Comedy isn’t cheap Out of all the people that try to make it as a professional comedian, the number that actually achieves that goal is relatively… well, tiny. The reason for many of these people dropping out of comedy and pursuing a more straightforward life is that they simply aren’t funny enough. For many comedians […]

7 years ago

Sponsored by Paddy Power Footballers love pranks The history of English football is dotted with teams that loved to prank both each other and, well, everyone else. Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang is probably the most famous example of this, thanks to their now infamous escapades. That included players having their shoes nailed to the floor, being […]

7 years ago

Youthful enthusiasm and the excitement of inexperience is cute until you grow up Jesse Lingard is a 26-year-old man. At times during his career he has occasionally threatened to become a very good footballer, but he is running out of time to figure out what it is that he does. Is he a winger? Is […]

7 years ago

Who hasn’t been involved in a prank with a pig’s head? How long after a player leaves a club does he get kicked out of the WhatsApp chat? Why did Emile Heskey attack Martin O’Neill? How does a pig’s head end up in a Premier League player’s locker. Former Stoke and Burnley striker Jon Walters […]

7 years ago

Boxing is a dangerous sport With a history – both distant and recent – marked with the life-changing injuries and tragic deaths of competitors, boxers are aware of the dangers of getting into the ring. The death of Russian boxer Maxim Dadashev in July, followed by that of Argentine Hugo Alfredo “Dinamita” Santillan just days […]

7 years ago

Another week, another JOE Monday Football Quiz It’s Monday folks and that means one thing: boredom. You’re fresh off the weekend and back into the start of the human construct known as ‘a week’. For that reason, and because I know you’ve already stopped reading, just go and enjoy the quiz. If you have any […]

7 years ago

Prize details: A unique money can’t buy experience for Day 3 of the 5th Ashes Test at the Kia Oval A chauffeur-driven car will be sent to collect the lucky winners from a pre-agreed train station. The winners will then be chauffeured to the Kia Oval – ensuring they only have a few steps to reach their seat. Upon arrival, the winners will […]

7 years ago

Chasing Neymar might be the worst decision Barcelona and Real Madrid have made in a while Professional football clubs are well-run businesses. They make decisions that will benefit their bottom line, indeed they are often criticised for doing so rather than focussing on footballing matters. But if there’s one benefit in focussing on the business […]

7 years ago

Knife crime is one of the biggest problems facing the UK currently Crimes involving knives are at their highest level since the Second World War, with 43,516 knife crime offences being recorded in the United Kingdom for the year ending March 2019. London in particular is an area that many consider to be the epicentre of […]

7 years ago

The JOE Friday Pub Quiz is here again, baby! Some days and dates herald in traditions each year. On December 25 we gather around the yule log and eat turkey to celebrate the birth of ET, the Extra Terrestrial, and on March 17 we wear little red hoodies to commemorate when ET, the Extra Terrestrial, […]

7 years ago

Deepfake technology is everywhere these days This year has seen a proliferation and increased sophistication of a technology known widely as deepfake. The tech allows users to replace the face of a person with the face of another, with the change appearing in realtime on video. The first truly viral deepfake saw Steve Buscemi’s face […]

7 years ago

Sponsored by Paddy Power Steve Sidwell was not confident of getting an answer On this week’s episode of Liquid Football, together with Paddy Power, Jonathan Walters and Steve Sidwell competed in the latest edition of Paddy’s Punt. Last week’s competition saw the two former pros take to London’s streets to see who could get recognised by […]

7 years ago

After more than five years, Dejan Lovren’s Liverpool journey is coming to an end Dejan Lovren moved to Southampton in the summer of 2013 from Olympique Lyonnais, and it took just one season in the Premier League to convince Liverpool to part with £20 million for his services. The Croatian was the third Saints player […]

7 years ago

Yes, footballers love fantasy football As football fans, we all play fantasy football, but do players love it as much as we do? Turns out they most definitely do, according to Jonathan Walters and Steve Sidwell, who went into detail about players’ fantasy football habits on the latest episode of Liquid Football, together with Paddy […]

7 years ago

New season, new football quiz It has been a long summer without the JOE Monday Football Quiz, but here we are back with the first of the season. The start of the Premier League season means the 35th edition of the quiz, with some changes from last season. First round is based on the weekend’s […]

7 years ago

“It’s all just emotion” Britain is leaving the European Union, regardless of what people think about. There’s a Brexiteer in 10 Downing Street who seems intent on pushing it through no matter what, but three years on people are no less passionate than they were when voting took place during the summer of 2016. Since […]

7 years ago

“It pains me greatly, not going there today…” If you watched Newcastle United’s opening game of the Premier League season, you may have noticed that there were 4,000 fewer in attendance than usual at St. James’ Park. That’s because a large number of supporters embarked on a protest against Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club, […]

7 years ago

“You’re meant to be tough guys, right?” There is a pervasive idea in society right now that people on the left are overtly sensitive, something which has seen them labelled ‘snowflakes’ by people on the right. But is this an accurate portrayal of the landscape? Comedian Al Murray doesn’t think so. At the Edinburgh Fringe […]

7 years ago

Feminism in comedy is a hot topic currently With the advent of #MeToo movement, the world of comedy and male comedians in particular have been forced, or at least urged, to confront their own behaviour and use of language. Speaking to JOE at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019, comedian Jacob Hawley discusses feminism in the […]

7 years ago

“We’re a little disappointed in you guys” The United Kingdom is in a perpetual state of discussing Brexit, discussing the thought process behind it – even three years on – and the consequences that Brexit, in any form, will have. What we don’t often consider the is the reaction of European countries on the decision […]

7 years ago

Comedian. Activist. Wanker Not our words, the actual words of comedian Grace Campbell on her website. The daughter of politician Alastair Campbell, Grace Campbell’s show is acutely political. Her solo debut hour, Why I’m Never Going Into Politics, reflects on her childhood in politics and her relationship with it now. Speaking to JOE at the Fringe, Campbell […]

7 years ago

Pre-season nights out, transfer flops and squaring up We’d like to introduce you to Liquid Football, together with Paddy Power. JOE’s latest show will see host by Kelly Cates joined each week by guests like Jonathan Walters, Wayne Bridge, Steve Sidwell, Luis Garcia and Wes Brown. On week one, Sidewell and Walters joined the fray, where […]

7 years ago

For long Career Mode has been unchanged Players of EA Sports’ FIFA series have for long complained about the unchanged nature of the game’s Career Mode. While online play and FIFA Ultimate Team have received attention from the game’s developers, the Career Mode – many players’ favourite mode to play – remained the same as […]

7 years ago

Is there an equation for happiness? Google executive Mo Gawdat believes that he has discovered the secret to a happy life and wants to share it with the world. Gawdat and his son came up with the equation while his son was battling an illness which he eventually succumbed to, and then turned to the […]

7 years ago

One record breaker on another Rio Ferdinand became the most expensive defender in English football when he joined Manchester United from Leeds United in 2002, and went on to enjoy a stellar career at the Red Devils. One man who will be looking to emulate this level of success is Harry Maguire, the most expensive […]

7 years ago

Frampton’s title fight is off after a freak injury in Philadelphia Carl Frampton has responded defiantly to the freak injury which has ruled him out of his fight against Emmanuel Dominguez in Philadelphia, insisting that he will fight for another world title. Speaking to JOE after the injury, which saw an ornament fall on his […]

7 years ago

Bad signings. Farcical peaks and troughs. That is Everton Everton aren’t supposed to get things right. When their rivals Liverpool were at their lowest ebb, somewhere between 1992 and the Roy Hodgson years of 2010/11, Everton were flailing. Never knowing quite how to keep a good thing going, the Toffees were always perpetually somewhere between […]

7 years ago

ANNOUNCE SLABHEAD Harry ‘Slabhead’ Maguire appears to have finally sealed his dream (since the beginning of the summer, anyway) move to Manchester United for a fee believed to be close to £80 million. He leaves Leicester City after an impressive period which saw him become one of England’s most important defenders and his move to […]

7 years ago

A swap deal with Romelu Lukaku appears to be happening If Paulo Dybala completes a shock swap move to Manchester United, the fan base will be sent into raptures at the prospect of a European superstar coming to Old Trafford. If that move sees Romelu Lukaku – a player who clearly wants out of a […]

7 years ago

The king is dead, long live the king Rich Cooper is not dead, dear quizzers – he is immortal so there is no need to worry about that – but he is OOO this week, meaning that his trusty steed (me) has stepped in to inject some quiz action into your veins this week. It […]

7 years ago

Competitive thumb wrestling exists You may be aware of thumb wrestling from your youth; holding hands with your mates and holding your thumb aloft like a noble cobra preparing to pounce upon its prey. But while you might have stopped thumb wrestling, not everybody did. Not only are some people still doing it for fun […]

7 years ago

Another year, another FIFA game The latest edition of EA Sports’ sector dominating football series, also known more commonly as FIFA 20, will be hitting digital stores and shop shelves at the end of September. As with every incarnation of the series, fans are desperate to find out what separates this year’s version from last […]

7 years ago

A little second referendum chat over a jog Nicky Morgan is the MP for Loughborough and a runner. She took Oli Dugmore to the Outwoods for a jog, where they discussed a second referendum and mental health, in between petting passing dogs.

7 years ago

Footballers love haircuts One of the most talked about things in football these days – away from the action on the pitch – is the players’ style and appearance. While their predecessors often had long, scraggy rock star hair, modern footballers have finely groomed cuts, with not a hair out of place. Ever wondered who’s […]

7 years ago

Every team has one Regardless of which football team we support, each of us has at least one player unconnected to the club that we look out for. Sometimes it’s because we once saw the player rip our team apart and as a result we keep an eye out for them, and sometimes it’s because […]

7 years ago

Spitting xenophobic rhymes Boris Johnson is now the prime minister after defeating one Jeremy Hunt in the Conservative party leadership contest. We’re not sure what to expect from Boris’ premiership, bar xenophobic soundbites and gross financial miscalculations for grand plans. Thankfully, we’ve also got Boris Bop – courtesy of BoJo and Stormzy. Spitting xenophobic rhymes, […]

7 years ago

Manchester United and Harry Maguire Whether for ill or for good, Manchester United have deemed it wise to part with eighty million of the Queen’s pounds for the services and large head of one Harry Maguire. Maguire has experienced a ludicrous rise since leaving Hull City for Leicester City in 2017 for a reported fee […]

7 years ago

KITS, KITS, KITS We all love football kits, and if you don’t then you’ve clearly clicked on the wrong link. Most of the Premier League kits for the 2019/20 season have now been released or at least unveiled, and it is a mixed bag. The football kit Gods have graced us with some absolute beauties, […]

7 years ago

Huddersfield Town will go without a shirt sponsor for the 2019/20 season Paddy Power and Huddersfield Town this week announced that the bookmaker will be sponsoring the Terriers for their first season back in the Championship. But when the design for the new kit was revealed, featuring what was dubbed as the ‘hen party sash’ […]

7 years ago

“MINO, MINO, MINO, MINO” It’s a warm day in Turin. A man emerges from an expensive Mercedes wearing a t-shirt, shorts and sunglasses. There are hundreds if not thousands of people standing behind recently erected barriers. Upon spotting the man, they erupt into chants of his name. They cheer. He sees them, takes in the […]

7 years ago

The king is dead, long live… Steve Bruce Steve Bruce has been appointed as the manager of Newcastle United Football Club, a day after he resigned from Sheffield Wednesday, replacing Rafa Benitez in the process. When Rafa departed the Magpies upon the expiry of his contract at the end of June, the club’s announcement was […]

7 years ago

Making a fool of Champions League winners at the age of 18 There is a video which has doing the rounds over the past few days showing a small young footballer running rings around the Real Madrid team in training. You see the likes of Raphael Varane, Marcelo and Keylor Navas – each of them an […]

7 years ago

Back to Barcelona it is Neymar Jr. is unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain after his two year quest to mould a team in his own image has rendered the Parisian club just as vacuous and superficial as it was the day he arrived, perhaps even more so. His move from Barcelona to the French capital was […]

7 years ago

The man knows how to appoint a manager Say what you want about Mike Ashley – honestly, I really don’t mind what you say about him – but you cannot deny that the man knows how to appoint a manager. He may not be very good at appointing the right manager, only twice throughout his […]

7 years ago

You can do it A poll conducted and published by YouGov this week saw the research firm ask British citizens whether they believed that they would be capable of winning a point in a tennis match against Serena Williams. Bear in mind before we go any further that Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam […]

7 years ago

Simpler times Deadline day at the end of the summer transfer window in 2011 has gone down in football history as one of Arsenal’s weirder moments in a recent history that has been defined by weirdness. Fresh off the back of a dismal league start which left Arsene Wenger’s side with one point from their […]

7 years ago

No one plays the transfer game better than Juventus One of the most important aspects of football is minimising risk. Teams try to do this at all times and in all areas of their operations. On the pitch, managers such as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp seek to minimise risk by instructing their players to […]

7 years ago

‘Great touch for a big man’ Peter Crouch’s career as a professional footballer has come to an end at the tender age of 38 this week. 20 years, 11 clubs and one loan spell in Sweden after signing his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur, the enigmatic striker has decided to hang up his boots, […]

7 years ago

From fourth in the Championship to League One in a few months Darren Moore has been appointed manager of Doncaster Rovers, and let us just state from the off that there is nothing wrong with that reality. Doncaster are a fine club with a dedicated fanbase and a rich 140-year history. But for a manager […]

7 years ago

This Brazil team had wanted to be remembered, they got their wish

7 years ago