Martin

Documentary producer/director, Southend United supporter, democratic socialist, opinions my own.

[Martin @documartin]

Maybe they don't need it maybe they just want to do something fun.

We are social animals and want to hang out with each other and share experiences and don't need to be policed by the likes of you.

[Martin @documartin]

@AaronBastani There are two new fantastic playgrounds in South London. Crystal Palace park and the Horniman Museum. Lottery and private funded but some government funding also. Shows what's possible right here in the UK.

[Martin @documartin]

@bpfootball Also one is literally a millionaire and can afford to fly his own family out. The other isn't.

[Martin @documartin]

@AlexiLalas @SpencerBownas Yes that's the point. It fundamentally changes the game. Football is a game of two halves period. It's fine to not like that but you don't get to change the world's most popular sport because America are addicted to advertising, go watch some other sport.

[Martin @documartin]

@ptsmfc If you're past the Watford Gap services you're in the North. Everyone know that.

[Martin @documartin]

I think we're all entitled to ask how would we tell the difference?

[Kevin Schofield @KevinASchofield]

@cathyrivlino Yeah, why let journalists ask politicians questions at all? Probably better to just write down what they tell us and let them crack on.

[Martin @documartin]

Some truly arrogant and hilarious takes from across the pond.

American football and basketball ball can only dream of the kind of global appeal football has.

Also commercialisation is not the key driving factor on what makes a sport great to watch.

[Professor X @rationalhumanis]

We have three sports leagues in the US that each make far more revenue than any soccer league anywhere in the world. We have dozens of stadiums that are far beyond the best venue in most countries. Sports as entertainment is something we unquestionably do better than anyone else in the world.

So when US sports consumers give feedback, you would think people would listen, right? It's like French people commenting on your food or Germans talking about your engineering quality.

Nope! Just more Euro-snob bullshit. The bottom line is soccer is a worse product than American football or basketball. That's why we don't watch it. We have options.

[Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof]

.@elonmusk says that no one can name a person who died from his aid cuts. In fact, I've met the kids who are dying, and I've talked to the families who lost children. In my columns, I've cited many, many names of people who have died because of Musk's aid cuts. A few examples:
*Yamah Freeman was a 23-year-old woman who died in childbirth because Musk cut funding for the diesel for ambulances in her part of Liberia. She couldn't get to a hospital and died as people were carrying her there. I talked to her parents and sister in their village.
*Gbessey Kiadu, age 1, died of malaria because of his cuts to malaria medication in Liberia. I talked to his mom in her village.
*Ibrahim Koroma, an infant, died of AIDS in Sierra Leone after he interrupted HIV supplies. I talked to health workers who cared for him.
*Achol Deng was an 8-year-old girl with HIV in South Sudan who died when Musk cut funding for the health care worker who provided her medicines. I talked to the healthcare workers.
I could go on and on. In almost every village you go to in South Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone or other countries I reported in, you find people dying because of aid cuts. I challenge Musk: Come with me on a reporting trip, and we'll talk to these moms and dads, and you'll see the dying children themselves. I think if you see the kids whose lives are at stake, maybe you'll change your mind.

[Martin @documartin]

@davidpreece12 How else are fans supposed to show their displeasure at this abomination?

[Martin @documartin]

@OffTheLineBlog Enjoyable read, thanks for putting this together.

[Martin @documartin]

@flying_rodent She thinks Starmer has been forced out due to lack of charisma?!?
Has she lost her mind?

[Martin @documartin]

@HLTCO My fave of these was the guy who hadn't played football since he was a kid and was trying to prove how "easy" it was to score because the goals were so massive. He then proceeded to miss most of his shots while maintaining his conviction.

[Martin @documartin]

This is so toxic wtf

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨 José Mourinho to Beast Mode On: “I once had a player who didn’t want to take a small injection to play a match”.

“I took off my shoe and socks and I put my foot right in front of his face and I told the doctor: ‘GIVE ME THE INJECTION’. And he gave it to me and my toe was perfect”.

“Then I told the player, ‘C’mon you can also do it.’ He said: ‘No, you are crazy’… well”.

“He played NO matches with me after this”.

[Martin @documartin]

@Obseyxx Fucking hell. That is a rabbit hole of deranged lunatics.

[Jeremy Corbyn @jeremycorbyn]

Keir Starmer could have ended child poverty, homelessness and the grotesque levels of inequality in this country.

Instead, he abandoned those in need, destroyed our civil liberties and facilitated genocide in Gaza.

That is how this Prime Minister will be remembered - and that is the legacy of moral and political bankruptcy he leaves behind.

The crises in our society are not going away. Neither are we - and we will keep fighting for a more equal, peaceful and dignified society for all.

[Martin @documartin]

It's absolutely hilarious seeing takes on Starmer saying the media treated him unfairly! HE WAS THEIR GUY!

[The Iain Duncan Smiths @TheIDSmiths]

Worth reiterating that everyone saw this coming a mile off except for the country’s 50 highest paid political correspondents

[Martin @documartin]

@RasmusJarlov @OverEHill We started calling it soccer long before the Americans did and it is a perfectly acceptable term. Maybe know your football history before berating others.

[Martin @documartin]

@charlotte_90xx @fluffybubbles73 How do you know they are different? I thought your argument was women can't have insight into men's football?

[Billie @Billie_T]

The haters said Ronaldo couldn’t do it and they were right. Honestly great call from the haters