Will they accept volunteers? I might be up for deportation somewhere nice. Perhaps Denmark, Sweden or somewhere warm like Portugal.

It is possible for Labour to be ahead of the curve on the issue of identity rather than constantly battling against culture wars. But only if it is attentive to resentments at large in society, and dares to direct rather than diffuse them My piece for Financial Times on.ft.com/4mtpKTc

As it is, the gates have to be either staffed anyway or left open because not all tickets work on them (bus company day tickets with QR codes). I assume something is going to change, otherwise we're installing gates to leave open [add your own natalie portman star wars meme]

Disappointing to read a north east based writer reprising the too far north thing. Maybe it's a factor sometimes, but it's not something we heard much about over that past four years until now. Have people only just worked out where Newcastle is? theguardian.com/football/2025/…

In the substance of the piece Taylor identifies the real problem at #NUFC this summer - a lack of leadership. E.g why has the club burned so much time, energy and credibility pursuing players who (it looks now) were always going elsewhere?

I never got the feeling Isak was at Newcastle for the long haul, but unless there’s some astonishing behind the scenes wrongdoing by NUFC, his behaviour is becoming bizarre. What next? Buying his own Liverpool kit and turning up at their training ground on Monday?

Right across Europe, it's like other clubs and their fans outside of the super league gang are NPCs.

The two thirds majority of nine is hilariously shameless. Because Aston Villa and Newcastle were absent at the time, the nine longest term shareholder clubs based on seasons/games played would now exclude Manchester City, so they'd have to come up with something more brazen.

I’m enjoying the argument that NPC clubs like Newcastle (and most others) *must* let their players leave as soon as one of the main character clubs come calling and this is *for their own good*. In a story full of unedifying aspects, this might be quietly the worst.