Nashville – Party City

Our newest favourite place on the planet! Nashville delivered…

Our host Jonny sorted everything (and won the golf and go karting).

Great bars, everywhere has live music and a very friendly place – so much better than Las Vegas for a stag/hen (and there’s loads of those!).

Onwards with a road trip to Atlanta…

England v Panama, New Jersey / New York

A miserable day of wet weather (although still pretty warm) saw us head to New Jersey’s Met Life Stadium.

Started off with Chiz’s Birthday Brunch in a rooftop bar and then cheap 3rd party coaches to the stadium with dodgy parking around the back of the service entrance to the massive American Dream Shopping & Entertainment Mall (indoor theme park reminded me of Metro Land in Gateshead from 1988).

Match Report

• Result: England 2–0 Panama
• Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group L
• Venue: MetLife Stadium (officially “New York/New Jersey Stadium” for the tournament)
• Attendance: 80,663
• Date: Saturday 27 June 2026  

Match summary

• England laboured through a frustrating first half against a well-organised Panama side.
• The breakthrough finally arrived just after the hour when Jude Bellingham cleverly turned home a Bukayo Saka corner.
• Five minutes later, Bellingham burst down the left and crossed for Harry Kane to head in England’s second.
• England controlled the remainder of the game, finishing top of Group L and progressing to the Round of 32 with a 2–0 victory.  

Goals

• 62’ – ⚽ Jude Bellingham (assist: Bukayo Saka)
• 67’ – ⚽ Harry Kane (assist: Jude Bellingham)  

England starting XI

• Jordan Pickford
• Jarell Quansah
• Ezri Konsa
• Marc Guéhi
• Nico O’Reilly
• Elliot Anderson
• Jude Bellingham
• Bukayo Saka
• Morgan Rogers
• Marcus Rashford
• Harry Kane (captain)  

England substitutions

• 63’ Djed Spence ⬅️ Jarell Quansah
• 63’ Noni Madueke ⬅️ Bukayo Saka
• 71’ Eberechi Eze ⬅️ Jude Bellingham
• 84’ Ollie Watkins ⬅️ Harry Kane
• 84’ Jordan Henderson ⬅️ Elliot Anderson  

Panama starting XI

• Orlando Mosquera
• José Córdoba
• Fidel Escobar
• Cristian Martínez
• José Luis Rodríguez
• Tomás Rodríguez
• Édgar Yoel Bárcenas (captain)
• Carlos Harvey
• Andrés Andrade
• Amir Murillo
• Jorge Gutiérrez  

Panama substitutions

• Half-time José Fajardo ⬅️ Tomás Rodríguez
• 71’ Ismael Díaz ⬅️ Édgar Bárcenas
• 71’ Azarías Londoño ⬅️ José Luis Rodríguez
• 88’ Alberto Quintero ⬅️ Carlos Harvey
• 88’ Eric Davis ⬅️ Jorge Gutiérrez  

Player of the Match: Jude Bellingham — scored the opener, created Kane’s goal and was England’s standout performer in a much-improved second half.  

And from 16 years ago today… South Africa 2010 World Cup

Another Day in New York City

A wander over Brooklyn Bridge, a cycle around Central Park and explore more places to hook up with everyone to watch France play Norway at another massive Sports Bar.

Dinner at the famous Keens Chophouse dating from 1902. Unbelievable steak. Like having a joint of beef to yourself and so tasty and well cooked. Top place.

New York Stats:

• 🚦 Traffic signals: 13,543
• 🌉 Bridges and tunnels: 789
• 🏙️ Skyscrapers (over 150 m): more than 320, the most of any city in the United States.

New York and Darts…

A walking day around Manhattan with Breakfast at Bubby’s and the Football Daily Podcast, seeing the 9/11 Memorial, heading up the One World Trade Centre for views from the 102nd floor, the Stattan Island Ferry & Statue of Liberty, Bull of Wall Street, Pizza in Little Italy and ending up at the PDC Darts at Madison Square Gardens with the Rufus du Sol gig crowd…

Meanwhile some of the group were stuck on the train from Boston for 8 hours…

On to New York…

A comfortable 4.5 hour train journey from Boston to New York with great coastal views.

A while since any of us last visited and still as crazy as ever. Off the train and straight into a New York sports bar to watch Brazil v Scotland then stepped out of Penn Station to a view of the Empire Stare building and in to the traffic, noise, crowds and madness.

Heading for Times Square the World Cup being properly embraced in New York. Masses of Ecuador fans (really) in the city and all going crazy in Times Square hugely outnumbering the Germans who they play tomorrow.

Met up with the Walls eventually (too many Irish bars with the same name) and then watched the light show just before mid night when all the advertising displays get in sync for an art show that we really didn’t get… Meanwhile the Ecuador fans were still singing and dancing as we headed for one last drink in a very New York whiskey dive bar…