177. Olaf Scholz: Putin, Power, and Far-Right Populism
23 February 2026
Of Burnley’s friendly and Obama’s wandering eye
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Post
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11 July 2009
I know some of you think I am overly obsessed with football, and Burnley in particular. But I normally draw the line at travelling north for pre-season friendlies. I am only going to our first of the season, at Bradford City this afternoon, to get some final shots and interviews for the BBC programme I am making about our promotion and what it means to the town.
One of the people I will be interviewing is David Burnley (name changed by deed poll) who has missed one game in almost forty years, and once so impressed the squad in turning up for a pre-season friendly in Majorca that they let him play. So be fair, I am not as obsessed as that.
It'll be good to get a proper look at our new players, and to get a feel from the fans for their expectations of the season ahead. We will have the smallest squad by a long way, and the lowest wage bill, even if it has rocketed from Championship levels. I reckon the club with the next smallest wage bill will be spending double what Burnley do.
I had a long chat with manager Owen Coyle yesterday, who seemed very confident we would do better than the bookies and the pundits are predicting. And the buzz around the town is still there, getting stronger as the season proper nears.
I was also pleased to see a few Asian fans wearing the club colours. I interviewed one young man, Joni, who said he felt his generation felt a greater sense of belonging to the club as part of their lives than maybe his parents' generation.
A brief word on the Barack Obama 'ass man' picture. If you've read my diaries, you'll know there were times when both TB and I would find ourselves challenged by feminine beauty in the kind of way that have women rolling their eyes and telling you to grow up. I also recall a Nato summit in Madrid when Bill Clinton joined us in being distracted by a host of spectacularly pretty and well-dressed hostesses. So Obama would appear to be following a well-worn Presidential path. But hold on -- I think he was looking at something on the floor beyond the young woman's posterior. Sarkozy's eyes are the ones to watch.
Berlusconi must be grateful; for a change it’s not him in the sexual spotlight…
I don’t think he was looking at her a$$ either and I’m not one to go easy on lecherous politicians.
I liked the line on one news website “Barack has been spending too much time with Silvio”. Tee hee.
If I remember rightly you seemed close to fainting in Madrid, and when you met Diana for dinner. Women may as you say like to say you are being pathetic, but they know there is nothing wrong in a man being attracted to a lovely looking woman. it works both ways — which is why I come on here!! Darling
Is the football season getting longer and longer? It seems yesterday you were going on about promotion and you’re already at a match. We’ve not even finished the first Test in the Ashes yet. Whatever happened to cricket in summer, football in winter?
Obama and Sarko both ended up with very good looking women, so why should we think they do not appreciate good looking women?
Even our local paper Karjalainen here in Finland has written about Dave Burnley.
I agree with Em on Obama’s so called a$$ gaze. He just doesn’t seem to be the type.
Re David Burnley, perhaps Mark Bennett should repost that video when David was arguing over his record with another Burnley fan. It is hilarious!!
Did you spot the irony in the team you were playing being in the same position as Burnley exactly a decade ago? Although I am pleased that my team, the Bantams, were able to win, I honestly wish Burnley every success in the coming campaign. I certainly hope they stay in the top flight for a number of seasons. Who knows, in another decade today’s match could be a local derby, in the Premier League itself.
If Obama and Sarkozy were not aware of beauty in all her asspects, that would be the time to be worried…