Peter Birmingham

@bagshaw2112 1988

The TV GAME QUIZ What is the year - please repost so others can play. Tv teaser! What was the year ? #monday #retro #television

@TaylorColumnist I actually think Sven did fairly well and was actually let down by his players. I wonder if he had been stronger earlier in his tenure and picked players outside the top 2 or 3 clubs if that may have helped break down the cliques within the group.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3c… In defence of Sven. What is it about Sven's England reign, two decades on, that is still so controversial? Why do people, even now, argue so much about whether he under-achieved, when similar debates about, say, Bobby Robson or Glenn Hoddle, have faded away? Simple. He was our first foreign coach. Having a foreigner as coach (think Tuchel) is still pretty controversial now, but back in 2000 it was explosive. He always had to over-achieve to satisfy the fans. So, did he succeed or not? In my book "Tears for England", I rate him as England's second-best manager in my football-watching lifetime, starting with Greenwood and ending with Southgate (it's too early to judge Tuchel). Yes, he lost in three successive quarter-finals, all of which were devastating. But he qualified for every tournament he was in charge for (which was beyond Robson, Taylor and McLaren); got to the quarters in each (beyond Hoddle, Capello and Hodgson); and in two of them was only beaten on penalties. Judging England managers is a case of relativity. I'd agree that Sven could have and should have, done better with the players available to him. But he was far better than his immediate predecessor Keegan, and miles better than his immediate successor, McLaren. He also dealt with all the muck thrown at him by the media with grace and dignity. Overall, compared with others, I'd say Sven was a good thing. @PitchPublishing @TheSixtySixHQ @80s90sfootball @SoccerBooksLtd

@lucyhighnett There is at least one here in Bristol as well.🙋‍♂️

Newsflash: not all Southampton fans live in Southampton. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@stocksandsants No way Tonda stays. Only way to keep supporters, players, commercial partners etc on board is to take decisive action and get rid of him and all those who knew this was going on didn’t speak up.

Best man for the job next season #saintsfc fans

@TheStatsSaint I hate to say it but I think he has to go. Why would the players he let down trust him when his actions have cost some of them the chance of playing in the Premier League.

Genuine question, does Tonda have to go? Or do you suspend him, and continue with him after his (inevitable) ban for a year.

@AdamBlackmore Where do we go from here? I hate to say it but Tonda is going to have to go. How can he ever regain respect of the dressing room when his actions have robbed some of the players the chance to play in the premier league.

2/2 Miy biggest frustration is I still think this situation could have been avoided ! #SaintsFC I asked Tonda after the Boro game why someone doesn't just come out and admit fault and take a hit .....but of course lawyers probably advised silence But there's no way it would be this bad if 1) Tonda comes out on day 1 and says sorry, didn't know the rules, I'm German, we do things differently in Europe etc., and 2) the Club say we'll review it and fix it etc., and apologise and say they understand the seriousness of what they've done The EFL and football would have been more forgiving and they might have got a fine and a points hit A little humility goes a long way

@SteveGrant1983 @TotalSaintsPod We sack him now he has another job before the start of the next season. Even if it’s abroad if he is has even modest success it won’t be long before English clubs are looking at him again.

Well that *should* see Tonda Eckert sacked and unemployable in this country. Can only have happened with his say-so, ultimately the buck stops with him. #SaintsFC

@Boro If you were all for fair play you would reject the opportunity to play in the final and allow Hull to be awarded the game.

A statement from MFC: Middlesbrough Football Club welcomes the outcome of today’s Disciplinary Commission hearing. We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct. As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday. Ticket information for our supporters will be available shortly.

@prodnose From what I have read removing Southampton from the play off is a result of multiple breaches so why are Middlesbrough the only club benefiting? Why are they more deserving than Millwall. What about Wrexham in 7th?

I do not dispute the Southampton ruling. Bang to rights. However increasingly today football is made aware of the Orwellian dictum. "All teams are equal. But some are more equal than others."

@triffic_stuff_ Arlene should know all about driving voters away from your party having done such a good job in Northern Ireland.

Arlene Foster flabbergasted at how Labour talks about Reform voters “When I heard in the House of Lords today one of the Labour members talking about Reform voters in such a disparaging way, I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t believe it!” Exactly. I don’t understand why this is so hard for politicians to grasp. Attacking voters as stupid, racist, far-right, Islamophobic, xenophobic or whatever label they reach for today, just because they voted for Reform or raised reasonable concerns about their country… it’s never going to win them back. It only pushes them further away. This is the country now. People have moved right because of you, your policies, your failures, your disconnect. If you don’t like it, get out of politics. Because that’s where Britain is. Arlene is spot on: “When you disrespect Reform, you’re disrespecting the people that voted for them and I think that is something that Labour haven’t come to terms with.” They’re so out of touch with the country it’s scary.

@SkySportsNews Well they would say that, wouldn’t they.

BREAKING: Middlesbrough say Southampton should not take part in Championship play-off final after being charged with spying ahead of semi-final first leg between clubs.

@Maddu_550 205

“90% of people will fail the simple math test are you the 1%??

@MichelleDewbs I think you will find it is person or player of the match

My 5 year old boy does football training. At the end of the session they do a ‘man of the match’ type thing. My boy is always desperate to win it. He often doesn’t. I explained to him the other day that he didn’t win simply because he wasn’t good enough. That he deffo could win, but he just needs to be better, try harder, be more focused etc. One of the other mums heard me & was aghast at what I said. She told me she is going to get ‘runner-up stickers’ for all the kids who don’t make it. I said no thanks, not for my son. Kids need to learn that they can be the best, but they must apply themselves & dust themselves off when it doesn’t go their way. No consolation prizes, no ‘everyone’s a winner’ etc. There are winners & losers. Wanna win - do your best. Can’t make it? Don’t worry, go & smash something else. Play to your strengths & never, ever play the victim. If more parents & institutions had this attitude, the country would be in a better place - if I say so myself 😉 Cc @KonstantinKisin x.com/KonstantinKisi…

@bagshaw2112 Wow what a question! I am going for Rishi Sunak because he supports Southampton #saintsfc

Pick who you think was the best Prime Minister from the last 5 ! I know it’s difficult but let’s see what we get !!!

@naturebeauty760 Bradford

Can you guess the city name?

@bertie_lakeland Is that Crook Peak in Somerset?

Beautiful Great Britain ……. Who knows where this is? ❤️❤️❤️

@char1iewatts Luckily the Cattle Market Tavern is just round the corner.

The pub you go to for a pint before your train at Bristol Temple Meads has been boarded up. Nooo

@AngelaRayner Sounds great if by working people you mean people who actually work and not working age people who don’t work.

Our party has suffered a historic defeat. Many good Labour colleagues have lost their seats despite working hard for those they represented. We have lost good Labour administrations and lost the chance for more. What we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change. This may be our last chance. The Labour Party must now live up to our name: we must be the party of working people. We’ve heard the same on the doorstep as we’ve seen in the polls - the cost of living is the top issue for voters of all parties. People have turned to populists and nationalists because we have not done enough to fix it. Living standards are barely higher than they were a decade and a half ago. People feel hopeless - that the cost of living crisis will never end, and now they see oil and gas companies use global instability to post record profits. Once again, ordinary people are paying the price for decisions they didn’t make. It’s no wonder that across the UK, working people feel the system is rigged against them. Things can be so much better than this. Countries including Spain and Canada have shown that economies can grow and people can thrive when governments stay true to labour and social democratic values and put people first. We need to learn from that. In London, we lost young people who fear they will never afford a home. In my patch and across the north, we lost working people whose wages are too low and costs too high. In Scotland and Wales, people do not currently see Labour as the answer.  We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people. The Peter Mandelson scandal showed a toxic culture of cronyism.  Decisions like cutting winter fuel allowance just weren’t what people expected from a Labour government. For too long, successive governments have allowed wealth and power to concentrate at the top without a plan to ensure the benefits of economic growth are shared fairly. The result is an economy that does not work for the majority, with wealth concentrated in too few hands. This level of inequality, alongside squeezed living standards, is the outcome of a model built on deregulation, privatisation, and trickle-down economics. But we have the chance to fix this.  1/2

@NJ_Timothy Could or will be investigated? big difference

Lord Hermer is a disgrace. He went after British soldiers over allegations he knew were likely unfounded. After I referred him, the Bar Standards Board has confirmed he could be investigated for serious professional misconduct.

@JAHeale So what?

NEW: Hours before polls open, an email from the Prime Minister has gone out to civil servants across Whitehall - “Dear Colleagues, One of my first actions as Prime Minister was to record a message to all of you. In it, I said that as public servants, you have my confidence, my support and, importantly, my respect. Since that day, I have seen that respect justified time and again. Whether it is the DWP official helping a family get the support they need, the prison officer keeping us safe, or the policy professional solving the most complex challenges of the age - your work is the backbone of this country. I know that for some of you, particularly those in roles in central government, the events of the last recent weeks have felt unsettling. For many more of you, these headlines might feel a world away from your daily work. But wherever you serve, I want to be clear: these events do not define the Civil Service. At the Cabinet meeting a fortnight ago, I spoke with my colleagues about the vital importance of the partnership between politicians and officials. We are one team. My Government’s priorities - from tackling the cost of living to rebuilding the NHS and making our streets safer - cannot be delivered by ministers alone. They require your expertise, your challenge, and your dedication. I know that the Cabinet Secretary is focused on delivering these priorities working with all of you to serve the public in the best interests of our country. To those who feel exposed by recent scrutiny, let me say this: I value the "speaking truth to power" that is the hallmark of our system. I want a culture where information flows freely, where risks are flagged early, and where we work together to solve problems before they become crises. The relationship between a minister and their officials relies on a bedrock of total transparency. Without that trust, the partnership that sits at the heart of our constitution cannot function. We are fixing the processes that have failed, but we are not changing the fundamental value we place on your role. My ask of you is to continue acting with the pride and professionalism that brought you into public service. Continue to provide the honest, rigorous advice that makes our government better. The service you give this country matters. My confidence in the integrity and dedication of the Civil Service remains absolute. We have a huge job to do for the British people, and we will do it together. Sir Keir Starmer Prime Minister”