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Al

@btown85.bsky.social
616 followers 239 following 1.6K posts

Berlin based Yorkshireman with a love for Leeds United, Rugby League and Cricket. And a (liberal yoghurt knitting) opinion on everything. A politics addict in recovery.

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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 13h
Moving to a bigger place and having space to open boxes of things packed away for years. Champions
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 23h
Going to acknowledge I didn’t watch the England game last night, but every article I’ve seen this morning is about Trent Alexander Arnold. And it’s seemingly always so if he plays. Am I missing something about him? He’s not that good to there be such an obsession over
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
These anonymous MPs saying it's 'electoral suicide' to tinker with the triple lock. Exactly the type who got us into this mess: unwilling to lead, unwilling to recognise reality for fear of offending voters, unwilling to solve long-term problems if it presents the slightest short-term risk.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The BBC news summary this morning went seamlessly from "critics warn PM scrapping triple lock would be electoral suicide" to "critics ask if PM has nerve to make tough decisions" and I don't think it's a particularly pro Burnham stance to suggest he might not be the entire problem here.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I was 13 when this nonsense went on for weeks, I’m now in my 40’s. How the fuck are we back to arguing this shite?! Just walk elsewhere, I’ve yet to see a single thing to suggest this is anything other than a few bigots wanting to antagonise. Stop living in the past, let NI live in peace
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Adrian de la Touche @anoraky.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
90 years ago today the people of Leeds drove the fascists out of our city. It’s more important now than ever that we keep it that way.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
What a weekend of rugby league
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SlenderSherbet @slendersherbet.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"I don't fucking think so"
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Christ he’s fucking boring
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
At least our little island of chaos bucks the national trend of fascist love. 13.5% is exactly 13.5% too much, but better than most
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Jon Howe @jonhowe1971.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Will someone, ANYONE, please win the fucking Ballon d'Or
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Well I’ll take that . Class.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Slightly low key given how ace we’ve played, but Trafford has been shit tonight. All over the shop
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Bogle being credited with the second is criminal 😂 the freaks who decide these things genuinely hate football
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
We’re really pretty good aren’t we?
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Said after about 15 min that newcastle are a very red bull side, inc how much space we were getting. It’s like Jesse has tuned up
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
And I wonder who have done their utmost to create such a climate…he’s so close to it
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
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Luca Trenta @lucatrenta.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Turns out that if you are an old lady with a banner supporting Palestine, the government arrests you on charges of terrorism. If you are a masked white male thug bringing a national port to a standstill, the government does absolutely nothing, and the media covers it like some lads on a day out.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I want the Prime Minister to look into a TV camera and say the RNLI are heroes, that we do not change policy by street violence in this country, and that he expects any criminal action to face the full force of the law. That's it. That's all he has to do.
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
If someone acts on their 'concerns' by attacking people in their homes and by biting and throwing rocks at cops, no one should assess if those concerns are 'legitimate' or not. That violent behaviour waives any claim to 'legitimacy'. The phrase comes across as justifying violence, not condeming it.
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
If "legitimate concerns" were considered to excuse illegitimate methods, then nobody from Just Stop Oil or Palestine Action would have been arrested. So we know it doesn't. In fact that phrase is only ever used in one context. Only in that context is uniformed mob intimidation "peaceful protest"
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This should be the easiest open goal in the world for a progressive government - they are literally violent criminals. Most voters do not like violent criminals.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Ryan Bridge - Founder of "Raise the Colours" flag protests - charged with 14 offences including common assault. Danny Thomas - ringleader of Dover/Portsmouth thuggery - an ex-con jailed for attempted kidnap at knifepoint. Almost like they're not "ordinary people with concerns" but criminals.
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Andy P @arcticreviews.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
All this everyone has a right to peaceful protest stuff is fine had the cops not been arresting grannies and sending them to prison for less. Burnham, predictably, falling into some of the same traps that did for Starmer.
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Seems the difference between ‘protestors’ and ‘terrorists’ is that protestors wear balaclavas while terrorists hold placards.
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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Image what would have happened if it had been a group of grannies protesting genocide in Gaza…
theguardian.com
Black-clad protesters in balaclavas block road at port of Dover in Kent
Port authorities say access roads ‘free flowing’ again after large group forces road closures in both directions
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Super league attendance record for a season, with a round to go. For once can those involved in the game trumpet this, instead of constantly moaning the game is on its arse
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The irony being there has never been “US support” over the Falkland Islands. They’re neutral. Always seemed odd given our “special relationship” 👀
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
24 hours to go and the WhatsApp groups are already in meltdown. I can’t take this shite. Apparently “we’re fucked”, “we’ve had an awful window”, “how bad can the club be?” Would I like an attacker/DCL backup and a left back (and prob a centre half now rodon is out), yes? But dear god
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Fuck off lego head
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I know this isn't terrorism. You know this isn't terrorism. The authorities know this isn't terrorism. But, once again, they have labelled protesters "terrorists", as part of the long-running programme to ensure that no one dares protest about anything any more. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Seven charged with damaging Trump’s Scottish golf course accused of ‘terrorist connection’
Course at Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort was painted with words ‘Gaza is not 4 sale’ and clubhouse was sprayed with graffiti
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Birmingham seems to have moved
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Preach!! Hate it (see also at football matches). Always think back to the dude getting pissy with folk at a Dropkick Murphys gig in Camden because they were bumping into him, in and around the pit, whilst he used his ipad(!!) to film songs.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Got ourselves some keeper haven’t we?
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We look class at the back, Elvedi slotted right in. But by god, we’re in a pickle if DCL gets injured for a decent period.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Anyone know of pubs in Leeds that might be showing the game tomorrow, unofficially, of course
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
This piroe thing, club can’t win. Everyone moans we don’t sell well, now we’re sticking to our guns on a valuation we’re being greedy.
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Jason Sinclair @jsinclair.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Ten years of the country pandering to this cunt.
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JointheDots @joiningupthedots.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Essex police confirm Farage lied about them advising him not to attend the election count. Presumably he didn’t attend because of the embarrassment of beating a bin - nothing but a farce and a hollow victory. Today scrutiny will resume.
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This is a lovely site which helps remind us of much of what we take for granted in material progress ordinaryabundance.com (HT @aveek18.bsky.social)
ordinaryabundance.com
Ordinary Abundance
A walk through a modern apartment, through the eyes of the people for whom everything in it was new.
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Seb Downie-Blackwell @downieseb.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
I guess it's not a huge surprise that the men who wrote Basil Fawlty and David Brent as characters for themselves turned out to be insufferable pricks.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Now that is limbs
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btngnrtn @btngnrtn.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
No surprise to see polarised reactions to this. As I wrote in my first @thesquareball.net article two years ago – which X also didn’t like – Red Bull GmbH is divisive. Much of what it introduces – marketing stunts, dynamic brand toolkit, regulatory workarounds – are now in evidence at Leeds. #lufc
thesquareball.net
Red Bullification • The Square Ball
Having followed the insidious workings of Red Bull since their first involvement with SV Austria Salzburg, Wayne Gamble warns we shouldn’t expect them to act any differently with Leeds United.
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Now and forever
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Al @btown85.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
One thing this friendly on Saturday has taught me, alongside the reaction to @btngnrtn.bsky.social square ball article, is that I’m massively out of step with Leeds fan opinion on r*d b*ll. “you just see the German angle”, Ai, that’s the fucking warning ladies and gents. Don’t say you weren’t warned
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Clio @clioausberlin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
AfD wählen aus Überzeugung: macht dich zum Nazi Arschloch AfD wählen aus Protest: macht dich zum Nazi Arschloch AfD wählen aus Frust: macht dich zum Nazi Arschloch deine Motivation macht absolut keinen Unterschied, wenn dieselbe braune Scheiße das Resultat ist.
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The Square Ball @thesquareball.net · 06/08/2026
No Acceptance for Red Bull We need to acknowledge that #LUFC is no longer the exception to modern football — and focus our attention more clearly on what else is happening in plain sight. by @btngnrtn.bsky.social thesquareball.net/leeds-united...
thesquareball.net
No Acceptance for Red Bull • The Square Ball
We need to acknowledge that LUFC is no longer the exception to modern football — and focus our attention more clearly on what else is happening in plain sight.
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btngnrtn @btngnrtn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Wrote some words because I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore. #neinzuRB #lufc
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