Josh Bland

An Unexpected Love Letter to Edgar Street Josh has an unforgettably authentic experience on a last-minute trip to Hereford

A bit of light reading as you head to a game today!

A few weeks ago I visited Hereford FC's Edgar Street for the first time. I absolutely loved it.

A few words on hodge-podge homes, authenticity and the dying charm of "proper grounds"...

joshbland.substack.com/p/field-note...

The Telegraph Rayner tax scandal - £40k tax dodge - Statement Angela Rayner dodges £40,000 stamp duty Deputy Prime Minister reduces tax bill for Hove flat by declaring it as her main residence [Photo: Angela Rayner pictured at the weekend in Hove, where she has just bought a flat Credit: Dan Charity/The Sun on Sunday] Robert Mendick Chief Reporter. Amy Gibbons Political Correspondent 29 August 2025 8:57am BST

The Telegraph Money > Property > Second homes How to avoid tax on your second home From stamp duty to council tax, shield your wealth from Labour's tightening net [Photo of houses around a bay - Areas such as Cornwall have added a premium to council tax bills for second homes Credit: iStockphoto] Fran Ivens Senior Money Writer 29 August 2025 1:21pm BST

On the same day in the Telegraph:

Melvyn Bragg has been one of the last standard-bearers for a really important, and unfashionable, idea: that good conversation, between people who really know their stuff, on complex or difficult subjects, can be fantastic radio - and that the national broadcaster should do this.

I hope it endures.

A Century and a Quarter of Home As The Hawthorns celebrates its 125th anniversary, I reflect on what makes my home ground such a special place...

Today The Hawthorns turns 125.

It's tough to summarise what my footballing home means to me, but I've tried.

This is a tribute to a veritable cathedral of English football, and an examination of how grounds are defined by continuity and the memories within.

joshbland.substack.com/p/a-century-...

A Century and a Quarter of Home As The Hawthorns celebrates its 125th anniversary, I reflect on what makes my home ground such a special place...

Great piece by @joshbland13.bsky.social marking 125 years of The Hawthorns #wba

open.substack.com/pub/joshblan...

Is there magic in the EFL Cup? Ask Grimsby Town “THE magic of the FA Cup” is a phrase regularly heard, usually when the football calendar approaches the new year and teams from the top two tiers of English football enter the old competition. T...

Thrilled to feature in @jdnalton.bsky.social's excellent article in The Morning Star.

More chat about Grimsby, Man United and my research on the vital role of football clubs in post-industrial towns.

Read here: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ther...

Yeah I'd be delighted!

...in terms of finding out more. I think the best thing to do is look up on the Cambridge site! It's got more info/links to publications there!

www.arch.cam.ac.uk/staff/josh-b...

Thanks so much Sarah! So I've been working with three clubs - Newcastle United, the Mariners and Horden Community Welfare FC. Clubs of different sizes, but all bound by a post-industrial context. I've spent a lot of time in all three communities and have come to love them all... (1/2)

The Real Big Fish Last night isn’t about Manchester United’s declension. It's about Grimsby Town’s ascension.

Another brilliant piece on Substack by @joshbland13.bsky.social and the REAL story of Grimsby's victory over Man United

open.substack.com/pub/joshblan...

Couldn’t agree more.

Thanks so much Chris!

Thanks Bruce!

The Real Big Fish Last night isn’t about Manchester United’s declension. It's about Grimsby Town’s ascension.

I've spent the last three years researching Grimsby Town FC for my PhD.

So in the wake of last night, I wanted to write a piece on what makes #GTFC such a special club, and what Manchester United can learn from the supposed "little fish" of English football.

joshbland.substack.com/p/the-real-b...

Football fans will see Nigel Farage’s branded kit for the cynical move it is The pale blue strip is unlikely to become Reform’s version of the Maga hat.

I've been thinking a lot about the Reform UK football kit launch and what it says about the place of football culture in UK politics.

This piece in @uk.theconversation.com asks if Reform can become the party of the football supporter.

Spoiler: I'm skeptical.

theconversation.com/football-fan...

Thanks so much Dave ❤️

Football fans will see Nigel Farage’s branded kit for the cynical move it is The pale blue strip is unlikely to become Reform’s version of the Maga hat.

My mate @joshbland13.bsky.social wrote this. It's excellent

theconversation.com/football-fan...

Football fans will see Nigel Farage’s branded kit for the cynical move it is The pale blue strip is unlikely to become Reform’s version of the Maga hat.

A much-anticipated debut in @theconversation.com for me today!

Some writing on Nigel Farage's "Reform FC" football kit launch, and why Reform's attempted exploitation of football's cultural capital may not go to plan...

Read here: theconversation.com/football-fan...

I’m not sure about talented but thank you so much! I think my first article was about Neymar (then at Santos) and about how he was never going to amount to anything 😬 not sure how history will judge that!

Hope you’re keeping well!

Getting there! Writing up as we speak, should be submitted within 3 months or so! Cannot wait to have it done and move on to pastures new to be honest...

It’s a grim portent I think…I sense football is becoming a key political battleground, especially if you look at where the next election is going to be won and lost…

I’ll leave that to the creative imagination of the reader 👀

Cheers Jem!

Thanks for sharing Chris! I share those sentiments exactly…

Good read this.

South Brum been hijacked by Reform-supporting flag-botherers, who have made our streets look like Blackpool strip.
Same people have targeted social media community pages with anti-migrant rhetoric.
I find the UK's direction of travel very alarming.

This, below, is part of it

Reform FC Progressive football fans must resist Nigel Farage's hypocritical attempted appropriation of football culture...

A moment for ditching my relative political neutrality on my Substack.

Some words on Farage's hypocritical attempts to place Reform and the hard-right as the natural political affiliation of the football fan.

Read here: joshbland.substack.com/p/reform-fc?...

Transfers, PSR and the Death of the Terrace Hero Does the crushing financial realism of the modern transfer market undercut our ability to emote with the sport we love?

Some writing about why I find the modern transfer market so depressing.

I appreciate why #wba have to sell star assets like Heggem. But the modern trend of seeing terrace heroes as entries on a spreadsheet undercuts so much I value about the game I love

joshbland.substack.com/p/transfers-...

Against the Run of Play | Josh Bland | Substack Ramblings on football, supporter culture and cultural heritage. Click to read Against the Run of Play, by Josh Bland, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

Thrilled that my Substack - Against the Run of Play - has passed 200 subscribers!

When I set up 6 months ago, this was just a passion project. I’ve been blown away by the feedback and response I’ve had since!

If you’re a football culture nerd like me, sign up!

open.substack.com/pub/joshblan...

People think money has ruined football but the sight of a rapist dictator standing next to a corrupt football official in front of a big gold trophy at a competition bankrolled by Saudi Arabia reminds me the game still belongs to us.

Afterlives: Millmoor A photo essay exploring dissonance, the sublime and regeneration in Rotherham's abandoned stadium

Finally, a bit of a photo essay - exploring the ruins of Rotherham's famous old Millmoor ground...

joshbland.substack.com/p/ghosts-of-...