Just in

What’s Hot

Does Sir Jim Ratcliffe get a fair press?

Our sporting press like nothing better than to criticise. Two weeks ago, in rugby’s Six Nations tournament, England were predicted to lose to France and head coach Steve Borthwick was under the cosh. England then proved the critics wrong. Underlying this critique is the patronising assumption [...]

February 22, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Boys Book of Soccer (1957)

At a garden fête last year I bought the above slightly fixed volume and interesting reading it made too. Of most interest were the league tables for 1955/56. In those days you  had a Third Division – north and south – from which only one team was promoted. Brighton, Ipswich Town, [...]

February 21, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Upside Down World/Benjamin Moser

This book is an assessment of the Golden Age of Dutch Art – the 17th century- by an American who relocated from the States to Utrecht. He is not an art historian but an appreciator. I was recommended to it by a friend whose bag was more Renaissance Art but looked for an introduction to Dutch [...]

February 19, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Fulham 2 Nottingham Forest 1

We maintained the form that achieved a draw at Liverpool and wins at Chelsea and Newcastle with a well-deserved victory over Forest who won 7 games consecutively in December and had put 7 past Brighton. In terms of performance it might just be our best this season with Forest having no answer to [...]

February 17, 2025 // 0 Comments

Ala Colthard/Signor Sassi & Jones Family Kitchen

Signor Sassi is one of those once fashionable Knightsbridge restaurants – you know, the sort where they have pictures of film stars and footballers on the wall? Situated in an alleyway off Knightsbridge it’s not the most accessible location but its signature dish of spaghetti all’ [...]

February 13, 2025 // 0 Comments

Super Bowl 2025

The Super Bowl poses many challenges. To the viewer, he/she must – if he/she wants to see it live – stay awake between the hours of 11.30pm and 3-30am. As it’s mainly an event, rather than a sporting spectacle of competitiveness, the commentary must cater for the casual as well as the [...]

February 11, 2025 // 0 Comments

England 26 France 25 (Six Nations)

England confounded the negativity of the Press in the build-up by not collapsing in the final quarter but by winning in the dying embers. In truth it was not a great game of rugby. France dominated the first half but made some dreadful errors. Marcus Smith’s kicking was not reliable off the [...]

February 9, 2025 // 0 Comments

The Tanner Report: Newcastle 1 Fulham 2

The mystery continues as to why Fulham can get satisfactory results against teams above us and play poorly against those below. We have beaten Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and now Newcastle away – drawn at Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal – but lost crushingly to Wolves and drawn with [...]

February 3, 2025 // 0 Comments

Reflections upon Ireland 27 England 22 (Six Nations)

Yesterday I tuned into ITV’s coverage of the Six Nations clash at Croke Park between last year’s champions Ireland and England – under the captaincy of decade-long “FEC” (future England captain) Maro Itoje (now 30) for the first time – which resulted in a 27-22 victory for the [...]

February 2, 2025 // 0 Comments

France 44 Wales 0 (Six Nations)

France opened the Six Nations with a resounding victory over Wales. The only negative in an impressive performance was the upgraded red card given to Romain Ntamack which might put the fly half – only recently returned from a long injury lay-off – out for a sizeable part of the rest of [...]

February 1, 2025 // 0 Comments

1 … 8 9 10 11 12 … 398

Copyright © 2026 The National Rust | Design by Premonition