his cabal don't stop him he will go to any lengths to go after people who challenge his authority, which probably means billion dollar lawsuits, trumped up criminal charges, and every covert effort to damage their personal life and career. After the election I posted this and got quite a lot of unpleasant pushback from people who think Trump is the second coming. I spent about an hour blocking all the nastier ones who really are Nazis.

My house is full of foxes. Foxes on mugs, a fox in a painting, fluffy foxes, big foxes, little foxes, even a real taxidermy fox. There was a fox head door knocker but my ex took it.

6 hours ago, Mike Oxlong said:

The must have next manager just so we can have a Titz Out thread 

 

Hat er große Männertitten?

4 hours ago, ElusiveEd said:

Hated Palace ground and a ball ache to get to on tubes and trains.

As said above Arsenal seems a well thought out ground and everything in place for getting to and from the ground.

Spurs ground - amazing place but Severn Sisters station is a trek.

Brentford takes somme planning to get to

Loved the Plymouth fanzone last year and the fans are some of the nicest and friendliest you could meet.

I hate Selhurst Park as the whole area looks dodgy. Last time I went there I drove and parked well away from the ground in a council estate on the other side of the railway. I drove until I found somewhere which looked like a decent residential area. Nearer the ground I felt my car might not still be there after the match. 

Spuds have very fickle and ignorant fans who quickly turn against their own team if things are not going well.

Chelsea's old ground was the worst I have ever been to. Away terrace miles away from the pitch, dreadful toilets and herded along like sheep by police on horseback after the match.