Philippe Auclair

@philippeauclair.bsky.social

31473 Followers 929 Following

Writes and sings for Josimar, The Guardian and Tapete Records

A Private Eye cartoon showing a stubbly football-shaped character bearing the 2026 World Cup logo, leaning against a wall, with a board reading "homeless-please help" in front of him.
Cover of the 16 July edition of Record Collector magazine, entirely devoted to XTC.
Gary Sobers and Muhammad Ali sitting next each other in the West Indian dressing-room, Lord's, 1966. Sobers made 163 not out in a Test match which England drew.
"Many of us are unable to sing or whistle in tune, though usually we are very conscious of this-we do not have an "amusia." But true tone deafness is present in perhaps five per cent of the population, and people with such an amusia can veer off key without realizing it, or be unable to recognize off-key singing by others."
BBC headline reading: "Greg's closing stores due to baking heat".
Poster announcing the names of the artists performing at the Wolrd Cup final half-time show, including Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber. Burna Boy, BTS and Gustavo Dudamel.
A reproduction of Hunters in the Snow (Winter), 1565, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
A montage of front pages of newspapers and magazines from the UK, Spain, France, Japan, Italy, Germany and the US, all of them criticising Fifa president Gianni Infantino for his "capitulation" to Donald Trump in the Balogun affair.
‪Corey Rayburn Yung‬ ‪@coreyryung.bsky.social‬ · 14m Maybe this will help some people understand why lawyers like @annabower.bsky.social are universal in reading the FIFA rules against the Belgium interpretation. ‪Corey Rayburn Yung‬ ‪@coreyryung.bsky.social‬ · 41m Think of it this way. The FIFA automatic suspension rule is akin to a mandatory criminal sentence. Article 27 is a presidential pardon. The fact that the sentence/suspension is mandatory/automatic doesn't negate the pardon as a safety valve.
IFA President Gianni Infantino: “I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance. “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected. “Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold. “I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree. “What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
RBFA STATEMENT The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match on Monday, 6 July at 5:00 p.m. (Seattle time). FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction. However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup. Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: "If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed." The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026. The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations. In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.
A Truth Social post by Donald Trump, reading: "Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right and reversing a great jnjustice! Presudent DONALD J. TRUMP"
The cover of the August 2026 edition of the football magazine When Saturday Comes, showing former Manchester City FC manager Pep Guardiola, with the caption: "six Premier Leagues, one Champions League, 115 charges".
Graph showing that, as of 24 June 2026, Polymarket had processed 3.04 billion US dollars of trades on the "2026 World Cup winner" market.
A map of air-conditioned Tube lines in London, unfortunately impossible to alt-text properly: main thing is that Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines are the best/safest to use.
Photograph of the "Hand of God", God, here, being Diego Maradona, 22 June 1986.
The title page of Frank Scully's book "Behind the Flying Saucers", published by Victor Gollancz in the UK, 1950.
FIFA has previously demonstrated that it is willing to engage on human rights concerns related to football in Iran, including the longstanding exclusion of women from stadiums and barriers to equal participation in sport. Today, that same principle is being tested again. The question is not whether FIFA can solve Iran’s human rights crisis. No sporting organisation can. The question is whether FIFA is willing to speak up again. Because silence in such circumstances risks sending a troubling message, that human rights commitments are celebrated when convenient, but become optional when politically difficult.Ahead of Irans first match at the World Cup, we therefore respectfully ask:● Whether FIFA has raised the reported imprisonment of Iranian footballers with the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran;● What steps FIFA has taken under its Human Rights Policy and Safeguarding Framework in response to these reports;● Whether FIFA has sought information on the welfare, legal status and safety of the footballers concerned;● How FIFA will ensure that human rights considerations remain central to its engagement with Iranian football authorities;● Whether FIFA will acknowledge or otherwise address the wider human rights context affecting footballers in Iran in relation to Iran’s upcoming World Cup appearances.The World Cup is a celebration of football. It is also a moment when the values associated with the game are placed under global scrutiny.As millions of people around the world watch the tournament, FIFA has an opportunity to demonstrate that its commitment to human dignity applies equally to all footballers, regardless of nationality or political circumstance.We would welcome your response. Sincerely,Dr Hannah Neumann, MEP, Daniel Attard, MEP, MEP Member of the European Parliament (EPP), Bart Groothuis, MEP Member of the European Parliament.
The cover of Nige Tassell's forthcoming book on Prefab Sprout, "truly gifted kids", showing, from l. to r., Martin Mc Aloon, God, Wendy Smith and Neil Conti
The Orange Menace talking to Johnny boy.
BETTING EXCHANGE CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Rhodes who, having left his position as chief executive of industry regulator the Gambling Commission in April, has bagged himself an exciting new job. On 2 June, Hawkbridge - a strategic advisory firm which was formed earlier this year and works exclusively for the gambling industry - announced that Rhodes has joined the company as "principal consultant". Explaining that "the next five years will be more consequential for gambling regulation than many years previous", Rhodes pronounced himself "so pleased" with his new role. 't hard to see why an advisory firm working for gambling operators would be interested in the services of a man who was until recently in charge of regulating the industry. Indeed, as part of his new employment, Hawkbridge says Rhodes will be advising clients on "government and regulatory engagement" - something for which his prior experience should come in handy!
"WHAT I JUST READ", acryclic painting of a startled rabbit reading a small red book, by Natalia Saloshvili, on show at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition.
Cover of "and on piano...NICKY HOPKINS", the biography of England's greatest session pianist.
The Lego replica of World Cup trophy, yours for 1,999 Norwegian kroner.
The great saxophonist Marshall Allen, resplendent in a sun-themed waistcoat, performing in Moers in 2019, at the age of 96.