gingerjon

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRtFuS5j/ Do TikToks embed? An interesting take on Bradford City’s kit launch, which they managed to have happen before the FA Cup final.

It's not. Looks like he'd been ill for the past few years as well.

The more I dwell, the more I am annoyed that the quite fun "Ein, Zwei, Drei" shout with the beats around the chorus was then wasted on a song that couldn't carry it.

Given what Greek Cypriot communities are like in London that doesn't actually change anything I said, TBH.

I was just googling the Greek and Cypriot entries to see just how much joint work they do (answer: loads) but what also came up was how much straightforward schmoozing, personal appearances, fun concerts (etc) and sheer graft the Greek one in particular had done in the few months beforehand. I don't know if our guy did. And we do know it matters. Interestingly (ish) I also think we're very unreceptive to other country's acts doing their stuff over here. We really do, as a nation, go into each Eurovision week as a kind of last minute exercise in finding out, whereas that isn't the case elsewhere. Maybe we come off as not really performing as part of it as a result.(*) The exception, obviously, being Sam Ryder. (* actually I think it is almost always a lack of effective 'touring' and a terrible staging)

Scott Hastings, Scotland RU, aged 61

As I said, there’s some politics but there is also a massive overlap in terms of media, culture, music, celebs etc.

And, as said, Greece/Cyprus is so easy to explain. Yes, there may be politics but their cultures are essentially the same. They do actually really like what each other produces.

They’ve literally said they do it. Government promotion (against the rules) directly calling on people around the world to put their votes for Israel - and a budget to advertise it as well (again against the rules). This one is genuinely not a conspiracy theory.

Write a list of what the sport has done to follow up those things

Brentford’s ground hosts a few random international games and, upcoming, has a three day event with the women’s global sevens (soccer). That last one is 7 a side so would need different pitch markings and set up so is up there with the requirements for a rugby match.

If you gave them, before joining, the TV/sponsorship money to match the other Premier League teams they would be more than fine. They're already both on or just over £100m income per year whilst playing in the SPFL.

I should add that “tightening” the vote by still opening it up to non participating countries, having the vote open before the songs, *and* still allowing multiple votes is … an odd way of tightening.

There is politics to Greece and Cyprus, obviously, but there’s also the fact that they are incredibly similar culture wise so are going to tend to like the same things. The same is true of most of the “we vote for you vote for us” pairings.

So if you’re at a bus stop and there is a bus waiting then you know which one it is, regardless of the direction you are approaching it from.