You know it’s Christmas time when the darts is on the telly! 🎄🎯

Not being one to tempt fate, but at Christmas the @Arsenal are top of the Premier League 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, top of the Champions League 🇪🇺, and are now through to the semi-finals of the League Cup 🏆. Sure what could possibly go wrong?! 🤪 #COYG ⚽️ #Arsenal 🇵🇪

Ich wünsche allen meinen deutschsprachigen Freunden ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und ein glückliches neues Jahr! Vielleicht sehen wir uns ja bei der Weltmeisterschaft 2026 in Mexiko?! ⚽️ 🍻 🥳 🇩🇪🎄🍷 🇦🇹 🎉 🔔🇨🇭🫕 ❄️🎅🏼🇲🇽

Watched this classic starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy tonight as my wife had never seen it. It’s amazing how the technology that seemed so cutting-edge at the time, now seems quaint and antiquated. #WarGames WARGAMES (1983) | Official Trailer | MGM youtu.be/TQUsLAAZuhU?... via @YouTube

#MD15 in #FBL 🇩🇪 and a small red arrow. Wrong formation again alas. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD15 pts: 2,736 🧮 Total pts: 44,405 🔎 Previous Rank: 101 ♻️ New Rank: 121 📉 Drop of 20 spots 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €193.95M 🏦 ITB €47.37M‼️ 💹 Total €241.32M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-3-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

It may only be lunchtime here in Guadalajara 🇲🇽, but it’s derby-day, and beer o’clock in Dublin 🇮🇪, and that’s good enough for me! Sláinte! 🍻 #LaighinAbú! 💙 #AllezLesBleus! 🧢 #LEIvULS 🏉 #LeinsterRugby

#MD15 in #FBL 🇩🇪. Can I finally break into the 🔝💯⁉️ 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD14 pts: 3,162 🧮 Total pts: 41,669 🔎 Previous Rank: 173 ♻️ New Rank: 101 👀 📈 Rise of 72 spots 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €193.95M 🏦 ITB €47.09M‼️ 💹 Total €241.04M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-3-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

77 pts in #GW16 of #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Glad that the gamble of captaining Fernandes paid off as he matched Håland’s 13-point haul and got a green arrow. ♻️ Still hovering outside the 1M mark though at 1,087,552 OR 🌍

Formation aside, it was a good #MD14 in #FBL 🇩🇪 But I would’ve had 142 more pts on a 3-4-3 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD13 pts: 3,162 🧮 Total pts: 41,669 🔎 Previous Rank: 173 ♻️ New Rank: 💯 📈 Rise of 73 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €232.22M 🏦 ITB €0.59M 💹 Total €232.81M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-3-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

#MD14 in #FBL 🇩🇪 and only two weeks to go till “die Winterpause”. Daumen halten! 🤞🏼 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD13 pts: 3,274 🧮 Total pts: 38,507 🔎 Previous Rank: 116 ♻️ New Rank: 173 📉 Drop of 57 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €232.22M 🏦 ITB €0.31M 💹 Total €232.53M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-3-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

Christmas hasn’t truly begun till you sit down and watch “Love Actually”. It takes a lot to beat “It’s A Wonderful Life” (1946), but this 2003 classic does it in spades. Top 20 Greatest Moments from Love Actually | 20th Anniversary | RomComs youtu.be/AgrFGATOcjk?... via @YouTube

#MD13 in #FBL 🇩🇪 and a small red arrow. It could have been a lot worse though. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD12 pts: 3,245 🧮 Total pts: 38,478 🔎 Previous Rank: 116 ♻️ New Rank: 171 📉 Drop of 55 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €218.31M 🏦 ITB €4.54M 💹 Total €222.85M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

#MD13 in #FBL 🇩🇪 and toying with going without Kane for another week. 🎲 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD12 pts: 2,811 🧮 Total pts: 35,233 🔎 Previous Rank: 200 ♻️ New Rank: 116 📈 Rise of 84 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €222.38M 🏦 ITB €0.3M 💹 Total €222.41M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

Morals over myopia. Principles over profit. Integrity over ignorance. 👏🏼 Maith thú, a Éirinn! 🇮🇪 Goed gedaan, Nederland! 🇳🇱 Bravo, Slovenija! 🇸🇮 ¡Bien hecho, España! 🇪🇸 Will Iceland 🇮🇸 and Belgium 🇧🇪 follow through on their big talk to force the EBU’s hand? #Eurovision 🎙️ #ESC 🇪🇺

74 pts in #GW14 of #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 which is decent and gives me another green arrow. ♻️ But it could have been an epic game week, and I could have joined the 💯 club, had I not benched my Palace defensive assets. Remind me to never not start Muñoz (14 pts) and Guehi (14 pts) again. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I’ve watched the #ESC since 1978, and every May since 2021, I’ve thrown a #Eurovision watch-a-long #EuroParty in Guadalajara. We’ve had friends from 🇮🇪 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇫🇮 🇦🇺 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇧🇷 join us, and each year it has gotten bigger. In 2026, alas, there won’t be a party. 💔 The #EBU has no spine or morals. #Boycott

If true, this alas is the end of an era for the #EurovisionSongContest. I fully expect more countries to follow these 5. This is a crisis that the #EBU could easily have avoided by letting Israel’s continuing participation in #Eurovision go to an open democratic vote. A damn shame. #ESC

I used up two of my four free transfers for #GW14 of #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 We’ll be getting five free transfers in #GW16 for AFCON, so before then we might as well all use up any transfers that we have accumulated. Had a small green arrow on my Free Hit, but still struggling to break into the top 1M.

I bounced back in #MD12 of #FBL 🇩🇪. It’s a challenge to break into the top 💯 though. 😮‍💨 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD12 pts: 2,811 🧮 Total pts: 35,233 🔎 Previous Rank: 200 ♻️ New Rank: 116 📈 Rise of 84 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €216.15M 🏦 ITB €1.1M 💹 Total €217.25M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

#FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #FPLCommunity ⚽️

Made some last-minute changes to my #FreeHit team for #GW13 in #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Out: Saka and Foden In: Salah and Doku Total budget spent. It might will be the last time that I ever own Mo Salah. 🎲 #FPLCommunity

MD11 No Grimaldo. MD12 No Kane. 😱 Once more unto the breach! ⚔️ #MD12 in #FBL 🇩🇪 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD12 pts: 3,742 🧮 Total pts: 32,422 🔎 Previous Rank: 174 ♻️ New Rank: 200 📉 Fall of 26 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €216.15M 🏦 ITB €0.82M 💹 Total €216.97M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

Looking at the following line-up on a Free Hit for #GW13 of #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Triple Villa, Brentford, and Manchester City, and also putting my trust in the in-form Arsenal midfield, despite the tricky fixture vs Chelsea. 🌍 Current Rank: 1.38M 🏦 ITB: £0.3M May your arrows be green! ♻️

This is what Michael Olise of Bayern Munich got in #FBL 🇩🇪 yesterday. The first ever player to break the 1,000-point mark. As “must have” a player in #BLFantasy ⚽️ as there can possibly be. 🔥

Playing my #FreeHit chip in #GW13 of #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Stocking up on players from Aston Villa, Man. City, and Brentford, and moving my focus from the Arsenal defence to midfield. 💰 FH Team Value £103.8M 🏦 ITB £0.0M

#MD12 in #FBL 🇩🇪 aka The Michael Olise Show. He alone scored 1,245 pts! 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD11 pts: 3,389 🔢 MD12 pts: 3,742 🧮 Total pts: 32,422 🔎 Previous Rank: 174 ♻️ New Rank: 200 📉 Fall of 26 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €216.14M 🏦 ITB €0.61M 💹 Total €216.75M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

No question about what the biggest rugby game is this weekend. ☘️ #IRLvRSA 🇿🇦 Ireland have won six of our last eight games against the #Springboks, which is a remarkable record given how strong the Saffas are. Any chance we could make it seven from nine? Éire abú! 💪🏼

Just the one transfer for me in #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 this week, doubling-up on the Manchester United midfield. And that also brought me £1.1M ITB. 🏦 ⚠️ The number of yellow flags in my team has also dropped from four to two, so I now have the bench to cover any player omissions. Good luck, all! 🤞🏼

Cometh the hour, cometh the parrot! What an unlikely comeback at the death in Budapest. The best last-minute Irish goal since Robbie Keane netted vs Germany in Japan 2002. 🦜 ⚽️ 🦜 ⚽️ 🦜 ⚽️ #HUNvIRL 🇭🇺 🇮🇪

Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s no craic to be had on rugby weekends in Guadalajara! 🇲🇽 🏉 🇦🇺 🍻 🇮🇪 ☘️ #IRLvAUS 🦘

Well, it’s already evening time in Dublin! Pre-match pints with the brother-in-law! 🍻 ☘️ 🇮🇪 #IRLvAUS 🏉 🇦🇺 🦘

After having overcome Namibia 🇳🇦 22-15 earlier this week, Belgium 🇧🇪 today defeated Brazil 🇧🇷 30-27. One final hurdle awaits on Tuesday in the giant shape of Samoa. 🇼🇸 Win, and the Black Devils will qualify for Australia 27, their first ever RWC. Vooruit, de Zwarte Duivels! Allez les diables noirs! 🖤😈

#IRLPOR ⚽️ #IRLvPOR

Guirassy and Baumgartner let me down in #MD10 of #FBL 🇩🇪 But otherwise halved my rank. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD10 pts: 3,389 🧮 Total pts: 28,680 🔎 Previous Rank: 365 ♻️ New Rank: 174 📈 Rise of 191 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €208.92M 🏦 ITB €1.13M 💹 Total €210.05M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 3-4-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

I am going to enjoy this one. France 🐓 vs the Springboks 🇿🇦 live from the Stade de France in Paris. #AllezLesBleus! 🇫🇷 #FRAvRSA 🏉

Here are my 5 transfers for #MD10 in #FBL 🇩🇪 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD9 pts: 1,678 🧮 Total pts: 25,291 🔎 Previous Rank: 310 ♻️ New Rank: 365 📉 Drop of 55 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €200.91M 🏦 ITB €0.85M 💹 Total €201.76M 🔄 5 Free Transfers 🛗 3-4-3 #BLFantasy ⚽️

Well, that’s Saturday morning sorted so! No doubt that the biggie is France 🐓 vs South Africa 🇿🇦 in Paris. Allez les Bleus! 🇫🇷

Another red arrow after #MD9 in #FBL 🇩🇪. BVB and Bayern let me down alas. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD9 pts: 1,624 🧮 Total pts: 25,237 🔎 Previous Rank: 310 ♻️ New Rank: 374 📉 Drop of 64 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €197.08M 🏦 ITB €1.06M 💹 Total €198.13M 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

Being interviewed by Tim Cocker from #EggchasersRugby 🥚 🏃🏻 or me “being a media tart” as my mate, Brian Cregan, would say!

That’s Limerick Citaaaay! ☘️🍻🖤 🏉 #IRLvNZ

The first pint of plain of the day. Unlikely to be the last. #IRLvNZ ☘️🖤🍻 #Guinness #Chicago #CelticCrossingsPub

It’s game day! Time to put my drinking cap on! 🍻☘️ #IRLvNZ 🌿🏉 #Chicago 🏙️

Cold? 🥶 The Riverboat Architecture tour? Not at all. As my hat says, it was “Bleedin’ Baltic!” 🧊

Greetings from the 94th floor! 🥂 #Chicago360

Here’s my mob for #MD9 in #FBL 🇩🇪. Going big on BVB! 💛 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD8 pts: 2,726 🧮 Total pts: 23,613 🔎 Previous Rank: 253 ♻️ New Rank: 310 📉 Drop of 57 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €197.08 🏦 ITB €0.89 💹 Total €197.97 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️ Daumen halten! 👍🏼 Good luck! 🤞🏼

Heading up north to join these fellas! ☘️ #IRLvNZ 🌿 🏉 @irishrugby.bsky.social 🇮🇪 @allblacksnz.bsky.social 🇳🇿

#MD8 in #FBL 🇩🇪 was going well until two VfB midfielders were benched. Small red arrow. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD8 pts: 2,726 🧮 Total pts: 23,613 🔎 Previous Rank: 253 ♻️ New Rank: 310 📉 Drop of 57 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €197.75 🏦 ITB €0.15M 💹 Total €197.90 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

I reached the magical five free transfers in #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 having only made three in total so far this season. Hell, I might even go crazy this week and make two! 🤪 #FPLCommunity

Here’s my mob for #MD8 in #FBL 🇩🇪. The doubts about Olise starting have allowed me a strong XV. 👜 Handbags & Gladbachs 🔢 MD7 pts: 3,312 🧮 Total pts: 20,887 🔎 Previous Rank: 251 ♻️ New Rank: 253 📉 Drop of 2 🌍 Active Players: 80K+ 💰 Value €192.47 🏦 ITB €0 💹 Total €192.47 🔄 5 FTs 🛗 4-4-2 #BLFantasy ⚽️

74 pts for #GW8 and my seventh green arrow in-a-row in #FPL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 I could really have done with those 17 pts for Mateta that are stuck on my bench though. They would’ve gotten me into the top 1M. I’ve four free transfers this Game Week. Might roll again to get up to the elusive five. #FPLCommunity ♻️