Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

It’s Sunday and that can only mean one thing. Darren Ashley updates us on his travels and yesterday he was off to Royston Town for their game against Kettering Town. You are going to love this one.

Before that, sadly, I have to report that a 3-0 defeat for FC Deportivo Galicia at an excellent Berks County condemned the West London club to another season at Step 6. Even before the game, other results made promotion mathematically impossible but a first defeat in eight against a very impressive home side who share the superb facilities at Ascot United was a sad end to a great run. So very close for the last two seasons. It’s got to be third time lucky! Gillingham likewise had a hugely impressive win against Play-Off contenders Barrow but they will need all six points from the remaining two games to even have a chance of scraping a play-off place. I keep the faith! It’s all that keeps us going!

Darren says, “Thanks to an invite from Royston Town media man and board member Neil MacLeod, yesterday, I was in Hertfordshire to film a vlog of their match versus Kettering Town. (Editor’s note: They have played their home games at Garden Walk since 1932. Founded in 1875, it is the third oldest club in Hertfordshire, behind Hitchin Town and Bishop’s Stortford…not a lot of people know that!)

With a warm day expected, I decided to ditch my usual orange coat for something far more befitting of the weather, and, when I arrived at around 13.00, I wasn’t wrong; it was a beautiful spring day.

I met Mick and Steve on arrival…they were manning the entrance of the car park which, is down a lane and in the football ground itself. Mick surprised me by telling me he was there just after 10.00, despite it being a 15.00 kick off. The reason is, anyone would just take the spaces and they were needed, first and foremost, for the visiting away team!

So, once inside the ground, I was immediately impressed how scenic the aptly named Garden Walk ground was. I would imagine all ground hoppers would really like it.

Once settled, I started to meet people from both teams, to find out what the recent form was like, and the moods in the respective changing rooms.

All was positive, so, did my usual pre-match manager interviews. As always, both managers, Chris Watters, and Richard Lavery were friendly and helpful

Chris even went the extra mile by agreeing to do another interview as I wasn’t happy with the lighting when I first interviewed him……the lighting of the bright sun.

So, with kick off time fast approaching, I made my way onto the pitch to capture the teams coming out. This is a relatively new thing I try to do on my clogs, and I’m always grateful when the home team gives me permission and I never take it for granted

I also had another bonus perk, as Neil, had also allowed me up in the gantry to film the match.

Now, as you all know now in this column, I won’t give many match spoilers, as I would rather like to to watch the vlog, but the match was played fast and furious, there were goals, a couple of controversies, and a particularly scintillating performance from one of the teams!

When the final whistle blew, I made my way down from the gantry onto the pitch to capture some celebrations, and, another on the spot interview (that was a first, never had manager post match reaction that quickly before). I really enjoyed doing that. It was an on-the-moment one, although I didn’t notice the background antics of a couple of the players.

It was almost time to wrap up for the day, but first, I had to record the end summary of the vlog and also, Royston Town’s well-known meat raffle!! I was warned that would be lively, and so, it proved.

Time to go home then, however, I had to quickly find Neil and Steve to thank them. They had both been so helpful to me and I wanted to let them know it was much appreciated. Then the drive home.

Honestly, I had a brilliant day. Royston Town is a very special club, and I definitely have to go back next season when I expect them to do some great things, on and off the pitch. I also have to say as well, the Kettering Town team staff and fans were great with me too, which I’m very pleased about, because, I’m visiting their ground next weekend for a vlog, which, incidentally, I’m really looking forward to already.

Thanks for reading, everybody”

So, let’s all shoot off to enjoy Darren’s Vlog and, feel free to subscribe at no cost, so you will never miss a game. Please remember, if you would like him to visit your club, do make contact. I know he will be delighted to try to fit in another 40 games next season!

QPR

It’s a bit of Déjà vu  today as I know Justin kindly hosted a QPR day but I have always had a soft spot for the Rs since the days of Stan Bowles, Dave Thomas, Rodney Marsh etc and I happily used to walk to Loftus Rd along Uxbridge Rd, if for no other reason than it was faster than the 607 bus! This week I have passed the stadium most days and I thought I should comment on a couple of interesting events. Hope you will indulge me! I will get to MK Franchise….sometime, maybe

First off we have a programme fair. Now there is nothing too extraordinary about that but this is the first one since 1986 so it’s a bit of a novelty and hopefully will be repeated. I know Les Easterbrook will have a huge selection of badges and I am told that a good crowd is expected. Last week was Kensington (see below) and that was a record attendance. Just seen that there is an event in Stoke too. It would be rude not to add it. These programme fairs are held regularly throughout the year. Ping me if you need dates/venues. Many are impressively organised by Barry Dixey Enjoy.

As I was writing this I noticed a Facebook thread by life-time QPR fan, journalist and hispanophile, Eugene Costello and I cheekily asked whether he would pen some thoughts on the club. He happily agreed to. Top Man!

“Yesterday’s drubbing of the Hoops by the Tigers at the MKM Stadium means we are beyond flirting with relegation and getting ready for a second date.

That said, it’s not really the second date. We were relegated to the third tier of English football previously. I had a season ticket in the early Noughties when we were in the third tier and Ian Holloway took over from Gerry Francis. I was there for the excruciating loss to Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium – in Cardiff, to rub it in. I remember screaming “Square it, Tommy!” as the speedy but hapless Tommy Williams executed a beautiful run down the left almost to the byline, leaving himself an impossible shooting angle that he fluffed when the only move was to square it to legendary poacher Paul Furlong. Then again, escaping from Cardiff with locals on motorway bridges throwing objects at our coaches was bad enough. Maybe it’s just as well we didn’t win.

The three seasons in the third tier were sobering. The club mascot is Jude the Cat, and perhaps it’s more than a coincidence that St Jude is the patron saint of hopeless causes. Whatever way you slice it, following the Rs has been useful in terms of managing my expectations in life. I was asked to come up with some good memories about life in the lower leagues. I have to say, it was hard to pick out many. Thin gruel, as Jacob-Rees Mogg might say, recalling his boarding school meals, no doubt.

I will say there are good memories of the camaraderie of going away with my mates to “real football grounds”, including my late mate Declan McHale, dyed-in-the-wool Rangers. Northampton, Peterborough, three-sided Bournemouth and so on. Usually treated as a weekend away, with plenty of drinking afoot.

And some golden memories. Portman Road against Ipswich when as players were walking back to the halfway line, their keeper kicked the ball out – only for it to hit Paul Furlong’s head and drop to the floor. Incredulously, he looked at this gift and – poacher through and through – began to sprint back towards the hapless goalkeeper and fired a screamer past him. Joyful.

And then two beauties from Gareth “Wild Thing” Ainsworth at the former Dr Martens Stadium against the former Rushden and Diamonds in the 2003/04 season. The part-time rock idol, full-time winger wrangled his way past two defenders and unleashed a rocket from 30 yards out that beat the keeper to land in the left-hand corner of the net. Beautiful. He himself would describe it as his “second best goal of all time.”

And the first? Same game, slightly earlier. A long pass across the pitch from the left wing to Ainsworth in more or less the same position, and it drops onto his right foot for an exocet of a volley. It screams, rises and drops into the same left-hand corner. In an interview, Ainsworth describes it as “magical”, and “a treat” for all the travelling Rs supporters who were there that day.

Ian Holloway laughs when he remembers R&Ds’ Barry Hunter screaming at the keeper, and says “What could he have done?” 

Ainsworth would return as manager last season, fortuitously.

From qpr.co.uk. “QPR begin the season in similarly fine fashion under new head coach Mick Beale and were top of the Championship after 16 games. But Beale’s departure to Glasgow Rangers in November instigated a campaign of struggle, ultimately. Neil Critchley replaced Beale as boss but departed in the February. Popular former winger Gareth Ainsworth left Wycombe Wanderers to take over from Critchley and steered the R’s to safety on the penultimate weekend of the season.”

So dark days, results wise. But some delicious memories.

I mentioned my beloved friend Declan McHale. In 2019, he was diagnosed as having a brain tumour. He went down fairly rapidly. He lived for QPR so I contacted Paul Morrissey, director of communications at the club. His response was incredible. The club would, he said, like to offer a box for 12 people, with free half-time catering and a space for a family member as mascot. This was for the Stoke game on the 15th of February. The family was overjoyed. I arranged it in coordination with his older brother Austin, whose claim to fame is that he once appeared on Mastermind where his specialist subject was “QPR: 1967 to now”.

And that sense of family is what makes QPR stand out. Later that year, Declan would pass. But I’ll always smile when I remember how the club gave him and his family that incredible memory. I can’t see that happening at some of the bigger, “more successful” clubs.

So if you are fearing the drop, all I can say is, “Don’t Fear The Reaper”. 

There is more to being part of the QPR family than statistics.” 

Eugene Costello
Freelance journalist and editor

NUJ number: 009926

Founder and editor of Valencia Life
https://valencialife.es

Thanks so much for that unique view, Eugene. One of the first ever games I saw was QPR at Gillingham back in 1964. It was a 2-2 draw and in the “old” League Division Three. Just checking on 11v11 there appears to have been 58 games between the two teams in League Division Three (South) and two at the second level. This sort of confirms where the two clubs have spent most of their lives. I will remind everybody, however, that QPR have spent seasons at the Top Table – remember Warnock! The current plight is therefore even more distressing. There IS hope although Millwall’s win against Cardiff and Blackburn Rover’s MOST unlikely win at Leeds Utd did not help the cause!

Good Luck, guys. I will be back later this week to talk about QPR’s work in the community.

Pitch Publishing

I am delighted to see such interest in books about football I have featured on my blog by writers like Gary Thacker, Chris Lee and Miguel Pereira

It seemed sensible therefore to add some updates from Pitch Publishing that arrived today. Enjoy!
My two selections are both Spain-focused but the Pitch Publishing newsletter has something for everyone.

Rise of a New Dynasty

“Rise of a New Dynasty” charts FC Barcelona Femini’s journey from 2019 to 2023 with in-depth tactical analysis and player interviews. It explores the factors behind their sustained growth, analysing the tactics and strategies that helped them to conquer Europe. Written by Abdullah Abdullah, an author and analyst, who has written for the likes of ESPN, Analytics FC and The Equalizer, and has consulted for a notable club in the United States. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, he now lives in Dubai, UAE, spending his days working and his nights writing. Abdullah’s writing is tactically focused, yet easy to understand. Rise of a New Dynasty: FC Barcelona Femini’s Emerging Legacy is his fourth book.

EURO 1984

Euro 1984 tells the fascinating story of perhaps the greatest European Championship. Largely ignored in the UK, due to none of the home nations qualifying, it was a thrilling competition full of attacking football, and featured iconic matches, teams and players who contributed to one of the greatest international tournaments of all time. Aidan Williams is part of the editorial team for These Football Times, regularly appearing online and in their magazines and podcasts discussing football issues both current and past, with particular emphasis on international football history, on and off the field. Aidan’s work has also featured in The Guardian and The Athletic. Euro 1984 is his third book, following The Nearly Men and Worst in the World.

My note: I was following Spain but also had a soft spot for Denmark. That’s a quarter of the qualifiers! Yes, in this competition there were only eight teams. The competition started off in 1960 with just four but now we are up to 24. How things have changed.

I hope these suggestions help you. How can you help me back? Well, please kindly remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for my local football club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in with just £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity could continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can. If you can’t please consider sharing this website on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn or wherever and if you want me to feature your club, kit, team etc just ping me.

Around The Courses in 80 Days 

Well, this is a different day and it is not football or cancer related but it’s such a great cause and it is a parallel story to mine! Please indulge me.

My Facebook friend, Graham Arnold is also off on a challenge. Not digital, not a pushbike, not a Jules Verne but rather he IS visiting all the UK racecourses. I cannot claim to have any knowledge of racecourses or horseracing and I think I have been to less than a handful over the last 60 years and they were usually for business presentations rather than spectating. Graham is obviously keener. Good Luck, amigo.

He started off at Exeter (see below) and he plans to visit all the 59 racecourses in just 80 days. I read, “Graham Arnold, a horse racing fanatic will be setting off in April 2024 to visit all 59 British racecourses on an actual race day all in 80 days. He’s doing this to raise money for Dementia UK, a charity very close to his heart. He will invite folk to join him to walk each course before racing. With your support, we can make a difference in the lives of those living with Dementia.​

We need your help to make this fundraising event a success. Join us in our journey to raise money for Dementia UK. You can participate in our walk before racing or make a donation to support our cause.

Our goal is to raise £20,000 for Dementia UK. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of people affected by dementia.

We are looking for volunteers to join our team and help us organize this event. If you are passionate about horse racing and want to make a difference in the lives of people affected by dementia, we want to hear from you. Contact us to learn more about how you can get involved.”

You can learn more, check his route and agree where to meet on his excellent website

Good luck, Graham

Gary Thacker – Books on Spain

We had an interesting “day” last week talking about Spanish football and anybody who knows me knows that Steve+Spain+Football+Books equals “Almost heaven, West Virginia.”

One of my favourite writers about Spanish football is Gary Thacker who has written two of my absolute “must read, highly recommended” books about the non-league game in Spain. If you have any interest in the subject I’d definitely shoot to his website and get them both – “The Games People Play” and “A Whole New Ball Game.” In fact if you have any interest in football, give yourself an hour or two as there are dozens of great articles on subjects as diverse as Lineker, Escobar, CSKA Sofia, Raul etc etc etc. Four Four Two eat your heart out!

Gary has his fiction on Spain as well as definitive works about the Dutch and their “nearly-teams”, Chelsea, the English and Brazilian national teams and much more. Enjoy.

The Games People Play / A Whole New Ball Game – Gary Thacker
Two seasons and two separate docu-novels about life in levels 9 and 10 of the Spanish structure.

These novels follow an English coach in the lower leagues of Spanish football and his relationships, his successes and defeats both on and off the pitch. It is great escapist fiction, perhaps for your summer holidays by the pool or in the English driving rain as you dream about a holiday in Spain! Far-fetched? Yes. Impossible? Absolutely not. It’s life very far away from Real Madrid, Barcelona, the Galácticos, los Yeyés and their likes.

Like all great writers he is a great reader and he kindly forwarded his list of must-reads for anybody interested about learning about Spain. I have read or know of most and can’t disagree with any. I have added more details at www.ThisIsSpain.info

· An Anarchist’s Story (Chris Dolan)

·The Transformation of Spain (David Gilmour)

· Homage to Caledonia (Daniel Gray)

· Tales of The Alhambra (Washington Irving)

· The Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War (Robert Alexander)

· A New International History of the Spanish Civil War (Michael Alpert)

· Unlikely Heroes (Richard Baxell)

· For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemmingway)

· Barcelona (Robert Hughes) · Durruti (Abel Paz)

· The Spanish Civil War (Mark Lawrence)

· Homage to Catalonia (George Orwell)

· After the Civil War (Michael Richards)

· A People Betrayed (Paul Preston)

· The Spanish Civil War (Paul Preston)

· Comrades! (Paul Preston)

· The Last Days of the Spanish Republic (Paul Preston)

· Doves of War (Paul Preston)

· Hell and Good company (Richard Rhodes)

· The Last Stalinist – The Life of Santiago Carillo (Paul Preston)

· The Spanish Civil War (Francisco J Romero Salvado)

· Twentieth Century Spain (Francisco J Romero Salvado)

· Britons in Spain (William Rust)

· Brother Against Brother (Ed. Frank Thomas)

· To Make the People Smile Again (George Wheeler)

· Carteles de la Guerra Civil Espanol (Various)

· British Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War (Richard Baxell)

· The Spanish Second Republic Revisited (Manuel Alvares Tarido & Fernando del Reguillo)

· The Battle for Spain – The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 (Antony Beevor)

· The Spanish Civil War (Antony Beevor)

· Guernica (Dave Bolling)

· To Remember Spain: The Anarchist & Syndicalist Revolution of 1936 (Murray Brookchin)

· I am Spain (David Boyd Haycock)

· The Life & Death of the Spanish Republic (Henry Buckley)

· Blood & Faith – The Purging of Muslim Spain 1492-1614 (Matthew Carr)

· The Moor’s Last Stand (Elizabeth Drayson)

· Brigadista – An Irishman’s Fight Against Fascism (Bob Doyle)

· Modern Spain 1875-1980 (Raymond Carr)

I would personally add Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football (Phil Ball) and Fear and Loathing in La Liga (Sid Lowe) although I recognise that they are about football IN Spain rather than about Spain per se. Certainly, I believe if you follow Gary’s choices you have a fantastic overview of Spain through the centuries and, as importantly, Spain’s transformation in the last 50 years from a dictatorship to a forward-looking, economically-sound world power.

I hope these ideas help you. How can you help me back? Well, please kindly remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for my local football club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in with just £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity could continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can. If you can’t please consider sharing this site on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn or wherever and if you want me to feature your club, kit, team etc just ping me.

Thanks in advance.

March for Men 2024

So much more than just a walk in the park

Walk side-by-side with your community on a charity walk around London’s beautiful Battersea Park.  

Join us on Sunday 2 June and help fund lifesaving research that could save men’s lives. 

Join us at March for Men

What to expect on the day?

Bring your family, friends and even your dog for a great day out with an important purpose. 

March alongside thousands as we share stories, celebrate loved ones, and walk towards a better future for men. 

Enjoy live music check out information stands and entertain the kids with a scavenger hunt. 

Join us Sunday 2 June in London’s Battersea Park

Choose Your Distance: 

Take on a 2.5km, 5km, or 10km walk. 

Whichever distance you choose, you’ll be walking together – taking on  

1, 2 or 4 laps around the beautiful Battersea Park. 
 
The route is fully pathed, making it accessible for both wheelchairs and buddies. It’s fully signposted and marshalled so everyone stays on track. 

Get Involved

Choose your own fundraising target

Your fundraising can change the future for men, and support those who’re already navigating their disease.

£75 funds 5 hours of specialist work to analyse prostate cancer samples, advancing research on how to stop the disease spreading.

£150 allows a researcher to utilise cutting-edge laser technology for half a day, exploring new treatments to support the immune system’s response to prostate cancer. (Most people aim for this)

£300 pays for surgery support packs for 25 men, these include incontinence pads, wipes, and informative guides for post-surgery expectations.

Your rewards! 

There are some exciting rewards to claim when you reach these fundraising milestones. 

March for Men T-shirt 

Everyone gets a March for Men t-shirt. Wear it proudly as you walk side-by-side with your community.  

Shoelaces 

Raise £150 and we’ll send you a pair of our brand-new shoelaces. It’s time to strap in and save lives. 

Coffee Cup 

Raise £300 and we’ll send you our double walled, stainless steel, vacuum insulation coffee cup. Perfect for when you’re on the move. 

Can’t make it to Battersea Park?

Join other March for Men supporters, up and down the UK, who are heading to their local parks on the first weekend of June to walk in solidarity and raise awareness within their community.

Organise your own March for Men

Donate Now

Got questions? We’re here to help.

Email us if you have any questions or need any more information, we’re here to help. You can also check out our handy FAQs.

Get in touch

Contact Us

Our dedicated team are here to answer your questions. Drop us an email and we’ll be happy to help.

Email us

Kempston Rovers

Goalmouth Action – Kempston Rovers v Aylesbury United

It’s Sunday so it must be Darren Ashley’s latest tour. This week he is at Kempston for a BIG match. To remind you, Darren chooses one match per week where he looks to spotlight the best of non-league football. If you do a search of this site you will see his latest trips and links to his YouTube channel. You can subscribe at no cost and see all his previous games.

He says, ” Yesterday, I travelled to Bedfordshire to watch a vital match at the bottom of the Southern League Division 1 Central match between Kempston Rovers & Aylesbury United.

Now, the home side were 5 points adrift of safety with 4 to play so it was MUST WIN for them really, whereas, the away team were 5 point clear of the drop, so, for them, it was MUST NOT LOSE.

On arrival, my daughter and I were warmly met and were treated brilliantly by all at Kempston Rovers, which I can’t thank them enough for, but, for this review, I want to give my thoughts regarding the respective managers.

Firstly, I sought out Kempston manager Richard Keil, as I had got in touch with him regarding filming the vlog.

He was a great guy, and despite the pressure of the impending match, he gave me plenty of time.

We had a joke where, I mentioned that his name was the same as the actor who played the baddie Jaws in the James Bond films, and if his team won, I already had a title of my video in mind.

After a quick on camera interview, it was time to try to meet Aylesbury manager David Tuttle. Once again, he was a great guy. We had a good laugh off-camera, then we did a quick interview.

After the interview’s, the managers and I were chatting, and I assumed they knew each other pretty well, as they had an easy way with each other.

The managers pre match. David Tuttle on left. Richard Keil on right

So, the match comes, and goes, and, for once, I will give a spoiler….it finished Kempston 0-5 Aylesbury….which, now makes it almost certain Kempston will go down and Aylesbury will survive. As the teams and management walk off, I noticed Richard went back to the dugout on his own to just sit, and, I guess, ponder and think about what he had witnessed.

It was then I decided I wouldn’t ask for a post match interview with him.

Not long after, David came out, walked across the pitch and went and sat with Richard for a few minutes. I thought that was real classy from him.

They came back off the pitch together, and, now, I was certain they were mates from way back as there seemed a real decent bond, but, to my complete surprise, when I spoke to them again, they had only met once at the previous encounter between the 2 teams, which was David’s first match.

It was such a decent thing to see on, what was a crappy day for the home side, and honestly, these two fellas really are representing the teams clubs brilliantly, and, i just wouldn’t be surprised somewhere down the line they may end up a management duo ( you heard it here first.)

One final thing, Richard dropped me a line in the evening, thanking me for coming and apologising for not chatting much after the match due to how he was feeling…he had no need to apologise, he was great.

….oh, if you fancy watching the vlog ( it’s a bit longer than usual), as always, it’s in the comment.”

Thanks Darren, sounds like another great day. Always fantastic to see how well you are received. It truly showers the power of Non-League football. Fantastic. Darren pinged me earlier to ensure I recognised Kempston’s chairman. “I first met the Kempston chairman Steve Brookes yesterday whilst he was operating a turnstile . Another top bloke, who supplied everything I needed with a smile although he was clearly gutted at the end of the day with the result.” Hope it’s the beginning of a new era for all. It’s not a crime to go down, it’s a crime to stay down, Mr Brookes. Good luck. Tuttle?!? Yes, the former Spurs, Millwall, Palace player. Wondered where he was.

Sadly FC Deportivo Galicia did not have a game yesterday but the other results pretty much worked in our favour so that’s a boost as we go off to London Colney on Tuesday. Promotion via the playoffs is still on the cards whilst the home team are fighting to stay in the division. It will be a new ground for me but my enthusiasm is tempered in the knowledge that it is in the middle of nowhere somewhere near St Albans so it’s looking like a midnight return. Let’s see!

How can you help the club? Well, please kindly remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for my local club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in with just £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity could continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can. If you can’t please consider sharing this site on Twitter/FB or wherever and if you want me to feature your club, kit, team etc just ping me. Thanks in advance.

I thought it was time to remind everybody why I am doing this digital tuktuk tour. It is a twofold objective. To raise money and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK and FC Deportivo Galicia.

So, rather than me try to explain, I am copying an email I got from them today.

“Hi Steve,

Without your support, we simply couldn’t continue to give men and their families affected by prostate cancer the information and support they need. The sad truth is, every ten minutes at least one man is diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK.  

A prostate cancer diagnosis can be daunting. Men are often bombarded with information and asked to make difficult, life-changing decisions.  

Our Specialist Nurses work hard to empower those who get in touch by providing all the free, unbiased, confidential support they need to make confident choices for themselves.  

£20 could fund one of our Specialist Nurses for one hour. Will you help give men and their loved ones the power, the support and the information they need to navigate prostate cancer?

YES, I’LL HELP

Last year, our in-house team of expert Specialist Nurses were there for men and their families almost 14,000 times, giving people the time they needed to talk and ask questions.

‘I would never have got through this. But perhaps more importantly, my wife, my daughters would not have got through it without Prostate Cancer UK and the Specialist Nursing team.’ Gary Davis, Prostate Cancer UK Supporter

If you can spare just £20, our team could be there for men and their loved ones after a prostate cancer diagnosis and through whatever comes next.

Please donate today so that we can listen, answer questions and support people trying to navigate prostate cancer.

Thank you.”

Chiara De Biase
Director of Support & Influencing
Prostate Cancer UK

P.S. If you or your loved one are concerned about prostate cancer or a prostate problem, we’re here for you. Talk through any questions or concerns with our Specialist Nurses over the phone, email or our online chat.

Survey

Many of you will remember Christian Obray’s Overview of the Rise and Rise of Non-League Football.
Here it is again.

Blackburn Rovers’ fan, Aidan Wilson recently added a survey to his final university thesis and a lot of you were kind enough to help him. Today it is the turn of Adam Kelly a Sheffield United fan at Sheffield University who again has a survey on why fans are leaving the top four divisions for Non-League Football. Or are they?

Attendances recently released by Statista show that 19 out of 20 clubs are running at 95% and several are 99%+ sold-out! As of March 20, 2024, Manchester United had the highest average attendance in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, attracting crowds of around 73,523 to Old Trafford. Meanwhile, city rivals and Premier League champions Manchester City had an average attendance of 53,194. Sheffield United were over 30,000 but hover around 95% capacity. Impressive, though, for a club having such a disappointing season! Sorry, Adam!

Anyway, please help Adam out and complete his short and interesting survey here

A study exploring the rise in attendances in English non-league football. Participant Information 

This research aims to explore fan consumption of non-league football and the rise in attendances. Your participation in this study is voluntary; you can withdraw from the study up to two weeks after data collection and you can decide not to answer a particular question should you wish. Please see the link below for information on the study in full: participant information sheet

Now a plea:

Kindly remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for my local club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in with just £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity could continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

It’s just a rant really. Already clubs are “launching” their 2024/2025 kits. Many do not even know what division they will be playing in BUT are nevertheless charging TOP DOLLAR. That’s “bad.” What is worse in my opinion is the prevalence of third and even fourth kits ….and what is WORST is the new phenomenon of special kits for one off matches sometimes with no names or for fairly arbitrary causes. It seems to me that in most cases they are there SOLELY to take money out of fans’ pockets. I suppose grammatically-speaking there is nothing worse than “worst” so I will simply say “even worse” is the case of goalkeepers’ European second kits! (Obviously, sarcasm alert, the dedicated fan will be expected to lay out for both a short-sleeve and a long-sleeve version of a shirt that may never ever be worn in mortal combat!) Juggling those prices in my head is that TEN keepers’ shirts at an average price of well over £50 each? If you want the outfield shirts, you can be looking at £1000 (sic) per season! Let’s not even thinking about having fan-issue and player-issue versions. £2000, here we come! If we add socks, shorts, pre-match tops etc etc can Manchester United or Barcelona hit £3000? I bet some clubs are praying they get drawn away in Norway where no betting logos are allowed so will we see a “Goalkeeper Europa League Away Shirt Special Edition No Logo shirt?” These clubs will no doubt expect their loyal fans to fork out another £50+ for a replica that would only have been worn once!

…and then the season ends, clubs are left with hundreds or thousands of shirts that they are forced to sell off at prices nearer a genuine value. So, no, I am not showing you Real Madrid’s or Arsenal’s £100+ 24/25 “new” shirts but here’s Wolves’ away shirt at a reasonable £18. It is available in the club shop on the official Wolverhampton Wanderers’ website

It would be wrong not to congratulate Wolves on an excellent season in the Premier League. As I write this they sit tenth and I think most people will consider that an over-performance. They are free of relegation fears, have an excellent young manager in Gary O’Neil and, in fact, have a chance of a European place! Not bad for a team that many wrote off in August! I have always had a soft spot for Wolves and ever since I got a fantastic guided tour of the ground by Mel Eaves back in 2010 I have looked out for their results. To be honest he was a legend (at Gillingham too!) before the launch of You Tube but here he is gracing the airwaves in the way he died the penalty box.

Picture © Matty 723

Marcus Cunha

Now a plea:

“I am not asking £100 for a Goalkeeper Europa League Away Shirt Special Edition No Logo shirt. I am not even asking £18 for a Wolves away at 70% off. I am asking for £1”

Yes, kindly remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for my local club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in with just £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity could continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can.