Tony Evans

2 weeks ago | tonyevans92a.substack.com | Tony Evans

“There has never been a better time to be poor,” the youth said, catching the attention of the group of boys sitting and squatting around him. They stopped playing cards for a moment – pontoon, to allow as many participants as possible – and listened. Silence in such a gathering was unusual. They waited, the spitting and swearing held back as nine teenagers found themselves tuned in on the same wavelength. Political football is a reader-supported publication.

3 weeks ago | tonyevans92a.substack.com | Tony Evans

THE DEATH OF Brian Glanville last month got me thinking about some of the greats of British sportswriting that I’ve worked with. The best known are Brian and Hugh McIlvanney. As you might expect, they were brilliant operators. But you needed to stay on the right side of them. I came across both at The Sunday Times, where I started as a casual downtable sub-editor. My first role for a national newspaper. We called ourselves “monkey subs” because that’s how we were viewed: bottom of the pecking order.

1 month ago | tonyevans92a.substack.com | Tony Evans

WHAT A WEEK for football in Manchester. First, City ended the campaign without a trophy after seven successive seasons of piling up silverware. Pep Guardiola’s team lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Crystal Palace. And before you start, Pep, the Community Shield does not count. It’s a pre-season friendly. Then United produced a truly gruesome performance in the Europa League final, falling 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. What made it so glorious is that Spurs were almost as horrible as Ruben Amorim’s side.

1 month ago | tonyevans92a.substack.com | Tony Evans

A TEXT MESSAGE CAME through just after the half-time whistle blew. ‘God’s good,’ it said. It was not meant as consolation. It was gloating. Across the Liverpool section in the stadium, people sat in silence, with a bemused, helpless look on their faces. It was cold and most seemed to be squirming in their seats. If there was anywhere to go to get warmth and comfort, most would surely head in that direction. Not far away, a man stood up and, with a voice filled with pure spite, started to sing.

1 month ago | listennotes.com | Tony Evans

ABOUT THIS EPISODE This week on Heavy Metal Tones, I had an awesome chat with Lamoyne Alexander — a seriously talented artist who's made the bold move from the world of rap into full-on rock. We talk about what sparked that transition, how he’s blending the two genres in his own way, and the stories behind his brand new single and upcoming album. Lamoyne’s energy is contagious, and his passion for music is real.