jonspurling.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

@favlit.org - I'm really looking forward to Friday 28th February at 6.00, where I'll be talking about my new book Go To War: Football On The Brink In The '80s at the Old Brewery Store, as part of the 2025 Literary Festival.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Can any football freelancers out there confirm whether Substack is - ahem - ‘worth’ dabbling in? I have no idea, and almost no idea about how it works…..

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Just finished reading this fantastic book by @jonspurling.bsky.social “Go To War” a history of football in the 80’s Well worth checking out!

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

Fantastically taken goals for #Merino - so pleased for him. He’s added mobility, penetration and a ruthless killer instinct today, something we’ve often been lacking this season. #Arsenal #COYG #LEIARS

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Is there anything better than the opening chords of a Jason Bourne movie?

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Whatever happens for the rest of the season, I’ll get behind #Arsenal 100%. It’s not the players’ fault about injuries or lack of signings up front, and the situation can’t be resolved until the summer anyway. Back the team or stay away. #COYG #LEIARS

submitted 18 days ago • 3 comments

Very sad to hear of Patrick Barclay’s passing. I was lucky enough to meet him several times. With a wonderfully smooth Scottish accent, he was fantastically erudite, funny, and articulate, with a twinkle in his eye and a great sense of mischievous humour. He’ll be much missed.

submitted 18 days ago • 2 comments

Doing anything on Friday February 28th and in the vicinity of Kent? I'm doing my first ever literary festival slot. Details are here....... www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/programme/20...

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

I’m really looking forwards to #Arsenal playing on the front foot tonight and going at Newcastle right from the start. An early goal from us would set the hares running. Might as well throw everything we have at them, and we have a good break after this game too. #COYG #NEWARS

submitted 27 days ago • 0 comments

#Arsenal look much better when they play full throttle on the front foot. Of course, City's defence was poor and on another day, the 1st half Havertz miss would cost us, but the final 30 minutes were a joy to behold, and the kids were fearless. Onwards and upwards. #COYG #ARSMCI

submitted 30 days ago • 1 comment

I wish Leicester would get on with it and sack Van Nistelrooy so I could get back to liking them again. Anybody else? #Arsenal # COYG

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

That was absolutely off his chest. How could the check have been completed that fast? I had to look 3 times. Robbed. #Arsenal #COYG

submitted 45 days ago • 1 comment

In today’s #ARSAVL programme, I focus on this atmospheric photo of Ted Drake, completing laps of Highbury on a misty afternoon, a week after netting an astonishing 7 goals at Villa Park. #Arsenal #COYG x.com/JonSpurling1...

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

Very sad to hear that #DenisLaw has passed away. A lethal finisher in a vintage United team, and a massively engaging interviewee on a couple of memorable occasions. The Lawman would have been a star in any generation. #RIPDenis

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

Some huge performances tonight. Rice, Lewis - Skelly and Gabriel were superb. Whether we win the league or not, North London is red. #Arsenal #COYG #NLD #ARSTOT

submitted 48 days ago • 1 comment

With the required adjustment(s) up front we’d be in double figures here. As it is this game is - somehow - still in the balance. #Arsenal #COYG #ARSTOT #NLD

submitted 48 days ago • 0 comments

We’re all annoyed at the team’s loss of form but there’s no excuse for #Arsenal fans to be ‘orrible to each other, players, their partners or Arteta. No need at all. Football might be your lifelong obsession and it’s a global behemoth these days, but it’s just a game. Just a game folks…. #COYG

submitted 50 days ago • 1 comment

It’s time we reverted to 1985 and converted Gabriel into a striker like Don Howe did with Chris Whyte. Gabriel has a fine eye for goal, after all. #COYG #Arsenal #ARSMANU

submitted 51 days ago • 2 comments

In their worst spell league wise in almost 40 years, United have won 2 domestic cups in 2 years. Whereas a resurgent #Arsenal have won nothing since Lockdown. In our dotage, which group of supporters will look back most fondly on the last few years? #COYG #ARSMUN

submitted 51 days ago • 2 comments

As an aside, how much wax time was wasted in the game today by both sides? I’m surprised we’re still not playing…. #Arsenal #COYG #ARSMUN

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

I really hope for Arteta’s sake that this whole thing isn’t about to go south. He deserves better than that. But multiple injuries, changing tactics, loss of form and questionable signings mean he’s under pressure. Hope he sticks it to Tottenham on Wednesday. #Arsenal #COYG #ARSMUN

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

#Arsenal have lost the crowd. The buzz which has surrounded the team for the last 2 seasons has gone. I hope it’s temporary. But when #Saka embodies 50% of our creativity and the situation up front is worsening after the Jesus injury, it’s a huge concern. #COYG #ARSMUN

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

I signed a few of these at Bluewater Waterstones yesterday, if you're passing and looking for a new year football history fix. And let's face it, why wouldn't you be? They're in the hardback section, right next to Jeff Stelling. Not literally.

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

In this afternoon's #ARSMUN programme, I focus on just why champion jockey Gordon Richards was 'donkey-derbying' it at Highbury in 1928..... #Arsenal #COYG

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

Whatever is going on, I feel protective of #Arteta - he’s not a fraud and he’s not clueless, as so many are calling him. He is stubborn though. I get the sense from the interviews that he’s as frustrated as fans about lack of clinical striker up front. #Arsenal #COYG #ARSNEW

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

Hugely frustrating to see the issues up front as they were also obvious in some key games last season. We've slowed down and lost our mojo. Top strikers cost huge sums, but this was an opportunity missed in the summer. Could be a tricky January. Stick together. #Arsenal #COYG

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

Note to selves: the fear and havoc that an out and out goal scorer like #Izak is bringing to the #Arsenal defence. #COYG #ARSNEW

submitted 56 days ago • 0 comments

What a magnificent game at Anfield. The people, companies and states who own and control football clubs today might be awful, but the players care, a lot, and do the fans - and all of us. A reminder that football is too precious to be left to the bastards, who should be fought every inch of the way.

submitted 58 days ago • 13 comments

Let’s just chuck everything at the cup competitions this season and bloody win something. Rather than go out of all of them and finish second again. Anyone else agree? #Arsenal #COYG

submitted 59 days ago • 2 comments

Is there a better movie moment than 3 minis - red, white & blue - screaming through the Turin sewers? #TheItalianJob

submitted 61 days ago • 0 comments

Imagine ‘80s version of #Arsenal social media. For those with long memories, it would have advocated slinging out - at different times - Davis, Adams, Smith, Thomas, Winterburn and Groves. ‘They’re no bloody GOOD,’ many would have ranted. Moral? Be patient and back the team. #COYG

submitted 61 days ago • 3 comments

Sickness, injuries, players’ loss of form…yet #Arsenal motor onwards. Not only did we gain most points in 2024, we’ve already got most in 2025 too. Onwards. #Arsenal #COYG #BREARS

submitted 62 days ago • 1 comment

Happy new year all. Let’s start the year positively. A win tonight would put us on 39 points which should pretty much guarantee top flight football for the 650th consecutive season. Or something like that. Onwards and upwards! #Arsenal #COYG

submitted 62 days ago • 1 comment

I wrote a book this year, which I was pretty happy with. It’s about who owns football, and it’s called Who Owns Football? If you’d like to round off your 2024 in fine style by buying it, here are a selection of places to do just that. linktr.ee/NickMillerWh...

submitted 63 days ago • 4 comments

The national obsession with the New Years Honours list is one of the least attractive facets of Britishness.

submitted 63 days ago • 0 comments

It’s dark outside. It’s Christmas. Of course it’s time for #WhereEaglesDare - the snowbound war movie, littered with ludicrous German accents. But who can complain about a cast of Eastwood, Burton, Ure and Hordern? Certainly not me. ‘Broad sword calling Danny boy’ incoming…..

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

3 points are 3 points but….we looked laboured for much of the game, passing the ball to death. Saka is 50% of our creativity. Either Arteta needs to get more out of the front players who are fit, or we make additions in January. Hopefully both. #Arsenal #COYG #ARSIPS

submitted 67 days ago • 0 comments