Christmas at last on Teesside 🎄

Lovely stuff, as per, from @danielgraywriter.bsky.social on an early christmas present for the Tynecastle faithful: www.nutmegfc.co.uk/p/the-slow-m...

'Hearts pursued them with the studied voraciousness of street pigeons hunting Greggs crumbs...' My latest Slow Match Report is up on Nutmeg FC now. Let me be your favourite waste of time⬇️ www.nutmegfc.co.uk/p/the-slow-m...

'Tynecastle was volcanic, berserk. Somewhere in Lapland, Santa opened another can...' 🗒️New Slow Match Report tomorrow. Our @danielgraywriter.bsky.social at Hearts v Rangers. ✍️Sign up to receive straight to your inbox in the morning: tiny.cc/swpw001

Very chuffed to have been asked to write about George Best's time at Hibs for this gorgeous item by @glorystudio.bsky.social

Thank you to everyone who has been listening to Upon A White Horse as Radio 4's Book of the Week. The final part is about Sycamore Gap and goes out at 11.45am today. It's also all available on BBC Sounds. I hope you enjoy it. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

'A corned beef man in a small plates world' is so #hmhb i'm already semi-singing it to two of their songs.

Dan's latest ⬇️

@danielgraywriter.bsky.social as ever setting the bar for football writing extremely high!

This match report is every bit as good as I hoped it would be

"Supporters walked towards the bulbous steel of the modernised Stadio Friuli, itself resembling foil scrunched round a giant focaccia." Such a great piece by @danielgraywriter.bsky.social which is by no means diminished by the no-show Scottish players.

'The goalkeeper looked forlorn, alone and baffled, a corned beef man in a small plates world...' 🇮🇹My @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social Slow Match Report from Italy is now up ⬇️ 🔗tiny.cc/kcjv001

Coming tomorrow: 🇮🇹 @danielgraywriter.bsky.social's Slow Match Report from Italy. ⚫️⚪️Udinese v 🔴🔵Bologna ✍️Sign up here to have it emailed direct: nutmegfc.co.uk

This sums up why so many people of 'a certain age' still love Italian football

It's Saturday morning, which means time for the kabaddi on Trans World Sport and then the sublime Gazzetta... A Slow Match Report preview ahead of my trip to Udinese v Bologna this afternoon: open.substack.com/pub/nutmegfo...

Wish I could make this - if you're in the vicinity go and hang.

It will possibly clash with Antiques Roadshow, but if you happen to be in Glasgow on November 16th, please do come along and listen to me and the marvellous @peteralanross.bsky.social talk Sundays at Aye Write: www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/sund...

The Dales in October, provoking involuntary humming of 'Autumn days when the grass is jewelled And the silk inside a chestnut shell...'

🚨 NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 Following Inshallah United, I am chuffed to bits to announce my second book - Assalam Alaikum, Our Kid! A story of being Muslim, Manc and mad for it in the new millennium Pre-oder with 25% off at @Waterstones using the code OCTOBER25: www.waterstones.com/book/assalam...

'Gannon-Doak on the left is a gift unopened and a toy kept in its box. It is a crime thriller missing its final page and bubble wrap un-popped...' 📝Get in the mood for this evening's game with @danielgraywriter.bsky.social superb Slow Match Report from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿v🇬🇷: open.substack.com/pub/nutmegfo...

Another lovely piece of writing from Leither @danielgraywriter.bsky.social - his evening out watching Scotland somehow beat Greece last Thursday.

Take a bow @danielgraywriter.bsky.social. The most lyrical, yet also the most accurate match report of the Scotland v Greece game that you will read.

“Gannon-Doak on the left is a gift unopened and a toy kept in its box. It is a crime thriller missing its final page and bubble wrap un-popped.” There is noone who does match reports like @danielgraywriter.bsky.social. Every line of this is genius.

'Steve Clarke span around with the weary, seen-it-all-before frustration of a man trying to download a large PDF on train Wi-Fi...' Latest Slow Match Report is now up ⬇️ www.nutmegfc.co.uk/p/the-slow-m...

Another excellent slow match report from @danielgraywriter.bsky.social - this time on last night’s jammy win www.nutmegfc.co.uk/p/the-slow-m...

Good people of Glossop! I am bringing The Haunted Generation show to your Labour Club on Saturday 25th October...

📝The latest Slow Match Report lands this afternoon. @d_gray_writer makes his international debut at Scotland v Greece and spends a lot of time thinking about the visiting manager's hair. Sign-up via the link in the post below to have it delivered direct to your inbox.

A lovely listen

🎵Football Songbook🎵 From Power Game to Pigbag via a flight to the moon, here's a lovely chat about Middlesbrough music I was part of on 5Live at the weekend. It starts at 34.30mins: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Outrageous appropriation of a West Country folk tune (Papa's Got A Brand-New Pigbag), but otherwise top work from the boy Gray.

Absolutely loved talking Middlesbrough music on the Football Songbook this morning. It starts at about 34.30mins here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Many thanks Daniel. I'm flattered. If people want to buy it, here's a link subscribe.bylinetimes.com/product/wtmg/

Just finished this beauty by @goldbergradio.bsky.social There's so much in here to make anyone who cares about football's soul angry, yet because it is so sharply written it is a thoroughly excellent, enjoyable read.

Should you happen to be in Manchester this evening between 7 and 8, please pop along and hear my chat with @beardedgenius.bsky.social. Best question wins a *pack of Aunt Bessie's Yorkshires. *Small. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/daniel-gra...

To mark publication of Upon A White Horse, a story for The Guardian about a quest to find an ancient stone where I was photographed as a boy. www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

Happy publication day @peteralanross.bsky.social Upon A White Horse is a celebration of landscape and people - and all that is beautiful, strange and old. Out now: linktr.ee/UponAWhiteHorse

It was lovely to revisit Ayresome Park for the new issue of @wsc.co.uk. The perfect article for helping cats get to sleep.

This seems very noisy for a Sunday, going on what last time was like. To read about peaceful Sundays, buy my etc etc...

FINAL (photographs from the death of a football ground) The last days of Bootham Crescent, 200pp A4 Landscape photobook with a foreword by @danielgraywriter.bsky.social Available to pre-order now at yorktonebooks.bigcartel.com #ycfc #football #photography #photobook

I was a 12 year old season ticket holder the last time we won the first four games in a row. My moods were dictated entirely by Boro results and all week I dreamed of Saturday. Nothing has changed, which is probably not good in some ways, but bloody hell: I love this club.

Hey @danielgraywriter.bsky.social you've made it to the subs bench for the Thistle. Surely a dream come true?

Work took me to Deepdale today. Had to leave just as they were unfurling matchday. I've always loved these. Ideal garden furniture. "PROGRAMMES! PROGRAMMES!"

First Slow Match Report of the New Season ⬇️

🚨 THE SLOW MATCH REPORT🚨 "Manure scents mingled with sickly vape aromas and kids shook buckets in aid of their Sunday team. Football was back, and back with a derby night sheen" 💥@danielgraywriter.bsky.social heads to the Fife derby for first Slow Match Report of season 👉 tinyurl.com/55myecv2

Our Dan's batting on through peril - at one point this summer it looked like he might have to resort to those mini Argos pens. ✍️Sign up for the Slow Match Report via Nutmeg FC: tinyurl.com/3mmtn7kt

Despite my local Ikea's hideous decision to axe free tiny pencils - my number one item of journalistic tech - I've found a supply. As such, I'm soldiering on, back in training and ready for another season of Slow Match Reports for @nutmegmagazine.bsky.social

I'm delighted to be appearing at the first ever Whitby Lit Fest. Please come and join me in my favourite town in England, on Saturday 8 November at 11am. whitbylitfest.org.uk/event/upon-a...

Friendlies may just be faint outlines of real matches, but man alive it's good to be seeing those shirts and singing those songs again. We have our Saturdays back.

🧢Falkirk fans, pick up your free Season Preview by Nutmeg at today's game v Spartans. Includes: -Interviews with John McGlynn, Jack Ross & Brian Graham -New season joys by Daniel Gray -Analysis of Premiership year ahead by Nick Harris -Gordon Waddell on Brockville -A look back at old programmes 👀⬇️

Looking for a summer read? What could whisper 'poolside' more than a gentle meander through some days of rest? Never mind the cocktails and lovely icy lagers, you'll be pining for gravy.