Ian Ratcliffe

I still think that these are the strangest of times #BeKind #BeSafe #SixJabs

[ℝ𝕚𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕣 @The_East_End]

1931 - a real life ‘Alf Tupper’ - Reigning champion coal carrier, George Couldridge, with the hundredweight sack of coal he carried from the start of the race in Wood Green to the finish in Hoxton in the East End - a distance of four miles... #eastend #history #alftupper

[Nancy Wright @Wrightie7]

Pilfered…

[Danny Baker @prodnose]

Those either outraged or perplexed by the BBC deciding to base their WC coverage in Salford might like to know that even when the tournament was based here, they were nowhere near the action. #DavidColeman.

[Invictos @InvictosSomos]

¡¡EL FÚTBOL TIENE MEJORES HISTORIAS QUE EL CINE!!

✅ En 1994, Alfie Haaland, Goran Sorloth y Erik Thorstvedt jugaron con la Selección de Noruega en una Copa del Mundo celebrada en Estados Unidos.

✅ En 2026, Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth y Kristian Thorstvedt jugaron con la Selección de Noruega en una Copa del Mundo celebrada en Estados Unidos.

Padres e hijos representando a su país en el torneo más importante que existe. El círculo se completó, señoras y señores.

FÚTBOL EN LA SANGRE.

[Michael Warburton @For_Film_Fans]

By 1956 STAN (born 136yrs ago today) had suffered his stroke & OLLIE was unwell & losing weight.

But, as this last lovely film shows, whilst they were both fragile & ailing their love for each other & genius humour was in no way diminished.

[Cristian @cristiannmillo]

Esto es espectacular como se movió Marruecos defensivamente. Esto se entrena. No es aleatorio. Tremendo bloque corto defensivo. Imposible de entrar sin alguna magia o pase filtrado con extrema exactitud. Por eso Brasil se la pasó lateralizando.

[Melissa Chen @MsMelChen]

Everyone has been so impressed by Japanese fans cleaning up after themselves but most probably missed this beautiful moment at the post-game (🇳🇱2 - 2🇯🇵) press conference.

Toward the end after reporters were done asking questions, 🇯🇵head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, asked to speak one more time.

🗣️ “May I speak?”

He turned to the Dutch reporters in the room.

🗣️ “I think there are many Dutch reporters here as well, so I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people of the Netherlands once again.”

Moriyasu explained that when he became part of the Japan national team, Japanese football still had no professional league.

🗣️ “I was trained by a Dutch coach named Hans Ooft. It wasn’t just me. Japanese coaches in general were greatly influenced by him, which has led to the development of Japanese soccer today.”

He also mentioned another Dutch figure who shaped his career.

🗣️ “The legendary Dutch coach Wim Jansen served as the manager for J.League’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima and also as a coach for Urawa Reds, contributing to Japanese soccer.”

🗣️ “It’s not just those two. Many other coaches and players have contributed to raising the level of Japanese soccer, so I want to express my thanks. Thank you very much.”

What a masterclass in graciousness and gratitude. Imagine after a high-stakes match, instead of basking in glory and bravado (well-deserved in my opinion), the coach took to the microphone to... thank his opponents publicly and sincerely.

Japan's cultural operating system prizes harmony (wa), respect for precedent, and gratitude as a form of strength, not weakness. Japanese sports culture reflects its broader society where you'll see athletes bow to their opponents, thanking referees, and even crediting rivals or mentors.

Think of sumo wrestlers, Olympic athletes, or even bullet-train staff apologizing for a 30-second delay.

The Japanese have this concept of On (恩) - it is the sense of indebtedness to those who came before or helped you. It's what you'd expect from a culture that truly prizes continuity.

Moriyasu was acknowledging a real debt to Dutch coaches like Hans Ooft (who coached Japan in the early 90s and helped professionalize the game) and Wim Jansen. Japanese football openly credits foreign influences - Dutch "Total Football" philosophy, German organization, Brazilian flair - while building something distinctly their own. Few nations do this with such little ego.

Japan is pure class

[Chris Bolton @CcibChris]

A famous photograph by Liverpool portrait photographer Edward Chambre Hardman, "The Birth of the Ark Royal."
1950.
24 years later, I made my first deck landing on her.

[World Cup 2026 @ofootball__]

After the game ended, Japanese fans stayed in the stadium to collect paper and waste.

Respect, Japan. 🇯🇵

[Match of the Day @BBCMOTD]

Micah Richards took that like a champ 😆

#FifaWorldCup

[Arsenal News @ArsenalNews_Hub]

🗣️ Roy Keane:

“Big clubs want players like Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafiori, but none of them want to leave Arsenal.

You can see it on the pitch. They play like a family. They play with passion. Not just because they’re paid to do it, but because they genuinely love the club.

That’s why Arsenal are going to be a problem for every other team in the league for many years to come.”

❤️🏆🔴⚪️ #AFC

[The Away Fans @theawayfans]

Brazil vs Italy in the 1994 World Cup final. What a picture.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

Have a fantastic day, Pat 🎈

[Gary @Garyfooballnut]

OTD in 1945, Pat Jennings was born in Newry. Pat made 327 appearances for The Gunners from 1977 to 1985.
Top keeper. 🖐⚽️🖐

[Gunners @Gunnersc0m]

Happy 81st birthday to Arsenal legend, Pat Jennings 🎉🔴⚪

[PLANES OF LEGEND ✈️ @PlanesOfLegend]

We knew the Hawker Hurricane was particularly well-armed with its eight machine guns...
The Hawker Hurricane, which did the bulk of the work during the Battle of Britain (it accounted for about 60% of the RAF's victories).
An ultra-stable firing platform: Unlike the Spitfire, whose machine guns were spaced further apart along the wing (which scattered the fire somewhat), the Hurricane grouped its weapons into two compact blocks of four. At the convergence range set by the armourers (often around 230 meters), the concentration of the 8 guns created a veritable “circular saw” of lead, ideal for cutting through the fuselages of German bombers.

[Chris Bolton @CcibChris]

Remembering with gratitude and upmost respect RJ Mitchell who designed the legendary fighter Spitfire that was one of greatest fighters in military history, who died today 11th June in 1937. He died of cancer and never saw his greatest achievement terrorise the Luftwaffe RIP 🙏

[all arsenal news @Alarsenalnews_]

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Pat Jennings turns 81 today! He is one of the few players who is respected on both sides of North London i.e., by us and Spurs fans! 👏

Jennings came to Arsenal in late 70s after as a Spurs legend but with his great professionalism and humble behaviour, he gained great respect from the Arsenal fans as well. He went on to spend 8 seasons at Highbury and won one FA Cup when we defeated Manchester United in 1979 at Wembley through that famous Alan Sunderland goal.

Wishing Pat a good health ahead!

[Futebol Nostálgico! @futnostalgico]

"Hoje não trabalhamos porque vamos ver Pelé" - Cartaz colocado em um Teatro do México durante a Copa do Mundo de 1970.

Nostálgico!

[Olaf Falafel @OFalafel]

Sea Lions On A Shirt