Sam Smith

remember the fume when Dries Mertens did this and Gary Cahill missed Euro 2012

Felt like Glasner took the handbrake off last night and it was reminiscent of the end of 2023-24 and the end of last season. I'm desperate to see more of Pino against teams who we'll counter-attack against and I think I'd start him in the second leg.

Crystal Palace after every April international break

The ball was bundled into the net at the far post and the visiting supporters went wild. While the celebrations continued, I was sitting 136 miles away, in a dark corner of a TV studio in west London, fearing the worst. As the video assistant referee (VAR), I had spotted three potential offences in the build-up. As I worked through the checks, it felt like the walls were closing in, the darkness was intensifying and my mouth was getting drier while my heartbeat rose. In 20 years as a referee on the pitch, I never felt the kind of pressure that goes with being a VAR. Eventually, more than three minutes after the goal had been scored, I confirmed that it could stand. It had felt like a waste of everyone’s time, that a joyous and spontaneous moment had been ruined by a nerd desperate to find cause to wreak misery. Nothing could be further from the truth. Referees are people too, and feel the pain inflicted by a video review system that is simply not fit for purpose. Graham Scott, The Athletic's new referee columnist. 🔗 nytimes.com/athletic/71836…

what in the Sensible Soccer is this England kit?

seen neville take some slack recently but he's the best co-commentator in terms of identifying momentum in a game and explaining why shifts are happening

"oh yeah mate you're right i'll speed him up"

objectively funny when fans sit in the stands tapping their watches as if the referee is looking at them

BAFTA for this icon. #SNLUK

I don't necessarily agree with the diagnosis that Palace's problems are down to no maverick-style, technically gifted players, but Glasner actually proves the point when he brings up the 57 goals season. He built a fun system designed to let Eze and Olise create chances.

Really don't understand the outrage over this. Just a 19-year-old kid being a bit naive in a moment that felt consequential at the time.

The Richarlison-Van Dijk incident there has been a red card in Palace's games against United and Spurs recently just because the forward went down. Be honest and try to score and it's "good defending" by the player grappling the forward's shoulder

@dan_ofthesouth Used to get serious FOMO when I stopped going to games regularly, even for bits of the two Hodgson eras. Apart from the cup run I can't think of a time I've been like 'ah I wish I was there' in about three years

@SamSmiths_ I used to miss having a ST, you know

game of throws

I kept copping abuse from Palace fans. A couple even grappled me and started going for the camera guy. Thought it was really bizarre until my mate pointed out the red camera gear and mic. We very much looked like a Boro fan channel filming on the Holmesdale😂

Another fun story from this day: French TV were interviewing Palace fans about Mamadou Sakho on Holmesdale Road because he'd recently signed on loan. I was selling the FYP fanzine with a mate so I gave their reporter a few mins to be positive about Sakho

A history of protest. Football is more than 11 men kicking a ball around. At its best it is community, identity, belonging & tradition, but only if we keep it that way. Many of the games cornerstones were lost in this country long before the group started in 2005. (1/8)

For the life of me I cannot understand why the Chelsea huddle with the referee in the middle matters in the slightest.

When I was about 10 I did a career mode in which I ran around spamming the square button and seeing how quickly my player would get sent off. I've been reminded of it when watching Wharton recently.