Jack McRae
@jackimmcrae.bsky.social
Mainly write about sport and Arsenal
jackimmcrae.com
jackimmcrae.com
It isn't enough to let a transfer window run its course.
From journalists to ITKs to news aggregators, there are an inconceivable number of sources producing information every second.
We all lap up each update, dopamine hit and bomba – the truth blurred. jackimmcrae.com/2026/08/10/n...
From journalists to ITKs to news aggregators, there are an inconceivable number of sources producing information every second.
We all lap up each update, dopamine hit and bomba – the truth blurred. jackimmcrae.com/2026/08/10/n...
August 10, 2026 at 4:31 PM
It isn't enough to let a transfer window run its course.
From journalists to ITKs to news aggregators, there are an inconceivable number of sources producing information every second.
We all lap up each update, dopamine hit and bomba – the truth blurred. jackimmcrae.com/2026/08/10/n...
From journalists to ITKs to news aggregators, there are an inconceivable number of sources producing information every second.
We all lap up each update, dopamine hit and bomba – the truth blurred. jackimmcrae.com/2026/08/10/n...
As Mexico and South Africa prepare to kick off another World Cup, I went back over my history dissertation from 2022.
I looked at how the tournament in 2010 helped fuel xenophobia in the country and the failures of FIFA.
16 years on, little has changed.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/11/h...
I looked at how the tournament in 2010 helped fuel xenophobia in the country and the failures of FIFA.
16 years on, little has changed.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/11/h...
How the vuvuzelas drowned out South Africa’s xenophobia and FIFA’s greed
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons / Marcello Casal Jr/ABr “It’s a really good ball. It’s Tshabalala! Goal Bafana Bafana! Goal for South Africa! Goal for all of Africa! Jabulile, rejoiceR…
jackimmcrae.com
June 11, 2026 at 1:11 PM
As Mexico and South Africa prepare to kick off another World Cup, I went back over my history dissertation from 2022.
I looked at how the tournament in 2010 helped fuel xenophobia in the country and the failures of FIFA.
16 years on, little has changed.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/11/h...
I looked at how the tournament in 2010 helped fuel xenophobia in the country and the failures of FIFA.
16 years on, little has changed.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/11/h...
I wrote this in the early hours of Monday morning in an empty Oslo airport.
I reflected on an intense weekend of highs and lows in Budapest.
I was distraught when #AFC lost the #UCL final, but the joyous reality remains: Arsenal are champions of England. jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/03/t...
I reflected on an intense weekend of highs and lows in Budapest.
I was distraught when #AFC lost the #UCL final, but the joyous reality remains: Arsenal are champions of England. jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/03/t...
TWIW: Falling and flying with Arsenal in Budapest
“Heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he kept saying to reassure himself: ‘So far so good… so far so good… so far so good.’ How you fall doesn…
jackimmcrae.com
June 3, 2026 at 12:32 PM
I wrote this in the early hours of Monday morning in an empty Oslo airport.
I reflected on an intense weekend of highs and lows in Budapest.
I was distraught when #AFC lost the #UCL final, but the joyous reality remains: Arsenal are champions of England. jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/03/t...
I reflected on an intense weekend of highs and lows in Budapest.
I was distraught when #AFC lost the #UCL final, but the joyous reality remains: Arsenal are champions of England. jackimmcrae.com/2026/06/03/t...
The lonely Arsenal flag from yesterday’s Champions League final standing defiant on the banks of the Danube. Still gutted, but lots to be proud of.
May 31, 2026 at 2:31 PM
The lonely Arsenal flag from yesterday’s Champions League final standing defiant on the banks of the Danube. Still gutted, but lots to be proud of.
This week I watched cricket. Ben Aitchison and Wayne Madsen shared a record-breaking partnership at Lord's to lead Derbyshire to victory over Middlesex.
It was a great display and demonstrated how good long-form cricket is, even if it is being neglected.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/22/t...
It was a great display and demonstrated how good long-form cricket is, even if it is being neglected.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/22/t...
TWIW: Cricket needs to uproot the culture, not the game
This week I watched cricket. The pavilion at Lord’s stands proud and defiant. Like a lonely lighthouse in a storm, the home of cricket is weathered by the ever-changing landscape around it. I…
jackimmcrae.com
May 22, 2026 at 11:29 AM
This week I watched cricket. Ben Aitchison and Wayne Madsen shared a record-breaking partnership at Lord's to lead Derbyshire to victory over Middlesex.
It was a great display and demonstrated how good long-form cricket is, even if it is being neglected.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/22/t...
It was a great display and demonstrated how good long-form cricket is, even if it is being neglected.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/22/t...
May 19, 2026 at 11:42 PM
May 18, 2026 at 10:16 PM
May 10, 2026 at 5:40 PM
This week I watched table tennis. Marty Supreme may have been the sport’s main talking point earlier this year, but China’s men’s defeat to Sweden on Sunday was a shock.
Elsewhere, China’s women were flawless and there was disappointment for England.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/05/t...
Elsewhere, China’s women were flawless and there was disappointment for England.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/05/t...
TWIW: Sweden shock China to usher in Marty Supreme era of table tennis
This week I watched table tennis. “I know it’s hard to believe but I’m telling you, this game, it fills stadiums overseas and it’s only a matter of time before I’m staring a…
jackimmcrae.com
May 5, 2026 at 4:49 PM
This week I watched table tennis. Marty Supreme may have been the sport’s main talking point earlier this year, but China’s men’s defeat to Sweden on Sunday was a shock.
Elsewhere, China’s women were flawless and there was disappointment for England.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/05/t...
Elsewhere, China’s women were flawless and there was disappointment for England.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/05/05/t...
This week I watched Aussie Rules. Australians may seem as if they are taking over London, but they have been playing sport in the capital for almost four decades.
The North London Lions have built a special community and play a sport that is a joy to watch.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/21/t...
The North London Lions have built a special community and play a sport that is a joy to watch.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/21/t...
TWIW: Aussie Rules has a home in London and is looking to grow
Photograph: Provided by North London Lions. This week I watched Australian Rules Football. As I walked around the pitch at the Oliver Tambo Recreation Ground on Saturday, it might have been easy to…
jackimmcrae.com
April 21, 2026 at 12:00 PM
This week I watched Aussie Rules. Australians may seem as if they are taking over London, but they have been playing sport in the capital for almost four decades.
The North London Lions have built a special community and play a sport that is a joy to watch.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/21/t...
The North London Lions have built a special community and play a sport that is a joy to watch.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/21/t...
This week I watched netball. Strong defences and clinical attacks have been hard to come by at the Olympic Park, but @Pulse_Netball and West Ham provided just that on Friday.
Pulse were dominant and earned a good eight-point victory over @LDNMavericks.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/14/t...
Pulse were dominant and earned a good eight-point victory over @LDNMavericks.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/14/t...
TWIW: Free-flowing attacks and solid defences at London Pulse and the London Stadium
This week I watched netball. The Mildmay line train from Highbury & Islington to Stratford pulled up just after 6.30pm. The overground was busy again – commuters, pub-goers and football fans lo…
jackimmcrae.com
April 14, 2026 at 11:31 AM
This week I watched netball. Strong defences and clinical attacks have been hard to come by at the Olympic Park, but @Pulse_Netball and West Ham provided just that on Friday.
Pulse were dominant and earned a good eight-point victory over @LDNMavericks.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/14/t...
Pulse were dominant and earned a good eight-point victory over @LDNMavericks.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/04/14/t...
This week I watched squash. I saw one of the openings rounds of the Optasia Squash Championships, which reaches its conclusion today.
The screech of trainers and the knockings of the rubber ball whizzing around the glass walls have echoed in my head all week.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/29/t...
The screech of trainers and the knockings of the rubber ball whizzing around the glass walls have echoed in my head all week.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/29/t...
TWIW: Sweaty palms, weak knees and heavy arms at the Squash
This week I watched squash. The hot, humid air in the Wimbledon Club enveloped me when I stepped out of the cold, windy night and through the sliding doors of the small building in SW19. The back o…
jackimmcrae.com
March 29, 2026 at 11:15 AM
This week I watched squash. I saw one of the openings rounds of the Optasia Squash Championships, which reaches its conclusion today.
The screech of trainers and the knockings of the rubber ball whizzing around the glass walls have echoed in my head all week.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/29/t...
The screech of trainers and the knockings of the rubber ball whizzing around the glass walls have echoed in my head all week.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/29/t...
I was at the Emirates for that Reiss Nelson goal and for those Declan Rice free-kicks – special moments that ultimately led to nothing.
I was there again on Saturday when Max Dowman scored another magic goal, but maybe this time it is different. #AFC
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/17/n...
I was there again on Saturday when Max Dowman scored another magic goal, but maybe this time it is different. #AFC
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/17/n...
Nelson, Rice, Dowman: Maybe, finally, this is the moment
Standing on the Clock End at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday evening I turned to my Dad, put my head on his shoulder and told him that I was exhausted. We had suffered through an agonising 96 mi…
jackimmcrae.com
March 17, 2026 at 1:09 PM
I was at the Emirates for that Reiss Nelson goal and for those Declan Rice free-kicks – special moments that ultimately led to nothing.
I was there again on Saturday when Max Dowman scored another magic goal, but maybe this time it is different. #AFC
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/17/n...
I was there again on Saturday when Max Dowman scored another magic goal, but maybe this time it is different. #AFC
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/17/n...
This week I watched Formula One. Noise around the major changes to rules and stipulations has dominated discourse amid Mercedes’ fast start to the new season.
But #F1 has been undergoing a massive transformation in recent years – on and off the track.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/11/t...
But #F1 has been undergoing a massive transformation in recent years – on and off the track.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/11/t...
TWIW: Formula One has changed and so has the way we consume it
Mercedes driver George Russell (right) won the first race of the new Formula One season. Photograph: Heute.at Creative Commons. This week I watched Formula One. No one really likes change, but the …
jackimmcrae.com
March 11, 2026 at 1:39 PM
This week I watched Formula One. Noise around the major changes to rules and stipulations has dominated discourse amid Mercedes’ fast start to the new season.
But #F1 has been undergoing a massive transformation in recent years – on and off the track.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/11/t...
But #F1 has been undergoing a massive transformation in recent years – on and off the track.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/03/11/t...
Lamine Yamal hit a sensational first-ever hat-trick for Barcelona as La Liga's leaders beat Villarreal 4-1.
The winger was superb, with his second goal a moment of pure inspiration, as #FCB move four clear of Real Madrid.
Match ratings for Goal here: www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
The winger was superb, with his second goal a moment of pure inspiration, as #FCB move four clear of Real Madrid.
Match ratings for Goal here: www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Barcelona player ratings vs Villarreal: Lamine Yamal scores first ever hat-trick as Spanish wonderkid takes Blaugrana four points clear in La Liga title race | Goal.com UK
A hat-trick from Lamine Yamal ensured that Barcelona stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to four points with an impressive 4-1 win over Villarreal. The winger was sensational as he helped himse...
www.goal.com
February 28, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Lamine Yamal hit a sensational first-ever hat-trick for Barcelona as La Liga's leaders beat Villarreal 4-1.
The winger was superb, with his second goal a moment of pure inspiration, as #FCB move four clear of Real Madrid.
Match ratings for Goal here: www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
The winger was superb, with his second goal a moment of pure inspiration, as #FCB move four clear of Real Madrid.
Match ratings for Goal here: www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
This week I watched hurling. South Ruislip was transformed as Westmeath travelled to take on London.
Other sports have seen money and fame warp its sense of purpose, lost in a greedy pursuit of revenues. Hurling makes a nice change.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/25/t...
Other sports have seen money and fame warp its sense of purpose, lost in a greedy pursuit of revenues. Hurling makes a nice change.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/25/t...
TWIW: Hurling transforms Ruislip into Irish hub
This week I watched hurling. There was not an awful lot going on around South Ruislip Underground when I stepped out of the station third from last on the Central Line. With just a scattering of co…
jackimmcrae.com
February 25, 2026 at 6:29 PM
This week I watched hurling. South Ruislip was transformed as Westmeath travelled to take on London.
Other sports have seen money and fame warp its sense of purpose, lost in a greedy pursuit of revenues. Hurling makes a nice change.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/25/t...
Other sports have seen money and fame warp its sense of purpose, lost in a greedy pursuit of revenues. Hurling makes a nice change.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/25/t...
This season, Arsenal have often been accused of being dull, safe and reliant on set-pieces – a far cry from beautiful football seen under Wenger.
Ahead of the #NLD, I rewatched my first ever live #AFC game from 2006 to see what football was really like. jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/22/2...
Ahead of the #NLD, I rewatched my first ever live #AFC game from 2006 to see what football was really like. jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/22/2...
20 years after Arsène Wenger’s anniversary, how different are Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal?
Arsene Wenger had been Arsenal boss for 10 years. Photograph:Wikimedia Commons / Ronnie Macdonald “When Arsène Wenger eventually does leave, he will leave it in immeasurably better hands than when …
jackimmcrae.com
February 22, 2026 at 10:03 AM
This season, Arsenal have often been accused of being dull, safe and reliant on set-pieces – a far cry from beautiful football seen under Wenger.
Ahead of the #NLD, I rewatched my first ever live #AFC game from 2006 to see what football was really like. jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/22/2...
Ahead of the #NLD, I rewatched my first ever live #AFC game from 2006 to see what football was really like. jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/22/2...
This week I watched American Football. It is almost a decade since Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the US national anthem and his words still ring true.
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, Superbowl LX gave a glimpse into what could happen.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/10/t...
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, Superbowl LX gave a glimpse into what could happen.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/10/t...
TWIW: Ten years on from Kaepernick, the Superbowl cannot hide Trump’s ugly America
Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem sparked widespread political debate. Photograph: Heute.at Creative Commons. This week I watched American Football. Except, the 60th…
jackimmcrae.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
This week I watched American Football. It is almost a decade since Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the US national anthem and his words still ring true.
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, Superbowl LX gave a glimpse into what could happen.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/10/t...
With the FIFA World Cup around the corner, Superbowl LX gave a glimpse into what could happen.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/02/10/t...
Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey ran Manchester City ragged as the league leaders were handed their second WSL defeat of the season.
Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw struggled to get into the game and #AWFC ran out deserved winners.
Match ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw struggled to get into the game and #AWFC ran out deserved winners.
Match ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Man City women's player ratings vs Arsenal: Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw frustrated as WSL champions-elect have 13-match winning run ended at the Emirates | Goal.com UK
Manchester City were handed just their second defeat of the Women’s Super League season as they were outplayed in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Arsenal
www.goal.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey ran Manchester City ragged as the league leaders were handed their second WSL defeat of the season.
Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw struggled to get into the game and #AWFC ran out deserved winners.
Match ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw struggled to get into the game and #AWFC ran out deserved winners.
Match ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike stepped up for Arne Slot as the big-money summer signings helped fire Liverpool to a comeback victory against Newcastle.
Ibrahima Konate also impressed and got on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory.
#LFC ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Ibrahima Konate also impressed and got on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory.
#LFC ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Liverpool player ratings vs Newcastle: The Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz show! Summer signings fire Reds past Newcastle after Anthony Gordon opener | Goal.com UK
Wirtz and Ekitike stepped up for Arne Slot as the big-money summer signings helped fire Liverpool to a comeback victory against Newcastle. When the Magpies took a deserved lead, the French forward too...
www.goal.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:44 PM
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike stepped up for Arne Slot as the big-money summer signings helped fire Liverpool to a comeback victory against Newcastle.
Ibrahima Konate also impressed and got on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory.
#LFC ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Ibrahima Konate also impressed and got on the scoresheet in the 4-1 victory.
#LFC ratings here:
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Bayern Munich dropped points in the Bundesliga for the second consecutive game as they struggled to a 2-2 draw against Hamburg.
Goals from Fabio Vieira and Vuskovic ensured the hosts snatched a valuable point after Kane and Diaz had put Bayern ahead.
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Goals from Fabio Vieira and Vuskovic ensured the hosts snatched a valuable point after Kane and Diaz had put Bayern ahead.
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Harry Kane and Luis Diaz on target for Bayern but Vincent Kompany's side need goal-line clearance from Alphonso Davies to preserve point against Hamburg | Goal.com UK
Bayern Munich dropped points in the Bundesliga for the second consecutive game as they struggled to a 2-2 draw against Hamburg in north Germany. Harry Kane and Luis Diaz had put the league leaders ahe...
www.goal.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Bayern Munich dropped points in the Bundesliga for the second consecutive game as they struggled to a 2-2 draw against Hamburg.
Goals from Fabio Vieira and Vuskovic ensured the hosts snatched a valuable point after Kane and Diaz had put Bayern ahead.
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
Goals from Fabio Vieira and Vuskovic ensured the hosts snatched a valuable point after Kane and Diaz had put Bayern ahead.
www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/...
This week I watched ice hockey. The Haringey Huskies won 6-5 against the Chelmsford Warriors.
The hosts had former #AFC and #CFC goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for his efforts in goal as a strong home crowd cheered the Huskies on to victory.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/01/27/t...
The hosts had former #AFC and #CFC goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for his efforts in goal as a strong home crowd cheered the Huskies on to victory.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/01/27/t...
TWIW: There is more beneath the Americanised surface of ice hockey and Petr Cech is proof
This week I watched ice hockey. The stand that runs alongside the rink at the Alexandra Palace was completely filled and there was little room as hundreds squeezed around the Perspex perimeter sepa…
jackimmcrae.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
This week I watched ice hockey. The Haringey Huskies won 6-5 against the Chelmsford Warriors.
The hosts had former #AFC and #CFC goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for his efforts in goal as a strong home crowd cheered the Huskies on to victory.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/01/27/t...
The hosts had former #AFC and #CFC goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for his efforts in goal as a strong home crowd cheered the Huskies on to victory.
jackimmcrae.com/2026/01/27/t...
Reposted by Jack McRae
Laura Holden: ‘I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else’
Laura Holden: ‘I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else’
The former Aberdeen midfielder, now with Swindon, opens up about the debilitating effect of suffering an ACL injury during her time in Scotland
“People need to know what happened,” Laura Holden says as she reflects on her difficult two years at Aberdeen when injury changed the course of her life. “It’s not all sunshine and roses. There are demons that just get brushed under the carpet without having the light shone on them.”
It has taken the Swindon Town midfielder time and a change of club to process everything that happened in Scotland. Holden joined the Dons in August 2023, determined to establish herself as a key player at one of the biggest clubs in the Scottish Women’s Premier League. But just six matches and 31 minutes into the first season, she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament away at Hibernian.
This is an extract from our free email about women’s football, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday. Continue reading...
dlvr.it
January 22, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Laura Holden: ‘I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else’