📚 My 🔝 non-fiction book of 2025 is @migueldelaney.bsky.social’s ‘States of Play’ 📚 And my 🔝 novel of 2025 is Yael Van Der Wouden’s ‘The Safe Keep’

I find I cannot get into this new Amadeus simply because it's not F Murray Abraham.

Football Supporters Europe: "Following significant pressure from supporters, FIFA has partially relented on its ticket price structuring. This shows that FIFA’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation" bsky.app/profile/migu...

Fifa starts climbdown on World Cup tickets, as $60 tier introduced - fan groups weren't consulted, though, and feel it's too low - complaints of "PR spin" as less than 2% of tickets affected with gap made up by waterbreak ads - plans to push for more www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Fifa climbdown was announced without any consultation with fan groups, who welcome some change but still feel it's way too low With England, there are 610 "top cappers" How do you say one pays £360 and the other pays £5200?

This is also all the more important amid the number of counterarguments going on about how "nothing will change", "this is just supply and demand, get used to it" Supporter mobilisation works bsky.app/profile/migu...

This actually quite a big climbdown - even if it's still a limited number of tickets available "In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Supporter Value Tier (40%) and the Supporter Entry Tier (10%)." bsky.app/profile/did:...

A Fifa climbdown? A new cheaper ticket tier has been introduced for qualified teams

Manchester United prepared to move on Semenyo in January, as Amorim admires him for tactical versatility, and how he can work as an attacking wing-back www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

The usually protected Accessibility tickets are appearing on Fifa's own 2026 resale site at more than SIX times face value As the Disability and Inclusion Fan Network of FSE write to Infantino asking does he still "feel disabled" as he claimed in Qatar www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

A @liberopodcast.bsky.social with @jackpittbrooke.bsky.social and @jonawils.bsky.social on the title race, "sleeping on City", and why Newcastle haven't done a City (it's not just PSR) Also CLASSIC debate on this claim Blackstock Road is one of the "coolest streets in the world" pod.fo/e/367494

They should have been allowed activate a "next goal wins" option at 4-4.

Giroud channelling Wooderson in Dazed and Confused here. He ain't moving quickly for nobody.

And there are options open to the FA and other federations a joint statement from the 10-15 biggest would be unprecedented dissent for Infantino and rattle him If not, why not use Fifa forward money to subsidise fan tickets www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Football officials insist that in the executive president world of Fifa/Uefa you have to keep your counsel to keep influence for fear of ostracisation but what's the point of that if you have no voice or influence when it matters - like with ticket prices www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Football's leaders gather in Doha this week It's time for the major federations - like the FA - to finally show a spine and use their immense power to take joint action on World Cup prices Anything else would be a political failure of their constituents www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

In my Monday newsletter: - why Arsenal feel they've had a performance wobble - what's actually happening with Maresca - the secret mindset of the title race - the case for Aston Villa Sign up here: www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Arsenal didn't just sit off there. They were very panicky around their own box again, like against Villa.

There's half an hour left and Arsenal are sort of snatching at half-chances. It's so different to even two weeks against Spurs and Bayern.

In inexplicably talking about his worst 48 hours at the club, Maresca has turned a routine Palmer-led win into 48 hours of drama and intrigue around Chelsea www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Moyes on the defeat: "Maybe a billion-pound difference, possibly."

Maresca makes an enigmatic comment about this being his worst 48 hours at the club due to "a lack of support" from "so many people", but doesn't really clarify.

Video piece on World Cup tickets One of the most baffling arguments I've found in this is people just saying "this is supply and demand" or pointing to US prices... when the response should surely be "why not try and get Fifa to make this better?" www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGIr...

2-0 Chelsea, Gusto, just when Everton were putting Chelsea under pressure.

Cole Palmer scores for Chelsea.

The World Cup tickets story sums up two major issues with modern football - one is the tension over whether it's just some commodity to be sold... or actually has more importance - how football power works: why aren't the FA speaking out for fans? www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Another element aggravating me about this discussion is the number of people with these "well, actually" justifications that treat football solely as if it is an entertainment commodity, which it isn't, and it's not Fifa's mission to treat it as such bsky.app/profile/migu...

Interview with Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane, as he talks about the obsessive amount of work he does in prep, "the fire" for coaching and how the one match he missed not playing in was Ireland's win over Hungary www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

In my Friday newsletter: how the Liverpool hierarchy work, how they’re seen, how there’s more to this than Slot www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Many national associations are furious about World Cup ticket prices, with some already five times higher than Qatar, as Football Supporters Europe calls for immediate halt with @jbraidwo www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Letting third-place teams through threatens to make the World Cup more like this CL, with more games of lower stakes But there's an easy solution: have the eight best group winners go straight through to the last 16, with a play-off round in between www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

The programme is being described by host city sources as “worst deal in World Cup history” - which Trump is a figurehead of Fifa sources say it’s new programme and they’re working through individual nuances bsky.app/profile/migu...

US host cities facing at least $250m shortfall due to new Fifa deal Fifa take virtually all WC revenue, and costs supposed to be covered by sponsors But cities can’t do big deals as, eg, convenience store Wawa cuts across Fifa deal with McDonald’s www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

The programme is being described by host city sources as “worst deal in World Cup history” - which Trump is a figurehead of Fifa sources say it’s new programme and they’re working through individual nuances bsky.app/profile/migu...

US host cities facing at least $250m shortfall due to new Fifa deal Fifa take virtually all WC revenue, and costs supposed to be covered by sponsors But cities can’t do big deals as, eg, convenience store Wawa cuts across Fifa deal with McDonald’s www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

And a video piece on Salah www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTzy...

New @liberopodcast.bsky.social with me, @brewin.bsky.social and @jonawils.bsky.social on the Salah situation and the bigger issue of big stars facing first issues pod.fo/e/3629f7

For all the complications to this story, the Salah situation comes down to a fairly simple equation We know what he is thinking - but what about the Liverpool hierarchy? There is aggravation about how this has been done but Slot is a pragmatist www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

It was argued that the new Liverpool/old Ferguson "smart" move would have been to let Salah go in the summer Situations like this are why A great star, a distinctive personality, and a classic case of a star struggling with a new reality www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

In my newsletter today: - the Salah crisis is basically why Ferguson took hard decisions on stars - specifically to prevent situations like this Also: - the huge Qs about Salah's motivation - Arsenal's wobble - Villa's chances Sign up here: www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...

Perhaps, after his new prize, Trump can be an intermediary between Salah and Liverpool

All times are eastern time - sorry, been a long 48 hours

England in Dallas, Boston and New Jersey

Scaloni: “Every day you are a world champion you feel younger”

Irish times as far as I can figure out (this could be wrong!) 4am on a Friday 5pm on a Thursday 3am on a Friday

Ireland and the UK nations that have been drawn with hosts and Brazil look like they've lost out on kick-off times due to need for them to be on local prime time taking precedence.

Scotland games 13 June, 9pm v Haiti, Boston 19 June, 6pm v Morocco, Boston 24 June, 6pm v Brazil, Miami All local times

Northern Ireland/Wales games if they get there: 12 June, 3pm v Canada, Toronto 18 June, 3pm v Switzerland, LA 24 June, 3pm v Qatar, Seattle

Ireland's potential games: 11 June, 10pm, v Korea in Guadalajara 18 June, 12pm v South Africa in Atlanta 24 June, 9pm, v Mexico in Mexico City (all local times)

Ireland will play Mexico in the Azteca in the final group match if they get there.