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More Miles for More Smiles

It was an absolute pleasure, honour and privilege to meet up with the guys from Miles for Smiles this week. Take a bow Callum Worker, Jordan Packer, Joe Elkin and their support driver, “Wardy.”

You will remember that they are walking from Liverpool to London and back to the Midlands to raise money for the Me&Dee charity appeal (see below.)

I walked with them from Park Royal to Wembley. That was perhaps two miles and the furthest and fastest I have walked in almost two years since my cardiac arrest. It put me in bed for almost 48 hours….these heroes had a mere 400 miles to do! Gentleman, thanks for everything you have done. You have raised an incredible amount of money for a magnificent cause. You have also restored my faith in the human race. What with Covid deniers, Brexiteers and Johnson apologists, the world can seem a dark place at times. You have proved that there are good people out there too. Thank you.

From Wembley, they had another five days of walking via Watford, Luton, Northampton and Leicester. Big shout to all the clubs along the way and an extra trumpet call for Leicester City who really rolled out the Red (Blue?) Carpet for the team. At the King Stadium they were joined from a group from Me&Dee and “allowed” to walk an extra lap of the pitch!!!!

The boys have done everything they set out to do and more and they deserve our total respect. Obviously, they could not have raised £40,000 without the help of the sponsors. It is invidious to name anybody as a £500 donation from a multinational business might hurt the company less than the £10 sent from a pensioner’s savings. I wish to thank you all and I know that everybody involved with the event would also like to thank you sincerely. Every £1 made the next painful step a little easier. Every good wish on Facebook (and there have been hundreds) made the next mile a little shorter.

Congratulations to everybody and if you have not made a donation, please do so here. There IS still time.

Me&Dee

We are a Derby based charity that provide holidays in our lodge that is located in Sherwood Forest. We give memory making holidays for adults and children who face a life changing, life shortening or terminal conditions. By donating, you have become a memory maker, thank you for supporting us.

Charity Registration No. 1146147

I was excited to read about Callum and his friends yesterday. They were off to see Macclesfield Town play. Nothing special about that except they were walking there from Liverpool!!

Read on, dear readers!

So, Callum and his friends Joe, and Jordan are WALKING 440 miles to visit 33 football clubs over just 16 days. Impressive! Hugely impressive! I reached out to them on Facebook and soon got a bit more of the story.

They say, “When time is precious for families who find themselves facing a life changing, life shortening or a terminal condition me&dee provide a break in our lodge for them to create precious memories to hold forever. By making your donation you help me&dee deliver something that means the world to both adults and children, ensuring that the environment and the experience they have somewhere to cherish, love and remember. Thank you for your support, as a self funding local charity we depend on donations from people who believe in the work we do.”

How can you help? Well, the good news is that everybody can help. A very practical way is too share their story (see below). Secondly, you are welcome to walk with them as they pass your area. You can check where they are on their Facebook page in real time. If you can’t do that, you can walk one mile anywhere in the world and donate £1. Obviously, if you are able, you are welcome to donate more but just a few thousand people donating £1 would make a massive difference. If you are a business, they have sponsorship offers and I will additionally highlight you on any of my sites too. You can contact them via Facebook or Twitter.

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About the charity

Me&Dee

We are a Derby based charity that provide holidays in our lodge that is located in Sherwood Forest. We give memory making holidays for adults and children who face a life changing, life shortening or terminal conditions. By donating, you have become a memory maker, thank you for supporting us.

Charity Registration No. 1146147

Donation summary

As of 14 August 2022 17.00

Total raised £32,054.00 (+ £6,285.50 Gift Aid)
Online donations £28,362.00 Offline donations £3,692.00

Supporters to date 224

• Julie slater7 minutes agoAmazing guys for a well worthy charity x£30.00
• Anonymous9 minutes ago£10.00 + £2.50 Gift Aid
• Jo Duma19 minutes agoDoing amazing!£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid
• Tats family33 minutes agoFantastic effort£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid
• Hayley Lees44 minutes agoWell done guys! Keep going xxx£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid

Show more supporters Give Now

Portobello FC

I was delighted to find a new club local to me this week. I was even more delighted to see their unique shirts. The boys at Portobello Football Club were kind enough to send me some details of the club and its ethos. I wish them well.

“Portobello Football Club is a hyper-local football club representing the world-famous Portobello Road and the local community in Notting Hill and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Kicking off this season (22/23), Portobello FC aims to challenge the status quo and to become one of the most exciting projects in non-League football by embracing the colourful and creative nature of the community.

The area is known across the world for the Portobello Road Market, the Notting Hill Carnival, and the film ‘Notting Hill’ starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts! Popular with tourists, it was also the stomping ground for the iconic punk-rock band The Clash as well as the British reggae group Aswad!

Working with American sportswear brand Icarus, Portobello FC have been able to produce an eye-catching collection of kits that are far from boring and have sold across the world. Portobello FC have also collaborated with London-based street artist FacesOrFaces to produce a limited edition, graffiti-style football kit!

Behind the Badge: The peacock, a symbol of pride, integrity, and beauty. A bird as colourful as Portobello Road, a nod to the Notting Hill Carnival, and a promise to play the beautiful game the way it is supposed to be played. The crown, a symbol to represent the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea – our wider community.

The club will be competing in the Middlesex County Football League at the very bottom of the English Football pyramid.”

I wish them every success in the seasons ahead. If Dorking Wanderers can do it ………

Get in touch with the club via their website or via Twitter

I was disappointed to learn that Luton Town legend Mick Harford had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was equally pleased to see that all at the club are supporting him and all others who have the disease. Great respect to all at Kenilworth Road.

March The Month for men like Mick.

The football season is almost underway, with debates about who’ll be crowned champions in full flow. But there’s one thing every football fan can agree on – too many of our men are dying of prostate cancer. And that’s why everyone can March The Month this September. No matter who you support.

Last year we saw fans across the UK take part in Prostate United, the monthly running and cycling challenge. Staff from teams like Leeds United, Wolves and Everton made up the miles together each day and have so far raised more than £100,000. Luton Town boasted the biggest squad – including manager Nathan Jones – running every day to support assistant boss and club legend Mick Harford, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. 


“I’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support and this gesture from the staff at the football club is amazing,” Mick

This September we have a challenge for football fans everywhere – walk 11,000 steps a day for 11,000 dads, partners, grandads, sons, brothers, uncles and mates who die from prostate cancer every year.

Do it alone, with family, a team, or your mates from 5-a-side, and you’ll join a dedicated community of marchers who’ll support and inspire you along the way. You’ll never march alone.

SIGN UP TO MARCH THE MONTH

BRENTFORD’S SECOND KIT REVEALED FOR 22/23 & 23/24 SEASONS

• Influenced by the popular kits of the 1980s and early 1990s, and featuring the castle crest, Brentford’s new Umbro strip is on sale in-store
  

In all honesty, I am proud of Brentford doing the right things by fans. Far too many clubs issuing 3,4,5,6 shirts per season nowadays (“Goalkeeper’s third shirt Champions League short-sleeve Version” etc) 

“With our fans behind us, we are never away from home.” The words of Thomas Frank which have helped inspire Brentford’s new Umbro second jersey for 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.

The new kit has been revealed today and will go on sale in the Bees Superstore on Saturday 23 July, 9am. The light blue design, reminiscent of our away kits from the eighties and early nineties, feature an embroidered castle crest and will be the second kit in as many years which will be rolled over for two seasons.

The castle crest was introduced in 1975 as a celebration of ‘the fortress’ Griffin Park, when, in the 1929/30 season, the Club went on a record-breaking run of 21 home wins and was used by the Club for 18 seasons between 1975/76 and 1992/93. It has been reintroduced to the new kit for this two-year cycle, representing the fortress which our fans help us to build away from home. 

With its stylish design and comfort, we believe it will please the fans as much off the pitch as it will the players on it. It also features ribbed cuffs and collar, signed off on the inside with ‘Bee Together’, our message of inclusivity and our Bee symbol printed on the neck.

Jon Varney, Chief Executive of Brentford FC, said: “The castle badge holds a special place in many of our fans’ hearts and this kit gives us the chance to celebrate a period in our history while acknowledging the impact that our fans’ support gives Thomas and the team, particularly away from home.

“We took the unusual decision last season to roll our home kit over for two seasons, offering more value to our fans and helping to reduce our carbon impact by extending the kit’s lifespan. The feedback from our supporters, and beyond, was overwhelmingly positive so we’ve decided to take the same approach for the new second kit.

“We know we have more to do to step up our sustainability efforts across the Club but we feel that this simple step will encourage others to think differently and consider other ways to reduce their own impact on the planet.”

Adult shirts will be priced at £52 and £40 for juniors. This marginal increase (£3 for adults, £2 for juniors), in comparison with last season’s prices, is due to unavoidable supplier cost increases. In comparison with other Premier League teams’ shirt prices, and with it having a two-season lifespan, it will be one of the best value shirts in the league.

Prices of the home shirts, rolled over from last season, remain at £49 for adults and £38 for juniors.

The new second kit will be in action at both the VfL Wolfsburg and Real Betis matches on 23 and 30 July respectively.

Fans should note that, based on current sponsor contracts and possible regulatory changes, the sponsors on the kit may be subject to change for season 2023/24.

Utilita’s branding will continue to feature on the Brentford FC Women’s First Team, Women’s B Team and Academy match kits, along with all junior replica kits for this season.

Fans will be able to purchase the new second kits exclusively in the Bees Superstore in-store on Saturday 23 July (9am-6pm) and on Sunday 24 July (10am-4pm) with sales opening via our official online Bees store at 10am on Monday 25 July.

I got a lovely email from a neighbour today. Jonathan Burchill confirms that his book about Griffin Park
is now in print. He says, “Brentford FC played its last game at Griffin Park in 2020. As a fan of 40+ years I decided to research and record its history in a book called “A Pub On Each Corner” – a fact the ground was famous for.

But rather than the football taking centre stage (of course that’s included), all the other “little” stories of events which happened at Griffin Park have equal mention. Whether it’s which order the floodlights went up, the different adverts on the roof (which could be seen on Heathrow’s flightpath), the developments plans which never happened, a tap-dancing record, the potential moves away, the first club shop or even the theft of some pears from the manager’s office – it’s all been recorded.

Going through the 116 years the book also tends to reflects the social history of the time – strikes, inflation, government restrictions on crowd size, etc. History does tend to repeat itself!

Although it’s about Griffin Park, I’m sure supporters of other clubs will relate to many of the stories.”

The publishers add:

“From 1904 to 2020, Griffin Park was the iconic, idiosyncratic, and much-loved home of Brentford FC.

For 116 years, and deriving its name from the symbol of a brewery that owned the orchard before the stadium, Griffin Park witnessed highs and lows and much in-between, hosting over 2,800 football matches and numerous other occasions. One of a kind, it was the only English football stadium that had a pub on each corner.

In this fascinating book, lifelong Bees fan Jonathan Burchill draws from contemporaneous resources to present a unique history of Brentford through season-by-season reviews of the events at Griffin Park. Recounting stories and statistics from both on and off the pitch – from fires to floodlights, from abandoned redevelopment plans to multiple missed penalties – Jonathan weaves an extended, fascinating insight not just into this remarkable West London football club but into the social history affecting those connected with it for over a century.

As the Bees settle into their new home at Brentford Community Stadium in the Premier League, A Pub On Each Corner provides a comprehensive and insightful account into their time at Griffin Park, and is a must-read for any Brentford fan, old or new!”

This book is also available for purchase at the Bees Superstore.“

It’s available from the publisher (click), Amazon, WHSmith, etc

Football fans are uniting to walk a marathon this September and raising money to help beat the most common cancer in men. We want you on our team! Join a Football March and experience a unique marathon walk, which starts, finishes and passes through some incredible football clubs along the way. Meet like-minded supporters with inspiring stories, join them on this 26.2 mile walking challenge and raise money to help fund lifesaving prostate cancer research.

Sign up before Monday 18 July using code EARLYFOT2022 and you’ll get £5 off the £35 registration fee. Don’t forget to share this code with your mates and take on the challenge as a team.

SIGN UP NOW

Where are we marching? Choose from one of four epic locations:  Greater Manchester – Thursday 22 September 2022 Starting at Altrincham FC, Altrincham.  South Coast – Friday 23 September 2022 Starting at Fratton Park, Portsmouth.  West Midlands – Saturday 24 September 2022 Starting at St. Andrew’s, Birmingham.  London – Sunday 25 September 2022 Starting at AFC Wimbledon, London. Can’t see a location or date that works for you? If you can’t see a location or date that works for you, or if you’d be more comfortable marching on your own or in a smaller group, then why not organise your own Football March in your local area.

By taking part in a Football March and raising money, whether you are coming to one of our organised events or are organising your own, you’ll be helping to fund lifesaving research into earlier prostate cancer diagnosis, better treatment and essential support services. So bring your mates, visit iconic football stadiums and help save men’s lives.

JOIN A FOOTBALL MARCH

Thank you all for your support. We can’t wait to see you at a Football March in September. If you have any questions, please email us or call on 0203 310 7034. Rosie & Matt  Football March Team  Men, we are with you

The press? Pundits? Nowt but pretenders, mate.

Feeling like football fans weren’t being served by the media, die-hard Weavers fan Normzy – a man with a penchant for chatting foul-mouthed madness – created the fan TV channel ‘Weaver Pitch TV’ with his best mate, Ebz.

After years of them posting videos to tumbleweed receptions whilst following their team in the lower leagues, the Weavers have hit the big time and the duo’s channel has too.

Viewers. Notoriety. Fan TV groupies. Normzy wants it all. And now he has a taste of it, is there anything he won’t say or anybody he won’t p*ss off to get it?

Weaver Pitch TV is a wild, tasteless joyride through the trials and tribulations of a football fan TV legend in the making; not to be undertaken by those with an easily-offended disposition.

Read a free preview or get your copy here 

Football: Designing the Beautiful Game
8 April – 29 August 2022 at the Design Museum, London

Designing Football

@DesignMuseum

In the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, the Design Museum presents the first
major exhibition on the design of the world’s most popular sport, football.
Paying homage to a game with unparalleled cultural significance, the exhibition
will reveal how human creativity has pushed the game to its technical and
emotional limits.

Over 500 historical objects which tell the stories of everything from club
legacies and team badges to the world’s most significant stadiums and
innovative kit used to perfect performance.

The exhibition includes objects from game legends such as Edson Arantes do
Nascimento (Pelé), Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, Roberto
Baggio, George Best, Michelle Akers, Xavier (Xavi) Hernández Creus, Pernille
Harder and Geoff Hurst.

Kicking off on Friday 8 April 2022, the Design Museum’s exhibition Football:
Designing the Beautiful Game will showcase the ways in which design has
shaped the world’s most popular sport. Take a journey through more than
500 objects, films and interviews in sporting performance, kit development,
stadium design and more. Become immersed in defining moments from
football history, with star objects telling the stories of club legacies and game
legends including Pelé, Lionel Messi, George Best and Diego Maradona and
more.

Featuring the master-planning of the world’s most significant football
stadiums to the innovative materials used in today’s boots, the graphic
design of team badges and the grassroots initiatives pushing back against the
sport’s commercialisation, the exhibition offers an insight into the people and
processes that have made football what it is today.

Created in collaboration with the National Football Museum in Manchester,
this exhibition opens in the build-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The
exhibition is divided into five sections: Performance, Identity, Crowds,
Spectacle and Play. An immersive set design will draw out well-known
elements of stadium architecture from the player’s tunnel to the stands.
The journey begins by looking at performance through the lens of the design
and the production of football equipment over its 150-year history, including
efforts to devise new tools to allow teams to play longer, faster, and more
consistently. See how lightweight boots and aerodynamic balls have evolved
and the industry has developed shock-absorbent pitches and restorative
exercise routines. Packed with major objects such as the two footballs used in
the inaugural 1930 World Cup final and match-worn boots from George Best
and Lionel Messi, visitors will be given an insight into how design has helped
perfect the sport.

From street-corners to world-class stadia, football’s cultural significance is
unparalleled, creating meaningful communities, and uniting people across the
globe. In the section on identity, play back precious moments and connect
with football culture through fan-led memorabilia such as kits, posters,
programmes and more. As well as examining rare designs worn by legendary
players such as Pelé, Zinedine Zidane, and Diego Maradona, this section also
touches on the Hillsborough Disaster, including a Memorial Banner, designed
by survivor Peter Carney from 1989.

Relive the sensation of being part of a match day crowd through an
immersive stadium reconstruction in the Crowds section. Stadiums have a
detailed design process that considers sound, sightlines, and movement to
maximise the fan experience. Be guided through some of the most complex
stadiums from around the world, including landmark venues such as
Wembley, Stamford Bridge and San Siro, alongside future-facing projects from
leading industry figures like Herzog & de Meuron, Populous and Zaha Hadid
Architects.

In a year that also celebrates 150 years of The Football Association in the UK,
explore how tournaments and the media have transformed the game into the
world’s most popular spectator sport. See how the establishment of official
tournaments, television viewership and social media has allowed fans to
connect to the sport and turned football into a multi-billion pound industry.
Examine the oldest surviving FA Cup and a set of World Cup posters, while
archived radio clips transport you through sporting history.

The show ends by returning to what football is at its core: a chance to play.
Celebrating the freedom, creativity and imagination the game inspires, this final
section explores the different ways people engage with football beyond the pitch,
from collecting to gaming, fan ownership to community activism. Discover early
examples of tabletop games such as Blow Football and Subboteo, and video
games including the FIFA series, Football Manager and Sensible Soccer.
Throughout, hear a specially commissioned soundtrack by Coda to Coda, recording the
voices of fans and players from the highest tiers of professional football through to
grassroots level.

Eleanor Watson, Curator said:

“Football is a hugely significant industry across the world and it employs a vast
network of highly specialised professionals, with designers and architects
playing an important role in shaping the development of the sport for over 150
years. Football: Designing the Beautiful Game shines a spotlight on the role
that designers, architects and fans have played in the history of football, from
performances on the pitch to the atmosphere in the stands. It is the design
story behind the world’s most popular sport”

Families are invited to take part in a bespoke trail produced by Lima Studio, which
uses multi-sensory experiences to animate the exhibition’s content for children of
all ages. Design your own kit, build your own football stadium and more.
Football: Designing the Beautiful Game aims to promote plurality, diversity and
inclusion throughout. Everyday heroes of the sport will be celebrated, and visitors
will be encouraged to share their own views and visions for the future of football.
Football: Designing the Beautiful Game opens on Friday 8 April 2021
at the Design Museum. Tickets for the exhibition are available to book now

Fulham FC are back in the Premier League and to celebrate have a great sale on all the shirts from the Championship season 2021/2022. These are brand new shirts, brand new with tags in bags and start at just £10!! Rush to their official online shop to grab a bargain.