Earlier this week - all my ‘Crociati’ Parma tops together for the last time before one heads off to a new owner! One of these shirts is not like the others 🧐 #Parma ⚪️⚫️ 🟡🔵

Iwaki conceding in 2025 from opposition attackers cutting in from the left: a gallery

On Twitter, @kitnerduk.bsky.social has initiated #CancerHasNoColours. I'll do it on BlueSky as that's where I post these days. 8 days, 8 themes. Wear/share your best football shirt that fits the theme, spread the word and donate to Bradley Lowery Foundation: www.justgiving.com/campaigns/ch...

Iwaki FC don't score many from open play, but when we do they are almost inevitably screamers. Nelson Ishiwatari is some talent, and came up with the goods again today from outside the box to beat Omiya Ardija 2-1. Kaina Tanimura's last game before moving on to - seemingly - Yokohama F Marinos.

Kaina Tanimura confirmed as leaving Iwaki FC. Less than 24 hours after the news that captain and centre-back Ryo Endo will be out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Big fight for Iwaki to stay in J2 now.

Hunting for old Japanese shirts online is absolutely bloody exhausting. For every genuine one, you have to wade through fifty of these god-awful fakes 😑

I occasionally get a notification of a spike in traffic to this article, and am so chuffed to see this has found its way into videogame folklore. Even see folk on Facebook and Reddit talking in hushed tones about 'the original Master League team being Alfa Romeo employees' without linking to this 😅

Was updating my personal blog, and remembered the time ten years ago when I discovered that the Master League players in the original Pro Evolution Soccer were all mysteriously named after figures from Alfa Romeo's history. That was some rabbithole: thezerocar.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/a...

Hit the jackpot in a charity shop in Vienna last week. Picked this up knowing nothing about it because it looked funky. Did a bit of research back home, and learned it's a match-issue Venezia goalkeeper top from the 1992-93 Serie B season, issued to substitute keeper Roberto Menghini (not pictured)!

Iwaki FC: POSITIVES ✅ Six games unbeaten ✅ Naoki Kumata on the goal trail ✅ Another game where we scored NEGATIVES ❌ One clean sheet in fifteen (15) league games ❌ Another game not scoring from open play #IwakiFC #いわきFC

NEW POD RELEASE (GENERAL) ICYMI, a new JTET episode is now live on the free @jtalkpod.bsky.social PodBean feed! This show features a full report on J2 Round 11 from James, while Jon talked to special guest @jobanmono2711.bsky.social for the main section! jtalkpod.podbean.com/e/jtet-j2-ro...

NEW POD RELEASE (PATREON) An all-new JTET episode is now live for @jtalkpod.bsky.social Pateons (free feed at 12:00 JST today, Tuesday 29th April)! This week the boys were joined by special guest @jobanmono2711.bsky.social for a deep dive into Nagasaki v Iwaki (plus all the usual segments)!

So lucky my visit to Kyushu for family + work coincided with Iwaki FC's visit to the Peace Stadium to take on V-Varen Nagasaki. Rollicking 4-3 win that was more like Iwaki of last season with pinpoint crosses, rapid counter attacks and wild defending. V-Varen's ground very impressive too. #いわきFC

Was in Klaipeda on the Lithuanian coast for fieldwork. Took in a 2nd division game on the last day, seeing Neptunas Klaipeda beat Be1 NFA 3-0. Basketball is the main sport in Lithuania, so kudos to the 'Klaipeda Seaside Youth' who brought drums and flags! Be1 had a guy up front on loan from Airdrie!

Early start yesterday for Ventforet Kofu 1-0 Iwaki. That was much better and unlucky not to take something, but Iwaki have 2 goals from open play in 8 games, which tells its own story. It's the same strikeforce as last season minus Arima. Double up on Tanimura and you simply stop Iwaki scoring.

An excellent day. Been a good while since I’ve seen us win by three goals ‘in the flesh.’ It may have come to late for us to close the gap to fourth, but Barry Robson has got us playing some solid stuff and looking up rather than down. 5 unbeaten, time to pump up my tyres 🚴 🗺️

First visualisations of Iwaki FC's planned new stadium are out! A purpose-built football stadium, right by the sea in Onahama. Have been to that area many times interviewing fishers, local government scientists and aquarium staff. It's a beautiful setting - but nearest station is 3km away.

Yesterday was Purple Day to raise epilepsy awareness. As I don't have a purple Raith Rovers shirt, I took the chance on @onnnpodcast.bsky.social to break out this magnificent bargain I scored on Vinted a few months back: a long-sleeve Sanfrecce Hiroshima template: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ4B...

The BTCC was to motor racing in the 1990s what the Scottish Championship is to football today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Jc...

"Highlights" www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBRy...

Firhill last night (+ my wife enjoying a cheeseboard in a 1995-96 Rovers goalie top). In isolation that's not a bad result - and if we don't make the playoffs it will be because of how bad we were earlier in the season, rather than games like this alone - but no quality whatsoever from either side.

Our latest episode on the 2030 World Cup is now out! We look at Morocco's precarious economic situation and occupation of Western Sahara while Open University's @ljmabon.bsky.social discusses environmental and sustainability issues and concerns. Check it out! www.buzzsprout.com/2253650/epis...

A goal from open play! Frustrating start to 2025 for Iwaki, but a better performance today. Lots of new players who Tamura doesn't quite seem to have figured out how to use, and a real lack of creativity to get balls to players in the box. Still, only 4 games in. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr3N...

🚨 Comprehensive defeatcast! 🚨 🎙️ Join Duncan, Robbie, Scott and Leslie for an incredibly thorough retelling of each excruciating moment from yesterday's 4-0 loss, and a look ahead to Wednesday's trip to Livingston. 🔗 linktr.ee/onnnpodcast

I've worked out if Raith continue on our current trajectory, we'll get 45 points. Just be enough to avoid relegation, but does not leave much wiggle room. Yes, we can get good results, but it's concerning how low the performance floor and how weak the mentality of this group of players can be.

Iwaki FC goalkeeper top for tonight's run. After two goal-less games, let's hope the season starts properly this weekend at the Hawaiians Stadium! #IwakiFC #いわきFC

I spoke to Spanish news outlet Relevo about playing football in hotter stadiums, to complement research Relevo has done on how La Liga grounds are affected by warming. Key point: clear guidelines and standards are crucial, but there's a limit to how far we can adapt. www.relevo.com/futbol/liga-...

That, in a nutshell, is probably what is going to limit how far Barry Robson can go with this team this season. We were not terrible for 70 mins against a vastly improved Airdrie side. Robson should have made changes sooner - but there are just so few levers we can pull if it's not working up top.

In pre-Brexit days, Raith Rovers imported cult heroes and bona fide club legends from overseas. I've had great fun hunting down shirts from the clubs these guys played for. Recently got a 1986 Cadiz CF top (minus crest), hometown club of former player-manager and all-round gentleman Toni Calderón.

🚨 Pod available now! 🚨 Join Duncan, Les, Carol and Robbie for: ✅ Penalty perfection 🐟 Pollock leaps like a salmon 🏖️ A trip to Airdrie ♀️ Preparations for #IWD2025 linktr.ee/onnnpodcast

Another win for Raith Rovers and encouraging signs Barry Robson is getting a tune out of these players. Accies better than when we played them last (albeit that's not saying much) and we struggled to settle, but stuck to our guns and ground a result out. Can start looking up rather than down.

Nineteen shots. Three of them on target. First thing Hayasaka has to do is pick the ball out his own net from a penalty. Lose 0-2. Iwaki FC are turned up to eleven for 2025. Looking forward to the rest of the year.

1 On sale. No funds; 2 Get funds. Can't use forwarder; 3 Enlist help to nab last one. UA cancel it for no reason; 4 Win matchworn auction. Voided due to IT glitch; 5 Outbid in rerun. Win in overtime; 6 Wait 2 months. Pay customs. 1 day before start of '25, my '24 Iwaki goalie top saga ends. #いわきFC

The 2025 J.League 'Supporter's Life' video is out. Absolutely love this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbgb...

It's nearly J.League 2025! I contributed to @jtalkpod.bsky.social @jtalket.bsky.social preview with thoughts on Iwaki FC's chances in J2 this year. Catch me from 53:00 for thoughts on Tanimura; stay for advice for away supporters on Iwaki's best eateries 🍶🐟🍣♨️🌺 jtalkpod.podbean.com/e/j-talk-ext...

Well. You can't really draw any insight from that given the gulf between us and Celtic. It's not even like an Aberdeen or Hearts, where there's an outside chance if you do everything right. But it is worrying we have two fit senior midfielders at the moment. That doesn't give a lot of wriggle room.

Big sweaty thanks to all of our guest contributors this time: @martintesol.bsky.social on Akita @jobanmono2711.bsky.social on Iwaki & Fin Wilson (not on here as far as I know) on Sendai! #JLeague

NEW POD RELEASE (PATREON) Part 2 of the big JTET J2 Season Preview is now in the wild for @jtalkpod.bsky.social Patrons! Teams covered this time: Sapporo, Yamagata, Akita, Sendai, & Iwaki. Thanks to @martintesol.bsky.social, @jobanmono2711.bsky.social, & Fin for their contributions! #JLeague

🚨Celtic Podcast Out Now🚨 Duncan, Robbie, Blair, Scott and Leslie are back with: 🧤 Josh Rae's arrival 🛣️ Routes to victory? 🏏 A free hit? 🔎 Should McStay or Should Dargo? linktr.ee/onnnpodcast

Real sign of getting old today: picking my running route based not on what is most challenging or has the best scenery, but on where I'm least likely to slip and fall. Nobody warned me that once you hit late 30s/early 40s, when you fall it hurts more and takes longer to heal.

These four men have scored nearly 40% of Raith Rovers' league goals since we returned to the Championship in 2020.

Well. There was a goal on 3 mins - for us. There was stoppage time action for Todorov - getting booked for kicking Lewis Gibson in a fit of pique. Very happy to be proven wrong by this team again. Great to see Aiden Marsh and Jamie Gullan on the scoresheet!

Drafted up a few social media posts yesteday in advance of tonight's Hamilton vs Raith Rovers game to save some time.

In the last 5 league games Raith Rovers have failed to win, we have conceded within the opening 6 minutes (3 from cross balls FYI). Don't get me wrong, today was much better than some recent games. But for a team that doesn't score much, you cannot give your opponents a head-start.

The year is 2050. Unchecked climate change and nuclear war have collapsed global society. The humans that remain move from place to place in search of scarce resources, hunting in packs. Amidst the chaos, Raith Rovers announce Jamie Gullan is returning for his 32nd spell at the club.

That was a glorious game. Workrate, discipline, tactics all spot-on. We might not win every single game, but if Barry Robson can get this out of the players every week we'll have won a very big watch. Marsh looks a find, and great to see Finlay Pollock look confident and up for it. Into the hat.

If Oda goes to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, that means Hearts will be down a winger (albeit one spending virtually all his time on the bench). I wonder if this in turn means Hearts will recall Finlay Pollock from Raith Rovers?

FASHION TIP: if you're going to wear a jumper with a ridiculosuly outsized polo neck, at least try to coordinate it with a mid-90s goalie top.

🚨New episode🚨 Morton preview including: 👀 Airing your Grievances: Blair vs Nonsense "ITK" twitter accounts 🥶Cold front: the Sunday switch up 🏗️ Previewing the game 🕵🏻 Lethal animals in SMOSD linktr.ee/onnnpodcast

I recently fed into this article on emissions from the English Premier League's 'big six' clubs. It's not surprising the clubs with the biggest attendances and most European games have the highest emissions - but they can also lead by example: warrenmenezes.substack.com/p/premier-le...