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Mark O'Sullivan PhD

@markstkhlm.bsky.social
202 followers 86 following 220 posts

Associate professor Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. Blog: footblogball.wordpress.com Music themightyquark.bandcamp.com/album/t…

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Reposted by Mark O'Sullivan PhD
Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Don't tell him I said this, but Mark is consistently the smartest voice in any room he's in talking about sport and children's place in it - and of course, the FAI wouldn't let him within an ass's roar of whatever flaming pile of stinking garbage their current "youth development" plan is.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
New article in the Irish Examiner The illusion of professionalism - when football system designed to serve children starts serving itself Systems don’t rise to the level of their goals, they fall to the level of their design. www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer...
irishexaminer.com
The illusion of professionalism - when football system designed to serve children starts serving itself
Systems don’t rise to the level of their goals, they fall to the level of their design.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The only only sportsman and the only real man among them, standing head and shoulders above the cowards in the squad, the coaching staff and the FAI. This is how simple it is to do the right thing.
A statement from Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu that says: 

Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for every single one of my team mates, the Manager, his staff and the Irish people.

However I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly. I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle therefore I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel.

My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.

It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition of the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.

There are few times where you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger and I strongly believe that this is one of them.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Man City - www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYBj...
youtube.com
Clip from The Damned United - Brian Clough's first day as Leeds Manager
YouTube video by Sony Pictures Releasing UK
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Rajan Naidu 📎 Ⓥ @rajannaidu.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The Irish people will soon make up their own minds as to whether they are, or they are not, in favour of the Apartheid regime of Israel's settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, infanticide, genocide, collective punishment of the Palestinian people, wanton destruction www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...
amnesty.org
Europe: Israel’s participation in the UEFA Nations League is a betrayal of Palestinians, football's own rules and human rights
Despite clear evidence that Israel’s football association continues to support illegal settlements, Israel men’s football team will participate in the UEFA Nations League this autumn.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Spineless and ignorant, but the corporate cult of administration just rolls on
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
David Courell must resign. #stopthegame
Screenshot of a text that says:
"When freedom comes, we will remember, and future Irish Governments may yet be thankful for the stand taken by these wonderful young people outside Dunnes Stores. They have shown tremendous moral leadership and have become an important symbol to us all in South Africa, struggling for justice and peace…They have set an example to the whole world.”
- Bishop Desmond Tutu on the Dunnes Stores strike
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"Boycotts are powerful. Unilateral boycotts are ineffective" - David Courell . Please remind this idiot what Mary Manning and the Dunnes Stores workers achieved
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A classic released 30 years ago today
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Welcome to Sweden, and the election nobody won - how hope is in short supply, despite an apparent win for the red-green bloc after four years of far-right chaos. philipoconnor.com/welcome-to-s...
Swedish Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson takes the stage at the party's election vigil on Sept 13, 2026.
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thatgirlinsb @34thparallel.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Protesters at the Irish Open. shitler’s international golf links and hotel Doonbeg, Ireland. Thank you, Doonbeg!
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Richard Chambers @newschambers.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Statement from President Connolly: We are in a world facing the existential threat posed by war and climate change, both of which are inextricably interlinked. I conveyed the strong view of the Irish people that the normalisation of war and genocide can never be accepted.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
... is continue to state the facts and report what I see on the ground. The reason I do so is because I have read the books, visited the places & seen the graves of Nazism's victims. I am not afraid for myself. I am afraid for Sweden. So I'll say it one more time: No pasarán. Not now. Not ever.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
In 1933, a retirement home for Jewish people opened at Lützowstrasse 48/49 in Berlin, a place for them to live their remaining days in dignity. In 1939, it was taken over by the Nazis, who turned it into a propaganda office for HItler's Schutzstaffel - better known as the SS. (1/n)
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
When neoliberalism collapses into fascism - How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden | Martin Gelin
In 2022 my country entered a new era of cruelty. It will take more than one election to get the old, tolerant Sweden back, writes Swedish journalist Martin Gelin
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Sweden has already done this btw - hard/far-right is lobbying the hard of thinking with their "great replacement" horseshit, and idiot politicians are swallowing it whole.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A useless, spineless, gormless piece of shit.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The Greatest
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Un. Fucking. Disputed. #KatieTaylor
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Katie Taylor is Ireland's greatest-ever athlete, and I'm so thankful she gets to walk away on her own terms. A warrior, a winner and a woman whose pride in her country and her sport was never in doubt or besmirched. We will never see the likes of her again.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Football administration and governance in Ireland is not fit for purpose, and as always it is the most marginalised people and teams that suffer.
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The Journal @thejournal.ie · 02/09/2026
Fontaines DC have announced a second date at Slane Castle after tickets for the band's first gig were met with “overwhelming demand”. jrnl.ie/7149756
jrnl.ie
Fontaines DC announce second Slane Castle show - and the pre-sale starts right now
A second gig at the venue has been announced for Sunday 27 June.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
💚💚💚
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Sally Hayden @sallyhayd.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
One of the most horrific stories I’ve ever reported was published this weekend. Please, everyone privileged in this world, read it and really think about what it means not to have freedom of travel. www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...
irishtimes.com
‘It was day 13 or 14 when people started dying’: More than 200 set sail for Europe. Only 36 survived
A harrowing story of death and survival on the Atlantic migration route from west Africa, ‘the deadliest in the world’
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
These people are clowns! They should start a new gene of "political" music and call it POPulism @philipoconnor.bsky.social
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Is there Something I should know? @philipoconnor.bsky.social
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
By no means a royalist, but Norway's king was built different. A lot of my Norwegian friends are queer, and his support for that community, especially when they were being attacked, was invaluable to them. This speech from 2016 is one I'll never forget.
Image of a text that says:
Norwegians are girls who love girls, boys who love boys, and girls and boys who love each other.

Norwegians believe in God, Allah, the all, and the nothing.

Norwegians like Grieg and Kygo, the Hellbillies and Kari Bremnes.

In other words: Norway is you.

Norway is us ... our national anthem is also a declaration of love to the Norwegian people.

My greatest hope for Norway is that we will be able to take care of each other.

That we will continue to build this country – on trust, community and generosity.

That we will feel that we – despite all our differences – are one people.

That Norway is one.

-King Harald of Norway, 2016
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Rayan Cherki cost Manchester City £82.5m less than Florian Wirtz cost Liverpool
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Andreas Lindh @andreaslindh.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This is a good outside perspective of the Swedish parliamentary far-right turn, and as a bonus you'll also get @philipoconnor.bsky.social with the most awesome Irish dialect you'll ever hear.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
We used to be neo-Nazis but we're all right now- Why Sweden is a warning for Ireland's future. Great and insighful pod with @philipoconnor.bsky.social and the Free State crew open.spotify.com/episode/6xab...
open.spotify.com
‘We used to be neo-Nazis but we're all right now’ - Why Sweden is a warning for Ireland's future
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning · Episode
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A great singer, songwriter, artist and person. One of the best to ever do it. Rest in peace, Dolly.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
As I point out in this piece, Harris and his government with say all the right things, but they won't actually do anything. Meanwhile, a 17-year-old was murdered with a sword in school in Sweden by a fellow student who lionised mass murderers on TikTok. philipoconnor.com/irelands-fai...
philipoconnor.com
Ireland’s failure to regulate social media is killing our children
Flanked by police officers, representatives from the local municipality opened by speaking of the town’s horror at what had happened, and thanked the emergency services and law enforcement for their lightning-quick efforts that surely averted further bloodshed.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
@philipoconnor.bsky.social Make a band bigger The Mansionmartins bsky.app/profile/phil...
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Konstens lyckosamma slump. Artist unknown ;-)
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Our coaching practices reflect historically situated ways of thinking. A key problem is that analytical distinctions (Spider/radar charts, separation of technical, tactical, physical, psychological) can be mistaken for distinctions that exist in reality. footblogball.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/3...
footblogball.wordpress.com
Reflecting on worldviews and their legacy in shaping sports training
Worldview: an often-unspoken set of assumptions about reality that shapes what we notice, what we regard as meaningful evidence, how we explain behaviour and which explanations we consider valid (1…
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TG4 @tg4.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Bonn óir buaite ag Kate O'Connor i gCraobhchomórtais Lúthchleasaíochta na hEorpa in Birmingham 🥇
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Mentalt handikappat boskap @toebias.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Sverigebilden British man with dementia told to leave Sweden after losing migration case "The state’s interest in regulated immigration outweighs Horace Mason’s interest in continuing to reside” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
British man with dementia told to leave Sweden after losing migration case
Horace Mason, 74, who has lived in Sweden for 25 years, faces being deported after court ruling
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
It is looking like 5 out of 5 Norwegian clubs will have reached the play-offs in UEFA’s three club competitions! Bodø/Glimt & Viking – Champions League, Lillestrøm – Europa League, Brann &Tromsø – Conference League footblogball.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/f...
footblogball.wordpress.com
Factors shaping the success of Norwegian sport
Norway has consistently performed at a very high level in international sport, particularly in winter sports and endurance disciplines, despite having a relatively small population of just over fiv…
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Fuck this fascist shithole - and anyone who thinks it will be better when the fascists are kicked out of power in a month is dedluding themselves, as the main opposition are just as bad. No pasaràn.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Article on the Irish football/soccer debate in last Thursday's @irishexaminer.bsky.social "We need to critique the dominant ‘production’ narrative that increasingly shapes the youth football discussion."
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Did a workshop and the closing key note for the Austrian FA at their coach education conference in beautiful Saalfelden near Salzburg. Some great questions and discussions.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
JFK moment- where were you when Ted Lasso introduced Justin Bieber?
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
We did a Book chapter earlier this year with Argentinian national team coach/analyst Matias Manna - reframing how football analyses can be understood and applied. A shift from a conventional detached observer toward a “Linking Coach” a relational facilitator of shared understanding within the team.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Flew home from Vancouver yesterday, went to bed at 2330 and slept for 12 hours - haven't had a full day off since May, and my alleged "smart watch" tells me that sleeping for that long was "excessive". So if anyone wants a smart watch, you'll find it somewhere on the green in front of our house ...
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Georg @georghaas.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Thanks Mark! I like the scientific backing of the multi-sport approach. Makes totally sense looking at the famous multi-sports Dirk Nowitzki (who was also excellent in tennis) or Bastian Schweinsteiger (alpine skiing).
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Georg @georghaas.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Friedrich Merz und Aki Watzke müssen jetzt ganz stark sein. Die Norweger sind im Sport so gut, und jetzt festhalten, obwohl (weil 😉) bei Kindern "...scores and rankings stay off limits." Keine frühen Eliteakademien, kein Ergebnisdruck. Nur Spaß und viele Sportarten ausprobieren.
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Mark O'Sullivan PhD @markstkhlm.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Build patience into childhood rather than urgency -Haaland spent the next eight years involved in handball, athletics and cross-country skiing as well as football. Norway’s handball setup reportedly wanted him before he chose football at 14. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
theguardian.com
No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids – and built a football team that beat Brazil
The country’s model prioritises joy while offering youngsters choice – and Erling Haaland’s World Cup exploits show that it works
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