Chris Thornton

Teacher, philanthropist, mediocre runner, citizen of the world. @sheffhallamuni @YorkStJohn

[Bradford City AFC @officialbantams]

Merry Christmas Eve, Bantams! 🎄

Our number 2⃣4⃣ has another brilliant giveaway for one of you. 🫵

Retweet this post and make sure you are following our account to potentially win these items. 👕

#BCAFC

[Bradford City AFC @officialbantams]

Welcome to our #BCAFC Advent Calendar. Throughout this month, we will be doing giveaways, quizzes, festive flashbacks and more! 🌲

On day 1️⃣, Graham Alexander has something special for one of you. 🤩

For your chance to win, simply follow us and retweet this post. 🙌

Good luck! 💪

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

What is this sorcery? 🪄

[Bradford City AFC @officialbantams]

49' WE HAVE THREE!!!!!!! 💪

🔵 0-3 🐔

#BCAFC | #CARvBRA

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@AwalMoHudu Kofi Annan?

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@jamesgraysport So sorry to hear this, James. Passing on my very best at this difficult time. Keep making your mum proud.

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@TheTennisLetter

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@JamesHabergham I think they’ll win next week. It is just whether that is enough. Walsall have been really inconsistent, so you hope that they drop points.

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@JamesHabergham Goes back to Smallwood getting sent off. (once again, needlessly). Reasonably, without that, City have an extra 5 points, with promotion sealed. I think it all turned on that.

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@JamesHabergham To get a warning (yellow) and then still go on is mind-boggling.

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@JamesHabergham Cannot fathom what was going on in Baldwin’s mind. Utterly stupid. With eleven you have a chance. 🙄

[Levison Wood @Levisonwood]

I’m giving away 2 tickets to my tour! Simply repost to enter and I’ll do a draw next week

https://t.co/4hBkmWYKmI

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@Zwxsh 🙋‍♂️🎾

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@primevideosport @chris_kammy Great news! UNBELIEVABLE to have you back. 👊🏻

[Roger Federer @rogerfederer]

Vamos, @RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more. 

OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.

I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.

Rafa that!

Best always, your fan, 

Roger

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@RorySmith All the best, Rory. (Mr. T). 👊🏻

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

Gary Barlow’s son stands at the foot of the Mariana Trench. #GaryBarlow

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@StanCollymore Well said, Stan. Love your candid posts. 👊🏻👏🏻

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@GmaElaine6 @pavyg You don’t with ‘your’ punctuation. 😉

[Chris Thornton @ChrisThornton86]

@jrmdrtr @pavyg Well said. 👏🏻