I realised when I published these blogs that I would occasionally have to write an update taking account of a development that would strengthen (or rebut) my argument. What I did not expect was that there would be such a development the very next day! But on 22/3/21 the following story breaks... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56459754 Picking a …
Author: nick2209
Anarcho-socialist, Birmingham City Women supporter, lover of Americana/Country, Byron fan, atheist - and clinical depressive, which should be unrelated to foregoing although you have to wonder!
Ten Years of The Blues – Part One
Ten Years of the Blues - Part One On 14th April 2011 I went to my first Women's Football game to see Birmingham City Women (or Ladies as they were then - the name-change at least is a great improvement!) play Bristol City at Stratford Town FC; I was instantly hooked and in the succeeding …
Ten Years of the Blues – Part 2
Introduction These blog articles are not based on any in-depth research (although I think it would make a great subject for a thesis!) but on my observations on the way that the Women’s Super League (WSL) has changed in its first decade. Before commencing there is an explanation to be made and an objection to …
Ten Years of the Blues – Part 3
Circling the Wagons Before proceeding to the thorniest of topics - comparison of Women’s and Men’s football - I want to take a moment to consider the tendency to ‘circle the wagons’. This is not by any means restricted to Women’s Football! I have been and still am associated with many causes and struggles which …
Ten Years of the Blues – Notes and Afterthought
Notes The case of Liverpool is fascinating and instructive. As mentioned they finished bottom of the WSL in 2011 and 2012 but a large investment by the Men’s Club led to them becoming Champions in 2013, a position they maintained in 2014. Thereafter there was a steady reduction in investment, and consequently results, which culminated …
Continue reading Ten Years of the Blues – Notes and Afterthought
Bits and Pieces
(originally written June 2012) Shostakovich 10 A wonderful performance of Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony by the CBSO under the mesmerising Andris Nelsons. Shostakovich is a site of ideological battle, his music fiercely contested and debated, with every sort of hidden meaning detected which might make it acceptable to anti-communist listeners. At the root of this is …
Women’s Football in 1991
Kicking against the chauvinists Women’s Football is finally gaining status in Britain reports Joanne Early (from Socialist June 1991*) “WOMEN'S football is purely a novelty. That's how it started and that's how it's going to finish in the near future.” This Stockport County supporter, speaking on World In Action last year, could not have been …
The Future From 1989
(I wrote this for the October 1989 issue of Nalgo Action ) Birmingham City Council - Model Managers? With Labour leading in the opinion polls it's worth having a good look at how a Kinnock government would treat public services. The ‘new model’ Labour Party's view that its job is to ‘manage’ capitalism is already …
Leopards and Spots
Source Nalgo Action Issue 3 23/10/89 ‘Caring' council closes children's centres Workers, parents and vocal children lobby Islington Council by Jo Thwaites a parent and Nik Barstow With chants of “Margaret Thatcher, Margaret Hodge, what's the difference? Not a lot!” Islington Council's 'caring' leader was given a rough ride by 180 angry parents who lobbied …
Great Lockdown of 2020
The Great Lockdown of 2020 Being forced to stay at home for weeks on end allows the energetic and self-directed to invent new ways of filling their time with productive and satisfying activity. This would be an interesting topic for Marxist thinkers to develops in terms of alienated labour. However, for someone as basically idle …
