Richard Wilson

Production wise, that was a messy af end to Q1

If you’ve not read my conjecture, then you can below but the non-conjecture footnote bears a wider audience - that the Croatian FA are telling the press (under anonymity) that they believe US action (ICE, Iran) has made fans choose not to go to the World Cup through “fear”.

How does Iran impact the moral quandary of the US World Cup hosting? 2026 has been a relentless bombardment of news and, while football isn’t the primary concern for anyone (nor should it be), the reality is that we sit around three months away from the biggest footbal...

New Writing

Something a bit more serious this time, looking at the US action in Iran and how that impacts the World Cup

open.substack.com/pub/hyfprw/p...

This weekend saw the fastest goal in the history of the Montenegrin top flight - Jezero’s Milivoje Raicevic becoming a record setter - and I doubt there’s a better “fastest goal ever” than this

The papacy has made a moral argument against this conflict.

Arguably, its job is not to do that, rather, it is to make the theological argument that such conflict is contrary to faith. That might get the message across.

While Millenarianism is nothing new in US politics (see: the 1840s), if it’s military policy now then that’s astonishingly dangerous and, on top of that, utterly heretical.

Serbia will host a intra-squad national team 2x30m friendly next week. Some may end up in the squad for the potential March friendlies but those games are in doubt given they were both to be held in Qatar.

Novicic the big name to remember from this list.

Tactically, this changes things a little because Diego Garcia can support heavy bombing runs.

Domestically? People want disentanglement from Trump and this acquiescence doesn’t look good.

Nemanja Motika with the mother of all botched panenkas vs Primorje this weekend…

(Per the rules, double touch = indirect free kick to the defending team)

Motherwell, had they not started slowly, would be clear at the top. They’re fabulous to watch. Celtic is long term malaise, Rangers was just a terrible appointment in Martin. Hearts started well and took full advantage vs Rangers and Celtic but have definitely slowed down with injuries in Spring.

We are still a few steps away from this being as utterly mad as last season’s HNL title race.

But only a few steps away in what was a marathon of mental.

The state of things now. Celtic’s game in hand away to Aberdeen on Weds, Motherwell’s away to Dundee next weekend so likely 7pts covering the four as of this time next week.

FT Rangers 2 Celtic 2

Game of two halves, etc.

Hearts and Motherwell the winners.

2-2! Penalty for handball, Butland saved from Hatate, saved the follow up but it’s third time lucky and we’re about to have a crazy injury time

Ten to go and remains 2-1 Rangers but this game is just the opposite of the first half now. Celtic have had the chances already to tie this up.

2-1 - Tierney header.

If this ends as a mirror of the New Year derby, I will be astonished.

Credit where it’s due, the two goals were excellent and both Rummens and Mikey Moore have rendered Celtic’s right impotent, but Celtic haven’t put up a fight at all and the midfield battle has been a walkover.

HT Rangers 2 Celtic 0

Almost the entire game has been played within 40 yards of the Celtic goal. Pressing non-existent, attack non-existent. Rangers have been competent, Celtic have been pathetic.

2-0 Rangers and really, no less than they deserve. Tidy finish from Chermiti but this is swiftly degenerating into a paddling for Celtic.

Sometimes, you just have to say “fair play”. Chermiti McTominaying Rangers into the lead.

Hard not to get the feeling Rangers and Celtic are playing not just for second but for who avoids fourth because really hard to see the negative momentum from a loss today not seeing the loser overtaken by Motherwell.

While there's still hope for Shkendija, Struga have dropped off massively and let Vardar get clear. Shkendija need to be point perfect from here out.

It's a similar story in Bosnia as we could argue Zrinjski's European exploits have had a toll on their domestic aspirations.

One dominant derby win followed by OFK beating Partizan last night has done similar for Zvezda and sent Partizan fans, once more, into revolt.

Very quickly this Spring, competitive leagues have been rendered into one horse races. In Croatia, Hajduk's stuttering Spring has let Dinamo pull clear and, while there are questions about Dinamo - big ones - it's clear that they have enough in the tank now barring an implosion.

You could make that argument in, say, Runcorn and Helsby where the majority was 6 votes, but it’s absolutely not credible when you just lost by 4.5k votes.

Not that the argument here isn’t just nakedly racist anyway.

If you’re going to abandon a rules based international order for the rule of “FAFO”, then having extremely good execution of the “FO” part of that is a great deterrent for the “FA” part

Obvs Khamenei does not equal “the regime”, but to be in a position where the US could not unreasonably pack up and go home calling it a success in under 18 hours is impressive.

Ghoulish and amoral, but impressive.

The thing is that, no matter your opinion of the ethics behind US intervention under Trump in Iran last year, in Venezuela and, if fully confirmed, in taking out the regime in Iran here, the execution of the military interventions has been more or less flawless.

F1 is in Bahrain in six weeks and Saudi the week after. I think it’s fair to expect at least one of those not to be happening.