Mike Smith

Man about Tring and Chairman of EYE Nepal. Blue is the colour.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@Stfromthebridge @CFCDaily The price will be enhanced if Argentina get to the latter stages of the World Cup. I predict £90m.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@StevenEdginton You think you’re super smart Steven but actually, you’re just a completely unpleasant wanker. Enjoy your pint and give up on the racist click bait.🍻

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@top1percentile @BBCRadio3 Wow - you sound like a really nice guy. Why don’t you spend less time being heartless on X and more time “grappling with ignorance”.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@TomWatsonPGA A true legend, a class act and a great guy.

[Tom Watson @TomWatsonPGA]

I’d like to congratulate @RyderCupEurope on their victory. Your team play the first few days was sensational.

More importantly, I’d like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage.

As a former player, Captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened. #RyderCup

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

Make that 56…

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

Looking forward to taking my place back in the West Stand this afternoon for my 55th season at the Bridge. My first visit was to witness a2-2 draw v Southampton. Dave Webb and John Hollins scored for @ChelseaFC and my Dad got the PA to call out my name at half time. 💙#COYB #CFC

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@eddiemacbawa @ChelseaFC @cfc_heritage For all Ken Bate’s idiosyncrasies, his programme column was always a good read and the first page we turned to. The less said about Jerry Murphy the better!

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@ArtyBagger Fabulous. Thank you for sharing.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@thechelskikid A voice of reason in a sea of hyperbole. With age comes wisdom. 👏👏👏

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@hmurray9 @AVIVAStadium @lionsofficial @pumasrugbyunion @PennyMoore21 @ccrossan @waldron_terry @AdriaanBartels @alfresco12 @Foodhero @MarkLewis32 @HywelJonesLP @JMP55 @robflinter @craig_bancroft @JamesBClarke @EdwardBracken @paul_heathcote @UKHofficial @IoH_Online @Richhassell @HotelierDan Clean sweep prediction 👊

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@MattDaviesAdams Was that the most difficult game you had to watch? Passion versus professionalism? Hope your Mum is ok!

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@Blue_Footy You’ve been a voice of reason throughout mate. 👏👏👏👏💙

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@LondonBluePod First half outstanding

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@LondonBluePod Kieran Dewsbury Hall

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@jeremykauffman *…..if your country was invaded.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@jeremykauffman Simply appalling that you even pose this question without considering what you would do or feel in a similar position if your country. Self righteous, ill informed arrogance.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

@Blue_Footy Agreed.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

I’m not a huge fan of Andrew Neil but I have to say, this is excellent.

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

My Election Day Monologue on @TimesRadio. In praise of British democracy.

It’s election day in the United Kingdom, a seminal event we too often take for granted. We also do it in a very British way. 

There will be no armed guards at the polling stations. No intimidating mobs. Just paper and pencil, trusted tellers and friendly canvassers. 

If the British people decide it’s time to change governments, that will happen quickly and without fuss. The military will not be mobilised. Barbed wire will not be arranged around public buildings. Defeated candidates will not be fleeing the country. Riot police will not be assembling on side streets. 

But a removal van — something we’ve all had to use at some stage in our lives — will turn up sometime Friday morning to help the incumbent move out. Another will bring the belongings of the new prime minister and family. 

A few words from the winner outside 10 Downing Street, a round of applause as he goes through the famous door — and the business of government continues as before. Even with a new broom there will be a sense of continuity. And calm. 

Nobody will contest the overall integrity of the result, whatever minor challenges there are at the margins. The loser will concede defeat and wish the winner well. The winner will try to be magnanimous. 

Nobody will be exiled. There will be no talk of being cheated, of a rigged election, or lawyers getting rich on endless court challenges. No mob will descend on the Palace of Westminster determined to overthrow the result. The pigeons will continue to peck away, undisturbed, on Parliament Square. 

However people voted the result will be accepted. Folks will just get on with their lives and wait to see what the next government has in store for them. 

Such a peaceful, uneventful, very British passage of power is to be treasured. It is perhaps THE distinguishing hallmark of democracy that power is passed in this way, without upheaval or protest, at the behest of the people. 

Democracy requires a winner to be gracious and a loser to accept that they’ve lost, without quibble. That is the British way. It is not now true of that great democracy across the Atlantic. 

It is also the case, if today heralds a change, that a centre right government will give way to a centre left one. Whatever the result the numbers in Parliament who might be deemed hard right or hard left will be de minimis. Pretty much irrelevant. 

There is something quite British about that too. It will not be the case when that great democracy across the Channel votes on Sunday, where the extremes on both sides of the political divide are likely to make up almost two thirds of the National Assembly. 

We broadcasters don’t do British party politics on election day. That can wait until you’ve voted and we know the result sometime after 10 o clock tonight. 

So we will spend the next hour looking at elections in France and America, two countries with their own strong democratic traditions. 

Also two countries, as we shall see, with democratic challenges we don’t face, whatever else may confront us. 

They are our allies — fellow democrats in a world threatened by autocrats — and we must wish them well in overcoming their problems, as we tackle ours. While taking some comfort and pride from the fact that there is something quite special about our own British democracy. 

So let us savour this important day.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

Very sad to hear of the passing of Joss Naylor. He was one of my all time heroes. His fell running achievements were unparalleled….. as was his modesty. A true Cumbrian legend. Condolences to his family.

[Mike Smith @TringMike]

Legend

[James @james_briggsy]

A guy did the London Marathon and had a different wine at each mile! That’s something I can get onboard with