'Lost For Words' - Chris Rea, saudade, and the guitarist we forgot to hear. My latest post on Substack. chrisdoakley.substack.com/p/lost-for-w...

Watching The Beatles 'Get Back' day by day to tally up with the actual days in the film. Anyone else? Just me?

A reminder that Donald Trump recently won the FIFA Peace Prize.

I particularly like how the 90's rave scene is being referenced during #AFCON2025.

Dear me... how many goals have been scored from whipped-in crosses that were headed in from close range in this #AFCON2025? That, and penalties...

Am watching a West Ham for the first time in a while. This is West Ham in 'we'll be relegated but we don't care' mode. Abysmal.

I keep hearing the occasional clanging bell while watching the African Cup of Nations. I see it as a tribute to The Wheeltappers & Shunters Social Cub, naturally.

Now I've finished work for Christmas, it's time to catch up on what I've missed so far in the African Nations Cup. Was always a source of excitement when Eurosport covered the competition in the early days of satellite TV. Hope it brings some Christmas cheer... 🎄⚽

I was lucky enough to see Chris Rea playing live in concert several times. He was my favourite musical artist and I have all his albums. Christmas won't be quite so happy this year.

Well, I've just worked out when the first batch of 2026 World Cup matches will be played when converted to NZ local time. Apart from a couple of 4am or 5am kick-offs, they're mostly happening between 7am and 2pm. Works for me.

By law, Scotland HAVE to play Brazil at the World Cup. #WorldCupDraw

A great draw already! #worldcupdraw

The first three fixes of the World Cup... #worldcup

Lionel Scaloni, looking like a snooker referee, there. #worldcupdraw

He finally got his marching orders. RIP. bbc.com/news/article...

Slowly dipping my toe back into the water of NFL again. #DallasCowboys

@chartmusictotp.bsky.social The man's a liar...

Just in case anyone might be interested in reading it, or demanding that others read it. Either would be much appreciated. Please and thank you. @tftimemachine.bsky.social @distantpod.bsky.social @wsc.co.uk @amylawrence.bsky.social @davidsquires.bsky.social @davidhartrick.bsky.social

It's a long time since I've seen a West Ham side so technically inept, so lacking in effort or motivation. Depressing.

The Kitbliss 100 Greatest Football Shirt Templates: No.31 - Adidas Marseille (1990-93). An inspired one-of-a-kind... Get all the info at bit.ly/4ppAzbb where you'll find links to the full template kit gallery and more...

Belated happy birthday, @davidstubbs.bsky.social! Hope it was a special one, surrounded by lots of adoring Chart Music fans... 🙂

It's a view that no-one will care about, but the amount of money spent on new players in the Premier League is sickeningly appalling. Distasteful in the extreme.

Gone off football.

@chartmusictotp.bsky.social I was recently on the excellent website, BoardGameGeek, looking for a game I once had called Sorry! Imagine my surprise when I discovered they'd made a spin-off game... boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/53...

Liking the Bundesliga brand refresh for 2025. Robust, well thought through... very nice indeed. youtu.be/WExNyHecKVA?...

#33 in the Kit Bliss 100 Greatest Templates. Most familiar as being worn by France and Rangers. Simple re-colour for the #GAWA home with IFA logo shadow. For the away there's a more-modern-retro take on kit releases. Inspired by the lace-up collar we've gone St Patrick's blue with an old-style badge

Can't believe how long it's taken me to notice what a dumb, false smile Roger Moore had as 007. Not that I don't like him or anything...

Am watching The Professionals and am wondering who made more appearances - Nadim Sawalha or Pamela Stephenson...

But what if I don't like Oasis?

Truly saddened to hear the awful news about Diogo Jota. 😢

The Kitbliss 100 Greatest Football Shirt Templates: No.34 - Adidas Santos / Santiago (1980-85). It's an 80's classic. Read what I think about it in my blog post at bit.ly/45oOlmM which contains lots of links including the Santos/Santiago gallery page...

I think I'm officially bored of YouTube videos that cut away every five seconds to a clip from a TV show / film to insert a short phrase. Overdone now?

Chuff all on TV tonight. Time to break open The Professionals DVD box set again. 1977 ahoy...

Musk taking the moral high ground, presumably restricting his arm from doing a Hitler salute in the manner of Dr Strangelove.

Available for podcast projects, subject to suitability. Enquire within.

After the season West Ham have had, I'll take 14th in the league, and above Spurs and Man United at that.

@sofpodcast.com Great news about Whyteleafe... 🥳 www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

@davidstubbs.bsky.social @chartmusictotp.bsky.social I went to a rugby match yesterday between NZ women and Canada women, and can confirm they played Rock and Roll Part 2 by G**y Gl***er just before the start. It's still out there...

@terryduffelen.com Congrats on the win today, Terry. A great result for Palace and neutrals everywhere!

Black Ferns v Canada in Christchurch. 12 - 12 at half time.

@chartmusictotp.bsky.social While adding some new text to the Chart Music wiki document, something odd occurred to me: if David Van Day is half of Dollar, does that make him 50 Cent?

We're back, but we're taking care of the Pop-Crazed Patreon People first with NEARLY FOUR HOURS on the first episode of The Tube. Oof!

Wanna bet?

The ‘Piracy. It’s a Crime’ campaign used pirated music, *and* as it turns out, also used pirated fonts. Incredible.

Pleased to say I've watched two French films over the last few days. 'Au Poste!' and 'Le Furet.' Both were silly, interesting, amusing and highly preferable to virtually everything else appearing at my local cinema.

I might generate an image of me looking like a doll in a plastic pack, because that'll be original.

Thanks Trump, you complete f*ckstump. You've lost me NZ$68,000 from my pension fund in four days. Great work. I've owned coathangers that are better at global economics than you, you vile heap of whale excrement.

@ericidle.bsky.social While watching 'the Argument sketch' on my Monty Python DVD recently, I was pleasantly reminded that you were in the next door office to Cleese, dealing with complaints! I'd totally forgotten that!

3-0 to NZL. The All Whites are off to the World Cup again.

2-0 now. Surely that's it. NCL can't shoot for toffee.