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Stu Montagu

@halfspacehacks.bsky.social
34 followers 55 following 21 posts

Long time contributor to The Liverpool Way fanzine, website & podcast. Thoughts on football, coaching, fan culture, media, analysis or whatever else might scratch an itch at any point.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Stu Montagu
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
'Actually existing Manchesterism' meet 'Manchesterism as a device for making Labour feel good about itself'
bbc.co.uk
Andy Burnham 'really concerned' if Man City owners sell up after rule breaches
The prime minister compares the allegations against Man City to the plight of his own club Everton.
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
Neil Atkinson @knoxharrington.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Manchester City supporters (and the people of Manchester) should be furious. Because the first people who have had the piss taken out of them is them. Even now the City statement takes the piss. You are meant to back this pile of bullshit, it says. You are meant to back it unquestionably.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tricky afternoon here for Disguised Funding Scheme FC.
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
The Liverpool Way @theliverpoolway.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Dan, Paul and John recorded a pod on this week's big news. theliverpoolway.podbean.com/e/manchester...
theliverpoolway.podbean.com
Manchester City - Guilty | The Liverpool Way Podcast
We’ve all known it for a long time, but now Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of the vast majority of the Premier League charges against them. The punishment is still to be decided, bu...
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Finished it off this week and couldn't agree more with this. The writing feels like real people being funny with their mates, the acting is great and the ending is really well executed.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
David Conn has always been essential reading, especially when his specialist subject of sporting corruption intersects with his own football club.
theguardian.com
How drawn-out saga of Manchester City’s alleged cheating came to this
Club’s ruthless approach was always at odds with their public image and this inglorious story has further to run
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@jamesskelly.bsky.social I'd never heard of Terry Reid until a few days ago. Had a great weekend diving into some of his stuff. Love those stories of musicians all the legends love that aren't as famous as they should be.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
New one from me about how supporters can tend to under-appreciate what they already have and how the league seems to be tending towards more errors and less perfection: halfspacehacks.substack.com/p/the-grass-...
halfspacehacks.substack.com
The grass is greener...in other stadiums.
Does familiarity breed contempt for some supporters?
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This is great stuff. Love a good football history podcast and these guys are consistently excellent. African football, geopolitics and Marxism. Yeah, wildly surprising it's my bag.
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
The Anfield Wrap @theanfieldwrap.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
'The likeability and the results, progression, points on the board, will continue to be linked, one will be the other. And it isn't as simple as giving everything.' ✍️ @knoxharrington.bsky.social's review… 👉 Read here: mailchi.mp/theanfieldwr...
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I make that six goal contributions from Cody Gakpo in around four full games of football. Almost as if he isn't as terrible as some people repeatedly told us he was last season. #lfc
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
but I can’t believe we’ve now got to the point of feminism which explicitly says “only women can do childcare”, well done everyone
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
…can female staff change boy babies’ nappies? what is her actual objection here, does she think all care should be segregated by sex or does she think all men are sex offenders
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Hang on, can male staff change boy babies’ nappies? Or no nappies at all? Can men change their own babies’ nappies?
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
The Liverpool Way @theliverpoolway.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Pod from today. Difficult one to discuss, no idea how we got over an hour as virtually nothing happened! theliverpoolway.podbean.com/e/liverpool-...
theliverpoolway.podbean.com
Liverpool 0 Fulham 0 - Match Reaction | The Liverpool Way Podcast
A pretty demoralising day at Anfield as a lacklustre Reds barely laid a glove on winless Fulham in a goalless draw that maintains Andoni Iraola's unbeaten start, but means he's dropped as many points ...
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Watching #MOTD this morning and the post match analysis from Danny Murphy is about Fulham being defensively suspect. That's one hell of a main takeaway from a football match with these numbers.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
That's four times in two games and ten minutes that Gakpo has turned possession with 1% of a chance/threat into a goal or huge chance. Brilliant start to the season for #lfc.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
It'll be interesting to see what shape the defence takes in possession with this selection. Araujo as a normal RB or does he tuck in to make a three and let Kerkez bomb on up the left.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
New one from me about some of the madness of the summer transfer window. Come for the football, stay for the references to 1970's Roboticists and sub-prime mortgages. halfspacehacks.substack.com/p/artificial...
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
New one from me looking at the signing of Araujo, the defensive depth at the club, and leaning into some positivity as #LFC head into the new season. halfspacehacks.substack.com/p/and-then-the…
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
No matter how many brilliant goals he scored, and how many clips of his incredible technique there are, him pressing the ball and the keeper into the net in the FA Cup semi-final v City is still my go-to memory that sums him up the best. Absolute warrior. #lfc
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Philippe Auclair @philippeauclair.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Really concerning news about Qatar 2022 whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais, who was abducted by the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) today. This message was sent by his family. Abdullah was meant to testify on allegations of forced labour at the 2022 WC at a US hearing on 20 August.
"Abdullah Abdullah Ibhais was abducted by the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) in Amman few minutes ago.

Abdullah is supposed to have a voluntary disposition in the United States on the  20th of August 2026, where he is scheduled to testify as a witness. This deposition is part of a pending U.S. District Court case concerning allegations of forced labor and human trafficking associated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Abdullah has just got his visa yesterday, the 6th of August 2026, from the U.S Embassy in Amman.

Abdullah was threatened with prison before by the (CID) officers, if he insisted to continue his advocacy concerning his case, or concerning the issue of workers conditions in Qatar. 

His house was searched and he was almost arrested on the 21st of May 2026, before the arrest force received a phone call and left his house.

Abdullah’s passport was confiscated for two months between the 10th of May and the 1st of July 2026, in order to ban him from  taking place in the same disposition that was supposed to take place virtually in the U.S Embassy in Norway, on the 30th of May 2026. Abdullah was then supposed to participate in Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF), organized by Human Rights Foundation (HRF) on the 1st and 2nd of June 2026.

When Abdullah previously confronted his interrogators in the (CID) that they are acting upon a Qatari request; they never denied or challenged him on this."
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James Butler @piercepenniless.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
This is an attempted lynching, which will be treated with much less seriousness then pensioners holding up Palestine Action placards.
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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Did Britain accidentally become a place where a convicted Neo Nazi who harassed an MP in a really horrifying manner can expect hugely more robust defence from politicians and media against criticism than, say, Gary Lineker can? I would say, no: this was deliberately inflicted upon everyone.
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Both the Thiel/Palantir scandal, and the Mandelson/Deripaska scandal lead back to one figure — Jeffery Epstein
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Chris Smith @bychrissmith.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
New on Always Liverpool | On preparing to return to Anfield for another season. A lot of heart went into this one. Shares and subs appreciated.
alwaysliverpool.substack.com
Returning to Anfield for another season: The magic and the melancholy
It's almost time...
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Started a little side-hustle for some writing. If you enjoy my contributions to @theliverpoolway.bsky.social pod then give it a look.
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Reposted by Stu Montagu
Neil Atkinson @knoxharrington.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Huge respect as ever to London's relentless commitment to being the very best place in the world for a drink from 12-4 and degrading as though there is a half life every hour on the hour thereafter.
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Sachin Nakrani @sachinnakrani.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
On the day Mohamed Salah joined Trabzonspor, a reminder of the sacrifices he made and sheer bloody-mindedness he displayed to make it in the first place, via this exclusive extract from Melissa Reddy’s latest book for @sport.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
Mohamed Salah’s story of success and sacrifice: ‘Chasing a dream I had to reach’
In this exclusive book extract, Melissa Reddy documents the Egyptian King’s sacrifice and dedication to make his vision a reality
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
It's going to sound like sour grapes coming from fans of #LFC but that price for Diomande seems wild. He's played 3,256 minutes of club football in his short career. That's around 36 90s. Luckily he's going to play under a manager that loves taking the time to develop young talent.
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Stu Montagu @halfspacehacks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Been feeling like I want to get back into some writing for a fair while now, so if you enjoy my general take on the world of football then have a look and see if you fancy subscribing:
halfspacehacks.substack.com
Get in, no time to explain!
Okay, fair enough, maybe some context is required...
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