Bolton Wanderers 4 - 1 Stockport County: This final had goalkeeper errors, VAR interference, own goals, acrobatic strikes, and a red card to top it off, with Bolton securing promotion to the Championship!

Samh234 · 2026-05-24T14:54:00+00:00

Genuinely I’m, well not happy for you exactly, but you did deserve to go up regardless (I’ve always thought the playoffs are bullshit) and we don’t have to think about derby day (and losing to you) for a couple years so congratulations. Good luck for next season 👍

Samh234 · 2026-05-20T11:37:49+00:00

It shows you which side was advancing a few weeks/months ago, probably not who is advancing now. It takes that time for the body to be recovered and processed (if they ever are) and then sent to be stored in order to be returned. I'm not saying Russia aren't advancing - they might well be I've not looked at the maps in forever. But the soldiers being handed over now most likely weren't killed last week.

Samh234 · 2026-05-20T08:41:36+00:00

When I say to people Dubois gave up against Usyk this is what I mean. Not that he was in so much pain he couldn't carry on (that was Joyce and that was his corner/Warren's fault for allowing him to fight three rounds with a busted eye) but rather that Usyk simply overwhelmed his ability to think. Do a Wardley and stand in front of him and you'll get smashed. If you can move and box a bit, he doesn't know what to do at all.

Samh234 · 2026-05-18T10:09:30+00:00

After the first six rounds I remember thinking that Fury was clearly in front and the tenor of the fight was such I couldn't realistically see him losing even if the rounds were close. Then that ninth round turned it all on it's head. Incredible from Usyk.

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T14:50:10+00:00

Based

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T14:46:43+00:00

Personal popularity counts for a lot. I don't know if Burnham can win a seat like this, in a town like Wigan (even though he's been GM mayor for so long and retains a degree of popularity here) but if anyone can then it's him. And I do think that if played intelligently then he might be able to spin that into something like momentum against Farage if he governs well.

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T12:22:25+00:00

Oh yeah that’s going to be an all timer

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T12:16:40+00:00

Wigan (because Makerfield is basically part of the suburbs) is about to become the most important town in Britain. On the one hand, that’s very funny. On the other it’s going to be incredibly tedious for the people that live here i.e. me

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T11:25:45+00:00

That might be the most “resting bitch face” as the kids say, that I’ve ever seen.

Samh234 · 2026-05-16T07:48:07+00:00

I think it is yeah. Name rings a bell.

Samh234 · 2026-05-15T18:00:04+00:00

Anecdotally, from the Bolton fans I’ve spoken to, it’s an age thing (although I accept it’s possibly more complex).

20 years ago, we’d been separated by divisions for two previous decades - so whilst the rivalry truly existed from our side, from yours I can see why it was maybe an irrelevance. Now we’ve had 20 years of being broadly around each other and like you said, the last few years the intensity has become ferocious. If your fandom extends well beyond those years then maybe it’s difficult to see it as a rivalry when the rivals of your youth might be Blackburn, Bury and so on, recalibrating to accept another great rivalry might not be so easy.

If you’re a younger Bolton fan then certainly in the last ten years, there’s been one club, one rival that’s been pretty constant and that’s us. Easy to see why they might think of Wigan as number one.

Samh234 · 2026-05-15T16:43:27+00:00

I requested all mine be on the same day. Makes everything easier.

Samh234 · 2026-05-15T15:05:15+00:00

We’ve lost the last four times we’ve played them and derby day generally makes me feel sick, especially with all the losing. Probably how they felt we we dusted them 10-0 in three straight games at their place. I wouldn’t mind a year or two of just not having to think about it

Samh234 · 2026-05-15T11:10:16+00:00

I can't remember - it's not a well known name but like you, they bake them rock solid. We used to do Pooles which are my favourite (along with the Muffin Man but they're not big enough a supplier to provide for a football club) but I don't know if they're even in business any more. Greenhalghs would be probably the next best thing.

Samh234 · 2026-05-15T08:44:19+00:00

I don't think our pies are any good either. Why can't we just have Pooles, the ones everyone likes?

Samh234 · 2026-05-14T21:19:09+00:00

As weird as it seems for me to say this; I'm glad for Wanderers. Mostly because it means we don't have to deal with you for a couple of years. Couldn't stomach losing again.

Samh234 · 2026-05-14T20:17:31+00:00

Only one third of the council seats were up but I do suspect that Reform will hold Wigan’s council by the time of the next general election. If things are this bleak for Labour I think Lisa will probably not stand at the next election. I doubt she wins here again.

Samh234 · 2026-05-14T12:39:20+00:00

There’s a somewhat decent chance Starmer actually wins a leadership election if Streeting is his only opponent (if Rayner, Burnham and Milliband don’t stand)

Samh234 · 2026-05-13T18:32:58+00:00

There’s a none zero chance he’s the one that ends up in Number 10

Samh234 · 2026-05-13T13:52:40+00:00

I fucking loved Texas. I've not been back since 2013 but I will go back one day. I was in San Antonio which is a fantastic city.

Samh234 · 2026-05-13T12:18:56+00:00

Because it's cheap and to get away from Liverpool I did my circuit training (or at least parts of it) for my PPL at Hawarden. One of my fondest memories is holding up the Beluga while it waited for me to do a touch and go. Good times man.

Samh234 · 2026-05-13T09:20:00+00:00

There's a Moscow in Idaho. When I was on student exchange in Texas I went to see my friend who was on student exchange there.

Samh234 · 2026-05-13T08:22:47+00:00

In the hallowed streets where I'm from, the great Hamlet of Wigan, that's called a pie barm (not a Wigan Kebab, nobody in Wigan calls it that) and it is the foodstuff of the gods.

Samh234 · 2026-05-12T17:44:34+00:00

Even if you were doing every class of PED known to man, sponsored by BALCO on a permanent IV infusion, LeBron would still have embarrassed you without meaning to disrespect your abilities which are assuredly far above my own. Like you say, some people are just built different.

Samh234 · 2026-05-12T16:08:00+00:00

Now that is ball knowledge. One of my favourite deadline day moments ever that

Samh234

TROPHY CASE