Colin Bateman

Former sports hack, bit of an author, enthusiastic wine-taster & walker, unflinching Bristol City follower.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@WardyShorts does an excellent job of fronting @SkySports Test cricket. His TV colleagues may have had more illustrious playing careers but that shouldn't diminish his contribution to the coverage.

[Matthew Syed @matthewsyed]

Starmer was hated. Says far more about the electorate than the man. Impossible to govern when people want welfare, triple lock, tax loopholes, NIMBYist vetoes, while also hating the low growth, high debt economy this entails. Starmer was a good man leading an ungovernable country

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

Don't pillory Rew....making your Test debut is a fraught affair. There were other older, wiser heads who messed up Day Two for England.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

England would not be here in Dallas today in this better shape and with this quality of player and mood without the vital work Gareth Southgate did in tackling a distressed team and dysfunctional system. He made the talent pool deeper. He made players and fans care about England again.

As FA’s head of elite development in 2011 and 2012, Southgate persuaded counties to have kids playing smaller-sided games, enhancing technique. He worked with academies on developing more technical players. He worked with the Under-21s (37 games), building a supply-line of talent.

On becoming England head coach, he worked on rebuilding the relationship between players and fans broken amidst the pain and anger of Nice at Euro 2016.
Southgate worked on England’s culture and restored some identity. He ended club cliques, improved relations with England club managers and their medical staff. He went into club boardrooms and rebuilt trust and support between owners, directors and England.

Southgate smoothed the pathway from Under-21s to seniors and made reporting for international duty something to look forward to again. A joy, not a chore. He brought focus and some fun, real togetherness with inflatable unicorns. He worked on penalties. Marginal gains and more.

He took England from 13th in the world to third. He took England to a World Cup semi-final and quarter-final and to back-to-back Euro finals (102 games, 61 wins, 24 draws, 17 defeats). He just couldn’t get England over the line whether through quality of opposition player and manager or tactical. Like many, I was critical of him at times, in crunch moments of games. But his impact is undeniable and should be respected and celebrated.

England continue to struggle against top-20 sides. France and Argentina yesterday showed the scale of the challenge for Thomas Tuichel and his team here at the World Cup. But England start their latest World Cup finals journey with more belief and quality because of Southgate’s work from 2011 to 2024.

Southgate will doubtless be watching his dear England from afar, wishing them well. He will doubtless take pride in players he knows well. And, although he is too self-effacing and team-minded to talk about it, let alone shout about it, Southgate should certainly take quiet pride in his own immense contribution to England becoming a respected force again. #ENG #FIFAWorldCup

[Brendan Cox @MrBrendanCox]

10 years ago my wife, the mum of our kids & the MP for Batley&Spen was killed by a far right extremist.

At anniversaries I try to be optimistic about the future. But not this time. In the ten years since she was killed we have gone backwards & I fear our democracy is now at risk

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@RobbieSkeates So was the shirt and badge

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@RealBristolBoy @DanCarterJourno Not sure he should have kept referring to himself as "selfless". A selfless person just would not say that.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

This World Cup is going to be a shambles.

[Jack Russell MBE @jackrussellart]

Sad news of the passing of Keith Piper One of the most naturally gifted keepers you’ll ever see Great hands Made it look so easy. Instrumental in @WarwickshireCCC success in the 1990’s Would have graced any international team, any. Above all, such a nice guy. RIP my friend

[Ineluctable Chris @BoveFromAbove]

This is what real statesmen look like. We should all be grateful we don’t have a clown like Farage representing us on the world stage.

[Mukhtar @I_amMukhtar]

Big up, Uncle Ian Wright for speaking up, and he's 100% correct.

Look how Qatar got dragged when they were hosting the World Cup.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@TheExiledRobin @Bristoldelboy2 @robinoverhere1 @BristolCity Yes. That's what Lincoln are suggesting. £1m for a manager is solid investment. Hopefully it shows we are more ambitious than in recent years.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@Groundhopperno1 @TheExiledRobin @OSIBPODMAG He was head of recruitment at Arsenal for two years. Had a major hand in building the PL winning squad. I suspect he knows a thing or two about signing players.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@FevsFootball Tommy Doc? He was a bit of a hacker in his day.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@RealBristolBoy @KaiserBCFC_ He's a decent squad player and impact sub in the right formation. Only ever on the fringes at Hull. They won't want to keep him.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

The Premier League trophy must be one of the tackiest ever made.

[Manchester City @ManCity]

We see things they'll never see 🏆🐐

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@RobbieSkeates If he gets us playing the same brand of football as Bournemouth, that will be exciting.

[Colin Bateman @ColinBateman54]

@RobinNestBCFC The only backlash will be from United fans. It's a perfectly understandable choice by Tuchel.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

At some point, those running Southampton are going to have show proper accountability and some humility. Apologise to their fans, and reimburse them their Wembley expenses. Apologise to the clubs they spied on. And take their medicine. Then clear out those who sanctioned the spying. Only then can Southampton start rebuilding their damaged reputation.

They may well be waiting until after the appeal before making a statement and a proper show of contrition. But extended silence simply deepens the stain on the club's reputation. (Even a holding statement would have been something). It's not fair on their fans, the ones who will still be there long after current coaches, players, sporting directors and owners have moved on.

Southampton were traditionally one of the most-respected clubs in the game. Good support, developed players, attractive football. Saints. Not now. Not until there’s full accountability, publicly. Silence only adds to the shame. Pity. Good club but badly led on this. #SaintsFC