Month: October 2023
Once Again Hospitalized
Well, it happened again. Something that I thought was sorted out and would never happen again and that I just need to be careful and hope that my legs get back to full strength. I got my problem again. On Friday morning, after doing a night shift of 1:30 am till 9:30 am, I went to get some coffee and breakfast. In fact I had actually started my work at the office at 12 am. After coffee and breakfast, I came back home but as I was getting in the Uber, I had abdominal cramps. I chalked it up to having less water and also the room that I was in was a bit hot and the ac was barely on.
I came home by 10:45 am and went to bed at 11:30 am but woke up at 12:30 pm with cramps on both calfs. It refused to go away and it got worse when I tried to sit down. We had to call an ambulance and I needed help to get in and get down. At the hospital they have me some painkillers via a drip and then I waited to see the doctor I had been consulting with. After he saw my blood test results, he asked the nurses to give me two shots of a powerful painkiller and then I was led to my room. BY this time the pain had decreased and it was almost gone and it was almost 6pm by then.
I was in the hospital till yesterday evening. Turns out I also have a bad infection and this could have triggered the cramps. I do not know. I am on anti-biotics and will go back on Monday. I spend Saturday, Sunday & most of Monday in my room with my sister, eating simple meals, drinking lots of water and resting. I am now taking my medicine and resting at home, getting some sleep.
Big Joe Thornton Retires From Playing Hockey
Joe Thornton has officially announced his retirement from the NHL following a 24-year career as one of the game’s top playmakers. The 44-year-old Thornton hadn’t played since the 2021-22 season with Florida but hadn’t made an official declaration about his plans until releasing a video Saturday through the San Jose Sharks. Thornton entered the NHL as the No. 1 overall pick by Boston in 1997, had his greatest success in 15 seasons with San Jose following a trade to the Sharks, and then finished his career by playing one season in Toronto and Florida.
He played 1,714 regular-season games, recording 1,109 assists and 430 goals. He was a four-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist for Canada in 2010 and won the Hart Trophy as MVP and Art Ross Trophy as scoring leader in 2005-06 after getting traded early that season from Boston to San Jose. Thornton ranks seventh all-time in assists, 12th in points with 1,539 and sixth in games played. About the only thing Thornton didn’t accomplish was winning a Stanley Cup, losing in his only trip to the final round in 2016 with the Sharks against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But with his pristine playmaking and iconic beard, Thornton became the face of the Sharks franchise after being acquired from Boston on Nov. 30, 2005. San Jose had only intermittent success before his arrival but made the playoffs all but two seasons during Thornton’s time with the Sharks. He helped the team win the Presidents’ Trophy with the best record in 2008-09, make back-to-back conference finals appearances in 2010 and ’11, the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 and another trip to the Western Conference final in 2019. His No. 19 will one day be raised to the rafters at the Shark Tank next to his old running mate Patrick Marleau’s No. 12 that was retired earlier this year.
At the time of his retirement, Thornton was the last active player in any of the major North American professional sports leagues to have played in the 1990s, and the last active NHL player to have played in an NHL game against Wayne Gretzky. Thornton is married to Tabea Pfendsack, whom he met while playing in Switzerland during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The couple has a daughter and a son. Born in St. Thomas, Ontario, Thornton became a naturalized American citizen in July 2009 at a ceremony in Campbell, California, a suburb of San Jose; he later also received a Swiss passport. Joe and former Sharks teammate Scott Thornton are first cousins.
RIP Matthew Langford Perry
Actor Matthew Perry, beloved star of the top-rated 1990s U.S. television sitcom “Friends” as the wise-cracking, pun loving & sarcastically hilarious Chandler Bing, died on Saturday after apparently drowning in a hot tub. He was 54. It was reported that the American-Canadian performer was found dead in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home. NBC, which broadcast “Friends” for 10 years, confirmed his demise in a statement on social media platform X. He starred as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends from 1994 to 2004, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow. and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for the role.
Perry also appeared on Ally McBeal (2002) and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006). He gained a leading role in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which aired from 2006 to 2007. Perry also became known for his leading film roles in Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), The Whole Ten Yards (2005), and 17 Again (2009). He voiced Benny in the video game Fallout: New Vegas (2010). Perry was co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star of the ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine, which ran from February to April 2011.
In August 2012, he starred as sportscaster Ryan King on the NBC sitcom Go On. Perry co-developed and starred in a revival of the CBS sitcom The Odd Couple portraying Oscar Madison from 2015 to 2017. He had recurring roles in the legal dramas The Good Wife (2012–2013), and The Good Fight (2017). He portrayed Ted Kennedy in The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017) and appeared as himself in Friends: The Reunion (2021). Perry suffered from severe addictions to drugs and alcohol. Through his recovery, he became an advocate for rehabilitation and spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. In 2013, he received the Champion of Recovery Award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He wrote a memoir entitled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing in 2022.
Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1969. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (née Langford, born 1948), is a Canadian journalist who was press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His father, John Bennett Perry (born 1941), is an American actor and former model. His parents separated when he was one year old, and his mother married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. He was raised by his mother mostly in Ottawa, Ontario, but he also lived briefly in Toronto and Montreal. Perry practiced tennis, often for 10 hours per day and became a top-ranked junior player in Canada with the possibility of a tennis career. However, at age 15, he moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles to live with his father and competition there was tougher.
Arsenal 5 Sheffield United 0
Eddie Nketiah struck his first Premier League hat trick in exquisite style as Arsenal maintained the pressure on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table with a crushing 5-0 victory over winless Sheffield United. The Arsenal academy graduate controlled the ball and calmly slotted it past Wes Foderingham to open the scoring just shy of the half-hour mark, before smashing a stunning second into the roof of the net shortly after the restart.
And the best was still to come as the forward picked up Emile Smith Rowe’s pass and fired an unstoppable 25-yard piledriver beyond the helpless Foderingham, who could only watch the ball nestle into the top corner. Arsenal weren’t finished and there was still time for Fabio Vieira to add a fourth from the penalty spot, before right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu made it a fantastic five in the dying seconds to cap a breathtaking afternoon at the Emirates. And when referee Tim Robinson took a VAR check to see that substitute Fabio Vieira had been fouled just inside the box by Blades skipper Oliver Norwood, he wanted the chance to add to his tally. But Veira had won it and he wanted it. The Portuguese snatched the ball from the striker’s hands before sending United keeper Wes Foderingham the wrong way.
The challenge is for Nketiah to find the back of the net with enough consistency to keep his manager happy. Gareth Southgate saw enough to hand Nketiah his first England cap earlier this month – and that recognition seems to have taken his game to another level.
All Four Of The Big Bang Theory Halloween Episodes
The Middle Earth Paradigm (Season 1, Episode 6)
Speaking of Leonard and Penny’s first kiss, The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 6, “The Middle Earth Paradigm” provided this classic moment in the show’s history. This episode places highly thanks to Leonard and Penny’s big scene, but it’s an otherwise standard season 1 outing with a lot of lazy jokes about Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj failing to fit in with Penny’s friends at her Halloween party. Luckily, a few great gags elevate this episode, like Sheldon attending the party dressed as “The Doppler Effect” and struggling to see what’s so strange about his outfit.
The Good Guy Fluctuation (Season 5, Episode 7)
Easily the show’s worst Halloween episode, The Big Bang Theory season 5, episode 7, “The Good Guy Fluctuation,” is particularly unpopular as this is the outing that saw Leonard cheat on Priya. While this Big Bang Theory Halloween episode was a betrayal of Leonard’s usually sweet character, that wasn’t the only issue with its plot. The show soon revealed that Priya had also cheated on Leonard, a twist that made their entire multi-episode romance seem pointless in retrospect. Like many of Leonard’s doomed romances, this storyline was played for laughs but ended up feeling surprisingly bleak despite this.
The Holographic Excitation (Season 6, Episode 5)
While The Big Bang Theory season 6, episode 5, “The Holographic Excitation,” isn’t the show’s best outing, it is the strongest Halloween episode in the series. Not only does “The Holographic Excitation” feature a rare Howard-centric storyline, the episode also explores what draws Penny to Leonard. The Big Bang Theory’s Howard refusing to shut up about his recent space mission, along with him and Bernadette attending a Halloween party dressed as the Smurfs, is a classic bit. Meanwhile, Penny admitting that she finds Leonard’s scientific prowess hot explains a lot about their unlikely pairing.
The Imitation Perturbation (Season 12, Episode 6)
While The Big Bang Theory season 12, episode 6, “The Imitation Perturbation” is admittedly not an all-time great episode, this final season entry did feature some strong gags as Howard and Sheldon dressed as each other for Halloween. The simmering tension between Sheldon and Howard was always good for a few laughs as Howard usually took Sheldon’s constant mockery with good humor, but sometimes lashed out with hilarious pranks that drove his friend to unhinged breakdowns. The strength of The Big Bang Theory’s cast proved pivotal to the appeal of “The Imitation Perturbation,” as seeing four of the show’s stars imitate each other was enough to carry the episode on its own.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (My Thoughts & Review)
Things To Remember Before Dressing Up Your Dog For Halloween
Dressing up your dog for Halloween can be a fun hit at the party or create cute photos that everyone will love. If you do dress up your furry friend, consider these 6 tips to making your dog’s Halloween comfy, safe, and stress free:
Choose costumes that do not restrict movement, sight, or airways
It is important to ensure your dog can see, hear, and breath in their costumes, especially if they are out trick-or-treating with you and your family. Stay away from costumes that involve a head or tight neck piece or have goggles. Remember that you dog’s ears are sensitive! Make sure any costume pieces are not irritating to their ears.
Try on the costume ahead of time
Have a fashion show and put your dog in the costume before Halloween to ensure they are comfortable and happy wearing it and can move freely in it.
Ensure your dog’s tags can still be seen
Halloween can be a scary time for pups with lots of strangers coming to the doors or walking around with people in funny outfits. Should your dog be trick-or-treating with you and manage to get away, ensure that their tag and your identification can be clearly seen and read. Keep your dog on a leash to help control and protect your dog. Microchipping is a veterinarian preferred way to identify your dog and to assist with reunification should your dog get away.
Put reflective tape on the costume or use glow sticks
Add reflective tape or glow-tape to your dog’s costume to help them be more easily seen on the sidewalk or street at night. Tie glow sticks to the leash or costume for better visibility
Check for safety concerns
Check your dog’s outfit for dangling pieces or twisting concerns. Easily chewed off objects can provide choking hazards and ill-fitting or strappy costumes can catch on objects, people, or other dogs and can lead to injury.
Always consider your dog’s comfort level
Wearing a costume can cause stress in some dogs, so it is important to make sure your dog loves and feels comfortable in whatever you put them in. If they seemed distressed or show abnormal behavior, try to frequently remove the costume, or consider a festive Halloween bandana or collar instead!
Scariest Movies Of All Time According To Rotten Tomatoes : 6 To 10
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6. THE RING (2002)
It’s always a tricky proposition to take something that works well for one culture and try to translate that formula successfully for another, but Gore Verbinski managed that with The Ring. A remake of Japanese director Hideo Nakata’s acclaimed thriller about a cursed videotape, Verbinski’s take kept the original film’s striking visual imagery — the ghost of a young girl in a white dress with long black hair covering her face — and found that it scared the hell out of audiences no matter where they were from. While the film wasn’t as well-regarded as its predecessor, it features a committed performance from a then up-and-coming Naomi Watts, and for many, it served as an introduction to East Asian horror cinema.
7. HALLOWEEN (1978)
Coming in at the seventh spot on our list is the film that introduced the world to all-time scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis and put John Carpenter on the map. Halloween is frequently cited as one of the earliest examples of the slasher genre as we know it today, and while it may not feature the same kind of realistic gore we’ve come to expect of films in that category, it packs a lot of tension and some inventive thrills in a relatively small-scale package. The film’s legacy is also fairly untouchable: Michael Myers’ mask has become the stuff of legend, and the giant, unstoppable killer and the “final girl” have become ingrained in the horror lexicon. There’s a reason the franchise is still going after more than 40 years.
8. SINISTER (2012)
For those who didn’t read the “scientific study” mentioned at the top, we’ve finally come to the film it crowned the scariest. Before he joined the MCU with 2016’s Doctor Strange, director Scott Derrickson had racked up a few horror films, a couple of which earned cult followings. One of them was this small-scale haunted house/possession story about a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) who moves his wife and kids into a house where a family was murdered, only to discover the new place might already have a rather evil tenant. Writer C. Robert Cargill was reportedly inspired to pen the script based on a nightmare he had after watching The Ring, and the story does share a minor similarity with that film, what with the creepy snuff film angle. But for many who saw it, the dramatic reveals and creepy set pieces far outweighed any recycled genre tropes that might have been present. Plus, there’s at least one report out there that says it’s the scariest movie ever made, so that has to count for something.
9. INSIDIOUS (2010)
James Wan has already appeared higher on this list, but before he and Patrick Wilson made The Conjuring, they worked together on this supernatural thriller about a young boy who falls into a coma and begins to channel a malevolent spirit. The bare bones of the story weren’t the most groundbreaking, but frequent Wan collaborator Leigh Whannell infused it with a compelling enough mythology that it spawned four more installments. Wan also stated that Insidious was meant to be something of a corrective to the outright violence of Saw, which compelled him to craft something on a more spiritual level, and the end result is an effective chiller featuring what is frequently regarded as one of the best jump scares ever put on screen.
10. IT (2017)
The fear of clowns is a very real thing, even if it’s become so commonplace to announce it that it feels disingenuous. If you needed any further evidence, we direct you to the box office haul of 2017’s IT, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, which went on to beat The Exorcist’s 44-year record as the highest-grossing horror film ever. Oh, and of course, its 10th-place finish on this list. Andy Muschietti’s big-budget adaptation drew on nostalgia to tell its story of children scarred by trauma, while Bill Skarsgard’s take on Pennywise the evil, shapeshifting clown was bizarre and unsettling in all the right ways. Add a healthy dose of jump scares, a handful of impressive set pieces, and some top-notch CGI, and you’ve got a recipe for a horror film that’s both fun and full of scares.
Sevilla FC 1 vs Arsenal 2
Gabriel Jesus scored a goal and grabbed an assist to help Arsenal get back to winning ways in the Champions League with victory at Sevilla. After losing 2-1 to Lens in their previous European outing, the Gunners came through a difficult test against the seven-time Europa League winners. Gabriel Martinelli got the visitors off and running by marking his Champions League debut with a goal, racing on to Jesus’ brilliant ball and rounding the goalkeeper in first-half stoppage time. Jesus then increased Arsenal’s lead early in the second half with a superb strike into the top corner. Sevilla, backed by a vocal home crowd, got back into the game when Nemanja Gudelj headed in from a set-piece.
From then on, Arsenal had to withstand some pressure as the hosts tried to find an equaliser, and David Raya tipped Mariano’s shot on to the crossbar, although it may not have counted because of a possible handball. Mikel Arteta’s side then suffered a late blow as Jesus went off with a suspected hamstring injury, but they held firm to secure a victory that moves them top of Group B. The Gunners are back in the Champions League after a six-year absence but have a squad that is still finding its feet in the competition, with several players having never played in it until this season. That included the scorer of Arsenal’s opening goal, Martinelli, but he will be thankful for Jesus’ European experience, which showed in this performance.
Facing a hostile atmosphere at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, the Gunners needed their big players to step up and Jesus did just that with a superb display. A Champions League runner-up with Manchester City in 2021, Jesus’ assist for the opener was a thing of beauty as he brought the ball down and then spun to beat two players with one movement, before showing great vision to send Martinelli away with a perfect pass. His goal in the second half gave the visitors the breathing space they needed as Sevilla piled on the pressure looking to rescue something from the game. With three goals in three Champions League games this season, Jesus is a crucial player in Europe for the Gunners. However, he faces a spell on the sidelines as Arteta confirmed after the match that he went off late on with a possible hamstring injury.
Current Wallpaper – Halloween 2023
Facts People Don’t Know About You
Facts people don’t know about you
- I hurt my head while playing with some childhood friends when I was about 3 years old. I slipped and fell down the stairs and I had to get stitches done. That is my oldest memory, me at the hospital crying and my dad consoling me.
- Years later, maybe when I was 12, a friend of mine playfully was tossing bricks in our school yard and one of them as a little too high and it landed on my head – on the exact spot and I had to get stitches again!
- I remember getting locked in – there is a door that led from the living room and the spare room to my parents bedroom, the only bathroom and kitchen in our small apartment. The key broke inside it somehow and it took a while for someone to come in and break the lock.
- While in school I’ve had my share of crushes 5 in fact and 1 girl as almost 2 years older than me but in the class/grade ahead. The fifth is one of my teachers. I remember 3 of them very fondly.
- I was also the crush (crusher? crushee?) of two girls. 1 who haven’t seen since 1991 and the other is one of my oldest friends and who I am still friends with, albeit a long gap when we weren’t speaking to each other due to a falling out we had back in 1999, to this day.
I think that’s enough facts for one post. To be continued!
FOOD REVIEW #452
Countries Where McDonald’s Is Banned
BERMUDA
This Caribbean nation traditionally has a law banning foreign fast food joints. However, Maccas found a way past this by having a McDonald’s restaurant located at a U.S. Naval Air Station. In 1995 the base closed and the Mickey D’s went with it!
IRAN
Probably not surprisingly there was a lot of internal animosity from Iranis towards the large AMERICAN company. There hasn’t been a McDonalds’s restaurant in Iran since 1979 although there is word that as U.S and Iran’s relationship improves there could be a chance of a Big Mac comeback. To make things interesting Iran already has its own McDonald’s knock off, Mash Donald’s!
MACEDONIA
This small European nation had seven McDonald’s restaurants up until 2013, where the person running the Macedonia McDonald’s lost their license causing them all to close. Apparently there is more to the story, with Macedonian franchisee and the European CEO of McDonald’s having a falling-out which led to the cancellation of the license.
YEMEN
McDonald’s has never dared of starting the franchise in Yemen, the Middle Eastern country with a struggling economy. Doesn’t help that outspoken members of the community have threated militant attacks on any McDonald’s restaurants if they were erected in their country…
MONTENEGRO
McDonald’s began a ‘mobile McDonald’s’ in Montenegro to try and get the locals to convince their government to succumb to their brilliant greasiness. They were unsuccessful and local business and the Montenegro government remained resolute. No Maccas allowed.
NORTH KOREA
Probably no surprises here, if it doesn’t fall under the Dictator’s regime, of which there have been a succession of, then it won’t fly at street level. Kim Jong Un is anti-American business of all persuasions, although there is rumour that high positioned North Korean elites have smuggled Big Macs and cheeseburgers in passed the border.
ZIMBABWE
McDonald’s almost cracked the Zimbabwean market in 2000, however a collapse in the African nation’s economy scared the large American company away. Things were so dire in Zimbabwe that it made more sense to use their local currency as toilet paper rather than buy the actual stuff!
BOLIVIA
Another country that has a testy relationship with the USA with the last McDonald’s restaurant closed unceremoniously in 2002. The president and Bolivian people regularly protested against the Golden Arches, speaking out against the large corporation.
ICELAND
Iceland apparently holds itself in very high regard when it comes to its health standards, so Maccas was never popular. Iceland did have a Mickey D’s until 2009, before the health-consciousness of the nation combined with a crippling economic crash led the company to pulling out… Apparently there are development plans underway to reintroduce the franchise back to the Nordic nation though.
Peavey HP Secial Solid Basswood CT With All White Retro look
Spotify Has Made It Difficult For Indian Subscribers Of Their Free Plan
Spotify is applying new restrictions on users who listen to music on the streaming service’s free plan in India. The company has started to place limits on how users on the free plan can play tracks, including the ability to choose the order in which songs are played on the streaming platform. The move is part of the Swedish company’s attempt to turn its large userbase in the company that is currently on the ad-supported free tier to paying subscribers. As part of a recent update that rolled out earlier this week, Spotify has begun to restrict how users on the free plan will be able to access music via the platform.
Users will not be able to turn off the “Smart Shuffle” playlist option, play songs in any order, or use the traditional shuffle option without a Spotify Premium subscription. In addition to the limitations placed on the track order, Spotify will also prevent users from “scrubbing” tracks. This means that once a song has started to play, users won’t be able to go back to a specific part of the track — or tap the back button to go to the start of the track. They will also need a Premium subscription to play a song on repeat.
These new restrictions appear to have rolled out to users widely over the week, with users complaining about the change on X (formerly known as Twitter) and commenting on the company’s Instagram posts. Gadgets 360 was able to confirm that the limitations have been enabled on Spotify for Android after updating to the latest version. As per the Music Ally report, India is in Spotify’s list of top 5 countries — with regard to monthly active users. While the percentage of Indian users who pay for a Premium subscription is reportedly higher than other regions, the country is not one of the most profitable regions for Spotify.
In India, users can purchase automatically renewing Spotify Premium plans starting at Rs. 119, or opt for prepaid plans instead that start at Rs. 129. The former is slightly more cost effective on a monthly basis, while the annual prepaid Premium subscription offers a considerable discount — at Rs. 1,189 — compared to the free plan, which would cost Rs. 1,428. Spotify also offers smaller plans that start at Rs. 7 per day, called Spotify Premium Mini — this plan limits the benefits of the subscription to the mobile apps.
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2
Arsenal staged a stunning late fightback to earn a point at Stamford Bridge just as Chelsea looked about to enjoy their finest victory under manager Mauricio Pochettino.Chelsea were in complete control after Cole Palmer put them ahead from the penalty spot in the 15th minutes, with William Saliba penalised for handball following the intervention of the video assistant referee. Arsenal looked certain to slump to their first Premier League defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s speculative effort from out wide caught Arsenal keeper David Raya stranded and out of position three minutes after the break.Arsenal were sloppy and struggled to create anything until they were gifted a lifeline with 13 minutes left, Declan Rice sending Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez’s poor clearance back past him into the net.
And, remarkably, they were level seven minutes later when substitute Leandro Trossard made a decisive first contribution, stealing in at the far post to score as Chelsea hesitated in dealing with Bukayo Saka’s cross. Arsenal will be delighted to have secured a point at Chelsea after struggling for their usual fluency. The Gunners deserve full credit for sticking in there to maintain their unbeaten Premier League run with a result that looked unlikely for most of the game. Manager Mikel Arteta was berating his players regularly for their carelessness, but there can be no questions about their character as they snatched a point with that late rally. It was not a display without question marks, though, and the biggest will be over David Raya’s poor performance in goal.
Arteta took a big decision when he replaced long-time first choice and England keeper Aaron Ramsdale with his summer signing from Brentford for the visit to Everton in September. For all Arteta’s talk of competition for places, it is clear he was installing the 28-year-old Spain international as his main keeper and much was riding on his choice. It is a move that has not yet worked as Arteta hoped, with Raya looking uncertain in recent games, at fault for a goal in the Champions League defeat away to Lens and getting away with moments of hesitation in the win against Manchester City.
Here, he cut a nervous figure throughout and was embarrassed when he was caught badly out of position as Mykhailo Mudryk’s delivery from the left flew over his head for Chelsea’s second. Raya almost made matters worse when he passed the ball straight to Cole Palmer in front of goal shortly afterwards, but Chelsea let him off the hook. Arteta appears to have backed Raya but certainly needs the keeper to start performing better – and quickly – to deliver any sort of convincing case that he is a genuine upgrade on Ramsdale.
RIP SIR Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert Charlton CBE, fooball legend and former English professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, and left winger has died today at the age of 86. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the year he also won the Ballon d’Or. He finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting in 1967 and 1968. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts, passing abilities from midfield, ferocious long-range shot, fitness, and stamina. He was cautioned only twice in his career; once against Argentina in the 1966 World Cup, and once in a league match against Chelsea.
With success at club and international level, he was one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Cup and the Ballon d’Or. His elder brother Jack, who was also in the World Cup-winning team, was a former defender for Leeds United and international manager. Born in Ashington, Northumberland, Charlton made his debut for the Manchester United first-team in 1956, aged 18, and soon gained a regular place in the team, during which time he became a Football League First Division champion in 1957 then survived the Munich air disaster of February 1958 after being rescued by teammate Harry Gregg; Charlton was the last survivor of the crash from the club. After helping United to win the FA Cup in 1963 and the Football League in 1965 and 1967, he captained the team that won the European Cup in 1968, scoring two goals in the final to help them become the first English club to win the competition. Charlton left Manchester United to become manager of Preston North End for the 1973–74 season.
At international level, Charlton was named in the England squad for four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970), though he did not play in the first. At the time of his retirement from the England team in 1970, he was the nation’s most capped player, having turned out 106 times at the highest level; Bobby Moore overtook this in 1973. Charlton met his wife, Norma Ball, at an ice rink in Manchester in 1959 and they married in 1961. They had two daughters, Suzanne and Andrea. Suzanne was a weather forecaster for the BBC during the 1990s. They went on to have grandchildren, including Suzanne’s son Robert, who is named in honour of his grandfather.