John Sharp

Views are my own, and not those of the BBC.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Southampton have always been a club that did things the right way. Attractive football, long history, loyal and vocal support, important community department, good atmosphere at the Dell and St Mary’s, develop talent, even a great cat at the training ground. A sound club. A touch of class. So as they head to Wembley, and deservedly so as they were better than Boro on the night, perhaps those who run the club and run the football side consider how to restore the club’s reputation. 

Because a club who many neutrals had a soft spot for risk becoming hard to like. Some Southampton fans will not worry about what others think of them. But they should. They are currently associated with cheating - Spygate - and for allegations of discriminatory language on the pitch (which have yet to be proven). That’s not what Southampton are about. 

Their head coach, Tonda Eckert, rightly earned plenty of praise for his inspirational work this season but risks coming across as charmless at times. Interesting that Boro’s coach, Kim Hellberg, in his Sky Sports interview, congratulated Southampton players and supporters but not their coach.

Southampton have gained a shot at the Premier League - any Spygate sanctions permitting - but lost some respect. Saints’ board and Eckert now have to work out how to restore that good reputation. And pray that the independent disciplinary commission does not punish them severely and swiftly for Spygate. As many people want them to. #SaintsFC #SOUMID

[Matthew Syed @matthewsyed]

My speech to the Conservative Party Conference on how to reverse the UK’s decline.

I didn’t hold back. The state has grown in every sphere, almost without people noticing; a wild move to the left over two decades.

Farage is a socialist (look at his actual economy policy!) who will take us further down this path.

Only realism can save us.

#CPC25

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@pcollis1989 @GURNEY228 @FA I have the same issues. Trying to use it to organise training and keep everything up to date but not working.

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Not many people these days know that the British Empire was the driving force behind ending the vast majority of global slavery.

Slavery or de facto slavery was standard practice throughout the world from the dawn of civilization until a few hundred years ago. It is even discussed at length in the Bible, for example.

[Gibraltar FA @GibraltarFA]

The Gibraltar FA to make official complaint to UEFA following Spanish Men’s National Team Euro 2024 celebrations

https://t.co/GWKGrPrlhM

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

John 3:16 or Austin 3:16? #FuryUsyk

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@piersmorgan Wait until they find out the correct way to spell gaol.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

Good idea if you ask me.

[Keane Duncan @keane_duncan]

𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬: I’ll buy Scarborough’s infamous Grand Hotel. Make it grand once again. And return the town to its glory days 💪

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@afneil Is the bigger problem if Israel block arms exports to the UK? Considering the Army buy drones off Israeli companies.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@simonharley Isn’t the greater threat of Isreal bans arms exports to the UK?

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@93vintagejones @TomSeston Fella in my workingman’s club was a PoW in the far east during WWII. He use to stand up and toast every 6th August.

Also remember the protests about letting Nissan come to the NE.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@implausibleblog Couple of points. UK never in the Eurozone. By GDP size UK would be second largest economy if compared to individual states, only surpassed by California.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@ritamay1 @FXMC1957 William Fitzpatrick de Hertburn (William, son of Patrick, of Hartburn) is the ancestor from Stockton. He swooped land to that in Washington, and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Jen Bartram 🐈‍⬛ @JenBartram]

We ended our programme with some beautiful shots of Stockton North.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@SophyRidgeSky @joncraig I thought @joncraig would have defended Stockton’s honour, after he use to go drinking in The Sun pub in the high street for a number of years.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@_chrisfawkes Speed Boat!

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@SeriousAboutRL Expansion franchises should be enforced on the league over teams from small towns.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@MilitaryBanter My GG-Uncle is on the memorial. JR Sharp MM, he was Yorks Reg, my G-Grandfather was DLI. I still live in Stockton. If I can get down I’ll buy you a pint.

[John Sharp @jwgsharp]

@andrewfoster101 @SkySports The Larry Sanders Show very underrated in the UK. I nearly threw my shoe at Twitter when some wrote about Miranda being ground breaking comedy for “breaking the forth wall”.